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Saturday, October 11, 2008 Peace
Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. God will still answer prayer.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to Jesus Christ.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross for you, and for everyone you love.
9. The blood of Jesus will not have lost its power.
10. The Lord Jesus Christ will still save the lost when they come to Him.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW THE ONE WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE??
(copied and edited)
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God. Psalm 146:3,5
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Thursday, October 9, 2008 Stuff
Falling farther and farther behind all of you, my friends, in the blogging world. I don't know what I do all day, but I don't seem to have the time to cruise around and see what everyone is up to. So if you are in the same boat I am, I won't blame you at all for not going back to take a look at my post about loving the desert, which continues to grow, or the one about the ESV, which has generated a few more comments lately. Just wanted to let you know there is activity going on there, just in case you are interested.
Emily has the BIGGEST smile on her face most of the day today since this is her last day of being four years old. Tomorrow we will have chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, decorated with yellow icing by Emily herself. And some fudgsicles -- those are more fun for a little kid than a scoop of ice cream is. As for me, I'd rather have a bowlful of Moose Tracks! I am so relieved to have switched to this plan. For 362 days this year Emily insisted on another popcorn cake for her fifth birthday, and then suddenly she matured and asked for chocolate. Yea!! Oh. Maybe that is not a good thing. We already have two chocoholics in this house...
Pete Falcon (see previous post) is under the attack of mega doses of antibiotics, and after a week of being on them his digestive system is finally rebelling. Yogurt helped for a while, but no longer. We might have a now-you-see-him, now-you-don't preacher tonight if he is running to the bathroom between scripture passages.
We are doing out best to wrap up our first quarter of the school year, so we can go to Grammy and Grampy's for a few days for a combination birthday celebration and trip to the San Diego Zoo. This trip was supposed to take place this week, but Pete Falcon couldn't walk around the house, let alone the zoo. He has a few days left to heal, and we're praying for a very quick and complete recovery now.
Seems like I had something important to tell you all... sorry, the brain is kaput. There's nothing left!
Well, that's the news from the dry and thirsty land. Have a great weekend, everyone!
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Psalm 63:1-4
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008 My Superhero's BooBoo
WARNING: NOT FOR WEAK STOMACHS!!
My DH, known around here as superhero Pete Falcon (not the Marvel Comic -- we didn't even know about him!) tried to do a trick while he was walking quickly, and attempted to step up and over a 2' brick wall. As you will see, he missed. Poor Pete. This is the wound on his shin, two weeks after the fact. We thought he just had a bloody scrape. After several days it was badly infected, so off to Urgent Care we went. He had to have the "scrape" debrided. "Debrided" is one of my new vocabulary words, and it means that they scrubbed all the gunk and dead flesh out of the hole -- they un-debris'ed it., right? Same root word? (Thank you, Carol!) "Avulsion" is my other new word, which is how you describe this sort of a wound. It's easy to remember because it sounds like "revulsion", which is what my DH's reaction is to seeing his own wound. The dark part in the center is dried blood, of course, and you can be thankful it is there. The scene prior to this one shows the fat layer under the skin. Before that, the fat also was missing, so he was down to severely bruised muscle tissue. You wouldn't want to see that. The amazing thing about this is that Captain Falcon was wearing long pants when this happened!!! I don't think he'd have a leg left if he had hit that block wall with his skin. Modesty pays off!
Now, Pete Falcon is a man who is hard to keep down, but this did it. This fall was his Kryptonite. But take heart! Pete Falcon is gaining strength! He has been chomping at the bit, wishing to get moving again. God has given him a great measure of grace, and Pete has been a wonderful patient. As you can see , it will be a while before he is back on his bike. (You know how that is when your pedal comes up and whams you in the shin... we don't want that to happen.)
Until he flies again ~  
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Tuesday, October 7, 2008 A Month in Review
Saturday, October 4, 2008 Overnight Baked Oatmeal, by Request
We Arizona blogging gals were recently discussing the fact that we are more than ready for fall to get here. I told Kristy and Shani that I have given up waiting, and that I have already begun my winter cooking -- soups especially, and baked oatmeal. "Baked oatmeal??" they said. If you have never had baked oatmeal on a cold morning, you are missing out. It is so good and satisfying, and so easy to make! Try adding chopped apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, or raisins. Top it with warm milk or cream, or hey, even rhubarb sauce! Enjoy.
Overnight Baked Oatmeal
2 eggs
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt |
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 C milk
3 C oats
optional: walnuts, chopped apple, raisins, dried fruit, chocolate chips??
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Grease a 1 1/2 quart ovenproof dish. Beat the eggs in it, then add the brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla, and stir until there are no lumps. Whisk in the milk and melted butter, then stir in the oats. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, preheat the oven to 350.° Bake until set in the center and crisp around the edges, 35-45 minutes. Makes six regular sized servings, or four great big man-sized ones.
And yes, Merlynn, it is rather like a warm oatmeal cookie. I am weakening in my resolve not to add chocolate chips! No. No. No. Don't do it!
If you enjoy this, try another variation -- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. |
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Saturday, October 4, 2008 How to Cut a Mango -- Photo Tutorial
I am editing this entry to post a bit of information on mangoes. Mangoes are considered the world over as "the king of fruit," and for good reason! They are so good, and good for you. A ripe mango is slightly soft to the touch and will yield to gentle pressure. At the stem end, it has a full, fruity fragrance. Also, the skin of a ripe mango will separate easily from the flesh. Don't depend on the mango's color to determine its ripeness. If you have ever tried mango and you didn't like it, the fruit was either not ripe enough, or it was overripe. I can't imagine anyone NOT liking mango!
Mangoes are a comfort food. They are good for the digestive system, high in dietary fiber, low in calories, full of Vitamins A and C, and a good source of potassium and beta carotene.
If you can keep them long enough to cook with them (I can't -- we love them the way God made them!), mangoes are very versatile. They can go into smoothies, breads, cakes, chutney, salsa, salads, and even omelets! Try this recipe site for some ideas.
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Yum!!! |
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Monday, September 29, 2008 For All My AZ Friends Who Are Moving To the Cold Country
Monday, September 29, 2008 For Shani or anyone else who is crocheting
A couple of years ago I started this very easy, simple, anyone-can-do-it afghan. Believe me, if I say anyone can do it, anyone can do it. Because if I can do it, anyone can do it.  This is my very first crocheting project. Nothing like overkill. A wise woman would begin with a dishcloth or something a bit smaller than an afghan. Because I never seem to get much done at one time, I plan to finish it in about the year 2057. But what I like about this pattern is that I never have to go back and reread the instructions to remember where I am or what to do next! Very simple. DC10, ch10. That's it. When you get to the end of the row, ch3 and turn. The real instructions are below.
Finished size is 50"x64"
Use size I hook.
6 dc = 2"
2 rows = 1"
Row 1: ch 253. DC in 3rd chain from the hook.
DC in next 9 chains, ch 10. Skip 10 chains, * DC 10 in next 10 ch, ch10. Repeat from *.
Make 13 groups of DC's and 12 loops, ch3 and turn.
Row 2: DC in next 9 DC's. Ch10, skip the loop (the 10 chains in the previous row), * DC in next 10 DC's, ch10, skipping loop. Repeat from *. Ch3 and turn.
Repeat row 2 for 116 rows and fasten off.
To finish, start at bottom, and with fingers, pull 1st loop over 2nd loop, and pull 2nd loop through and towards next loop.
Pull 2nd loop over 3rd, and pull 3rd loop through and towards next loop.
Repeat to the end and fasten the last 2 loops with safety pin. Be sure all your loops are going in the same direction.
SC in each DC across the top, with 2 SC in each loop, removing pins as you go.
To finish the bottom, SC in 10 DC's, * ch1, SC in 10 DC. Repeat from * to end, fasten off.
Add fringe if you still like the 70's look, lol!
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Saturday, September 27, 2008 What About the ESV???
My dear, faithful, and wise husband left this comment on another pastor's blog this afternoon. If you are thinking about getting the new, highly-acclaimed English Standard Version of the Bible, you might want to think twice.
I had not even been paying attention that we had another new version hitting the markets again. I did a quick Google search, and found the ESV online so I could check to see whether it agreed with the other new versions or with the KJV. Of course it was 3 for 3 in going along with the modern versions, and I knew there was no more need to keep checking.
Here are the three references I quickly checked:
Mark 1:2, "prophets" changed to "Isaiah". It is obvious that those two words are not remotely close to being the same in a Greek text. And what Mark quotes in verse two is not found in Isaiah, but rather Malachi 3:1.
Error #1.
Luke 2:33, "Joseph" is changed to "father". Same comments concerning the words in a Greek text. Jesus Christ had no earthly father. Error #2.
Colossians 1:14, “through his blood” removed. Hebrews 9 tells us in verse 22, “and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Error #3.
That is just scratching the surface. I need a Bible I can put my complete faith in, not another corrupted, error-filled, deceptive work of liberal scholarship.
By the way, these same errors, as all of the new versions have, line up with the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Most professing Christians are ignorant of the fact that if they don’t have a KJV, they have the equivalent of the JW bible.
So there you have it. I agree -- I need a Bible that I can put my complete faith in. For the rest of the discussion, go here. |
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Saturday, September 27, 2008 Quick and Easy Lunch
Do your kids get tired of the same old lunches each day? Mine do. We go from sandwiches to Top Ramen to quesadillas and back to sandwiches again. Lately, though, since I have been allowing making my girls prepare their own lunches, the quesadillas have been more popular with all of us. This is something we do frequently, but if you are not from the southwest, maybe you don't think of eating refried beans for lunch? Here's how to make a very un-authentic quesadilla:
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Butter one side of either a flour or corn tortilla. (There is a big difference in taste between them, and we all have our preferences here.) Lay it buttered side down on top of a second tortilla. Slather the top with refried beans. Place a layer of lunch meat ham or turkey on top of the beans. Make the top layer a generous amount of shredded jack, cheddar, or Mexican blend cheese. (You can also make this with cheese only.) Carefully place the top tortilla with its toppings into the frying pan. Next, place the other tortilla on top of the cheese, with the buttery side up. Cook it for a minute or two, until the underside is golden. (Check by lifting the edge with a spatula.) Flip the quesadilla over and cook the other side.
Sprinkle with salt, slice with a pizza cutter, and eat it up!
More mature eaters will appreciate more sophisticated fillings -- green onions, grilled chicken, taco meat, green chilies, salsa, etc! |
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10 Things I Like About Me
I was playing at Shani's the other day enjoying one of her latest posts, about how we women are so good at finding things NOT to like about ourselves. Shani challenged her readers to come up with ten things that we DO LIKE about ourselves. I wasn't even going to do this one, because she is right -- for every one thing I do like about me, there are probably a hundred things I don't like about me. But that slave-driver encouraging woman, Shani, wouldn't leave me alone. She insisted that I play, even if it takes me a week to come up with ten things. Under dire mental duress I came up with two. And then I realized that everything I really like about me is really not about me at all -- it is something that Jesus Christ has done IN me or THROUGH me, or in SPITE of me! So, at the risk accusations of false humility, here are my ten things:
1. I am eternally saved. Once and for all. I received God's gift of faith in the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, in my place. Every one of my sins was forgiven 2000 years ago, and they are under the blood of Jesus. Praise the Lord! Jesus paid it all.
2. I have absolute peace about eternity. The Lord gave me that.
3. I have been blessed with spiritual discernment, from reading the Bible for many years. The Lord gave me that.
4. I am reasonably content with my material possessions. The Lord did that.
5. I am comfortably frugal, a trait that is sometimes necessary in the ministry, but not one that all people in the ministry have. The Lord did that.
6. I am more practical than romantic, which is a good thing for a woman married to Mr. Dominant/Steady. Sometimes I'm a little romantic, but I think I suppress that side of me. God made me practical, and I need to be.
Okay, now for some more carnalish things:
7. I have always liked the color of my hair! People have asked me since I was about eight years old if I dye it. God made it that way.
8. I had three babies with no meds, and one with an epidural just to reward myself for the other three. God gave me the grace for that, and a body that has babies easily.
9. Once in a while, I have the presence of mind and the mind/hand coordination to be a good writer. God is preserving what's left of my brain and has given me the talents I have.
10. I ran out of things.
I asked my kids, and they couldn't think of anything, either! LOL!!! Okay, wait, here's a contribution from Alizona: Even though I say it's time to go to sleep, I stay in their room and talk with her and her sister. (Oh good. I'm glad there was ONE thing!) 
Okay, Shani, I did it!
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Friday, September 19, 2008 Our Secret Recipe
 Many years ago -- it doesn't seem like many years ago to me, but it was -- I bought a nice set of three nested ceramic bowls from The Brickyard, outside of Shell Lake, Wisconsin. I loved that place! The Brickyard is an old two-room brick schoolhouse which a couple bought, remodeled, and converted into a home on one side and art studio on the other. The owners were potters and they opened the studio to local artists to display their talents. It was a few miles from the beautiful countryside where I spent my last days as a single woman, and I bought the bowls for a lasting souvenir of the wonderful days when I lived in northwestern Wisconsin. In time, I dropped the largest of the bowls, the one that would have been perfect for mixing bread in, and sometime later I broke the middle bowl, too. The big bowl was a total loss, but the middle sized bowl still sits on top of my kitchen cupboard, next to its little sibling, barely hanging on to its broken piece with Elmer's Glue. I never use it, because washing it will dissolve the glue. But I still enjoy the memories it brings.
And now? Now I have a new memory to associate with that special, mama-bear sized bowl. Booklover used it to mix her dry ingredients for chocolate chip cookies the other day. And if you know what kind of a housekeeper I am, you can guess what happened. When I grabbed hold of the edge of the bowl to give the flour, baking soda, and salt once last stir, an inch of dust fell into my hand. I stopped mid-stir and gaped at the gross collection of fuzz, desert dust, and dead human skin cells. "Um, Amy," I said, "You didn't happen to wipe out this bowl before you dumped the flour in it, did you?" "No, Mom, why?" I showed her why. "Oh... do you think anyone will be able to taste it?" she asks. "We'll just tell them it's a secret ingredient," I answered.  So we did. The cookies are almost gone, except for some unbaked dough in the fridge. No one has mentioned a funny taste, and no one has died, so I guess they're okay....? I now have another cleaning item to add to the chore schedule I have been working on for weeks, the one that never seems to materialize...
Really. The cookies aren't bad! (Chocolate can cure anything.) But Mary, let this be a lesson to you. Be careful what you ask for, LOL! 
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Cola Crazy?
Are you a Coke addict? I enjoy a diet Coke once in a great while, mostly when we are at a restaurant that doesn't have filtered water. Being a diabetic, I am pretty careful not to drink sugary stuff. (But I'm not very careful not to eat it -- there's chocolate, you know. It just seems worse to pour sugar directly into my bloodstream. If I chew it, at least I'm burning it off, lol!) For the most part I just drink water. I am not a health nut, but I do know that I feel a lot better when I eat real food. Anyway, here's an eye opening bit of research on what colas do to your body.
Cola a Legal Drug!
It is true, from 1886 - 1903 Cola use to have cocaine in it! In 1903 they removed cocaine from Cola, but it still does not make Cola any less of a drug. Cola, like all soft drinks, ravage the body within minutes of ingestion! You MUST consider "banning" carbonated beverages, whether they are diet or regular, after learning the following facts!
Cola concerns: New York Times asks, ‘Can too much cola cause kidney problems?'
01/25/2008 Noting that concerns about cola's link to kidney problems are largely based on anecdotal evidence, NIH researchers investigated the claim and found that drinking two or more colas daily --regular or diet-- was associated with a two-fold increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), the New York Times reports. For the study, which appeared in the journal Epidemiology, the researchers compared the behaviors of 465 people with CKD with those of 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the researchers uncovered the link between cola consumption and CKD; there was no link between drinking non-cola sodas and developing CKD. The Times notes that the findings validate the longstanding suspicion that cola's phosphoric acid or its ability to "pull calcium from bones" may heighten patients' risk for renal ailments. The NIH researchers, meanwhile, say more research is needed (O'Connor, Times, 1/22 [registration required]).
What happens to your body when you drink a Cola:
* First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons or 40grams of pure sugar begin to enter your blood stream. That breaks down to be about roughly 100% of the recommended carbohydrate intake allowed per meal!
* 15 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, the pancreas gushes out insulin, and your liver responds to the surge of glucose by converting excess sugar into triglycerides and ultimately body fat.
* 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is now complete. Your pupils are dilated, your blood pressure rises, and as a result of this complete caffeine upload which triggers stress related hormones, your liver dumps even more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked, which prevents drowsiness.
* 45 minutes: As with all sweets or any of your "favorite foods" {Time may vary}- Your body up-regulates dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain. This works in the same way that heroin and other addictive affect your brain. Addiction is Addiction!
* >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid in the soda binds to calcium (which is pulled from your bones), magnesium and zinc increasing urinary excretion of calcium weakening your bones.
* >60 Minutes: Diuresis assures that you'll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to or located in your bones as well as sodium and electrolytes.
* >60 minutes: It's inevitable; you'll have a metabolic crash and you may become irritable, foggy headed, and sluggish. You've also managed to urinate all of the water that was in the drink, but not before infusing it with valuable nutrients and electrolytes that your body could have used for hydration or building/marinating strong bones and teeth. Not to mention - now you have a habit to kick.
Cola Facts: Everything in Moderation is a Myth!
Source: www.Truthorfiction.com
+To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Cola into the toilet bowl... Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean.
+The citric acid in Cola removes stains from vitreous china.
+To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Cola.
+To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Cola over the terminals to bubble away corrosion.
+To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
+To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Cola into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
+To carry a Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
Copyright(C) 2008 Dino Pierce, CFT, CPT, RD, CDE
Used with permission.
About the Author:
Dino Pierce is a nationally known Professional Speaker, Published Author, Sports Nutritionist, Certified Fitness Trainer, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Certified Insulin Pump Trainer, Program Coordinator for a Successful Outpatient Diabetes Program, and a Success Coach. Through successful experiences counseling patients, athletes, and clients he developed a reputation as a passionate/spiritual coach, mentor, and friend. Dino teaches others how they too can achieve all of their unique desires. His enthusiasm and devotion are contagious; Dino has helped numerous clients overcome mountains equipping them for success. Dino has developed a systematic success program outlined in his books, audio programs, live events, and videos.
For more information or to contact Dino E-mail him at dinopierce@yahoo.com. |
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008 We Do So Work. See?
Booklover met a girl at the local McDonalds the other day. The other girl asked Booklover where she goes to school, and of course, Booklover replied that she homeschools. To my gratifaction, the other girl said, "Oh, you are soooo lucky!!!" That is the sort of thing that does good to the heart of a homeschooling mom. If all those ps kids that Booklover meets said things like, "Oh, I feel sorry for you," or "Ew! I couldn't STAND to be home all day," then my daughter might begin to feel like she is being denied the better things in life. (But we know she isn't.) Booklover said, "Mom, They probably think homeschooling means we don't have to do any school work!" Well, just so that you can see we DO work here, I am posting this photo as evidence.
See? We do study. Here the girls are avidly studying one of the planets. Or is it a bug on the wall? Or maybe they are noticing the effects of thumbtacks on pre-fab walls. Well, I don't know what they are looking at, but it sure looks like studying to me! |
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Pure Words for a Pure People
It is about time for me to post something again, and what a blessing! Karen, of Old Paths Mom, wrote my entry for me today! Thanks, Karen! She is starting a series on Pure Words, the answers to all those questions that will be coming from her children -- Why do we do this? Why don't we do that? etc. You'll just have to go over and read it yourself. |
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