Daddy

On St. Patricks day this handsome young man would've turned 63. This is my daddy. He died in 1986 of suicide. This is my favorite picture of him. I sure do miss him. Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like to know him as an adult. No this is not a pity party but I wanted to share with all of you this handsome man. I have no idea what that thing is he is on but he sure thinks it's cool so apparantly it was.

A Humble Request

We found out on Monday that our apt. manager has decided not to renew our lease. We have lived here for 4 years and have payed in full on time. We feel that this is a personal thing (we complain more than she would like about things that need to be dealt with on the property). So this means we have to move. We are going this week to speak with somebody about a mortgage and purchasing a new home. My humble request is prayer for us during this process. That the Lord will put the right people in the right place and direct us to the right home for us.

Stolen from Flannel

I'm dubya!

You Are Most Like George W. Bush

So what if you're not exactly popular? You still rule the free world.And while you may be quite conservative now, you knew how to party back in the day!

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

Forbidden Fruit

I was sitting here earlier and a thought caught my mind and hasn't let go. Eve and the forbidden fruit. In Genesis 3:6 it states:

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

Now the common portrayal of the forbidden fruit is depicted as an apple. What if it was more like a pineapple? Stick with me here.









Apples are easy to eat. You just wipe them off and they are ready to go. So if Eve ate something similar to an apple the choice to eat the fruit took minimal effort on her part. She just took a bite. Some sin today is like that. Easy to swallow and taking minimal effort.

Pineapples are not as easy to eat. You have to take your time and energy to get to the fruit of the thing. You have to actually think about it and concentrate on it.

So what if the forbidden fruit was something like a pineapple. Let's say it was. She would have to be constantly thinking about the fact she was preparing this forbidden fruit and that she was going against God's wishes. For Adam it is still easy to eat because she just hands the fruit to him. She was willingly and knowingly going against God and it wasn't bothering her (nothing in this verse suggests that she showed any emotion when partaking of the fruit).


So some of our sins are like the apple. Easy to swallow and take minimal effort and easily accessible. Some on the other hand take effort. We know it is wrong but we knowingly partake in it even if it isn't easy. Why? Why is it easier to think Eve ate an apple than a pineapple? With the apple there was little time to back out but with a pineapple there is plenty of time to back out and change your mind. Isn't it a little possible to think that maybe the forbidden fruit wasn't an apple type fruit (easily eaten) but maybe a pineapple type (more difficult to get to the actual fruit)? Some may not get what I am saying here but to me it makes sense. Please let me hear your comments on this.

Happy New Year!!!!

The title says it all....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Early openings!

So we opened a few gifts today (makes it easier for my mother in law to deal with tomorrow). We will open the rest tomorrow. So one of my biggest scores this year was this vacuum from my hubby and kids. As you can see I already used it. I COULDN'T HELP IT! My parents bought us a second digital camera cuz hubby uses the other for work mostly. I am going crazy with picture taking. We didn't need the second one (and I told them that when they asked about it) but they got it anyway. The children are having a blast. We were blessed this year and were able to afford some nicer things for the kids. I pray that all of you will be blessed this Christmas season and in the year to come.

'Tis the season

christmas images

Merry Christmas everyone! May the Lord bless you this Christmas season and in the year to come. Have a safe and happy one! *hugs*

Frozen to death.

Well the bat type resident is frozen to death. He fell off the window today. Saw him fall off and not fly away. Poor critter.

An idea stolen from Mountain Mama.

So one of my favorite ladies on the net (Mountain Mama) had a wonderful idea so I decided to copy her. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas decorations.

This picture is of a little church that you put a tealight inside and it lights up real pretty.
Ahhh...3 for 1. The top is an ornament my husband bought a few years ago, the cardinal is one he bought this year and the glass one is one I bought last year. Each year we get an ornament for the tree and these are some of my favorites other than those made by the children.
Awww! Our first tree ornament! I think it is adorable.
This cute little acorn opens up. I keep hoping one of these days I will open it and there will actually be something in there. HEY! A girl can hope can't she?

Our little friend.

I believe our little friend on the window is a little brown bat. His body is about 3-4 inches. I thought he might be an Indiana bat but they are only 2 inches or less. He will probably be there until it warms up. The kids know not to disturb him while he sleeps. The picture below is one I found searching the net for little brown bats.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And to think....it's not even winter yet! I woke up to this lovely weather this morning. Everything is all clear now and starting to melt a little. My kids were so happy that they got a snow day.









The kids woke up to this little critter this morning. He is still alive but probably cold. We open the window every once in a while to let some warmth out. We have no other way to help him. Poor thing.

Thanksgiving

This is a picture of me and my grandmother (now deceased) on Thanksgiving many years ago.

Five things I am thankful for:

1.My Saviour
2.My husband
3.My children
4.All the new friends I have made on and off line
5.Turkey dinner!

Missing you!

So yesterday was Granparents day at my 2 youngests' school. We have no grandparents close by so they were kinda screwed. My son looks at me on the way to school and says it is all my fault because I moved to "insert my location here" and that he was upset with me for this. We have been invited to go "home" for Thanksgiving but my hubby has work and stuff. So we can't go. This makes me really sad. I miss my family like crazy! So if you have family nearby, treasure them. I mean really appreciate it for all it's worth. Both the good and the bad. Your reality may be my dream and my reality may be yours. Now go give them all a big hug!

Seglem or Herr

I was wondering if anyone out there recognized anyone in this picture? It is a family photo and I only know 2 people in here and they are my grandparents (the newlyweds in the front row). So if anyone out there knows anyone in this photo please leave me a comment. Thank you.

Halloween

I know a lot of people celebrate it but in my house we have chosen not to. It happens to be the birthday of one of my son's. That is not the reason we do not celebrate Halloween. As I have explained it to my children...it doesn't celebrate God or love or anything good. Just look at the decorations. Symbols of death and fear. The teachers are always understanding about this and I am thankful for that. I just wish that when we are out somewhere and somebody asks my kids what they are going to be for Halloween and we kindly explain to them we don't celebrate it that people wouldn't look at me as if I were insane or part of some cult. When I was growing up and I lived with my father and step-mother they celebrated Halloween and of course I got dressed up in some silly and some uncomfortable costumes. When I got older (think early teens) and was given by God another set of parents to have guardianship of me, they did not celebrate Halloween. I have chosen to follow in that and pray that my children understand the reasons why we have chosen to not celebrate this day. My family is of course understanding but my husbands family has a harder time understanding it. My mother in law has always insisted that it is not a bad day and that it's roots are in something good. It doesn't matter if that is true or not. I am not going to celebrate a day of fear. I have been freed of fear by the strypes of the Lamb. So every year I have to ask her not to get the chilren Halloween stuff and every year I hear the story of how it started out as a day for saints or something like that. I promise people...I am not insane or in a cult so you can quit looking at me that way. Is it really so rare that people don't celebrate Halloween? I know I have ranted on again but I just wanted to put this out there.

Let Heaven and Earth rejoice!!

My 3rd grade son led 4 of his classmates in the sinners prayer today at school! I could learn a thing or two from my lovely little one!

Mixup!

So I found out that my youngest needs glasses. So I took her over to get her eyes checked. She really wanted glasses so of course she tried really hard to need them. The doc said she needed glasses for reading. So I say okay and wait 10 days for the glasses to come in. I get there and they say she needs to wear them all the time. WHAT?! So after talking to them she got to see a different doc only to find out that the original prescription was wrong and she has astygmatism and will need to wear these glasses all the time. So here I am frustrated as can be that something as important as her eyes were misdiagnosed. This prescription is correct we had it double checked.

Another new addition!

Welcome to my new niece Sydney (I think that's how it's being spelled)! She was born this morning to my younger sister and both are happy and healthy.

An introduction.

This is my nephew Wiley. I thought I had introduced him to you but looking around it appears I did not. He was born on July 20th to my little brother and his wife. Welcome Wiley! Isn't he a cutie pie? I haven't seen him in person due to geographical issues but I still hold a special place in my heart for him.

The Importance of Your Mouth/Tongue

As taken from the NIV.
Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

These are just a few of the scriptures I have found relating to this subject and there are many more. We normally think of our mouth/tongue for just eating and drinking. But here we see that the mouth/tongue does more. What you say or don't say has a huge impact not just on those around you but you yourself as well. The following scripture even shows that when we come before God we should choose our words carefully.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool where there are many words. When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

I could go on and on about this. I didn't even list all the scriptures (which I was really thinking of doing). I just pray that you take what is here to heart.