Posted in Regular Daily Life
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Since I've been on sabbatical from the computer, I've turned most of my focus torwards my home. And yes, I've been down right shocked by all the STUFF everywhere. Its really no wonder the house is so hard to clean when theres so much stuff everywhere. So far I've gotten rid of the 'stuff' in my linen closet (how many sheets do I NEED anyway?) Especially sheets that a) don't fit any bed I currently have or b) are so old they don't fit anymore. And towels. wow. NO one needs as many towels as I had. I got rid of all the towels that were just plain old, and the ones that aren't that soft and cuddly anymore. The truth is that I have beautiful towels that I got for our wedding that are brand new (because I couldn't find them in the closet behind all the old towels!). So, my first 'reward' for decluttering has been beautiful, cuddly, and soft towels. :-) Lovin' it. I've also weeded out my kitchen (glasses/ plates) cabinets. Yes, two cabinets. for a family of five. As I was trying to stuff another cup (one that I do use) into the cabinet. I just stopped. and then I looked up! at all those glasses/ wine glasses/ old fashioned coffee cups/ and just JUNK that I Never Never Ever use... and then I wondered why in the world are they still there?! So I dragged over a chair and balanced myself on it, and tugged out every single glass that I never use, or b) that I simply don't love anymore. If it doesn't come in handy more often than not, and if it doesn't make me smile I gave it away. :-) Now it can actually be used, and it's not taking up my cabinet space anymore. :-) YAY! So, my second reward has been that I smile whenever I open up my kitchen cabinet. :-) It's a great feeling now when I'm doing my kitchen work. Oh, and another 'bonus' is that I was able to get everything off of the top of my fridge, so now it looks pretty in my kitchen. I'm so glad I've started doing this. It's so much easier to keep everything clean. Next I tackled my childrens books. :-) Now you can't imagine how many books my kiddos have collected. and I honestly don't know why I haven't weeded them out sooner, my only excuse is that I feel guilty getting rid of their stuff. But they have mounds of books, (and they can't ever find the book they want to read because of all the books they don't like anymore) so I got rid of a good portion of their books, and I organized the ones that I got to, by age ranges. So, now they can find what they want. I still have more to do here though, still working on it. I'll let you know my progress next time. Oh, another bonus here: I took the books I was giving away to church (because I can't do freecycle as easily without internet at home) and I asked around and one of the newly married sisters (she has a almost 2 year old) was soooo excited to get those books for here little one. She was trying to get the finances to go to the thrift store to buy her baby books, and here I am with a whole bunch of them that were simply getting in our way. Love when it works out that way. :-) New decluttering goals: *finish the library (walk in closet that holds all my bookshelves and boxes and piles of books!) *the childrens toys. (that are taking up residence in every closet in our home, plus multiplying in our bedroom, now that we are out of room in the kids room.) lol really really need to get to this. :-) Ok, lovely friends. I'm off because I'm running out of time on this computer. Oh, I found this article by (my hero) Nancy Campbell, that I thought fit nicely with what I'm doing. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I really struggle with numbers 6, 9, and 10. But I'm working on 9 (decluttering). and 6 is kinda taking care of it's self now that I don't have the computer to distract me. :-) Love ya, Alexia |
Posted in me
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Well, I have been using this time 'off' to get things ready for the school year... organize our home... spending time with the family... and practicing hospitality. It's amazing how much I can get done when I don't have 'important things to do on the computer'. hee hee. But I still miss you all. I'll be back next week with an actual post. But for now be encouraged: God is soo Good. Bye, Alexia |
Posted in me
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I'll miss you all! And I'll still go to the library to post the Weapons of our Warfare verses. Keep me in prayer. And take this time to browse through the older posts. you may want to even take a second to read MY FIRST POST EVER. lol My how times have changed. You can also look back at when the baby started walking, or how I got fed up with the 'S. WORD' question. Theres lot to read about so enjoy! And In the words of the Governator "I'll be back!". Anyway, LOVE, PEACE, LAUGHTER, JOY, & JESUS! Alexia |
Posted in Weapons of Our Warfare.
I was praying and praying for a Bible Curriculum for my (soon-to-be) 2nd grader, and Kinder student, And I was of course also praying for the finances to get the stuff. (Yes, Hubby is still out of work, but Jesus has and always will come thru -know & trust that-). I found some really great stuff, especially at Christian Book (dot) com. Which, if push came to shove, I also could've gotten easily at PaperBack Swap. Please use my 'name' (alexiamiguel) so I can get the referral credit.  But then I felt God whispering that why do I need to purchase a curriculum when I have HIS Word? And Why is His Word not enough? Oops. Sorry, Lord. I'm not saying a Bible Curriculum isn't great, just that it isn't what God wants for us this year. Good to know. So, I changed up my prayers, to more along the lines of 'what do I teach?' and 'when (in the year) do I teach it?' And wouldn't you know it? God came through. As if there was ever any doubt! My God is amazing!! Anyway, I was given (I mean almost in one sitting!!) a list of Bible verses for memorization, study, meditation, penmanship, character training, early morning devotionals (My Coffee with Jesus time.  ) etc. etc. etc. And I was given the Title: Weapons of our Warfare. Isn't that amazing?! It's based on 2 Cor 10:4,5 (which also We will have a new scripture every two weeks, except in Jan, and next July. We will use those two months to review the previous verses, to help us lock them into 'long term memory'. I think I will start posting the Weapons of our Warfare scriptures every two weeks, and maybe you all can memorize God's eternal truth with our family? Make sure to let me know in the comments if you are, and we will keep eachother accountable. It's starting in July. (Because that is when we are starting back to school -light schedule-) and remember the first scripture is: 2 Cor. 10:4,5 (NKJ version) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." I firmly believe that even the youngest of children can (and should) memorize scripture. Andrew (my 7 year old) memorized his first scripture at the age of 4: John 3:16. What do you think? I'm debating whether to have my soon-to-be 5 year old memorize the whole scripture, or just a relevant piece of it? Then my 7 year old to memorize most of it, with Hubby and I actually memorizing the whole thing? Or should the goal be for all of us to have the whole thing memorized? Considering how easy it is for kids to memorize stuff, what better use is there for their mental faculties, huh? What do you think? I'm still praying on that. And I will definitely post failures and successes as time goes on. (Keeping myself accountable and all that!) I am so wanting to learn from my mistakes.  Here's the plan: Every morning (probably right at the beginning of 'school') we will recite the scripture together. Angel (5 yr old) will have to trace a part of it, every day. & Andrew will use it for copy work daily. (Penmanship) We will also discuss the verse(s) during breakfast (when we usually have morning devotionals anyway) and through out the day, as opportunity arises. What they mean? How they apply to every day life? (Character training.) You know the drill there. Also I usually post a copy (printout or hand written) of the verse(s) in front of the toilet (hee hee, no comments on that please!) and above the toilet, also on the mirror where I do my makeup, and on the front door where every one can (and will see it!). Another copy will be placed in the kids' school folders in the handwriting section. And we can recite it whenever it catches our eye. So, anyway, do you see anything that can be added to this? Or improved upon? What are your favorite verses? Do you have them momorized? What tips do you have for memorizing scripture? Alexia |
Posted in homeschooling
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Have you seen the newest The case against homeschooling?!!? Man what will they come up with next? lol It's really hilarious. I took his 'top ten reasons to not homeschool' and answered them one at a time below. My answers are in red. But if you have the time, you really need to go check out the comments that he got on that one post. By JESSE SCACCIA Homeschooling: great for self-aggrandizing, society-phobic mother…… but not quite so good for the kid. Here are my top ten reasons why homeschooling parents are doing the wrong thing: 10. “You were totally home schooled” is an insult college kids use when mocking the geeky kid in the dorm (whether or not the offender was home schooled or not). And… say what you will… but it doesn’t feel nice to be considered an outsider, a natural outcropping of being homeschooled. Ha Ha Ha Ha and this is a reason NOT to homeschool!?!? Seriously? I hope my kids are self confidant enough to naturally stand out in a crowd, not to blindly follow the crowd. 9. Call me old-fashioned, but a students’ classroom shouldn’t also be where they eat Fruit Loops and meat loaf (not at the same time I hope). It also shouldn’t be where the family gathers to watch American Idol or to play Wii. Students–from little ones to teens–deserve a learning-focused place to study. In modern society, we call them schools. Well, we personally have a school room.... but even if we didn't: this home is where my kids have learned to walk, talk, eat with a fork, tie their shoes, and yes, read, write, and spell, too. How is that wrong? How is that even a reason to NOT homeschool? please! 8. Homeschooling is selfish. According to this article in USA Today, students who get homeschooled are increasingly from wealthy and well-educated families. To take these (I’m assuming) high achieving students out of our schools is a disservice to our less fortunate public school kids. Poorer students with less literate parents are more reliant on peer support and motivation, and they greatly benefit from the focus and commitment of their richer and higher achieving classmates. I am homeschooling to offer society a well educated, well rounded, well established, self confidant, man of God and woman of God. and I am forfeiting any and all 'spare time' while I do it. HOW IS THAT SELFISH??? OMGosh, this person is insane. Plus most of these (you assume correctly) high achieving students are high achieving BECAUSE of the commitment that their parents have in their education. Sheesh... selfish.. 7. God hates homeschooling. The study, done by the National Center for Education Statistics, notes that the most common reason parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or moral instruction. To the homeschooling Believers out there, didn’t God say “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”? Didn’t he command, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me”? From my side, to take your faithful children out of schools is to miss an opportunity to spread the grace, power and beauty of the Lord to the common people. (Personally I’m agnostic, but I’m just saying…) Ok, now I must admit I LOVE this one. First they presume to know the mind of God, and then in the next sentence goes on to admit to being agnostic... hhmmm!?!? But I will answer it anyway. Because this person is just so knowledgable. 6. Homeschooling parent/teachers are arrogant to the point of lunacy. For real! My qualifications to teach English include a double major in English and education, two master’s degrees (education and journalism), a student teaching semester and multiple internship terms, real world experience as a writer, and years in the classroom dealing with different learning styles. So, first of all, homeschooling parent, you think you can teach English as well as me? Well, maybe you can. I’ll give you that. But there’s no way that you can teach English as well as me, and biology as well as a trained professional, and history… and Spanish… and art… and counsel for college as well as a school’s guidance counselor… and… and… hahaha. Ok, but I certainly can learn whatever you learned... correct? So if I stay 1 day ahead of my kids, then they are good. For Reals! 5. As a teacher, homeschooling kind of pisses me off. (That’s good enough for #5.) awww. Why thank you. Its great to know that my doing something in my own home, with my own children, useing my own resourses, while still paying you and your co workers paycheck (with my tax monies) is pissing you off. Great to know. (can you just smell the sarcasm?) 4. Homeschooling could breed intolerance, and maybe even racism. Unless the student is being homeschooled at the MTV Real World house, there’s probably only one race/sexuality/background in the room. How can a young person learn to appreciate other cultures if he or she doesn’t live among them? How can I appreciate the horrors of the holocost when I didn't live through it? You read, read, read, and read somemore. and when thats done, then you pick up another book. 3. And don’t give me this “they still participate in activities with public school kids” garbage. Socialization in our grand multi-cultural experiment we call America is a process that takes more than an hour a day, a few times a week. Homeschooling, undoubtedly, leaves the child unprepared socially. No one said anything about participating with public school kids. But for our family, my children spend time with other kids twice a week at church, once a week at Bible Study, and then at whatever play date/ academic class/ sport/ and/ or activitie we decide to participate in. And they aren't just bulked in with other kids based on nothing more than the year they were born.. and they don't have to stay in that same bulk class setting for 6 or so years. hhhhmmmm, socializing with a number of different ages, backgrounds, and befiefs, or socializing with the same 30 to 40 students for 6 years?!?!?! Who's more prepared socially? 2. Homeschooling parents are arrogant, Part 2. According to Henry Cate, who runs the Why Homeschool blog, many highly educated, high-income parents are “probably people who are a little bit more comfortable in taking risks” in choosing a college or line of work. “The attributes that facilitate that might also facilitate them being more comfortable with home-schooling.” Oh, I'm sorry, I should just blindly follow the crowd. I get it. Because that is what George Washington did. And Henry Ford. and Lincoln. and Bell, and any number of inventors, politicions, and revolutionarys. Right? I HOPE that you are right, and that we are risk takers, and scene changers and world shakers! More comfortable taking risks with their child’s education? Gamble on, I don’t know, the Superbowl, not your child’s future. urg. No one is taking a risk with their childs future by homeschooling. Check out any of the top collages and you will find that they are actually SEEKING homeschooled graduates. hee hee Are they actively seeking out public school graduates? 1. And finally… have you met someone homeschooled? Not to hate, but they do tend to be pretty geeky***. And if you mean that they are hard workers, considerate, and kind, and are learning at way above their grade levels. Then thank you. I appreciate the compliment. Alexia |
Posted in saving money
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Who likes FREE stuff? I do! I do! Well, ok, if everyone insists. Go HERE to read a FREE e-book called Steps Toward the Mark of the Beast. I've read some of it, and it seems pretty good. Go check it out, and let me know if you have any comments or concerns. I'd love to hear them. Bye Bye Now. Alexia |
Posted in contemplations
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This day and age ANY sexual activity (except in a monogamous Marriage relationship) is DANGEROUS. What with Aids, Clamidia, and other STD's. And thats not even mentioning the emotional trauma thats involved with pre-marital sex. Unfortunately, with the rise of sex ed early education classes, and the rampant sexualization and secularization in the media, movies, commercials, TV shows, and even store window displays. We've all heard it said "Sex sells". But what is it selling? Are we now as a nation reaping the 'rewards' of all the sex that is permeating our culture? Here's the Truth about teens Sexting. Or have any of you heard about the New Good Night Kiss!?!? Horrible. Scary. Crazy. Insane. I mean, there are just no words to express how crazy society is getting when our children are consistently being fed this garbage from the age of 5 up. We really are reaping what we have sown. There is one bright spot in all of this. Spunky reports about going to a wedding where the couple exchanged there first kiss at the altar! What hope this brings me! Maybe it is time that we stop allowing kids to go just to the line. and time to make a stand for what God calls righteous and pure. Maybe it really is time for change, America. Alexia |
Posted in Regular Daily Life
 Hey all! We watched the most moving Christian movie ever the other day and I wanted to take a second to let you all know about it. It's available on Amazon. and also available on Netflix. This movie is a must see for every Christian out there. I agree with Penny when she says to watch after the kiddos are in bed the first time, so you'll be aware of when to have them shut their eyes and hum. But we only had to do that once. I don't even want to say what part, because that truly came as a surprise to me, and I want to keep it that way. If you want to get a more detailed review read Penny's review HERE. I totally agree with her when she says "If you are looking for a good movie you will enjoy this, but not be overly impressed. If you are looking for a God story you will be weeping and rejoicing with the realness of the Gospel and how faith is lived out in real life." It's really that good. Alexia |
Posted in saving money
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Shake The Salt is hosting a giveaway for a $100 Home Depot Gift Card because The Home Depot wants to help you jump-start your summer projects!! The deadline to enter is June 15, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. So hurry there to enter to win! Because, you can't win if you don't enter, right!??! Alexia |
Posted in devotions
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THE HATED WORD Psalm 104:24, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." Filled. It doesn't sound such a bad word, does it? I wonder why so many people hate it. It's strange that so many Christians hate it when God loves it! In fact, this word describes who God is. He fills the heavens and the earth. He fills all in all--and Jesus is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. The whole earth is full of His glory. He is filled with majesty, filled with righteousness, filled with compassion. He does not have these attributes in a little measure but is filled with them. God does not take long to introduce this word to us. He uses it in the very first chapter of the Bible. Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it'..." It is interesting that the very first words that God spoke to man included the word fill. It is obviously very much part of God's heart. He loves abundance. After God destroyed mankind through the flood, apart from Noah and his family, He repeated the same command again. This time He repeated it twice. Genesis 9:1 and v. 7, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth'..." The Hebrew word is male which means "fill to overflowing" . Many take objection to God's command today. They certainly don't want to fill their families to overflowing. They would rather fill their homes with "stuff"--more gadgets, more furniture, bigger TVs and computers. Yet it seems that every time God speaks about children, He uses this despised word. When Jacob and his family went down to Egypt there were only 70 of them. Four hundred years later they emerged a mighty nation. Exodus 7:7 says, "The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." They became "more and mightier" than the Egyptians who began to fear them. Their fear turned to persecuting them and making them slaves. But the more the Egyptians afflicted them the more they multiplied. This is God's purpose for His people. He wants them to fill the earth with His glory--His love, peace, truth and salvation. Numbers 14:21 says, "But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." This is not talking about creation, but God's people who bear His image in the earth. God wants this earth to be filled with His image. God wants His land to be "filled with flocks of men." (Ezekiel 36:38, Psalm 80:8-9) God's picture of a blessed family is one filled with children. Once again it is this detested word. Society is brainwashed to think differently than God thinks. And of course, we think that we know better than God. But what does He say? "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:4-5) The parents who have their quiver full are happy! Actually, the Hebrew word in this Scripture is a double word which should be translated, "happy, happy". The parents who have their quiver full will not be ashamed. The parents who have their quiver full will have children who know how to speak against the evil things in the land, even in high places. The gate in Bible days was the civic center of the town, the place of administration of justice. Zechariah 8:4-5 is one of my favorite Scriptures. It is a picture of what Jerusalem will be like when God dwells there. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." What a beautiful picture of children playing while the old people walk the city streets with their canes and watch the children in the city squares. And do you notice that there are not a few children playing? The streets are filled with boys and girls. How God delights to see them playing together. Here's one more Scripture. Luke 14:23 says, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." God loves to have a full house. It's part of His character. If we have God's heart, we'll want to have a full house too. Love from NANCY CAMPBELL PRAYER: "Lord, I pray that you will change my heart. Save me from from thinking miserly, but help me to think like you think. Amen." AFFIRMATION: I'm filling my home with God's blessings. P.S. Next week we will continue to find out more areas of our lives that God wants to fill. |
Posted in Quotes
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Without GOD our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday & Shatterday. Remember, seven days without GOD makes one weak. |
Posted in Redbox Codes
Redbox is only giving the free promo codes once a month now.  But it's ok, it's still oly a dollar a night. and thats still a great deal. So, now your promo codes will only be coming the first Monday of every month. Here's today's FREE promo code. (and remember you can use this code with every credit / debit card, for multiple movies). FM63H7 Make this Monday a MOVIE night. And come let us know how it went. What did you guys watch? |
Posted in Life Application of The Word.
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A friend of mine (HI Denise!) brought up a 'hot topic' of discussion the other day, and I would LOVE to give my 2 cents on this. We all know that men are visual. That is just how God created them. And we as women have heard all of the Bible verses on modesty. And we all read God's Word on the issue. But why (walking into a church today) do you still see women in form fitting, short skirts, or tight jeans? Why are our Christian women still wearing two piece bathing suits at Bar B Que's? Why are our teens hanging all over eachother in the parking lot? Why aren't we any different from the World??? Well, here's the verse that God used to speak to me about how I dress. You can read in Job 31:1 that Job had to make a covenant with his eyes to not look on a woman with lust. Why would Job, the most righteous man at the time, have to do this? The truth is that he (like every other man in this world) had to deal with lust. You know before reading this I had all the usual arguments about dressing modestly. Have you heard (or said) any of these? "Well, I'm not responsible for their thoughts!" "I'm just dressing how I feel comfortable, I don't care what they think." "My husband wants me to dress sexy, he says it makes him proud!" "I don't think there is anything wrong with my outfit, Jesus said 'come as I am'!" "They shouldn't be looking at me, they should keep their eyes on Christ." " If they were more spiritual, They wouldn't even be tempted." Do you buy any of this? Or do you say these things, when someone tries to bring up proper attire at church? After reading this verse, I have come to the understanding that EVERY man deals with this issue. Not just the 'perverts'. But lets talk about this for a second. What about the man that has battled addiction to porn all his life? What if he is visiting your church to get his life in order? How can that man concentrate on the worship music with you bouncing around in front of him? Are we dressing in a way that would take a mans eyes off of the Spirit of the Lord, in any way, shape, or form?? I wonder if that man leaves worse off then he came in, whether we will have to answer for that one day? Shouldn't we, as Sisters in the Lord, be helping, not hindering them? Have you noticed how different our clothing looks when we are standing still with arms to our sides, as opposed to when we have our arms up in Worship to The King of Kings, and bouncing to the Praise music. Very different, let me tell you. Try it before leaving the house. Stand in front of the mirror and bounce. Lift your arms. How does that shirt look now? Is it just as modest in that position? Or is it now hugging a few curves that you would prefer everyone not look at? Ok, now I need to make myself clear in that, of course we don't expect young women who JUST met the Lord to dress in a modest fashion... after all God is God and it is HIS job to convict us of our dress/ speech/ whatever. The Bible DOES say to come as you are. And if 'Sexy Susan' came into my service for the first time, I'd be ecstatic to have her there, no matter how she is dressed! So yes, I feel, that we need to have grace and kindness, and love to those that need a new heart, and help them to feel comfortable enough to find it in Jesus. But I also feel that, as time goes on, there needs to be an outward expression of the inward change that God is doing in you. & one way would be to put your brothers ahead of whether or not those jeans make you look 'hot'. We as the 'older women' (spiritually speaking) need to be examples to our new converts in Godly dress and speech. I am talking about the women that have been saved for YEARS and still think as the world thinks. Its simply not fair for Christian women to be a stumbling block to their 'brothers' in Christ. What do you think when you are putting on your clothes in the morning? Do you think 'Will this bring Glory to The King of Kings?' or are you thinking 'Whether my butt looks HOT in this'? Are you saying to yourself "yeah! I love the way this dress shows off my curves!"? Or are you trying to find nice fitting (not too tight not too loose) clothing, that will bring the attention to your countenance.? As is befitting of a Daughter of The Most High God. Look I know it's not easy. Especially these days.. its difficult to find modest clothing.. They simply don't sell them at Wal Mart or Target. But we have to put others before ourselves.. Can you imagine going to church to get fed, and in turn being susceptible to lust. that just sucks. we can't very well control the world, but at least at church our men should have a safe haven. |
Posted in Political Ramblings.
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I think we've all heard the story, right? The Pastor and his wife, that hold Bible Studies in their home, every Tuesday night, and have been doing this for the past 5 years. A county official knocks on their door on Good Friday, asking what exactly they do... "Do you say Amen?" "Yes." "Do you pray?" "Yes." "Do you say Praise the Lord?" "Yes." Why did they ask those questions? According to the county, they asked to find out what type of gathering it was, so they could figure out what code to use. If you watch the newest video, it sounds to me as if the county may be back pedaling. GOOD! They need to take a step back, and realize that we are followers of Christ, and He wasn't a punk. We aren't going to be doormats and let The Government step all over us. (Previous election, aside, ok?) We will stand and fight for our right to worship. To pray. To sing. To Praise HIS name. ....in our own homes?!!? Why are we fighting for this right in 2009? Seriously? Why isn't this done with? Its in the constitution. It's called Freedom of Religion. Our founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves if they knew what was happing. They fought, and died for this right. Why are we still defending our right to worship the true Son of God. The only Son of God. The lamb that stepped down from HIS throne in Heaven to give His life for you and I. What about you? Are you ready to stand and fight. This one Pastor and his wife are preparing for a battle. And they are soooo right. This isn't only about them. The outcome of this battle will set the precedent next time some anti-Christian decides his neighbors are too loud. or taking up too many parking spaces. or whatever excuse he can come up with. Will it be your neighbor? Will it be your Bible Study? Will we end up facing jail time? $1000's of dollars in fines? Will we be prepared to fight? The Bible says that "My people perish for lack of knowledge!" Will we perish or will we be ready to fight?!? You can watch the newest news videos HERE!! Arm yourselves Brothers and Sisters. Alexia |
Posted in contemplations
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A friend of mine, just forwarded this article to me about teen pregnancy. It hit me that we are putting the focus on 'teens not getting pregnant', either by abstinence or by contraceptives... right? Both 'sides' agree. & yet why are so many teens getting pregnant?? The article explains it this way: "Sex is the sugar coating on the drive to reproduce, and that drive is nearly overwhelming. It’s supposed to be; it’s the survival engine of the human race. Fighting it means fighting a basic bodily instinct, akin to fighting thirst." So, when a child is 'fighting his natural urges' for almost 2 decades (wow-thats a long time before society will applaud your marriage) then it's almost to be expected, for the teens to mess up. (Sad, but true.) Heres where I almost stood on my desk to applaud the author: "Teen pregnancy is not the problem *Unwed* teen pregnancy is the problem. It’s childbearing outside marriage that causes all the trouble. Restore an environment that supports younger marriage, and you won’t have to fight biology for a decade or more." that quote is the misunderstanding that another friend and I were having. :-) Neither of us were able to express ourselves as well as this article encompasses all that we both feel about this issue. I completely agree with that article. but with the focus being on, well like it says here : "Until a century or so ago, it was presumed that children were in training to be adults. From early years children helped keep the house or tend the family business or farm, assuming more responsibility each day. By late teens, children were ready to graduate to full adulthood, a status they received as an honor. How early this transition might begin is indicated by the number of traditional religious and social coming-of-age ceremonies that are administered at ages as young as 12 or 13." How are any young adults going to be ready for marriage when their whole lives (up till then) have been used to simply play around. They get to do NOTHING but play and have fun, joking and acting silly and just passing the time. But they ARE in training.... in training to be irresponsible teens. But these day if you are raising your kids to be adults you can (and will likely WILL) be called an abusive parent. It's "abusive" to make your son and daughter wash dishes. Its "abusive" to have your older kids help out with the younger ones. Its "abusive" to train your children (NOW) to be responsible later... because then "they aren't having fun". & You'll most likely hear "well, children need to be free to play all day". Anyway, heres what I am worried about: HOW can we change the culture enough so that my son will have a responsible young lady to marry at 18 (which by then he should have been working since the age of 13, and have saved enough to buy his house-at least thats our goal)??? Where will we find other young people to surround him with, when the time comes for us (as a family) to begin looking for potential spouses??? So, that is my opinion. :-) What do you all think? Alexia |
Posted in marriage
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We have been having this discussion on a group I am a part of, and I thought it was an interesting question. Some women felt strongly that YES their Hubby's need friendships, others were adamant that NO way would their men ever choose to hang with anyone but them. I don't know that I would say either 'side' was wrong or right. Here are my thoughts, and I will close with a favorite comment of mine, a very wise lady posted. :-) In my home, we choose to hang together more often than not. BUT I also encourage (and equip) my Man to get together with the other men from church. (yes, he does the same when I need to go get filled.) It doesn't happen very very often, used to be about once a month or so. But recently Pastor started giving a Men's Only Bible Study class (every other week)... and Hubby has grown so much by going there. (So has ds, but that is another post!) He has learned a lot, and is just a lot more mature, and I am sooo proud of him. So, I feel that if I release my husband to go learn something new, (especially when I do so with a good attitude!) that in turn I am reaping the blessings when he comes home and sows into his families life. Quote from my friend: "I've heard it said that every man should have a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy in his life. (Howard Hendrix, Dallas Theological Seminary, I think.) Someone from whom to receive, a pal to encourage and be encouraged by, and a man to mentor." Alexia |
Posted in me
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I am trying to schedule time to keep in touch with out-of-town family and friends, and I could use your help coming up with ideas. Here's what I've come up with so far: *write letters (takes a long time, unless I do it on Word and save and come back the next day to finish it?!?!) *sending out cards (I have plenty, so cost isn't an issue here... Maybe I could even pre address a few?!?!) *mailing pictures to them (oooh, how about in a newsletter format? hhmm, not sure people would find most of the stuff that happens here that interesting though. lol) *phone calls to check in (I like this one! But thats because I'm lazy.) I really would love to get in contact & keep in contact with these people... I am scheduling myself 30 minutes to start out with. Then after a few months, I should be so caught up, and /or ahead that I can cut it back to 15 minutes a day. :-) So what do you think? What do you do to keep in touch? Or is it even worth it to you? (and yes, I DO realize that I neglected to put emailing on here... I do that already, and I'd like something a tad more personal for a while.) Thanks for your help, Alexia |
Posted in devotions
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Oh, I am sooo excited this morning. You know why? Because I am a friend of God. Because the creator of the UNIVERSE came down from His throne and died on the cross FOR ME. All because He loved me so much that HE couldn't stand the thought of eternity without me. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that enough to stir something in your spirit? Isn't that enough to cry out to everyone about what you have? Jer. 20:9 says it perfectly. Thats how I feel today. And I thank God for that excitement. He is so good. He came. He stepped out of the infinite and into the finite. He was forever God, and yet He chose to become as a lowly man. He has never sinned. He knew no sin. And yet He chose to take the consequences of my sins. He bore them. And He did so willingly. All so that I could spend eternity with HIM! His birth was a miracle. and His death an even bigger one. He was borne of a Virgin. Amazing. He came challeging everything we know. He was miraculously concieved. And He was miraculous.He had NO sin. And yet He was tempted in everything. But He was still God. He saw thru eternal eyes. Oh, Lord how I pray that I will have an eternal perspective! I want to see sin as YOU saw it while here on earth! My Jesus (God in the flesh) the ONLY begotten Son of the Father. Thank You for your sacrifice. Thank You for what you did for me. Guys. The only begotton Son of God, died so that I would be made clean. I haven't given my testimony on here. Not completely... Maybe one day. But suffice it to say that I had a LOT of sin. I was a no good dirty sinner. And my Jesus set me free! He set me FREE from sin forever. And God will remember it no more. I will not be judged guilty of those sins. Because the blood of the ONLY lamb washed me white as snow. And because of that I can stand (we will all stand) in the presence of a HOLY GOD without shame. Not like Adam and Eve did that fateful day in the garden. Not in shame and guilt over my sin. I won't have to run and hide from God. Because I am clean before His eyes. Because of the sacrifice He made on the cross I am made spotless. And my sins??? They were taken as far as the east is from the west. Isn't that amazing!!?!? There is nothing. Absolutely NOTHING that I can ever do to repay Him. Oh, but I can live for Him. I can put Him first in my life. I can make my choices dependant on Him. I can choose to obey. I can choose to sacrifice. (not blood, but resources.) So is that a contradiction? If there is nothing I can do... If the work of salvation was done on Calvary (AND IT WAS!! HALLELUJA!!) then why work? right? If there is nothing that I can add (AND THERE ISN"T!) then I can just sit back and wait for Heaven, right? You know what? I probably could. I serve a Big God. One that would still usher me in. God is no respecter of persons. There is no second class citizen in Heaven. My Jesus would still Love me. and His blood would still be sufficient. But my question is this... Why would I? Am I not grateful? Am I not so blessed? Why would I not want to go and worship Him? Why would I not want to bless Him in praise? Why would I not give of my time and money to the church? Will manna outlast what He did for me? I think not! This life is like a vapor. We are here today and gone tomorrow. I want my life to count for eternity. I want the things I choose to do with my time to last forever. I want my Jesus to look down from the right hand of hte Father and smile at me. I want God to say "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Oh, Lord, how I long to hear those words! Be blessed. Take TODAY by the horns. Learn something. For all wisdom is available to those who ask. Bless someone for we are blessed. Love hard, for God is love. Word hard, for it is profitable. And be excited. Because Jesus does LOVE you!! |
Posted in Quotes
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Just thought I would share this interesting article about President Obama's speech. :-) Enjoy!
May 19, 2009 Dear Alexia, The controversy surrounding President Obama and Notre Dame University culminated with his speech Sunday in Indiana. I had returned from Washington, DC just in time to drop my bag and tune in to watch the address. His most pronounced message—certainly the one emphasized by the media—was that we shouldn’t demonize those who disagree with us on abortion. I couldn’t agree more, but wonder why the President doesn’t follow his own advice. Certainly his memory isn’t that short. Only a few weeks ago his administration released a memo cautioning against “rightwing extremists”. In the crosshairs of its inflammatory remarks were pro-lifers. How can the President claim verbal high ground in the abortion debate when his administration is demonizing individuals as “domestic rightwing terrorists” when they—in the words of the memo—are “dedicated to [an] opposition to abortion”? The President also said that those who “speak out against [embryonic] stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile [type 1] diabetes who are convinced that their son’s or daughter’s hardships can be relieved.” Mr. President, allow me to speak from experience here. Last year my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It literally turned his world upside down. But neither he nor his parents would advocate killing human embryos to pursue an experimental cure. The difference between us and you, Mr. President, is we are living our expressed belief that innocent human life is sacred. The president lamented the fact that “the strong too often dominate the weak”, but that’s exactly what abortion does. The strong not only dominates the weak—they kill them. Mr. Obama made a clarion call to “work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions”, while at the same time he aggressively uses his powerful position to expand the number of abortions being done in America and around the world. Words have meaning Mr. President. You can’t reduce the number of abortions while funding the expansion of abortion with our tax dollars by abandoning the Mexico City Policy and funding the UN Population Fund which supports forced abortion in China. Filling your staff, Mr. President, with hard-core, pro-abortion advocates from Emily’s List, the National Abortion Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood isn’t the way to find common ground with those who respect life. Further, your support of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which would wipe out any law that protects unborn children and their mothers—such as parental consent, partial-birth abortion or tax funding of abortion-on-demand—leaves no room for even the tiniest compromise. Words have meaning. Mr. Obama is called the most pro-abortion president in the history of our nation for good reason. During his first months in office he has aggressively pursued a pro-abortion agenda. These are undisputable glaring facts. Whether or not Americans pay attention remains to be seen. I pray you will. As for Notre Dame University, it’s tragic that so-called friends of unborn babies would give Mr. Obama such a visible platform to promote his deadly agenda. Thanks for reading my comments. I’d be happy to read yours.  Bradley Mattes Executive Director Life Issues Institute www.lifeissues.org |
Posted in marriage
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We were doing this study about being thankful through the Created to be His Helpmeet book. Here are my answers for posterity. :-) Do we always have a Thankful Spirit? No, sometimes I forget how very good God has been to me. I'm sorry to say, but I have to be honest. How about you?? Where are you today? I am learning that it is ok, to fall as long as you learn and then get back up. I am learning that my husband needs to trust me, and I have to constantly inspire that trust in him. :-) Where does joy start? My Joy comes from the Lord. And it is my strength. I need to keep that in the forefront of my mind, daily. Have I been discontent in my lot in life? Do I have my own "pity parties? Oh, yeah I have thrown some doozy 'pity parties'. I have learned to turn my eyes back to the Lord 'from whence comes my strength', and take my eyes off the problem. When I focus less on the problem than on the Only Solution then I can climb out of my depressions quicker. :-) Do I verbally show thanksgiving every day? I do try to do this. And I will try harder. Do I thank God daily for my husband?? Again, most days I do thank God for the wonderful man He has given me. and for my kids. But there are days when I rush threw morning devotions, and I don't have 'time' to thank God for much of anything.... I need to focus on my priorities more and more. Would friends describe me as joyful, thankful and content? yikes. this one struck a chord with me because of some personal issues. I'm sure those that barely know me would see me this way, but then I have an issue with keeping my mouth shut to 'good friends' when I am feeling down. I am learning everyday that "Every wise woman builds her house." (Prov. 14:1) and "A word fitly spoke is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Prov. 25:11) and that "The tongue of the wise promotes health" (Prov 12:18) God is continuing to teach me to keep my mouth shut. :-) I thank God for His mercy and grace in teaching me even though I don't deserve it. How can I add practicing joy and thanksgiving into my life? I guess one way would be to smile more. I've noticed that even when I am not upset I have trouble smiling... so I am trying to smile 'for no reason'. :-) And I will try to make it a point to thank God, my hubby, and my children daily for something. :-) Am I willing to lay down my grievance toward my husband for the hope of a heavenly marriage?? Oh, yes!! A thousand times yes. I don't think being 'right' is worth it in the end. :-) How about you? How would you answer these questions? Alexia |