Monday, February 27, 2006
Living in fear of spit
Just a quick post, as I have company arriving in a few minutes. Isn't the title of this post intriguing? It was the message that was preached last night in our special youth service. It was excellent. Jesus, before going to the cross, was stripped naked, beaten, dressed up in mock royal attire, made fun of, and SPIT ON. The humiliation wasn't bad enough. Being spit on is the ultimate rejection. But Jesus stood for truth (Jesus IS truth!!). And today, we are his ambassadors... we are called to stand for truth when it is NOT popular to stand for truth. We are told to be "tolerant", and accept lies and deceipt like homosexuality is genetic, same-sex marriage is okay, and killing babies in the name of "choice" is perfectly acceptable. If you DON'T... if you are INTOLERANT... you will be mocked, made fun of, perhaps beat up, and, yes, SPIT ON. We don't like being spit on. And Satan knows it! So, living in fear of spit, we sit down and shut up! That is exactly what Satan wants! There was much more to the message, but that was the part that hit home with me the most. And I just thought I would pass it on to you all. Bonfire night tonight! Gonna be c-c-c-cold! Around ZERO, with winds of 10mph... so it will feel BELOW zero (hope the fire is hot, hot, hot!). Talk to you all later! Have a great day, and go out and spread the gospel without fearing the spit!!!!
Friday, February 24, 2006
I'm on va-caaaaa-tion!
Yee ha! It's the beginning of winter break! Nine days off.... IN A ROW! Of course, I don't get paid for it, but it is such a great opportunity to SLEEP IN, spend some real quality time with my boys, do lots of youth week activities, etc. etc. Today was sort of a wild day in our classroom. Two of the children had a birthday today, and one of those children's last day at our school was today... he's moving on to a new home and new school district. I will really miss him! We had cookies, cake, and basically SUGAR this afternoon, which added to the "it's only one hour till vacation starts" hype. I am looking forward to the rest this week will bring.
Lots of birthdays this week!!! Happy birthday to my niece Sonja (age 10), my nephew Trevor (age 12), and my little nephew Michael (age 3). Happy birthday to you all!!!! I LOVE YOU!
Lots of birthdays this week!!! Happy birthday to my niece Sonja (age 10), my nephew Trevor (age 12), and my little nephew Michael (age 3). Happy birthday to you all!!!! I LOVE YOU!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Christian children in the public schools... a parent's battle
Greetings. I am here to tell you that being a Christian mom, raising Christian children, is HARD WORK! Especially if you have them in the public school system! There is NO WAY you can send them off to school, NOT be involved, and have them develop into a strong Christian. No way! There is FAR too much evil and perversion in the schools these days. And for every instance you HAPPEN to find out about, there are probably about FIVE that sneak by you unchallenged.
Case in point... I found out too late about a dance group that performed at my son's school in the name of "cultural diversity education". It was an African dance troop. The women were BARELY dressed, shaking their bodies all over the place. I found out by reading the local newspaper a WEEK LATER, and saw the pictures. That one snuck by me.
Yesterday, however, the kids all got off the bus and Elizabeth (our next door neighbor, also in 3rd grade) had a book titled "Wizardology". Her mom, Chris, immediately took it from her and said "I forbid this book in our house. Get in the car, we're going back to school to return this right now." (YAY, Chris!!!). The spiritual battle ensued, with Chris finally getting through to Elizabeth what the Bible has to say about witchcraft. Then she told her mom about a video that the music teacher had shown in music class that involved a "shiny demon who would eat up their souls unless they sang a song for him". Adam's class had seen it too! AAHHHHHH! And the thing is, it had bothered Adam so much, that he was afraid to tell me about it! This video was shown back in OCTOBER, and I'm just now finding out about it! Parents.... you MUST stay intensely involved (even if the school begins to think you are annoying) and KEENLY aware of things your children say. I now have an appointment with Mr. Music Teacher to view this video myself. But the damage has been done, and I am left with the responsibility of "undoing" in prayer what was done to my child in the school. PRAYER and INVOLVEMENT are the keys! I have a right to be indignant and angry with the things they pass off as "education". I would give my right arm to be able to home school my children! I'd like to put them in a bubble and protect them until they are old enough to understand spiritual warfare, full of the Holy Ghost, and ready to defend their faith for themselves. But life isn't happening that way, and I am left to play the hand of detective... always trying to uncover what evil they are hurling in my children's direction. But my God has the best interest of my children in mind, and when I cover them in prayer, I can trust God to reveal the deceit and protect their minds and souls. Thank you Jesus!
These last days are dark and evil, so our light must burn brighter than ever!
Case in point... I found out too late about a dance group that performed at my son's school in the name of "cultural diversity education". It was an African dance troop. The women were BARELY dressed, shaking their bodies all over the place. I found out by reading the local newspaper a WEEK LATER, and saw the pictures. That one snuck by me.
Yesterday, however, the kids all got off the bus and Elizabeth (our next door neighbor, also in 3rd grade) had a book titled "Wizardology". Her mom, Chris, immediately took it from her and said "I forbid this book in our house. Get in the car, we're going back to school to return this right now." (YAY, Chris!!!). The spiritual battle ensued, with Chris finally getting through to Elizabeth what the Bible has to say about witchcraft. Then she told her mom about a video that the music teacher had shown in music class that involved a "shiny demon who would eat up their souls unless they sang a song for him". Adam's class had seen it too! AAHHHHHH! And the thing is, it had bothered Adam so much, that he was afraid to tell me about it! This video was shown back in OCTOBER, and I'm just now finding out about it! Parents.... you MUST stay intensely involved (even if the school begins to think you are annoying) and KEENLY aware of things your children say. I now have an appointment with Mr. Music Teacher to view this video myself. But the damage has been done, and I am left with the responsibility of "undoing" in prayer what was done to my child in the school. PRAYER and INVOLVEMENT are the keys! I have a right to be indignant and angry with the things they pass off as "education". I would give my right arm to be able to home school my children! I'd like to put them in a bubble and protect them until they are old enough to understand spiritual warfare, full of the Holy Ghost, and ready to defend their faith for themselves. But life isn't happening that way, and I am left to play the hand of detective... always trying to uncover what evil they are hurling in my children's direction. But my God has the best interest of my children in mind, and when I cover them in prayer, I can trust God to reveal the deceit and protect their minds and souls. Thank you Jesus!
These last days are dark and evil, so our light must burn brighter than ever!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Lights out! God on the move!
Well, so sorry I didn't get this post up last night, but I was still trying to process what happened at church last night... still too caught up in the awe of God's sovereignty to put it into words.
So, let me begin by saying that my attempt to put this into words will be pretty feeble. It may not even seem like a big deal to you once you read it... but for those who were there, well, they KNOW what they felt and how God moved.
We began with prayer, and then singing. Pastor invited to the front those who felt they had a need in their soul. Others from the congregation came forward to pray the prayer of faith for those who had come to the front.
My mother-in-law then went up to give an account of the "Winter Fire" conference she had just come home from, and the Spirit of God began to move in the hearts of the people. We sang a song called "With One Mind", and something clicked in the Spirit (unity?????). Pastor said, "If you did NOT get what you needed from God earlier, then come back up here, and STAY here until you get it!" I was there in a heartbeat. I surrendered myself to His service. I want to be used by Him for the Kingdom. I poured out all my doubts and fears, and asked questions that no one else heard.
THEN, Matt got up to preach. The point of his message was "God doesn't want to work FOR you, He wants to work THROUGH you". He spoke of Israel calling out, "GOD, show us a sign." and God responding with "Show me some faith."
Suddenly, the lights went out. Pitch black. Silence. No power. And Matt said, "Somebody doesn't want someone to hear what God has to say." We responded loudly with "PREACH!" So he preached! In the dark. We had a couple of small flashlights, but it was still pretty dark. God got our attention. People began to respond to the message and to the Spirit of God. It was powerfully penetrating, and it DIRECTLY answered every question I had asked God at the altar and addressed every fear and doubt I had poured out to Him..... WOW!
THEN, a tongues and interpretation came forth. A tremedous surge of faith occured. We had one woman lying prostrate before God on the floor. My two boys were mesmerized by all that was happening... they were watching intently, and Nick felt the presence of God, I think for the first time. Then, spontaneous singing broke out. In the dark. No one left for a long while. But once it lifted, and you could tell it was over...... the lights came back on at that moment.
Weird. God knows JUST what His people need. He is truly a good God. Thank you, Jesus, for your life changing Spirit! I will do my best for you in this last hour! Be my strength! I love you!
So, let me begin by saying that my attempt to put this into words will be pretty feeble. It may not even seem like a big deal to you once you read it... but for those who were there, well, they KNOW what they felt and how God moved.
We began with prayer, and then singing. Pastor invited to the front those who felt they had a need in their soul. Others from the congregation came forward to pray the prayer of faith for those who had come to the front.
My mother-in-law then went up to give an account of the "Winter Fire" conference she had just come home from, and the Spirit of God began to move in the hearts of the people. We sang a song called "With One Mind", and something clicked in the Spirit (unity?????). Pastor said, "If you did NOT get what you needed from God earlier, then come back up here, and STAY here until you get it!" I was there in a heartbeat. I surrendered myself to His service. I want to be used by Him for the Kingdom. I poured out all my doubts and fears, and asked questions that no one else heard.
THEN, Matt got up to preach. The point of his message was "God doesn't want to work FOR you, He wants to work THROUGH you". He spoke of Israel calling out, "GOD, show us a sign." and God responding with "Show me some faith."
Suddenly, the lights went out. Pitch black. Silence. No power. And Matt said, "Somebody doesn't want someone to hear what God has to say." We responded loudly with "PREACH!" So he preached! In the dark. We had a couple of small flashlights, but it was still pretty dark. God got our attention. People began to respond to the message and to the Spirit of God. It was powerfully penetrating, and it DIRECTLY answered every question I had asked God at the altar and addressed every fear and doubt I had poured out to Him..... WOW!
THEN, a tongues and interpretation came forth. A tremedous surge of faith occured. We had one woman lying prostrate before God on the floor. My two boys were mesmerized by all that was happening... they were watching intently, and Nick felt the presence of God, I think for the first time. Then, spontaneous singing broke out. In the dark. No one left for a long while. But once it lifted, and you could tell it was over...... the lights came back on at that moment.
Weird. God knows JUST what His people need. He is truly a good God. Thank you, Jesus, for your life changing Spirit! I will do my best for you in this last hour! Be my strength! I love you!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Cub scout happenings
Greetings all! Last night was the annual Blue and Gold banquet for the cub scouts, and it was really fun! Here are some pictures of our guys (at home after the fact, as I forgot to bring the camera with me) with their awards and stuff...
This is Adam with his "whittling chip" card which he earned last month... now he is "licensed to carve" with a jacknife. How scary is that? Just kidding! He's really safe with it. Adam also won 4 tickets to the movie theater. Yay!
This is Nick with his cool headband and red feather. He got his Tiger Badge (the little orange patch in his hand). He also won a bowling party for 6 people! Cool! The lunch box is holding his yet-to-be-made pinewood derby car. Let the fun begin!
I promise, to do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, to help other people, to be kind to my brother, and to obey the law of the pack.
Adam is not happy that I "added" in that little line about being kind to your brother... it's not part of the real cub scout oath.... But I think it should be! LOL!
Anyway, today is a clean the house day.... yuck. We have a "Go-See-It" to a local radio station this afternoon, and the "boys" (daddy and children) are going to the POOL to go swimming! Fun!
Tomorrow is the Daytona 500! I don't have a favorite to cheer for, but everyone else in the family does. We have some #24 fans, and a #8 fan. I am not sure. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I have to go tend to the mountain of dishes in my sink. Have a great day!
This is Adam with his "whittling chip" card which he earned last month... now he is "licensed to carve" with a jacknife. How scary is that? Just kidding! He's really safe with it. Adam also won 4 tickets to the movie theater. Yay!
This is Nick with his cool headband and red feather. He got his Tiger Badge (the little orange patch in his hand). He also won a bowling party for 6 people! Cool! The lunch box is holding his yet-to-be-made pinewood derby car. Let the fun begin!
I promise, to do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, to help other people, to be kind to my brother, and to obey the law of the pack.
Adam is not happy that I "added" in that little line about being kind to your brother... it's not part of the real cub scout oath.... But I think it should be! LOL!
Anyway, today is a clean the house day.... yuck. We have a "Go-See-It" to a local radio station this afternoon, and the "boys" (daddy and children) are going to the POOL to go swimming! Fun!
Tomorrow is the Daytona 500! I don't have a favorite to cheer for, but everyone else in the family does. We have some #24 fans, and a #8 fan. I am not sure. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I have to go tend to the mountain of dishes in my sink. Have a great day!
Friday, February 17, 2006
food for thought
The internet is a truly amazing thing... it's almost alive! I have a blog. Someone somewhere in the world (who attends a UPCI church somewhere) does a search and randomly ends up finding my blog. They read it, then leave me a comment. It has a link to HER blog. I go check it out. I am provoked to thought and meditation by what she has written. I just discussed a similar topic two days ago with my 6 year old... God is good. Go and see what my new web acquaintance has to say on her Thursday, Feb. 16th post at http://bellsbear.bravejournal.com/ if you are interested. Her name is Sandi, and she has a dog named Abby... oh yeah, and a husband named Donald. But ALL the pics on her blog are of Abby.... hmmmm......
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Little league, musical, and pajama day!
Hello all! YES, it has been too long since I have been here to blab about my busy life! But believe me, it's been BUSY! In a good way, though! First, let's start with Little League sign-ups. Before you read this, please refresh your memory by reading this link from last May toward the end of baseball season. I believe the general idea was PLEASE DON'T LET ME MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN! Well, I did not heed my own advice, and we are signed up for another season. This year, I think I will plan ahead and buy 6 weeks worth of frozen dinners, lots of Raman Noodles, boxed mac 'n' cheese, and cereal.
Wednesday, my boys and I attended a musical put on by the students in the school I teach in called "My Town, My World". It was really fun! I was so proud of the kids, that at the end I jumped up and gave them a standing ovation! I was the only person in the auditorium to do so. But the parents weren't THERE in the classroom watching all the HARD WORK involved to get them ready for this show... I was! I KNEW how hard they worked! I was so proud of them, I didn't even CARE that I was the only one! The kids all saw me and BEAMED!!! It was cool!
Thursday, Nick was diagnosed with a double ear infection.... yippee. That meant a day off for him (and me) on Friday. He was a miserable little guy... he cried a lot, because his ears hurt so much. TWELVE teachers/instructional assistants called out sick on that same day! THE POOR SECRETARY didn't have a chance!! Twelve substitutes??? I think NOT!
Saturday was the annual Penguin Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics. I understand that over 800 people made the plunge into the icy lake this year, including one of the second grade students in my class! He raised over $500! WAY TO GO BRETT!!! He's nuts!
My son Nick did his own version of the penquin plunge on the same day. We attended the annual Pack Meeting sledding party, and at the bottom of the hill is a brook about 1-2 feet deep. Nicolas managed to fall in, and get drenched. Some of the cub parents were using the marshmallow toasting sticks to hold his socks over the fire. Does anyone want to guess how much water the wool lining of a winter boot can hold???? The answer is A WHOLE LOT!
Tonight was the annual B.R.E.A.D. banquet, courtesy of our wonderful church! B.R.E.A.D. is a Bible-reading program that helps you to read the Bible through in one year. Here is a link to show you what the program sort of looks like. Anyway, those people who do accomplish this task are treated out to dinner at a VERY nice restaurant. It is a wonderful time of fellowship. I really enjoyed myself. I sat with the sweet members of my Life group! Thanks, Pastor, for a great dinner!
What else can I interest you in? Tomorrow is the 100th day of school where I work, and it is also Valentine's Day, and it is also PAJAMA DAY! How much work do you think will get accomplished tomorrow? I'm guessing NOT MUCH! Even the teachers are going to school in their jammies! I am wearing a black jumper (regular clothes) with my bathrobe over it, and my slippers. I am also bringing a BIG teddy bear! Will be fun!
Well, that is about all for now. I will close with a few pics of my boys. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow, and remember who loves you the best!
Nick and his buddy Dylan
Nick watching cartoons (the blank look)
Adam with his finished scout project for Blue and Gold banquet
Adam relaxed and chillin'
Aren't they wonderful? I'm a biased mom... can't help it! Bye for now!
Wednesday, my boys and I attended a musical put on by the students in the school I teach in called "My Town, My World". It was really fun! I was so proud of the kids, that at the end I jumped up and gave them a standing ovation! I was the only person in the auditorium to do so. But the parents weren't THERE in the classroom watching all the HARD WORK involved to get them ready for this show... I was! I KNEW how hard they worked! I was so proud of them, I didn't even CARE that I was the only one! The kids all saw me and BEAMED!!! It was cool!
Thursday, Nick was diagnosed with a double ear infection.... yippee. That meant a day off for him (and me) on Friday. He was a miserable little guy... he cried a lot, because his ears hurt so much. TWELVE teachers/instructional assistants called out sick on that same day! THE POOR SECRETARY didn't have a chance!! Twelve substitutes??? I think NOT!
Saturday was the annual Penguin Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics. I understand that over 800 people made the plunge into the icy lake this year, including one of the second grade students in my class! He raised over $500! WAY TO GO BRETT!!! He's nuts!
My son Nick did his own version of the penquin plunge on the same day. We attended the annual Pack Meeting sledding party, and at the bottom of the hill is a brook about 1-2 feet deep. Nicolas managed to fall in, and get drenched. Some of the cub parents were using the marshmallow toasting sticks to hold his socks over the fire. Does anyone want to guess how much water the wool lining of a winter boot can hold???? The answer is A WHOLE LOT!
Tonight was the annual B.R.E.A.D. banquet, courtesy of our wonderful church! B.R.E.A.D. is a Bible-reading program that helps you to read the Bible through in one year. Here is a link to show you what the program sort of looks like. Anyway, those people who do accomplish this task are treated out to dinner at a VERY nice restaurant. It is a wonderful time of fellowship. I really enjoyed myself. I sat with the sweet members of my Life group! Thanks, Pastor, for a great dinner!
What else can I interest you in? Tomorrow is the 100th day of school where I work, and it is also Valentine's Day, and it is also PAJAMA DAY! How much work do you think will get accomplished tomorrow? I'm guessing NOT MUCH! Even the teachers are going to school in their jammies! I am wearing a black jumper (regular clothes) with my bathrobe over it, and my slippers. I am also bringing a BIG teddy bear! Will be fun!
Well, that is about all for now. I will close with a few pics of my boys. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow, and remember who loves you the best!
Nick and his buddy Dylan
Nick watching cartoons (the blank look)
Adam with his finished scout project for Blue and Gold banquet
Adam relaxed and chillin'
Aren't they wonderful? I'm a biased mom... can't help it! Bye for now!
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The Goodness of God
Hello all! It has once again been about two weeks since I have been here to record my thoughts. Actually, it's been an eventful two weeks. The most important thing I need to record is the great miracle my God and Savior Jesus Christ did for our family on Sunday, January 29th. My husband's brother Ben and his wife Stacy invited us up to their house after church on Sunday, and we were there for the rest of the day (about 1:30pm to 8:30 pm). The children were playing, and toward the end of the day, they were down in the basement playroom watching a movie. The adults were busy visiting and working on the church website, which, by the way, is looking FABULOUS!!!! Check it out by clicking here. Anyway, around 8pm, I told my husband it was time to go... it was bedtime on a school night for the boys, and I had a headache. If you knew my husband and his brother, they have a hard time parting company. 15 minutes later, I said, "Let's go! I have a splitting headache!" I ended up in the car sobbing, because it felt like my head was in a vice. On the ride home, everyone was pretty sleepy. Long story short, we got a call from Ben at 5 am. He was disoriented, and asking us to call mom because something was wrong and he was calling an ambulance. Their house was LOADED with carbon monoxide, because the furnace (where the children had been watching the movie) had broken that evening, and the levels in the house were at lethal numbers. Stacy was throwing up and having a violent headache, Ben was slurring his speech and was unable to give 911 (where he works and is the supervisor) the phone number to his in-laws across the street, they had a hard time waking up their 5 year old daughter, and all of them had soot in their noses and around their mouths. The ambulance came and took them all to the hospital, where the doctor told them that if they hadn't woken up when they did, they would have been dead in a matter of 2-4 hours. And he couldn't imagine HOW they managed to wake up with the levels in the house as high as they were. But I know how!!! Thank you Jesus for looking after our family! We cannot imagine life without Ben, Stacy, and the kids! The tragedy would have been more than we could bear! We serve an awesome God who takes care of His people!
In other news, the school I work in is performing a musical tomorrow night called "My Town, My World". They have been practicing songs and lines for weeks, and tomorrow is the big night.... the same night as our annual church business meeting! Sorry, Pastor... I won't be there. :) It's okay, he already knows. Anyway, I took my boys to the musical last year, and they LOVED it, so I am treating them again to this year's performance. They tell me, "I wish OUR school would do stuff like this!" I will try to post a couple of pictures from the musical by the end of the week.
Also, on Feb. 4th, my husband observed his 19th spiritual birthday... he has been filled with the Holy Ghost and serving God for 19 years! WOW! Living for God just gets better and better as the years go by!
In other news, the school I work in is performing a musical tomorrow night called "My Town, My World". They have been practicing songs and lines for weeks, and tomorrow is the big night.... the same night as our annual church business meeting! Sorry, Pastor... I won't be there. :) It's okay, he already knows. Anyway, I took my boys to the musical last year, and they LOVED it, so I am treating them again to this year's performance. They tell me, "I wish OUR school would do stuff like this!" I will try to post a couple of pictures from the musical by the end of the week.
Also, on Feb. 4th, my husband observed his 19th spiritual birthday... he has been filled with the Holy Ghost and serving God for 19 years! WOW! Living for God just gets better and better as the years go by!
Before you go, please note the new link I have added to the side bar of my blog to a fun site called Web Sudoku. It is all the rage there days, like the Rubik's Cube was back in the 80s! Check it out when you have some time!
Well, next week is Valentine's Day! Don't forget to bless the one you love! Have a wonderful week!
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