Does the Lord...

Does the Lord ever try to stop you from doing, watching, hearing, reading or participating in something/anything? Do you watch something on tv and ever think ~ I shouldn't be watching this?

Or I guess worse than that would be to watch or read or listen to something and KNOW that its wrong & you don't care. Or you do it because everyone else is doing it. Or justify it by saying its just fun, no one takes this seriously, or I'm doing it because I want to?

I've been researching some popular books that lots of Christians are endorsing and saying they are ok. Lots of schools assign these as required reading. These folks are making millions of dollars promoting evil and witchcraft.

I'm talking about the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series.
First Harry...I have never liked this series (&no I haven't read them, my info comes from the internet and trusted Christian sites). This boy is going to "college" to learn how to be a witch. Hello! Everything is wrong with that! Christian parents have bought the books and movies for their children, there will be little HP's running around on Halloween trick or treating, and there are families who are planning vacations to go to Harry's place at Universal Studios. I can't be the only person who thinks this is wrong.

The most current phenomenon in this darkness is the Twilight series. They have never been allowed into my house and won't be. The young girls goal is to become a vampire (that is so wrong on so many different levels). The covers of the books and the movie posters are awful ~ pale skin, red lips, dark clothes, and fangs. I found the following on the American Family Website..."The books mocks the act of salvation through Jesus' sacrifice when it states the only way to become a vampire it to be injects with venom by a vampire and then live in such a state of pain that you feel as if you are burning alive. You must live in this pain for 3 days to achieve eternal life. the parallel is there ~ Jesus died for our sins and went into hell to conquer death for 3 days before rising again. Now, if we accept Jesus as our Savior we can have eternal life". I got chills reading this last night and just now, typing it. I know Christian families that are buying this for their kids (its a "love" story), and going to conventions, waiting in line for hours for movie tickets...Do they have this much dedication and loyalty to God?

We are all at different levels in our spiritual maturity. We all get convicted at different times about different things the world has accepted as normal. We are living in a fallen world and Satan delights in confusing Christians. There is too much "gray" in this world that really should either fall into Black or White. There is Right & Wrong and there are consequences for our actions or inactions. I am not perfect. I don't always do what is right. I don't always realize that something is wrong until much later. The Lord is always showing me something that I should change (& hopefully he shows Greg at the same time). But we are striving to filter our thoughts and actions through a Biblical worldview ~ Remember the popular saying years ago WWJD ~ what would Jesus Do? Maybe we all need to be asking that question alot more in our lives.

What Would Jesus Do?

Ephesians 6: 10-18
"Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood , but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded the waist with truth, having put on the breastplate or righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench ll the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword or the spirit which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit; being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

2 Corinthians 10: 3-5
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 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 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

Daybook

For today ~ sunny & windy, we need rain

I am thinking ~ how much our society & our country have changed from when I was a little girl, when my parents were younger, and when my grandparents were little. This kind of change, we don't need.

I am thankful for ~ my Bible full of the Lord's love and guidance for our lives

From the learning rooms ~ Bible Verses, Catechism, Algebra, Biology, Language & Spelling, American History, need to start on Spanish again!

From the kitchen ~ cereal for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, & popcorn chicken salad for dinner

I am wearing ~ nightgown

I am creating ~ a tiny 5 x 7 cross stitch picture that is already annoying me. I picked out 2 kits a couple of years ago, that Greg bought me for Christmas. One was a Santa and the other was a father & son buying a Christmas tree. The kits contain the thread and this is a pattern that likes to "blend" floss colors ~ 2 strands of different colors. It looks gorgoeus when its done, but the stitching process is less than enjoyable. Oh, and every single thread in the 5 x 7 frame will be stitched...no open areas in this picture. I am doing the Christmas tree one!

I am going ~ to a play of "The Miracle Worker" tomorrow with our homeschool group.

I am reading ~ too many books at once: need to finish the David Jeremiah book & do my review, started another Voddie Baucham book, finished Numbers & started Deuteronomy, & my Backyard Homesteaders Book

I am praying ~ that the Lord would touch the hearts, minds, and lives of all my children and draw them close to him. (He may need to "touch" some of them with a sledgehammer to get their attention.)

I am hearing ~ spoons clank in cereal bowls, doggie nails clicking on the wood floor

Around the house ~ lots of sewing. Amy & Katie didn't work on their quilt squares much this summer, but they made up for it this weekend. Lots of sewing, ironing, & listening to "Adventures in Oddysey" going on in the dining room

One of my favorite things ~ praying with Greg

A few things for the rest of the week ~ co-op, dance lessons, The Miracle Worker, last Financial class at church, an RV road trip this weekend to Pensacola ~ sand, seafood, no trick or treaters!

Multitude Monday 571-590

571. a powerful mixer

572. fresh from the chicken eggs

573. fresh ground soft wheat flour

574. a new bag of chocolate chips

575. trays of yummy cookies

576. Christian Friends to fellowship with & swap cookies with

(went to a cookie swap at church last night! Yummy!!)

577. teens "babysitting" so Mom's can fellowship

578. hymns

579. Prayer

580. holding hands

581. hugs

582. organization

583. schedules

584. sorting through craft items I forgot I had

585. finding new uses for items

586. checklists

587. getting schoolwork done

588. a club sandwich from McAllisters Deli

589. moving tools to new workshop

590. dinner from the grill

Some of my "gifts" are repeats from other weeks...but they are what I am thankful for at the time!

Psalm 100: 4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

God vs Science

I got this in an email. This is long but so worth reading to the end. It would really be funny except this is a true conversation, even though happened 90 years ago ~ its still happening in college classrooms today.

'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'

'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!

He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would
if we could. But God doesn't.'
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was
a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son.
Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir..'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'
'So who created them?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not..'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus?
Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total
absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.
Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.'

'Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student,
let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room.

'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's
brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one
appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect,
sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?' Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student
continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the
world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto
itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word
that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil
is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his
heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes
when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

PS: the student was Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein wrote a book titled God vs. Science in 1921

Just Stuff

* Got all our fair entries back...I won 19 blue ribbons and 6 red ribbons. I am thrilled with that but then I found a snippy judges note on one of my smocked baby dresses. It said...My baby bishop should not have been entered because there is only 1 category for smocking and my little jumper was in that category. Excuse me for smocking (sarcasm intended), in this same section there is a Misc. category and they always put my 2nd dress under that...its what the category is for. I have actually entered 3 at a time, guess she was having a snippy day.

*I am thrilled to go out to the chicken coop and find eggs. Yeah, I'm a little strange. Today all the chickens came up into the coop and stood there to get petted (they were probably looking for a way to escape and just let me pet them while they plotted, but none flew the coop)!

*My beloved husband is having his on personal revival with the Lord and we are all joining in. The Lord has lit a fire under him that is a joy to watch! Love you Greg! You can read his blog thats listed on my sidebar...Letters to my Children (formerly Tiki Travelers).

*The cooler weather is a blessing! What a relief not to be sweating all the time. We've got to get some shock for the pool and clean it up, so it looks nice all winter. I don't want to look at green algea for months.

*Co-op is going well. I like that I only have to plan one class and Marie does the other one. It makes both of our days easier.

*Got my new Vision Forum Catalog today. This catalog is packed with wonderful, Christian resources for the family. Great place to do holiday shopping. Please click on my link on the sidebar so I will get credit if you purchase anything (a shameless attempt on my part to earn a little extra money!)!

*I am very thankful that we don't live in Old Testament times. I am not sure I could keep up with all the different offerings...burnt offerings, sin offerings, wave offerings, heave offerings, etc. I am reading the book of Numbers now. I think its just easier to keep up with the 10% tithe and to Thank and Praise the Lord for sending Jesus to take away (cover) our sins. I continue to be amazed at all the symbolism and prophecy pointing the Jewish people to Jesus Christ. Their Messiah they looked for in the Old Testament is our Savior in the New Testament.

*I am so ready for it to be Nov. 1. Halloween has turned into a free-for-all on tv and in stores. Ready for it to be done. I like my Harvest Decorations of scarecrows, pumpkins & sunflowers, they will stay up till Thanksgiving.

Daybook

For today...sunny and a little cooler. Hopefully fall will remember it was coming to Miss.

I am thinking...way too much! Sometimes I need less thinking and more God ~ today is probably one of those days.

I am thankful for...a healthy family

From the learning rooms...Algebra, language, Biology, US History, scripture memorization

From the kitchen...baked hamburgers, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, 4 loaves of fresh homemade wheat bread ~ we also need to decide what goodie to fill the cookie jar with

I am wearing...lavendar t-shirt, black skirt, barefeet

I am creating..finishing a Christmas gift, starting a needlepoint project

I am going...to relax, let go, enjoy lazy afternoons with my children, and cozy nights with Greg at home

I am reading...too many books at one time, but the newest is "Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America". Greg & I set a goal to read through the Bible cover to cover ~ I've read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and am about 1/2 way through Numbers. I've probably read the whole Bible, but never in a concentrated, book by book way. Its taking longer to read because I get caught up in reading the footnotes on each page...but its very interesting and I am learning stuff I never knew before. Do you know how much a "talent" weighs? I always assumed it was a coin, but I was wrong; I would think it would be more of a brick, it weighed 70 pounds. Just a little Bible truth that I am passing along!

I am Praying...the Lord would touch and bless each of my children & they would all see the importance of reading his word, attending church, and serving him.

I am hearing...chairs scrapping, dogs barking, children talking

Around the house...finish laundry I started last night when we got home from GA, bake bread, take the girls to dance

One of my favorite things...lots of craft projects. Seeing Amy & Katie get inspired "crafty" wise on a trip to JoAnn's. Proverbs 31:13 "She seeks wool and flax & willingly works with her hands."

A few things for the rest of the week..dance classes, bible study, co-op classes, crafting, weekend fun.

A frustration...why does blogger underline stuff, all of a sudden, when you didn't change anything? If I wanted to underline something, it wouldn't work, but I does it on its own!

Multitude Monday (posted on Sunday) 551-570

551. laughter

552. hugs

553. craft shopping

554. new craft ideas

555. matching fabric

556. being in GA during a great JoAnns sale

557. family games

558. fresh chicken eggs (our chickens finally decided to start laying!)

559. lasagna

560. birthday celebrations

561. watching puppies learn to walk (when you throw in tail wagging at the same time, its pretty hilarious)

562. apple crisp with vanilla ice cream

563. chocolate candy bars

564. 4 skirts & 2 pairs of jeans from Goodwill for $32 for the girls

565. warm blankets

566. beautiful fall colors on the trees

567. shopping with my daughters & mom

568. cousins having fun

569. a great, thankful, loving, generous husband

570. A Savior who gave his life for Me!

Family Driven Faith Conference

One week ago today, we drove to Southaven, MS to attend the "Family Driven Faith Conference" by Voddie Baucham. In a word...Awesome.

It was a blessing to be able to see him in person and hear him preach. The statistics of young people leaving the church are astounding ~ 70-88% leave by the time they are freshmen in college. And a majority of those have left the church in their heart and minds by the time they are 11 or 12. They have more freedom away at college, so they don't get up and go to church. (We can attest to this statistic)

It takes 2 Christian families to get 1 Christian young person to the next generation.

Most believe that the Bible is a collection of "stories" much like nursery rhymes and not the true word of the One, Living God.

Church childrens programs and youth groups are not reinforcing what parents SHOULD be teaching at home, they are focused on fun.

We should have 2 groups of young people ~ boys/men, girls/women. Adolescents is an extended childhood and as a result we have young men 18-25 who are still "little" boys in their maturity.

Courtship should be avoided until young men & women are ready for marriage.
Greg wore his D.A.D.D. shirt on Saturday and had quite a few men asking where he got it. (stands for dads against daughters dating)

College is a scam to get your money and extend the period it takes a young person to mature. As long as parents are still footing the bill, they don't have to be responsible for themselves. There are alternate ways to get a college education if the parents decide the young adult needs futher education. We are very pleased so far with College Plus. Online learning is a great alternative. Colleges are also set up to seperate young people from their parents and beliefs. (Not all colleges are like this or young adults act this way, but a majority do) Oh, most Ivy League schools were started as Seminaries to train young men for the ministry...are Harvard, Yale, & Princeton that now?

Parents should take a much more active role in disciplining their children and not leave it up to anyone else. Teach your children what you believe, why you believe it, and how to defend their faith to anyone who questions them. (It isn't the church's responsibility)

Don't underestimate what your children can learn. Children are like sponges and soak up information, be deliberate in teaching them. We should deliberately teach the scriptures, hymns of our faith, etc.

We should have a multi-generational focus for our family. We are actively praying for our childrens spouses and our future grandchildren. We desire for them all to be active, vibrant Christians who are making an impact for Christ in their own families and their churches and communities.

Voddie says "If ya can't say Amen, you gotta say Ouch."

We had many Amen's and quite a few Ouches!

We are changing quite a few things in our home. We are praying for guidance in these areas and more. We are thankful for the opportunity to go to the conference.

I do have pictures but they are on my camera at home...I'll upload one or 2 next week.

Daybook

For today...kind of cloudy, it may rain...we need it

I am thinking...about our memory verse for the week. Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 " Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your hear, with all your soul and with all your strength."

I am thankful for...a great weekend and renewed committments from the "Family Driven Faith" Conference

From the learning rooms...Algebra, language, Biology, US History, scripture memorization

From the kitchen...Homemade Vegetable Soup and either Cheese Biscuits or cornbread

I am wearing...lavendar t-shirt, black skirt, sandals

I am creating...Christmas gifts

I am going...to finish my neice's birthday gift...she turns 9 this week, its hard to imagine. The day my sister went to have her ultrasound, the boys and I were packing and delivering phone books. Amy, then 5, climbed up on a pile of books and started praying that Aunt Brenda would have a girl (Amy was the only girl and had 2 brothers and 3 boy cousins). She looked up and said God just told her that it was a girl. Within 5 minutes, we got the "Its a GIRL" phone call from my nephew. Wishful thinking from a little girl or a message from God ~ you can make your own decision but we are going with the message from God.

I am reading.."Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World" by Dr. David Jeremiah and the book of Leviticus in the Bible

I am Praying...for a safe trip to GA and a fun visit with Mom & Allen

I am hearing...the kids in the kitchen talking to each other and fixing their breakfast

Around the house...watching puppies learn to walk

One of my favorite things...making things for other people

A few things for the rest of the week...cooking church dinner tomorrow night (barbeque chicken, corn on the cob, green beans, & salad), dance classes, going to Mom's

Pictures to share...

Amy & Katie with the puppies

Look in Will's hands....tada....our 1st EGG!!!! Whoo Hoo! He found it in the nesting box this morning!

Its about time for those chickens to start giving back to us! They have been fed and pampered for months...its time for them to start paying the rent!

The other 3 chickens better get busy...

Multitude Monday 551-566

551. Affirmation of Convictions

552. Knowing we are not alone in our convictions

553. attentive young adults

554. meaningful conversations

555. praying about undoing some things we have done wrong

556. new convictions

557. sweet friends

558. smiling babies

559. meeting someone I admire

560. prayer

561. understanding

562. training daughters to be wives and mothers

563. the understanding of "Ouches" and the striving for "Amens"

564. pleasant family visit

565. safety in travel

566. anticipation of the future

Puppy Update

Licorice has eyes! She has also started "chattering like a chipmunk" when we take her away from Hershey. Its really funny to hear.

Be still brother...I'm just getting comfy!

Licorice and Chip

They both opened their eyes at 13 days.
They are a continual source of amusement, cuddling, and observing.

Hershey is completely comfortable with us holding the puppies. But if Mack or Skittles come near them, she shows them who is boss. She is a protective mama.

Been There, Done That

We were walking around the exhibits and heard an excited crowd looking at the Youth Division...it was our Keepers Group (which is also our homeschool group). They came to the fair after their field trip this morning. It was fun to be with them and compare ribbons and prizes for projects they all worked on together.

I got the first 2 bites of the deep fried Milky Way Bar. The kids finished it off...its too rich!

We go to the fair for the arts n crafts and the tremendously, over-priced fair food.
Greg, Katie, Amy & Will enjoying their Chicken on a Stick.

We love the roasted corn.

Will getting interviewed by a Radio Station about his Fair Entries!

Will's blue ribbon for his string art sailboat

Katie's Blue ribbon for her Jar Quilt

Amy's Blue Ribbon for her Flag Wall Hanging

My Blue Ribbon for my Log Cabin Quilt...the judges must have felt generous. I really expected a "better luck next time, chick" note attached. I didn't feel like the machine quilting was that great but hey, I am not a judge.

So here is what happened on the way to the Fair...And NONE of this is made up...my imagination is very vivid but I can't make up stuff like this.

11:40 ~ We leave our house and head to the teller machine at the bank
11:45 ~ my magnetic strip on the back of the card won't work, so I call Greg and we decide to head downtown, we can get money with his card (I didn't have the check book with me)
Noon ~ get to his office and drive to bank
Noon:05 ~ the teller machine is OUT of money
Noon:06 ~ I go into the branch and am about the 15th person in line for 2 tellers
Noon:25 approx. ~ its finally my turn, she cashes my counter check and I head to the car
But the drama doesn't end there...the car won't start in the bank parking lot
Greg raises the hood, finds the jumper cables and we sit there ~ no one offers to help
Greg hikes back to his office to get his truck ~ the kids and I sit there ~ still no offers of help
He gets back ~ jumps off the car ~ and we drive to the fair
We get to the gates 30 seconds before 1...When they start charging for gate admission.

If we hadn't had all this trouble...we would have missed seeing our friends!

Oh yeah...
Dear Fair Vendors,
We could buy more goodies if you didn't charge outrageous prices...
2 Chicken on a Stick $12
1 roasted ear of Corn $4
1 deep fried Milky Way $4
1 Funnel Cake $6

Thats why we share...and we only do this once a year.

Today

Today was one of those days when everything was great!
*Not too many problems in homeschooling...just some confusing algebra.
*Got 3 skirts hemmed and ironed!
*Cleaned off our desk in the bedroom (again).
*Listened to 2 great sermons on Modesty on Sermon Audio...I had thought about modesty being an attitude but not to that extent.
*Had some yummy chocolate chip muffins to snack on.
*Got a Bishop dress blocked and ready for smocking.
*Got a printer ink cartridge refilled at Walgreens.
*Amy loves her new jeans I bought yesterday.
*Cut quilt batting into squares for rag quilts...gotta get those Christmas gifts done.
*Cleaned out our bottom dresser drawer.
*The almost 2 week old puppies eyes are starting to open (Amy noticed 1st).
*Great Mom/Daughter conversations with Katie.
*Wonderful family dinner.
*Cross stitching while watching tv tonight.
Looking forward to more fun times tomorrow!

And people wonder what "stay at home" moms do all day! Guess that explains it!

Daybook

For today...it is sunny, cool and breezy, we are loving this cooler weather.

I am thinking...that I don't deserve all the blessings the Lord has given me

I am thankful for...ALL of the blessings

From the learning rooms...Algebra, language, Biology, US History

From the kitchen...barbeque chicken in the crockpot, corn on the cob, green beans

I am wearing...khaki skirt, white t shirt, slip on tennis

I am creating...less of a mess. I am attempting to clean up my piles that accumulated when we were getting ready for the State Fair, now we get ready for the holidays

I am going...to be still and know that He is God.

I am reading.."Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World" by Ken & Steve Ham (got this book at the Creation Museum) and "Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World" by Dr. David Jeremiah (my new book to review from BookSneeze)

I am hoping...to see lots of ribbons when we go to the Fair to look at the exhibits ~ between Katie, Amy, Will and I we entered about 80 items

I am hearing...chairs sliding on the kitchen floor, doggie paws on the wood floor, pencils scratching on math problems

Around the house...lots of activity as always

One of my favorite things...snuggling under the quilt when it gets chilly

A few things for the rest of the week...sewing, co-op, dance classes, fair, and The Family Driven Faith Conference this weekend. I am excited to hear Voddie Bauchum in person.

Please join other daybookers at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com

Pictures to share...girlfriends

Amy, Emmalyn, Katie, Amber, and Izzy

Izzy, Amy, Emily & Caitlyn

Multitude Monday 531-550

531. cooler weather

532. quilts

533. finished fair projects

534. sewing

535. free cross stitch patterns

536. family friendly tv shows

537. the assurance of salvation

538. new recipes

539. a full nights sleep

540. snuggly puppies

541. A's on tests

542. completed college projects

543. employed sons

544. anticipation of the holiday season

545. a bag of chocolate candy

546. a kind word

547. a smile

548. a hug

549. prayers

550. feeling loved at church

Homemade Sliders

Sliders are small burgers that you eat in 3 or 4 bites. These tiny burgers fetch a big price at restaurants. My sister in law shared a "recipe" this summer with me for making these little burgers. Its sooooooooooooo easy! Pay close attention...you may want to take notes (sarcasm).

Spray a rectangular Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle a generous layer of dehydrated onions on the bottom of the dish. Top with ground beef. Smush the ground beef onto the onions then top with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. When the burgers are done you can drain off the fat, slice them, and place on slider buns. Pepperidge Farm makes some whole wheat slider buns that are yummy.

Top with your choice of yummies and enjoy!

My first one was topped with mustard, ketchup, tomato slice and homemade pickle relish.
The second was topped with mustard, ketchup and Katie's homemade dill pickle slices.

Yummy goodness in a tiny bun!

You can see how small the sliders are by comparing to the single pickle slice.

Thanks Sabrina for the "recipe".

These were wonderful and will be added to the menu rotation. I could save some money by making my own mini buns with my bread dough.

A good end to a great Saturday!

We are READY for the State Fair!!!!!

I got this cross stitch pattern online last year for FREE...I love it! I can cross stitch and bless others with this wonderful "HIS NAME IS JESUS" picture! This one done in shades of purple (my favorite color) will live at my house after the fair!

The items pictured above are my fair entries.

They are
1. Sea Shell String Art
2. Plaid Tote with blue pockets
3. Flag pieced miniature Wall Hanging
4. Yellow Print Quilted Pillow
5. "Tea Pot" hand embroidered on a Tea Towel
6. John Deere Fabric quilted purse
7. Small Stenciled Apple Box
8. Punched & Painted pie tin
9. Crayon Wreath
10. Ice Cream 2 piece Ceramic Dish
11. JOY hand beaded ornament
12. Christmas Tree hand beaded ornament
13. Snowman hand beaded ornament
14. Nativity Needlepoint picture
15. Sea Shell Needlepoint picture
16. "His Name Is Jesus" cross stitch
17. Faith Family Friends Cross Stitch
18. Hand Smocked Baby Jumper
19. Hand Smocked Bishop Dress
20. Log Cabin Baby Quilt
21. Fall Print Novelty Tote

Plus...jars for the canning division
Green Beans
Dill Pickles
Sweet Pickle Relish
Peach Jam
Grape Jelly

Many thanks to my dear husband for helping with all the framing of our pictures so they are "fair ready". He helps us every year with this and we really appreciate it!