Our garden is looking pretty good. The corn, zucchini, and green beans are thriving. Only two tomato plants have survived (from seeds); we added one more tomato plant (not from seeds) so now we have 3. We were disappointed when we discovered that deer had eaten our green grape tomatoes. My husband then put up a wire fence around our garden to protect it. We also see 4 cucumber plants and a few pepper plants. We've recently added a Thai Dragon Pepper plant which is doing quite well (we can't wait to try it :)). We are looking forward to the "harvest stage" :). On a sad note, we have not seen any watermelon that we planted (seeds). This past weekend, we dumped out all the leftover seeds (watermelons, green beans, zucchini) here and there (outside our garden area)...they will most likely not grow...but you never know, right? :)
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18
"Learn and grow all you can; serve and befriend all you can; enrich and inspire all you can." William Arthur Ward
Why do I think my husband is the world's best dad (my children think so, too)?
"He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge." Proverbs 14:26 My husband always puts God first and family second. My husband is our hero of faith and integrity! His love for God is real. His desire to please and honor God is real. His passion to reach the lost for God's kingdom is real. His personal relationship with Jesus is real. His reverence for our Holy God is real. His obedience to God is real. His pursuit of memorizing, studying, and understanding God's Word is real. His zeal for Godliness is real. His compassion for others is real. He breathes and lives what he preaches (he's not a preacher by profession, but he loves to talk about God and the Bible). "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds." Psalm 73:28--That's my hubby.
In addition to being a superb daddy, my husband is a prayer warrior, a cheerful giver, a humble servant of Christ, a loving & faithful husband, a Godly leader, a hard-working provider, a strong & capable protector, a kind & trustworthy gentleman, and an extremely honest man. He has instilled in our children the love for God & His Word and the passion for the Great Commission. He is the definition of a "family man." He enjoys spending time with our children and me. He is such a joy to be around. He has a great sense of humor. He is also the most giving/generous man I've ever known. He has a servant's heart, always ready to lend a hand. He helps teach math and piano in our homeschool. He is also a handy man who seems to be able to fix almost anything. He is our Bible teacher and worship leader during our family devotions time. Our children love to play with Daddy and learn from Daddy. Besides Jesus, my husband is the best role model our children could ever have.
"The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him." Proverbs 20:7
Happy Father's Day to my beloved husband, the best...the coolest... the greatest daddy in the world (to us)!!!!!!! He is truly a man after God's own heart and his (our) children are exceedingly blessed. I wish I had a dad like him :).
Lord, please move our hearts to have Your compassion and love and move us into action to save the lost, to reach the unreached, to feed the hungry, and to help the needy.
If you "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," you will want to obey Him/His Word, including the Great Commission.
If you "love your neighbor as yourself," you will want to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ with the lost and not want to see any of them spend eternity in hell.
Let's put aside our denominations and our differences on the secondary issues. Instead, please unite together in prayer and in our resources to move toward fulfilling the Great Commission...to reach those who have never heard of the Gospel...to give the lost hope in Christ. One Body of Christ under one God working toward one common goal!
Please check out http://www.gfa.org/, a wonderful ministry that focuses on sharing the Gospel with the unreached. You can also request a free copy of Revolution in World Missions (a book that will challenge you to live in the light of eternity) on the website.
Have you ever tried to help others become aware of some false teachers or some authors who are teaching/promoting concepts that are unBiblical and in stead of thanks, people accuse you of being judgmental? They usually proceed with Scripture references such as Matthew 7:1-2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you." They would frown upon you for judging others or they would say you should not be throwing tomatoes at those people and assume that you're a bad, unkind, unloving Christian. Or they say...how dare you judge them, only God can judge...you're so unChristlike.
"Judging" is misunderstood by many Christians. I used to be afraid to judge anybody and thought that it's wrong to do so. But if you keep reading Matthew 7 further (verses 3-5). You will realize that God was talking about hypocritical judgment. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." The point here is that we need to continually examine ourselves and see if there are any sins in our attitudes/heart/life we must get rid of, and that we must not mind being judged by the same measure (God's Word). I believe God wants us to have discernment...judging between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral, sound doctrine and false teaching, etc. We are encouraged to be more like the Bereans (Acts 17:11). We need to compare everything to the Scripture, not just taking any man's words for it...no matter who/how famous he or she is. I posted about filtering incoming information here. "Judging" is not bad by itself. We do judge people/their character when we choose friends "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" I Corinthians 15:33 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20 Good judgment will help keep us safe and keep us from stumbling. "My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:21-24
"Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment." Proverbs 10:13
"The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out." Proverbs 18:15
It all comes down to our attitudes of the heart. When we expose someone's wrongdoings, what's our motive? To warn others so that they won't be deceived...so that they won't fall into believing/following the wrong things...because we love them and care about them? We need to do this out of love and humility. If our motive is to bring that person down, to prove that we're better, or to make fun of that person, then it is very wrong. We should never slander or ridicule anyone. We should remain respectful at all time. We may judge their actions but not their heart because only God knows their heart. For example: Johnny stole a candy bar. What Johnny did was wrong. You may call him a thief. But we should not say that he is covetous or that he is such a horrible, mean person...because we don't know his heart. He may have been starving for days or he may have wanted to be able to feed his younger sibling or he has never been taught that stealing is wrong. Similarly, we do not know if false teachers are deliberately deceiving people or if they themselves have been deceived and really think they are teaching the right things. We should continue to love them and pray for them. However, it does not mean that we cannot or should not let others know about their false teachings. If you knew a restaurant or a chef that serves poisonous food, wouldn't you want to warn others before they consume it?
Recently, on a Christian forum, someone expressed a concern regarding Rick Warren (link: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=481280) and Joel Osteen. She was also quoting this verse, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Most commenters (sisters in Christ) agreed that these two preachers have done some false teachings. However, a few were not pleased to see that these other sisters in Christ "judged" the two preachers.
What Mr. Rick Warren did (according to the article) was obviously wrong (he lied and he did not uphold the Biblical truth regarding marriage between one man and one woman). A real Godly man fears God, not men and lives by the Book (God's Word), not by peer/media pressure or by society's standard!
"But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God." Acts 4:19 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Isaiah 5:20
If you want to know why Joel Osteen is considered a false teacher, please read Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff. You can find my daughter's review of the book at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/684181/. What do you think of this video (showing Mr. Osteen's unBiblical view on pain, sickness, sufferings, etc.)? I do not agree with everything Mark Driscoll said and do not like the way he made fun of Joel Osteen; nevertheless, he shared some great points to ponder). Word of Faith (name it-claim it-believe it-get it) Movement and Prosperity Gospel have led many astray.
God wants us to be free from sin, not from sufferings and trials. He wants us to be holy, not wealthy and healthy. I believe God provides and God heals but in many cases, God sustains people by providing strength, peace, joy, courage and heal their hearts while they still have to endure physical/mental problems, sickness, and hardships in life on earth. "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
If you think of "prosperous" as advancing in the pursuit of God & of furthering His kingdom and being rich in faith, then by all means, be prosperous. I'm all for abiding in Jesus and bearing good fruit. However, Joel Osteen and other prosperity preachers believe in something else that is not Biblical. I was born and raised up in a third world country where there are slums and children search through garbage for food/survival. Do you think poor people, barely surviving people, starving people don't have enough faith in God? Do you think people who struggle with physical or mental problems don't have enough faith in God? That's what Word of Faith Movement preachers and Prosperity Gospel preachers believe. Look at Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujicic; God has not healed them physically yet but He has been using them mightily to reach people with the Good News and His love. Look at Charles H. Spurgeon who suffered physically and mentally (battling with depression) all his life; God used him to bless and minister to countless people. You don't think Paul had hardships? "They (Paul and Barnabas) preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." Acts 14:21-22 Paul is implying that following Christ (a life of faith) is not a life free of hardships.
Someone quoted 3 John 1:2, "Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."...saying that God wants us to be healthy (what Joel Osteen believes).
My response: That verse is John's prayer for Gaius. Of course, anyone would pray for good health. John continues in verse 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." Walking in truth is more important than having good health. I believe God wants us to be more concerned about our heart, soul, and spirit than our physical condition. God wants us to be faithful, thankful, and joyful whether in health or in sickness. We should pray for God's will to be done in our life. If you are diagnosed with cancer, what will you say? Will you blame God if He never heals you...will you blame yourself that you should have had more faith? If you truly believe God wants people to be healthy, you believe it's His will...and if it's His will, when you pray for healing, He should heal you, right?
I do not want any of you to just believe my words, Hank's words, or Driscoll's words. I hope you all do your own investigation on these questionable preachers, search the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you. Judge for yourself :)!
Christianity Today Study Series: Faith and Pop Culture
by Christianity Today International
Price: $9.99
ISBN: 9781418534097
127 pages
Have you ever wondered how faith and pop culture influence each other? Are you struggling to stand firm in your faith while wanting to have entertainment in your life? This eight-week study is great for small groups. It\'s designed to engage Christ\'s followers in interesting, thought-provoking discussion. It covers different (sometimes controversial) issues concerning movies, books, sports, television, violence in video games and movies, Hollywood, and culture of entertainment. Each study starts with a relevant article from Christianity Today Magazines as a springboard. Various activities are suggested for getting people in the group to open up and share. Then, there are open-ended questions that help people reflect on the issues presented in the article and encourage them to express their thoughts. Each session lists Bible verses for us to explore what God\'s Word says about the topics being discussed. I don\'t agree with some things in some articles. But that\'s the beauty of this book. Its purpose is to help us think critically and use discernment regarding entertainment, to give people in the small groups the opportunity to share their views, dig deeper in God\'s Word, encourage each other to grow spiritually, and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us. I plan to use this book during our family time in the evenings soon. We desire to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and for God\'s glory. We look forward to discussing how we spend our time and money on entertainment and how we can use our talents to produce good, wholesome entertainment.
Last week, I posted about filtering incoming information through God's Word and discernment. Due to technology again, we have so many opportunities to share information, opinions, ideas, feelings, etc. Emails, blogs, forums, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are just some examples. I'm not going to talk about safety issues here. I will focus on taking our thoughts and our words captive and on integrity. As a follower of Christ, I do not want to tarnish His name in any way, including how I communicate. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 This applies to my written/typed words, too.
How should we filter our outgoing information? Perhaps a good start would be this:
"When I want to speak...let me think first:- Is it true?
- Is it kind?
- Is it necessary?
If not, let it be left unsaid." ~Babcock
Before you hit "send" or "comment" button, please make sure your message is truthful, kind, and necessary (I know this last one is kind of subjective :)). In addition, I ask myself whether my message is helpful, friendly, and edifying.
There are lots of wonderful verses in the Bible about tongue and speech that would apply to our writing and communicating in general as well. In my post titled, "Taming the Tongue," I shared that,
"Our speech should be: Gentle and gracious
Respectful
Encouraging
Appropriate
Truthful"
I believe our outgoing information should also be G.R.E.A.T. :). "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5
When people leave you comments that upset you and/or you engage in a heated discussion on a forum, please take time to pray and think things through before you respond. I have been in those situations before and my first reaction was neither pretty nor pleasant :). I needed to calm down and pray for God's wisdom on how to respond in love, kindness, gentleness, and with humility. My attitudes need to be right in God's eyes. Ask yourself if you would rather be righteous or be right (win the argument, have the last word, etc.) "Both" is my answer :)...just kidding. Do we extend grace and mercy (that we have received so much from God) to others?
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." Proverbs 17:27
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8
Other things to keep in mind...
- Do not misuse God's name in your writing. I posted about this issue here.
- Do not slander anyone.
- Do not gossip.
- Do not cause others to stumble.
- Do not plagiarize.
- Be considerate.
- Be a peacemaker, not troublemaker.
Nowadays because of the technology, we are bombarded with information at every turn. It can be overwhelming and exhausting at times. More importantly, it can sometimes be dangerous and deceiving. Who or which sources can you trust? Especially when it is pertaining to important issues, the information received may affect/alter our (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual) well-being, our moral standards, our beliefs, and our opinions either directly or indirectly.
I am glad and thankful that there is one source I can always trust and rely on: the Bible. I would like to encourage you to be more like the Bereans. "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 We need to compare everything to the Scriptures. Don't be quick to believe what preachers, teachers, leaders, bloggers, or commenters (no matter how famous/well-known/well-respected these people are) say without checking out what God's Word says. People can be wrong. They can make mistakes. The Bereans did not just take Paul's word for it; they examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. Yes, we are to listen to advice and accept instruction but not blindly; we need to be able to filter and choose only good, wise, Godly advice and instruction. We must teach our children to do the same. How can we/anybody have wise discernment? We gain discernment by reading/studying the Bible everyday, familiarizing ourselves with the truth so that we can immediately detect any lies we encounter. We also gain discernment by praying and asking God for wisdom. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 I personally continue to ask Him to help me interpret and understand His Word correctly. You might be surprised if you knew how many false teachers and false beliefs among "Christians" there are out there. I highly recommend you read Christianity in Crisis 21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff. My daughter's review of the book can be found here. Next Monday, I will write about filtering outgoing information.
Bonus:- I found an interesting, well-researched, & well-written article called, "Should We Keep the Sabbath?" If you ever wonder about the Sabbath, please read it.
- My 15 year old daughter has made her first short film titled, "How Would You Feel?" She would love to hear what you think about it.
It is always exciting to see little stems and leaves poke through the ground where we planted seeds. However, because of our inexperience, we cannot tell very well which ones are the vegetables/fruits we planted and which ones are weeds :). Some are obvious but some are not. We can see zucchini and green beans growing but we are not sure about the rest. Last weekend, we planted corn seeds. The weather here in Oregon has been pretty nice...some rain...some sunshine.
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1
Everything (more than just 10%) belongs to the Lord! On earth, we are simply His stewards. He entrusts us to manage all He owns in the ways that will glorify and honor Him. We need to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and according to His will.
We need to give all of ourselves to the Lord. Many give 10% and consider that the rest of their resources can be spent at their discretion. Let's realize that God owns all of us, including our resources. Let's spend them as He leads us by His Word and His Spirit. The New Testament portrays the concept of freewill sharing and equity among believers. "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 2 Corinthians 8:13-15
We, as the body of Christ, are called to reach out to a lost and dying world. We need to deny ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Jesus. We need to live lives of "New Testament" simplicity, and not in luxury and self indulgence. We believe there is a significant mismanagement of God's money among His Church (the body of Christ) in affluent countries. The Church should not be spending billions of dollars on church buildings, church salaries, and unnecessary/extravagant personal items/hobbies/property. (Certainly, the worker deserves his wages, but his work must be in accordance with the Father's will. The Church is not a business.) These resources should be spent on reaching the millions of people who have never heard of the Gospel even once, and on providing them with the Word of God in their own language. Sadly, we are spending the majority of our resources on the areas of the world where Christ has already been preached. "More than 95 percent of the total church budget in the United States is spent at home to maintain programs rather than to reach out in mission. Of the five percent that goes overseas to mission, less than half of one percent is used to reach the lost." (K.P. Yohannan, The Road to Reality, p. 118) It is unjust to share the Gospel of Jesus repeatedly to people who have already heard when there are those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus even once. These resources need to be quickly redistributed so that the majority of the Church's resources are sent to the unreached people groups of the world.
We need to give to native missionaries who are reaching the unreached (i.e., Gospel for Asia), to organizations that are actively sharing the Gospel in unreached areas (i.e., Campus Crusade for Christ-Jesus film ministries), and to organizations that are actively translating the Bible into unreached languages (i.e., Wycliffe). We encourage you to read Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan if you have never read it yet. You may request a free copy of the book at http://www.gfa.org/ .
We should also generously give food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies where possible to the neediest from among mankind. We need to give to those who could not otherwise receive the basic needs of life from anyone else. Many of us are so comfortable and wealthy compared to these needy ones. If we live simply and pool our resources together, by God's grace there will be enough for everyone throughout the world who is in need (remember the five loaves and two fish). We need to join together in praying and giving to those in need across the world as God directs.
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33, 34
Thanks to Linsey Knerl at www.lillepunkin.com who is an Online Brand Advocate for Energizer, I received the Energizer Rechargeable 15-Minute Charger which also included two AA batteries, two AAA batteries, and car adaptor to use and write a review for. I love the convenience and speed this charger offers. It only takes 15 minutes or less (I timed it) to recharge the batteries and you can recharge one to four batteries simultaneously. Strangely (maybe not?), when charging, it gives out an odor and makes a sound. My youngest son thinks it smells good :). When the batteries are done being recharged, the status indicator light on the charger changes from red to green. I was hoping that the power would last longer. I have to keep recharging my digital camera's batteries often. The batteries die after approximately half an hour worth of photo-taking. I really like the car adaptor that is included in the package; I can recharge the batteries in the car when we travel. This is an Energy Star certified NiMH battery charger that meets energy efficiency qualifications set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. This charger set is great for our family. It saves us money & time, and it saves the environment, too.
Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available.
These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.
Each of the notebooking journals include:
A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
Review Questions
Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.
Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more at www.jeanniesjournal.com . The deadline for this giveaway is May 29th.
Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update.
This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!)
This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever! Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress- I love that!), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.
To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post.
UPDATE: This giveaway is closed. The winner (randomly chosen) is Codie Ray. I already contacted the winner. Thanks, y'all, for entering my giveaway. I wish I could give one DVD to each of you. Hope you'll come back and visit here sometime.
From May 8-13, 2009, this group of DVDs from Vision Forum is available for $45.00 (33% off the regular price of $78.00) or you can buy the entire 14 DVD set for $99.00 (a savings of 53% off the retail price). Vision Forum generously let me host a giveaway offering a free DVD (from this group of 5 DVDs).
To enter: Please click on the banner or here to read the description of the five DVDs and then come back here to leave a comment letting me know which DVD you would like to win and please leave your email address or your blog's address.
Deadline: Thursday, May 14th at noon (Pacific Time)
I will draw a winner some time soon after that and contact the winner. The winner needs to respond with his/her mailing address within 12 hours; otherwise, I'll have to pick a different winner because I need to let Vision Forum know where to send a DVD to by Friday, May 15th. Thanks for your understanding!
This is my first time participating in the Motivate Me Monday meme hosted by Sarah Mae at likeawarmcupofcoffee. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. Welcome!
I desire to live for God and hence my blog's name :). I desire to use my time, talents, and treasure for His glory and according to His will. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
There are many injustices in the world today. One of them that truly grieves me is "abortion", merciless killing of the innocent human-beings. Those unborn babies never get a chance to "redeem their time". For those who have experienced abortion, please know that the Lord loves you very much and He is willing to heal you and forgive you. Sarah Mae graciously shared her abortion story here (part 1) and here (part 2). It's a beautiful & powerful testimony to the Lord's grace, mercy, compassion, and restoration.
I would like to encourage you to do all you can to defend the defenseless. Please pray that the women facing unplanned pregnancies will choose either to keep their babies or to give their babies up for adoption. Choose life! Please also pray that they will surrender their lives to Jesus, the Life Giver! Right now, I am having Treasure Life Giveaway until Mother's Day. This is a giveaway that gives you an opportunity to help a great cause (helping save the unborn). Won't you please join us?
Emily Dickinson said, "If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain." I say...if I can stop one heart from stopping, I shall not live in vain.
As Mother's Day is approaching, you are probably looking forward to showing appreciation to your mom once again and trying to make her day special. Have you ever thought what would happen if your mom chose abortion when she was pregnant with you? Well, the answer is simple; you would not be here today. Abortions destroy approximately 4,000 defenseless human beings a day in the U.S. and 130,000 a day worldwide. Those innocent lives have never got a chance to give their mom a hug, or a chance to live or do anything for that matter. Life is precious; it's a gift from God!!! Celebrate life. Treasure life. Choose life. Your mother did!
My 15 year old daughter is very passionate about saving the unborn (okay, our whole family, not just she :)). She has been participating in Steps for Life (fund-raising event for the Pregnancy Resource Centers) since she was 5. Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) help 8,000 women (and pre-born babies) annually through 5 Centers, providing free pregnancy tests, counseling, free Ultrasound (given by RNs), practical help, referrals and real hope (Gospel message) to those facing unplanned pregnancies.
We are offering a giveaway while giving you an opportunity to help this great cause. All (except us parents and relatives) who donate to PRC through Alyssa Liljequist will get their names entered in a drawing to win a brand-new Steps for Life 2008 sweatshirt. The color is yellowish orange and the size is medium. On the back of the sweatshirt is Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Please click here to visit her webpage and make an online donation. If you would like to give but do not want to do it online, please contact me by leaving a comment here or sending me a private message. Any amount is greatly appreciated. The deadline is May 12th. My daughter will draw a winner sometime that week.
Please give those unborn babies a chance by helping their mothers make the right choice!!! Then they will be able to celebrate Mother's Day like you and me in the years to come. Would you like to donate in honor of your mom (you can enter your mom's name, instead of yours)? You can let your mom know that you are thanking her for choosing life by heping others to choose life as well.
UPDATE: The winner (randomly chosen by Alyssa) is Gail Harris. Congratulations! Big thanks to all who have helped PRC help save the unborn!
Kathy at Teaching Good Things is having a gardening challenge called "From Seeds to Harvest". I am excited to join. This is our first time planting at this house. (We did have a small garden for a few years in our old home.) One and a half weeks ago, our whole family worked together pulling weeds, preparing the soil, and planting the seeds. We planted tomatoes, pepper (Hungarian Hot Wax), zucchini, Bush beans, cucumber, and watermelon. We plan to plant corn near the end of spring. The kids are responsible for watering the garden. We would like to use the extra harvest to bless others (i.e. those we know who are out of job, the homeless, etc.)
Our garden beds are small. We probably put too many seeds in them. Overzealous? :) We are pretty inexperienced and are looking forward to learning more from all the green-thumbers out there.
"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12
5MinutesforMom is hosting a huge Mother's Day Giveaway from April 22nd to May 9th. The winners will be announced on May 10th, Mother's Day. There are lots of cool prizes.
I usually do not have any desire to read fiction. However, this book grabbed my attention. It is a beautiful blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration, based on a true story. I really enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. Underneath the title, The Noticer, are these words: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective. That pretty much sums up what the book is about. The main character, Jones, claims that he is a noticer noticing things that others overlook. He keeps showing up whenever different people are faced with crises such as hopelessness, marriage trouble, feeling useless in old age, battling with depression and anxiety, wondering how to find the right mate, missing the important "small stuff". Each time, Jones offers these people wisdom and practical advice. He tries to show them that they need to have the right perspective and follow it with the right actions.
I appreciate the Reader’s Guide provided in the back. There are general questions, questions pertaining to each chapter, and questions for personal reflection. These questions help readers think more on "perspective" and encourage them to become "noticers."
I myself did notice something in the book that disturbed me: the author used God’s name in vain (at least 3 times) through his characters. He may not realize that "G-o-s-h" is a euphemistic variation of God (I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.) I also wish he would include eternal perspectives and notice/acknowledge God’s provision, grace, and mercy. The author is a Christian but I think he does not want his book to be deemed a Christian book in order to reach a larger group of readers. In chapters 1 and 9, Jones told Andy and Jason to "move into the light" as a metaphor but he never explains what it truly means. I am disappointed that the author did not make use of his wonderful opportunity to point readers to Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.
Note: Visit http://www.thenoticerproject.com for more information about "The Noticer Project" (a worldwide movement to notice the five most influential people in our lives...before it's too late).
This is a place for me to relax a bit, recount my blessings, reflect on God's Word, record my thoughts, reassure others of God's love, receive others' insights, recall precious memories, relate what the Lord has done in my life & my family, rejoice at God's goodness & faithfulness, relish writing, recycle my poems, and refresh myself.
Last week, I posted about 
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![The Noticer by Andy Andrews [Product Image]](http://www.thomasnelson.com/CPRImages/ProductMedium/0785229213.jpg)
