At church this past Sunday morning the sermon was about Moses coming down off of the mountain after being in God's presence for 40 days and nights. When he came down carrying the tablets for the second time His face was radiantly shining. This happened every time he spent time in the presence of God. He spent time "beholding" God and he was therefore becoming more godly.
Then the pastor said "We become like what we behold"
Well, that got my attention! I began to take some notes, but gave up in favor of going back and viewing the video later in the day. The beginning part of his sermon was chock full of reasons why we should home school! This was, I am sure, not his intention. But there it was! There is no denying it!
The following quotes are listed in the order in which they were stated:
"We are influenced by those we spend the most time with"
*Why would we send our children off to a day care or a school building where they are influenced by their teachers and peers for the majority of their productive day?
"It matters who we keep company with"
*Do we really know all of the people that our children come into contact with each day? Do we trust them? Do we personally know them? The children? Their families?
"We adopt the values, perspectives, and habits from the people we spend the most time with"
*Teachers, aides, students, etc........do we know what the values, perspectives, and habits are of all of these people? Would we be okay with them if we did?
"Are those people we spend time with good for us?"
*Can you really honestly answer yes to this question? Think about it?
"Do they bring us closer to the Lord or farther away?"
*Public school is never going to bring you closer to God. It will only drive a wedge of doubt into your child's heart and mind. It is a place where it is illegal to mention God.
"All our lives we become like what we behold"
*From the cradle to the grave! We become what we behold. That is a profound statement in regards to sending your children out of your christian home into a pagan world to learn.
"It benefits us always to make sure that we are gazing upon and investing our time in that which is good and that which is godly"
*I guess you could make a slight argument for some good in public education. But it does not outweigh the ungodly, not one bit! And it is progressively getting worse.
A child in public school can easily spend the majority of every school day beholding, investing in, and being influenced by that which is not known for godliness.
As Christians we owe it to our children and our grandchildren to guide them in the way that is right and godly.
A public education, or in my opinion, any education outside of the home, is not in the best interest of Christian children.
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Monday, December 4, 2017
Merry Christmas to all humanists and free thinkers!
My hometown hosts a Christmas Parade on the first Saturday in December. It is a very BIG deal with lots of participants, floats, candy, and spectators. Main Street is jammed with babies, older people, and everyone else in between celebrating this wonderful Christmas tradition!
The Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and the City of Ellsworth have NOT caved to the vocal minority and re dubbed it the "Holiday Parade". Nope. It is still called the Ellsworth Christmas Parade.
Although the state of Maine is one of the top "unchurched" states in the United States, I don't believe that this statistic reflects a true disbelief in God. I do still have faith that the majority of my fellow Mainers, and especially my fellow Ellsworthians still have a fear and respect of God despite the fact that they don't attend church. I would bet my bottom dollar that a true majority of them believe in the gospel message, but don't accept it for themselves for a variety of reasons. And that is what they must do to come before God: accept it for themselves. Trust Jesus for your salvation. That is what makes a Christian a christian--a personal relationship.
As we made our way down Main Street to the toy store for a quick visit, I heard christian music being played from one of the businesses there! Amazing! So that is where we stayed to view the parade.
The parade contained the usual participants of military, cartoon characters, boys and girl scouts, bands, business, floats, fire engines, and, of course, Santa! Over and over again people were shouting "Merry Christmas!" There were at least three floats representing area churches. This year, for the first time, another organized religion entered a float in the parade: Downeast Humanists and Free thinkers.
hmmmmmmmmm
They were quoted as saying that they wanted to be represented in the community in what they referred to as the "Holiday" Parade.
okaaaaaayyyyyyy
So, hey! It's a free country, right?
On the side of their float was a sign that said "Happy Winter Solstice." Pretty harmless. After all, I do believe that there is a shortest day in the year. But here is the deal people:
It's the Ellsworth Christmas Parade
not the "Winter" parade
not the "Holiday" parade
not the "solstice" parade.
THE CHRISTMAS PARADE!
but.....for how long? They are a small group of sad looking older folk, but in my experience as an American lately it seems the small minority has the loudest voice.
Sooooo...................
They were handing out bookmarks with candy attached (of course) Written on these was :
The Axial tilt is the reason for the seasons.
Are you kidding me?
Okay humanists and free thinkers everywhere...........
LISTEN UP!
WE KNOW THAT ALREADY!!!! lol
However,
We give glory to God, creator of heaven and earth for designing and creating this wonderful system--the earth being hung perfectly in space to provide the conditions necessary for mankind to thrive here.
Can I get an Amen?!!!
I feel sorry for humanists and free thinkers. They have so much to learn. Their eyes need to be opened to their need for God. They must have a massive amount of unanswered questions about themselves and the world they live in. The "whys" can be overwhelming for a christian, can you imagine the pressure of taking it all on yourself, only believing in yourself?
Earlier I referred to the humanists and free thinkers as an organized religion.
Humanism is a religion, and Satan is it's god. We must pray for their salvation and the wisdom and patience and love necessary for us to live alongside them in this world, in our communities.
Being a church goer will not impress the world.....or God. So statistics are meaningless. Shining Christ's light and love onto those around us............Now that will be impressive!
Merry Christmas!!!
The Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and the City of Ellsworth have NOT caved to the vocal minority and re dubbed it the "Holiday Parade". Nope. It is still called the Ellsworth Christmas Parade.
Although the state of Maine is one of the top "unchurched" states in the United States, I don't believe that this statistic reflects a true disbelief in God. I do still have faith that the majority of my fellow Mainers, and especially my fellow Ellsworthians still have a fear and respect of God despite the fact that they don't attend church. I would bet my bottom dollar that a true majority of them believe in the gospel message, but don't accept it for themselves for a variety of reasons. And that is what they must do to come before God: accept it for themselves. Trust Jesus for your salvation. That is what makes a Christian a christian--a personal relationship.
As we made our way down Main Street to the toy store for a quick visit, I heard christian music being played from one of the businesses there! Amazing! So that is where we stayed to view the parade.
The parade contained the usual participants of military, cartoon characters, boys and girl scouts, bands, business, floats, fire engines, and, of course, Santa! Over and over again people were shouting "Merry Christmas!" There were at least three floats representing area churches. This year, for the first time, another organized religion entered a float in the parade: Downeast Humanists and Free thinkers.
hmmmmmmmmm
They were quoted as saying that they wanted to be represented in the community in what they referred to as the "Holiday" Parade.
okaaaaaayyyyyyy
So, hey! It's a free country, right?
On the side of their float was a sign that said "Happy Winter Solstice." Pretty harmless. After all, I do believe that there is a shortest day in the year. But here is the deal people:
It's the Ellsworth Christmas Parade
not the "Winter" parade
not the "Holiday" parade
not the "solstice" parade.
THE CHRISTMAS PARADE!
but.....for how long? They are a small group of sad looking older folk, but in my experience as an American lately it seems the small minority has the loudest voice.
Sooooo...................
They were handing out bookmarks with candy attached (of course) Written on these was :
The Axial tilt is the reason for the seasons.
Are you kidding me?
Okay humanists and free thinkers everywhere...........
LISTEN UP!
WE KNOW THAT ALREADY!!!! lol
However,
We give glory to God, creator of heaven and earth for designing and creating this wonderful system--the earth being hung perfectly in space to provide the conditions necessary for mankind to thrive here.
Can I get an Amen?!!!
I feel sorry for humanists and free thinkers. They have so much to learn. Their eyes need to be opened to their need for God. They must have a massive amount of unanswered questions about themselves and the world they live in. The "whys" can be overwhelming for a christian, can you imagine the pressure of taking it all on yourself, only believing in yourself?
Earlier I referred to the humanists and free thinkers as an organized religion.
Humanism is a religion, and Satan is it's god. We must pray for their salvation and the wisdom and patience and love necessary for us to live alongside them in this world, in our communities.
Being a church goer will not impress the world.....or God. So statistics are meaningless. Shining Christ's light and love onto those around us............Now that will be impressive!
Merry Christmas!!!
Saturday, January 7, 2017
What's going on?
it's been a while since i just wrote about life around here.
so here goes.........
it's winter. lately it's been cold, then its not so cold. then it snows, then it rains, then it snows again. that pretty much sums up winter weather on the maine coast! i like the snow in the winter. i don't like the rain in the winter. especially on top of the snow. we haven't gotten any big snowstorms yet, just a bunch of little ones. we have had one frigid cold snap and now we are just entering another one. they usually only last a few days around here.
it's been quiet on the wink. i even got to go ramble around in the snowy woods alone a couple of times this week. so nice! sometimes you have to make things be quiet on purpose. you have to slow down and remind yourself that it is possible and very okay to enjoy quiet days alone; just the two of us.
things are going well in chicken land. so far they are doing great with the cold and snow. this morning i got up at 5 and went to check on them and the coop was about 12F and the outside temp was 3F. i brought them water and scratch and turned on their light to get them moving and eating to stay warm. they are about 8 months old now and i pretty consistently get an average of 56 eggs a week from the 9 birds. it sounds like a lot of eggs, but in reality if we both eat 2 eggs per day that takes care of 28 of them! then with baking and other recipes and maybe once a week giving the chickens a scrambled egg treat, we usually give away only about 18 each week. we would give away more if people would remember to ask!
my other big project this winter is organizing my photos. i've got a table set up in the dining room and enough bins or boxes to cover the years 1983-2016! now i'm going through every loose photo and falling apart album, writing important info on the backs, weeding out blurry, dumb pics and organizing according to date. then these neat little boxes will be condensed down and put on a shelf jeff has put up over the doorway in my craft room.
another ongoing project for me is lesson planning for my grandsons preschool homeschool. i've stated before that i purchased Horizons preschool from Alpha Omega pub. so far we love it. my job is to plan out the lessons and assemble what momma needs to teach it. the best part is that i will be able to use all of these lesson plans for all of the grands that will be homeschooled. so i only have to do each grade once! i love doing it!
i'm hoping to get a new camera soon so i can add pics to my blog! my camera of 8 years finally stopped working, and as i am also pretty newly not working also (lol) it is hard for me (even harder for me) to spend money on myself. but i really miss having a camera!
so i'm still trying to figure out where i'm going with this blog and what the purpose is. i just feel compelled to keep on keeping on. i have been blogging since i moved to maine 12 years ago. i'm a xanga misfit, i loved the xanga blog! i've had this one now for 3 or so years and i just need to spend more time on it and less time on facebook. that is my goal for 2017!
well, until next time!
things are going well in chicken land. so far they are doing great with the cold and snow. this morning i got up at 5 and went to check on them and the coop was about 12F and the outside temp was 3F. i brought them water and scratch and turned on their light to get them moving and eating to stay warm. they are about 8 months old now and i pretty consistently get an average of 56 eggs a week from the 9 birds. it sounds like a lot of eggs, but in reality if we both eat 2 eggs per day that takes care of 28 of them! then with baking and other recipes and maybe once a week giving the chickens a scrambled egg treat, we usually give away only about 18 each week. we would give away more if people would remember to ask!
my other big project this winter is organizing my photos. i've got a table set up in the dining room and enough bins or boxes to cover the years 1983-2016! now i'm going through every loose photo and falling apart album, writing important info on the backs, weeding out blurry, dumb pics and organizing according to date. then these neat little boxes will be condensed down and put on a shelf jeff has put up over the doorway in my craft room.
another ongoing project for me is lesson planning for my grandsons preschool homeschool. i've stated before that i purchased Horizons preschool from Alpha Omega pub. so far we love it. my job is to plan out the lessons and assemble what momma needs to teach it. the best part is that i will be able to use all of these lesson plans for all of the grands that will be homeschooled. so i only have to do each grade once! i love doing it!
i'm hoping to get a new camera soon so i can add pics to my blog! my camera of 8 years finally stopped working, and as i am also pretty newly not working also (lol) it is hard for me (even harder for me) to spend money on myself. but i really miss having a camera!
so i'm still trying to figure out where i'm going with this blog and what the purpose is. i just feel compelled to keep on keeping on. i have been blogging since i moved to maine 12 years ago. i'm a xanga misfit, i loved the xanga blog! i've had this one now for 3 or so years and i just need to spend more time on it and less time on facebook. that is my goal for 2017!
well, until next time!
Monday, January 2, 2017
i am washed by the water
this may be all over the place. just a warning.
what i really want to write about, what i really feel an intense need to write about....is....gah!!!!!
see?! the topic i want to write about is so complicated, yet simple. so personal, yet universal. so layered, yet of single, epic importance!
the title of this post should be
Men who won't spiritually lead their families and the generational consequences that could have.
that title is too long.....so i chose the other one
i've been having struggles lately......heck....i've been having struggles my whole stinking life.
and it all comes down to....
you got it!
Men who won't spiritually lead their families and the generational consequences that could have.
yep.
i've been struggling lately. a few days ago I felt God telling me to write out psalm 119. it took me days. it's long. go look it up! i never gave up. the message was clear. put nothing before God. nothing. no one. nothing.
sometimes i wonder if i do whats right. if i stand for what is right. i have no doubts. God is clear with me. i just gotta listen.
even when the rain comes, even when the flood starts rising, even when the storms come, i am washed by the water. even if the earth crumbles under my feet, even if the ones i love turn around and crucify me. i won't never ever let you down. i won't fall, i won't fall, i won't fall as long as your around me. (needtobreathe)
so this post may have just been a preview of a much deeper conversation about christian men and their responsibility before God to protect their families, physically and spiritually. it may be a preview of a much deeper conversation about being a church goer giving you an extremely false sense of spiritual security.
maybe.
what i really want to write about, what i really feel an intense need to write about....is....gah!!!!!
see?! the topic i want to write about is so complicated, yet simple. so personal, yet universal. so layered, yet of single, epic importance!
the title of this post should be
Men who won't spiritually lead their families and the generational consequences that could have.
that title is too long.....so i chose the other one
i've been having struggles lately......heck....i've been having struggles my whole stinking life.
and it all comes down to....
you got it!
Men who won't spiritually lead their families and the generational consequences that could have.
yep.
i've been struggling lately. a few days ago I felt God telling me to write out psalm 119. it took me days. it's long. go look it up! i never gave up. the message was clear. put nothing before God. nothing. no one. nothing.
sometimes i wonder if i do whats right. if i stand for what is right. i have no doubts. God is clear with me. i just gotta listen.
even when the rain comes, even when the flood starts rising, even when the storms come, i am washed by the water. even if the earth crumbles under my feet, even if the ones i love turn around and crucify me. i won't never ever let you down. i won't fall, i won't fall, i won't fall as long as your around me. (needtobreathe)
so this post may have just been a preview of a much deeper conversation about christian men and their responsibility before God to protect their families, physically and spiritually. it may be a preview of a much deeper conversation about being a church goer giving you an extremely false sense of spiritual security.
maybe.
Friday, November 4, 2016
what's going on?
i have come to the conclusion that if i'm going to make my blogs like others i read then i need to take more pictures.
and since all of the pictures i take are of my grandbabies, then my blog would only be about them!
so here is what's going on
home organizing and cleaning: my winter clothes are in and summer ones are out! some went to the rag bag! i tend to wear the same things over and over and over again. went through my bookshelf and weeded out a small stack for goodwill. i need to get on a cleaning schedule now that i am home every day. it would make it so i didn't have to think.
crafting: i made a no sew fleece blanket for sophie in purple camo!
and since all of the pictures i take are of my grandbabies, then my blog would only be about them!
so here is what's going on
home organizing and cleaning: my winter clothes are in and summer ones are out! some went to the rag bag! i tend to wear the same things over and over and over again. went through my bookshelf and weeded out a small stack for goodwill. i need to get on a cleaning schedule now that i am home every day. it would make it so i didn't have to think.
crafting: i made a no sew fleece blanket for sophie in purple camo!
cooking: apples, apples, apples!!! i went apple picking 3 times and i think i picked about 100 lbs!
so far i've made a ton of applesauce, six pie fillings, and a few apple cakes. i'm going to make a couple dozen jumbo apple muffins and a few more apple desserts to keep in the deep freeze.
outside: cutting down trees, raking leaves, cleaning the garage, and winterizing the coop. the garden cleaned up so easily this year with having the chickens right there to feed the spent plants to! i've also been working on a new garden area.
we cut our own wood
charlie keeping warm first thing in the morning. we have yet to turn on the furnace this season
family: lots of birthday celebrations lately and family visits. these boys all love getting together. their favorite thing to do now is to play hide and seek (charlie calls it hide and sneak)
the television goes on when the grown ups need a break!
school: cruising right along with prepping lesson plans for sarah to teach ethan. I hear that calvin is paying lots of attention and learning lots too. maybe they can be in the same grade at some point since they are only 18 months apart in age? i've also started to put together a learning packet for charlie at his mom's request. with winter on our doorstep it will be perfect learning time!
faith: every morning i do bible writing. i'm in isaiah 24 right now and its very interesting. learning a lot. also attend a bible study with a couple friends and we are studying Girls Gone Wise. AND, i also do a bible study on facebook for me and the girls, right now its Conversation Peace.
well, that's it from the wink!
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Whats going on?
Here is what is going on around these parts these days.....
Home: I love it here! I could stay here and never leave...unless I was going to get a grand boy or girl!
I worked on reorganizing the really big bookshelf in my craft room. Jeff just built me an even bigger one this week! It's going in the dining room. I need more space to store books and toys I don't want the kids to have free reign with. So I will be off loading my old bookshelf and organizing the new one as soon as he gets it in and anchored to the wall.
Cooking: I'm trying to get back into making a menu, then shopping, then actually sticking with the plan!
So far in the last couple of weeks i have made a pumpkin pie and a dutch apple pie. Both are totally gone! The next pies I make will go into the freezer that is for sure. I also made pumpkin butter in the crock pot and it came out really good. I used pumpkin flesh that I had cooked last year, scooped out and stuck in the freezer. I just took it out and let it drain really well and then pureed it in the food processor.
Garden: I've slowly been pulling up spent plants and feeding them to the chickens. This way the beds will gradually get cleaned out over the next few weeks. The sun is moving much lower across the sky and my garden is half in the shade now. I am going to build some new beds next year in other areas around the yard to take advantage of sunnier spots and the plan is to concentrate on a couple beds being veggies that can grow in the shade! I cut all of my basil yesterday and its all ready for me to make pesto later on today.
I am now getting 2 eggs daily. I'm hoping the other 7 start laying soon and continue through the winter months. I'm already keeping a light on in the coop to make sure they get about 14 hours of light.
Work: Well! I gave my notice at my job and my last day will be the 14th of October. I will only be working 1 day a week for the next couple of weeks, so essentially, I'm done. It is sad, but also a big relief. Things went downhill in the last few months and got to the point that they couldn't be fixed. So the plan is for me to take off the next six months and then look for something else. All I'm going to want is 1 day a week. I'm thinking a craft store???
Family: Everyone was over yesterday for lunch and haircuts. Jeff is the barber of the family. He did 7 haircuts yesterday. He had a couple whiners and one all out crier. But he got the job done!
Health: I'm trying to walk again. I have Achilles tendinitis and it is a nuisance! I'm remembering to stretch before walking and to ice after. I'm sticking to 30 minutes or less and it's mostly on the treadmill. I've put notes up on the fridge to remind me to take my supplements:
I started taking cod liver oil + vitamin d in addition to a B-complex, and turmeric (golden paste)
The B-complex gives me more energy and the turmeric helps with my aches and pains (and mood too, I think) The cod liver oil is supposed to help with lots of things, primarily immune. We shall see.
Until next time!
Home: I love it here! I could stay here and never leave...unless I was going to get a grand boy or girl!
I worked on reorganizing the really big bookshelf in my craft room. Jeff just built me an even bigger one this week! It's going in the dining room. I need more space to store books and toys I don't want the kids to have free reign with. So I will be off loading my old bookshelf and organizing the new one as soon as he gets it in and anchored to the wall.
Cooking: I'm trying to get back into making a menu, then shopping, then actually sticking with the plan!
So far in the last couple of weeks i have made a pumpkin pie and a dutch apple pie. Both are totally gone! The next pies I make will go into the freezer that is for sure. I also made pumpkin butter in the crock pot and it came out really good. I used pumpkin flesh that I had cooked last year, scooped out and stuck in the freezer. I just took it out and let it drain really well and then pureed it in the food processor.
Garden: I've slowly been pulling up spent plants and feeding them to the chickens. This way the beds will gradually get cleaned out over the next few weeks. The sun is moving much lower across the sky and my garden is half in the shade now. I am going to build some new beds next year in other areas around the yard to take advantage of sunnier spots and the plan is to concentrate on a couple beds being veggies that can grow in the shade! I cut all of my basil yesterday and its all ready for me to make pesto later on today.
I am now getting 2 eggs daily. I'm hoping the other 7 start laying soon and continue through the winter months. I'm already keeping a light on in the coop to make sure they get about 14 hours of light.
Work: Well! I gave my notice at my job and my last day will be the 14th of October. I will only be working 1 day a week for the next couple of weeks, so essentially, I'm done. It is sad, but also a big relief. Things went downhill in the last few months and got to the point that they couldn't be fixed. So the plan is for me to take off the next six months and then look for something else. All I'm going to want is 1 day a week. I'm thinking a craft store???
Family: Everyone was over yesterday for lunch and haircuts. Jeff is the barber of the family. He did 7 haircuts yesterday. He had a couple whiners and one all out crier. But he got the job done!
Health: I'm trying to walk again. I have Achilles tendinitis and it is a nuisance! I'm remembering to stretch before walking and to ice after. I'm sticking to 30 minutes or less and it's mostly on the treadmill. I've put notes up on the fridge to remind me to take my supplements:
I started taking cod liver oil + vitamin d in addition to a B-complex, and turmeric (golden paste)
The B-complex gives me more energy and the turmeric helps with my aches and pains (and mood too, I think) The cod liver oil is supposed to help with lots of things, primarily immune. We shall see.
Until next time!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
What's going on?
Here is what's going on!
Home: Just when you think you have a plan for how your home should be......it will change! I have been planning on making my dining room into just a dining room. What was I thinking?! I was thinking of getting a few pieces of furniture (jelly cupboards) to store my serving pieces in (which are in totes in a closet at the moment) I've decided to get a piece of fitness equipment instead. That is what is going in the dining room because the room we use for fitness equipment (previously a bedroom) is full and we can't place it well in there. Health trumps fancy storage plain and simple. So I am going through stuff and what has no meaning is going to Goodwill. Hubby is building a really large bookshelf for me because the one I have is too small so I will utilize the very top shelves of that for some of the platters and serving pieces I use a lot. For now.
Crafting: I'm adding this category because I am a crafter! I dabble in a lot of different things. This week I went to Joann Fabrics and spent 2 hours walking around and deciding on a pattern (for baby granddaughter stuff) and fabrics for a few different sewing projects. This week we crafted these pumpkins from scrap wood. Hubby cut and sanded and I painted. We are a team on the wink!
Garden: Still picking green beans and some cucumbers. There are a few little pumpkins still growing and my dwarf sunflowers bloomed. Late, but then again I planted them late. I pruned my raspberries, transplanted some back into line and mulched heavily with straw. The blueberries got a heavy mulch of pine needles. I worked on my compost pile which is growing crazy since I got chickens because of the straw from the pen. I keep the pen nice and dry so I change out the straw weekly. Otherwise I've been doing some fall weeding in different flower beds. The leaves are changing and some are falling here in northern New England. I've been pulling up random plants that are done producing and feeding them to the chickens. They loved the squash plants! This way I will get the garden all cleaned up in bits and pieces.
Family: We had a family get together yesterday for our son's 30th birthday. This is my second child to hit this milestone age! His party was planned and executed by his wife. I didn't bake the cake, but I did get to frost the cupcakes. Ask me if I liked not being in charge of my son's birthday cake. I dare you! haha! We have six grandchildren, 5 of them being boys 2 1/2 to 5 years of age. I was ready to go home at the end of the party. I don't always hold my tongue when it comes to behaviors I see, I really was trying yesterday and I didn't always succeed. I have to remember that they are not my children and my input is not always welcome.
Home school: We had a picnic on Wednesday for our grandson's first official day of homeschooling. As I previously mentioned, I purchased the Horizons preschool curriculum from Alpha and Omega. I take their lesson plan and rewrite it into an outline for my daughter in law and son to follow. Then I assemble everything they will need to complete the lessons, crafts, activities, etc. I love doing this! It is a start and a learning process as we go along.
Work: This past week I only worked 10 hours! I loved it. This is what I want and I can't seem to get right now. The company I work for knows what I want, but we are always so short staffed. I usually work 20 hours a week, but this week I have 35 scheduled hours. I am going to try to whittle that down a bit to 30 and I am going to take lots of deep breaths.
Until next time!
Home: Just when you think you have a plan for how your home should be......it will change! I have been planning on making my dining room into just a dining room. What was I thinking?! I was thinking of getting a few pieces of furniture (jelly cupboards) to store my serving pieces in (which are in totes in a closet at the moment) I've decided to get a piece of fitness equipment instead. That is what is going in the dining room because the room we use for fitness equipment (previously a bedroom) is full and we can't place it well in there. Health trumps fancy storage plain and simple. So I am going through stuff and what has no meaning is going to Goodwill. Hubby is building a really large bookshelf for me because the one I have is too small so I will utilize the very top shelves of that for some of the platters and serving pieces I use a lot. For now.
Crafting: I'm adding this category because I am a crafter! I dabble in a lot of different things. This week I went to Joann Fabrics and spent 2 hours walking around and deciding on a pattern (for baby granddaughter stuff) and fabrics for a few different sewing projects. This week we crafted these pumpkins from scrap wood. Hubby cut and sanded and I painted. We are a team on the wink!
Garden: Still picking green beans and some cucumbers. There are a few little pumpkins still growing and my dwarf sunflowers bloomed. Late, but then again I planted them late. I pruned my raspberries, transplanted some back into line and mulched heavily with straw. The blueberries got a heavy mulch of pine needles. I worked on my compost pile which is growing crazy since I got chickens because of the straw from the pen. I keep the pen nice and dry so I change out the straw weekly. Otherwise I've been doing some fall weeding in different flower beds. The leaves are changing and some are falling here in northern New England. I've been pulling up random plants that are done producing and feeding them to the chickens. They loved the squash plants! This way I will get the garden all cleaned up in bits and pieces.
Family: We had a family get together yesterday for our son's 30th birthday. This is my second child to hit this milestone age! His party was planned and executed by his wife. I didn't bake the cake, but I did get to frost the cupcakes. Ask me if I liked not being in charge of my son's birthday cake. I dare you! haha! We have six grandchildren, 5 of them being boys 2 1/2 to 5 years of age. I was ready to go home at the end of the party. I don't always hold my tongue when it comes to behaviors I see, I really was trying yesterday and I didn't always succeed. I have to remember that they are not my children and my input is not always welcome.
Home school: We had a picnic on Wednesday for our grandson's first official day of homeschooling. As I previously mentioned, I purchased the Horizons preschool curriculum from Alpha and Omega. I take their lesson plan and rewrite it into an outline for my daughter in law and son to follow. Then I assemble everything they will need to complete the lessons, crafts, activities, etc. I love doing this! It is a start and a learning process as we go along.
Work: This past week I only worked 10 hours! I loved it. This is what I want and I can't seem to get right now. The company I work for knows what I want, but we are always so short staffed. I usually work 20 hours a week, but this week I have 35 scheduled hours. I am going to try to whittle that down a bit to 30 and I am going to take lots of deep breaths.
Until next time!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
don't call me Miss Karen
Do you allow children to call you by your first name?
It's time to correct the wrongs committed by my generation. When I was a child in the 1960's, I don't recall ever calling any adult by their first name. It was Aunt, Uncle, Mr. Mrs. It was respectful. It's what you were taught to do.
Then the 1970's came along with all of the so -called "freedoms" and the respect went right out the window. some people even went so far as to use first names with their parents!!
When my generation started their families, it became popular to call neighbors, babysitters, teachers, nearly every adult in a child's life by their first names. I think some people thought it respectful to teach their kids to say "Miss Karen" instead of "Mrs. Smith". It's not.
Living in the North, we were not raised to say "ma'am" and "sir". I'm not sure why we weren't taught that way, but it is kind of sad.
I would like to see my grandchildren taught to speak respectfully to all adults and to not use their first names. This is a little off-topic, but I don't like the habit of giving titles to people. An example would be calling people "aunt" or "uncle" when they are not related. This is confusing to children.
I also would like to see my grandchildren speak to adults using the titles "ma'am" and "sir" We teach them to say "please" and "thank you" Let's teach them to use respectful titles when speaking to their elders. If we require it when they are young, then it will become habit.
It's not to late to start this! This current generation is ready and willing to learn!
It's time to correct the wrongs committed by my generation. When I was a child in the 1960's, I don't recall ever calling any adult by their first name. It was Aunt, Uncle, Mr. Mrs. It was respectful. It's what you were taught to do.
Then the 1970's came along with all of the so -called "freedoms" and the respect went right out the window. some people even went so far as to use first names with their parents!!
When my generation started their families, it became popular to call neighbors, babysitters, teachers, nearly every adult in a child's life by their first names. I think some people thought it respectful to teach their kids to say "Miss Karen" instead of "Mrs. Smith". It's not.
Living in the North, we were not raised to say "ma'am" and "sir". I'm not sure why we weren't taught that way, but it is kind of sad.
I would like to see my grandchildren taught to speak respectfully to all adults and to not use their first names. This is a little off-topic, but I don't like the habit of giving titles to people. An example would be calling people "aunt" or "uncle" when they are not related. This is confusing to children.
I also would like to see my grandchildren speak to adults using the titles "ma'am" and "sir" We teach them to say "please" and "thank you" Let's teach them to use respectful titles when speaking to their elders. If we require it when they are young, then it will become habit.
It's not to late to start this! This current generation is ready and willing to learn!
Friday, August 5, 2016
old ladies and social media ineptness
so, just when i think i have this "privacy" thing under control on facebook, and i feel confident "juggling" who sees what...............
i slip up and a few people see a post that wasn't meant for them to see.
one of these people was my son. it wasn't anything bad, this thing i posted. it was the ultrasound of my 7th grandbaby. i was going to share it with the people i had already told about it. (posted that without any trouble a couple weeks earlier)
but i was careless. it was only up for 10 minutes, i didn't tag anyone, but then someone tagged a comment and that's when i realized my mistake.
however.......................
by then my son saw it and instead of texting me, he tore me up on facebook. (disrespectful children is an end times sign, isn't it? )
so an old lady momma made a facebook Faux pas and a son broke his mothers heart. i know that's an over exaggeration........children break their mothers hearts over and over and over again.......and if they have a good momma they never even know it.........just ask the dads......they will tell you straight up the truth.
now.....
the rest of this post addresses the disrespect part. we didn't do the best job we could have in teaching our kids some things. mostly because we were still learning. but speaking in a disrespectful manner was never tolerated. i don't even remember it ever being an issue when they were growing up.
when i saw his words on facebook, i saw a little boy throwing a tantrum. and at the same time that i was getting all upset over his tirade, i was forgiving him because that's what mommas do. he has so much to learn in life and i for one know that.
its been a lot of years since we had any influence on his life. we weren't done raising him yet when he moved from our circle of influence into another circle of influence. it happens when kids grow up. so i won't totally take the blame for his disrespectful attitude. i will share it with the influences he has had for the last twelve years.
as a mom of grown and married children i don't always like what i see or hear. and for every one thing i may mention, there are probably ten things i'm holding in. respectfully.
well, back to my social media ineptness.....
i have deactivated my facebook for the next week....at least.....i'm hoping i can break that dirty fb habit. i won't delete it because i have some awesome friends there.
but i'd like to do something else with my computer time.....like blogging!
i slip up and a few people see a post that wasn't meant for them to see.
one of these people was my son. it wasn't anything bad, this thing i posted. it was the ultrasound of my 7th grandbaby. i was going to share it with the people i had already told about it. (posted that without any trouble a couple weeks earlier)
but i was careless. it was only up for 10 minutes, i didn't tag anyone, but then someone tagged a comment and that's when i realized my mistake.
however.......................
by then my son saw it and instead of texting me, he tore me up on facebook. (disrespectful children is an end times sign, isn't it? )
so an old lady momma made a facebook Faux pas and a son broke his mothers heart. i know that's an over exaggeration........children break their mothers hearts over and over and over again.......and if they have a good momma they never even know it.........just ask the dads......they will tell you straight up the truth.
now.....
the rest of this post addresses the disrespect part. we didn't do the best job we could have in teaching our kids some things. mostly because we were still learning. but speaking in a disrespectful manner was never tolerated. i don't even remember it ever being an issue when they were growing up.
when i saw his words on facebook, i saw a little boy throwing a tantrum. and at the same time that i was getting all upset over his tirade, i was forgiving him because that's what mommas do. he has so much to learn in life and i for one know that.
its been a lot of years since we had any influence on his life. we weren't done raising him yet when he moved from our circle of influence into another circle of influence. it happens when kids grow up. so i won't totally take the blame for his disrespectful attitude. i will share it with the influences he has had for the last twelve years.
as a mom of grown and married children i don't always like what i see or hear. and for every one thing i may mention, there are probably ten things i'm holding in. respectfully.
well, back to my social media ineptness.....
i have deactivated my facebook for the next week....at least.....i'm hoping i can break that dirty fb habit. i won't delete it because i have some awesome friends there.
but i'd like to do something else with my computer time.....like blogging!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
how feminism destroyed America
The United States of America
it truly had the potential to be the greatest nation on earth.
under God.
indivisible.
but then something happened. history repeated itself as it has from the very beginning.
in the beginning, God gave us a perfect paradise to live in with Him.
but He gave us a line that we were not to cross. we were warned.
don't. eat. the. apple.
you will surely die.
the woman was deceived. she disobeyed. the man did not lead. he went along.
eden was no longer possible. our relationship with our God was changed.
fast forward to america. struggling nation. God fearing, God loving, the majority identifying
as christians--followers of Christ.
then we do it again.
the woman is deceived all over again. she believes the lie that she can do whatever she pleases in this life...........
even kill her own offspring.
and the man doesn't lead. doesn't protect. he goes along. encourages.
why not? sex with no strings attached!!!! woohoo!
this way of life
this fornicating and killing.
it leads people further and further away from their God.
to this time.
now.
when the majority of americans still identify as christians---but they do not follow Christ.
God will not be mocked.
because of our collective evil ways He will not protect us. we will be exiled from His goodness in this world. we will be taken captive.
all because the woman believed the lie.
here lies the United States of America: killed by feminism
what is the truth?
men and women are equal in God's eyes. but the world's eyes are different
the world's eyes are full of lust and lies.
women are now used and abused more than ever before in history, and they are deceived. they don't even realize this freedom they have is the real bondage.
they have believed the lie that motherhood, home keeping, and marriage are just meant to enslave them.
women are left unprotected because they have stepped out from under the God designed model of accountability and protection.
they give it all away so they can be "equal"
they kill their offspring and think they have gotten away with murder.
but they haven't. they will suffer in anguish forever.
and because of the horrific practice of abortion; state sanctioned murder of our most innocent and vulnerable citizens, we have all stepped out from under the protection of our God.
their silent screams are heard
their mothers killed them. their father's did not save them.
and their lives did matter.
more than all others.
it truly had the potential to be the greatest nation on earth.
under God.
indivisible.
but then something happened. history repeated itself as it has from the very beginning.
in the beginning, God gave us a perfect paradise to live in with Him.
but He gave us a line that we were not to cross. we were warned.
don't. eat. the. apple.
you will surely die.
the woman was deceived. she disobeyed. the man did not lead. he went along.
eden was no longer possible. our relationship with our God was changed.
fast forward to america. struggling nation. God fearing, God loving, the majority identifying
as christians--followers of Christ.
then we do it again.
the woman is deceived all over again. she believes the lie that she can do whatever she pleases in this life...........
even kill her own offspring.
and the man doesn't lead. doesn't protect. he goes along. encourages.
why not? sex with no strings attached!!!! woohoo!
this way of life
this fornicating and killing.
it leads people further and further away from their God.
to this time.
now.
when the majority of americans still identify as christians---but they do not follow Christ.
God will not be mocked.
because of our collective evil ways He will not protect us. we will be exiled from His goodness in this world. we will be taken captive.
all because the woman believed the lie.
here lies the United States of America: killed by feminism
what is the truth?
men and women are equal in God's eyes. but the world's eyes are different
the world's eyes are full of lust and lies.
women are now used and abused more than ever before in history, and they are deceived. they don't even realize this freedom they have is the real bondage.
they have believed the lie that motherhood, home keeping, and marriage are just meant to enslave them.
women are left unprotected because they have stepped out from under the God designed model of accountability and protection.
they give it all away so they can be "equal"
they kill their offspring and think they have gotten away with murder.
but they haven't. they will suffer in anguish forever.
and because of the horrific practice of abortion; state sanctioned murder of our most innocent and vulnerable citizens, we have all stepped out from under the protection of our God.
their silent screams are heard
their mothers killed them. their father's did not save them.
and their lives did matter.
more than all others.
Monday, November 16, 2015
terror
God's promises
they are hidden in plain view
no matter how the nations rage
and the world descends into turmoil
God. has. this.
my reading this morning
matthew 21:33-46
parable of the evil farmers
it spoke to me
in this time of trying to make sense
of terror attacks
it told me that we should never back down in proclaiming
that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone.
of our nation, of our church, of our lives.
it promises me that all who "stumble" on this cornerstone WILL BE brought to ruin.
i can say what i believe no other way.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God and the Kingdom of God belongs only to those who trust in Jesus.
they are hidden in plain view
no matter how the nations rage
and the world descends into turmoil
God. has. this.
my reading this morning
matthew 21:33-46
parable of the evil farmers
it spoke to me
in this time of trying to make sense
of terror attacks
it told me that we should never back down in proclaiming
that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone.
of our nation, of our church, of our lives.
it promises me that all who "stumble" on this cornerstone WILL BE brought to ruin.
i can say what i believe no other way.
Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God and the Kingdom of God belongs only to those who trust in Jesus.
Monday, November 2, 2015
lets ramble on......
i really want to blog more. its not that i don't have anything to say. i have lots to say. some of it a lot of people don't want to hear.
i'm a square peg that doesn't even try to fit into a round hole. screw it.
get it?
my mind works in mysterious ways.......
i can't think of anything i've been thinking about blogging about. i need one of those little mini voice recorders so i can talk to myself. i think of topics and usually its when i'm not near a pen paper. i've got notes in my phone. but my phone is way over.....
there.
so i'm just going to ramble for today.
i'm going to tell you a little about my hopes and dreams for this day (since its just 8:19 am)
i woke up at 5:30 this morning. the time change has me off a bit. i want to go with it. i accomplish so much more when i get up really early. i've been a lazy butt in the mornings lately. it's jeff's fault.
did my bible study. i'm in matthew 20: 1-16. it's not about senority or time invested: it's about God's grace. that's it. He is the boss and He can do whatever He wants, who are we to question God?
went on facebook for a bit....tried not to tick anyone off. that is hard for me. bite your tongue, karen.
cleaned up bubby's hideout. thats what i'm calling my craft room now. i'm a messy doer. eventually you can't think amongst the mess, so you have to just DO IT!!!
i discovered that i could plug my kindle into the little tiny speakers the kids left behind when they all abandoned me (got married and moved out). now i can listen to my music on pandora a lot louder down there in bubbys hideout.
i've had my second cup of coffee and breakfast. for anyone that is interested breakfast was two whole grain toast with cottage cheese and homemade cranberry preserves. yum!
now.....onto plans for the whole big rest of the day.
clean and straighten
pray
walk
pray
at least one hour of outdoor cleanup (garage, compost, or garden)
pray
at least two hours of wood cutting and brush piling
pray
crafting!
pray
grocery list
pray
no cooking (leftovers for dinner) yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
working on november activities for ethan.
pray
i'm going to remember this: in all things i do i will try to glorify God. in my thoughts, actions, deeds, words...everything i do.
i will fail.....God knows this. And He loves me. and He helps me. And He won't let me just be. He won't let me continue to fail. He will help me over and over and over again. Because He is just that awesome of a Father.
so..........
i will try to think of some really interesting topics because i seriously would like to blog more often.
thanks for listening to me ramble.
i'm a square peg that doesn't even try to fit into a round hole. screw it.
get it?
my mind works in mysterious ways.......
i can't think of anything i've been thinking about blogging about. i need one of those little mini voice recorders so i can talk to myself. i think of topics and usually its when i'm not near a pen paper. i've got notes in my phone. but my phone is way over.....
there.
so i'm just going to ramble for today.
i'm going to tell you a little about my hopes and dreams for this day (since its just 8:19 am)
i woke up at 5:30 this morning. the time change has me off a bit. i want to go with it. i accomplish so much more when i get up really early. i've been a lazy butt in the mornings lately. it's jeff's fault.
did my bible study. i'm in matthew 20: 1-16. it's not about senority or time invested: it's about God's grace. that's it. He is the boss and He can do whatever He wants, who are we to question God?
went on facebook for a bit....tried not to tick anyone off. that is hard for me. bite your tongue, karen.
cleaned up bubby's hideout. thats what i'm calling my craft room now. i'm a messy doer. eventually you can't think amongst the mess, so you have to just DO IT!!!
i discovered that i could plug my kindle into the little tiny speakers the kids left behind when they all abandoned me (got married and moved out). now i can listen to my music on pandora a lot louder down there in bubbys hideout.
i've had my second cup of coffee and breakfast. for anyone that is interested breakfast was two whole grain toast with cottage cheese and homemade cranberry preserves. yum!
now.....onto plans for the whole big rest of the day.
clean and straighten
pray
walk
pray
at least one hour of outdoor cleanup (garage, compost, or garden)
pray
at least two hours of wood cutting and brush piling
pray
crafting!
pray
grocery list
pray
no cooking (leftovers for dinner) yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
working on november activities for ethan.
pray
i'm going to remember this: in all things i do i will try to glorify God. in my thoughts, actions, deeds, words...everything i do.
i will fail.....God knows this. And He loves me. and He helps me. And He won't let me just be. He won't let me continue to fail. He will help me over and over and over again. Because He is just that awesome of a Father.
so..........
i will try to think of some really interesting topics because i seriously would like to blog more often.
thanks for listening to me ramble.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
no exceptions
all of the hoopla surrounding abortion is about the selling of the baby parts and pieces.
i know it is a foot in the door for the pro-life movement because now the attention is really on this horror that seems to have become our national past time. well, second national past time with sex obviously being the first. the third probably has something to do with sports.
but i digress......
whether the murdered babies are being sold, donated, buried or burned really makes no difference in light of the fact that THEY ARE BEING KILLED----THEIR BEATING HEARTS ARE BEING FORCEFULLY STOPPED!!!
let the lawyers wrangle and argue over the "legalities" i don't care about what the government or suzy q on the street corner thinks. wrong is wrong is wrong.
and abortion is WRONG.
i am pro-life in all instances concerning abortion. concerning the taking of innocent life.
NO EXCEPTIONS
in the case of rape or incest, which by the way it amuses me the way its always mentioned separately, pretty much incest is rape. anyway.....healing will never take place by committing murder. the baby that is sometimes produced in such cases DID NOTHING WRONG and does not deserve to die.
i've heard talk of late term abortion (shudder) being okay in instances of the life of the mother being at stake. we are talking about very rare cases indeed, maybe toxemia being one of the most common. i had toxemia. DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!!!! that is a bogus arguement. DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!! LET IT HAVE A CHANCE AT LIFE.
the truth here is that it is really just about getting rid of the inconvenience of a baby. a life.
another popular arguement is to abort, ahem! MURDER your child in the case of deformity or possible intellectual and physical disabilities. this is always promoted as being in the best interest of the child. really? kill me now. i have no potential. i'm not perfect like my mother.
i know that there are many christians who say they are pro-life but condone murdering innocent babies in these cases i've mentioned.
YOU ARE WRONG. and God is watching.
i know it is a foot in the door for the pro-life movement because now the attention is really on this horror that seems to have become our national past time. well, second national past time with sex obviously being the first. the third probably has something to do with sports.
but i digress......
whether the murdered babies are being sold, donated, buried or burned really makes no difference in light of the fact that THEY ARE BEING KILLED----THEIR BEATING HEARTS ARE BEING FORCEFULLY STOPPED!!!
let the lawyers wrangle and argue over the "legalities" i don't care about what the government or suzy q on the street corner thinks. wrong is wrong is wrong.
and abortion is WRONG.
i am pro-life in all instances concerning abortion. concerning the taking of innocent life.
NO EXCEPTIONS
in the case of rape or incest, which by the way it amuses me the way its always mentioned separately, pretty much incest is rape. anyway.....healing will never take place by committing murder. the baby that is sometimes produced in such cases DID NOTHING WRONG and does not deserve to die.
i've heard talk of late term abortion (shudder) being okay in instances of the life of the mother being at stake. we are talking about very rare cases indeed, maybe toxemia being one of the most common. i had toxemia. DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!!!! that is a bogus arguement. DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!! LET IT HAVE A CHANCE AT LIFE.
the truth here is that it is really just about getting rid of the inconvenience of a baby. a life.
another popular arguement is to abort, ahem! MURDER your child in the case of deformity or possible intellectual and physical disabilities. this is always promoted as being in the best interest of the child. really? kill me now. i have no potential. i'm not perfect like my mother.
i know that there are many christians who say they are pro-life but condone murdering innocent babies in these cases i've mentioned.
YOU ARE WRONG. and God is watching.
Monday, July 20, 2015
ignorant bliss
i'm a thinker. i think too much.
things have to make sense to me.
i try to think about things until i can figure out how they make sense.....in some way....in any way....
sometimes it's such a stretch.
to try to figure out how someone else could possible even think that something makes sense.
are you still following me?
all of this thinking is getting to be too much for my brain.
the world has truly gone mad.....or has it?
.....maybe i'm the one who has gone mad? some days.....
it feels that way.
at this point in time i feel overwhelmed by the world.
the entire freaking world that sits right there.....at the end of my driveway.
sometimes i feel like i want to just stockpile food and quit my job, cancel the tv and internet and just...........live in ignorant bliss for a while.
i really, really, really could do this!!!
but! is that being realistic? no....probably not.
could i just pick one or two of those things off of that list and do those???
the fact of the matter is this: would burying my head in the sand save just ONE baby from being violently ripped from its mothers womb? would it convince just ONE person to seek Jesus and not be a slave to sin? would it do anyone any good? including myself?
there are too many voices out there leading people astray. there are too many Christians out there who are silent on the topics of sin and repentance. they want to just say "my job is to love and God's job is to judge"................
......................really?
do we really want to just love people all the way to HELL???????
no one wants to offend. no one wants to "judge" no one wants to be that lone voice.
but i do. i don't know why, but i do.
you see, there are these boys. and i hate the world they must grow up in. this world is dangerous, deceitful, and sinful. the weight of feeling responsible for passing on God's word, teaching them to have a biblical worldview, and showing them how to live a godly life, well, it weighs heavy on me.
extremely heavy. it seems to be so daunting of a task. my heart aches to think of any of them being led astray because we dropped the ball. because we didn't want to offend. because we didn't want to be different.
because we wanted an easier life lived in ignorant bliss.........................
things have to make sense to me.
i try to think about things until i can figure out how they make sense.....in some way....in any way....
sometimes it's such a stretch.
to try to figure out how someone else could possible even think that something makes sense.
are you still following me?
all of this thinking is getting to be too much for my brain.
the world has truly gone mad.....or has it?
.....maybe i'm the one who has gone mad? some days.....
it feels that way.
at this point in time i feel overwhelmed by the world.
the entire freaking world that sits right there.....at the end of my driveway.
sometimes i feel like i want to just stockpile food and quit my job, cancel the tv and internet and just...........live in ignorant bliss for a while.
i really, really, really could do this!!!
but! is that being realistic? no....probably not.
could i just pick one or two of those things off of that list and do those???
the fact of the matter is this: would burying my head in the sand save just ONE baby from being violently ripped from its mothers womb? would it convince just ONE person to seek Jesus and not be a slave to sin? would it do anyone any good? including myself?
there are too many voices out there leading people astray. there are too many Christians out there who are silent on the topics of sin and repentance. they want to just say "my job is to love and God's job is to judge"................
......................really?
do we really want to just love people all the way to HELL???????
no one wants to offend. no one wants to "judge" no one wants to be that lone voice.
but i do. i don't know why, but i do.
you see, there are these boys. and i hate the world they must grow up in. this world is dangerous, deceitful, and sinful. the weight of feeling responsible for passing on God's word, teaching them to have a biblical worldview, and showing them how to live a godly life, well, it weighs heavy on me.
extremely heavy. it seems to be so daunting of a task. my heart aches to think of any of them being led astray because we dropped the ball. because we didn't want to offend. because we didn't want to be different.
because we wanted an easier life lived in ignorant bliss.........................
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
meltdown
yesterday i guess i had what is commonly referred to as a "meltdown"
ever since the supreme court decision to legalize same sex marriage was delivered to a divided american public, i have read opinion upon opinion on the subject.
i am more than firm on my position that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, ordained by God at creation. i'm not going to go into detail about how the opposite sexes naturally compliment each other or how i believe that the relationship in marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship that Christ has with His church.
suffice it to say that i will not ever be swayed from biblical truth.
at this moment my issue is with christians. i almost want to put "sarcastic quotes" (thanks matt walsh) around the word christians. hmmmmm......wondering.......
anyway......
so much of what i'm hearing from my christian brothers and sisters is nothing more than watered-down theology. it's like the majority of christians tune into joel osteen every week to hear a "feel good" gospel message, if they even seek a message at all.
so........i melted.....i went outside.....i fell to my knees.......and i sobbed. i sobbed because my heart is broken for the deceived.
and then i did what i do when my head is overloaded and jeff is not home for me to unload it on.
i wrote in a notebook. the following is what i wrote. except i wrote it in a HUGE, CRAZY, OUT OF CONTROL thought explosion sort of way.
watered down theology. forgiveness without repentance???
do i even need a savior anymore? if we don't mention sin how do we mention savior? what is he saving us from?
God is love--love wins. can we love without bringing sexual deviance into it? can i even say that????
are we accessories to sin when we don't talk about it anymore?
repent! turn from your sins! go and sin no more!!
our example in john the baptist preparing the way for our savior, and then Jesus himself telling sinners to sin no more. to take up their cross and follow Him. do we even know what that means???
are we no longer supposed to tell people this? christians shouldn't talk about sin??? or use the word repent?????
we can't tell the world why we are upset? why our hearts are broken for them? we are just supposed to celebrate their sin with them?
i know our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. am i even allowed to say that??? am i allowed to say that people are allowing evil to creep into their hearts and minds??????
everyone!!! stand up and admit our sins!!! we are all sinners, we all need a savior!!! be real, let us dig deep and examine our hearts, let us fall on our faces before God and repent. will the world still think it doesn't need this???
do we just love people and let God do the rest? really? do we??? what does this love look like? because i'm struggling with that right now. the reason i struggle with that is because when i love someone it involves being truthful and not quietly sitting by while sin invades their lives. in that same respect i rely on those that love me to do the same for me.
it is quite frightening that so many christians will turn a blind eye to sin as if the God we love and worship is not righteous, holy, just and merciful.
ever since the supreme court decision to legalize same sex marriage was delivered to a divided american public, i have read opinion upon opinion on the subject.
i am more than firm on my position that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, ordained by God at creation. i'm not going to go into detail about how the opposite sexes naturally compliment each other or how i believe that the relationship in marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship that Christ has with His church.
suffice it to say that i will not ever be swayed from biblical truth.
at this moment my issue is with christians. i almost want to put "sarcastic quotes" (thanks matt walsh) around the word christians. hmmmmm......wondering.......
anyway......
so much of what i'm hearing from my christian brothers and sisters is nothing more than watered-down theology. it's like the majority of christians tune into joel osteen every week to hear a "feel good" gospel message, if they even seek a message at all.
so........i melted.....i went outside.....i fell to my knees.......and i sobbed. i sobbed because my heart is broken for the deceived.
and then i did what i do when my head is overloaded and jeff is not home for me to unload it on.
i wrote in a notebook. the following is what i wrote. except i wrote it in a HUGE, CRAZY, OUT OF CONTROL thought explosion sort of way.
watered down theology. forgiveness without repentance???
do i even need a savior anymore? if we don't mention sin how do we mention savior? what is he saving us from?
God is love--love wins. can we love without bringing sexual deviance into it? can i even say that????
are we accessories to sin when we don't talk about it anymore?
repent! turn from your sins! go and sin no more!!
our example in john the baptist preparing the way for our savior, and then Jesus himself telling sinners to sin no more. to take up their cross and follow Him. do we even know what that means???
are we no longer supposed to tell people this? christians shouldn't talk about sin??? or use the word repent?????
we can't tell the world why we are upset? why our hearts are broken for them? we are just supposed to celebrate their sin with them?
i know our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. am i even allowed to say that??? am i allowed to say that people are allowing evil to creep into their hearts and minds??????
everyone!!! stand up and admit our sins!!! we are all sinners, we all need a savior!!! be real, let us dig deep and examine our hearts, let us fall on our faces before God and repent. will the world still think it doesn't need this???
do we just love people and let God do the rest? really? do we??? what does this love look like? because i'm struggling with that right now. the reason i struggle with that is because when i love someone it involves being truthful and not quietly sitting by while sin invades their lives. in that same respect i rely on those that love me to do the same for me.
it is quite frightening that so many christians will turn a blind eye to sin as if the God we love and worship is not righteous, holy, just and merciful.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
questions and prayers
i keep a notebook. jeff would laugh at that statement because i have many, many notebooks and i'm always writing stuff down.
anyway....
i keep a notebook of prayers. i write out my prayers at times. it helps me to focus. i have a hard time staying focused.
i wanted to share what i wrote in the last few days. it is private, but needs to be public. needs to be shared.
6/27/15
Father God,
my heart is grieving. You led this country for so long. at one time nearly everyone acknowledged that fact. now.....this is what we have. i am sad, but hopeful. because i know whose hands i am held in. i know who i belong to. and it's not the gods of this world. help me, Lord, to speak the truth. to love. to be a light in the world and not celebrate the dark. thank you Lord.
6/28/15
Father,
i'm upset this morning. it would be so easy to just disregard You and Your words and follow the rest of the world; be a part of the big party. but what would i gain? nothing.
following You Lord brings me peace and joy unspeakable. it is a difficult road at times, filled with boulders and pitfalls. there are times that the world can make me feel wrong and defeated, and even other christians can make me feel wrong and defeated.
these are the words they banter around
"do not judge" "do not be a stumbling block" " just love" "love your neighbor"
what do these things mean?
can i judge what is sin based on what i know is truth from scripture?
is my silence a stumbling block when i don't tell others the gospel message of sin-repentance-and forgiveness?
or is it a stumbling block when i do tell them?
love your neighbor. love others. love God.
i love You Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind.
i see You God as a most loving parent. You give me good things. You teach me and mold me through your words and your Holy Spirit living inside me. You remind me of my sins and my need to repent and be forgiven. each day, each minute, i am reminded that i live to glorify You alone.
so if i am to reflect Your love, Lord to others, to the world, how does that look?
shouldn't it look the same as i described above?
the world and a big part of my christian brothers and sisters are promoting a love that i have not seen in scripture. they are promoting a love that has no strings attached. a love that doesn't lead anyone to the pathway of eternal life.
are we just supposed to tell the world that Your love is for everyone and Your grace is for us all and then leave it at that? these are absolutely true statements, but is that where i'm supposed to stop?
am i not supposed to mention that the world needs a savior? am i not supposed to tell them why we need a savior? am i not supposed to mention sin because that would be judging? what constitutes sin? do you decide or do we decide. or do we let our earthly rulers decide it for us?
Lord, help me be strong enough and loving enough to speak the truth that the world needs to hear.
Heavenly Father please help me to not give my neighbors a false sense of eternal security. help me to be able to disagree with others worldviews and not be angry. help me to always remember that we are all made in Your image. help me to remember that your adversary, satan, roams this earth seeking to destroy. and it starts the moment we are conceived. help me to lead my family alongside my husband to protect them and to humbly teach them Your ways only and to always lead them in the truth.
amen.
anyway....
i keep a notebook of prayers. i write out my prayers at times. it helps me to focus. i have a hard time staying focused.
i wanted to share what i wrote in the last few days. it is private, but needs to be public. needs to be shared.
6/27/15
Father God,
my heart is grieving. You led this country for so long. at one time nearly everyone acknowledged that fact. now.....this is what we have. i am sad, but hopeful. because i know whose hands i am held in. i know who i belong to. and it's not the gods of this world. help me, Lord, to speak the truth. to love. to be a light in the world and not celebrate the dark. thank you Lord.
6/28/15
Father,
i'm upset this morning. it would be so easy to just disregard You and Your words and follow the rest of the world; be a part of the big party. but what would i gain? nothing.
following You Lord brings me peace and joy unspeakable. it is a difficult road at times, filled with boulders and pitfalls. there are times that the world can make me feel wrong and defeated, and even other christians can make me feel wrong and defeated.
these are the words they banter around
"do not judge" "do not be a stumbling block" " just love" "love your neighbor"
what do these things mean?
can i judge what is sin based on what i know is truth from scripture?
is my silence a stumbling block when i don't tell others the gospel message of sin-repentance-and forgiveness?
or is it a stumbling block when i do tell them?
love your neighbor. love others. love God.
i love You Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind.
i see You God as a most loving parent. You give me good things. You teach me and mold me through your words and your Holy Spirit living inside me. You remind me of my sins and my need to repent and be forgiven. each day, each minute, i am reminded that i live to glorify You alone.
so if i am to reflect Your love, Lord to others, to the world, how does that look?
shouldn't it look the same as i described above?
the world and a big part of my christian brothers and sisters are promoting a love that i have not seen in scripture. they are promoting a love that has no strings attached. a love that doesn't lead anyone to the pathway of eternal life.
are we just supposed to tell the world that Your love is for everyone and Your grace is for us all and then leave it at that? these are absolutely true statements, but is that where i'm supposed to stop?
am i not supposed to mention that the world needs a savior? am i not supposed to tell them why we need a savior? am i not supposed to mention sin because that would be judging? what constitutes sin? do you decide or do we decide. or do we let our earthly rulers decide it for us?
Lord, help me be strong enough and loving enough to speak the truth that the world needs to hear.
Heavenly Father please help me to not give my neighbors a false sense of eternal security. help me to be able to disagree with others worldviews and not be angry. help me to always remember that we are all made in Your image. help me to remember that your adversary, satan, roams this earth seeking to destroy. and it starts the moment we are conceived. help me to lead my family alongside my husband to protect them and to humbly teach them Your ways only and to always lead them in the truth.
amen.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
it's not about LOVE
they like to call it a "love" issue.
if you are against people loving one another, then you are a hater.
heck, even Jesus preached a message of "love one another".
so christians, how can you believe that it is wrong to "love one another" ?
well.....we can believe that it is wrong, in regards to homosexuality, because it's not about love.
..................it's about sex.
it's about what scripture says is normal, natural, God designed
as opposed to what man says is normal or man designed.
(now don't make me quote scripture here. we all know it's there)
it's about what scripture tells us is wrong, ungodly, detestable.
(yup....it's in there)
no one in scripture ever came right out and asked Jesus about sexual relations between the same sex because they already knew the answer. duh. (sodom and gomorrah were real to them)
so, if today, in 2015, Jesus came back and we could ask Him to elaborate His thoughts on this topic, He would give us His answer, probably in a parable which would refer us back to the scriptures.
(again, we all know which ones, don't make me quote.....but i will if asked to nicely)
He would tell us to "love one another" and not to judge or condemn anyone, while at the same time He would tell us to avoid sin and the appearance of sin. and.........................
..........................homosexuality is a sin.
yup...................lumped in there with lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, murder, drunkenness, and other sexual sins. sin comes in many forms and lust for the same sex is one of them.
and..................
then there is the woman at the well. the adulterer. a sin. Jesus told her that He did not condemn her. He was paying the penalty for her sins because He loved her.
and.........................
then He told her to "GO AND SIN NO MORE."
you see, it's not a LOVE issue. it's a self control issue. sex was designed by God as a means to create a family and bond it together.
our sinful natures have made it into everything and anything anyone wants it to be.
do I judge the homosexual? in the biblical sense? do I condemn them? in other words.....
am I deciding their fate for all eternity? no, i'm not.
God is the judge and all will be judged and either condemned or redeemed based on their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
can I be saved through Jesus from eternal punishment and still sin? yes, i can.
therefore.................a homosexual can be saved, however, they will have to falsely interpret or totally disregard scripture if they want to continue being unrepentant of that sin. this will lead to them suffering in body and spirit and also potentially causing others (christians) to stumble in their walk.
if they remain unrepentant and militant, and prideful regarding their sin, then their salvation must be questioned and their theology considered false.
these are the most dangerous people because they can lead others astray in the name of Christ.
so...............................
should we as Christians LOVE all people? yes.
should we follow them blindly and quietly down a path of destruction? no.
if you are against people loving one another, then you are a hater.
heck, even Jesus preached a message of "love one another".
so christians, how can you believe that it is wrong to "love one another" ?
well.....we can believe that it is wrong, in regards to homosexuality, because it's not about love.
..................it's about sex.
it's about what scripture says is normal, natural, God designed
as opposed to what man says is normal or man designed.
(now don't make me quote scripture here. we all know it's there)
it's about what scripture tells us is wrong, ungodly, detestable.
(yup....it's in there)
no one in scripture ever came right out and asked Jesus about sexual relations between the same sex because they already knew the answer. duh. (sodom and gomorrah were real to them)
so, if today, in 2015, Jesus came back and we could ask Him to elaborate His thoughts on this topic, He would give us His answer, probably in a parable which would refer us back to the scriptures.
(again, we all know which ones, don't make me quote.....but i will if asked to nicely)
He would tell us to "love one another" and not to judge or condemn anyone, while at the same time He would tell us to avoid sin and the appearance of sin. and.........................
..........................homosexuality is a sin.
yup...................lumped in there with lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, murder, drunkenness, and other sexual sins. sin comes in many forms and lust for the same sex is one of them.
and..................
then there is the woman at the well. the adulterer. a sin. Jesus told her that He did not condemn her. He was paying the penalty for her sins because He loved her.
and.........................
then He told her to "GO AND SIN NO MORE."
you see, it's not a LOVE issue. it's a self control issue. sex was designed by God as a means to create a family and bond it together.
our sinful natures have made it into everything and anything anyone wants it to be.
do I judge the homosexual? in the biblical sense? do I condemn them? in other words.....
am I deciding their fate for all eternity? no, i'm not.
God is the judge and all will be judged and either condemned or redeemed based on their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
can I be saved through Jesus from eternal punishment and still sin? yes, i can.
therefore.................a homosexual can be saved, however, they will have to falsely interpret or totally disregard scripture if they want to continue being unrepentant of that sin. this will lead to them suffering in body and spirit and also potentially causing others (christians) to stumble in their walk.
if they remain unrepentant and militant, and prideful regarding their sin, then their salvation must be questioned and their theology considered false.
these are the most dangerous people because they can lead others astray in the name of Christ.
so...............................
should we as Christians LOVE all people? yes.
should we follow them blindly and quietly down a path of destruction? no.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
our grandsons
we've got five of them!
ethan(right end), he comes second at 2 1/2. he is our little towheaded whirlwind! he is learning and testing his limits daily. he is fearless and wild while at the same time he is sweet and kind. he does have a devious & raspy laugh! and he loves to get a rise out of someone! cars of all kinds are his favorite toy. we love to see his smiling face in the window when we come down the driveway!
luke (green stripe shirt) is third at about 17 months. he is our little tough guy. he doesn't take anything from anyone. he holds his own with the big boys. and how to describe his smile? he always seems like he is up to something! he is also the snuggliest and huggiest of all the boys--he hugs you tight and hangs on!
charlie (left end) is fourth and he is 14 months old. he is very serious and contemplative. he is content to do his own thing and he is very guarded of his personal space. he is slow to warm up to you but when he does you are his friend! when we come to visit he runs up to me and puts up his arms to be picked up and it makes me just melt!
calvin (dark blue shirt) is fifth in line and he is 13 months old. he is the only one that is not quite walking yet. when this boy smiles--watch out! he smiles with his whole face and his laughter is contagious. he is also quiet and cautious, but when he finally starts to walk we will probably see that change.
these boys are what make life wonderful and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
get out your bible and check up on that
it is a difficult thing when you have to make the decision to walk away from your family. it is not something anyone does lightly. in my case it was years in the coming. one baby step at a time until one day i realized that i didn't want to keep rebuilding the bridges between our lives.
i my case it comes down to this:
i am a bible believing christian
i refuse to bow to the gods of this world
i refuse to think, act, or believe as they do
therefore:
i am wrong
i am the hypocrite
i am the "bad" one
i my case it comes down to this:
i am a bible believing christian
i refuse to bow to the gods of this world
i refuse to think, act, or believe as they do
therefore:
i am wrong
i am the hypocrite
i am the "bad" one
i understand where they are coming from.
i really do.
i have compassion on them for their brokenness
i really do.
we all suffer brokenness at times, but the way to healing is not by demeaning others. it is by seeking the healing that Jesus offers.
to my family, and to the world in general
MY LIFE JUDGES THEM
i don't have to say a word. but the way i have lived and continue to live my life causes them to feel judged.
i'm a hater because i refuse to think , believe, or act as they do.
in their eyes i am not allowed to have the beliefs and convictions that i have.
then......
they throw the Bible at me.........satan's most favorite form of deceit!
**love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. deut. 6:5
EVERYTHING in my life flows out of this portion of scripture.
i try not to take it personally when i am attacked for who i am.
and who i am is
A CHILD OF GOD!
it is difficult to blame broken people who desperately try to affirm themselves when no one else will.
it is difficult to even defend yourself against those who try to use the Bible as a means to attack rather than a means to convict.
i feel it is God's will for my life to cut the ties. however, i feel it is also God's desire that i continue to pray for their salvation. Jesus came to pay the penalty for the sins of us ALL. but it is up to us to accept the fact that we are sinners in need of a savior.
the bottom line is this:
i love God more than anything or anyone in this world. and i could write volumes on how this can and does impact our lives and relationships.
so......
do i need to get out my Bible and check up on that?
the answer is YES!!
and i do so daily.
Friday, February 6, 2015
my thoughts on being a "cult leader"
i am a bible believing christian.
my parent(s) and siblings(except for one) and their families are unsaved, worldly people.
they refer to me as the "cult leader" because i raised my family different than they did theirs.
to my unsaved family members, our christian beliefs and worldview bothers them. they have to defend their choices by trying to tear mine apart.
and they have plenty of company on that wide road that leads to destruction.
while i, on the other hand, have tried to lead my family to the narrow path that leads to life.
and here we will stay. set apart. living daily to try to please our Lord and Savior.
our goal in life is not to look like the rest of the world and to please them. sorry.
i wasn't sure how i felt about the title "cult leader", so i looked up the definition of
cult: devoted attachment to a person, principle.
hmmmm. yeah, it fits. i have a devoted attachment to Jesus Christ and the word of God.
i have fully accepted the responsibility given to me by God to teach and lead my children.
and now my work isn't done. there is another generation that needs me to help lead them.
this is my work until God leads me home.
i am proud of my family. i give God all of the praise and glory for every blessing we enjoy and for every lesson we have learned, and continue to learn.
i know what parenting without God's guidance looks like and feels like because that is how I grew up.
no child should ever have to navigate the perils of growing up on their own.
children are not an inconvenience of life that need to be managed. they are gifts from God and should be loved and led back to Him.
"cult leader"
yup
i'm proud of that title
it tells me that my family does not look like all of the rest
and for that i am thankful
my parent(s) and siblings(except for one) and their families are unsaved, worldly people.
they refer to me as the "cult leader" because i raised my family different than they did theirs.
to my unsaved family members, our christian beliefs and worldview bothers them. they have to defend their choices by trying to tear mine apart.
and they have plenty of company on that wide road that leads to destruction.
while i, on the other hand, have tried to lead my family to the narrow path that leads to life.
and here we will stay. set apart. living daily to try to please our Lord and Savior.
our goal in life is not to look like the rest of the world and to please them. sorry.
i wasn't sure how i felt about the title "cult leader", so i looked up the definition of
cult: devoted attachment to a person, principle.
hmmmm. yeah, it fits. i have a devoted attachment to Jesus Christ and the word of God.
i have fully accepted the responsibility given to me by God to teach and lead my children.
and now my work isn't done. there is another generation that needs me to help lead them.
this is my work until God leads me home.
i am proud of my family. i give God all of the praise and glory for every blessing we enjoy and for every lesson we have learned, and continue to learn.
i know what parenting without God's guidance looks like and feels like because that is how I grew up.
no child should ever have to navigate the perils of growing up on their own.
children are not an inconvenience of life that need to be managed. they are gifts from God and should be loved and led back to Him.
"cult leader"
yup
i'm proud of that title
it tells me that my family does not look like all of the rest
and for that i am thankful
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