NO CHILL IN THE KITCHEN

Fall is a great time to get inspired to bake something.  Apples, pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, maple, and caramel are just some of the wonderful ingredients that come to mind when summer's ending and there's a chill in the air.  Check out the link below for 150 of the best fall recipes.
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/09/05/150-best-fall-recipes/

THE POWER OF CRYING OUT

By Danelle Carvell

If you sleep well, don't take it for granted.  Lately, every night when I lay my head down to sleep, it's like going into battle. I have my earplugs, my eye shades for the early morning hours, my aspirin for when the muscle and joint pain starts.  I have my melatonin, my herbal remedies, my calcium tablets, and my estrogen pills.  Even with all this ammunition, I lay there for hours but can't fall asleep. 

I hesitate to share this again,  but I must because I think it might help people who are struggling with just about anything. My insomnia started five years ago after a bad reaction to a prescription drug.  I've since learned that the drug Lupron causes permanent neurological damage.  

Basically, I haven't slept like a normal person for five years.  Sometimes I get a little relief and I'm able to sleep three to four hours a night at most.  But it's not unusual for me to go two nights in a row with no sleep whatsoever.  That's when things get bad.  Anyone who goes that long without sleep will begin to show physical signs of fatigue.  One of those signs is a nervous twitch that can quickly turn into uncontrollable shaking of the arms and legs, similar to a seizure. 


We're all struggling with something, and this is my struggle.  Sleep is very necessary.  People just can't function without it.  I'm very fortunate in many ways and I'm not writing this to throw a pity party.  I'm sharing this because I want to tell you how I deal with it.  I also want to share a small but mighty book that has the power to change your life as it did mine. 


The book is titled, The Power of Crying Out: When Prayer Becomes Mighty by Bill Gothard.  The author's discovery that the Bible makes a distinction between "prayer" and "crying out to God" is at the heart of this book.  Gothard also noticed in his own life that God often did nothing to help him until he cried out with deep emotion.  The Bible says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  But as the author points out, our prayers lack the kind of fervency God requires for effective results. 


Another thing Gothard noticed was how the Bible reveals a pattern of God's people crying out and then He finally answers.  Yet many believers are unaware of this consistent pattern in God's word.  David found that when he uttered aloud with such deep and sincere emotion, God heard him.  Crying out is the turning point for so many suffering people in the Bible.  When Jonah landed in the belly of a great fish he cried out.  When Peter began to sink at the Sea of Galilee, he cried out.  When the Israelites were caught in the bondage of slavery in Egypt, they cried out.  Each time a point of desperation was reached, and instead of praying, these people cried out to God and He rescued them.


Fortunately for us, this phenomenon still happens.  I know because I experience it regularly.   I find that when I'm at my wits end, I'm totally exhausted, and I can't take another moment without sleep, I cry out to God in desperation.  The tears fall, my voice quivers, and I am crying out, begging for relief.   Each time I reach that point, God hears me and He allows me to drift peacefully to sleep soon after.


"God delights in showing himself strong on behalf of anyone who is facing an impossible situation," says Gothard. He offers many examples of this in the book.  A Michigan farmer got his sleeve caught in a piece of farm machinery and realized that in seconds he would be crushed to death.  He cried out in a loud voice, "Oh God save me!"  At that instant the engine stalled and he broke free.  After checking the engine, he found no mechanical reason for the stall.  God had stopped the engine in response to the farmer's cry.  


"It is the heartfelt cry that always reconnects the people back to God and His grace and mercy," says the author.  Scripture invites us to call upon God for help:  "The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." -Psalm 34:17.  This is a promise from God and there are many examples in the book that prove it's true, even today.  People with financial problems were led to answers after crying out to God.  A man who couldn't find employment for over a year was offered a job after his daughter walked to a quiet place and cried out, "Oh God, deliver my father from unemployment!"  When they did more than pray, when they cried out to God with all their hearts, God responded powerfully. 


"God's ultimate purpose in all creation is to demonstrate His glory," the author states.  What better way to do that than to rescue His children whey they cry out to Him.  Each time I fall asleep after crying out to God my faith grows.  I am simply amazed at the awesome power that's available to me and it makes me feel foolish that I don't use it more often.  Crying out is effective not only for myself, but for others as well.  I can cry out on behalf of my loved ones who are struggling or hurting.  God's timely response will always come according to what He determines is the best schedule;  sometimes God delays His answer the author points out.  But we must continue to cry out in faith if we want help.  


God honors humility, and there's nothing more humbling than being on your face before Him with tears dripping onto the carpeting, your voice so shaken that your words couldn't be understood by anyone but God.  Maybe this is what's been missing from your life.  Maybe this is why your prayers haven't been answered.  Yes, it does feel strange and uncomfortable at first but so is the pain you've been carrying. What if relief will not come until you swallow your pride, set aside your doubts and humble yourself before God, the only one who can really help you?

I'll close this post with the last few sentences from the book:  "Take your anxieties and burdens and worries before your heavenly Father.  Humble yourself and cry aloud to Him with all your heart.  He will hear you just as He has promised.  And your life will begin to change from that hour." 

Hope in a Slowing Economy

The reality of a slowing economy is hitting home with many Americans.  Even those who refused to believe that we're heading toward an economic collapse are seeing that things are not getting better.  This isn't just a cycle that will come back around.  Really, how can we recover from a 14 trillion dollar debt and record-setting unemployment that can't possibly improve because the jobs just aren't there.  We are no longer a producer nation.  We sent a great deal of our business, industry and jobs overseas.  How can we recover from that?  Even the Great American chocolate bar is no longer American made.

But there is hope.  Click on the link below.
 Hope in a Slowing Economy

ANOTHER REMINDER, DON'T PUT IT OFF

"An article by Mimi Hall in USA TODAY states, 'Most Americans haven't taken steps to prepare for a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other emergency, according to a new study on preparedness, and only about a third have made plans with family members about how they would communicate with each other during a crisis.'

 

Part of the reason... why people of faith neglect preparedness has to do with an odd defeatism that says, 'If current events are prophesied to happen, then there’s nothing we can do about it anyway.'

 

The notion that calamity is unavoidable if it is divinely predicted is even sanctioned by some expositors who miss the pattern for preparedness in the Bible. While it is true that famine was prophesied for Egypt, it is also a fact that God led Joseph to prepare for it, and, as a result, he saved his family and the nations around about.

 

Proverbs 22:3 tells us that a prudent person will foresee such difficulties and prepare for them, while a simpleton will go blindly on and suffer the consequences. This is good advice not only for religious folks, but also people of any persuasion."

The above quote was taken from the link below.  The link includes a video about disaster preparedness and an interesting article below it.  I normally don't post videos that advertise products, but this video is well put together and worth a look. Watch the entire video.  There's good stuff at the end.  For more information about preparing for disasters, click on the Be Prepared label on the right side of my page.

  http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/prepare.htm

FRANKENFOOD ON THE TABLE

I posted articles about genetically modified food in the past.  This article is worth a look.  Would you eat a tomato if you knew it was genetically cross bred with an arctic flounder?  That way the tomato won't freeze while on the vine.  Some people call it Frankenfood because scientists are genetically altering so many of the foods we eat.  Thirty countries around the world, including Peru and Hungary, have either banned or have plans to ban GMOs. Here in the United States, you’re on your own. GMOs aren’t even regulated.  If you haven't read about GMO food, this is a good place to start.  Once again, ignoring it won't protect you from being harmed by it.  Knowledge is power.   
 http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/how-are-genetically-engineered-crops-affecting-foods/

THE REASON FOR YOUR HEADACHE?

While we're on the subject of food and food additives that aren't good for you, Jill posted a good article on MSG and why we should avoid it at Jill's Home Remedies.  She makes a good point: "Ignoring the facts won't keep you from being harmed by the products that contain MSG."  
http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2011/09/msg.html

SOME THINGS ARE WORTH THE EFFORT

My daughter has a stomach ulcer and I've been searching the web for natural cures and what foods she should avoid to quicken healing.  I suspect that the food she eats is partly to blame for her stomach's rebellion.  If it were up to me, I would throw out every box of processed food in our pantry and never buy it again.  I did try that about a year ago, but it wasn't long before I heard complaints about the poor selection of snacks.  "Where are the Ritz?"  "Where are the chips?"  I soon caved in and the pantry was once again stuffed with snack food that's full of preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, soy, and other ingredients that are just plain bad for our bodies.  If you still think soy is health food, read Sick Food, Not Health Food, under the Healthy Eating label on the right side of my blog.

I don't think the food she eats at the school cafeteria is any healthier.  So I bought her a cool lunch bag to encourage her to pack lunches.  Now the problem is finding food to pack in that lunch bag that she will actually eat and that isn't loaded with unhealthy ingredients.  It means a lot more work for me because to eat healthy means making food from scratch or taking the time to read labels.  But some things are just worth the effort.  I have managed to stop buying cookies unless they are organic.  I make most of the cookies we eat from scratch.  And I found a great alternative to pop tarts.  Nature's Path Organic toaster pastries are better than pop tarts in my opinion.  You can find them in the organic foods section of certain grocery stores.

Little by little, I'm making changes to the way we eat.  I'm more selective about what I put in the grocery cart.  And I'm discovering that I can find healthy alternatives to most snack foods.  I recently discovered an organic granola bar that everyone in the family loves.  And of all places, I found it at Wal-Mart.  It was hiding on the bottom shelf.  The brand name is CLIF all natural crunch granola bars, and they come in chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut. Look for a blue box.

Grocery shopping takes twice as long since I've become a label reader, but my family's health is worth it.  I even found a brand of chips with only three ingredients: potatoes, sunflower oil and sea salt.  Martin's Kettle Gold chips have become my favorite.  I also make kettle corn in a popcorn popper with peanut oil and it is delicious.  You need a popper that's made to be used with oil, and it must have a turning rod that stirs the sugar covered kernels so they don't burn.  (I add the sugar)  This is the popcorn that's both sweet and salty, so it is hard to resist.  And I can feel good about serving it because it's just popcorn, oil, salt and sugar.

Now if I could just find a recipe for those Little Debbie pumpkin delights my daughter loves, I'll have one less box to buy at the grocery store.  That's my goal, to bring home fewer boxes and to make more food from scratch.  Could I duplicate a Ritz cracker?   That might be pushing it.  The link below is a wonderful site for making food from scratch.  The barbeque sauce is one I'm going to try and that chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, yum!  Check it out.  She posts lots of photos and they'll make your mouth water.  Go straight to the desserts.  You'll be hooked.
http://www.simplyscratch.com/

SWEET THINGS

My grandma was a pie baker.  It's how she made her living.  I was very young when she spent all day making pies and delivering them to local restaurants and stores, but I have memories of being in my Memmy's baking room.  What I remember are the dried apples that sat on baking sheets atop the stove and the big green tins that sat under her workspace.  Those tins held lard, flour, sugar, and other ingredients that she used to create her delicious cheese pies, fruit pies, and what we called "fish" pies.  Members of our family have tried to recreate the fish pie, but it's never the same as I remember.  Her fish pie had a thick green-grey molasses filling with a thick soft crust.  

I wish I could have spent time with Memmy and learned her baking secrets.  One thing that has always been a challenge for me is pie dough.  I most enjoy making cakes and cupcakes and have perfected three kinds: applesauce, banana, and chocolate as well as three frostings: cream cheese, chocolate, and peanut butter.  But pies are something I never really took an interest in because making good pie dough seemed such a mystery as well as a hassle. 

At this time of year, when apples are in season, I always get the urge to bake an apple pie.  I found the link below tonight while searching for apple pie recipes.  The website itself is one worth exploring.  If nothing else, you'll learn how to make good pie dough and the secrets to a flaky crust.  Then you can use your favorite recipe for the filling.  Perhaps pumpkin.  

Under the link I posted some photos of my cake creations.  Far from professional, but perhaps they'll inspire you.   It's such fun to create sweet things in the kitchen.  Kids love to help too, so get baking.
 http://www.simplebites.net/lets-bake-an-apple-pie/

THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER

I always hate to see it go.  Another summer has passed.  Tomorrow is the first day of autumn.  Although we have a few more warm days to look forward to, the calendar tells me that it's soon time to unpack my sweaters.  Weeks ago I felt that first chill of autumn.  Last night I heard that chirping sound in the woods that always begins at this time of year.  I call them crickets, but they're probably not crickets.  I'm not sure what they are, maybe frogs, but they're one of the first signs of fall. 

MY FAVORITE SUMMER SPOT

I noticed another sign today, a small patch of leaves in the woods below our house is turning from green to red. The view from my kitchen window is our back yard lined with a dense area of trees.  I look out that window every day as I'm washing dishes.  That's where our bluebird boxes are too.  I put them there so I could watch the bluebirds while I'm doing my least favorite chore.  Every now and then a bluebird flies up to our deck and sits on the banister, which is just feet away from my dish washing post.  I love when that happens.  It's as if that bird flies up to visit me.  Maybe he knows that he wouldn't have a home if not for me.  The bluebird boxes were a gift from someone I wrote a story for.

CATS LOVE SUMMER TOO.

The sun is different.  It seems less intense than it was all summer.  I guess it's hitting earth at a different angle, so it's warmth and light are much softer than the summer sun.  There's always one day each summer when I notice the sun has a different feel to it.  That day came much sooner than usual this year.  I wasn't ready for it, but I guess I never am.  Who wants to say goodbye to summer and all its pleasures of lush green grass, fresh fruit, flowers, family gatherings, and warm fun.

THE LAST DAISY OF SUMMER

But I do love this time of year.  I love to bite into a juicy McIntosh apple fresh from the Friday Farmers Market.  I love bringing home that first bag of caramels and dipping those apples in gooey golden goodness.  Caramel apples are heaven on a stick.  Another great thing about autumn is the local fall festivals and fairs.  The annual craft fair in Hegins, PA has become quite the event.  Creative people fascinate me, and there's no shortage of them at this fair, which gets bigger each year.   I usually come home with a fall wreath for my front door or some other decorative item for my home, but this year we decided on something more practical, a hand made corn broom.  My husband says it will last forever.

I'm not sure that I would choose for summer to last forever.  I love three out of the four seasons we see here in Pennsylvania.  Even winter has its charms.  It just tends to lose its charm after about six weeks.  It's the lack of sunshine and warmth that gets to me.  Sitting in the sun with a strawberry daquiri and a good book  is my favorite place to be.  I guess I'll have to dust off that sun lamp we bought.  I could set up a cozy chair in my room, buy a bag of white sand and place it in a tub at my feet.  I could dig out my CD of ocean sounds and pretend I'm there.  Maybe all it takes to get through winter is a little creativity.

SHE THINKS THIS IS HER THRONE

Today is the last day of summer and I'm trying to stay positive.  Maybe I'll go unpack my sweaters.  I kind of miss my sweaters.  But I'll really miss that praying mantis that showed up at my bedroom window so many times this summer.  I'll miss the hummingbirds and butterflies too.  I'll miss my vegetable amd herb garden.  And driving to Rita's for Italian ice.  I'll miss painting my toe nails, wearing flip flops and open toe shoes.  Sitting out on the deck at night with candles burning.  I'll miss campfires in the back yard.  Roasting marshmallows, making mountain pies and looking up at a summer evening sky.  Summer is a wondrous time when everything comes to life, including me.  That's why I hate to see it go.

ONE OF MANY VISITS FROM MY FAVORITE INSECT

TOXIC CLEANING IS KINDA STUPID

Are you tired of bringing toxic chemicals into your home to keep it clean.  Think about how stupid that is.  The link below has great recipes for making your own cleaners, bug sprays, mildew remover, even play dough for fun.  These easy recipes and videos show you how to make natural organic bug spray, window cleaner, liquid dish soap, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, shower cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner and play dough for your kids.  Check it out. Just click on the make it yourself (DIY) category. http://elizabethskindcafe.com/

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE HEALTH

"You really should get educated about what is in the food that you eat.  For example, The Street recently compiled a list of 15 major food companies that actually add wood pulp to our food.
Even many "healthy foods" are being tampered with.  A lot of our fruits and our vegetables have been genetically modified and the government even puts dangerous substances such as fluoride into our drinking water.
Everywhere we turn we are being poisoned.  Like millions of other Americans, I once ate and drank whatever I wanted to without ever thinking about whether it was good for me or not.
As someone once said, many of us have been literally digging our graves with our teeth."  The above comment is from the link below, which you'll find interesting , and your health is worth the time it takes to read it.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/billions-spent-on-a-cure-for-cancer-and-yet-cancer-rates-continue-to-explode

Gardasil – If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, Then A Video Report, Or Two, Or Three, Or SEVEN… :

The below link will take you to a series of videos about the Gardasil vaccine and the over 14,000 adverse reactions including deaths that have been reported. No mother who knows the problems associated with Gardasil can possibly justify allowing her daughter to receive this vaccine. In my opinion it is simply a money maker for the vaccine manufacturer. They don't care about preventing disease, they care about making money. And girls are dying. Don't let your daughter be part of this experiment.
Gardasil – If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, Then A Video Report, Or Two, Or Three, Or SEVEN… :

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME

God amazes me.  I've been asking Him to help me write this article I'm working on about the lies of our culture.  Today he led me to a wonderful blog entry about one of those lies.  Lie number 2:  It's all about me.   This blog entry is the most popular entry on her site.  You can click the link below to read it.  I was brought to tears when I read about the boy who no one noticed.  Not even his teachers made an effort to make him feel noticed.  They didn't even respond to him when he spoke.

I totally know what this girl is saying when she talks about school cliques.  Looking back, I too wish someone had slapped me on the face and told me how selfish I was.  Life was all about me in high school.  All about how I looked, all about being popular and hanging out with my group of friends.  I made no effort to get to know the less popular kids..  I just walked right by them like everyone else did.  I missed so many opportunities to make a lonely kid feel special.  I missed so many opportunities to get over myself and do something for someone else.

But you know those opportunities are still there.  I'm not in high school anymore, but I can still make someone's day by noticing them.  I can say something encouraging to a total stranger.  I can look for that person that's having a hard time fitting in and  talk to him instead of clinging to my comfort zone of familiar friends.  I can send a card to someone who needs their spirits lifted.  Opportunities are everywhere and I'm going to start praying that God will make me more aware of people who feel like no one notices them.  Bringing a smile to others is so much more satisfying than being wrapped up in myself and what's going on in my life.  I want to take an interest in someone else's life.  I wasn't put on this earth to be selfish.  I was put here to help others.  It's time to start living that truth.  Life is not all about me.
 http://generationstandup.blogspot.com/2011/05/cliques.html

THE FAKE BEAUTY WE ENVY

I'm writing an article about the lies of our culture that women believe.  I came across this video while researching the topic.  After hours spent on hair and make-up this woman is transformed.  But the transformation doesn't stop there.  Her image is then digitally altered to the point where she looks nothing like herself.  This is the beauty we envy, a fake beauty.
Lie number one:  I need a perfect face and figure to be worth something.  Watch the video and see what it takes to be perfect.   
 http://youtu.be/iYhCn0jf46U

I'D RATHER BE PARANOID

It's amazing how we blindly go through life trusting that the products we use are safe, the food we eat is healthy, and the medicine we take is actually helping us.  I learned the hard way that we can't trust any of these things.  We need to be our own advocates of what's good for us and educate ourselves about the food we eat, the products we use, and the medicines we take.  Some people might call it being paranoid, but I look at it this way:  Something is causing the sickness and disease that has become so common.  What family hasn't been touched by cancer?  Why are so many children complaining of stomach problems?  Did you know that the apple juice you give your children probably contains arsenic.  And the FDA does not enforce any limits to the amount of arsenic that's allowed in apple juice.  Nor are many of the poisonous chemicals in our shampoos, hairsprays, and lotions regulated or banned by the FDA.  Dr. Oz revealed the levels of arsenic in apple juice on his show yesterday.  You can find out more by going to his website.  You can also read, Maybe It's The Toxins under the Healthy Body label on my blog to see what's in your bath and body products that could make you sick.  Another thing to consider is microwave cooking.  Read the article below and the sub link article by Dr. Mercola and decide for yourself.  Maybe these days it's good to be paranoid.  No one else seems to be watching out for our health.  We really can't blindly trust much of anything anymore.  I'd rather be paranoid than foolish and apathetic.
http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2011/09/getting-rid-of-the-microwave/

FOREVER IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

"God will not honor any other religion, and He makes it very clear that it is only through His Son and His sacrificial death on the cross that will give people eternal salvation and thus eternal life with Him in heaven....

If you choose not to believe in Jesus and His message of eternal salvation through His death on the cross, then you will die in your sins and go straight to hell when you die – no if, ands or buts about it! The life that we are living down here on this earth is serious business! The choices that we make in this life will determine our ultimate fate in the afterlife.
Choose Jesus and the blood that He has personally shed for you on the cross – and you will become saved and born again – and you will then enter into the most incredible place imaginable when you die – heaven itself!
Choose anyone or anything else, and you will cross over into the most horrible place imaginable when you die – hell itself, and then eventually into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone after the Millennium has taken place, where the Bible says that the smoke of your torment will ascend forever and ever!"

To find out how you can be sure of your eternal salvation, click on the link below and say the prayer at the bottom of this article.  It's that simple.  Why take a chance?  Eternity is forever.
http://crisisboom.com/salvation-through-jesus/

WHY DOES AMERICA SEEM CURSED?

"The question is: Why are we losing God's special blessing on our nation? I’m sure most of you folks are aware of the "blessing and curse" prophecy regarding how nations treat Israel. God warned in His Holy Bible:
“I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). 

I think our dealing with Israel is a major factor in why we have so many problems, but I don’t think it is the main reason. If it was, we could just elect a pro-Israel president and all these storm clouds would vanish.
Years of slowly turning our back on God has caused us to lose our hedge of divine protection."  http://www.raptureready.com/rap16.html

DUMPSTER DIVING

 

It's called dumpster diving - going through garbage looking for food. In the United States it's becoming a movement. You may be surprised by who is going through the bins and what they're finding.

 http://youtu.be/8VlFJsuBjA0

SICK FOOD NOT HEALTH FOOD

Soy is promoted as a "good for you" food.  But it simply isn't good for us.  Even mothers are feeding their babies soy infant formula thinking they are doing a good thing.  Do they know that the governments of Israel, Switzerland, the UK, and New Zealand have all issued statements against the use of soy formula for babies. I did touch on this subject in another blog, but there's more to be said on this subject.  If you think soy doesn't affect you, then you don't realize that you already have foods in your kitchen that contain soy and you've been eating it for years.  Unless you make a real effort to avoid it, you consume much more soy than you realize.  Start reading labels and you'll see what I mean.  Below is a great article that explains why soy is so bad for us.  If you care about your health, you need to know the truth about soy.
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/06/the-soy-decoy-dont-be-deceived.html

HOW HARD MUST GOD SHAKE US TO WAKE US UP?

"...and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts."  Haggai 2:6-7



"In September 2001 and the weeks that followed, Americans turned to God. Church services across the nation hit record numbers in attendance as people searched for answers, comfort and peace. But instead of experiencing a spiritual awakening and the fruits of righteousness that could have occurred, it seems that we are experiencing a deterioration of life as we knew it 10 years ago. We are seeing God moved more and more out of the public sector of our nation."  -Doug Stringer
 http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/31947-did-america-really-change-after-911
http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor39.html

PREPPERS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH

http://youtu.be/mLmLXjut55U

TASTY HERBS, HEALING HERBS

This summer I discovered how easy herbs are to grow from seed.  I planted lemon basil, oregano, lemon balm, parsley, stevia, and lavender.  My favorite was the lemon basil.  I couldn't stop sniffing it.  I love the scent of lemon, and lemon basil is my new favorite herb.

It's so neat to pull off fresh herbs from your garden while cooking.  They added great flavor to my pasta salad and brought a whole new freshness to spaghetti sauce.  Never again will I go through summer without an herb garden.  I don't consider myself good at gardening.  I can preserve what comes out of it, but I have a lot to learn about the planting process, so I was very excited when my herbs began to sprout.

The article below is one you might find interesting if you're into using herbs for natural healing.  They really are wonderful to have around the house.  And it's interesting to learn the different medicinal uses for each herb  
 http://readynutrition.com/resources/30-most-popular-herbs-for-natural-medicine_06092011/

GETTING OFF THE HIGH HORSE

We all mess up in life, and there are many ways to say that:  nobody's perfect, we all make mistakes, or we all have skeletons in our closets.  The Bible puts it this way:  We all fall short of the glory of God.

Even people who stand at a pulpit and preach messages, write books, or in other ways tell people how to improve their lives are flawed human beings who've made many mistakes.  No one but God deserves to be put on a pedestal and seen as perfect.

But don't we try to portray a perfect image?  We tell ourselves that our sins aren't nearly as bad as the sins of others.  Don't we gasp when we hear about how others have messed up, as if we've never been down that road, as if we are above making a mistake like that.

As much as we try to kid ourselves about how good we are and how much better we behave than others, deep down we all know how imperfect we really are.  We know that we're only pretending to be better.  Every mistake we've ever made is carried with us each day: every idle word of gossip we've spoken, every lie we've told, everything we've ever done that we're not proud of is right there in our memories, ready to be recalled.

When we love to point out mistakes that others have made and when we can't seem to let them forget their failures, then we are the ones in need of adjustment.  When we get satisfaction out of seeing others fall, then we are the ones in need of repentance.  We can't say, "Your sin is worse than my sin."  In God's eyes sin is sin, and we're all guilty of it.

THE STUPIDNESS OF GROUCHINESS

Have you ever met a grouch?  Maybe you work for one.  Maybe you live with one.  Today's world has its share of grouches.  Although I'm sure we've always had grouches, they seem more prevalent today than years ago.  For example, did we ever hear the term road rage in the 80's?  Drivers had more patience back then.  They were more restrained and less inclined to shout obscenities out the window toward other drivers.

Our world becomes more stressful with each passing decade, and it's more likely than ever that you will come across a grouch in your every day encounters.    Grouches often reveal themselves while standing in long lines.  They show their true colors when they attempt to do something frustrating.  If things don't go their way, they lose patience and spew their venom out on whoever is around.  And they have no idea how stupid they make themselves look.

At first I thought that I shouldn't use the word stupid.  I thought that perhaps stupid is too strong a word.  But  I decided that it's the perfect word for behavior that allows emotions to control our actions.  We all lose it once in a while.  Life is stressful today.   But the kind of grouchiness I'm talking about is the nasty kind that loves to make demands, to demean and belittle people.  Never does anyone look more senseless than when they are ranting and raving about something they're not pleased with and doing it in such a way that they appear downright mean. 

Possibly the best example of this can be found on reality television.  Although it might be entertaining to watch adults bicker and scream, I can't help but form an instant opinion about those people.  For example, I wouldn't want to come within 100 yards of Jake Pavelka from The Bachelor.  The last time I saw him on TV, he was saying something about wishing a certain girl would fall to her death.  That is a terrible thing to say.!  Don't people have a conscience anymore?  Why would anyone say something like that publicly?  What sane woman would want to date a man like that?  I guess the stupid ones.   

The question I'm pondering is "How can we respond to a grouch in a way that will make him or her less grouchy?"  We could ask Abraham Lincoln if he were alive.  His wife Mary was an incredibly contentious woman.  It's said that he walked around the white house with dollar bills in his pocket, bribing the staff to stay on.  She would often interrupt her husband's meetings to rant and rave about her concerns.

Yet Lincoln seemed so calm in his mannerisms from what I've read about him.  Lincoln's marriage to Mary was the perfect training ground for all the stress he would endure as commander-in-chief of the civil war.  He had battled a war in his own home every day for years.  Yet he stayed devoted to Mary.  She sharpened his patience, his endurance, and his determination to see a thing through.

We could learn a lot from Honest Abe.  Perhaps grouchy people were put on this earth to shape our character.  While they might look stupid being their grouchy selves, we can appear even more stupid if we allow ourselves to be pulled into their fussing so much that we participate in their rants.  The best way to handle a grouch is to remain calm.  We can't overcome bad behavior when we allow grouchy people to bring out the grouch in us.

GOD WILL PROVIDE? JOSEPH DIDN'T THINK SO

 There is such a thing as having too much faith as the article below explains. 
 http://preppingtosurvive.com/2011/04/18/but-god-will-provide/

EVACUATION NOTICE

"For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words"    1 Thessalonians 4:16-18


http://www.raptureready.com/soap/rose6.html