EXPELLED

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php

I don't know if you have heard of this movie or not, but it is awesome!!

Ben Stein challenges the great thinkers of academia and asks them how life was created!! Most scientists believe we were formed from molecules and that from then there was evolution. But there have been many scientists that have questioned their own beliefs and they have been ridiculed for it. In fact they have been essentially, EXPELLED from academia because of their mention that perhaps an Intelligent Creator had something to do with the whole process.

There are so many amazing facets of the movie. Ben Stein simply asks the questions!! He goes all over the world to ask what people think and how they come to their conclusions.

You have to go see it!!! Support the voice that is speaking so loudly for a cause so worthy!!! If you have older kids take them too! It's very funny and extremely engaging!

Check out the website and the trailor. It's playing a several theater's but not all. Even if you have to drive it's worth the distance!! Just do it!!

Quirky Kids

I have three awesome kids and I have been thinking about the weird things that they have eaten as babies!! Is it me??

When Carley was a young toddler she would suck on baby wipes! My mom thought she was gonna get diarrhea! People would stop me in the store and say, "Ma'am, your baby is eating something!!" I hated to fight with her over it, so I didn't!! (She doesn't do it anymore, thank goodness!)

Camden never ate anything as a toddler, but he sucked his thumb. When I would get groceries I would find him rubbing the plastic bags while vigorously sucking!! He like the way the plastic bags felt!! (Now that is quirky!!)

Now Carter . . . . yes the cute little toddler that runs wild in our home . . . he loves to shave when Daddy shaves!! The only problem is that he eats the shaving cream!!! He sort of does it secretly because he knows I don't like him to eat it!! He is a pretty smart munchkin!

Maybe it's ME!! No . . . I know where it came from!!! My sister . . . she is the quirkiest person I know!! It must be genetic!!

As Time Goes By . . . .

We are spending the next 2 weeks in VA with the grandparents and while there, the great-grandparents will be staying too! So we get to hang out Grandma & Grandpa Great! They tell awesome stories about life 70-80 years ago. The kids are in awe!!

I am so thankful for the opportunity that we have to share these moments with them. It seems like we have been saying it for a while now, but Grandma is 78 and Grandpa is 82, and they won't be around forever. What an awesome thing to be able to build relationships with these amazing folks.

They are the pillars of the family and the Faith. They have always prayed for all of us, even before we knew each other, she was praying for the spouses of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. We all know that if there is a prayer need, we can ask Grandma and she will be the one to break through!

I am just so thankful for this time that we have with them. It is precious and short! I want to be just like great Grandma when I am 78!! (Ok, so maybe I won't EVER be a clean freak like she is, but I want my faith to be as BIG as hers!!)

The Blessed Event

It's finally over!! It seemed like it would never happen! The weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders!!

Thursday
We had final dress fittings, shoe shopping, and picking up friends from the airport (and calming Shannon down too). In between all that I had a 4 hour dental appointment!! That was . . . annoying!

Friday
We had more dress fittings, nails, calm, Shannon down, rehersal, dinner, the bachlorette party (check out her myspace soon for a video that will make you laugh your head off!), calm Shannon down, driving to and from Clearwater several times . . . what a mess that was!

Saturday
Hair, calm Shannon down, pick the rental car, make up, calm Shannon down, put out fires, calm Shannon down, redo hair, figure what to do with the flower petals that were to cover the beach (the wind was appx 20mph), calm Shannon down, lost the rings in the sand, and calm Shannon down!

This is the short list! There are many more items, events and disasters that filled our weekend!! All in all it was a beautiful day! BUT to say it was a smooth running show . . . it was NOT!! But at the end of the day, Shannon & Boe were married! That is what it was all about!

I am so happy for my sis! She deserves all the happiness that life has to offer. I know that I have personally prayed that she would find the love and happiness that true love and companionship bring. There will be lots of challenges ahead but each day, the decision has to made to love! When God has joined to lives, He finds a way to bring those lives into amazing fulfillment! Thank you, Lord, for your provision in all things!

Love you, Sis!

Happy April Fool's Day!!

When my children realized it was April Fool's Day this morning they immediately set out to "trick" each other and everyone else in the house!! It was really cute!! One of them would say, "Mom, there's a bug on you!!" Then the other would say "Look at that!!" It was pretty much all day long!! They thought they were sooooo good at "fooling" when they would get Carter to fall for a trick!! They didn't realize that he did it b/c he's 2!! They tried SOOO hard to think of a way to "get Daddy" when he got home, but then they forgot and Daddy got them!! When he came home he told Camden he bought a brand new motorcycle!! He's 5, and believes every word his Dad says, so of course today was no different!! He ran so fast out the door to check!! He laughed at himself for falling for the trick!!! It was a fun day . . . . but hopefully tomorrow I won't have to fake being "fooled" all day long!!! LOL

so many things . . .

There are so many things that I'd like t blog about right now, but this wedding is imminent and so my "deep thoughts" are getting pushed aside for now!! More later . . .

Our Easter

It turned out to be one of the nicest Easter's we have ever had. We had decided that we weren't gonna do the traditional Easter Basket thing. We wanted to focus on Jesus. Although we always say that, the kids still wake up Easter morning and say, "What did we get??" That is normal. Instead of that temptation, we woke up and talked about Jesus and the resurrection all day. It was awesome conversation b/w all of us. Our minds weren't distracted with gifts, (as harmless as they are).

We were graciously invited out to dinner with another family and that was fabulous. We were truly thankful for the day and all that it meant to our family.

"Why did Jesus have to die?"

Every year one of the kids asks me why Jesus HAD to die!! I try to explain it as theologically as their little minds can handle, but yesterday a vivid illustration helped explain it to them. During our devotion time my husband was reading

Matt.8:1-4
1When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured[b] of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

We decided to look in the Old Testament and see what a person would have to do if he was healed of a disease. Are you ready for this??

Leviticus 14:1-33
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, [a] 4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. 6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
8 "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.

10 "On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah [b] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log [c] of oil. 11 The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

12 "Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, 16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. 17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD.

19 "Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean.

21 "If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah [d] of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, 22 and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

23 "On the eighth day he must bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD. 24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD. 28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering—on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford, 31 one [e] as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed."

32 These are the regulations for anyone who has an infectious skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.


That's why we NEED Jesus!! He gave us much more than we even realize!! The kids were in AWE when He read that section to them. They thought that it was much better to us to have Jesus!! Now he can be our one and only sacrifice!! I am thankful for what He did for us on this day, Good Friday, more than 2000 years ago!

Vinegar is a GNAT-TRAP

Something was really tasty the last few days in the house because the gnats have been hanging out like crazy!! I was hoping they would just die off or something. Then today, I was cleaning and put some vinegar on the counter in a cup. All of a sudden there were like 20 gnats diving in for their last swim!! LOL! I never new that it would take care of my gnat problem! Cool!! I guess I "discovered" a new home remedy!

It's Official

I finally have clearance to share our good news about Shannon's job. He will be helping to start a non-profit organization in Wesley Chapel that will be focused on giving back to teachers. He will be doing fund raising for the foundation and who knows what else! He will have opportunities to be creative and that is one of his biggest strengths. (But at his current job, there is little or no avenue for that!!) He will be doing all kinds of awesome things!! I am sooo proud of him and what lies ahead!

Lord, we put our faith in you! This is a big "step of faith" and we believe that you will never leave us. You know the plans you have for us! Help us to put our faith where we say it is!! Amen!

Forgetting . . .

I keep forgetting stuff . . . Does that mean I'm too busy? I am not usually like this!! I write most things down, so I shouldn't be forgetting like this . . . I know what it is!! I sit down to do something (or stand up) and I get called in to wipe a bottom, help with a math problem, or answer the phone and in the meantime I don't do what I was originally planning to do!!! Sometimes I look around and I think, "I didn't leave that there!!" But as I was putting it away, I got called away, and then when I was in the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, etc I see something else that needs to be done . . . so I do it!! All the while I forget to do what I was doing a few minutes prior . . . Any ideas about what it will take to get my mind more streamlined??

Planning a Wedding Shower

My little sister is getting married in 3 weeks!! WOW! Seems like just yesterday we were popping zits and stealing each others clothes!! Now we have definitely moved on to more mature things!! I am just so happy for her! She has finally found someone she loves and who loves her too!! I know that they will have a happy life together!! . . . . but until the "happily ever after . . . " We have a wedding to plan and I think I am going insane trying to remember all the details!! As the Matron of Honor I have a hefty job of making sure she looks good!!!!! I know it will happen and it will be beautiful . . . but ya know time is running out!! The big day is April 5 at sunset!! I can't wait!

Jokes from Carley

What do you call a fly with no wings?
a walk

How does a pig get to the hospital?
in a HAMbulance

Why did the cookie go to the doctor?
because he felt crummy

What does a bee use to do his hair?
a honeycomb

Why did the hippo cross the road?
because it was the chicken's day off

Knock Knock Who's there?
Little Old Lady
Little Old Lady WHO??
I didn't know you could yodel!!

Curry Soup - a sweet surprise

I am constantly looking for something new and simple to feed my family! I can't afford to take too big a risk either b/c if 1 or 2 of them don't like it, then my husband is stuck taking it to work for several days in a row!! So a friend told me about this soup that uses applesauce?!?!?! I thought that was interesting and I thought my gang could handle it!! So here it is:

Vegetable oil
1/2 c chopped onions
2 t curry powder
3 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c uncooked rice (I used brown)
salt & pepper
2 c bite sized chunks of chicken
1 c of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c heavy cream, half & half, or sour cream (not milk)
1c chopped carrots
1 c chopped celery

1. Heat oil in stock pot and add onion and curry. Saute over med heat till onions are translucent.
2. Add broth, rice, carrots, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer long enough to cook the rice (20-40 min)
3. Stir in chicken applesauce, and parsley. Cover and simmer 5 more min.
4. Remove from heat and add cream and serve!!

*Most of my family loved it! One of my munchkins didn't care for it so she put lots of parmesan on it and then she ate it just fine! (don't ask!!) Everyone else loved it!!! I put crackers or biscuits in it and it is wonderful!! My husband really liked it so he was kind of hoping that no one liked it so he would have it all to himself!! Oh well!! I was glad to make something out of my normal routine!!!

God is AMAZING

I know most of us know this to be true, but when you wait upon His blessings . . . it's gonna be big!!! You can't fathom or imagine what He can do!! You can dream of great things . . . but you can't dream that big!!

I can't give details yet, but I will say that something amazing is on the horizon in this Family!! Shannon is being handed an amazing set of circumstances, where he will be able to get out of his box and shine!! I am soooo excited for him!!! I should probably keep quiet for now, but I just can't help myself!!! It is going to be an amazing journey!!

Thank you, Lord for giving us patience in the valley and strength in the dark!! You are faithful forever and I want to continue to journey with You so that I can be all you intended. I know that you still have a lot to do in me and I will know be still and know that You are GOD!!! I love you, Lord!! I am ready!! I will go!!

To be Blind

My kids continue to amaze me! Carley told me that it would be cool to be blind! When I asked her how she thought that would be cool?? (with all my wisdom . . .) She said b/c then you wouldn't be able to judge people by the way they look!! You would have to get to know them before you decide if you like them!!!

WOW!! My daughter didn't know what powerful words she was speaking! I proceeded to tell her that God is blind to the way we look b/c He sees our hearts!! It was a teaching moment . . . one I will treasure!

Words That Spill Out

Yesterday the kids and I were sitting around the table and Carter, 20 months, spilled his cup of water! He likes to drink out of a regular cup (not a sippy cup) like his 2 older siblings. So I usually give him a cup with a tiny bit of water to avoid a BIG mess. I always know there will be some sort of mess, though!! Anyway, as he spilled his water, Camden 5, said "Mom, when Carter spilled his water, it reminds me of saying bad words (he meant words that aren't nice). You can't get the water back in the cup and you can't take the words back!!"

That kid is the child of a theologian!!! What an amazing thought!! Our words have the power of death and life (Prov 18:21)!! I was so impressed with his comparison! So now every time Carter spills his water (at least 7-10x per day) Camden reminds us not to say "bad words" because you can't take them back!!

INTRO

I am a homeschool mom, and I have been blogging on myspace for a while now and I want to make a switch. I thought I would put my thoughts out there to share with others. My blogging is eclectic, not just one topic! I have lots of opinions about things and this is a great place to put my thoughts down.

If you know me, than you know that I love Jesus with all my heart! I am on a soul searching quest for TRUTH and reality. I am so glad God gave me a compass to find my way. I want to be all that he wants me to be for this season in life!! I pray that what I have to share will bless someone out there!! I am thankful for second chances, my family, and mashed potatoes!!

Master Tonic Recipe

Natural Tonic: Richard Schulze

The Master Tonic - A Natural Antibiotic

by Richard Schulze, University of Natural Healing
Based on a tonic by
John Christopher

Raw Unfiltered Unbleached Non-distilled Apple Cider
Vinegar

1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves

1 part fresh chopped White Onion (or hottest onions)

1 part fresh grated Ginger Root

1 part fresh grated Horseradish Root

1 part fresh chopped Cayenne Peppers or the hottest
peppers available,
i.e. habanero, African Bird, or Scotch Bonnets, etc.

Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full w/equal parts by
volume (i.e. a
cupful each) of the above fresh chopped and grated
herbs. Then fill jar
to the top with raw, unfiltered, unbleached,
non-distilled apple cider
vinegar. Close and shake vigorously and then top off
the vinegar if
necessary.

Shake at least once a day for two weeks, then filter
the mixture through
a clean piece of cotton (old T-shirt, etc.), bottle
and label. Make sure
that when you make this tonic that you shake it every
time you walk by
it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the
herbs and
vegetables should be fresh (and organically grown if
possible) and use
dried herbs only in an emergency.

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the
ingredients are fresh.
It's power should not be underestimated. This formula
is a modern day
plague tonic and when added to an incurable routine it
can cure the most
chronic conditions and stubborn diseases. it
stimulates maximum blood
circulation, while putting the best detoxifying herbs
into the blood.
This formula is not just for the sniffles, it has
helped to turn around
the deadliest infections like some of the new mutated
killer viruses
that defy conventional antibiotics.

The dosage is 1/2 to 1 ounce, two or more times daily
(1- 2 Tbs.).
Gargle and swallow. (Don't dilute with water.)

For ordinary infections, 1 dropper full taken 5-6
times a day will deal
with most conditions. It can be used during
pregnancies, is safe for
children (use smaller doses and as a food is
completely non-toxic. Make
up plenty as it does not need refrigeration and lasts
indefinitely
without any special storage conditions.

Ingredient properties:

-Garlic cloves (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal,
anti-viral,
anti-parasitical)

-White Onion, or hottest onions available (similar
properties to garlic)

-Ginger Root (increases circulation to the
extremities)

-Horseradish Root (increases blood flow to the head)

-Cayenne Peppers, or the hottest peppers available,
i.e. habanero,
African Bird, -or Scotch Bonnets, etc. (a great blood
stimulant).

Pro-biotic: antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and
anti-parasitical.