tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64923975859339020892024-02-22T00:45:09.066-06:00Facing the MusicAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-25247355907623439272016-04-12T15:37:00.004-05:002016-04-12T15:37:58.688-05:00Sink or Swim; Outrageous Faith<div class="MsoNormal">
How often have we read or heard stories of old saints that
had a strong unwavering faith – and when they prayed, miraculous things began
to happen? Stories like those of George Mueller, who prayed food and milk in time and time
again for the orphans whom God had entrusted to his care – and throughout his
life cared for, and made a difference in the lives of over 10,000 children…but
only through his great faith and trust in God’s provision; like the great
reformer, John Knox, who wept over Scotland, and it is purported that Mary,
Queen of Scots, that wicked murderous
queen of Scotland said of him, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than
any of the armies of Europe”; or, the prayers of some little grandma or grandpa
who became burdened over a some situation, and they prayed until things started
to happen.</div>
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We look back at these stories, and more often than not, we bemoan
the sad lack of faith in today’s generation, we say, oh, we need more people
like that; we hear of the dying of some old saint, and our heart are saddened
and we think to ourselves, we can’t afford to lose any more of these old saints…or,
I wish we could have a few more with faith like she/he had.</div>
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Or, we say halfheartedly – or even somewhat sincerely – Oh,
if I could only be half the man/woman he/she was!</div>
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And we go on our merry way, saddened because there’s a
little less faith in the world…that can never be replaced.</div>
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Or can it?</div>
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What if…</div>
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What if WE are supposed to be the ones that have so great
faith – what if God is expecting our generation…or maybe…no, surely not... No,
God couldn’t be expecting me to be that one – that saint whose prayers make all
of Heaven stand up and take notice. Because, I mean…really. That’s preposterous – what would
even make you think such a thing? Me? That’s so silly. I could never have the
faith that they had!</div>
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Can’t you? Can’t I?</div>
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Or is it that we just don’t want to have to put in the work?
Or maybe we’re too scared – scared of what people will think, scared that maybe
we’ll have the faith and…it won’t happen.</div>
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But. </div>
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What if…what if He really does expect US to be THOSE people?</div>
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What if He expects us to have faith like Peter, when he saw
Jesus coming toward the boat through the storm – faith that will say,” Jesus, I
can’t swim; the waves could pull me under in a second, but I’m not content
being here when you’re over there…I’m tired of sitting here wringing my hands
in despair…I’m jumping out of this boat – I don’t know if you’re gonna teach me
to swim, or let me walk on the water, but either way, even if I go under, I’m
going trusting you.”</div>
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Faith that appears to
be outrageous – that can look a medical professional in the eye after he’s just
told you, “We’ve done all we can do – your child will be dead within 24 hours”,
and say – not out of arrogance or denial, but with complete conviction because
you’ve been in touch with the Great Physician, the Creator – “No, he won’t. Go
back in the room, and check again – he’s sleeping, and the wound will heal.”</div>
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Faith like Job’s – even
if the outcome isn’t what we prayed for, faith that will trust that God knows
best, that can look the circumstances in the face and say, “Though He slay me,
yet will I trust in Him”, and, “I know that my Redeemer lives”.</div>
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Faith that can say with confidence, “It’s going to happen”.</div>
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Perhaps in that hard thing you’re going through right now,
God is whispering, “Now is the time. Let go and trust me to take care of it.” </div>
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Perhaps, if you’ll just let go and trust God to catch you…maybe,
just maybe, He will?</div>
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You see, you can’t swim as long as you’re hanging on to the
side. You may know all the principles of swimming, but it’s not until you let
go and trust that buoyancy will take over that you will begin to glide through
the water.</div>
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A baby bird can never fly as long as they stay in the safety
of the nest. Sometimes it take the mama bird pushing them over the side before
they ever get out. Sometimes they fall to the ground…but it’s not until they
leave that their God-given instinct takes over and they begin to flap their
wings- and eventually to fly.</div>
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You’ll never soar until you get out of the nest.</div>
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Perhaps this is your time.</div>
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My time.</div>
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Time to let go, jump out, and let the thing that threatened
to kill you be the thing God uses to give you victory.</div>
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Time to develop your own faith – instead of leaning on the
faith of someone else.</div>
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Maybe it’s time to stop being content with being “half the
man he was”, and start asking, like Elisha, “Give me a double portion of what
he had”.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s time.</div>
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Outrageous Faith. That’s what we need.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-19065076460378711082014-06-11T00:30:00.002-05:002014-06-11T00:30:55.229-05:00Does It Work? Salt-Painting Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoOEFRsWiPjFDEG9PoNJU14laD3a3R1t1NWaoEjY7HjeGfu4Sd4KpiZ47C-1OuQyIcTl4tAyvdVKVEyGHXqwrxklC5ak-mnROyTD2VsGKbnNbBuj80WYB1qqsABydyHNPM7a2Jm8kRqL5/s1600/DSCN2059-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoOEFRsWiPjFDEG9PoNJU14laD3a3R1t1NWaoEjY7HjeGfu4Sd4KpiZ47C-1OuQyIcTl4tAyvdVKVEyGHXqwrxklC5ak-mnROyTD2VsGKbnNbBuj80WYB1qqsABydyHNPM7a2Jm8kRqL5/s1600/DSCN2059-001.JPG" height="400" width="287" /></a></div>
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It's summer, and the kids are out of school.</div>
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Now, I don't know about your kids but mine would just sit around and watch cartoons most of the day if they could get away with it. Alas, they have a mean mommy (so they say), who thinks they should do something with their brains besides stare at a screen. </div>
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<i>Disclaimer here - I'm not one of those oh-so-perfect Moms who always has oh-so-perfect little crafts, and worksheets and this and that for her kids all the time. </i>For the most part, I leave them to their own imaginations <i>(which isn't always a good thing...), </i>but many days there comes a point when they just can't seem to come up with anything to do on their own <i>(except fight - they're really good at that), </i> and Mommy is left trying to find something for them to do.</div>
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We've had quite a few days lately when it's rained all day long, so they don't have a whole lot of time to play outside <i>(I can only take so many clothing changes and muddy feet-tracks through my house before my mommy-brain starts vibrating and steaming, and that's never a good thing)</i>, and today was one of those days. We made it most of the day, but after supper they were wired, high voltage, high volume, high speed - just HIGH, mostly, and they NEEDED something to do. Ju decided she wanted to do some kind of an art project, so I randomly decided to try salt-painting.</div>
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Now, if you use Pinterest much at all, you've probably seen one of the many salt-painting projects running around. If you haven't, feel free to go search 'salt painting' on Pinterest right now. I'll wait until you get back...<br />
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...alrighty, then. Satisfied your curiosity now? No?<br />
Then by all means, keep reading.<br />
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The idea of salt painting is basically this:<br />
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First, get your supplies -<br />
A bottle of basic white school glue (elmer's, store-brand - we used both),<br />
Paper (we used plain ol' printer paper, but something heavier would be better, if you have it),<br />
Salt (the regular table variety)<br />
Eyedroppers, medicine droppers, paintbrushes - whatever suits your fancy (more on that later)<br />
Water<br />
Food Coloring<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9G5Obnp4BorHJFgKkSXm2zOXPLD9mIUauKMYoyscY7KFo-dx0u6aGipQS_V0f6cTzM9qSzjSbPA_xHaGbOZTI2ibP1F5lVhQX3hb2AhfLXwitPwIeECHRbcJ14yApwQECssuyqbNOsjX/s1600/DSCN2034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9G5Obnp4BorHJFgKkSXm2zOXPLD9mIUauKMYoyscY7KFo-dx0u6aGipQS_V0f6cTzM9qSzjSbPA_xHaGbOZTI2ibP1F5lVhQX3hb2AhfLXwitPwIeECHRbcJ14yApwQECssuyqbNOsjX/s1600/DSCN2034.JPG" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
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I put about 1 tablespoon of water in each of those dandy little containers </div>
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<i>(you can get them for about $2 each at Walmart - just buy a can of Great Value brand cinnamon rolls, open them up, and there's a handy-dandy little white plastic container in there with icing in it. Just dump the icing out, wash the container, and you're ready to go. Of course, if you don't want to be wasteful, you can eat the cinnamon rolls and all that... or you can just use whatever you have.), </i>then I added about 3 drops of food coloring to each one. Swirl it around carefully, or stir it with a toothpick or something.</div>
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Ok. Now that you've got all that done, take the glue and draw a picture on the paper with it. <i>(Alternatively, you can draw a picture with a pencil and trace it with the glue - whatever floats your boat. We did both.)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadVux_IkKWv2WPkvcWY3I7kkdWgIE52Jr6XsONyGYN2r_0PCTzyR_Y5yzdYKLSd5wY-bFpwSdjCEoWkyUxSA9WL4YJQWdFd_c5GXMA5ozzhkfDB4FfM7KEevl_PefjYTcOB86F08-GCic/s1600/DSCN2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadVux_IkKWv2WPkvcWY3I7kkdWgIE52Jr6XsONyGYN2r_0PCTzyR_Y5yzdYKLSd5wY-bFpwSdjCEoWkyUxSA9WL4YJQWdFd_c5GXMA5ozzhkfDB4FfM7KEevl_PefjYTcOB86F08-GCic/s1600/DSCN2037.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once you have your picture done to your liking, pour salt all over it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MiJ21p7gqyZjVp846Aspae2IWAcp2U7k-rx1b8yUtQLUqvFZx9rWnUqy877FwJRissRh0kKTqqlKd_KeAR66ZwwioGa4m5rHgfbUnjTTnRDC0cDsf1zDyKkUHTRmdxakoYGjdYbOvCJi/s1600/DSCN2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MiJ21p7gqyZjVp846Aspae2IWAcp2U7k-rx1b8yUtQLUqvFZx9rWnUqy877FwJRissRh0kKTqqlKd_KeAR66ZwwioGa4m5rHgfbUnjTTnRDC0cDsf1zDyKkUHTRmdxakoYGjdYbOvCJi/s1600/DSCN2038.JPG" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
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We found it just as easy to just dump the salt on the paper and then tip the paper every which way, sliding the salt all over. You want the glue to be thoroughly coated in salt. </div>
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It will look kind of like this when it is done:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKsYQQRz9IBan9nxCOzO-ZjWS4ewkoBUtPguVPNiviSNcSyakURnv-rxW_FhoSQWTQo-B6h_6rQuNchJwrMC3PEL3wrA3k0zqgNBulIFODJREiGbb8YJRT3Zkw2EAVBBWeAr9UtPjJ-Pd/s1600/DSCN2043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKsYQQRz9IBan9nxCOzO-ZjWS4ewkoBUtPguVPNiviSNcSyakURnv-rxW_FhoSQWTQo-B6h_6rQuNchJwrMC3PEL3wrA3k0zqgNBulIFODJREiGbb8YJRT3Zkw2EAVBBWeAr9UtPjJ-Pd/s1600/DSCN2043.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, take some of the colored water in your dropper (or whatever you're using), and drop a bit on the salt/glue. The fun part is that it slowly begins to creep down the line from wherever you drop it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl8aprwLUh5bHpiErpTabIfkNOUNaeXjrShPmhmSes4RkP8vEiQTyihyphenhyphenievfCcH5oltNvd7ZwgvQj8berAssb5pNUJZdHkn4lM-I0cHA8LQdjDQTe6Qx_XEpt_KjFBRsSErYhch4R1qJC/s1600/DSCN2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl8aprwLUh5bHpiErpTabIfkNOUNaeXjrShPmhmSes4RkP8vEiQTyihyphenhyphenievfCcH5oltNvd7ZwgvQj8berAssb5pNUJZdHkn4lM-I0cHA8LQdjDQTe6Qx_XEpt_KjFBRsSErYhch4R1qJC/s1600/DSCN2044.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add more colors and watch them mix together and make new colors...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsjrivXg2tAVyJJFKsOEKKcJuXZ2ms3KYuvy6-_s4EStA9sbrskt0c8C-VJuwieJkna7eE1862gkU-HqAIFQ5LgmdCS-WIhVVPBus_bMGAtnSSF1Klu58Rr0JO_XNXTTR8e5w6fUNJdMO/s1600/DSCN2048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsjrivXg2tAVyJJFKsOEKKcJuXZ2ms3KYuvy6-_s4EStA9sbrskt0c8C-VJuwieJkna7eE1862gkU-HqAIFQ5LgmdCS-WIhVVPBus_bMGAtnSSF1Klu58Rr0JO_XNXTTR8e5w6fUNJdMO/s1600/DSCN2048.JPG" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
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And you have a pretty little painting. </div>
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In theory, right?</div>
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And it's all very neat, not terribly messy, etc. </div>
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Right?</div>
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Well, yeah, if you're a steady-handed, mostly sane Mommy. <i>(Which I'm not, particularly)</i></div>
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Not so much if you're a not-so-steady-handed, somewhat rambunctious, four-year-old.</div>
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A little better for a somewhat-of-a-perfectionist, artistically-inclined seven-year-old.</div>
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But fun for both.</div>
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The seven-year-old was pretty careful with it and enjoyed dropping the colors on just so, and making a pretty pictures; here's some of her work:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNXGjLcsc2HnmZ_29iSkvleCS7mqmPCLId69fGLbNKtR1NnxTs_Pw9IkgkMpzI_6TzRnEKiVr7wzfxjA_QVrkkHBIfq20J_EruR-wAUCV9UtDZ_rAn_tw4JPgEw7XvEysYfPppjjxGF_u/s1600/DSCN2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNXGjLcsc2HnmZ_29iSkvleCS7mqmPCLId69fGLbNKtR1NnxTs_Pw9IkgkMpzI_6TzRnEKiVr7wzfxjA_QVrkkHBIfq20J_EruR-wAUCV9UtDZ_rAn_tw4JPgEw7XvEysYfPppjjxGF_u/s1600/DSCN2050.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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She kept hers fairly well to thin lines of glue, and as much salt would stick to it, and it it colored nicely. Watching the dye creep down the salt lines is pretty cool, and for the kids, it's neat for them to see how the colors mix and make new colors.</div>
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The four-year-old...well, he though it was awesome to thoroughly saturate everything with glue...and salt...and dye. Here's some of his work:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgETa9PvBEfYSPJ7xc1zEWO4xsNQTmvaFFLbQETO-c2xDfWmt7f_K48ng7H5QsPxTkItkpPQQlax7c0HW5fl2k5vLU3b0j7o1BB5rVqOouUvXp2fF7MhyPsbEVqAggoU06eQEdYywnTCR/s1600/DSCN2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgETa9PvBEfYSPJ7xc1zEWO4xsNQTmvaFFLbQETO-c2xDfWmt7f_K48ng7H5QsPxTkItkpPQQlax7c0HW5fl2k5vLU3b0j7o1BB5rVqOouUvXp2fF7MhyPsbEVqAggoU06eQEdYywnTCR/s1600/DSCN2052.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(We all have talents...drawing dinosaurs isn't one of mine - but hey, they made him happy!! :) Oh, and the top right blue/green/yellow one is hers, not his.</i>)</div>
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Yes, He likes green. what was your first clue? He pretty well tried to empty the whole container of green on his own. </div>
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The all-green dinosaur on the left, he spread glue pretty heavily over the whole thing and then dumped large quantities of salt over it. The salt was pretty wet, though, from the glue, and didn't take the dye as dramatically. Which, of course, didn't bother him - he just poured on lots of it...I had to pour some of it off, and the rest soaked through the paper and left a puddle underneath. All of his paintings I set on paper towels, and after ten minutes or so, removed the towels - they were pretty well soaked. It helped to get some of the puddles off the paintings, though.</div>
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A note regarding the droppers/paintbrushes/etc. </div>
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I've seen different people recommend different things. We tried them all - paintbrushes, Q-tips, eyedroppers, and a medicine syringe.</div>
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We had NO luck with the paintbrushes and Q-tips.</div>
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The best seemed to be the glass eyedropper shown here. With it we had the best control over where the dye went and how much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41gFZCAmlSu9WjAlqp2hGAueS5s9Kr9ETTCUVoP0lZoWfBYAVc9ubcjvqhDnrNSOtT0B_qWgng7oqkMh1P30gkFIaDl82KpSiPmD5UhxZBIptTr_aLNX2Sk6oZTIncNIcqXXlIEio4WSx/s1600/DSCN2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41gFZCAmlSu9WjAlqp2hGAueS5s9Kr9ETTCUVoP0lZoWfBYAVc9ubcjvqhDnrNSOtT0B_qWgng7oqkMh1P30gkFIaDl82KpSiPmD5UhxZBIptTr_aLNX2Sk6oZTIncNIcqXXlIEio4WSx/s1600/DSCN2069.JPG" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
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That being said, the boy preferred the syringe - it was messy and hard to control the amount that came out, but that was right up his alley. He loved squirting it all over the paper.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>So, Did it Work? </b></span></div>
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Yes. Although our paintings didn't turn out nearly so neat and precise as some of the ones on Pinterest, it worked. It was messy, but the kids really had fun. By the time they quit, they had used up all of the dye in all the containers (I added a container of red later, so they had four altogether), about four of those little cups of salt (probably about 1 cup in all), large quantities of glue, and the table was covered in artwork. Oh, and did I mention it was messy? The floor around the table ended up pretty crunchy from the salt, and we had to sop up puddles from the table several times, but I had a vinyl tablecloth on, and the floor is sweepable, so it cleaned up pretty fast.</div>
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Most of, it kept them occupied for a while and they enjoyed it.</div>
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It was not, however, an activity I could give them and leave them to it - I had to stay and help the little one the whole time, mostly so he didn't start randomly squirting dye at his sister and everything else in sight, but still...not something you'd want to start if you aren't available to help.</div>
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As of a couple hours late, they weren't dry. We'll see what they look like in the morning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpDfcTqoMZLBhfBrcPUsGmId32LXeYT0Harinklt5sEtWfde9eIM0GN8l73OLnOdN4aQhbvToHaXpnsxJbxr3NU0XcickMp2w8UdFTJs-GXHBM9Sfp3XocNEYZnn7-XlzjRFPUVokvW_k/s1600/2014-06-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpDfcTqoMZLBhfBrcPUsGmId32LXeYT0Harinklt5sEtWfde9eIM0GN8l73OLnOdN4aQhbvToHaXpnsxJbxr3NU0XcickMp2w8UdFTJs-GXHBM9Sfp3XocNEYZnn7-XlzjRFPUVokvW_k/s1600/2014-06-10.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkqelKCKpoGaETTqzaT3s-ixowS0Mga5ETVgKiQoGafUQhAd3wKOOdjF_giv4ucEUQ4IbrAmacS-ersASCqJaj3x4oxZojD25TPLM1lQKT3gTxVQQi85_ZfL98UoiZaBnaOp-M9vwGfVP/s1600/2014-06-101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkqelKCKpoGaETTqzaT3s-ixowS0Mga5ETVgKiQoGafUQhAd3wKOOdjF_giv4ucEUQ4IbrAmacS-ersASCqJaj3x4oxZojD25TPLM1lQKT3gTxVQQi85_ZfL98UoiZaBnaOp-M9vwGfVP/s1600/2014-06-101.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, it's wet, it's messy, but it really does work!</div>
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Go make some salt paintings! You know you want to!!! :-D</div>
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<span id="goog_562003387"></span><span id="goog_562003388"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-39313124659389151392014-02-06T00:31:00.002-06:002014-02-06T00:31:43.396-06:00What I Need.It's the beginning of a brand new year.<br />
<i>(ok, it was when I started writing this...then time got away from me. That's what happens when you put things off!)</i><br />
With each new year that comes, people are fond of making 'resolutions'; vowing to themselves that they are going to change in the year ahead. Whether it be behaviours that need tending, habits that need broken, weight that needs to be lost - the list goes on and on - with the new year, for many, comes the desire for a new start, a new lease on life.<br />
<br />
Sadly, most of the changes they make are not lasting ones, and by the time January is gone, most New Year's Resolutions have already been broken - thrown, crumpled and unheeded by the wayside.<br />
<br />
I've never been much of a resolution-maker. I tend to be fairly pragmatic about things, and to my way of thinking, if something needs changed it needs done now - if I don't have the will-power to make the change sometime in, say, September, then the likelihood of my doing it just because it is the beginning of a new year is no better. Like many people, I have lots of grand ideas for things that 'need' doing - projects that 'need' done, plans that 'need' to be accomplished, and like most, I have less 'git'er done' than 'dream it up'.<br />
<br />
Yes, there are things I'd like to see done this year. There are things that should probably be changed. There are things I want...<br />
<br />
But what do I need? What does my family need?<br />
<br />
<br />
We humans tend to put our 'wants' in the need column:<br />
<br />
"Oh, I NEED that dress!"<br />
<br />
"I absolutely HAVE to have those shoes."<br />
<br />
"We NEED a bigger house."<br />
<br />
We NEED this...we NEED that...<br />
<br />
But do we really NEED it?<br />
<br />
I like pretty clothes as much as the next girl - but do I NEED them? The large quantities of clothing, shoes and accessories in my closet and dressers (and everywhere else) tells me I don't. I need clothes to cover my body and to keep me warm, but I have more than I need.<br />
<br />
While I'd like a bigger, nicer house, do I need one? I have a roof over my head, my family is warm and dry - what more do I need? <br />
<br />
We have food in the refrigerator...and the freezer...and the pantry...we won't go hungry anytime soon - which is more than many people even here in America can say.<br />
<br />
So, what do I really need?<br />
What is ONE thing that I can really say, "I NEED that" in 2014?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>I NEED Jesus.</b><br />
<br />
Mind if I say it again?<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I Need JESUS.</i></span></h2>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">More than anything else in this world, I need Him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why do I need Him?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because in myself I am a sinner and I need a Saviour. I cannot save myself. I cannot make myself 'good enough' to be fit for Heaven - but He can.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because on my own I am weak and I need His strength. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because alone I don't know where to go or what to do - I need someone to guide me. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because when I'm sad, or lonely, or just plain tired of living, tired of fighting...I need a Comfort that I can trust to be there for me no matter what.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because when I'm facing things that I can't explain to anyone, I need someone who will listen to my heart - and knows what I'm facing without me ever speaking a word. I need an Intercessor to pray for me when I can't pray for myself.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because, as a parent, I alone am incapable of raising my children to be respectable God-fearing adults - </i></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I need a Teacher to teach me so that I can teach them. </i></li>
<li><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I need an Example to follow so that I can be an example for them.</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because on the days that I wonder, "Why am I here? What is the purpose in my life?", HE is the meaning, and knowing Him gives me a purpose for living.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why do I need Him?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because without Him I am nothing; I have no reason to live; I haven't the strength to keep plodding on day after day...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But with Him, I have everything. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can wake up each morning with the realization that no matter how awkward and unlovable I feel, there is Someone who loves me beyond measure; that no matter how many times I fail Him, He will always be there for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And believe me, I fail Him often. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But when I do, I can get back up and reach out to Him, and He will always pick me up, brush me off, and set me on my way again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I look at my children, I am reminded time and again how much God cares for us. So often, I explain to them just what I expect of them; I tell them plainly to make sure they understand. And yet, five minutes later, I can turn around and find them doing the very thing they were just told not to do. How many times have I said to one of them, "You shouldn't do that, because this and this will happen if you do", only to watch them do it anyway - and get hurt in the the process, just like I said they would. And once again, I pick them up, brush them off, fuss at them, and send them on their way again. No matter how many times they disobey or forget, I still love them, and when they come running to me, I'll hug them and kiss them and tell them everything's gonna be all right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, unlike God, I get impatient with my children. I fuss at them when they don't do things right. Some days I yell at them much more than I should...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's why I need Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God has never done that with me, but too often I fail to follow His example.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's why I have GOT to have Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, this year, I have no fancy list of resolutions - no pile of projects to accomplish. In fact, I have only one resolution:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I MUST have more of Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">I have one deep supreme desire, that I may be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">To this I fervently aspire, that I may be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">I want my heart His throne to be, so that a watching world may see</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">His likeness shining forth in me; I want to be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Oh, perfect life of Christ my Lord, I want to be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">My recompense and my reward, that I may be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">His Spirit fill my hung'ring soul, His power all my life control;</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">My deepest pray'r, my highest goal, that I may be like Jesus.</span></i></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(from the song, "I Want to Be Like Jesus", by Thomas Chisolm)</i></span></div>
</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-32332302930417972432014-01-31T23:42:00.004-06:002014-01-31T23:42:53.366-06:00Sad...Angry...Confused...ResolvedToday, as I was scrolling through my facebook feed, I saw a link to an article posted, clicked on it, and read it.<br />
It was the story of a five month old baby boy who died after being left by his parents in his car seat for eight days. EIGHT DAYS, with no diaper changes, no one to pick him up and hold him, apparently even no one feeding him, other than the mother saying she stuck a bottle in the carseat beside him, assuming he would feed himself (at five months old).<br />
<br />
(You can read the story <a href="http://dailybuzzlive.com/archives/2764" target="_blank">here</a>, if you really want to torture yourself)<br />
<br />
Instantly on reading the article, I was sickened, saddened, and horrified.<br />
<br />
I've been seeing articles on things like this happening all together too often lately. Even ONCE is too often, but it seems like in the last several months I've seen several different instances of babies dying due to gross neglect on the part of the parents.<br />
It makes me sick to read about it. It makes me angry to think of those poor innocent babies left to die. It confuses me - how can a woman carry and give birth to a child and then seemingly forget that that child even exists?! In at least two instances, the parents of the child were said to have been 'playing video games with friends' during much of the time that the baby was left alone.<br />
One thought that stands out to me, though, is this -<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>When did parents stop teaching their children responsibility? Do the majority of American parents no longer teach their children to take responsibility for their actions? Are kids no longer taught to think of someone besides themselves? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
Just the other day I happened upon Yahoo! Answers, and saw a question from a girl wondering if she could be pregnant (there's a lot of those on there, unfortunately); upon closer examination, she told the story that she had been pregnant, had an abortion, had already had unprotected sex with her boyfriend, and then, a WEEK after her abortion, was already afraid she had gotten herself pregnant again. After reading that, my curiosity got the best of me and I looked around a few minutes longer and discovered several others that had the same basic story...some of them having had multiple abortions already.<br />
<br />
I came away from there sickened. And I wondered - do young people today not have ANY sense of responsibility? Does it not even cross their minds that just because something feels good, maybe, just maybe, it might not be the smartest thing to do? Do they go into relationships with the thought in mind that, well, if they WERE to happen to make a baby (because, you know, that IS a well-known side effect of having sex...at least, I THINK it is...), then they'll just abort it and go on their merry way?<br />
<br />
I thought I was still a fairly young person, but if that's the way young people think today, I'll gladly be an old lady.<br />
<br />
I don't want this to turn into another piece about abortion - I wrote on that a while back. My point was more about kids that bring a child into the world (choosing NOT to abort it) and then kill that same child with neglect only a few short months later. (I just got off on a tangent there...sorry)<br />
<br />
Since when are video games more important than the life of another human being - no matter how small? Have we (and I use the tern 'we' loosely, referring to parents today) raised a generation of people that have no moral compass whatsoever? Are they so removed from reality that they can justify leaving their own flesh and blood to rot in their own waste?! Apparently so, at least in this case, as the article stated that the father of the child, a 23-year-old, "showed a complete and total lack of remorse for the death of his son."<br />
<br />
God help us.<br />
<br />
<i>God help me, as a parent, to bring my children up knowing right from wrong, and to teach them to take responsibility for their actions; to teach them to love others, to think of those less fortunate than they.</i><br />
<i>God help me to show them how a parent should love their children, and put the needs of those children before their own desires; to teach them not to be selfish, but loving, and giving.</i><br />
<br />
There's a meme that's gone around the inter-webs a few times now, that states:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"We talk so much about leaving a better world for our children...but we forget about leaving better children for our world."</span></b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The facts are these: </div>
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We can moan and groan about, <i>"What is this world coming to?", </i>and bewail the rising crime and the increasing numbers of seemingly totally amoral people in the world today, but until we take ourselves up be the seat of our pants and determine to DO SOMETHING about it, nothing is going to change. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTN41mrJUffgAP_H2vVQ3bYWOkCqz5Cipoat-QuI7Q6jgDfSgwt2vI7wvcSia0pR-Gt5Au1RRDyjCmpRh9D8pAx2-thmIQm3D1zzj0PfoV3pY0qsY0dYHFqiE2snSij4W-49eUBc8o9Os/s400/change_the_world__by_this_is_the_life2905-d3dd0vm.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
If we continue to promote the ideas that telling our children "no" will somehow scar them, and allowing them to act like small tyrants is acceptable, NOTHING is going to change. We have to teach them while they're teachable, for when they're grown <i>it's too late! </i> I'm not saying that it's impossible for a person to change when they're grown, but the likelihood is small. If a child is allowed to run the home as a child, and never disciplined for fear of causing 'trauma' to their poor little personalities, they will grown into undisciplined adults; if they aren't taught responsibility when they're young, they will grow into irresponsible adults.</div>
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<img height="320" src="http://i.imgur.com/0qfYuPJ.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<i>Take note: I am NOT in any way advocating child abuse. There is a <b>world </b> of difference between lovingly disciplining your children and abusing them. </i></div>
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<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedoT8G2mX7RVcp5C_DLu9YG2gTf4P0UeErI4g61c8rM-ehaSPjMMPU9v2hvZr3O5dcJcYVeeikBlrfsZutxx_gBxHQY9suTynE-tOhTxckdYvKITQmPFJmifdXAz7FXwlNUvl7MCi78bu/s400/for-pb-791x1024.jpg" width="308" /></div>
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Is the madness ever going to end? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
No, probably not. According to the Bible, evil is always present, and always will be, as long as Satan is still alive and well. But it also tells us that we can overcome evil with good.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Where does good come from?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Again, the Bible tells us that all goodness is from God...and that apart from Him there is NO ONE good in and of themselves. It is only through Christ that we can be truly good. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How do we overcome the evil in this world?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We can begin by teaching our children.</div>
And how do we teach our children to be good?<br />
<br />
Introduce them to the only one who can actually help them.<br />
<i>(And in the mean time, a little discipline won't hurt.)</i><br />
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Do I understand why God allows events like this one I mentioned to happen?</div>
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No. I doubt I ever will.</div>
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I do know that that baby is infinitely better off with Jesus than with the sorry excuse for parents he had.</div>
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But that doesn't always ease the pain.</div>
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All I can do is leave that in God's hands and resolve, with everything in me, to teach my children better.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">And that is what I will do.</span></b></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-25051231362579239482013-12-23T16:42:00.003-06:002013-12-23T16:42:40.886-06:00We Wish You a Merry Christmas...I had big plans...this year, I was going to get pictures taken and order Christmas cards AND get them sent out (that's the big one, there - I usually forget to mail them.)<br />
<br />
I should have known it wouldn't work out like that.<br />
<br />
First of all, every time we made plans to take pictures, something came up and it didn't work out. So, no family picture.<br />
<br />
Finally, last week, since it was clear we weren't going to get a family picture made, I went digging through my files for some recent pics I'd done of the kids and designed a card. Obviously, since it was so close to Christmas, I wasn't going to be able to shop around and find the best prices, since I was going to have to have them printed here in town. Office Depot was having a sale, so I chose them.<br />
<br />
Apparently that was a bad idea, as when I went in the day after ordering, they could even find my order on the computer, and then when they got them printed after I had to email it to them, they were so badly pixelated that the text was nearly unreadable in places.<br />
So, now it's two days before Christmas, I have a stack of unusable cards, AND I'm out the money I paid to get them printed. I'm still waiting to hear back from Customer Service if they'll give me my money back.<br />
<br />
In the mean time, I don't have cards to send out, so and e-card is going to have to do! :)<br />
<br />
So here you go - if you think you should get a Christmas card from us, this is for you!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9QjOf9C-KQ/UriuQ5wn8rI/AAAAAAAADh0/kuFVRYuNTkw/s1600/2013-12-181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9QjOf9C-KQ/UriuQ5wn8rI/AAAAAAAADh0/kuFVRYuNTkw/s320/2013-12-181.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(you can click to view larger)</td></tr>
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Merry Christmas!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-33584565272009478392013-11-21T12:08:00.001-06:002013-11-21T12:10:45.290-06:00Breakfast for Supper - Brupper? Sup-fast? Brinner? Whatever...Ever go to fix supper and think, "Man, I'm tired of making the same old stuff!"?<br />
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Yeah, me too.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Last night I went to fix supper, couldn't think of anything I wanted to make, then remembered that I had a package of all natural sausage in the freezer that I had gotten to try. <i>(No chemicals, just meat and spices - the way food SHOULD be...don't get me started) </i>So, I figured I'd fix breakfast food for supper. A lot of times when I do that, I'll do a breakfast casserole I make with bread, eggs, bacon or sausage and cheese - Kind of like a savory french toast casserole - but I didn't really want to fix that and didn't have enough bread anyway. Last time I did a brupper <i>(yep, pretty much just made that word up on the spot!)</i>, I made a biscuits and gravy casserole using canned biscuits - it was good, but I<i> </i>didn't want to do it either...and I didn't have canned biscuits...</div>
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So what's a girl to do?</div>
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Duh!</div>
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Off to Pinterest I went.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I looked at all sorts of breakfast casseroles. French toast casserole - didn't have enough bread. I still wasn't having much luck, so I thought, well, maybe I'll just make pancakes or waffles...but I really didn't feel like standing over a griddle doing pancakes. </div>
<div>
Then it hit me - why not a pancake CASSEROLE?!</div>
<div>
I searched, and, sure enough, there were recipes. Looked at a bunch, most of which seemed kind of like big pan-sized egg-y popover type things - which is fine, I like egg-y popover type things, but that wasn't what <i>I wanted. </i></div>
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After some hunting, I settled on <a href="http://mrsbsrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/10/pancake-sausage-casserole.html" target="_blank">this recipe.</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I altered it a bit. I also made homemade cinnamon/vanilla syrup to go over since that bottled stuff you get from the store is just nasty <i>(and not good for you, either, but how do you make something that is essentially sugar good for you?).</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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As it turned out, it was pretty good - one child at it happily, the other child ate it somewhat begrudgingly, but he didn't spend half an hour declaring the he was NOT going to put that in his mouth, so I consider it success [ :) ] <i>(plus, this child only likes plain pancakes- he refuses to even taste syrup. Or jelly. Or peanut butter...strange kid, I know)</i>, and the father declared that it would be better without the sausage in it, but he ate two pieces, so it must not have been too bad! :D</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, if you want to try the original recipe, go to that link up that. If you want my version, here it is! <i>(click the recipes to view full size - my 3-column layout messes me up in this case)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIjQS-HyRBsImAAiy0gxab-s05twHrniqd1oq3XLBJNAueZuWxhxImgXAfBCixBHLfw2p8esorKYHQ9R_KHiTpUGD0KXQA9p8U7Gfk7WSIjp7DFPwwWf7ZNEwVmGzkuYo0HS_aqAqSIWk/s1600/Pancakes+and+Sausage+Casserole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIjQS-HyRBsImAAiy0gxab-s05twHrniqd1oq3XLBJNAueZuWxhxImgXAfBCixBHLfw2p8esorKYHQ9R_KHiTpUGD0KXQA9p8U7Gfk7WSIjp7DFPwwWf7ZNEwVmGzkuYo0HS_aqAqSIWk/s320/Pancakes+and+Sausage+Casserole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMrT9eHncHI/Uo5KpYccQ1I/AAAAAAAADaI/qRoX2PKUFVs/s1600/Pancake+&+Waffle+Syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMrT9eHncHI/Uo5KpYccQ1I/AAAAAAAADaI/qRoX2PKUFVs/s320/Pancake+&+Waffle+Syrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
I served this with scrambled eggs and applesauce this particular time - and of course, coffee for the big people <i>(you can't have breakfast without coffee!!)</i> and the little folks had hot chocolate. If the summer, it would probably be juice of some sort.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a food photographer. <br />And yes, I did take this picture outside - it's the only place I can get any decent light!</i></td></tr>
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Hope you enjoy it!!<br />
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What about you - Does your family eat Breakfast for supper? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-542176071936146162013-11-01T23:48:00.001-05:002013-11-01T23:48:45.945-05:00On Witches and Zombies & Ghosties - Revisited!Hey, it's me again.<br />
<br />
Just wanted to do some clarifying on my Halloween posts - a disclaimer, if you will.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>First of all, if I offended anyone with my posts, I'm sorry. I meant no offense whatsoever. I was merely thinking out loud as I often do, and researching and writing things down. As often happens with me, I sit down to write a little non-dramatic post, and before I know it, all these words are pouring out of my fingers. Seriously, I can go back and read something I've written and wonder if I really wrote it. While I don't claim that all of my posts are inspired, very often I do feel that God is putting something on my heart and mind, and when I begin to actually write it out it becomes something so much more than I ever intended it to be. Whether this is one of those times, or just me waxing wordy, I couldn't tell you! :) (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>not that I'm admitting to ever being wordy or anything...)</i></span></li>
<li>That being said, I am not now, nor at any time have I had any intention of judging you less of a Christian than I if you do choose to participate in the Halloween festivities. You have to make the decision of what is best for your family, and I will trust that you have done your best to seek the will of God in anything you choose to do or not do.</li>
<li>Also, I am not 'scared' of Halloween, and I am fully confident that God is quite big enough to handle it <i>(without my help, no less!)</i>. I personally don't think that the typical witches-and-zombies-and-dead stuff emphasis that is put on the day is at all glorifying to God for all the reasons I mention in my previous posts, but I don't think God closes up shop for the day just because there's a lot of devilish stuff going on. </li>
<li>And yes, I did turn out all of my outside lights, and huddle up inside. Why? Because it was a stormy, nasty night; I had no candy to give trick-or-treaters; therefore, we closed up. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(And, personally, I find it rather horrifying to have people walking up and knocking on my door. Does that mean I can't be a Christian because I don't love my neighbors? Actually, I like the ones I know just fine, and would not hesitate to help them out if needed. I just can't handle large quantities of uninvited guests. I have a hard time with invited guests, actually. Just another quirk of my particular hermit-ish personality type. Judge away!) </span></i> Instead, we watched a 'scaring' movie with our kids <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Monsters University, if you're wondering)</span></i>, and ate popcorn and ice cream <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(they did, at least)</span></i>. Guess I should have turned on the lights and handed out gospel tracts. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(and cleaned up the resulting TP on the lawn this morning...)</span></i></li>
<li>Yes, the kids did dress up. We took them to Boo at the Zoo last weekend in their costumes and they trick-or-treated with the animals, and we went to church for a fall party tonight and they got to dress up again! Here's the proof: </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/537785_10151735447500949_261192223_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Tinkerbell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/558545_10151735449265949_182831564_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And her friend Peter Pan.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/995217_10151735447745949_1338345833_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and I'm pretty sure Peter Pan is getting some rather mischievous ideas in his head... <br /><br /><br /> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, 'fraid so...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So, I hope that helped clarify my intentions on my series of posts about Halloween. Hope you'll come back and visit me sometime!! :) </span></div>
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<i> (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not sure why my pictures are going all kooky on me... they don't seem to want to stay how I put them!)</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-80664389926929272562013-10-31T10:33:00.002-05:002013-10-31T10:38:38.263-05:00In Honor of Reformation Day<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">496 years ago, a man walked up the steps of the All Saints Church in Wittenburg, Germany, and nailed a document on the door. This day marks the beginning of a whole new era in church history.</span><br />
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<img height="239" src="http://www.wayshowerscommunityfellowship.org/images/Martin-Luther-95-Thesis.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Martin Luther - Augustinian monk, priest, Professor of theology - had devoted years of his life to the study of the Bible. On his life as a monk, he remarked, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">"If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would certainly have done so." Yet, he later described this time in his life as one of deep spiritual despair, stating that, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">"I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul." It was during this time that </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">a superior advised to cease focusing on his failures and sins and instead reflect on the merits of Christ and this would later bring him the spiritual guidance that he sought.</span></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px;">'I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; font-family: times, serif; line-height: 21px;">n 1513, while preparing lectures, Luther read Psalm 22, which recounts Christ’s cry for mercy on the cross, a cry similar to his own disillusionment with God and religion. Two years later, while preparing a lecture on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, he read, “The just will live by faith.” He dwelt on this statement for some time. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; font-family: times, serif; line-height: 21px;">Finally, he realized the <u>key to spiritual salvation was not to fear God or be enslaved by religious dogma but to believe that faith alone would bring salvation</u>. This period marked a major change in his life and set in motion the Reformation.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; font-family: times, serif; line-height: 21px;">'</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; font-family: times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is this very fact that gives us much of the religious freedom we enjoy today. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10-12 years after the day that he nailed his 95 Theses on the door, Luther wrote what is the best known today of all the hymns he wrote - a hymn we know today as A Mighty Fortress is Our God. It has been called one of the best-loved hymns of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, and was called by some, 'The Battle-Hymn of the Reformation". Luther wrote the song as somewhat of a paraphrase of Psalm 46, the first seven verses of which read:</span></span><br />
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<i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. </span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;">Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.</i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> Selah </span></i></span></i></div>
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</span></i><br />
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<i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="line-height: 22.390625px;">There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,</span>the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city;</span><span style="color: #0000bb; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: #010000;">it shall not be moved; </span><span style="color: #010000;">God will help it when the morning dawns. </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #010000;">The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; </span><span style="color: #010000;">he utters his voice, the earth melts. </span></span></i></div>
<span style="color: #010000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.390625px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #010000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.390625px;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000;">The </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="color: #010000;"> of hosts is with us; </span><span style="color: #010000;">the God of Jacob is our refuge.</span></i></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #010000;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Selah<span style="color: #010000;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though the song was written nearly 500 years ago, its words are still relevant for us today. Much as in Luther's day, sin is rampant. Even the so-called religious leaders are proclaiming that sin today is not what we used to think it. Things that, once, were thought of as abominable by even the non-religious, are now accepted as cultural norms. Governmental leaders are promoting those that would like to see Christianity gone for good, and telling anyone who will listen that that group of people that are categorized as 'Evangelical Christians' are nothing more than terrorists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Never more than today does it seem that we need a refuge, a fortress to protect from those that are out to destroy the cause of Christ. And, thankfully, the same Refuge that the Psalmist wrote about, the same 'Mighty Fortress' that Martin Luther leaned upon, is still ours today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our foe is great - but our God is greater. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"We will not fear for God has willed His truth to triumph through us!"</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take courage! We have 'the Right Man' on our side, and 'He must win the battle'!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<h2>
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<img height="214" src="http://notesofinspiration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/fortress.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<i> A Mighty Fortress is Our God </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>On earth is not his equal.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>And He must win the battle.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>One little word shall fell him.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>His kingdom is forever.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #010000; font-size: x-small;"></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #010000;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #010000;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000; font-size: x-small;">(Words and music by Martin Luther, circa 1520-1530 AD)</span></i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #010000;"><i style="line-height: 22.390625px;"><span style="color: #010000;"><br /></span></i></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #343b40; font-family: times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-42079229358850280312013-10-26T01:34:00.000-05:002013-11-01T23:51:49.337-05:00Witches and Zombies and Ghosties - Oh My! Part IV<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Hi again! Today is the last part of my series of posts on Halloween. If you've stuck around this long, you have a formal invitation to be my best friend! :) If you're just joining us, be sure and go back and read parts <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my.html" target="_blank">I</a>, <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my_24.html" target="_blank">II</a>, and <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my_25.html" target="_blank">III</a>!</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
When I started to write this, it was just supposed to be a little post venting about some of the issues I have with Halloween. I never dreamed it would turn into something so long it had to be broken up into 4 parts to make it a little easier to read. But, as often happens, I sat down and started writing, and then I started researching, and one thing led to another - and here we are!! <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just a little story to end this thing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A couple of weeks ago, I was in the
store with my daughter (who is almost 7), and she told me we needed to get some
Halloween decorations, because it was almost Halloween and we hadn't decorated
anything for it. She had mentioned this in passing a few other times, so I
decided it was probably time to discuss it and settle the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I explained to her that I don't
decorate for Halloween, and pointed out to her that most of the Halloween
decorations we saw were witches, skeletons, ghosts, spiders, and the like, and
that those were not nice things, and I didn't want to celebrate them. After we
discussed it for a while, she saw what I meant, and agreed with me that those
things weren't really things she wanted to celebrate, either, but she was still
feeling a little disturbed that we had NO decorations at all. (I rarely
decorate for any holiday but Christmas, except for a seasonal tablecloth and
(maybe) centerpiece on the dining room table, and some sort of seasonal door
decoration) I told her that I would be happy to find her some fall decor -
pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, etc. and that made her happy. (We now have a
cheerful scarecrow residing in our front flowerbed, and she has a small one in
her room, among other things).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="211" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/scarecrow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar to this little fellow. <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/scarecrow.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn't realize how much she had
taken our little talk to heart, though, until yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each day, when she comes home from
school, she brings a binder with her completed papers for the day; one of these
was a math sheet, on which they were learning about adding doubles. At the
bottom of the page, it told them to draw pictures to demonstrate the problem -
specifically, witch hats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I looked it over and didn't see any
witch hats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My child had taken me seriously when
I told her that we didn't want to be having witches around. In place of the
witch hats, she had drawn cats. (Hopefully she got her teacher's permission
before she did this.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img src="http://asset.zcache.com/assets/graphics/s.gif" /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTBDTLOimUo/UmdqXHYfrtI/AAAAAAAADZg/eq034c6ROTs/s1600/cats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTBDTLOimUo/UmdqXHYfrtI/AAAAAAAADZg/eq034c6ROTs/s320/cats.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, what was the point of all of this?</div>
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Mostly just a chance to vent a little, but hopefully, if there were any questions in your mind about Halloween, and if Christians should celebrate it, maybe this has helped you, or at least made you want to find out for yourself what it's all about! Personally, it's always made me somewhat uncomfortable, and in recent years, has almost made me downright upset seeing how far some people seem to take it. Lately, a lot of what I've been seeing is people dressing up as zombies and dead people, axe murderers, etc. and it just seems to me that it's basically turned into the glorification of every thing bad and disgusting - and I want no part of that.</div>
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Disagree with me? Feel free to tell me so in the comments.Won't be the first time somebody hasn't agreed with me, and I imagine it won't be the last! :) I'll still love you anyway!</div>
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Now for some happy pics so that you can see I DO let me kids have a little fun every once in a while!! We painted pumpkins last week - we carved pumpkins the week before, but they didn't even last a week and they were leaking all over the place, so we threw them out and started over. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBsb0gR5MqmoSbF12_q8nbPabKLoZT562r5-Qi4rem39wKdErKN6QDjpiyiOVv-d6oON8mdvNd7VZ2W4PtTcN5y1xAT020b6pF9A16Xznt5UGw4jl0HpHLo3Lo_v81pKUrKFNU-MTKoq7/s1600/20131018_211127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBsb0gR5MqmoSbF12_q8nbPabKLoZT562r5-Qi4rem39wKdErKN6QDjpiyiOVv-d6oON8mdvNd7VZ2W4PtTcN5y1xAT020b6pF9A16Xznt5UGw4jl0HpHLo3Lo_v81pKUrKFNU-MTKoq7/s320/20131018_211127.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Artiste - she likes everything to be perfect, and usually has a meltdown at every drip and streak</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoFmtF8j10SPGnIt3oZYlBvtSYEg79O6TZsGGcbC5zwEuxxvAUvrXGRj7cDpQaXieOKdf8qYsGNb7WpTCizRv58fWk7hr3Oql14aR3VR3fUmUHHsy3G6Ro6v02fAyNRfUdFjQUNgfoVYF/s1600/20131018_211234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoFmtF8j10SPGnIt3oZYlBvtSYEg79O6TZsGGcbC5zwEuxxvAUvrXGRj7cDpQaXieOKdf8qYsGNb7WpTCizRv58fWk7hr3Oql14aR3VR3fUmUHHsy3G6Ro6v02fAyNRfUdFjQUNgfoVYF/s320/20131018_211234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Next Picasso - he's very into abstract art. The design on his pumpkin is, in fact, a cat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsLlN15c7MoyUKJ2mvDs9PYKm-dO9pUyGHwqzFvhsbfgQqrSiVUur6cUvje5ESIAWws7yzKKMTVu2H6q06Z0hvicHJnVP0-exnNENus7quSObqi5yHAA9T526ImyMzA4v4B0oZeoTJbhP/s1600/20131018_211722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsLlN15c7MoyUKJ2mvDs9PYKm-dO9pUyGHwqzFvhsbfgQqrSiVUur6cUvje5ESIAWws7yzKKMTVu2H6q06Z0hvicHJnVP0-exnNENus7quSObqi5yHAA9T526ImyMzA4v4B0oZeoTJbhP/s320/20131018_211722.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad even got in on the pumpkin painting - his canvas was a bit smaller, though.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgvWAvoKvn4/UmIBJ6d6nwI/AAAAAAAADYM/oZaM9bpbqFk/s1600/20131018_223135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgvWAvoKvn4/UmIBJ6d6nwI/AAAAAAAADYM/oZaM9bpbqFk/s320/20131018_223135.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished products. If you look real hard, stick your tongue out just so, and squint a bit, you can <i>almost </i>see the cat face on Jonathan's pumpkin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRno3VjwOBrxVpQSd3HnTnag5zNoG3KweOon7GvnnwKS7PMJNr0rWQlThfhg_obbBJlT5h_6WhGMRmYjc4E84AAbWNFWTq0u-jqU4ak7BsobcFCgKaT34QIBHRENAypeXWEsOG4IeSp_-T/s1600/20131018_223237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRno3VjwOBrxVpQSd3HnTnag5zNoG3KweOon7GvnnwKS7PMJNr0rWQlThfhg_obbBJlT5h_6WhGMRmYjc4E84AAbWNFWTq0u-jqU4ak7BsobcFCgKaT34QIBHRENAypeXWEsOG4IeSp_-T/s320/20131018_223237.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, yes, we do like cats. And we like them to be anatomically correct, so these even have tails. :)</td></tr>
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I hope you've enjoyed my little jaunt into Halloween-land!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">(Note 11/1/13: I wrote another post today to better clarify my intentions in writing this series of posts. Go check it out, <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-witches-and-zombies-ghosties.html" target="_blank">here</a>!)</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-73446053073606191522013-10-25T01:02:00.000-05:002013-10-31T10:44:09.678-05:00Witches and Zombies and Ghosties - Oh My! Part III<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Welcome to Part III of my series on Halloween. </span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Wow, you must be a loyal reader, if you're back again! :) If you're just joining us, be sure and go back and read <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my.html" target="_blank">Part I</a> and <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my_24.html" target="_blank">Part II!</a></span><br />
<br />
Yesterday, we talked about the origins of the holiday we know as Halloween, and how it is <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">linked to pagan rituals,
Catholic traditions, witchcraft and ancient superstition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Now we want to discuss:<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>What does the Bible say
about it?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Well, obviously, it
doesn't address the day directly, but it does have somewhat to say about
spirits and witchcraft; any times a witch or wizard is mentioned in Bible, it
does not have</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">anything</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">positive to say about it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(uh-oh, now we're really getting serious - bullet points and everything!)</span></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Exodus 22:18: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
(KJV)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #e69138;">Deuteronomy 18:10-12: There shall not be found among
you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,
or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a
witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or
a necromancer.<u>For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
Lord:</u> and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth
drive them out from before thee. (KJV)</span></span></i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the New Testament, witchcraft is mentioned among a
list of things that, it tells us, would prevent </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">the doers thereof from
entering the Kingdom of God (i.e. Heaven): </span><br />
<ul type="disc">
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="color: #e69138;">·</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;"> <i>Galatians 5:19-22 Now
the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I
warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God. (ESV)</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <i>"</i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bible definitely speaks
negatively about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only
the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are
to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead,
séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian's
fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. "</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://carm.org/halloween" target="_blank">(source)</a></span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
There are many other scriptures I could use that speak to us about avoiding evil, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, what's a Christian
to do? If we allow our children to participate by dressing up and
trick-or-treating, are we casting our implicit approval on the day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I don't have all the
answers to these questions (and others). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I don't have all the answers for my own questions, to be honest. In some ways, my instinct says avoid it completely; I know that, in part, however, this is due to my personality type, and to my own experiences as a child. My family didn't trick-or-treat. We could dress up any day of the year, but we didn't get special costumes for Halloween. My parents did buy us some candy to help with our feeling left out on that respect, but giving us tons of candy was never priority. On the other hand, my husband's family DID go trick-or-treating. He remembers having fun with it, and wants out kids to be able to have fun as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">This is where we are at this time: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I do allow my children to dress up, but the costumes
cannot be anything scary or related in any way to ghosts, witches, dead
people, demons, or the like.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have, on some occasions, taken them
trick-or-treating, but usually try to find something a little safer for
them to do to occupy them on that day. Mostly, we want them to have fun
and not be the one child left out when all their friends are crowing about
the obscene amounts of candy they scored. <i>(Not that I think it's always
terrible to not go with the crowd - I firmly believe there is a time to
stand for your convictions and it doesn't matter if LITERALLY every is
doing it - if it's wrong it's wrong, but this is not one of those times.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I fully support churches holding 'trunk-or-treat' or
harvest themed events and promoting Bible and historical character
costumes. It seems to me the best way to 'redeem' the day, so to speak, by
giving kids something to do that is not involving them in the bad aspects
of the holiday.</span></li>
</ul>
<img height="139" src="http://newlandumc.org/files/2012/09/trunk_n_treat1.jpg" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;" width="320" /><br />
This isn't a definitive list, but it should give some idea of what we are allowing at this point in our lives. I can't tell that it won't change in the future, but I can tell you that the type of 'celebration' of this holiday that has become mainstream will NEVER be something I can willingly embrace.<br />
<br />
Please understand that I am not presenting this as a one-size-fits-all thing. There are some Christians who would look at this as appalling - why in the world would a person go so far? It's just an amusing holiday is all! On the other hand, there are those who would even doubt my own Christianity for participating as much as we do. I understand that. This is where WE are at this point in our lives - I'm in no way saying you can't possibly be a Christian and 'do' Halloween. What I AM saying is that <u>I</u> can't comfortably do it.<br />
<ul type="disc">
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Come back tomorrow for one last installment - an amusing ending to an otherwise dark subject! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-76597629289181786982013-10-24T00:46:00.000-05:002013-10-24T00:46:00.122-05:00Witches and Zombies and Ghosties - Oh My! Part II<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Welcome to Part II of my series on my concerns about Halloween. If you're just joining us, be sure and go back and <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/10/witches-and-zombies-and-ghosties-oh-my.html" target="_blank">read the previous post.</a></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The origins of the
holiday we know as Halloween are somewhat uncertain. The most widely held
opinion seems to be that it originated in the early middle ages with the
Catholic church. The day after Halloween, November 1st, is the day known in the
Catholic church as All Saints Day - a day set aside to celebrate all of the
'Saints', both known and unknown. It was apparently held by some that on the
day prior to this (October 31), all of the souls that were currently residing
in Purgatory (a holding place, so to speak, somewhere between Heaven and Hell,
where souls unworthy of Heaven were thought to be held for the day of
Judgement), were released to walk the earth for 24 hours. It became tradition
for some to go from door to door on this day, asking for prayers for the souls
of their deceased loved ones, as they believed that a soul held in Purgatory
could be released to Heaven if enough supplication was made on their behalf by
those still living. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img src="http://www.incarnationchurch.com/assets/1334/all-hallows-eve.png" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.incarnationchurch.com/default.aspx?p=44826&beid=115354" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Still others trace the
origins of Halloween back to the feast of Samhain, which was a Celtic festival
celebrating the end of the harvest season, dating back to the time of Christ of
before. Fairies and spirits were thought to be particularly active during this
time, and feasts were held, during which places were set at the table for those
that had passed, and their spirits were beckoned back to earth. The spirits of
the dead were thought to wander the streets, looking for bodies to inhabit, so
many of the living (who did not want their bodies to be overtaken by a spirit)
would dress in costumes and parade about making loud noises, so as to frighten
the spirits away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img height="141" src="http://www.seacoastshores.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Halloween-2.jpg" width="200" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.seacoastshores.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Halloween-2.jpg" target="_blank">source</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Jack-O-Lantern apparently
comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into
climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the
trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with
Jack not to allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would remove the
cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't
go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to
light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer.
When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead
of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the
black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic
abilities."</span></i></span><i><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://carm.org/halloween" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">source</span></a></span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Since the early 20th
century, pagans and Wiccans have adopted Samhain as somewhat of a religious
celebration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, it seems that the
holiday we now know as Halloween is linked to pagan rituals, Catholic
traditions, witchcraft and ancient superstition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sounds great. Let's have
a party! (not.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">...To be continued. Come back tomorrow for the next installment!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-84625154687289297092013-10-23T00:36:00.000-05:002013-10-23T00:36:03.821-05:00Witches and Zombies and Ghosties - Oh My! Part I<i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(For the next several days, I will be writing a series of posts addressing my concerns with Halloween. Be sure and come back to read the rest!)</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
It's that time of year again.<br />
<br />
<br />
You know the one - the time of year when it's not at all uncommon to see pseudo-graveyards popping up in peoples' yards; when gigantic mutant spiders build their webs on porches; ghosts wind their spooky selves around trees; and witches fly on their brooms throughout your normally quiet neighborhood.<br />
It's that time of year when it seems everyone is preoccupied with the dead, dying and downright scary.<br />
<br />
Now I'm not a big fan of fall to begin with - I prefer the breezy spring days with their colorful flowers, and the lazy, hot summer days. Fall just depresses me, mostly.<br />
And then you add in all the Halloween decorations people insist on plastering on every available space, and it's enough to drive a barely-sane person crazy!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="219" src="http://channelx94.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/halloween-106.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">(Not these. They're cute - even they are ghosts!)</span></i></div>
<br />
Why does it bother me so?<br />
<br />
People often tell me I'm making too much out of it - it's just an innocent holiday, a time when kids (and now-days, adults, too) dress up and go around asking for candy. Nothing wrong with that, right? <br />
(Actually, the idea of wandering around, knocking on complete strangers' door asking them to give me anything makes me a little queasy, but that's just my anti-social, hermit-ish personality type shining)<br />
And no, I can't say that there's anything wrong with kids dressing up, or with getting candy (other than the obvious health hazards linked to eating too much sugar...like my children's mother completely losing her mind after they run their 57th lap around the house giggling maniacally in their sugar-induced stupor. But I digress.), however, I just can't reconcile having a little 'innocent fun' with all of the dark and dead stuff that seems to be celebrated on that day,<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(To Be continued. Come back tomorrow for Part II!)</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-46718686554851522892013-09-18T22:46:00.000-05:002013-09-18T22:47:28.730-05:00Big Books for a Little Girl - Suggestions?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lisalangblakeney.com/facing-writing-fears/girl-reading/" target="_blank"><img alt="girl-reading" height="157" src="http://lisalangblakeney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/girl-reading.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Well, my friends, I have another question for you.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But first, let me tell you why I'm asking it:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I'm sure you probably have figured out by now, I have a 6-year-old (almost 7) daughter. She's doing well with her reading, though she's still limited to fairly simple stuff or she gets frustrated fairly fast. I do, however, want to try to cultivate a love for reading reading in her. As a child, I read incessantly (the ladies at the library all knew us well), and I feel like it was a great learning tool for me, and I want her to be able to experience that. (On the other hand, my husband and his siblings did not read as much, and as a result, only one of them really loves to read.) </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As of this fall, she now attending another Charter school (this one run by the same board of directors as the one she attended in Lake Charles), and, unlike this past spring when we walked to school, we now have a 20 minute drive to school every morning. (It's only 6.5 miles, but through town, so it takes 20-25 minutes) Because of this, I've been checking out audiobooks from the library <i>(using their online checkout program - I highly recommend it! You can download audiobooks and ebooks to the device of your choosing, and they return themselves at the end of the lending period - no overdue fees when you forget to take them back! Not that I have any experience in that matter, of course... *cough, cough*) </i> and we've been listening to them on the way to school. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So far, we've done the Ralph S. Mouse books, Pippi Longstocking, and we're almost done with Anne of Green Gables. I wondered at first if <i>Anne</i> might not be a little to advanced for her still, but she's really gotten into it! Since we're almost finished with that one, I'm thinking of what to get next. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are some I've thought about getting:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><i>The Wizard of Oz </i> series, by L. Frank Baum</li>
<li><i>The Little House </i>series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder</li>
<li>The rest of the <i>Anne</i> series, by L.M. Montgomery, etc. <i>(however, since the rest of the series is more about her grown-up years, I'm not sure they'd hold her attention as of yet. This also being the problem with the rest of L.M. Montgomery's books - while I loved them when I was young, I was in my teens, I think, when I read them all, the Anne books, as well as the Emily books, that I don't know if they're really going to be interesting for a 7 year old.)</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you have any suggestions for me? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know there are are the Amelia Bedelia books, Fancy Nancy, etc. and she likes those, but she can read them herself with a little help. I'd rather something a little more advanced, chapter books that are still too much for her to handle on her own, but that the story will hold her attention and make her want to read more.</div>
<div>
Make sense? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Leave any suggestions you might have in the comments...I'd appreciate it greatly! :) </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-35852605377418130872013-09-08T01:48:00.001-05:002013-09-08T01:48:56.618-05:00It Is Enough.<div style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="bible wallpaper" height="200" src="http://www.sparkleofnature.com/14373_bible_with_roses_w_1920x1200.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smscs.com/picview.php?title=bible+wallpaper&photo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sparkleofnature.com%2F14373_bible_with_roses_w_1920x1200.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(source)</i></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">My faith has found a resting place,</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Not in device or creed;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I trust the ever living One,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
His wounds for me shall plead.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enough for me that Jesus saves,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This ends my fear and doubt;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A sinful soul I come to Him,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He’ll never cast me out.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My heart is leaning on the Word,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The living Word of God,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salvation by my Savior’s Name,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salvation through His blood.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My great Physician heals the sick,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The lost He came to save;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For me His precious blood He shed,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For me His life He gave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I need no other argument,</span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="chorus" style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></i></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>I need no other plea,</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>It is enough that Jesus died,</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And that He died for me.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(</i>Hymn,<i> "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place" </i>by Eliza E. Hewitt (1851-1920)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-39992457970370283442013-08-30T11:01:00.003-05:002013-08-30T11:01:50.168-05:00Change...Change is good, right?<br />
<br />
If you remember, a couple of weeks ago I posted about possibly changing the blog name. While I didn't get any input on here, a couple of you did comment on Facebook with your suggestions for what I should name the blog. Neither of those made the final cut, but I thank you for you input, anyway! (You know who you are)<br />
<br />
You'll notice that there is a new header with a new title.<br />
You might wonder why I chose that particular title - after all, this is not primarily a music blog. If you're curious, there is also a link at the top of the page that will tell you a little bit about why I chose that particular name. After asking for suggestions, I was thinking about it, and out of the blue, this is the phrase that came into my mind. After thinking about it while longer, I slowly became convinced that this was the right thing to do. And after thinking about it for a couple more weeks, here we are!<br />
<br />
Hope you like it!!! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-10461833364291316142013-08-06T16:32:00.000-05:002013-08-06T16:32:18.474-05:00What Shall We Name the ... BLOG?!?I've been thinking.<br />
<br />
<i>(Yes, I do that every once in a while, and NO, it didn't hurt. At least, not too bad.)</i><br />
<br />
I really should give my blog a real name.<br />
<br />
I mean, it's just been called "The Davis Family" for a long time. And really, while I DO write about my family some, I spend just as much time thinking out loud and posting about crafty-pinteresty things.<br />
So, I really need a name for this thing.<br />
<br />
Only one problem with that.<br />
<br />
I am SOO not good at naming things.<br />
<br />
I mean, really, my son was a good 12 hours old before we finally settled on a name!<br />
<br />
So, I'm asking you:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>What should I name the blog?</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-54547614228677631512013-08-06T16:17:00.000-05:002013-08-06T23:25:11.000-05:00Burlap & Hydrangea So, it been a few months, and my <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-wreath-project.html" target="_blank">springy-tulipy wreath</a> was feeling a bit <i>TOO </i>springy for the Louisiana summer, so I got to brainstorming again.<br />
Of course, <i>everyone</i>'s doing burlap this and that these days, and, like most trendy things, it takes a while to grow on me...but I was starting to like the idea of a burlap wreath. I saw one on, um, you know <i>(glances furtively around and whispers) <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">THAT PLACE</a> </i> that I liked that used a burlap wreath with bunches of hydrangeas on it, and sorta fell in love (because I have this THING about hydrangeas - and have unfortunately never succeeded at growing them). <br />
I won't post pictures of those, because, well, they put my little DIY project to shame, but if you want you can just search 'burlap hydrangea wreath' on Pinterest, and you'll find lots of loveliness to tickle your eyeballs. (Or you can look at my <a href="http://pinterest.com/ghdavis/diy/" target="_blank">DIY board</a> and probably figure out what I was looking at.)<br />
<br />
So, anyway, I'm thinking maybe a nice dark red/burgundy and those kind of ecru colored hydrangeas they have at Hobby Lobby...but then, I get there to look at them, and the ones I was thinking of were $10 - per head.<br />
Not happening, folks.<br />
Even at 50% off, they were still $5 a piece, and with needing 6-8 at least plus the other materials needed, I was looking at a $50-60 dollar wreath.<br />
Um, No.<br />
Sorry.<br />
I like pretty things at much as the next girl, but I have a hard time paying that much for a piece of something to hang on the door. For the neighbors to look at.<br />
Seriously - I'm never at that door; we use the side door. The only time I see that door is when we drive in the driveway or I'm out in the yard with the kids - and then I'm not usually looking!<br />
<br />
So I put the idea away for a bit.<br />
<br />
Then, one day I was in that store that I spend waaayyy too much time (and money) in <i>(the one that starts with a W and ends in -almart)</i>, and happened to pass through the fake flower department - 'scuse me, the <i>ARTIFICIAL </i>flower dept. - and saw these big bunches of blue hydrangeas for $5 a piece. They weren't as pretty, or as real-looking as the Hobby Lobby ones, but at that price I thought I could make that work a <i>little</i> better.<br />
<br />
One wreath form, a couple yards of burlap, one bunch of hydrangeas and a couple of hours of work later, we had a new wreath!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjCRGOfMcXs/UgFj0X6DeTI/AAAAAAAADWM/P9nqF4M0n6o/s1600/DSCN0770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjCRGOfMcXs/UgFj0X6DeTI/AAAAAAAADWM/P9nqF4M0n6o/s400/DSCN0770.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>(Could someone please tell me how to take pretty pictures of an ugly door?!)</i></div>
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Of course, I don't have any pictures of how I made it because I'm impatient like that, but I'm sure you can figure it out. I used a 16" wire wreath form, cut the burlap into approximately 4" strips (would probably be easier and neater to use burlap ribbon, but I have the yardage on hand from another project, so I used what I had), and wove it through the wires, leaving small loops, and then scrunched it together. Since I didn't take the time to cut the burlap precisely, it was unraveling and I had strings everywhere by the time I was done. Don't do what I did - do it right and you won't have as big of a mess to clean up!</div>
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I wanted to be able to use the burlap part for other seasons, so I didn't want the flowers to be permanently affixed. I ended up just cutting the stems about 2-3" long and just poking them in between the puffs of burlap. So far it has stayed. We'll see - if any hurricanes come along, I might have to fasten it a little more securely! ;)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ogA6EeFt3M/UgFj6U-2D_I/AAAAAAAADWU/FYWXRnDj61g/s1600/2013-08-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ogA6EeFt3M/UgFj6U-2D_I/AAAAAAAADWU/FYWXRnDj61g/s400/2013-08-01.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
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Cost:</div>
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Burlap (about 2 yards) = around $5.50</div>
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Wire Wreath Form = $2</div>
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Hydrangeas = $5</div>
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Total = $12.50</div>
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Time to make: 1-2 hours (I was working on other things at the same time)</div>
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I don't know about you, but I can handle that price a <i>whole</i> lot better than $50-60!!</div>
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I'll be thinking of ways to accessorize it for fall and winter.</div>
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What suggestions do you have?</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Linking up with:</span></i><br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://www.deeprootsathome.com/encourage-one-another-wednesday-link-up-98/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DeepRootsAtHome+%28Deep+Roots+at+Home%29" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.deeprootsathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Capture-2.jpg" /></a></center>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-34371435793538132552013-07-08T02:08:00.000-05:002013-07-08T02:17:39.562-05:00Go Ahead - Cast the First Stone!If you've been in church very much at all, you might have heard the story; those of us who grew up in church for sure know it, have probably heard songs about it - maybe even sang them ourselves, and probably referenced it a time or two. You know the story:<br />
<br />
We find it in the New Testament, a story of a woman caught committing a sin, but so much more than that, the story of many religious people who thought they had laid the perfect trap to catch this man they called Jesus. I can imagine they had probably plotted - planned down to the most minute detail how the scenario would go down; the plan was to bring this sinner to Jesus - this woman they had caught in the act - I repeat, in the VERY ACT - of adultery...(sounds a little fishy to me - seems like this woman was awfully handy, if you know what I mean) they would bring her to Him, tell Him her story, and ask Him what He thought they should do with her. The Law said she should be stoned; if He said, "Do with her as the Law demands", they would accuse Him of being harsh, cruel, and judgmental. If He told them to let her go, they would say He was not upholding the Law - either way, it couldn't look good - at least, they'd make sure it didn't look good.<br />
It couldn't fail, right?<br />
Or could it?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /></div>
<br />
As the story goes, they brought the woman to Jesus; they told Him what she had done; they told Him what the Law commanded they do with her; then they asked Him: "What do YOU say we should do with her?"<br />
Jesus ignored them.<br />
<br />
He stooped down to the ground, maybe whistled a little tune (hey, I'm using my imagination here!), and using His finger began to doodle in the dust at His feet. What did He write? The Bible doesn't tell us. Many have surmised, and I, too, think that possibly He might have written the names of some of the men (these Pharisees - religious leaders, no less) who had been involved in the same sin they were now accusing this woman of committing! Whatever it was, some of them started getting a little squirmy.<br />
They pressed Him for an answer, "Master? What do say we should do with her? Should we stone her?"<br />
Jesus, still stooped to the ground, replied in essence, "Go ahead...but...let the man who is without sin cast the first stone."<br />
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<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /></div>
<br />
And He resumed His writing. <br />
After some time passed, He looked up to find only the frightened woman looking at Him curiously.<br />
"Woman," He said, "Where are those that accused you? Has no one condemned you?"<br />
"No, sir," she replied. "They have all gone."<br />
<br />
Where did they go?! Just a few moments before they seemed to be clamoring for her blood, but now, they had all gone - slipped away without a word! The Bible tells us that, <i>"...</i><i>they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last...</i>" (<i>John 8:9, KJV).</i><br />
<br />
We know that Jesus then told this woman, in John 8:11, "<i>Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
We Christians often ponder about how Jesus didn't condemn the woman; we reflect on the mercy He showed her; we might wonder what sins the Pharisees had committed that made them slink away like a chastised dog creeping off with his tail between his legs.<br />
We use this story as an opportunity to boldly proclaim: Don't judge!<br />
And these are good things to think about.<br />
<br />
But then life happens...and we forget about the stones.<br />
<br />
...We see someone committing what seems to us to be a horrible sin, and we loudly exclaim, "How can they do <i>(blank) </i>and call themselves a Christian?!" *<i>Whooosh! A stone flies through the air.*</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
...We see someone else's children misbehaving; we think to ourselves (or even say to our friend or family), "<i>MY</i> children would <i>never</i> do that! Why, I can't <i>believe</i> how some people let their children act/dress/talk/etc!"<br />
<br />
...Someone stops attending our church for whatever reason, and we think, "Oh, They never really paid the price and got a Holy Heart. They didn't want to walk in the light - that's why they left!"<br />
<br />
...We see someone who used to attend our church, and first thing we do is look them over to see how their dressed; maybe their sleeves are too short, their clothes too tight - whatever it is, we snort to ourselves, "Hmmph. I knew they never really had anything. If they had, they wouldn't dress that way..."<br />
<br />
...Someone is a little short with us, and we get our feelings hurt and don't speak to them for months because of it.<br />
<br />
...Someone disagrees with us on one issue, and we write them off - even though we agree on all the important stuff.<br />
<br />
...We see pictures of someone posted on our facebook page, and without stopping to think what might really be going on in the picture, we take it at face value - for what we ASSUME is going on, and we become disappointed in that person and tell others how we've lost our confidence in them, 'because I saw a picture and they were doing <i>(insert offensive thing here)</i>!"<br />
<br />
So many scenarios come to mind I could mention; you may look at the list above and think, Wow, that's silly. But all of the things I mentioned are things that I've actually seen and heard people say or do.<br />
<br />
We're so quick to cast stones when it's our pet issue at the forefront. Many times we don't take the time to find out the whole story - we get a snippet of information from here, another from there, and another from over there, we put it all together and make our own story - which may be, and probably is, grossly different from the REAL story - the thing that ACTUALLY happened.<br />
We want to write people off when they don't play the Christian 'Game' like we think it should be played; when they don't don't dress, talk, think, act or believe like we think they should.<br />
<br />
When someone judges us for the things we do, we're quick to remind them, "Judge not!". We want them to show us mercy...but in our minds, we're still casting stones at others. When someone does us wrong, we want to throw the book at them - but when it's our pet sin, we want to gloss it over.<br />
<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm guilty of it just as much as anyone. No, maybe not for the same reasons as you might do it, but I'm still guilty.<br />
We want to remind others not to cast their stones our way...but we want to still keep our pile of stones - just in case - and every once in a while lob them at someone who doesn't measure up.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQgo-Vuvhb0DYRj6LLZc0jGx69_GsgXTcOQQiFn9TmzWAsoDcrMYg" /></div>
<br />
No, we don't use real stones (last time I checked, throwing rock at people was generally frowned upon), but our 'stones' are just a hurtful. Instead of rocks, we use:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Thoughts</li>
<li>Words </li>
<li>Attitudes</li>
<li>Actions</li>
<li>Etc...</li>
</ul>
<br />
Thoughts?! You might wonder how your thoughts can hurt someone. Well, what you think about (thoughts), becomes what you talk about - and a few poorly chosen words can hurt a person for life. Whether it is words spoken to the person, or words spoken to someone else about them, the things we say can do irreparable damage.<br />
But still, even without ever speaking a word, our attitudes and actions can let someone know in no uncertain terms that we don't feel they measure up.<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but I've got enough things of my own to tend to - I don't need to solve everyone else's problems, too.<br />
I need to remember that:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>...my kids aren't perfect. In some areas they may be the most intelligent, well-behaved kids around, but in other areas, they need lots of guidance. Until my children are perfect and without guilt in ALL AREAS, I have no right to judge your kids. I'll work on training my kids; you work on yours.</li>
<li>...My parenting skills still need lots of help. I'm not always as patient and loving with my family as I should be. They need all the time and attention I can give them. They need my love and acceptance - even when they're driving me crazy and making me want to tear my hair out. My children need me to teach them how to go about doing this thing called 'life' - even when I feel so woefully inadequate at it myself. You work on being a perfect parent to your children; I'll work on being a better parent to mine.</li>
<li>...I need to work on my own relationship with God; am I doing everything He's asked me to do? Am I living a life of perfect obedience to Him? Do my clothes measure up to the standards He's given me? Do my attitudes always reflect Jesus? Do my words and my actions show joy make people feel loved and accepted, or do I make people feel like my life and the duties that have been assigned to me are a drudgery? Do I count my blessings as often as I should - or do I complain all the time? </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but taking care of that list right there is going to take up just about all the time I have; you'll have to worry about your own - I don't have time for that!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSq8GhDrNltSlYwgY18mfSrH6J5sYtttz-gCd0G9_qufTDum5g8" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">a little inter-webz humor...</span>)</i></div>
<br />
I have an idea.<br />
<br />
How about, instead of 'throwing stones' at people, we pray for them instead?<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When we see something that bothers us, instead of judging, how about we pray for the person instead? </li>
<li>When we get our feelings hurt, instead of telling God (and everyone around us) how hurt we are, how about we just pray for the person that hurt us?</li>
<li>When someone dresses in a way that we feel is inappropriate, instead of telling them -or anyone else- how bad they are, ask God to lead them, and direct them. (He can tell them how He want them to dress - I don't need to!)</li>
</ul>
<br />
I could go on and on...but you get the point. How much better off would the world - and the Church - be, if we would spend more time praying, and less throwing stones?<br />
<br />
The truth is, God doesn't need our help! Yes, He does use people to help do His work, but judging them is HIS job - and He doesn't need us to help Him judge. He can show people how HE wants them to live, talk, dress, act, etc...He doesn't need me to help Him. If they don't have the set convictions I have, SO WHAT? God need me to be obedient and surrendered to Him - He'll worry about the rest.<br />
<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but I have enough on my plate just keeping myself in line...<br />
<br />
<br />
Time to clean out the rock pile!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-66961154076489641462013-07-04T00:33:00.002-05:002013-07-04T00:36:34.047-05:00In Which the Author Explains Her Adventures in Wedding Apparel-LandFear Not, my beloved friends, family, and random-people-who-stalk-my-blog! I have not forgotten you!<br />
<br />
Well, at least not TOTALLY!<br />
<br />
Actually, I've been waiting to get pictures to follow up on my <a href="http://bradandgillian.blogspot.com/2013/04/opinions-wanted.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, but, alas, no pictures are forthcoming.<br />
So, I shall fill you in my comings and goings since I saw you last!<br />
<br />
When I last posted, I was trying to find an outfit to wear to an upcoming wedding...well, the wedding has come and gone. You, my friends, had the chance to vote for an outfit for me, and out of five votes cast (!), the majority voted for the first one:<br />
<img alt="Coral Lace" height="400" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/sV12UUf71cJRtMWoq0Pjqw/cid/80601413/id/Rlk8JH52QOy1a0MOfVCezQ/size/c600x708.jpg" width="338" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
My readers had spoken - so I went with the first one.<br />
<br />
First of all, I ordered the top.<br />
After checking the size charts, etc. and seeing that my size fell on the chart in the normal size that I wear, I ordered that one. (duh.)<br />
It came.<br />
It didn't fit.<br />
It was Waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too big - like, 2 or three sizes too big.<br />
So, I sent it back, and ordered the next size down.<br />
<br />
In the mean time, I went tot he store to buy lace to make the skirt.<br />
Four out of five stores no longer had the lace in coral.<br />
<br />
Apparently, coral is rather popular this year.<br />
<br />
I eventually found it at one of the stores (the highest priced one, of course), and hurriedly bought what I needed.<br />
Only one problem. They were out of lining in that color.<br />
I scrambles back around to various fabric selling stores (forgetting to bring the lace to compare the color), and FINALLY found a fabric I thought would match. (On sale, no less)<br />
I bought it, and dragged my exhausted self home.<br />
It didn't match.<br />
<br />
Not to be (too) discouraged, I went to walmart and bought a coral maxi skirt that was three sizes too big - I figured I could use that to line it, in a pinch. It matched perfectly, but since I'd paid full price for it, my penny-pinching conscience was giving me what-for about it, so I went back to dig in my fabric stash.<br />
Well, whaddaya know - I had the perfect fabric all along! A slightly stretchy, lightweight satin-weave twill I got for $1 a yard several years ago, and never used up...<br />
After all that, it took me about 2 hours to finish up the skirt.<br />
It really did turn out pretty!<br />
<br />
But what happened to my top?!<br />
Well, about 4 days before I was supposed to leave for the wedding, it came. I rushed to get it out and try it on...<br />
......<br />
<br />
......<br />
(is the suspense killing you yet??? No? *sigh*)<br />
<br />
It didn't fit.<br />
STILL too big.<br />
<br />
I quickly went to my computer...calculated the time it had take the last two packages to arrive, contacted the store I had purchased it from, and decided that I just had enough time - if I had it shipped to Missouri (where the wedding was going to be); so I bought the next size down.<br />
<br />
Risky business, I know.<br />
(Turns out, it made it to Missouri before I did - I ended up not going when I had planned, instead traveling with my husband three days later)<br />
<br />
To make a long story a bit shorter, when I finally got the opportunity to try the whole outfit on, it all fit...and looked half-way decent, too.<br />
<br />
So, if you ever order anything from JessicaLondon.com, order your shirt 2 sizes smaller than normal. I normally wear a size 16 (should I admit that?), and the size 12 top ended up fitting perfectly. I haven't worn a size 12 since before my first child was born...back when I was skinny. :)<br />
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Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I didn't get a single picture of myself at the wedding. (I am in some of the professional shots that were taken, but I don't have those) So, you'll have to take my word for it. It really was cute together. And comfortable - though my shoes were NOT.<br />
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But, just to satisfy your picture-loving selves, I did take some 300+ pictures during the rehearsal/wedding/reception, and I DO happen to have some of my handsome husband and adorable children! :) (Although, if you're my friend on facebook, you've already seen them, I'll share for those that aren't)<br />
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Juliana was a junior bridesmaid <i>(the spots all over her dress are where she held a cold bottle of water with her dress because it was freezing her hands...thankfully, it had time to dry before the wedding started)</i></div>
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This ringbearer takes his duties VERY seriously!</div>
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Jonathan having a chat with his Uncle Trent - the groom</div>
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My men in their tuxes</div>
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This is what you get when you have two small children who have had their picture taken about 300 times in the space of a couple of hours...</div>
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<img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/936090_10151467278610949_1581077063_n.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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I'm afraid we may have to keep a leash on this one in a few years...the girls tried to leave after the picture, and he wouldn't let go of their hands! </div>
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One of my favorites...my two handsome guys. :)</div>
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My princess with her Mo-Mo - Brad's grandmother.</div>
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And, last but not least:</div>
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Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Trent Davis! </div>
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It was a lovely wedding. We welcomed a new sister into the family, and enjoyed spending time with friends and family. </div>
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And I successfully managed to avoid the camera... :D</div>
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And I promise, I'll get you pictures some time!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-6574108920444458292013-04-30T00:45:00.000-05:002013-04-30T09:52:34.244-05:00Opinions Wanted...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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Ok, all my lovely fashionable friends... I have a question for you.</div>
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In about a month, we will be attending the wedding of a family member. In trying to find something to wear to this wedding, I have come to the conclusion that the things I imagine in my head do not exist- at least, not at a price I am willing to pay, so I may make myself something. I'm really liking the idea of coral lace - I've been wanting to do something with lace for a while now, and what better opportunity! </div>
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I have a couple of ideas floating about in my pea-brain, but can't decide which one I want to pursue - that's where you come in!</div>
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Below is my Polyvore pic - kind of a rough draft of what I'm imagining using the available pics. </div>
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Outfit 1 is a ruffled white top with coral lace pencil skirt - I would probably buy the top shown (I've been eyeing it anyway, and I have a 40% discount I could use), and make the skirt just a little less pencil-y and below the knee-ish.</div>
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Outfit 2 is a simple lace dress with white/cream cardigan/shrug. I was actually thinking more of a shrug with a drapey ruffle - like <a href="http://bedfordfair.blair.com/product/24320.uts?cid=ps_bf_google" target="_blank">this one</a>, only with longer sleeves. I would probably make the skirt a little less gathered, probably either circular or a-line. </div>
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So, here they are:<br />
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<img alt="Coral Lace" height="400" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/sV12UUf71cJRtMWoq0Pjqw/cid/80601413/id/Rlk8JH52QOy1a0MOfVCezQ/size/c600x708.jpg" width="338" /></div>
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Please offer any feedback/opinions/constructive criticism<br />
you might have...unless it's mean, then kindly refrain<br />
- of course, I don't think any of my loyal readers would<br />
have anything mean to say! :) If you think I should totally<br />
ditch these ideas and go a totally different direction, by all means,<br />
let me know that, too - just some guidelines: I'd like to stay in<br />
the coral hues, and it is an outdoor wedding in June (in other words,<br />
nothing too formal or stifling).</div>
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Alright - GO! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-37657011746186933042013-04-22T14:36:00.001-05:002013-04-22T14:56:00.073-05:00Guest Post: How Are You Leading?<i>Well, check it out - we've got a new post from the hubby! :)</i><br />
<i>As before, he is submitting this blog post to fulfill an assignment for one of his classes - this time an Administration class. If, after reading, you would be willing to fill out a short questionnaire regarding this post, please let me know either here or on Facebook, and I will send you the link!</i><br />
<i>~Thanks!</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>How Are You Leading</u>?</span></b></div>
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I certainly do not claim to be an expert but I have watched people over the years and have recently learned a lot in my college studies. If this helps no one else, maybe it will serve to remind me of what and what not to be.<br />
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What are the marks of a good leader, and how do you measure their success? You might get about as many different answers as people you ask, but I want to look at a few that I think can be useful.<br />
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<b>I. Integrity</b><br />
Integrity is defined as “the state of being complete, unified”; this is when you are who you say you are no matter where you are or who you are with. If you have integrity you will not be divided or pretending, for that would just be duplicity and hypocrisy. To me this is actually kind of funny when you watch people who are different depending on what is going on; it seems like some will go along with the “crowd” when with them, but when at home you cannot get them to budge. If you don’t want to change why act like it when you’re around the “crowd” if you are not going to allow or implement it in your area? This sets a bad example to people that are watching. Keep your integrity at all cost so that people will know who you are and what to expect out of you.<br />
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<b>II. Vision</b><br />
You also need to have a vision and a plan to reach it. It is not good enough to just say, “I want to grow my church or Sunday School,” but how are you going to do it? I have now worked in route sales for a couple of years and I can tell you they are always looking to grow and developing plans for it, and they will ask you how you plan on doing that. You must have a plan of action or you will most likely not grow - or if you do it will not be much and not because of any effort. I heard someone say to find one or two areas that your church can focus on and then go for that. Not every church can have a nursing home ministry, or a children’s ministry - find something that will work for you and that the people will get excited about and involved in and then focus on that. If you take on too many projects you will run out of steam fast, and your crowd will get discouraged.<br />
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<b>III. Example</b><br />
Going along with those is that you need to lead by example. Don’t find a plan and then sit back and expect others to do it for you; people will do as people see. I have heard people say things like, “Well, they don’t seem to concerned with it, so why should I be?” Obviously their “leader” was not leading by example. Some of the most effective leaders in the world are those who will get down with their people and do what needs done. They have good and dedicated followers because they know where their leader is going and they know that they will get involved in the task too, if need be.<br />
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Finally, I would ask: Are you moving forward or standing still? If you are standing still you are probably slowly dying out.<br />
Let me try to apply this:<br />
I love to play the games Monopoly and Risk (I have both of them on my iPad and will play a few rounds sometimes in the evening to wind down.) But I have learned what I think is a very valuable lesson; when I first got the games and started playing I would lose quite a bit, probably more than I was winning - ‘til I finally discovered how to win! How you win is to keep moving - keep reaching out, keep trying to gain more territory. If you simply try to hang on to what you have, you will die out and lose the game, but if you strive to reach out and gain more and take a little risk you can win most of the time. I have gotten now to where I will let the computer randomly select the territories and then see if I can win with what I have been given and most of the time I win.<br />
I think this can be applied today in our churches and such; I hear people saying, “We need to preserve and hang on to what we have," and that is true, but if we do not reach out in some way to someone how will we ever grow? You cannot build anything by just holding on to what you have. Try to build a house by getting the lumber and just hanging on to it because you are afraid to use it; try to grow a garden without letting go of the seeds. To build anything up in life - not just a church, but anything - you have to push beyond what you have. Over the years I have watched people and heard them talk about how bad things are and things are just dying out, and then I watch and they seem to never do anything to correct the problem. Even worse, I have seen where sometimes someone will try to do something and will get stopped because that is ‘not how things are done‘. Again I refer to sales: we are always running new promotions and putting up fresh marketing material to catch peoples’ eye, because if you leave the same thing up all the time people will just overlook it. Sometimes, to catch people’s attention you have to do something a little different. In the end it is all about building the Kingdom and I think we should be willing to at least listen to and even try any idea (within reason) that might work to get people in.<br />
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Like I said, I am not an expert - I just have been observing and trying to learn, and it seems like if churches, Sunday Schools, Youth groups, etc. are not growing then we need to look at what we are doing and be willing to try something different if it will help grow the Kingdom.<br />
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<i>~Bradley Davis</i><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-23430906199008084982013-04-15T23:13:00.002-05:002013-04-19T23:37:16.837-05:00When Will Things Get Better? It May Be Up to You.<br />
Not to belittle or laugh away the gravity of the situation in Boston - it is senseless and horrifying.<br />
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However,<br />
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We must immediately do whatever necessary to have legislation introduced that will get bombs off the streets.<br />
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~Background checks on all those buying bomb making materials? Definitely...You say you're a gardener and you just want that fertilizer for your tomatoes? Likely story. We'll get back to you in six months and let you know if you passed the background check. In the mean time, your tomatoes will die, but that's okay - you can buy these GMO government-approved tomatoes instead...if you get sick from eating them, well, Obama-Care will hasten your death for you.<br />
~Limit the amount of bomb making materials that citizens can purchase? Why, certainly! You can buy four grains of fertilizer and no more; there's no reason why any normal, law abiding citizen should need any more fertilizer than that at one time.<br />
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<i><b>We should not hesitate - the longer we wait to pass these bomb-control laws, the more innocent people will be harmed by illicit bombs! </b></i><br />
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This is completely tongue-in-cheek - most will realize that. Like I said, the things that went on today in our country were horrible acts of violence toward innocent people. No one should have to fear dismemberment when they're out on the streets of their city.<br />
But the facts are these: we (and by 'we' I mean the American people) rush to 'do something about guns' when a mentally unstable person goes and starts shooting in a school, but enacting more laws is not the answer -<br />
Evil people do evil things.<br />
This is fact.<br />
Taking away a normal person's rights does not stop an evil person from committing evil - they just find another method of doing it.<br />
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Guns, bombs, knives, hammers, you name it - you can write laws banning all of them, but until you get rid of the evil in the hearts of those who would use them for harm, you cannot cure the problem.<br />
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Jesus is the only solution for violence in the world today.<br />
Jesus can stop the violence in schools - if He was allowed there.<br />
Jesus can stop the violence in our streets - but he's barely tolerated there.<br />
Jesus can stop the apathy in our churches - if we'd let Him.<br />
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<i>But it's too much trouble.</i><br />
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And so we whine about the pain and suffering around us. We beg our elected officials to 'do something' about it.<br />
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Because we don't want to take the time to get our hands dirty and reach out to the sin-ridden people in our cities; because we don't want to make the time to pray, fast and beseech almighty God to have mercy on our nation - because if we do, He might ask US to do something about it.<br />
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<i>And that's too much trouble.</i><br />
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More government, more laws are not the answer.<br />
More God is the answer - and until the Christians get up off of their self-righteous little backsides and learn to love people and help them out of their sin instead of judging them for doing what comes naturally to every human being that has no moral code to live by, nothing is going to get better.<br />
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In the words of a great children's book author:<br />
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<i>“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,</i></div>
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<i>Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”</i> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fffefd; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. </span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fffefd; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fffefd; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Note: I have no idea what the bombs used in the bombing today were made of - I just used fertilizer as an illustration because it is readily available in large quantities, and bombs can be made of it; I'm sure there are many other just-as-readily-available items that they make bombs out of as well. May as well make laws about those, too, while we're at it! :)</span></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-63083542317389968602013-04-12T22:09:00.000-05:002013-04-12T22:14:10.718-05:00Spring Wreath ProjectAlrighty, folks,<br />
Do I have any Pinterest addicts up in here? Come on, step right up - don't be shy! :)<br />
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Hi. I'm Gillian. And I spend WAAAAAYYYYY too much time on Pinterest.<br />
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But where else would I find inspiration for projects like this one?<br />
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<img height="400" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa247/mmorten/tulipwreath3.jpg" width="266" /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.polkadotchair.com/2012/04/tulip-wreath-how-to.html/">(image source)</a></span></i></div>
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So, I was wandering about on Pinterest one day and I spied this wreath. </div>
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"Why," I says to myself, "I could do that!"</div>
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So I pin it.</div>
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Now the wreath the I had on my door at the time, while nice enough, is kind of dark colors, a bit more suited for winter, and my door is a rather drab grayish teal color, so something was needing to change - it's spring after all! I can't do much about the door - we rent - so it was going to have to be the wreath!</div>
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Well, a few days after I pinned the image above, I was wandering around in Dollar Tree and saw the display of silk flowers which just happened to have some bright springy tulips on it. </div>
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"Why," I says to myself, "I could make that wreath!"</div>
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So I picked up a few bunches of tulips and a roll of ribbon; then, while I was at Walmart, I grabbed a grapevine wreath and we were all set!</div>
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After about 30 minutes of snipping and wiring, this is what I came up with: </div>
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<i>Please, pardon the blurriness - my small people seem to enjoy putting fingerprints on my camera lens, which I don't usually discover until AFTER I take pictures - and find them all blurry in certain spots.</i></div>
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My biggest problem with it is that Walmart only the smaller size wreaths in at the time, and rather than wait or drive somewhere else to find a bigger one I just went with what they had - I'm impatient like that! :) It would look better if it was bigger, but it's a nice bright springy spot on an otherwise drab spot. </div>
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Cost? </div>
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Flowers: $4</div>
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Ribbon: $1</div>
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Wreath: Around $2.50 (don't remember exactly)</div>
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Total: <b><span style="font-size: large;">$7.50</span></b></div>
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(I used a small amount of florists wire, but I normally have that on hand. I could have also used hot glue, but that would have required me figuring out what I did with it when we moved. Wire was easier.)</div>
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Obviously, you can tell if you really want to that it's made of el cheapo flowers - but for something that's going to hang outside in this Louisiana weather (which destroys things pretty rapidly), I'm not about to pay $5 a stem for nice flowers - I'm cheap like that.</div>
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Mostly, it's pretty and colorful - and that makes me happy!</div>
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://charitree.blogspot.com/2013/04/finished-object-friday-its-in-jar.html" target="_blank">Charity's Finished Object Friday HERE</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-71229208106486786892013-04-05T01:42:00.001-05:002013-04-05T01:42:11.044-05:00This Is My Song!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love music.<br />
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I know, big revelation...that should be pretty obvious to anyone who knows me - I mean, after all, my husband and I have been singing together pretty much since the day we met, we've been music ministers and song evangelists, and our cd collection pretty much would take over the house if we let it. It's not just a 'LIKE', it's pretty much our LIFE.</div>
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It's been a big part of my life from the time I was very small. Growing up, we had music playing in our house most of the time. My mother plays the piano, all of my siblings play instruments; by the time I left home we had not one, not two, but THREE pianos in our house. One was an upright grand that my mom has had for eons (it was so big and heavy my dad had to brace the floor in all of their homes to hold it- but boy did it have some resonance to it!), then when I was probably 8-10 they bought another smaller spinet-type upright for my sister to practice on, and when I was in my teens Dad rescued one from a college fraternity home that he was remodeling - a baby grand that had been trashed by the guys. They had it rebuilt and have it (and the others!) to this day. Many times Mom and I would each take a piano and play together.</div>
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But it wasn't just the instrumental music - we sang everything! It wasn't uncommon for us to ask each other questions in song - or to make up new (and often odd) words to an old song. On our 45+ minute trip to church three times a week, we'd take an old hymnal and sing the songs - if we didn't know them we'd learn them! </div>
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Music was a way of life for us.<br />
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But there was one thing I never understood...</div>
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As much as we sang, played, made a joyful noise, etc. it always slightly puzzled me when Mom would start singing old hymns out of the blue.</div>
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She'd be minding her own business, maybe working around the house or in the garden, and you'd hear her start humming; after a while, you start to hear snippets of words coming through, then she'd break out in, <i>"This is my Stoooory, this is my song! Praising my Saviour all the day long!" </i></div>
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That song just didn't make much sense to me.</div>
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<b>What</b> was the story?! <b>WHY</b> was she singing about 'praising the Saviour all the day long'?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LhiUwkJLbD3QbbxSVYvOvMRAhEET7xRihgcdQf-ujDFaI7y9A6RzTbfWHDkxGMEXjJ42dyI92aCWQCxE8CkpggNNg1jm3aFiCQVo_5xqn6fOJifjmUawlDFL6ay7kWmfb4lCRbXbDUJU/s1600/singing_choir%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LhiUwkJLbD3QbbxSVYvOvMRAhEET7xRihgcdQf-ujDFaI7y9A6RzTbfWHDkxGMEXjJ42dyI92aCWQCxE8CkpggNNg1jm3aFiCQVo_5xqn6fOJifjmUawlDFL6ay7kWmfb4lCRbXbDUJU/s320/singing_choir%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wasn't exactly a heathen, folks. I grew up in church - at LEAST three times a week, every night during revival - if the doors were open, the Graham family was THERE. I knew the songs, I knew the stories.</div>
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But that song still didn't make sense.</div>
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It mostly aggravated me when she'd sing the lyrics wrong - maybe part of the third verse when she was singing the second verse, that sort of thing. But it didn't matter to her whether she sang it in the right order or not - she was just singing the words that meant something to her right then.</div>
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Fast forward a few years...</div>
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One day I learned the meaning in those words - and it's now one of MY favorite songs:</div>
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"<i>Blessed Assurance - Jesus is mine!</i></div>
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<i>Oh, what foretaste of Glory Divine!</i></div>
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<i>I'm an heir of Salvation, purchase of Blood</i></div>
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<i>Born of the Spirit, washed in His blood!"</i></div>
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I understand now - this <b>IS</b> my story! Jesus <b>IS</b> mine! And because I'm an heir of Salvation I can praise my Saviour all the day long! I, who once longed for peace to come in all the jumbled chaos of my heart can sing it - and mean it -</div>
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<i>"Perfect Submission, All is at rest!</i></div>
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<i>I, in my Saviour, am happy and blest!"</i></div>
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Life's not always easy - we've had our share of very big problems. <i>But God is gracious and merciful - and a very present help in time of trouble! </i>And even in the trials I'm still blessed - and happy in my Saviour; even though I don't always understand how He's working, I know that He's working for my good.</div>
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And every once in a while, I'll be going along, minding my own business, maybe doing housework, maybe not, and I'll break out in a rousing chorus of,</div>
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<i>"This is my Stoooory, This is my Sooooong!</i></div>
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<i>Praising my Saviour all the day long!"</i></div>
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And my kids look at me like I just sprouted whiskers and a tail and say,</div>
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<i><b>"Mom, could you stop singing - you're being too loud!"</b></i></div>
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And I just tell them, "Nope, can't do it!" </div>
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Lord willing - They'll understand one day.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wVkTkDEbzs/UV5wavu4zaI/AAAAAAAADR8/j29jE6xg1BU/s1600/blessedassurance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wVkTkDEbzs/UV5wavu4zaI/AAAAAAAADR8/j29jE6xg1BU/s640/blessedassurance.png" width="377" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11747984146782559711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492397585933902089.post-25556109944977799822013-03-26T12:06:00.000-05:002013-03-26T12:06:06.901-05:00An Easter Project For the Kids (and some kid pics)A while back, as I was perusing the interwebz, looking actually for an embroidery pattern, I spied <a href="http://www.aeniche.com/easter.html">this one</a> on Pinterest. I thought about it for a bit, and I says to myself, "I could do that". Of course, I don't have an embroidery machine, so a little creative engineering was required.<br />
It was a bright idea, not unlike many other bright ideas I've had over the years, however, UNLIKE many of my other ideas, this one actually got finished!! :)<br />
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Of course, since Peeps are so much more colorful and cheerful than chocolate bunny rabbits I went with Peeps (My kids like colorful...).<br />
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I made the template using Printmaster 2.0...and then switched to Paint.net because for some reason this version of Printmaster won't let you mirror-image - another flaw in what used to be an awesome program. (I do like PM 2.0 for digital scrapbooking, but for all the stuff I normally use a publishing program for, they failed majorly on this version.) I originally designed each page separately, but then realized that to conserve the transfer paper, I should do it this way; this is what is looked like when I was finished (before I mirrored them):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio65WR1ylgg5ra348_6CFEAhc_GelA-G9chzyrek8iya5T8xgrPYg2GKcu4yAfjW3GMQuNSFRoHDSTu3IWKiSNoS2NTjSgcEADkfjyaz9AWrLK5YO7XyOXYGuEMtfqTuvSuMXYMj9w3pyn/s1600/candy-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio65WR1ylgg5ra348_6CFEAhc_GelA-G9chzyrek8iya5T8xgrPYg2GKcu4yAfjW3GMQuNSFRoHDSTu3IWKiSNoS2NTjSgcEADkfjyaz9AWrLK5YO7XyOXYGuEMtfqTuvSuMXYMj9w3pyn/s200/candy-001.jpg" width="154" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL00Wlnlws_WWk-M2JIBmRKn8sYotXK1eTrbk6hsdqpM96OJg1v396CWpS1yRy2TBvfv0Rsmj0i0dd04hHguF9XPxzCsaKBeaIQnpdaL3rBMfC8PaC8koQzIJAYvlpmFRZ9q-vmQ_08xcE/s1600/candy-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL00Wlnlws_WWk-M2JIBmRKn8sYotXK1eTrbk6hsdqpM96OJg1v396CWpS1yRy2TBvfv0Rsmj0i0dd04hHguF9XPxzCsaKBeaIQnpdaL3rBMfC8PaC8koQzIJAYvlpmFRZ9q-vmQ_08xcE/s200/candy-002.jpg" width="154" /></a><br />
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For the Peep appliques, I used a downloadable coloring page I found <a href="http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring.php?id=4772">here</a>, and resized them to fit the shirts I was using.<br />
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Two T-shirts (from Hobby Lobby), one package of Printable Iron-On transfer paper (Hanes brand, from Hobby Lobby - what can I say? Hobby Lobby is like a mile from my house!), two small pieces of quilting fabric (for the Peeps), some iron-on applique stuff, and little sewing time later...<br />
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Here they are!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g5WUTt5CQBxWKklHUU8msPKIQ0TEoenajF_l0e3YSmaPpb0NXwEJl_L4Wyx7lG1F8yMT15Y-Vv4A5HoMAh7C9gBIgC89YyYX_CXlax9LVMu0NXx89hiAMNAFgXeCBjouGTlCzc7Zy6Wn/s1600/100_6065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g5WUTt5CQBxWKklHUU8msPKIQ0TEoenajF_l0e3YSmaPpb0NXwEJl_L4Wyx7lG1F8yMT15Y-Vv4A5HoMAh7C9gBIgC89YyYX_CXlax9LVMu0NXx89hiAMNAFgXeCBjouGTlCzc7Zy6Wn/s400/100_6065.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Sorry I didn't get a close-up of the shirts - they weren't exactly feeling cooperative that day!</i></div>
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I thought they turned out cute, and if you know my kids, it fits them! Someone asked Jonathan at one point during the day if he would REALLY trade his sister for candy, and without even pausing to think about it, he replied, "Yep!".</div>
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See how they love each other?</div>
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Now for a few more pictures, 'cause I have such cute kiddos... :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlnAezxSy0SqZXVOlR-GNoCqMAm0z_R_i9F72usKOSUCCip5H41rgPNVhK7KyOoldMTk33eFG-te8bjypJwlhpDfzxCToh3_YK2jkq7ml6pHCWm8bwUwYOumfoVsNXHOVe3o4vBBIKQyi/s1600/100_5986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlnAezxSy0SqZXVOlR-GNoCqMAm0z_R_i9F72usKOSUCCip5H41rgPNVhK7KyOoldMTk33eFG-te8bjypJwlhpDfzxCToh3_YK2jkq7ml6pHCWm8bwUwYOumfoVsNXHOVe3o4vBBIKQyi/s400/100_5986.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
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<i>Hey, they actually both looked at the camera at the same time!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkOKhqzwlo3hA1A7WzE_pKb8ojrFybDxKC71OWqh6GM_oPTiPsrvcJIIT91-extDJR7OqTyvlpI-zYsxtfIVIxgfQOaND7vOxeeaZfBGJgE383ZYdQlw_jmcpRLfSZ9aqeVjhtyhwIesM/s1600/100_5990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkOKhqzwlo3hA1A7WzE_pKb8ojrFybDxKC71OWqh6GM_oPTiPsrvcJIIT91-extDJR7OqTyvlpI-zYsxtfIVIxgfQOaND7vOxeeaZfBGJgE383ZYdQlw_jmcpRLfSZ9aqeVjhtyhwIesM/s400/100_5990.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i> This one will pose for you... the other one? Not so much.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjsWgXX6Il32FZDLcBN7ZvaNz1QJtc7y93JUeOh6C8xBkn74RAQD4kcXYwTi2gi059i6M-wlwAsFT6hIbo4-U3TTNhDqeVPBqkJL6mZHN1a4kqpoKLDzV_qoxrPt983cIZmILg8MIumgI/s1600/100_6046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjsWgXX6Il32FZDLcBN7ZvaNz1QJtc7y93JUeOh6C8xBkn74RAQD4kcXYwTi2gi059i6M-wlwAsFT6hIbo4-U3TTNhDqeVPBqkJL6mZHN1a4kqpoKLDzV_qoxrPt983cIZmILg8MIumgI/s400/100_6046.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i>Such a cute face on such a mischievous boy...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngVrqDYxJhZWadbmK4YUPrLsCGXeCzlhIa85vtqoU2k2OuiVBNxUGK2LKDccwiqCrUHYw8Ttj7oxtmzr87CXrNEar-VxuvMmLjguvqsfrCdqGzSB9fS8onDCDHDCtIGdMk7Sh2PoNaKif/s1600/100_6075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngVrqDYxJhZWadbmK4YUPrLsCGXeCzlhIa85vtqoU2k2OuiVBNxUGK2LKDccwiqCrUHYw8Ttj7oxtmzr87CXrNEar-VxuvMmLjguvqsfrCdqGzSB9fS8onDCDHDCtIGdMk7Sh2PoNaKif/s400/100_6075.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
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<i>Smiley!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8yJOOQjboIC9TJBfLLiQjpAS65nGhWO10danN0PLrbLNNNRMZ4KgK9X7RQgUYHCUKmSAv8OlDWHrTKEqH83v1kF6QGtE0YS3wJgw175olFEeQAYsGJjI30agzUyMZp5jIgXl_LFriXlD/s1600/100_6074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8yJOOQjboIC9TJBfLLiQjpAS65nGhWO10danN0PLrbLNNNRMZ4KgK9X7RQgUYHCUKmSAv8OlDWHrTKEqH83v1kF6QGtE0YS3wJgw175olFEeQAYsGJjI30agzUyMZp5jIgXl_LFriXlD/s400/100_6074.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
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<i>If that's not the face of a stinker, I don't know what is!</i></div>
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And one last one:</div>
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<i>The monkeys and their daddy.</i></div>
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<i>Note: After washing the shirts, I must say I wouldn't recommend the Hanes Printable Transfer paper...They've worn the shirts once, I washed them once, and when I removed them from the dryer the words were faded and cracked badly, as well as dingy in the blank space around the words (the 1/4" of extra the instructions said to leave around the design). I followed the instructions on the package exactly. If someone has used another brand (or even this brand) and had better results, let me know! I still have most of the package, so I'd like to be able to use it for something...</i></div>
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