Announcement and Prayer Request!

I am so thrilled to announce that I found out yesterday that we are expecting blessing #5 at the end of October!  Normally I do not announce my pregnancies this early, but because of my recent traumatic loss, I am desperately seeking prayers!  I am super excited about this little one, but also a little apprehensive about getting excited this early.  Will you please keep my precious little one in your prayers?

Thank you so much for joining me in lifting up my blessing to the Lord!


"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be."

~Psalm 139:13-16

Getting More Fruits and Veggies into Your Family

"You are what you eat, from your head down to your feet".  Anyone else learn this little line in elementary school?  It's true!  Nutrition is very important.  Food heals.  Whenever you choose food, you can choose food that hurts, or food that heals.  It's that simple!

One very important part of nutrition is eating lots of fruits and vegetables, especially raw ones.  I thought I would share things I have been doing in order to get more fruits and veggies into myself and my family.  Here is a list of what I do:

• Fruit with breakfast.  I like to slice up oranges and bananas, and/or squeeze fresh orange juice.  We buy oranges in bulk and make sure we eat some every day.  Have you ever read up on the nutritional content of an orange?  If not, do it!  It is ones of our keys to staying healthy.
• Smoothies.  Every day, I take 2 oranges, 1 banana, and 3/4 cup of frozen blueberries.  I put the banana and blueberries in the blender, along with 3/4 cup plain yogurt, a scoop of protein powder and 1 T. flaxseed oil.  Then I squeeze the oranges with my citrus juicer, and add the juice to the blender, and blend.  I serve this to my hubby every day!
• Raw fruits and veggies with lunch.  Every day at lunch, I chop up whatever fresh fruit I have, which is normally apples.  I serve those along with carrot sticks.  If your children aren't found of carrots, try giving them some ranch dressing, but be careful which brand you choose.  I only buy ranch dressing that is refrigerated, because then it is free of preservatives and other unnecessary/unhealthy ingredients.  Marie's is the best!  If my children would eat them, I would also serve celery and broccoli, but they don't get eaten in my house.  I also keep canned fruit on hand, for when we're out of fresh.
• Fresh vegetable juice.  This is essential!  Read up on the benefits of juicing, and you will agree!  My children won't drink this, but my hubby and I drink fresh juice every day.  My hubby likes carrot/apple, and I like carrot/celery.  It's really yummy, and amazingly good for you!  Did you know that fresh carrot juice cleanses the liver?
• Vegetables with dinner.  Every night, I serve at least one cooked veggie.  Often times there are also potatoes, along with the other veggie.
• Salads!  I serve a fresh salad with dinner as much as possible.
• Adding veggies to sandwiches.  Don't underestimate the value of some tomato and lettuce being added to your sandwich!

I think that's it!  I do ALL of these things, and all of these things added up equals a good amount of fruit and veggies each day.  We rarely get sick, so what I'm doing must be working!

No I Do NOT Support Gay Marriage!

Between the topics of abortion and gay marriage, I am overwhelmed and grieved.  Just recently, the state I live in legalized gay marriage.  I feel like a heavy black cloud just settled over me, and I want to run!  This is so not okay.  God must be so grieved, and I often wonder how much more patience He has left with this country and this world.  I don't know how much longer I can take all of this.

There are a couple of businesses that have stepped up and openly proclaimed that they are supporting gay marriage, or in other words they are sending money to the cause.  I am a coffee drinker...I LOVE coffee, and Starbucks has always been my very favorite.  However, due to the fact that they announced this week that they are big supporters of gay marriage, I am done giving them my money.  This is a big deal for me; a hard thing to give up.  But I'm going to do all I can to NOT support this cause. (Besides that, they charge way too much and it's not compatible with frugal living anyway!) Anyone else with me on this?

For the record, for anyone who may oppose me (and there are MANY), I'm going to post the verses that plainly speak of homosexuality as a grievous sin (taken from here):

In Genesis Chapters 18 and 19, we witness the account of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction due to their sexual perversion. In this account, Lot, the nephew of Abraham, is living in Sodom. Two angels travel to Sodom and after being invited into Lot's house for the night, the house is surrounded by "all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old… ""They called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.'"

God never singled out and destroyed any other cities in this manner. The sin of homosexuality was so offensive to God that He annihilated both cities and everyone in them.

The Book of Leviticus is where God laid down His laws to the Israelites. Homosexuality is addressed in both Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

Leviticus 18:22: "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Leviticus 20:13 "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them."

Here God is clearly telling the Israelites that homosexuals are so detestable and an abomination to Him that they should be put to death and that their guilt is on their own shoulders.
 
I'd like to make two points here: 1. The term "bloodguiltness" or in the NIV Bible "their blood will be on their own heads" indicates that a person decides to indulge in these deeds. Many homosexual activists would have us believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait and not a conscious choice. We'll talk more about this aspect of homosexuality later in this article.

 God tells us that He is unchanging. He is the same, "I the LORD do not change" A question we must ask is, "If God finds something to be detestable and an abomination in past times, would an unchanging God find them to be good and normal today?" Of course He wouldn't. He's unchanging!

Some might try to make the claim that because God, in Exodus 21:17, also commanded that any son who curses his mother or father should be put to death, this in some way diminishes the law stated in Leviticus, since of course these days, we would never put a child to death for cursing his parents. Actually it does not diminish the laws of Leviticus at all. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

The New Testament is also very clear on what God thinks about homosexuality:

In Romans 1:26-27, the Apostle Paul is very specific: "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."

Paul went on to state in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

And in Jude 1:7: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."

So, unequivocally, homosexuality, according to the Bible is a sin.

America "Celebrates" Abortion?

I think I'm going to throw up.  I just ran across this news story from January 22nd: "Obama Celebrates Roe vs. Wade Decision: 54 million Abortions".  (Google it...there are several different sources.)  Celebrates?  Are you kidding me?

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.  I cannot believe how far we have come as a nation, and how calloused people are.  Here is what Obama had to say:

"As we mark the 39^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption. And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams."

Because someone else already typed up a great response to this, I am going to quote him here.  Here is what he had to say:

Men and women make decisions; one of those decisions is to participate with one another in the act of sexual intercourse. This is where the choice ends. Once that act is accomplished they’ve made their choice. When pregnancy ensues, there is no further choice for the women or the man to make concerning that baby, other than what color to paint the baby’s room. There’s a God ordained life growing which must never be terminated by man. Man has no right to terminate a life that God has intended for His purpose. Abortion is the only crime where the innocent victim receives the death penalty, and the guilty go free.

God is perfect and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we consider it prudent to kill babies in the womb we would do well to consider God’s position on that subject first. “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;” Isaiah 44:24. God has known every baby that’s been murdered in the womb “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;” Jeremiah 1:5.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,” Ephesians 1:4. Before God laid the foundation of the world He knew every human being who would ever be formed in their mother’s womb. Life is a gift from God, all aborted (murdered) babies are fully known by God. They are His children and He loves them – and His desire was that each of these babies would enjoy a life on earth filled with His innumerable blessings. But man made the decision to play god and took those lives away before they had a chance to see the world God had created for them.

To murder the innocent is an abomination in the sight of God – to murder 54 million means that particular nation is in for some very harsh judgment. In other words, God sees the murder of the unborn as a disgusting wickedness – evidence that He needs to cleanse the land of the murderous. Let there be no mistake, judgment is coming.

Abortion is the ending of a life through premeditated means. Abortion is murder in its ugliest form. These were babies not simply fetuses; they are human beings in developmental stages of life with God ordained rights. They were to live and grow, to learn and to love, to become what God wanted them to become, they were to be a meaningful part of society.

Satan has his hands in every aspect of the lives of mankind. Man murders babies in the womb to cut down on unwanted pregnancies? This is of course a lie. Genocide is at the heart of abortion, the genocide of the human race. The whole concept of abortion is satanic to the core. Anyone who would celebrate 54 million murders of innocent babies while these babies were still growing in their mother’s womb resides fully in Satan’s camp.

God knows the heart of every human being on this planet and there are many who are attempting to pull the wool over His eyes in many different aspects of life. But God cannot be fooled and those individuals who murder babies in the womb will pay for their wickedness. We might profess all day long that we are followers of Jesus Christ, but if our heart isn’t in on that profession it will show by the fruit of our actions. (America celebrates 54 million abortions.) If we stand against God’s precepts how then can we be following the Lord Jesus Christ? After becoming a born again believer in Christ there is always a change that followers; that change includes a repentant heart, because God doesn’t just change our heart He gives us a new heart. Continuing to murder babies in the womb after claiming to be a Christian would be an indisputable sign certainly of the lack of repentance.

Love one another is one of God’s paramount commandments. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. What commandments, you might ask. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12. If a person is to believe the Bible, and believe in its Author, then clearly the murder of innocent babies in the womb is in direct opposition to the above two verses. If we love Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord, then we must keep His commandments. We are to love one another unconditionally. That would, of course, include babies still in their mother’s womb.

“And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech” Leviticus 18:21. Molech was the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians. They sacrificed their children to this god and some Israelites sacrificed their infants to this very same god in the valley of Hinnom. America celebrated the murder of 54 million babies sacrificed to this very same god of sex. Molech is just one of the names of the god of this world. Most of us recognize his name as Lucifer/Satan. When we study the history of various ancient civilizations we find many were very perverse in their nature as they participated in these incredibly sick rituals while appeasing their satanic god. Those who occupied the land that God gave to the Israelites were just this sort of people. “(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.” Leviticus 18:27-29.

You know what?  I support a woman's right to choose....a woman's right to choose NOT to have sex before she's married!  For when a woman chooses to go outside of this safeguard, THAT is where the problem starts! This whole topic just makes me sick.

Like I said, I think I'm going to throw up. People, stop celebrating SIN!

Thoughts on Summer Indulgences

This is not a warm and fuzzy post.  It is my thoughts on life and reality right now.

I was driving down the road the other day, and was pleased that the sun was shining.  We've had so much winter weather the past few weeks, that a sunny day was a welcome change.  As I was driving, and the heat was on in the car so it was warm, it briefly felt like summer.  You know how every season has a "feel" to it, right? (Well they do to me anyway!)  And I got this icky, sinking nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I'm sure that sounds odd.

The thing is, I have a hard enough time as it with the self-centeredness of people these days, pursuing their self-absorbed interests in their own little worlds.  It seems to me that summer brings out the worst of it.  No, I'm not bashing summer...I actually LOVE summer...but during that season, as I observe people, I just get this sick knot in the pit of my stomach.

So many people are just about vacations, beaches, sun, vacations, swimming, etc. etc. etc...and NO I am not bashing these activities and saying they are wrong. It just seems that so much of the time is spent on self and having fun.   I just have this urgent feeling that time is short right now.  That we can not waste another second of time.  That Jesus is coming and we darn well better be ready, and we better be about His business, and we better not be wasting time! 

I can't tell you how many times in a week I want to shout Ecclesiastes out to the world, "Meaningless! Meaningless!  Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (NIV)

Things are getting somewhat scary in this world, and we don't know how much more time we have here.  We are to be about our Father's business.  We are to be watching and waiting for our Savior's return.  The things of the world can so easily entangle us, and we can forget what we are here on earth for.  What can we do for Jesus EACH day? 

Ready yourself.   Keep WATCH.  Jesus said to keep watch, or He would come like a thief.  Be doing His business.  Store up treasures in Heaven and don't become entangled by the things of the world.  They will do you no good in eternity.  In light of eternity, our time here on earth is so, so short.  Do things that matter.

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." Matthew 25:13 NKJV

Frugal Meal Friday: Split Pea Soup

This is a tried and true recipe of mine that I have been making for years.  I think I could make this with my eyes closed!  It is delicious and very frugal.  This recipe just barely feeds my family of 6, so if you have a larger family then you'll need to double (or whatever) this.

Ingredients:

1 lb. split peas, rinsed
2 ham hocks or 1 meaty hambone or a couple cups chopped cooked ham
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery (including leaves), chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 quarts hot water

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and stir gently.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 6-8 hours.  Delicious!  Serve with bread and a tossed salad.

Intentional Homemakers @ Our Simple Country Life

Hi everyone!  I just want to refer you all over to Esther at Our Simple Country Life.  She has just started a series called Intentional Homemaking, and it looks FABULOUS!  You can read today's post here.

Enjoy!