2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.



Here's an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Number of Women Dying From Legal Abortions Doubles

Women who are truly pro-women should be against abortion. Tons of baby girls are killed each year and women can die or end up with other complications from having an abortion.

http://www.thebereancall.org/content/number-women-dying-legal-abortions-doubles

This point can be argued or dismissed. Those of us who are pro-life aren't at risk. We aren't losing out personally. It's strange that we care more than liberals about women's health. But, we also give more to charity and they say we're stingy.

When the Enemy Finds Your Flock

Backyard chickens are a fun hobby and a great way to provide fresh eggs for the family. In our area there is about a two year grace period from predators. At that point, something will find the girls. We lost 3 chicks this summer, very sad and a waste of money, but it turned out for the best. Five layers and 3 chicks was really too many. We got very diligent about taking care of the girls to avoid further tragedy.

From July until December all has been well, until two nights ago. It was our first day of Christmas break and my first day of Christmas baking. Using a gift card from my hubbies uncle, we enjoyed dinner out and then did some driving around to look at Christmas lights. When we came home, it was very dark...and had been for 3 hours. The dog went outside when the kids went out to lock up the coop and he seemed to see something, but with the rain and wind, we didn't see or hear anything strange. The kids got their Dad to check on the yard and with his OK, they locked up.

Morning came, the kids opened the coop and took out food and water, and we went about our very busy day making deliveries to friends. We got home past dark, so my son had to take the flashlight out to get the eggs since he didn't get to do it during the afternoon. Moments after going out, he returned inside, quickly going into hysteria at finding a headless chicken in the nest box, with an egg on TOP of her. I went out to take care of things and to make sure the coast was clear. The man was picking up pizza. Break means time off from normal cooking--he is a wonderful husband! Once he got home, he helped me clean up the carcass and lock things up. I went to bed thinking about putting a bottom on the coop, which sits on the ground directly, and listened at the opened window when I thought something might be going on out there. Our windows are new and we can't hear what is going on that well outside when they are closed. Exhausted and satisfied all was well enough, I went to bed late.

This morning while my husband was at the grocery store, I went out side to do the chicken duties. The kids are a bit traumatized and I thought it best I go out. Taking apart a lot of the paraphernalia I have around the coop to insulate it, I opened one of the doors. One girl came out but no one else did for a while. That made me think something wasn't right. I called them, and the two newer girls came out slowly. Time passed and when the fourth didn't come out, I knew it was dead upon finding a whole dug under. Not wanting to see that mess, I waited again for my husband to get home. We brought in the groceries and he dutifully took a bag to get the multitude of feathers, the newly killed hen, and the head of the other hen out of the coop. It was a blessing to not have to see Princess. Seeing Cream Puff was bad enough.

Tonight the head of our family blessed me by saying the girls could sleep in the garage in the dog cage. What is amazing is that they walked right in to the garage and then went in to the dog cage. It is as if they knew tonight was going to be a different night. People can think chickens are stupid and untrainable, but our girls know my voice and when I said it was OK for them to come in, they knew just what I had in mind. While I'm sad at how our other 2 died, I'm convinced God was watching over the 3 that survived. Buff was next to each girl that got attacked, she even has blood all over the top of her head from last night's attack. She is our old favorite. The younger girls are the best layers now, and they are very close to each other (our rescue chickens). Thankfully one of them didn't go.

The moral of the story--fortify your coop even if you are in a neighborhood with a privacy fence. At some point the predators will relentlessly come calling and you'll be forced into understanding a little more about farming.

Public School Teachers in My Area--Terrible story

I was having a casual conversation with this nice kid who works at one of the health/holistic stores I shop in. He and I have enjoyed chatting whenever we see each other, and today I was surprised when he went into telling me how he is no longer substitute teaching because the public schools are a joke. The last time he taught it was for a group of autistic children. Veteran teachers had decided to have the kids go to an establishment to clean it. He had no idea why they thought this was a good idea, but what ensued is nothing short of abuse, and while people sit thinking that teachers all really care and their kids are safe, you need to read on.

One child was very overweight so unable to perform the tasks. His teacher began shaming him in front of everyone else, asking him how he would support a family one day and things of that nature. He had a mental breakdown and one teacher VIDEO taped him with her phone. On the bus ride back to school, the teachers were making fun of him.

I am beyond outraged at this, and not completely surprised unfortunately. There are far too many stories about teachers being abusive or kids being abused by people in the school and it getting brushed under the rug. Before anyone goes into how loving so many teachers are, save it. That thinking, even if it is reality, doesn't protect our kids. Who is willing to TEST the system on their precious offspring??? That kind of faith lines up with evolutionary thinking I guess. I can't see any logic or rightness in it.

The young man who shared this with me is intelligent and well-spoken. He always remembers my name, even if it's been well over a year since I've seen him. He had no reason to make this story up, nor did he know how opposed to institutionalized learning I am when he told me. He is no longer disillusioned, because unlike many who go into teaching, his IQ is high. This isn't a slam, check the data which shows  people enrolled in the colleges of education score lower than most others enrolled in college. The trouble is, educators are all told over and over how smart they are. They drink the Kool-Aid, then they do horrible things like these teachers did to this poor student.

For all those who teach and truly care and give of themselves--if you are honest you know what I'm saying is often true. The system won't improve with band-aids, it needs to be scrapped and mass education needs a different model.

Apostate Watch-Arnold Murray, Shepherd's Chapel 2

I thought I'd post more since Wordpress has shown some searches for this misdirected individual.

A solid believer who understands the Word will quickly listen to Murray and realize he is off-base, but he is a danger to those who have a history of being in a cult or who are ignorant of the Scriptures.

Shepherd's Chapel

Here is some more information on this false teacher.

The Bible says there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. Get your teaching from multiple sources--John MacArthur, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Stanley, or this Calvary Chapel pastor I like to listen to; there are many solid, sound teachers available who will show you how to find real peace and a life that is glorifying to God. Do not trust a man/woman who makes themself out to be the only person teaching the truth (or his/her family are the only persons doing so). This is a good indicator you are involved in a cult.

Chronic Neediness and Crying Wolf

The story of the boy who cried wolf is one I'm sure just about all of us know and have seen to be accurate. If someone lies over and over, when they tell the truth (if they do), they aren't believed. For the boy it meant he got eaten, if memory serves me right.


Recently I've thought about how the chronically needy are a lot like that boy. A life in a perpetual crisis, never improving for more than a day or so, regularly needing advice, prayer, encouragement or time, gradually wears those around them down.  It is true that some lives are more challenging than others. But it is also true that a wildly different picture can be painted if the perspective is changed. Some times situations really are tough for the long haul, but how that is approached makes so much difference in how those nearby respond or feel.


I'm sharing this because if you are more of a taker, be careful. At some point you will have cause for real support but those around you might be sucked dry. Just like the marriage love-tank needs filling, so does the friendship storehouse. Self-sacrifice goes a long way.


Finally, if at your core you are convinced you have it harder than those around you, then you have a bigger problem my friend. I can't say that outlook helps in the friendship department for long. Eventually people figure that gig out. Life is full of seasons, and some of us get the harder ones early, some in the middle, and some at the end of life. It's those who have it the worst but still manage to bless others that are blessed themselves.

Poem for Sandy Hook Victims

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house."

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only Heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King.
And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"Come now my children, let me show you around."

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." I hope adults reading this will turn to Him before it is too late, and I'm thankful that these children were young enough that they may have entered His gates still. Some things we won't know for sure until we're with the King of Kings, but this sentiment is beautiful and I hope it is how it went. God bless the families~

Praying for Public Schools is Like...

Have you heard the funny comment about praying for God to bless the fast food about to be eaten? As if something magical is going to happen by praying to the nutritional content. We can thank God for it, but asking Him to bless it to our bodies is a bit of a stretch.

I feel like praying for government-run schools is like praying for an unhealthy meal to be akin to a salad, or piece of grass-fed beef. It's the beast itself that is the problem, at it's core; and praying for it to somehow glorify God is not going to happen unless the entire thing is stripped down and started over. We can layer an entire bag of salad on a fast food burger, it is still loaded with fat and sodium.

Parents, pull your kids out of public school while you can. They are being taught ungodly principles that are like a tidal wave, and one or two days a week at church isn't going to combat that sort of indoctrination.

For more information, please read The Harsh Truth About Public Schools by Bruce Shortt or get Voddie Baucham's DVD set, The Children of Caesar.

Maybe you are a Christian who admires a Christian family whose kids attended public school, and if you can ensure you are doing all those parent's did and that your kids will interact with the same types of students, teachers, and curriculum--perhaps the risk is worth it to you. But with more than 75% of kids raised in Christian homes leaving the faith a year after graduating high school, I think the fact 90% of Christians choose the same educational source as unbelievers an unsettling coincidence.  We as parents have to see what is going on and get on the offensive during our kids formative years.

We Need A Little Christmas Lyrics

This song speaks to my soul at Christmas. It encompasses what is missed when a beloved parent has gone to be with the Lord, families age, and this world continues to grow more evil. It's just been recent years that it has resonated so much with me. I guess because as the youngest in my family, I'm not that young anymore~

We Need a Little Christmas

Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn't snowed a single flurry
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry
So climb down the chimney
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruitcake
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough

For I've grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little older
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now

Haul out the holly
The ones that taught you all to
Live each living day
Fill up the stocking
But Auntie Mae!
It's one week
Past Thanksgiving day now

But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
And we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn't snowed a single flurry
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry
So climb down the chimney
It's been a long time since I've
Done the neighbourly
Slice up the fruitcake
It's time we hung some tinsel on that may-berry bough

But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
And we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute

We need a little Christmas now!
We need a little Christmas now!
We need a little Christmas now!

'Benefits' of Public Education

Imagine that the Lord gave you a precious son and at 5 years old you made the decision to send him off to a public “school” where he will spend the next 13 years of his life. In this school they are taught lots of things.

• They teach him that man came from apes and that life has no real meaning.
• They teach him that the mention of God was illegal.
• They teach him that there are many types of families and that they were all healthy.
• They teach him that he was to accept all types of behaviors as normal.
• They teach him not to judge other’s because there is no such thing as right and wrong.
• They teach him that every type of behavior was normal but some needed “protection.”

What if they told you your precious son was going to be included in a classroom with 20 other students, collected from around your community. Your son would spend 7 hours a day hanging out with these children yet:

• You knew very little about any of the other children.
• You didn’t know what kind of home life they came from.
• You didn’t know if any of them were on any types of “medication.”
• You knew nothing about the “behavior issues” some were dealing with.
• You knew nothing about what they did in their spare time.
• You knew nothing about their moral compass.

While they were at the school you felt confident leaving them with the “teachers” even though:

• You knew very little about the teachers’ personal beliefs.
• You knew very little about the teachers’ personal lifestyle.
• You knew very little about the personal stress the teacher was under.
• You knew very little about what was actually being taught.
• You knew very little about the condition of “others” in the teachers’ life.
• You knew very little about what the teacher viewed in his/her private time.

Imagine that:

• Everyone in town knew where there were a bunch of little kids.
• No weapons were on sight to protect them from an intruder and everyone knew it.
• You forfeited your parental rights when the child walked into the school door.
• Educational “experts” were permitted to do psychological studies on your child.
• Non-medical experts were permitted to recommend “medication” to control behavior.
• A child’s expression of religious beliefs was discouraged, and deviancy was accepted.

I thought of the thousands of pre-born children who died daily in this land.

I thought of the millions of born-children who daily were spiritually dying from the secular-poison being fed to them.

I thought of the heartbreak of millions of parents weeping over “lost” teenagers and wondering what had happened to them.

I thought of the billions of dollars being poured down the secular rat-hole teaching a philosophy to children that was totally based on lies.

I thought of the thousands of pastors who will spend Sunday morning encouraging their flock to “pray for the schools” instead of blowing a trumpet of retreat from the secular hell where they teach doctrines of demons to God’s precious little souls.

I thought of the parents who used the schools as a babysitting service while they chased after the American dream with a life full of more “stuff.”

I thought about my granddaughter. I thought about my Lord. I thought about our Spiritual blindness.

"To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." -Teddy Roosevelt.

Guns don’t kill people. Amoral-education does.

(copied from an email a home schooling friend sent)

Meggings? Need A Laugh?

Here's a quote that sums this up. With the USA falling into a state of non-importance as a global leader, abortion rampant here and abroad (China--what a travesty), crazy murders that we wouldn't have even thought of when we were kids...a little comic relief is a helpful thing. Introduce: meggings. The comments are what make the story if you ask me.

"The megging is a rare bird—although probably not one that we should save from extinction." Here's the story.

Need A Laugh?

This article just cracked me up! Read it if you need a laugh :).

Inspiring Story of 9 yr old losing 66 lbs

This story just touched my heart. Losing weight is so difficult...and to see this kid do what needed to be done is inspiring. As parents it is our job to model healthy living so our kids get the best shot at doing the same thing when they are older, and seeing how this family walked no matter the weather is motivating to me. I'm approaching 40 and for the last few years various health issues have cropped up. All of them are helped with regular exercise, and keeping the weight where it should be is glorifying to God and will be a good example to my kids. Not long ago I saw a poster of what happens to our internal organs with just 10 extra pounds, then more weight and more weight. It is amazing how crunched up everything gets because of fat pushing on it. Having just returned from vacation, I'm getting serious again about how I eat, noticing that sugar really makes me feel bad, and walking helps my hip and feet now that my doctor has done so much work to get the mobility back. I applaud this family and this little girl and really hope this story will motivate others who have children that aren't healthy to get healthy. It's sure motivating me to do what I need to do to give my family the best me I can.

Back From Disney World

We have just returned from a most amazing trip to Florida. It was our 2nd to Disney World, and a long one! My husband planned it for well over 6 months so we'd all have a terrific time. It is interesting to me how a place so wonderful can be a total nightmare if not planned well! As much as I love Disney, if we went on a day that was busy, it would not be enjoyable at all. I've got to thank God for the weather we had; every day was terrific, though we planned for a myriad of temperatures and were glad to have some little extra things to keep warm at night.

This year we enjoyed breakfast in Cinderella's castle, breakfast in Norway (Epcot), dinner in Germany (Epcot), and the girls had a fabulous time at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique in downtown Disney. All of our children had a blast in the Lego store and I snapped hundreds of pictures throughout the trip. We were enchanted with Belle's Enchanted Castle in the New Fantasyland and the kids all got to participate in the show. It's rumored the Lion King show in Animal Kingdom is going to be leaving, so we were thrilled to enjoy it again this year along with having all of the kids participate. It was amazing that they kept getting called on! I think Disney done right is a fantastic place to bond with one's family because there are so many things for each person to enjoy. This was our first time visiting Hollywood Studios; what a fun way to spend a day. The insightful tours into the movie industry were fantastic. I really liked seeing all of the fire and shooting scenes, plus the Indiana Jones set and how some of those amazing stunts get performed. Magic Kingdom didn't disappoint with the superb 'Mountains' (Space Mtn, Big Thunder Mtn Railroad (my favorite!), and Splash Mtn (another favorite for the whole family). Gaston's Tavern in the New Fantasyland serves up a delicious pork shank and a really tasty and fun apple drink. It looks like beer but is so good!

This was our first time touring through Epcot and the Candlelight Processional was beautiful. So many voices singing traditional Christmas songs while we listened to the Bible account being read throughout the show. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season. Afterward we saw a very impressive water and light show (with fireworks of course). The kids had a blast getting their passports filled in, which my hubby bought on ebay before we left so that would all be smooth. It is surprising how many people make Disney tracking and marketing a career or side job. We all enjoyed Sum of All Thrills and Soaring was a hit with most of us. The Test Track opened up the day we were there, and as so many things which went well, we walked on and also got a fast pass so we could ride again. The actual track part is the best portion of that ride; it's worth doing, but not as cool as I thought it could have been.

Kenny the Pirate was a huge help with where characters would be, among other details I really didn't pay attention to but my husband did! The sad part of the trip was my realizing that I'm quite claustrophobic during Mission Space. The ride had only begun when I had to work hard to not go into a full panic. It was terrifying to be honest, and Scripture and my oldest daughter got me through it. Realizing a limitation like this at my age, after all of the things I've done in life where small spaces were a part, has been tough to accept, but life is full of change and adaptations. God is in control~

Animal Kingdom is such fun, and things were different from last year. I like that they mix it up so that year to year, you are getting a new experience. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe as we left and that was a really nice treat. This is a park we have spent just a day in each trip, but I think I could spend two there. My family talked me into Expedition Everest which was fine when it was going forward in the light, but when we went backward in the dark, something happened. I couldn't get outside fast enough after that and thankfully, did not vomit even though I felt like I was going to. A new experience....

In all we went to the Magic Kingdom 3 times, Epcot twice, Animal Kingdom once and Hollywood Studios once. The down-day that was planned was perfect. We slept in, did the Boutique and some shopping, then toured a few Disney properties to see the decorations. I love the Grand Floridian, but think the Fort Wilderness Lodge is my favorite. The decorations are beautiful and that place just feels more like me. Not that I wouldn't love a stay at the Grand, but for the money, it would be hard to enjoy either. We loved staying at Windham Bonnet Creek, the only place within Disney property but not owned by Disney. Each night that we weren't in a park, I watched the Epcot fireworks and often saw MK fireworks as well. It is easier to sleep when you aren't paying several hundred (or thousands) of dollars a night! We loved the pools and got to enjoy them on our last full day after we finished with the park for that day.

One area of Disney that I was not impressed with was the tea at the Grand Floridian. Kay, the owner of Pinkadilly Tea in Fredericksburg, VA, could definitely teach them how to do a proper tea! Kay uses Devonshire cream and lemon curd with her scones, unlike the Grand which actually serves butter and jam. Also the quality of the tea was lacking at the Grand and the giant tea cozies were intrusive. The food wasn't as good as Kay's, and the service wasn't as elegant. I could go on, but don't want to totally nitpick! The setting at the Grand is fantastic, but I think they rely on that too much.

In all, I'm so thankful for all of the time with my family. My husband gave the kids breakfast every morning so I could sleep as late as possible; he woke us all up and lead us around making sure we all had fun. I don't know how he does what he does, but the fact he gets so much pleasure giving us a perfect vacation just speaks volumes about his personality. He understands my physical limitations and worked hard to help me not overdue it, and since I can feel trapped in amusement parks, the fact we hit each one on the slowest (or nearly) day was so appreciated.

It is hard to have to get back to action tomorrow since I'm so tired, but we enjoyed two glorious church services today and a good friend's baby shower, so I really can't complain. I love the work I do here.

Bacon

I'm a fan of bacon...baked potato soup with a pound of crispy piglet mixed in; a dripping bacon-topped cheese burger; calico beans with a pound of salty swine stirred in; bacon and eggs; bacon, egg and cheese biscuits; BLT's; broccoli salad with  bacon...the list goes on. If bacon is wrapped around a scallop, I'll have one. If a filet is encased in bacon, it'll go down smooth. But this new limited-time use of bacon, well, you decide. I wonder who will get their face bitten this holiday season!

Notable statements from the aforementioned (and linked to) article:

For $14.99, you can purchase a limited-edition can of what creator J&D's Foods suggests "is best used after a hot shower or before an important date with someone you may want to spend the rest of your life with."

and this excerpt:

it's to be used as part of the distinguished gentleman's grooming routine: (ha ha ha!)

--------------------------------

I can't see how anyone would pass this novelty up to be honest. Aren't you just a little curious if it really smells like bacon?!

Best of Luck With that Ticket

I'll admit, the few times I've been pulled over I probably didn't keep these things in mind. While it is nice to 'get off', if we're doing something wrong, we really shouldn't be upset with a ticket. My thinking is, it is nice to let an officer relax a bit when they do have to make us pull over. I know I'd appreciate not having to feel as likely to get shot at. Also, here's my hat tip to this former officer's honesty on attractive people getting breaks in life. It is true, whether we like it or not.