Domestic Affairs

American Girl Doll Clothes!

2011-11-06T22:02:00.001-06:00

Seriously, these outfits for American Girls (or other 18" dolls) are incredibly cute. And the best part is that they're made by my mom! My girls love their American Girls, and the longer I can keep them loving dolls, the better! Check out Mama's Etsy store and get some Christmas shopping done for your girls!

Crescent Rolls

2011-10-21T11:54:00.000-05:00

I use a Kitchen Aid mixer, but this can be adapted if you don’t have one!

1. Mix together in a small bowl or cup and allow to sit for 10 minutes:

· 2 T. yeast

· ¼ c. + 1 T. warm water

2. Mix together very well in separate bowl (I use my KA mixer bowl):

· 3 eggs

· ½ c. oil

· ½ c. sugar

3. Warm 1 c. milk in microwave for 1 minute. Add milk and yeast mixture to egg mixture and combine (“stir” setting on KA mixer).

4. Add 5 - 5 ½ c. all-purpose flour a cup at a time until combined and dough forms a ball (should be stretchy and clean the sides of the bowl, but not too sticky). If using a KA mixer, you’ll use the dough hook and mix/knead 5 minutes on speed 2. Let dough rise 2 hours in a greased bowl in a warm place.*

5. Separate dough into three balls. Roll out each ball until it’s the size of a dinner plate. Use pizza cutter or knife to cut each circle into eight wedges. Roll each wedge from the big end to the skinny end, forming a crescent roll shape. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet, seam-side down. Allow to rise under a clean dish towel while the oven preheats to 400°. Bake 6 minutes on bottom shelf, then 5 minutes on middle shelf. Make sure rolls are golden brown before taking them out. Brush tops with melted butter.

* While I’m preparing my dough, I turn my oven on the lowest setting, and then turn it off. This creates the perfect “warm” environment for letting dough rise!

Chili Dogs

2011-08-16T15:27:00.000-05:00

When I asked the birthday girl what she wanted to eat for supper Monday night, she chose hot dogs. Trying to "beef" things up for her daddy and me, though, I put together some hot dog chili that was yummy and easy!

Hot Dog Chili

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 c. ketchup

1 t. vinegar

1 T. chili powder

1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients and simmer 10 minutes in a saucepan.

School

2011-08-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

A non-domestic, back-to-school-related post here! After reading this and this by Tim Challies, for whom I've lost tons of respect, I'm more steeled than ever to continue the journey of homeschooling.

Have a great school year, friends!

Italian Chicken Pasta Bake

2011-06-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

After the sad neglect of my poor blog, I'd like to rev things up again by sharing with you what could possibly be my favorite casserole of all time. It's just pure-dee delicious, as my mother would say! You can double this recipe and freeze half for another meal or for a friend!

Italian Chicken & Pasta Bake

Melt ¼ c. (half a stick) butter over medium heat. Add 1 c. chopped onion and 4 cloves garlic, and cook 5-6 minutes. Add ¼ c. all-purpose flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 c. milk, 2 cans diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic, & oregano (I use Hunt’s), and 15 oz. tomato sauce. Cook 5-6 minutes. Stir in 3 c. cooked, chopped chicken, 3 c. shredded mozerella,1 ½ t. salt, 1 t. pepper, and ½ t. sugar. Stir in 16 oz. box of bowtie pasta, cooked and drained. Mix well, and put in greased 13 X 9” pan. Top with 1 c. shredded mozerella. Bake at 350° for 25- 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Marinade

2011-05-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

The hubster was exceedingly happy with his sweet marinade-soaked T-bone tonight. Score!

Teriyaki Marinade

1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. water (or beer)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Try this with chicken or a pork loin, too!

Parenting 001

2011-05-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

Y'all, this is beautiful.

Thank you, Sovereign God!

Parenting 001

Beef Stroganoff

2011-05-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, friends...this is one recipe you have to try! Lots of yummy dishes are made with that canned gelatinous-looking substance known as Cream of *Fill in the Blank* Soup. My hubby's favorite dish is made with the stuff, so I try to keep a few cans in the pantry. I sure would rather cook from scratch, though.

I tried this soup-less recipe last night, and it was phenomenal! I (accidentally) doubled the liquid, so ours was replete with gravy, but we liked it that way. I also doubled the spices to keep the proportions right. If you're not into fooling around with a recipe, though, just make this as it's written. I think you'll love it either way!

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs round steak or chuck roast
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 stick butter
1/2 c. chopped onion, or 1 tsp. onion powder
4 T. all purpose flour
1-10.5 oz. can beef broth, or 1 1/3 c. broth made with granules or cubes
1 t. prepared mustard
1-6 oz can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. white wine (or water if you don't like the "twang")
salt and pepper to taste

Remove fat and gristle from meat, then cut into bite-sized slices. Season with 1/2 t. of both salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a large skillet and cook beef until brown. Push beef off to the side and cook onions 3 to 5 minutes, or just add onion powder. Stir flour into juices, then add beef broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat, then add mustard. Cover and simmer until meat is tender.

Five minutes before serving, stir in sour cream, wine or water, and mushrooms (if desired). Heat briefly, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with egg noodles.

The Roast

2011-05-11T09:59:00.000-05:00

I am so excited. Tonight, we will be eating The Roast for supper. This week has been full of ballet rehearsals, but we get a little break today. My sweet husband, who's been digging around in the pantry for whatever he can find to feed himself and the kids, can rest assured that his beloved meat and potatoes will be on the table tonight!

I got this recipe for a fine hunk o' beef from my great aunt at a family reunion, and Lipton's Onion Soup Mix just doesn't cut it anymore!

The Roast

Rub (make this recipe for each pound of your roast)

1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cornstarch
1/4 t. pepper

Mix together and rub on all sides of the roast, then brown it on both sides in a little oil in a skillet (a big iron one, if possible). Chop up some potatoes and carrots (or use baby carrots) and put them in the bottom of your crock pot. Put the meat on top. Add about 1/4 c. water to the skillet to loosen all the little bits of browned meat, then pour the liquid around the sides of the meat. I let mine cook from about 9 til 6. Yummy!

Delizioso ed economico!

2011-05-09T21:03:00.002-05:00

We're Prego people over here, but I always wondered if there was a really good spaghetti and/or pizza sauce I could make from scratch and freeze. Yep! These have been my go-to's for several months, and I want to share them with you!
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Spaghetti Sauce

(Makes enough to freeze at least half, depending on how much you use)

§ 2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or 3 c. fresh diced tomatoes)

§ 75 oz. tomato sauce

§ 2 lbs. ground beef or sausage

§ 4 chopped onions (or 4 T. onion powder)

§ 4 green bell peppers, chopped (or 3 c. frozen diced bell peppers)

§ 10 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 1/4 t. garlic powder or 5 t. minced garlic in a jar)

§ 4 T. white sugar

§ 4 t. brown sugar

§ 2 T. dried basil

§ 1 t. dried oregano

§ salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat with onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Add other ingredients, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer an hour or two. Let cool, then transfer to quart-sized freezer bags.

Pizza Sauce

(Makes enough for one pizza)

§ 6 oz. tomato paste

§ 6 oz. hot water

§ 3 T. Parmesan cheese

§ 1 t. minced garlic

§ 1 T. honey

§ 1/4 t. oregano

§ 1/4 t. basil

§ 3/4 t. onion powder

§ 1/8 t. pepper

§ ½ tsp salt

Mix, then let sit 30 minutes before using.

What a Loaf!

2011-05-04T08:57:00.002-05:00

Moving along, this recipe for meat loaf is by far the best I've ever tasted! I served it with cheesy hashbrown casserole...delicious!
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Meat Loaf

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 c. milk
1 c. cracker crumbs (I use saltines.)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. prepared mustard
2/3 c. ketchup
*Cut this in half if you like your meatloaf a little less saucy.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine beef, egg, onion, milk, cracker crumbs, and spices, and mix well with your hands. Form into a loaf and place in a lightly-greased 9 X 13" casserole dish. (This works better than cramming the stuff into a loaf pan, since the meat is able to cook more thoroughly.)

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Pour over meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour.

2011-04-24T05:00:00.003-05:00

Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

- Isaiah 53

But He has risen...He has risen indeed! That fact means life to all who believe in Him!

Baked Oatmeal

2011-04-21T16:06:00.001-05:00

I'm on a quest to find the perfect granola bar recipe. My search for the perfect granola is over, thanks to my sister. Making a great granola bar hasn't been quite so easy, though. So after modifying a recipe for "baked oatmeal squares" I found online, hoping I'd end up with a granola bar, I ended up making what is basically my version of Amish "baked oatmeal." It's not a granola bar, but it's good! You won't be able to cut these into squares and thrown them in a ziploc for an on-the-road snack, but for breakfast, baked oatmeal will be a fabulous diversion from cereal and milk!

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Baked Oatmeal

3 cups oatmeal

1/2 c. toasted wheat germ

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 c. honey

1 cup milk

1/2 c. oil

Stir together first 5 ingredients, then add egg, honey, milk, and oil. Pour into greased 13 X 9 in. pan, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Work It!

2011-04-18T17:03:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about getting up off my duff and exercising. Hubby has busted out and started a little walk/run routine, too. We might only average once a week, but hey...we're working our way up!

Need a exercise video recommendation? These are for the girls, obviously. My Grandma Hazel would not be happy with Christi Taylor's outfit - especially not her belly-button ring - and I don't love it, either. I'm into modesty, you see. But finding an exercise video produced by an Amish or devout Pentecostal is tough. And exercising in a turtleneck and slacks is...stuffy. So I wear my little shorts and tank top in the privacy of my own home so as not to succumb to a heatstroke. Except today, when a man appeared on my front lawn and I went out to investigate. There I was, in my tank top, shorts, and non-matching neon-orange socks - hair all up on top of my head - and the man happened to be one of my fellow neighborhood association board members coming to check on some crepe myrtles. Only he wasn't JUST a board member - he's the developer of the subdivision, seeing me in all my workout non-glory. Awkward!

Anyhoo, I would have bought both of these videos just for the stretches, which are fabulous. I haven't had a tension headache in I-don't-know-when, and I'm willing to bet it's because of the warm-up and cool-down stretches in these videos. The actual exercising has kept my attention and kept me coming back - something no other method has been able to do. Fit to Dance is fun, but it's challenging enough that I feel like I've worked out. And the modules in 10 Minute Solutions: Target Toning for Beginners (there are many others) aren't necessarily "fun," but they're short enough that by the time you're worn out, you're done. Here's my routine:

Monday: Fit to Dance - the warmup and the first half of the modules, plus the cool-down. Approx. 35 minutes.

Tuesday: 10 Minute Solutions - the whole thing, including the "power stretch." Skip this part like I did, and see if you're not hurtin' the next day. Unless you're already Miss Muscle Britches. Approx. 50 minutes.

Wednesday: Fit to Dance - the warmup and the last half of the modules, plus the cool-down. Approx. 35 minutes.

Thursday: Repeat Tuesday.

Friday: Make-up day, or repeat Monday.

Again, this type of routine isn't for everybody, but find something that's your "thing," and just do it!

Bread for Body and Soul

2011-04-08T10:09:00.008-05:00

One reason the process of making bread is so satisfying to me is that there are so many references to bread and bread-making in the Bible: Genesis 18:6, Exodus 12:8, Leviticus 24:5, 1 Kings 19:5-6. There's something organic and timeless and wholesomely nourishing about bread, and it's been an important part of the diets of people since the earliest times. We read about this fact a lot in the Bible. Bread is used as a symbol in the Bible, too. It represents sustenance in many ways. Bread can sustain the physical body, yes, but Jesus, the Bread of Life, sustains more than that. If you're His, he sustains your very soul and offers all the spiritual nourishment you'll ever need.

Let's discuss an "earthly" type of bread: the pita. Pita bread, the kind bought in stores anyway, always seemed a bit bland and dry to me, but when I came across a recipe for homemade pita bread, my tastebuds perked up. I've made this bread twice now, once with all purpose flour and once with white whole wheat. It was a hit! I like the fiber in the whole wheat pita bread, but Hubby is a white-bread man - as in, without the whole wheat-ness. And the pita made with plain ol' all purpose is a little softer and more melt-in-your-mouth. A combination of half white-whole-wheat and half all-purpose might be what I try next, just as a compromise. Try the recipe with your favorite flour and see what you think!
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Homemade Pita Bread

3 c. all-purpose or whole-wheat flour or a combination of flours

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons yeast

1 ½ c. water (110-115°)

2 tablespoons oil

Mix water, yeast, and honey, and let proof for 5 minutes. This allows you to determine whether your yeast is "good" or not. If it is, the mixture will look foamy.

Add salt, oil, and flour to yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. Knead dough on floured surface 7-10 minutes until no longer sticky, adding a little more flour along the way if necessary.

Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise 90 minutes in a warm place.

After dough rises, punch down and divide into 8 equal balls and let rest for 20 minutes.

While dough is resting, preheat oven to 400°; place pizza stone or upside-down cookie sheet in oven, too, so it can get hot.

Roll each ball out to a thickness of 1/4-1/8" and bake 3 minutes, or up to 5 minutes. You'll probably have to bake the bread in shifts, so keep a pan or stone preheating while one batch is baking.

Slice the pita bread in half, or make large slits to form pockets.

Yum!

Notes:

Baking at this temperature for 3-5 minutes will give you a softer, denser, less puffy pita. A little "biscuity," which I like. If you like yours a little more puffy and more firm, bake at a higher temperature (450° or 500°) for 2-3 minutes, and then flip the pitas and bake another minute or so. See the tips here, too, for more general bread-baking info.

Donna Young Dot Org

2011-03-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

Homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers alike can find something to use on Donna Young's website. One of my favorite resources for several years, it's a treasury of printable awesomeness, all from a lady who obviously knows being a wife and mom sometimes takes a little organization. Find calendars, chore charts, handwriting paper, daily journals, art lessons, and lots more here.

Wigginton Family Favorites : Cleaning tools

2011-03-25T14:35:00.004-05:00

Tools like these make me a little glad I was born in the 20th century...

O Cedar Microfiber Flip Mop - This is super-duper on hardwood floors. Wet the pad, slip it on the mop, and mop away! I mist my floors with Bona hardwood floor spray, too, for extra cleaning power.

Black & Decker Dustbuster - This little sucker has come a long way since its 1979 debut. My favorite use for mine is sucking stuff up from behind the potty on bathroom-cleaning day. Only a housewife could love that!

Roomba 500 Series - This is one vacuum cleaner everyone in the house can use, including the kids. Put her in the room, close the door, and...voila!...vacuumed carpet! This is my version of a maid.

Dirt Devil Accucharge Cordless Stick Vac - Great for sucking up after-meal yuckiness or sweeping up in front of doorways. Turn the kids loose with this cordless wonder at chore time!

Brownies

2011-03-22T19:58:00.001-05:00

These brownies, in all their sugary, buttery glory, can be thrown together and then pulled out of the oven in all of 45 minutes. Honey, who needs Betty Crocker and her box when there's you and your li'l cookbook?

Brownies

1 c. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 c. all purpose flour (can use whole-wheat for some extra fiber)
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Mix dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients. Pour into greased 8 X 8 or 9 X 9 pan and bake 20-30 minutes at 350°.

Loaf Bread

2011-03-17T14:12:00.002-05:00

Before this bread, my loaf of choice was Nature's Own Whitewheat®. It's a good compromise if you want...well, white and wheat. It was my way of slipping some fiber into my white-bread-loving husband and kids.

Whitewheat® and I broke up last year when my friend gave me her recipe for homemade loaf bread, and I haven’t bought a loaf since. This is the bread we make sandwiches and toast with, so it’s very sliceable. Freezable, too. With my new bread-baking skills, I’ve even moved on to rolls and French bread, and it’s been the most fun!

If you’re game, try this out some lazy afternoon:

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Loaf Bread

Combine 2 ½ c. water at 110° - 115°; 1 ½ Tbsp. yeast; and 2 c. bread flour. Allow to sponge (sit uncovered) for 15 minutes. If batter is not somewhat bubbly, your yeast may be too old.

Add 1/3 c. honey, 1/3 c. oil, 2 ½ tsp. salt, 1 c. bread flour, and 3 c. whole wheat flour, mixing until a lump is formed. Knead 7 – 10 minutes on a floured surface, adding a little flour to the counter surface and top of dough along the way to keep the dough from being too sticky as you knead. Don’t add too much…keep the dough soft and pliable.

Divide into two (or three) portions, and place in greased loaf pans. Spray surface of dough lightly with Pam, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. Remove pans from oven.

Heat oven to 350 ° and bake loaves 25-30 minutes.

Tips

Using 110-115° water is crucial! I use a meat thermometer to measure temperature.
I use half bread flour/half white whole wheat (both King Arthur), but you could experiment with other types and brands of flour, including oatmeal.
I divide my dough into three loaves, but if you want bigger loaves, you could do two.
For the rising step, I heat my oven to its lowest setting (170°, but lower would work, too), then turn it off. After cooling off a few minutes, it’s a great “warm place” to let the dough rise.
Let bread cool completely after baking, then freeze in freezer bags, if desired.

To make cinnamon rolls, let dough rise, then roll it out to about 16” square. Spread the dough with desired filling (you can find lots on the internet), roll it up tightly, seal the ends, and slice it into ¾”-1” slices. Bake at 350° and drizzle with icing.

Let's Get Physical!

2011-03-15T12:15:00.004-05:00

Oh, Olivia, goddess of tacky 80's fitness, with your legwarmers and headband. And high-cut leotard. And really, really layered hair. How they tried to mimic your moves during the Lamar School talent show. It was a mess.

Fitness wasn't a big concern of mine for thirty-four years, even after giving birth to three children. There was a slightly stretchy pouch in the abdominal area, a small jingling of the saddlebags. A little wiggling around the triceps. An ever-so-slight double chin. Not too bad. But when last October came and dumped me off at the midpoint between 30 and 40, things got downright saggy.

I thought about becoming a runner or bicyclist, like my brother-in-law. He seems addicted to running and riding his bike up and down mountains and makes it sound like tons of fun. Uh...no.

Hubby and I joined The Club a few years ago so we'd become really buff workout people, and we ended up paying entirely too much money just to use the pool three months a year. Though I love aerobics, and he loves the idea of being buff, public workouts weren't our thang.

Then I came up with the bright idea of searching Amazon for a good, fun workout DVD. Leaping legwarmers! Why didn't I think of this earlier? All those reviews helped steer me to a video that would be exactly what I needed: fun, dancy, and reasonably challenging.

Here's the key, though. I am most successful at keeping up my workouts when I've had a good night's sleep. The house is (finally) quiet at night around 8:30, but if I stay up past 10:00, I'm just a grumpy mess. And tired, grumpy mama = chubby, muffin-top mama. Can't make a go of your physical fitness routine? Get more sleep.

Second, no routine is successful if the anticipation of doing it makes you want to cry. Pick something that's fun to you. For me, it's 30 minutes of a dance-fit DVD, but running three miles a day may really get you excited. Or jumping on the trampoline 20 minutes a day. Or joining a gym and making your workouts more social. Find time to get exercise, and do it consistently. Or be a grumpy, chubby mess.

Veggie Dip

2011-02-15T12:11:00.002-06:00

The way I've gotten my kids (except the littlest one) to eat raw baby carrots is by giving them this homemade ranch dip on the side. To use it as a salad dressing, I just add a little milk until it's the right consistency. So much better than Hidden Valley, and I know exactly what's in it!
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Ranch Dip

¾ c. mayonnaise

½ c. sour cream

¼ t. dried parsley

¼ t. garlic powder (or use 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic)

½ t. seasoned salt (I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt – “The Original”)

½ t. onion powder

Mix it up, and store it in a pint jar in the fridge.

Speaking of chicken...

2011-02-09T13:16:00.002-06:00

Lots of great recipes call for chopped, diced, or shredded cooked chicken, but a plain boiled chicken breast is just boring and doesn't add a lot of flavor to your dishes. First of all, boiling the chicken can make it tough and dry and sap all the flavor. Instead of boiling, try poaching the meat.

For each chicken breast, use one cup of chicken broth and one teaspoon of minced garlic (fresh or some from a jar). Add the chicken to the liquid and bring to just under a simmer in a saucepan or high-sided skillet. Bubbles should be barely breaking the surface, and the liquid will only be moving a little. Cover the pot, and let the chicken poach about 30 minutes. Take the lid off every 5 - 10 minutes to make sure the liquid hasn't come to a high simmer, or worse, a boil. If so, reduce the heat a little.

Keep that poaching liquid, freeze it in a freezer bag, and use it next time as chicken broth! If I absolutely have to use canned chicken broth, I will, but I'd much rather use homemade. And my dream is to buy chicken that never saw a cage at Sanderson Farm or Tyson...chicken fresh from a farm somewhere in Mississippi. Maybe soon, my now-weekly trips to the Mississippi Farmer's Market will land me a good chicken farmer friend!

Chicken Pot Pie (not for the faint of heart)

2011-02-07T16:26:00.003-06:00

Let me just go ahead and say that this dish will take you some time to make, but it's so worth it in the end! Kind of like childbirth...

Double this recipe, and you'll have one pie to eat tonight, one to put in the freezer, and some filling left over for a pie later on. Put on a little checked apron, puff a little flour on your nose, and your hubby will think he's come home to June Cleaver.
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Chicken pot pie

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¾ c. Crisco

6 T. cold water

½ c. butter (1 stick)

½ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

2 T. chopped onion (can use 1 T. dry minced onion)

3 c. chicken broth

3 c. cooked chicken

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I bake mine, then cube them)

In a large bowl, combine 2 c. flour and 1 tsp. salt. Cut in Crisco till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours, or overnight. Roll one ball out to fit a 9” pie plate. Place bottom crust in plate. Roll out top crust and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a large saucepan, melt ½ c. butter (1 stick). Blend in flour, salt, pepper, and onion. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Stir in chicken, carrot, and potatoes. Mix well and pour into bottom crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges (a fork works great for this), and cut away excess dough*. Make several slits in the top to allow air to escape.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

* I give each of my three kids a piece of leftover dough to roll into a ball, then we top the round with jam, butter and brown sugar, or whatever sounds good to them, pinch into a tart, and bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes. Yum!

The Lord's Day

2011-02-06T23:10:00.003-06:00

Whether you celebrated today as the Lord's Day or not, my prayer is that if you don't know the sad state of your soul without Christ, in his good timing He'll draw you to Himself and cause you to realize your ultimate helplessness without Him, and you’ll find yourself numbered among His redeemed.

Romans 8:1-4

How sad our state by nature is!
Our sin, how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive minds
Fast in his slavish chains
But there's a voice of sov'reign grace,
Sounds from the sacred word:
"O, ye despairing sinners come,
And trust upon the Lord."

My soul obeys th' almighty call,
And runs to this relief
I would believe thy promise, Lord;
O help my unbelief!
To the dear fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly;
Here let me wash my spotted soul,
From crimes of deepest dye.

Stretch out Thine arm, victorious King,
My reigning sins subdue;
Drive the old dragon from his seat,
With all his hellish crew.
A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
On thy kind arms I fall;
Be thou my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus, and my all.

-Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Broiled Steak

2011-01-20T16:49:00.006-06:00

Having certain things for dinner makes my hubby do that Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor grunt thing. One of them is Poppy Seed Chicken, and another is steak. Normally, he wouldn't deem steak fittin' to eat unless cooked on a grill. We've found an even better way, though, and it still elicits "the grunt."

No kitchen should be without a cast iron skillet, and sadly, mine has been without one for all of my married life...that's almost 10 1/2 years. For Christmas, I got a nice, big cast iron skillet, and we've been making everything from cornbread to scrambled eggs in it. And steak!

Try this recipe if you're a "grill-only" guy or gal and see if it changes your steak nights forever!

Marinade for three small or two large steaks (or use your own...or none at all):

1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcesterchire sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 t. sugar

Marinate steaks two or three hours in the refrigerator. Or, if you'd rather not marinate, rub steaks with olive oil, salt, and pepper (freshly ground is best).

To broil:

Bring steaks to room temperature (or not, since opinions vary as to whether steak is better broiled from cold or from room temperature), and remove excess moisture with a clean cloth. This is how you get that yummy crust on top.

Make sure oven rack is about 6" from heating element.
Place cast iron skillet on the rack.
Pre-heat oven and skillet by setting oven to "broil" and waiting 15 or 20 minutes.
When skillet has pre-heated, pull out the oven rack and carefully lay the steaks in the skillet. That yummy sizzle will be your steaks searing.
Close the oven and sear steaks 3 minutes on one side, then 3 minutes on the other.
Set oven to 500 degrees at this point, and finish cooking the steaks till they're as done as you want them. I like my steak medium rare, so I skip this step completely. Leave yours in a little longer if you want it more well done.Let steaks rest 5 minutes before eating. Why? Because meat, according to Those Who Know, is less able to retain its juices at higher temperatures, so you'll find your steak juicier by allowing it to cool off a bit before you eat it.

The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.
— Julia Child

Necessity...

2011-01-18T19:38:00.004-06:00

... is often the mother of invention, as they say. I won't say I invented homemade pancake syrup, but I turned some out pretty quick the other morning when the pancakes were on the plate and not a drop of syrup was left in the house. Not only was it good, but cheap, too! To make your own batch, mix equal parts brown sugar, white sugar, and water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Vary the amount of water to achieve a thicker or thinner syrup, depending on your preference.

Move over, Aunt Jemimah!

BBQ Meatballs

2011-01-13T17:46:00.004-06:00

My husband describes these as "melt in your mouth," if it's possible for meat to melt. Even so, they're fabulously good. I make one batch every month or so, freeze them, and end up with three or four bags of frozen meatballs to use several times during the month. Yum!

Barbequed Meatballs

3 lbs ground beef
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cracker crumbs (I use saltines...usually one sleeve or maybe a few more)
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 t. chili powder (I use Spice Islands, just so you'll know)

Sauce:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 c. chopped onion

To make meatballs, combine all ingredients (except sauce ingredients) and shape into walnut-sized balls. Place meatballs in a single layer on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Store in freezer bags until ready to use. To cook, place meatballs in 9 X 13" baking dish, cover with sauce, and bake 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Tip: A batch of 32 meatballs is enough to feed our family of five for two nights.

Bunk Bed Success

2011-01-04T10:11:00.003-06:00

So, ever since we moved and purchased a set of bunkbeds and two trundle beds - all very convenient but quite awkward to make up in the morning - I've searched and searched for a good bedding solution. I haven't asked for much: affordable, easy for the kids to handle on their own during chore time, and really cute. The number of options has been pitiful, though. Some genius came up with the "bunk bed cap" - also known as the "bunk bed hugger" or "snuggler." Observe...

It's a really great idea. The comforter is made like a fitted sheet, which keeps it on the bed throughout the night and technically makes it easy for the bed-maker to pull up in the morning. Unfortunately, the "affordable" options seem a little cheaply made and come in some frightning colors, and the super-cute ones were out of my price range, considering I'd be buying three. Plus, there would still be an awful lot of fabric to tuck in on the sides of the beds, which are shoved against the walls. Since this is the problem I've been wrestling with in the first place, I decided not to give these a try.

Another idea I love is the attached (or "inseparable") sheet set. The flat sheet is sewn onto the fitted sheet on three sides, like this:

It's a wonderful idea, both for making beds and changing them, except that each set is around $50, and again, I'm not sure I'm ready or willing to invest nearly $750 in sheets and comforters. My brilliant mom made a version of these sheets out of a set we already have, bless her heart, but I have three beds to deal with - four, if you count the bunk bed - and Maw Maw is busy enough as it is...

Hmmmm. What to do, what to do...

That's when it occured to me. What we needed was a smaller blanket, something along the lines of a toddler-sized comforter, that would cover the sleeping area but wouldn't involve tons of fabric to tuck in on the sides and at the foot of the mattress. I envisioned easy bed-making for my kids: pull the flat sheet up, smooth a blanket on top, pile on the decorative pillows and stuffed animals, and they'd be done. The beds would be cute, of course. Unfortunately, most toddler-sized comforters are styled for toddlers, which my kids aren't. We love those cute little Disney and Nickelodeon characters, but not on our bedding. There are some adorable toddler-sized quilts a la Potter Barn or Company Kids, but as with the toddler comforters, the quilts are a tad too small - usually around 36" X 50". While perusing my local Tuesday Morning and Target, though, I stumbled upon some throws - the kind you'd grab for a night of watching t.v. on the couch - and after checking the size knew they'd be perfect! Solid-colored and without the PB and CK-like patterns, but easily accessorized to be just as cute and stylish! The ones I found measure 50" X 60", just big enough to cover the kid during the night, just heavy enough to keep him or her warm, and just the right fabric to keep it from sliding right off onto the floor - that knitty, slightly stretchy stuff that grips the bed. I bought two throws per bed, one folded at the foot just in case the night air gets extra nippy. Plus, a folded throw at the foot of the bed looks - say it with me! - cute.

My next purchase will be for some sets of attached sheets, but for now...problem solved!

Ewwwww!!!

2010-12-30T11:09:00.002-06:00

So, let's talk about that nasty pond-water smell that's emanating from the inside of your washing machine, when all you're wanting is Downy-freshness from your laundry. If you haven't experienced the pond-water smell... well, then, I guess I'm just embarrassed. Take a look at these photos:

That's my eight-year-old washer, in all its pond-scum glory. My hubby discovered that what could be causing the mysterious blue spots on his shirts and pants was little deposits of Downy and/or detergent coming from the underside of the washer agitator. About the same time, I was smelling the pond scum. We knew the top of the agitator (bottom picture) looked pretty yuck, but when he took the whole apparatus out, we discovered the substance you see in the top and middle pictures. Double yuck! This is the inside of the agitator, and it can indeed be accurately described as pond scumness.

So, my wonderfully domesticated hubby sprayed on a little Tilex with bleach, scrubbed the thing with an old toothbrush, and *VOILA* a fresh agitator! Something else we tried is something called Washer Magic, available at Lowe's and other fine establishments. Pour a cup (or in really disgusting cases, the whole bottle) into the washer and run a complete cycle.

May your new year be filled with loads and loads of delightfully fresh laundry!

Domestic Affairs!

2010-12-30T10:47:00.002-06:00

As I keep trucking along on my exciting, sometimes frustrating, but always challenging adventure into the depths of my faith - what I believe, why I believe it, and what it all means for life here on earth while I wait for the glorious appearing of Jesus someday - I've decided not to take you along on the journey! No offense, but fleshing things out in words - theological, spiritual, doctrinal things - is difficult, especially since figuratively speaking, I'm at mile marker 3 on my trip through the Bible and all its magnificent depth.

So, I'd like to invite you along on another journey...one that's a little less "heavy!" You'll see that I've changed the name of my blog to "Domestic Affairs." Join me in my office...er, house...and let me share some tools I've discovered for making life at home more fabulous!

Gingerbread House Christmas Show

2010-11-06T22:59:00.005-05:00

Visit MissyCrissy at the Gingerbread House Christmas Show this year and check out one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces handcrafted by my mom! Hours and hours have gone into making this jewelry, and each piece is special! This will be some great Christmas shopping, y'all!

MissyCrissy: Fall Earring Collection

2010-10-25T00:08:00.002-05:00

MissyCrissy Fall Earring Collection:

Check it out here!

This is just plain funny.

2010-10-05T21:57:00.002-05:00

Silly Song Posing as Good Theology

2010-09-04T12:31:00.005-05:00

The musical style of this song served up by Lincoln Brewster and Darlene Zschech and played around the clock lately on KLOVE and other contemporary Christian music stations is right up my alley. It's just too bad the lyrics have to be so silly:

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come.

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

And I will live
To carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give with
the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see your world be changed
By the power of Your name.

I apologize (no, actually, I don't...) to fans of this song and others of its kind, but these types of lyrics bring to mind a once-powerful guy in a wheelchair who now must have others do his heavy lifting for him.

Poor God...he had no idea children would actually end up living on the streets and men would be engaging in all manners of war. As he sobs into his Kleenex - from his wheelchair, of course - he sends us Christians out into this mess of a world to try to fix things. Meanwhile, he continues reeling from shock at the way things turned out.

This may not have been the intention at all, and granted, good works must naturally proceed from a person whose heart has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. But this type of thinking reeks of the Kingdom Now theology where Christians are supposed to be "bringing in the kingdom" for the Lord so he can finally come back. You know...cleaning things up for him.

Sounds great! And I guess it makes the writer of that song feel pretty powerful and pious. Except, no.

In a nutshell: Adam and Eve sinned in the garden; sin entered the world; the world became a bad place; people had to do things to have their sins paid for; God sent his Son into the world at the appointed time to atone for the sins of his people once and for all; and Christians, though free from the bondage of sin, still live in a sin-cursed world, but are waiting for the day when Jesus will make all things new and rule the world, which will be his kingdom, from his throne.

Note: He will make all things right.

If all of this is news to you, and you'd like biblical references, see Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21.

"Surely this just can't be what you saw"?

Huh?

More Homeschool Props...

2010-08-11T15:12:00.004-05:00

I could have discovered homeschooling years later than now, but by God's grace, we were able to being instilling certain very important values in our children from the very start. Believe me, given the way I began my adulthood thirteen years ago, I'm amazed every day that I've been brought this far!

First of all, homeschooling would be daunting if done in a chaotic, messy home. Plus, helping run a household helps develop character in children. So, we have begun using ChorePacks, a product of Steve and Terri Maxwell's Titus2 ministry, to help (me, especially) institute a system of chores for our kids. It has been extremely successful for two weeks and has resulted in the most organized, clean home we've had in eight years (since the kids came along, of course).

And, for year three of homeschooling, we'll be embarking on a richer homeschooling journey, especially since our oldest is in third grade and is ready to begin studying on a deeper level. Specifically, we've chosen Tapestry of Grace for the humanities (history, fine arts, and English), along with science, math, and grammar. Today, I've been reading TOG's philosophy of learning in TOG's The Loom, and I want to share with you the most complete explanation of why homeschooling has been the "right" thing for our family to do.

No amount of knowledge can make up for deficiencies in character. And you will never have more time to work on your child's character than you do right now....Diligence, cheerful obedience, persistence in the face of difficulty, follow-through, and a general delight in a job well done will carry your child far in any career he may choose...Majoring on character and, secondarily, strengthening your child's love for history, science, mathematics, and writing will give your child the firmest of foundations for life (Maxwell, 2009, p. 6-7).

That's it! Build on the strong foundation of good character as laid out in the Bible. And in our hearts, there was no better way to accomplish this except through teaching our children at home!

I Heart Homeschooling!

2010-07-30T21:42:00.004-05:00

Yes, I really do. I mean, homeschooling is a challenge, for sure. I don't have the 8-hour "free-time" other stay-at-home-moms have when they send their kids to school each day. I don't...um...I can't...uh...there's the....well...

That's right, folks. I can think of exactly one thing I'm missing by homeschooling. And in all honesty, the "free time" I would have while my kids are in school would probably be filled with one part laziness, the other part business, considering all the coming and going involved in taking kids to and from school and extra-curricular activities.

I've blogged before about what we're not missing by keeping our children out of public/private school, but as we enter our third year of homeschooling, the things we would be missing were we not homeschooling have become more and more clear. By homeschooling,

I've met some of the most wonderful people in our homeschool group, people I probably would never have met had we not chosen this route. One of them has become one of my dearest, more treasured friends!
I've become aware that the homeschool community is much, much larger than I imagined. Besides the women in my own family, the women I respect the most are homeschooling moms, even beyond our group. It's tough to find mentors and friends who aren't "Christians" in name only. The women I've met genuinely live for Christ, and that love permeates everything they do, including the way they treat their friends. Girls, you know what I mean: there's a big, big difference between "friends" who are and those who really aren't.
It sounds simple, but my kids have learned to really take part in keeping our household running. They don't pass through our home for a few minutes at a time on their way to school, sports, and activities. They really live here. They're a real part of things.
Most importantly, I've truly lived with my kids, day in and day out. In eighteen years when they head off to college or get a job, I won't have to say I missed their childhoods. Good days or bad days, that's something I wouldn't trade for anything.

2010-06-28T07:35:00.004-05:00

After reading John 5 this morning, I referenced a sermon by John MacArthur on the chapter, and I love his take on the Pharisees' treatment of John the Baptist:

"Oh, it's so wonderful to have a prophet in Israel, 400 years we've had nobody around, now we've got a prophet and look at him, he's a fascinating character, strangest clothes, sort of a modified Tarzan suit made out of camel's hair, has a very strange diet of grasshoppers and wild honey. Oh he's a most dynamic young preacher, you've got to hear this guy." And the mobs are going out there. Fabulous, we've got a prophet at last. They were eating it up.
And then John got out there and he started hammering on repentance and saying you're in sin, you need to get down on your knees before God and repent and turn in faith to God. And they said, "Oh, I don't like him so well. Beginning to step on our ecclesiastical toes." And they didn't like it.
So it was a little while they rejoiced in his light and then when the light was not the kind of light they liked, they wanted to get rid of him. They didn't want the light. You know why? Men love darkness rather than light. For what reason? Because their deeds are evil and they don't want to come to the light because the light will shine and reprove their deeds.

Isn't that just like the world? A groovy new preacher comes on the scene, with his unusual outfits and his flair and his appeal, and people just flock to the guy. And then he starts preaching the truth - that we're all disgusting sinners in need of a savior - and they turn their noses up and walk away. It's not what they wanted to hear.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 1 Timothy 4:3

Rick's comments on Obama Proclaiming June 'Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Tran...

2010-06-09T22:36:00.001-05:00

This is a brilliant explanation of a true believer's stance on this issue...the best I've ever heard.

Precious Missionary Families!

2010-06-08T11:03:00.001-05:00

Along with another family we know and love, already in Southeast Asia doing mission work, is a another great family (right) who will be headed to Africa soon to make disciples...talk about giving it up for the Great Commission! The church in Africa and SE Asia, and any unbelievers these guys come in contact with, are about to be blessed! We'll be in prayer for you, friends!

Miley Mania Mash Challenge

2010-06-07T15:02:00.005-05:00

Luckily, our home contains a grand total of ZERO Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana fan gear, paraphernalia, CD's, or clothing, but sadly, lots of homes still showcase lots of her stuff. I'm not quite sure why any parent of a girl aged 4 to 21 would want to encourage the following of sad, pathetic role model like Miley Cyrus. But anyway, here's a mother-daughter activity for any mom or dad who has just now gotten a clue. Yikes...

Ballet Magnificat article in Washington Post

2010-05-23T20:46:00.006-05:00

Just had to share this great article about our beloved Ballet Mag, an organization we're proud to have our daughters be a part of!

Religious conviction powers Ballet Magnificat, nation's first Christian ballet company

By Sarah Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 23, 2010; E01

JACKSON, MISS. -- The performance is over, but the dancers aren't finished. Now they want to come up the aisles and pray with you.

"This is why we dance," announces Erin Beaver, one of Ballet Magnificat's tour directors, speaking into a microphone while she paces the stage at the Jackson Academy's Performing Arts Center. Beaver, an energetic woman with a powerful smile, has the upbeat, insistent delivery of a televangelist, but she's not ministering alone. As she urges the audience to come to Jesus, slender young women with perfect posture and turned-out feet file into the audience, still in their knee-length costumes. They wait in the aisles for the kind of standing ovation they cherish: audience members so moved by the dancing that they want to leave their seats and worship with the cast.

"Let me get something straight," Beaver tells the crowd of nearly 500. "There's nothing magical about praying with a sweaty dancer." The audience laughs.

"But this is real," she continues. "You're real.

"Let's go to a real God."

It wasn't always this easy to find God at the ballet. Back in 1986, when Kathy Thibodeaux started Ballet Magnificat, the nation's first Christian ballet company, people told her it was a big mistake.

Fellow dancers warned the former Jackson Ballet dancer that it's hard enough to keep a mainstream troupe afloat, let alone one with such a specialized focus. Her church friends told her that dance and Christian ministry don't mix -- ballet is immodest, too flashy, too sensual.

In the company's early years, the dancers would get letters telling them that what they were doing was wrong, that the Devil uses dancing to provoke licentiousness and immorality.

They would console themselves with Psalms 149 and 150, which urge the faithful to praise the Lord with dancing. This, they felt, was a scriptural commission.

Two professional touring companies, a school and a growing international reputation later, the naysayers are forgiven. After all, most of the criticism arose a quarter-century ago, Thibodeaux explains: "Nobody was dancing for Jesus back then."

Yet not even she believed the idea would take off as it has, launching Ballet Mag, as its followers call it, on tours across the country and around the world. In recent weeks, dancers have traveled to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic; in addition to Europe, in previous years they've performed in Canada and Colombia. In 2008, one of the companies toured Israel with a Holocaust-themed ballet, "Hiding Place," about Corrie ten Boom, a devout Christian who hid Jews in her home during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands.

"We're not dancing fairytales or portraying swans," says Thibodeaux, a tall, willowy brunette who, with her girlishly upturned nose and flawless skin, looks younger than her 53 years. (Not to mention the fact that she still dances ably alongside the 20-somethings.)

"We're doing something that's real to us," she says. "The Lord is real to us, and we're hoping we can communicate that through the dance."

Doing something that's real to us. This is Ballet Magnificat's distinction. Technique is not the point here, nor is dazzling through athleticism. Realness, or authentic, unforced emotion, is this troupe's chief currency, and it is palpable whether you buy into the message behind the dancing or not. The dancers' religious convictions -- and the way they permeate every aspect of performance -- may not be for everybody. But watching them, you don't question their personal investment.

There's no denying the emotional power of this company. As it turns out, the bright eyes and broad smiles one associates with born-again Christians are excellent stage qualities. These dancers have the kind of lit-from-within presence rarely seen outside the premier companies, and even there the radiant projection of feeling can be spotty. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Renee Robinson and the Mariinsky Theatre ballerina Diana Vishneva come to mind; is it a coincidence that these artists have also claimed their dancing has a spiritual dimension?

Ballet Magnificat's level of skill is on a par with many of the smaller regional ballet troupes; the dancers' strengths are in their high extensions and swift footwork, rather than in turns and jumps. Because they do not dance the classics -- the "Swan Lakes" and "Don Quixotes" that are boilerplate for most ballet companies -- they lack stellar classical technique.

Yet the unusual repertoire sets this company apart. It may be an exaggeration to say that Ballet Magnificat is single-handedly keeping the fading narrative tradition of ballet alive, but I don't know of any other company that exclusively performs original works, most of them full-length story ballets. And Ballet Magnificat's dancers live their ballets -- such works as "The Scarlet Cord," about underground missionaries saving souls in communist Russia, or "Deliver Us," a whirlwind mash-up of the Moses and Jesus stories. (Think "The Ten Commandments" meets the Rockettes' nativity scene.)

Of course, the fact that they are pushing their beliefs through ballet makes them a lot more charming than those evangelical preachers and fundamentalist public figures whose sermonizing can have a more divisive and judgmental sting. Ballet Magnificat's members combine the born-again's resolute earnestness with the demure vulnerability and warmth of dancers, and it's a package with considerable appeal.

"We are the hook," says Jiri Voborsky, the company's resident choreographer, who came to Jackson 15 years ago from the Czech Republic. "Some people might never step in a church but they'll come to a theater. They may not get saved here but . . . a lot of times, with the emotions expressed through the body, it goes deeper than the spoken word.

"They stumble into the theater and they get it."

Football, church and country music may dominate Mississippi's off-hours, but despite the odds, this curious ballet company has thrived in the shadow of Jackson's gun shows and powerlifting contests.

Still, the church crowd proved to be a daunting new frontier for ballet.

Thibodeaux and her Louisiana-born husband, Keith, started out with a handful of dancers and two vans, toting around their home stereo system, living off donations from the audience.

"We were just kinda scratching," says Keith Thibodeaux, 59, a trim, compact man with white hair and fashionable square-rimmed glasses.

They told themselves, "I don't think God wants us to be comfortable."

From the looks of it, He does now.

In addition to Ballet Magnificat's Alpha and Omega companies, each with 11 dancers, there's also a trainee program. The organization supports about 50 dancers, staff and faculty members on a $1.5 million budget. It gets no public funding; most of the money is generated through ticket sales, its summer dance program, and School of the Arts classes, taught in a 12,000-square-foot building the company owns, with four studios and a wardrobe workshop.

The school doesn't attract your typical bunhead. Ask Bria Greenwood, 14, and her sister Chandler, 12, longtime students, if they want to be dancers when they grow up, and they answer in unison, grinning: "If the Lord allows us." Whatever their future, faith helps them endure ballet's discipline and exertion. Says Chandler, "None of the pain in ballet class is like what Jesus went through on the cross for us."

The company travels in a 45-foot luxury bus outfitted with triple-decker bunk beds and cozy sofas. And a new sound system; not long ago, right outside the school, someone stole the old stereo and all the Dr Pepper, leaving gum wrappers all over the floor.

Chances are the culprit didn't know his victims are on a mission from God. Because of its frequent touring, Ballet Mag is less known in its home town, where it performs most extensively at Christmastime, than elsewhere. But when it does perform locally, as it did last month to kick off its 25th anniversary celebration, fans as well as the curious drop in.

"The Super Bowl guys and the deer hunters come and check us out, because of who we are and what we stand for," Keith Thibodeaux says. Do they stay?

"Some of them do," he says. The Russian ballet training in which Ballet Mag's dancers are steeped "is a little bit less feminine. It's more athletic. So we bring that across."

In many ways, Ballet Magnificat is like any other ballet company, revolving around daily technique class and rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals.

In many ways it's not.

Take the miracles. Like all dancers, Ballet Mag's members suffer their share of injuries and ailments. When he was 37, John Vandervelde, one of Ballet Mag's two male dancers, and a father of seven, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a Christmas show. His surgeon advised him to hang up his dancing shoes, but the reconstructed knee ended up "picture perfect," the dancer says.

"I felt like that was the Lord's blessing on my surgery," Vandervelde says. At an impressively fit 54, he's still dancing.

Last year, Bethany Hurstell, 20, developed a benign but painful tumor on her shin. She, too, was told her dream was over. The other dancers prayed for her. The day before her scheduled surgery, she went in for an X-ray -- and the tumor was gone. In its place was a stress fracture, which healed in a month.

Prayer also helps resolve costume matters, which require a lot of thought. The company is mindful of modesty issues. Classical tutus are a no-no. Skirts typically extend below the knee, and under them the women wear dark leggings on top of flesh-colored tights. The men wear pants. Not tights.

This company is not for the weak of spirit. Everyone starts as a two-year trainee, so the others can see what kind of a dancer and what kind of a Christian new prospects are.

"We had a Catholic once, but he didn't work out," Vandervelde says. Matters of faith got in the way, and those are not issues that can be solved with prayer or more rehearsal.

Fundamentalism poses some personnel challenges. No Catholics, no agnostics, no gays -- no wonder the company has a hard time finding male dancers, saved straight men who can dance and put up with the touring and the code of conduct. Which means they can't frequent bars or casinos. Members of the opposite sex can't be alone behind closed doors, even for a rehearsal. No swearing, no smoking. Only two men are in the Alpha company, and none are in Omega. Tough circumstances for the choreographer: Laments Voborsky, "One hundred percent of the biblical material has a guy in it somewhere."

Besides Vandervelde, there is the curly-haired dynamo Jonathan Chapman, 22, from Woodstock, Ga., who was attending nearby Belhaven University on scholarship. Until he discovered Ballet Mag.

He gave up a full ride -- to dance?

"I get that reaction," he says with a laugh. "I have that reaction. Sometimes I go into class and think, 'This is crazy.' "

But, he says, "one of my greatest fears is to be static in my witnessing."

No chance of that here. Ballet Mag is looking for motivated Christians. "It's not like a normal company where you're looking for the best dancer," Kathy Thibodeaux says. "We see it as a calling."

It was a rock band that gave Kathy Thibodeaux the idea of serving God through ballet.

Keith Thibodeaux had found Jesus as a drug-addled rock musician, following life as a child star. As a toddler drumming prodigy, he played Little Ricky on the "I Love Lucy" show, banging the bongos along with Desi Arnaz. In his teen years, he joined a rock band called David and the Giants and got swallowed up by the drug scene. The Lord saved him, he says, and he persuaded his bandmates to take up Christian rock.

The band proved to be a hit on the church circuit: After a set, the musicians would invite listeners to surrender themselves to Jesus. At one of these events, Kathy Thibodeaux, newly married to Keith, stepped forward.

The band's form of ministry -- the performance, the evangelistic call -- would serve as her guide when she started Ballet Magnificat, taking the name from Luke 1:46, where the pregnant Mary says, "My soul doth magnify the Lord."

Thibodeaux's decision to launch a Christian company made the papers, as she was something of a local hero. In 1982, she had won a silver medal at the second USA International Ballet Competition, held every four years in Jackson (the cycle will bring it back June 12-27). Dancers started calling her. One of them was Vandervelde, a onetime mechanical engineer from Edmonton, Alberta. He had taken his first dance class at the age of 24, left engineering soon after and danced with the Spokane Ballet in Washington state. Along the way, he says, he grew closer to God, first through Bob Dylan's evangelical album, "Slow Train Coming." But ballet forced a breakthrough.

"Ballet was the catalyst for me to kind of come out of the closet as a Christian," Vandervelde says, over a salad and a glass of wine. (He is perhaps the only one in Ballet Mag who drinks -- but then, as he points out, he's not a Southerner, and Jesus was big on wine.)

"The shock for me was, in the ballet world, everything was on the table," he says. "Whatever was going on in your life, no one had any problem sharing that. You know, the artistic mindset." In such intimate surroundings, he could no longer deny his faith and his desire to serve God. Then, as if in answer to his prayers, he learned of the miracle in Jackson.

Once at Ballet Magnificat, he also became the bus repair guy. Everyone here does more than dance and pray. They sew the costumes, work backstage, sell concessions. It's another one of the echoes of Keith Thibodeaux's life in a rock band. No divas allowed.

"It's the hard-work mentality," Keith says. "The touring mentality, being road people."

Roadies for the Lord.

It's Saturday, a couple of hours before showtime. Time for daily devotions.

The dancers stand in a circle on the stage, heads bowed, clasping hands. A few place Bibles at their feet, some in a neat first position, toes pointed out.

P.J. Beaver, Erin's brother and also a tour director, starts off: "We pray that we'll be focused on this evening and on nothing else until 11 p.m., Lord Jesus."

Keith Thibodeaux takes it up: "We thank you for this ballet, Lord." As the executive director, he's worried that ticket sales have been slow: "Even if there's only 10, Lord, we thank you for the 10 who come here, Lord, and for the one that will be touched by your spirit."

As it turns out, 250 souls came to that night's show -- not a great turnout. The ballet was "The Scarlet Cord," based on Voborsky's experiences with communism, and while it is his strongest work, it doesn't have the same marketability as Corrie ten Boom's story, familiar to many evangelicals, or the biblical productions. But as the audience filed out, a woman thrust an envelope into the hands of Brenda Holden, the company manager, who was working the box office. It contained a donation to cover the unsold tickets.

"Our daily bread," Holden chirps.

It's easy to see why this company inspires such passion. With the theater turned into an echo chamber of shared beliefs, the transference of energy between performers and audience is extraordinarily powerful. One might feel something like this from a few other dance companies -- Alvin Ailey and Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, say, both of which, to some extent, draw inspiration from African American religious traditions. But the greater secular ballet world could learn from the commitment of Ballet Magnificat's dancers -- and from its steady production of original material.

For the churchgoing members of the audience, however, the element of communal worship seems to be the big draw, sweeping the dancers and their public together in a collaborative celebration.

"This is one of the greatest expressions of the ministry," the Rev. Richard Cox, a pastor at Lake Harbor Baptist Church, says at intermission. He and his wife, Linda, moved to Jackson recently, but they had seen Ballet Mag in Tennessee and Florida, where they liked to bring church members along.

He glances at the aisle, where Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux are in a close huddle with a woman, the three of them standing silently almost forehead to forehead, eyes closed. "See that?" he whispers.

He leans forward. "When they were in Florida, I went down front and prayed with Keith that they would touch lives. It was beautiful."

On Sunday, after Jesus is nailed to the cross in "Deliver Us," Vandervelde takes the stage. He'd danced the role of the Pharaoh, complete with a live snake, and also played one of the Roman soldiers. Now this man in a leatherette toga and ballet slippers calls on the audience members to consider what they've seen. His eye makeup smears under the stage lights, and his tears.

"Could it be that God brought you here not to see a ballet, but to make transaction with you?" he asks those seated before him.

"If that's you, could you meet with us, and pray with us down front?"

Promises, Promises

2010-04-25T21:18:00.003-05:00

This is a GREAT resource for figuring out which promises in the Bible you can claim for yourself. So many Bible verses make great slogans on coffee cups and wall plaques, but a lot of times, they're used in all the wrong ways. We can't turn and twist scripture to mean what we want it to mean! I've been studying how I should study the Bible, and one of my favorite radio shows, Stand to Reason, just happened to be talking about this very subject. Another resource I found helpful this weekend is this sermon by John MacArthur...yep, another John MacArthur sermon. Enjoy!

Holy Week: What Happened on Friday?

2010-04-02T12:54:00.002-05:00

Holy Week: What Happened on Friday?

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Christian faith: Calvinism is back / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

2010-03-29T20:33:00.001-05:00

Christian faith: Calvinism is back / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

I'm still trying to feel my way through the doctrine of predestination, but otherwise, this is some really good stuff. I just hope it catches on all over and squashes some of this feel-good mess...

News Alert: WE'RE THE PEOPLE!

2010-03-19T09:24:00.005-05:00

But yet, we have a president who wants to be king. And he's doing everything in his power to sway everyone he can toward creating a country where he and his "people" control your life. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, here. With most of the country against this bill, why would he be trying to ram it through? If there's so much support for it in the House of Representatives, why has it not passed already? Why is he not actually listening to us, the citizens? Why is he not really, really seeking to do what's best for this country? Why is he trying to convince us that he knows more about how to take care of us than we do? Why does he think he knows more about how I should educate my children than I do? Why does he think we're all so utterly, hopelessly stupid that we believe he's doing this for the poor people? Give me a break! He cares nothing for poor people, for the elderly, for children. He cares about himself and about being everyone's messiah FOR THE SAKE OF POWER. People, Barack Obama wants us to be dependent on him, and he's convincing everybody -poor people, rich people, black people, white people, sick people, well people - that everything we will ever need will have to come from him. Listen to me: Giving things to people without requiring anything from them is not a good thing to do! Forcing insurance companies to pay for only the things the president thinks are important is not a good thing to do! Telling physicians what they can and cannot treat is not a good thing to do.

The Obama administration apparently doesn't think mammograms and PSA screenings are important for some ignorant idea. They don't think you have the good sense to figure out what's best for your own child, medically, educationally, metally, emotional, nutritionally, physically. Heck, they don't even want you as an adult making decisions for your own life. And it has NOTHING to do with taking care of the poor and making sure "big oil" and "big insurance" don't hurt the "little people." My husband works for Nissan. The guy who owns Nissan is probably very wealthy. Nissan itself is very wealthy. Thank God, because if it weren't, my husband wouldn't have a job and I would be living in a shack and walking around in rags! Big companies and wealthy people are well-off because they're innovative and smart. Some of them are shrewd, yes, and dishonest, yes, but it's not because of the money. It's because they're bad people with evil hearts. And thank God for big companies, little companies, and medium-sized companies, small businesses, doctors, oil tycoons, and anybody else who makes a good living, because - duh! - that is where our work force is created. Put on your thinking cap, folks: Did you ever get a job from a poor idiot? No! You got a job from a guy or gal who has a brain and knows how to make a buck (the honest way, hopefully). Good grief, people!

I'm really having a fit here, but I can't understand why all this isn't completely obvious. We. live. in. a. democracy. WE THE PEOPLE. WEEEEEE THE PEOPLE. The government is not our savior. I, personally, have a savior, and our pathetic government and this tyrant president are NOT IT.

If you haven't been keeping up with the healthcare bill stuff, here it is in a nutshell: Barack Obama and the rest of the democrats and some republicans want to put the federal government in control of the healthcare system. You will no longer be able to choose your own insurance or your own doctor, or make your own healthcare decisions, if this passes the way they want it to. That would be this Sunday. I'm very, very serious. Think about the implications of that. You detect a tumor in your child and take him to the doctor. The government would decide whether the tumor-removal is worthwhile and whether they (your new government-owned healthcare) would even pay for it. You would have no choice at all. Not to mention the fact that this bill would provide money to pay for abortions. That in itself should be enough to get you to call your representatives. Unless you like the idea of infants being sucked from their mothers' wombs. If you do, you're a monster. Yeah, I said it.

One more thing: The democrats are wanting to pass this bill without us being able to vote on it. They want to get it passed without having their names associated with it, because they know this is election year and their political careers would never survive having voted for this. They want to pass it quietly and quickly, and before Easter.

Please, for the love of God and country, call the people on this list who are in your state and beg them to vote "No!" on this healthcare bill - because YOU want to make your OWN decisions.

http://www.nrcc.org/CodeRed/targets/

How Do We Know God's Will?

2010-03-07T14:10:00.003-06:00

I've struggled with the question of how to know God's will, and I'm being taught some really great truths that I honestly had never considered before. This quote is from Kevin DeYoung , and it pertains to finding the right person to marry, but this could be applied to anything we're seeking answers about in life. Such great advice!

MW: When it comes to something as important as who we marry, many Christians are eager to know what God’s will is. That’s a good thing, right?

Kevin: Eh, depends. God’s will in Scripture is our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). God wants us to be holy and seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. So knowing god’s will means understanding what is commanded of us in God’s word. In this way, it is always a good thing to seek God’s will. But if we expect God to tell us whom to marry, we are barking up the wrong tree. God doesn’t work that way. Or almost never. His way is to have us grow in wisdom so that we can have his heart and make decisions that honor him.

MW: How might a desire to hear clearly from God–to get a burning bush or another sign from heaven–set someone up for disappointment?

Kevin: Well, first off, you probably won’t get the sign. So that will be disappointing. Second, you may look so hard for a sign that you see something, but the “sign” is nothing more than what you are reading into it. Then if something goes wrong, we are tempted to blame God or freak out because we misread the signs. It’s a mess of hopeless subjectivism.

What I took from this interview is that God hardly ever gives us a "sign" when we're seeking answers. He won't write in the clouds, "This is who you should marry," or "I want you to take this job." He does call us to feast on his words (the ones he gives us in the Bible), obey him with all our heart, seek Godly advice from mature Christians, and deeply desire his will above all else. If we're doing that, the decisions we make will be right. We shouldn't be looking to God as a fortune-teller, but as our Father, a holy God who has revealed everything we need to know by giving us scripture.

2010-03-06T21:20:00.002-06:00

I found this on the Statement of Faith at a church in Louisiana:

"We believe that the "stripes" placed upon Jesus Christ at his crucifixion provided physical healing to all who will believe and receive."

Seriously?

Well, shame on all those faithless people who have died from various illnesses over the last few thousand years. The Lord must be terribly disappointed. If only those people had exercised enough faith to keep healthy and alive, He could have been glorified.

I'm hoping you're catching on to my sarcasm. That line of thinking is so flawed, I can't even begin to list all the reasons why. Who are we to pick the ways God can be glorified? I suppose He could have gotten Himself down off the cross to prove His own power, but I think we all know it was the unbelieving onlookers who suggested that (Matthew 27:41-44). Jesus didn't say, "Father, I just know it can't be your will for me to suffer like this, so I have faith that you're going to deliver me right after I have the disciples anoint my head with this oil." No, He actually said, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Also, the Apostle Paul said, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it [the thorn in his flesh] away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

What kind of faith does it take to live in comfort and perfect health all your days? Who wouldn't have faith in a God who promised health, wealth, and happiness all around? Sure, God heals people, but only when it fits into His plan for the ages, and only when He decides it's the way He'll most be glorified.

Jesus healed people when He walked on earth, and He still heals people today. But not every time, and it's presumptuous to assume people weren't healed because they didn't have faith. We don't like being sick, so people assume it's always the Lord's will for us to be healed. But on this earth in its fallen state, there is sickness and death. Aren't we glad Jesus conquered death on the cross so that when we do die, we're able to reign with Him forever in heaven if we belong to Him?

Maybe it takes more faith to offer our requests to God, and then trust Him with the answers.

What Was Happening in the Early Church?

2010-03-04T17:59:00.000-06:00

Obviously, I've been doing a lot more reading than writing in my own blog lately, but I guess there's a season for everything, and it's learning season for me right now! Continuing my research and blogging about the Charismatic movement, here is another very interesting MacArthur sermon on whether the book of Acts is normative. In other words, is the church today supposed to be doing all the things the 2nd century church did? Were those accounts written down to give us instruction on how to conduct ourselves today, or is the book of Acts a historical account of what God was doing at that point in the church's history? I'm turning to John MacArthur's sermons on this topic because he's a very well-respected, authoritative minister of the Gospel, a learned man, a man who's been in the ministry for many years, and one who has been faithful to the word of God all these years, something that can't be said for a lot of church leaders today. So, if you have another minute and are curious about all this, give this sermon a listen (or a read)!

What Was Happening in the Early Church?

Does God Still Give Prophecies?

2010-03-03T22:05:00.000-06:00

Red flags really start flying when I hear someone say, "God told me...". There seems to be a lot of error running around in the Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, and in some other more mainstream circles, too. Check out this (long) sermon by John MacArthur if you have a minute. It opened my eyes and kind of verified that the heeby jeebies I've been getting lately are not unfounded. Be a Berean, of course (Acts 17:11), and search the Scriptures yourself. But it's pretty clear that the Word of God is all we need for faith and practice.

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/90-54

Also, since MacArthur admittedly concentrates his sermon on the history of the Charismatic movements and on explaining other strange movements, and not on expositing specific scriptures related to this topic, here is another article on the concept of sola scriptura, or "scripture alone," that you might find interesting. I'm still learning, but it's becoming somewhat clear to me that the more people claim to have private revelations from God, the more confusion there is in the church.

http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/sola-scriptura-bible.html

The Emergent Church

2010-02-24T22:43:00.005-06:00

Here. If you've always wondered what the Emergent Church believes, and why it's so yucky and silly and just...wrong...then, wonder no more. Here's a review of Brian McLaren's new book, and it'll tell you all you need to know. And if you're asking, "What's wrong with this theology?" then, you've got a whole other set of problems.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/files/2010/02/Christianity-and-McLarenism2.pdf

The Vulnerable Church

2010-02-13T09:59:00.002-06:00

Our Sunday School lesson last Sunday was about this very thing, so I thought I would share what John MacArthur had to say about it. I think he's spot-on.

The Vulnerable Church

Christian Liberty

2010-01-21T16:03:00.003-06:00

Again, I'm posting something somebody else said. Oh, well. This is from one of my favorite websites, and I found it very interesting...what do you think?

by Gregory Koukl

Is there a reliable way to know when someone is restricting your Christian liberty?

The very nature of Christian liberty is such that you can't really draw the line. Where the line is drawn is in the direct, specific, and explicit commands of God. The danger that we take things that are not actually commands, maybe general principles, and find an applicational rule, and we make that rule equal with God's law.
God tells us not to be worldly. Some people determine that dancing is worldly, so they make dancing a sin. They make that application incumbent upon everybody else. Fundamentalism is characteristic of those kinds of things, so we have the familiar saying "Don't drink or smoke or chew, or go with those that do." Obviously, you don't want to fall into that trap because that kind of genuine legalism does not build Christian maturity.
The way to build Christian maturity is not to pass a bunch of new rules that aren't God's rules but man's rules. Rather, Christian maturity is to teach Christians to exercise judicial judgment in the way they exercise their own liberty. Give them principles and then leave them to themselves to decide for themselves. Often these rules by men end up taking precedence even over God's rules. We make a rule: People in our church can't drink alcohol. If you drink, you are sinning. Then somebody drinks and everybody judges him when the Bible does not explicitly say that we should not drink. It says we should not get drunk, but not that we shouldn't drink. However, the Bible does explicitly say that we should not judge our Christian brother exercising his liberty, and no one should be our judge with regards to food or drink. That is explicit in the Scriptures.
People exalt man's rules to the level of God's law, and in so doing violate God's explicit law.
When I was in Eastern European 20 years ago preparing to travel in the Soviet Union, one of the Christian leaders told me, "Don't tell them that we are playing basketball today because the Russians believe that basketball is worldly. Sports are worldly and it is a sin. They don't allow it." That sounds bizarre to us because we love sports, but that is just their thing. It is an example of their particular rule at the time that they made equal with God's law. They are very sensitive about it.
If you are going to adopt a rule that applies to all Christians, you ought to be able to identify an explicit Biblical prohibition.
I'll tell you with regards to movies, I don't look at the ratings, per se . I don't automatically rule out R-rated movies. That's me. I tend to be judicious with the movies I see, but I don't simply ask the question of whether it is R-rated. Some people don't go to R-rated movies as a matter of principle, and God bless them.
I'm sure Paul would say that sorcery, hatred, fornication, lewdness and those sorts of things mentioned in Galatians 5 are sinful. They were then, they are now. How that informs our behaviors and our particulars in life, I'm not sure. Keep in mind that even if Paul himself said, "I, for one, am not going to ever watch a TV show," it wouldn't mean that because he has chosen not to do so, that we are obliged not to do so either. Paul can still operate within the context of his own conscience, but that doesn't mean that is a law for the rest of us. After all, Paul was the one who wrote about Christian liberty in Corinthians and Romans. Unless Paul himself said, "This is the direct teaching of the Lord. This isn't my personal opinion or advice. This is God speaking," I wouldn't take that as incumbent on me. That's a different story.
I'll pass on something that one of my first Christian teachers passed on to me some 20 plus years ago. His name is Bill Counts. He's a Pastor now in Dallas, Texas. Bill said this to avoid legalism: Find an explicit Biblical prohibition for every rule you adopt for the church. If you are going to adopt a rule that applies to all Christians, you ought to be able to identify an explicit Biblical prohibition. If you say, "The rule is Christians should not get drunk," then you could page through to Ephesians 5 and read where it says, "Do not get drunk on wine." There you have the rule. It is explicitly stated in the Bible so you are justified in applying that to all Christians because the Biblical writers have done that.
However, if you say, "The rule is that you should not ever smoke or take something that hurts your body," then you are going to have to find a Biblical verse that says that it is immoral to take anything into your body that causes damage to your body. I don't know of any moral verse like that. Some people might say that the Bible says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You're right, but the body being a fit temple has nothing to do with the physical qualities of my body, because if that were the case then people who were exercising a lot would be more spiritual than those people who don't because they have a better looking temple. And people who are sick and diseased would be less fit temples because their bodies are less attractive or are compromised by the disease. If it doesn't seem to make any sense to say that sick people are less qualified because something is wrong with their physical body as a temple to the Holy Spirit, then it doesn't seem to make any sense to say that you can't smoke or drink because it might harm your body and invoke this verse about being a temple of the Holy Spirit either. It is interesting that people who want to do that about smoking or drinking don't do that about calories or sugar or over-eating.
Paul isn't talking about being physically fit in any way, shape or form. He is talking about moral behavior. He says, don't go to bed with a prostitute. Why? Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are bringing God into participation since He dwells inside the temple of your body in the Person of the Holy Spirit. You are bringing Him into direct contact in an intimate way with immorality. You are joining Jesus to a harlot, Paul says. Paul's comment about having a fit temple has nothing to do with physical qualities. It has everything to do with moral qualities. That's the issue there.
To avoid legalism, make sure that you have an explicit Biblical prohibition for every rule you adopt for others.

They Said It Would Never Happen...

2010-01-19T21:12:00.002-06:00

...but it just did! Scott Brown, a pickup truck-driving Republican, just beat a Democrat to win Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts, of all places. Oh, wow. If that doesn't tell you that this one-year fiasco with the Democrats ruling things has been a disaster, I don't know what will. Oh, thank you, God. You've had mercy on us once again...

Jewelry for Christmas!

2009-12-14T10:26:00.004-06:00

On a light note, check out my lovely mom's beautiful hand-made jewelry and other glass-crafted gifts if you need something pretty for someone special this Christmas! Her blog can be found at cris-white.blogspot.com, and she can ship your gift to you, or we can work out some hand-delivery via me if you need it! Think about MissyCrissy for birthdays and other occasions, too! She donates a portion of her profit to Compassion International, so you'll be helping out a great cause! Merry Christmas!

Quote by C.S. Lewis

2009-10-02T16:08:00.004-05:00

Well, I guess the days of long, thoughtful posts are a thing of the past, until summer, at least! It's just hard to find time to think when school starts! Anyway, one of my favorite shows to listen to on AFR Talk is Sound Reason. I saw the greatest quote by C.S. Lewis on the show's blog today, and it just makes so much sense when it comes to living in the world and/or teaching our children to live in this life...

There will come a moment when there is bad news, or he is in trouble, or is living among a lot of other people who do not believe it, and all at once his emotions will rise up and carry out a sort of blitz on his belief. Or else there will come a moment when he wants a woman, or wants to tell a lie, or feels very pleased with himself, or sees a chance of making a little money in some way that is not perfectly fair: some moment, in fact, at which it would be very convenient if Christianity were not true.
C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Discerning Readers

2009-09-21T20:50:00.003-05:00

I was talking with a friend today about some of the popular books being read by Christians lately, and our conversation got me thinking...

So, I found this website and several others that help make sure I'm discerning in what I choose to read! I think it's really important to make sure we're not being pulled in weird directions by what we read, and to make sure the doctrines of the authors we're reading line up with the actual doctrines of the Bible.

Youth Ministries Make Bad Parents

2009-09-03T21:49:00.003-05:00

I'm not saying that youth groups are bad, but I do think this person has a good point...

http://5conversations.blogspot.com/2009/09/youth-ministry-makes-lousy-parent.html

Child brainwashing alert

2009-09-02T13:18:00.004-05:00

I'm serious. Next Tuesday, our president will make a speech to every public school in America via the Internet basically urging them to support his policies. I don't think I can write anymore about this, because I feel like I'm going to throw up, so you can read for yourself:

I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but this creep is using little kids just like Hitler used kids in Germany. If you can't get support for your sick policies from the voting public, just brainwash the kids. Brilliant.

Know You're Loved...Then, You Can Love.

2009-08-22T20:30:00.003-05:00

I am learning lately that it's next to impossible to love other people unless I completely understand God's love for me (1 John 4:19). And that's especially true for "unlovable" people. Personally, I don't think anybody's unlovable, but you understand what I'm getting at...those people who have hurt your feelings, who don't give you the time of day, who seem to enjoy making you squirm. When I don't fully comprehend how much God loves me - and I admit, I still don't - I feel way too vulnerable to love other people with abandon. Loving people requires that I open my heart and risk having it crushed. When I've been hurt or offended and respond by fighting back or asserting my "rights," it shows I don't believe God has promised to be my defender (Proverbs 20:22). But when I'm completely confident in His love for me, I can withstand all kinds of offenses because I know his protection is infinitely more effective than any defense I can provide for myself.

Along those same lines, being confident in His love for me frees me up to pour myself out in service to other people. It's hard to give and give and give if I'm afraid I'll end up empty. But God promises that when we give of ourselves, He'll fill us back up more than we can even imagine (Luke 6:38). Besides, "perfect love casts out all fear" (1 John 4:18). All the things I fear I'll experience if I love unselfishly - an empty tank, exhaustion, rejection, ridicule, wounded pride - are just fears Satan is using to keep me from advancing the kingdom of God.

It's easy to see how bound up we can be if we allow our fleshly thoughts and emotions to rule us instead of letting the Holy Spirit rule our hearts and minds through a knowledge of His love for us. The only way I can love is by being confident that He loves me. So simple, but so powerful!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Nine Years and Counting...

2009-08-18T21:18:00.013-05:00

How could I have known when I asked for a husband, God would have you all picked out for me? It took a little time for me to find you, but when I did, it was obvious you were the perfect one to walk with me these nine years. If we ever doubt the Lord and His goodness, lovingkindness, and wisdom, all we have to do is look back over our nine years and nine months together and see that He knew exactly what He was doing. Who could have guessed I'd have ended up with someone who would love me through some dark times and be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel even when I couldn't? We've both grown so much and been blessed with so much, and it's hard to describe the joy of knowing we're standing here so strong and closer than ever. Thank you for making me a mommy to three beautiful children, and thank you for being the best friend and husband in the whole world. I love you so much, sweetie, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy ninth anniversary, babe!

Nothing To Lose

2009-08-14T14:03:00.003-05:00

Do you have those days when your cry is, "Come, Lord Jesus. Just please come now and rescue me from this sick world"? And then those days when you, with some guilt, ask Him to tarry a little longer so you can enjoy all that He's given you here and now? However you feel about either of those scenarios, if you're a believer in Jesus, how great is it to know that either way, God is with us. Here, the Holy Spirit is as close as your heartbeat...even closer than that. But there, we'll be actually seeing Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13). How can we lose?

Update on Obamacare

2009-08-06T19:21:00.002-05:00

My aunt just sent me some info about a Louisianna representative that has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they're forcing on everybody else. Brilliant!! Why didn't somebody do this earlier?

This is the link to Representative John Fleming's site, and if you go to the bottom, there's a letter you can print and send to your congressmen and senators expressing your support for the proposal. I think I'll make a little phone call, too, just for good measure.

http://fleming.house.gov/index.html

Obamacare

2009-08-06T15:57:00.003-05:00

I had intended to post something different for my first post in several weeks, but I just got an e-mail that I just have to share with whoever may be reading this.

My dad, who had early-stage prostate cancer, had his prostate removed in time, thanks to early detection by way of his PSA screening. But, if Obama's universal health care plan is actually passed, PSA screening and another kind of screening called DRE and who knows what other things will not be covered. And if you don't know already, once this healthcare is put in place, you can keep whatever private insurance you may have, but if it's ever dropped for whatever reason, your only option will be to go to the government health care system.

Are you ready to wait months and months for treatment for cancer and other gosh-awful stuff, and then be told it's too late to be treated? Because it's already happening in Europe and Canada, and it'll happen here, too, if Obama gets his way.

Why do we homeschool?

2009-07-07T22:30:00.005-05:00

We get asked that question a whole lot, and it's usually either by people who want to argue about why they think homeschooling isn't a good idea, or by people who are curious and may be considering trying it themselves. I always hate to give people an honest answer whose kids are in school, especially public school. I just don't want to offend anybody...raising kids is a sensitive subject. But here, I'm going to give an honest answer, because this is my blog and I can say what I want, right? So here's your warning...if you really want to know why these homeschoolers homeschool, read on. But if you're sensitive about the schooling thing, and a pro-homeschooling opinion might hurt your feelings, you might not want to hear about why we homeschool.

Homeschooling just "works" for us right now. We actually like it.
"Why homeschool when the public schools in our town are so great?" I'm sure the schools are "great," but isn't "great" somewhat relative? We think that it's our responsibility to raise our children with a Christian worldview and with real biblical truths woven through what they learn. That doesn't happen in public school. In fact, it's illegal.
"What about socialization?" Our kids are socialized. Very socialized. Why is public or private school the only place socialization can happen? Besides, I personally don't think traditional school is a good sample of the real world at all.
Kids are naturally going to admire and try to be like the people they're with most of the time, and they're going to get lots of versions of "truth" from the people they spend the most time with. If their hearts haven't been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, though, they won't be able to discern truth from lies. To me, 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. five days a week is a really long time to be spending with teachers and students who aren't nearly as concerned (if at all) with the spiritual well-being of our children. Once our kids are grounded in their faith and are fairly mature in most every way, though, we're open to other options.
I don't want the government educating my children. Not ever, but especially not now. So public school is pretty much out. Why would I want my children to spend seven hours a day in a place where teachers and other staff aren't allowed to talk about Jesus or have a Bible on their desks? We don't want the same government that runs our country taking care of our children every day.
"But you can't just keep your children sheltered!" Yes, we can.
It's really fun to watch my kids learn. And eat lunch, and go on field trips, and play outside, and socialize...
What about private school? Honestly, a lot of our arguments against public school fit here. So far, one of the only redeeming qualities I see in private school is that it's not run by the government. Not yet, anyway. We're always open to the possibility of a good private school fitting the bill for us in the future, though. Never say "never"!
"You pay taxes that support the schools, so you might as well get your money's worth!" We also pay $40 a month for lots of gross Direct TV channels, but that doesn't mean we watch them.
"Lots of Christian kids go through 12 years of public school and turn out fine." Our definition of "fine" obviously differs from that of some other families. Your kids may turn out "fine," but in this day and age, we would rather err on the side of caution.
"Homeschooling doesn't provide a complete, well-rounded education." Maybe you should do a little research and then join us in the twenty-first century.

The arguments could go on and on. The truth is, homeschooling is what we feel is the right thing to do at this point. We're not those people who say, "God told us to homeschool," because since God speaks through his word in the scriptures, and there's no verse that says, "Thou shalt homeschool," we'd be lying. But he did give us a brain and a new heart, and right now, we feel great about homeschooling. We spent months and months in prayer about what to do, and the Lord confirmed this decision in many ways. Through prayer, He has made us willing and able to do what we never imagined doing, and to do it with joy.

Goooood advice!

2009-05-28T14:48:00.004-05:00

I just got some real good advice off a new friend's blog, but now I can't remember the exact post or the exact wording. She may have been quoting someone else's blog. Anyway, it was about keeping your focus on what you're working toward, and not looking around trying to decide what to do based on what other people are doing. She gave a really great illustration of her son riding his bike, getting distracted, and ending up in a heap in the neighbor's yard.

Am I the only gal who has God-given common sense and intellect, not to mention the guidance of the Holy Spirit (being a Christian and all), but who spends lots and lots...and lots...of time looking at everybody else, comparing myself to them, and wondering how they have it so together compared to me? I have people who love me telling me all the time that I've got it together where it really counts, yet for years and years, and even in recent months, the places in my life that, to me, aren't measuring up, are the places I spend all my time agonizing over. It could be different things to different people...your house, your weight, your children or lack of children, your husband's occupation, your occupation, your parenting skills, your family's income, your personality, etc. etc...

If I'm living my whole life for Jesus and presenting myself as a living sacrifice to Him, why would I spend my life in despair over "failures" that probably nobody notices but me? It's because on one end of the spectrum, there's me and Jesus, and on the other end, there's Satan, who would love nothing more than to destroy both of us. He'll never, ever be able to destroy Jesus, but that doesn't stop him from trying to destroy any child of God who's involved in the advancement of His kingdom. And if the devil can beat me down with accusations or convince me to see myself as worthless and faulty, he's succeeded in preventing me from doing anything good and will usually succeed in talking me into doing something damaging. Satan knows exactly what our weaknesses are, and he'll play on them every time.

Luckily, while the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, he's not the one I'm following. I'm following the One who came so that I would have life, and have it abundantly (Matthew 10:10). I'm following the One who's my shield, my glory, and the One who lifts my head (Psalm 3:3). If I'm abiding in Jesus and looking into His face, His approval is the only approval I'll need. If He's what I'm working toward, the world's standards will no longer be important, and everybody else's successes will no longer be a threat to me.

God gave me, and you, special gifts to use for His glory, and I've recently realized that it's covetous and sinful to live life dejected because you didn't get what somebody else got. Doesn't that put it all into perspective? I'm not trying to sound like a self-help book, but seriously, look at what you've been blessed with as a Christian - your unique personality, your job, your talents, your home, your children, your spouse, your friends, even your struggles - and ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart about them and show you how to use them for His glory and to bless those around you.

Ask Him to make you content, even joyful, about what He's given you...John 14:12-14, Romans 12:2

Know that if you abide in Him, you'll bear lots of fruit...John 15:7-8

Remember that there's a very good reason you've been made the way you are and given the things you've been given. Nobody on earth can do the things Christ has uniquely enabled you to do...Romans 12:4-8

You're dearly loved...

2009-05-19T08:26:00.003-05:00

This post is for all the sweet people out there who haven't accepted Christ as their Saviour...atheists, rebellious teenagers, busy housewives, lonely businessmen, cynical college students, and anybody who, for one reason or the other, has decided to go through life alone. I have a playlist on the side of this blog that plays (if you decide to turn the volume up) some of my favorite music. I really choose the songs carefully so that they all speak to an aspect of the human condition and the need of all human beings for a Saviour. Jimmy Needham sings one of the songs called "Dearly Loved." Even if you're like my mom and new-fangled music isn't your thing, this song is so poignant. Here are the words (they're from Matthew 28 if you have a Bible; if you don't and can't financially afford one, leave me a comment and we'll see about getting you one)...

Please lay down your arrows
'Cause they're sure to pierce the skin.
And water from a broken well
Will make you thirst again.
When all things you've acquired
Are tested by the flames,
And you can see them melting,
Then will you call His name?

It's worth it brothers,
It's worth it friends,
To know your Maker
To lose your sin.
Did you know that you are dearly loved?

To the slaughters you are being led,
Being told that it's a party,
That this God is in your head.
And every single lie
Sounds just like the greatest truth
But the one truth you're not hearing
Is that He died for you.

No greater joy
No greater peace
No greater love than this

It's worth it brothers,
It's worth it friends,
To know your maker
To lose your sin.

Did you know that you are dearly loved?

If an any way the things I've written in the blog speak to your heart, I pray first of all that you know it's more than likely not me speaking to you, but the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. I never write anything in this blog that I don't feel He's led me to write. And second, I pray that you'll let me know so I can pray that the Lord will lead you to a spiritually mature Christian who can help guide you as the Spirit directs.

You're dearly loved!

On being a parent...

2009-05-15T21:49:00.005-05:00

I don't write about my children or post pictures of them because I'm not big on having them on a public blog, but as big a part of my life as they are, a post every now and then is expected, right? Seven years ago today my first baby was born, and what a blessing she's been. With her beautiful curls, great big smile, and dramatic and silly personality, she keeps us laughing and/or rolling our eyes a lot of the time. Just like her mother, she feels very deeply. It's been our goal since she was born to raise her to fear the Lord, but also to love Him and to realize His deep love for her. We emphasize kindness, responsibility, modesty, Biblical values, friendship, and love. I thank God that homeschooling is an option for us, because I can't imagine sending her and her brother and sister off to school everyday. Things get pretty hectic, aggravating, irritating, and messy around here, and sometimes I want to run screaming from the house and dive into a pool of Calgon, but I wouldn't trade my crazy days for days away from my kids for anything.

Sometimes their daddy and I wonder if all the things we're trying so hard to teach them are really sinking in. How can parents really know what the return on the years of investing in their kids will be? I feel strongly that modesty in women is important, and I work on teaching that to my girls, but will they share that value when they leave my nest? Obedience is a trait we constantly try to develop in our son, but will obedience to God be the desire of his heart when he reaches adolescence and early adulthood? We are so imperfect as parents, but one thing can be said of us - the desire of our hearts is to love and serve Jesus and to bring our children up in an atmosphere where that kind of life is simply expected.

How we raise our children is up to us. The way they are trained is completely within our control. But what happens in their souls and what they decide to do with the Jesus we've introduced to them is completely out of our hands. One of my favorite verses on childrearing is 1 Corinthians 3:5:

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

Dave and I are planting and watering seeds in our children, but ultimately, it's God who causes them to grow up in Him. On one hand, I could feel helpless thinking it's not me who's controlling the direction of my children's hearts. On the other hand, it's indescribably freeing to realize that as a child of God, I've put my children in the hands of a Father who loves them more than I ever could. So I choose to trust that, in spite of our weaknesses, the Lord is going to bless what we've poured into our children out of the abundance of what He has so mercifully poured into us...

Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace...
Psalm 144:12

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T07:49:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of my beautiful, Godly mother with her two daughters. This was almost four years ago (I was VERY pregnant with our third child, so forgive my yuckiness), but she hasn't changed a bit. Literally, you could look at a picture of her today and not know it was four years later. She has taught me so many things...

A girl is not fully dressed without her lipstick! I could have my clothes on backwards, and my lipstickless lips would be the thing my mother would notice first.
It's just not right to wear a dress or skirt without a slip.
If a fellow female acts ugly, she's probably just jealous.
Never let anyone take away your right to a nap.
Coffee-time is the most important meal of the day!

On a deeper level, though, she's taught me things that have made an eternal impact on my life. I remember hearing Beth Moore say that one of her greatest joys is sitting down with her morning coffee and loving the sound of her Bible pages turning. When I think of my mom right now, I think of her sitting at the bar in her kitchen with her coffee and Bible and starting her day with Jesus. She started teaching my sister and me the importance of staying in God's word very early. I learned my first Bible verses not from reading them myself, or from Sunday school teachers, or from the preacher at church, but from hearing them come out of my mother's mouth.

I learned that you can count your true friends on one hand from my mom. She also taught me that Jesus is the best friend I'll ever have. She's walked with me through five awful years of junior and senior high school, my very tumultuous teenage years, more rollercoaster years in my early twenties, an awful first marriage, several years of anxiety and depression, my husband's job loss and then our move out of state, a couple of big spiritual battles, a bout of post-partum depression, and several recent years of emotional healing.

She also walked with me as I met and married my real husband, gave birth to three beautiful children, made the decision to homeschool, and experienced spiritual victories, and she has arrived with me at a stage in my life where I'm finally figuring myself out and learning where true security comes from. God has used her to guide me through things only a mother, only my mother, could understand.

I don't think my mother realizes what a blessing she is to her husband and daughters, or what a beautiful person she is, inside and out. Mother, I hope you realize that you've impacted my life in immeasurable ways, and that I love you more than you'll ever know!

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, he praises her..." Proverbs 31:28

Pro-Choice...Whose Choice?

2009-05-06T14:29:00.007-05:00

Remember this picture? If not, it's a 21-week-old fetus grasping the hand of the surgeon repairing the baby's spina bifida. It was widely circulated after it first became public in 1999 and was very important in the debates on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The other picture is the baby today at 9 years old.

If you can honestly look at these pictures and tell me you still believe abortion is a woman's right, I would love to debate with you on this. If you say you're pro-choice, whose "choice" are you referring to? If you really believe in a woman's right to choose, then please explain to me why groups like Planned Parenthood are so averse to pregnant women being shown a sonogram of their babies before they decide in favor of having an abortion? Is it because these groups, and people who support them, have such a sick social agenda that they would resort to restricting patients' access to all the facts about fetal development and the effects of abortion on a woman's body and psyche, and refuse to educate them about alternatives to abortion, such as adoption? Why are they so determined to abort babies that they would make the practice so secretive? And why do we never see Christians praying to God that more women would choose abortion, and that organizations like Planned Parenthood would be blessed? It's because anybody who is a friend of God, the real God, knows that all life was planned by God from before time began (Psalm 139:13-16). In other words, before the one-night-stand, before the rape, before the honeymoon, before the years of infertility, before anything, God knew whom he would create, and for any human to feel justified in destroying that life even one second after it's conceived, let alone months afterward, is something I have never heard anyone explain in an intelligent way. It all comes down to pride and selfishness, and God have mercy on our country if we continue down the road we're traveling.

The Way

2009-04-29T20:30:00.001-05:00

That was the title of my devotional yesterday morning, from the book Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blakaby. So I just assumed I would be reading about Jesus being the only way to God, which is true, of course. But it was about how a Christian really shouldn't have to be constantly asking God what his will is. If you're a Christian and you're walking with him daily through prayer and staying in his word (the Bible), you'll know what His will is. Here's what my devotional said:

If you're walking daily with the Lord, you will not have to find God's will - you will already be in it. If you are walking with Him in obedience day by day, you will always be in the will of God. The Holy Spirit's role is to guide you step by step to do God's will. Walking closely with God each day guarantees that you will be exactly where He wants you to be. You would have to reject all of the Holy Spirit's activity in your life in order to get out of the will of God...Too often, we would prefer a road map of our future rather than a relationship with the Way. It often seems easier to follow a plan than to cultivate a relationship...If you want to know God's will, take time to cultivate your relationship with Jesus and learn to identify His voice. He is more than willing to show you the way."

Of course, this only applies to you if you are a believer in, and follower of, Christ. You're either with Him or you're against Him (Matthew 12:30)!

I've always had a hard time with how to hear God's voice. How do you know whether something you're feeling is the Holy Spirit telling you or whether it's something you're telling yourself? But I'm starting to understand the connection between the time I spend with the Lord and my ability to understand what His will is for me. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that believers in Christ have His mind...we have access to His thoughts and His desires, and through the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to love what He loves and hate what He hates. But if we're not spending time with Him in His word and in prayer, our lives are not reflecting his character because we're not exposing ourselves to His presence. We're not allowing our mind to be transformed by Him to the extent we can say we have His mind. As a result, we'll be oblivious to any direction He may be trying to give us.

This is really big for me. I remember reading a passage from Priscilla Shirer's book Is That You, God? where she says, "I've stopped fearing that I'll substitute my desires over God's." That's exactly what I've been fearing...that I'll desire something, but won't be sure if it's me desiring it, or the Lord desiring it. But like Priscilla Shirer, I'm starting to realize that, "As I seem Him, stay in Scripture, and continue to keep an intimate relationship with Him by confessing my sin, He transforms my mind and emotions to align with His plans." If I'm walking closely with Him, I can trust that my desires will line up with His.

And isn't that the whole point? He could give us a road map and tell us ahead of time exactly where to go and what to do. But instead, He's given us His precious Holy Spirit as our own personal tour guide, and at the end of the road, hopefully we'll end up looking a lot like Him!

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Hebrews 5:13-14

update

2009-04-28T12:11:00.002-05:00

By the way, Richard, I would bet a million dollars that the reason you haven't heard much about the tea parties, even though you live in the UK, is because the media doesn't want you to hear about it. A lot of people in the U.S. don't even know about them. When CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS, who are all "in the tank" for our new president and his administration, did report on the tea parties, it was to make fun of them. I bet you've heard the latest on Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, though, right?

Answer to Richard's Question

2009-04-26T18:02:00.005-05:00

This is in response to a comment I received from Richard in the UK (see comment on the "Wow!" post). Richard, You're right, the Tea Parties were about taxes, but also more than that.

People who attended the tea parties were conservative (probably a big percentage Christian conservative) Americans protesting the fact that our new administration (Barack Obama and friends) feels it would help our country to tax us all to death in order to fund the ridiculous government programs he's wanting to implement. Most of us party-goers feel that a lot of these programs will kill the free market system in our country and instead just hand out money to people whether or not they're working for it, under the guise of "helping our fellow man." Of course, in the Bible we're called to help our fellow man...widows, orphans, the poor, the sick. We're called to love our enemies...including people who disagree with us, even people who disagree with the Bible. But we're not called to enable people who are lazy and bitter, people who feel they are owed something by society or by God simply because of who they are. In the Bible, it says, "If a man will not work, he should not eat.” II Thessalonians 3:10. There's a difference between someone who is unable to feed himself and someone who is able-bodied but feels it's everybody else's responsibility to provide for his needs. So Barack Obama and the other liberals in our government came into office by promising every mooching Tom, Dick, and Harry that the rich Americans will be forced to give up their wealth and spread it around to people who didn't work for it. You'd think common sense would prevail and folks would see the foolishness of this. But I and a lot of other people really believe liberal politicians with this mindset enjoy having every man, woman, and child dependent on them. It give them lots of power. So they're convincing people they'll always be poor, and that the only way to any financial security is to hold their mouths open and hope the government will fill them. Meanwhile, there are millions of Americans who work hard every day to make a living (in some cases, a really good living) and are being told they're greedy and selfish. The truth is, in America, there are untold opportunities to achieve success and wealth, but some people choose to live with a "victim mentality". And our new president is totally speaking their language.

So that's what we were protesting, Richard. But more importantly that all that is that there's someone who CAN and WILL provide for our every need. It's Jesus. This is how it happens: Believe that because of sin, you were born estranged from God. But God provided a way for you to come to Him and be acceptable to Him by sending His son, Jesus, to be the perfect sacrifice for your sins. This happened over 2000 years ago on a cross. So now, if you believe and accept the truth of that, and tell Jesus you want him to be the Lord over every aspect of your life, you'll live forever with Him when you die. Until then, you'll live abundantly (John 10:10). You'll be fulfilled. Even though life may be hard sometimes, you'll know deep down that you have an Anchor, and that you're always being taken care of by Him, emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually...in every way! And at the very center of His care for you will be His love for you. Welfare can't hold a candle to that!

Some pictures from the Jackson, MS Tea Party

2009-04-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

WOW!!!

2009-04-16T02:23:00.000-05:00

Were today's Tea Parties encouraging or what?? 6,000 in Birmingham, 15,000 in Atlanta, between 2,000 and 3,000 in our medium-sized capitol city! It was so great to be among all those kindred spirits today after months of the media trying to lead us to believe 99.9% of Americans overwhelmingly approve of what the Obama administration is doing to our country. Remember, there may have been millions who voted for the guy, but there were millions who didn't. In my humble opinion, the millions who did were/still are embarrassingly uneducated and are blindly following someone they really think is the Messiah. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you get your news coverage from Larry King and The View, and your weekly dose of spirituality from Oprah, you have no idea what's going on. I know that's mean, but people...WAKE UP! Do some research and find out what's the truth and what's not.

Anyhoo, it's just great knowing all those people are out there saying, "Enough is enough!" Thank you, God, for blessing this movement with such awesome participation!

I'll post my Tea Party pics tomorrow...

2009-04-09T00:51:00.001-05:00

There are great things about all the seasons, but there’s just something about spring after a long winter. O.K., so we don’t have especially long, harsh winters down here in Mississippi, but the winters we have are harsh to the ones of us deep-Southerners who are used to months and months of hot, sunny days. There are so many seasons in my life that seem so long and cold…seasons of doubt, loneliness, fear, even depression. Yes, believers in Jesus go through those seasons, too. The difference between our dark seasons and those of non-believers is that we know, even if it’s deep down inside sometimes, that we have an Anchor holding us that won’t let us drift away permanently. I’ve gone through a season recently that left my heart wondering if He’s really there and if He really cares, even though I knew in my mind that He is and does. Why does He let us go through times like that? Why, in a hard time, doesn’t He just inject us with that warm feeling of his presence immediately, especially when we’re begging Him to? I think it’s because He wants to get us to a point where we live according to what we know to be true about Him, and not what we may feel at the time. I’m a very feel-y person…I feel a lot, and I let my feelings guide a lot of what I do. But there’s nothing in the Bible that says I’m supposed to live by my feeling and let them rule me. Feelings are fleshly, and my flesh died when I received Christ as my savior. I am supposed to be living by faith in things that I may not be able to see (of feel)…that He loves me, that I have a high priest who sympathizes with my weakness (Hebrews 4:15) and who is always willing and able to come to my aid (17-18).

So each time I come out of one of these tunnels, I find that my faith has grown a little bit more, and I have learned a little better how to distinguish between what my feeble mind tells me and what my Savior demonstrates to me every day. Great is Thy faithfulness!

When I don’t know what to do
I’ll lift my hands
When I don’t know what to say
I’ll speak Your praise
When I don’t know where to go
I’ll run to Your throne
When I don’t know what to think
I’ll stand on Your truth
When I don’t know what to do.

Live by faith, not by sight

2009-03-30T12:32:00.003-05:00

For anyone who hasn't made the decision to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, or for anyone who has just recently done that, don't be deceived into thinking the Christian life is all fun and games. Don't get me wrong, it's the best decision I've ever made. Being in Christ gives me more peace than I could describe. It gives me more joy than anything else could. But is it always easy, and do I walk around with a joyful glow on my face all the time? No.

When I decided to follow Jesus, I was agreeing to let him change me and mold me into something more like him. If that doesn't sound painful, compare it to turning a piece of coal into a diamond. There's lots of heat involved. Or a lump of clay into a smooth shiny vase. Lots of pressing and shaping. I hope I never give the impression that I'm a smooth shiny vase. Believe me, I am an extremely lumpy vase. But I would rather be a lumpy vase in the hands of a loving God, than a smooth, shiny vase in the eyes of the world.

I just got outdone with the Lord the other night. This particular battle I'm fighting became especially fierce in my mind last night, right after a great church service that centered around the breaking of strongholds. So ironic. If you read my blog, you know I wrote a couple of weeks ago that the Lord had given me this verse: "Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you." (Psalm 116:7). I believe he was saying, "Jennifer, give me your problem. Stop striving and trying to fix yourself, and believe that I'm going to heal you and give you the desires of your heart. Trust that I'll do this in my perfect time."

Oh, I rested. For about two weeks. And then,

Why is this taking so long, God? You have obviously forgotten me, because I trusted you with this, and I feel like I've been dumped off on the side of the road and left in the wilderness again.

And then those words again:

"Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you."

This morning I realized I have stopped resting. I've started striving and worrying and despairing again, and forgetting that he began a good work in me, and he'll complete it (Philippians 1:5-7). I've taken my eyes off Jesus and started looking at the sea around me.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14-29-31)

Peter could never have walked across the sea by himself, so of course, he began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus, the source of his power and confidence.

Did you notice how the Bible says Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught Peter? Yes, when we take our eyes off our Savior, we begin sinking into all sorts of despair and become entangled in all sorts of strongholds. We start to feel alone and start grasping at all kinds of things to keep us afloat. You insert your own details here, but it all comes down to this: when we lay a struggle down at the feet of Jesus, we really ought to let it go and look up for deliverance, even if the deliverance seems slow in coming. I have to look up, not inward or out into the crowd, where things get just plain intimidating sometimes. And I have to look up with my hands in my lap, instead of fidgeting and trying to come up with ways to remedy my situation. Isn't that real trust?

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..." (Ephesians 3:20)

It's time to party.

2009-03-24T17:28:00.003-05:00

But this ain't no happy party, y'all. Our messed up government is trying to tax us into oblivion, mostly (I believe) because the democrats who are now in charge resent anybody who has money. That's right, folks. If you're successful or own your own business, you're one of those mean, greedy people, and you need to be knocked down a peg or two. Other people in the country are living in poverty or can hardly make ends meet, and it's all your fault. If you hadn't worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get where you are, you wouldn't have all that doggone money. It's not fair. If other people can't have it, neither can you. And our president and his congress are going to see to it that everything you've worked for is given to people who haven't worked for it. They're going to do this by taxing everything you own so they can own everything you have. Get it? This government has what you might call a "control problem." They get fuzzy feelings about us being dependent on them for our every need, not just our financial needs. Watch out, homeschoolers. And if you own your own business, it's likely that if the government gets its way, you'll be closing up shop if you find it too expense to operate. But what about all the people those evil, greedy business owners employ? Sorry, Charlie. You might have been mad that your employer was successful while you were still on the bottom rung of the ladder, but now your sorry tail doesn't have a job at all. Happy now? Maybe you should have concentrated on putting in a little hard work, having a better attitude, and exercising a little patience, instead of getting bitter about somebody else's success.

Anyway, I'm loading up the van next Wednesday, April 15, and I'm taking the kids to the capitol steps to protest the taxation that's killing the free enterprise system in this country. It's a nationwide protest, but pretty much every state has its own sub-group. Here's the main website for the Tax Day Tea Party. A lot of states will be having a protest at their state capitols. Protesters are also being encouraged to send tea bags to congressmen and the White House to send them a message...enough already with the taxes! I sincerely doubt that this movement will change the convictions of these "leaders" in government, but hopefully having a huge deluge of people coming out of nowhere to protest will give them a little wake up call.

Update: I suppose I got a little worked up in this post, huh? I hope I didn't sound harsh or anything. It's just that our country is starting to remind me of the beginnings of a communist country, and it's kind of scary. We were founded as a nation under God, but now it looks like we're becoming a nation under a few human rulers, and they don't seem to care what God thinks. So if this gets under your skin like it does mine, just get involved in the fight to take back our democracy...

Are You All In?

2009-03-15T21:53:00.003-05:00

Tonight our message at church was from the letter Jesus wrote to the church at Laodicea in the book of Revelation. This is always such a depressing thing for me to read in the Bible. This church was "lukewarm," meaning basically that they weren't very affected at all by Jesus. They were "religious" so I'm sure they were at church several times a week, were in leadership positions in the church, and talked a good talk about their religion. But in their own eyes they had become wealthy and self-sufficient, and as a result, disgusting to Jesus.

If you're a Christian, can you imagine anything worse than Jesus wanting to spit you out of His mouth? That's the way he felt about this church. A "Christian" life or church that isn't completely sold out to Jesus and led by the Holy Spirit risks becoming this way to Him. I'm really worried about a lot of churches I've been in. Is it just me, or do you just know when the spirit of God is in a church and when it's not? Am I too sensitive, or can you just know when somebody is madly in love with Jesus and when they're not?

Oh, Lord, my prayer is that nobody I come in contact with ever feels unwanted or unloved...God, help me never live in such a way that causes someone to reject You because of me...Jesus, I want to follow all your rules and obey all your commandments, but not because you're holding hell over my head. Believe me, Lord, that would be incentive enough, but I want to please you because I'm so in love with you. You've never let me down, so I want to do all I can to keep from letting you down. But Jesus, I'm so weak, and sometimes I'm so concerned with myself that pleasing you is the last thing on my mind. I fail you so many times with my attitude and my actions. But Lord, one thing I always want you to be able to say about me is that I'm always running hard after you. I want to be like John, resting against your chest every day I live, no matter what situation I'm in. I want to be able to love people and lead them to you, but the only way I can do that is by letting you fill me up. Lord, the only way to give without becoming depleted is to give from an overflow. The only way to be overflowing is to be filled up, and the only person who can do that is you.

Thank you, Jesus, for causing everything I depend on to crumble, because it keeps me coming back to you. I just pray that eventually you'll become the only one I ever depend on so that all I'm ever doing is abiding in you and hearing your voice...

9 Principals

2009-03-13T17:33:00.003-05:00

So I stole these from Glenn Beck (www.glennbeck.com), but they are such a great recap of what I and my family believe about God, patriotism, etc.

The Nine Principles

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

12 Values

Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Gratitude

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

Apparently, Glenn is starting some kind of grassroots effort called the 9-12 Project...I missed his show today on Fox News, but it sounds exciting! I'm always up for a revolution!

My word!

2009-03-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

Have you ever asked God for a word from Him? I did that last night, but I had to clarify my request a little (as if He needed clarification). I've been wrestling lately and feeling really oppressed, and I really needed to hear something directly from God to soothe my heart and my mind, but I needed to know the word He would give me was for just me. I needed to know He had me on His mind, and that whatever He would say wouldn't be for Christians in general, or for women, or mothers, or wives, but for ME.

This is what I believe He told me:

Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7

This was one of those times when I received a word from the Lord, but the scripture was probably written for a totally different circumstance. But I'm still sure he wanted me to have it, because resting and relaxing is something I need to do desperately. Not in a physical sense, but emotionally and mentally. And I don't think I would ever have realized that on my own.

I've been working on a little issue for a long time, and I go back and forth about whether to write about it specifically on here. To be honest, I'm chicken. And probably prideful. I am SUCH a private person, and the thought of letting it all hang out on my blog just seems like a stupid thing to do. Show people my weaknesses? What?! But in the back of my mind I have a feeling sharing my struggles could be helpful to a lot of people, so I'm praying about it and hoping the Lord will give me courage some day!

Some things I'm thankful for...

2009-03-06T15:15:00.003-06:00

My quiet time with my Bible.

The fact that I asked the Lord give me a deep desire to spend time in His word a while back (during a time when I really didn't even enjoy it), and He did.

A godly husband who puts his wife and children first and is a Christian example to the people he works with. Besides that, he's very good-looking, funny, my best friend, and a bunch of other stuff I won't go into here.

My sweet little children, who God has given me the responsibility of homeschooling and spending all day, every day with. Seriously, as stressful as it is managing these three personalities, I love having them here with me.

My mom. We share so many qualities, it's not even funny. The examples are endless, just ask Dave and my dad. And my daddy, who has always been like a big, strong oak tree to me.

My sister, Rachel. We are so opposite, it's not even funny, except for all the important stuff, but we're two peas in a pod!

My brother-in-law, Kenneth, who I thought was cool the first time I met him.

My precious Newt, Katie, and Houston (niece and nephews). I don't know if I'm going to be able to wait until 2011 when they move back down here.

Dave's wonderful parents, who love us and add so much fun to our lives.

Days when it's just cool enough to open the windows and have them open all day.

The people I know who love the Lord and themselves enough that they're free to love me, too, and not be afraid to let me know it.

The people who wrote and sing the songs I LOVE (like the ones on this blog!). Hope your sound is turned up!!

My church...Crossgates Baptist. I've NEVER belonged to a church where people worship so freely and so genuinely.

The fact that God has given us the financial means for me to stay home and teach our children, and for all the people who studied and researched to develop all the great homeschool curricula out there.

Getting to go on my weekly five-hour "grocery" shopping trips. Alone.

The fact that the same God who made the whole universe and created everything in it loves me personally. I'm thankful for that, but I'll be really glad when the reality of it actually goes past my head and lands in my heart...

Never mind!

2009-03-03T19:49:00.003-06:00

Oh, gracious. If anybody read my last post, the one I deleted, I apologize. I was trying to describe the fact that the Lord has decided it's time to work on an issue I've had for many years, and I don't think my little analogy was cutting it. Anyway, I was just saying I'm "back in school" and I wasn't real happy about it. But after my mom and sister pumped me up for the journey ahead, I feel tons better.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Psalm 139:1-3

No matter how deep our wounds are, Jesus understands each one of them. He is acquainted with every kind of temptation and hurt we can experience. He knows why we do the things we do and why we say the things we say. Nothing we say, do, or feel ever surprises him. So we don't have to worry that anything we've done or will do will mess up his plan for our lives if we're his children. His goal in any trial He may lead us through is ALWAYS to make us more like him and to bring glory to His name.

Sometimes I get so anxious when I feel like I've been thrown out into the wind and waves to fend for myself, but thank you God, those times are getting fewer and farther between. I've experienced his faithfulness so many times now that it's almost embarrassing to have times like this week where I crawl into a funk. This time, I think he's led me into this funk to lead me back out permanently.

Our dog Lucy scratched our 3-yr-old Lily on the hand today, and she was determined I wasn't going to wash her cut and put medicine on it because she knew it would hurt. She cried and howled about how much it hurt, but I couldn't get her to relax and let me fix it for her. Finally, my motherly instinct took precedence over her fear, and I washed her hand and put a band-aid on it so it would heal. "It's all better, Mama!" is what she said a little while later.

Having Jesus fix a broken place in our lives is painful, but I'm so glad he does it despite me.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Thank you, my gentle, Great Physician!

Black and White

2009-02-19T12:53:00.004-06:00

Okay, I just have to say something. I may be a total Pollyanna, but this is just the way I see it. During the ENTIRE presidential race, all we heard about was race relations, and how black people and white people don't like each other, and how Barack Obama is going to be a big champion for black people everywhere, and we, as white people, are going to get what's coming to us after all these years of white oppression. Well, I have only witnessed a very few incidences of white people being "racist" to black people...you know, just the occasional person whose brain still lives in the 1950's. And I have also only experienced a few incidences of "racist" behavior on the part of a black person, and those incidences were mostly when I was in middle school and everybody was a goofball. And I live in big, bad MISSISSIPPI!!

Anyway, I think this whole race thing has been fabricated by the media, and the reasons are just a whole other post. There will always be people, white or black, who are so ignorant that they have to depend on the media to tell them what to think, and lately, the media has been telling them that white people are awful, horrible people who secretly want to reinstate slavery. They aren't intelligent enough to see that most of the human population has moved on in the last 30 years, and that they should, too. So these folks go around with a chip on their shoulder, when the truth is, the only thing out to get them is their own stupidity!! I meet just as many sweet, precious Christian black people as I do white people, and they're the ones who, I'm sure, could care less whether the president is black, white, red, or purple. They just want someone who loves and lives for Jesus, and honey, I don't know if that will ever happen! Anyway, just had to get that off my chest...

P.S. How ironic is it that Rush Limbaugh was talking about race relations when I walked by the radio? His opinion is that the people in the media (and the current administration!) who are always spouting off about race are the ones who must have a problem with it...because if it weren't for them and their little followers, nobody else would care!!!! People, please. Do we not have more important things to talk about?? Let me put it in a nutshell: The Democratic party wants poor people and/or black people to feel that the Big Bad Rich White Man is trying to keep them down so that they will have no other choice but to turn to the government for their every need. It's about power!!

My Valentine

2009-02-14T16:23:00.003-06:00

When I think of God's grace, the second thing I think of is my precious husband, Dave. See, my childhood pastor told me when I was probably 12 years old to start then praying for my future spouse, and I really did. I even wrote a letter to "him" WAY before it was time to think about things like that. Well, take a few years and a really impatient, insecure 20-year-old, and you have a really big mistake. I married the first person I thought I "loved" and the first person I thought would take me, and needless to say, it went south quick. It was very obvious I wasn't loved, but I was the only one who didn't see it...when you want something to work, you'll talk yourself into anything. I don't believe in divorce AT ALL, because I believe when we make a covenant, God expects us to keep it. But I also believe in mercy, and I believe that as a Christian (a very immature one), I was in desperate need of mercy and a second chance. My poor parents knew all along the mistake I was making, and my Father in heaven did too, but for my own good, they all three let me make it. Sometimes we have to suffer for our stupidity, but in this case, God was so merciful, and He didn't make me suffer nearly as much as I could have for disobeying Him. To make a long story short, two months after my divorce was final, I met Dave and knew within a couple of weeks he was the one I had been waiting for.

One of my favorite songs is "Hold Me Jesus," and in it, Rich Mullins sings, "I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want than to take what You give that I need." In a nut shell, what I thought I wanted what exactly what I got, and it was pathetic. God had something so much better for me, but I hadn't been willing to wait on it. I didn't think He knew what I needed, and He definitely didn't know what I wanted. It turns out He knew what I needed and wanted, and I got that in Dave when we met on November 29, 1999. Right down to the ridiculous sense of humor we share, we're truly two peas in a pod.

Happy Valentine's Day, Babe! I love you more than you'll ever know!

2009-02-07T20:55:00.003-06:00

There have been so many feelings or beliefs I have had that I felt were completely impossible to change. I've said things like, "I'm really loving, but there's no way I can love that person." Or, "The possibility of that happening is just too good to be true." Or, "I've known that person too long, and I know they'll never change." Or worse, "I've known me too long, and I know I'll never change."

On the surface, I've professed that, of course, anything is possible with God, but I'm finding that's only been with things that were possible with my help. "I'll try really hard, and I'll be able to love this person." "We'll sell our house because we'll get it really clean and looking great." "He'll become a Christian because I'll witness to him everyday and give him lots of religious tracts."

It's when I'm faced with what seems to be an absolutely impossible circumstance, and then I believe that God can work a miracle (without my help), and then He actually does, that my faith grows by leaps and bounds. Maybe that's why he puts those seemingly impossible circumstances in our paths? To me, He's saying, "This situation is humanly impossible, and nothing you can do in your own strength will make it any better. I need you to put this person/situation into My hands and really believe that I can work it out. I don't need you to think of things to do or things to say. Stay very close to Me, and I'll let you know when I want you to act. Believe I am who I say I am, surrender your will to Me, and you'll see things happen you never dreamed would happen." Surrendering my will is always really tough, because I have very specific desires about a lot of things and very specific ways I want things to go, and I get so frustrated when they don't go that way. But when I say, "Lord, take all my desires and replace them with Your desires," and "Lord, take away this urge to try to help You with your plan," trusting Him is so much easier...

There is no one like our God

2009-01-30T20:38:00.003-06:00

It is so true that we serve an awesome God. I went for so many years in a faith crisis because I felt since I couldn't understand God and why He does the things He does, I couldn't trust Him. I couldn't understand how things work in His world, so I wasn't sure I believed He was there at all. There was no concise explanation of His character and all His ways in any book I had ever read, except the Bible, and even though I read that all the time, it didn't answer my questions quick enough and didn't explain things fully enough.

The problem, as I now know, was that I was expecting a head knowledge before I could experience a heart knowledge. What I really needed, and began asking for, was just to KNOW God was real, even if the concept of Him was too much for me to grasp. To KNOW He created everything, even though I couldn't understand how. To KNOW He was active in my life, even though I was afraid my doubts and fears had pushed Him away.

I really think He left me this way long enough (at least 12 years) that when He finally chose to bring my turmoil to an end, I would know what real deliverance felt like.

I'll never forget it...August 27, 2006, at the evening service at First Baptist Church in Brandon. Les Herrington was singing "Heaven," and at some point, a huge wave of love and awe and adoration well up inside me, and for the first time in my life, I physically raised my hands in praise to Him. This wasn't standard procedure at FBC, but I really didn't care. After that long in the desert, I would have done most anything to express what I was feeling inside.

Yes, it was a spiritual "mountaintop" experience, but it was real, because my relationship with the Lord has never been the same. The odd thing was that I had had those feelings before, but I couldn't explain them in light of the doubt that constantly plagued me.

I feel such an unmistakeable love for the Lord and a desire to please Him and live for Him, but how could this be, since I'm not even sure He exsists?

The truth was that I had belonged to Him since my mom led me in the sinner's prayer at the age of 9. It was a genuine experience, and I'm convinced my eternal security was established at that point. But it was after I spent years struggling with Him for assurance, out from under the shelter of my parents' faith, that He chose to reveal Himself to me. I had read books, talked to pastors, scoured the Internet, and exhausted my family looking for that elusive assurance, but having my own faith required the Lord Himself planting that assurance in me in His own time. It was all part of my "growing up" spiritually. I'll never know why it took 12 years for Him to bring me to this point, but I know there was a reason, and I know it was for His glory. While I still don't have a "head knowledge" of God, I've discovered that's what makes Him so amazing...He isn't limited to what can be contained or explained in my head. But I know for sure He began a good work in me, and He'll be found faithful to complete it! (Phillipians 1:6)

THANK YOU!!!

2009-01-29T15:08:00.003-06:00

I and a lot of other conservatives are pumped that ALL of the Republican members of the House voted against the ridiculous stimulus package presented yesterday, which was intended to miraculously revive our economy, but would, of course, make things infinitely worse. Can't wait to see what the Senate does!

Thank you, Representative Greg Harper! Not that we doubted you, but it's great seeing evidence that we're being represented by someone who isn't afraid to stand up for real Americans!

Sanctity of Human Life

2009-01-23T13:58:00.003-06:00

I've come to a conclusion that is liberating and frustrating at the same time concerning the abortion debate. It is absolutely pointless to argue against abortion with someone who doesn't love God. Just to be clear, the God I'm referring to isn't Allah, or Buddha, or My Inner Self. I'm very narrow-minded when it comes to God. The One I'm talking about is the one who "knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139) and who knew me when when I was formless, as it's written in the Bible. So there would be no possible way to convince me that a fetus in a womb is not a human life, simply because I know from reading my Bible that God knit all of us in our mothers' wombs and knew all of us when we were still "formless." So I've decided that prayer is the only remedy to this tragedy of abortion. Unless a person knows the Lord personally, arguments against abortion will be meaningless to him. Without a love for Him, we lack the ability to love what He loves, and He clearly loves human life, even formless human life inside a mother's womb. Can I convince someone that unborn life, at any stage, is precious, if that person rejects the God of the Bible and lives in direct opposition to Him? I'm positive I can't. But I can pray for people He puts in my path who don't know Him and ask that He would open their eyes to the truth that can set them free.

Team Sarah

2009-01-21T14:06:00.003-06:00

Now that I've resolved to pray for the Obama administration and the direction our country will go during the next four years, I'm looking forward to 2012 when we real conservatives can say, "O.K., you've had your way for four years. Now stand back while we show you that conservative principals like less government, free enterprise, a strong military, and family values really are what have kept this country from going the way of so many before it."

I just hope we have something to work with after the Democrats run rough-shod over our freedoms during their time in power. Obviously, that's where the prayer comes in. My prayer is that America suffers just enough during this four year period that it will become obvious the forefathers had it right all along: we were formed and must exist again as a nation under God, and only by aiming for this goal can we ever become a strong nation again.

I'm looking for people to get into Republican politics who have enough guts to speak out on controversial issues and not give a rat's behind how unpopular it makes them. We need to be done with "moving to the center," and "non-partisanship." That kind of talk is for politicians who run like a scared dog at the least sign of opposition and wouldn't know a gut-felt conviction if it hit them in the face. Will we see men and women rise out of the ashes of the Republican party who have this kind of character, assertiveness, and passion? We'll have to wait and see...

Until then, I've joined Team Sarah, a movement to support Sarah Palin in her future political endeavors. Now, there's a real maverick!!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T07:29:00.003-06:00

I thought it was fitting this morning that my devotional, from Experiencing God, required me to read 1 Peter 2. Before I opened my Bible and devotional book, I had just prayed something like this: "Lord, today is inauguration day, and a man I have no respect for will be sworn in as president of our country. He wants to do some things that I hate. I don't like the man. So I'm feeling a little bit of dread and uneasiness."

Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a fighter...it's hard for me to sit around and be content when there's something I think needs to be changed or fixed. When something seems unjust or just plain wrong, I make it my goal to make things "right". So anyway, this presidency thing is kind of a big deal, and aside from the vote I placed on November 4, there's not a lot of changing I can do, except to complain about things. Which I've been doing.

So, after my prayer, the Lord told me how to procede as a citizen under this administration. I'll let this passage speak for itself!

"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him...for such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. (v. 13-16)

"Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if , when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." (v. 18-20)

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps...and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously..." (v. 21-23)

If you're a Christian, trust your Lord to bless and keep you no matter what situations you may find yourself in. Also, let's pray for our new president, that his heart will be changed where it needs to be changed.

"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much"!
James 5:16

Domestic Affairs

American Girl Doll Clothes!

Crescent Rolls

Chili Dogs

School

Italian Chicken Pasta Bake

Teriyaki Marinade

Parenting 001

Beef Stroganoff

The Roast

Delizioso ed economico!

What a Loaf!

Baked Oatmeal

Work It!

Bread for Body and Soul

Donna Young Dot Org

Wigginton Family Favorites : Cleaning tools

Brownies

Loaf Bread

Let's Get Physical!

Veggie Dip

Speaking of chicken...

Chicken Pot Pie (not for the faint of heart)

The Lord's Day

Broiled Steak

Necessity...

BBQ Meatballs

Bunk Bed Success

Ewwwww!!!

Domestic Affairs!

Gingerbread House Christmas Show

MissyCrissy: Fall Earring Collection

This is just plain funny.

Silly Song Posing as Good Theology

More Homeschool Props...

I *Heart* Homeschooling!

Rick's comments on Obama Proclaiming June 'Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Tran...

Precious Missionary Families!

Miley Mania Mash Challenge

Ballet Magnificat article in Washington Post

Promises, Promises

Holy Week: What Happened on Friday?

Christian faith: Calvinism is back / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

News Alert: WE'RE THE PEOPLE!

How Do We Know God's Will?

What Was Happening in the Early Church?

Does God Still Give Prophecies?

The Emergent Church

The Vulnerable Church

Christian Liberty

They Said It Would Never Happen...

Jewelry for Christmas!

Quote by C.S. Lewis

Discerning Readers

Youth Ministries Make Bad Parents

Child brainwashing alert

Know You're Loved...Then, You Can Love.

Nine Years and Counting...

Nothing To Lose

Update on Obamacare

Obamacare

Why do we homeschool?

Goooood advice!

You're dearly loved...

On being a parent...

Mother's Day

Pro-Choice...Whose Choice?

The Way

update

Answer to Richard's Question

Some pictures from the Jackson, MS Tea Party

WOW!!!

Live by faith, not by sight

It's time to party.

Are You All In?

9 Principals

My word!

Some things I'm thankful for...

Never mind!

Black and White

I Heart Homeschooling!