Saturday, December 27, 2008

Does your upbringing dictate your parenting?

Here is a little background on me, so you all can get some better insight as to where I am coming from. I was raised by a single mother of 3 children, all with different fathers. I am the oldest of then 3 and now 4 children (my mom had a baby when I was 19 and already out of the house). As a child my mom had "issues" to say the least but I don't want anyone to think that this post is about slamming my mother because it is not. My mother is bipolar. She had to deal with us kids, her "issues", and her illness to contend with. My mother had the mouth of a sailor, called me names, and used violence as a tool for correction.

There was a long period of time that I blamed my mother for a lot of things that were wrong in my life. Now that I am older, a parent, and sober (yes, I said sober, I used to be an alcoholic and a pothead) , I understand my mother did the best she could under the circumstances. I love my mother very much and do not fault her for anything.

When I was growing up my mom had us kids go to church. Sometimes she went with us but most of the time she just dropped us off. So my faith is definitely rooted in my childhood and I will continue to expose my children to the Bible, Jesus, my faith, and church.

But there are things that happened in my childhood that I do not want to repeat as a parent. Like I want to have both parents in the daily routine because I never had my dad. In fact I have never met my real father. Sometimes when I am yelling at my children, I swear I can hear my mother's voice, that kind of creeps me out. When I am angry and most of the time having to clean up a mess made by my kids or dealing with two children that will not keep their hands to themselves, I will call them, "rude little brats" or something along those lines. I am really ashamed to admit that I have a potty mouth and use random expletives in anger. I have tried to curb the swearing by using "F-ing" but to be honest I would like to stop swearing altogether. So now that I have admitted that I am human and make huge mistakes when it comes to parenting, where do I go from there?

Besides the Bible, is there a good practical book on parenting that really works? Is there anyone out there that has experiences that they could share with me?

There are things that my mom did as I was growing up that I have not repeated. So what makes one thing better than another? Why do I have a potty mouth but I am not a pack rat (just as an example)?

I know for a fact that I will never be the perfect parent but I would like to give my children better than I had and sometimes I am not really sure how to go about that. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Satan is the reason for the season...

... not Jesus.

The most widely celebrated secular holiday, Christmas, is most widely celebrated by Christians themselves!

When the time comes that the little child has grown, and declares that "Santa is not real", what is the first thing that most folks do? They try their best to convince the child that Santa is indeed real, and that all they need to do is to "believe"...

Doesn't that particular privilege of "believe" belong exclusively to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Wasn't it a Philippian jailer question that told us that?

Acts 16:30-31 (KJV) "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

I have been very depressed as of late. After reading God's Appointed Times
and doing a lot of research on the internet I have realized that I have been lied to my entire life.

Used to be that at Christmas I was happy to have the house filled with the scent of pine, a decorative the tree, have mistletoe hanging, a fresh holly wreath on the door and have special food on Christmas and Christmas eve. But now my eyes have been opened and I am going to share what I have found with all of you.

Has anyone even read up on the origin of Christmas or Easter? Has any one read about these holidays in the Bible? What about the things associated with these holidays?

First of all if you come at me with "we are celebrating the birth of Jesus". Jesus was not born on December 25th, He had to been born sometime in the fall because no shepherd would have his sheep outside in the dead of winter. Then for those of you who come at me with, "Jesus is the reason for the season." I will say that we as Christians should just leave it as "Jesus is the reason." When we add the season part of "Jesus is the reason," we drag in all of the secular junk with it like Santa, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, season’s greetings, seasonal music, decorated evergreen trees, mistletoe, holly wreaths, lights, debt, and gift exchanges.

It's not fair nor just by any standards, but rather it's a snare of the devil, of devilish law. Yet it's childish folly many adults never seem to outgrow, because churches and ministers fail to tell them the truth, not knowing the scriptures nor the gospel of God themselves. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power. Christmas Awareness is sorely lacking among churches and church folks. Every year many say, or go along with, Christmas is the happiest time of the year. First of all Christmas isn’t the happiest time of the year according to the facts. Police records and other media records indicate no other season has more shop lifting, feuds, drunk drivers, accidents, fires, divorces, depression, suicides, binges, hypocrisies, lies, murders, vandalism, debt incursion, etc.

Many also say, go along with, Santa Clause, elves, and flying reindeer. Lying to children is not Godly or good. I understand about the wonder and belief of a child but they can not be in the dark forever. They will one day know the truth and on that day will be let down and disappointed. As a child I would watch Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and I knew it was make believe but I would still daydream about being in such a place where everything was made of candy. So my imagination was never lacking just because I knew the truth.

The explanation of the “Christmas tree.” Evergreens have been a symbol of rebirth from ancient times. Bringing greenery into one's home, often at the time of the winter solstice, symbolized life in the midst of death in many cultures. The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany. But the Germans got it from the Romans, who got it from the Babylonians and the Egyptians. Most aspects of Christmas are not referred to in the Bible. Of course, the reason is that they are not from God—they are not part of the way He wants people to worship Him. The Christmas tree, however, is directly mentioned in the Bible! Jer 10:2-5
(2) Don't follow the customs of those nations who become frightened when they see something strange happen in the sky.
(3) Their religion is worthless! They chop down a tree, carve the wood into an idol,
(4) cover it with silver and gold, and then nail it down so it won't fall over.
(5) An idol is no better than a scarecrow. It can't speak, and it has to be carried, because it can't walk. Why worship an idol that can't help or harm you? There is no room in Jeremiah 10 to believe, as some have tried to suggest, that because these trees are powerless of themselves, it is not really forbidden to have a Christmas tree. God condemns the putting up of pagan (Christmas) trees with this plain Bible command!

The Encyclopedia Britannica, under “Celastrales,” exposes the origin of the holly wreath: “European pagans brought holly sprays into their homes, offering them to the fairy people of the forests as refuges from the harsh winter weather. During the Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival, branches of holly were exchanged as tokens of friendship. The earliest Roman Christians apparently used holly as a decoration at the Christmas season.”

Christmas is incomplete to many unless it involves “kissing under the mistletoe.” This pagan custom was natural on a night that involved much revelry done in the spirit of drunken orgies.

Like mistletoe, holly berries were also thought to be sacred to the sun god. The original “sun log” came to be called the yule log. “Yule” simply means “wheel,” which has long been a pagan representation of the sun. No wonder people today commonly speak of the “sacred yule-tide season.”

The interchange of presents between friends adopted by Christians from the pagans. Like every other aspect of Christmas, the shocking truth is that even this supposed Christian custom does not come from the Bible. It is an irony that people love to believe they are following the custom of the wise men giving to Christ, when actually they are giving almost exclusively to each other! What hypocrisy! Christ is completely forgotten.

Once again, let’s more closely examine the actual history and origins of some of the Saturnalia customs still practiced today. Notice the following chilling quote from the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, “Oscilla” 3rd edition, volume II: “…all ranks devoted themselves to feasting and mirth, presents were exchanged among friends, and crowds thronged the streets. An offering was made beneath a decorated evergreen tree, according to the pagan poet, Virgil. Figurines and masks—called ‘oscilla’—were hung on the tree, as are Christmas decorations today. Doesn’t all of this sound familiar? Presents, singing in the streets, evergreen trees, decorations, offerings under the tree, merrymaking, feasting? They may sound wonderful, but they represent things that are truly abominable.

How much the date of the festival depended upon the pagan Brumalia (December 25) following the Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), and celebrating the shortest day of the year and the ‘new sun’…cannot be accurately determined. The pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence…The pagan festival with its riot and merry-making was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ’s birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festival.”

One additional source reveals how the Roman church absorbed Christmas into an official celebration. The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946 edition, states, “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church…Certain Latins, as early as 354, may have transferred the birthday from January 6th to December 25, which was then a Mithraic feastor birthday of the unconquered SUN…The Syrians and Armenians, who clung to January 6th, accused the Romans of sun worship and idolatry, contending…that the feast of December 25th, had been invented by disciples of Cerinthus…”

Thus, a pagan festival, celebrated long before Christ’s birth, found its way into recognized Christianity.

Did you know that even the seventeenth century Puritans of New England understood how wrong Christmas was? They actually banned its observance by law, in 1659, throughout the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Fines and imprisonment could result from being found keeping it. It was almost 200 years (1856) before people stopped working on Christmas in Boston. The Puritans knew its roots and labeled it “heathen, papist idolatry.”

One of Satan’s names is Destroyer. Nimrod/Saturn/Molech/Baal, like Satan, is the fire god who destroys and devours little children.

The real Jesus Christ was never in and never will be in Christmas! He cannot be put back into where He has never been. But the “god of this world,” Satan has always been in Christmas. He is its author!

The true God commands that we “must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” This does not mesh with the great Christmas and Santa Claus lies that all children so willingly believe.

1Ti 4:2 They will also be fooled by the false claims of liars whose consciences have lost all feeling. warns of those “speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” Parents can “burn” their own children, to the point of searing them, with the Christmas deception and lie!

There is no “safety in numbers” in this world for those who keep Christmas, because Satan, who is called “the father of lies” and “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), has “deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9)! Turn to this verse and read it. Then recognize that Christmas is certainly a testimony to that great deception.

The bottom line is that "Jesus is the Reason," and instead of a large evergreen tree in your living room set up a large Nativity scene to celebrate Jesus' birth. Instead of singing Christmas carols around the neighborhood, sing hymns and witness to your neighbors, friends and family. Instead of gift giving (and going into debt), give the money to doing God's work. If you truly want to go along with the Bible celebrate Hanukkah as a lead up to the celebration of Jesus' birth.


Friday, December 19, 2008

Is Jesus your brother?

Php 2:11 And to the glory of God the Father everyone will openly agree, "Jesus Christ is Lord!"

So if God is our Heavenly Father and Jesus is His Son and we are His children. Then wouldn't that make Jesus our Heavenly brother? And Jesus was born as King of the Jews, so doesn't that make all Christians messianic Jews?

Because Jewish people do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. But Jewish people that believe that Jesus is the Messiah are called messianic Jews. Or should Jewish people that believe in Jesus the Messiah just be called Christians like the rest of us? So what do you think?

So I am reading this book called God's Appointed Times and it is a very interesting book. I think that at the start of the new year me and my house are going to celebrate holy holidays like the Jewish people did in the Bible. I will definitely be posting on what I learn. I am also going to study the current holiday that we celebrate and find out the origin of things associated with those holidays. I want to teach my children God's way and not just do things out of tradition.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Thankful Thursday

I got a call from my grandmother with some really good news.

You see I found out that my grandfather Wood has non Hodgkin Lymphoma. I was very sadden by the news because my papa is the healthiest man I know. He is a vegetarian, he plays tennis three to four times a week and he is in great shape. To be honest I really thought he would out live me.

So my papa had to have a lot of test done to see how much the cancer has spread through out his body.

Then before the test results came back my papa shattered his wrist after taking a fall while playing tennis. So he had to have surgery to have pins put in his wrist.

So my grandma call and leaves a message that the cancer is not down in the bone marrow but they can not start treatment for the cancer until the wrist starts to heal.

So I am very thankful that they caught my papa's cancer early because I want my papa to be around for a long time.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Wordless Wednesday



Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Princess Georgia Rose


Look who is 5 months old.



Monday, December 15, 2008

The true meaning of Christmas.

Gifts That Matter
by Lloyd J. Phipps
To the poor, give of your substance
To the bereaved, give your sympathy
To the weak, give a helping hand
To the weary, give them rest
To the troubled heart, give them peace
To the hungry, give them food
To the thirsty, give them drink
To your enemy, give them love
To the achiever, give them praise
To your fellow being, give them respect
To those who have wronged you, give them forgiveness
To those in authority, give them honor
To the young, give an example
To the insecure, give them assurance
To the lonely, give them a visit
To those doing good deeds, give your thanks
To the depressed, give them encouragement
To those in despair, give them hope
To the Christ of Christmas, give your life...
For He gives eternal life to those who seek Him
He gives peace to a troubled heart
He gives rest to the weary
He gives hope to the hopeless
He is the Living Water for the spiritually thirsty
He is the Bread of Life for the spiritually hungry
He is the Light for those in darkness
To a hateful and evil world God gave His Son
To the repentant sinner, He gives forgiveness
Freely, you have received, freely give
The gifts that matter

This poem is by my pastor in California and I wanted to share it because I thought it is a great poem. So when we all get caught up in the gifts, shopping, cooking & decorating we can read this poem again and realize the real meaning of Christmas.
I miss Pastor Phipps and his wife Jan. He was the Pastor that married my hubby and me. Jan played the piano at our wedding. May God bless them both for letting His light shine through them. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.


Friday, December 12, 2008

New food that I have tried and love.

I do not have the best relationship with food, I enjoy it a little to much. But that is just part of me. Plus my hubby likes me big. I used to be very obese at 563 pounds and now I am at 200 plus range so it is more in check now than it was 10 years ago. So when I try something new that I like I will share it with you all.

First of all I really love dark chocolate and my hubby got me a bag of Hershey's Extra Dark with pomegranate they are so good. The rich taste of the dark chocolate and the tangy taste of the pomegranate is just a great combo.

Second it the Swiss Miss dark chocolate hot chocolate. It is a lot less sweet, which I love. It make a great cafe mocha, just mix it with black coffee, a little milk, and I put a little Splenda with it.

Third is the new Doritos Spicy & Sweet chips. These are really great on a roast beef and cheese on sourdough. They give the sandwich extra crunch but I am weird and have always put chips on my sandwich.

Fourth is Haagen-Daas Pear ice cream with caramelized pear bits and toasted pecan chunks. Well I have said before that I love pear but this ice cream is the best, a real treat.

Last but not least are blue cheese stuffed olives by Mezzetta. They are great along with fresh veggies and plain sourdough bread.

What are some of your favorites? Is there something new on the market that you love, please share.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

In response to my last post on submission.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I just wanted to get this straight for the record. A Christian woman is to submit to her husband weather he is saved or not.

Let me give you all an example that I once heard a preacher give when I was in California and was listening to KWVE Christian radio.

There was a Christian wife married to an unsaved drunk of a man. So this husband would come home at 3 or 4 in the morning with his drunk buddies in toe. He would come in the house as loud as could be and go upstairs where his wife was sleeping. Then he would wake his wife so she could make her husband and his buddies breakfast. This husband did this to his wife for years and not once did his wife complain. Finally one day the husband said to the wife, "why do you put up with me? Why do you never complain?" And his very kind Christian wife responded as followed, "I want to give to as much comfort as I can here on Earth before you have to spend an eternity in Hell." That night that man was saved.

The moral of this story is that if that wife did not stay committed to doing God's work then her husband might have been lost and burned for an eternity.

So yes it would make a wife's job of submission much easier if her hubby is saved but what about the woman who gets saved after she is married? Even if the couple is unequally yoked the Christian wife must submit.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

I truly believe that God rewards obedience.

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

I know there are women out there that have a problem with this verse but that is something that you will have to take up with God. Don't get me wrong, I had huge issues with this verse when I first got married but there were older women in our church that helped me see the light.

I think that the true test of this verse in my life was when my husband wanted to move to Northern New England from Southern California where I was born and raised. You see I have 2 boys from my first marriage and their father was not going to let me take them out of state. So here I was with my first daughter Scarlett only a few months old and my husband determined to leave California. So while the court case was under way (so I could get my boys in the summer) we left. That was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. But the Lord has blessed us with 3 more girls since we moved here. I am so glad that they were all girls because I would never want my boys to feel like they are being replaced. The bottom line to this story is that God knows what you can handle and what is best for you and your family.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Thank goodness I am saved by grace & not by works.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean things, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...

I am no better or no worse than any body else. Even on my best day I am a sinner.

Pro 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
Pro 31:2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
Pro 31:3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Pro 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Pro 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Pro 31:6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Pro 31:7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
Pro 31:8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Pro 31:9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
Pro 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
Pro 31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
Pro 31:14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
Pro 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
Pro 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
Pro 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
Pro 31:18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
Pro 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
Pro 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Pro 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Pro 31:22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
Pro 31:24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Pro 31:25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Pro 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
Pro 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Pro 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Pro 31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Pro 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Pro 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

I try to be a proverbs 31 woman everyday and everyday I fall short. There are days when I fight with my husband and I yell at my kids. There are other days when I am submissive and I know that something that my hubby wants to do is a bad idea and I'll let him do as he pleases after I have put in my two cents. Then when it goes bad I have to fight with myself not to say, "I told you so." So in the end I am a mere human.

My patriotic kids.


(From left to right)Savannah Rose age 3, Delta Rose age 2, and Scarlett Rose age 2, and not pictured is Georgia Rose because she is 4 1/2 months old and they didn't have a shirt like this in her size.

I got these shirts big so they would make good nightgowns. Like I have said in a previous post, I love pajamas for me and my kids.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

One of my favorite passages.

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

This passage was read aloud at our wedding. This passage is so inspirational because of Ruth's determination to stick by her mother-in-laws side and take care of her. I feel the same way about my father-in-law, Rex. If my husband were to pass away I would totally take care of him. He has taken me in as family even though I am only his daughter-in-law. Don't get me wrong we have butted heads in the past and I am sure that we will most likely butt heads in the future. The point is that I am committed to making sure he is taken care of.

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I live for fun, comfy pajamas.




You Are Flannel Pajamas



You seek comfort above everything else. You rather feel good than look good.

You are a very relaxed person, especially when you're surrounded by your favorite things and people.



You are a homebody. Home is the place where you can truly be yourself.

You are likely to wear pajamas a lot. In fact, you often change into your pj's the minute you get home!




Some days I will shower just to get into fresh, clean pajamas. There is nothing better than cartoon character flannel pajamas on a cold winter day.

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Monday, December 1, 2008

The BEST yogurt ever!


I first tried Yo Baby about 4 years ago when Scarlett was about a year old. I fell in love with it then. We buy it ever once in a while because it is not cheap. My favorite is the pear flavor and I have never seen pear flavored yogurt from any other brand. The first bite is the best because it has all the cream that has risen to the top. It's oh so very yummy, it gets two thumbs up from me and my girls.

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The Santa Clause & The Santa Clause 2

Now that Christmas is around the corner, we will be watching a lot of Christmas movies with the kids. A couple of nights ago we watched both these movies back to back and I must say that it is not very often that a spin off does better than the first.

Number 1 was good don't get me wrong but I think it was more giving the background & leading up to number 2.

The Santa Clause 2 was great in my opinion. It had comedy, romance, and drama. I love the part when Santa (a.k.a. Scott) was at the faculty Christmas party with the principal as his date. The camera pans around the party and it is so dull and boring people are looking into their drinks. Then Santa gets on stage and starts passing out gifts. The adults turn into the children they once were because the gifts were all toys that the adults played with as children. Okay, so I cried at this point in the movie. I cried when the mistletoe just appeared above Santa and the principal & then they kissed. I also cried when he asked her to marry him. Last but not least, I cried when Charlie went and woke up Lucy so she could see Santa come down the chimney.

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