I feel sorry for you

Today as I was walking through Target with my girls a lady, in passing, made the comments, "I feel sorry for you!" Why? Because I have four children? Because I have four girls? Please don't feel sorry for me. My life is blessed beyond belief! I know that she didn't mean any harm by it and it really did not bug me or bother me. I didn't take it personally. I just want to address it and let everyone know that yes, it is hard. I have a 5 year old, almost 4 year old, 2 year old, and a 3 months old, it is hard. I'm tired. But I am blessed, like whoa! Please just remember, friends, be mindful of what you say because not everyone is as lax as I and not everyone will let your comment roll off their back and give you the benefit of the doubt. Don't feel sorry for us who have multiple young children, we don't feel sorry for ourselves, we love our children and we love our lives. Most of us wouldn't change a thing. :)

The Oscars and Matthew McConaughey, the "Christian"

The Oscars were this past Sunday. I love the Oscars! I really do. I look forward to them all year. I like "predicting" what and who will win, the glamour, the flubs that are made (Travolta, this year, but we'll come back to that), the antics, I really just enjoy the whole thing. This year Ellen Degeneras emceed and while I know she is another "controversial celebrity" for Christians because she is a lesbian, I love her. She has been a favorite comedian of mine for many years now. She always makes me laugh without being raunchy and dirty. Anyway, that's my conviction, not yours, back to the Oscars. So we make it through the night and hear many acceptance speeches thanking cast, crew, husbands, wives, and even God was thrown in there a few times. Then it comes down to the big ones, THE awards; best picture, best actress, and best actor. *squeels!!* Here we go!!!! Best Picture goes to '12 Years A Slave.' *shrugs* I haven't seen it. I'll have to get back to you on whether it deserved that award. Best Actress, Kate Blanchett for her role in 'Blue Jasmine.' And Best Actor goes to Matthew McConaughey for his role in 'Dallas Buyers Club.' This is where the controversy of the night begins (well, if you weren't still a mess over Travolta's name flub). McConaughey begins is speech with, "First off, I want to thank God, 'cause that's who I look up to. He's graced my life with opportunities that I know is not of my hand or any other human hand." Where's the controversy in that, you ask? Well, let's start with a quick synopsis of the movie that he won this award for, Dallas Buyers Club. From what I gather (I have not seen it) it is a movie about a heterosexual man who is diagnosed with AIDS and the medicines that he needs are super expensive so he goes on this quest to buy meds from Mexico, I want to say, and then sell them himself so as to make them more readily available for those who need them but can't afford them. To my understanding, the movie opens with him having sex with two women in a stall at the rodeo. Also to my knowledge is that God's name was taken in vein however many times by McConaughey alone. After all of that it has people asking how he could even utter the name of God in thanksgiving. Maybe it is just me but who am I to question someone's relationship with God? I understand that if you really put God as leader over your life you will strive to please Him and will want to follow His commandments but what about those who get caught up in life, itself? Do you always do as God says and never ever have a time that you seem to go on your own path? If you really are honest with yourself, I doubt it. Sometimes we get a bit head about ourselves. Now, I'm not saying McConaughey has a big head, I don't know, but what if he is so wrapped up in providing for himself and his family that he has blinders on and doesn't see that his movie choices are affecting his Christian character? After all, that is what we are talking about, right? But isn't your character who you are when no one is watching? That's what I've always been told. Do you know Matthew McConaughey behind closed doors? Personally? No? Well, have you ever thought that maybe he may know God and have a relationship with Him and truly give Him thanks yet he is so focused on his career (don't we all lose focus sometime?) and providing for his family that he isn't thinking about how his acting, his portraying of a character and being told what to say and when to say it, is coming across? God tells us that once we know Him and establish a relationship with Him that nothing can pluck us from His hand. So again I ask, who am I and who are YOU to judge Matthew McConaughey?? And you know what? Maybe I am totally off and McConaughey was acting, once again, with his speech but who am I to judge and make assumptions?? I have no right to judge him. No right at all. I hate to say it but Christians give themselves the bad rap that we have. We start nit-picking and pointing out faults in others without ever thinking "oh..I've been there" or more than that, "oh..I need to pray for him/her." I mean, honestly, we are talking Hollywood, people!! HOLLYWOOD!!!! Do you know how hard it is to live a perfect life in Jacksonville, FL? Moncks Corner, SC? Burleson, TX? Norfolk, VA? It's not easy where ever you live so let's just be mindful of the judging and focus more on the praying. You don't know who has a solid relationship with Christ and you have no right to ever say that someone does not. We are all human and we cannot read someone's heart, only God can do that. So, instead of saying "This is why Matthew McConaughey is not my hero" why don't we say, "This is why I am praying for my fellow brother?"