Thankful for the leaders the followers are...uh, following

My 2 youngest are at the kitchen sink gargling salt water. They have sore-throat-itis pretty bad. They feel like they have a slight fever too, but my thermometer has bad-battery-itis. Anyway, the youngest HATES gargling salt water. She was refusing to do it and starting to cry until Emma, 16, started preparing hers. Then Maggie jumped up to do it too....she's a follower apparently.

Now they are at the sink gargling tunes and sounding like prop planes flying low overhead, then spewing it out violently into the sink. I am really hoping it's not something that requires going to the banker doctor.

ps....The picture is from years ago.

Just get it over with...

I am so tired of this campaigning 'blah blah blah'. I wish November 4th was over already. Maybe we should just turn off the television......

Although I have to say, the chaos and rage going blah blah blah on our television is nothing *NOTHING* compared to election fighting in other parts of the world.

Revenge...tis sweet

This year in the cafeteria, my classes eats at 11:40. My daughter's 6th grade class comes in to eat at about 11:50. My class of second graders sits at the first tables, so my daughter has to walk right by them. All year I've been telling the second graders to watch for Maggie and say hi to her. She just cringes and kind of glances at them and says hi sheepishly.

One of my Georges (we have 2) used to say hi to her every day. But now he's decided that he likes making me mock angry when he doesn't say hi. Yesterday I told him to take 600 points at point time for being so mean. (we work on a point system for discipline and taking 2 points is usually pretty drastic)

Today they really said "Hi Maggie" loudly and enthusiastically. She actually smiled and looked at them. I came over during the enthusiastic part and George just looked over at me with a big smile and said, "I didn't say it!" So I told him to take 600 more points. (then had to explain to another shocked second grader that it was just a joke...lol)

BUT, when my class was leaving I went over to talk to Maggie and her girl friends sitting at the last table by the exit. When George came by I told him to "look at those girls at that table" and they all said "Hi George!" When he turned to them they were overcome with 6th grade female emotion and started telling him how CUTE he is, oooing and ahhhhing. I've never seen his eyes get so big. He walked like a robot out the door with huge eyes and broke into a huge grin when he was out the door. tee hee

I'm glad he's a good sport.

Breaking the silence

As I wrote yesterday my two teenaged daughters did a Prolife Day of Silent Solidarity. For a whole day, they did not speak. They each carried a sign for people to read which explained that they were making a statement for those whose voice will never be heard. And they each had a homemade t-shirt with slogans and an explanation on it too. Emma, my 16 year old high school junior, reported that most people responded positively when she was doing her day of silent solidarity in protest of our liberal abortion laws. She had a sign she held up to her teachers as she came to class that explained that she wasn't speaking today in honor of those who will never have a voice. All of them but one responded well. One of them kind of sighed and was outwardly kind of put off by it, but she didn't say anything negative. Her band friends responded well and were even asking her more about it today. One girl told Emma that she wanted to join in the silence, but didn't. (maybe next year) It is always on October 23.

Over 4,000 children have their lives taken each day in the name of choice.

Over 4,000 women are emotionally damaged every day.

Emma did say that one girl kind of put her head down and acted like she was uncomfortable when she was talking to someone about it. So we talked about how you never know who has had an abortion or might be thinking about having one. I told her she might want to include in her discussion about why she did it that it is not to condemn or judge those who have had an abortion, but to keep an awareness out there that it is must be stopped. Abortion is as bad for the women having them as it is for the unborn child. It ruins both of their lives. The guilt, shame and feeling of loss after an abortion is never discussed unless you go to a crisis pregnancy kind of place where they will be honest with you on the effects it has on your emotional health.

I'm really proud of them for doing this. I have to say that I did not have a thing to do with this protest. They did this on their own and I don't even know where they got to information to do this. They just do this on October 23rd, wearing their t-shirts and holding their cards or signs and I'm like, 'oh goody, you're not gonna talk today!' I have my own selfish reasons for appreciating this day too. ;)

Well Bethany is at work until 10pm I think, so I will have to post her thoughts tomorrow. I will add on to this post with hers.

ps: I talked with Bethany today and she said no one gave her a hard time or applauded her silence. She didn't really think people took notice or ummm, cared. So goes community college. Not the most proactive crowd apparently. Still she took a stand and did her part. It is not an in your face kind of protest....just a quite statement in a world that seems not to have time to care either. When an 18 year old will do that and make it a priority I think there is a lot of hope left for her generation.

.....for those whose voices will never be heard.

Today is Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. My two teenage girls are silent today to make a statement for those whose voices will never be heard. I will try to post their thoughts on how people reacted to their silence tomorrow. So far, my 16 year old who is a junior in high school said (in answering my yes or no questions) that she only had positive feedback from other students and teachers. Not one negative response. I will ask my college student how her day was when she can talk.

Since January 22, 1973 over 50,000,000 babies have had their voices silenced through surgical abortion in this nation alone.

That is a lot of lives.

Here is the story of someone who actually survived an abortion. She was not the mother having an abortion, she was the baby they tried to kill.

Part 1 (9:36 minutes)


Part 2 (6:40 minutes)

My week off.....a list

Friday, Oct. 10-11 We left the church at about 9am to travel to California for a teen girls' conference called Revolve Tour. And it was pretty fun. Not only the conference itself, but spending a total of 12 or so hours on the road with our teenagers and some other cool lady friends of mine and hanging out in the hotel with them. This is what we were doing for two days:



Sunday, Oct 12- My husband started a special emphasis on prayer that will be life changing if we all do it. We have Scriptures to read and notebooks to write out prayers to God each morning (or whenever you choose). It's made a huge impact on me already and I'm being drawn in again to a deeper relationship with Christ.

Monday-Wednesday- Cleaned house, ran errands, went to Curves, had a couple of nice visits with girlfriends and I spent very little time online. Sorry, I kept promising blogs, but they would not be written. I went with Charles to visit a new couple who have been coming to the church. They live in a spot that is right behind the state fair. The view out of their front porch is the absolutely huge farris wheel, all lit up and spinning.

Thursday morning we got up early and headed up into the mountains. My sinuses felt release in the fresh air and I sneezed and blew them clear after a week or so of feeling clogged and puffy. We spent 2 days lounging around my sister and brother in law's cabin. It was cool there....we brought sweaters! It was quiet....the kind of quiet that makes your ears hiss. We rested, ate, played Christmas music, watched television, had no internet connection and explored their new cabin. I wish I had uploaded the pictures from my camera. It's so beautiful there. (soon)

Saturday, Oct 18- We drove home from the mountains to the smoggy valley and my nose got all stuffed again. ehn I thought about making the Amish Freindship Bread that was ready to bake that day, but then I talked myself out of it.

Sunday, Oct 19 saw answers to prayer in lives connected to our church and also brought in more prayer needs and deferred hope for several who we love and are feeling weary for them in their struggles.

Sunday afternoon some youth girls and boys followed us home and spent the afternoon entertaining me in the kitchen while I baked 8 loaves of Amish Friendship Bread. They were silly and kept me laughing while they read their chapter for their Sunday night class out loud to me. Sarah read in a British accent, which caused me to insert loud Monty Pythonish exclamations at certain points. Then they were singing the book to me and that was hysterical. I'm sorry Gillian for getting them wound up for you. ;)

Earllier in the week, I was thinking I used to keep friendship bread starter in a mason jar, so I transferred the goo into a jar and put the lid on. A couple of days later, I went to shake it (too lazy to stir) and it looked funny. The lid on the jar was puffed up as far as possible so I unscrewed it to let out some pressure. By the time I got done cleaning up goo from the counter, the floor, my shirt, my hair and the outside of the jar, I decided to put it in a larger plastic container with a lid.

Brenda, I just can't keep that thing alive another 10 days, so I used it all up without sharing it or reproducing it. I guess I killed it. (And I don't feel a bit guilty. heehee) I made 4 loaves of regular recipe (cinnamon), 2 loaves of pumpkin friendship bread and 2 loaves of lemon poppyseed friendship bread.

And now I'm done! Amen

So there you have it....a week of blogging in one concise list. I'm back on schedule with working and trying to go to bed early again, so maybe I'll be able to post a bit this week. (but I'm not promising)

Days of Elijah

Well I did not post yesterday apparently. I am enjoying a nice fall break week though. So now I'm making no promises. Here is an iWorship video of a song we sang tonight. Our song was done with just a guitar and our voices, but it was grand!

Resting

I will definitely blog..... tomorrow.

The trip with the teen girls and the conference in California was really great. However, I came back with a serious need for rest and QUIET. Go figure!

=)

Out and about

I am out of town until Sunday. Happy weekend to you. ;)

Day of Atonement

The day is ended, but happy Yom Kippur anyway. We can celebrate being forgiven every day now because of Jesus' final sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:26But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "

.....10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Thank you Jesus....

Wordless Wednesday: Golden City

Tomorrow is Yom Kippur, the highest holy day of the year for the Jews. My Jewish neighbors have family visiting and they have been getting together a lot for the days of awe, the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I am praying they will find the Messianic meaning in their holiday someday. Meanwhile I am enjoying watching them as they go through their holy days. Here is another picture of Jerusalem for Yom Kippur. Click on it to enlarge. It was taken on our trip to Israel in November '05 and without special filters or affects, it turned out to be so pretty and golden. Amazing!

Blogging

This has me cracking up today. =)

Autumnish weekend

The high was only in the low 80's today and it was overcast. I hate to get my hopes up that we could actually have fall this year in Phoenix. But for the weekend I'll pretend. The porcelain pumpkin is on the piano with fake leaves around it. I keep putting candy corn in it, but then it disappears. The fall welcome decoration is on the front door and I bought a new fall tablecloth. I can always turn the air down and pretend. ;)

We have lived several places where there is a real fall. Some things I miss:

*punkin picken hayrides at Johnson's Farm, NJ
*frestly pressed, cold apple cider and donuts from a roadside farm stand
*cornstalks on porches and electric candle lights in windows
*driving down main street in Moorestown, the falling leaves raining down on us
*Ivins spiced wafers
*huge piles of leaves in the yard, Charles pitching the girls and the dog into them
*yellow aspens turning the mountains of northern AZ golden
*sipping coffee and visiting townspeople at the downtown coffee shop in Williams
*the drive to Flagstaff from Williams in the fall
*going out to see elk in the meadows and hearing their bellows
*campfires in the woods
*having a blazing fire in our own living room

I enjoy living here in the desert, but this time of year I do miss autumn.