Home Sweet Home

Family Updates...It's Been A While

2010-06-23T22:17:00.006-05:00

Sorry readers for my long absence. Our summer really has been busy and I am able to keep up with most of my family and friends on Facebook so I don't feel a need to blog as much. "There's so much I wanna say and don't" that I don't know where to start blogging about it all so for now it's just pictures of the last few months.

We went to Nashville, TN at the end of May for our family vacation. We went to the water park one day and the zoo the next. We stayed in a really nice hotel. We feel blessed to have had such a fun time . After a few days there we drove into Kentucky to stay the rest of the week with my grandparents. The kids did amazing on the 15 hour drive there. We spent the night halfway on the way back home.

We had VBS last week but sorry, no pictures of that...was too busy chasing 17 five year olds all week. We have had four birthday parties, a wedding, VBS, and two pampered chef parties all in June. Plus, I have been canning green beans, making different fruit jams, and picking other veggies from my garden. I am swamped right now. Joey is gone the Ranger's game tonight with some guys from work so that's why I am up late uploading pictures.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer. I am ready for some cooler weather although I am not complaining because I hate winter, but the heat is hard on my garden.

We are making memories every day and loving every minute of our children's lives. They grow fast so we are relishing every moment. Our sweet boy just turned one year on June 22nd. My my where has this year gone?

Joey and my mom two stepping at a wedding we attended last weekend. No one got pics of Joey and I dancing.
At the Nashville Zoo

My climbing boy eating blackberries I picked.

Joey and Libby posing at the zoo

Riding the carousel at the zoo

Libby in the bounce house at the Nashville Zoo

Judah loved the bounce house too.

At the waterpark in Nashville.

Libby and daddy building a sand castle at the Nashville Lake

Judah and I enjoying the sun and the water

Judah loves this car and loves sticking out his tongue.

Libby sleeping at night...she looks comfortable

Libby showing Joey her fish she caught.

We went in to check on Judah and he was snuggling with his pony.

Libby fishing for the first time. It was a hit.

I'm Back

2010-05-12T11:59:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the sabbatical, but life in our home stays pretty busy, especially in the summer. Every Saturday in June is already booked and May is too. Here's the highlights of what our typical week looks like:

I volunteer at the Pregnancy Resource Center every other Tuesday.

My husband and I teach TeamKids at church on Wednesdays...three year olds!!

I am a Pampered Chef consultant so I usually have one show a week, but sometimes not.

In between that, I am tending to my large garden, where I have to weed and water and come June, my days will be spent picking, canning, and freezing. I have two children and a husband to spend time with. I am building relationships with friends and ministering to some of them as the need arises and the the typical household stuff. I am teaching Vacation Bible School for a week in June so I am also busy planning that. We are going to Kentucky Memorial Day weekend to see family for a week and then I think everybody and their dog is having birthday parties in June, including Judah, so we are trying to slow down when we can.

My point is that right now I am preoccupied with other things so my blogging will definitely seem hit and miss. Be patient with me. I will post updates about us as I have time and definitely pictures.

Take care blogging friends!!

Blog Award

2010-04-22T21:42:00.002-05:00

My friend Alisha gave me a blog award. Thanks friend!! They say honesty is the best policy but sometimes it gets me into trouble, know what mean? I get foot to mouth disease quite often, especially in Sunday School. I told everyone last week I was through talking and giving my opinion, but before the class was over I had already talked again 3-4 times. Oh, well. I get it from my mom. Everyone pretty much knows where I stand.

So the rules for this award is to tell 10 things about myself and then tag 10 people to do the same. Here goes:

1. I have lost 63 pounds. I weighed in at over 200 pounds until five years ago until I decided I couldn't live that way again. I have kept it off for five years.

2. I never kissed anyone until I met my husband. He was my first kiss!! (I know, how sweet)

3. I am not a picky eater and will eat most anything except roadkill and things on Man vs. Wild.

4. I played the flute in junior high band

5. I absolutely HATE getting up in front of people to speak. My second fear; first being death.

6. I am insecure and struggle with jealousy (How's that for being honest?)

7. I graduated college from Midwestern State University, but I love my job as a stay at home mom much better.

8. I love epidurals.

9. If I could have any plastic surgery I wanted, it would be a tummy tuck and a breast lift. Extra weight and then weight loss really takes a toll on the body...Yuck!!

10. I was born in Michigan but got here (Texas) as fast as I could at 6 months of age.

So, there you go. Honesty at it's best. Hope you feel like you know me a little bit better now.

1. Wendy

2. Alicia

3. Lindsay

4. Tarrah

5. Monica

6. Shonnie

Ok, so I only did six. Just copy and paste the image to your blog and then go from there.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T11:11:00.006-05:00

Our Easter activities began the Wednesday before Easter with an egg hunt at church along with telling the Easter story and fun activities. The night before we went to Joey's grandparents along with his aunts, uncles, and cousins. We cooked out hamburgers and the kids got to hunt eggs. We went to my parent's house on Sunday for supper and then Libby hunted eggs afterwards. We enjoyed being with all our family and getting to tell Libby the true meaning of Easter. She was too young last year to really understand.

Judah playing with Libby's garden shovel

Libby holding her egg bucket with real colored eggs. She helped Mamaw (my mom) color them.

Looking for eggs in the landscaping.

Daddy, Judah, and Libby on the front porch of Mamaw and Pap's house.

Libby and Mommy after church on Sunday

Our Princess

Our sweet children

Our Judah Man

Judah playing with his and sister's egg bucket

Libby hunting eggs at Joey's grandma and pa's

At grandma and pa's

Not sure what to do with this.

Libby and Mimi at the egg hunt at church.

Daddy helping brother put his eggs in his basket

Please Pray

2010-04-03T09:20:00.002-05:00

Joey's cousin Cody and his wife Whitney had a baby boy March 25th. After he was born the doctors discovered he had a heart defect. Surgery was performed April 1st to put a stunt in.

I am sad to say he passed away this morning, April 3rd.

My heart is very heavy and burdened for them today.

Please pray.

Even if you don't know what to pray for, please pray for them and continue praying. The days, weeks, and months ahead will be hard so keep praying as the Lord lays them on your heart.

Whitney has a blog with his picture on it. If you feel led, please leave them words for encouragment on there. Although they won't know you and you them, as the body of Christ, we can lift up those around us who are hurting. I know they would be touched. He is such a precious little boy.

Although I am grieving today, I am also rejoicing that he is safe and whole in the arms of Jesus today!!

Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse

2010-03-23T14:14:00.005-05:00

1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 c. water

4 Tbsp. Epsom Salt

Apple Juice

Grapefruit Juice

*Use grapefruit juice for the 10:00 p.m. olive oil mix. The juice keeps the oil from separating and it taste much better than with water. Use the water for the Epsom salt mix.

Eat a no-fat breakfast and lunch such as cooked cereal with fruit, fruit juice, bread and preserves or honey (NO MILK OR BUTTER), baked potato or other vegetables with salt only. This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressures pushes out more stones.

Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is best. Organic if you can get it.

2:00 p.m. Do not eat after 2:00. Drink water and apple juice only.

DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING FROM 5:30 P.M. ONWARDS

6:00 p.m. Mix 1 Tbsp. Epsom Salt with 3/4 c. water or grapefruit juice.

8:00 p.m. Repeat by drinking another 3/4 c. Epsom salt mix.

8:30-9:00 p.m. OPTION: You can have vanilla ice cream (no carrageenan) 16-32 oz. Bryers is a good brand. You get more stones if you don't eat the ice cream.

9:45 p.m. Pour 1/2 c. olive oil into pint jar. Add 3/4 c. grapefruit juice and shake jar.

10:00 p.m. Drink olive oil mix. You can chase this with honey between sips. Get it down within 5 min.

Lie down immediately. The sooner you lie down the more stones you get out. Be ready for bed ahead of time. Lie on your right side. Try to keep still for 20 min. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles.

Next morning upon awakening, take your third dose of Epsom salt mix. Don't take before 6:00 a.m.

2 hours later take your fourth Epsom salt mix.

2 hours later you may eat. Start with fruit juice. Half hour later eat fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light.

**You will see not only stones but liver flukes in your stool. This works. Try it**

Pizza Night

2010-03-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

For pizza night I did something different this time. I made a half barbeque half cheese pizza. We had some smoked brisquet left over in the freezer from another meal so I decided to experiment. You can also use leftover roast. That would work too. Joey loved it and said it was his favorite pizza now. I make my homemade pizza crust and it's ooooo so delicious!!

Joey chopped up the brisket with a hand chopper.

Once the meat is chopped and and the cheese grated, spread half of the dough with barbeque sauce and the other half with pizza sauce.

Put the meat on top of the barbeque sauce and sprinkle cheese on the whole thing.

Here is our favorite barbeque sauce. It is the best sauce we have ever tried. It's not all that healthy, but it tastes so good. This is one of our splurges.

Bake 350 degrees until done.

Nine Months

2010-03-22T20:21:00.003-05:00

No, I am not having a baby in nine months, my baby is nine months old today!! I can't believe how fast this nine months has gone. He is such a sweet laid back boy. He is almost crawling, but can't seem to get the movement down yet. He is a great eater and has never turned anything away. He eats mostly table food now. He's beeen sleeping 11-12 hours a night since he was four months old. He brings such joy to our family.

Homemade Baby Food

2010-02-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

This was my second time around since Judah has been on solids to make his baby food. The cost of jar baby food just gripes me and I cringe every time I have to buy some. We do keep some on hand for when we go out, but at home he eats the homemade. This particular round I did green beans, peas, and carrots, all frozen. When I make squash and sweet potatoes, I use fresh. I didn't have time this particular day to all of the veggies. I can't afford to buy all organic veggies so I buy what I can afford and wash the fresh veggies with my hydrogen peroxide veggie wash.

I started out with three pans and cooked the veggies until done. I strained them and then put them into a blender. You don't have to have a baby food maker to make homemade baby food. A regular blender does fine. Puree until smooth. The thicker veggies, such as sweet potatoes and peas, will require you to add a little water. Add a little at a time though until blending smoothly.

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When finished with that step, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When completely frozen pop out and put into ziplock bags, label, and store in the freezer.

*Tips*- Let the frozen trays sit for at least 10 minutes before you pop out the veggies or you will break them, especially if using cheaper trays. I have found the Rubbermaid ones work the best. They are expensive, especially if you buy in bulk so look for them used at second hand shops. I usually use 8-10 at a time.

I steam the squash to prevent it from being too squishy. I never microwave any of the veggies. Microwave cooking is not healthy and will radiate the food. It doesn't take that much time to stove top cook.

When your baby hits 8-9 months and can handle thicker textures, simply puree the food you prepared for supper for your family, minus the spices for heat reasons.

Four cubes is equal to one- 4 oz. jar. For lunch and supper I will set out four cubes before breakfast to ensure thawing. If I forget, I simply take them out of the freezer when I do remember and put them into a glass container to warm in our toaster oven. Like I said, I never warm his food in the microwave unless I'm in a pinch.

For his fruits at home, he eats fresh bananas or apple sauce. I buy the unsweetened jar applesauce and will add fresh pureed blueberries if they are on sale. When apples or pears are on sale, feel free to make your own applesauce or pearsauce.

Pictures of the Kids

2010-02-19T15:38:00.003-06:00

I realized it had been a while since I posted some pictures of the kids. I will post more soon.

This picture of Libby was actually taken at 10:oo at night. We went in to check on her before we went to bed and this is what we found. I guess she had climbed out of her crib and wanted to put her hat on. We died laughing as soon as we got out of earshot.

Taken at Chucky Cheese

Libby holding Judah's neck to ensure he was looking at the camera.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T11:47:00.000-06:00

So I did something a little different this Valentine's Day for Joey, which we actually celebrated on Monday afternoon instead of Sunday. I got this wonderful idea from my friend Monica. She did this a while back for her husband and it proved successful.

I asked 7 of Joey's friends to write a few sentences or a small paragraph on how he has displayed a certain fruit of the spirit in his life and in their relationship. I assigned each of them a random fruit of the spirit and hoped that everyone would participate. I wanted to write on love and faithfulness. As everyone sent me their's back, I printed each one out and put them into separate envelopes.

The same day I received two back and within a few days all of his friends had responded. Throughout the day on Monday I would give him an envelope to open. At first he said this was embarrassing. He doesn't like people doting on him and him being the center of attention. But as the day went on he found himself asking, "So when do I get to open another one?" It was fun seeing the excitement on his face when he read what other's had said and then to see who it was from. I had asked friends from high school to present day friends, including his boss.

I wanted this to be a source of encouragement for him. It was a reminder to me also that I needed to be more forthcoming in my encouragement and praise of others and not always wait for special moments. People like to hear that they are special and it could very well brighten someone's discouraging day to hear someone speak blessings to them, either in person, over the phone, or in a card.

Here is what some of Joey's friends had to say:

"Joey, you truly are a peacemaker. I appreciate your heart for unity without sacrificing truth. I have never known someone easier to get along with and harder to offend than you and this brings a spirit of peace to every situation you are in. I believe that the reason for this is that you are more concerned about others than yourself. I appreciate this quality in your life. I miss you man."

"Vines dictionary has one and a half pages for good and goodness. The phrase that I found that I think sums it up best is," True goodness can only flow out of a life right with God and yielded to Him." That is Joey. He has a heart for God and it shows. I know that he truly cares for my family, praying for us and being one of the few friends I have here in Texas. If I ever needed him for something I know he would do his best to help me."

"Joey is often kind, doing things for others. There are lots of examples of this in his life. The family that was helped at Christmas is one. The way he's always ready to serve Bonnie (Pregnancy Resource Center director) is another. I'm sure there are many things he does in his day to day life that we don't know about. It's his way of being kind. One way that stands out the most is Joey's compassionate attitude towards the unborn, children, and big families. Joey doesn't just talk the talk, he walks it when it comes to these folks. He will always go the extra mile when it comes to being kind to them or advocating for them. Babies, children, and big families will always have a friend in Joey."

I did not post them all, but everyone's comments were sweet and touched him deeply. Try this idea sometime for your husband. If not for Valentine's Day, maybe for his birthday. I know it will encourage him.

Mother's Version of 1 Corinthians 13

2010-02-11T21:08:00.002-06:00

I can read bedtime stories till the cow jumps over the moon and sing, "Ten Little Monkeys" until I want to call the doctor-but if I don't have love I'm as annoying as a ringing phone.

I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and checking my voicemail. I can fix the best cookies and Kool-aide in the neighborhood and I can tell a sick child's temperature by the touch of my finger-but if I don't have love I am nothing.

Love is patient while watching and praying by the front window when it's thirty minutes past curfew.

Love is kind when my teen says, "I hate you!"

Love does not envy my neighbors' swimming pool or their brand new mini van, but trusts the Lord to provide every need.

Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments or insecurities, but rejoices when other families succeed.

Love doesn't boast when I've multi-tasked all day long and my husband can't do more than one thing at a time.

Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "What have you done today?"

Love does not immediately seek after glory when we see talent in our children, but encourages them to get training and make wise choices.

Love is not easily angered when my 15 year old acts like the world revolves around her.

Love does not delight in evil (is not self-righteous) when I remind my 17 year old that he's going 80 in a 55 mph speed zone, but rejoices in the truth.

Love does not give up hope when I have been praying for the salvation of one of my children.

Love always protects our children's self-esteem and spirit even while doling out discipline.

-Nancy Campbell-
http://www.aboverubies.org

What I'm Learning

2010-01-30T21:39:00.002-06:00

We are going through a parenting study on DVD in Sunday School by Chip Ingram. We will start our fourth session tomorrow. I think I can speak for the whole class when I say we have all been encouraged.

Some of the points he discusses I feel like we are good at such as quality family time, affection, praying often with our children. Other aspects need some work. We need to be more consistent, demanding instant obedience. We have tried hard for the last several weeks. It is sooo hard because honestly I get tired of spanking Libby. I feel awful when I have to. It breaks my heart, but I know it's for her benefit and her good.

How will she ever grow up to obey her Heavenly Father whom she hasn't seen if she can't obey her earthly parents whom she does see? Children will have an easier time obeying the still small voice of the Lord if they learn to obey yours at a young age.

Joey has been praying for the Lord to help him be consistent with family devotions. The nights we are at home, we have been doing them. We are reading through John in small portions that Libby can handle. Joey discusses the portion with us in a way she can understand. We sing several songs together. Not just kid songs, but songs with a story. She loves to sing Amazing Grace, Jesus Paid It All, and Victory in Jesus. She knows the verses by heart. Some of her other favorites are Do Lord, The Lord's Army, and If You're Happy and You Know It. We share requests. Joey prays and then Libby wants to pray.

We purchased "The Jesus Storybook Bible" by Sally Loyd-Jones. Her husband is Martin Loyd-Jones, one of the great modern day theologians. In my opinion it's the best Bible story book for kids. Each story points back to Christ. We also use that as part of our devotion time.

We are striving as a family to incorporate more doctrinal truth and teachable moments as we go about our day.

Like Chip Ingram said, sex, language, and violence is easy to spot in movies and TV. But where we are subtly pulled in is when a woman from a bad marriage becomes involved with a man from a bad marriage and somehow we find ourselves rooting for them. He said a teachable moment there would be to stop the movie or turn the TV off and talk to your older kids why that is not ok and how that lifestyle doesn't honor the Lord. Instead of letting things like that slide, take time to address them.

You can do that with little ones too. When another child in Wal-Mart is talking disrespectfully to her mother or throwing a fit, take time to address the situation. Tell them Jesus wants us to talk sweet to our parents and that it pleases Him when we are kind to others. Find teachable moments. They are there.

Sooooo, that is what we are learning to do. I have failed. I will continue to fail. I am praying for wisdom. We have one shot on this parenting journey. I don't want to mess it up. Other things you might can blame on someone else. You can't blame your parenting mishaps on someone else.

If you feel like you have failed. You aren't alone. There is forgiveness and restoration from the Lord. Pray. Ask for wisdom and start today making a difference in your home. Your children's souls are at stake.

Clean Sweep Part 3

2010-01-20T15:10:00.002-06:00

I hope to make this the last of the "Clean Sweep" series. I don't want to get bogged down in the nitty gritty details of organizing because I might lose all of the few readers I have:D)

From pantry cabinets, to bookshelves, to your dreaded junk drawer...there is always something to be organized it seems. Bad news: your organizing will never stop. Good news: it will come closer to staying that way if you have a good system of organizing the stuff.

I will touch on a few more points and then call it quits.

Before I had two kids, my son's room was then the guest bedroom and his closet held all the extra stuff that wouldn't fit into ours. Crafts supplies, sewing supplies, batteries, teaching CD's/tapes, games, etc. are still at the top of his closet neatly tucked away into small Rubbermaid type containers with lids. Each box is marked on the front with the appropriate items contained in there. We have a container for batteries, craft paint, sermons on CD, small type games such as several decks of card, skip bo, hand held Yahtzee, etc., sewing supplies, and a miscellaneous box that might contain odds and ends that aren't junk but there's not enough of it to have its own box. I have a small three drawer system that sits on top of the filing cabinet also located in the closet, that contains my craft ribbon, school supplies (markers, glue, crayons, and scissors), and the last drawer contains pictures that I want to keep but don't necessarily want to put into albums, i.e. extra portrait pictures from a studio, doubles, etc.

I love those bins and drawer sets. Everything is tucked neatly away and you can label it which also ensures you will put the things into its proper location.

Because I am short on kitchen drawers...three to be exact is all I have...I don't have the luxury of a junk drawer so all my things have to have a place or I would go crazy.

So start this week organizing your junk drawer and make homes for those things. You can probably purchase cheap containers at the Dollar Store if you're short on budget.

Hope this post helped some of you. It's not as extensive as I would have liked but you all know me...I can get wordy sometimes...ok all the time.

Until next time, happy organizing.

Clean Sweep Part 2

2010-01-13T13:21:00.003-06:00

Now I hope you have done your assignment:) The second part will be challenging if you haven't ridded out yet, but don't fear. There is still hope and time. Don't be overwhelmed. I can already hear you muttering underneath your breath about how you don't have time and aren't gifted in this area...go slow and pick one small task and you will feel so good after it's done that you will be motivated to do more.

I will only address a few categories today...toys and clothes to be exact... to be organized so if this doesn't apply to you then more categories will come later. If there is something I didn't address then feel free to ask me about it and I will address it the best way I know how.

So get moving sisters...and brothers!

Once you have your trash pile, your charity pile, your garage sale/and or consignment pile then you are ready to begin phase 2. *Side note: I prefer to give my good stuff to consignment vs. saving it for a garage sale because of lack of storage space for me*

The first thing I will address is toys...the dreaded play room...or if you're like me the small bedroom.

My daughter is two years old and loves all things girl and things in between. Purses, babies, jewelry, dress up clothes, kitchen stuff, etc. You get the picture. Things could get real cluttered real quick. My last purging was right after Christmas. I got rid of five babies and left her with four, two purses (she still has two), and all the little bitty junk that gets lost so easy. We don't collect McDonald's toys because for one she has never had a happy meal and two the stuff is junk and clutters up the room.

I organized her closet so that the play kitchen would fit in the corner right when you walk in so she could still play with it but it was out of the way in her room. She got a wooden doll bed for Christmas so all the babies get nestled in there at night. Her kitchen accessories are stored in a small container with a lid. I purchased a three drawer set from Wal-Mart in which the top drawer holds all baby stuff (play diapers, bottles, doll clothes), the second drawer holds all the miscellaneous items like small balls, her flashlight, play purses, etc, and the last drawer holds her dress up items and play jewelry. The rest of her toys are bigger sets that won't fit into drawers (play dough set, doctor play set and her play laptop that she doesn't know how to use yet but she acts like she does:) Those things nestle on top of the drawer set or beside it.

She does have a bookshelf for all her books.

That's about all she has. Doesn't sound like much but how many toys do kids really need? I think kids get real spoiled when they have so much. They no longer appreciate the simplicity in life when they expect to have a room full of stuff. Plus, it's more to organize. All kids have their favorites anyway.

There are obviously things I want to keep for her and Judah as keepsakes so purchase a bin for those things. I do keep most of her crafts and such from Sunday School. I have a basket in the top of the closet that I store those things in each week. When it gets full I will purchase a bin, label it and then store it in our outbuildings. You can't keep everything so keep the best of the best.

Put away the toys that you want to keep that your kids like but maybe have lost interest in and bring them out when they are bored with their current toys. It will be like Christmas all over again.

Encourage family to buy a small toy, coupled with an outfit or two and then give them money for Christmas and birthdays. I requested size 3T outfits for Libby for Christmas so I could put them up for summer or winter. She had plenty of 2T and besides she wears her favorites and some clothes she has never had on.

We have two accounts set up for Libby and Judah so anytime they get money it goes in there.

I also keep a bin in their closets to put out-grown clothes in. It keeps them neat and keeps you from leaving them on the hangers or laying them in the floor to go through later. I regularly go through their closet and purge those items that are getting too small, out-of-season clothes, or clothes she/he wore but I didn't like. Those items go in the give-away pile. By keeping the bin handy, you can put the clothes in there as you need to and they are out of site and neat. When it gets full, label it and store it. If it's your last child, then yoo hoo, you can give it all away right?

Another thought on the kids clothes. Because their closets are big enough, I hang up the next size they will grow into so I always know what I have so I don't buy more than is needed. Throughout the years friends have given us clothes for them but they weren't able to wear yet. Libby has her 2T's hanging up and 3T's on the end. Now when people ask what she needs I can just go into her closet and look.

Same idea for adults except you won't store your clothes in bins unless they are maternity clothes (mine are stored in two bins labeled shirts and jeans, shorts, dresses.) or seasonal clothes if your closets are too small to hold both. My closets are big enough to hold both luckily.

WOW! Didn't mean to be soooo wordy, but there was so much to cover...hope I didn't lose you on this one.

More to come later in the week.

Happy organizing!!!!!

Clean Sweep Part 1

2010-01-10T16:51:00.004-06:00

OK so my friend Alisha asked me months ago to blog about organization since I guess she thinks I'm so good at it:) This first post is just an overview. I will get into specifics in a later post this week.

I confess I do enjoy organizing and have done it for other people in our church when I was in high school. Kinda nerdy you might think for a high school girl to organize people's game closets, but it was my hobby of sorts. It is therapy for me to organize a cabinet, toss some toys, label bins, alphabetize our movie cabinet. You catch my drift. By now I guess you have me pegged. I am Type A, perfectionistic, clean, and sometimes OCD (I have it balanced.)

When I am on a mission to organize anything (books, toys, clothes) I first rid out of the obvious things first, i.e., outdated clothes, broken toys, toys with missing pieces, novels I don't wish to read again, clothing with stains, etc. Those go into the dump pile.

I then begin to sort the remaining items. Clothes or shoes that I haven't worn in a year or two go.

My not-so-favorite purses go (Most of us have our favorites that we carry all the time so toss the ones that are too small to hold your stuff.)

Toys that Libby is no longer interested is or that she has too many of go (babies, barbies, balls.)

When ridding through magazines, keep your favorite issues that you will refer back to, but then dump or give away the rest.

Instead of continuing to buy fiction books that you probably won't ever read again, check them out at the library or borrow them from a friend. I do have my stash of Janette Oke books that I loved reading as a teenager that I want to pass on to Libby. Those type of books are ok to keep, just don't go overboard.

If you have board games that are missing pieces, get rid of them. If you haven't tried buying replacement parts (if they are available) you probably won't now.

I will always get new clothes. The kids will always get new toys.Don't be afraid to throw away, give to charity, take to consignment. You can earn some extra money on those items that are still in good condition.

Immediately put those items into trash bags or boxes and load them up into the car so you won't be tempted to go through the pile again and keep the things you really didn't want to get rid of. Plus by loading them into the car it keeps the clutter down in the house from having bags and boxes piling up.

So your assignment for the next two days is to pick one closet/room in your house and rid out of one particular item or group of items (games, magazines, clothes, shoes, books, toys.)

Be ready for part 2 on Wednesday.

Happy ridding!

*Not happy organizing because we're not there yet...we're only in the ridding stage*

Christmas Part 2 2009

2009-12-28T11:01:00.000-06:00

We had Christmas at my mom's on Christmas Eve. Ever since I was young we have had Christmas on Christmas Eve.

My sister Amy holding Libby and helping her open her gifts. Memaw is sitting next to Amy.

My brother Matt with two of his boys

Christmas Part 1 2009

2009-12-27T19:11:00.003-06:00

December 19th we had our first Christmas on Mark and Janet's, Joey's dad and step mom. I will post these in parts since we had so many Christmas's we took part in. We had a wondeful Christmas spent with family. The snow really added to the season. Hope you and yours were blessed as well.

Libby sporting a new pink coat.

Judah and mommy opening one of his gifts
Libby showing off her new ball glove. Because of the glare you can't see what's inside on the hand but it has her name and her birthdate on it.

MIA

2009-12-23T22:41:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it's been this long since I have blogged, but like I said previously, it takes a back seat to other things. I apologize to my faithful readers who I know wait on the edge of their seat to read my posts *not*.

This Christmas season for the Fluitt family has been full of parties, caroling, church musicals, blessing a needy family in Bowie, baking, and just hanging out with each other. We honestly haven't been too extremely busy.

Tonight, us along with other friends, were blessed to be able to deliver a Christmas meal and presents to the Weaver family here in our hometown. They are a needy family with a wonderful story. They had to pawn most of their belongings just to pay bills. They had absolutely nothing. No furniture, no stove, no dining room table...nothing!! Most of the kids' toys were pawned as well. My friend Brittani along with her small group wanted to adopt this family and we of course wanted to be a part of the blessing, so we jumped right in there sending out our own emails asking for donations to help this family.

A sweet family purchased a new stove for them. Other's gave living room furniture, tables, a dining set, rugs, dishes, etc. And yet others purchased new things and gave so generously. I know at least 80 presents were carried into the house. Joey and I brought them a meal consisting of a roasted chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade biscuits. My sweet friend Alicia made a homemade pecan pie and homemade cookies. They were able to eat first before we all got there to deliver the presents.

The two kids and then the parents got to open several things while we were there. Geron, the dad, cried when he opened a tool set. He had to pawn his tools to pay the bills. Anne opened a too cute outfit and some baking items and the kids opened transformers, coloring books, new scooters, etc.

That didn't even touch the surface. My family was blessed to be a part of this wonderful time of giving. To see the look on their faces when they saw the meal and the gifts was priceless!! This is what the love of Christ is all about. It definitely is so much better to give than to receive.

Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, will be our second "Christmas." We will have our family Christmas on Christmas morning, and then we will go to Joey's mom's and stepdad's on Saturday morning and his grandparent's on Saturday night. Our last "Christmas" will be on January 2nd. We will definitely be busy, but we love getting to spend time with our family.

We hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends!! May Christ's love shine bright in your hearts and may you be encouraged to bless someone else.

Ummm. Can't Think Of A Good Title

2009-12-09T15:27:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I know I haven't blogged in a while!! Shame on me:( I really and truly have been super busy. Between getting my Pampered Chef business up and running, Christmas shopping, wrapping, Christmas parties, and church our lives have been swamped. Please forgive me! I can't promise anything, but I'll try and be better. My friend Alisha has been begging me to write a post(s) on organization and my ideas. So, I am gathering my thoughts and it will come soon.

I made bread along with my super duper helper. She loves to wear her apron when I wear mine. Sometimes she is too much help if you know what I mean, but we have a good time together.

Judah loves his exersaucer. He will stay in it for about 15-20 min. at a time which is good. He loves the floor and his highchair too.

Don't you love the smell of freshly baked bread??

There you have it. My life right now in a nutshell. We have fun, but it's chaotic at times. I wouldn't trade my life for anything else in the world. My blog takes a back to seat to my family and other obligations, but I hope to be a little more regular. Have a super blessed week.

Alligator Mouth

2009-11-22T14:43:00.004-06:00

"But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be." James 3:8-10

We were discussing the tongue in Sunday School this morning. I know my tongue can get me into trouble sometimes. I can be pretty forthright, sarcastic, blunt, and the list goes on and on. I can be gentle, but when the situation calls for speaking truth in love, then I am your woman. But sometimes I don't realize that my words can come across being judgemental and condemning. Please know that is not my heart at all. I am working on this.

Sometimes we forget that our tongue can hurt, cut, offend, tear, curse. Out of it can also flow bitterness, unforgiveness, crudeness, foul language, destruction.

The same tongue can produce kindness, blessing, encouragement, thanksgiving, love, peace.

How can the same tongue produce such opposite language and attitudes?

Because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34).

We speak what is in our heart. Period.

If hatred and ugliness is in our heart, then that's what comes out of our mouth.

If love and kindness are present, then that's what comes out.

You know it really comes down to an issue of self-control. I have heard some people control their foul language around certain groups of people (women, kids, church people) and let it loose around others. If they can control it, then they can get rid of it. If we all would think before we speak, then it would save us all a lot of theatrical apologies later as Anne Shirley would say.

With our tongue people bless God and then walk out of the doors of the church building cursing Him with their language. It ought not to be. It a reflection of our heart.

What a bad testimony our tongue can be. Gossip seems to be mainstream in our society even among Christians. I myself can be guilty of that as well. Where you draw the line I don't know. Gossip can be truth, but it doesn't give us the right to speak it to others all in the name of prayer. You have heard people speak a "prayer request" all in the name of gossip. Unless you have been given permission by that person to share personal things, then it should be kept to yourselves. I tell you I am guilty about sharing things with others that I have no business sharing. My intentions are pure and my motives are right, but should I be saying it? I don't know.

I could keep going on and on about this. So much truth can be spoken on this issue.

What do you think? Where do you draw the line between gossip and sharing requests and burdens of others? I have a hard time with this. I would love input.

Family Pictures

2009-11-21T12:09:00.003-06:00

Well, here is a glimpse of our recent family photo shoot. Monica over at Pixel Perfect took these amazing pictures for us last weekend. I copied these from her blog so they are kind of small. When I get the "real ones" from her I will post more. They turned out amazing!! She has amazing talent to say the least. For all your portrait needs, help support her new and upcoming business. She's definitely not new at picture taking, but is trying to start a business. And no I don't get royalty for helping promote her:), but want to help her out. She's an old but new friend. Make sense?

One Year Checkup

2009-11-12T20:44:00.003-06:00

Tuesday we took Libby for her one year heart checkup. Well, it actually was her 1 1/2 year checkup. She got an amazing report. She is doing so well. The patch is holding good, her EKG and ECHO were excellent. Dr. Siu doesn't want to see her again for two more years!! He even did an ECHO on Judah to see if his hole had closed up yet and it hadn't but it was still so small that he wasn't at all concerned. We will go back in January for his regular appointment.

Dr. Siu is simply the best doctor. He called us by name, remembered that we were Christians, and prayed with us before we left the room. Never ever had a doctor do that before. A true servant of the Lord that loves children.

We are praising the Lord for wonderful news and so grateful for His continued healing and new mercies every morning.

Oh, and another subject. I added a ton more songs to my playlist (at the bottom of the page) if you care to check them out. I also added some Christmas music for those who are indulging early. I am holding back until after Thanksgiving:) I will play the music while I'm working in the kitchen and I love it because there are no commercials and it's all the songs I like. Enjoy!!

There is also two mini sermons (it's what I call them), on the very bottom from John Piper and Mark Driscoll. Only 2-3 minutes a piece but well worth hearing. Check it out.

Fall Camping Trip 2009

2009-11-07T19:52:00.006-06:00

We went camping last weekend, Halloween night, with some good friends. We absolutely froze our buns off at night, but it was a lot of fun. Now I will say the kids were warm and cozy, but Joey and I...not so good. We only got about one hour of sleep that night. Yes, we did have a heater, but our tent has ventilation at the top so the heat was escaping. Brother and sister were cozy in their respective beds and never knew their parents had hypothermia! We are thinking about making this a yearly tradition if we can get a better heater.

Judah man is under that blanket with only his head peeping through. It was downright chilly.

Libby warming by the fire.

Daddy chillin with brother...before it got cold.

Libby diggin for food.

All of us with Ergo's and and the babies. Joey with Libby, Me with Judah, Wendy with Jaika, and Ashlyn with Audrey. We went on a 3 mile hike with ALL the kids...needless to say, we almost called our chiropractor when we got home!!

Hugs,

Jewelry Giveaway

2009-11-07T19:40:00.001-06:00

My friend Monica over at Pixel Perfect is having a jewelry giveaway. If you love personalized jewelry, head on over there and check it out. She has a wonderful blog and would love to visit with you.

Clotheslines

2009-10-29T22:10:00.003-05:00

I love clotheslines. I grew up watching my mom hang out our clothes until I could hang up the clothes myself. It's been on my husband's to-do list to put one up for us, but he hasn't had the time. There's just something about clothes that smell of fresh air and sunshine. My mom sent me this poem about clotheslines and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy and smile as you read.

THE CLOTHESLINE

A clothesline was a news forecast to strangers passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link as neighbors always knew
if company had stopped on by to spend a night or two.

It's then you'd find the fancy sheets and towels on the line,
along with linen tablecloths of intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth to folks who lived inside
when brand new infant clothes were hung so carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could so readily be known.
By watching how the sizes changed you'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung.
Then nightclothes and a bathrobe, too,haphazardly were strung.

It said Gone on vacation now!when lines hung limp and bare.
It told We're back! when full lines sagged without an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon if wash was dingy gray
as neighbors raised their brows and looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past for dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
when neighbors knew each other best
by what hung on the line!

-By MARILYN K. WALKER

Butter Ball Turkey...And I'm Not Referring to Thanksgiving

2009-10-26T18:21:00.004-05:00

Ok, so we took Judah for his four month checkup last Friday and he weighed in at a whopping 16 pounds and 11 ounces...that's almost 17 lbs. He is 26 1/2 inches long too. Libby only weighed 18 pounds at one year so his new nickname is the butter ball turkey boy...AKA BBTB. He is so heavy that I'm about to move him into a big boy seat...turned backwards of course:) He is in the 95 percentile for his height and 75th for his weight so instead of being short and dumpy, he is long and dumpy.

He is rolling over from his stomach to back but not the other way around. He is sleeping all night as of this weekend...NO MORE NIGHT FEEDINGS!!

He is a wonderful baby and so content. Such a blessing to our growing family.

Check out those hamhocks (thighs...yes, he has my thighs) as my moms calls them.

Musings From The Kitchen Table/Longings for Heaven

2009-10-25T16:01:00.004-05:00

*As I sit here at my kitchen table still suffering the effects of last week's cold that has now gone into my ears, *hint*, ear infection, I began thinking that when I'm in heaven, I will never be sick again. I usually get the typical cold every year and every couple of years, the flu sets in. I can't imagine never taking an antibiotic or nasal spray again!!

*When I sit down for a meal, I am always worried about every bite that goes into my mouth, ok maybe not when I eat steamed broccoli, but when I want to enjoy a balanced meal topped off with dessert, my first thought is, "What's the scale going to look like tomorrow?" There are things I don't/won't eat because of fear of gaining weight. My fear stems from previously being overweight (highest weight was 223 pounds) and not wanting to walk that road again. It's a legitimate fear, but it can become idolatry. I hate focusing so much of my energy on weight. In heaven I will be able to sit AND eat at the banqueting table with Jesus and NEVER have to worry about gaining a single pound. What freedom and pleasure!!

*I get tired of telling my loved ones bye when we have visited them.

*Friends will never have issues between each other.

*NO FEAR about anything

*Your kids will never be sick

*No anxiety

*No depression

My heart is longing for heaven today and hope yours is too!!

Homemade Rice Cereal

2009-10-21T19:39:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, the 22nd, Judah will be four months old. You know what that means? Baby cereal time. I can't believe it's already that time. I made homemade brown rice cereal for Libby and I am doing the same for Judah. I use my Whisper Mill grain grinder which is pictured below to grind the brown rice. It's cheaper and much healthier than the store bought kind. If you don't have a grain grinder you can use a blender. Blend how ever long you need to to make a powder.

Store in a glass container with a lid and simply mix with breast milk, formula, or water. Try adding a little apple sauce if you want it sweet. I refrain from that at first so they don't get used to it being sweet.

Judah hated it and even cried a bit. I will try it in the morning when he is in a better mood.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-20T08:18:00.003-05:00

This weekend our family went to a local pumpkin patch. This was our first one to go to and it was so much fun!! We got to ride on a tractor pulled hayride, feed the goats from our hand (which wasn't new to me since I grew up with goats), but all the kids thought it was great. We all picked our very own pumpkin from the patch, which now decorates our porch. They even had fun places to take pictures with your family.

It was so hard to get the kids to look the same way. We decided just to go ahead and snap the picture anyway.

Geego and Nanny with all six grandkids.

My brother Matt with his four kids. He is such a good dad. So patient with them and he pours things of the Lord into their lives.

All six grandkids

Judah-4 months

Libby-2 years old

My nephews Chandler and Heath on the hayride

Feeding the goats

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I'll try and be better this week.

Here's The Plan

2009-10-09T15:25:00.010-05:00

So a friend of mine and I have been talking recently about vitamins and supplements and which ones are the best, which ones to put our family on, and which ones are affordable for our limited budgets. There are so many products out there that it's all so overwhelming researching it. I want to get the most for my money nutritionally speaking. Not all brands are the best or comparable to other brands. Just because it says "All Natural" doesn't mean it is. I prefer to have supplements that are not sweetened with fructose.

I talked to our local chiropractor about what supplements children (2 years and older) should be on and she recommend a good quality fish oil, a good quality multivitamin, and a probiotic. Now, when I say good quality, I am not referring to the GuumiBear vitamins from Wal-Mart that are full of artificial colors and flavorings. They are not worth the money. I highly recommend a whole food vitamin with maximum absorption without added sugar, preservatives, colors, or flavorings.

Libby is currently on a powdered probiotic, a liquid fish oil, and "Catalyn", which is explained below. I am researching alternative products that are cheaper, but still a great product.

Kellie, our chiropractor sold us a whole food supplement for kids (similar to a multivitamin) from the company Standard Process called "Catalyn" chewable. Libby was even taking this one at 14 months just smashed and added to her food. Now that she has teeth she can easily chew it. It has 19,000 phytonutrients! Awesome stuff, but it's a little pricey for me to keep buying it. So I found an alternative that our whole family can take. Children simply take half the dose. It's an organic liquid vitamin. And it fits our budget. It only costs $16.26 for 30 oz. So no need to buy three different vitamins for all our needs. This one will do the trick.

I also found her a chewable softgel fish oil at $17.99 for 180

softgels by Nordic Naturals.

Garden of Life also has "Primal Defense" for kids which is a probiotic powder for $16.25. Children can start taking that as soon as they can

start other liquids besides formula or breast milk, which is around six months of age.

So, I was able to find three different products with a price that fits our budget.

Here are a few brands that I highly trust that I myself have taken personally or my family has taken. This list is not exhaustive, but I simply can't list everything.

Garden of Life (excellent products. A little on the pricey end)

Nordic Naturals (makes great products for kids)

Standard Process (available only through health food stores or licensed health care professionals)

Integrative Therapeutics (again, only available through health care professionals).

So what am I taking you ask? Well, I am simply just going to take a good multivitamin as I described above and fish oil softgels at 180 softgels for $12.72. I love yogurt and sour cream so I get my probiotics in that way. Be sure and eat yogurt that is free from high fructose corn syrup, the ingredient in most store bought yogurt. I buy the organic variety at Wal-Mart without added antibiotics and hormones.

Where am I getting all these supplements at such affordable costs? http://www.vitacost.com/. They sell everything from vitamins, bath and body supplies, to food, to books, etc. They are well below retail price and shipping is only $4.99 no matter how much you order. So head on over there and check out there products.

Included in my order (which I will purchase when Joey gets paid this week) is all natural toothpaste without flouride (that's another post), deodorant without aluminum (that's another post), all natural baby products, and other bath care products. I currently purchase my toothpaste and deodorant from Wal-Mart both from the company Tom's of Maine, but vitacost has them much cheaper.

This is the toothpaste I am getting for Libby without flouride.

Hope this info isn't too overwhelming, but rather helpful in helping you decide the best products for your family's needs. Every family is different and the needs different and the budgets different so do what you can afford.

More to come in a later post information about aluminum and flouride.

Keepin It Real Part 2

2009-10-03T21:29:00.003-05:00

My son Judah was born on June 22 of this year. The birth went well. No complications. Nursing was going good except for the typical problems you run into with a newborn like keeping them awake long enough for their belly to get full.

The baby blues hit about a week postpartum. Just the typical emotions you experience after you have a baby. Two weeks postpartum and the weeping continued. This was unlike the emotions I had experienced with Libby. I had the baby blues with her, but they didn't last over a week.

Exactly two weeks after Judah was born, I let my mom know what was going on. Besides the uncontrollable weeping, I just simply had no desire to take care of him. At one point I even said I regretted giving birth. I regretted ever being pregnant. It was all so overwhelming for me.

I hated my feelings. What kind of mother has thoughts like that? I began looking up symptoms of post partum depression and those thoughts were common, but I still hated myself for thinking them.

My anxiety was starting to return just like it was 4 years ago. I became anxious when he would get up at night, anxious when he would cry. I dreaded getting up for the day. I didn't want to be here; in my home or in this world. I just wanted to get better and each day was just another pit.

Joey said I had to do something. So I called my OB/Gyn two and half weeks post partum. He prescribed Lexapro, an anti-depressant. I didn't want it, but I needed help so I took it. I knew I didn't want to be on it long term so I went to our local chiropractor who is also a friend. She does as much nutritional counseling as much as she does chiropractic care and I knew she could get me on something natural.

I went to see her three weeks post partum. She adjusted me, which she said would help me sleep better. I was only getting 1-2 hours a night and naps were out of the question because I just couldn't sleep. I would close my eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. I feared Judah waking up at night. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. My doctor called me in Lunesta to help with sleep, but it didn't help.

My chiropractor also put me on Cataplex B from Standard Process and fish oil, which I used to take a couple of years ago, but then quit taking it.

After two weeks the Lexapro began working and I began feeling better. Judah was sleeping better at night and I began to have hope. After a month I began to wean off the Lexapro by cutting my pill in half. I was off of it completely after five weeks. I am still on the Cataplex B and the fish oil because of the amazing benefits they offer besides helping with PPD.

Some of you may be wondering how I was able to nurse during this time while taking Lexapro and Lunesta. I didn't feel comfortable taking the meds while nursing. I pumped for a few weeks and threw the milk away in order to keep up my supply, but the stress of nursing and pumping only added to the stress I was already under. I simply didn't think I could continue.

My grandparents from Kentucky came down for a their annual summer visit. They always stay with my mom. They came when Judah was almost three weeks old. I practically lived over at my mom's for two weeks while they were here. I don't think I could have made it through without them. They and my mom were lifesavers for me. They helped take care of Libby and Judah so I could rest. Since I had no desire to care for him at the time, they took over for me for two weeks. That time was such a blur for me.

All of us can say we really don't care what other people think about us, but if we were going to be honest, we do on some issues. "Their" opinions really do shape what you do or say more than you think. Nursing was that issue for me. I believe in breastfeeding. I nursed Libby until she was 15 months old. I love the bonding time. It just wasn't possible this time. I feared telling people that Judah was on formula. What would people think? Especially the ones that knew me when I had Libby and knew that I nursed her. Would they think bad of me? That I took the easy road? That I opted out of giving Judah the best nutrition possible? I really hated telling people. I felt like I had to explain why I was formula feeding instead of nursing every time I would see people.
I felt like my breastfeeding friends were all sitting around in judgement of me. The fear of man really is a snare as Proverbs states. I don't feel the need to explain as much anymore, although it still creeps up here and there. I had to do what I felt like was right at the time. I will say formula is agreeing with him. My mom calls him BB for butter ball.

Depression is gripping. It's paralyzing. It leaves you with no hope. Some depression is circumstantial, some spiritual, while some is an inbalance in the brain. Whatever your reason, if you feel like you need medication to get you over the hump, then do it. If it's spiritual in nature, take the meds and then deal with the issue. It's what I had to do the first time around. I knew part of mine was spiritual, but this time around, it was definitely circumstantial. I knew my circumstances weren't going to change. I had a baby and a two year old that needed me. I had to learn to cope. With the Lord's help I overcame this time again. I began taking my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and began walking in Truth. That's not always an instant fix all, but it helps.

Don't walk in condemnation. Don't let the fear of man ensnare you. Only do what God shows you to do. As long as you're walking in obedience, then who really cares what other people think?

Fall Is In The Air

2009-09-30T10:38:00.003-05:00

With the cooler weather upon us I have been in the mood for some Fall baking. I made molasses cookies last week and then some pumpkin bread/muffins this week. Joey loves my pumpkins muffins and there is never any left over. We love them for breakfast or snacks. There's just something about cinnamon and cloves wafting through your kitchen to get you in the mood. I also brought out my Fall decorations yesterday and decided to put them up. I don't normally do that until October 1st, but I was having a girl's night at my house last night and wanted to be festive:). Besides, it's almost October 1st.

Now, back to the food part. The secret to good molasses cookies is in the baking soda versus the baking powder. These cookies always get rave reviews and when you dig deeper into why other people's aren't as good, it's the powder. My mom uses sorghum in her cookies, but I prefer to use black strap molasses because of the health benefit it adds.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 c. soft butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger

Mix butter, sugar, egg, and molasses. Sift all dry ingredients together. Add to the wet mixture and chill until firm. Roll into balls and then roll into sugar. Bake 375 for 10 minutes.
*If you choose not to chill your dough for time reasons, your cookies will be a little flatter, but I tend to like them like that anyway.
*To make your own homemade brown sugar, simply blend one cup of sugar and 1 tbsp. of molasses. Add your sugar first though. It's healthier and cost effective. Have you ever looked at the ingredients of a bag of brown sugar from the store? All it is is sugar and molasses. If you're going to use regular white sugar, then you might as well buy it from the store, but I make my own for health reasons because organic brown sugar is expensive. I buy the organic sugar from COSTCO and the molasses from our local health food store. So good!

Happy Baking!!

Keepin It Real Part 1

2009-09-25T21:19:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but just haven't had the time to collect my thoughts. For those of you that know me you know that I am pretty transparent. The Lord and I have walked some pretty rough roads together. I want to use the valley's I've walked through to bring Him glory so I'm sharing this with you in hopes that someone who reads this might have hope.

Depression is real. Anxiety is real.

My first real battle began in the winter of 2002 after a bout with the flu. (I say real because as a teenager I would have short bouts of depression that never lasted long and was usually over something stupid.) I had it (the flu) three times within a month's time. The dizziness associated with it remained even after I had recovered from the flu. It wouldn't go away. Fear and worry began to overtake me. Months later my body began to fail because of the heavy stress I had placed on it. I began to have weird symptoms that at times I couldn't even explain. By the summer of 2003 I was bad.

I had my first MRI in June of 2003 to rule out a possible brain tumor. Obviously it was negative or you would have heard about it. I continued going to my family doctor looking for answers. The only help he offered were multiple anti-depressants. I tried four all to no avail. I was even on Xanax for a time just to be able to settle down for any length of time. Fear of dependency caused me to go off of it.

Most nights were absolutely horrible. Joey was awakened most nights by me asking him to pray over me just so I could have some peace. Sometimes it worked sometimes it wouldn't. I feared I was going die and that fear kept me in bondage for nearly two years.

I suffered multiple panic attacks which landed me in the clinic on one occasion for an EKG. I thought I was having a heart attack. I feared public places and large crowds of people. I remember walking into Wal-mart with Joey one night only to have to turn around and walk back out because of fear something bad was going to happen to me.

Some of the symptoms I experienced were rapid heart rate, shaking of my hands, feeling detached from my body, tingling on the side of my face, pain in my jaw from clenching my teeth so often, feelings of insanity, and intense fear and worry are just to name a few. Some of them I can't put a name to.

I was without hope. I cried every day for two years. Nothing was worked. I probably spent more time in the Word during that time than I had in my entire life and there were days that I would read it and close it and nothing changed. It would encourage me for a moment and then I was back to square one. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was grasping for anything and everything that would work. I researched everything I could on anxiety. I wanted to know I wasn't alone and that I wasn't crazy. The symptoms were real.

My journey led me to the FemCentre. This place was recommended to me by a friend who went primarily for infertility. Her and her husband had tried for ten years to have a second child all to no avail. Within months she conceived. Since I was grasping I called the next day. Money was an issue for us, but then again it wasn't. Joey said we would do what it took to pay for it if it helped. My first visit was over $300 but I left encouraged for the first time in nearly two years.

Their protocol for me consisted of radically changing my diet, putting me on several supplements including some homeopathic remedies and a referral to a nutritionist and an acupuncturist. My journey to healing had begun.

I began to notice some improvement in about 4-6 weeks. The change was slow, but I continued going to Emily (the nutritionist and acupuncturist). In addition to the other supplements I was taking, she put me on a specially formulated Chinese herb made just for me. Tasted like dookie, but I gagged it down. I was symptom free after about 7-8 months of treatment. I also lost 63 pounds in the process, all without surgery or meds. I did continue with the acupuncture treatments for infertility, of which was successful, but that's another post.

I have been symptom free since 2004. I am not taking any medication other than a couple of supplements. God has been so gracious and long suffering as it took me a while to trust Him. He was faithful and His mercies new every morning. His grace was sufficient when I was weak.

There is hope. As long as you're alive there is hope. With Christ there is hope. I don't think I would have made it through without my husband either. He was my rock. My prayer warrior. My constant. He would always tell me, "Jennifer, God is bigger than this. Trust Him." When I wanted to die. Christ was there. When I didn't think it would get better. Christ was there. He was my ever present help in my time of trouble.

Looking back I don't know how I ever made it through those years of intense suffering (it seemed that way at least to me), but I did and am better because of it. The Lord allows times of suffering in our lives to bring us forth as gold and to give Him glory. I now have more compassion on those who suffer with anxiety and depression. It is real. I have been able to comfort those with the comfort I have received from the Lord as 1 Cor. 1 says.

Stay tuned for my next post on my most recent bout with PPD (post partum depression).

Random Pics

2009-09-18T23:05:00.002-05:00

I thought I would post some random pictures of the kids. I have several posts floating around in my head, but haven't had the time to sit down and think them through to post them so for now, this is what you get:)

Libby trying on her new apron she got for her birthday

Libby "nursing" her baby. So cute when she does this.

This picture is several weeks old. He's so big now but I haven't taken any recent pics of him.

Things I Love

2009-09-08T21:58:00.003-05:00

My friend Alisha started this challenge on her blog, then my friend Wendy followed suit so I not wanting to be outdone by my friends decided to do it as well.

*Snuggling up on the couch with Joey watching a movie covered up by our favorite quilt...in the winter of course.

*My sweet friends who are truly blessings

*Having my quiet time on my porch in the morning while dew is still on the ground and the birds are chirping in the trees.

*Lots of natural light in my house

*Entertaining

*Eating really good food

*My sweet Libby girl when she comes up to me and says, "I miss you mommy and I love you."

*Sweet smiles and coos from Judah man

*Gardening and the fruit you get from all your hard labor of love

*Planting flowers after the last frost to welcome in Summer

*My big deep freezer. What would I do without it?

*Cooking

*Chickens

*Walking in the evening with Joey and the kids in our cool double jogging stroller

*Accomplishing something hard without giving up. I've lost a total of 63 lbs. without any meds or surgery. I'm about to finish a cleanse that was soooo hard, but it feels good to know that I saw it through and didn't give in.

*Preachers that preach Truth without fear from his congregation

*Worship

*Being in the loop

*Singing songs in the car with Libby on the way to town

*Mowing the yard

*That my sweet hubby works so hard so I can stay home.

*His phone calls to me during the day telling me how much he misses us and that he can't wait to come home and be with us.

*Being different and going against the mainstream flow.

*Epidurals

*My family

*That Jesus died for me so I could go free.

*That Christ gives me an untold number of chances daily and still seeks a relationship with me after I've blown it.

*What the cross means.

*Teaching

*Talking on the phone...sorry to say Libby does too.

*Mac-n-cheese.

*Homeschooling. Will start some stuff with Libby next year. Yeah!!

Ok, so I could go on and on but for the sake of time I'd better stop here. I challenge all of my other bloggin friends to do the same. Looking forward to reading them all.

I am a carnivore again

2009-09-04T22:06:00.007-05:00

*Note: I have edited this post three times and blogger won't let me insert spaces below the wraps recipe so excuse the messiness of it all. Hope you can decipher.

Yay, I can have meat and brown rice as of yesterday. Honestly, I crave dairy more than I do meat, but it was a welcome change.

I cooked a chicken breast to have on my salad for lunch.

My friend Jennifer shared the following recipe with me and I made them tonight for supper along with herbed rice and steamed carrots. I got rave reviews from my man and will make them again. They tasted soooo good after 10 years, I mean 10 days without anything but fruits and veggies.

Lettuce Wraps

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed

3 cloves of chopped fresh garlic

1/2 c. chopped onion

chopped mushrooms

chopped water chestnuts

Olive oil

Romain lettuce leaves

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken, water chestnuts, and mushrooms until done. Top with course ground black pepper and sea salt.

Pour individual servings of chicken into the lettuce leaves and top with the following sauce:

Olive oil/grapeseed oil

Apple cider vinegar

Maple Syrup

Red Pepper Flakes

Salt to taste

I didn't measure anything, but just guessed on the amount to serve my family. I added approx. 3 Tbsp. of the vinegar, 2/3 c. of the oil, 1/4 c. of maple syrup and the flakes and salt to taste. Taste and then add in whatever you need. This made enough for our meal with a lot left over. The good thing is you can use the leftover sauce as a salad dressing.

Roll the wrap up like a taco and enjoy!!! They were fabuloso and healthy too!!

Note: I omitted the chestnuts and the shrooms. I like shrooms but Joey doesn't. They were still good without them. Three chicken breasts were enough for Joey and I to have two wraps each so adjust the amount depending on the size of your family.

I had two and could have eaten more, but didn't want to be a glutton, LOL

Try these and let me know what you think!!

Deja Vu

2009-09-04T21:52:00.003-05:00

Today was Libby's 2 year and Judah's 2 month checkup. Although he will be 11 weeks on Monday, I was waiting so I could take them both at the same time.

Libby weighed in at a whopping 24 lbs. Heavyweight huh?

Judah weighed 13 lbs 4 oz. and was 23 1/2 inches long. He was 7 lbs 13 oz. at birth and 19 inches. He is a chunker monker (a silly phrase that just came out one day. We seem to do that often).

During the checkup on Judah, Dr. Dingler detected a heart murmur.

Memories came flooding back to when Libby's was three months and her heart murmur was detected. We were at Cooke's two weeks later for an ECHO and into surgery when she was nine months.

We are praying of course that brother's murmur isn't anything serious, but we are at peace with whatever it may be. We proved the Lord to be faithful as we walked the scary road with Libby. He will be faithful again to see us through.

The doctor's office will make the appnt. for us and then call us this week to inform us when it is.

I am at peace tonight knowing Judah is in the mighty hand of our Lord.

Cleansing Stinks

2009-08-28T21:06:00.002-05:00

It stinks, but it's worth it. I am on day 5, which is almost over, and I have lost four pounds as a result. The sugar cravings are getting better and the temptations to cheat are almost gone...almost!! The first ten days I can only have fruits and veggies (minus corn and white potatoes), organic butter, and/or olive oil, grape seed oil or coconut oil. On day 11 I can add in lean meat such as chicken or fish.

The first three days were oh so hard, especially when you're cooking for friends and can't have what you made them!! I sure hated my friends to starve while dining at my home, so I made them something of substance. lol

A friend is going through the cleanse with me which helps a lot with motivation and accountability. We call each other every morning to check on how we're doing, how much weight we lost that morning and any ideas of food variety. Gotta have variety or it's gets really old eating the same thing.

Along with the food I take 28 pills a day. 18 of them are cleanse capsules, 4 of them are B vitamins, and 6 are my fish oil capsules. I also am taking a whole food fiber powder and a cleanse powder that I'm adding to my smoothie every morning.

I don't want to do this once a month or anything, but once or twice a year I can probably handle. I need to break up with my cherry vanilla diet Dr. Pepper from sonic so hopefully this will change my bad habit. Shame on you Jennifer. You know better!! Back to what I know in my head I should be eating. I splurge to often and it sadly shows sometimes on my gut and thighs:)

Know anything to help stretch marks?????

I'll keep you posted.

Family Pictures

2009-08-26T10:42:00.003-05:00

We had family pictures taken last Friday. They turned out so good of the kids. They cooperated pretty well actually. I will post pics soon of her birthday party we had on Saturday. I put Amy in charge of taking them so we will see how many I can post. Not sure if she took very many.

We're Still Here

2009-08-16T20:34:00.002-05:00

Sorry to all of my readers that I haven't posted in a while. Life passes me by before I realize it.

Judah will be 8 weeks old on Monday. Libby will be two on August 27th. We are going Friday to have family pictures taken. I will post them this weekend for my viewing audience to see.

We are having a party for her on Saturday. Can't believe my sweet Libby is already two. Other than having the reputation as being "the pusher" she is a sweet girl. Ask all of my friends with kids and they will testify to her violent behavior (lol). Some of her behavior is just being a two year old, but it's still embarrassing when she hits babies on the head with toys (right Wendy?) or pushes her friends down because she likes them. Weird way of showing affection if you ask me.

Judah is doing well. He has been sleeping 8-9 hours at night and then taking a 3 1/2 nap in the afternoon. I will say he is a wonderful sleeper. Much better than Libby was. He gets fussy in the evenings like she did though, but that should pass soon. He is a chunker too!! Sorry I didn't have time to post pictures, but promise I will try to in the next couple of days. He loves stroller rides. We have a double stroller and he sits on one side and Libby in the other. We go the local park in town or the cemetery down the road from our house to walk. I have been trying to get back in shape since Judah has been born.

Missionaries are cool people. We have been blessed to have had two couples in our home this week for a meal and great fellowship. Sure puts things into perspective when they share their stories of God's provision. They have nothing of this world so to speak, but so rich in all things eternal. Puts me to shame.

We are praying about God's direction on several things in our lives so pray along with us as the Lord leads to make the right decision and that He would open up doors of opportunity.

See ya in a few days

A Bit of This and That

2009-07-30T16:55:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share with my handful of readers my Memaw's roll recipe. It's one of the best I have ever used and so quick too. I am making them tonight to go with our supper so next time you're in the mood for super tasty, super quick homemade rolls, try this recipe.

One Hour Buttermilk Rolls

2 pkgs. yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 c. room temp. buttermilk

1/4 c. warm water

1/2 c. oil or melted butter

4 1/2 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, and your oil or butter. Add flour. Beat until smooth and let stand ten minutes. Turn onto a floured surface and knead. Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter or whatever you have. Dip both sides in melted butter. Place on baking sheet and let stand for 20-30 minutes. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Voila you are done!!

*Tips and Tricks*

You're water and buttermilk need to be warm. Cold water won't activate your yeast and hot water will kill it. Temperature in very important when working with yeast.

You can use milk instead of buttermilk, but I prefer buttermilk.

You can use honey instead of the sugar.

You can use any whole grain flour you like instead of the white flour. I use unbleached white flour or another grain depending on my time since I freshly grind my own grain.

I half the recipe sometimes for our family (I got 10 rolls halving it). Larger families will need the whole recipe. For smaller families, you can also cook half and then quick freeze the other half for a later use. (To quick freeze, go ahead and cut them out with a biscuit cutter, place uncooked on a cookie sheet and place in freezer until completely frozen and then remove and place in a freezer bag. Take out as many as you need. Thaw and then bake.)

New York and Co. (the store in the mall; at least the one here in our mall) is having an awesome store wide sale. 70% off the ENTIRE store. That also includes shoes and jewelry. We are going tomorrow to get some much needed clothing and at that price who can beat it? My friend went last week and the most she paid for anything was $12 for a pair of jeans. The sale will go through this weekend.

Joey and I have been burdened about the Cap and Trade Bill and the Health care Bill Obama is trying to pass. The C&B will raise everyone's electric bill $3000 annually and I don't have to explain the ramifications of the Health care Bill. If you know anything about socialized medicine, then you know this is not the way to go. We're going down a slippery slope is where we're going. Pray against these bills that they won't pass. If it's the Lord's will, then God help us to be ready.

Pictures of Judah

2009-07-23T20:53:00.003-05:00

Judah is finally getting settled into a good routine. He is getting up once at night and then is up for the day at around 7:30. We'll take it. We usally have to wake him up for the feeding too. He is a good baby. Pretty laid back except for in the evenings. That seems to be his fussy time like it was for Libby. I am getting more sleep at night and am able to take a nap during the day. We feel so blessed to have two children. The first four weeks have been rough, but God has been so gracious to get us through the hard days.

Four weeks old

Brother not happy that sister is holding him. She loves him so much. She always to hold him and wants to love on him.

His first bath. He never even made a peep.

2009-07-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life has been crazy here. Here are some updated pictures of the Judah. His nights are getting better. Now if only I could get some sleep at night we might be doing better.Two weeks old

Welcome Judah

2009-06-22T22:11:00.004-05:00

Welcome Judah Mark Fluitt

Born 5:51p.m.

7lbs 13oz

19in.

Libby checking out brother.

These lights are bright!

Candy holding Judah.

The whole Family.

HELP...

2009-06-18T21:20:00.002-05:00

I have squash running out of my ears!!

For those of you who have a garden and have more squash than you know what to do with or have been given squash by someone else who has it running out their ears, than the following two recipes are for you. I am always looking for different ways to fix it so it doesn't go to waste so try these recipes. They are awesome and so tasty. Feel free to half the first recipe if you have a small family since it makes a bunch. Also, feel free to add half squash and half zucchini or all zucchini if that's what you have. I have had it both ways and it tastes good to even the pickiest of eaters in my family

Summer Squash & Sour Cream Casserole

12 c. sliced yellow squash
1 large onion
1/3 c. oil or butter (I always use butter but use what you have)
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart whole tomatoes (optional) (I never use tomatoes and it's still tasty)
1 t. ground cumin
1 c. sour cream
3 c. grated cheddar or Monterey Jack

Slice squash into thin rounds. Thinly slice onion. Heat oil or butter in large frying pan. Add squash and stir to coat with oil. Liberally sprinkle with salt and fry, stirring often until tender. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring often.

Preheat oven to 375

Add tomatoes with juice, cumin, and pepper. Break up tomatoes with a large spoon or spatula and stir. Cook until tomatoes are hot. Remove from heat. Stir in the sour cream and add one cup of the grated cheese. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. Pour into the squash mixture and bake until mixture is bubbly and hot all the way through. Spread remaining grated cheese evenly over top and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Crusty Summer Squash Bake

For the casserole:
2 lbs yellow squash
1 large onion
3 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. sour cream

For the crust:
2 T. butter
1 c. bread crumbs
1 T. parsley flakes
1 t. paprika

Cut squash into 1/2 inch chunks. Coarsely chop onion. Heat butter in large frying pan. Cook squash and onion until soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add sour cream and stir well.

Preheat oven to 375

Lightly grease a casserole dish and transfer mixture into it. Melt butter in a frying pan. Combine the rest of the crust ingredients. Stir. Sprinkle over squash. Bake for 30-45 minutes until casserole is bubbly and topping is crispy.

Pregnancy Update

2009-06-10T10:15:00.004-05:00

I am 38 weeks and 4 days today. Getting a little uncomfortable and swelling some the last few days. My feet are propped and I am watching Pride and Predjudice as we speak. I feel guilty though, but per Joey's request I am taking it easier today...we'll see how long I last sitting!!

Unless brother comes before the 20th (due date), I am going to have my doctor induce me on Monday, June 22nd. I pray I can go on my own, but if not, then the Lord knows best. I am hoping just breaking my water will help me progress on my own without Pitocin, but if I have to have Pitocin, then an epidural won't be far behind.

So for now, I am still here and playing the waiting game.

BTW, as of last week I was dilated to a 3 and still 50% effaced. I go back tomorrow so hopefully I will have progressed more.

One Year Anniversary

2009-06-05T15:48:00.002-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of Libby's heart surgery. Time has flown by so fast this year. She had just turned nine months and she is 21 months old now. She has a small scar as proof of God's faithfulness and provision. God is so good and His mercies new every morning. We go back in July for her one year checkup and will continue those into her teen years, but we are praising the Lord for his healing. Her are some pictures to recap our days in the hospital.

Hangin With Friends

2009-06-02T21:11:00.003-05:00

We went bowling with some couple friends last Saturday. Libby tagged along with us and had a lot of fun. She did so good during the bowling time.

Lisa and Libby

Libby sticking her hands on the air vent and cracking up

Me waiting to see how many pins I knocked down

Lisa, Me, and Candy (with a bowling ball under her shirt) taking a pregnancy shot. Lisa is due 6 days after me and Candy was feeling left out:)

Candy awaiting to see her score

Libby wearing Daddy's glasses

Me at 37 weeks.

Zoo Trip

2009-06-02T20:38:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday, Joey took of work and went to the Fort Forth Zoo. We had sooo much fun, inspite of warnings from people that it was hot and stinky, although I didn't expect it would smell like the Botanical Gardens. It really wasn't that bad. There was enough shade and air conditioned buildings that it gave us a reprieve from the heat. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and Libby was so good and never fussed the whole time. We will definitely go back.

Libby eating her grapes

Libby looking at the Penguins

Libby looking at a Meerkat burrowing in a hole.

Memorial Day 2009

2009-06-01T21:09:00.003-05:00

We spent Memorial Day lunch and supper at my parent's house. It was such a nice day. We enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch and then barbeque sandwiches for supper. Libby had a blast playing outside. She was definitely a sight to behold with her T-shirt, diaper, and rubber boots on.

Gracie (the Corgie puppy), Tonya, and Barney chillin out.

Libby with sidewalk chalk all over her leg and some on her face. She is definitely a country girl.

Libby diggin her rubber boots and playin with the pups.

Sippin Mamaw's tea

Libby holding the bug spray

Libby pretending to spray some on her legs while Mamaw watches on.

Libby, Mimi, and Pap beside the tractor.

A bird's nest inside Pap's toolbox that sits behind his tractor seat. A screwdriver had been propping the lid up so that bird I could fly in and out.

Updates

2009-05-24T21:23:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't blogged much in the past several weeks. I actually haven't been on much of a soapbox lately. Imagine that.

There are several posts on my mind to write about, but I just haven't had the energy to type it out. So, maybe this week.

Until then, I started my weekly OB appointments this week. I am dilated to a 2 already. I know that doesn't mean much, but it's a start. Some women aren't even dilated at all when they officially go into labor, so I consider this a head start. I think I stayed at a 3 with Libby and still had to be induced, but hey, it's something a little more exciting than just weighing it, checking my blood pressure, and giving a urine sample...all in a matter of five minutes.

I am feeling good, but feel like a walrus when I turn over in bed at night. This will all be over soon so I am enjoying my last several weeks of being pregnant. Joey said he sure will miss it too. He loves it when I'm pregnant and asked how soon I could become pregnant again...he was kidding of course...not about having more kids, but about being pregnant again soon. We'll see what God has in mind.

We are still going to Frisco. Libby has four more things to be treated for if we don't have her tested for anything else. They normally just test for food and seasonal allergies at the first visit, but they will test for anything else you might suspect. I suspected she might be allergic to the heat so we had her tested for that last month. Sure enough, she was allergic to hot and cold temperatures and allergic to temperature extremes like going from extreme cold to hot. She is now cleared from that and now I suspect she is allergic to a fragrance of some sort. She broke out so bad this week from something my mom put on her. She loves lotion and perfume so my mom doctored her up from her collection of scents and then she broke out so next time I will have her tested for fragrances. I hope to start my treatments after she is done. My allergies are horrible. Nasal spray follows me wherever I go just so I can breath. I hate it!! I have never had this before and it's miserable!! So whenever I come into some extra cash, then I will get treated.

Guess I will close for now. I am trying to type and watch a movie with Joey and it's hard to do both. So far our Memorial Day weekend is relaxing. Joey is off tomorrow and then he took off Tuesday too so we are taking Libby to the zoo. Pictures to follow later.

Be blessed

Family Fun Day

2009-05-17T21:20:00.003-05:00

We bought Libby her first pool the other day. Joey is installing the handle while Libby is patiently waiting. She hated the water last year when we tried it out during a birthday party, so we were unsure how she would do this year. She just hopped right in never minding the cold water. She would clap for herself and say, "Yea Bibby." It was such a beautiful Lord's Day; sunshine, no wind, and warm weather. What more could you ask for?

Libby absolutely loves her rubber boots. We bought them for to keep the fire ants off of her when we go outside. She wants to wear them EVERY time we go out no matte what we are doing.

She liked going down the slide on her tummy best.

Same day, just a change in swimsuit. She had a poopy so I had to take her in to change it and in case you haven't tried to put a wet swim suit back on, it's hard so we just got another one. She has four all of which were hand-me-downs. A girl has got to have a selection!!

I had to throw this one in. This is Gracie, my parent's new Corgie puppy. Their adult Corgy got run over this week so she is the newest replacement at six weeks old. Already starting to chew on my shoes. Libby loved her and kept wanting to try and hold her all the while choking her.

Baby Shower and Update

2009-05-16T21:15:00.003-05:00

I was surprised with a baby shower on May 5th. I definitely had no idea this was taking place. ALL was done behind my back, including gathering addresses and finding out what I needed. I did find out later some people I would have invited were accidentally left off the list, but that's ok. Hopefully they understand it wasn't intentional. It was a blessing to see all those who came and supported us and all were very generous. I received enough money to buy the cloth diapers I needed amongst other necessities. I had a lot of fun visiting with those whom I haven't seen in a while. There aren't many pictures since I loaned my camera to someone else for them to take some so I could mill about and talk to everyone and they didn't take many and ones I really wanted. Guess that's what I get for putting someone else in charge huh?

On another note, I start my weekly appointments this week. He will check for dilation so I'm curious to see if I am. I am feeling great. Weight gain, blood pressure, etc. are great. I will say I do feel like a walrus when I turn over in bed at night. I am starting to feel uncomfortable at night and some when I walk (cramping and some pressure), but I have been blessed again with a wonderful pregnancy. I have five weeks to go today. My friend Candy and I painted the nursery this week so pictures to follow in the next couple of days.

Girl Time

2009-05-09T20:52:00.003-05:00

Last night the girls from our Sunday School had our first ever sleep over at Lua's house. I called it "Hotel Brown" because for me it was a similar experience. I had my own spare room, my own bathroom, continental breakfast, and checkout by 11:00. No, I could have stayed later, but I needed to get home. We stayed up late talking, playing games, eating really good girly food and really fattening desserts!! Some of the girls had to leave and couldn't stay the night, but the ones that did got to sleep in late...well technically I didn't sleep good at all and didn't expect to, but I didn't have Libby to listen for so I laid there a bit longer than I normally get to and casually got up, took a shower, gave myself a much needed pedicure, ate a huge breakfast prepared my Lua, which consisted of a delectable breakfast casserole, muffins, and cinnamon rolls. I probably gained 10 pounds by the time it was said and done. Well see tomorrow :)

I had a blast and I think everyone else did. I missed my family though, but Joey said he held down the fort and they did ok without me. I so much enjoy the fellowship of fellow Christian girls and am thankful for all the friends God has put into my life.

Back to the grind now. The party's over

Correction

2009-05-04T21:18:00.002-05:00

In my last post on cloth diapering, I mentioned Nicki's Diapers was the cheapest place to purchase the Mommy's Touch one size AIO's, but they are no longer the cheapest.

This site and ebay happen to be the cheapest as long as you are not sold on a particular color. They may have the color you want, but you might have to be flexible. Mommy's Touch sells them for $21.95 per diaper and ebay and the other site started out at $15.00 and went up.

So, I stand corrected. Sorry for the misinformation

Cloth Diapering

2009-05-02T21:56:00.007-05:00

In my quest to save money, I began my cloth diapering journey last March. That was my foremost reason, although there are certainly other reasons to cloth diaper.

I like the idea of not putting chemicals next to my baby's skin. Ever wonder why the disposables can hold so much? The chemicals in the diapers expand to hold more liquid. I do keep a package of disposables on hand to use at church or if I get behind in my laundering and you know what? I don't worry about it.

Some babies are even allergic to different brands of disposables so finding the right brand can be difficult. You don't have that issue with cloth.

They are easy to use, especially if you buy the pocket or all-in-one varieties. They come in awesome colors and different styles to suit your needs/pocketbook.

I currently use Haute (pronounced "oat") one size pocket diapers with Libby. They have a pocket in the back in which you stuff an insert into it. The adjustable snaps in the front allow you to adjust the rise from a newborn to 35 pounds, thus eliminating the need to buy more diapers as they grow. I also use disposables liners with every diaper that catches the poop. If they don't poop the liner gets thrown in with the soiled diaper and washed. There is no waste. Should they happen to poop simply flush the liner and no rinsing is required. I put the soiled diapers in a small trash can with a lid to help hold the smell in. I wash them twice a week, although depending on the number of diapers you have you may have to wash more often or less often. I have 16 diapers which seems to be a good number, but more is always good.

*Mine are snaps instead of Velcro

I also use Charlie's Soap to wash all my laundry. To keep the diaper's absorbency in tact, you need to wash them with an all natural detergent, otherwise with time, they will no longer absorb as much liquid. It's better to use the detergent with all your laundry to keep other detergent's residues left in the washer from getting on your cloths. The cost for Charlie's is actually cheaper than name brand detergents because it's highly concentrated only requiring 1/8 cup for each load.

This time around I have been researching other brands of cloths to use with our son. I like the pockets, but it still involves an extra step of stuffing with an insert. So, I found a one size all-in-one by Mommy's Touch that involves no stuffing, but will still grow with my baby. The insert is sewn in and comes with an extra snap on liner for the heavy wetters.

I have also researched other websites that offer that brand that is cheaper and Nicki's Diapers seem to be the place. I also purchased the Haute pockets from there as well. To purchase seconds or going-out-of-stock diapers check this site for awesome deals. I purchased one mommy's touch diaper from there last month just to try it out and I love it!! It was a brand new second, but I can't tell a difference between those and a new one. They also get great reviews.

For great reviews on cloth diapers, go here to see what other moms are saying.

I love cloth diapering. It's simple, cheaper than using disposables, and healthy for my baby. Yes, the up front cost is more, but the savings and benefits are lifelong.

What's Up With That?

2009-04-30T20:54:00.002-05:00

Today was my day to get allergy tested and would you believe I tested positive for seven different things. Yea, I'm kinda surprise even though I suspected an (one) allergy not seven. For the last six months I have had nose congestion off an on and I periodically clear my throat which is unlike me so I knew something was up. And yes, I do have episodes of gas which I can tell what is that causes it but I won't :) My allergies are as follows:

Wheat
Vegetables
Sugar
Dust
Trees
Weeds
Grasses

I was treated for dust today but will probably wait on the others because of money reasons. It's too darn expensive to treat both of us so mine will have to wait a while.

Does all of America have allergies???

Heaviness of Heart

2009-04-29T16:05:00.002-05:00

Today my heart is heavy. Well, it's been heavy for a few days but I just haven't had the energy to blog about it. There is just so much junk going on around us that sometimes you wonder in your flesh where the Lord is during times of heartache and tragedy. He's still on the throne I know, but it's hard to convey that to people walking through the hardship.

My prayers have been somewhat bleak lately ,if you will, as I have sought the Lord on behalf of those struggling with marriage issues, the loss of a child, sickness, loss of a job, health related concerns...some within my own family. Let me tell you it's spiritually and emotionally draining and can be physically depending on the level of ministry you are willing to undergo for those in need.

My prayers are also one of thanksgiving as well as I thank the Lord for His bountiful provision, His protection, His health, a rock solid marriage, and many more blessings bestowed on our family. There are times when I know we've had our share of junk so I praise the Lord today for a reprieve in the valley.

I came across this verse twice today so I guess I will share it in hopes that it will offer encouragement.

"He hold victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones." Proverbs 2:7-8

Our God sees and knows all that is going around us and yet He is not taken off guard by any of it. We can rest in His promises that He will take care of us and that this too shall pass.

Also, this verse struck me as I read it.

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13

Now I know this verse means physically poor, but what about those who are poor in spirit and are crying out for hope, for encouragement, for prayer, for physical needs to be met, for someone who cares? Are there times when we shut our ears to their cries?

We are too busy, too drained ourselves emotionally or physically, too prideful, too apathetic to care.

What a time to reach out and minister to those who are hurting, believer or not. Sometimes ministry calls for getting in the trenches and getting dirty, hurt, tired, spent. Other times we can pray, encourage through calls or cards, send a meal, offer to help meet a physical need even if the recipient didn't know they had a need...we just saw it and met it without them asking.

I am telling you it blesses others to know God's people care and are willing to "work" and get involved in their personal lives by doing sometimes simple things. Ask, take notice, be aware of what's going on and do what you can to help.

You will wonder where those people are when you yourselves are walking through a dark valley of your own. Let's be Christ to those around us who are struggling and hurting and let us ask the Lord how we may play a part in blessing them.

And finally pray. Pray for these needs. God knows the specifics...it's our duty to pray.

You Think I Would Learn...UGH!

2009-04-21T21:13:00.002-05:00

If this morning proved to be a reflection of how the rest of my day was going to be, then I was in trouble.

While loading up the van, I sat Libby in the front seat of the van while I made several trips in the house to grab a few last minute things. Today was my day at the Pregnancy Center and my mom was keeping Libby for me. I proceeded to close the driver's side sliding door and immediately heard a "lock" sound and I knew I was in trouble. She had pushed the automatic lock button on my door so when I closed the sliding door, all the doors locked.

My purse with my keys were in the van.

I have no spare except the one Joey has on his key ring.

Why you ask?

My van has the new fangled key with the keyless entry built into it so you can't just go to Wal-Mart to have a key made...the dealership has to make one for you and since we bought the van used it only came with two keys and they are very expensive to have one made.

Sooooo, I spend 10 minutes trying to tell Libby how how to push the unlock button "UP" instead of "DOWN."

She never figured it out.

I call Joey and tell him my dilemma so he proceeds to leave work to come unlock the van doors with his key. Luckily it's only a 20 minute drive.

What is Libby doing this whole time?

Sitting in my front seat playing with the wiper button, the turn signal, the radio, spilling an almost empty coke can on her pants, all the while telling me "Mamaw's house."

I said, "We can't go to Mamaw's house because you locked me out of the car." "Help you," she said. Which means help me.

She never did unlock the door. Joey had to drive home to unlock the van and luckily for me he wasn't working out of town today which he has been doing more lately. Otherwise a lock smith would have been in order.

Whew...what a stressful morning.

Then....two weeks ago we were in Wal-Mart...the day of the fires.

All is going well.

Libby wanted to stand up in the basket rather than sit in the front which I don't mind so much as she holds on. Well, sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn't.

This time was different. Joey and I were walking out to the van and he stopped the buggy...she wasn't holding on and her face hit the top of the buggy. We thought it was just her head, but alas, it was her eye. I picked her up all while blood is coming from her eye. I can't tell from where or how deep. I get a little freaked out as does Joey. We were calm but you know what I mean? I was choked up seeing her cry like that knowing how much it hurt and knowing it could have been prevented. He thinks we might need to take her to the ER for stitches. Once I got the bleeding stopped and she calmed down, we realized it didn't go all the way through the eyelid but just punctured it. It immediately turned black/red. She had a black for a good week. Poor Libby. I felt horrible as did Joey.

So the point to my story is this.

Don't do stupid stuff like this. Think ahead of what could happen, even if it never has. Learn from your mistakes. Don't shut your car door without your keys unless you have a child old enough to know how to unlock the door. Make your child sit down in the buggy.

You catch my drift.

Sooooo, I think I have learned my lesson for a while. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will be smooth sailing for me with no accidents. I have had my share for a while.

Sorry this is long but if you're still with me I know you're loyal friends:)

Bread and Tortilla Recipe

2009-04-19T15:32:00.002-05:00

OK Tarrah, here are the recipes you requested. I thought I would post them on here for everyone to have:) Enjoy!!

Side note-I have a Bosch Universal Mixer which mixes up 5 loaves of bread at a time. I also grind my grain fresh but you can buy it already ground or use white flour. Whatever floats your boat:)

Tortillas
3 c. pastry flour (you can use reg. wheat or white flour as well)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
1 1/4 c. very hot water
flour for rolling out

Sift flour and dry ingredients together. Mix oil and water and add to flour mixture and stir. Roll out and knead until smooth. Divide dough into 18 pieces roughly (depends on how small or big you want them) and shape into balls. Let rest for 15 minutes covered. Dredge the balls into flour, flatten with palm of your hand and dredge in flour again. Roll out using a rolling pin until pretty thin. Heat a pan or griddle over med-high heat. Heat until it bubbles and cook other side.
*I have a tortilla press/cooker which does it all for me but I have done it this way...just takes a little longer*

Homemade Bread
*This recipe will make 5 loaves at a time so just divide it down for how many you want to make*
6 c. flour
6 c. warm water
2 TBSP yeast
2 TBSP gluten or dough enhancer

Mix and let it sit for ten minutes

Then add 1 c. honey, 1 c. oil, 1 1/2 TBSP salt and 7-8 c. flour (amount varies)

Mix together and knead for 7-8 minutes. You know you have added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the bowl. Take out and let rise in loaf pans until doubled in size. Bake at 325 degrees until brown on top.

*I use freshly ground wheat. I also made 7-grain bread last week and it is now Joey's favorite. You can also do plain white.*

We love homemade tortillas. I can't tell you the last time I bought any. They freeze well too so if you have leftovers freeze them for a later date. I also freeze the bread. When thawed, it tastes just as fresh as the day you baked it.

If you have any questions let me know.

Happy Baking!!

Baby Update and More

2009-04-14T20:44:00.003-05:00

Can you believe I have already started my bi-monthly appointments? Where has the time gone?

I had my second high resolution sonogram last week in Ft. Worth. Because the sonographer wasn't able to see the right side of his heart last time, the doctor wanted me to come back again to double check everything. Everything with his heart, brain, etc. checked out with the exception of my fluid. The normal is a 25 with mine being a 26. She said there are several reasons for excess fluid. Most cases she said they never know. A small percentage can be due to gestational diabetes or a birth defect. She wanted me to come back again in four weeks. I asked my OB about it last week at my regular appnt. and he said if my glucose test came back fine then it probably wasn't necessary to check it again. I had the test done last Thursday so I'm pretty sure it will be fine. Just pray all is well with the baby and there are no problems. Joey and I are at peace about it and my OB didn't seem concerned at all.

I will be 31 weeks on Saturday with only nine to go if I go to my due date. I feel great and my energy is good. I am starting to feel a bit more pressure and heaviness, but of course that is expected. The sonographer said he weighs 3 lbs 1 oz. as of last Wednesday. She switched over to 4D and Joey said he looked like me. I will try and scan one of the pictures in later so you can see.

I am starting to get the nursery in order, but it's baby steps. I have picked out the fabric for the bedding but just haven't purchased it yet. I bought two decorations for the wall. I know the paint color. We sold the bunk beds that were in there when we had our foster kids so now there is more room for his things. I am making progress. I hope to start painting maybe next week??? Or the next??? I have a volunteer helper friend who said she wanted to help me...I will take her up on it.

Knowing he will arrive soon, I have made a list of what I call long term goals I want to complete before he arrives. They may seem big or small to you, but I want to get them done. I will give you my list so you can help hold me accountable to it. If I don't get them done, it's not a big hairy deal, but nonetheless, I want to finish them.

Make two batches of bread for the freezer (10 loaves total)
Two batches of tortillas to freeze
Can more spaghetti sauce
Can hot sauce (I am completely out now and that is bad for us:) )
Make strawberry preserves (hope to do that this Friday??)
Clean my ceiling fans
Finish Libby's shorts (three pairs down and eight to go)
Finish the nursery of course
Take Libby to the zoo as a family
Go camping twice (we are going next weekend, but want to go again first of June)

Well, sound feasible? I think it does if I don't put everything off until the last minute. We'll see. I will keep you updated as to my progress.

My feet are tired today as I have been on them a lot more today than usual so I feel the bed calling me early tonight.

Blessings.

Tragic

2009-04-11T15:37:00.003-05:00

California mega-church pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says he apologized to his homosexual friends for making comments in support of California's Proposition 8, and now claims he "never once even gave an endorsement" of the marriage amendment.

Monday night on CNN's Larry King Live, Pastor Rick Warren apologized for his support of Prop. 8, California's voter-approved marriage protection amendment, saying he has "never been and never will be" an "anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist."

"During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never -- never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop. 8 was going," Warren told the CNN audience on Monday. "The week before the -- the vote, somebody in my church said, 'Pastor Rick, what -- what do you think about this?' And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is -- really should be defined, that that definition should be -- say between a man and a woman."

However, just two weeks before the November 4 Prop. 8 vote, Pastor Warren issued a clear endorsement of the marriage amendment while speaking to church members. "We support Proposition 8 -- and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8," he said.

The following is a complete transcript of Warren's comments just weeks before the Prop. 8 election:

"The election's coming just in a couple of weeks, and I hope you're praying about your vote. One of the propositions, of course, that I want to mention is Proposition 8, which is the proposition that had to be instituted because the courts threw out the will of the people. And a court of four guys actually voted to change a definition of marriage that has been going for 5,000 years.

"Now let me say this really clearly: we support Proposition 8 -- and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. I never support a candidate, but on moral issues I come out very clear.

"This is one thing, friends, that all politicians tend to agree on. Both Barack Obama and John McCain, I flat-out asked both of them: what is your definition of marriage? And they both said the same thing -- it is the traditional, historic, universal definition of marriage: one man and one woman, for life. And every culture for 5,000 years, and every religion for 5,000 years, has said the definition of marriage is between one man and a woman.

"Now here's an interesting thing. There are about two percent of Americans [who] are homosexual or gay/lesbian people. We should not let two percent of the population determine to change a definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years.

"This is not even just a Christian issue -- it's a humanitarian and human issue that God created marriage for the purpose of family, love, and procreation.

"So I urge you to support Proposition 8, and pass that word on. I'm going to be sending out a note to pastors on what I believe about this. But everybody knows what I believe about it. They heard me at the Civil Forum when I asked both Obama and McCain on their views."

During his CNN interview on Monday, Warren expressed regret for backing Prop. 8. "There were a number of things that were put out. I wrote to all my gay friends -- the leaders that I knew -- and actually apologized to them. That never got out," he admitted.

Additionally, Pastor Warren said he did not want to comment on or criticize the Iowa Supreme Court's decision last week to legalize same-sex "marriage" because it was "not his agenda."

*This is tragic to me because a pastor that is unwilling to stand firm for Truth and who is riding the fence on this issue will likely ride the fence on other issues. We know what God says about those who are lukewarm. He is such a big name and will likely pay the price for his wishy-washyness. A Bible teacher we respect never had many positive things to say about him so this confirms our thoughts too.*

-Excerpt taken from http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=481280, which is a subsidiary of AFA (American Family Association.)

God's Promptings

2009-04-07T20:12:00.003-05:00

How many times have we sensed the Holy Spirit prompting up to pursue someone and we simply had good intentions to follow up, but let it fall through the cracks?

I know it has happened to me before. Why? Maybe a lack of what to do or say or how to approach them.

The Lord normally doesn't put people on our hearts for no reason, but desires us to pray and seek a way(s) to reach out and pursue them.

This scenario happened yesterday to Joey when, during his quiet time, the Lord put a particular individual on his heart that he went to youth group with. This guy had definitely gotten off on the wrong path and wasn't walking with the Lord. He had been in prison for multiple DWI's. Joey told me about the prompting and I told him I would pray and ask the Lord to show him something specific that he needed to do. So, yesterday during his lunch break he tracked this guy down (he knew where he worked) and showed up and invited him to lunch. They went to Dairy Queen and over lunch this guy shared his heart with Joey and what had been going on with him and what God had been doing in his life. He is back in church and going to AA. Joey tried to encourage him and listen to him share his struggles/victories. He doesn't know why God led him to do it or why He prompted him to pursue this guy, but he didn't want to let it go. The guy gave Joey all of his numbers where he could be reached and invited him to go fishing with him sometime.

Joey may never know why, but only God knows what fruit will become of their meeting. Maybe the guy just needed a bit of encouragement; someone to show they cared; someone to reach out the love of Christ to him when the world has turned its back on him.

If the Lord puts someone on your heart, don't neglect the prompting. Pray and ask Him to show you a very specific way that you need to reach out. Could be a card of encouragement, a phone call, a lunch date, a gift of some sort, intercessory prayer on their behalf or something else specific. This person could be a believer or not one at all. The logistics in how you minister might be different if they know the Lord, but the point is don't ignore the Holy Spirit. Don't let shyness, pride, or busyness get in the way of ministering to someone. Tell them the Lord laid them on your heart and what the Lord showed you to do. You will be blessed and I guarantee will come away more encouraged than the recipient.

Egg Hunt #2

2009-04-05T21:59:00.004-05:00

Joey's Grandma and Pa had a hamburger cookout after church today and an egg hunt for the great-grandkids. It was chilly, but it didn't deter the kids from having fun. Libby was running around saying, "More...more."

Fish Fry and Egg Hunt

2009-04-05T21:40:00.003-05:00

We had a fish fry and egg hunt at our house yesterday for Libby and several of her friends. We had a great time with friends and family and the kids had a blast!! Last year she was too small to do much but she totally got into running around and putting eggs into the basket.

Sewing 101

2009-04-01T21:34:00.003-05:00

After several futile attempts at finding Libby some summer shorts at resale shops and because I am feeling thrifty, I have decided to sew her some myself. Wal-Mart and Target wanted $3.50 and $4.00 respectively for their solid and print shorts and because she needs several pairs, I opted out of spending so much money. A friend has blessed Libby with many hand-me-down shirts in awesome condition, but no bottoms to match them so she has been unable to wear some of them because she has no shorts to match. She has a few pairs of blue jean shorts and a few pairs of capris but no comfy, cotton, play shorts. I purchased a pattern from Wal-Mart and then went through my scrap fabric pieces and raided my mom's bins as well. I spent 2 1/2 hours today cutting out seven pairs of shorts. Libby helped by handing me the pins as I needed them. I showed her that they poked so she was very careful as she gave them to me. The navy and white checked fabric was from an old pair of capris my mom had outgrown that she kept back for such a project as this. She never lets anything go to waste. So, seven pairs of shorts technically will not cost me anything other than the elastic. Pretty cheap if you ask me. I still need to purchase other solid fabric as some of her shirts have prints on them and it would definitely be a no-no to put a printed shirt with printed shorts...I just couldn't do that:) Once I get the hang of making the first pair, I should be able to whip out a pair in less than an hour. It's been a while since I have sewn anything and even that was curtains and throw pillows and an easy-step-one-hour-skirt-with-elastic for me. My mom is overseeing my endeavor on the first pair to make sure I am doing it right, but after that I should be able to sew them on my own. I need to start learning to make more things besides pillows and curtains. I would love to pass on sewing skills to Libby. My mom is a great seamstress but I just wasn't interested growing up and I regret that. I would be so far ahead if I had learned when she wanted to teach me as a child. It's never too late to start though. I am excited about it and I know I will feel a great sense of accomplishment. I will post pictures when I am finished.

Play Time With Cousins

2009-04-01T21:09:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday, Joey's Aunt Landra, his cousin Shonnie and her daughter Trista were passing through on their way home so they came by the house to visit for a while. Joey's mom also came with Hunter, Joey's brother's little boy. The cousins had fun playing and actually played really well together.

Hunter and Libby

Libby chillin

Hunter, Libby, and Trista

Me and Shonnie showing off our pregnant bellies. We are both due June 20th. What are the odds of that?

Grapefruit seed extract

2009-03-30T20:00:00.006-05:00

Due to GSE's anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-biotic properties, it is safely used to treat a number of internal and external infections, parasites, fungus, viruses and bacteria in humans and animals. It is yellow-amber in color and comes out in drop form that you mix in water. It is virtually tasteless. I mix it in with Libby's juice and she never even knows it's there.

It detoxifies, enhances and supports the immune system. It is also helpful in alkalizing (raising the ph) the blood which is vitally important because viruses, bacteria and even cancer can not survive in an alkaline system. Though lemons, limes, and grapefruit are chemically acidic, when they are metabolized by the body they have an alkalizing effect. One easy way I have found to alkalize my body is to you squeeze half of a lemon or lime in my ice water. I also purchased ph strips at a health food to test my acidity levels and they weren't too bad but not where it should be. I know of several post-cancer patients who are very faithful in drinking their lemon/lime water to help level out their body so cancer can not survive again.

It is safe and non-toxic for adults and children. It would take 4,000 times the normal dose of GSE to produce a 50% chance of poisoning according to a website I was researching.

It is used internally for yeast infections and an overgrowth of candida (yeast) in the body, colds, bladder infections, chronic inflammation (indicates a weakened immune system), parasites and many other things.

It is used externally for fungal infections of the feet, nails, and skin. Use it as a spray (use 10-20 drops in distilled or boiled water and put into a spray bottle) for cuts, burns, insect bites and wounds. It will stop an infection dead. It can be used as a facial cleaner and used to treat acne which a lot of times is caused by bacterial infections.

*The dosage listed on the bottle is anywhere from 10-20 drops but it doesn't matter. You can't overdose on it.*

If you're around someone who is sick, immediately give GSE to yourself and your children as a preventative. It doesn't always guarantee if you won't get sick especially if you're immune system is already compromised from a recent cold, flu, antibiotic treatment, etc.

The Nutribiotic brand to me is the best brand and everyone I know who uses GSE uses that brand. It is cheaper if you order it online here, however if you don't want to mess with ordering you can buy it at your local health food store.

Also, take GSE with you when you're traveling and camping. It can also be used to treat ticks (put the drops directly on the tick and then remove with tweezers), insects bits, first aide spray and water treatment. *Side note: Joey and I don't do that kind of camping or backpacking where we would come into contact with questionable water but if you do then you can use GSE to sanitize water. I don't know that I would feel comfortable doing that. I think I would boil it first if I could and then use that but that's me:)

It can also be used to spray on garden vegetables to detract pests from eating it up. Some of the recipes I found called for mixing it with cayenne pepper so research it before you do it to make sure you get the right amounts.

This is excellent stuff to keep on hand and no home should be without it.

I by no means guarantee any of these treatments, especially if the infection or virus is too far gone to be treated naturally. Sometimes conventional treatment needs to be sought out, however I will try the natural first and then if to no avail, I will seek out conventional treatment as a last resort.

Now, run stock up!!

Fundraising Gala 2009

2009-03-27T09:48:00.003-05:00

Last night was the Pregnancy Resource Center's 2nd annual fundraising Gala. The community room was packed out with 140 people in attendance which was all that room would hold comfortably. I don't believe I saw an empty seat at any of the tables. I began to pray yesterday when I woke up and saw the drizzle, the cloudiness, and the chilly weather. I asked the Lord to give us pretty weather this year for the Gala with sunshine and warmth and do you know He did what I specifically prayed? Thank you Lord for answering prayer. Seeing as we got iced out last year, we didn't want a repeat again this year.

The speaker was Carol Everett, a nationally known pro-life speaker and author. She has been on both sides of the industry and has an awesome testimony of God's forgiveness, restoration, and healing. She did a most fantastic job and I think you could have heard a pin drop on several occasions. Stacy and Anita, mom and daughter, shared their personal testimonies. Both of their stories was powerful and heart wrenching as they both testified to the amazing power of God's love and healing through an abortion and an unplanned pregnancy. What a sweet time to see mother and daughter for the first time get to share together God's work in their lives.

This work is an important work, a kingdom changing work, and Joey and I are blessed to be a part of it. You get to change lives one at a time and hopefully and prayerfully, as one pastor put it, our children and grandchildren will never have to know what abortion is.

As I quote part of a song, "Hands of God", by The Newsboys, I am reminded just how truly amazing our God is. "In the hands of God, we stand tall. Hands that are mighty, to deliver, giving us freedom. You're amazing. You're amazing You are. And we praise You, Lord for what Your hands have done. You're amazing, You're amazing You are."

Anytime that song comes on Klove I can't help but lift my hands and worship who God is and what He has done. He proved that last night.

"Thank you Jesus for being powerful, our deliverer and mighty to save!!"

Joey and I

The board of directors

Unity Through the Spirit

2009-03-23T19:50:00.003-05:00

Let me first start off by saying that Joey and I feel that expository preaching (preaching through the Bible verse by verse) is the best/most Biblical way to preach most of the time. While we have enjoyed topical studies, we always come back to expository teaching. The Bible COMMANDS pastors/teachers to preach the WHOLE counsel of God, not just topics they are passionate about or touchy feel good messages. Many Biblical portions of Scripture get skipped or left out because topical sermons are preached. When expository teaching is the majority, controversial Scriptures and the like can't be overlooked.

With that in mind Bro. Mike has been teaching through the book of Ephesians and by God's will he taught from Ephesians 4:1-6 on Sunday. He focused in mainly on verse 3, but I will quote two and three for clarification. "...with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

The only way to have true unity or peace in the church is for everyone to be on the same page doctrinally. There are those in one camp that say doctrine divides and we all just need to love each other and forget about our differences, but God's Word teaches otherwise. "Preach the Word! Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Tim. 4:2-4. There is unity in doctrine. It's what holds people together. Can you imagine if the leadership in your church were all on different pages doctrinally? It happens and sad to say, churches are being divided because the body is going in different directions.

Amos 3:3 says, "Can two walk together unless they be agreed?" No. There will be minor differences of course, but all should agree on the facts of the gospel. Yes, we are called to love another, but we are also called to stand firm on the Truth of God's Word. Sometimes that calls for loving rebuke, exhortation, and correction. "ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..." 2 Tim. 3:16

You know we are in detrimental times when people flock to hear Joel Osteen "preach" God's Word. I definitely say that lightly because you can't even call it preaching. He said himself that he just wants people to feel good about themselves so he doesn't preach on sin or hell, just touchy feel good messages to tickle the ears of the people. They have all turned aside. See why doctrine is so important? It is the foundation of what we believe and we can't just toss it aside to get along and not rock the boat.

I urge you if you are not in a church that preaches the whole counsel of God consider what you are being fed weekly. I know that good solid Bible churches are very hard to find so you might be in an area where it's not possible to hear good teaching. Consider supplementing with sermons during the week from John Piper, John MacArthur, Tom Nelson, David Jeremiah. I know for a fact that www.gracetoyou.org has free sermons for your MP3 or Ipod. They no longer cost you anything to download and all of John MacArthur's sermons that he has ever taught is available. There is too much good stuff available not to take advantage of it.

On a last note, I love what Bro. Mike said that when two believers are at odds or disagreement with one another, one of them is not walking close to Jesus. If two believers are walking close to Jesus there is no room for bickering. That is my own version of what he said and it's true.

Sorry for the long post, but he echoed what Joey and I have believed for years, that doctrine is what holds people together; not music preferences, not common convictions, not your children, but solid doctrine.

Weekend Review

2009-03-15T20:51:00.003-05:00

Despite the gloominess of last week, the weather this weekend turned out to be nice.

We went to a birthday party for Owen on Saturday and had hamburgers with all the fixins and then enjoyed Elmo cake. Libby had a great time. She has only been to two other non-relative birthday parties so this is fairly new territory for us. I can't believe she's already old enough to be invited to birthday parties.

We started re-arranging the "nursery" yesterday and getting ready. I haven't been as motivated this time around...don't know why, but I felt like it was time to get moving. Baby boy is going to get the raw end of the deal since his room is also our office, but we are sort of dividing the room with screens of some sort so the room won't look totally "officey." We have decided to move the bunk beds out to make more room, although it is going to be hassle. We were going to leave them in there, but it was going to make the room too cluttered. We are doing a western/rustic theme. I am getting geared up to paint and am deciding on colors. I looked up western bedding online and the cheapest set I found was $300!!! How outrageous is that? So...I am having a local seamstress make the bedding. Libby has started saying, "Broder's (for brother) bed" when she looks at the crib. We are talking more about it to her. When I tell her there's a baby in my tummy she says, "Out." She will a big helper to me...as much as you can be at almost two.

Today in Sunday School we had open forum. Anyone could ask a question and then it was up for discussion. We hadn't done one of those ever so it was neat to see some of the questions asked. Joey's question was, "Is repentance required for salvation or is simple belief just enough?" We have had this discussion with some friends on several occasions and it's amazing the answer some people give.

Scott, Isha, and Drew came over this afternoon...first time since Libby was a week old. I know it's kinda sad we waited this long...hopefully it won't be too long next time. Maybe we can get a game of spades going for old times sake.

I am going to the doctor tomorrow for two suspicious knots on my face. If you know me, you know I tend to worry about stuff like this. I always think I have cancer or something so they have had me freaked out. Joey really wanted me to get them checked out so we will see what the doctor says.

Hope you had a great weekend too.

Until then

New Documentary Release

2009-03-10T08:33:00.002-05:00

This new documentary has been released recently and it's hosted by Joni Erickson Tada. It features interiews with her family and experts on both sides of the issue. Definitely worth watching. Click on the link to watch the trailer.

https://store.afa.net/player/player.asp?movie=http://images.afa.net/videos/terri_schiavo.flv

The Believer's Blessings in Christ

2009-03-07T17:11:00.003-06:00

The work of the Father: Election (Ephesians 1:3-6)
The work of the Son: Redemption (Ephesians 1:7-12)
The work of the Spirit: Protection (Ephesians 1:13,14)

IN CHRIST I AM:

Blessed v.3

Chosen v.4

Predestined v.5

Adopted v.5

Redeemed v. 7

Forgiven v.7

Enlightened vv.8,9

Given an Inheritance v. 11

Sealed v.13

Assured v.14

It would do us good to ponder more on these Biblical Truths and the work of the Trinity. Some of the Truths make some people uncomfortable because it relinquishes our control and choice, but God is either sovereign or He's not. Let's embrace His gift and while we may not understand all things, Scripture also reminds us that, "Who has known the mind of the Lord...?" Romans 11:34

Thank you Lord that you chose me for I am so unworthy!

All About Olive Oil and Other Healthy Oils

2009-03-06T16:18:00.003-06:00

Olives and olive oil have been used as powerful remedies for a wide variety of ills. Olive oil is one of the most digestible of all fats. A diet rich in olive oil contributes to longevity and reduces the wear and tear of aging on the body tissues, organs, and the brain. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, and it can protect against stomach ulcers.

High-quality extra-virgin olive oil should not be used in cooking, though, as some of the nutrients in olive oil become less effective when heated. For that reason, I recommend that it be mixed into food once the food has cooled, although I use it some for stir fry veggies.

For the most healthful and nutritious look for extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil, also referred to as E.V.O.O., is the result of the first cold-pressing of an olive crop. Use it often in salad dressings, in pesto, and in marinades for a rich, classic Mediterranean flavor!

Other healthy oils/fats that are great for cooking include grapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and real butter. I use all the above and all are great for cooking at high temperatures. Of course organic or cold-pressed is best, but it can also be expensive so buy what you can afford. The debate is out on whether safflower oil is healthy, but I still use it. A book I read only recommends it if it is organic cold-pressed, but I just buy the kind from Wal-Mart which isn't.

Limit if not avoid vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil and definitely avoid shortening or Crisco and margarine of any kind because of the hydrogenation process it undergoes.

I love the following homemade salad dressing and I make it ALL the time. It is the best ever and my mom and I absolutely rave about it. Hope you enjoy it. The olive oil will give it a stronger taste so if you want something a little less "flavorful" you can use the grapeseed oil.

Simple Salad Dressing

1 clove of FRESH garlic, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1 -1/2 T. of white vinegar

4 T. of olive or grapeseed oil

1/4 tsp of dry mustard

dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake thoroughly. This is quite salty so if you are not a salt lover, you can reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp.

Fresh Family Updates

2009-03-02T09:16:00.002-06:00

I realized that I hadn't updated on "our life"in a while so thought I would post what's been going on in our household these days.

I am still taking Libby to Frisco once a week for her allergy treatments. So far, dust, sugar, grains, dairy and eggs have been successfully removed. We have more to go. She is now eighteen months and expanding her vocabulary by the day. She is now learning to put two words together like, "Hi mommy." She knows people by their pictures and will call them by name when she sees them. When it's time to pray we don't have to ask her anymore who she wants to pray for, she starts right off calling people by name to pray for. She is our sweet blessing girl.

Joey is busy going to school taking two classes; speech and government. Between work, the pregnancy center, school, and family, he barely has time for anything else. He handles everything so well and rarely gets stressed...unless of course he just doesn't show it. He is laid back and easy going and a wonderful husband and daddy. What would we do without him?

I started back volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center at the beginning of February. I go in every other week while my mom keeps Libby in the mornings. She loves going to Mamaw's house. I am feeling great with this pregnancy as with the last one. Not one day of sickness, breast tenderness, or any other annoying thing. What a blessing I know. I am six months along already. It's going by so fast I can hardly believe it. Between allergy visits, my OB visits, Center time, and babysitting every other week for a home school mom, I stay pretty busy.

Libby and I have been sick the last week so we are trying to recoup. We are so blessed and have so many things to be thankful for. I pray your families are well and feeling blessed. I am reminded that even though I don't always "feel" blessed, reality says I am.

Blessings

The "What Ifs of Love" Part 3

2009-02-27T16:39:00.002-06:00

Actions that show respect

Serve your husband's plate first at mealtimes. Wait on him, ask him throughout the day if you can get him drinks, food, etc.
Don't nag him about things he does or doesn't do
Don't interrupt him, talk for him, or correct him (You are his wife, not his mother)
When he is talking to you, your children, or others, look at him with respect and listen
Don't let yourself go. Work hard to keep yourself in nice shape for your husband. Get up in the morning and fix yourself up like you would if you were going out. You'll feel better too.
Tell him at least once a day something you are thankful for in him or admire about him, no matter what else is going on between you
Never take sides with a child/or anyone against your husband
Show desire for him physically. You are his wife, the one who should bless him sexually
Be 100% supportive of your husband's vision for his life. Walk with him and encourage him!

REMEMBER

Your sexual responses and advances mean as much to him as his affection (holding hands, hugs, and kisses) mean to you.

The more you are actively showing respect and honor to him as your God-given leader, the more you'll desire him physically

Enjoying the Good Weather

2009-02-26T20:36:00.005-06:00

Libby and I went out to play on Wednesday afternoon. She had so much fun in spite of not feeling good. I was hoping this weather would stick around a few more days, but it was good while it lasted.

The "What Ifs of Love" Part 2

2009-02-23T11:55:00.005-06:00

There are a lot of ways that we can disrespect or dishonor our husbands so this is by no means an exhaustive list. Some are ideas that Gail had listed and other's are my own ideas. Some are thought provoking questions to ask yourself to see where your heart lies. It is truly my heart's desire to honor Him and him. I know I fail every day, but I am asking the Lord to show me very specific ways that I am not showing respect the instant that I do it and then helping me to confess and make things right by apologizing and yielding to Joey and ultimately to the Lord.

1. Is your focus in your marriage on what you need or want?

2. How often do you think about what your husband needs or wants?

3. How much time do you spend wishing your husband would change?

4. Do you interrupt, talk for, or correct your husband in conversation either alone or in front of others?

5. Do you usually believe you are right when you and your husband are discussing problems and solutions?

6. When was the last time you asked your husband how you could bless him?

7. When was the last time you asked your husband if there's anything he'd like for you to change?

8. How much time in a day do you spend praying for your husband?

9. Do you thank God for giving you a husband?

10. When was the last time you thanked your husband for something he is or does?

11. When was the last time you complimented your husband in front of others?

12. How do you talk about your husband to your children? To your relatives? To your friends?

13. How much time in a day do you spend nagging your husband? If you ask more than once, it's nagging.

14. How do you speak to your husband in private, in front of others or in front of your children? Is your tone one of sweetness, kindness, and gentleness?

15. Do you belittle him by teasing him, making fun of him, or mocking him about areas he is sensitive about?

16. Do you succumb to his ideas more than you do your own?

17. Do you seek ways you need to change yourself or is your focus more on changing your husband?

18. Do you teach your children to honor, respect, and submit to Daddy? They will learn by watching you.

19. Who can you change?

20. Who are you ultimately serving?

Ultimately we can only change ourselves and we serve the Lord Jesus. By honoring and respecting our husbands, we in turn honor and respect the Lord and the opposite is also true. I would by lying if I told you I get an A+ for doing all of these right all the time, but my heart desires to improve. I hope yours does the same.

I will post next time on specific way we can show respect. If you have any ideas as well, feel free to share them. I know I can always use new ideas.

The "What Ifs of Love" Part 1

2009-02-16T16:04:00.000-06:00

I don't even know where to start in sharing ALL the abundant Truths I learned at the Valentine's fellowship/Bible Study I mentioned earlier. I will be making this a 3-4 part series so I don't cram so much into one post. So hang on and may the Lord continue to reveal His heart to us regarding our husbands and our marriages.

"Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." Ephesians 5:33

A poll was taken and 100 men were asked. "Would you rather be alone and unloved or inadequate and disrespected?" Now both are hard answers but what do you think 98 men said? They would rather live in a world where they are alone and unloved rather than be disrespected.

Men desire respect just as women desire to be loved. It's the way God created it to be. Should men have to earn our respect? Think about it before you answer. Do we think we should have to earn our husbnds love? You would say, "No, they should just love me for who I am." So why do we make our husbands earn our respect? God's Word says to respects our husbands. There is no reference to if they do this or that then we should respect them. Just respect. How do you respect an abusive husband? An alcoholic husband? A husband that won't provide for his family? Respect doesn't mean condoning bad behavior, making excuses for sin, or overlooking offenses, rather it's an attitude of the heart. Is it easier to respect a husband who is a godly examply, a wonderful father, a romantic husband? Sure it is. I have one such husband and he makes it easy for me to respect, honor, and submit to him. But what if he was a different man? I can tell you my flesh wouldn't want to honor, submit, or reverance any other such person, but God's Word makes it clear that I am supposed to. I would pray to the Lord for a changed heart and a right spirit.

Can I tell you that even though Joey is a godly husband, a wonderful father, and a committed follower of the Lord Jesus, I still have trouble respecting him at times. Sometimes my mouth gets in the way of right actions and before long the Lord shows me how I have disrespected him through my words and my actions.

What are some ways that we can disrespect our husbands?

I will write next time on specific ways we disrespect and dishonor the men God brought into our lives. Let's ask God until then to show us very specific ways we have dishonored our own husbands. Confess, repent, ask for forgiveness from them and the Lord.

Until next time.

Weekend Review

2009-02-09T09:21:00.003-06:00

We had a super busy weekend starting on Friday night. I went to Gail's Valentine fellowship/Bible Study on Friday and was super blessed! There were over fifty ladies in attendance and I know I can speak for everyone that we were blessed by her hospitality in having us in her home, the wonderful meal, her gracious spirit, and her words of wisdom which she shared most humbly from her heart. She taught on the "What If's of Love." I had been praying that whatever the Lord desired me to receive that night that I would welcome the Truth and be set free by it. Sometimes we turn a blind eye to truth because then it means we have to do something with it. The Lord showed me amazing truths taught from His Word. I was sweetly rebuked by Him and lovingly brought back into reality. I feel as though everything Gail said was just for me. Thank you Jesus that you care enough about us to reveal your heart so personal to us. I will share more specific things that the sweet Lord showed me later this week as I gather my thoughts on the subject. Side note: I was so pumped up by what the Lord showed me and confirmed to me that I was up til 1:00 a.m. sharing with Joey all that happened. Saturday morning we were dragging.

We went van shopping all day on Saturday in Arlington. My transmission has been acting up for a while and it has 125,000 miles on it. It runs so good but Joey felt like it was time to trade it off before something major happened and then we wouldn't get anything for a trade in. We found a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country and it fit within our designated car budget. It didn't have everything we wanted, but when you buy used cars you can't be too picky. It does have bucket seats in the middle and stow-n-go, which were two prerequisites we had decided on. The dealership is touching up a few chips in the paint so we won't actually have it until tomorrow. We have never had two car payments before until now (Joey bought him a used car three weeks ago), but since we always buy used and shop around for the best deal, we have been able to fit it into our allowable budget. Our cars were ten years old and ready to see another home. Can I say that we feel blessed to even be able to have two cars that run...used or not? We didn't get home Saturday night until 8:45 and we left at 9:00 that morning. I must say Libby did extremely well and fussed maybe five minutes the whole day.

Sunday began with church. Our Sunday School class usually has pretty good discussions and this Sunday was no different. We love our class and are getting to know each couple better. Besides doing a girl's night once a month, we do a family night every other month and are starting next week a once a month play date with any stay at home mom that wants to participate. The first one is at my house and I am excited about getting to know more moms.

Joey's birthday was also yesterday and we topped the evening off with a party for him. He is such a treasure to me and I so much enjoy our talks, our fellowship and our like-mindedness. He said to me that he truly felt loved by all and treasured by us.

We had an action packed last three days and this week will be no exception. I pray your week will be fulfilling, blessed, and full of the presence of the Lord.

Allergy Update

2009-02-04T16:46:00.003-06:00

Today was our fourth visit to the Allergy Relief Center in Frisco. She has been successfully treated for dust, sugar, and grains. Dr. Hassam attempted to treat all of dairy today, but apparently she is REALLY allergic to dairy because she couldn't even treat all the subfractions today without her body holding treatment. She will treat the second half of dairy next week. When I say subfractions, I mean the different parts that make up dairy, such as casein, lactose, etc. I am so thankful she held the grain treatment because Dr. Hassam said sometimes it takes 1-3 treatments before it's all cleared. The Lord has answered our prayer that each allergy would only take one treatment, otherwise we would have to pay again for the same allergy.

She also said that we should start seeing some improvement since some of the major allergies have/are being removed. Of course we won't see a complete healing until all the allergies have been removed, but improvement is better than none.

If anyone you know is interested in trying out the clinic then they get 10% of their first visit if they mention Olivia's name (not Libby...I put her files under Olivia). As I bonus I get 10% too. Anyhow, my SIL (sister-in-law) made an appnt. for her cat allergy but hasn't gone in yet. I hope it works for her.

I can't believe we have already been going for a month. It has gone by fast though. I am excited to get these nuisances behind us. They can be really aggravating!!

Have a great week!!

Grocery Savings

2009-01-30T15:28:00.002-06:00

I have been doing comp (competitor) ads for years at Wal-Mart. For those of you new to that concept, I will explain. Wal-Mart is guaranteed to meet any competitor's price on any item in their store as long as it's brand for brand and size for size.

For instance, if Brookshire's has Bush's brand (15 oz.) refried beans on sale for .59 cents a can then Wal-Mart will match that price as long as you present the ad verifying proof of the sale, it's the same brand and same size. They will match not only grocery items, but household items as well; storage totes, shampoo, band-aides, light bulbs, etc. What if it's a store brand grocery item? If IGA has their brand of cheese on sale, then Wal-Mart will match it with their store brand (Great Value or Sam's Choice). Produce doesn't have a brand per say but if Diamond has regular avocados on sale then you can't comp ad Wal-Mart's jumbo avocados. Easy as pie!

It's takes a little more effort to check the weekly ads, but the savings are worth it. The big Sunday paper puts out their weekly grocery adds to all the local grocery stores. My mom subscribes to a local paper that puts out Diamond and IGA adds plus she gets the local Brookshire's add each week in the mail. The money she spends on the paper each year is minimal to the savings she reaps on groceries. We even share the ads between us so we don't miss out on anything.

Why go through all that trouble you ask for a few grocery or household items? When you are on a limited grocery budget as we are then every cent helps. Even if you don't have a grocery budget because money isn't an option, grocery money saved can be spent elsewhere or given to missions. God desires each of us to be a good steward of the money He has given us whether you're on a budget or not.

Like today. I had three different ads I was using to comp groceries. I will list the few things from those ads. 5 lb bag of russet potatoes for $1.79 (regularly $3.97). WOW, that's a $2.00 savings. Roma tomatoes for .50 cents per lb (regularly .97 cents a pound). Bell peppers were 5/$1.00 (20 cents each) (regularly .68 cents each). Green cabbage was .38 cents per lb (regularly .97 cents per lb. Avocados were 5/$1.00 (regularly .68 cents each). Rotel was .68 cents a can (regularly over a dollar per can). I saved nearly ten dollars!!

That's just a few things. I saved so much money just on produce alone. It's too good not to take advantage of. So it takes a few extra minutes. It's so worth it. You might not need five bell peppers. Use two then slice the other three and store in the freezer to use for fajitas or some other recipe later. That's what I do. Plan your meals around the sales. If cabbage is that cheap, find a few meals to use cabbage for that week. You will save more money in the long run and it will make you feel good that you were able to be thrifty and be a better steward of God's blessings.

If you have any questions about comp ads, I will be glad to help you. Like I said, I have been doing them for years so I guess you could call me a pro by now.

Try it and see how much you save!! Happy Shopping.

A Critical Spirit

2009-01-24T13:43:00.000-06:00

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who refrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little." Prov. 10:18-20

I have been thinking about this post for a while and this past week several things happened that prompted me to want to go ahead and write it. There is so much that can be said on this. I will share from my heart my thoughts on the subject.

A critical spirit is contagious. Not a good contagious like laughter, but a dangerous contagious. It ruins the mood of any gathering. It's a turnoff to everyone in the room. Before long it spreads until other's are joining in with the meaningless chatter. A critical person stands out and is usually avoided at all costs, unless you just can't avoid them because their family. I hate criticism. "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Prov. 15:13

I hate it yet I find myself doing it at times. Sometimes a lot depending on whom I'm around and the situation I am in. If I am around a very critical person for very long, it rubs off a lot and then I catch myself doing and saying some of the same things that I hated in them. It could be criticizing people, circumstances, things. "These six things the Lord hates, Yes, even seven are and abomination to Him...One who sows discord among the brethren." Prov. 6:16,19. Could be a gossiper, a strife stirrer, or a criticizer. Whatever it may be that sows discord the Lord hates.

You know what it's like to be around those who are positive, uplifting, encouraging, affirming, and sweet? I want to be more like that. I would to see the good in all people and things. I don't want to focus my attention on the bad and the ugly all the time. "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls." Prov. 25:28

Where is the line drawn between speaking truth as you see it versus just plain being negative? I know it used to make me upset when my parents would point out discrepancies they saw in people or they could have just been accessing a situation and I labeled it a critical spirit. It wasn't all the time, although at times it might have been. I know the Lord looks upon the heart and knows our full motives and intentions so maybe that's where the line is drawn. Calling a politician a liberal because he is pro-choice is not being critical...it's just speaking truth. Jesus often called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (Matt. 3:7). The Israelites were often labeled a stubborn and stiff necked people (Deut. 31:27).

I pray the Lord will help us all guard what pours out from our mouths, for it is indeed a reflection of what's going on on the inside. It could be criticizing our husbands for unmet expectations, criticizing our children's inabilities or shortcomings, criticizing anyone who is different. I meet a lot of moms/women who are so quick to criticize their husbands in public. It ought not to be. No, they are not always perfect, but may I add, neither are we. We wouldn't want them criticizing our faults in front of their co-workers so lets be guarded about what we say to our friends. May God keep us from pride and a loose tongue.

Anyhow, I know this post is random. It might not even make sense to you. It's hard to collect my thoughts on this because it's so broad. There's more that can be said, but I won't be long winded tonight. I pray God will show each of us areas in our own hearts that have been so quick to be critical of others and to others. May we speak truth when necessary and edify when necessary and be quick to know the difference.

Ministries Worth Supporting

2009-01-21T21:00:00.003-06:00

Sorry it has taken me a while to follow up on this post. I have had several other posts that I needed to share first. Joey and I have discussed our favorite ministries that are worth supporting, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. We are not able to support all of these on a monthly basis, but we do support some of these monthly and other's randomly. These ministries are Biblically sound and Christ exalting. If you or your family are looking for a worthy ministry to support, feel free to check these out or find one on your own that is Biblical. I say "Biblical" because not all so called ministries that name the name of Christ are biblical and sound in doctrine. Be careful who and what you are supporting.

John MacArthur at www.gracetoyou.org (our all time favorite present day Bible teacher)
John Piper at www.desiringgod.org (also one of our favorites)
Voice of the Martyrs at www.persecution.com (ministry to the persecuted church)
Above Rubies at www.aboverubies.org (ministry to home school moms)
Ken Ham at Answers in Genesis at www.answersingensis.org (biblical creation;great stuff)
Compassion International at www.compassion.com (child sponsorship)
Focus on the Family at www.family.org
New Tribes Mission at www.ntm.org (international mission organization)
Bibles Unbound at www.biblesunbound.com (sends Bibles to China and other countries)

Other ministries worth supporting are local ones in your community such as:
The Pregnancy Resource Center
Salvation Army
Local relief mission that helps needy families in the community
Your own church's ministries
Other ministries your community may offer. (mine doesn't offer many)

You may not have much money to give locally or worldwide to many ministries, but you can give of your time by praying and being a volunteer. Most local ministries are desperate for volunteers, especially ones in my community. Even if you are a SAHM (stay at home mom) with small children and can't get out much, volunteer by running errands, being on the prayer team, writing cards, making phone call, etc. There are things we moms (and dads too:) )can do to make a difference. I challenge you that if you aren't involved start this year. Take that first step. The rewards are far greater than you can imagine.

What ministries does your family support? Do you have any ideas that I haven't listed that would be good as well? I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Please Pray Update

2009-01-19T14:51:00.003-06:00

** Christopher got to come home today. Please pray for complete healing, peace, and rest for him. Tyler was able to sit up in bed today. A blood test came back showing his liver was working properly. Praise the Lord. Pray for his other organs to begin working. I know it was said his family needs rest. Going back and forth between home and hospital is tiring.

Saturday, some friend's of ours son and his friend were involved in an ATV accident. The friend was careflighted to Wichita and Christopher was taken by ambulance to Denton. He suffered a severe broken leg requring surgery yesterday. Tyler, the friend, was taken immediately into surgery where he suffered a lacerated liver, his pancreas was torn into and a tube that goes from the stomach to the large intestine was broken. Bascially, all his organs (stomach, liver, pancreas, etc.) had to be repaired or re-attached. He is still in a lot of pain and won't be able to eat for a week. His family is hoping they will move him in a week to ten days to a nearby hospital closer to their home. He will then need to go to a rehab hospital after that. He is in for a long road. Christopher might get to come home today or tomorrow. He still has an open wound that will need tending in a few days in which his family will have to take him back to the hospital for them to clean it. He might need furthur surgery after his leg heals. The doctor said expect 8-12 weeks recovery.

If you fully trust in God's sovereignty, then you have to know that this was all in His plan, even down to the details. None of Tyler's ribs were broken although all his major organs that were damaged were tucked up underneath his ribcage. Who knows how much furthur damage could have been done had they been broken. Christopher even had his cell phone on him and was able to call. Had he not, they might have laid there a long time before someone happended upon them. God was at work even in the midst of tragedy.

I will keep you updated when I have more details. Both of these families are sweet homeschooling familes. Thanks for praying.

Pink or Blue?

2009-01-15T15:40:00.003-06:00

Much to our surprise, it's a BOY!

We were very much surprised. We had psyched ourselves up that it was another girl which was fine with us. We have girl stuff, it's a playmate for Libby, plus it would give us an excuse (not that we needed one) to have more children. Other people would tell us that we had to try again for that boy! If you have one of each they automatically assume you are done. If the Lord wills it, we want more children... so no we are not stopping.

Joey is excited already about getting to buy him his first gun!! He's so funny. We already have a name picked out but are keeping it a secret until the birth. We figured there had to be some element of surprise right?

The baby looked healthy and had all ten fingers and toes. I measured out at 17 weeks vs. almost 18 by Dr. Kyle's calculations so my due date is back to where I had it figured at June 25th.

That's the third boy so far that I know is due in June. This must be the season for boys. Still waiting to hear about Lisa and Stacy.

Blessings

Allergy Update

2009-01-14T19:09:00.002-06:00

Today was Libby's allergy appointment in Frisco. It blew me away how they did the testing and the elimination. They hooked a blood pressure like cuff around her ankle. Because she is too small to perform the muscle testing on her, they tested through me. She is hooked up to a computer through the cuff. She and I have to have skin to skin contact. The doctor clicks on an allergen name on the computer. It sends a signal through the cuff to me and then she muscle tests me. If my arm goes down upon light pushing then an allergy is present, if not then no allergy is present. My arm definitely went down when she tested for things I already knew she was allergic to.

After she tested for food and seasonal allergies then she focused on one allergy to eliminate. She did dust today. She wanted to eliminate the sugar but then Libby couldn't eat for two hours afterward. We hadn't had lunch yet so I knew she would be starving by 2:30 so she opted for dust. When eliminating a food allergy you have to go in order and since sugar is in most everything you eat, it has to be the first to go. It will be treated next time though.

Back to the elimination part. They narrowed down the dust allergy to its components such as dust mites, dust particles, etc. She was allergic to dust mites. They even tested to see what organs the allergy is affecting and how deep it goes. For instance, it was affecting her skin and lungs and went all the way to the molecular level. So it was deep. The lungs and skin make sense since she has congestion and eczema. She ran a massage like tool up and down her spine several times which sends a signal to the brain to not think of dust as an invader. After the elimination she retested the dust allergy and it showed it was gone. There is a two hour window after the procedure that you can't come into contact with the allergen or treatment won 't be effective. When we go back she will test for it again to make sure the treatment worked.

Pray it did otherwise we have to pay for a re-treatment. The doctor said 80% don't have to have re-treatment so maybe we won't fall into the 20% category. We go again next Tuesday for the sugar elimination and it goes from there until we can't afford anymore. It's pretty costly so if we had all of them removed we would go broke real quick. They also found out she is allergic to cats, weeds, and grasses.

Thank you for praying for us. I felt very comfortable that it went well and was very impressed with the treatment.

On a side note, my day didn't start so well. While backing out of my mom's driveway, I backed over their aged golden retriever which used to be our dog years ago. We didn't think she was hurt bad as she hobbled off. Amy took her to the vet while we were gone and they had to put her to sleep. Needless to say, I felt horrible and so guilty. She couldn't hear good anyway and I guess she didn't hear me backing up and I didn't see her. I cried. I tried to dry it up before I went in to the doctor. I hope it wasn't obvious. Anyways, my day wasn't too good. Why me? I loved Sandy. She was a good dog, but very old. Maybe tomorrow will go better.

My First OB Appointment

2009-01-14T07:46:00.003-06:00

Well, it appears this is the second time I have typed this. I posted about this last night and then woke up to find that it isn't here. Sorry for those who were looking for this last night only to find it missing.

Dr. Kyle wasn't delivering babies yesterday at 3:45 so luckily for me we got right in. We heard the strongest heartbeat ever and believe it or not, Libby got scared when he put the doppler on me. She also got scared when his nurse took my blood pressure. Not sure why, but when I held her she calmed down. It's funny what will scare little ones.

He couldn't do a sono yesterday, but I do go back tomorrow at 10:30 to have one done. Hopefully the baby is cooperating and I will have a surprise to post tomorrow. Because of Libby's heart defects he wants to schedule a 3D sono at 20 weeks which is only three weeks away. That should be fun! I got one with Libby at another place for fun and you can really see some detail.

Stayed tuned for my surprise post...hopefully I won't disappoint anyone:)

Anniversary Outing

2009-01-13T13:41:00.004-06:00

Last Friday was our tenth anniversary. Already. Some of you were in our wedding and as I looked back at our wedding pictures I couldn't help but laugh...Joey's white socks, my weird hair style...I can't believe I cut my hair that short, my eighties-looking dresses, Jeff's big eye glass frames that he no longer has...well you get the picture. I was nineteen. He was 20...almost twenty one. I am now 29 and He almost 31. My what a road we have traveled.

It has been a good road, a great road, a hard road, but a much blessed road. We have had few "big" disagreements and even those were silly and the result of two immature people who hadn't experienced life yet. I love Joey more now than then and it keeps growing. He is easy to love, easy to submit to, easy to follow. He has made my life more than I could have imagined. Life without him wouldn't be worth living. He is such a treasure. *If he reads this which I know he will, he will get on to me for saying such things, but they are true so I must say them.

We didn't do anything what you would call exciting. Lack of funds and Libby being so small prevented that, but we had a blast anyhow. We stayed in a hotel in the metroplex, chilled in the heart shaped jacuzzi, watched the newest Tom Cruise flick...which was good and very clean btw, ate at Salt Grass (our favorite steak house), browsed at Cheaper than Dirt (Joey's anniversary gift to himself was his ammo,) and just hung out with each other. Libby stayed with my mom and did so well that even she was impressed. We felt like teenagers in the movie eating popcorn from the same tub and holding hands.

It was good to see Libby again although she acted very nonchalant when she saw us as if to say,"Oh, hey mom and dad. How's it going?" I'm glad she did good.

I love my husband so much and Lord willing the next ten years will be just as exciting and wonderful.

Making Tracks in 2009

2009-01-08T18:11:00.003-06:00

Why is is that you don't start reflecting on the changes you want to make or things you desire to do differently until the calendar rolls over? Dunno, but somehow it does. I try not to "resolute" to do anything that is beyond reasonable for me otherwise it just places unwelcomed condemnation if I don't or can't complete my goal. That's why when I have set weight loss goals I never picked a certain amount to lose only that I will just lose then if I only lose a pound...hey it's a pound right? :)

That is one of my goals, just after June when baby #2 is born. I never did lose the last 15 from Libby so we will see.

I want to grow closer to the Lord...seriously. I know a lot of people say that and might mean it, but I really do desire to spend more time in His Word, in prayer, in fellowship through worship, fellowship through friends, fellowship through giving, etc. He's the greatest friend I have. Why in the world would I not want to make time for Him. I will admit my time with Him has been very lax. I will offer no excuses because in my opinion there is none. I could watch movies less, talk on the phone less or at different times, shorten my own personal reading time to have time for God's Word...or I should just pick up His Word first right? Right.

Joey and I desire to have more couples/families in our home, especially ones we have never had. What a neat time of fellowship you can have with other Christians or a time when your family can really be a shining light to the lost. We love entertaining and want to start being hospitable more. We will make time.

Giving to ministries that are Christ-centered, God-honoring, and people-loving is near to our heart. We want to start giving to at least two more ministries that have ministered to us. One of them is Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry to the persecuted church. What a way to make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in chains, who are living every day with the threat of death upon them. It's a worthy cause. If your family is looking for a ministry to support, this is a worthy one. We are not sure of the second one, but are praying about it.
Side note: I will post soon about other ministries that are worthy of supporting if you are looking to give for kingdom's gain. What a way to spend your money!

We ARE going to finish paying off some debt that we are so close to paying off. When the CC (credit card) is gone, we are having a victory party if you want to come. One month left!!!!!! Honestly and embarrassingly, we have had this growth over our heads for ten looooong years, but after conviction from the Lord and some hard knocks on the head, we straightened ourselves up and started doing Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" plan and it is "paying" off. No pun intended.

There are other great and honorable things I desire to do like be a better helpmate to my man, a more Christ exalting mother, a better friend, better daughter, sister, granddaughter, etc.

I want to read more and eat less

Forgive offenses more and hold grudges less

Humble myself more and be less prideful

Say "I love you" more to my family and friends and truly express my gratitude towards them

I could go on and on but you get the picture.

Lord willing, He will grant me the desires of my heart as I truly desire to be more faithful in all areas.

Be looking for my post on ministries worthy of supporting and ones our family currently supports.

Be blessed!

Home Destroyers Part 2B

2009-01-05T17:41:00.002-06:00

HOME DESTROYERS
Part 2b

Proverbs 13:18, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.”

We continue talking today about the home destroyer of foolishness.

We pull it down by not preparing for the future. As you read through Proverbs 31 again you will notice that the virtuous woman did not live just for the day, but prepared her home and household for whatever lay ahead.

Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the read of idleness.” The words “looks well” are translated from the Hebrew word tsaphah. It has two meanings—

a) To watch. It is the same word that is used for a watchman who watches to protect the city, e.g. Ezekiel 33:7. The wise woman is a watchwoman. She guards her home and her children’s lives. She does not leave her post. She guards over what they see, hear and read. She watches over her home to keep everything in order. She does not let things get out of control.

b) To lean forward, to peer into the distance. The wise woman does not think only about today, but about the future. She has food and necessities prepared in case of emergency. She has made strategies with her family so that they know what to do in a crisis. She is ready for whatever may happen.

Proverbs 31:18 says that “her lamp goes not out by night.” No, don’t feel guilty. she is not working all night! Back in Bible days, they did not have electricity. Therefore, they kept a lamp burning, ready for any emergency. The dogs may bark at some intrusion or the baby wakes. They need to have the lamp ready to investigate or to minister to the needs of the baby or children. It could be catastrophic for a family to run out of oil for the lamp. The wise woman always made sure she had enough oil to keep the lamp burning continually.

Jesus told a story about this in Matthew 25:1-13. The wise virgins took not only their lamps but extra oil with them. The foolish didn’t think of anything but the moment, and of course they ran out of oil! And they missed the coming of the bridegroom! What did Jesus call these women? Yes, we know. Foolish!

We pull it down by being stubborn. Proverbs 1:7 says, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:22) The foolish woman thinks she knows it all and she does not like to be corrected. The wise woman knows that she constantly needs correction from the Lord. Even from her husband and others in order to keep learning and walking in the ways of the Lord. I don’t always like it when my husband corrects me but I know it keeps me on the right track. I want to receive correction and wisdom from others because I don’t want to stay the same. I still have so much changing and learning to do. I want to have a soft heart to hear what God tells me.

The Scriptures tell us over and over again that it is the wise who will receive instruction and correction. The word that is used continually is “hear”. Hear instruction. Hear counsel. Listen to rebuke. The word “hear” is shama in the Hebrew. It means “to hear with attention or obedience, to give undivided listening attention.” This should be our attitude toward correction and advice, rather than being reactionary. I notice that the word heart is a t added to hear. To have a heart that is soft and pliable, we have to have to hear what God wants to say to us, not only through His Word, but through others.

Much of what we do and think is conditioned by our deceived humanistic society. It is so much part of everything around us that we think it is normal. But the world’s normal does not always match the Word of God. We must continually seek God and His Word for His truth. We must constantly check to seek if we are lining up with His plan for motherhood and family life.
I have had to change and repent about so many things over the years and I know that God has still so much to teach me. We must always be open to God’s truth. Read the beautiful family Psalms (Psalm 127 and 128) every week. They keep you in line with God’s heart rather than the humanistic thinking of this world.

Sometimes we have to humble our ears to hear counsel. Proverbs 22:17 says, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.”

We need to take notice of Proverbs 8:33, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” Also Proverbs 15:32, “He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.”

You can read more Scriptures about receiving instruction below.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:
“Lord, please give me a hearing heart that is open to correction. I know that as I am open to correction, my children will be more open to correction too. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:
I’m a watchman in my home, I will not vacate my post! I’m open to wise correction And filled with the Holy Ghost!

If you are interested in more articles from Nancy Campbell, go to the Above Rubies website

An Answer to our Prayers...Hopefully

2008-12-31T19:12:00.003-06:00

We are taking Libby to an Allergy Relief Center in Frisco on January 14th. A friend, who after hearing about this place on the radio, told us about it. We didn't think much about it at first and even dismissed the idea, but then after a frustrating trip to Central Market to try and find Libby more food options, I threw my hands in the air and wept. I said, "There has to be another way."

We did a search for this place and found out some details about the "Elimination" procedure. I called this morning to ask more questions and made her an appointment. It's hard to explain the procedure since I am not so familiar with it. They don't give a lot of details on their site. I had heard about the procedure through my doctor in Fort Worth a couple of years ago and was intrigued then. The receptionist said their success rate is 95% and the patient leaves allergy free from the allergy treated that day. They will only treat one allergy per visit. She said they just treated a patient last week who has had a life long allergy to eggs and couldn't even eat them because it would send her to bed with a stomach ache. She came in for a treatment and left to go and eat an Egg McMuffin to see if it worked. She reported feeling great with no stomach upset at all. It is a non invasive procedure and they treat infants with allergies to formula all the way up to geriatrics.

At this point we are willing to try anything. I end up very discouraged most days trying to find options for her to eat. She can only eat so many burritos and pickles. She is so picky plus with her lack of chewing utensils, she has a hard time eating most meat and raw vegetables. When we try and force certain food down her, her gag reflex kicks in and she throws up so we are at a stand still as to know what to do.

Pray that the treatments work. Six months of this seems like an eternity and each day is a struggle and a disappointment for us. She is having a hard time gaining weight since she is so limited on her options. We are trusting the Lord that this is the direction He wants us to go. When my heart is overwhelmed, the Lord is greater than my heart.

I will report back in two weeks.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T09:18:00.007-06:00

With last week and this weekend being so busy I am just now getting around to posting our Christmas pictures. Our last Christmas was Saturday with Geego and Nanny from Allen. They came and spent the night with us Friday night. We enjoyed their visit and Libby got to hang out and play with them a lot.

Janice (Nanny), Libby, and Me

Libby opening a present from Geego and Nanny

Christmas at Joey's Aunt's house on Friday night. She is holding a pair of pj's.

Christmas Thursday night at Papa's and Grandy's. They bought her a pair of house shoes, a matching backpack and a hooded towel with her name on it. She is wearing the backpack.

She loves to play with this traveling kitchen. It's the neatest thing. She cooks in it all the time.

Opening the backpack.

Christmas at Papa's and Neanie's Thursday afternoon. Renee' is helping her open this gift from her and Nicky (Joey's brother).

She opened a puzzle

Christmas morning at our house. Me pictured with yes, you guessed it, no makeup, but Joey just had to take the picture against my better wishes, but the cookware he bought me made up for it. He thought I needed a new set. He said we probably have cancer by now from eating so much Teflon. I do have a nice stainless steel set that I use all the time except for ONE Teflon pan I kept to use specifically for things you don't want to stick, but he was so sweet to buy me this new set to go along with my SS set. It's Calphalon without Teflon on the bottom which means I can now safely use metal utensils.

Libby opened a Snow White dress up set from some friends of ours and she is wearing the tiara now. Believe it or not she can actually walk around in the high heels.

This was the "Daddy gift" from Joey. She loves this chair and sits in it all the time. It fold out to make a little bed. Since we are not putting any emphasis on Santa Claus we got the idea from a friend to do a "Daddy Gift" instead of Santa Gifts that way there is no confusion when she is older and no explaining to do. Great idea!!

She did good ripping the paper off. She barely needed any help.

Christmas at Pap and Mamaw's house on Christmas Eve. She opened a tea set from Matt and Ashely and the all the kiddos.

She found Mamaw's "Over the Hill" tiara from her 50th birthday and wanted to wear it.

Libby and cousin Hanna

Posing in front of our Christmas tree after we decorated it. This picture is a little late but I thought it was cute.

We were all so blessed this week to have been able to spend time with all our family. They all did so good not going overboard with the gift giving. Putting the things away took half the time as last year plus Libby isn't overwhelmed with having so many things to play with. Joey and I aren't pictured much since we were the ones taking the pictures. We were blessed as well with the things we received that we needed very much. We pray you all had a very Merry Christmas as well and that 2009 is full of God's blessings on your family.

We Made It

2008-12-22T20:31:00.005-06:00

Tonight is the two week mark for Libby. She hasn't had any wheat, rice, oats, tomatoes, eggs, cow's products and more. It has been a tough two weeks for me especially trying to find a variety of things she will eat. Like tonight she dissed my creamy corn chowder. I will try again for lunch tomorrow, but it might not be a keeper. We always fall back on goat cheese or apple slices as a last resort.

I am learning to make a lot of my same recipes just using substitutions. Sometimes I simply can't do it though because some of the goat products make me nauseated when heated up. Goat milk and butter are disgusting to smell when hot. I just can't handle the smell. She doesn't seem to mind thank goodness. So like last night, I made chicken spaghetti and made hers separately using quinoa pasta, homemade cream of mushroom soup using goat milk, goat butter, and shredded goat cheese for the top. She loved it!! Yeah...another option. I made ours like I normally do. Her ingredients are pretty costly so I try and use them only for her unless I'm making pancakes then we all eat them. They aren't bad at all.

I now know what other moms go through as they prepare special meals for the special people in their family. It can be a challenge, but I have taken my frustrations to the Lord and my sense of being overwhelmed to Him and He whispered this verse to me. "When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." The Lord has been my Rock, my steady friend, when I have wanted to throw my hands in the air and give up. He has a purpose in this and this time won't be wasted. If nothing else but to share what I have learned with others.

I pray you all have a very Merry Christmas with your families this week. Don't get so busy that you miss out on the blessings.

Convicted Read

2008-12-21T21:41:00.001-06:00

I am always blessed by Kerry Hasenbalg's wisdom and admonishement and this particular post did it for me. I was convicted and encouraged and wanted to share it with my readers. I know if you continue reading you will be encouraged too. If you can sit down and read several chapters in a really good book then you can read this post. No guilt intended :) I admit I am guilty of doing what she describes in her post and sometimes I need a strong rebuke instead of gentle chiding to remind me that I fall so short. Hope it blesses and encourages you. "Lord, change my heart O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart O God. May I be like You."

Honoring God at Christmas

"They act so pious! They come to the temple and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act as a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. 3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.‘Why aren’t you impressed?We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. " Isaiah 58:2-4

As Christmas is approaching, it seems that many Christian households are again seeking to know how to honor God and set tradition examples for their children to follow. Very often the holiday traditions we learned when we were young are the ones we continue to practice to this day. I am really impressed when I see Christian families seeking to serve and give to the needy more than having the holiday season focused on just the receiving of gifts. This is a good example.

But what I believe the Lord has really placed on my heart this year is something I have never thought much about in connection to the holiday season. It is based on the discussion recorded in Isaiah 58 between God and His people about what kind of holiday celebration actually pleases the Lord. And it begins first with an indictment of their false piety. Thinking they are honoring God but in fact dishonoring Him with their lack of genuine love for others.

So, if you are still reading, I am going to ask you to join me in searching your hearts to see how you might be dishonoring the Lord and how to begin honoring the Lord truly. First let us ask God to show us how we are pretending to love Him (fooling ourselves even) and yet continuing to oppress those we have power over? And second to show us how we have a quarreling spirit against the people God has placed in our lives.

Because if we really want to please God and want Him to be close to us, then we have no choice but to know and repent of these things hiding in our hearts. The houses, the churches, the workplace, and the fellowship circles of most Christians is filled with “secret” contempt for one another. And it is so terribly displeasing to the Lord and it keeping God’s mercy and power far from us! In this section of Isaiah, it talks about how the Lord refuses to answer the prayers of His people because of these hidden things. I don’t know about you, but I desperately want God to answer my prayers. If you have things you need God to help you with then please join me as we ask ourselves, who have we cut off in our hearts because of petty offenses? Who have we spoken ill of and justified in our hearts for doing so? Who’s reputations have we harmed that are part of our own God-ordained environments…our churches, our offices, our homes, our fellowships. How are we pretending in public that they are our “friends” but still continue to think and speak ill of them to those closest to us?

And why are we doing this? Primarily we do this because we think we are better! Well, we are not! Most likely, somewhere along the line, we have offended others similarly and we don’t even realize it. We think these people should be more honoring to us, but how honoring are we to them really. Perhaps we have unspoken expectations of them that they have not met. Let’s get some perspective…who’s expectations have we not met? Our parents? Our spouse’s? Our co-worker’s? Our boss’s? Our friends? If we desire mercy, we must first give mercy, right?!
Most often when I am offended, I chose not to go to the person directly and address the issue as the Lord has asked His people to do in the book of Matthew. And I am ashamed to say that I am too often willing to speak about it to others and not to that person directly. Venting is not Biblical! It is so wrong; and this does not honor God at all - and what's more it is harmful to our lives, our souls, and our relationship to God.

What about if we are sharing the situation because we are seeking godly counsel about the situation;, is it OK to talk about it in these cases? Well, it is critically important to understand your own motive in sharing with another. First, make sure you are only talking to someone who is willing to speak to your sin first and still expects you to go to that person directly if you are not the one entirely at fault! Christians rarely talk about their own sin…yet we love talking about the sins of others though, don’t we?! We are so unwilling to address how the real issue is that our pride has been offended. Often our anger towards others is based on our setting these others up to honor us (which is idolatry…us being the intended idol) and them being upset because they fail to meet our expectations of them. Often it is because we are angry that they can get away with their sin (which is jealousy because we want to get away with ours as well). And often it is because their personality or way of acting simply annoys us (this too is often jealousy - because we usually don’t like people with our similar giftings because we feel replaced by them…and we think we can fulfill the role better than them).

So, if we are unwilling to see our sin of pride and yet continue to praise the Lord while holding on to our secret contempt towards our brethren, then this is what makes us true hypocrites! We look pious with our hands raised in church or by serving the needy, all the while we harbor resentment and justify it in our hearts! This is hypocrisy. But until we are willing to see that we are hypocrites, we will not change and we will lack God's full blessing in the things we care about. God detests these things just as He detested them with the Israelites.

Are you a pretender too? You are if you are holding a grudge against your brother or sister! And as for people over whom you have power such as workers or those with less wordly influence, do you honor them the same as you would your own flesh? No matter how much we give to the Poor and needy, just like Paul said, it means nothing if we refuse to really LOVE!

Please dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, forgive and love. Speak the truth to men as to God. Do not be afraid to see your own sin…because this why Jesus died, to remove all the sin that we give to Him in confession. Go do something very, very kind to the one whom you have been offended by. Honor them; honor their reputation. Because someday God will make sure the same is done for you when you don’t deserve it either! It is Christmas after all! We want to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas right?! Unless we love through forgiveness and being humble and honest with our brethren, all our other Christmas traditions really do not honor God and it profits our souls nothing! So, let’s all stop pretending to honor God and begin really honoring God! For this will give the One whose Birthday we are celebrating after all - a Very Merry Christmas! And I promise that what you will find is that your soul will be merry as well!

Chapman Christmas Letter

2008-12-20T21:29:00.002-06:00

I stumbled upon Mary Beth Chapman's (wife of Steven Curtis Chapman) blog and read her Christmas letter. What an inspiring, hopeful, honest, grieving letter. Click the link to read her heart. http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/marybeth/2008/12/mary-beths-christmas-letter-.html Oh the suffering they must still be walking through, but their testimonies are filled with Christ's faithfulness. I know after you have lost someone close to you how you long for heaven and Christ's return to come soon. Let's pray for the Chapman family during this time especially. There will be a stocking missing, laughter gone, and presents fewer in number. Don't we all have a lot to be thankful for?

First Doctor's Appointment and Some Extras

2008-12-12T15:42:00.004-06:00

Well, I got there and it was cancelled. He was called out to do a delivery so all the afternoon appnts. got rescheduled. I go January 13. I will be sixteen weeks by then! But, my friend who is a nurse at Labor and Delivery told me to come tomorrow since we will be in the area anyway and she will hook me up to the doppler so I can at least hear the heartbeat and that if the sono lady is there she might can play around some...I hope so, but if not then it will have to wait til January. We were kinda bummed, but we did some Christmas shopping afterwards and have only two left to buy for which we will finish up on Saturday.

I can't believe my Christmas cards aren't out yet, but we finished our letter yesterday and hope to have the pictures developed and the cards sent out by the middle of next week. We'll see.

Libby got her results back from her allergy testing and she is allergic to seventeen different foods. Wheat, dairy, eggs, tomatoes, rice, oats and almonds just to name a few. Planning meals has been overwhelming and has left me weepy at times just trying to get her to eat something. She doesn't have much variety and I am finding myself feeding her the same things so my goal now is variety and thinking of varied things to make with the same vegetable or pasta. Pray for me. I know there are people who have to deal with this thing all the time, but I am not used to it yet so I need wisdom and ideas.

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I haven't felt much like it. There's been a lot going on.

Christmas it now less than two weeks away. We are excited and I am ready for holiday baking so there's my agenda for next week. Talk to you then.

Home Destroyers Part 2

2008-12-02T15:00:00.003-06:00

This the second part of the e-newsletter sent by Nancy Campbell. Take what is for you, but don't feel condemnation. That certainly is not her intention. She shares what God puts on her heart so may what is meant for you bless and encourage you. I know I need help guarding my tongue all the time and I KNOW I need to turn off the flow at times. May the Lord remind me when it's time!!

Jeremiah 4:22 RSV, "For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. "

Today we continue talking about things that destroy the home.

FOOLISHNESS
Proverbs 14:1, "Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands."

What does it mean to be foolish? Simply, it means to do it my way rather than God's way. God's way, although different to my way always ends in blessing. My way, although it may look good, always ends in destruction.

If we are not building our home, we are pulling it down. How do we pull it down?

1. We pull it down by vacating the home.God wants the mother in the home--nurturing, nourishing and training her children. We can't do everything successfully. We either build up a business (usually someone else's business) or we build up our home. God has given us a full time job to tend our little flock. God gives a warning to the mother shepherdess when He says in Zechariah 11:17, "Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock!" Notice that this Scripture has an exclamation mark!

2. We pull it down by our words.Negative words. Critical words. Reactive words. Spiteful words. Angry words. And on it goes.

We build our home with words or we destroy our home with words!

When God allowed Satan to get at his servant Job, he smote him with terrible boils from the top of his head to the sole of his feet Job was in agony and pain. Instead of encouraging him, Job's wife said, "Do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die." Job replied, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:9-10)

Do you speak as one of the foolish women, or one of the wise?

Sometimes it may not be negative words. It may be wasteful words. Proverbs 15:2 says, "The mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. " Often we speak unnecessary words when we should keep out mouths shut. I am always challenged by Proverbs 10:19, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." The more we blab on about anything and everything, the more opportunity there is to sin with our mouth. The NLT makes it clearer, "Don't talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!"

3. We pull it down by spending frivolously and unwisely.The foolish woman buys according to her whims and what takes her fancy. She buys groceries without thought for nutrition or without reading the ingredients. She fills her cupboards with devitalized packaged foods instead of cooking from scratch. She purchases unnecessary "things" to fill her home which could be used for wiser needs.

Proverbs 21:20 says, "There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man (or woman) spendeth it up." The foolish woman spends more than her husband can afford. The wise woman lives frugally within her means. I often have to remind my new adopted daughters that we don't have to eat what we want whenever we want. We must learn to live thriftily rather than extravagantly.

4. We pull it down by wasting.Many women not only waste time but waste products. They throw out everything. It is not wise to be a hoarder and clutter up your home, but there are many things that can be re-used to save re-spending.

Many mothers allow their children to pick at their food and leave it on their plate without teaching them to eat what is in front of them. Good food is thrown in the trash. This is wasteful.

May God deliver us from being in the "foolish women category" that pulls down their home.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER: "Father, please touch my lips with coals from off the altar. I don't want to speak negative words. Fill my mouth with encouraging and life-giving words that will build up my husband and my children. Amen."

AFFIRMATION: Building up my home with uplifting words, To do anything else is utterly absurd!