I must

admit to being a bit curious. Not that for one second I will watch or listen to any of the Democrat Convention, but I do read the titles of articles highlighting what is going on. Why is it that John Edwards is being totally raked over the coals for cheating on his cancer-stricken wife yet Ted Kennedy, who left a 28 yo woman to drown in his car over a 2 hour period ~40 years ago is rallying the crowds? Any insight here? I'm just curious. Perhaps if John Edwards had left Rielle Hunter to die, he would've been invited to be a speaker. I wish there were emoticons here, because if there were, I'd be shrugging around now.

Seriously, folks...I'm at a loss here. What's the difference? Logically speaking, of course.

What a joke....

but it really isn't funny. I read a headline on today's news talking about the faith-filled convention that the Democrats are having in Denver. Are you serious? People who advocate mutilating babies brains on their way out of the womb, as well as extending marital benefits to homosexuals who have no hope of NATURALLY reproducing, thus helping to build the tax base, to continuing to tax away all the money from people who actually work for a living to give to those who do not, based on violating the commandment that states, "Thou shalt not covet", are actually having the audacity to pretend that they're in God's will. Insane. In addition, they have Christians and Muslims praying together. Just like 2 + 2 cannot equal both 4 and 5, either Christianity is right, when it states that Jesus is the only means to salvation (in which case Islam is not a true religion) or it is wrong (meaning perhaps Islam is a true religion). You can't have it both ways.

But sadly, most Christians don't care. In the end, it's a race between Socialist A and Socialist B. Maybe someday more people will get it. Like maybe once the dollar's collapsed and inflation is out of control and the Chinese or the Arabs start calling in our $9 trillion (that's with a T, folks) debt...maybe we'll realize we gave away the farm to spend on lattes and plasma tv's. Sigh.......

Bottom line: I do fear God and his holiness. I don't understand how others cannot. I will have enough to answer for on Judgment day that I would not like to have to answer for (even though my sins are forgiven, I will have to answer for them...the Bible does say that). But, and this is a big, BUT, there are a lot of things out there I won't have to answer for, and my heart shudders for those who do.

Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If one does not fear the Lord, then ultimately they lack wisdom. Simple as that. This has always been one of my favorite verses: Colossians 2:8:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Have a blessed Monday folks. Work hard and well. Don't send your children to gov't schools. It's lame.

Just to let y'all know....

that I do enjoy the Miracle of the Moment! How precious is #9. Too bad there's not more of them running around. Our world is certainly a less beautiful place because of all the #9 children that *Christians* have been unwilling to bring into the world to raise to glorify God and worship Him forever. Somehow, #9 children make it difficult to attend too many conferences or prayer meetings. I have plenty of prayer meetings in my rocking chair (besides, didn't Jesus say something in Matthew 6 about praying where people DON'T see you?).

Okay....

I've been trying to blog in the early hours of the morning, now that I've caught up on all 10 contemperaneous Creative Memory Albums, but this morning I was catching up with other things...so I'll try this this afternoon.

This past Sunday at church we had 2 speakers. One, our Sr. Pastor, whom I love dearly, although I do get frustrated with him sometimes (sounds like family...eh?) ;-) and a man from Uganda. Last time Uganda Pastor was here he castigated Americans for not having enough children. Love the guy. This Sunday he castigated the American church for going to too many conferences. Amen.

Then he goes on to talk about how every community the devil wants to destroy. Amen. He talks about how Jesus is the answer. Amen. I agree. BUT, and here is the big BUT.....there is a whole lot more that we can do than pray. I felt like screaming. How often do we have to dance around the (literally) stinking elephant in the room while continuing to say, "Jesus is the answer."

There are answers. They are not magical. They are not supernatural. They involve:

1) Getting out of debt. Each congregation member needs to live below their means. Whatever that means in your own personal situation. And, btw, don't declare bankruptcy...it's not nice and certainly isn't in keeping with loving your neighbor as yourself.

But, to preach that might bring attention to the fact that our church makes NO effort to pay off its $4.2 (maybe it's $4.1 now) million dollar mortgage other than the minimum monthly payment. Great example to our children. NOT.

2) Keep out of the bed until you're married. Stop producing illegitimate children and expecting the state to be their *dad* and the church to raise them while you keep sleeping around and praying for forgiveness. Thanks to one woman in our church who has 2 girls with 2 different fathers (that would be at least 2 women in our church...actually....not to be confused with a 3rd who has 5 children by at least 3 different men or the other woman with 3 children by 2 different men and whose daughter, surprise is a new illegitimate mother herself)....who used to sit in front of us. Andrew asked me once, "What's up with the woman with the brown children. Why don't they ever sit with their parents?" Well, let me explain it to you.....

3) Remove your children from public schools. Privately educate them in whatever manner you and your husband (note the operative word here...husband) decide. Don't be a burden on society...don't take taxpayer dollars to send them to an institution that both by its very existence as well as the world view of the NEA is antithetical to everything you *claim* to hold near and dear.

4) Eat well. Exercise. Be as healthy as it is possible for you to be.

5) Stay married. Don't seek out ushers in the church for extramarital affairs, abandon your children to public school after homeschooling them for a decade and then call homeschool Moms your heroes while working at Target instead of teaching your children as per Deuteronomy 6, in the meantime devestating your husband by breaking your marriage vows. Sounds pretty simple to me. Interesting tidbit: With the exception of 1 family, all the divorces in our church since 1995 have been initiated by the wife. Hmmm.....fodder for another post sometime.

So...any great mysteries here? As a smart person do you not think that perhaps if these points were issued and actually implemented that perhaps we would have stronger communities? Not sure why we *can't* talk about these things from the pulpit.

Onto another topic. Here is a link to a public forum (this is why you should watch what you post on a public forum...people like me might link to it:http://www.fiarhq.com/~gbprnhrz/forum/showthread.php?t=42955

Since this is Steve and Jane Lambert's living room, and I feel a gratitude towards them for introducing me to the concept of quality children's literature, I did not post. But, since this is my *living room*, this is what I would like to say:

Anonymous, do not kill yourself. Suicide is not the answer. Growing up is. You and your husband, by your own admission have spent over $2000/month than your income for several months. Now the bills have come due. What will you teach your children? Will you teach them that when you spend beyond your means you stick it to your creditors? Will you teach them that you are entitled to what you want regardless of your ability to pay? Are you entitled because you're American? Are you entitled because you're covetous? You need to repent. You need to ask God to forgive you for your covetous actions. Then...God will forgive you. Then...you need to make it right with your creditors. They gave you the bills and services in good faith (I'm certainly hoping cable TV, Starbucks, haircuts, manicures and pedicures, vacations, computer games and restaurants (especially drinks at restaurants) are NOT part of these overexpenditures. Because you did not mention extenuating medical conditions (which, in theory, I still believe you need to repay, but that is for another day), I'm guessing these are all selfish expenditures. ) You OWE them the money, no matter what the *cost* to you is. Perhaps you'll have to move.

Anonymous, I cannot imagine anyone whose character was ever improved by filing for bankruptcy. Tell me how your character will be improved. Perhaps you'll feel less stress. But, trust me, you will be less a person in terms of self-respect and the respect of others. You'll have less self-respect and you will have instilled some incredibly poor lessons in your children. You will make it that much more difficult for them to grow up with the strong character that you are hoping to see. But...hey...I hope that extra $12,000+ of *stuff* was worth it. I'm guessing not. PM me with your budget. I'll make it work. You probably won't *like* it. But, you'd be a better, stronger person for doing it.

Bankruptcy is NEVER the answer. Paying your creditors is. Bankruptcy is the ultimate form of arrogance.

Also, I'm sorry your marriage sucks. Remember, though, (and I say this gently, yet sometimes the truth is painful) that this is the man you couldn't wait to pledge your undying devotion to. Sadly, sometimes we get what we ask for. I'm guessing that you were warned by some not to marry him.

Playing the victim here is doing no one (including me, who is stuck paying on average $400 more per year that retailers charge to make up for people like you who decide to declare bankruptcy rather than pay your debts) any good. I'm sure you're not much fun to be around. Grow up. Put on your big girl panties. There are no quick fixes here. Like weight, it's easier to gain it than lose it. It's easier to get into debt than to get out. But do it. You will never regret it. Really.

Just don't stick it to me. Declaring bankruptcy is not the jubilee. It is legalized theft and will never be rewarded. You will be bankrupt of character.

I remember in high school. Heidi Budniewski. Snotty girl who played the flute who graduated in 1983 from Iroquois High School (in case she's googling herself via her maiden name). Always dressed very nicely. I remember reading in the paper that her family declared bankruptcy. I was always under the impression (until I was 15) that declaring bankruptcy meant you sold everything you owned to pay your debts. (After all, wouldn't that be the right thing to do????) Well, I learned it means you get to stick it to your creditors and walk away, while continuing to buy nice clothes. She continued to dress nicely.

As for me; I have always paid my debts. I couldn't live with myself otherwise, and apparently neither can you.

And to you other ladies on the FIAR board supporting her: SHAME ON YOU! Bankruptcy should never be condoned. I have always been struck by Howard Ruff in the book: Safely Prosperous or Really Rich: Choosing Your Financial Haven. He declared bankruptcy in 1968. His Mormon bishops told him he had an obligation to pay his creditors back. (Can you imagine if our Christian leaders had the moral gumption to do that???????). It took him 12 years to do so, but he did (and it was over $500,000 in debt). I so respect him for that. So, anonymous, although my words seem harsh, it is because you need to know that there is hope. There is hope, just no easy answers. There are no short cuts, but there is hope. You can do this. It will not be easy. It will at times be discouraging. But, ultimately, it will be soul-satisfying. Building something with your children (a material legacy) will be more of a blessing to your marriage and children than declaring bankruptcy could ever hope to be. That's because one is built on Godly principles (do not steal, love your neighbor as yourself) and the other is not (do not covet).

A note to Steve (in case he googles himself). Thanks to you and Jane for all you do for so many ladies. That said, I think sometimes you tolerate too much *cultural Christianese* (bankruptcy is the same as Jubilee? how screwed up is that) and I wish you would take a stronger stands with some of these ladies, who in the end, I find really annoying. I'm glad they don't send their kids to public school. Really. But I'm a bit sick of most of them agreeing that it's okay to stop having children. (After all if everyone agrees on something it must be right...NO!) Oh, well.

Vent over. Everyone...do not covet. Be thankful for what you have. Live below your means. Live simply.

Facebook

I joined Facebook a couple weeks ago. Wow, is it an interesting social phenomenon. It's been fun, as I've been able to *connect* with a lot of ladies from my message board, ensuring that I won't lose contact with them, as well as some younger ladies that are now young Moms. It has also been a bit discouraging, too, as I see what some people really believe. Once again...how can you be a Christian and support Barack Obama, the most liberal senator ever? Ugh.....In all seriousness, while I won't question one's salvation, I will question your ability to think intelligently and logically. Oh, yeah....Jesus died for me, but he certainly didn't mean for us to actually ban partial birth abortion, or ban wealth transfers from those who work in the vineyard to those who did nothing.....

And just for a preview...one of these days I'm going to write about The Red Hat Society. I have so little respect for that mentality...that somehow, when you're *old* you can just retire from being nice and doing to others as you would have them do to you..and instead you just be stupid, silly and selfish. Shame on you, ladies. You're bratty, immature and worthy of little to no respect for the selfish, self-absorbed lives you lead and the burdens you place on your adult children. Thanks for nothing. :-(

Baby's awake and I have other things to do. My mind is scattered...so this is short.

What if?

I hate playing the what if game. I think it's dangerous and it's a very quick way to become discontent. That said, since it's my blog I get to play it.

What if everyone couple who called themselves Christian never used birth control bills, IUDs or any of the other various and assorted birth control devices designed to make sure that a couple can enjoy the privileges of marriage without the responsibility and instead chose to embrace children as blessings (instead of just calling their one or two or three or four or whatever the number it is before they had a tubal or vasectomy) and actually see what God would do? What would America look like? Do you think we would still have several thousand abortions every day? I think no.

What if every couple who called themselves Christian refused to send their children into government funded schools and instead privately educated them either at home or in a privately funded school? Would public schools as we know it still exist? I think no.

What is every individual who called themselves Christian rejected the notion of debt? What if they took the money they spent on cable or Starbucks coffee and instead used it to pay off their mortgage or gave it to the Lord? If this were to happen, housing prices would be lower and our church would not be carrying a $4.2 million dollar debt.

Fantastical as all this sounds...look at Deuteronomy 28. Why do American churches and families chase after debt? Is it because they *love money*, which Paul has referred to as the root of all evil? In a word...YES! Doesn't Jesus say that you cannot serve both God and money? YES! Does Deuteronomy 28 not refer to the fruit of the womb as blessings?

So...seriously...what if Christians humbly said, "Lord, I graciously accept and thank you for all the blessings you would send my way"....without saying, "except for children. I actively reject them and will surgically or chemically alter my body so as to not receive them. I know you understand because my heart knows my quiver is full. BUT, and this is a big BUT, I expect you to continue to honor me in the city and country and fill my trough to overflowing as I actively REJECT the blessing of the fruit of the womb. In addition, I will actively pursue the curse of debt and ask you to bless my basket so as to help me then remove the curse of debt that I actively brought upon myself so that I might have a bigger house and nicer clothes so that others may be attracted to your blessing."

Seriously, as you read this, you're thinking...how outrageous and inflammatory can you be? But, I am not. The government debt is $9.4 trillion. Personal debt is at an all time high. Birth rates are at an all time low. What a whacky, screwed-up culture we are. Yet...this is never addressed in the American church. Sigh................

Read verses 43-46. (I even made them a different color for you). Read them again. Get out of debt. Encourage others to do likewise.

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Curses for Disobedience

15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.

20 The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.

25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.

30 You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. 33 A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad. 35 The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

36 The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become a thing of horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the LORD will drive you.

38 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 42 Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.

43 The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail.

45 All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

So....what if Christians actively rejected birth control and public schools and public welfare (in ALL of its manifestations). Do you think there would be even a remote chance of B. Hussein Obama being elected? Of course not.

Carry on, folks.

Hi!

It's the doldrums of August, and even though it's not as hot as it was last summer, it's still August...and well, I just really don't enjoy it. We have all sorts of fun stuff planned for September through December...but well...it's still August.

We have 15 week days until we start school. I am not ready to start school yet, but when we do...it will be good. There is a lot for us to do and learn. I have come to a sad realization. I know one friend IRL who is homeschooling her children through high school. A couple more ladies from church have chosen to have their children privately schooled...which on principal, I have no problem with. I am glad they are paying people privately to educate their children. Sadly...quite a few families from our church who used to homeschool their children have decided that at the high school level the government will do a better job than them (and if they don't...apparently they don't care, as long as they have their precious freedom to see and be seen...after all....actually I'm not sure what should come after after all....Sigh....) . Why?

Why do parents who start the long journey of homeschooling suddenly stop? I've noticed anecdotally that it seems that it is those Moms who are involved in coops and like to be *seen* when their children are younger give it up when the children become teens. Shrug. I've never been a big home school coop type Mom. Just not my style. There's nothing *wrong* with it for most people, but just like some people prefer rum raisin ice cream to mint chocolate chip ice cream, some people just *like* coops. (Of course, bad taste is not illegal......) I'm just thinking out loud here, as I get ready to start the school year for 6 children, a pre-schooler, a toddler (the 2 of them are only about 6-12 months apart developmentally, which in a school room type setting would put them in the same classroom) as well as a baby. No helping my husband designing Tuscan homes or a 4,000+ dream home for me and my husband and 1 teenage child (the other 3 are out of the house) while gallivanting around shopping at Home Goods for me...no....I'm planning on getting up at 5:30 and spending time with the Lord, my baby, exercising and showering so that we can get our school day (or office hours as I like to say) around 8:30....

I think my problem is that I'm wishing for more support. I do not ever doubt my calling....what frustrates/bewilders/perplexes me is the arrogance of Christian women who believe they have attained Proverbs 31 status when they've farmed their requisite number of children (remember, children are blessings, but we must sterilize/break/mutilate ourselves so that we don't receive any more of those so-called-blessings) out to public school and then they have their illegal-alien-employing-*Christian* cleaning company cleaning their homes (wow...they really must be Proverbs 31 women...they have servants...sigh...) while they attend retreat after retreat after retreat to be refreshed and honored for what...they're not cleaning...they're not raising their children, they're not living sacrificially....what are they doing? And this, my dear reader, is what the Christian church holds up as the example of a perfect mother. Never mind that behind the scenes their children are brats or their high schoolers are sleeping around and doing drugs and bragging about it on their Facebook pages....their parents are able to tap into government extorted upon threat of losing your home tax funds to pay for their beloved's education so they can go about and *save the world* and if we're really a devoted Mom, maybe we'll even belong to Moms in Touch (which just makes me positively gag.....).

I wish people would really own what they do. I hate euphemisms. I am able to articulately defend and define every aspect of my world view (I love my neighbor as myself...I don't ask anyone to do what I myself am unwilling to do...the Golden rule...is it really that hard to understand?)...but the vast majority of people are not. I started a FaceBook page. I don't have too many friends...I don't post status updates...but I do like reading people's profiles...it shows what is nearest and dearest to their hearts. Sadly...most people are just lame. And here's the kicker, folks. I want to like you. I want to respect you. I want to...really....but seriously....it is so difficult for me to be *light-hearted* and *shallow*. I try. And, if I'm a deep friend with you, then maybe we can discuss frugality or recipes or homeschool curriculum once in a while....but that's only because we have a deep foundation to begin with. I know we're in a battle. And I know it's not against flesh and blood. But, Lord, help me...I just don't understand most people and their unwillingness to not be lame. I don't understand women who think it's *oh, so hard* with 2 or 3...but hey, if you ever have a problem with raising 9 (or 8 or 7 or 6).....your problem is you have too many children. Well, hey, if that's my problem...then there should be no problem with that many fewer children....

So...don't be lame. Don't be a hypocrite. Think well. Act well. Live within your means. Love your children. Read to them.

All examples quote above are based on real people I know and have seen their Facebook pages. I am not making this stuff up.