F.R.O.G Blog

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Where are some unusual places you’ve been to? What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned or discovered about those places?

I have been to several places in my life that would certainly fit into the "unusual" category. Now, as many of you may know, when I was able to get around better, I did enjoy attending church services and I enjoyed visiting all sorts of churches across the denominational board. As some of you may or may not know, not all churches are mainstream and not all are um, normal. As a matter of fact, some churches can be rather far out there in left field!

One such church comes to mind. It was in Phoenix Arizona and I won't say the name of it. However, it is the first church that, when you walk in, they hand you a wastebasket! Yes, that's right...a wastebasket with a plastic liner in it. WHY does one need their own, personal mini trash can during their services?

Well, this was a little out-of-the-way church that often held demon casting services. Yes, that's right. They would have special services where they would pray for you and cast out all your evil spirits. The thing is when demons start coming out of you...sometimes it makes you puke! Say what?! I sat there and listened all about how demons can infest your life like roaches. These people blamed demons for everything from stubbing their toes to the baby crying to the cost of tomatoes all the way to death.

Then, it was time for the Altar call. Anyone with demon troubles was to go to the front to be prayed for. Nearly everyone went to the front except me and two others. Several things happened then. They dimmed the lights, cranked the A/C to nearly 50 and people grabbed their wastebaskets. The praying started. Members of the church circled around the visitors or other members who were wanting prayer and they laid hands on them and began praying. Loudly. Apparently, God and demons alike are nearly deaf...and then it started happening. People began coughing, hacking, and yes puking!! But they also started farting!! and making all sorts of mind-blowing body sounds. They began screaming, wailing, shrieking, you name it...

I sat perfectly still. I was waging war with myself in my head. My normal, level-headed self was telling myself to get up, go straight to the door..do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars..get GET OUT...The other half of me, the shocked but morbidly curious sat wide-eyed trying to watch everything at once. It was like a 3 ring circus and I didn't want to miss anything. I made one promise with myself. They bring out any snakes and I would be out the door no hesitation!

Well, my morbid curiosity got me into trouble. Perhaps thinking I was just shy or thinking a demon was stopping me from joining everyone at the front, a group of well-meaning church members come over, lay hands on me and start praying. Someone kindly thrust my wastebasket at me. And, as they were praying, I was trying so desperately, desperately NOT to crack up laughing. I knew, without doubt, if I cracked up laughing, they would think I had a demon that refused to leave. I remember focusing on what they were saying, so I wouldn't laugh.

One prayed for the demon of poverty, money curses, and financial chains to be broken and leave. Ok, that was not so bad. One prayed for health, for the demon of sickness to leave. One prayed for my enemies to be struck down and that no weapons could be formed against me...again, those were not so bad. Then one lady prayed to demand the demon of hair loss to be removed. Wait. What!!?? Hair loss!!?? I didn't even wait for them to stop praying. I yelled, "I gotta go to the bathroom!" And they didn't question it... surely I was about to release the motherload of demons and they were not going to stand in my way.

I raced to the bathroom and franticly checked my hair to see if I was losing it! I have to say, that was a once-in-a-lifetime church service I have NO intention of ever repeating. I swear it was a week before I relaxed about possible hair loss! lol