Search Results for: what offends you in the world

Millionaire Matchmaker Offends

If you have ever watched Patti Stanger on “Millionaire Matchmaker,” you know that she can be a bit gruff (and that is putting it nicely). Stanger has made a living offending her clients. She tells her millionaire clients what they are doing wrong, how they look wrong, what’s wrong with their house, and why they are attracting the wrong women. But this week, she went a little too far for some. She appeared on Bravo’s new talk show “Watch What Happens Live” last Sunday. Viewers called in to ask her advice, but one caller wasn’t quite prepared for what she … Continue reading →

Do You Want to Know What God Hates?

Do you want to know what God hates? The bible tells us. Here are some things mentioned. God hates: Unjust scales Proverbs 11: 1, 20:23. God doesn’t want to see people cheated. That’s good for us to remember at tax time and in our dealings with others. I think it also applies not just financially but to cheating others in what we give to a relationship. Boasting and those who do iniquity, lies and deceit, violence and bloodshed, Psalm 5:5-6. Divorce, Malachi 2:16. Notice, God does not say he hates the divorced person but divorce. Life long marriage of one … Continue reading →

Liking What You See in the Mirror

We all need to work consistently on maintaining a positive image of ourselves. We need to train our brains just as much as our bodies. As with exercise, if we don’t use it, we lose it! Once we start to slide into regularly thinking negative thoughts, we quickly find ourselves on a very slippery slope which leads to low self-esteem. How to stop the rot? Read on. 1. Accept compliments Do not minimize or negate compliments. Don’t give excuses as to why you look good or did a great job on a project. Accept these compliments with a smile. If … Continue reading →

What Works on the Court and in Marriage

Playing tennis can teach us something about marriage. When Mick and I partner each other at tennis and the opposition drops a short ball I tend to say ‘up, up, up’. He always found it helpful when we played competition tennis. The number of ‘ups’ was indicative of how fast he needed to move on the court. Even though we’re playing social tennis now and enjoy it, we’re still out there to try and win. Throughout the game we encourage each one when one of us hits a good shot and encourage each other to keep going when either of … Continue reading →

Wisdom and Warnings from Proverbs

The book of Proverbs contains great wisdom. Here is one example. The passage is Proverbs 30:5-9. Over the next couple of days I intend to look at it verse by verse and see what truths can be gleaned from it. Proverbs 30:5 tells us ‘Every word of God is flawless.’ Sometimes people will challenge us, claiming the bible is full of contradictions and errors. This statement is invariably made by those who don’t know God’s words or are repeating what they have heard someone else say. The truth is every part of God’s Word will stand up to the closest … Continue reading →

What Causes Offense?

In an episode of Boston Legal, Alan Shore and Denny Crane are on opposite sides in a case when a town wants to succeed from the United States. Denny says, ‘The idea of a place succeeding from the union deeply offends me.’ What’s more he can’t understand that his best friend doesn’t get that. ‘Which means you don’t know me,’ Denny says. His argument was if you don’t know what offends the person you’re close to, then how can you really claim to know them? It’s even more relevant in marriage than it is in friendship. So, let me ask … Continue reading →

“Tropic Thunder” Rocks Groups Representing the Mentally Disabled

But not in a good way. The summer movie starring Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. premiered in Los Angeles a couple of days ago, but the flick which is supposed to elicit laughs from its high profile comedic actors is instead drawing ire from the American Association of People with Disabilities. Dozens of representatives from the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Special Olympics joined forces Monday night to protest the movie for what they consider is its blatant degradation of intellectually challenged individuals. The protesters held up signs with slogans such as “Call me by my … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Stony Places

Since today was the last day that I was preparing for Sunday’s lesson on being offended, I decided that I should go back to the main point of Elder Bednar’s talk. He specifically addressed it to members who had fallen away or would fallen away due to offense. I couldn’t find ‘inactive’ in the Topical Guide, but there were a lot of scriptures under ‘apostasy of individuals’ that seemed relevant. I think the best section that I found came from Matthew 13. Christ presents the well-known parable of the seeds, and in verses 20 & 21, he addresses the seeds … Continue reading →

Relationships: on not Feeling Like Nothing

I heard a great lecture by Rabbi Manis Friedman of Minnesota. He began by talking about a man who came to the great Jewish sage, Hillel, and asked him to teach the man the entire Torah while he was standing on one foot. Hillel said, “What is hateful to you, don’t do to others. The rest is commentary. Now go and learn it.” Rabbi Friedman asks the question why this injunction is phrased in the negative; why, for instance, did he not say “love others as yourself?” Also, this might seem to make Judaism relative to each individual, which wouldn’t … Continue reading →

Rosie O’Donnell Under Attack—Is It Warranted?

Goodness—will it ever end? It seems every few days something happens on ABC’s “The View” that makes headlines. This week’s headline grabber: co-host Rosie O’Donnell’s imitation of a Chinese person. Did you catch it? On December 5th, O’Donnell was commenting on actor Danny DeVito’s inebriated visit to the show when she broke out in what is now being called by the Asian-American community an “offensive accent.” On the show O’Donnell said: “The fact is that it’s (DeVito’s drunken appearance) news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China it’s like: ‘Ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, … Continue reading →