The longest week of my life (so far)....

What a week it has been.  I had a 48 hour headache that seems to have gone away (as of this morning).  Jim has been on a trip all week and (finally) gets home today.  We have a pack rat living in our backyard (disgusting, I know).  He has eaten through the pool noodles, the bottom of the outdoor curtains and it's anyone's guess what kind of damage he is doing under our jacuzzi.  We have traps set but no luck in catching him yet.  I'm sick over the thought of the damage that is being done to the hot tub.

So, on another note, I'm pretty sure God has been teaching me some important things this week.  He is teaching me that he hates the "self-righteous religious" stuff that goes on today.  I'm no Bible scholar but when I read about what angered God, it was the RELIGIOUS that he despised.  The Pharisees (the "religious" leaders) threw him "over the edge".  We are not here on Earth to be modern-day Pharisees.  We are here to love like Jesus loved.  We are to love the unloving.  We are to show compassion to everyone.  We are to literally be his "hands and feet" while we are here.  We are NOT here to preach religious holier-than-thou "crap" (sorry couldn't come up with a better descriptor) at the people in our lives.  Don't get me wrong, I believe it is important that the people in our lives know why we are the way we are.  I am the way I am because in October 2002 I gave my life to Jesus, turned from my "old life" and followed Him....I strive to live my life the way He wants me to (disclaimer here:  I don't do it well all the time, I fail often).  The key word here is STRIVE.   Well, sorry for the "rant" but it was quite a lesson this week.  One that left me uncomfortable and, well.....with a 48 hour headache.

Oh and P.S. for any of you "out there" that don't attend church or have negative views of God because of the self-righteous, judgmental people you envision in church....that is NOT God, that is NOT what He is like, that is NOT Him!  It angers Him!  He actually HATES it himself!  So, please don't let people distort your view of who God really is.  What a tragedy that would be.

Thanks for "listening".