Monday, December 23, 2013
Losing my best friend..
It is Christmas time and all around me there are decorations and cheery people...yet today I sit here with tears in my eyes for today I have lost my Best friend...His name was Scooby and he was an oversized tank of a Black Lab...he loved to chase a stick when you threw it retrieving perfectly as a lab does...In the spring time when we tapped the Maples he always made the rounds with us to pick up the buckets so he could eat the ice we removed from the top of the sap...He would chew on anything you left in his reach when we left him home alone but he would always greet us with a smile and tail wag when we walked in...He was a bundle of energy and loved to "Wander" around the yard and gardens...he loved the kitties and his bestest buddy was a orange kitty named Prince...he Loved kids and whenever they were around he would run and play with them and from time to time he would give them a ride on his back too...he would follow me around the house all the time I could not go anywhere without him and now I must move on in life and say goodbye to my "Buddy"...I know he will be waiting for me to join him in heaven but it is really hard to say goodbye after all these years of having him quietly and patiently take care of me...Love You Scooby..
Are you a Christian or a Hypocrite?
This is a subject I have wanted to avoid simply because it can be very hard to make people understand your point of view without them feeling a bit insulted. So I will start with this statement: I understand that everyone has their own beliefs and I am not trying in this posting to change anyone's beliefs. What I am aiming for is to just give everyone my point of view...
Growing up I was forced to go to church every Sunday Morning. My parents were Catholics and back then the Catholic religion was very strict and set down many rules for their followers to follow. If you were unfortunate enough to make a mistake it would bring on a swift and "deserving" punishment...Now as a Grown up I find myself not adhering to a religion but more to the Bible and the teachings of the Lord... I find that through the years the Religions have changed so much that the basics have been completely lost...
Now that said I have to point out my experiences and why this question has plagued me...
Experience one was when I was a teenager...we had gone to church as usual on Sunday morning then a short while later that same day a person who claimed to be a devoted Christian decided that a 15 yr old made a good punching bag and that they were just making me a good Christian by punishing me for my sins(Although I was not sure what sin I had committed)...And understanding that spanking a child is necessary at times I could not see my Lord condoning beating one black and blue...
Experience two was when I was a young adult I had lost my way(after and abusive husband and other family members turning their back on me in my time of need) and was looking to find the path back to the Lord when I went into A church and sat through the sermon which was a very good sermon but then when we were all leaving I was shunned and told that my manner of dress was not appropriate for the Lord's house(at this time my only transportation was a Motorcycle so I was dressed in boots new Jeans and a new shirt with Jacket over it)... There were several of these experiences in several different churches of several different denominations over the following 10 years...needless to say this made my search to find my Lord much harder along with totally confusing me about what a true Christian was for I had seen so many sit and worship the Lord in church and then turn around at the end of that worship and degrade, insult, accuse, and discourage the fellow members of their congregation...this type of behavior made me really start doubting my faith I was not sure I wanted to be a Christian if it meant I had to practice this kind of Hypocrisy and show so much hatred to those who did not match the accepted look and lifestyle of the church...you see to me Christianity was loving all creatures of the earth and Treating my fellow man with love, understanding and tolerance just as Jesus had done....Nowhere I looked could I find this kind of Christianity around me...Then just as I was about to give up The Lord placed in my path someone who had nothing to do with the churches but everything to do with Jesus...He found me beaten and broken just putting one foot in front of the other walking through my life full of doubt and confusion wondering if I would ever find a true Christian to share my beliefs and worship with...we came together and the Lord immediately blessed me with warmth and understanding...this person taught me more about the Lord than any church ever had...He walked a path that led to the Lord it was not an accepted path according to those who go to Services on the Sabbath and walk out of the sermon and turn their backs on the Lord's teachings but more a lifestyle that copied that of Jesus...Teaching loving, and caring not just about those who came to the sermon but about all men, women, and children...together we traveled and we talked to the people... We helped where we could and where we couldn't we put them in touch with someone who could help them...We lived off the land and shared all that we had with those around us...to this day my friend's influence is strong in my heart and Jesus is in my soul...I no longer travel but I do help where needed and share what little I have with those around me...I try hard to share the knowledge the Lord has blessed me with and know that I am not perfect and sometimes need to be pointed back in the right direction but I have compassion, love, and respect for all around me...I always forgive those who have done me wrong and thank the Lord every day for the Blessings he has bestowed upon me...I know in my heart that I am Now a true Christian and living for The Lord is my life's goal...I have found Happiness and peace in my life now and am truly sure that the behavior I experienced from those who wished to conform me has done just that...It has pushed me To my Lords ways and I do not condemn their behavior for it did in fact help me to travel along that path but the question I started this post with still plagues me day in and day out for it is now a question I silently ask of everyone who "Preaches" the word of the Lord or proclaims to be a Christian...for if you are truly a Christian we can travel our path together and if you are Hypocrite I need to gently show you a better path to follow...
Growing up I was forced to go to church every Sunday Morning. My parents were Catholics and back then the Catholic religion was very strict and set down many rules for their followers to follow. If you were unfortunate enough to make a mistake it would bring on a swift and "deserving" punishment...Now as a Grown up I find myself not adhering to a religion but more to the Bible and the teachings of the Lord... I find that through the years the Religions have changed so much that the basics have been completely lost...
Now that said I have to point out my experiences and why this question has plagued me...
Experience one was when I was a teenager...we had gone to church as usual on Sunday morning then a short while later that same day a person who claimed to be a devoted Christian decided that a 15 yr old made a good punching bag and that they were just making me a good Christian by punishing me for my sins(Although I was not sure what sin I had committed)...And understanding that spanking a child is necessary at times I could not see my Lord condoning beating one black and blue...
Experience two was when I was a young adult I had lost my way(after and abusive husband and other family members turning their back on me in my time of need) and was looking to find the path back to the Lord when I went into A church and sat through the sermon which was a very good sermon but then when we were all leaving I was shunned and told that my manner of dress was not appropriate for the Lord's house(at this time my only transportation was a Motorcycle so I was dressed in boots new Jeans and a new shirt with Jacket over it)... There were several of these experiences in several different churches of several different denominations over the following 10 years...needless to say this made my search to find my Lord much harder along with totally confusing me about what a true Christian was for I had seen so many sit and worship the Lord in church and then turn around at the end of that worship and degrade, insult, accuse, and discourage the fellow members of their congregation...this type of behavior made me really start doubting my faith I was not sure I wanted to be a Christian if it meant I had to practice this kind of Hypocrisy and show so much hatred to those who did not match the accepted look and lifestyle of the church...you see to me Christianity was loving all creatures of the earth and Treating my fellow man with love, understanding and tolerance just as Jesus had done....Nowhere I looked could I find this kind of Christianity around me...Then just as I was about to give up The Lord placed in my path someone who had nothing to do with the churches but everything to do with Jesus...He found me beaten and broken just putting one foot in front of the other walking through my life full of doubt and confusion wondering if I would ever find a true Christian to share my beliefs and worship with...we came together and the Lord immediately blessed me with warmth and understanding...this person taught me more about the Lord than any church ever had...He walked a path that led to the Lord it was not an accepted path according to those who go to Services on the Sabbath and walk out of the sermon and turn their backs on the Lord's teachings but more a lifestyle that copied that of Jesus...Teaching loving, and caring not just about those who came to the sermon but about all men, women, and children...together we traveled and we talked to the people... We helped where we could and where we couldn't we put them in touch with someone who could help them...We lived off the land and shared all that we had with those around us...to this day my friend's influence is strong in my heart and Jesus is in my soul...I no longer travel but I do help where needed and share what little I have with those around me...I try hard to share the knowledge the Lord has blessed me with and know that I am not perfect and sometimes need to be pointed back in the right direction but I have compassion, love, and respect for all around me...I always forgive those who have done me wrong and thank the Lord every day for the Blessings he has bestowed upon me...I know in my heart that I am Now a true Christian and living for The Lord is my life's goal...I have found Happiness and peace in my life now and am truly sure that the behavior I experienced from those who wished to conform me has done just that...It has pushed me To my Lords ways and I do not condemn their behavior for it did in fact help me to travel along that path but the question I started this post with still plagues me day in and day out for it is now a question I silently ask of everyone who "Preaches" the word of the Lord or proclaims to be a Christian...for if you are truly a Christian we can travel our path together and if you are Hypocrite I need to gently show you a better path to follow...
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Short term "Pay Day" Loans
I find it absolutely ridiculous that NY or any other state for that matter believes they can regulate the legitimate short term lending companies and the Native Americans' lending practices but cannot find a way to regulate the exorbitant fees charged by "sanctioned" banks for the same "short term lending" programs they run under the guise of overdraft protection programs....
I believe that those who are in emergency situations should have a choice of how they obtain the funds needed to cover that emergency rather than being forced to follow the "Accepted" way of doing things...Yes I do understand that these loans carry a heavy interest rate and some companies that are not quite above board use predatory practices to get you hooked and keep you coming back but when you add it all up it is still cheaper when totaled than the fees charged by banks either as loan origination fees or overdraft fees if the consumer is not eligible for a typical loan...I believe that state regulators need to crack down on those who are scammers or use those predatory practices and leave legitimate lenders alone...
I also believe that those consumers who are complaining about these loan companies for the most part did not fully investigate the company they wanted to work with making sure that it was legitimate and not using predatory practices....But the complaints that really get to me are the ones that come from consumers who after investigation finds the company to be legitimate then doesn't take the time to fully read the contract thus when they started paying back the loan they were caught off guard by the way these short term loans work and the actual interest they needed to pay...
This total confusion about these amounts is completely the consumers own fault and not the fault of the legitimate loan company which stated in the contract what the interest rate would be, how much the consumer would have to pay and when the payment was due at the time of signing for the loan... This is the reason why I believe if the company is legitimate with all paperwork in order and the consumer is complaining about the interest and fees paid then they should just be given a response of "Next time read before you sign and please stand up and take responsibility for your own actions because it is up to you to make the right choices"...This type of complaining should not produce all these unnecessary regulations on these legitimate companies....
So in conclusion for any one who chooses to use these companies be sure to do the leg work first using the internet, the Better Business Beaurau and other business report/complaint sites fully investigate then read your contract in it's entirity before you sign...some of these companies actually have lower interest rates and fees due to competition it just takes a little hard work to find the correct fit for you the same as with any other financial decision you make...
For the government:
Instead of forcing people to make the decisions the government thinks are best for them it is time to let them make their own decisions and learn from their own mistakes...It is time to crack down on the scammers and leave the legitimate companies and Native Americans alone letting them have their commercial ventures...
As to the regulations limiting the Native Americans's ability to do business with people not living on the reservations...The Native Americans have a right to sell products and services to anyone willing to complete the transaction with them...They are a Sovereign Nation doing trade in this country and the same as any other government body within this country they were given the right to do so and it is time these rights were defended instead of stepped on...
I believe that those who are in emergency situations should have a choice of how they obtain the funds needed to cover that emergency rather than being forced to follow the "Accepted" way of doing things...Yes I do understand that these loans carry a heavy interest rate and some companies that are not quite above board use predatory practices to get you hooked and keep you coming back but when you add it all up it is still cheaper when totaled than the fees charged by banks either as loan origination fees or overdraft fees if the consumer is not eligible for a typical loan...I believe that state regulators need to crack down on those who are scammers or use those predatory practices and leave legitimate lenders alone...
I also believe that those consumers who are complaining about these loan companies for the most part did not fully investigate the company they wanted to work with making sure that it was legitimate and not using predatory practices....But the complaints that really get to me are the ones that come from consumers who after investigation finds the company to be legitimate then doesn't take the time to fully read the contract thus when they started paying back the loan they were caught off guard by the way these short term loans work and the actual interest they needed to pay...
This total confusion about these amounts is completely the consumers own fault and not the fault of the legitimate loan company which stated in the contract what the interest rate would be, how much the consumer would have to pay and when the payment was due at the time of signing for the loan... This is the reason why I believe if the company is legitimate with all paperwork in order and the consumer is complaining about the interest and fees paid then they should just be given a response of "Next time read before you sign and please stand up and take responsibility for your own actions because it is up to you to make the right choices"...This type of complaining should not produce all these unnecessary regulations on these legitimate companies....
So in conclusion for any one who chooses to use these companies be sure to do the leg work first using the internet, the Better Business Beaurau and other business report/complaint sites fully investigate then read your contract in it's entirity before you sign...some of these companies actually have lower interest rates and fees due to competition it just takes a little hard work to find the correct fit for you the same as with any other financial decision you make...
For the government:
Instead of forcing people to make the decisions the government thinks are best for them it is time to let them make their own decisions and learn from their own mistakes...It is time to crack down on the scammers and leave the legitimate companies and Native Americans alone letting them have their commercial ventures...
As to the regulations limiting the Native Americans's ability to do business with people not living on the reservations...The Native Americans have a right to sell products and services to anyone willing to complete the transaction with them...They are a Sovereign Nation doing trade in this country and the same as any other government body within this country they were given the right to do so and it is time these rights were defended instead of stepped on...
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