Can We Please Stop Hijacking Military Kids!!!!

Most morning after the bigs and Ian head out the door I have a few minuets to enjoy coffee and quiet.  This morning I was taking to a friend who mentioned a letter being passed around FaceBook.  Her sister sent it to her, she in turn sent it to me.  

She explained it was about investigating military families, being able to enter our homes at will, forcing military home school kids to attend public school. Basically removing the rights of military families in Missouri.  I was shocked and asked her to send me a copy of the letter.  A bit later she posted the letter on FaceBook and there I sat confused. 

  I have seen that form, filled it out for my own children.  Several times in fact.  And YEARS before Common Core, Data Mining, Obamacare or profiling were ever buzz words.  Let me state here and now I have serious concerns with Common Core.  I have a BIGGER issue when people or organizations use the military or military children to fuel their agenda.  

I am posting screen shots of the form, and the subsequent conversation between myself and the page owner.   

This is the form.  This form is NOT used to data mine, help CPS and has nothing to do with Obamacare as the page owner goes on to state.  Using the page owners own list here is what he/she claims this form helps CPS and the state of Missouri do. 

1. determine if parents are under 21

2. do any family members smoke. 

3. Families with students who are low achievers. 

4. Families with military members.   

According to the page owner this form is sent along with a survey to military families.  Curiously the survey was NOT posted.    

He/she also went onto to attach articles from political groups *I will NOT link those groups here* supporting her/his agenda.  Somehow managing to tie this form to Ombamcare.  The page owner crafted a message devoid of actual facts and posted it on his/her site to instill fear help educate military families.  Asking them not to fill out this form.  Claiming to do so would be to give up their rights.   

NOW FOR SOME TRUTH and FACTS! 

 This form is so a local school with a dense military/federally employed population can access much needed Impact Aid.  here is a link on Impact Aid  * Impact Aid *  In a nut shell, Impact Aid has been around since the 50's.  It is federal funding paid to schools with a dense military population to help offset the cost burden.  Areas with a high percentage of military kids often do not receive local tax revenue therefore Impact Aid is granted.  To qualify a school must meet specific requirements.  This form helps schools to do that. 

PLEASE if your child brings home this form fill it out!   We all know schools with a high military population are almost always in an area where that funding is needed desperately.  

I attempted to explain what the form was/is used for and the page owner continued to push his/her agenda. 

Notice how my comment was removed (hence the grey) so that people can not read and actually understand what Impact Aid is.   

 

This page owner also went onto delete my comment asking if he/she is in any way tied to the military?  

I don't normally get into back and forth discussions on social media.  Most of the time it is pointless to try and argue a point with a virtual stranger.  I also really don't care what people say, do, or think most of the time enough to comment.  In this instance WE ALL MUST Speak up!   

I have a message for the Missouri Moms Against Common Core..

DO NOT use our children to further your agenda.  

Our children are NOT tools, they are not a number and they are not a BUZZ word for your platform.  You want to fight Common Core then gather actual facts.  

I get it.  Military kids seem to be all the rage these days.  What with all the studies to determine if they are well adjusted?  If moving so often helps or hinders them?  What about deployed parents and how they bond with their kids?  Stress of war time deployments? Changing schools so often.. and on and on.  

One group after another has hopped on our military kids backs to ride out their cause or further their agenda/name.  Least we all forget not to long ago a group wanted to ban military kids from being called Military Brats.  Right now military kids are the new shinny cause.  Well I am TIRED!  It is ENOUGH!  

You want to help military children and their families then roll up your sleeves, find a Wounded Warrior organization *Wounded Warrior Volunteer project* or a Gold Star Kids *Gold Star Kids.

There are so many great ways to get involved to support military kids where they need it!  

Just PLEASE stop using our kids for your political agenda.

   

50 Shades of Superiority..

Unless you live under a rock (not knocking it, could be fun for some) you have no doubt been inundated with blog posts, meme's and Facebook posts about 50 Shades of Grey.  Some are funny, others poke fun at the actors picked to play the role of Christian Grey, and what's her name..  He seems a bit Doogie Howser to me, and she has a famous mother so I'm thinking there was some nepotism involved in this one.  A few are people claiming to hold PHD's telling us all the ways 50 shades will destroy our marriages, cause our daughters to seek abusive men, and turn our sons into violent monsters.  Perhaps I missed something but Home Depot hasn't reported a sharp upturn in the sale of red paint.  Still others profess to know that 50 Shades is a sin, and we who read/watch are adulterers and sinners destined to destroy our marriages.  Claiming that we can't possibly know and understand the difference between a fictional character and sex with our partners.   Claims of week willed women who have no business thinking about sex much less reading a book or watching a movie.  Mommy Porn I have heard it called.  As if every female to read the books has a brood of children and a husband who can't look at a woman in leggings without getting a hard on!

I confess I have read the books.  All 3 of them.  Written by a British author, who was trying to write from an American woman standpoint.  She didn't really pull it off, you take the sex out and you are left with crappy writing.  Will I see the movie?  Yes, I will.  Surely I am not the only one to grow up and wonder what an adult sex craved Doogie Howser would be like?  Moreover I am not a hypocrite.

The basis of so many articles I have read stem from what God would think?  Quoting the bible and asking what would Jesus do?  Would he spend $12 to go see a crapy movie? While I think he would have a lot to say about the cost of a ticket these days I doubt he would wax poetic about a movie like 50 shades.

Now now before you lambaste me lets us look at his very own teachings on the matter.....

Genesis 19:6

6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

Genesis 20:1

20 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Exodus 20:17

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Exodus 21:7-11

7 “And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9 And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights. 11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

Judges 16:1

16 Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. 2 When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.

Matthew 5:31

31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality[e] causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Ephesians 5:22

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

1 Peter 2:18

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,[f] leaving us[g] an example, that you should follow His steps:

1 Peter 3

3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merelyoutward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

Never one to not cite my sources this is all from the "New King James Version" Bible! Both Old and New Testament.  I know, I know some will say, I didn't use the correct bible.  Here is the thing, the bible was written by MEN, long ago and NOT originally in the English language.  Over time it has been translated and written in many varying forms.  The gist of it is still the same.  If you find yourself shaking your head at this point then close this page because you are NOT who I am writing this for.  

For the sake of argument let's assume that all these passages are from the Bible.  OK, good..  What do ALL of these passages have in common with a book like 50 shades?  *GASP* how dare I compare a sacred book such as the bible to smut like 50 shades.  Remember the Bible was written by MAN!  Commandments 7 and 8 come to mind right about now!  

The passages you read from the bible talk about slavery, treating women as property, submissiveness, and harlots (a more delicate term for prostitute).   It's all there in black and white.  All there for our children to read, and for our church leaders to gloss over or try to explain what the passages really mean.  

I have zero intention of interpreting the bible.

We have come to a place in society where church leaders, and lay people who claim religious superiority try and explain what is and is not acceptable for us to read, watch, or talk about.  They want to "educate" the masses on God and his plan for our lives.  Guilt and shamming are their weapons of choice.  For if I say Yes, I read the books.  Yes, I will go see the movie, I am shamed into feeling as if I have committed a sin.   I am told my marriage will suffer.  My marriage bed must be lacking.  I must be seeking some greater purpose than simply watching a story play out.   I am a SINNER and should be branded with a scarlet letter...  Yet these same people refuse to talk about these passages and others (Leviticus comes to mind, but that's another blog post for another time)...

Now, for the hook...all great stories have a hook according to my friend Wendy.  She is a wonderful author so I will take her at her word.


NONE of this is really about 50 shades.  NONE.. NOT ONE BIT.. It's not really about Christian and what's her name.  It can't be.  You see what all these people who continue to tell me I am screwing up my walk with God, or defiling my marriage by reading/watching 50 Shades have in common is... NONE of them have ever read it.  NOT ONE!!  They freely admit they haven't read the books.

Because it's really not about God anymore than it's about 50 shades.   It never was.  Over and over we read about a "war" on Christianity.  While that may be true in some countries where people are burned alive for professing their absolute faith in Christ, that is not the case where I live.  We are free to worship openly.  Free to pray while we are out and about with our families.  Free to praise him in the middle of Walmart if we so choose.  Free to thank him openly in public for his blessings on our lives. Yes, I know there are those claiming persecution but it's just not so..  The only war on christians is coming from those claiming to be christians..

So what is it really about it?  What would scores of people who have never read a book have to gain by telling you and I we are sinners and adulterers if we read it?  After all they are christians right?  Reading Matt Walsh over their tea.. They love their brothers and sister?  They only want what is best for our souls?

We have a new symptom growing among Christians.   Superiority.....  You see, people come to God.  They fall down on their knees and pray for forgiveness and mercy. They ask God to help them, fix their lives, cure whatever is wrong in their marriage, or with their kids.  They beg and plead with him to heal their wounds and show them the light and peace.  Then they go home and sit and wait.  Falling right back into the mundane tasks that everyday life brings.  Cooking, cleaning, working, raising children and getting up the next day to do it all over again.  Waiting for the day their lives are perfect, and their husbands stop straying, or their children begin to listen.  They employ the ol' fake it till you make it adage, and wait...  Attending church, singing all the songs, and regurgitating the right words.   Waiting for the day they feel whole and complete. Filled to the brim with happiness. They seemingly skip over the part that says God helps those who help themselves. No responsibility is ever taken for how they reached the place they now find themselves.  No battle plan is formed to make a better life, improve their education, or relationships with others. Of course there are a few who prey on the week around them and find a modicum of stardom (Math Walsh comes to mind) The rest   jump right into I am healed and all I have to do is go out and witness and spread his word. For God will be my happiness, absolving themselves of any responsibility in the matter. Taking no ownership of their lives.  Then those people who took no time to work on their relationship with Christ or fix what they deem broken,  fan out in masses to judge and smite the rest of us.  Tell us we are sinners, and spend hours of their days crafting mems' and blog posts about how if we just submit to our husbands and stop wearing leggings we will finally have peace.  Training up their children (oh how that word grates on my never) to do the same.  

I for one am sick of it.  Tired of Christianity being hijacked by politicians, church leaders, and lay people with unfettered internet access.  

Maybe it's time that we as a people admit that the Bible has some horrible things written in it.  It was written long ago in a very different time. Maybe it's time that we decide to Love Thy Neighbor.  Try NOT judging the person next to you.  Try writing a blog post or meme' about friendship and love.  Try tending to the weeds in our own gardens instead of counting those in our neighbors.  Try really teaching our children about unconditional love.  Really listening to those who may not agree with us, and finding common ground.

My family had a pastor years ago in Japan and I was blessed by his words... He told me that we are all human, we are all broken in some way.  We ALL deserve happiness, but to achieve true happiness we have to admit we are broken, stare at our cracks in the mirror and love them.  We have to accept our lives or change them.  It is up to us to determine our happiness and those of our children. WE have to do it.  Yes, for me Christ plays a role in my family.  He is interwoven into my soul.  I often find myself talking to him throughout the day, as if he is sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee with me.  The work has to come from me.  God is not a bandaid, and he is not a weapon to be taken out and thrown in other peoples faces.  Professing to love God does NOT grant you the authority to spread your misery and hate.  For surely using his name to do so is a SIN!





*I am sure I will be judged for my grammar, spelling and stark lack of punctuation.. I know Wendy is reading this and correcting my errors..  Someday I will take a class, someday Wendy! *