What To Do When Being Nice FAILS.....

So, I received an email from a lady named LAUREN CARPENTER (Actually a number of emails!). Ms Carpenter works for the digital branding company BlueFirePR (according to her emails). Ms. Carpenter wanted to know if I wanted some material from BlueFirePR for my webpage.
I told Ms. Carpenter that I DID NOT want any material from BlueFirePR, that I was not currently looking for guest posts for my blog.
For some reason Ms. LAUREN CARPENTER DID NOT understand what the word NO meant because she emailed me THREE TIMES! I was nice the first TWO TIMES but by the time email NUMBER THREE arrived, I was starting to get pissed off.  So like any other blogger I BLOG MY FRUSTRATIONS!!!  And YES I am sending LAUREN CARPENTER of BlueFirePR company the link to this blog post so she can see that SHE IS FRUSTRATING ME!!!
NO MEANS NO, I am starting to feel violated (No I am not in any way trivializing rape, I am just venting and voicing MY frustrations with this lady!).
So if any of you gets an email from LAUREN CARPENTER the PR Coordinator of BlueFirePR please be FOREWARNED she does NOT know the meaning of the word NO, she likes to HARASS(aka- Spam your inbox)!
Well, at least they got some FREE PR! Even bad PRESS is PRESS!
These are the email exchanges she and I had...

LAUREN CARPENTER WROTE:>>>

On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 7:14 PM, Lauren Carpenter wrote:
Hi,
I wanted to follow up with and make sure you received my original email a few days ago. As I previously stated I have a guest post opportunity for you. I think it will be a perfect fit for your site. The article will be of no cost to you and I can get it to you as soon as next week to review. Can we discuss this further?
I look forward to your response.
Thank you for your time,
Lauren Carpenter
PR Coordinator
BlueFirePR
lauren@bluefirepr.com

I replied>>>

Sorry, I did see your email the other day but have been finishing up some projects and had not had the chance to reply.  Thank you but I am not in need of guest posts at this time.
Regards
JR Seaman

LAUREN CARPENTER WROTE:>>>

On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 11:04 AM, Lauren Carpenter wrote:

Hello JR,
Thank you for taking the time to get back to me. Happy Friday!
I understand that you probably aren't looking for guest posts right now, but I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about what I am offering.
I work with a team of journalists and we are looking to build long-term relationships. My team of writers and editors create editorial content for free.
We do not pay to place our articles, we invest highly in our content creation process which is what allows us to create custom articles for our publishers. It allows our content to be trending and naturally shareable and gives us the ability to give our publishers access to our promotion team who promotes via social and search channels.
We would love to form this kind of partnership with you!
I would be more than happy to send some of my ideas your way or discuss any ideas you may have.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind Regards,

I replied>>>

On 05/10/2013 10:01 AM, Regina wrote:

No, thank you.
Have a great weekend!
JRS

And then AGAIN, this morning LAUREN CARPENTER WROTE:>>>

Hi Regina!
I would love to send some content your way so that you can see for yourself the kind of work that we can do.
I would also be happy to sit down with one of my writers and develop a few solid ideas for an article for your site.
We have some great articles about families and taking care of families.
We would love to have the opportunity to work with you and really show you what we can do.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Kindest Regards, 

So my reply will be (I will be sending a link to this blog post with the email) :>>>

Ms Carpenter,Thank you again for your interest. I have already explained that I am NOT looking for guest posts at this time. I have said NO THANK YOU twice already. At this point I feel you are spamming and harassing me. Please refrain from emailing me again and remove my information from your database.Thank you AGAIN, but no thank you. Regards,JR Seaman

Maybe this last time she will get the hint...
I tried being nice the FIRST TIME, but I do not like to be harassed, if I say NO than guess what?  I actually mean NO!
Have you had interactions with people or organizations that just would NOT take NO for an answer?? What did you do?

Have a great day All!
Regina


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The Lesson In The Blessing...

BABY ON BOARD!  This is what we say now when we get in the car with my youngest daughter because she is pregnant!  She is a few days away from her fourth month and she is having a BOY!  Yes, I am excited ... NOW!  Nevertheless, that was NOT my initial feelings.  Being a Christian of course, pre-marital sex is a NO-NO in my book.  I think most mothers have that same cringe when a teenage daughter utters the words "I'm pregnant".  Through a mother's mind rushes all of the obstacles, the issues, the problems, that their daughter will undoubtedly encounter.  Issues with school, work, childcare, future expectation, the father of the child and a myriad of other issues run through the head in the 10 seconds it takes your daughter to say "I'm pregnant".  

I was no different.  As the words escaped her mouth, I felt something inside of me break.

WHY, WHY, WHY would she do such a thing?  Didn't I train her better?  Didn't I teach her the principles?  Didn’t I give her the love and nurturing she needed so she would not have to seek fulfillment in the wrong way?  Didn’t I give her enough GOD?  I failed..., as a parent, as a mother, as a Christian, I failed.  I am a Christian, with an unwed, pregnant, 19 year old daughter.  Yes, I failed.

So, after I went through my pity party for one, I actually prayed.  God had to speak to me because I was so convinced of my failure.  However, what it took me sometime to realize is that I was internalizing the entire situation, when in reality IT WASN'T EVEN ABOUT ME!  I know that as a parent I did the best that I could.  I know that I gave her the love she needed.  I know that she has the principles of the bible, she KNOWS God's word.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.

Romans 13:13

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

I Peter 2:11

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

So in essence, I DID MY JOB!  This is not an indictment against her or me, this is life, and we have to live it!  As a parent, I trained and taught but the rest is all up to her and God.  My job now is to love and support.  I know that I have trained her and laid the groundwork and foundations...

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I cannot live her life for her; I cannot shield her from the complexities, the hardships, the pains, or the joys of life.  I can AND DO pray for my children.  Pray that God's will is done in their lives.  Pray that they are protected from evil, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.  I pray that they become sensitive to Gods voice, listen, and obey.  However, mostly I pray that as they go through their lives, traveling the path that God already knows they will travel that HE is with them every step of the way!

What is done, is done, and cannot be undone right?  Than flip the script and ENJOY it!

Life teaches us lessons.  Some we learn the easy way and some we learn the hard way; I guess the only thing that really matters is that we LEARN THE LESSON!  The lesson that I learned was that in ALL THINGS God is in control.  Moreover, in ALL THINGS we have to learn to LET GO!  Let go of the disappointment, let go of the anger, let go of everything that will hinder our own personal growth and our blessings.  Acknowledge that we alone cannot fix everything, someone greater than us can help us handle it.  A life, a baby is a blessing, not everyone can produce this bundle of joy and not everyone is allowed to...  What an honor!

LIFE is a BLESSING, LIVE IT, and PRAISE GOD for it!

Be Blessed!
Regina


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Donna Fletcher Crow’s "An Unholy Communion" - Book Review

Title – An Unholy Communion: The Monastery Murders Series

Author – Donna Fletcher Crow
Publisher – Lion Fiction
Date of publication – April, 2013
Number of pages – 384
*Litfuse Publicity Group has provided me with an advanced, complimentary copy of "An Unholy Communion"  to read in order to write my unbiased review.*

The newest offering in The Monastery Murders series (Lion Fiction).

This is the excerpt from the back cover of the book which enticed me to want to read it! I LOVE a good mystery, especially when battles between good and evil are afoot!

First light, Ascension morning. From the top of the tower at the College of Transfiguration, voices rise in song. But Felicity's delight turns to horror when a black-robed body hurtles over the precipice and lands at her feet.Her fiance Father Antony recognizes the corpse as Hwyl Pendry, a former student, who has been serving as Deliverance Minister in a Welsh diocese. The police ignore the strange emblem of a double-headed snake clutched in the dead man's hand, labeling the death a suicide. But Hwyl's widow is convinced otherwise, and pleads for Felicity and Antony to help her uncover the truth.Matters grow murkier as Felicity and Antony, leading a youth pilgrimage through rural Wales, encounter the same sinister symbol as they travel. Lurking figures follow them. Then a body is found face-down in a well...

About The Author...

Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 43 books, mostly novels of British history. She has twice won first place in the Historical Fiction category from the National Association of Press Women, and has also been a finalist for "Best Inspirational Novel" from the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of The Arts Centre Group, and Sisters in Crime. 

Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 12 grandchildren. Donna is a former Queen of the Snake River Stampede, Miss Rodeo Idaho and runner-up for Miss Rodeo America. She is an enthusiastic gardener.

Learn more about Ms. Donna Fletcher Crow by going HERE, HERE, HERE, or HERE!

My Thoughts, Reactions, Review!...
The synopsis of the book is very enticing!  And sure enough 4 pages into chapter one it happens! A body! We are thrust right into the action with a mystery in the opening pages. Murder or Suicide is now what we must read on to figure out! The book is full of religious history and it is obvious that the book, times, methods, ordinals, and sacraments have been thoroughly researched.  The author did a superb job of describing the rolling hillsides of the pilgrimage as well as giving the reader an in-depth look at the Catholic/Welsh history.  Research is very well done! Bravo! some of the character development is sparse but the way the group interacts together is well written.  The author did a very good job of blending Catholic history with the welsh countryside, leaving the reader with very scenic imagery!

Unfortunately, this is where my praises end for this book. After the grand work up in the synopsis and despite the dead body in chapter one, the story is VERY LONG, and VERY OBTUSE!  The descriptions of the NEVER-ENDING scenery is very wordy, verbose, and extremely long winded! I am a very fast reader and can read a book in a week or two depending on what is going on in my life at the time.  It took me almost 2 MONTHS to get through this book.  I actually put it down several times and I read three other complete books and came back to this one with dread! There was no ACTION, and no real MYSTERY! I found the heroine Felicity to be slow and un-knowledgeable about all things spiritual and I found Father Antony to be overly passive and stoic and slow to act, or even know when he should act! There are 30 chapters in this book and Father Antony did not really start actively investigating until chapter 24! And the body face down at the well was unneeded in chapter 27 because I was already brain dead from boredom by chapter 10! As a lover of mysteries it takes more then occasional whispery voices, and devil-like winds, to make a good mystery!
But do not just take my word for it! Buy your own copy...  Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/keus1
I tried hard to like this book but sadly, I just could not.... It was long, and painful to read and I am actually glad it is over.
See what other reviewers had to say about "An Unholy Communion"   HERE
Enter to win a Kindle Fire HERE!


Blessings,
Regina

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Abandon - Book Review

I recently completed a very entertaining book titled "ABANDON" by Blake Crouch.  The book is about an old western mining town called Abandon where the past and the present seem to meld into one time.  On Christmas day in 1893 the people of  Abandon disappear  leaving untouched Christmas meals, opened and unopened gifts, they were just ... GONE!
Over a hundred years later, In 2009 a group of 4 men and 2 women decide to hike into the ghost town, in a blizzard  to uncover the truth of Abandon.  They of course get more than they bargained for.

This was a very good and enthralling book.  It keeps you wondering who will live and who will die, and all expectations are subject to change at any moment. The author does a very good job of telling the story of 1893/2009 concurrently.  We are kept on the edge in some cases and the fate of the past and present are truly unknown until the end.
This book was a thrilling page turner! The character development was very good (for most of the characters) there were one or two characters that could have been better utilized, but for the most part the characterization was very good. Some characters deserved to die and some deserved to live and it was very interesting reading the fate of these and comparing them with what I thought should happen to them! The ending was unexpected and not at all what I was leaning toward. It was certainly no cookie cutter ending! A great way to spend the weekend!
A Very Good Read!

ABANDON, by Blake Crouch... pick it up today!

Happy Reading!
Regina




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Random Thoughts about Old Wise Dogs?

Random Thoughts…

The Older You Get The WISER You Get….

The OLDER you get the WISER you get...

Or so they say.  So, who came up with this saying?  I was wondering at what AGE you start getting wiser.  I know a few people who are getting older and older but making the same stupid mistakes.  But really are they making mistakes?? How often can you do the same thing over and over but still call it a mistake??

I just wanted to thank whoever came up with this expression for the false optimism!  Because CLEARLY getting OLDER has NOTHING AT ALL to do with getting wiser!  Well maybe it is just a Texas thing????.....   Nah, I can’t believe it is only TEXANS who have this problem……..

Anyway, another saying is:

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks...

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…..

So help me understand……  The older you get the wiser you become, but at the same time you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Isn't this contradictory?!?!  Soooooo is there some kind of secret age cut off?  An age where you can get older so that you can get wiser BUT not too old to learn new tricks?! LOL!

Soooo, How is YOUR day Going?!
Smooches,
Regina


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I Love Movies But...

I went to the movies with a few of my favorite ladies recently... (my mother, and two of my three daughters). We went to see the new Disney movie "Oz, The Great and Powerful".  This movie has been number one in box offices for two weeks running I believe.  The movie was actually really very interesting and if you remember the original "Wizard of Oz" you can appreciate how this movie made the relationship between the witches make a little more sense.  This movie is a pre-quel of sorts and was actually very good at paving the way to the land of Oz.  The beginning was a little long and slow but I guess it was necessary for character building.
But in my opinion the actual star of this movie was Mila Kunis! She did an AWESOME  job as Theodora! She has come a long way since playing the role of Jackie in the sitcom "That 70's Show". Kudos to her for bring an extra layer of life to this movie!


Look at how Mila Kunis/Theodora steals this scene!... She brings some life AND HEAT!


But anyway I digress!
This post is not even about the movie! This post is actually about the movie theater! Did you know that UA (United Artists) theaters have $5 Tuesdays? Well they do. So the ladies and I went to the UA theater near us and can I just say this was the MOST DISGUSTING THEATER I had ever been in!  The lobby area was fine but once you entered the  actual theater it was gross!  They had not cleaned from the previous showing, so there was paper and popcorn, and cups lying around everywhere!

Let me show you what we saw...

It was the last showing (10 p.m.) and it was $5 BUT that is no reason for it to be as dirty and disgusting as it was.  This theater is not far from closing down. Every time we go there it is almost empty. I have no clue if they are going to try to save the theater or not but what I saw was a clear indication that it is in desperate need of REORGANIZING, RESTRUCTURING, NEW MANAGEMENT, or just close the doors for good and be done with it.
As a matter of fact I do believe it is under new management because the outside of the theater actual has a sign that says Carolina Cinemas.  But whoever owns that theater needs to do some serious work in getting that place up in standards.
So if you are looking for a movie to see go check out OZ, The Great and Powerful!  BUT, if you are in Fort Worth DO NOT GO TO THE UA/CAROLINA CINEMA at Eastchase (8301 Ederville Road, Fort Worth, TX - (817) 795-5332)!!
Sorry Carolina Cinemas/UA, this was an EPIC FAIL on your part!!

Regina
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I am Self Medicating.....

Sooooooo, while you all have been going along about your daily business guess what I have been doing???? I have been blowing my nose, trying to hear through clogged ears, trying to see through blurry, watery eyes, and trying to not pass out fro the pressure in my sinus cavity!
Yes, people for all of you who actually care, I have had the nastiest sinus/head cold for a little more than a week now.  The side of my bed looks like a drug store and my bedroom floor is a used tissue minefield!
I have blown through (I really mean literally blown through!!) rolls or toilet paper, and boxes of tissues.  Maybe it's just me but do you ever blow through the tissue and get something on your hands?? ....... Yea, me neither...........  anyway thank God for sanitizer! (Which of course makes your hands peel....)
I think it is worst at night when I lay down because the pressure is like a boulder laying on my sinus cavity!  Laying on your back can kill you because you will choke on post nasal drip but laying on your front or the sides will cause the pressure in your head to increase. UGHHHHHH!!
If you take pills to dry up the mucus it will also dry up your throat making it hard to swallow.  With everything drying up I am working overtime on drinking juice!  If you take pills to relieve the pressure in your sinus cavity it will likely make your eyes water! So you are pretty much screwed no matter what you take.  So just try to ride it out.  But yea, get some soft tissues because man oh man, blowing your nose every 10 minutes will eventually pull the skin right off your face!! It hurt so bad I am almost tempted to just let the snot roll down and fall off by it self but I think they would give me nasty looks in church if I did that!!  *shrugs shoulders*

Well, I'm off. Going back to lay down and rest my throbbing head...

Smooches All!
Regina


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Will The REAL Carol Wimmer Please Stand Up...

Do you know who Carol Wimmer is?  

I did not either until early this week.  I had the pleasure of communicating with Ms. Wimmer because of a blog post I wrote back in 2007!

Evidently, I was part of a copy write infringement issue!  Back in 2007 I was not as proficient with snopes.com and with verifying the validity of emails and internet posts as I am now. Yea, now I go to snopes.com on a regular basis to verify almost everything!  But back then I was not as diligent with checking the validity of my emails.  So I got a poem via email which I thought was AWESOME and I wrote a blog post about it.  The poem “When I Say I Am A Christian” was attributed to Maya Angelou HOWEVER, she was not the writer and the poem was not posted in its original form. (For this I truly apologize!)

Yes, I found all of this out from Ms. Wimmer who is the original writer of the poem “When I Say I Am A Christian”.  Below is an excerpt from our email communication.

Carol Wimmer wrote:I am the copyright owner registered with the Library of Congress since 1988 TX-5-064-953The author of the poem is not Maya Angelou and the version you have posted is not the original poemPlease understand the infringing material is a legal issue regardless of how long ago the post was created. It is still visible to people and can still be copied which harms the copyright owner and causes increasing infringements to occur. Please contact me when you have removed the infringing content.
I responded:Ms Wimmer, I truly apologize for the mistake!  It is not my intent to misappropriate the poem or to misrepresent it.  My intention as always is to share God's love with anyone who happens to read my blog.  I am sorry that your poem is being attributed to someone else.Would you like me to remove the post from my blog all together or would you like me to post the original version and give you the appropriate writer credit?

So I did let her know that I still wanted to post the poem and she said that I could post the original version (giving her proper writer credits of course) as well as link to her Facebook page.

So below is the poem in its original form, written by CAROL WIMMER!

WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting, "I’ve been saved!"

I'm whispering, "I get lost!

That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I don't speak with human pride

I'm confessing that I stumble—

Needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong

I'm professing that I'm weak

And pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success

I'm admitting that I've failed

And cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I don't think I know it all

I submit to my confusion

Asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect

My flaws are all too visible

But God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain

I have my share of heartache,

Which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian"

I do not wish to judge

I have no authority...

I only know I'm loved

Used by Permission

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

To find out more about Ms Carol Wimmer please go HERE and HERE! 

Let this be a lesson to you, ALWAYS check the validity of emails and ANYTHING you find on the internet!  Snopes.com is an awesome website to verify information.

Thank you Ms Wimmer for allowing the world to enjoy your Beautiful poem (with proper credit of course!)! 

Blessings all!

Regina

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