Die Already!

In Michigan, spring not only means ice storms and tornadoes, but the appearance of massive brown spiders crawling up and down your basement and bathroom walls.

Seeing them is not exactly the problem.

When you no longer see them the problem begins.

“WHERE DID IT GO?” Your mind races as you duck into the bathroom. “It was just on the ceiling above the toilet two minutes ago!” You circle the room, turning with alert eyes and ears; fly swatter and bug spray as lethal weapons in your trembling hands.

Suddenly, you spot it on the sink.

Crikey, look at those legs!

You could almost hear that rattlesnake sound from the movies as you whisper “I’ve got you now!” You roar a sinister laugh and begin to trash talk the lazy arachnid that is relaxing in the pristine bowl where you brush your teeth. “Prepare to meet thy maker!”

Thwap!

Aha! You are the champion! You have killed the world’s nemesis, you’ve-

IT’S STILL MOVING! What the-? 

(cue record scratch)

“Die, arachnid, die!” With a mighty Indian war whoop, you tighten your grip on the lethal weapons and make a face that would scare an old man. So much for trashtalking the eight legged disgusting invader. Your work is cut out for you!

Ten minutes and 78 thwap attempts later, the spiders legs have stopped doing their on-their-back-fast-forward-self-contained-kickline dance and you triumphant call your dad into pick it up and flush it to the underworld.

All in a day’s work!

Sometimes it seems like you can hear a faint roaring crowd and “We Are The Champions” playing in the background.

Thank you, thank you!

Sometimes, we can be like spiders. While God is not out to destroy us, He certainly wants our selfish side to die and be transformed by His love. Too often, we see people “get saved” then stay the same. Allow Him to change you!

As the song “Changed” says (sings? )

We have been blessed – now we’re going to be a blessing
We have been loved – now we’re going to bring love
We’ve been invited – we’re going to share the invitation
We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
Thank You for this new life, thank You for the invitation!
God, we want to live and then we’re going to shape the nations ” in Your name!

What good is it if we take on the name Christian and go on living like before? It’s like getting married, taking on the guy’s name, then going back home to live.

God wants to change your heart and make you into a special person, fit for furthering His kingdom.

So, let’s play out the scenario, only from God’s perspective. He’s not exactly trying to kill you, but make you surrender your will. In His hands are not lethal weapons that will kill you, but ways that will transform you.

You’re like a spider, scurrying around, trying to find a nice place to chill out and live out your life.

God sees you even if you’re not living life in the open. Whether you’re like the spider on the ceiling or the spider behind the bathroom mirror, He sees what you’re up to! And He’s after you!

“Lauralea, come on! Let’s get you out of the habits you’re in.”

“Lauralea, don’t try that!”

“Lauralea! Stop thinking that way!”

“I love you, but you seem to love yourself and your ways more than you love me. Why do you pursue these things first? Why do you come to me last?”

“Stop running!”

“How much time did you spend at that activity… and why didn’t you spend any time with me today?”

“You will is not a reflection of mine… I’m going to shut some doors.”

“Die, will, die already!”

God may not be frustrated like we are and is definitely not after you with a giant flyswatter. He is patient. But He’s waiting. Come to Him. Stop doing the little on-your-back-fast-forward-self-contained-kickline dance whenever God knocks you off your feet through reprimands and circumstances. Stop running and hiding, because He can see you!

When He catches up with you, He won’t flush you to the underworld, er, hell. If you are a true child of His, your future is secure. But your holiness, self righteousness, self esteem, self worth, and self promotion must be replace with His holiness, his righteousness, and an esteem for spiritual things and things of worth. Self promotion and its insecure feelings will turn into confidence in God’s plans for you. Why continue in self focus, why run from God, why be absorbed in worldly things, when you can be transformed?

Stop avoiding God’s hand and voice. Stop fleeing Him and pursuing your desires. Let His desires become yours.

Die Already!

Guest Post~ Of Wrestling and Excuses

My blogging friend Melinda has written today’s post. I appreciate Melinda’s friendly heart that is expressed through her blog:

Radiant Purity and True Beauty

Her blog has been such a blessing to me, and it will bless you as well.

Now for her post:

 

I don’t know why it was so difficult this time.  I had done it plenty of times before. But after my heart was broken, I didn’t want to trust God with it again.  I had my excuses.

 

“God, why must I trust you for the person I marry?  You already have hurt my heart in that area.  I tried to do everything right!  No, I want control over that area of my life.  I can’t trust You in this area.”

 

They were pitiful excuses.  I couldn’t trust the Creator of the world and my Heavenly Prince who wrote my story before I was born with my life.  As a result, I wasn’t happy.  Discontent, fear, distrust and self-pity reigned supreme in my life.

 

My wise mother noticed and perceived my problem (how do mothers know?) and told me late one night, “I think you need to surrender your desire for marriage to God. I don’t think you are trusting Him in that area.”  Faced head on with my problem, I blubbered around, sobbing the same excuses I told God. “But He gave me something I didn’t want last time.  Why should I trust Him again?”

 

I fought against it for awhile.  The Love that will not let me go, however, won the day.  I surrendered my whole life anew to Jesus Christ.  I chose to trust Him completely for my future, including who, when and if I should marry.  I realized I am without excuse.  He who wrote my story demands full obedience to His Will and plan and His will and plan are perfect.  His promises are sure.  Instead of wrestling, I will trust.  Instead of making excuses, I will rest in His care.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:11-13

‘Live With Purpose’ (a tidbit of Chapter 1 of my book)

How often do we think ‘September thoughts’? “Since the school year is starting, I will do ____” or “I can have 30 weeks to study ____ a little bit more.” It’s easy to think we can let our schedules and circumstances determine our life; to help our future along. It’s like living on autopilot: letting social life, full calendars, games, appointments, and homework become our purpose for living. And for us college women and beyond, it’s easy to think housework and college and chores is all that’s worth living for.

These activities are all worthy and many are necessary to living. Chores need to be completed. Homework must be finished. Doctors need to be seen. Teeth need to be filled. It’s life.

But, when we start to look to our calendars to determine what’s next, our lives are set to live on autopilot. And when a huge change comes (like graduation, for example), we aren’t sure what we’re supposed to do. We feel lost, like our social life has been stripped away; we feel like we have no reason to exist: like we have no purpose… like God has taken everything we liked to do away!

I confess I used to live on autopilot. Looking to the next thing on the list to determine what I should do. It is how we young single women start to feel discontent when we’re 18 or 21 or 30 and not married- or even seeing anyone. We’re too used to everything coming at us in an orderly fashion, being in control of our lives. When things like a job, marriage, or college don’t come our way, the discontentment sets in.

In reality, God is not taking anything away from us. WE are living without purpose.

“Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in You.” Saint Augustine

So often, we’re caught up in living life to simply live life, we forget what we’re here for. We were made for God, not the next big thing! It is only when we live for God do we genuinely begin live vibrantly, wholly, and fully.

How do we do that?

Well… that’s what my book is all about!

Romans 8 (and what I’ve learned about the nature of God and the nature of me)

There is something about this chapter that draws me back to it over and over.

1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 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, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This whole chapter tells us who we are as Christians. If I ever successfully lead someone to Christ, and they ask “Then what?” I would take them through a study of Romans 8 then Ephesians. Hey, now that my book is in oblivion, I could start writing a study on this…

Anyway. ahem. I’ve come to realize yet again the only way to be genuinely content, happy, and Christ-centered is when I’m not pursuing things I want.

I’ve been learning a lot about prayer recently, too; and the verse about the Holy Spirit making known our requyests without even saying them eloquently makes me want to burst with peace and assurance! Since we are saved to do good works, and we cannot lose our salvation; we should constantly be seeking things above. Sometimes, sin distracts us, though. It doesn’t take much to pull us away from Christ, but sadly, it happens. We become a little more carnally minded than we should. We fall into a great heap of trouble and see no way out. I am so thankful for a God who loves me, but hates my sin with a holy passion! He opens my eyes to breaches in my wall, to echo Nehemiah’s dilemma. I am determined to not let the wall of my fellowship Christ around crumble or be diminished by anything of the Father of lies. 

That’s why I went through this process recently. Christ has become more real to me. I feel light, clean inside and out. Even if you’re not a set-apart “girl,” you warriors could benefit from taking a step back and examining your life, too. We’re all human. We all sin. Princess or Warrior, lady or gent’a'man, I hope you click on the link and take a look at what “Cleaning Out the Sanctuary” really means.  I dare you. Click on it!

Christianity vs. Islam

We’re going to compare Christianity with Islam, and see what “God” is like in each. I’ve read a ton on Islam, including the Qur’an, and I feel the need to share what I’ve learned. I made note of many verses that contradicted the Bible. Islam intrigues me- it makes me wonder why God allows Satan to make such a religion to grow, and who would take the time to think up a religion like this… it boggles my mind.

The first major difference we will notice is:

Christianity: Trinitarian Theism- or one God, three persons. 2 Cor. 13:4, Matt. 28:19 both refer to Son, Spirit, and Father. (If you know of more verses on the Trinity, let me know)

Islam: Unitarian Theism- in Surah 5:73 It says They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three; when there is no Allah save the One Allah. Perhaps the idea of the Trinity was too confusing for Muhammad. It confuses me too, but I believe it. It’s not illogical. What logic law does it violate?

The second major difference is:

God cannot lie or change-   James 1: 17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no varying, neither shadow of turning.      Titus 1: 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

Allah lies and changes: Sura 8:30 They plot and plan, and Allah, too plans, but the best of the planners is Allah. Another translation uses “schemers” another, “plotters” and another “deceiver”. The word plotter seems to imply Allah is not all knowing.

Mondays and Fridays will be “VS.” days for now. Maybe not while I’m away in August, but definitely for now. I have no plans to make theme days, like blogs everywhere around me are doing. But it should be interesting. And if you are bored to tears, let me know somehting you’d like me to write about, and I’ll make a post just for you.

Someone guessed the answer correctly (of the two of you that guessed!) ENVY

Don’t You Dare Dream Big!

Do something big.

In our generation, we’re told to “dream big” all the time. We’re told to set goals and make plans.

Dreams are dreams, plans are plans, and goals are goals. We rarely see them accomplished- and if we do, they’re little things that don’t matter.

Because we’re too lazy to see thethem though.

Sure, we all have aspirations (like ‘become a lawyer’ or ‘get married’ or ‘write a book’) and dreams (such as ‘see the world’ or ‘meet the president’ or ‘live in Ireland’) and we all have plans (like ‘get diploma’ ‘hunt for a more fun job’ ‘have a party’ ‘go to Kings Island’).

How often are we seeing our goals through? It seems to me we’re told to dream big, but nobody really gives us a direction. Average adults sit back let us ramble through life, giving us vague advice. There’s nothing wrong with job hunting, and I love King’s Island. But how often do we see the big things getting done? Not often. We spend too much time in the small stuff.  It’s good to live life with a metanarrative-ish plan, but… look at your calendar. How many of the things coming up in the next week really count for something? Will you remember what you did ten years from now? What could you be doing instead? It’s neccessary to get your haircut, or get your car’s oil changed; but do you really need to go out for coffee to “unwind”? How about shopping with the girls? Biking with the guys? What really matters?

So, my short challenge to you is to DO big. Don’t walk a tightrope or bungee jump off the Willis Tower, make an impact. Start a blog, write a book (and be sure to back it up someplace,189 pages of a devotional book I was writing and 78 pages of communism articles I was working on disappeared forever with a virus! Just warning you! BACK IT UP ON A DISC!), go on a missions trip, or teach a class. Mentor someone instead of being mentored for once. You will find you like it! Hey, if you’re a man and like speaking, try preaching when your pastor is on vacation this summer.

What are some “BIG” things you have done? What are some major things you’d like to do? How are you going to get there? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and you may inspire some other friendly folks along the way.

 

For Pete’s Sake, STOP IT!

A local requisite for being a weird homeschool family is having a cat to dote on and treat like a real human. To be really weird is to have two cats to treat. We fall into the really weird category, with two spoiled felines. Daisy, the alert hunter, is our more active darling, whom we affectionately call Pablo for no reason at all. 

 Lilly is our spoiled star of the show and the idea that started this post. She thinks she owns the house (literally), tries to teach us tricks. She is also conniving. She sees us coming and runs in front of the walkaway, plops down on her back and purrs to kingdom come. He eyes get big (think Puss in Boots from Shrek 2) and we just HAVE to pet her…

  Lilly, weighing in at over 20-some pounds, likes to think she is a graceful, beautiful kitten who can do anything: jump heights, kill mice (even if they are fake and stuffed with kitty drugs catnip) scale doors, climb walls…

  But she can’t.

Sure, she can trick us humans into giving her hour long brushing sessions, scratching her belly, and painting her claws (she loves that); but we really know she’s just a spoiled animal who knows exactly how to abuse our kindness. She’s cute, but calloused; even-tempered, but rotten; sweet, but selfish. She’s outwardly beautiful, but inside she’s a calculating beast.

Just like us human beings.

    We humans think we can do it all, have it all, BE it all. Only when we let God overpower our desires can we get anything worth doing DONE. We were designed to do good works as Christians, and simply stepping back and letting go can we fully begin to live our lives as REAL, HONEST people. We mess things up, and don’t like to admit it. I don’t know about you, but I hate admitting I’m in the wrong (and hence, you’re in the right, darn it). I dislike apologizing for my hurts to others, because I don’t like to think I can hurt people. But I can, often without realizing it. I don’t enjoy the process of forgiving. For me, grudges are way cooler than asking someone to get over what I did.

But the benefits of doing those hard, unenjoyable things are huge. You feel free. You feel as though you are joyful and easily satisfied with a little instead of a lot.

  We spend a lot of time on appearances. It’s all about confidence and “self esteem”. I occasionally read books my friends are talking about just so I sound informed. I buy 80% of my clothes used and sometimes don’t correct people when they assume I’ve bought my shirt new at AE. I appear to have a perfect life to some people, so much so they push their daughters to be “like” me. I’m often told by adults I’m some type of up-and-coming “great” and it is SO EASY to lean back and say “See what Mrs. Dowelrod just said? I’m going to be great!”

   Looks aren’t everything, and I’ve come to realize that even more throughout the past several months. It’s great that parents use me as a role model, that I can spend little money and still get a decent look, and read thought provoking books. But to abuse that is to become prideful. Power trips are not really what I try for, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid conniving thrills, the enjoyable spoiled attitude, and the fun of attention on occasion.

   Being cute is fun, but living our lives for the purpose of being cute isn’t God highest. Freedom is my favorite thing in the world. When you are free from the image monster, you are responsible for bearing a new image: Christ’s. That’s an image a lot easier to keep up. It’s real. It’s not in your effort.

For Pete’s sake, stop trying to look good. Be good for the glory of Christ.

Must…have….CELL PHONE!!!! Must… TEXT!!!!! Must…be… ENTERTAINED!!

“If I don’t have my cell phone, I’m totally bored… and feel like I am going through withdrawal!!!”

~ quote from a friend of mine (who doesn’t read my “boring” blog)

“Katie’s” quote about sums it up. If most people don’t have their cell phone attached to their thumbs or ears, they feel disconnected.

Let me start out by saying that texting is not wrong: it’s HOW OFTEN you text is the problem. There is a young woman in my church who used to brag about her phone bill: ‘I sent over 30,000 texts last month!’ Seriously, this girl had a problem! She could NOT put her phone down, even in church services, I could hear her behind me… click click click click click click.  I only text if I need to- or for emergencies. As for the “fun” texting, I rarely do that.  I only give out my number when I absolutely have to. I spend more time taking pictures on my Tracfone and playing Sudoku… when I have to wait for something. If I don’t have a book.

Some tips:

Don’t sign up for a plan that has “unlimited” texts. This only increases the temptation.  I have a ‘slider’ Tracfone that has limited minutes and web access for emergencies. It has a camera (nice to have when Herbie’s batteries go dead…)- but I am not constantly on it, fiddling with it or taking pictures of myself- in fact I haven’t touched the thing in about a week. One nice thing that it does is vibrate loudly and turn itself on when there is severe weather heading our way… nobody else’s phone does that!

Don’t get the type of phone that has a keyboard!

If you really have a problem with addiction- ”Ooooh, she hasn’t texted me in an hour, do you think I should call her and see if she’s mad at me now???”- have your parents check your cell phone in and out at night. You could inforce a rule on yourself… The ”No phone in your room” rule, if you have a problem with your parents reading your messages.

Cell phones have actually been proven to have radiation at a high level when you have three ‘bars’ or less.

Obey your parents’ wishes- and commands. Put the phone away when you are told!

Make meal times media free. One of my friends actually texts her parents when she wants something passed to her. It made me feel left out and unwelcome as a guest. Besides, her mom was sitting less than 10 inches away from her at the small table.

Try not to text or call when there are others in the room- and especially when they are speaking. To you. This includes friends (yes, even if you have to suffer through boring conversation…); sermons (hey, your pastor worked hard on that sermon- and that’s one of the most important ways God can get your attention); lectures (yes, even if it’s a homeschool conference and your mom/chaperone says you can’t walk out on a boring session!). It is disappointing to see people so enslaved to this literal “magic box” that they can’t give anything else their attention.

Seth Franco, a former Harlem Globetrotter, came to speak my brother’s basketball celebration a few months ago. During the delightful performance, I kept laughing as a mom in front of me Googled things on her phone as he talked. She kept Googling what he was talking about, the weather, and some other things… including Facebook! Here is this perfectfully funny, entertaining, smart man; and she has to be entertained by a digital screen. Too much entertainment and nothing will delight you anymore. There will be no surprises left in life!

The other day, a friend let me use her iPhone, and after a few minutes, I gave it back to her, thinking: I’m glad I don’t have one of those things! I could picture myself sitting in my bedroom with my own iPhone, lost in oblivion as time flew by… playing Space Burger. Aaaaahhh! I don’t want to waste my time like that! It’s almost sad!

The easier it is to entertain you, the more you will want entertainment. When people end up turning to little screens for their kicks, it makes me wonder what’s next… for a little humor, I thought this classic video would bring to light the stupidity of it all!

 

___________________________________________________________

Isn’t that charming? I’d have to say, it pictures the mindless consumer well!

Now, for another great article from Ligonier Ministries: (again, note that I don’t agree with the ministry’s  theology on the end times, women, doctrine, among other things)

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/ligonier-national-pre-conference-albert-mohler/

Please read this article! It will definitely benefit you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up, an adapted transcript of the session “Amusing Ourselves To Death” by John Stonestreet (believe me, it’s good!)

Useful

When I was a kid, I used to hate crafts. Being the practical person I am, I wondered what cotton-ball sheep had to do with Jesus whilst in second grade Jr. Church. But recently, I realized how fun USEFUL crafts can be. Here are some tutorials and idea spur-ers to spark inspiration in your crafty pursuits…

First, from Phylicia, I got the idea of making “book cards”- using old book pages and pictures to plaster on scrapbook cards.

My mom went to the Sal Army and found a calligraph book, full of some person’s calligraphy; (which I guess was cool in the 50′s!).

49c! My mom got half-off pink tag, so it was 24c.  See how cheap it is to make beautiful USEFUL crafts?

So, you get the idea what that was like…

I liked the idea so much, I had my study group girls make some cards for our activity at our meeting!

This is one card that I made…

I used pictures from an old “Henry Reed’s Journey” book (immense liking for the series when I was a youngin’)

When I was completely done with the card I wrote what papers I had used for it on the back at the bottom…

And then I sent it to a friend!

Since we didn’t have much luck finding sheet music for envelopes, I decided to put my drawing skills to good use (I usually spend several hours on a drawing and end up thinking “what use do I have for this…?” I can’t stand to keep anything without a use around!!). I hauled out my colored pencils and scribbled on the backs of envelopes

Ready to send in the mail…

Sometimes I use a reference photo to copy completely, or to take the main feature and add my own effects, such as below…

\/ Reference photo…

And below is my rendition of it…

Some others I’ve made…

Pillowboxes!

Go to the following link and print out the template: http://www.carolynsstampstore.com/catalog/members/pillow_box_template_small.pdf

Find sturdy cardstock and cut out according to template… as you can see in the bottom right corner below…

Use blunt objects to make creases along the lines, then fold and glue the sides.  (You can find specific directions at http://www.ehow.com/how_4858390_pillow-box.html )

We put colored strips of paper around them that coordinated with the color scheme of the box \/

We cut with a cutting-board to ensure correct lines. You can find them at Hobby Lobby!

Most of my sudden ‘craftiness’ has come from the Homestead Blessings DVDs. I highly recommend the series. It has dairy delights, crafting, sewing, quilting, herbs, and cooking, to name a few. We have them all, and I will most assuredly watch them over and over. I never thought being “domesticated” could be so much fun! What are some projects you’ve done lately?

Next post: Who Taught Them?

Oh Joy! Quotes and Notes!

~~Little Paragraphs and Deep Thoughts, Big Facts and Scrawly Notes That Churn ’Round In My Noggin~~

“Legalism is merely the futile attempt to do in our own strength what the Spirit of God means to accomplish on our own behalf.” ~ Leslie Ludy Set Apart Femininity

The form in which ideas are expressed affects what those ideas will be. (The MEDIUM is the METAPHOR) ~ Neil Postman Amusing Ourselves To Death

If you asked 2o good men today what they though was the highest of the virtues, 19 of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christains of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philosophical importance. The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not of primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian view of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself.  ~ CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory

It is a sin to be dumb! ~ John Stonestreet- Summit lecture

A real woman is a woman who recognizes that she has been exquisitely and perfectly created by a loving God for a unique purpose. Out of geniune gratitude, awe and a desire to please her Maker, a real woman joyfully embraces her femininity and submits every aspect of her identy to God’s original and unique design for her…Unlike feminists, we know God’s design for women. This gives us the upper hand. Will we use it? ~ Elizabeth Botkin So Much More

America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within. ~ Josef Stalin (from the opening of the documentary, Agenda) And what’s happening in our world???

The flood of rampant homosexuality will not ruin a nation. Why? Because rampant homosexuality is a sign that the nation is already ruined! ~ John Stonstreet Summit lecture

Godly womanhood, the very plance sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other type of woman: beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career women, talented women, divorced women. But seldom do we hear of godly women- or of a godly man either, for that matter. We believe women come nearer to fulfilling their God-given funtion in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife, than to be Miss America. It is a greater acheivement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old fashioned, than to be ultra modern, The world has enough womee who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs women who are pure. We need women, and men too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct. ~ Peter Marshall

When God’s Spirit is given His rightful place in a young woman’s life, He transforms her personality to reflect His beauty… He can overtake any kind of personality. . .You decrease, so that He might increase…~  Leslie Ludy The Lost Art of True Beauty      (This book was a great book for me. I tend towards shy, and for the first time, I realized I could go outside of myself- types are just types… but I recently went to http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp to take a personality test anyway. The test revealed my weaknesses and strengths. I am an INTJ – Which type are you?)

The Baha’i faith believes in one God, but there are many ways to seek/experience God. Minimize theological differences and work together for harmony of faiths, freeing slaves and seeking justice. Affirmative action. Socail Justice. Service to humanity is highest goal. Baha’i believes in one God in one person- unitarian theism- it’s roots are in Islam, but they also accept YAH, Jesus, and Brahma as the same person- these are just other names. ~Len Woods      (Is the new Zach Hunter “Be the Change” movement founded in Baha’i? Whether he knows it or not, unknowingly, yes. The affirmative action movement is combining various religions to do things in God’s name. Is there a way to do hard things the wrong way? Yes! Baha’i followers will be among those to whom God will say “Depart… I never knew you…” Pluralism is one of the worst of the false worldviews).

To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward event. The best informed man is not necessarily the wisest. The wise man will seek to acquire the best knowledge- to recognize the significance in the factual is wisdom. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (He is a good writer, and I like his “Cost of Discipleship”, though his theology on salvation was messed up…)

“We live in a dictatorship of relativism… what people say and do becomes normal, but not right.” ~Scott Klusendorf.

“Waiting for Godot is the Humanist’s dream. It’s about two guys waiting for a friend who never comes. Notice what the friend’s name is… GODot.” John Stonestreet on Beckett plays. (Seriously, look them up. They are hopeless)

“For I seek not to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order I can understand, study, and learn. “

Ideas have history, they come from somewhere. Ideas have feet, they will go somewhere. Ideas have consequences: they will do something to you or for you. Doc Noebel

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out it has no meaning. Just as if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would have no meaning. ~ CS Lewis

In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair. The sin that believes in nothing cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, remains for nothing, and has nothing for which it will live for or die. ~Dorothy Sayers (Sounds like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World- a place so hedonist and so limited by… love)

This so-called tolerance is nothing but a huge indifference.  ~Alexis de Tocqueville

“We are all part of one. Intellect is error…” ~Bhagwhan Shree Rajneesh - (Haha If we are all part of ‘one’, how did we get away from that oneness into many religions? Just asking, Mr. Rajneesh)

Sloppy language makes sloppy thought possible. ~Michael Bauman

Be the first you, not the second me. Education is learning to think, indoctrination is teaching you how to think. ~Michael Bauman.

The probability of life originating from an accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a print shop. ~ Edwin Conklin

He that knows nothing will believe anything.

If God wants to use you, he wants to use the real you. Not the person you want to be. God doesn’t use imaginary people. He wants you to be who He made you. Christians should not feel guilty by this… they are fogiven. What we feel is conviction.  Rowan Gillson (IPS)

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Read as many books as you can- I often wander the aisles of the library and pull of non-fiction books, take them home, and read them completely. You’ll never know how much you can know until you start to learn.