In Other Words for February 16

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

freedom
n
1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc.
2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties
4. (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity freedom from taxation
5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access the freedom of a city
6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) autonomy, self-government, or independence
7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions
8. (Philosophy) Philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances
9. ease or frankness of manner; candour she talked with complete freedom
10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness
11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort

resign
v. re•signed, re•sign•ing, re•signs
v.tr.
1. To submit (oneself) passively; accept as inevitable: I resigned myself to a long wait in line.
2. To give up (a position, for example), especially by formal notification.
3. To relinquish (a privilege, right, or claim).


In Hebrews 13:5 God tells us not to love money because God will never leave nor forsake us. "But to get through life one needs money", you say. Have you ever stopped to consider the attitudes of those who are poor, and yet trust in God against the attitudes of those who are rich and only have a passing acquaintance with God? From the outside looking in, one would surmise that the poor would be scared of where their next meal came from or how they would keep a roof over their head. And one would assume that those with money would not have a worry in the world.

However, what we find is that those with money and without God usually are constantly concerned with losing it or how to get more and never truly find peace, whereas those tending to have less in life, who rely on God fully and completely, tend to have a more relaxed and peaceful demeanor because they KNOW that God will never let them down, that God will always provide.

Let's look at a prime example from history regarding one who solely relied on God to get him through.

George Mueller was born less than a decade before Charles Dickens in 1805; so he was certainly aware of all the horrors of society that the famed novelist describes in his works and in 1834 he decided to do something about it. He and his best friend, Henry Craik, founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution (SKI) in Bristol, England, with one of their prime objectives being to establish Orphan Homes for the many homeless children in Great Britain.

But Mueller and Craik had no money, nor did they intend to ask anyone for it: they believed that God would provide everything they needed - without patronage, without requests for contributions and without debts. All they had to do was pray, and God would provide. For 64 years, that was how George Mueller operated. SIXTY FOUR YEARS!!! Relying solely on God's provision by TRUSTING their lives and the lives of those they cared for into God's hands.

Here are some of the ways he prayed. First, he never shared a need with anyone but God. Second, when he had a need, he opened his Bible, searched for a promise that fit that need, and then meditated on that scripture. Mueller believed in the power of thinking through scripture as much as he believed in the power of prayer. Third, he pleaded for that promise before God. And he didn't just pray for money: he prayed for individuals as well. Sometimes Mueller prayed for someone for as long as fifty years. He didn't stop praying for anyone or anything until he got his request. That's how convinced he was that God would answer his prayers. Through his prayers, Mueller obtained the modern-day equivalent of $150 M for his charities; he led tens if not hundreds of thousands to the Lord; and he lived to be 93 years old. That was the power of his faith and life.

Once, when there was no food to give the children and it was almost lunch time, one of Mueller's assistants came to him, worried. Mueller said, "It's not twelve o'clock yet." Just then, a truck pulled up to the orphanage loaded with food from an unsolicited donor. Often, Mueller had no idea where their next meal was coming from: he just trusted God's promises. Another time, when Mueller was onboard a ship that was lost in fog, he comforted the anxious captain by saying, "My eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life." They came out of the fog, and that captain later gave his life to Christ.

Part of Mueller's success was due to his attitude. Someone once asked him the secret of his service, and he said, "There was a day when I died, utterly died: died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends. And since then, I have studied only to show myself 'approved unto God.'" Being dead to self, the world, approval and blame freed Mueller of the cares of life that hold so many of us back, freed him to be alive only to Christ, freed him to serve.

It freed him from the fear that so many face when threatened with the unknown. Well, the unknown may be unknown to us, but it isn't to God. So why don't we just, as the saying goes, "Let go and let God". Let go of our fears. Let go of our worries. Let go of our cares. Let go of our expectations. Instead let God become the focus of our lives. Give all of our burdens, concerns, worries, cares, needs, fears, etc. over to Him. He will not let us down. As Matthew 6:25-34 above states. Are we not worth more to God than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field? How much more will our Heavenly Father give to us as we put our Faith and Trust solely and completely in Him?

My family is one that is living this daily. My husband has been without a job now since October 9 – his birthday. I have given my fears and worries over making ends meet to God. I have placed myself in His hands. Place my family in His hands. Trusted Him with the Faith of a child that He would allow us to be able to make ends meet. To be able to pay all of our bills. I have the youngest daughter in a private school and a 12 week old in a preparatory school/daycare. There is rent, utilities, insurance, vehicles, groceries, etc. Certainly MUCH more than what my income could ever cover alone. God has covered it all and allowed us to have some extra as needed. God has been MUCH MORE than gracious.

Forget about being in good hands with Allstate. I'm in good hands with God! I have overcome that fear of tomorrow and what it might bring because I know that God will take care of us. He has proven Himself faithful always and in ALL ways so how could I do anything less than put my whole self into His keeping?

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

1. "Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus:
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Chorus

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Please visit Debbie @ Heart Choices for more perspectives on this week's In Other Word's quote.

In Other Words for February 9

*I have to say first off, before I get started, that I think that my blogfriend Esthermay, at The Heart of a Pastor's Wife, has an amazing perspective on this quote and I invite you to check her response out.

noun
n. Abbr. n.
1. The part of speech that is used to name a person, place, thing, quality, or action and can function as the subject or object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or an appositive.
2. Any of the words belonging to this part of speech, such as neighbor, window, happiness, or negotiation. I am a CHRISTIAN.

ad•jec•tive
n. Abbr. a. or adj.
1. The part of speech that modifies a noun or other substantive by limiting, qualifying, or specifying and distinguished in English morphologically by one of several suffixes, such as -able, -ous, -er, and -est, or syntactically by position directly preceding a noun or nominal phrase.
2. Any of the words belonging to this part of speech, such as white in the phrase a white house. We should exhibit Christian behavior.

These days it seems that everybody either wants to profess being a Christian (noun) or solidly profess AGAINST being one (due to the distinctive lack of the adjective Christian in the daily walk of most who profess to be one). There is no real "in between". Many people say that they're a Christian because it's expedient for them to do so in order to look better to man, depending on the audience. Much like the Pharisees of old, they "act" the right way to get the attention of man, but what do their actions say? Those who profess to have a saving knowledge of God, and yet, live a life clearly apart from God are what those who are vehemently against anything having to do with Christianity look at and call "hypocrite".

It's easy to give lip service to being a Christian, but what does the Bible say? James 2:20 states that Faith WITHOUT works is dead. But, the only way to heaven is through believing in Jesus as the son of God and accepting Him as your Savior, you say. Yes, that is true. You cannot "work" your way into heaven, however, what is meant in that verse is that Faith is proved genuine by good works coming forth as fruit in the Kingdom of God. That's where the adjective part comes in.

For those who claim to be the noun of Christian and MEAN IT, they will have the adjective of Christian in everything they do, from their rising to their resting and it will be clear that they are different from the rest of the world. God will show in them through their actions via the living adjective of Christian. It's easier to claim the noun of Christian than it is to live the adjective of Christian.

Most of those who claim the noun of Christian do it for approval, for attention, for acceptance. Much like the Pharisees of Jesus' time. Through their "pious" street corner prayers they didn't have the true love of God in their heart. They were saying, "Oh, look at me. Look at how great I am. Look at all that I have done. Look at all I have given." Instead we are to LIVE the adjective of Christian so that everyone will see Christ in us through our actions and love. Those who live the adjective of Christian do so without seeking the attention, without wanting recognition, they do it because they are being an example of what God wants ALL who claim the name of Christian to be like.

Are you merely giving lip service to the name and noun of Christian or are you living the adjective of Christian in everything that you do?

Please visit The Next Step for more perspectives on this In Other Word's quote.

Meal Monday!

I used to have a deal where I did a plethora/smorgasbord/"whatever means A LOT" of recipes for different holidays. Well, over on Facebook, I posted yesterday about the menu I was making for Super Bowl dinner and I got SO MANY requests for the recipes that I decided to write them all out. You too can have a fabulous meal that's fairly easy to do. But b/c this does include a roast, best set aside time to do it right, such as a weekend. Please note that my meals are not for the calorie conscious. I make no bones about this and have made such disclaimers in past recipe shares.

My only request is that, if you do use it, please let me know how you liked it. Also, these measurements are mostly approximate b/c I just throw it in w/o really measuring. LOL!

Roast and fixin's:

* If you want plenty of gravy, fill the crock pot at least ½ way up with water

Take 1 large roast – (Top Round or Eye of Round)
Season it with a coarse kosher or sea salt rub, mixed with black pepper, minced garlic (can be found in the produce section of the grocery store – much easier than doing it yourself) , garlic powder and onion powder. In other words, mix all of those together and rub it on/in to the roast.
Place it in the water and add Worcestershire sauce to the water. At least 1/3 cup – dash it over the roast as well
Place 3 dry, lightly cracked whole bay leafs on top of the roast
Cook it for a minimum 6 hours in the crock pot.

Sautéed mushrooms:
Take 1 stick of butter, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic (with the garlic oil – the same as used above), 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and about 1½ cups of a heavy red wine (maybe a merlot or cabernet), about 7-8 dashes of Worcestershire sauce and about 1½ teaspoons of kosher or sea salt and put it in the skillet to simmer. Let it mix together for about 5 minutes after simmering starts.
Take a good size mix of washed pre-sliced and whole white mushrooms and place them in the skillet and put the top on it. The longer you simmer the mushrooms, the more flavor they absorb.

Honey and brown sugar baby carrots:
Place baby carrots in a pan, fill the pan partly with water, 1½ teaspoons of kosher/sea salt and one stick of salted butter.
Add ¾ cup of brown sugar and drizzle approx ½ cup of honey over the carrots.
Put lid on pan and let cook until soft

MY mashed Potatoes:
(This is for 2 very large russet baking potatoes – typically 1 large potato for every 2 people)
*NOTE: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE MIXING STEPS IN ORDER!!! The potatoes don't taste as good if you lump it all together and do it at one time.
Peel and cube the potatoes and put them in a pot to cook
Add about 2 tablespoons of kosher or sea salt and let cook thoroughly. Adding the salt here allows you to cut down on the amount used later.
Thoroughly drain cooked potatoes
With a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid/Cuisineart stand mixer, mix the potatoes
Add 1 full stick of salted butter and mix together
Add 1/2 small container sour cream and mix together
Add 1/4-1/3 cup of HOT heavy whipping cream (for those of you with access to and HEB, it's in the purple and white container) and mix together
Add fine ground kosher or sea salt and pepper to taste and mix together
From here you can also add more heavy cream or butter to achieve desired taste
*The potatoes should come out very heavy and rich so that they peak when you mix them

Gravy:
Take some of the juice from the roast (about 1 cup) and about ½ cup of flour and mix it together in a shaker until the lumps are gone. *PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN OPENING B/C THE HEAT WILL CREATE A PRESSURE THAT WILL CAUSE THE HEAVY GRAVY MIX TO EXPLODE AND IT IS HOT, HOT, HOT!!! (I know b/c I burned the tar out of my palm last night with it!)*
Take a lot of the remaining juice from the finished roast and put it in to a pan.
Slowly stir the flour/juice mix in with the hot liquid.
If there are any little flour balls that float to the top, they can be removed by spoon, but there shouldn't be many, if any, if it is shaken right.

*Kosher and sea salt are both better for you than regular salt. Less sodium and you use less b/c they're so strong.

In Other Words for January 26

Many people use this quote out of context and do not regard the rest of the passage this is in. People who utilize this quote utilize it in such a way that they say, "See, Jesus advocates violence! Here's proof!" Far from it.

To be fair, one must read it in its entirety in context with the other verses. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:34-39

The first important observation is to recognize that Jesus does not speak about "the sword", but about "a sword". Jesus is not a "prophet of the sword" as is taught in Islam. The sword of violence, force and war has no place in His message. What kind of sword is He talking about?

It is the sword of division that God's word brings. It is the division of truth from error, and the reaction of the darkness against the light. It is also the sword of the gospel and the sword of truth. The sword that Jesus brings, is the sword that his followers have to suffer, a sword that is applied to them, not a sword that they wield against others.

This verse in context shows that Jesus knew that His words would cause controversy, that Christianity would cause strife between family members and that in preaching the Gospel, those who preached it would not be warmly received for this is a sinful world filled with the sinful nature of man. It speaks about the consequence of being obedient to the command of Jesus that we are to preach His message, and for many, to hear the words of the Gospel, telling people to go against their sinful nature will cause them to reject it, make them angry and react with violence.

We will be hated for the message of repentance that we have to bring. We will be hated because we call people from evil to light and because this message exposes their evil deeds. The sword of the gospel cuts and divides, as the word of God does (Hebrews 4:12), "between eternally hostile principles, penetrating into and rending asunder the dearest ties" (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown). Though the ultimate end of the gospel is peace with God and with those who love Him, the immediate result of the gospel is frequently ideological and moral conflict with the world.

For many it will mean that even our own family will turn against us. Faith in Jesus requires total commitment from those who choose to follow Him (Mark 10:27), and love and allegiance toward Him and His word is contrary to the "natural man" and the world system, "for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor 6:14). Therefore conversion to Christ can result in strained or broken family relationships, persecution, and even martyrdom, due to rejection of the gospel. And exactly that happens in many countries. The fellowship of believers, while full of peace, incurs the wrath of the nonbelievers. Christians are gathering peacefully, yet are persecuted.

Richard Lenski offered insight into the implications of the “turmoil” brought by Christ:

The idea is this: if Christ had not come, the earth would have gone on undisturbed in its sin and its guilt until the day of its doom. Now Christ came to take away that sin and that guilt. At once war resulted, for in their perversion men clung to their sin, fought Christ and the gospel, and thus produced two hostile camps. Christ foresaw this effect and willed it. Emphatically He declared that He came to throw a sword on the earth. Better the war and the division, saving as many as possible, than to let all perish in their sin (1943, p. 415).

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword," is a wonderfully honest statement about the need for the sword of truth, Christ's Sword of Truth, which heals the wounds it inflicts. Only by becoming a Christian and by being indwelt with the Holy Spirit can we understand the Truth that Jesus brings and can that healing begin. The Truth renders those still in the dark stiff with anger and indignation over their sins and sinful lifestyles being brought into full exposure to the light. Once we are brought into that light, we no longer need fear the Sword of Truth, and instead will find the peace that passes all understanding.

To view more "In Other Words" participants this week check out The Heart of a Pastor's Wife. Thanks to Esthermay for hosting this week!

Fill in Friday for January 22, 2009

1. You have a chance to heal a rift between two sides but are not sure how to go about doing it.
2. I want a massage right now!
3. There is a lot of stuff I have to do Saturday...clean, clean, clean...but it's supposed to be beautiful outside, I know I'll want to ride on Oscar's bike.
4. It's nice I can get a box of Girl Scout Cookies from a friend at work if I don't have the correct amount right then and pay later.
5. It's time to get my rear in gear and get ready to go grocery shopping and clean tomorrow.
6. Plans for tonight are up in the air but I'm thinking I might just catch up on sleep instead.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include cleaning, washing tons of clothes in our new washer and dryer, grocery shopping, hopefully going for a ride on Oscar's Harley and maybe dancing or a movie and Sunday, I want to go to church and eat BBQ after while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather!

Truthful Tuesday for January 19, 2010

So, from time to time I write what is called a Truthful Tuesday post to where I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I make it about whatever I want, but usually the topic is not easy. Telling the truth rarely is.

This week the topic is . . . DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNN . . . about . . . pro . . . dooo-dooo-dooooo . . . what is that? . . . ah yes, the topic is about procrastination. Of which I am the MASTER of. And it frustrates the heck out of me, but I never seem to find motivation to get things done until the last minute. Then I do things really quick and usually REALLY well. But there have been times it's come around to bite me in the no-no spot. This particularly affects the house. "Oh, I'll wash dishes tomorrow. I'm too tired tonight." And the next thing you know . . . it's a week later with a week's worth of dishes to do and by then I REALLY have no motivation to do them. "Oh, I'll get to the laundry tomorrow." And then tomorrow comes and Emily has a project she needs help with or Nate just really wants to do that baby snuggle or Oscar finds an interesting show and here comes Friday and I'm scrounging for clean clothes to wear. It's gotten to the point where I really don't even want people to come over. Of course it doesn't help that I seem to be the only one even trying to pick things up around the house and it's stretching my limits. My darling, dearest (female) friend at work thinks that I am Superwoman with everything that I do, and to an extent, yes, that is true, but I could be even MORE super if I could just get my shhhhhtuff together. LOL!

I think I'm going to try doing FlyLady to help out with everything. It's completely FREE and from what I've heard her program is great! Hopefully it will get me off my procrastinating butt and get me on the road to a cleaner house and more de-cluttered life and I can work on the other areas of my procrastination baby steps at a time. Wish me luck!



HAPPY TWO MONTHS OLD MY LITTLE MAN! MOMMY LOVES YOU SO MUCH!

In Other Words for January 19

It's not easy being the sole bread winner in the family in this economy. Trust me, I know. My husband and I had a healthy combined income, was in the final stages of buying a house, had a baby on the way and two daughters already – one each from previous marriages, we really just seemed to be doing more than ok. Then, out of the blue, my husband called me in July, letting me know that he'd gone in to work that morning and was told his crew was laid off, along with a couple of other crews.

We lost the house. The house we had our hearts set on that would have been built on a couple of acres in the country on land that was perfect for gardening. It was quiet, peaceful, had lots of fruit trees already on it. Had all of the hook-ups already on there. We would have had our room, the girls could have had their own rooms, there would have been a guest room and a little nursery attached to the master bedroom.

Instead, we were stuck in a small two bedroom apartment with not enough space for even what we had then, not to mention the baby that was coming.

My husband has been looking for a job ever since in his line of work and has not yet been able to come up with one that wouldn't require him to be away from home 95% of the time. I'm not saying that it hasn't been stressful, living on my income. In fact, we lost more than 50% of our income when he lost his job. But somehow, only through the Grace and Mercy of God, we have been able to make ends meet.

I've gotten a refund check from my insurance for over charging on some visits to my diabetic perinatal doctor when I was pregnant with our son. Have you EVER heard of such a thing from an insurance company? An anonymous person at my work gave me the $600 needed to do my ultrasound and testing that I otherwise would not have been able to do, but that was crucially needed due to my being a Type 2 diabetic and having gestational hypertension. We received over $1,100 from my wonderful co-workers to purchase needed nursery items for our son. Items we did not have, being that his daughter is 11 and mine is 8, and we didn't think we would have another child so baby items were a thing of the past. My husband reconnected with his mom, through the death of his grandfather and she has been more than willing to help pay some of the bills until he finds a job. MORE than a blessing!

While one would think that the happenstance of not having a job would have a detrimental economic impact on a (now) family of five, God has provided for us beyond anything we ever could have imagined. We're still in the small two bedroom apartment, but this circumstance of our lives also has allowed my husband to be able to be there for our son's traumatic birth – he was, for all intents and purposes stillborn as the cord had been wrapped so tightly around his neck they couldn't get him out all the way without cutting it first, but, again, by the Grace of God was revived and took his first breath several minutes after birth – and to take an extended visit with his family several hours away during my maternity leave.

It has allowed my husband and I to really grow together and show that we have what it takes to stick out the difficult times. It has allowed me to more fully and deeply trust God and know that we ARE in His hands. That His promises in the Bible to never leave nor forsake us, to care for those and meet the needs of those who love Him even moreso than He does the birds of the air or the lily's of the field, are not issued in vain or void.

The world says, "blame God for your troubles, for the loss of your job, income, marriage, loved one, etc." God says, "Trust Me. I WILL take care of you for ALL things work together for good to those who love Me." All things. Good and bad. Big and small. Everything that happens to us is a chance to just trust God. If God has brought you to it, then He is going to bring you through it.

We can choose to make a Monet from a Picasso by trusting God to carry us through the rough spots or we can choose to make a Picasso turn into an Edvard Munch by trying to do it on our own and listen to what the world has to say. Which one will you choose?

Monet:

Picasso:

Munch:


To view more "In Other Words" participants this week check out Expectant Hearts. Thanks to Kathryn for hosting this week! This is my first time back doing the IOW in a couple of years. :-)

Thursday 13 - my first one!

I'm not so awesome at writing an opening today so my Thursday 13 will just be a list of things I've discovered regarding parenting a newborn at 36 vs parenting a newborn at 28 thanks to my 8 year old daughter.
1. It takes a LOT more energy to handle a newborn at 36 than it does at 28.
2. I need a lot more sleep as I get older and find myself getting a lot less now that I have an 8 year old to get ready for school, a 7 week old to get ready for daycare, a husband to encourage and entertain as he is looking for a job and a ME to get ready for work.
3. I've learned that the things I was all paranoid about the first time around are really no bog deal.
4. Binkys CAN be rinsed off with water, juice, etc. if dropped on the floor instead of automatically fretting about sterilizing them RIGHT AWAY!
5. ALWAYS allow for extra time out the door in the morning. It is inevitable either you will get spit up on or the baby will spit up on itself just as you're about to either put them in the carseat or walk out the door. PLAN FOR CONTINGENCIES!
6. Add the Mylicon to the bottle as you're mixing it instead of waiting until the baby is all gassy after the bottle. It will save your baby a lot of discomfort.
7. It's OK to have the baby be passed around between relatives and friends. They actually learn to be a people person instead of freaking out around new people.
8. Make sure to get a 2nd base for your carseat. It will save invaluable time transferring the baby from one vehicle to another.
9. Making your own baby food is preferable and much less expensive than buying store bought food. You can even use an ice tray to freeze the excess you make b/c the food will keep up to two weeks and each cube of food equals on ounce.
10. If you feel like something is wrong, trust your instincts. Just b/c a parenting book, advice, tidbit that you've read or been told says one thing, don't assume that it's correct. If you think something is wrong with your baby, they can't communicate to affirm it, take them to the pedi. Better to be safe than sorry.
11. That being said, DON'T BE PARANOID!
12. When getting out of a vehicle with a toddler who is walking – never, ever, ever turn your back or let go of their hand in a parking lot. If you have to juggle a purse or something, make sure you have that stuff together FIRST before you get your kid out of the car seat/booster seat.
13. When talking to your baby, keep the room quiet. Turn the TV off, the radio, the computer. Make it all about your baby and look directly in their eyes. They will focus better without other noises to distract them and you will have a sweet time of bonding.

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Goodness gracious, how time does fly!

This time last year I was dating a wonderful man and happy! Fast forward a year and I'm married to this man, WITH a new baby and still happy! :-) Nathaniel Lawrence Kelso was born November 19, 2009 at 12:11 AM and was 8lbs 10oz and 20" long. Poor baby was hospitalized with RSV on Sunday and was able to come home yesterday afternoon. He was the youngest RSV patient at Dell Children's Medical Center, but they did a great job. While RSV can be serious in young children and lead to pneumonia, in infants it can be fatal. Thank God he is on the mend!

I need to start blogging again. It's time. I took a very much needed couple of years off - but have been keeping going on FB mostly. I'll be continuing with a lot of the meme theme's I used to blog about and I can't guarantee that I'll be posting several times a week like I used to, but I'm back.

Here are some pictures of what's been going on. Enjoy! :-)

My 9/11 Tribute - 6th anniversary

To give you fair warning, this is NOT a PC post. To me Politically Correct means Pure Crap. This is strictly my opinion and heart-felt belief. If you don't agree, well, honestly, I really don't care. I posted most of this last year but made a few changes/additions for this year.

God bless America, God bless all of our men and women in uniform - from military to law enforcement, and God bless us all.

Nicole
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The 6 year anniversary of the attack on OUR HOME TURF by Muslim terrorists is upon us. Say what you want - that these men "hijacked" a so-called "peaceful" religion, fact is every single one of them was Muslim. Every single one. On September 11, 2001 they didnt hijack their religion, they hijacked 4 planes, here, in America, our home. They murdered over 3,000 people, not just Americans but of all nationalities and all religions - all in the name of their "religion of peace". We are not at war with a few select people, we are are war with a religion. Fact is, Islam calls upon it's "true" followers to kill by the sword those who do not convert to their religion. How is that "peaceful"?

Let me clarify, I do NOT hate Muslims, but I believe that they follow a completely misguided religion. I have Muslim friends who call themselves "moderate" and they are wonderful people. In the eyes of the extremist, hard-line Muslim, they are just as "worthy" as me of death. It is true that the majority of Muslims are not associated with extremists, however, with the exception of a handful of them, I want to know where their outrage is at these atrocities that their fellow Muslims have perpitrated against others - including those of their own faith that they deem as "too moderate" or "too Western thinking"? If extremist or fundamentalist Islamists account for only 10% of the Islamic faith, 10% of 2 Billion is still 200 million extremists who want to kill in the name of their "God". Why do not the other 1.8 BILLION Muslims do something about their extremist Muslims if they find what they do reprehensible? Or do they find it to be so? If their "God" is one of love and peace like they proclaim, then why does he command in their "holy" book to kill those who do not believe as Muslim's believe? Is that what a loving and peaceful God does? No.

Today's terrorists and extremists are not truly "God fearing", or "God loving", or even "God following" but rather evil, sick, twisted and narrow minded men that think that they can overcome and subjugate everyone that is not like themselves with their murderous ways.

No true God or prophet tells his followers to KILL those that don't believe in him or stand in their faith's way... And if if there is a God or prophet that says to kill all those that don't believe in him, or follow him... Then I say they are not THE true God or a true prophet of God, but rather just another of history's many past false gods, prophets and twisted leaders that can only be found when you search through some of the most painful past of human history.

Even the majority of Americans it seems have adopted an apathetic attitude about the atrocities that happened on 9/11. People don't want to hear about it anymore b/c it offends their sense of political correctness. They're so wrong. It is time to revisit those events of 9/11. Tragic, horrific and a waste of life. 9/11 WAS and IS the beginning of the war of Islam against America, Christianity and Judaism. Regardless of what is said by various clergy, ministers, priests and even the Pope himself, "Allah" is NOT the same name for God. The god of Islam IS NOT the same as the God of Christianity. The god of Islam sends your sons to die for him whereas the God of Christianity sent His Son to die for YOU.

It's ok to get angry when you see these images and remember what happened, it's ok to cry, the time for political correctness is over. They still want to kill us and they will not change their minds through "talking", "sanctions" or "negotiations". It's time for the liberals in Hollywood and in the Senate and Congress to remember that, lest they run American into the ground and turn it over to the very people who support the terrorists in order to be "politically correct" and appease those who perpitrated this act against not only us, but the world as they try and force others to bend to their will by violence and death.

Remember what happened and who did it. Take back America from those who would destroy Her in the name of appeasement and political correctness. Stand for what you believe in. Loving your country, supporting your troops and being unashamedly patriotic IS NOT A CRIME!!!

WARNING: Some of these videos include very disturbing images of the planes hitting the Towers as it was broadcast on the TV channels. There is also some mild profanity due to home videos that captured the first plane slamming into the North Tower at 8:46 AM EST.

Please, God, may we NEVER FORGET and may these images remind us just what is at stake. Our faith, our freedom, our sovereignty and our very lives.

This tribute is the Christian one that was the subject of the above quote. It is a stirring and beautiful tribute. Click here for this amazing flash presentation

This next tribute had me crying uncontrollably the first few times I listened to it and it still makes the tears flow every time I listen to it. It is a new rendition of the song "Heaven" but it also has a little boy talking to his daddy on September 11, 2002, a year after his daddy died in the WTC attack. He doesn't understand the true concept of death and what happened to his daddy and it is just heartbreaking to hear him talk to his daddy.


FreeVideoCoding.com

Click here to download this 9/11 Remix of "Heaven"


Some of the best tributes via YouTube...


My Immortal Tribute


Only Time/President Bush's Speech Tribute


What A Wonderful World Tribute

For some other tributes, please click the following links to open up the tribute in a new browser to watch separately.

Excellent Flash tribute with the music of Sarah McLaughlin's "Angels"
"Tears"

The following Macromedia Flash Tribute uses the Enya song "Only Time" as the background for its presentation, this tribute is longer and follows timelines past the day of the attack. It does include some images of WTC jumpers, which can be disturbing for some.
"Only Time Tribute"

Extremely touching tribute set to the music "Can't Cry Hard Enough" by Victoria Williams
"Can't Cry Hard Enough"

A lovely tribute for the Heroes of Flight 93
"Little Did She Know...She'd Kissed A Hero"

FIREMEN'S PRAYER

When I am called to duty, God,
Where’re the flames may rage,
Give me strength to save some life
Whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late,
Or save some older person from
The horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert,
And hear the weakest shout
And quickly and effectively
To put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling
And give the best in me.
To guard my every neighbor
And protect his property;
And if according to Your will,
I have to lose my life
Please bless with Your protecting hand
My children and my wife.
Amen.

POLICE OFFICER'S PRAYER

Lord I ask for courage
Courage to face and
Conquer my own fears...
Courage to take me
Where others will not go...

I ask for strength
Strength of body to protect others
And strength of spirit to lead others...

I ask for dedication
Dedication to my job, to do it well
Dedication to my community
To keep it safe...

Give me Lord, concern
For others who trust me
And compassion for those who need me...

And please Lord
Through it all
Be at my side...

Three different versions of A Soldier's Prayer

Soldier's Psalm 91 Prayer
By Harriet Yoder
O Lord Most High, help me to dwell in your secret place and abide under Your shadow.

Help me to believe and say out loud for everyone to hear that You are my refuge and my fortress; that You are my God; and that in You I put my trust.

O Lord God Almighty, please deliver me from hidden traps and diseases.

Father God, cover me with Your camouflage; hide me under Your wings; and let Your truth be my shield and buckler against the fiery darts—the lies—of the enemy.

Lord Jesus, help me not to be afraid of terrorists' attacks in the night; or weapons that fly by day; or sicknesses that walk in darkness; or destruction that wastes at noonday.

O Holy God, though a thousand fall at my side, and ten thousand fall at my right hand; please let it not come close to me and my companions.

O Lord Most High, let me live to see the reward of the wicked, because You are my refuge and my home. Let no evil conquer me and let no plague come into my house or near my family.

O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer, please set angels over me to keep me in all Your ways, to bear me up in their hands and to keep my feet from stumbling.

Father God, help me to tread upon the lion and adder and trample the young lion and the dragon under my feet.

Lord Jesus, I love you with all my heart and I know Your name. Deliver me and lift me on high to soar with the eagles. I call upon you to be with me in times of trouble to deliver and honor me because I know Your name. Please show me Your salvation and satisfy me with a long life.

I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ

Amen.

A Soldier's Prayer
God our Father,
Help me to remain true to my ideals
during my service to my country.
Help me be what is in America,
the land of the free.
May I realize that I represent
what our country stands for.
My uniform is a symbol of duty and valor both in peace and in war.
I take up arms to defend what all Americans hold dear:
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Grant me the strength to live according to these ideals,
the courage of my convictions,
and the resolve to endure whatever dangers threaten.
With you at our side I fear no evil
and resist every enemy,
secure in the knowledge
that you hold me in the palm of your hand.
Amen.

The Soldier's Prayer
By Jeremy R. Gipson
Now I lay me down to sleep
Another day I did survive.

Tomorrow when the morning breaks
I pray the Lord my soul revive.

Give me courage. Give me strength.
Help me fight for what is right.

Bless my wife and children, Lord,
Give them rest and peace tonight.

Please protect my fellow soldiers
As we trek across the sand.

And when the battle rages
Help us boldly take our stand.

And when protesters back in my homeland
Wave their banners high -

Help them know they could never enjoy freedom
Had not a soldier died.