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First, let me welcome you to the forum.

I understand your point of view. I lived in AZ for 3 years and let me tell you, those that come illegal do horrible things. While in AZ, not a day passed without hearing that someone was attacked, wounded, k**led and mostly done by people that were illegally in the US. Not to mention the expense of searching the desert for those who were abandoned by their "guides", left without food or water after paying big money to enter the US.....but, illegally. People that do not live near the boarder simply do not understand.

Again, welcome.

:thumbup: :thumbup: thanks!!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

Feel free to correct my course if you see me heading into a trap. As a matter of fact, I hope that you will. And in advance, thank you! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I agree with you about the plants and I think there are some of them that have more than one persona on OPP. I have noticed that when certain people are logged in the other is never, which by rule of randomness makes this virtually impossible, on line at the same time. I have also noted that the thread and subject matter is of little importance, the personal affronts seem to be the focus. Yes, I have been in a few attack/defend positions but I do not intend to participate in any future actions. New Year resolution made early.

Another of your most interesting stories. I insist that you should write a book. I guess I am just too much of a 0 and 1 thinker to have such a rich life.

I too have found mislabeled things, but I always call attention to it. Oh, but I do have a recollection to tell you, simply because you shared your story. When I was a very little girl (had not started school, so I must have been under 4 years old. But, the memory is just as clear to me as the day it happened. My grandparents allowed me to tag along when they went to town to sell corn. We always sold it to the same general store, and the store owner always gave me a piece of candy. On this day he was too busy to pay attention to me, so I took a piece of candy. I was happy munching it as I walked with grandmother out to the truck. She noticed that I was eating something. Well long story short, I told her that I had taken it. I was marched back into the store and I had to tell the owner that I was a thief, I had stolen a candy (penny candy, don't know if you are old enough to remember when you could buy 10 pieces of candy for a nickel or not). Then I had to sweep out his store to pay for something I had stole.

That was my upbringing. 1. Never steal, which means do not c***t anyone in anyway shape or form. 2. Respect, you can not demand respect it must be earned. 3. Remember your manners, the magic words. 4. Keep your mouth closed when you are angry. Words are much mightier than any sword. Physical wounds will heal, but it takes a lot longer to heal the emotional wounds, providing the wound can be healed. No matter how many times you say you are sorry, the words once out of your mouth can not be taken back. 5. Never be cruel to animals. Animals have feelings. And number 6. If you can back out of a bad situation with dignity then do so. If you are chased into a corner make the aggressor sorry they ever pursued you. Those were the basic laws in my home. I still live by those rules and I am glad to say that I have not only survived but have prospered.

And in the case you want to know. When I was a kid, I was told to put away 10 percent of all the money I received (either by work or gift) and my Papa would match it. However, if I withdrew money just to waste, he would withdraw the equal amount. I bought my own clothes as a teenager, I put myself through college by working and earned my degrees on my own merit. I bought my first house on my own. I served in the Air Force, simply because I believed and still do that America is worthy of defense. It was not until I was 40ish, when my Papa passed away that I met my inheritance. And with the bank account, there was a note that read "remember, use this wisely. when you pass on your children should be 3 times richer than you." The account was not modest, but I have managed to increase holding over 6 times.

Was my life an act of God? Good upbringing? A combination? I think that it is a combination, I believe that good people do good things. I do look at things in 0 and 1; it is either a yes or no. So, I do admire those who hear voices in their heads or are taken by the hand, those who write so well that you can see the characters; storytellers are a gift to the world. Which brings me full circle, why don't you write a book about yourself? I am not saying an autobiography, but a nonfiction. It would be a page turner.

Interesting. I have heard many such stories and it sets me to think. My late husband had such an event, but the person "the angel if you will" that was sent to him was his long ago dead sister who told him to stop his car. Later he said that he learned of a car accident that he would have been part. Did he see his sister? Did God send him a guardian? Who knows? It is possible that he was tired, that his subconscious mind took note of the weather and the speed other cars were traveling and generated a guardian to speak to his conscious mind. It is possible that your friend's mind worked in the same way. Taking note of the time of day/night, road conditions, your vehicle in general and deduced that you were indeed driving too fast. I think that God gave us the subconscious mind to analyze the environment in minute detail. So, when the issue is viewed in its entirety, I guess it was a message from above that kept you safe.

I get into thinking too much about the what ifs in life. I know that many people believe that God controls everything, and that is fine. I just go off into another way of thinking that leads me to disfavor of some. I did modify my response after I first wrote it to sanitize it and make it more PC. But, I did not pay close enough attention to detail.

I found part of the paragraph that was deleted. I am sure after you read it, you will understand why I revised and removed the grater portion.

If God intervenes in the lives of his creations, then why give us free will? Let's look at the chain of events that you laid out in your "story." 1. You are out of work and your "friend" calls you to turn you onto a job that is a shoe in. 2. If the job is a shoe in, then what about better qualified people. Would they be turned away because you or your friend knows someone? Would that be ethical? 3. You go to the wrong address. Does this say that you were given the wrong information by your friend? Or perhaps you were too preoccupied to get the address correct when told? 4. You go to where you thought you were to meet up with your "friend." While waiting, you encounter the management of the café. Again, part of a plan tailored for your circumstances? 5. The cook for the establishment is late for work. A stumbling block put in their way by God by means of traffic, accident, or a malfunctioning car? If you say that all five are part of a grand plan God intended just for you. Then I have to ask. By singling you out to help, did he single the other people out to lose a job opportunity? And saying that he had other plans for them, do you know for certain? How about the ethical question? And then, if that is true, did that other person or your friend do something to anger God so the position/business close? Again, was he punishing the cook for some misdeed and push you ahead of them because you were better or had a greater need? Would a God that is the creator of all and who loves all, really devise a plan that leaves one person holding the dirty end of the stick to foster the success of another? Would the Almighty put us in a position where in the end, one can be found gloating over the sad turn of events for another. But, then again you could have been led by "destiny", "divine intervention" or help from the "Dark Side." Or simply an accident that you stumbled into. Who is to say? I lean toward the accidental stumbling into the path that took you to a new longer lasting job. Again, I believe that God loves all his creations, gave us free will, the knowledge of right and wrong and as such is divine. I believe that the things we do each day is a test, testing whether or not we will hold our tongues from insulting and hurting others, a test of ethics of doing the right thing always, a test of our ability to take responsibility for the paths we wonder throughout our lives.

I hope that one day the American v**er will v**e for people who are qualified and not a color. But, that is asking too much of many. There are people who are still living in the shadows of the long ago dead, they see only color and rarely see qualities or intent. As long as we expect the government to take care of us, as long as there are social programs, and as long as there are candidates who promise everything for free without a price tag; then there will be those who will v**e first by color then by promise. Never thinking about simple things, like where will that money come from? How long can this be sustained? What will be lost in the form of revenue to other programs.......

I was just thinking, after reading so many of your posts about your life, your accomplishments, failures, and interventions that could only be from heaven; that you could write a book that no one could put down. They are such good story lines that could be turned into movies of inspiration. Remember the old tv show "Touched by an Angel" where God sees what is going to happen and sends a squad of angels to assist a human....very much like your event. Hallmark runs the show every once in a while and each time, I go through a box of tissues because the message that God loves us, cares for us, and will help us in our time of need makes me cry. Yes I get emotional watching movies, perhaps that is the reason that I rarely watch them. People that go through life in heightened emotional state of mind are really quite incapable of thinking logically.

Some of my comment was edited out, I was multitasking and seem to have deleted an entire paragraph and did not take time to read the post and then just moved on. But, had you read the entire thing you would have understood that I was referencing all possible angles. That it could have been from any demission where the fortunate events took you. Or it could have been of no intervention on your behalf. Too often we either credit or blame God for what just happens. Mainly because there is a equal reaction for every thing we do. If we walk around with grumpy dispositions, then most people would not invite a stranger into their establishment to wait for a tardy friend. If we however greet the next person with a smile, a polite edge to our demeanor, then one is more apt to be treated better. Although I am sure that God is interested in each of his creations, I am not sure that he sits or wh**ever on high and has a staff meeting and dispenses his angels to come to our aid. Could be that God is interested in how we will confront our problems, will we remain steadfast in our relationship with him and take the right path, or will we take another course of action. I think that most of the time, things just happen. And those things that just happen is because we have free will, experiences to draw on either consciously or subconsciously, examples to follow or stubbornness that motivate us to move either to the left or right. Ergo my poorly conveyed remark. Did the devil see an opportunity to "make me" delete the substance of that paragraph, or was it just a simple inattention to detail. One can read events in many ways; personally I think that the vast majority of the good as well as the bad that happens in our lives is our own doing. God is benevolent, but I don't think he holds our hands or wraps his protection around us to keep us from learning the hard lessons. God gave us rules of conduct and behavior, but I do not believe that he interjects himself or his "staff" into our daily lives to make sure we do the right thing for the right outcome. Then again, perhaps he does and is responsible for everything. In which case, we as his creations do not need to worry; make right decisions, or follow the path because we are not responsible for our actions. Perhaps the devil does whisper into some people's ear sending them messages to be heartless, cruel, cunning, and spiteful. But, would that then make him responsible for our moral t***sgressions and let us off the hook. Or the last alternative, each day is a new challenge. We are equipped with all the knowledge we need to go through the day making the right intellectual, moral, and reasonable decisions. If we take the wrong turn and show up for an appointment at the wrong place and after hours our friend has not shown, could the intellectual side, the intuitive subconscious know that your are indeed at the wrong place and knowing you need a job, communicate to the portion of the brain that is in real time the information needed to turn events around and produce a better outcome. Just my jaded side thinking and being clumsy in relating my thoughts.

I am speechless. I do not have the background nor the education to debate your posts on your level. If you will excuse me, I will become an observer for awhile.

Point taken, but consider this if the head has no direction, and refuses to communicate with the body, then the body does not know which way to go. A good leader listens, a good leader bridges conflict, a good leader compromises, a good leader will encourage out of the box thinking, a good leader....................so, perhaps Obama and his difficulties are not things you want to discuss, he is the "leader" and as such sets the tone for the group!

Keeping the love affair with your vehicle is not easy after the second year. It got worse for those guys, they lost their homes and shortly after they were divorced.... Sad stories, good thing they had friends that helped them out. Not just those who say they are friends, but real friends.