Dust and Clay

David Crowder Band - How He Loves (Official Music Video)

2010-10-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

I love this song and thought I would share.

Other Great Kids Resources

2010-08-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

I have posted in the past several books that we have used and are using with our children. I wanted to share a few more for those of you that may be looking for presents or for your own kids/toddlers. These are all solid in doctrinal truths.

We love to read this with our toddlers. The stories are just the right length, without too much text, and the pictures are beautiful.
You can go here to get your own.

Here is the Publisher's Description: No child is too young to begin learning about the greatest love story of all God's love for his people, as portrayed in the Bible. David R. Helm and Gail Schoonmaker collaborate to create a beautifully illustrated book of Bible stories especially for children, written with simplicity. Rather than simply retelling the most familiar short scenes from the Bible, this book presents the "big picture", the unified story running through the Old and New Testaments. This delightful book will help children learn the Bible's whole story and begin to appreciate the fulfillment of God's promise to his people. The Big Picture Bible Story Book is perfect for parents to read to their children, and eventually, for children to read on their own. It is an excellent way to introduce them to a book that will guide them through all of life.

My husband got these books at a conference. Our daughter loves them. They are teaching her about who God is. I would say that they are great for young toddlers- they are board books. Click here to see them all.

Nothing But the Blood

2010-07-27T08:01:00.002-04:00

We love this CD at our house- even our kids- they enjoy dancing and singing to the songs. Music has a way of filling my mind and soul, so I have to watch what goes in!

All the songs on this and other Passion CDs are great, but this song speaks to my heart every time I hear it. The Gospel is powerful. Christ stands in my defense and has washed me clean! I am clean of all sin, guilt, shame. All is gone because of His blood.

Hebrews 10

Nothing But the Blood

Your blood speaks a better word
Than all the empty claims I’ve heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me
And stands in my defense
Jesus it’s Your blood

[Chorus]
What can wash away our sins?
What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can wash us pure as snow?
Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Your cross testifies in grace
Tells of the Father’s heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach
Not by earthly confidence
It’s only Your blood

[Chorus]

We thank You for the blood
We thank You for the blood

We praise You for the blood
We praise You for the blood

Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Anyone out there?

2010-07-23T19:40:00.003-04:00

I have wanted to write on the blog for a while, but life has not had time for it. With so much going on the blog is the easiest and less important thing that gets left off my plans. I do enjoy it and am going to try and post more often than twice a year! Hard to believe it has been so long. I enjoy blogging because it helps me to think through things even if no other person reads my thoughts. I think writing can be therapeutic and freeing.

Here are some pictures of things that have been growing this summer.

A Few Snow Pictures

2009-12-05T10:51:00.004-05:00

a long time

2009-12-03T17:09:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. So much has happened in my life and I have not had time. I am going to make time soon to share more of my journey.

Mandatory 'gay' day for K-5 students

2009-06-01T07:25:00.003-04:00

This is just one more reason that we will be homeschooling!!

(about the book on the right: 'And Tango Makes Three' book about homosexual male penguins who name their chick Tango because 'It takes two to make a Tango.)

A California school district has approved a mandatory homosexual curriculum for children as young as 5 – and parents will not be allowed to remove their children from the lessons.

The mandatory program, officially titled "LGBT Lesson #9," was approved May 26 by the Alameda County Board of Education by a vote of 3-2. Students from kindergarten through fifth grade will learn about "tolerance" for the homosexual lifestyle beginning next year.

The curriculum is in addition to the school's current anti-bullying program and is estimated to cost $8,000 for curriculum and training. ...

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.

Wii and iPod giveaway!

2009-05-29T18:57:00.003-04:00

CPF is giving away a Wii and an iPod to celebrate 2 years of blogging. You can go here to see how to enter.

Home: No place for Bible study

2009-05-29T10:26:00.002-04:00

Read this! Maybe we are not as free as we think we are. Click on the link below.
Home: No place for Bible study

Shared via AddThis

Gluten Free

2009-05-20T13:29:00.002-04:00

I usually am not overly-personal on this blog, I have a private blog for friends and family, but I need to get some thoughts out there and hopefully people who read this can help me!

I recently tested positive for Celiac Disease. So I am now embarking on the journey of trying to be gluten free. I was completely overwhelmed yesterday. I was overly emotional and felt like I was grieving- sounds silly, but I am losing a huge part of my life (so to say)! I love bread products ( or things made with wheat and there are many)- pasta, pizza, bread, cereal, rolls, biscuits... you name it and I love it! So it was sad to think about not enjoying these wonderful things that God has given us to eat.

I have been doing research and trying to find things that I can eat. It is also hard having a family that I am to cook for. I do not want to deprive them of these yummy things- but it is very hard to see them, to smell the food, and not get any!!! Enough of the pity-party! I am continuing to pray that God helps me.

I am just curious if there are others out there who can help me. Any readers who have this or know someone who does?? Any resources, thoughts, ideas????

God So Loved the World, Part 2

2009-05-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

Abigail has a double ear infection, so we listened to John Piper instead of going to church on Sunday. I would encourage you to listen to (or Read) his sermon- Here.
It was so encouraging to be reminded of the love that God has for me. Something he said that stuck out in my mind is this:

...the relationship between being a sheep of Christ and believing on Christ is not that we believe in order to become sheep, but that God makes sheep in order that we may believe.

Go to the site and listen to the sermons.
Part 1
Part 2

She liked it!

2009-04-25T16:43:00.003-04:00

The cake was a success! Happy Birthday baby girl!

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is now One! How fast this year has gone. We have been so blessed by this little girl and we thank the Lord for her daily!

Here is her Butterfly cake that I made for her birthday. You can go here to see how to make this cake- or a different pattern.

Miss California Sparks Furor With Gay Marriage Comments on Miss USA Telecast

2009-04-23T13:06:00.001-04:00

Many of you have probably already heard about this, but for those who have not, you can go here , here, and here to read some articles.

Here is her question and answer:
When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, said "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

My Thoughts

2009-04-22T12:46:00.002-04:00

Something I am relearning is that I am in control of nothing! No matter what I do or how hard I try... I am never the one who is ultimately in control. To some that may sound like a bad thing. But to me, it gives me great comfort and peace.
I know that God is sovereign over all things and that He is working it all for my good and His own glory. ( Rom. 8:28)
This past Sunday I taught on Isaiah 45:1-13. God kept reminding the people that He is God and there is no other God besides Him. He formed everything. He made the heavens and the earth. He made us and He can do what He pleases with what He has created.
I am so thankful to know the the God of the universe care that much about me. He orchestrates all the events in my life from the small to the great.
May I keep learning this and stop trying to control things!

Free Ice Cream!!

2009-04-21T14:41:00.003-04:00

I just got back from enjoying a free cone from Ben & Jerry's with my family. Find a store near you and go enjoy a cone! It lasts today from 12- 8:00P.M.

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009

2009-04-13T18:58:00.002-04:00

It goes to show you that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Go here to watch and be amazed!

Girl Talk

2009-04-06T09:01:00.001-04:00

I asked for the book Girl Talk for Christmas and my wonderful husband got it for me. I have been reading it and wanted to recommend it for mothers and daughters alike. It has been a good book for me in dealing with my relationship with my our mother and I can see where I will need to come back to it in the future when relating to my own daughter.

I think that this book is for mothers and daughters of all ages to read and discuss together.

You can get your own copy Here.

Fireproof

2009-04-03T10:21:00.003-04:00

The other night we finally rented the movie Fireproof. I admit I was skeptical about watching it. Usually movies that are made through Christian organizations are cheesy, poor acting, or the story line is not that great. I had head reviews about this movie and wanted to see it, so we did.

I admit, I was surprised. It was a good movie. I will confess that some parts were cheesy, and some acting could have been better, there could have been more to the story- but it was a wholesome movie. I would recommend it to others to watch. You can read what others have said here, here, and here.

I do wish that the Gospel was more of a focus in the movie- in fact it should have been the focus. They depended a lot on love- but without the Gospel it is impossible to love that selfless love. We went to a wedding the other day and I was confronted with this problem there as well. The people getting married were believers, but there was no mention of the Gospel at their wedding. We are in such a "me" driven culture/sinful nature. We cannot find the strength or even the desire to love apart from Jesus through the Gospel.

The New Inductive Study Bible Give Away

2009-04-01T16:12:00.004-04:00

Precept Ministries International is giving away Bibles and other Bible Studies this month.

Here is some info they sent me:

With all of the struggles and tension in the world today, is it any wonder that people become discouraged and depressed? Where do you turn for help? Who can you trust and believe? What is the truth?

Precept Ministries' mission is to establish people in God's Word. We help people discover God's Truth for themselves — real, enduring Truth. And we'd like to do that for you. That's why we're giving away 10 Bonded Leather New Inductive Study Bibles and 122 of our award-winning Bible Studies during the month of April.

The New Inductive Study Bible is different. Other study Bibles tell you what the commentators think the text means. The New Inductive Study Bible helps you discover for yourself what the text truly says and means. Learn the Inductive Bible Study Method with the New Inductive Study Bible’s instructions for studying the Bible inductively, including help with marking symbols and making lists. Each book of the Bible has individualized instructions to guide you on your journey and includes thought-provoking application questions. Charts, maps, timelines, and illustrations throughout the text also help you with each book of the Bible. Plus it includes a concordance, a harmony of the Gospels, Bible reading plans, a concise history of Israel and much more to enrich your Bible study.

Precept Ministries’ award-winning Inductive Bible Studies have helped millions of people around the world discover the truth of God’s Word for themselves. The studies cover the full breadth of the Books of the Bible as well as specific topics that meet each person’s particular need and application. Whether you are looking for a Bible Study to help you Discover God’s Truth for yourself or if you’re ready to go deeper into the Word of God with a group of friends or church members, Precept Ministries has what you’re looking for.

Click here for more info, rules, and ways to enter the drawing!

I am Still Alive!

2009-04-01T15:10:00.021-04:00

It seems like forever since I have been posting on any of my blogs! Life has been very busy and lots of things have been on my mind. I am going to try and post more regularly, but no promises!

12-year-old speaks out on the issue of abortion

2009-02-18T15:48:00.001-05:00

12-year-old "Lia" of Toronto has become a star at her school and on Youtube with her five-minute pro-life speech, crafted for a school competition. Despite discouragement and outright opposition, Lia's presentation was so well done that she reportedly won the contest she was told she would be disqualified from, due to the "controversial" message of her speech.

Colossians 3:12-15

2009-02-05T08:01:00.001-05:00

Colossians 3:12-15 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

These verses have been going through my mind this week. I know I fall short, but it is my prayer that I would have more of a compassionate heart, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and LOVE. To love as Christ has and is continuing to love me. Help me Lord! As God's children, we have been shown great forgiveness and love and are called to show that to others. I am thankful that He helps me and is conforming me more and more into His image (Romans 8).

The Darkness of Abortion and the Light of Truth

2009-02-02T14:58:00.005-05:00

I listened to a sermon by John Piper called:The Darkness of Abortion and the Light of Truth. I would encourage you to listen or read it here. The topic of abortion has been burdening my heart for the past few months, since Obama was elected as president. I am not for abortion in any way, but if you read this blog and are, I just want to encourage you to listen to this sermon and others he has preached on this topic and may the Lord change your hearts!
Piper preached through Ephesians 5:1-16.

Ephesians 5:1-16 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

New Book on Sale

2009-01-23T09:59:00.004-05:00

Westminster Book Store has already sold 1000 copies of Get Outta My Face and they now have 500 more copies that they can offer at 65% off list. Hurry while they still have some. Click here to order your book.

Here is more info about the book:
This is a new book just released from Shepherd Press, the folks that brought us When Sinners Say "I Do" and Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Get Outta My Face: How to Reach Angry, Unmotivated Teens with Biblical Counsel is the most exciting and helpful book on that topic we've seen since Paul Tripp's Age of Opportunity. Author Rick Horne has years of experience turning around the lives of troubled teens with the gospel.

White House outlines Obama's pro-homosexual agenda

2009-01-21T15:46:00.004-05:00

While I am proud that our country is making progress and has elected an African American as our new President. I have several issues that I do not agree with him on. His "pro-homosexual agenda" is one of those issues. The article I read states:

Just hours after becoming president, the Whitehouse.gov website has laid out Barack Obama's agenda. Under a section of that agenda titled Civil Rights is a very detailed outline of what Obama plans to do for the homosexual community.
First on the list is the expansion of "hate crimes" statutes to include extra punishment for crimes committed because of sexual orientation and gender identity. Highlighted is the president's political history of support for hate crimes legislation.
Obama also supports full civil unions and federal rights for homosexual couples, and calls for repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). According to the agenda explanation, the president also is opposed to a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as only between a man and a woman.

You can read the rest of the article HERE. I will be praying for President Obama.

John Piper - Don't Be Anxious

2009-01-16T09:56:00.001-05:00

A good reminder!

5x5x5 Reading Plan

2009-01-14T14:33:00.001-05:00

Last year I shared about the Bible Reading Plan I was using here. So I thought I would share what my plans for this year are. I have chosen the 5x5x5 plan.

5 minutes per day, 5 days per week, 5 ways to dig deeper. Takes you through one chapter each day. Read the New Testament in one year.

You can go here and download a copy or look and see if there is another plan you would like to try. It is never to late to start! I will be using my new ESV Study Bible that I got for Christmas!!

2009

2009-01-12T12:42:00.006-05:00

So far 2009 has been filled with sickness! First my kids, then me, then my kids- hopefully we will be over it soon. I wanted to share some books that I got for Christmas that I am excited about reading. I will post some more over the next few days.

100 Cupboards by: N.D. Wilson
Leepike Ridge by: N.D. Willson

The Christmas Story

2008-12-24T07:57:00.005-05:00

Luke 1:26-38
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel* forever; his Kingdom will never end!" Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.

Matthew 1:18-25
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means 'God is with us.'"
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Luke 2:1-20
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Matthew 2:1-12

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,* and we have come to worship him." King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?" "In Bethlehem in Judea," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote:
'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.'
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!" After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

John 1:1-18
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'" From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us.

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

2008-12-19T12:17:00.001-05:00

The 12 Days of Christmas-
This is funny!

Going rate to kill pastor: $250

2008-11-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

This is horrible! Please pray for our brothers and sisters in India. I have posted the article below.

Going rate to kill pastor: $250
Rewards offered for murdering Christians, destroying homes, churches
Posted: November 20, 2008
11:30 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Hindu extremist groups are offering money, food and alcohol to anyone who murders Christians and destroys their homes.

The violence is nothing new in Orissa, India, where India's Communist Party estimates that more than 500 Christians have been killed by Hindu mobs in Orissa since late August, 12 times more than official government claims of only 40 homicides.

But now the stakes are even higher – and pastors have a bounty on their heads.

Faiz Rahman, chairman of Good News India, said Hindu militants are targeting Christian leaders, the Christian Post reported.

"The going price to kill a pastor is $250," he said.

Rahman, a head of several orphanages in Orissa State, said he's helped 25 pastors to leave refugee camps, but 250 Christian leaders are still in shelters.

"All of the pastors are high value targets," Rahman told the UK-based Release International. "We've got to get them out of the refugee camps."

An All-India Christian Council spokesman said, "People are being offered rewards to kill, and to destroy churches and Christian properties. They are being offered foreign liquor, chicken, mutton and weapons. They are given petrol and kerosene."
One official said he personally authorized "cremation of more than 200 bodies" found in jungles after Christians were blamed for the death of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 24. They continue to be persecuted even though Maoists openly admitted to murdering Saraswati.

Thousands of homes and churches have been destroyed, and an estimated 50,000 Christians have been forced to flee the violence. Mission Network News estimates 5,000 Christian homes have been burned and 200 churches ruined. According to the Christian Post, 30,000 people remain in government-operated refugee camps. Tens of thousands are living in forests – many seriously wounded.

Father Manoj, based at the archbishop’s office in Bhubaneshwar, said Christians remain in hiding.

"They are too scared to go home. They know that if they return to their villages they will be forced to convert to Hinduism."

Religious rights group Barnabus Fund told the group Hindu militants "forced" Christians in Orissa to "convert" to Hinduism by threatening them with rape if they refused.

Neighbors reportedly gang-raped a Hindu woman after her Christian uncle refused to renounce his faith, according to reports.

Another Christian woman named Jaspina was told by neighbors, "If you go on being Christian, we will burn your house and your children in front of you." She and her family were forced to eat cow excrement to "purify" themselves of Christianity.

Other Christians were doused with gasoline and told to participate in conversion ceremonies or be lit on fire.

This week, Hindu extremists said they have set a deadline for the capture of Saraswati's murderers. If the killers are not caught by Dec. 15, they promised to begin a massacre on Dec. 25, Christmas day.

According to the latest report, Orissa's Catholic bishops wrote an ominous letter to the state's chief minister. It read, "This conflict is a calculated and pre-planned master plan to wipe out Christianity from Kandhamal in order to realize the hidden agenda … of establishing a Hindu nation."

Have you read your Bible lately?

2008-11-22T08:40:00.001-05:00

Have you read your Bible lately? I know that is something that you may not want to talk about. Either because you do not read the Bible, maybe it has been a long time, or maybe you think you are too busy. I admit, that sometimes it is a struggle to read my Bible with all that is going on, but I do try to daily spend time with my Lord, through His Word.

All of that to say... I watched a very interesting show the other night on PBS. It was part of a series called Secrets of the Dead. This particular episode was called Battle for the Bible. I would encourage you to watch it, just check your local listings. It was very educational. The show walked through how the Bible was translated and survived. "The dangers faced by religious reformers and those who translated the Bible into English are examined in this compelling episode," according to the site.

My husband and I have listened to MP3s that deal with this and I am blown away. People sacrificed all they had to get God's Word. People at one time could not have a copy of the Bible and when it was translated into their language it was outlawed. May people were killed by burning for even having a copy of the Bible.

That just causes my heart to be so burdened. I think about how many Bible's we have today and in a variety of translations- all at our fingertips- and what do we do with it? Nothing for the most part. We have God's Word in our hand and we are too busy for it. It seems like some people have reverted back to Catholicism in the fact that they only hear God's Word on Sunday from the pastor. Where is the passion? Where is the desire to read His truth? To know God?

I want to encourage you to read your Bible. We have so many resources out there that were bought with blood. Don't neglect your freedom to own and read God's Word.

Only Jesus

2008-11-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

I have mentioned before how much I have enjoyed listening to the Valley of Vision CD. (By the way- it is on sale now!) There is a song that I love (I love them all- but this one is different)! It is called Only Jesus. You can download the lyrics or read them below. It brings my heart to worship every time I hear it. Not to mention the fact that my son comes running in the room when he hears it saying "only Jesus only Jesus mommy". What more could I ask for?

If you want to hear part of the song, then click on the link above and you can select a song to listen to.

Only Jesus LYRICS
Item # M4175-09-58

By Doug Plank
These lyrics accompany the song "Only Jesus" from the Valley of Vision album.
Lyrics

Father of grace, You’ve sacrificed
Your only Son for us, the crucified Jesus
Enlarge our hearts to love Your Son
O grant to us the grace to walk with Him always
To make Him our great delight
Bringing worship with our lives

Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
Give us Jesus, we cry
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
The Pearl of greatest price

Spirit of grace, You’ve shed Your light
Upon our darkened eyes, unveiling Jesus Christ
Come change our hearts, conform our ways
To honor Jesus’ Name, His glory our refrain
Let His love compel our own
As we worship at His throne

Jesus, our great Savior,
Lord of heaven, Son of God

Baby things!

2008-11-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

Here are two sites that have great baby things!! The LBS site has all handmade things from someone I went to college with. The Etsy site is all handmade as well.

Little LBS. Design

This site has great things for babies and children. All of it is so cute.

Etsy -Cocoon Prop Swaddle Wrap Blanket

These are so cool! I wish I had known about them when my babies were infants. There is always next time!

Baby Picture

2008-11-19T08:23:00.000-05:00

I am going to brag a little. Abigail was chosen (along with 19 other babies) to have her picture on the wall at Parkridge East Hospital. The hospital remodeled the labor and delivery area and picked 20 babies to have their pictures taken by a professional photographer. If you live in the Chattanooga area you can go and see my baby on the wall!! She is close to room 130- which happens to be the room that we stayed in while we were there with Ezekiel.
So here is her picture!!!

A Look at Titus

2008-11-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

One of my pastors has been preaching through the book of Titus. I have learned a lot through this study. All of the sermons so far are on-line. Click HERE and listen through the book of Titus.

Another Book Giveaway!

2008-11-17T08:37:00.001-05:00

It is time for another giveaway. The book is called Opening up Ephesians.

"Peter Jeffery leads young people into a careful study of the glorious book of Ephesians. Each chapter concludes with thought provoking questions which will challenge the reader to dig deeper and think harder about how these truths apply to their own lives."

Peter Jeffery began his ministry in South Wales, before serving Rugby Evangelical Free Church in the Midlands during a period of remarkable growth and then moving to the famous Bethlehem Church in Sandfields. Now retired, he continues to be in demand as a gospel preacher on both sides of the Atlantic.

So if you would like to enter the give away, just post a comment and leave me your e-mail address. You can blog about it if you have a blog, post me the link in a comment, and that will get you two entries! Sorry, but you need to live in the USA to win.
I will draw the winner on November 28Th.

Books I am Reading

2008-10-21T10:03:00.011-04:00

I have had this book for a while and not really read much of it. I am at a point now that I NEED all the biblical help I can get with training and disciplining my son. This is an excellent book. I found I was doing some things right and that I also need to work on some things. It is great because it helps you with discipline at different ages. Some much needed encouragement and focus.

You can gohere to see it.

This is a book that shows research and gives plans for sleep with babies and up. I have only read a little, but this is needed as well right now. My two year old has decided to sin and rebel against sleep. Which as you can imagine is not good for anyone involved. He is overtired and that makes it even more difficult. I am reading to get him back on track for good sleeping habits. It started with the freedom of a toddler bed and has just escalated from there. He used to sleep 12 -13 hours at night and we are down to 7-8. That drastically has affected his behavior. Keeping him in bed at night is another issue. So if you want to know more about how often your child should sleep and other information this is a great tool. Here is the book.

I am also reading this for fun. My husband gave it to me a while ago. I love Jane Austen. Peter Leithart does a great job of looking into her novels.

How To Go To Jail For A Speeding Ticket

2008-10-20T14:26:00.001-04:00

How Horrible!! What was he thinking?

Well I did it

2008-10-20T09:51:00.005-04:00

I finally did what I was not wanting to do. I joined facebook. I have debated doing this for a while now and decided it was time. I had several reasons for joining and several for not wanting to join.

Reasons for:

1. To keep up with people that I do not have a lot of time to see or talk to.

2. To try and stay up-to-date with things going on on-line that my children may one day be a part of.

3. To try and understand why everyone loves it.

Reasons against:

1. Not a lot of extra time.

2. I want to be more intentional with people face to face and not just read about their life.

3. It will be something else that I have to figure out.

So I thought about the good/bad and realized that I am just going to have to try and see for myself what it is all about and hopefully it will be useful for staying "connected" to those I really want to minister to. Hopefully I will figure it all out.

Suffering for the Sake Of...

2008-10-11T15:35:00.003-04:00

I just finished listening/watching this video. I would encourage you to take the time to watch. It comes from the 2005 Desiring God National Conference: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Author: Joni Eareckson Tada
Topic: The Sovereignty of God

You can download it here.

It is Here!

2008-10-11T15:08:00.005-04:00

Finally the ESV study Bible is here! You have many choices and the WTS book store.

Calfskin Leather, Black

Hardcover

Genuine Leather, Burgundy

Genuine Leather. Black

Bonded Leather, Burgundy

Bonded Leather, Black

Tru Tone Classic Black

Tru Tone Natural Brown

my other blog

2008-10-06T15:04:00.003-04:00

I have started another blog. I have been and will be posting things related to the home- cooking, recipes, funny stories, and other things. I will still be blogging here, I just wanted a separate blog for more domestic things!

So feel free to go to Everyday Living and enjoy!

There is a Day

2008-10-03T15:31:00.002-04:00

I came across this video on this blog and thought I would share it. What hope we have in Christ! The song is "There is a day" by the UK band Phatfish.

Three Years and Counting

2008-10-02T11:51:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our anniversary. We have been married three years! It seems like only yesterday. God has shown me so much in these past three years...I will save that for another post!

My love gave me three different sets of flowers!

Terrible twos....I think not

2008-09-23T21:03:00.005-04:00

I always have heard about the "terrible twos" as if it is something that we are just to accept and allow in our children's lives- it is normal. How your child will pitch fits, say no, and act completely crazy as they break away and form some new independence that they did not have before. Well to all who believe that behavior is acceptable and normal I have something to say. NO WAY!!!

I would like to label these "terrible twos" for what it really is SIN! I feel like today was WW3. I love my baby boy and for the most part he is very compliant, but today we had a battle. To start things off he did not have a nap- something that is always needed and enforced daily. From there it just got worse. As I was in the middle of what seemed like a never ending crying, screaming, discipline, eternity- God spoke to my heart.

I have learned so many things about the character of God from being a parent. I have also learned to depend on Him for everything. Some things that I learned today- or was reminded of I should say are:

1. God places people in our lives (and uses suffering) to form us more into the image of Christ.
Through the book study I am doing, I read last week about how the suffering in our lives makes us more like Christ. That has really been on my mind. Christ had to suffer and did suffer for God's glory. He suffered with His family, friends, and everyone else. So why should I expect anything different in my life. I can see how different people are in my life to make me more like Christ. He uses it all for His glory. Even enduring a day I never wish to have again. (Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, Philippians 3:8-11)

2. God is so gracious to sinners who are found in Christ.
My sin is so great and His grace is even greater. (Romans 5:18-21)

3. I am in my "terrible twos" and will be until I am glorified.
I am a sinner. I sin all the time and am in need daily of grace and mercy.( Romans 8:22-25)

4. God never stops loving His children.
No matter how much I blow it and sin, because I am His child, I cannot be separated for Christ.
(Lamentations 3:22-24, Romans 8:31-39)

5. We must be broken to be made new.
(Psalm 51)

6. God disciplines His children because He loves them.
It is not always easy to discipline my children, but I do it because I love them. I do not want to leave them in their sin. I am to teach them and bring them up in the instruction of the Lord. That is the same thing that my Heavenly Father does with me. ( Ephesians 6:4, Hebrews 12:7-11)

I did it!

2008-09-17T15:58:00.005-04:00

I made my first baby food! I had wanted to in the past, but we did not have a food processor. We got one when I was pregnant (it also can make milkshakes!!) and have finally made some food. It is not as hard as I thought, nor time consuming.

I am sure that many out there have done it. This is my first. I knew it would save money...so here is what I did.

I got a one pound bag of peas for $0.88. I made a cup of peas (with plenty left over for later) and put them in the processor. One cup filled up half of an ice-cube tray. They are now in the freezer ready for when I need them. I only made a little just to experiment for right now. One cube should be enough to feed her at each feeding so I have 9 meals ready to go. I just hope she eats the peas!!!

Pass on any tips you have!!!

So Funny

2008-09-16T10:56:00.001-04:00

He had so much fun with this. He did not need any presents!

Book Talk

2008-09-15T15:35:00.005-04:00

I told you earlier that I would be reading the book Helper By Design. Well, there are several ladies that I am meeting with at church and we are reading this book together. We have had great discussions and I am looking forward to finishing the book. I just thought I would post some of the things that the Lord pointed out to me in this chapter.

1. The Lord has commanded my husband to love me (Ephesians 5:25) How am I making that easy for him? It is my obligation to help him in doing this!

2. I long to be known by my husband, but I know that I do not always long to know him as I should. She says, "we wives have been called to help and companion our husbands, a task that will be impossible if we aren't growing in our knowledge of them."

3. The only one who will ever completely know us is the Lord.

There are many other things that I have been challenged by in this book. Hopefully I will post more later. If you are reading this with me, feel free to comment on some things you are learning.

Blog Loving

2008-09-15T15:20:00.002-04:00

My friend Betsy sent me the I heart your blog award. Thanks Betsy! I am supposed to send it to others so here are my awards!

1. Making Home

2. The Tarnished Teapot and Full Tummies

3. with humility, thankfulness, and rejoicing

4. Girl Talk

I do not personally know each of these women, but I enjoy their blogs. You should read them!

something to ponder

2008-09-08T15:45:00.004-04:00

While on vacation I was thinking a lot about keeping my children safe. Anytime we are in a new environment I am always in that protective mom mode. You know.. watch for cars, little things they can get into, staying out of the water/ocean (when a hurricane is coming!), just about anything. I want to keep my babies safe and protect them from anything that would harm them.

But it struck me. What I need to protect them from most is themselves! My son was into a lot of things. Being almost 2 (on Wednesday) he never stops! But his sin is what is doing the most damage right now. Not climbing on things or falling. We always want to focus on this external things, but it is the heart that needs to change.

It is not always easy to deal with. Especially when he acts like he has never heard the word NO. But if I am to protect him from the most harmful thing it is not going to be easy.

back from vacation

2008-09-08T15:10:00.004-04:00

I have not been posting because we have been gone and my parents have a very SLOW connection to the internet. Plus, it is always good to take a little break from the computer. It does monopolize too much time- if allowed.

Going on vacation is often needed, but here are some reasons I am thankful to be home:

1. No mosquitoes the size of small birds and stripped like tigers ready to attack.

2. No flooding

3. No tiny frogs overpopulating everywhere (though they were very cute!)

4. Getting back to schedule and a routine.

5. Sleeping in my bed (not sharing a room with the entire family!)

Updated Pictures of my Babies!

2008-08-20T16:26:00.004-04:00

They grow up so fast. I know that they are still babies, but time goes by so quickly.

Abigail is almost 4 months!

Ezekiel is almost 2!!

New Furniture!!

2008-08-20T10:58:00.003-04:00

Well, we have been married almost three years now so we decided to get new living room furniture. All of our other furniture was mine that I had accumulated over the years and most of it did not match. We wanted to get something that was ours!! We had some extra money and decided to get new furniture. It came yesterday! Here are a few pictures.

Raspberry-Chocolate Cheesecake

2008-08-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

I usually do not make dessert, but I love cheesecake. I found this recipe and thought it looked easy enough. It was so good! I got it out of a Family Circle magazine and then found it on-line HERE. Enjoy!! (Sorry I forgot to take a picture-next time.)

Makes: 12 servings Chill: 4 hours
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes; at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups soft macaroon cookie crumbs
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Topping:
3 Tbs. seedless raspberry jam
1 Tbs. milk chocolate chips

Directions
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Crust: Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap foil around bottom of pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Coolon a wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3. Filling: In a medium-size bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips over the bottom of the cooled crust and spread the cheese mixture evenly over the chips.
5.Topping: Heat raspberry jam gently, until just liquid enough to drizzle over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of chips over the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set.
6. Remove cheesecake to wire rack and cool completely. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until completely chilled. To serve, remove from refrigerator, let stand 15 minutes, then remove side of pan.

Watch Your Man

2008-08-14T14:08:00.003-04:00

I just listened to this and would encourage other wives to listen to Watch Your Man By Carolyn Mahaney

Click HERE to download and listen. This message was delivered at Sovereign Grace Ministries’ 2007 Leadership Conference.

Here is a description of the message:

Part of a wife’s biblical role is to bring faithful, gentle correction to her husband when necessary. True friends are willing to humbly correct one another, but if a wife does this poorly, she can damage her marriage.

In this seminar for women, Carolyn Mahaney explain’s a wife’s responsibility to lovingly watch over her husband. She gives biblical advice on questions such as how to correct in humility and love, when to forbear patiently, and when to prayerfully persist and appeal for change. Most important, Carolyn encourages wives to rely on God to change their husbands’ hearts and actions. It is God’s favor and approval—not change in their husbands—that wives must ultimately seek.

Olympic Junky?

2008-08-13T11:34:00.007-04:00

I am not sure about you, but we have been watching the Olympics every night. I usually am not so interested, but this year I cannot get enough! I have enjoyed the swimming, volleyball and gymnastics so far. Ezekiel has enjoyed it too. He keeps saying "swim, swim" or "run, jump, flip".

For those of you who have been following, here is what Michael Phelps eats each day, amazing!

"Phelps lends a new spin to the phrase "Breakfast of Champions" by starting off his day by eating three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

At lunch, Phelps gobbles up a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

For dinner, Phelps really loads up on the carbs - what he needs to give him plenty of energy for his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week regimen - with a pound of pasta and an entire pizza.

He washes all that down with another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

That's 12,000 calories a day--six times what the average man should have."

[HT: JT]

Poll: Homeschooling a constitutional right

2008-08-12T13:51:00.002-04:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--More than eight in 10 Americans were at odds with a California appeals court that ruled in February that parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children, according to just-released data from LifeWay Research.
It seems the California appeals court now agrees. In a stunning move Aug. 8, a three-judge panel of the court reversed itself, saying the state legislature has implicitly accepted homeschooling as legal. "We ... conclude that California statutes permit homeschooling as a species of private school education," the justices wrote in their unanimous decision.
LifeWay Research, in an April telephone survey, found that 86 percent of the respondents agreed that, "Parents have a constitutional right to homeschool their children." ...

read the rest of the article here.

My Favorite Scripture!

2008-08-06T22:27:00.004-04:00

I had seen these and wanted to make one, so I did. Just click HERE and make your own.

Helpful Reminder

2008-07-25T11:47:00.003-04:00

I listened to this and thought I would share it with all the wives out there. Very simple, but how true. Click here and listen or read what John Piper has to say about "How can wives encourage their husbands?".

U.S. government: We know parenting better than you

2008-07-25T11:32:00.005-04:00

I just read this article that I have posted below. Pray that this may not happen!

Proposals would give Washington unprecedented control over kids

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to debate two bills that could give the federal government unprecedented control over the way parents raise their children – even providing funds for state workers to come into homes and screen babies for emotional and developmental problems.

The Pre-K Act (HR 3289) and the Education Begins at Home Act (HR 2343) are two bills geared toward military and families who fall below state poverty lines. The measures are said to be a way to prevent child abuse, close the achievement gap in education between poor and minority infants versus middle-class children and evaluate babies younger than 5 for medical conditions.

'Education Begins at Home Act' – HR 2343

HR 2343 is sponsored by Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and cosponsored by 55 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing the Education Begins at Home Act would cost taxpayers $190 million for state home visiting plus "such sums as may be necessary" for in-hospital parent education.

While the bill may appear to be well-intentioned, Pediatrician Karen Effrem told WND government provisions in HR 2343 to evaluate children for developmental problems go too far.

"The federal definition of developmental screening for special education also includes what they call socioemotional screening, which is mental health screening," Effrem said. "Mental health screening is very subjective no matter what age you do it. Obviously it is incredibly subjective when we are talking about very young children."

While the program may not be mandatory for low-income and military families, there is no wording in the Education Begins at Home Act requiring parental permission for treatment or ongoing care once the family is enrolled – a point that leads some to ask where parental rights end and the government takes over. Also, critics ask how agents of the government plan to acquire private medical and financial records to offer the home visiting program.
"There's no consent mentioned in the bill for any kind of screening – medical, health or developmental," Effrem said. "There are privacy concerns because when home visitors come into the home they assess everything about the family: Their financial situation, social situation, parenting practices, everything. All of that is put into a database."

Effrem said it does not specify whether parents are allowed to decline evaluations, drugs or treatment for their children once they are diagnosed with developmental or medical conditions.

"How free is someone who has been tagged as needing this program in the case of home visiting – like a military family or a poor family?" she asked. "How free are they to refuse? Even their refusal will be documented somewhere. There are plenty of instances where families have felt they can't refuse because they would lose benefits, be accused of not being good parents or potentially have their children taken away."

When WND asked Effrem how long state-diagnosed conditions would remain in a child's permanent medical history, she responded:

"Forever. As far as I know, there isn't any statute of limitations. The child's record follows them through school and potentially college, employment and military service."

Effrem said conflicts could also arise when parents do not agree with parenting standards of government home visitors.

"Who decides how cultural tolerance is going to be manifested?" she asked. "There's some blather in the language of the bill about having cultural awareness of the differences in parenting practices, but it seems like that never applies to Christian parents."

'Providing Resources Early for Kids'

The Pre-K Act, or HR 3289, is sponsored by Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and cosponsored by 116 Democrats and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. Estimated to cost $500 million for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013, the bill provides funds for state-approved education. Government workers would reach mothers and fathers in the hospital after a baby has been delivered to promote Pre-K programs.

"They give them information about Child Care Resource and Referral Network so they can get the child into a preschool or daycare that follows the state standards and get the mom working as quickly as possible," she said. "It's always that sort of thing: It's a list of resources, it's intruding on parental autonomy and authority and it's not necessarily accurate or welcome information."

While parents may choose to be involved in preschool programs, Effrem said the Pre-K Act poses similar concerns about government trumping parents' rights.

"Once they are involved, they don't have any say over curriculum," she said. "There's plenty of evidence of preschool curriculum that deals with issues that have nothing to do with a child's academic development – like gender, gender identity, careers, environmentalism, multiculturalism, feminism and all of that – things that don't amount to a hill of beans as far as a child learning how to read."

Effrem said the Pre-K Act extends a "really messed-up K-12 system" to include even younger, more vulnerable children.

"This is an expansion of the federal government into education when there really is no constitutional provision for it to do so."

Note: Concerned individuals may contact their representatives and senators.

Good Post

2008-07-24T15:17:00.004-04:00

As I posted about before, our family has talked a lot about having our children with us in the worship service. I gave a few links for you to read and look at the comments here and here. Today Nancy Wilson at Femina posted a great post about Little Ones in Church. I would encourage you to read it. Here is something that her husband wrote about it too.

Good Movie(s)

2008-07-17T23:46:00.013-04:00

We have been renting movies and watching the newer and older versions. I must say that The Manchurian Candidate is a great movie. I enjoyed both of them. The older mover stars Frank Sinatra and the star of the newer is Denzel Washington. I would recommend that you watch the 1962 version first. It gives more detail and explains more of the story. But the 2004 remake has a little more action and the plot is a little bit different. I must say that watching these movies during an election year is very interesting!!

Beach Pictures

2008-07-14T15:06:00.005-04:00

Here are a few more pictures of our vacation.

Pray for Your Children

2008-07-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

Like most parents, who are believers in Christ, I want to pray for my children. I especially want to pray scripture over them. There are many books out there that can help you do that- but I am not promoting any book. I did come across this article that I found encouraging. The Bible is full of scripture that we can pray over our children. I am not talking about the "health, wealth, and prosperity gospel" prayers. I am talking about scriptures to pray for their souls, thoughts, dreams, protection, maturity, obedience, and attitudes.

Many of these are the same scriptures that we should/could be praying for ourselves. We should pray not just when our children are in trouble or need, but daily pray for them. I just want to encourage all parents to pray for their children. You will have to change the wording a little and include your child's name- but pray the meaning of the scripture for them and over them.

Here is an example: Colossians 3:20 "Lord please help____ to obey us in everything for this is pleasing to you. Help him to want to please you in all things, especially through his obedience to us. He is struggling with ____. Please change his heart and guide him into obedience."

I have listed a few scriptures below to help get you started.

Obedience:

Love:

Other:

Vacation

2008-07-10T15:32:00.003-04:00

Sorry not to be posting, we just got back from vacation! Here are a few pictures of our fun time in Florida. I have more pictures but they are not downloaded yet. I will post those later.

Hi turtle!

splash

Happy 4th of July

Grandpa and Abigail

Grammie and Abigail

Pictures of Abigail

2008-07-01T15:43:00.005-04:00

Here is our precious baby girl in my baby dress. That dress is almost 32 years old!! I forget to post updated pictures here. We have another blog that we only post about our babies- so forgive me for the delay.

Book Winner

2008-07-01T13:58:00.003-04:00

The winner of my book give away is Joe at kuriosblog. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy the book.

I will be posting about another book give away soon, so be looking for it.

Great News!!!

2008-07-01T12:21:00.005-04:00

We have been truly blessed! God has provided for us and now my car is paid off and so are my student loans!! Praise God! It was hard to see the end, but now it has come and we are so thankful to the Great Provider who keeps all of our days.

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8 The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Free Book

2008-06-24T14:47:00.004-04:00

My husband and I love books. You should see our library!! So we want to share our love with others. (Plus we want to encourage other believers with new books that will help them in their walks with the Lord.) I already told you about his book give away and now I am doing the same!

The book is The Heart of the Cross by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken.

Publisher Review: These 21 devotional readings probe the events surrounding Calvary--especially Jesus' words from the cross--to give a richer understanding of the amazing love that drove Jesus there. This book reminds us that the cross is a vivid reminder of the inexhaustible depths of Jesus' loving, ultimate sacrifice and of our dire need for redemption.

The drawing will be held on July 1st.

Update on Teen Pregnancy

2008-06-24T14:00:00.003-04:00

17 Pregnancies a 'Coincidence,' Says Teen

Here on Good Morning America, you can listen to more updated information on the 17 teens that got pregnant.

Zucchini Bread- thief!

2008-06-23T13:32:00.006-04:00

I found a Zucchini Bread Recipe that we all enjoy. My friend gave me some zucchini at church yesterday, so I made some bread today. While it was cooling.... I noticed that my son was chewing on something... he kept leaving the room and coming back.... so I went to see what he was doing! His little hand was reaching up and he was enjoying some bread!!

Here it the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

I just use a bread baking stone and do not have to grease or flour the pan. I also leave out the walnuts, but you can add them if you like.

Teens had pact to get pregnant, report says

2008-06-19T11:21:00.004-04:00

I just finished reading this article about a group of girls, all in high school, that decided to get pregnant.

You can read this article for all the details.

I am not sure what motivated them. I know it stated that they all wanted to raise their babies together, but honestly they have no clue what any of that includes. Raising children is not easy, even when you are married to a wonderful husband. Are they looking for someone to love? Do they need to feel a part of a family? What message are they getting from their friends, family... anyone?

This is one reason why it is so important to teach our children the way they should live. We are to teach them to love the Lord and obey His commandments. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

We as parents are also to love our children. I think that many teens go looking for love because they have not received it from their families.

Here is a new update to the original story!

Are you free?

2008-06-13T14:10:00.023-04:00

I don't know about you, but I have been struggling with my freedom. Now different things may enter your mind when you hear the word free. It all depends on your situation or circumstances. If you are shopping- you would love to see a free sign, or if you live in America we talk about our freedoms all the time that have been given to us. Even people in prison long to be free.

But the freedom I am talking about is different. I am talking about being Truly Free! A freedom that makes you want to stand with your arms outstretched and bask in the beauty of what you have. The kind of freedom that makes you want to scream "I'm Free", or laugh, or cry, or just about any other emotion you have.

The freedom I am referring to is the only True freedom, the one that comes from Christ.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

What is this freedom referring to? Being free from your sins. Free to live without the burden of sin. Free to live a new life, one that is pleasing to God, because you are no longer bound to sin, but are set free. (This freedom only comes if we believe that Christ died and was raised again to take away our sins so that we would have this freedom.) Now this freedom does not mean that we will not sin, because we still do- but that we are not under the bondage of sin- we are not slaves to it. It does not control us or motivate us because the Spirit of God has made us new creations that are free. Here is what The Word tells us us:

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5)

" Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man [Christ] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. " (Acts 13:38-39)

" For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:5-11)

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

So what is the struggle? The struggle comes with trying to still carry the burden of my guilt and shame. I cannot experience true freedom when I carry guilt around, beating myself up over my sin. I am set free from sin, not a slave of any kind. Christ has set me free. I need to understand the Truth and apply it to my life. God's Word says:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh," (Romans 8:1-3)

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31-32)

I know the truth and the truth will set me free. I pray that I lock this truth on my mind when I start to feel bound again. What Christ did for me was sufficient to take away all my sin, all my guilt, and all my shame. Satan (1 Peter 5:8)tries to make me believe the lies that I need to feel guilty, but Christ has washed me clean and I am FREE. I am to-"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16) May we all begin to grasp what our freedom is and enjoy what Christ has made possible- for those who are found in Him.

Great Book Giveaway!

2008-06-10T11:15:00.004-04:00

My husband is doing a book giveaway each month. Click on the link above for more details! This month the book is Jesus Among Other God's by Ravi Zacharias. Go here to see his post on it!

Another giveaway!

2008-06-10T09:34:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love to carry my new baby girl in a sling. It is easy, hands free, and she is right beside me! Well, Simple is giving away baby slings from Mod Mum. They are all so very cute! But I think I like the Claire the best.

So if you are interested in possibly winning this then go to Simple for the rules.

New Book

2008-06-10T08:54:00.006-04:00

I just started reading a new book my husband got me for Mother's Day. It is called Helper By Design - God's Perfect Plan for Women in Marriage by Elyse Fitzpatrick. I hope to blog about this book as I read further. I know this is something that most women who are married may struggle with. I am praying that the Lord will use this book in my life, by His grace and for His glory.

Free Audiobook of the Month - The Pilgrim's Progress

2008-06-05T15:51:00.004-04:00

John Bunyan was a simple maker and mender of pots and kettles who received very little education. In spite of that, he penned the most successful allegory ever written. He lost his first wife and was imprisoned for twelve years for his compelling-but unlicensed-preaching. Nevertheless, his preaching about the gravity of sin, salvation by grace, the cost of discipleship, perseverance, and the glory of eternal life lives on in the signs and symbols of The Pilgrim's Progress. Embark on a perilous journey with Christian, the lead character, from the City of Destruction to the luminous safe haven of the Celestial City. The journey will encourage you to "set your hope fully on the grace to be given you" amidst the obstacles of life.

Just go HERE add the download format of The Pilgrim's Progress to your cart and then use the coupon code JUN2008 during checkout to receive your free download.

An Amazing Story!

2008-06-05T15:37:00.003-04:00

Baby Miraculously Survives Abortion, Expected to Live 'Normal' Life

Here is what happened:

A mother who decided to abort her son because he may have inherited a life-threatening kidney condition is overjoyed that he survived the procedure.

Jodie Percival of Nottinghamshire, England, said she and her fiancee made the decision to abort baby Finley when she was eight weeks pregnant.

Percival's first son Thane died of multicystic dysplastic kidneys — which causes cysts to grow on the kidneys of an unborn baby — and her second child Lewis was born with serious kidney damage and currently has just one kidney, the Daily Mail reported.

"I was on the (birth control pill) when I became pregnant," Percival, 25, said. "Deciding to terminate at eight weeks was just utterly horrible but I couldn't cope with the anguish of losing another baby."

A short time after the abortion, Percival felt a fluttering in her stomach. She went to the doctor for a scan and discovered she was 19 weeks pregnant.

"I couldn't believe it,' Percival said. "This was the baby I thought I'd terminated. At first I was angry that this was happening to us, that the procedure had failed. I wrote to the hospital, I couldn't believe that they had let me down like this.

"They wrote back and apologized and said it was very rare," she added.

Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor for FOXNews.com, said Percival's situation is actually quite common.

"Women that have early terminations in weeks six, seven and eight, many times the pregnancy is so small that doctors miss removing the baby," Alvarez said. "The danger is that the failed attempt can damage the baby. That is why these patients who get early terminations need follow-ups."

Another scan a week later confirmed the baby also had kidney problems, but doctors told the couple the baby was likely to survive, so they decided he deserved another chance at life.

In November, Finley was born three weeks premature. He had minor kidney damage but is expected to lead a normal life.

Children in the "Worship Service"

2008-06-02T15:42:00.003-04:00

I have thought about this a lot in the past and especially now that I have children of my own. So I would like to know your thoughts about having little children gather with the body for worship. Here are two blog entries that you can read. He is thinking through this issue and I have commented on one of his posts.

Read here and here.

Please respond and let me know your thoughts on this issue- and your biblical reasoning. I would like to hear from young, old, single, married, those with children and those without.

Updated Pictures

2008-06-02T15:26:00.003-04:00

Here are some updated pictures of my babies!

Flirty Apron GIve Away

2008-05-21T17:14:00.004-04:00

Over at Simple they are giving away very cute aprons! Or you can go to Flirty Aprons and buy one for yourself. This is the one that I like! Well I like them all, but I really like this one.

Here are the details:

Win it: Flirty Aprons is offering an apron of your choice to one of our readers. To enter simply check out Flirty Aprons and then leave a comment telling us which apron is your favorite.
Winner will be chosen at random May 28th

The May Giveaway

2008-05-21T11:07:00.003-04:00

This month's sponsor is Monergism Books. Monergism Books exists "to serve the worldwide church by providing the finest classic and contemporary books within the rich tradition of historic Christian orthodoxy. As we carry out our mission, we are committed to providing excellent customer service at a competitive low price, thus creating an exceptional value to our customers." It is one of those stores you can shop at and know that every title on the virtual shelves will be worth your time. You can learn more about the company at http://www.monergismbooks.com/.

Click on the Shopping Spree banner to enter the giveaway. Here are the prizes for this month’s giveaway:

First prize: $200 gift certificate for Monergism Books and a Five Solas t-shirt.
Second prize: $75 gift certificate for Monergism Books and a Five Solas t-shirt.
Third Prize: $35 gift certificate for Monergism Books and a Five Solas t-shirt.

Great New Children's Books

2008-05-18T13:53:00.004-04:00

My husband just gave me some great books that I thought I would share. They are amazing. The series is all titled: Big Thoughts For Little People. Joey Allen has written books for children on the Trinity, the Gospel, the Mission, and the Scriptures. It is hard to find books that teach children Doctrine and he has done an excellent job of communicating difficult doctrine so that children will understand it (with the help of the Spirit).

I would highly recommend that if you have young children you should get these books to read with them. On the bottom of each page he gives scripture references that you can look up and talk to your children about. Each page is jammed packed with truth.

Others have reviewed them here .

You can look here to see the books.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T16:19:00.004-04:00

I hope that every Mother will have a great Mother's Day. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family and I pray His blessings on all who follow after Him.

More Pictures

2008-05-06T13:58:00.007-04:00

I just had to share some cute pictures of my babies! We are adjusting well being at home altogether. Ezekiel loves Abigail. He kisses her on the head and talks about her all the time. He even goes into her room while she is asleep and puts toys in her bed! He just wants to play with her and be near her.

She is here!!

2008-04-28T13:53:00.003-04:00

Our beautiful little girl is here! Abigail Ruth Jones was born on April 25, 2008. She weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces. Much smaller than her brother was!

Here she is!

Three More Days!

2008-04-22T14:01:00.007-04:00

Well, I have three more days until the baby comes. We had to schedule a c-section. At our last ultrasound the baby girl already was over 8lbs. I guess she will be as big as her big brother was and I cannot deliver that size baby. So be in prayer for us on Friday afternoon! Unless she comes early!!

I realized that I never posted a picture of her finished pillows. So here it is.

And we did get a mattress!!

Who Would Have Thought??

2008-04-20T14:42:00.003-04:00

Eighth-Grader Faces Felony Charge for Planting Nuts in Lunch of Allergic Classmate

LEXINGTON, Ky. — An eighth-grader in Kentucky is accused of putting peanut butter cookie crumbs in the lunchbox of a classmate with a severe peanut allergy.

The allergic student did not eat the cookies Thursday at Morton Middle School in Lexington.

Fayette County schools spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall says the accused student was arrested on a felony wanton endangerment charge. The student will face charges in the juvenile court system.

Deffendall says it was well known that the other student suffered allergies. There was no known history of problems between the two 13-year-olds.

For those allergic to peanuts, trace amounts of peanut oil can cause severe reactions and even death.

Free Audio Downloads from Together for the Gospel

2008-04-17T13:49:00.004-04:00

The pastors from my church are all at this conference .

Here is what it is about:

Together for the Gospel is a biennial conference for pastors and church leaders, hosted by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, and C.J. Mahaney. You can learn more by reading their blog, visiting the 2008 conference info page, or watching video highlights from the 2006 conference.

I just found that all of the messages are available for anyone to download for free. Just click here.

Great Recipe

2008-04-17T13:32:00.006-04:00

Last night I tried THIS new recipe. It was SOOOOO Good! I did change the ingredients a little.

Italian Fettuccine Pie

Prep Time:30 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 10 min
Makes:6 servings

1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (I used 1 lb)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup) ( no onion for me- allergic)
1 can (8 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce (2 cans of this)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
6 oz uncooked fettuccine
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz) ( I used more in the noodles and I put some on top.)
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 cup Green Giant® frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, or chopped fresh broccoli (Next time I make it I will leave off the broccoli- it was ok, but did not really go in my opinion.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( I used more on top.)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

3. In medium bowl, beat one of the eggs and the butter. Stir in fettuccine and mozzarella cheese. In ungreased 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate, spoon and press mixture evenly in bottom and up side of dish.

4. In small bowl, mix cottage cheese and remaining egg; spread over fettuccine mixture in dish. Sprinkle with broccoli. Spoon beef mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

2008-04-11T14:10:00.003-04:00

This is horrible! Glenn posted this on his blog and I had to share it. Too many people watch Oprah and think she is ok. I hope you watch this and understand who she really is.

Raising Maidens of Virtue

2008-04-09T14:41:00.010-04:00

On our way back from Florida we listened to a radio broadcast by Covenant Radio. The broadcast was on the book:

Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald.

I think she raised some interesting thoughts about girls and how we should raise them biblically. I am not sure about some of the things she said, I am still thinking about them. But I think that it is worth listening to- especially if you are a woman. It is for mothers and fathers, and I think it would be helpful for those who are about to be on their own or even in high school now. She brings up some good points. Listen and let me know what you think.

This will be a different way of thinking for most of us, but well worth the thoughts!

Click HERE to listen!

Comments

2008-04-09T14:26:00.003-04:00

If you have tried to leave a comment in the past and could not, I have fixed that problem. I did not know that I had a certain setting on it. I will still be moderating the comments though. I had some problems in the past. But now everyone should be able to leave a comment!!

Folly of Teaching in Government Schools

2008-04-08T14:11:00.003-04:00

My husband sent me this from here and I found it very interesting.. Any thoughts from anyone out there?

R.C. Sproul Jr. on why Christian teachers ought not teach in government schools

"Your wife was a public school teacher. My wife and I are both public school teachers. My parents were also public school teachers. We are all believers in Christ. It seems that in your articles and books (Bound for Glory, Eternity in our Hearts, and Every Thought Captive) you have a severe dislike for the 'government schools' and the 'priests of the government schools'. Why are you so strongly against Christian's in the education field? Don't you think we need Christian teachers in public schools?"

First, to the gracious gentleman who asked this question, my thanks for the kind and tactful way in which the question was asked. This is especially gracious given that my own rhetoric tends to grow rather warm on this issue. I will try to answer honestly and graciously, without giving away the store. Second, it is important to make an important distinction. While in the end I think it important for both Christian students and teachers to leave the government school system, the case for getting the children out is by far the stronger, clearer case. The two are related, but not at all the same.

It is my conviction that education is everywhere and always inherently religious. That is, education is that process by which we pass on to our children our most deeply held convictions. An education that does not begin, end and stay focused on the lordship of Christ over all things is, in the end, not a sound education.

I deny that there is a body of information out there that is separate and distinct from the Lordship of Christ. As I have stated before, 2 and 2 makes 4 because it is Jesus’ 2 and Jesus’ 2 and Jesus’ 4.

Christians who wish to teach in the government’s schools are left therefore with three choices. First, they can give the children a sound education. Here they are eager to affirm the Lordship of Christ at all times and in all places. There are, however, two problems with this approach. First, any teacher doing this would be violating the law. Every state in the union forbids teachers from teaching this way. Second, any teacher teaching this way will also be violating the law of God. That is, you would be failing to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is ungracious, unkind and unfair to tax unbelievers for the purpose of paying your salary to evangelize their children. This, of course, is what the entire system does, only it evangelizes children into the worship of the state. The solution isn’t to take the system and use it to evangelize for Christ. The Christian thing would be to tear the whole thing down.

The Christian teacher next has this option. He can remain silent about the Lordship of Christ. Here he will honor his superiors in the system. He will be able to keep his job. But he will not be speaking truthfully to the students. He will, long before we get to “health” class, biology class, or any overt attacks against the faith, communicate to the children under him that the Lordship of Christ is something worth negotiating over, something of indifference to an education. The teacher is teaching this, “You can be educated in a place where the name of Jesus is never mentioned.” Which is fundamentally false.

The third option is to attempt to carve out a niche between the first two options. This, I presume, is where my brothers and sisters in Christ most often see themselves. They are trying, in a desperately wicked system, to let a little light shine. They are trying to witness through their lives, in the hopes of being a help to the children. Those are noble motives, and should be seen as such. They are, however, in my estimation, doomed to failure.

I tell my well intentioned friends who remain in apostate mainline denominations, so that they can “Reform from within” that all they are managing to communicate is that however bad it might be to deny the authority of Scripture, no matter how bad it might be to deny the resurrection, no matter how bad it might be to ordain practicing sodomites (which, truth be told is far less serious than the first two), that none of it is worth separating over. In like manner, whatever you manage to get through, however free you are to dishonor your bosses and their wishes (it makes no difference if your principal is with you on this. Sooner or later up the ladder you have superiors who don’t want you witnessing for Christ) you are still communicating to parents and the students, “This little light of mine is enough.” You are saying to the children, “You can live a God honoring life by keeping your Bible, unopened, on your desk.” You are saying to the children, “You can understand the world without understanding the Lordship of Christ.” You are saying to the children, “A little, unspoken, subtle Christianity is enough.”

I know that isn’t your intention. I know you’re trying to do right by these children and their parents. But you can’t, not just because the schools must be secular, but because they are financed by taxes of people of other faiths. The more you succeed the more you cheat the parents. The more you fail, the more you cheat the students. Trying to walk in the middle you cheat both.

This is why I don’t believe Christians should teach in the government schools. I understand that my position is an unusual one. I understand that fine men and women, godly men and women disagree with my position. I pray we can disagree while still remaining friends.

One last point. Please also understand that my most angry rhetoric is directed at the system itself, not well meaning Christians who are in the system. That is, at the end of the day, because all education is inherently religious, the state schools will inculcate the religion of the state, Caesar worship. That is why the system is an abomination. Don’t ever let anyone tell you the schools are failing. They are doing exactly what they are designed to do.

Do you have a question for R.C.? Send questions (printed anonymously) to: info@highlandsstudycenter.org and put "A Question for R.C." in the email heading. Eventually these questions and their answers will be included in the weekly (or so) email from the Highlands Study Center, The Kingdom Notes, featuring a short, encouraging word from R.C., as well as the latest news, specials, and other interesting things going on. To subscribe, send an email to info@highlandsstudycenter.org and tell them that you want to receive the Kingdom Notes.

It is Sad!

2008-04-08T14:01:00.004-04:00

It is sad when I think that $3.18 is a deal for gas now! What happened to the days when I was in college and gas here was $0.78 a gallon. dream on...dream on....dream on...those days are gone

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

2008-04-04T15:14:00.006-04:00

I thought that I would share with you how I am reading through the Bible. Our Church gave us several different option of Bible Reading plans at the beginning of the year and I chose The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan.

I have enjoyed reading it and going through four different books at a time. You always read out of one of the gospels, a New Testament book, a Psalm or Proverb, and then an Old Testament book.

You can go here and get one for yourself, or there is a place to preview a free sample that you can print off here.

It is never too late to start.

The Lord's Prayer

2008-04-03T16:25:00.002-04:00

I found this on another blog and had to share it!

Well...I did it!

2008-04-03T16:06:00.003-04:00

Last night I went grocery shopping and I got some of the reusable shopping bags at Wal-Mart. I shop for most of the month, so we usually have a lot of groceries and last night was no exception. I admit I was skeptical, but I got some to see how much would fit. I was surprised and very excited with my purchase. Almost all of my groceries fit into five bags!! I was very happy.

The tag on the bag said:

* 100% recyclable

* is made from 85% recycled material

* is made with approximately 4 plastic soda bottles

* can replace 50 plastic shopping bags

* can carry the same weight as 2-3 plastic shopping bags