Blog

Raising your freak-out threshold
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 by Charlotte S. Snead


 

Raising Your Freak-Out Threshold

Many of you know this summer Joe and I went to El Salvador with the teens from Faith Christian Fellowship. The only thing that keeps me younger than being a mentor mom is being a chaperone on a youth mission trip! Joe particularly caught on to the expression “freak-out,” and has repeatedly said that the trip raised his “freak-out threshold.”

 If you have never left the good old USA, or only traveled to secluded resorts that keep you away from the poverty-stricken areas of other countries, you can continue to be Charmin-dependent and oblivious to the blessings of our country and its privileged life-style. While you have toddlers, generally your husbands are building their careers, and money doesn’t come easily.

 Some of you may be on WIC or food stamps, and if you qualify, you should be, but let me hasten to add in the United States what we call “poverty level” is not poor by the world’s standards.We walked down a ravine to the river, watched the women wash their clothes, the kids bathe, and saw them haul that same water in containers on their heads and climb back up the mountainside to serve that filthy water to their children.

 We worked on a water project. An amazing little church of sixty people is spearheading a project that will bring water to over 15,000 people! They have prodded the government officials, shamed the water company, and invigorated the community to build four water tanks that will gravity-feed water to homes in three communities. As an aside, on the way home the steward on the plane, a full-grown adult, was shamelessly flirting with our beautiful little girls, 14, 15 years old. In the course of the conversation as we shared what we were doing, he expressed amazement that four communities within 45 minutes of San Salvador, the capitol, did not have running water. We left our comfortable lives, flew to Central America and dug for five days to help his fellow-countrymen have safe, potable water, and he was oblivious to the needs in his back door.

For four days, we lived in a cinderblock building with partitions, men on one side, women on the other. Because the teen girls’ freak-out threshold for bugs was really low, they pushed all the beds into the center of the room—away from walls where bugs might be crawling—so we slept like kitties in a litter. Being a loner who protects her privacy, my freak-out threshold was maxed out! The most fun part was we did have one flush toilet, but it was in the men’s section, and the bathroom door would not close. It is really hard to release pee in the middle of the men’s bedroom. Fortunately, they were sound sleepers—at least that is what they said. We had to hike down the mountainside to find more privacy for our big jobs in the school latrines. (One of our teens asked her mother before the trip: “just what are latrines, anyway?” Boy, did she find out!)

 Talking about all our experiences coming home, we alternatively laughed and cried, amazed at how normal a very primitive lifestyle is for our new friends, those precious people at the Church of the Good Samaritan. We ate in the open-air dining room at Pastor Miguel’s house while the rain pattered on the tin roof above our heads. The chickens scratched in the yard beside us, and one of our guys took a picture of the goose. . . from the table. . . as we were eating. The girls learned how to make tortillas over an open fire in the kitchen, which is all they have for their cooking.

 Joe declared that his “freak-out threshold” would certainly be elevated—and we do certainly have nothing to complain about in this country. All of the things that used “freak him out” are nothings in comparison. And I must say when we were wandering around Clarksburg in the dark of the night trying to find a house, his threshold was not crossed, and believe me it would have been before our trip. Our brethren south of our borders have a lovely expression we need to make part of our vocabulary: “no problema!”

 Climbing to the top of the mountain where the tank site was located, the locals laughed and joked—even when carrying concrete fence posts. They smile all the time, making us embarrassed to whine about our petty inconveniences. Hey, as moms we have no life—no problema, they will grow up one day. Maybe we don’t have that new dining room suite, no problema, at least we are not eating on a Formica table with chickens a few feet away. Maybe you haven’t had a day off in weeks—no problema, at least you are not carrying foul water on your head for your babies to drink.

 Here at MOPS we hope you will get some sense of relativity, a respite that will restore our perspectives and raise our freak-out thresholds. Let’s have a really great year, we can laugh together, and cry together, and put some balance in our lives.

Share This Blog:


Jesus only rebuked his disciples for lack of faith—oh, and not allowing the children to come to Him—saving his rebukes for religious leaders who were hypocrites. After feeding five thousand and then four thousand, how could his disciples fret over no bread on their sail across the lake? The Master could feed thirteen men if he had fed thousands! Yet I faltered over less than that last week.

My blog masters called me last Monday, asking if I knew my website was down. No. We worked all morning to discover why, knocking on closed doors. Word Press had closed my site, handing it off to another company. Me of little faith wept. I am launching a new book. A Place to Live came out last month and I’m in the midst of marketing it. All my marketing has the old website name on it. Didn’t God know this?

Of course He did, and by the end of the day my wonderful blog masters at Celebrity Web Design had a new one set up, one that I own: charlottesnead.com

 How cool is that? Just my name. I didn’t even know I could do that. God can do exceeding abundantly. So I downloaded all my subscribers and notified them of the name change. Since that time, I have doubled them! Thank you, God. Like the father I cry out: I believe, Lord, help Thou mine unbelief. Forgive me.


Previous Posts

Back to the hospital
Charlotte Snead

9/25/2019

I'm not Dead
Charlotte Snead

9/3/2019

Family Reunion
Charlotte Snead

7/22/2019

Two More books
Charlotte Snead

7/8/2019

Home from writing conference
Charlotte SneadJoe and I returned Saturday from Saint David’s Christian Writers, my favorite conference—so much laughter, as well as serious study. M

6/25/2019

His and hers Hospitalizations
Charlotte Snead

6/17/2019

The unoffendable
Charlotte Snead

5/31/2019

Where Have I been?
Charlotte Snead

5/28/2019

What Love Isn't
Charlotte Snead

5/4/2019

Joe Hits the Ground Running
Charlotte Snead

4/25/2019

A lesson in appreciation
Charlotte Snead

4/17/2019

Savor the Moments
Charlotte Snead

4/10/2019

He was my Baby
Charlotte Snead

3/28/2019

Catching up
Charlotte Snead

3/15/2019

Having fun working
Charlotte Snead

2/12/2019

Steal Away Again
Charlotte Snead

1/31/2019

Memories Past
Charlotte Snead

1/11/2019

Hail 2019
Charlotte Snead

1/3/2019

Catching Up
Charlotte Snead

11/29/2018

Thanksgiving
Charlotte

11/21/2018

Veterans Day
Charlotte Snead

11/13/2018

Election Day
Charlotte Snead

11/6/2018

Fornifiication
Charlotte Snead

10/18/2018

KEEPING A LINE IN THE WATER
Charlotte Snead

10/2/2018

First Children's book
Charlotte Snead

9/6/2018

What love isn't
Charlotte Snead

8/28/2018

Go for the Honey
Charlotte

8/17/2018

Off the recliner!
Charlotte Snead

8/10/2018

Graduation
Charlotte

8/1/2018

WINSLOW FARM
Charlotte

7/14/2018

Typing one Handed
Charlotte

7/6/2018

Our trip to Nashville, with a visit to Johnson City
Charlotte Snead

6/18/2018

I Hate Technology!
Charlotte Snead

6/4/2018

Bleckly Bunch 2018
Charlotte Snead

5/24/2018

Good-bye
Charlotte

5/21/2018

When it Rains
Charlotte Snead

5/9/2018

Steve and Holt
Charlotte Snead

5/2/2018

No More Tomorrows
Charlotte Snead

4/24/2018

Good News
Charlotte Snead

4/11/2018

He Is Risen Indeed, Hallelujah!
Charlotte Snead

4/3/2018

MOPS--not with a bucket
Charlotte Snead

3/22/2018

Ready for Spring
Charlotte Snead

3/14/2018

Blessed Author, Patient Husband
Charlotte Snead

3/7/2018

Cruisig withForever Friends
Charlotte

2/18/2018

Forever Friends
Charlotte

2/10/2018

Deliver us from the strife of tongues
Charlotte Snead

1/31/2018

Using vulnerability when you witness
Charlotte Snead

1/23/2018

Help your favorite author get published
Charlotte Snead

1/16/2018

Trials are Testimonies
Charlotte Snead

1/9/2018

Does God have a portal to heaven?
Charlotte S. Snead

1/3/2018

Anthology in January
Charlotte S. Snead

12/22/2017

Writing from Heart-felt Experience
Charlotte S. Snead

12/12/2017

Heaven's Gain
Charlotte S. Snead

11/30/2017

Cancun Wedding
Charlotte Snead

11/22/2017

God's Perfect Will
Charlotte S. Snead

11/14/2017

On an Author Roll
Charlotte S. Snead

10/23/2017

Gabriel's Wings
Charlotte S. Snead

10/16/2017

Las Vegas Happened
Charlotte S. Snead

10/13/2017

Autumn reflections
Charlotte S. Snead

10/4/2017

A Faith to Die For
Charlotte S. Snead

9/25/2017

Arrows
Charlotte S. Snead

9/19/2017

And the Good News Is . . .
Charlotte S. Snead

9/6/2017

Mothers: Joined with the Creator
Charlotte S. Snead

8/30/2017

Legacy
Charlotte S. Snead

8/22/2017

Stop the World (I want to get off)
Charlotte S. Snead

8/9/2017

My Pitiful Cross
Charlotte S. Snead

8/2/2017

Learning to Die
Charlotte S. Snead

7/28/2017

Independence Day
Charlotte S. Snead

7/5/2017

Hanging with My Tribe
Charlotte Snead

6/30/2017

Always My Son
Charlotte S. Snead

6/20/2017

Let us love
Charlotte S. Snead

6/15/2017

Goodbyes
Charlotte S. Snead

6/6/2017

The Bleckley Bunch Revisited
Charlotte

5/25/2017

How Much Time?
Charlotte

5/18/2017

Celebrate
Charlotte S. Snead

5/10/2017

Defying the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Charlotte S. Snead

5/3/2017

The Meaning of the Plow
Charlotte Snead

4/18/2017

And Peter
Charlotte S. Snead

4/7/2017

Stop. Bring him to Me.
Charlotte S. Snead

3/28/2017

A Place to Live
Charlotte S. Snead

3/24/2017

Mentoring the Next Generation--A Call
Charlotte S. Snead

3/17/2017

To Know and Be Known
Charlotte S. Snead

3/7/2017

It Ain't Over
Charlotte S. Snead

2/15/2017

Broken Bread and Poured out Wine
Charlotte S. Snead

2/8/2017

How Beautiful is the Body of Christ
Charlotte S. Snead

2/2/2017

Purpose, Passion and Platform
Charlotte S. Snead

2/1/2017

Heatsinks
Charlotte S. Snead

1/26/2017

Birthdays, A Time to Reflect
Charlotte S. Snead

1/17/2017

Creation Groans
Charlotte S. Snead

1/11/2017

Fifty-four Years--but who's counting?
Charlotte S. Snead

12/30/2016

Amazing People
Charlotte S. Snead

12/15/2016

Full of Thanks-giving
Charlotte S. Snead

11/28/2016

Seasons
Charlotte S. Snead

10/29/2016

Sometimes Its For Worse
Charlotte S. Snead

10/6/2016

Love for a Lifetime
Charlotte S. Snead

9/22/2016

We Are Mops
Charlotte S. Snead

9/7/2016

Birthday/Conference
Charlotte S. Snead

8/30/2016

It Takes Two
Charlotte S. Snead

8/5/2016

Growing Family
Charlotte S. Snead

7/11/2016

WV Flood
Charlotte S. Snead

7/5/2016

Golf Course in Heaven
Charlotte S. Snead

6/17/2016

No Time to Cry
Charlotte S. Snead

6/6/2016

A Season of Travel
Charlotte S. Snead

5/25/2016

For the Love of Family
Charlotte S. Snead

4/25/2016

God Pulls a Rescue
Charlotte S. Snead

4/7/2016

A Work in Progress, my manuscript and I
Charlotte S. Snead

4/2/2016

The Trees Talk to Her
Charlotte S. Snead

3/22/2016

On An Author Roll
Charlotte S. Snead

3/12/2016

Jan Carol Publishing
Charlotte S. Snead

2/29/2016

Steal Away
Charlotte S. Snead

2/15/2016

After Christmas, What?
Charlotte S. Snead

12/28/2015

Christmas Prioirities
Charlotte S. Snead

12/17/2015

When the Vision Tarries
Charlotte S. Snead

11/17/2015

Thanksgiving
Charlotte S. Snead

11/9/2015

Darkness Comes
Charlotte S. Snead

11/3/2015

Happenstance
Charlotte S. Snead

10/13/2015

Christianity: Before and After
Charlotte S. Snead

9/23/2015

Going and Growing Family
Charlotte S. Snead

9/16/2015

Amazon Review of "His Brother's Wife"
Charlotte S. Snead

8/21/2015

Challenge to a Christian Team
Charlotte S. Snead

8/21/2015

Why Do We love Fairy Tales?
Charlotte S. Snead

8/21/2015

And the Family Goes On
Charlotte S. Snead

8/21/2015

Through Faith and Patience
Charlotte S. Snead

8/18/2015

Family Heritage
Charlotte S. Snead

8/12/2015

When prayers are desperate pleas
Charlotte S. Snead

6/29/2015

Bear One another's burdens
Charlotte S. Snead

6/15/2015

Giggling Girls and Watchful Warriors
Charlotte S. Snead

6/8/2015

The Bleckly Bunch
Charlotte S. Snead

5/25/2015

Godly Relationships
Charlotte S. Snead

5/23/2015

Steel Magnolias
Charlotte S. Snead

5/17/2015

Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God
Charlotte S. Snead

5/13/2015

Something to Die for
Charlotte S. Snead

4/25/2015

Dawn Comes
Charlotte S. Snead

4/20/2015

He is Risen!
Charlotte S. Snead

4/4/2015

Because I can't Not
Charlotte S. Snead

3/3/2015

When Work Turns Sour
Charlotte S. Snead

1/27/2015

Family Christmas, 2014
Charlotte S. Snead

1/5/2015

Christmas 2014
Charlotte S. Snead

12/23/2014

Giving Thanks
Charlotte S. Snead

11/24/2014

To Warm an Author's Heart
Charlotte S, Snead

11/2/2014

Smashed in the Potter's House
Charlotte S. Snead

10/1/2014

Recovered and Free
Charlotte S. Snead

9/15/2014

Ouch!
Charlotte S. Snead

9/15/2014

Priorities
Charlotte S. Snead

9/9/2014

Serve, however God leads
Charlotte S. Snead

8/27/2014

The Gospel, however it's told.
Charlotte S. Snead

8/20/2014

Two new books!
Charlotte S. Snead

8/7/2014

Planes, trains, ship, and . . . books
Charlotte S. Snead

7/24/2014

To wait, or not to wait, that is the question
Charlotte S. Snead

6/4/2014

Though the Vision Tarry, wait for it
Charlotte S. Snead

5/5/2014

Excuse my absence
Charlotte S. Snead

5/5/2014

Waiting
Charlotte S. Snead

3/25/2014

Intimacy and Marriage
Charlotte S. Snead

1/22/2014

A Time to Renew
Charlotte S. Snead

1/7/2014

Thanks for the little things
Charlotte S. Snead

11/27/2013

Move over, Joseph
Charlotte S. Snead

10/31/2013

The Seed of the Righteous
Charlotte S. Snead

10/8/2013

My Best Friend
Charlotte S. Snead

9/18/2013

Good News
Charlotte S. Snead

8/31/2013

God is merciful
Charlotte S. Snead

8/22/2013

My Grandson?s Wedding
Charlotte S. Snead

8/12/2013

Staying in Touch
Charlotte S. Snead

7/18/2013

ON BEING A SLUG
Charlotte S. Snead

7/10/2013

Passion is Sacred for me
Charlotte S. Snead

6/4/2013

Sacred Passion
Charlotte S. Snead

5/28/2013

The Vulnerable Writer
Charlotte S. Snead

4/7/2013

The Mother's Plow
Charlotte S. Snead

2/23/2013

Twelve Oxen and the Plows
Charlotte S. Snead

2/6/2013

Life's New Oppportunities
Charlotte S. Snead

2/4/2013

The First Fifty Years are the Hardest
Charlotte S. Snead

12/31/2012

Naked, I Wept
Charlotte S. Snead

12/18/2012

Inspirational Weekend
Charlotte S. Snead

12/4/2012

Good news!
Charlotte S. Snead

11/19/2012

Jesus is not a Republican
Charlotte S. Snead

11/12/2012

Still very Alive!
Charlotte S. Snead

11/5/2012

Recalibrating
Charlotte S. Snead

9/8/2012

Another Season
Charlotte S. Snead

8/8/2012

New Short Story Available
Charlotte S. Snead

7/28/2012

THE GREAT STORM
Charlotte S. Snead

7/3/2012

Life is short-make it count!
Charlotte S. Snead

6/18/2012

What I've been up to!
Charlotte S. Snead

6/15/2012

God's Mighty River
Charlotte S. Snead

5/19/2012

The Strongest Thing in the World
Charlotte S. Snead

5/9/2012

Not returnable
Charlotte S. Snead

4/19/2012

Short stories and appearances
Charlotte S. Snead

4/7/2012

Spring
Charlotte S. Snead

4/2/2012

Raising your freak-out threshold
Charlotte S. Snead

3/27/2012

New offering at Harpstring
Charlotte S. Snead

3/26/2012

Kidnapped
Charlotte S. Snead

3/15/2012

Current Events
Chrlotte S. Snead

3/9/2012

Publication, Here we come!
Charlotte S. Snead

2/24/2012

Grow old with me . . .
Charlotte S. Snead

2/11/2012

Love your Husband
Charlotte S. Snead

1/26/2012

Am I crucified yet?
Charlotte S. Snead

1/12/2012

God's Not Dead, and Neither Am I!
Charlotte S. Snead

12/21/2011

He will turn your mourning into dancing
Charlotte S. Snead

11/25/2011

It's Not about Me
Charlotte S. Snead

11/14/2011

We Need MOPS
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Significance
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Seasons
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Safe Places
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Where's the Romance?
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Why MOPS, Why a Mentor
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Perspective
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Unplanned
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Welcome!
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Mentor's Moments: Masterpiece Originals
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Christmas
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Gratitude
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

My baby's wedding
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Life Review
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Always My Son
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

Challenge to New Life:Going Broody
Charlotte S. Snead

11/11/2011

On to Texas!
Charlotte S. Snead

10/27/2011

North Carolina
Charlotte S. Snead

10/21/2011

Motherhood as a Profession
Charlotte S. Snead

1/11/2011

It Is Finished!
Charlotte S. Snead

1/11/2011