The Grinch Who Stole My Christmas

My holiday weekend was crazy hectic. Thursday I went into work (originally had this day off) because they thought it was going to be busy. NOT! So Friday morning I did all of my grocery shopping and got a call asking me to come in at 1 instead of at 4 (I was working a shift for a girl who is pregnant and was temporarily hospitalized. She is fine now.). Went in and the last 2 hours were completely dead. By this time I am completely exhausted. Saturday morning comes and the spouse and kids (who woke up way too early) want the traditional breakfast casserole. So I made it and continued about the day. Hubby was kinda grouchy. Still exhausted I go to bed Sat. night on new sheets that felt like they belonged in a hotel. Not really comfy at all. Had a bad nights sleep and woke up Sunday looking forward to the candlelight service at church. Fought with 6 year old daughter the whole service. She wouldn't stop hopping from lap to lap. By now I am still tired and am trying to keep it all together. Made a big dinner for all of us and continued to watch football. My hubby was relatively nice for this part. Then today came. My MIL came over and "the grinch" appeared. My poor MIL. My hubby was so grouchy he ruined the whole day. *Sigh* So between my grinch and not getting enough rest my Christmas weekend wasn't what it could've been. Highlights? My family enjoyed all the material things they got and even thanked me for all my effort over the weekend. I kept the true meaning of CHRISTmas in my heart. The weather was more to my liking than normal. I recieved a few cards from unexpected people. Lowlights? I knew every gift under the tree. Not a single surprise for me. I was tired most of the time (and am now as I write this) so I was not able to fully enjoy everything. Somebody got candle wax on my nice wool coat. So in all this you are wondering who the "grinch" was that stole my Christmas is aren't you? It was me. I have such a servants heart and I love to give that I just kept giving of myself and didn't stop to breathe and rest. I need to learn how to pace myself. And to be honest I probably would've done more if I had the chance. I hope all of you had a good weekend and I pray that you all will be blessed in the year to come.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas! May the Lord bless you this Christmas season and in the year to come. Hugs for all!!!

Balancing Act

Creating a proper balance in my life has been a challenge. To try to get the proper balance between kids, spouse, work, God, and some recreational activities has been a learning experience for me. I started a job full time and it tilted my scales away from my precious children. So by backing off to part time I now have a good balance between work and family. Before I had no recreational time for myself and spent all my time at home wondering what it would be like to "have a life". I have gotten involved with a Bible Study and occasionally help out with some projects around the church. So after many trials and errors I think I may have it. My next challenge is learning to say no to people.


Finally got my decorations up. I thought I would never get to them. Had a situation with the tree lights though. Man can they be a bugger to figure out. If half of a row on a pre-lit tree isn't working boy does it become hard to find the problem and the solution. After an hour of both my and my husband looking at it and trying to figure it out we found out simple solutions. One was a wire was kinked and the other was a bulb was broken. My hands look like I have a cat. You know the scratches that they can leave on your hands when they are little and playing? I have similar ones on my hands.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!! I have been neglecting this thing for a while now and am sorry. But in the meantime life has gone very fast. The job is going well. Hubby has a new job too. Got a new fish. Replaced some that were terrorizing the others. We replaced two with one black angel fish. We named her Max. My thought process on naming it Max. Black angel fish=dark angel(the show)=Max. Well I am done taking up your time. Have a good Thanksgiving.

My 2 cents

Flannel Avenger has the next in the Bible study up. Also check out Alyfireman. Who is Jesus? We tend to think of Jesus as loving. Yes Jesus was loving but He is God.God isn't always nice. Remember the flood? God is a just God but that doesn't mean politically correct. One of the wonderful things about Him is He is unchanging. He doesn't care about being all "p.c.". You always know what He expects of you. He wrote it in a book (the Bible) so that there would be no doubt. If He says no, He means no. No reasoning, bargaining, pleading, or trying to sway Him one way or another. Who is Jesus? He is. The important thing is He is unchanging, all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere. Forgive me but my mind is drawn to Jesus in his last days. He wept, He hurt, He felt. I think of how His feet must have hurt from walking all the time. How betrayed he probably felt. God as Jesus suffered. Not just physically but I think also emotionally. So if you ask who was Jesus as a human all I can offer you is He felt as a human but had the mind of God.


My question is what do you think about Him being all powerful, all knowing and everywhere?

What A Week!!!

Boy has this week gone by really fast! I went to Bible Study on Tuesday (which I am really enjoying by the way) and heard about a job at an outlet store nearby. So I figured I would stop in and put in an application on Wednesday. Well Wednesday morning is when it all went up in the air. I went in (before hubby and I went out for an anniversary lunch) to apply for the job. They hired me on the spot starting the next day (Thursday). So I started on Thursday and worked yesterday too and again tomorrow. I hadn't planned on being thrust back into the workforce so quickly. I thought I would have a week to get home stuff situated. NOPE! So that is how everything got thrown up into the air. Ahhh....to sit and relax. Needless to say I am juggling my new job, home duties, and another job of cleaning my apt. building. Then, as if it couldn't get more hectic, the apt. people called me and asked me if I could also clean the clubhouse. Well they apply a certain amount of $ to my rent so I would be stupid to say no. So I said yes. I start that on Monday. Now it is gonna take a few weeks to get everything under control and situated. So if you don't see me around here much in the next few days that is why. I hope all of you are doing well and are enjoying the beauty of Autumn.

Not much to say.

Well I know it has been a while. I don't really have much to say. I am enjoying seeing the seasonal color changes though. Hopefully soon I will have more to say. Maybe even something worthwhile. lol

Early morning thoughts

I am not usually up this early so I figured it would be a good time to come here and babble a little.

My son did excellent with his oral surgery. Not only was it pain free for the little guy but it was also cheaper than expected for me. He is such a brave little one. We have definitely had the favor of the Lord on this issue. There was only one problem after the surgery. He couldn't keep anything down until mid to late morning the next day. Now he eats more than ever! It is cute to see him do his tongue exercises. He has to stick it out as far as he can and up as far as he can. So we walk around the house sticking our tongues out at him to remind him to stick his out and up.

All of the fish are doing well. I found out something last night. That freezing a fish is not the most humane way to put them down. Now I am feeling a little guilty and heartbroken. My husband was doing a search on the proper water temp for our fish and came across some breeders that say how to put your fish to sleep if need be. Their suggestions?

1. Decapitate them. (Nope..Not me...Couldn't do it!)

2.Inject them with a certain solution into the belly. (Now where am I gonna get the needle or the solution?)

3.Put them in a glass with water and vodka. It makes them go to sleep in a more humane manner. (Hmmm....seems doable.)

Then they went on to say if you cannot do any of these to take the fish to the local university and they can study the disease of the fish or whatever. That is the last thing I would want to do. I am trying to put the poor fish out of its misery and they want to keep him alive and study him and take him apart and such. So now I know what to do if I ever need to put a fish to sleep again.

On a more personal note the Lord has really been dealing with me and my self image issues and some other issues I didn't even know I had. And also for the past two weeks in a row someone from my past has been brought into my present. Two weeks ago I was putting my groceries away and reflecting on the mornings women's bible study and the Lord told me to call my biological mother. Well after a few minutes of trying to get out of it I finally obeyed. I called her later that evening and was pleasantly surprised. She had changed some from the women I used to know. Which is a good thing. Next came a few days ago. My half sister from my dads last marriage contacted me through Classmates. Now the way she described herself makes my husband not want anything to do with her. She has some tattoos and a few piercings. But I feel like she was brought back into my life for a reason. For all I know I may be the only Christian she may know. I have to show her the love of Jesus. He didn't turn people away. He welcomes them in. Now I may not be able to welcome her into my home but I will certainly love her. It's not her fault we were not able to grow up together.

Huge, creepy, nasty, spider!

As I was sleeping last night I felt something on my face. That is not unusual since I have long hair and it lands in my face a lot. So I brush it off my face. A few seconds later my husband brushes something off his face. Yet another second or two later I brush same something off my arm. Being a little freaked out I turned on the light. There on the middle of my side of the bed was a Huge, Creepy, Nasty, spider. Hubby killed it but *shudders* I was creeped out. I was so creeped out I had a hard time sleeping. Now every time something touches me ever so lightly I get creeped out thinking it is another spider. Mind you that this is no ordinary spider. Not the kind you see in the house. It is one of those big ones you see in the woods that you run the other way from.


So now I have told all of that I will also tell you a little more about my week. My grandpa died on Wed. night, my mother in law needs a second MRI to determine if the thing they found is a aneurism or not, and I have enjoyed my time spent with the ladies at church. We made apple pies for today's craft/bake sale. I went this morning and bought a couple of those pies and some zucchini bread, a bunch of cookies, and a church cookbook.

So much in one week. Maybe this afternoon I will get a nap.

Tongue-tie

It was brought to my attention yesterday that my son has this birth defect. He is almost 8. Why wasn't it noticed when he was younger? It would've helped him in eating when he was an infant. I am quite upset (especially at myself) that it wasn't noticed until now. What is it you ask? It is where that thing that connects our tongues to the bottom of your mouth is too short and the person cannot move their tongue in a normal fashion. It can cause speech issues (which is how I found out through his speech teacher), it can cause difficulty in breastfeeding (he had this), and can cause social issues as well. If it had been caught when he was an infant it would've been an easy procedure and we would have had insurance coverage. Now it needs to be done under general as an outpatient and all without us having insurance. Apparantly they go in and cut this thing and stitch it so that he can freely move his tongue. It is a hereditary birth thing so now I know how he got it. It must have come from my hubby's side. He's adopted. So can you please keep us in your prayers as we figure out how to pay for this and to find a doctor that we can trust. My son isn't worried about it at all.

The latest in the tank

Well last week was a buzz of fish frenzy in our house. Mr. Bubbles is gone and we had to replace him with new fish. Ping and Catgirl are still in there. (Monday)We started out by getting two Serpae tetras (Bella and Bullet) and two tiger barbs. One of the barbs got kinda mean and nasty so he was terminated. So we got a danio golden zebra tetra (Princess) to replace it.(Tuesday) Then the other barb decided he wanted to be nasty and was terminated. So we replaced it with a red-eyed tetra (Arrow). (By now you can tell which ones my boys named and which ones my and my daughter named.) Now Wednesday comes and the kids got out of school at noon. Guess what? At 11:00 Princess dies and I need to take her back to the pet store. They tell me they need a seperate sample of the water in order to either give me a new fish or my money back. So it is now 11:30 and I head back to the store with the water sample. It is high in nitrates so he tells me he will replace Princess but when I get home I need to do a 25% water change. So now I have 15 minutes to do the water change and get to the school to pick up kids. I successfully did this and my daughter is none the wiser. Princess is now fine. Yes it is still Princess because my daughter is clueless. So all is finally well in the tank.

A sad day...

Today as I went to change Mr. Bubbles' water and I got to take a good look at him. Half of his face was eaten by this fungus thing and he was having problems getting air. So I had to put him to sleep. I cried and cried and cried. To others it may seem silly to cry over a fish. But not to me. Mr. Bubbles was a unique fish. He let me pet his back and he was always excited to see me. If it was anyone else he would swim away. We had him for little over a year. I couldn't help but cry.

Excitement!

Okay so I am finally getting a life. I went to a women's bible study today. I came out of there so filled and refreshed and felt so much better. So I am excited. I am walking with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I am getting more involved in the women's ministries by helping out with a few things. I have always had a hard time going out and doing things on my own without a friend or a kid or my husband. This week I did 2 things all on my own. I went to the Jeremy Camp Restored concert and had a blast and I went to the bible study today. I have found out I like doing things by myself. Strangely enough I feel like I can be myself instead of putting up a front.

Short and Sweet

The sweetest thing happened the other day. My middle child came out of his room with an expectant look on his face. We looked at him and asked him what he wanted. He said "You called my name." We said that no we didn't. His next response...."I know! It was God!". I just thought that was the sweetest thing.

~Let Me~

I sit in the quiet sometimes. Last night I happened to have a pen and paper next to me. I sat there and this kinda just ended up on my paper.


~Let Me~

Today I walked past you and you didn't notice Me.

Then I sat next to you and you ignored Me.

I strolled beside you and you pretended I wasn't there.

I was right in front of you and you pushed Me out of the way.

Why?! Why do you avoid Me? Have you forgotten who I am? I am always there for you! Why? Why don't you trust Me? I am the Great Comforter. Let Me help you. Let Me be the one you can always turn to. Let Me.

Fishy Business

So Mr. Bubbles is getting worse again. I decided to take him out of the fish tank and put him back into a vase. I have some stuff you put in the water for 7 days. So today is day 2. He still has this white fuzzy stuff growing out of his face. It is actually quite creepy. He seems to stay at the bottom instead of his normal mid to top of the tank personality. I admit I am quite worried about the little guy.

Life lately

Well I know I have neglected this thing for a while now. It is a short while until all my kiddies are in school so I am trying to enjoy every minute with them.


Mr. Bubbles has been doing the sick thing again. He had some white stuff that looked like cotton growing out of his face. He also wasn't eating. He seems to be getting better now. Man do I get attached to pets.


I have discovered that if you eat the wrong kind of carbs they make you tired and grumpy. Well that is what they do to me. I seem to be a regular behind the wagon. I am getting some bruises from it to. lol But a recent discovery of someone who is eating based on the glycemic index has inspired me to get my behind back up on that wagon and super glue it to a seat.


Have you ever had one of those times where you just feel blue? For no reason I am kinda blue lately. Kinda like I lost a part of me somewhere and I don't know where I put it. I have all I need and God so why this blueness? Eh...maybe I'll figure it out.



We have found a church we like and I am greatly enjoying it. As with the healthy eating thing I am lagging in the daily reading and communication with the Father. I forget Him for a day or 2 and then I come back to Him all franticly sorry. Bad way to do it. I never worry about where we will get the money to pay bills and such. I always believe He will provide for my family's needs. This is the opposite of my hubby. He seems to worry a lot about this stuff. I have always had what I call blind faith. I don't worry about anything. I know He will take care of me because He always has and I know He always will. So to hubby it looks like I don't care. But in all reality I do care it is just I have laid everything at the feet of the Lord and know He will take care of us. Matthew 6:25-34 is what always comes to mind.

Well we got rid of Gary. Hubby said he creeped him out. So I took him back to the pet store and got a spotted catfish instead. He has been named Catman for the masklike features on his head and face. Don't tell hubby but it rather saddened me. I got kinda attached to the little critter. But I told him no more in and out with the fish critters. That's it! They only go out if they die.


The South Beaching is goin okay. I have cheated a few times but not too bad. I had some fries yesterday and they tasted good but I payed for it later. So I have come to the realization that I don't desire them anytime soon. I am enjoying salads more and am experimenting with other foods that I haven't tried before. Funny enough cauliflower does taste like mashed potatoes.


I went out and bought all the school supplies for this year. Geesh! Some of the things they ask of you. Twenty-four pencils sharpened!? Excuse me but my life doesn't revolve around sharpening 24 pencils for each child. They know how to do it. Then I have to label all 24 with the childs name on them. I have also found out what this fall will be like with them all in school. Quiet. Too quiet. I have found so many things to do to keep my mind busy. They have VBS this week so I have tasted what it'll be like. I drove hubby nuts the first day. He said I need to find something to do. It is just too weird with all kids gone at the same time. I guess I don't have much else to say right now.

Yet another addition!

Well Gary and Mr. Bubbles are getting along fine. The first night he nipped at Gary and since then he has left him alone. He must not taste very good. Our newest addition is a chinese algae eater. We named him Ping. He is white with a black stripe and bounces around the tank like a ping pong ball. Hence the name Ping. Mr. Bubbles is trying to catch him but he is no match for Ping's speed. I was first told that Gary would eat the algae but the person was wrong. He eats the leftover food that floats to the bottom. So we needed Ping. Funny how all 3 have very different personalities. Just like my kids.


It is hard to believe in less than 50 days school starts for them again. Where has the summer gone? I guess time really flies when you are having fun. About 2 years ago I started to knit hubby a scarf. Well I think I might actually get it done in time for winter. It is just so hard to pick up and knit when you can be doing so many other things.


I love church rummage sales. I went to ours last week and spent $7.00 and got 3 bags of shirts for the kids for school. THREE BAGS!!! I was so thrilled. They were all in perfect condition too. I then bought a clock for the kitchen that I had been eyeing in the store but didn't want to pay that much for and at the rummage sale I got it for $5.00. So I was excited about that too.


Not too much else to say. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

*hugs*

A new addition

So we have a new addition to our tank. We bought a snail and named him Gary. Mr. Bubbles is curious about him. He did bite off one of Gary's long thingies and it has grown back. My hubby said that Gary should be fine in there. I wonder. Mr. Bubbles is a very aggressive betta and doesn't like new things. We got Gary because we needed something to eat some of the gunk off the side of the tank. The tank is new and so far so good. I hope. Mr. Bubbles is trying to adjust to the movement of the water in the tank. Figuring out his food is another thing. He used to come to the top of the vase and eat one pellet at a time. Now I have no idea if he is eating them. I drop them in and he will take one or two and swim away. Silly fish. I hope he is eating.


The beach eating is going okay. I started Phase 2 last Thursday. I goofed that night. We went out to a buffet kind of place and all they had that I could drink was root beer. I have an allergy to something in the water around here so I try to drink bottled or run it through our filter at home. So that was a no-no. I then decided to enjoy some foods that are on the eat rarely/avoid list. But the next day I got right back up and firmly planted my rear on the wagon. So I am rather happy with the fact that I didn't take one slip-up and turn it into a complete sabotage.

Back to business

So it has been a while since I have said anything I know. I hope everyone is having a good summer. I have just been busy being mom. I also started changing some things that needed to be changed. Like eating habits. I have started South Beach (again) and this time I am doing it right. I read the book first and completely understand that this is not a diet. It is a new way of eating for life. I have lost 11 lbs. so far and am rather happy about it. I didn't know good food is so tastey. I am also working on myself in other areas and am seeing an improvement. So I hope you all are enjoyin your weekend.

~God Bless~

To all father's out there...

Happy Father's

Day!!

A few good reads

Miss Patriot has hit on very important subject today. Child molesters are the lowest of the low and they cannot be rehabilitated. I was watching something once where a man was being interviewed and he begged to stay in prison because he knew if he went back out into society he would molest again. Miss Patriot is right when she said

"THERE IS NO MOTIVATION FOR PEOPLE NOT TO COMMIT THESE CRIMES"

There needs to be a punishment so severe that these people don't want to do these crimes. It is sad that these molesters are now killing their victims so that they don't talk. There has to be something done about this. What? I don't know. The only thing I know to do is to pray for our children and pray that the Lord will deal with these people in His divine way.



Alyfireman has a good point. So many times I have heard people take what the Bible says out of context. To get a full understanding of the meaning of something you must look at it in context. It is kinda like a recipe. You look at just the sugar and think "Gee it looks like I am going to be eating nothing but sugar." But what you aren't looking at is the whole recipe. The bible is our recipe for life. It tells us what to do and how to do it just like a cake or cookie or any other recipe does.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

(2) a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

(3)a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

(4)a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

(5)a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

(6)a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

(7)a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

(8) a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.




Upon reading this I have no choice except to take HIM at HIS word. Someone recently asked about suicide and the "It wasn't their time" idea. I have to say that I believe this scripture when it says there is a time for everything under heaven. This kinda goes along with what I was saying about seasons. You don't plant your corn crop in the middle of winter when there is 2 feet of snow. You plant it in the spring. Hence there is a time to plant (spring) and a time to uproot (fall). So all of you who pass by and read this I would like to hear what you have to say about this scripture.

How pathetic!

I got this from Flannel. A sharpened screwdriver? I think not!

What Is Your Battle Cry?

Who is that, stalking over the tarmac! It is Juliet, hands clutching a sharpened screwdriver! And with a mighty roar, her voice cometh: "I'm going to pound you backwards in time!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

Seasons change

Seasons change and it seems that summer is coming slowly but surely. But there are seasons in life too. It seems like seasons are changing in that area too. It is funny how things change in life. Friends come and go, kids you once babysat turn into adults (yeah that made me feel old), priorities change, relationships change and all the while you are oblivious to some of it. Then one day it hits you and you notice these things. So as seasons change so must we. We tend to get caught up in the big things that the little things (which are some of the best things) go unnoticed. I have learned lately to pay attention to the little things. Take each day as if it were your last. Live like Jesus were coming today. There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that is called "Next 5 Minutes" and it has been a song that has stayed with me for the past few days. So now I will go and enjoy some little things.

Life...I think

Where to begin. Emma is doing good (last I heard). I got to go for a quick ride in my dad's plane. No big deal. Awful cramped though. Ummm...what else? Well the Lord is dealing with me on a few issues. Self esteem is one of them. Man is that one a tough issue. But anyway...I am happy that summer is almost here. So much to do during the summer. I am hoping to do a lot with the kids this year. I have been lazy in summers past and I don't want to be this year. My favorite part of summer is the zoo. I just love the zoo. I especially like the water shows. Some day I would love to go to like Busch Gardens and that kind of thing. I always get asked why I take pictures of the animals. I like them. I guess that's it for now.

I'm baaaaack!

I was gone for a while and I missed all of you. So now I am back. It may take a few days to get back into the swing of things. How has everyone been?

*huggles*

My thoughts on heaven

Flannel did such a good job with this but here are my thoughts.




I found in Rev. 4 that it describes the throne in heaven. Maybe I missed something but other than this I cannot find any further descriptions. According to Webster's dictionary the definition of heaven is as follows:

1. The abode of God; the place or state of existence of the blessed after death
2. God; Providence
3. A state of bliss, extreme happiness or exaltation
4. The visible sky; the firmament

But do any of these definitions tell you what heaven really is? I don't think they do. When we think of heaven we get this image of these big gates on a cloud. Is this what heaven really looks like? I don't know. What we do know for sure is that we will be forever in His presence. And since we are forever in His presence there will be no pain or sorrow and nothing to mourn. Then I came across this scripture and I wonder what else is in store for us.

Matt. 16:19&20
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal."

So there are treasures in heaven. When we think of treasures we think of that pirate's chest full of gold, gems, and the like. So what are these treasures in heaven? (feel free to leave me comments on this because I would really like to know) I don't believe they are material things but it that is true than what are they?

So we are still left with the question "What is heaven like?" Well we all know what it takes to get there. Our price has been paid through Jesus. I really don't care how it looks. The most important thing is I will be with Him, in His presence for eternity. Which only brings me to the conclusion that however it looks and whatever it is like that it will be beautiful and wonderful. You know that wonderful, joyful and yet peaceful feeling you get when you are worshipping Him and you are oblivious to those around you? That feeling of completeness and of comfort. I believe that is what heaven will be like. Totally in His presence.

Stupidity

I got tagged by Miss Patriot for the stupidest meme. Hmmmmm....this is gonna take some thinking.

When I was one of those rebellious teens I did so many stupid things. I did the drinking and the experimenting. (None of which I am proud of.) Once I drank about 12 beers in a half hours time and then threw up all over the inside of my boyfriends pride and joy truck.

To be honest I do so many stupid things daily that nothing really sticks out. Oh wait!!!

I was about 16 and was in charge of doing my chores and making my brother and sister lunch. I do the stupidest thing of all. I go to make a can of ravioli and use my thumb to open the lid. It slipped and I ended up in the hospital getting my thumb sewn back together. Yep stupid!

Like I said I do so many stupid things in daily life that nothing much sticks out unless you count putting glass cleaner in the fridge or putting the jelly in the freezer. Uh oh!! I thought of another kinda.

I skipped school and spent the day with friends at the lake. Well first stupid thing was no suncscreen. I hurt for days. But trying to get it past the parents was even stupider. I said that I didn't skip and go to the lake. (I didn't know at the time I looked like a lobster.) I know if I sit here long enough I could probably entertain you for days. Being blonde has it's advantages. You can get away with more before people think your stupid. Bad part? People think you are stupid even if you aren't.


Flannel I will get to your bible study by tomorrow. I promise.

Meet Emma

(7-11-06 There used to be a beautiful picture of her here but it has since disappeared somehow.)


Meet Emma. She was born at 28 weeks and is my newest niece. Please keep her and her daddy in your prayers.

Funny!

I laughed 'til I cried when I read this. I have to thank Black Currant Jam for this much needed laugh. Thanks Lora.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Alyfireman!! I hope it's a good one!

From Holy Tornado

Holy Tornado had this up so I took it and here are my results.....

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

"You are the large, round, friendly d20! (You probably didn't know this, but the shape of the twenty-sided die is called an Icosahedron.) You are the friendly, outgoing, outspoken, leader of friends. You are often looked up to, even though you don't normally deserve it. Most other types secretly wish they were you, and you'd give them tips on how, if only you had a clue yourself. Your charisma is often all you need, but you have your occasional moments of brilliance as well--just never when it's actually needed. You are the all-around good guy, a dependable chum, a respectable foe, and an inspiration to those who need one. Who says you can't get by on a smile and good looks alone?"




This is how they describe me. I don't think I am a natural leader. But getting by on a smile and good looks? I can do that.

Lookie here!

I found this quiz through Black Currant Jam. It seems I am better off in Texas. I can deal with that! :D

American Cities That Best Fit You:

80% Austin

65% Denver

65% Seattle

55% Atlanta

55% Honolulu

Which city best fits you?

Long time....

I apologize for not updating a lot lately. Between allergies, kid's school stuff, and being sick to my stomach for about a week I haven't really felt like doing a long update. There are some changes in my sidebar. You will note some blogs under INFJ's. I don't know them yet but they are supposedly the same personality type that I am. To check out your personality type go to the link that says Type Blogs.

OOOH! I am in the top 5 at Google.Type obedience not sacrifice.I tried to link to it but had issues. I am still learning this blog thing. Hmmmm....interesting. Maybe it will bring more people by. Nobody seems to comment here. Am I really that boring? Just kidding.

Response to "Blogospheric Bible Study #7: Hell"

In response to Blogospheric Bible Study #7: Hell .


I agree with there seems to be no Biblical description of exactly what hell will be. Eternal separation from God would be horrible enough. I think we all have different ideas of what hell would be like. We think of the worst possible things and that is what we imagine as hell. The one thing we can all be sure of is that it is not a pleasant place. Pain, suffering, and all the other nasties. Nope. I make sure daily that I am not going there. Who do you know that is going to hell? We need to share the love of Jesus with everyone (not pushing it on them, but doing it all in love) so that they too may see the joys of heaven and be spared this eternal suffering.



Here is a suggestion for Robbie. We have discussed hell, I say we discuss Heaven next.

A Small Rant

Lately we hear of all of these poor children being abducted, killed, and molested. Where are the leaders of this country? We hear them speak out about other things but why won't they speak out about this very important issue? They need to do more about these awful crimes. The children are defenseless and I have yet to hear any politician speak out about this. UGH!!!! This just makes me mad. I have a few ideas on what to do with people who hurt children but I won't get into that. These criminals need to be afraid of what will happen to them. They need to be afraid. No getting out for good behavior. *sigh* I just needed to get that off of my chest.

Death

My contribution to this weeks bible study.


In Gen. 3 we see that death is a result of the first sin. In Rom. 5:12-21 it shows that death came through one man (Adam) and life through another (Jesus). Because of Christ we have victory over death. It does not have a hold over us.

What I don't get is why mourn? You know ...why have a sad ceremony if the person is a believer? If the person was a believer shouldn't we be celebrating? I understand we mourn for the loss of the person but shouldn't we also be celebrating their eternal life with the Father? That we have victory over death? The death of a loved one is always sad and there are no words to make it easier. We should take comfort in the Great Comforter. Only He can comfort perfectly. So then what can we as humans do to comfort those mourning? Be supportive of them and pray for them. Let them know your prayers are with them (even if the person wasn't a believer).

Matt. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 states there is a time for everything. Which seems to be that there is a specific time we'll die. We cannot do anything to hasten it. Did you ever see one of those people who try repeatedly to commit suicide and fail? Why did they fail? It wasn't their time yet. When one dies there has to be some lesson in it for those they leave behind. Even if it is just to live each day to the fullest because you don't know when your time will be.

What have I learned from my loved ones death? My bio dad's suicide...Life isn't easy but trust in the Lord and He will bring you through. Through his death came a chain of events that led me to my God-given parents. They in turn taught me most of what I know about being a christian today. A recent friends death....Live what you believe. He believed in God and country.




Please leave comments on your thoughts.

Tidbits

Here is more about our friend. I haven't talked to the family since I heard. It didn't really hit until I read the article and then it became real.


I will reply to Flannel's latest bible study soon.


Spring is finally here. And with it allergies. I apologize for not updating lately. It has been kinda hectic. I have been working this body to exhaustion this week. I have been working harder at getting healthy and along came allergies.

In response to Patty-Jo

I have been interviewed by Patty-Jo.



Here are the rules for the “Five Questions” meme.

1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me”. The first five commenters will be the Participants.

2. I will respond by asking you five questions.

3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same Post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.(Write your own or borrow some.)




So here are my answers...

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?
I would say somewhere in the southern U.S. . I dislike the cold of winter but yet I love the colors of fall. So somewhere that gives me the colors of fall without the cold northern winters. Maybe Texas.




2. Who taught you about Jesus?
Well when I was a young gal my grandma took me to church. So I guess I always knew of Him. Not until I got my God-given parents did I really know Him. They were the youth leaders at my church and through them I have learned so much.



3. Rubies and Roses is a beautiful title. How did you think of it?
Red is my favorite color and rubies and roses are my favorite red things.



4. Describe your "perfect" vacation.
I would take my mom and 2 sisters on a Caribbean cruise. Just the 3 of us. Doing stuff like horseback riding, snorkeling, and the whole spa thing. I have already had so many wonderful vacations with my husband (just the 2 of us) and the kids that the "perfect" vacation is one where I am surrounded by family.




5. What makes a "great" marriage?
Once again I look at my parents. They have a wonderful marraige. I would say it takes several things. Unconditional love and support, respect, open communication, and meeting each others emtional and physical needs. These things I am trying to implement into my marraige too. If you do these things I think you can have a great marraige.

A Prayer Request

Please pray for these families. One of the 9 is a friend of the family.

A very interesting dream...

Last night I had an interesting dream. I was taking my 3 kids to school on the first day. I was looking around to find their teachers. All of the sudden everyone started to freak out. I looked outside and said "It's only Jesus." Just then it began to rain. Everyone was taking cover. The rain didn't bother us 3. In fact we were dry. I think it was painful for everyone because they were screaming. Just then the ground opened up in front of us. Everyone was freaking out. I decided to take my kids and go to the other side where nobody was. Where we were people were freaking out and pushing and stuff. So I get to the other side and look out the window. The sky was navy blue and I saw twinkling things and one bright thing in the center. As it got closer I could hear the angels singing and praising the Lord. I began to sing and praise Him as well. Then one of the angels came and sat with us. I woke up. I would have liked to find out what happened next but when I went back to sleep it was gone. In the dream I was giddy! I mean totally excited. I mean Jesus was coming. I wasn't afraid or anything. It was like telling the kids they were going to the ice cream parlor or toy store and they could get whatever they want. Anyway...just thought I would share that with you.

Love

1 Cor. 13:1-13

This shows that if we have not love we are nothing. We are to act Christ-like right? The easiest way to do this is to do everything in love. In verses 4-7 it says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5)It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." If we act according to this then we are treating others as Christ would. These verses show me how exactly we are to be towards others. Christians and non-Christians alike. Verse 13 "And now these three remain:faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Equality

1 Cor. 12:12-31

This passage lets us know that we are put right where He wants us. One is not more important than another. Each of us has a special purpose and are all equally important to God.

Sacrifice and Obedience

This weeks submission to Flannel's Bible study.




Sacrifice: an offering, a voluntary loss

Lev. 1-7:21
In the old testament there were different sacrifices for different reasons. You had to had to give sacrifices to pay for what you did in order to come into God's presence. But Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. The last sacrifice. His death covers over all of our sins so we may come into the Father's presence. He was the sacrifice.


Matt. 26:36-44 (NIV)
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." (37)He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.(38)Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."(39)Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (40) Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. (41) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing ,but the body is weak."(42)He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unles I drink it, may your will be done." (43)When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. (44)So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.


Mark 14:32-39 (NIV)
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."(33)He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.(34)"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." (35)Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.(36)"Father, Father," he said, "everything is possible for your. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (37)Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?(38)Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (39) Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.


Luke 22:39-44 (NIV)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. (40)On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." (41)He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, (42)"Father, if you are willing , take this cup from me;yet not my will, but yours be done." (43)An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (44) And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.



He knew what was to be done. He was troubled and prayed that this cup be taken from him. Three times he prayed this. But he also said the Father's will be done and not his will. He knew the pain and suffering he would endure and yet he was still obedient to the Father. This shows us an example of how we should be. We may not want to do what we are to do ,but, it is the Father's will we should be doing and not our own. We need to be obedient to our Father just as Jesus was. He did not resist the Father's will. He did the Fathers will.


Matt. 27:27-31 (NIV)
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.(28)They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, (29)and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of of him and mocked him. "Hail, the king of the Jews!" they said. (30)They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. (31)After they had mocked him, they took the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Mark 15:16-20 (NIV)
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. (17)They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. (18) And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" (19)Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. (20)And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

John 19:1-3 (NIV)
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. (2)The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe(3) and went up to him again and again, saying. "Hail , King of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.


Beaten! Beaten because he was doing the Father's will. Beaten for us! You and me.


The crucifixion.
Matt. 27:32-50
Mark 15:21-37
Luke 23:26-46
John 19:16-30

The ultimate sacrifice. He died doing the Father's will. At any point he could have stopped it all. He did as the Father asked of him. He was unselfish. He knew what his death would mean. So unselfishly he died so we might live eternally.


Jesus was mocked and made fun of up until death.. Life following the Father's will won't easy and we may even be mocked. We need to be making sure we are doing the Father's will and not our own.


As I reflect on the meaning of all of this I am in awe. As humans we avoid pain. Even the smallest of things (like a paper cut) can really hurt. Jesus knew how much it would hurt. And yet did it anyway. For you. For me. To give your life so another might live is the greatest love of all. It hurts to think that all of the wrong I've done caused another pain. But if it wasn't for that pain I/we couldn't live. I am thankful for the sacrifice that was made.

Spiritual Gifts

In response to Flannel Avengers Spiritual Gifts post here is my take on it. Let's start with the scriptures.

1 Cor. 12:1-11 NIV
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. (2) You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. (3) Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. (4) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5)There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (6) There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (8) To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge of the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, (10) to another miraculous powers, to another prophesy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues.(11) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

So God gave them out in biblical times and God is the same yesterday as He is today and will be tomorrow. So if He gave them out then He will certainly give them out today. And in verse 31...

(31)But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

He says we should desire to have them. So thus saying He will give them out and we need to eagerly desire them. Then in this verse...

1 Cor. 14:1
Folow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesy.

It again states we should desire to have them.


So my belief is that they are still in effect and He still gives them out. But we must also use them responsibly.

1 Cor. 14:40
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (39) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a nice way to end my studies today.

What I read today

1 Cor. 7:12-14
(12)To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. (13)And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. (14)For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1 Cor. 7:20
Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.


But then you go back to verse 15 which says...

1 Cor. 7:15
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances;God has called us to live in peace.


So then if the believer is not bound in these circumstances are they allowed to remarry? The following scriptures say not.

1 Cor. 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord):A wife must not seperate form her husband.(11)But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled with her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

1 Cor. 7:39
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.

Romans 7:2-3
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. (3) So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adultress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.


So from these scriptures it is saying that unless the one dies you cannot marry again. Is that what you guys understand?

Romans 2:1-3 NIV

(1)You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (2) Now we know that God's judgment is based on truth. (3) So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?


I take this as a warning against judging others.

Romans 1:18-32 NIV

(18)The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,(19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them.(20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (21)For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22)Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the imortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and amimals and reptiles. (24)Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hears to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (25)They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen. (26)Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural realtions for unnatural ones. (27)In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men comitted indecent acts with other men, and recieved in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (28) Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (29)They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, (30)slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;they invent ways of doing evil;they disobey thier parents; (31)they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (32) Althought they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-32


Here is what I took away from this...people are not born gay, murderers and such. They are given over to it because they worship other things instead of God.

When you read this what do you get from it?

Missing posts

I just put Haloscan in here so forgive any missing posts (sorry Flannel).

Yipeee!

I finally figured things out here. Stay tuned for some serious thoughts. LOL

Just checking.