Hand Raiser

I was looking around on Facebook. You know, that place where everyone airs their dirty laundry.
Anyway, I came across a friends post that struck a nerve. First let me say, this person and her family are wonderful, loving, Christian people that I adore but something she posted did not sit well with me. 

She said something in the nature of praising God in church with praise songs. She shouted out that she could not see how a person can just sit in church without raising their hands in the air and rejoicing in praise. Basically stating that you just ain't got Jesus in your heart if you can not enjoy the music and show praise.

This made the little Southern Baptist in me fume a little. 

I love praise music. I love church. I love to see people praising God weather they have their hands in the air or folded in prayer. I would never question someones relationship with Christ by how high their hands are raised. 

Even though I seen where she was coming from, and glad she is feeling it, I think she was wrong in throwing her words out like that. She could have done more harm than good.

This is why....


  • There could have been someone planning to attend church for the first time and now think they would be out of place or have to participate and fake an act just so they are not judged by other church goers. 
  •  Everyone has their own style of worshiping. "There is no wrong or right way to worship. It's who you worship that matters".
  •  It's people like this that some call “Holy Rollers”. or “Bible Thumpers”. They come across to others as “pushy” in making you believe its their way or the wrong way. 
  •  People are weak. Someone that read her post may sit in the next church service and wonder the whole time if there is a member of the church watching and judging their actions not really knowing whats in their hearts then eventually refuse to attend. 
  • I would never go to the same church as the person that stated the obvious. I wouldn't want the stinking looks from across the pews.

I’m not against other people shouting and praising. In fact I love it! It gives me Jesus bumps. My daddy is one of them, but I haven’t ever been a "hand raiser" (or hell raiser for that matter). I'm not saying I never will, but until now, I didn't know people thought less of my faith by the way I worship.

 "I'm pretty sure God will not judge how fast I ran down the isles or how far I jumped with my hands raised but rather how many times I fell to my knees in prayer". 
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fortune Cookie

We decided to have Chinese food the other night. We didn’t have any idea what to make for dinner. The weather was gloomy and cold so we didnt feel like dressing up and going out, so Chinese pick up was the perfect solution.

I’m sharing this story because an odd thing happened.

During dinner we talked about our day, and our future. The same ol things we chat about over dinner often. During our table talk, my husband started complaining about the weather and how it just makes him feel lazy and all he wants to do on days like this is eat and lay around. 

He likes to be active. He works hard keeping up a couple yards a week and when its raining hes stuck inside and after a day or two, he just looses his mojo.
He said he doesn't feel like he can get anything done.
Winter weather makes him feel depressed and lazy.

Yea me too.

As we were finishing our dinner and complaining about the lack of energy we have been having, we tore into our dessert fortune cookies. 

Now, let me just add, I do not believe in that fortune telling mumbo jumbo, but we have fun reading aloud our fortune. 

Mine just said I was smart and good looking or something like that [grin]. 
But when Nick cracked open his fortune, we laughed at what it said....


Now isn’t that just a coincidence?