#themostannoyingfacebookposts

Facebook posts. Some of them more annoying than others...MUCH more annoying. With the help of some of my Facebook friends, I came up with a list of the most annoying types of posts people share on Facebook. Note: this is just for laughs, so don’t get offended. I’m not pointing fingers at any one person. We’ve all probably posted one of these at one time or another, myself included. Here goes.

1. Blatant grammar/spelling mistakes: People...edit before you post. You don’t have to be a grammar Nazi (like me) to know there’s a difference between “your” and “you’re.” Honestly, posts like, “u r so dumb” make you look just that...dumb.

2. Posts that have no common sense: Facebook is worth something like $100 billion. Yes, that’s a “b.” Charging you to use their website wouldn’t make sense. So stop sharing pictures that say things like, “As of February 1, Facebook will start charging its users.” Facebook is free, it’s always going to be free. Use your brain. Also, Jesus loves me whether I share your picture or not, last time I checked.

3. Excessive hashtagging: Hashtags were developed on Twitter and have a specific purpose. For example, 20/20 is on right now and they have “#ABC2020” in the corner of the screen. If I found something interesting on the show, I would use that hashtag on Twitter then click on it to see what others are saying about it. Hashtags are NOT a reason to make run-on sentences. When I see things like, “ohmygoshthishashtagissolong,” I want to throw up. Also, pictures aren’t reasons to add 400 hashtags to them. If you post a picture of your kid at the pool, it’s not necessary to do this: #baby #pool #summer #fun #myheart #love #dontgrowup. Stop the madness now.

4. Workout junkies: If you ran a marathon or you hit your goal weight, post on. But I do not need to know every time you go to the gym. If it’s a part of your daily routine (which it should be), it’s not necessary to tell me. I don’t tell you every time I brush my teeth, so don’t let me know about every time you go to the gym or work out.

5. Mushy relationship posts: If you’re in love, that’s cool. But honestly, I don’t care to hear about it. “Johnny is the best boyfriend ever! I love you to the moon and back, my love!” The fact that you do that kind of makes me think that you’re trying to convince yourself and others that that’s the truth. The people with the most amazing relationships or marriages rarely ever talk about it on Facebook. You can see it through how they treat each other and choose to love even in the difficult times. Let your actions speak louder than your words so I don’t get nauseated by your mushiness.

6. Passive aggressive posts and/or vagueness: “You are such a jerk” is NOT an appropriate Facebook status. If you are angry with someone, either man up and tell them to their face or keep it to yourself. If you write, “Today was the worst,” then someone asks in the comments why and you say you don’t want to talk about it, you are just an attention hog, plain and simple. Quit it.

7. TMI posts: Hey...I don’t need to know what you ate for breakfast, how your drive to work was, or that the Starbucks barista got your coffee wrong. Just don’t care. Also, if you’re a parent, I know that you’ve become insensitive to almost all sights and smells, but honestly...don’t tell me what color your kid’s crap happened to be today or that he/she threw up on you. Some things are just better left unshared.

8. Selfies: Oh my Lord, selfies. Absolutely out of control. You are now allowed only one selfie per month. More than that is an abuse. Get a hobby, for the love. Duck faces are not, never were, and never will be attractive. And what’s up with the hand on the hip cheerleader-type pose? Do all of you have a herniated disc or something?

9. The overly inspirational: Jesus is my best friend and I post a Bible verse or inspirational quote every now and then. But there are people that I have had to unfollow because they post a picture with flowers and/or something nature-y on it with an inspirational quote almost constantly. If you do it every five minutes, it becomes mundane and loses its significance. Come on people, challenge me. Make me think. I love John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11 just like the next person, but the Bible is pretty big. Let’s encourage each other in ways that deepen our relationships with God. And try to live what you post (because what you post might as well be coming out of your mouth). We all make mistakes, but if you’re going to post something about God one minute then turn around and bash someone the next, you’ve just lost all credibility. You represent God and others that have similar beliefs. Don’t ruin it for everyone.

10. Politics: Political posts aren’t bad in and of themselves. It’s the political RANTS that go on, and on, and on. Just don’t bring the drama and power struggle of politics to Facebook if at all possible. You don’t like Obama, we get it.

I love writing for fun! I’m a dork :)

Unicorns and Rainbows

I was going to become a teacher when I moved back to Tennessee, but I decided against it. Part of the reason was because I really REALLY didn't want to go back to school, but it was mostly because kids today...well, you know. I hear horror stories from family and friends that are teachers and I realized you have to be a super special person to become one. I'm just not cut out for it. I'm too old school, I guess.

I read this article today about how we should stop holding ourselves to such high standards in trying to make our kids’ childhoods magical by doing Pinterest projects with them every day and spending hundreds of dollars on birthday parties instead of allowing them to create their own magic with their own imaginations. I completely agree with that, and it brought something else to mind that I believe goes hand in hand with this same topic.

Kids today are being taught to be pansies. I'm sorry, but that was the first word that came to mind. At home, they are coddled and told they can do nothing wrong. Their parents hide the outside world from them so they think that everything in life is all unicorns and rainbows. Then when they go to school or some other social interaction that causes them to be outside their homes, they get disappointed. They realize they are not going to be head cheerleader, the quarterback of the football team, or get straight As...outrageous! Then guess who they call...mommy and daddy. They can fix this! Let me illustrate my point. Once while I was teaching in Mexico, I had to tell a kid to go to the office because his parents hadn't paid for his class. He proceeded to get on the bus and tell his mom I sent him home. She came to the office ranting and raving about how in the world could a teacher send a 12-year-old home on the bus alone (I'm talking Mexican public transportation here, not the big cheese)? I basically had to tell her that her kid was lying (not in so many words) and she freaked out. My child would never lie (no, because 12-year-old boys would never do that)! Thankfully, my boss stuck up for me and asked to have a conference with all of us. The kid confessed to having lied and the mom apologized. Wouldn't have happened in the first place if mom had paid on time...but anyway. Still wondering why I don't teach?

So, please do society a favor and teach your kids the truth, not what they want to hear. Teach them the word, “no.” Help them realize that they won’t always get their way, make the team, or be the best. Although they might be YOUR prince or princess, they most likely won’t be one in the eyes of our world. Preparing them for heartbreak and failure is preparing them for life, and some of the best lessons in life are learned when we lose, suck it up, and move on.

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

Whenever I think of “godly” people, I think of those whose faiths are blatantly obvious. The reason so many have turned their back on Christianity is because faith has become all religious talk with no action to back it up. Once you open your mouth to talk about Jesus/God/church, people automatically stick their fingers in their ears and sing, “I can’t hear you, la la la la!”

I hate to say it, but some of the most annoying people in the world are the people that CONSTANTLY talk about God or try to stick a Bible verse in every conversation. Don’t get me wrong, we SHOULD talk about God and how our relationship with Jesus has changed our lives, but at the right place and time. If your “God talk” is just annoying people and pushing them away, is it really right?

Jesus talked about religion and gave sermons when it was necessary. However, He spent most of His time feeding the hungry, healing the sick, having lunch with tax collectors, saving prostitutes from being stoned by religious leaders, etc. He didn’t need all the talk because people saw His faith. They didn’t need to hear it.

Evangelism has become such an ugly (for lack of a better term) concept for Christians. The biggest reason for that is because people are intimidated by it and define it incorrectly. Most people would define evangelism as telling others about Christ. In their minds they imagine themselves walking up to some stranger saying, “Hey, do you know Jesus?!” I would say the majority of people would cringe at that situation, including myself. What people need isn’t to be TOLD about Christ but to be SHOWN Christ. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot more people in my life be moved toward Christ because of something I did, not because of something I said. Actually, I’m not sure I could name a time when someone turned to Christ only because of something I said.

Jesus help me to be one of those people that I mentioned at the beginning: someone who is so desperately in love with You that those around her can’t help but see…and believe.

More Than We Can Bear?

I’m pretty tired of hearing “God doesn’t give us more than we can bear/handle.” Um…where in the world in the Bible does it say that? I’m pretty sure this misconception comes from 1 Cor. 10:13, which says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Putting aside the fact for a minute that Paul was specifically talking about temptation of sin, let’s look at why people misquote this verse so much.

I think people only like to quote the first part of the verse because…well, it sounds nice. “You can get through this. God doesn’t give you more than you can bear.” However, focusing only on this part of the verse makes the focus totally on us. Saying “God doesn’t give us more than we can bear,” makes it sound like we are some kind of superhero species that can make it through any tough situation just because we’re awesome. If you focus on the entire verse, however, the focus turns toward God. GOD is faithful. HE will provide a way out so that you can endure it. I don’t know about you, but last time I used the word “endure,” I wasn’t talking about anything pleasant. I was probably talking about pain or some other type of suffering. God allows suffering in our lives, not to show us how strong we can be, but how strong HE is in our weakness (1 Cor. 12:10).

I don’t know if there is anything more annoying than someone trying to give me advice in a tough situation that that person doesn’t understand. I’m pretty sure a mother that just lost a child or someone going through a messy divorce doesn’t want to hear, “God doesn’t give you more than you can bear.” God allows all kinds of situations that we CAN’T bear to happen in our lives, because without those situations, we would never fully understand His power, or how much He cares for us. When you can’t bear what you’re going through anymore (because it will happen…a lot), cast your cares on His precious shoulders (1 Peter 5:7) because he CAN bear it, and He cares for You.

Living the Healthy Life

I debated whether or not to blog about this because I usually find it annoying when people constantly talk about this subject, but I thought since it's the beginning of a new year and everyone has set their resolutions, I would share some of my own personal advice on weight loss and fitness.

Now, I don't claim to be a trainer or an expert on the subject, but I am a regular person that was able to lose about 20 lbs. after college. Yes, what is on the inside is so much more important than what's on the outside, but physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health are all connected. When one is out of balance, it throws the others off as well. So for those of you looking to start the new year off with a healthier lifestyle and aren't sure where to start, here's 10 simple guidelines from someone who has been exactly where you're standing now.

1. Always see yourself through the eyes of God: beautiful inside and out. Thinking negative thoughts about yourself like, "I'm fat," or "I can't do this" won't get you anywhere. At least not in the direction you want to go, anyway.

2. Take baby steps. For example, if you're used to drinking two cokes a day and think you can just quit them cold turkey, you're in for a surprise. Most likely what will happen is you will make it a day and then give in. Let go of certain things that are bad for you over time and add more things that are good for you. 

3. Use the common sense God gave you. Don't follow fad diets. Eating healthy really is not rocket science. Avoid processed and fast foods, eat more fruits and veggies, and drink more water. The end. Remember that being healthy is 70% diet, 30% exercise. If you eat like crap, it will show, even if you exercise frequently.

4. Moderation is key. I realize some people don't quite agree with this concept because they may think it's unrealistic for some, but generally, it works. Most people hate "dieting" because they have to give up foods they love and eat foods they hate. In "dieting," you do. In living a healthy lifestyle, you don't. So what if you have a piece of chocolate cake at your friend's birthday party? Who freaking cares? Maybe you'll cut 38 seconds off your life by doing that, but at least you were living and enjoying it. Also, allowing yourself a treat every once in a while will keep you from getting frustrated and binge eating later.

5. Be aware of your weaknesses and act upon them. Don't keep junk food in the house. Avoid roads with fast food joints on your way home. Surround yourself with people that will help and support you, not bring you down. You know yourself better than anyone else, and you know what it's going to take to turn your resolution into reality.

6. Stop making excuses and find the motivation to move. No, you should not feel bad if you can't work out every single day. Most normal people honestly don't have time. But if you're not exercising at all because you don't have time, you're lying to yourself. I used to work at a gym and saw women with six kids and full time jobs there. If they can find the time, you can.

7. If you hate "working out," don't see it that way. Find a physical activity that you enjoy doing, then do it. Do you like to dance, ski, play tennis? If it seems fun to you, then it won't seem like such a chore.

8. Join a gym if at all possible. I realize gyms are not for everyone, but I'm speaking from my own experience, here. Going to a gym and having people there to encourage and challenge me caused me to push myself harder and actually enjoy going. Another key for me was going to a gym that cost just a little bit more than I was comfortable with. If I didn't go, I felt bad for wasting the money. Exercising with others is just proven to happen more with others than by yourself, simple as that.

9. Challenge yourself to try something new or even something you think you might not like. Is there a sport or class that you've always wanted to try, but never had the chance? Find the opportunity to do it. Growing up I hated, no, LOATHED, running. I was always the slowest one to finish the mile in P.E. when I was in school. When I started going to the gym, I tried it. I hated it again. But I kept going. I wanted to like running and continued to challenge myself. Now, I couldn't imagine my life without running. As a side note but also very similar to this subject, you should be doing some sort of strength training. If you don't have access to dumbbells or weight machines, there are plenty of body weight exercises you can try. Thinking you can run your butt off (literally) isn't logical. Muscle burns more fat. It's scientific fact. You won't bulk up, ladies, I promise :)

10. Don't give up. Being healthy is a constant battle. The reason most diets and fitness trends don't work for people is because people give up on themselves too quickly. They have a bad day and they think all is lost. Starting a healthy lifestyle isn't the challenge, the challenge is to keep going even when you make mistakes. We live in a society of instant gratification, so it's discouraging when we don't see immediate results. You need to mentally prepare and remind yourself that it will not be easy, but that you can do it.

Again, this is from personal experience and what has worked for me. I realize some people may disagree with some of these, but I just felt like sharing and encouraging those that are committed to changing their lifestyles. Best of luck in your endeavors!