Trash talking

I have an aversion to trash talking. Why? I'm not a trash talker, so I don't want people to talk trash to me. I think I'm going to create a line of tshirts and hats that say. I'm a __________(you can put any team name in here)fan-with a big ghostbusters sign over a trashcan. I think I might be able to sell them to many, many people. I can't be the only person who feels this way. If you see the people around you at a ballgame wearing that shirt, you know that they will be nice to you, they will cheer for their own team, they might yell at a referee, but they will not be unsportsmanlike to the opponents.
It probably comes from eighteen years of being a cheerleading sponsor/coach. I wouldn't let my cheerleaders do those UGLY cheers; you know the ones that put down the opponents. I guess that way of thinking permeated my brain.
One of the reasons I hate it so is that it brings out the very worst in people (me). People that I love and agree with on almost every other important issue in life can make an ugly comment about a team I like, and all of the sudden, my mind is working hard to come up with a comeback. I can tell you that my comebacks are usually pretty good, but no one will ever know that because I keep them to myself.
Now, if you buy one of my shirts and I hear that you are talking trash, your shirt will be revoked without a refund.

Let's try something new; what a concept.

Recently, there have been multiple occasions where Christians have gathered to protest another person's or group's freedom. There was a Satanic group that had some kind of meeting in OKC, and some believers went to protest. An atheist group has put up some billboards promoting athiesm, and believers were outraged. Many, not all, Christians have shown their ugly side over the mosque being built in NYC. This is still America, isn't it?
My proposal is based on I Peter 2:11-23; the heading in my Bible says
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

18 Slaves, (Debbie's note: employees) in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters (bosses), not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[a]

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Some people will see this as letting the pagans take over. If you believe what the Bible teaches, this world already belongs to the pagans. I certainly believe we must keep ourselves blameless, but lately I don't think some Christians are very good ambassadors for Christ. I don't think this means we should just ignore everything that is going on around us, but I do think we need to stage a respectful event that brings glory to God if we want to challenge another's rights.
Let's give this a try. Don't just wear the t-shirt or the bracelet. Really ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" When you encounter someone who insults you because of your faith, be as Christlike as is humanly possible so that they can find no fault in your example. I've known some Christians who can do this; I'm sorry to say, I haven't always represented Christ in the best way.
Hey, I'm now fifty-six years old. I've learned a lot in all those years, so I'll make every effort for the rest of my life to think before I argue, think before I spout off, think before I comment. Man, that's a lot of thinking.

Time

Today I am fifty-six years old. How in the world did that happen? I don't feel as old as I used to think a fifty-six year old person would feel. I've always been of the "you're as old as you feel" train of thought. I'm planning to feel young for the rest of my life. I really inherited that mindset. My mom was young at heart, so I'm going to follow her example. She was always the kind of person that everyone wanted to be around. Most of the people I work with are younger than I am; some are young enough to be my children, but we have so much fun together. They're all a bunch of dorks sometimes, but they certainly keep me laughing. Today I received a birthday card from my planning period buddies Jennifer Cox. and Jennifer McKnight. Jennifer C. wrote a very nice, heartfelt message in the card. Sweet right? Then Jennifer M. wrote the exact same message right below it. Anything for a laugh, I think tomorrow, I will act like my feelings are hurt because Jennifer M. made fun of my birthday message. I won't do that because I learned a few years ago that I shouldn't be a part of practical jokes. We thought we would pull a good one on McKnight by telling her that we had to come back to school the day after Memorial Day because they had made a mistake in the calendar. We had to lie to Cox too because she can't lie to save her soul. The problem was that Cox canceled a very important day with her daughter because she thought she had to go to school. Mr. Blue was NOT happy with us. We all pretty much decided that we needed to ease off the pranks.
As always, I'm thinking of Jason today. I miss getting that phone call. Right after his death, his friend Jake gave me the book 90 minutes in heaven. Occasionally, I re-read the chapters that describe heaven. I know time will mean nothing in heaven, but I was thinking this week that if it did, the people up there probably feel sorry for he ones who had the longest life here on earth.
We tell everyone happy birthday to celebrate their living one more year on earth. We really should be offering our sympathy. The luckiest ones are the ones who live here for a brief time and a longer time in heaven.
We're not going to care about this when we get there, but I can imagine the conversation.

Heaven's Greeter: Hi, welcome to heaven.
Newbee: Wow, this place is awesome.
Greeter: Tell me about yourself.
Newbee: Well, I was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. I had a very long long.
Greeter: Oh, bless your heart; I'm so sorry. Don't worry, honey, everything's going to be all right now. All your troubles are over.