Genius....

Ray Comfort recently released another eye opening video, explaining to people that not one of us is a good person.  We have all broken the commands of Christ.  There was only one good person, and that was Jesus Christ. 

You see, each of us entered this world as sinners.  We were born that way, because the first man created , Adam, sinned. - He broke the one command God had given.  The punishment for breaking God's commands is death.  He had given Adam everything he needed and told him that there was only one tree that Adam could not eat from.  However, he gave Adam the ability to choose right or wrong - free choice.  He didn't want to force Adam to love and obey Him, but rather to choose to love and obey Him.  Adam chose to disobey and therefore we live with the consequences of sin. - Death.

Jesus came and lived a blameless, sinless life.  He is the only one that could pay our debt penalty for sin, because he is the only one that has not sinned.  When He died on the cross he took our penalty and gave us a choice, to either believe in Him and repent of our sins, accepting His gift of Salvation or choose to ignore it and continue our lives.  His gift of Salvation is an offer to spend eternity in heaven with Him. 

As I watched "Genius" I was saddened by the amount of people who have no idea where they are headed for eternity.  There are only two places we will spend eternity, whether you believe in them or not is irrelevant.  They are places and someday we will stand before God and will have to take the consequences of what we have done - the choices we have made. 

The morals of today are so low compared to what they used to be, because most people have no moral code to follow.  God gave us a moral law to follow and it is written on all our hearts.  For example we all believe murdering others is wrong.  However the people who do not believe in God have no reason to follow that moral law, because according to the evolutionary worldview, it is "survival of the fittest."They are looking out for No. 1 - themselves.  God did not make us to live this way, however He gave us the free choice to choose how we will live.

How will you live your life?  Who will you live it for?  Where will you spend eternity? 

VICTORY!!!!

Just received this email and wanted to shout it to the world!!!! :D  Praise God for His intervention!



"Just a few minutes ago the United States Senate rejected ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The vote of 60 to 38 in favor of the treaty was short of the required two-thirds margin (66 in favor) necessary to ratify a treaty according to Article II of the U.S. Constitution.

Less than an hour before the vote, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama testified that his office has received more than 1,000 letters and emails in opposition to the treaty – and only 40 in favor. This shows an amazing outpouring from defenders of parental rights!

While we recognize that our success in Alabama is not indicative of the support level in every state, we would not have achieved this victorious outcome without the overwhelming support of concerned Americans just like you. Thank you so much for your calls, letters, and emails to oppose this ratification!"  - Parental Rights Email

I wanted to say thank you as well, to all of you who supported ParentalRights.org and called or emailed your Senators asking them to oppose CRPD. 

Those who were for the treaty have now realized that they will not be able to push a treaty like this onto the people of the U.S.A.....However, this means that they will be working harder next time....which means we need to be keep up-to-date with what they are doing and make sure our voice is heard!

A Different Christmas Poem

Photo found on flikr by  Beverly & Pack

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear..
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as

many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some

credit is due to our U.S service men and women for our being

able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to

 pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of

our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

UN Convention On The Right Of Persons With Disabilities

Good Morning Everyone!

I realize that I have been harping on this subject for the past year and I thank you for taking the time to read these posts.  It has come down to the wire this week as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he will be taking a vote this week in hope to ratify the treaty.  Please, Please, Please, get involved.  If this treaty is ratified it will start a spiral effect of losing parental rights in the U.S.!  Children with diabilities are loved, trained and cared for the best by their own parents.  Obviously the parents would know what their children need better then anyone else and therefore are the best people to decide what is right for them and what is not.

If you would like more information about the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities you can click here.
The following is an email sent out be ParentalRights.org that needed to be shared!

Senate Vote This Week - Please Call Immediately!

Yesterday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) announced that the Senate will vote to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) this week. We need you to call your two senators immediately, and urge them to oppose the CRPD.

U.S ratification of the CRPD would subject our domestic law to United Nations standards and oversight, threatening parental rights and American self-government.

Thirty-six Senators have signed a letter stating that they “respectfully request that no treaties be brought to the Senate floor for advice and consent during the lame-duck session of the 112th Congress.” These Senators have promised in the letter that they “will oppose efforts to consider a treaty during this time.” Senator Reid has purposefully ignored this letter by promising to file cloture (so the filibuster cannot be used) and will make every attempt to proceed to the CRPD for ratification this week.

We are behind in this battle. Thirty-six is not enough to stop a cloture vote – that takes forty – and these thirty-six have not pledged to vote “No” on the treaty. They have only pledged to oppose its coming to the floor. If CRPD comes to the floor anyway, we have no guarantee that we have the votes to stop it.

We need you to call both of your U.S. Senators right now and ask them to oppose the CRPD. You can click on your state on our States page to find your Senators’ contact information, or use the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. (I apologize for the incorrect area code in yesterday’s email. This is the corrected number.)

Please give them some or all of this message:

“I urge you to oppose the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This treaty surrenders U.S. sovereignty to unelected UN bureaucrats and will threaten parental care of children with disabilities. Our nation already has laws to protect disabled Americans. This treaty is unnecessary and will hurt families. If the Senate ratifies this treaty, it would be the first time ever that the U.S. has ratified a treaty that obligates us to recognize economic, social, and cultural entitlements as rights under domestic law. The Senate should be more focused on avoiding the fiscal cliff than on ramming through a dangerous treaty that has not yet received the full study and legal review that it requires.”

Then, please forward this email to your friends and family and urge them to call, as well. Please also post this information on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) to help get the word out to every parent and freedom loving person in America.

For more information on the dangers of this treaty please visit our CRPD page.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom.

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research

P.S. – Our petition to oppose this ratification contained 10,195 names as of this morning. That’s more than 10,000 persons with disabilities or family members of persons with disabilities who oppose this treaty that is being rammed through in their name. We will deliver this information to the Senate this afternoon and hope they listen. Your immediate calls will help them hear us.

Today in History ~ November 19, 1863

The Gettysburg Address

by

Abraham Lincoln

November 19, 1863

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, concieved in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.  We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.  But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.  It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion--that we here hightly resolve that these men shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." 

May we never forget what those men, as well as the countless others, who have given their lives for our country and our freedoms.  Are we willing to make sure that "these men shall not have died in vain"?

Our country needs our help.  What will you do to make a difference?

~ Of Waltzing and Marriage ~

I just read a post over at "Your Sacred Calling" and thought I would let you all know about it :]  It is just a short post titled "The Dance of Marriage."  It likens waltzing to marriage and I thought it was a great parallel to use. 


Love this waltzing picture from "The Young Victoria"
and thought it was appropriate for the post :]


Here is an excerpt:

"Just as an elegant waltz requires someone to skillfully lead the steps, so does the well-choreographed dance of marriage require a husband to lovingly lead his wife. He doesn’t stomp on her toes; instead, with strength and purpose, and an ear for the great Musician, he leads the dance."

Go check it out!  It will only take you a few moments as it is a really short post and I think you will like it :]

T'was The Night Before Elections

I received this poem through the email and wanted to post in on the eve of election day.  Unfortunately I do not know who the author is and can not give him/her proper credit as I would have liked to.  Also, be aware there is a slightly offensive word used to make the rhyming work...

Greetings ... 
T’was the night before elections,
And all thru' the town,
Tempers were flaring
Emotions ran up and down.
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap,
Had shut off the TV,
tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden,
There arose such a noise,
I peered out my window,
Saw Obama and his boys
They had come for my wallet,
They wanted my pay
To hand out to others
Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money,
And quick as a wink,
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink.
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart.
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!

On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, on Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!

They took off for his cause,
And as they flew out of sight,
I heard him laugh at a nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think

On this one final note... IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM,
GET OUT AND VOTE !!!

Action Needed October 31, 2012...Please Help The USA!

I received this email written below from Parental Rights today and felt that I needed to share it on my blog.

Please Consider Helping Keep Our Freedoms!

"Action Needed Wednesday to Halt CRPD in Senate

Ireland will soon be voting on whether or not to amend their constitution to include children’s rights, removing the centuries-old presumption that fit parents act in the best interest of their children. Decisions would fall to bureaucrats rather than to parents whenever children are involved and any question of “best interest” arises.

Parental rights groups in New Zealand are fighting desperately to prevent a bill that would require any child receiving government aid to attend a government-licensed Early Childhood Education (ECE) program for at least 15 hours each week. Currently, aid is offered through a non-discriminatory, needs-based approach. The proposed law would make aid available only to those willing to let government bureaucrats shape the development and learning of their children from ages 3 to 5 years.

And in Alberta, the right of parents to put their children in a private or parochial school – in fact, to educate their children by any means other than public schools – was very narrowly saved when a bill was recently amended to restore that right. The Canadian province was one vote away from forcing all children into state-run schools.

Parents and lawmakers in all three of these countries are dealing with the same struggle: a clash of ideologies that would replace fit and loving parents with government bureaucrats as the best decision makers for children. In each instance lawmakers are responding to their country’s perceived obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a binding human rights treaty to which all three nations are a party.

Could such an approach to children ever come here to the United States?

It is already much closer than many realize.

The Looming Threat of the CRPD

This summer a powerful effort was made in the U.S. Senate to adopt the U.N.’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a human rights treaty like the CRC. And like that instrument, the CRPD also provides that “the best interests of the child” should be a primary consideration in all cases concerning children. This is a “term of art” in international law which is used to defend and promote the idea that governments and not parents should make decisions for children.

The CRPD passed out of Senate committee on July 26, and was brought to the floor for a general consensus vote on September 19. If Senator Lee of Utah had not been present to halt the maneuver, CRPD ratification may have passed then and there.

Take Action to Halt This Dangerous Treaty!

We have long believed that the lame duck session poses a big threat regarding this treaty, and we are even more convinced as it draws closer. That’s why right now is the time to act.

We need to make sure that when the Senate reconvenes in two weeks they know we are still watching, and we still oppose this treaty. We need your help tomorrow, October 31, to get that message out through a concerted one-day social media campaign.

Here’s all you need to do:

1. Post to your Facebook wall or Twitter feed (or both!) that you oppose this treaty as a violation of parental rights and American sovereignty that offers no additional protections for Americans with disabilities. Include the “hashtags” #CRPD or #UNCRPD in your posts so that others looking for comments on this topic will see what you have to say.

If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, consider creating one just for this purpose - it is that important!

2. Using the same hashtags, find your senators’ Twitter feeds or Facebook fan pages and leave a comment there. They will not see your page, but they have staffers monitoring theirs who will see your comments and take note.

3. Pass it on to all of your friends. A lot of organizations have come out in support of this treaty because they simply do not understand the impact it will have on American and international law. We must make our voices heard before it is too late!

Here is an example of how to use a hashtag in a Twitter feed comment (“tweet”): “Oppose the #UNCRPD – a violation of #parentalrights and U.S. self-government!”

(The sample tweet also uses our own #parentalrights hashtag, but your comments do not have to.)

Please post several comments or tweets in your own words throughout the day to keep this issue in front of policy makers and the general public.

Then, be ready for a call blitz to the Senate – coming soon!

Thank you for standing with us to keep these treaties from taking away our parental rights!

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research"

~ God of Heaven ~

This video plays one of my favorite songs, sung by the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team: God of Heaven.

The person who put the video together also placed some absolutely gorgeous photos of this beautiful earth our amazing and creative God made!  I hope you enjoy listening and watching as much as I did!

His Purpose!



Found on flikr.  Picture taken by  Starfires



"Jesus did not die just to give us peace and a purpose in

life; He died to save us from, the wrath of God. 

 He died to reconcile us to a holy God who was alienated

from us because of our sin.  He died to ransom us from

the penalty of sin -  the punishment of everlasting

destruction,  shut out from the presence of the Lord. 

 He died that we, the just objects of God's wrath, should

 become, by His grace, heirs of God and co-heirs with Him."

~ Jerry Bridges

Let Me Burn Out For Thee

As soon as I heard about this song, I knew that I wanted find the lyrics and share them with all of you.

My Pastor has shared many times about this song being his mom's favorite, but recently it has become even more important as her time on earth is quickly coming to an end.  I've only met this woman twice, but she left a mark on my heart as a loving, caring, sweet and yet stubborn woman that has a heart for sharing the gospel to whoever is put in her path.  As she has been very ill for the last couple months, many people have come in contact with her.  Some came to her house, some were at the doctor's office and some at the hospital.  Yet, wherever she was, she made sure that the person she was talking to heard the gospel.  She is looking forward to spending eternity with the Lord, but understands that she is still here for a reason and her hearts desire is to burn out for Him.

Her family members could share story after story of her diligence in sharing the gospel.  One of the stories came from back when all her kids were young and with several in diapers she was not able to be out spreading the gospel to others and was frusrtated with that :}  She knew her place was with the kids at home and that the ministry of serving, sharing the gospel and training them was just as important as sharing it with strangers, but she had such an incredible desire to share the good news and was frustrated.  So she prayed to the Lord, to send someone or open up an opportunity so that she could minister in this way.....Well, the Lord sent a salesman to her door and she saw him as a gift from God :)  She figured that if she let him talk to her about what he was selling, then he would have to listen to her afterward.   And she did! 

There was a fervency in her heart to share, because she knew that her time on earth was short.  I pray that all of our hearts would be set on fire to share the Good News and that our utmost desire would be to "burn out" for the God we owe everything to.

Oh God, the world is lost in sin,

And so few that seem to care,

Many of whom profess Thy Name, No burden will help to bear,

We need a passion, Lord, for souls,

To bring the lost back to Thee,

Our hearts must be stirred till all have heard

At least once of Calvary.

Refrain
Let me burn out for Thee, dear Lord
Burn and wear out for Thee
Don’t let me rust, or my life be a failure, my God, to Thee
Use me and all I have, dear Lord,
And hold me so close to Thee
That I feel the throb of the great heart of God
Until I burn out for Thee.

How cold has been our giving, Lord!

How selfish our love has been,

Keeping from those who never heard

The gospel that saves from sin!

How often we have turned aside

Neglecting to do our part,

Forgetting Thy tears and agony,

Forgetting Thy bleeding heart

Refrain

Meet us and break us up, dear Lord

Until driven to our knees

Bare to our gaze, Thy cross and love,

Of blood-baptized Calvary,

Speak till we hear again Thy call,

And hold nothing back from Thee.

Oh, burn on our hears the hopeless wail

Of souls damned eternally.

Refrain

O God, with shame I humbly bow,

In tears and a contrite heart.

Forgive me for the broken vows,

And failure to do my part.

I heed Thy call and say “Farewell”

To all that would hinder me;

Thy grace and Thy love to lost ones tell,

And my life burn out for Thee

Refrain

Let me burn out for Thee, dear Lord
Burn and wear out for Thee
Don’t let me rust, or my life be a failure, my God, to Thee
Use me and all I have, dear Lord,
And hold me so close to Thee
That I feel the throb of the great heart of God
Until I burn out for Thee.

~ Bessie Hatcher

I just listened to this short clip from Scott Klusendorf's full lecture and thought it needed to be shared.  It is just audio, but well worth the listen.  I think I need to memorize his response as it defeats every abortion argument! 

Father, I pray you would protect the unborn.  That you would keep them from pain.  Please give us the words to say when we come in contact with someone who would desire to kill them.  Please open their eyes to the lies they are believing and help them see that the unborn baby is just as human as the born baby.

In Your Name,
Amen


I am not endorsing Scott Klusendorf - I don't know anything about him.  I just listened to this clip and thought it should be shared.

Fragile...Handle With Care

How do you commemorate a life well lived?  How do you express how much someone means to you?  How do you explain to others what you've learned by the example of someone else?



(Left Top) My sister, me & my brother (Bottom) Nana and Grampa
Taken 4 years ago at my Graduation.

 I don't really have the answer to any of those questions....but I'm going to try and trust the Lord to give me the words.

This year has been an extremely sad and yet happy year.  My grampa passed away last March and my nana went to be with him a little over a week ago.  As I wrote in my prayer journal after both of their deaths I was struck by how blessed I had been to have them as my grandparents.  I was filled with grief at the thought that I will never hear their special phrases again, or experience new things with them, or feel their arms wrap around me again.  But yet I can also smile amongst the tears and know that they came to know the Lord before they died.  That right now they are in heaven and I have the hope of one day seeing them in glory!!  There is such a peace that fills my heart in knowing that.  Knowing that they are with our Lord and Savior, the One who loves them more than I can imagine.  They are w/o pain and are rejoicing to be in heaven!

However, with these thoughts, I am also filled with the memories that they gave me.  Memories filled with love.  I only had them for 22 years and it doesn't seem like enough, yet I know that God knew it was enough.  Every time I walked into the door of their house I was welcomed with "Hello love" and a kiss from both of them.  When I would leave Nana would always say "You know you're welcome anytime, stop by anytime you're passing through."  and Grampa never failed to tell each of his grandaughters every time they left that "You're beautiful" and then he would walk us to the door. 

Life is fragile, handle with care.  The day after Nana went to be with the Lord, a man of 53 years of age went to be with the Lord.  This man had gone to school with my Dad and was what most people would say "the picture of health."  He was fit and worked out, he ate fairly well, and wasn't struggling with any diseases.  He just had a massive heart attack.  He had it at the fire station, so the EMT's were on him immediately and were able to revive him.  They brought him to the ER and were talking to him when he had another heart attack and was gone.  He had a divine appointment with the Lord.

Life is fragile, handle with care. We never know when the next person will be called home to the Lord....or maybe thier eternal destination is not so secure.  Love others....love them as Christ loves us.  With all our flaws and failures.  Forgive others...forgive them as Christ forgives us over and over and over again.  Share the Gospel with others....as the gospel was shared with you.  Never let the sun go down on your anger...it may be the last sunset for one of you.  I know this sound morbid, but it is so easy for us to get wrapped up in life and forget to smell the roses....hold that persons hand.....kiss that wrinkled cheek.....wipe that little tear.....tinkle that laughing child.....spend that extra 15 minutes talking......bake those favorite cookies for that special someone.....go through the old pictures and hear the stories.....LOVE...

God has a perfect plan in everything.  His timing is the best.  But only He knows the plans and the timing of them.  What will we do with the time He has given us?  What will we remember with that time?  Will that time be treasured?

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
That can still be rearranged

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

by Linda Ellis

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry I haven't posted lately.  This summer is flying by and lots of things have been happening in my life, to keep me away from the computer for long periods of time (which is needed in order to write you a decent post :}).

Unfortunately (Fortunately?!! :})  Tommorrow morning our family will be starting a ten day vacation!  It will be our first one in 10 years, so we are really excited!  However, this means that I will be unable to post during that period of time and I am sorry about that. :(

Before we leave however, I wanted to leave a very important post with you to "ruminate" on while I'm away. 

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now, realize that one of my passions is fighting for Parental Rights in the U.S.. As of right now an Amendment for protecting the rights of parents is quickly approaching its congressional hearing (July 19, 2012).  If you are unfamiliar with the Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) you can read some of my previous posts on it here, watch the trailer for "Overruled: Government Invasion of Our Parental Rights" here and watch the actual movie here.

As the date is fast approaching for the hearing and as I won't be getting back until 10 days before the hearing, I wanted again remind those of you who know and let those of you don't know, how important this amendment is to you, our parents, our future, homeschooling, the future of the United States of America, the safety of children and so much more.

When I recieved the following email from PR, I was filled with dismay.  This amendment is so important!  Please read it:

Supreme Court Ruling Threatens Parental Rights

Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling in the health care case marks a decisive turn in the American experiment of freedom. There is no doubt the opinion shocked and dismayed liberty-minded citizens across the United States. It also upped the ante on the Parental Rights Amendment – and that’s why I must urge you to help.

Let me explain.

First, the ambiguity of federal HIPAA legislation was already a problem for parental rights. It is an open door that lets states infringe a parent’s fundamental liberty to make informed medical decisions for their child. Under the health care law, this gap is only going to get worse.

Second, the health care bill allows the government to spend millions on home visitation programs in which government officials enter your home to monitor and instruct how you raise your kids.

Third, the decision has made explicit a disturbing legal doctrine long implicit in the Supreme Court: that Congress has unlimited power to tax for any purpose, even beyond its enumerated powers. This provides one more tool the government can use to control what happens in your home.

If we are to protect parental rights in America we must pass the Parental Rights Amendment soon! The PRA will provide protection for parents and families in every one of these areas of concern.

As a citizen of these beloved United States,  I realize what a great debt I owe my God, my ancestors, my grandparents, my parents and those in the military.  They have done probably more then I will ever understand to ensure that the freedoms that I so often take for granted, are there for me to enjoy.  I must ask myself and you, "What will I do for the next generation?" "What will I do to honor those who have gone before me?" What will I do to protect what God has deemed a foundation of this earth, the family?"

Please, contact your local government leaders as well as those who serve at the national level.  We have elected them and they need to know how we the the people feel about it.  How important it is to us, that our parental rights are protected! 

You can visit parentalrights.org for more information on the amendment, how to contact your Senator or Congressman and how to get involved.  But most importantly, to add your name to the petition saying how important this bill is to the citzens of the U.S.!

 

Yodeling Video =)

I saw this posted on Google Groups today and have played it several times :]  I'm not even familiar with the language, but I love listening to them sing and the girl yodels beautifully!  :o)

I know this is so random, but I thought it would be fun to share and I hope all of you enjoy it too! =P

P.S. I know the words and music are out of sync with the video, but it really didn't matter to me as I just enjoyed listening!

 

A Sweet Wrap!

I recently posted this recipe on Altogether Seperate the blog I'm co-author on, and I thought it would be fun to post it here as well.  This is my first recipe post on this blog, but it's one of my  favorite recipes so I had to share it with all of you :]



"As soon as the topic was decided on I knew exactly what I wanted to share....however, why is it, that sometimes the best recipes are the ones that you've experimented with and you don't have exact measurements????  Guess what?  That's mine...  So you'll have to bear with me as the measurements will not be exact, but if you play with it and tweek it so you like it, you'll want to have it every week!

So....what is the recipe???  Sweet Potato Wraps (No I couldn't think of a more exciting name =])

I first had a sweet potato wrap at our local Co-op and the first bite I had made me thank God for another one of His vitamin rich, healthy vegetables!

As soon as we finished the wrap we new we would have to experiement and see if we could make something similar.  So, the next chance we had we ran to the Grocery store and picked up a bag of sweet potatoes.





What You Will Need:

2lb.  Sweet Potatoes
8oz.  Red Kidney Beans
1-2 tsp. Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 - 3/4 cup Veganaise - This is the vegan version of Mayonnaise.  I haven't tried it with mayo, but I'm sure it would be fine to use, however, the veganaise is fantastic with this.


Any type of wrap you want - Our family loves the spelt or spinach wraps!
Vegetables you would want in your wrap:  lettuce, spinach, salad mixture, shredded carrot,
celery, tomato, mushrooms, scallions, peppers, olives or whatever else you feel like :]

Optional: 
The Co-op used Vegan bacon bits that gave it some more added flavor.  We have yet to get some of that, but if you want you could add that as well!


1. We always put our vegetables in the sink filled with water and some hydrogen peroxide to clean them from any chemicals that have been sprayed on them, germs that have touched them or anything else that we would really rather not put into our body :] So the first thing I did was wash them and while they were soaking I turned the oven on.

2. We have a propane oven so the tempatures and time will vary as to how hot the oven should be and how long the sweet potatoes should be in there.  I set the oven at 400 degrees and cook them for an hour and they are usually perfect. (Keep checking them until they are done as 400 degrees for an hour may be too long for your oven) ~ For those of you who have never cooked sweet potato, we take a fork and poke holes in them just like regular potatoes so that they don't burst and then we place them in our bread pans.  We put them in the bread pans because they will leek out juices and make a mess in the stove otherwise. ~

You'll know they are done when you can sink a fork into it with no trouble at all. 

3. When they are done take them out and let them cool to room tempature. Once cool, I peel the skins off and break them up and put them in the cuisinart.(or whatever you want to use to puree it, you could even mash them with a fork if you wanted to.  However, you are trying to get almost a hummus consistency, so get it as smooth as possible.)

4.  As you blend the sweet potatoes, start adding the veganaise, cumin, salt and pepper.  When you start to add the veganaise or mayonnaise add it slowly.  Taste to see how much you want.  This helps make the mixture smoother and gives you some added taste, but you DON'T want to over do it. Tasting it as you go along will help :]  Same goes for the cumin and whatever other spice you may want to add =]

5. The very last ingredient to add to the mixture are the beans.  Drain the can and then add the beans.  You don't want to pulverize the beans and make them smooth like the rest of the mixture.  Just mashed slightly or cut in half.  You still want to know that they are beans and when you are eating the wrap it will give you another consistency. (If using bacon bits, this is when you would add them)

6.  And now you're ready to make your wrap.  Just spread the sweet potato mixture over your wrap as thick as you want and add the veggies! 

I know there were a lot of directions, but this recipe is really very simple once you know how to make it.
If you bake the potatoes the day before, it shouldn't take you long to whip this up for lunch and bring for that picnic lunch you've been planning for this spring season!  It's really healthy and makes you feel good about eating it :]

Enjoy!"

How did all the animals fit on the ark?

        A common, controversial topic between Creationists and Evolutionists is the topic of Noah’s ark and how all the animals fit on it.
Let us start with the Bible and examine what God told Noah His design for the ark was in Genesis 6:14. "So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: the ark is to be four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide and forty-five feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark within eighteen inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks."
All right, starting with the beginning of the verse let us begin to pull it apart and try to figure out what God had in mind. "So make yourself an ark of cypress…" Why did God choose cypress as the wood to make the ark? Well, there are a couple reasons. First, "cypress wood produces an oil called cypressine which acts as a natural preservative within the wood. This inherent characteristic makes it durable and extremely resistant to harsh weather conditions, insects and fungus." (1) I would say, God chose a very good tree. This wood was going to be in the water for forty days and nights in hard weather conditions. This wood has its own natural preservative that will make it last for a very long time even under severe weather conditions. Also, insects always come with animals and food. This tree’s oil would help preserve itself against insects that would want to boor into it, possibly creating small leaks. Lastly, the issue of fungus, inevitably fungus is created when water is in close proximity with anything. Fungus grows very well in wet areas. This tree’s cypressine would have increased the arks protection from many things.
One of the other benefits of cypress is its lightweight. This made the ark easier for the men to build and made the ark lighter than using other kinds of wood.
 The next part in the verse says, "..make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." "..make rooms in it." Obviously God wanted lots of places for the animals to be. Separating the small animals from large animals, shy, quiet ones from the loud and outgoing ones would make sense. Animals vary greatly in temperament and instincts. They are more content in different environments and if they are content then they are easier to take care of. Now, I am not saying that was why God wanted rooms, I just believe that these could have been some of the reasons. The second part of this section looks at the pitch. "..coat it with pitch inside and out." Pitch is a natural waterproofing agent that was often used in ancient times. To coat it on the inside and out made sure that the boat would stay watertight.


Found on Answers in Genesis



Now that we have gone over the materials needed to make the ark, let us look at the size of it. "This is how you are to build it: the ark is to be four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide and forty-five feet high." The size of this ark is incredible. An average American football field is only three hundred and sixty feet long. We are talking another ninety feet to equal the ark! The largest state capital building in the Country is the Louisiana State Capital which stands four hundred and fifty feet high. This building has thirty-four floors. Thirty-four floors! Imagine this building on its side and it would equal the ark. Imagine how many rooms each floor on the ark could have! The height of the ark was forty-five feet. Imagine a house that was forty-five feet high. You would have enough room to make four, ten foot high floors and still have five feet left over. There was plenty of headroom for even the tallest animals; a full grown, male giraffe only stands sixteen to twenty feet high. The largest land animal in today’s world is the African Elephant which stands somewhere around ten feet.

Now the next big question; what about the dinosaurs? Well, first of all the "largest animals were probably represented by ‘teenage’ or even younger specimens." (2) Noah was only taking two of each kind of animal. God new that the animals who would be on the ark would be the original animals and all others in the future would be descendents of them. So it would make sense to take younger ones that would live longer on the new earth and be able to produce more offspring. As far as the dinosaurs go, "the eggs of the largest dinosaurs were no bigger than a football, so all young dinosaurs were quite small." (3)
Again you have to remember that God said to take two of each "kind". A "kind" is another word for species except not as broad as the word species. For example, the horse, zebra and donkey are all in the same species category. Noah however, only required two equine, two of its kind, so that all the different equines to come would be descendents of them.
To put the size of the ark into perspective it was the "equivalent volume of five hundred and twenty-two standard railroad cars, each of which can hold two hundred and forty sheep." (4) This ark was massive!
How did they store all the food and water needed for all the animals though? The most likely conclusion is that they used dried, compressed or concentrated foods or grains. This would take up much less room than fresh food. The water supply would not have had to been gathered and stored on the ark before the flood if Noah and his sons had put pipes that would collect the fresh water from the rain outside the ark day after day. Again more room is made if water did not have to be stored. Another way they could have made more space is the stacking of cages on top of each other. The cages themselves having plenty of room but putting another on top would save space for storing food for the animals in different places all over the ark.
In conclusion, this ark could easily store enough food for the animals and keep all the animals comfortable for the amount of time God kept them in the ark. I had never really studied the ark, but had accepted it as a truth because the Bible said so. However, how all the animals had fit on there sometimes raised questions. God truly did create an ark that was perfect for the animals and the people. The wood chosen was right because of its natural oil and light weight. The pitch made it waterproof. The immense size gave ample room for every living creature and the room needed to store the food. Even if they had to store water on the ark instead of collecting it each day, there still would be enough room.
I have learned a lot and found it very interesting. God’s Word always comes through strong and firm after it has past through a test. No matter how hard it is pressed to squeeze out some inaccuracy or contradiction, it always comes through solid and truthful.
　
　
　
　For those of you don't know, a real, to scale, Noah's Ark is being built in Kentucky, USA!!!!!  If you would like to check out the "Ark Encounter" and see what you can do to help click here.  It will be an amazing park to visit when they are done and an incredible impact on the community, country and the world!

Found on Ark Encounter

　
　
　

　
　
Footnotes:
1. www.cedarwoodfurniture.com/cedarfacts.html
2. The Revised & Expanded Answers Book
3. Ibid
4. Ibid

Scripture usage is from the King James Version

A few years ago I had to do some research on this topic and then write a  report for one of my apologetics classes.  It was a subject that was fascinating to research and I thought some of you may enjoy it. =)

randomness on rainy days

it's raining....

it's been raining for the past few weeks...

i feel like New England is taking on some of the characteristics of a closely named Country that receives an exhorbitant amount of rain...

don't get me wrong, i love the rain for several reasons....

1. the splash that each raindrop makes when it hits a deck, roof, puddle, umbrella, etc.

2. the chance to wear puddle boots!!

3. a time to use that favorite umbrella

4. and then of course the reminder of special memories....what comes to mind when you

see or hear someone say "raindrops on roses..."????

maybe this...?

 

this is what always comes to my
mind first :}

however, rain has its downfalls as well.  one of them being, that you're kept inside for longer then you would prefer. 

when this happens, randoms posts appear and like today, even random sections in the post :)

todays post was going to be about a recipe that I found on Pinterest (a place where you spend time when it is raining out ;]

due to the dreary weather outside the window, my thoughts were otherwise enaged with images of summer sunlight streaming through trees, picnics at parks and the new recipe I found.

Watermelon Frosty

serves 2

2 1/4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
1/2+ cup water
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 large lemon, squeezed (lime juice also works very well! use 2 limes)
1 fresh banana

 optional: a few dashes of cayenne powder in the blender or over top when you serve!

Garnish: a few slices of watermelon - with rind on - frozen.

Blend Pour. Garnish with frozen watermelon/rind slices. Serve! Enjoy.

Blending Tip! The best way to blend up this frosty is in a Vitamix - it really frosts up that thick frozen watermelon!

this looks SOO good!  i can't wait to try it this summer when the watermelons are in season!

the recipe came from here where you can view some tantalizing pictures that will have your mouth watering in seconds!

watermelon...the summer picnic fruit

All pictures were found on Pinterest