Capitalism, Socialism, & Christianity

“Thou shalt not covet” means that it is wrong even to think about taking what rightfully belongs to another person, which is something socialists have never been able to explain away.

Envy, a central aspect of covetousness, involves not only the desire to possess another person’s property, but also to see another person’s wealth or station reduced to everyone else’s level.

Socialism, through its employment of the coercive powers of the state for the purpose of expropriating the income and wealth of one group to transfer to another, is a form of institutionalized envy, covetousness, and theft."

Capitalism, Socialism, & Christianity

Thou Shalt not covet the neighbor's [stuff].

 Love thy neighbor (even the rich ones) as thyself.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

- God



Socialism is unbiblical and immoral by definition.

Taking time off

WE had a great Christmas. Hubby is home for the week so I am taking time off of the computer. I'll pop in now ans then, but for the most part, I'm focusing on family time.

Tommorow is my 26th anniversary:-)

Evil Christmas Trees

There are many Christians who are stopping the use of Christmas Trees. In fact, they are no longer celebrating Christmas altogether but that is another post.

Many look at Jeremiah 10:3-4 and decide that Christmas trees are unbiblical.

"For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

However, the Message Bible words it like this "An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down, then shaped by a woodsman's ax. They trim it with tinsel and balls, use hammer and nails to keep it upright."

Obviously this is talking about idol worship.

I like the way Mark Driscol words how we should approach different issues like this one; We need to receive, redeem, or reject everything from our culture.

If it is good and righteous as it is we simply receive it (like Thanksgiving, a specific time to give thanks for a year's worth of blessings.)

If it can be changed to bring glory to God, we should do that (like Easter and Christmas which can be used to bring attention to God's plan of salvation.)

If it is so bad we can't possibly bring something good out of it we should reject it (like prostitution.)

Now i am not going to bow down and worship our tree which the Bible specifically forbids (and was the subject of the quoted verses.)

So why do I have a Christmas tree in my home?

The tree itself reminds me of my Savior "whom they slew and hanged on a tree:" Acts 10:39

The lights remind me that "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

The red ornaments remind me of Jesus "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" Colosians 1 :14

The white ornaments remind me of His purity: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin." Hebrews 4:15

The Blue ornaments remind me of Truth: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

The gold ornaments remind me of the value of Jesus "And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:16

The Angel on the top of my tree reminds me of the angels who heralded His birth: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying; Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:13,14

The star on the top of many trees reminds me of the star that led the shepherds to Christ; "... and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." Matthew 2:9

That tree in my living room is not an Ido I bow down and worship, but a reminder of my Jesus, the One I DO worship with all my heart.

Occupy

So I have been watching the Occupy movement.

Does it strike anyone as odd that all those people don't need to be at work to earn a living? They are wearing nice clothes and using iphones and eating just fine so they are getting money from somewhere. Everyone I know couldn't possibly go to these protests due to job obligations. Just seems odd to me for a bunch of people who are obviously richer than average to be protesting against the rich. Just saying....

question

Why are men's pants sized logically (the size numbers correspond to actual inches) while women's pants are assigned arbitray numbers with no correlation to reality and variation from company to company? Really, what does "size 12" MEAN? Is that fat? Skinny? Normal? What is twelve? Your waist? your length? the amount of minutes it takes to squeeze into them?

Life

So baby Josh hit a new milestone last night. He sang with Me! He was making noise and when I talked to him he acted happy but not quite satisfied. At Daddy's sugestion, when Josh began "talking" again, I began to sing. He grinned the biggest grin ever and joined me, cooing until the song ended:-)

Another cold going through. This is getting ridiculous. I have one running a fever (and jumping on the couch, but that's another story), one coughing, two with sore throats and one with a headache. I might start making them all take eldrberry, echinecia and c every day for the rest of their lives!


:-(((((

Bill Cosby

Normally, I guess we would expect something “funny” from Bill Cosby…..nevertheless, he has a good point…


Bill Cosby - "I'm 76 and Tired"



"I'm 76 and I'm Tired"

I'm 76. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly
40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as
though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy
to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and
daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning
teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques
and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance..

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ
rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting
caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination
or big-whatever for their problems.

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making
themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in."

All I can add is "Amen."

Medical Insurance

Many insurances won't cover chiropractors. My chiro charges $27 per visit. The better quality one up the hill charges $50. The last time I went to Urgent care (which most insurances WILL pay for, it cost $150 and that was years ago. It's over $200 now. What would medical bills look like without price-inflating insurance and government programs? I bet they would be much more afordable.

What kneeling on a department store floor taught me about gratitude : Conversion Diary

What kneeling on a department store floor taught me about gratitude : Conversion Diary

Cleanliness Next To Sickliness & Strong Immune System -- Natural Health Blog

Cleanliness Next To Sickliness & Strong Immune System -- Natural Health Blog

Yeah, that's it. I'm not a deficient housekeeper. I'm protecting my kids from future illness!

Mama Birth: Real Thoughts On Why Natural Birth Rocks

Mama Birth: Real Thoughts On Why Natural Birth Rocks

This applies to homeschool vs private school also.

Planning for next year

A while back we switched most of our subjects in school to Abeka. (You can read about it Here). I asked my children a couple of days ago what they thought about doing things the new way (mostly Abeka, all but Bible independently.) They unanamously said they preferd our new way. They all like having control of their own scheule (deciding if they do math first or science, deciding to just sit down and read the entire literature text at once and having it over with, etc.) and feel they have learned more to boot. This meshes with what I have observed so we will continue this course.

Now that our first complete year of mostly Abeka is done here is how things stand:

Math= We will continue with Math-U-See and Calculaddars (with Timez Attack computer game:-)

Science, Health, History, Geography, Literature= Abeka all the way. Definitly.

Art= Drawing textbook. I simply have not found any better curriculum for teaching drawing. I am still looking for something for art appriciation, though.

Music= lessons with Grandma plus Piano for quitters, and Music Ace computer program.

Spanish=Rosetta Stone

Phonics= Abeka

Penmanship= Abeka except possibly for my 7yo. She seems to be needing something more basic like handwriting without tears.

Grammar= Abeka, mostly because I can't find anything better. Abeka is a lot of work; somtimes too much work for my children. However, they have all learned more this year than any other so we will stay here.

Spelling= did I ever mention I hate spelling? It was my worst subject in high school (at the end of 8th grade I showed on standardized tests that I could do 8th grade work as well as a 12th grader...except for spelling. I scored at 4th grade for spelling).

Abeka spelling is simply not working. NO ONE finished their book.

Or even got half done. (I was having them learn most of the words in each lesson before going on to the next lesson)

The words are not very well connected and, well, no one is learning how to spell:-(

We will move to AVKOs Sequential Spelling for next year, though I won't use it according to directions.

The way AVKO is designed to be used is much too teacher intensive. We used it for a year that way and it just took too long and was way too slow for anyone to learn.

Now I will assign each child one book. They will study each lesson and then be tested on it each day. What words they don't pass they will study the next day plus enough words from the list to make an age-appropiate-length list. This will work well because of the built in review and phonetic connection of the words.

I like this program becasue of the phonetical order of the words. As they point out in their ads, you may run across "nice" in a typical first grade speller, "rice" in a second, "twice" in a third and "ice" in a fourth becasue those are the grades those words are introduced in the readers and science books.

The lists in the first of these books starts:

Day1
in
sin
pin
spin

Day 2
I
pins
sins
spins
kin
skin
win
twin

Day 3
thin
pinned
sinned
I
shin
skins
wins
twins
be
begin
chin
she

Since the words just build on each other, By the sixth day they can spell "beginnings." Yes, that happened with my kids when we used it before. and notice that they review spelling the word "in" 20 times, "sin" three times, and  "pin" five times in the first three days just through the tests.

I think this will really work for us. I hope it will becasue if it doesn't we are out of other options:-(

Multiplication

And for once I am not talking about childbirth but actual math multiplication, lol.

Years ago I bought Timez Attack computer game for my children. In this game you are a little knome (my children call him Dobbie). You have to fight your way out of danger by throughing the correct answers at multiplication problems. Winning this game takes the same skill as going through a deck of flash cards but is far more entertaining. The children begged to ge to play it because they hadn't yet rescured their Dobbie! Their multiplication speed increased dramaticly. And best of all, it takes no work from me like flash cards do:-)

Unfortunatly our disk got scratched so they haven't been able to play for a while.

They just downloaded a demonstration for the new version. This one includes spaceships, the choice of a girl "Dobbie", and addition, subtraction, and division!

My 4yo is asking to do math:-)

This is definitly on the list for next tax time!

The Deranged Housewife: Michelle Duggar - Pregnant again!

The Deranged Housewife: Michelle Duggar - Pregnant again!

Great post!

"I get so sick of the "Oh, the perfect family and you're done!" ****; the bullying, both overt and subtle, that goes on when someone decides to have more children than what our culture deems "necessary." And that's exactly what it is: bullying. We as a society are so set against [bullying] and want to teach each other how to love, respect, and all that crap - yet the minute we see someone with more than the prerequisite number of kids coming our way, we immediately snap to judgment. There is such negative bias against larger families, even those with far fewer than 20 kids, because we are now living in a "two-kid world." Anything more than that is often considered a burden or an inconvenience"



The point people need to remember about the Duggers and others of us with larger than "normal" families (I have 9:-) is that we don't do anything special or unnatural to have our big families. Those with smaller families are generally (though not always) the ones doing unnatural things like taking drugs and having surgeries, all to keep their bodies from functioning like they are designed to do. I bet sex lives are equal, on average. We just haven't broke the plumbing. There are some very good reasons (including some health) to allow God's design to function naturally.

Tough Text Tuesday: 1 Timothy 2:15 | Pastor Mark

Tough Text Tuesday: 1 Timothy 2:15 Pastor Mark
Women shall be saved in childbearing- for my files:-)

It has come to my attention that some people have more than one computer (counting smart phones as comuters, esecially) while others don't have any. This is simly not fair. No one needs more than one computer. In fact, no one needs more than one per household.

So I purpose that we confiscate all comuters/smartphones over the maximum allowed "one per house" until everyone has a computer.

Who's with me? who will join me in protests to bring this about?




No one? Why not? Because those computers belong to the people who bought them? And we have no right to take them away?


Let me ask you. why would computers be any different than money? Aren't they both the property of the owner? Wouldn't taking either one away be stealing?

Yet an increasing number of people in our country think it is ok to take away someones property (money) just because they have more than others do (well, its ok if they are business men that employee people. No one seems to care that movie and sports stars make ten or more times as much for playing games and pretending. They aren't clammering to take their property away.)

This is stealing.

Oh I don't "support" those who were unethical then got bailouts. But hello people! It was our politicians who set up the system that allowed them to do the cheating in the first place (no it wasn't the "free market" that allowed it. It was the rules and programs put in place by the government restricting the free market) and the politicians who gave them the bailout. When the bankes asked for it, Congress should have laughed in their face instead of geting out their checkbook.

If you are going to march and complain about someone, Go to DC, not Wall Street. They're the ones at fault.

(Oh, and just in the interest of full disclosure, we have four computers in our home and none are even smart phones)

If you are truly against coorporate America

 you need to throw away your smart phone, sell your car, and quit going to Starbucks. Capitalisim gave us these things (plus enough food to be fat, clothes to explode a closet, and houses with running water, sewage, tvs, and carpets). Its government control/regulations that are causing unemployment and poverty. Don't believe me? Look at every socialist country on the planet. Our poorest are 10xs richer than there average.

Joshua’s birth

 I do not recommend you read this if you are pregnant and subject fear.

I had been having Braxton-hicks contractions most nights for some time, but when a contraction woke me up at 11:55 Saturday night I thought it was the real thing. I got up and waited. After about two hours I was pretty sure (but not positive), but they weren’t always regular sometimes taking 15 minutes off a time, often followed by three good ones right on top of each other. I finally woke Hubby up and called the midwife and my mom. As spaced out as they were, I was reluctant to have her come on out, but the complications we had in my last birth made me want her here in case my water broke and we had another cord prolapse. (http://homeschoolwwh.blogspot.com/2007/10/miracles-do-happen.html)

My mom arrived a little before the midwife (M) and her assistant (D). M did a check and discovered that Joshua had turned breech, which didn’t really surprise anyone. I had been seeing a chiropractor and wearing a belly band for the last two months in hopes of making him behave but he had continued to do summersaults and evidently was determined by his birthday he was going out feet first.

Because I really didn’t want the children here when I birthed, my body scaled the contractions down. It’s amazing how the body works sometimes. The children couldn’t leave until after the morning milking.

I seriously thought about heading to the hospital, but if my water broke on the way, delivering a breech in the car was simply not a safe idea. So we waited.

After the dc left with my mom, the midwife suggested I go to the restroom (an empty bladder encourages labor.) My water broke while I was on the toilet (to no one’s surprise) but I felt “stuff” falling out. I called M and we discussed what we were seeing in the toilet. Meconium (Baby’s first bowel movement which appears before birth if baby is distressed)? Still in lumps? Odd.

As I walked out of the bathroom she called me to stop, checked something brushing my leg, and then ordered me into the living onto the daybed we use for a couch.

We had a full cord prolapse and it had already quit pulsing. This left us two minutes to get Joshua out before brain damage began.

God has provided M with the training she needed to know exactly what to do. Joshua was out in time, though things got pretty intense there for a while.

They put him on my tummy, told me to talk to him (his color was actually pretty good). M listened to his heart, rubbed his back and suctioned his mouth (to get any mec out). D rubbed, gave oxygen and called to him. I alternated rubbing and praying and talking to him. Hubby prayed big time.

I could feel his fingers move every few seconds and slowly began to feel the rumbles from his voice. I really don’t know how long it took,

but he finally began to cry and breath.

So, labor was 7 ¼ hours.

I pushed for about 2 minutes.

 He had apgars of 5 and 8.

No mec in his mouth.

No nerve damage.

Some slight bruising on his left leg.

M described my only tear as “a paper cut.”

If we had been in the hospital? Emergency c-section. Antibiotics for both of us. He would have been whisked away to NICU and kept there for some time (possibly a couple of days). This would have interrupted our nursing making it less likely he would have ever figured it out. It would also have traumatized both of us to be separated like that.

And there is no guarantee of less injury. In fact, breeches get injured in c-section births just like they do in vaginal births. And remember, all he had was minor bruising.

So the injury to me would have been far greater (major abdominal surgery, after all!) without gaining any benefits for Joshua.

Had we been unassisted, he would have died (baring a miracle revelation from God to my hubby of what he needed to do.)

Oh and he arrived on his due date, something only 5% of babies manage to do.

He had a bit of trouble figuring out how to latch on, so he and I discussed it a minute and tried on the other side and he got it. Now he nurses like an expert.

Joshua Clinton Tracy

8 pounds (my smallest baby!)

22 ½ inches

 

Thank You, God

Cain

I am not at this point picking any one candidate. There are several I would be mostly happy with and none I entirely agree with. But in the interest of information...

What you may not know about Herman Cain...   He is not a career politician and in fact has never held political office. He is known as a pizza guy, but there’s a lot more to him. He’s also a computer guy, a banker guy, and a rocket scientist guy. Here’s his bio: Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. Master’s degree in Computer Science. Mathematician for the Navy, where he worked on missile ballistics (making him a rocket scientist). Computer systems analyst for Coca-Cola. VP of Corporate Data Systems and Services for Pillsbury (this is the top of the ladder in the computer world, being in charge of information systems for a major corporation).

All achieved before reaching the age of 35. Since he reached the top of the information systems world, he changed careers!

• Business Manager. Took charge of Pillsbury’s 400 Burger King restaurants in the Philadelphia area, which were the company’s poorest performers in the country. Spent the first nine months learning the business from the ground up, cooking hamburger and yes, cleaning toilets. After three years he had turned them into the company’s best performers.
• Godfather’s Pizza CEO. Was asked by Pillsbury to take charge of their Godfather’s Pizza chain (which was on the verge of bankruptcy). He made it profitable in 14 months.
• In 1988 he led a buyout of the Godfather’s Pizza chain from Pillsbury. He was now the owner of a restaurant chain. Again he reached the top of the ladder of another industry.
• He was also chairman of the National Restaurant Association during this time. This is a group that interacts with government on behalf of the restaurant industry, and it gave him political experience from the non-politician side.

Having reached the top of a second industry, he changed careers again!

• Adviser to the Federal Reserve System. Herman Cain went to work for the Federal Reserve Banking System advising them on how monetary policy changes would affect American businesses.
• Chairman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. He worked his way up to the chairmanship of a regional Federal Reserve bank. This is only one step below the chairmanship of the entire Federal Reserve System (the top banking position in the country). This position allowed him to see how monetary policy is made from the inside, and understand the political forces that impact the monetary system.

After reaching the top of the banking industry, he changed careers for a fourth time!

• Writer and public speaker. He then started to write and speak on leadership. His books include Speak as a Leader, CEO of Self, Leadership is Common Sense, and They Think You’re Stupid.
• Radio Host. Around 2007—after a remarkable 40 year career—he started hosting a radio show on WSB in Atlanta (the largest talk radio station in the country).

He did all this starting from rock bottom (his father was a chauffeur and his mother was a maid). When you add up his accomplishments in his life—including reaching the top of three unrelated industries: information systems, business management, and banking—Herman Cain may have the most impressive resume of anyone that has run for the presidency in the last half century.

Please watch this and pass it on. You might save a life.

It's a Boy:-)

Joshua

8.0 pounds, 22.5 inches (lightest and possibly tallest of my babies. Need to check the records for the height)

7.25 hours labor

He and I are fine. God is good.

Birth story Later

Gout

My hubby was diagnosed with gout last week. This is his second attack.I have since done some research on how to treat this very painful condition.

First of all, this is a highly hereditary disease. If you have a relative with it you have a 25% or greater chance of developing it yourself. Hubby's father had it as do at least two of his brothers.So does my father, putting me at risk, except that only about 5% of gout patients are female.

Obesity is also a risk factor. Do NOT crash diet, however, as that will trigger an attack.

Gout is a symptom your kidneys aren't working quite right. In Hubby's case, he had Kidney stones a year ago, a gout attack last July, and another last week so I am looking especially hard at kidney health.

#1- Pray. Prayer works because that is how God set up the universe.

#2- Eliminate alcohol, sardines, anchovies, organ meats, and sweet peas from your diet. (Sadly this didn't help us much as we are tea-totalers [well, Coke Cola-totalers] and have never eaten any of the other foods except the peas.

Some resources say to leave off the sodas due to the high mineral content. Some say to drink them because they are high in alkaline content will nutralize the uric acid. Sodas just aren't good for you so I think you should limit them as much as possible (very hard to do in our society).

I know I read many years ago that diet/protein drinks (i.e. slim fast, ensure) cause kidney problems, but I can't find this information now. I would leave these concoctions off anyway. They are mostly oil and sugar, not exactly nutritionally sound "food."

#3-Eat more fruit and veggies. The information they sent home with him says "Vegitarians seldom have gout. Meat eaters who also eat a lot of fruit and veggies are at lower risk." So, I say it's the fruit and veggies that help to prevent it more than abstaining from meat. Both of those groups would eat little white flour or transfats. Anyway, moderation is always good.

#4- Did I mention Pray? It works.

#5- Certain things are known to help the body get rid of the uric acid that causes Gout.

• Celery seed
• Cherries (whole or juice)
• Tumeric
• Bromilain (found in pinapple and also very good for any kind of arthritis or inflamation)

You can get these four in the produce section of your store or you can buy them in capsule form seperatly or together in a product called "Go-Out." Take the Go-Out two capsules, 2-3x/day until the attack is gone and then one daily to keep Gout away.

#6- Additional herbs:

• Milk Thistle (strengthens the Liver which releaves the pressure on the Kindnys allowing them to do their job of removing the Uric acid better)
• Dandylion (helps the urinary tract function better)
• Alfalfa (purifies and strengthens the blood in general)
• Capsicum (makes all other herbs work better and helps the heart)
• Fish oil (Omega 3s help the body get rid of impurities)
• Calcium (reduces stress, actually, which will help inflammation)
• Nettle leaf (Helps build cells and strengthen the blood which carries impurities out of the body.)

I hope this helps someone out there with gout:-)

Judge Not

“Judge Not least ye be judged.” We have all heard this scripture; used it even. But have we read the entire thing in context lately? Sometimes it helps us to understand God and what He is saying better if go back and refresh our minds on what He has really said.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the (splinter) that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the (2x4) that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the (splinter) out of thine eye; and, behold, a (2x4) is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the (2x4) out of thine own eye; and THEN SHALT THOU SEE CLEARLY TO CAST OUT THE (SPLINTER) OUT OF THY BROTHER'S EYE.”

Do you realize that this scripture says to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye? The point of the scripture is that we need to remove the 2x4 from our own eye BEFORE we try to help our brother.

So how does this work?

The best example I can come up with is fear and worry. You see, I have personal experience with this.

Many years ago the spirit of fear got so ahold of me I would lay in bed at night unable to move a muscle. Literally.
I couldn't consentrate on anything during the day but the problem of the day. 

It was quite debilitating, I tell ya.

A minister prayed and rebuked this spirit from Satan. From that time forth I began to notice what the Bible says about fear and worry and began to fight the devil head on on this issue.

Today, fear seldom bothers me, though Satan tries (especially right now. Hormones are high and my last birth was very traumatic. Since I am due "anytime," It is prime “worry-wart” time.)

But I know how to deal with it now. I turn it over to Jesus. That is why I have Him; to carry the weight of the world so I don’t have to. I know for a fact that every thing will work out just fine no matter what the issue. Oh, maybe not the way I would design it to. God seldom does things the way I think they should be done. But they still work out. Usually better than if I had had my way.

Now, today, if I see a brother or sister suffering with Satan’s oppression of fear, what is my responsibility? According to the above scripture, since I have cast that 2x4 out of my own eye successfully, I am to help my brother-in-the-Lord get the splinter out of his own eye; help him to conquer Satan. That is my responsibility.

And if my brother or sister sees a splinter in my eye that they have successfully cast out of their own eye I would dearly hope they love me enough to help me remove my own flaw. It might hurt to have it pointed out, but I would still want them to help me.

Hints to help cast out fear:

·                    Sing “Jesus loves Me” (other worship songs could work also. This is just the one that worked best for me.)

·                    Praise Jesus. Just tell Him how much you love Him and how wonderful He is.

·                    Rebuke Satan.

·                    Quote scripture

o       “Submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.” James 4:7

o       “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 We MUST realize that fear and worry is Satanic. No matter the circumstances, we must resist the devil.

·                    Move your mind to something else. (I build farms in my head. Weird, but it works for me.)

It takes a while to build these “fearless muscles,” but it is worth it. Gradually you will notice fewer and fewer attacks of less and less power if you determine you won’t give in to the Devil but rely on God.

The Inheirent Saftey of Birth

Here in this highly medicalized country we tend to think of birth as a dangerous medical condition that carries a great deal of risk to mother and baby. We act like we think birth is as dangerous as the worst of surgeries. But is that attitude justified?

The most dangerous country in the world to give birth (the place where mommy is most likely to die) is The Central African Republic where 1100 woman will die for every 100,000 births (about 1.1 in 100). This is a horrid rate of death, but still far below the “one in three” number often quoted by hospital birth advocates as in “One in three women died giving birth in the 1800s.” This a very inaccurate statement. The truth would be “One in three women who gave birth IN HOSPITALS died in the 1800s.” Very different numbers (Doctors refused to wash their hands at this time causing many women to die of infection. However those who stayed home- the majority- or went to birth centers run by midwives seldom died.)

In Greece the death rate of mothers is 1 in 100,000. That is some difference!

 The US looses 8 moms per 100,000. This is EIGHT TIMES the number that Greece looses! In the country on the planet that spends more money per mom and has the best emergency care system on the planet this is absolutely unacceptable.

(This puts us at 19^th over all.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_mat_mor-health-maternal-mortality)

And yet…

Only 8 women die out of every 100,000 births. That’s 1 in every 12,500 out of the 4,131,019 births per year or about 330 deaths per year.

And why do women in Africa die so much more often? Mostly due to sanitation. Their governments discourage traditional birth attendants leaving dirty, primitive, understaffed, undersupplied hospitals as their only options. This coupled with malnutrition and disease (especially Malaria) simply makes life in general more dangerous.

Yet, even under these conditions only one in 1000 die.

When looking at the big picture, it is obvious that birth is generally safe. And especially so in countries where Mom is well fed and her attendant can wash her hands.

So what about Baby?

In 2005-2010 Singapore lost 1.92 babies per 1000 live births (nearly two babies died after being born for every 1000 babies born alive. This does not count still births or miscarriages but would count premature births where Baby was simply too young to live more than a few minutes. The age at which a baby is called a miscarriage instead of a premature birth varies from country to country. The US does count baby as a premature birth at a younger age than most of Europe, artificially raising our death rate slightly.)

Angola lost 180.21/ 1000 live births (or nearly 1/5.)

The US lost 6.81. Still way too high. We rank 34^th in the world.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate)

But again, in a country with good nutrition and good sanitation plus antibiotics, it is obvious that babies seldom die.

Let’s put it this way, If I told you there was a 6 in 1000 chance I would come visit you tonight, would you bother prepping your guest room? Probably not.

Now this isn’t to down play the heartache of women who have lost a baby. It doesn’t much matter if you chances are 1 in 5 or 1 in 10,000, it is tragic and life shattering when your baby dies.

It is also not to down play the fact that these numbers don’t cover damage that doesn’t lead to death. Moms who spend the rest of their live suffering from birth complications and babies who are brain damaged are very tragic and these problems should be dealt with and eliminated (and generally are by simply having a trained attendant who washes their hands.)

I just think all this fear before birth is unwarranted. There just isn’t the evidence that birth is that dangerous. God designed our bodies to give birth. He sculpted our bodies and our babies’ bodies. If we are simply intelligent about it, there is no reason to approach birth like a major medical tragedy waiting to happen.

My weight history

Like you all really care, lol.

I need to keep a record of this information and this seems like as good a place as any to store it, so feel free to skip this post. Or just go to the bottom to read my weight rants.

(1985) I weighed about 145 when I got married at 18yo. This is right about where the weight charts say I should be.

I took a nutrition class a few years later and in studying anorexia had a horrid revelation: I viewed my body and food the same way an anorexic does! Now, I never lost weight or totally quit eating due most likely to the excellent relationship I have with my parents. But it was disturbing to discover that I was so close to having such a dangerous attitude.

I quit dieting for the first time in my life.

I immediately gained 10 pounds.

For the first time in my life I could actually keep up with my (overweight) mother! I had energy, felt good, could concentrate...

Wow!

(1991) I weighed about 155 when I got pregnant with my first child. I gained 31 pounds during the pregnancy and lost all but 5 by my 6week post-partum appointment. (8.5lb baby)

(1994) By the time of my second pregnancy I weighed between 170 and 175. I gained 24 pounds and had lost 31(!) by my 6 week, putting me at about 165. (9.1lb baby)

I felt fantastic! Never better. Strong, even.

I had a miscarriage a year or so later.

(1998) By my fourth pregnancy I weighed 190 pounds, gained 31 pounds and weighed 190 by my 6 week. Felt good, if a bit "too big for the space." (8.12lb baby)

(1999) Preg #5, Full Term baby #4= 190-195 lbs, gained 31, 190-195 by 6 weeks PP. Felt good. (8.8lb baby)

(2001) Preg #6, Full Term baby #5= 190-195 lbs, gained 31, 190-195 by 6 weeks PP. Felt good. (9.2lb baby)

(2003) Preg #7, Full Term baby #6= 190-195 lbs, gained 31, 190-195 by 6 weeks PP. Felt good. (9.8lb baby)

(2004) Preg #8, Full Term baby #7= 190-195 lbs, gained 31, 190-195 by 6 weeks PP. Felt good. (10lb baby)

(Hmmm, see a pattern here?)

(2007) Preg #9, FT baby #8, I started at about 200 (approaching menopause which is often accompanied by a bit of weight gain.) gained between 31 and 36 lbs (midwife's scale and mine disagree.) Weighed 185 by 6 weeks.(!!!) (10.8lb baby)

I had three miscarriages between the birth of baby #8 and conception of baby #9.

(2011) Started this pregnancy at 200. I am now 38 (out of 40ish) weeks and have gained 28lbs. My arms look skinnier though, so I am thinking I may have lost weight while baby is gaining. It will be interesting to see what happens to my weight in the next couple of months. I will update.





Now the $64 question: If the charts show your "healthy weight" why didn't I feel best when I weighed what the charts say I should? Why did I feel my best at 20-30lbs heavier? Why has it been so easy to keep my weight at the same number through FIVE pregnancies? (Honestly, all the dieting I did was to eat smaller deserts if things started to get too close to 195lb)


Could it be that our concept of "healthy weight" is skewed? Could we be letting "experts that don't know us and don't really care about us as much as they care about their profits from weight lose products form our ideas of "healthy weights" instead of just paying attention to how our own bodies feel?

Yeah, I know. "Fat people have higher rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc" I will agree it is healthier to never get fat.

But what constitutes "fat" is, I believe, a different number for different people. For example, (to get really personal here) I am very small breasted (We're talking somewhere between a training bra and an A cup when I'm not pregnant or nursing. Why do you think I have so many kids? lol). This means I can carry an extra 5-10 pounds in my hips and thighs that a better endowed woman couldn't carry and still be considered a "healthy weight." Some of us have smaller bones, also (mine are medium according to scientific measures while my grandma's were small).

None of can control these features yet we deprive ourselves of nutrients to reach these artificially set goals. Fat people's cells test to be deficient in vitamins and nutrients. This is not healthy, so a doctor's and societies answer is to tell a fatty to eat LESS nutrients? What if nutrient deficiency is what causes them to retain weight? We may very well be shooting ourselves in the foot by dieting. The more we diet the more deficient we are. The more deficient we are the more our body wants to hold on to the weight we have in order to try to find the nutrients it needs. This is NOT healthy!

And I am not convinced that obesity CAUSES all those diseases. I believe that the same low-nutrient, Standard American Diet that causes obesity causes heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. I think it's correlation, NOT causation.

Now, skeletal problems such as bad feet, knees, hips, back are weight related, true. But I just don't see the evidence to support the idea that fat causes disease. It's just not there.

And dieting is unhealthy.

We don't even know if losing weight causes net health gains because not enough people can keep it off long enough to study!

We may (and probably are!) all depriving ourselves of needed nutrients, putting ourselves at greater risk for degenerative diseases in order to meet a standard that won't make us any healthier at all.

Again, Wow:-(

Maybe it's time we just started to live healthy (exercise, lots of veggies and whole grains, unprocessed meats and milk, lots of water, lots of rest, lower stress) and throw away our scales. What do you think?

http://www.haescommunity.org/

A school day like no other

I had planned to have a normal school day today. It would be our only one this week, what with a midwife appointment tomorrow, picking up new shelves for the church Wednesday, and what not. The children petitioned for something different though. Since we switched to mostly Abeka at the beginning of the year I gave each child a stack of books and said "When you are done with these, you are done for the year." One child spent every spare minute reading textbooks and hasn't done anything but math, spelling and grammar (and of course Bible which we still do together) since late May! Another child had it all worked out where he would only have one school day left after thanksgiving (We start our school year in mid January with the arrival of the tax return.) One child is sorely behind and simply not going to make it. Of course what is hard to figure into all this is that as we get closer and closer to Baby, I feel less and less up to doing school. I will also need a couple of weeks recoup time afterwards (one of which will likely be used to clean house if my past history holds consistant.) This totally messes up everyones figures on how much time is left for school this year. I told the last child he could take the whole week off of everything IF he finished his history text by the end of the week. Everyone jumped on it. So today all the children 10 and older are either reading history or science in an effort to finish off textbooks for the year! In fact, the first child I mentioned above (Jon-13) just finished his math book! The younger ones I will work with in a bit when I finish sweeping the kitchen and dinning room. It's my turn but my body will only let me work for a few minutes.

Structured homeschooling gets an A+

Structured homeschooling gets an A+

These results are so common they are almost ho-hum, lol.

The real story of this report is that it is the first I have seen comparing different methods of homeschooling. I have always suspected that the more structured type would produce better results than unschooling which is what they found. Now, I have heard of unschoolers graduating at the top of their class in Harvard, so these results wouldn't apply to every unschooler. But it is something to think about.

And as for the comment "Public schools play an important role in the socialization of children" they obviously haven't looked at the studies. Every study but one that I have read about homeschool socialization has shown homeschoolers to skunk in this area more than than they do in academics! (That one the researchers came to the conclusion that hs were less socialized because they were more mature, mannerly, and self confident. He thought they were too grown up. Obviously he intended to have ps win no matter what results he got.)

Should Churches Try to Minimize Disruptions? | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Should Churches Try to Minimize Disruptions? Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

A baby's cries equal "Holy Noise." I love it:-)

Why you should stop doing Kegels… « Journey To Crunchville

<a href="http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/why-you-should-stop-doing-kegels/%22%3EWhy you should stop doing Kegels… « Journey To Crunchville</a>
Incontinence anyone?

What We Teach Our Children (or not) Through Family Economy |

What We Teach Our Children (or not) Through Family Economy

A Minnesota couple decided to vacation to Florida during the winter. They planned to stay at the very same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday. His wife would fly down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her e-mail address, and without realizing his error, he sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile.....somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister of many years who was called home to glory following a sudden heart attack. The widow decided to check her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she fainted.

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: 16 May 2003
I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send e-mails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is not as uneventful as mine was.
P.S. Sure is hot down here!

---

The Case for Christ

I was given this book by a friend when she cleaned off her shelves. I would now buy it if I needed too.

The author, Lee Strobel, was an investigative journalist with a law degree and an atheist. There came a point in his life when he felt he needed to take on the biggest "case" in history, the story of Jesus Christ. He did his research in the anti Jesus literature and made a list of questions and "problems." Then he researched what the experts in the Christian community answered each objection wtih. He consulted archeologists, coroners, psychiatrists, scholars and anyone else he could find.

His conclusion: "It would take more faith to continue to believe atheism than to believe in Jesus Christ."

He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.


The Bible tells us "and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15)

Every Christian should read this book so they can do just what this scripture says.

Every non Christian should read this book to make sure they have made the right choices in not believing. Afterall, your eternal destiny depends on it.

Exciting day

Jane (3.5) saw a snake in the storeroom a few days ago. Well, she said it was either a snake or a lizard. She couldn't tell.

Last night Joe (12) found it in a drawer in the kitchen. Jim (16) tried to catch it but it stayed out of his reach. Hubby came home, said, "Huhhh." and went to get ready for church. So concerned, lol.

This afternoon Jon (13) found it under my drainboard by the sink! It crawled up into the electric plug to escape. An hour or so later it was seen in the dinning room. Jim stayed on the hunt until he caught it.We still aren't postive about what kind it is. Most likely a Gopher snake. He was about 15" long and as big around as a man's finger.

He was released outside where he promptly headed for under the house. I don't mind if he stays there and eats mice, but we are praying he was too tramatized to come back in the house!

This is actually the second snake we have had in the house in the eleven years we have lived here. I was very pregnant with the last one too.

We know we have a number of snakes outside including one living in the chicken coop. It's head is too small to eat eggs, even unhinged, but it keeps the mice down. That one is definitly a Gopher.




Even with all the excitment I was able to finish the baby's layette. I couldn't find a neutral material I liked so I just made two; one pink and one blue.

The birth kit is complete now. Give me a few more days to make sure Baby's lungs are mature enough and I am ready:-) Can't wait to hold my new little one!

How Dutch women got to be the happiest in the world - World - Macleans.ca

How Dutch women got to be the happiest in the world - World - Macleans.ca


The feminists are upset because Dutch women are CHOOSING to not act like competative men in the workplace but are CHOOSING to focus on those things that make them happy. I thought feminisim was all about giving women choices. Guess not.



Truthfull, I have never bought the line tha feminists just want women to have choices. They want them to leave all things feminine (child bearing, nursing, homemaking) and act like men.

Rethinking Childbearing - Part 2

Rethinking Childbearing - Part 2

Rethinking Childbearing, Part 1

Rethinking Childbearing, Part 1

From a biblical point of view.

EDITORIAL: Cloudy outlook for global-warming faithful - Washington Times

EDITORIAL: Cloudy outlook for global-warming faithful - Washington Times

Who Are the Real Religious Bigots?

Who Are the Real Religious Bigots?

Satan is not a fallen angel

Bread of Life Christian Fellowship: Satan is not a fallen angel

Defending Paul

Bread of Life Christian Fellowship: Defending Paul

EDITORIAL: Biden's anti-life policy - Washington Times

EDITORIAL: Biden's anti-life policy - Washington Times

China's policy is what comes to my mind everytime I hear one of the chicken-little "the world is too populated" speeches. Make no mistake, many of these people hate babies enough they don't care about choice or personal rights but would gladly take my little ones out and shoot them if they could.

Federal Government Tramples Conscience Protections

Federal Government Tramples Conscience Protections

‘Deselecting’ our children - The Globe and Mail

‘Deselecting’ our children - The Globe and Mail

YOu know a better way to get rid of all Downs Syndrome would be to just kill them after they are born. After all, the tests aren't always right either way, with both false positives and negatives. If we just wait until they are born to kill them we will be sure to only get the right ones.


If that thought disturbs you, so should aborting a baby because it's not perfect.



Honestly, I don't even get the tests anymore. If there is something "wrong" with my baby, I will love him and raise him anyway. Honestly, since I seem to only be able to birth human beings, all my babies have flaws, so what if this one isn't as smart or pretty? He would be better than the others in other ways.

If we continue to make it ok to kill a baby because he has Down's, how long before we kill anyone who isn't perfect due to a car acceident, illness, or some other cause?

Once we start playing God, we are in very dangerous teritory.

How Birth Control Brings Us Down | LiveScience

How Birth Control Brings Us Down | LiveScience

Continents Should Have Eroded Long Ago

Continents Should Have Eroded Long Ago

It's a young earth people.

Overpopulation scruples

Domestic Felicity: Overpopulation scruples

If you believe in evolution and in living a natural life, you can't possible use birth control. there is nothing natural about it.

If you believe in creation and thus God, using birth control for the sake of the population is a severe condimnation of God and His love and knowledge.

The most populated cities and countries in the world (most people per square mile) are not necessarily the poorest. The poorest cities and countries are the most socialist, not the most populated.

Babies aren't the problem. Politicians are.

Why the 9/11 Cross Should Offend All of Us | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Why the 9/11 Cross Should Offend All of Us Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

John MacArthur Drops the Booze Bomb | ZIONICA.com

John MacArthur Drops the Booze Bomb | ZIONICA.com

Drunkenness is a sin. But everyone who drinks doesn't drink until drunk. We need to get these concepts clear.

"If the US Government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year, & have $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget & debt, reduced to a level that we can understand." ~Dave Ramsey (Yikes!)

Repulsed by raw: FDA, CDC lies about unpasteurized milk

Repulsed by raw: FDA, CDC lies about unpasteurized milk

Can't wait unti I can go back to raw! Where is my calf?
(Selling raw is illegal in our state so our only legal options are a two hour car drive and exorbitant prices across the border or milk our own cow who, at the moment, seems determined not to share her calf by actually birthing it)

This week on the farm

We started the week with the discovery of why the swamp cooler hose suddenly keeps getting leaks. George has been chewing on it.

George as a day-old. He now weighs between 200 and 300 pounds.

He managed to chew it completly in half. So we have had to add water with a hose all week. Thankfully it has been a few degrees cooler this week than last week.

Then two of the rabbits got out. Still don't know how they did it. They are ones heading for the butcher. Jim caught them ok and we made an interesting discovery. These are genteler than past "bunnies" have been. Our Pure Red Satin Buck died last year so we bought his grandson off of the young man who does our butchering for us. This young buck is an escape artist, which is the only reason he was still alive for us (We traded a doe for butchering services who our friend bred to some other buck. This buck got out of the pen on butcher day for his litter mates and so survived.) Past bunnies would have fought much harder than these two did. Once they were in hand, these little bucks just quieted down.

So, Red Satins are beautiful but high strung and harder to handle. This fits with my memory of French Lops (a gentle breed) that I raised as a child.

We have had three broody hens. This week two of the eggs hatched, so we now have two fluffy chicks :-)

From the color of one of the chicks, one hen laid the egg (The Plymouth Rock or the Lace Wing Wyndott), another brooded them (Buff Orpington), and a third is raising them (another Buff Orpington). Hillary was wrong; it doesn't take a village to raise a child. It takes a village to raise a chicken!

Actually, the broody hen is now mothering them too. So those two poor chicks have two mothers bossing them around.

The cow is overdue to calve. With this heat and my sympathy for how she feels we have been letting her graze in the main yard every day. This way she can go to the coolest part of the property when the heat gets too bad. It also means she is decimating our hay stack.

After supper Tuesday a neighbor came into our yard and informed us our cow had just strolled past his house. We hadn't got around to shutting the gate after Hubby got home or to putting her back in her pen. She hasn't been acting the least bit interested in doing anything but eating hay or visiting with the rabbits (the cool spot). Who knew she would suddenly get an adventurous streak?

She made it almost to the end of the block. The children walked down and headed her off. She just turned around and went back home. Almost trotted. Goofy cow.

Me and Joy (19) milking

We can't wait for her to calve. We are really missing the milk, butter and yogurt. We also really don't like this buying both hay and milk! Gets expensive!

Joy, however, has informed me I am not allowed to milk until after Baby is born. As you can see in the picture, Rosie is a short cow with a broken (low hanging) udder. I am afraid I can't get down that low without help and getting back up after milking would be nearly impossible. Plus, though Rosie is the gentlest cow I have ever met, she is large livestock. If she were to be startled for some reason, I couldn't possible move fast enough to get out of the way.

So the kids will be doing the milking for a while:-(

That is, if she ever actually calves.

She was due July 27.

Yeah, yeah, I know. "A due date is not an experation date. It means baby can come two weeks either direction."

It's still hard to wait :-P

The spending-cut myth

The spending-cut myth


Who’s Pro-Choice?
Democrats like to allow women to have abortions, but not much else.

In the Beginning…God? | Breathing Grace

In the Beginning…God? | Breathing Grace

Thank you, Sen McCain

I understand that you have called Tea Partiers "Hobbits." Maybe you should actually read the books or at least watch the movies.

Hobbits are a peace loving, governmentless group of farmers who want nothing more than to be left alone to live their lives without interference from anyone. Four of them take on an epic journey, fighting the forces of evil and tyranny (dare I say the forces of Big Government?) .

They are the heros. They are the brave. They are the self sacraficing ones who stand up for what is right at risk to life and limb, no matter what.

So on behalf of all Tea Partiers in America...

I thank you Sen McCain.

I hope we continue to live up to the name you have given us.

Guest Post: Socialism: How Shall We Be Told to Live? |

Guest Post: Socialism: How Shall We Be Told to Live? |

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: The End of the Rabbi As Mr. Nice Guy

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: The End of the Rabbi As Mr. Nice Guy

Just replace "rabbi" with "preacher."

Parents should lose custody of obese kids, expert suggests | Posted | National Post

Parents should lose custody of obese kids, expert suggests | Posted | National Post

What next? "You don't dress your kids fasionably enough so we'll take them away?"

Cool geography puzzles!

Map Puzzles - Learn U.S. and World Geography Online

Unintended Consequences of ObamaCare Keep Rolling In | FreedomWorks

Unintended Consequences of ObamaCare Keep Rolling In | FreedomWorks

CURL: The tea party IS the third party - Washington Times

CURL: The tea party IS the third party - Washington Times

Interview: Paul Crawford -- Myths about the Crusades

Interview: Paul Crawford -- Myths about the Crusades

The truth about the Crusades- the Chrstians weren't wrong.

Humility in deeds, not words alone.... - BaylyBlog: Out of our minds, too...

If you are claiming to be humble you have proven you are not.

I am not sure any human can accurately assess how humble they, personally, are. I do know that our daily work and thoughts should be about promoting Jesus.That is all that's important.Humility in deeds, not words alone.... - BaylyBlog: Out of our minds, too...

Why Youth Stay in Church When They Grow Up – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Why Youth Stay in Church When They Grow Up – The Gospel Coalition Blog

AlbertMohler.com – Reparative Therapy, Homosexuality, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

AlbertMohler.com – Reparative Therapy, Homosexuality, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Beware Romantic Pornography – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Beware Romantic Pornography – The Gospel Coalition Blog

“I Open at the Close": Where the Deathly Hallows Could Lead Us, Christian Parenting and Family

“I Open at the Close": Where the Deathly Hallows Could Lead Us, Christian Parenting and Family

Very good commentary on the whole series.

Calif. Bill Teaching Gay History in Schools Signed Into Law - WSJ.com

Calif. Bill Teaching Gay History in Schools Signed Into Law - WSJ.com

As goes California, so goes the Nation. What laws they adopt, especially in education, the rest of the country always does eventually too.

So why are your children still in public school?

Sunday School is from Satan?

Might be. It just might be.

Official Divided the Movie (HD Version) from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Obamageddon

Obamageddon

Calif. Bill Teaching Gay History in Schools Signed Into Law - WSJ.com

Calif. Bill Teaching Gay History in Schools Signed Into Law - WSJ.com

As goes California, so goes the Nation. What laws they adopt, especially in education, the rest of the country always does eventually too.

So why are your children still in public school?

Poverty or simplicity?

Domestic Felicity: Poverty or simplicity?

Porn Again

Porn Again




What the Bible says about sex, porn, etc.



Every man needs to read this. Women should not unless they do so with their hubbys.

A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women - by Leilah McCracken

A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women - by Leilah McCracken

Closing the book on open marriage - Guest Voices - The Washington Post

Closing the book on open marriage - Guest Voices - The Washington Post

6 Ways to Bring Civility Online | The Art of Manliness

6 Ways to Bring Civility Online | The Art of Manliness

The Well-Rounded Mama: Taking Away the Fat Kids Again

The Well-Rounded Mama: Taking Away the Fat Kids Again

Be healthy:

Exercise

Eat lots of fruits and veggies.

When at all possible choose whole grains

Don't eat sugar

Don't eat refined foods (lunch meats, margarine, Most pre-made deserts, etc.)

Don't stress

Pray





If you lose weight, great.

If you don't, great.

Being healthy is the goal.

Fascism Is Not Conservatism - HUMAN EVENTS

Fascism Is Not Conservatism - HUMAN EVENTS

Pro and con on circumcision - latimes.com

Pro and con on circumcision - latimes.com

minimalist influence: homeschooling

minimalist influence: homeschooling

Good advise.

Thoughts on singleness

Domestic Felicity: Thoughts on singleness

Once again I agree with Anna. She has a great deal of wisdom.

Tolerence vs Love

Amos 63-6 Woe to you who are rushing headlong to disaster!


Catastrophe is just around the corner!

Woe to those who live in luxury

and expect everyone else to serve them!

Woe to those who live only for today,

indifferent to the fate of others!

Woe to the playboys, the playgirls,

who think life is a party held just for them!

Woe to those addicted to feeling good—life without pain!

those obsessed with looking good—life without wrinkles!

They could not care less

about their country going to ruin.



7But here's what's really coming:

a forced march into exile.

They'll leave the country whining,

a rag-tag bunch of good-for-nothings.


I guess I have to admit I am not tolerant (as if you couldn't tell, lol). I love people too much to be tolerant.

A ParableA man is walking towards a very busy freeway, say, one of those clover leafs in southern California that sees thousands of cars a day. The man has a blindfold on.

One observer comments, "I think that man is heading for trouble, but who am I to judge. Maybe he is testing a new navigation device, or his wife just left him, or he can really see through the blind-fold. Anyway, it's not my business to try to change him. This may be the right course for him. Who am I to judge." They then whistle a tune as they walk on their way. This person is tolerant.

Another observer says, "Oh my gosh!!! Hey, buddy! You are heading for the freeway! You are going to be killed! Stop! Don't go!" They then run over and try everything they can to turn the man around, or better yet, take the blindfold off their face.This person loves the man.

And just for comparison, a third person sees the man, points, laughs, and says "Look at him! He's going to die! Isn't that hilarious?" And sits back to enjoy the "entertainment." This person is a hater.

Do you think Amos in the scripture above is tolerant or loving to Israel? Or is he hateful?


I think think Amos loved his nation a great deal. He loved them to much to just sit back and watch God destroy them without at least trying to turn them around.

God tells the minor prophets repeatedly that if Israel and Judah will repent, turn from their sins and worship Him, He will spare them the hurt and tragedy coming. They refused to listen.




Look again at those words in the scripture that I bolded. Doesn't this describe America today? If God is the same yesterday, today and forever then His standards of righteousness are the same. If His standards are the same, we're in trouble.

Serious trouble.


I love my country. I don't want to see her destroyed.

I love my neighbors and my friends (including e-friends:-). I don't want to see one of you go to hell. I want you to be my neighbor in Heaven.

Yet I see my nation and many of those I love ignorantly disobeying God, heading for that freeway. How can I possibly sit by and watch? I must warn everyone I can what God says in His word. I CAN'T  "tolerate" such dangerous behavior.

I love you too much.

AP News: Home birth on the rise by a dramatic 20 percent

AP News: Home birth on the rise by a dramatic 20 percent

Ok, Certified, non-nurse midwives are called "Certified Professional Midwives" (CPM) not "lay midwives." Lay or direct entry midwives are those who are practising but not certified by the Midwife Association of North America (MANA). CPMs must have at least two years of training, participation in at least 60 births and pass a stringent oral and skills evaluation as well as a written test.

Yes, the main reason some women choose home birth over hospital birth is finances or because they want a better experience. Most, however, want a healthy baby as their priority. Because home birth babies don't have drugs in their systems, mom's stressed out from being treated like machines that are to obey at all costs, routine procedures (shots, anti-biotics, etc), home birth babies in many studies have consistently scored higher on the APGAR (baby health evaluation) test. And the particular study that comes to mind a the moment had over 2000 participants (just over half birthed in the hospital,the rest at home, both groups by choice). No small study.

Really, experience and safety are often the same thing. C-sections for the doctor or hospital's convenience are neither pleasant or safe, for example (and they happen for those reasons way too often).

Otherwise, this is a good over all article:-) I enjoyed it.