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Monday, December 31, 2012

A RESOLUTION TO APPRECIATE

                                                       

Each year at this time we look back on all that we did since January and we make resolutions to improve our lives in the coming year. On Christmas Day, my brother Ed, asked me what my New Year's Resolution was. I didn't hesitate. "To appreciate life more," was my answer. 

It's always best to have a plan when you make such a resolution. Otherwise your good intentions will have no direction. Most people who make New Year's resolutions give up on them before the end of January. So I decided to write out how I plan to fulfill this new appreciation for the life God gave me. 
 

Take better care of myself
We could all appreciate our health more. The best way to start is to pray for the desire to eat healthy food, exercise and drink plenty of water. I've learned that the best way to accomplish anything is to get God on my side. Sometimes overeating and making poor food choices is a spiritual battle. The closer I am to God, the more willpower I have. The more I pray, the less I want to eat junk food.

Overeating is a sin (gluttony). And God promises in the Bible that He gives us strength to overcome any sin. So why not take advantage of that promise and ask for help from the one who created my body in the first place. Most people don't think of inviting God into their eating habits, but they should. God will give you the "want to" when it comes to eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. 

The best book about overcoming emotional eating from a biblical perspective is Made To Crave by Lisa Terkeurst.

Take better care of my home   
I've never been up for any housekeeping awards. But I wouldn't call myself sloppy. My house is probably cleaner than most. But I know I could do better. The environment we live in has the power to inspire us or depress us. Living in a sloppy unorganized house inspires a sloppy, unorganized life. Our laziness creeps into every part of life. And we feel like a mess. 

I really hate feeling like a mess. The effort it takes to keep a clean house is so worth the feeling it gives me. I've lived in some humble apartments, but there was always something charming about them. My apartment in Millersburg had a living room surrounded by windows that let in lots of light. I spent most of my time there. In the summer I spent a lot of time on the balcony that led out from the kitchen.
 
I made the most of these areas of refuge. I put my coziest chairs there and I kept those areas looking neat and organized. The entire place doesn't have to be spotless, but the rooms where we spend the most time should be clean and well organized, especially the kitchen. 
 
Make an effort to help people
We can't appreciate life without offering assistance to others. Our world would be a different place if everyone made helping others a priority. But how often do we take time for people in need?

I believe that every time I do something to help someone, God blesses me for it. The blessing might be a better job, an unexpected money gift, or the chance to go somewhere fun. I don't always make the connection between my own generosity and the blessing that follows, but God knows what blessings will mean the most to me and He moves other people to bring those blessings to me. If I'm not willing to be the one who blesses, I can't expect to be blessed.


Focus on the good in others and compliment them
We can't appreciate life without appreciating the people around us.
But this one can be tough. Let's face it, some people can make our lives miserable. To focus on the good in someone who is selfish, mean, and hateful is nearly impossible. But we are instructed to love others. And sometimes the demonstration of love toward hateful people can melt their cold hearts. 

When I find myself disliking someone, I pray for them and do what I can to fix any wrong doing on my part that might have contributed to the situation. After that, if I still feel that something isn't right, I consider that perhaps this person is someone I should avoid. 

God does give us Holy Spirit-led discernment about people when we are living right. And when other Christians feel the same uneasiness about that person, it's a good indication that our discernment has kicked in. God is telling us to watch out, beware, don't trust this person.

But it is possible to love people even when they are phony, mean, or untrustworthy. If we can't stand to be around them, we can still pray for them. And when we are forced to be in their prescence we can choose to be kind.

Be Thankful and say it to God and others
This year I want to make a greater effort to say, "Thank You."
I want to take a greater notice to the blessings in my life. We pass through life each day so busy that we can't even appreciate the beauty and wonder of God's creation. I want to look at the vivid colors of pink and orange in a sunset and thank God for painting the sky so beautifully

If I had painted something beautiful, I would want people to notice. Imagine how God feels when a glorious turquoise butterfly flutters past you and you don't think anything of it. Or when a hummingbird thinks the red in your shirt is a flower, so it hovers for a few seconds right above your head, wings whizzing so unbelievably fast that they make music on air.

Those moments are reminders from God that He created this world for us. They are proof of His existence. You'll never convince me that a butterfly just flew together by accident in some cosmic big bang explosion. How foolish to believe such a thing. 

We need to be more thankful to God and more thankful to the people he put in our lives. If you need inspiration, read One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.   
 
   

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Adam Lanza's Rampage Was Fueled by Satan

Adam Lanza's Rampage Was Fueled by Satan

Fiscal Cliff Update and Middle East News Are the Two Big Stories This Week

Activist Post: 10 Predictions for 2013

Activist Post: 10 Predictions for 2013

Activist Post: The Price of Milk To Double Without a Farm Bill

Activist Post: The Price of Milk To Double Without a Farm Bill

Activist Post: FDA Approves Neurotoxic Flu Drug For Infants Less Than One

More proof that the the FDA is not protecting us. They seem to be doing the opposite.
 Activist Post: FDA Approves Neurotoxic Flu Drug For Infants Less Than One

OUR GOVERNMENT IS PATHETIC

http://www.businessinsider.com/debt-ceiling-and-fiscal-cliff-2012-12

25 Facts That The Mainstream Media Doesn’t Really Want To Talk About Right Now

25 Facts That The Mainstream Media Doesn’t Really Want To Talk About Right Now

WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

The Bible describes a remarkable event that will take place during the last days. This biblical event is the sudden “catching away” of the followers of Jesus Christ, something Bible scholars call the Rapture. It is this amazing event that captured the imagination of millions around the world when Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins wrote their biblically based Left Behind series of novels, selling more than 65 million copies in the process. 

The novels tried to depict what it would feel like if those in the world who follow Jesus suddenly disappeared “in the twinkling of an eye.” But Christians’ understanding of the Rapture predates the writings of LaHaye and Jenkins by nearly two thousand years. This is, therefore, a scenario worthy of closer consideration.
http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/many-people-have-asked-me-this-year-what-is-the-rapture-heres-what-i-tell-them/ 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

SLOW COOKER LASAGNA

Click on the Slow Cooker Lasagna box at the bottom of this skillet lasagna recipe for an easy way to make lasagna. 
 http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/725XFH/:q2zA4y0-:SIf.!Wf9/bakedbree.com/skillet-lasagna/

10 Frugal Tips You Can Use Right Now

10 Frugal Tips You Can Use Right Now

Top 10 Packaged Foods You Shouldn't Buy

I have many of these items in my pantry and refrigerator. I believe this article is 100% true. We buy many foods for convenience, but we pay a big price for it. MSG is a brain toxin, but most people don't seem too concerned about it Also most people don't care if their food is genetically modified and they don't know the dangers of GMO food. We also don't seem concerned about the chemicals that leach out of the linings of canned food.

We would have to completely change the way we eat to avoid the toxins that are hiding in our food and drinks. That's not easy to do. But I also think it's foolish to just eat anything we want without concern for what's actually in the food. If we care about avoiding sickness and disease, we should care about what we eat. At the very least, we should take time to educate ourselves on the subject.

Top 10 Packaged Foods You Shouldn't Buy

Why I Do Not Recommend Eating Pork

Why I Do Not Recommend Eating Pork

Does the Affordable Health Care Act Benefit You?

Does the Affordable Health Care Act Benefit You?

How Dust Bunnies Can Make You Sick

Agenda 21 Is Being Rammed Down The Throats Of Local Communities All Over America

Agenda 21 Is Being Rammed Down The Throats Of Local Communities All Over America

Say Goodbye To The Good Life

Say Goodbye To The Good Life

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Big Brother Surveillance Technology On The Increase

5 creepiest surveillance tactics

5 creepiest surveillance tactics

MORAL DECLINE BRINGS BLAME TO GUNS

Dec 24, 2012
from Rapture Ready blog 
Someday They Will Have All Your Guns
It has long been my policy never to rush into stating my reaction to a news event. I find it's important to allow the dust to settle before making any prophetic commentary. This is the case concerning the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
I can't recall a time when the facts on a news story have changed so frequently. The day of the attack, the liberal media went absolutely bonkers. The gunman's name was Ryan, then it was changed to Adam. The mother was shot at home, then at school, and then back at home. First, there were two shooters and then there was one.
The reason the liberal media was spitting out constantly-changing data was because they were manifesting their excitement at the opportunity to use another mass murder event to advance their agenda. You certainly didn't see the same level of caution in reporting that was used with the September 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. In that attack, the mainstream media was steadfast in waiting to make sure all the facts were straight.
The press has been doing its best to set the tone on the debate. They have been very aggressive in portraying gun rights activists as villains. CNN's Piers Morgan tore into guest Larry Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America, calling him "an unbelievably stupid man" who's "dangerous," concluding the interview by saying, "You shame your country." ABC News saw a few protests outside the NRA's Fairfax, Virginia, headquarters as a growing, "angry crowd."
I seriously doubt the Sandy Hook shooting will provide enough momentum for any immediate ban on major categories of weapons. The NRA and other supporters of the second amendment are a very powerful force in American politics. President Obama gave the best indication that little will happen in the short run when he appointed VP Joe Biden to head a committee that would study the issue.
The gun rights lobby needs to be more worried about a progressive effort to make it harder to own and access a gun. This has already been the preferred method of attacking all our other civil liberties.
I think the greatest factor that puts gun ownership at risk is the decline in morality. If we don't have a moral foundation in this nation, I don't see how we can expect to maintain our Second-Amendment rights. If we become a land of lawless, the feds will be forced to clamp down. We still do quite well for a nation that has more outlets that sell firearms than franchises of the McDonald's Corp.
You don't see gun stores in the Middle East because Arab society would disintegrate if the average person could buy an assault rifle at the local market. When Iraq was liberated from the iron rule of Saddam Hussein, the Sunni and Shiite population instantly began killing each other with weapons they smuggled into the country.
We are steadily becoming a society that needs Big Brother to protect us from ourselves. One of the best indications of creeping oversight is the reduced access to explosives. There was once a time when you could go to local hardware store and buy a case of dynamite. Today, you can't even buy a large stock of fertilizer, the key ingredient in a homemade explosive, without getting the attention of Homeland Security.
The liberal media brought up all kinds of options for dealing with the problem of gun violence. I don't recall reading any article that addresses the declining moral values of our nation. When you find yourself walking into a swamp, with every step forward causing you to sink deeper into the muck, the best thing to do is to turn around and retrace your steps. Liberals don't want to go back to the old morality because they still have faith in the one they helped author.
Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, in an appearance Fox News' Neil Cavuto show, suggested we try God's way: "It's an interesting thing. We ask why there's violence in our schools, but we have systematically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage? Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability — that we're not just going to have be accountable to the police if they catch us, but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment."
In the past week, I've had several conversations with friends over the possibility of new restrictions on gun ownership, and several times the "from my cold, dead hands" slogan popularized by Charlton Heston was invoked. One way or another, I'm afraid the government is going to take away everyone's guns. If they need to pry them away from your dead hand, then "so be it" would be the reaction of the coming authoritarian world government. We Christians have a much better option: the government will be able to take our guns because someday soon we will no longer need them.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5).
 --Todd

Friday, December 21, 2012

PHOTO GALLERY OF HOMEMADE GIFTS

For the past year, I've been searching for winning skin and home care recipes. All my Christmas gifts this year are homemade including beeswax lotion that rivals Burt's Bees, natural household cleaners, body wash, shave gel, chocolate soap,  spoon oil, peach jam, applesauce, and homemade vanilla. The spoon oil is used to preserve wooden spoons, cutting boards, and wooden rolling pins. I also use it as a non toxic alternative to furniture polish. 

Some of my attempts didn't turn out, but overall it's been fun experimenting and creating products at home at a fraction of the cost and with none of the toxic ingredients. My husband says my "Triple Threat" cleaner, degreaser and spot remover works better than Resolve carpet cleaner. Maybe there could be some money in this venture. Hmmm. 

Click on the link below for some easy ideas and recipes to make your own homemade gifts. It's not too late to add a homemade touch to Christmas.
 http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/52dHJw/:1_zJLTglM:c+5vNoQ9/ybty.co/TSPW97/

FAVORITE BREAD RECIPE

This is a good site to explore. Great craft ideas and wonderful recipes.
 http://www.momscraftyspace.com/2012/06/our-favorite-homemade-bread-recipe.html

NATURAL CURES PROVEN TO WORK

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5Pm7d9/:cXIG4T!p:bhT6nScH/www.good.is/posts/which-naturals-are-backed-by-serious-science/

HONEST TALK ABOUT THE SHALLOWNESS OF IMAGE (watch video)

Cameron Russell, the catwalk superstar and lingerie model for Victoria's Secret has taken to the stage at a TED event in Washington DC. The 25-year-old model advised young girls against following her path.

Coolest place to stay and see the Northern Lights

Coolest place to stay and see the Northern Lights

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Controlling Our Tongues

  • What comes out of your mouth is merely the evidence of what is in your heart (Matthew 12:34). 
One thing a true Christian should have is a bad feeling after using profane language. That bad feeling is evidence that the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. It's proof that you are saved and on your way to Heaven. If you can talk trashy without any remorse or regret then your heart isn't right with God. 

People think that all they have to do to be sure of a place in Heaven is to say a little prayer and confess sin, then ask Jesus to save them. But if there is no change in behavior, can they really be sure of their salvation?

 A true conversion will be visible. We'll be able to see and hear a change in behavior. A true conversion happens when God is invited to live inside you. If God is truly there, he will be very uncomfortable when your mouth goes to the potty. And that will make you feel uncomfortable.

I'm not perfect. My mouth gets me in trouble at times too. But every time I use unclean language, I instantly feel like a phony. I just feel bad and my heart becomes heavy with regret. 

So for everyone who claims to be a Christian, ask yourself if you can talk trashy with no remorse or regret. Do you think nothing of swearing on Facebook? If so, then I don't want to read your posts that glorify God. Your God is not my God.
 Controlling Our Tongues

The Gift of Life

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

A Charlie Brown Christmas - Christmas Time is Here Song

Tonight at 8:00. One of the greatest things about being a kid in the sixties and seventies was Charlie Brown at Christmas Time. This song takes me back.

Simply Scratch » Dark Chocolate Dunked Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

This looks too good not to share. I am so making these for Christmas!
 Simply Scratch » Dark Chocolate Dunked Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Sunday, December 16, 2012

BRING HIM BACK AND CHANGE THE WORLD

" The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the nations that forget God." - Psalm 9:17

When abortion became legal in America the courts declared that human life has no value. Then we wonder why people don't value human life. 

In 1963, when Bible reading and prayer were removed from our schools, we told God that He's not welcome there. And then we wonder why God doesn't protect our children in school. 

When we vote for a president that is pro abortion, we are guilty of promoting murder. Let's stop blaming God and look at our own lives, our own decisions, our own lack of morals.

Our nation has forgotten God and that is why it is turning into Hell.
 http://video.foxnews.com/v/2038135300001/huckabee-where-was-god/

A BLESSING OR AN ANNOYANCE?

 With the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we are appreciating our children a little more, but will that appreciation last much longer than next week? Our culture views children more as an annoyance than a blessing. Women don't want to give up their dreams to raise children. They aren't willing to sacrifice for the sake of another precious life. We are selfish. Too into ourselves and our own needs to even consider what someone else needs. 

When I think of what Jesus did for me on the cross, I ask myself how much I'm willing to sacrifice. How often do I shove aside my aches and pains, my tiredness, my convenience, and my wants for the sake of another? How willing am I to go to the cross? Even for my own children?
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

Friday, December 14, 2012

This is why there are no shootings in Israeli schools.  Think about it.
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