The COG Zone

I received an email today that looked important, but that I recogonized as a scam. The following is an email I sent to all my friends. I'm posting here for those who aren't in my address book.

 

If you got an email stating is was from MSN, Windows Live, or Hotmail and that your account would be closed if you don't fill out the form and send the information --- DON'T DO IT!!!! If you notice, there is no butterfly next to the senders name in your inbox list. This shows the email is NOT an official email from MSN or its affiliated networks. If you've already filled out the form be warned!!! You've just given someone your username and password and they now have full access to your account. My guess is they'll change the password and you won't be able to access your account. If they don't, they'll still be able to use your account to send people emails (including viruses), read you're personal information, and read any incoming emails which may contain personal information.
 
Again, DO NOT RESPOND TO THAT EMAIL!!!!

 

As an added explanation here at my blog. As far as I know, the only time Hotmail will close any account is for reported abuses or if your account sits idle for longer than about three months or so. They don't even warn you, they'll just do it. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... If you ever receive an email from any company or organization (including Hotmail) that wants you to verify you're information, go directly to the website (through your browser, not the URL provided in the email) and do the changes or additions once you're signed into your account.

     I received a message today from Rhonda so she could check up on me since I haven't posted anything or left any comments for a while. It's nice to know there are people out there who care enough about each other they do that from time to time. Rhonda sent the message, but I know my other friends have been wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth. Nope. I'm still here, but the past month or so has been full of work and other such things.

     The main thing I've been working on is all the paperwork and such associated with trying to buy a house. I know it will be worth all the hassle and aggrevation, but right now I'm not seeing the end. If you've ever bought a house, you know what I'm talking about. The owner is selling the house herself so, instead of dealing with a realtor, the main paperwork is being handled by a lawyer. A few trips to his office has finally gotten the sales agreement signed. I'll be seeing him later for other assorted paperwork. The bank needed copies of W-2s, pay stubs, and other things associated with income and debt. After getting those papers to the appropriate person, I had to go sign the loan origination papers, permission for the credit checks, etc, etc. Monday, the appraiser is coming out. Hopefully, after that, the paperwork can be processed and I'll find out soon if the loan has been approved.

     A question for previous home buyers. Why is it the bank, appraiser, and other people involved insist on doing things on their time and act as if you're causing problems when you refuse to take time off work? Oh well. I stood my ground and the appraiser is coming out on my schedule. The other thing driving me nuts is how they want me to do all the footwork and gather information which is a matter of public record (deeds, surveys, etc). Public record means, in today's world, they can get on the computer and get the information for themselves. Just why do they charge such high fees and expect someone else to do their work?

     I still haven't found an agent or publisher for my first book. I'm not going to give up. In the meantime, I'm within one chapter of having my second manuscript completed. I'll still have editing and proofreading to do, but I'll be close enough to finished to say its done. At this rate, I'll have an entire series of books written before the first one ever gets published. Even if the books never get published, I've had fun writing them and will have books I'll read many times.

     Hopefully, when things settle down a bit, I'll have more time to blog and check in on my friends. Until then, may God bless you.

     Some of you will notice the number of people in my network has decreased. I know some people are going to be upset that they no longer appear on that list. All I can say is I need to simplify my Space and one way to do that is to slim down the people in my network. The names of people listed at my profile aren't the only names I've deleted. There are many names I've deleted from my messenger and my email contact lists. I can't say whether or not I'll delete any more names. What I can say is I won't be adding any more names any time soon.

     So why am I doing this? I don't know about other people, but I'm now spending between 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day checking and reading emails, blogs, and messages posted at the message board I help moderate. By the time I do that, do whatever house chores need done, and eat supper there's not much time left for anything else. I need to cut back somewhere and, as much as I hate to cut out anything, the most sensible thing right now seems to be streamlining my Space. We'll have to wait to see what happens in the future.

     I just wanted to let my friends know that if you don't see me on here everyday it's because I'm busy checking out various banks about first mortgages, looking at the real estate sites, and weighing the pros and cons of buying a house vs a mobile home. One thing I've discovered is that even though I have a job that pays the bills, being single with one income will definitely limit my options for a future residence. I'll try to pop on for a little while everyday so I can keep updated on all the happenings around Spaces.

     As I was reading through the various blogs today, I remembered how people couldn't understand why I was upset when someone I only knew from an internet chat room died. People will say a lot of things about these relationships. Some will tell you it's crazy to grieve over someone you never met or knew in real life. Others will accuse you of not having a "real life" if you get so attached to people in cyberspace. They just can't understand we can have friends in many places, whether that be people we can interact with in person or people we've never met except through chat rooms, message boards, or blog spaces. Probably the most often heard comment is "You really don't know if that person was ever telling you the truth or just making up stories". All I can say is there are people out there with powerful life stories which are believable enough I've built what I feel is a real and lasting friendship with those people.

     One such story is the one that caused me great grief when the person died. One man came into a chat room and was very harsh toward Christians and Christianity. Night after night, he'd rile up the usual crowd because of his criticism and unbelief. Over time, he refused to talk to most of the regulars and chose to only talk to two or three of us. We'd have many discussions about our beliefs and he'd be very polite when asking questions or stating why he couldn't believe as we did. Over the course of several months, his heart and mind changed and he became a brother in Christ. He would come in and tell us how much better his life became and how much closer he was to his family since becoming a Christian. Not three months later, a friend of his logged into chat using the man's name and password so he could tell us the man had died. I was devastated. Here was a man who had just recently become my brother and now he was gone. Of all the stories he shared with us, he never mentioned the cancer he'd been battling for years or that being the reason he'd turned away from God. His friend told us those details. He also told us the man was not only thinking about his family at the end, but those of us who had taken the time to listen to him and help him find the right path in life.

     Perhaps the main reason we build these friendships in cyberspace are because we can share things we wouldn't share wth the other people around us. I know some people who, because of illnesses and diseases, can't get out in real life and the internet is their only source of communication. Whatever the reason, cyberfriends are important link in our lives. I really miss my friends who are no longer here. Every time someone dies, I feel the pain of the hole left in my life because they're no longer here to share a silly story or drop a good bit of advice.

     I hope that we all meet again in that far better place.

     You all know I did my fair share of complaining when Windows Spaces first made major changes to the way things work around here. I still haven't figured everything out, but enough that I can find the updates and such. Once in a while I still run into a glitch; however, those times are getting fewer and further between events. The other night I was checking on my friends over at Facebook and came to the conclusion that Windows Spaces is still the place to be for my main socializing within the place know as the blogosphere. Why?

 

     1. I can find everything from my blog updates to incoming messages and invitations within one or two mouse clicks. At Facebook, all of the controls and updates are spread among too many pages.

     2. I never have to wait more than about 10 seconds for pages to load, with the exception of blog spaces containing videos and music. At Facebook, I've never had a page load in less than about 30 seconds. With having cable internet, 30 seconds is crazy.

     3. My friends will talk about anything here, yet when they talk about weather or getting a new car (among other things), they're more apt to discuss every detail and what they learned from the experience. At Facebook, people give the report on the activity and nothing else ... even when you ask them for more details.

     4. When my friends here have a problem or concern, they share enough details that people can help (if they're looking for help) and then give updates when things get better or worse. At Facebook, it seems people just complain to be complaining and get angry if you try to help.

     5. If I receive an invitation to join someone's network, I can check out their Space before accepting or declining the invitation. At Facebook, the only way to see someone's page is to accept the invitation.

 

     Sure, I'll keep my Facebook account so I can keep in touch with family members and old school mates (sort of), but I already told them I won't be spending as much time there. What it all comes down to is I may still complain when Windows Spaces makes changes, but at least here I can figure things out. The main difference I appreciate is that here, friends are friends and I always know where and how to find you all.

I found this on a card and wanted to share it with you. This is a prayer of Francis of Assisi.

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

     Texas Eyes wrote a great blog about some of her childhood memories. Most of the things she mentioned brought back memories of my own childhood. Those were the wonderful days when kids were still kids and there was nothing more high tech than a television and the old Atari 2600, which we could only use at night or if the weather was bad. Here are some of my favorite memories.

 

On the Tennessee side:

     Visiting my Granny. She'd treat us to penny candy, honey from a jar containing part of the comb, and great family stories.

     Going fishing with my mom's Uncle Charlie. I can still remember the smell of his pipe tobacco. Staying at his place sometimes scared me because he had this bobcat stuffed and standing guard by his fireplace. I always imagined it coming alive in the middle of the night and getting me.

     Some of you will find this one strange. Uncle Charlie owned and operated a funeral home. Sometimes we'd stop by to visit while he was at work. He'd let us roll down the ramp from the main floor to the lounge downstairs ... as many times as we wanted. Then he'd buy us orange sodas. It was in glass bottles you pulled out of the front of the machine.

 

On the Pennsylvania side:

     Living right next door to my grandmother, grandfather, and great-grandmother. I loved sitting on the glider on summer nights and listening to my great-grandmother make up fairy tales and stories.

     The whole family playing board games around the table.

     Mom, Dad, two brothers, the dog, and me all laying on my parents bed on Saturday nights watching Saturday Night Live and then the Saturday night horror movie.

     Me and my brothers riding our bikes all summer long.

     Playing in the woods and creek behind the local playground.

     My dad reading to his three kids before they went to bed. He read the classics ... Black Beauty, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, and many others.

 

     I could list so many other things. Sadly, most kids today would find those things boring. Many of them probably wouldn't want to spend time with their family because there are too many gizmos and gadgets to take up their time. Think about it ... kids would rather text each other than sit down and have a real conversation. What a shame.

     Ok, this blog is going to me sharing my thoughts, complaints, and low points. If you'd rather not read it, go ahead and click away from this page.

     Yesterday was a great day. The weather was beautiful and I finally got a chance to get outside and get some things done. I worked in the front yard for about four hours. There were flower beds to weed, plants that needed moved, branches and twigs to pick up, and a driveway to get back into a little better shape. The whole time I was working, I had Christian music in the CD player and I sang along. I always tend to feel closer to God when I'm outside enjoying the nature he created even though I'm working.

     This morning is completely different. All I can do is sit here wondering when things will change. All of the people I call friends (those in real life, not cyber space) are either older than me and spend their free time at the bingo hall and such or are younger than me and would rather hang out at the bars and clubs, none of which I consider exciting or fun. I have a completed novel, but I can't get anyone interested enough to even ask to read the whole story before rejecting the manuscript. If the membership numbers at Christian dating sites are to be believed, there are thousands of lonely Christians in this country, but none of them (a lot of them my age) even want to talk to plain old me. NO, I'm not using this blog space as a dating site ... so don't even ask. I have a blog space about my book so I can network with other writers, yet their definition of networking must be to advertise their book by being in my network instead of actually being willing to help or encourage other writers. So many people I work with come to me for advice or just to gripe about everything, yet when I need someone to talk to they don't have the time. I admit, that's what I'm doing now ... moaning and complaining.

     So when are things going to change? What do I have to do? Change my behaviors and attitudes so I feel more comfortable hanging out at the bars and clubs? Forget about my dream to get my book published? Stop caring enough about people to try to help them? Let my hair grow longer, start wearing make-up (not to mention dye my hair), and wear "sexy" clothes so I can catch the eyes of men?

     I know, I know. Everything happens for a reason or God can make some good come from it. Everything happens according to God's plan and timing. I need to just give it all to God and wait. I've lost count of the number of times I've told people those same things. Maybe it all comes down to the fact I'm learning being a pastor can be one of the lonliest jobs in the world. People come to you for help and expect immediate relief, yet when a pastor needs help, it often seems there's no one there to talk to.

     Ok, I'll let you all get back to whatever it is you need to get back to.

     Do you think you can learn anything from a Jehovah's Witness? I think you can.

     Today at work, I got a chance to have some interesting discussions with one of our temps. We got to talking about how people will kill for many reasons and how people seem to resort to violence more than ever. He then mentioned that J.W.s will not serve as police officers because they don't believe in carrying guns and using violence to resolve conflicts. The conversation was interupted by break time ... and I never miss break time. Anyway, once we got back from break, I ask if J.W.s were pacifist. It's so nice, at least for me, to find other people who believe as I do and live life as a pacifist.

     This blog isn't about being a pacifist, it's about learning something from a J.W. As usual, the conversations flowed from one thing to another. I think it was irritating the other two people working beside us, but Brad and I were very involved in discussing religious beliefs. I love it when I can find someone, anyone, who is as passionate about their beliefs as I am and will have a rational and calm discussion even when we disagree on many points. Even though we avoided the major differences (at least for today), we spent at least two hours of the day talking about the beliefs we share ... pacisifm, living our lives as examples for other people to follow, and how we can only be doing our "jobs" for God if we talk to people about Jesus.

     And that last is what I'd like to present as a valuable lesson we can learn from the J.W.s. Even if you're like me and disagree with many of the core beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses, take some time to listen to the passion with which they discuss their beliefs. Most of the J.W.s I know will find an opening in almost any conversation and use it as a way to present their religious beliefs. Why aren't we as Christians (Catholic or Protestant) doing the same? Or if we do talk about our beliefs, why is the passion missing? Why do we think we have to talk only to other Christians in hushed tones, yet never get passionate and discuss God's truth with non-Christians? Learn something from the J.W.s. Our job is to bring some light into the world and we can't do that by keeping the light to ourselves and only sharing it with other light bearers.