say what you mean. don’t be mean when you say it.

facebook I dont want to see thisI cut waaay back on facebook over the last few months. Derisive sarcasm and hate were saturating my news feed, weighing and wearing me down.

As I tentatively become more active again, one of my new facebook practices is to select “I don’t want to see this” whenever I read a post declaring that something somebody said or wrote or tweeted “destroyed” something another person said, wrote or stood for. (or similar language)

These kind of smack-down statements are usually only true if you completely ignore or rule out every other aspect of a complex issue other than the one the destroyer targets.

“Destroyed” (and words like it) is the kind of inflammatory language that triggers pointless, unresolvable bickering. It doesn’t invite or facilitate open dialog. Rather, it takes the potential for conversation that might lead divisive people to discover common ground and crops it to a trite soundbite that ends in a period or an exclamation point, or worse yet – “BAM!”

If divisive issues were truly simple, there wouldn’t be so much controversy over them. #edify

“It is the mark of an educated mind
to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it.” Aristotle

edify
Ephesians 4 29 Bible

facebook fragments: 5/17/14 – 5/23/14 (a circle of life kind of thing)

(Looking back, these facebook posts just don’t seem like the should have been in the same week.)

Sunday, May 17, 2014
PinkGirl and Merida
Merida and PinkGirl May 18 2014
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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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9:04pm:
Prayer warrior friends, please pray for my mother-in-law. She’s been suffering from severe gastroparesis (inability to digest food) for weeks. Every treatment so far has failed. She’s lost over 15 lbs. This evening she’s sitting in an ER waiting on a bed. (since about 5pm) The two remaining treatment options are either an implanted gastric neurostimulators (“stomach pacemaker”) or a feeding tube. Please pray.

Read More >>>

facebook fragments: 5/10/14 – 5/16/14 (friends who avoid conflict & evil teachers who assign food projects)

Sunday, May 11, 2014
I was tagged in a facebook post my my daughter:
“So, I’m watching The Little Mermaid and I caught my mommy quoting some of it. ‪#‎succes‬ ‪#‎ilovemymother‬
Happy Mother’s Day Mommy!”

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014
If you have a conflict with someone, consider attempting to resolve it, even if it means facing something you regret or are embarrassed about…unless that relationship is one that you actually don’t want in your life anymore. Avoiding conflict, and ultimately the other person, is a surefire way to allow the relationship to fade from your life.

On the flipside, if a relationship is important to you but the other person is avoiding you to avoid working through the conflict, you may have to respect their decision to transition the relationship from friend to acquaintance…or to “someone that I used to know” status.

Read More >>>

facebook fragments: 5/3/14 – 5/9/14 (stronger than yesterday, annoying prophets & philanthropy)

Saturday, May 3, 2014
Came downstairs to see PinkGirl working on a poster board sized map for a geography project due Monday. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast playing DVD.
Me: “Why are you watching that?”
PinkGirl: “I needed something to watch and not pay complete attention to.”
#ilovemydaughter

Read more >>>

facebook fragments: 04/26/14 – 05/2/14 (bringing home the mahi, strength training milestones & a new Indo board record)

Saturday, April 26, 2014
Just got a “Fish On” text from my men via the SPOT satellite GPS with latitude and longitude: 28.51040,-80.01917
Wonder how many miles off shore that is…

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If I’m plugging in their latitude/longitude into the distance calculator correctly, my guys are 32 miles offshore. This is why my only criteria for a boat purchase was twin engines.

Someone commented: “and a raft, radio and flare gun.:

My reply: “That’s boat paraphernalia. That stuff can be transferred from another boat, including the single engine money pit that was our previous boat. Which died offshore and left us hobbling back for HOURS on a tiny little kicker engine. I do love the GPS system he bought. Subscription is about $100 a year. Well worth it to know exactly where they are. And nice to know when they catch something.”

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Another “Fish On” text from the satellite GPS! This time 25 miles out. So they’re headed west, but after two catches, I’m thinking they’re still trolling #bringhomethemahi

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Just got a real text from my FavoriteSon: “In the channel. 3 mahi.” Lunch is going to be EXCELLENT tomorrow.

Read More (and see the photo)>>>

facebook fragments: 04/19/14 – 04/25/14 (Easter, epiphany blogging & getting stronger)

Saturday, April 19, 2014
I love my daughter.
No hashtag.
Just saying.

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It would appear my workout yesterday was extremely effective.
ibuprofen. stretching. water. protein. maybe epsom salt bath later.
Anything I’m missing?

Buzz and Woody Muscle Soreness Everywhere fitness

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Little Known Fact #30 on my blog: “I would rather eat a Brussel sprout than a Peep. bleh. It’s like goo with glitter on it.”
The only good peep is a dead peep.

peep murder by tire from http://chadmarcuswhyrickphotography.blogspot.com/

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Read More >>>

facebook fragments: 04/12/14 – 04/18/14 (a sea turtle, strength training & Good Friday

Saturday, April 12, 2014
My men are fishing today. There are two text messages hubs sends me from his GPS satellite messenger when they’re on the ocean. One is “All is Well” and the other is “Fish On” I’m very thankful for the four “All is Well” messages I’ve gotten so far this morning, but I would REALLY like a “Fish On” message this afternoon. #bringhomethemahi

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Catching up on my facebook compilation blog posts. All my posts from 3/15 to 3/21 on one page:
facebook fragments: 03/15/14 – 03/21/14 (spring break)

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Shared my husband’s facebook video from their fishing trip:
The guys didn’t catch any fish but they had some great company.

Read More (and see the video of the company) >>>

facebook fragments: 04/05/14 – 04/11/14 (Relay for Life, game room makeover & ignoring the haters)

Saturday, April 5, 2014
My FavoriteHusband and my FavoriteSon are building me a custom bookcase. I explained what I wanted, FH designed it and together they are building. I’ll be painting it. It’s got the potential to be seriously cool. Photos to come.
#bibliophile

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Was honored to deliver the invocation at the Oviedo/Winter Springs 2014 Relay for Life earlier this afternoon.
Tried to write it for days and kept starting over. Finally sat down with my prayer journal and a pen this afternoon.
As soon as I wrote “Lord, I don’t know the story and pain of the people who will be there, but you do. What do they need to hear?” it came pouring out.
#strengthinmyweakness

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Sunday, April 6, 2014
Finally posted the before and after photos of the game room. Kitchen photos to come. (Click the photo or the link below to see the post with all the photos.)

the home project that never ends: the gameroom.

game room 2014 after

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Monday, April 7, 2014
Book sale = book binge

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Haven’t posted fitness updates in a while.
Derailed by haters who called them “attention magnets” and said other things I won’t type out loud.
I’ve decided to ignore them.
The accountability of those fitness updates helped keep me on track. Besides, there are more supportive non-haters who join me in edifying with encouraging words than haters who tear down and discourage.
So.
Haters.
If my fitness updates make you break out in snark, you should probably unlike my facebook page.
Seriously. Just unlike my page.
That said, one hour of strength training. Done.
#pinterestisntaweapon #fightthefrump #GoodStewardofthisBody

snark card unless you fell and smacked your face nobody wants to hear about workout

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PinkGirl doing math homework at the kitchen table with me and FavoriteHubs: “I feel like I’m not going to have a good day tomorrow.”
(pause)
“This is where you guys come in. You’re supposed to say ‘Not with that attitude you’re not.’ Seriously, I feel like I’m raising myself sometimes.”
Me: “That’s actually backwards.”
PinkGirl: “Huh?”
Me: “You said ‘I’m not going to have a good day tomorrow.’ and then “Not with that attitude you aren’t.’
PinkGirl: “Huh?”
I think she’s tired. Good thing drama and math go so well together.
#ilovemydaughter

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“In desperate places He paid our wages, one time once and for all.”

lyrics Death in His Grave

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Thursday, April 10, 2014
If I spend $7.33 more on Amazon I will get free shipping. Current shipping cost is $8.03.
Well played Amazon, well played.
#mustbuybooks

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My latest blog post: toxic concoction“…where faith is required. And where doubt came in.”

(click the link above or the photo below to read the entire post)

Doubt and Faith Toxic Concoction Mark Buchanan Your God is Too Safe

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Friday, April 11, 2014
“…my objective is to walk when he prompts me to walk, talk when he says to talk, fall silent when I’m at risk of saying too much, and stay put when he leads me to stay put.”
from Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels

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1 hour of strength training. Done.
and I’m back up to a minute 15 second forearm plank.
#fightthefrump #GoodStewardofthisBody

If its too heavy you need to get stronger_______________

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PinkGirl is watching Frozen for the 21st time (12 times in the theater – and no I didn’t pay for it).
She knows every. single. word. She’s even got the timing and inflection down perfectly.
It’s like listening in stereo.
#ilovemydaughter

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To see more previous facebook update and compilation blog posts, CLICK HERE.

family book banter

PinkGirl: “Mom, did you pre-order that book for me?”

Me: “no. is there some incentive for PRE-ordering?

PinkGirl: “no, I’m just DYING to find out what happened.”

Me: “I have no sympathy. You have broken the family fiction series rule.”

PinkGirl: “What rule? (as if she didn’t know)

FavoriteDad: “You don’t start reading a fiction series until they’ve all been written.”

PinkGirl: “aahhharrrrgggg”

caps lock equals shoutingI checked my laptop later. In MS Word, I see:

“I DON’T CARE!!!!!!!!
GET ME THE BOOK!!!”

Me, to FavoriteDad: “Are you going to let her talk to me in all caps like that?”