Love in a Loveless World

Breakfast Burritos

2011-11-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

Tired of cereal and toast? Need a quick, easy breakfast idea? Try these breakfast burritos. I made them for our men's prayer breakfast last week and they were a big hit! I froze the left-overs and they re-heat very nicely.

10 Large flour tortillas

1 dozen eggs

1/2 cup salsa

2 TBSP minced onion

salt and pepper to taste (Remember, most breakfast meat is salty, so don't over do it.)

1 pound breakfast meat

About 30-40 tater tots, broken up

1/3 pound of cheese, grated

Brown meat in skillet/frying pan. Remove. Drain excess fat (I wiped out the skillet with paper towels.) Put eggs, onions, salsa, salt and pepper in the pan (You could add cheese at this point, I added the cheese separately since we have a man in the church who is lactose intolerant.) and scramble-fry them. Add meat and tater tots to eggs. Divided egg mixture and shredded cheese between 10 tortilla shells and roll them making sure to fold in the ends as you go.

To freeze: Place burritos on a parchment paper (waxed paper or a light coating of non-stick spray should work too.) lined cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, wrap individually in paper towels and place in a freezer bag. To reheat, take frozen burrito and pop in the microwave for 2-4 minutes.

These are quite filling. The kids even like them! Of course, Daddy eats his with extra salsa, sour cream, and Tabasco sauce. They are also good for a quick and filling lunch or after church snack.

Enjoy!

How to be Truly Thankful....

2011-10-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!!

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

concerning you.

(because....)

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

"Thank you, Lord, for ALL You ARE and ALL You've done."

God bless Canada!!!

The Secret to Great Gain...

2011-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

"But godliness with contentment is GREAT GAIN.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

1 Tim. 6:6,7

As I study the topic of contentment for a Bible study I'm working on for my ladies' retreat next week, I came across some very pertinent questions:

1. Could I be content with only treasures in Heaven? (Matt 19:16-22) Would it be enough?

2. Am I discontented with the provisions Christ has given me? (Matt 6:19-21, 24-34)

Talk about conviction!

How much do you need, physically, relationally, and materially

before you experience contentment?

Think about it!

What a summer!!!

2011-10-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we had quite a summer! let's see if I can catch you up.

We had our Summer Revival services with Dr. and Mrs. Cook. A few days later Jerry fell from the top of a thirty foot pine tree, was air lifted to Winnipeg, and -PTL- was sent home the next day with nothing but a sore back (which still bothers him some.) Next week, we had our Anniversary Services with Bro. Jeff Friesen. The men had their first ever men's fishing retreat. Josie cut her own hair and had to have it cut quite short. (her bangs have almost grown back, two months later:o) Our church pianist moved to the US with her new husband. Our dog, Chance, was killed by a truck. We got a new puppy, Hoss. I cut my own hair and it doesn't look awful! Keith started a new part-time job in the early mornings Monday to Friday. I made wild plum jelly for the first time ever and it was very good. (To bad the bear had to eat the rest of the plums before they had a chance to ripen. Next summer he and I are going to do battle.) Keith started a Bible institute for our church members on Thursday nights. Jerry lost his first tooth and taught himself to ride his bike without training wheels. Kaylee learned to tie knots in everthing and Josie learned to tie her tennis shoes. Oh, and I found a new favorite bread recipe.

We are now six weeks into the school year. Jerry is doing very well. We are using Landmark's Freedom Baptist Curriculum. So far I really like it! Josie is in Kindergarten and is beginning to read three letter words. Kaylee, is also learning her ABC's and 123's from her Brother and Sister.

Life is good! God is Great! Now that I'm back into a regular routine, I hope to see more of you all.

How to Make Your Own Flavored Liquid Coffee Creamer

2011-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

My husband and I got hooked on flavored coffee creamer when we were on deputation int he US. Especially around Christmas, they have so many wonderful choices -- Coconut Cream, Cinnamon Vanilla, Raspberry Chocolate...... You get the picture!

Unfortunately, around here we get the basic French Vanilla and Hazelnut. And unless they are on sale the budget doesn't allow for the extravagance. Well, I did a little web surfing and tried some recipes and this simple CHEAP recipe is the best I've tried.

2 cups powdered creamer
2 cups water
1 cup sugar (or sweetener)
1 TBSP of your favorite extract

Stir until smooth while bringing it to a boil. Then let it cool. It keeps pretty well in the fridge (as if it lasts that long in our house!) This recipe fills one of the large Coffee Mates Liquid Creamer bottles. For chocolate, you could add some cocoa powder (I haven't tried this yet, so I don't know how much.)

My favorite flavors:

1 TBSP artificial Vanilla with 1 tsp of pure peppermint extract

1 TBSP coconut extract

1 TBSP Almond extract and 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon makes a great Amaretto

Be creative. Just in case you want to try more than one flavor at a time, remember 1 TBSP is equal to 3 tsp. When trying new flavors, you might want to cut the recipe down just in case its not what you were looking for! If you prefer powdered creamer simply omit the water and keep in a cool dry place. Also, if you're making it dry, its best to mix it in a food processor. We buy the generic brand creamer in the big coffee can size for a little over $5 and I find I can make at least 4 to 5 bottles of creamer. So, this is way cheaper than the store bought stuff that we can get for $4 on sale!

Enjoy!

Swim in style and modesty this summer... A dream come true.

2011-04-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that its easy to find swim shorts for boys that come below the knee, but what the world considers "modest" swimsuits for girls usually leaves the chest somewhat bare and doesn't cover the thigh at all. Now, as the world becomes more concerned with UV exposure, They are coming out with rash guards and board shorts for girls. But I want my girls to be a little better covered and a little more feminine. The question is...

Is it possible to find a swimsuit that is modest, feminine, and stylish?

Drumroll, please..... DUM, DA, DA, DUM, DUM, DUM....

The answer is YES!

In my search, I have found a list of sites that sell modest swimsuits. Some sell patterns as well. Some are way over priced, while others are quite reasonable. The first two listed will even custom sew the suits to your measurements and standards. Some even sell Plus size suits! Where are these answers to the modest woman's prayer?

Here they are:

Comstox -- Modest Swimwear
Modestly Yours Swimwear
Dressing for His Glory
Hydro Chic
Meant To Be Modest
Sea Secret
Oceane Pearl
Simply Modest
Fashionably Modest Patterns

No more capris, culottes, men's shorts and t-shirts! Swim in style and modesty.

Frugal Butter

2011-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was raised using butter on toast. Please, forgive me, but the thought of using margarine on toast or muffins is unthinkable. My husband and children don't know any better, but I cannot make the switch.

Now I don't have to. At our last ladies meeting, we shared different frugal tips and recipes. One of my ladies shared this wonderful tip which I have tried and it is wonderful!

Mix equal amounts of butter (at room temperature) and oil (I used Canola, but anything with a light taste should work.) Beat it until it's like whip cream and pour it into an old Margarine tub (Reuse, the number one rule of frugality!) It will seem very sloppy, but don't worry. Put it in the fridge and it will harden to a margarine-like consistency. Use it like you would butter or margarine. It stays spreadable in the fridge so no more hard butter tearing up fresh bread.

WARNING: If you use beaters wear an apron! I got butter and oil all over my new sweater. A food processor, blender, or Kitchen aid mixer would probably solve that problem.

Now, not only have you stretched that butter, but you have made it healthier too! I got five cups of spread out of one pound of butter. Good health and frugal living in one! Way to go, Linda!

On Forgiveness and Sin

2011-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm reading an online book published in 1899 called:

In chapter 14, Mrs. Gray explains the problem of sin and forgiveness in such a beautiful way that I thought I would share it. This is a public domain book found on "Early Canadiana Online." In this chapter the daughter, Gladys, is discussing an incident that happened that day at school. A young, unwed mother passed by and some of the other girls scorned her. Mrs. Gray takes the opportunity to teach her young daughter more of the mysteries of life and the conversation leads to a discussion of sin and forgiveness. Please take a few minutes to read:

"She looked thoughtfully out of the window for a few minutes, then said, slowly:

“I know the sin is great, mamma, but is it so great that it should never be forgiven? Isn't the world very unjust in remembering it against her forever?”

As she spoke an old woman passed the house. There was a deep scar down the side of her face, which had been left from a burn in her childhood. Gladys turned to me like a flash.

“I see it, mamma; I understand. That poor marred face has explained it to me. Sin is like a dreadful burn – it hurts very much at the time, and then it leaves us not so beautiful as we were before. And the worst the sin the longer it will take the sore spot to heal, and the deeper will be the scar. We can scarcely see Mrs. Able without remembering that she once had a burn, for the scar is there to tell us about it.”

“Yes, dear, that is pretty nearly correct,” I replied; “yet your first idea about the world's injustice is correct too. Our minds are so constituted that a whole life-time of incidents will remain clearly written on them. We may look back over the years of our life and see month after month, week after week, little trifling things we thought and said and did. We can't forget them; they are indelibly pictured on our memory; and any important incident, anything which has greatly pleased or shocked or grieved us stands out more clearly than all the rest. But to merely remember a fact, to remember that a person made a great mistake, and to remember it against that person are very different things. When people take a wrong step, no matter how great, and they come to realize that it was not right, become sorry for it, and turn entirely from it, God forgives them, and says He will 'remember it against them no more forever.' He washes that blot off their souls, and they are just as free from it as you or I. And although the mere fact that the error was made cannot pass entirely from our mind, yet to remember it to their disadvantage, to place it in the balance against them, is just as wrong as to blame one for that misdeed who never did it at all. For that wrong is not theirs now; God says He put it from them 'as far as the east is from the west.'

“Can you then think of anything more unjust or cruel than to treat with scorn or contempt, or even pity, one who is now living a right life. When my little girl grows older she will learn many things about the world which she doesn't now know and doesn't need to know. And one sad thing she will learn is that woman are far more severe with women who have erred ever so little, than with men who have done great wrongs. But if she herself will take only the privilege which Jesus has given us in condemning an erring one, which is, 'He that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her,' I know she will not be unjust in her judgment of others. No one can ever be certain that he himself would not have fallen had he had the same temptation. Not every one can cross over a slippery plank and not fall into the stream."

Cursive First -- Update

2011-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is a sample of Jerry's first copy work. We spent two weeks learning the lower case letters. This is a boy who hated penmanship before. It was like pulling teeth to teach him how to print correctly. Now he can write in cursive and even his printing is improving. Now learning the uppercase letters is almost natural. Just today he learned, J, R, F, T, A, and G.

The Cursive First program teaches the letters in groups, the clockface letters, the loop letters, the uphill letter, and the bump letters. As Jerry learned each letter he would say the various strokes out loud. So he is learning by doing, hearing, and saying, each letter. For a hands-on kinda kid, that's great!

Cursive first is designed to work with a phonetic learning to read program. Now that he knows his basic letter formation, he practices writing the different phonograms (letters ad letter combinations that make one sound ie. "sh") that make up the English language. This is helping with his reading. Instead of sounding out a bunch of letters he is learning to read by phonetic sounds.

For more information on why teaching cursive first is such a great idea go to: Cursive First: An Introduction to Cursive Penmanship. It only costs $20 and is fully reproducible. If we hadn't already been given a phonics based reading program, I would consider buying the companion program, "Spell to Read and Write." Jerry is very proud of the fact that his writing is better than his Daddy's, but then again even Daddy has trouble reading his own writing :)

The Doctrine of Modesty....

2011-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

I took this Bible Study from a post I wrote on our old blog some time ago. I hope it will be a blessing to you and that you will examine yourself to see if you are following God's standards for Modesty.

I once read the following definition of modesty "...that we should not with our apparel draw undue attention to ourselves that would distract from what our real purpose in life is."

What does that mean for me? Personal dress is not simply a personal choice. Christian liberty is NOT an excuse to dress as you please.

I would be wrong if I taught you my opinions or preferences. And I would be wrong if I twisted God's Word to suit my standards. It is also wrong for any of us to correct someone else's standards by our own. Clothes do not make the woman. If we rely on clothing to judge someone's spiritual condition, well, it only shows our own lack of spiritual understanding.

God in His infinite knowledge knew that culture and fashion trends would change. And so He laid out clear standards of modesty that transcend time and culture. So what does God's Word actually say about modesty?

I would like to look at four things that together make up the Bible doctrine of modesty:

1. Nakedness

2. Gender

3. Shamefacedness

4. Sobriety

I. Nakedness

What constitutes nakedness as seen in the Bible? Of course, a complete lack of clothing is nakedness, but we all know that. But did you know that uncovering one's thigh is also considered being naked? (Num. 28:42) (Isa. 47:2,3) We used to live near to a Mennonite community in Aylmer. The women of one of these Mennonite groups wore full, pleated, knee-length skirts. Every time one of them would lean over, pastor would have to turn his eyes, because their thighs would be showing halfway up.

We've been in a lot of churches and I can't tell you how many times I've seen a pianist sit at the piano in church only to expose her thigh because her skirt rode up or her slit was too high. Or maybe you could see right past her armholes because her sleeves were too short or too wide.

Another way ladies (including myself) have fallen short is, as mothers of young children. There have been a few times when I have embarrassed myself, because I had a kid on one hip and my purse, Bible bag, and diaper bag in my free hand, when I leaned over I exposed a shoulder or worse. This is unintentional, but also, unnecessary.

An easy way to test your clothes is to invest in a full-length mirror. Bend over, lift your arms, sit down, lift your leg as if climbing stairs or getting in the van. If these activities show nakedness, layer, lengthen your skirt, or wear a longer one, and be ever mindful of the unintended "oops" keeping a free hand on your shirt when bending over or smoothing out your skirts when sitting. Ask yourself, "Does my clothing cause me to show nakedness?"

Side note: are your clothes so snug, clinging, or sheer so as to show the form of nakedness. Its the same thing!

II. Gender

Again, I will not get into a dispute. It is my personal choice (supported by my husband) not to wear pants. I do not however pass judgment on those who do. North American culture recognizes both feminine and masculine pants. I understand that this was not always so. But, if we are to set our standards based on past cultural ideals of modesty, then I'm afraid we will condemn ourselves. In days gone by, it was considered immodest for a woman to show her ankles and in some time periods even her forearms. In the past, women wore many layers of clothes. It was also considered modest for a woman to wear a hat in church. The blousie shirts men wore in the sixteen hundreds would be considered gay today. So, please do not be guilty of hypocrisy when setting standards of modesty for you and your family.

We as Christian women should dress to please the Lord . God commands that we dress like ladies. (Deut. 22:5) Let's remember that femininity does not equal sexy nor does it mean we have to be frumpy. Be a lady. This applies to all clothing and accessories. "Is what I am wearing decidedly female?"

III. Shamefacedness

(1 Tim. 2:9) Shamefacedness is equal to bashfulness or embarrassment. That is not to say that our clothing should make us feel this way, but neither should our clothing make us feel bold and brash. One of the reasons I stopped wearing pants was because they made me feel bold, comfortable in the world's company. It led me to cutting my hair "boy-short" and spiky. I wore too much make-up and felt more confident around the world. I liked hearing the compliments it brought. Do you rely on your clothing to give you confidence? Does a certain dress give you boldness? Or does your clothing remind you that God gave you the command of submissiveness and the blessing of safety in the Biblical role of womanhood? This standard of modesty can be wrapped up in this question: "How does my clothing make me feel?"

IV. Sobriety or Moderation

Is your dress excessive? Is it bold? Is a lack of propriety causing a distraction? On the other hand, are you excessive in your modesty? What! Yes, I said it. I have known women who dress themselves and their daughters in an excessively modest, drab way on purpose to show their spiritual superiority. Do you dress in such a way as to attract attention, good or bad? It may be unintended in either case, but we should dress in such a way as to NOT attract attention. My dress simply should not be an issue. If it is then I need to make some changes.

Some of you are mothers of teen girls. Have you encouraged your daughters to be so caught up in dressing “pretty” that you have failed to teach sobriety? It is not as important how one looks as how her relationship with God is. When our relationship with God is right and we are growing in faith, we will eventually be challenged in areas of dress and appearance. We will want to draw the attention away from ourselves and draw attention to God. It will not bother us to be a little less fashionable if the fashion of the day is out of God's will. We will be content to dress within our means. We will know that being thin should not be our focus but rather, being healthy. But that is another discussion altogether.

Our purpose is to glorify and honor God. For those still under their father's authority it means honoring his standards. A girl should never dress in such a way as to bring shame or embarrassment to her father.

For those of us under our husbands authority it means honoring not only our husbands standards but also his manhood. Is the attention on me or on my husband? Does the way I dress give my husband cause to feel insecure? Is my dress standards hindering my husband's service? Keep what belongs to your husband for your husband.

Mothers, please, be careful how you dress in front of your children. Your sons ought not to see your nakedness and your daughters need a godly example. At the same time, it is our job to make sure that our daughters do not dress in such a way that would bring embarrassment or shame to their brothers.

If you have any doubts choose in favor of what is best, not what's better for you.

AGAIN... If you have any doubts, choose in favor of what is best, not what is better for you.

To be sure that our wardrobe pleases God, we should ask these four simple questions:

1. "Is what I'm wearing causing me to show nakedness or the form of nakedness?"

2. "Is what I'm wearing decidedly feminine?"

3. "How does what I'm wearing make me feel?"

4. "Do I stand out? Am I taking attention from God and my husband/father?"

Ask God what He thinks, He'll let you know. (Ps 25:4,5)

God will bless you in your desire to serve God. Remember, none of us have "arrived", but we should all be striving to be Prov. 31 and Titus 2 women.

NOTE: If you are interested in using this as a Bible study, I have included a "fill-in-the-blanks" work sheet below. Feel free to copy and paste it and to make any changes you wish. I just ask that you stay true to God's Word.

WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAYS ABOUT MODESTY

Introduction:

Definition of modesty: “...that we should not with our ____________ draw undue attention to _______________ that would distract from what our real ______________ in life is.”

Personal __________ is simply NOT a personal _____________.

It is wrong to teach one's own _____________ or __________________.

It is wrong to ______________ God's Word to suit one's own ________________.

It is wrong to __________________ someone's standards by one's own _____________.

List the four doctrines of modesty:

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

4. ____________________________

Nakedness

God's Word states that uncovering one's ____________ is a form of nakedness? (Num. 28:42 Isa 47:2,3)

An easy way to test one's clothes is to ____________ in a __________ ____________.

Clothing that is too ____________, ______________, or _____________ can also show the form of nakedness.

Gender

If we set our ________________ based on past ______________ ideals of modesty, then we will ______________ ourselves.

Do not be guilty of _________________ when setting ______________ of _____________.

Feminine does not mean __________________ nor does it mean ________________.

Be a ________________. (Duet. 22:5)

Shamefacedness

Shamefecedness can be likened to _________________ or ____________________.

Our clothing should not make us feel or look ______________ or ________________.

Do you rely on your ____________________ to give you ________________?

Sobriety or Moderation
(1 Tim. 2:9)

Is your dress _________________?

Is a lack of propriety causing a ____________________?

Some women are excessive in their modesty in order to show their _____________ _______________.

My _____________ simply should not be an ____________. If it is then I need to ____________ some _______________.

It is not as important how one ________________ as how her ___________________ with _________ is.

When our relationship with ___________ is right and we are ________________ in ___________, we will be eventually be _______________ in areas of ____________ and _____________________.

A girl should never ____________ in such a way as to bring ____________ or _________________ to her father.

A wife's dress should honor her husband's ________________ and _______________.

Our ____________ should not see his mother's ______________ and our _______________ need a _________________ __________________.

If you have doubts, choose in favor of what is ______________, NOT what's ____________ for ____________.

Conclusion

The Measure of Biblical Modesty:

Is what I'm wearing causing me to show __________________ or the ___________ of _____________________?
Is what I'm wearing decidedly _____________________?
How does what I'm ________________ make me _______________?
Do I __________ ________? Am I taking _____________ from ___________ and/or my _________________/________________?

Remember, _____________ of us have ________________, but we should all be _______________ to be ___________________ and _________________ women.

Where has the Holy Spirit gone?

2011-02-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today, churches are so caught up in tradition, preference, and pet peeves, that I fear we are stifling the Holy Spirit. Churches who believe the same doctrinally are separating over issues of personal standards. How it must grieve the Holy Spirit. Let me give you some examples :

Woman and pants. I personally have chosen not to wear slacks, but I do wear pajama pants, and my girls wear snow pants. Now, others would say, "Shame on you! Pants on a woman defies Scripture." Others choose to wear pants that follow the Biblical standards of modesty. Still others use their Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Call me a hypocrite if you want, but no where in the Bible does it say that a woman must always wear skirts.

We apply principles from Scripture as the Holy Spirit leads each individual in order to arrive at a set of dress standards for ourselves and our families. But pants on a woman is NOT a doctrinal issue -- Modesty is. I did a Bible study with my ladies a few weeks ago about the Biblical Doctrine of modesty which I think I will share with you tomorrow. It will explain to you what the Bible ACTUALLY says about modesty. Have I piqued your curiosity? Come back tomorrow and give me a chance to explain.

How about the movies? For generations preachers have preached that going to the movie theater is sin. Is it sin or is it it a personal standard that the Holy Spirit may lead an individual to hold? And if one believes that going to the movies is wrong, then shouldn't that standard or reasoning apply to movie rentals or cable/satellite TV? I'm not saying whether you should or should not go to the movies or own a TV. What I am saying is that it is not a doctrinal issue (although, what you watch may be), but rather a personal standard that the Holy Spirit may lead an individual to have.

I could list one example after another, but the point I am trying to make is this...

Why are personal standards and preferences being taught as doctrine? Keith and I have standards that others would say are too conservative, while at the same time, we have others that some would consider too liberal. The truth is that I have never met two people who hold the same, exact standards. If preferences were a doctrinal issue, then I believe God would have made them abundantly clear in Scripture.

I wear slits in my skirts, but have the standard that they should go no higher than mid to lower calf. I have friends who believe that a skirt should have no slits. When I was a teenager, we had churches that would not fellowship with our church, because we had girls in our youth group that wore pants. Christians are so busy fussing and fighting among themselves over preferences that we can't see the forest for the trees.

1 Peter 2:1-3 could have been written to churches today. It says, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings..." This is the result of preaching preference instead of doctrine. The funny thing about preferences is that everyone thinks their standards are the most Biblical. And if they are doctrine, then everyone who disagrees is backslidden. Let's look at verses 2 and 3, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord (is) gracious."

I always thought this was talking about baby Christians. But take a look at where the comma is located... "as newborn babes" isn't referring to a level of spiritual maturity, but rather the manner in which we are commanded to desire the sincere milk of the word. Verse 2 is a command, "desire the sincere milk of the word." The Lord has shown me grace in so many ways, shouldn't I in turn show that grace to others?

I would like to make it clear that God's Word teaches separation. If someone propagates false DOCTRINE, we are to separate! But not for reasons of personal standards. I honestly believe that the reason we do not see true revival is because we have put the Holy Spirit out of a job, in a manner of speaking. We have become our brother's holy spirit and by our actions have shown God that we in our wisdom can do a better job at leading an individuals life than He.

The answer? "...Desire the SINCERE milk of the word..." Get back to basics. Preach the Word for what it is and what it says. PRAY for one another. I have learned (although, I still do not consistently practice) this truth... when I disagree with my husband on a matter of personal standards, I pray. Sometimes, God changes his heart and we are spared a rift in our relationship; but most often it is my heart that is changed. At times we agree to disagree, sometimes we compromise, and sometimes we concede to the other's standard.

Could you imagine what would happen if we could all get a hold of that truth? If only preacher's would simply preach the basic doctrines of God's Word! If they would teach their people to live Holy Spirit-filled lives, instead of turning out carbon copies who look to the man for direction instead of God -- I believe that we would see revival! Hypocrisy would be a rare occurrence and the Truth would bring unity to God's Church.

Seek God with an open heart. Don't be a fool and preach preference as doctrine. Seek out the Scriptures for guidances when setting standards and rules for your home. Make sure you know why you hold to the standards you have. And never expect others to come to the same conclusion.

One last example. A man once believed that it was sin for a Christian to go into a restaurant that sold alcohol. You see, that man was once an alcoholic and still battled temptation. For him it was right and wise to have the standard of not going into any establishment that sold alcohol. But for a man who has never tasted alcohol, the temptation to drink isn't an issue.

The Holy Spirit leads each of us to set standards to protect the spiritual state of ourselves and our families. What is a temptation to some may not be a problem for others. Also, the Holy Spirit leads each soul one step at a time to a Christ-like heart. Some change quickly, others one step at a time. So to judge someone by what the Holy Spirit has shown you is foolhardy.

Let's follow the Lord's admonishment in 1 Peter 2:1-3 "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord (is) gracious."

The Blessing of Single Servants

2011-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

With Valentines coming up next week, I'm sure most of you single gals are starting to get a little dreamy. From someone who really does know what it's like, I'd like to encourage you to put down that "romance" novel and consider the blessings of being a single servant.

This is an article I wrote last year on our old blog, "It's A Loveless World." It's mostly just my own testimony, but I hope it will be an encouragement to you. If your not single, I hope it will help you see things through the eyes of a single person.

The Blessing of Single Servants

Now, I know what all you single guys and gals are thinking... What does a couple of married people know about being single? Well, I would like to tell you our story. I turned 27 on April 28, 2003. A few weeks later in May, I arrived at the airport to meet up with the rest of the mission team I was joining. We were taking a month long trip to Quebec and Manitoba, Canada. There in the midst of the girls was a guy. Something about him struck me right away, maybe it was because he was the only guy in the group. My initial thoughts were "I wonder if this is why God wanted me on this trip?" Not too spiritual I know.

Let's back up a little. I was born into a Christian home. My dad entered the pastorate when I was seven. By the grace of God I was gloriously saved at a very young age, 5-yrs-old. You've heard it said that hind sight is 20/20. Well, looking back I can see that God was preparing me for a life in the ministry from the beginning. I knew it was in my heart as a teenager, but I put those thoughts on the back-burner and replaced them with my life's plan. My plan was to meet a handsome dark-haired man at the "mature" age of 18, then we would date until I was 20. After a year engagement, we would be married and after a few years of honeymoon we would start a family, maybe four or five kids. I figured he would probably be going into the ministry and that would solve my need to surrender myself. Well, 18 went by, then 19..., 21..., 24..., One day I woke up and found out I was almost 26 and life hadn't gone as planned. What happened next was a foolhardy thing to do and not something I am proud of.

Late one Saturday, in January 2003, I found myself at my whits end. I was empty inside, except for a nagging feeling that a relationship with God was what I was missing. You see, God never left me, but I had pushed Him out and replaced Him with shattered dreams and a broken heart. That night, I didn't sleep much. Finally, as morning dawned, I slipped out of bed and got on my knees. Mine was not a heart ready for prayer. With tears pouring down, I brazenly told God that He had my soul, but if He wanted the rest of me, HE would have to do something that day in church. If He didn't, then I would stop fighting and go on with my career, being just like most every other christian I knew, service on the outside, cold on the inside. NO feeling would be better than the conviction that was tearing me apart. When you get to that state of spirit, you are completely unaware that you are dangling over a precipice spiritually and God in His mercy is the only thing keeping you from falling. Oh, I could never lose my salvation, but as I have witnessed, a child of God who rebels to this level of a stiff-necked heart is most often taken home.

Let me say here that God is a merciful and gracious God. He wasn't willing to let me go. That morning in church a missionary arrived. Somehow there was a mix up in the schedule, and Dad wasn't expecting him until the next Sunday, but Dad had him preach anyway. Before he preached, I was scheduled to sing. And wouldn't you know it, the hymn I had chosen before this happened was, "I Wonder Have I Done My Best For Jesus." I could barely finish. After I left to hide in the restroom, my Mom met me. I told her that God wanted me, but I was so afraid that He was going to call me into missions alone. After I cried for a moment, I composed myself and went back to service.

That morning the missionary started his sermon by asking, "Do you really want to be like Christ?" Of course I'm sure most of the congregation would agree that we did. He went on to give example after example of what it meant to be like Christ. Christ was willing to leave His home, Christ was willing to be ridiculed and persecuted, Christ was willing to die so that men could be free. It was also during this sermon that he mentioned how we are so often willing to pray for God to send laborers into the field, but how many of us were willing to be the answer to that prayer?

Be careful what you ask God to do. When God does something, He does it well! When the invitation was given, I had already been broken. Yet, I still didn't understand. That is, until God showed me that the reason I couldn't give him my dreams was because I was saving my heart for someone that may not exist. That morning, I surrendered my broken dreams, my fears of serving alone, and finally, I gave God all my heart. It was then that God could show me that He was truly All I needed and that He wanted me to prepare for the mission field.

Now, I could truly understand the meaning of Psalm 37:4. We so often read it like this, "Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall "GRANT" thee the desires of thine heart." But, you see, It doesn't say "grant" it says "give." If I delight in the Lord, if He is the most important thing in my life, then He will place within me His desires and only then will He grant those desires. That day I fell in love with God.

Through a series of events, I found myself in that airport in May of 2003 wondering if the chubby guy (sorry, Honey) in the back was the reason I was there. After a month of serving together, we both knew that something was happening. Later, Keith told me that when he gave his church, (a very large church compared to what I was used to), a presentation of our trip, he showed my picture in his slide presentation. When it came up, he told Second Baptist Church of Festus, MO,"...and this is the girl I'm going to marry!" Faith or audacity?

To make a long story short... we spent the next few months courting on the telephone and by mail since I was in Ontario and Keith was in Missouri. We saw each other in June for a week, August for three days, then in October he came up for Canadian Thanksgiving. That is when Keith proposed to me. We got to spend Christmas together and that was it, until the day before our wedding. We were married April 2, 2004. Eleven months later we had our son, Jerry, then Jocelyn, then Kaylee, then deputation, and then ... well, that's up to God now. (Note: since I first wrote this post, God graciously led our family to minister in Kenora, Ontario at Victory Baptist Church.)

So, back to the beginning of this post. I was almost 28 when we got married and Keith was 35. We know very well what it is to be single and we pray that we will never forget. I know that many of you are single right now. Take it from two people who regret the wasted years, give your heart to God. Here are some things I wished I did:

1. Trusted my Heavenly Father to do what is best for me.

2. Stretched my wings and found fellowship with other singles of like faith and practice.

3. Served God while I had complete freedom to do so. -- Paul knew what he was talking about when he told single servants to be content. A single man can serve God and go anywhere without the burden of a family. A single gal can give her heart to God without thought of a husband or children. I do not regret being a wife and mother, just that I didn't give more of myself when I had more to give.

4. Finally, to spend my time becoming the person that a godly man would want to marry. I had dreams of a wonderful, surrendered servant of God, you know, the kind you find in books. But was I the kind of girl he would even consider? Are you the kind of person that the kind of person you would marry would want to marry? (Did that make sense?)

Don't let broken dreams and loneliness push God out of your heart. I didn't say life, because you can serve God without being controlled by Him. If God fills your heart, then there will be no room for loneliness. Find a place that needs you and give God all you've got. Do you realize how many small churches need a pianist, a music leader, someone to start a bus route, or someone to teach? Could you go? It takes a lot less to support one than five. If God blesses you with a spouse one day, then you will be far more prepared than I was. If you are already living a life of true contentment, then be faithful and don't let Satan wear you down.

For those of you who have never experience true singleness because you were blessed to be married young: Be careful how you treat these most valuable servants. Far too often, I felt like others didn't value me as a "real" adult. I felt incomplete. I know I'm not the only one, Keith also had these same thoughts. Single servants are taken for granted far too often. "They don't have a family, so let them do it." Or worse, they're ignored because everyone is busy with their own families.

Where would the Bible be without single men? Jesus was single. The only Apostle we know that had a wife for sure was Peter. Remember that Paul was single, would you give him the same honor if he was part of your church? Or would you think, "Who is he to give advice? He doesn't even have a family." Seriously, how many single adults are in your church? How many would be there if someone believed them to be a valuable part of the family?

If you are a woman, find time to invite a single lady over when your husband isn't around and just have some girl time. Ladies, encourage your husband to take the single guy out for coffee. Include these single servants with your family activities occasionally.

Single servant hood can be a wonderful thing. Don't waste it. God bless. Keep on a prayin'!

Making Bread with Josie

2011-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today was the day that Josie had her first lesson in bread-making.

She was so excited. Josie measured, mixed, and kneaded everything all by herself!

Josie felt so grown-up putting her smooth and elastic dough into the oven to rise.

All done!!!

Josie was a little disappointed that she wasn't old enough to use the electric knife, but quickly got over it when I let her cut the bread herself the old-fashioned way.

Doesn't that look good?!

Getting ready to take some to Daddy.

Daddy's make the best taste testers!

Ahhhhh! Josie enjoying the fruit of her labor.

The recipe we used was Amish White Bread from Allrecipes.com. This is a fool-proof, beginner's recipe. We used one-third whole-wheat flour and I added cheddar cheese to mine. This is a very versatile recipe.

Cursive First

2011-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our son, Jerry, is in kindergarten this year and is doing well in reading and math, but HATES penmanship. Jerry is a lot like his Momma when it comes to learning style. We learn best in a "hands-on" environment and not so much in a "you-listen-while-I-teach" environment. Jerry, like me, also does not like doing something he can't do well. The boy can scale from his loft bed, across his window ledge and onto his bookshelf like a panther, but has trouble making a straight line. So, printing isn't his strong suit.

One day a few weeks ago, he begged to learn cursive. I thought, "Why not research it?" Well, I found out that until the 30's and 40's children were taught cursive first and printing later. It also made sense to me that if a child naturally learns how to make circles and curvy lines first, cursive should be easier. After looking around I found a very affordable curriculum called "Cursive First".

We just started the curriculum last week and Jerry is excited. It takes a "hand-on" approach which appeals to a more tactile learner like Jerry. Before using a pencil, he first learns proper formation of his numerals and letters by making them in the air. For instance, the number eight -- "Begin at at 2 on the clock, go UP and OVER to 10, slide across to 4, curve down and around to 8 and finish by making a straight line back up to 2." As we say the steps, we make the number 8 in the air. Next we trace it on a picture of a clock with our finger. Then we get to use the salt box. Jerry loves the salt box!

Note: To make a salt box, take a shoe box or photo box. put the lid on the bottom of the box and trace around it. Next cut the box along the line you just made. Then glue black paper in the bottom. When the glue is dry, pour in the salt. You just need enough to cover the bottom. Now the child can make his letters in the salt while saying the steps.

Once Jerry can make the letter without saying the steps out loud, its time for paper. The curriculum is completely reproducible and so it can be used for all your children. It is also VERY affordable. "Cursive First" leaves out all the unnecessary and sometime overwhelming frills. The work sheets are only half page each. Which allows me to enlarge them for five-year-old hands.

For those of you who are trying to teach lefties, I also found out that cursive is easier for a left-handed student to learn than print.

"Cursive First" is only $20! It was designed to work along with a phonics/spelling based reading program called "Spell to Read and Write". I already have an excellent phonics program that was given to me so I'm just using "Cursive First." It would work well with any phonics-based program or on its own.

If you have taught your children cursive from the beginning, I would love to hear how it went. If you're interested in "Cursive First", just click here. I'll update you as Jerry progresses and let you all know how the program turns out.

A Time to Weep...

2011-01-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Romans 12:15

The first half of this verse is generally not that hard to do. We all enjoy a good laugh together. As a pastor's wife, I delight in rejoicing with my church family. However, there is a time to laugh and a time to weep.

It's a different thing altogether to weep with those who weep. Laughter does good, but weeping seems to bond people together. As a pastor's wife, there are times I need to weep. Today was one of those days.

God's Word says to "Bear ye one another's burdens." I never truly understood this until I became a pastor's wife. We serve a great God. He not only uses the mountaintops; but also, the valleys to draw a church together. This week, find someone in your church who is weeping and pray for them. Better yet, if you can, pray with them. Five minutes of prayer can make a life-time of difference.

You might even find that the other person will come away blessed too.

With God Nothing is impossible!!!!

2011-01-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those, "It IS possible" kinda days. First, our youngest, Kaylee, has decided this week that she is ready to be a big girl. I was beginning to think she would never do it. We started potty training a year ago, but with all the changes in our family, it was pretty much a bust. I tried EVERYTHING and what it boils down to is... when their ready, their ready. Anyhow, this morning while I was teaching Jerry, Josie came running downstairs saying excitedly, "Mommy, guess what Kaylee's doing!" Kaylee was playing with her big sister when she got that special feeling. So, without any help, she used the BIG potty and did number two!! Now if I can just teach her the value of getting wiped BEFORE putting her culottes back on!

Jerry is doing well in school and can read long vowel words that follow the silent "E" rule and the "When two vowels go out to play a game, the first one usually says its long name" rule. I love the look when he reads something all by himself. Its a whole new world!

Josie is also doing a little preschool and loves school. She interrupts her brother several times and can be found sneaking around the corner listening in on his lessons. She's learned the days of the weeks from eavesdropping. She's going to be fun next year. Josie has a fairly bad speech impediment which I'm afraid might hinder her reading skills since she can't hear the difference between certain sounds. I've learned a valuable lesson -- be careful what you name your child, because you don't know if they are going to have difficulty speaking. That's why Jocelyn insists on being called Josie, her given name is Jocelyn Louise Loveless, four "L"'s which come out as "y"'s when she says them! If any of you home school parents have dealt with this, I would love your advice on how to help her with it.

Overall, its been a great morning. Now to make lunch. After that, I have a bulletin board to decorate for our ladies' Bible study tonight. Have a great day and hold on to those glimmers of success. It IS possible!

Sermon Samples....

2011-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

"And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said,
Let us go up at once, and possess it:
for we are well able to overcome it."
Numbers 13:30

What has God asked you to conquer?

Are giants keeping you from claiming the victory?

Decide today to follow God wholly as Caleb did.

Now, go get your mountain!

Free Math Curriculum

2011-01-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Centre For Innovation in Mathematics Teaching

A friend of mine told me about this full math curriculum. It's from Great Britain. It can be used for homeschooling or in a classroom setting. It begins with kindergarten (reception is what they call it in the UK) and goes straight through Secondary School. I've been using it all week and Jerry loves it! I started him on the first level since he already knows his colors, shapes, and can count to two hundred. So, I started using the kindergarten level with Josie who's four.

This curriculum teaches not just math but also, critical thinking, problem solving, and mental math. If your child is bored to tears of drills and facts, you should take a look at this program. The only down-side is that some of the words used are a little different since it is from the UK. For instance, lorries instead of trucks.

The best thing is, it is entirely free. The lesson plans are made out for you and the flash cards and work sheets are available for printing. And some of the learning posters are in color. Other than a few simple, inexpensive items like counting sticks this program provides everything you need.

Jerry and Josie can't get enough, and if you knew our Jerry that's saying a lot! He's a very a active boy that needs to be challenged in order to keep his attention.

Just go to Centre For Innovation in Mathematics Teaching.

Well, I'm having trouble with Blogger tonight, so I think I will sign off. Let me know what you think about the curriculum. Good night.

Remember Lot's Wife

2011-01-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

The New Year always brings thoughts and visions of what God has for the future. But far too often, we are still so entangled in the past, that we are of no good to God in the present. God brought a simple verse to my mind and it led to the following Bible study that I shared with my ladies last week. As we face a new year, let us each take heed and:

"Remember Lot's wife."

Luke 17:28-33

Letting go of the past does not mean forgetting, but rather, it means releasing the past to God's Sovereignty in order to follow God's will for the future.

Introduction:

Genesis 19:15-26

Let's take a few moments to look at the challenges Lot's wife faced.

First of all, lets look at her situation:

She had a self-centered fool for a husband.
– Lot was more concerned with the luxuries of life than leading his family.
(Gen.13:10-13; Gen. 19:18-20)
– Lot cared more for position than protecting his family.
(Gen. 19:4-11)
-- Lot lingered when he should have led his family.
(Gen. 19:15,16)

We can see from this, that Lot wasn't much of a man to follow. (Just a thought: Maybe, it was his wife's nagging that led him to make the choices he made?) Regardless, God did not allow Lot's wife to use her husband as an excuse for disobeying His command to flee and not look back. Keep in mind that God does not command wives to submit to their husbands IF they are worthy of submission. (I Peter 3:1-5)

One thing that stands out to me as I read this passage in Genesis is found in verse 26. Where was Lot's wife? She was standing behind her husband. She followed reluctantly. She was not being the wife God created her to be. God created the wife to be a help meet for her husband.

Webster's 1828 dictionary defines “meet” as “fit, suitable, proper, qualified, convenient, adapted, as to a use or purpose." A wife is to complete her husband not the other way around. This may sound feminist, but God did not create woman to stand behind her husband, following like a sullen slave or a mindless idiot. Rather, God created the wife to submit herself to her husband's authority and to follow his lead while walking by his side. God has given us different responsibilities and varying levels of authority, but he created us equal in worth.

Lot's wife was not a submissive wife. She was too wrapped up in what lay behind, to go with her husband to a new life. God was giving them another chance to serve Him. Could it be that a little godly encouragement may have helped Lot to make a better choice?

Now, let's look at what Lot's wife was leaving behind....

She had daughters, sons-in-law, perhaps grand-children, a home, friends, position, and wealth behind her.
– How many of us would be willing to leave all that in order to follow God's command?

It is also my guess that she had not been a godly mother. Lot and his wife raised their daughters to serve the flesh and in doing so were loosing them to God's judgment. As a woman and a mother, I'm sure she was overwhelmed with thoughts of fear, loss, blame, and guilt. Questions of “What if...”, “How could he....” or “If only...” where most likely tearing at her, pulling on her heart-strings to take just one last look at what might have been.

What kind of questions would you be asking if you were standing there in the gates of Zoar and behind you lay everything dear to you? What do you think was going through her mind?

“Remember Lot's wife”

How does this apply to us? It's simple. What lies behind you? We all have things in our past that we just can't seem to let go of. And for the most part the memories we hang on to the tightest are not pleasant ones.

Sin.
Bad decisions.
Tragedy.
Loss.
Failed relationships.

“Remember Lot's wife”

Satan wants you to fail, he wants your family to fail, he wants your church to fail. Satan is the biggest failure of all time. Even when he succeeds in getting a person to sin against God, he fails because, God uses ALL THINGS for good (Romans 8:28). Satan cannot keep God from succeeding. And so, he attempts to make God's people fail. If he can keep you in the past, he can destroy your future, making your life a failure.

Many things keep us from relinquishing those things that lie behind us:

Fear -- The past becomes a wall to protect us from more pain.
A lack of forgiveness becomes a shield against our enemies and sometimes ourselves.
Doubt makes us question God's wisdom in allowing things to unfold the way they did which in turns makes us question His ability to take care of our future
The sense of a loss of control, as women, we crave control. Don't deny it.

Maybe it's something else. What it all boils down to is this:

We don't want to admit that God is Sovereign and He was/is there during the good, the bad, and the ugly. God wrote each of our stories before we were born weaving in our own choices, our own strengths, and our own weaknesses. Not only ours, but also, those of each and every person that makes up our individual worlds.

We don't want to truly admit that God is indeed Sovereign because then we are faced with another dilemma. We now have to admit that “God is still God without me, but I am nothing without God.” Am I willing to trust that God will work it all together for His glory? Let us not forget why we were created. We do not exist for any purpose other than to bring pleasure to God (Rev. 4:11) Humbling isn't it?

“Remember Lot's wife.”

God does not ask us to forget the past, but rather to trust Him with it. Let your past, be just that – the past, a bunch of facts and memories that are a necessary part of who you were created to be.

God is omnipresent, He lives in the past as well as the present and future. That is Who He is. We are His creation, we are meant to live in God's will TODAY, so that we will be able to live in His will tomorrow.

God will use our lives, whether or not we live for Him. Do we want to be remembered like Lot's wife? God used her failure to unfold history. Her surviving daughters had sons who became great and wicked nations. Yet, Christ's very own lineage came from one of these nations, Moab. Would these boys have been born if Lot's wife stood by her man and obeyed God? God uses our sin as well as our surrender.

Whether we like it or not, God is in control. The question is: How do I want to be used? I for one do not want to be remembered like Lot's wife.

Accept your past for what it is and let God use it for His glory. You cannot change it and you cannot forget it, but you can accept it (Philippians 4:13). Don't be guilty of looking back. Don't live in the past!

And never forget Lot's wife!

Chef Jerry

2010-12-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

This morning, Jerry made the family breakfast all by himself. Frozen cinnamon waffles were on the menu. He toasted and buttered each waffle by himself, turning them half-way to make sure they were toasted evenly. He was such a big boy, he even had a cup of coffee. Well, actually, it was half a cup of hot chocolate with some coffee added. But he felt quite grown-up. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that we brought him home from the hospital. Time flies!

Looking at these pictures, I'm reminded that somebody needs a haircut. Well, I'd better get busy.

Take the time to enjoy a child today and make him feel special.

Kids say the... Well, kids say whatever comes to mind!

2010-12-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

This morning while I was making pancakes, an argument started in the other room. I waited until the voices escalated to a certain pitch before stepping in. This was a very serious discussion.

Get ready for it....

Jerry and Jocelyn were trying to decide whether or not God had boogers. Yep, you read it right! Jerry was very adamant that God most certainly does NOT have boogers up in Heaven, besides, "Satan deserves all of the boogers in the whole world in his nose, doesn't he, Mom?"

We finally settled by deciding that this was not the most appropriate thing to be arguing about.

Kids!? Well, at least they're honest, except when it comes to missing candy bars, of course!

Have a good day.

Amazing!!!

2010-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day! Well, I just had to share this You Tube link. I guess this happened in a mall in Welland Ontario last month. I wish I could have seen it in person. Check it out:

There is Still Peace on Earth!

2010-12-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been awhile. First there was starting homeschooling for the first time and then God blessed our church with our very own building! Mercy! Just when I thought life couldn't possible get any busier, we moved. Our church allowed us to move into one side of the building. This has been a blessing to us and to the church.

Our building is located on the edge of town. We have five acres surrounded by forest. What a view! Our foyer has a beautiful, big bay window. This picture was taken two weeks ago while the kids were watching to see if anyone would be able to come to church after the snow storm we had the night before.

They look so peaceful. We've all heard, "a picture is worth a thousand words." When I look at this picture I forget about how crazy that morning had been. It had been snowing since Thursday and the city forgot about plowing our little road. About another eight inches had fallen during the night and Keith had been shoveling snow for three days. (Praise the Lord, we now have a snow blower!) It was our Missions Sunday and we weren't sure if we were even going to be able to have service. Needless to say, Keith was tired and sore and I was getting a little frustrated with the situation. Then I came downstairs to see this. All three children sitting quietly AT THE SAME TIME watching the snow fall.

How often do we get caught up in the little details of life and forget to take time to see the beauty God has put right in front of our eyes? God knows how crazy our days can be. Christ experienced the weakness of humanity. And so, God places around us reminders of His love and care. Visual lessons to bring us back to a place of peace. If only we would take the time to look. God wants you to see Him today; to feel the warmth of His love.

Christmas is a crazy time. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. And instead of a reminder of God's love and forgiveness, snow becomes a cold, wet nuisance. Take the time to see the beauty of the season today. Remember... We may not have world peace, but we can have peace in the world.

Date Night Deal

2010-09-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Last night was our date night. Most Friday nights the kids go to bed and we have dinner together and watch a movie. Nothing special, but its our night. Last night, Keith treated me to pizza, the real thing, not the kind I make at home. This pizza came from Domino's. Anyhow, we knew we were being a little indulgent, but everyone needs to splurge once in a while, right?! I ordered the pizza online and Keith went to pick it up in town. When he arrived there was no pizza. The employee at the counter discovered that someone had given our order to the wrong person. All we ordered was two medium, two-topping pizzas and we ended up with the pizzas, an order of cheesy bread, and a 2 liter Coke -- all for FREE!!!

Isn't it nice when God blesses you in this way? This has been a good week, Sunday, someone gave us $50 in answer to our prayer. We were able to buy Jerry a pair of church shoes and a pair of running shoes that he needed very badly. God is good. How has God blessed you this week?

I'm Still Here...

2010-09-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

"Hello" to everyone out in blog land. I'm sorry, I haven't been writing as faithfully as I would like. Life in the ministry is wonderful, but busy! On top of that, I just started homeschooling yesterday. I can't believe my oldest, Jerry, is now ready for kindergarten! Our middle one, Josie, is also doing some school with her brother. Kaylee follows along as best as an almost three-year-old can with an A-G-I-O-M and 1-3-2 and cirlces go round and round and round. God has blessed us with a wonderful learning to read program called "Talk-and-Play." Jerry has spent yesterday and today reviewing the sounds of the alphabet tomorrow, he is looking forward to start learning to read.

My, how they grow up fast! Jerry has already learned how to read three-letter words on his own and is determined to read the Bible by himself. Since he received Christ as his Saviour in June, he has been frustrated that he can't read the Bible on his own.

Anyhow, I have to put an update on our family blog, It's a Loveless World. Next, I have to fold the laundry and get clothes ready for church tonight. I just wanted you to know that I am still alive. Unfortunately, blogging has taken a back-seat to other priorities right now. God bless.

"...I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." (Psalm 101:2)

2010-08-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

In the movies, when the producer wants the viewer to notice a specific phrase or date, he often blurs out everything around those words so that they stand out above the rest. That's how tonight's sermon was for me. All I heard all night was, "... I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."

Maybe I'm the only hypocrite in the church, but how often do we act one way outside the home and another in front of our family? "But..." (there's that word again.) "But..." I think to myself, "home is the only place I can truly be myself." Ya, sure, at times my true self shows herself in front of others, but not like it does at home. I guess what is most disturbing is what my "true" self is really like.

I don't know about you, ladies, but when I get home from church the first thing I want to do is to change into something a little less restricting. I wouldn't be caught putting the dog out in my comfy clothes, but in the house, its okay to let loose a little. After all, it's home. The sad thing is that this world has filtered its way into my thinking and I now do the same thing spiritually. I get home and put off the "new man" that has to work so hard at being good. The new man is so restricting, and I end up putting on the comfortable "old me." Oh, I wouldn't want to be caught in church wearing the "old man", but in the house, well, after all, it's home.

What would happen to my family if I kept on the "new man" all the time? Of course, it's not always comfortable, but what a difference it would make. Next time, I feel the need to "unload" I might remember that God tells me to cast my cares on Him, not on my husband or children. When I'm tired and at the point of breaking, I would be reminded that God's strength is made perfect in my weakness. When I'm angry because the kids put their fingers in the pie I just made for company and got it on their clothes, or my hubby isn't as attentive as I think he should be or unintentionally hurt my feelings, I would remember what the Lord told Jonah "Doest thou well to be angry?" When I'm convinced that the kids will never obey me, instead of losing it in a fit of frustration, I would remember that they are actually disobeying God NOT me. I would trust God to give me wisdom and patience to raise them for His glory not my own and trust Him with the results.

Most -- no scratch that -- EVERY time "I lose it" I'm wearing the comfy "old man." I lose my God-given inhibitions and I give into the desire to vent. The idea that we have to vent our feelings or we'll explode came from the world. It reminds me of a time when Mom was having a bad day and Dad picked up the Pepsi bottle and said, "Hey, Shell, you're like this bottle. It's says 'Warning! Contents under pressure.' I wonder, if I shake you, will you explode too?" God promised us that He will never put us in a position of temptation that we cannot handle. The problem is that instead of wearing my armor, I'm wearing my comfy, unrestrictive, old man.

The first part of Psalm 101:2 says, "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way..." At times, we have to walk "in a perfect way" even when we don't feel "perfect." However, if I put off the "old man" and wear the armor God has given me then I will begin to"...walk within my house with a perfect heart."

If you study the rest of Psalm 101, you will find practical ways to help in putting off the old man. Such as, verse 3, "I will set no wicked thing before my eye..." How often do I think, "I'm so tired and frustrated I just need to sit down and unwind in front a good DVD." Is there anything wrong with watching an episode of "Green Acres" with my hubby? No! But the problem is, I put that before my eyes rather than God's Word to unwind. Maybe, if I had spent some quality time with God today, I wouldn't have felt so comfortable in the "old man" and I wouldn't feel the need to unwind so often. Then, I would be able to truly enjoy spending time with my husband and the folks of Hooterville (the hick town on "Green Acres" for those who've never seen it.) instead of staring blankly at a screen until I fall asleep leaving my hubby to keep himself company.

With God's help, I am going to put off the old man and live tomorrow dressed properly in the armor God has given me.

Forgive me for making one more comparison, but...

Most of the time my clothing is uncomfortable due to the fact that there is too much of me in it. And whenever my Christian armor gets uncomfortable, it's because I'm being selfish and I have too much of me in it. It's time to go on a diet spiritually and live for God and my family. Maybe, in time, my armor won't be so uncomfortable after all!

A little history lesson...

2010-08-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about the origin of different signs and symbols we use? I'm not one to take another's pet traditions as truth, so I like to research things from both the Christian and non-Christian point of view. For instance, the peace symbol.

I've always been told that the inverted cross was a satanic symbol. And yet, I'm seeing more and more Christian young people sporting it. So, today, I decided to do a little search. I found several different explanations available. So, after reading several of them, I decided to take a look at the oldest available mention.

The oldest use of the "Peace" symbol dates back to the early Christian era. It did indeed mean peace, but it didn't stop there. You see, Nero, used it to symbolize world peace without Christianity. Tradition states that Peter was crucified upside down. Although we don't know this for certain, we do know that even today, the upside down cross is used to symbolize opposition to Christ, Who, as we know, was crucified on a Roman cross. The circle is used in Satanic religions to mean that something is complete. Nero used this symbol to show his intentions to eradicate Christianity and, therefore, to bring world peace.

That said, we need to remember, that most Christians today are not aware of the history of the peace symbol. They wear it as a statement of true peace, the peace that only God can bring to a troubled soul. It is not for us to correct every well-meaning person that walks into our churches. I personally, will never wear a peace symbol, but I will not dictate the lives of others.

I simply thought it was interesting to see the uses of the peace symbol throughout history. Do your own search and see what you come up with. Don't take the word of tradition. God's Word says to "study to show thyself approved..." If its not black-and-white in Scripture (you know, "Thou shalt not...") be careful that your not following the traditions of men. Never take a stand until you know why you're standing and can back it up.

Updates and Prayer Requests...

2010-08-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I haven't been on here much lately. You can catch up on a bit of the Loveless News on our family blog "It's A Loveless World." Life just keeps on getting busier and busier and its almost time to start homeschool! Here in Ontario school starts the day after Labour Day. Have a good day!

LET GO AND LET GOD!!!

2010-08-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we, humans, tend to blame our faults on everyone else? And often the one we blame is God. "Why did God allow this to happen?" "What is God doing?" "God could have stopped it." "God has already forgiven me, so why is this happening?"

Seriously, isn't it about time that we took responsibility for ourselves? When we stand before God He isn't going to say "Why did you do such-and-such?" Frankly, He already knows why we do what we do. He is simply going to reward us according to the things we did, regardless of the "reasons."

Our four-year-old daughter is forever telling her older brother to do the things she knows are not allowed. She figures this way, he'll get into trouble and she'll get away with it. Well, when Jerry is being corrected for something he did, he often uses the excuse, "But, Josie told me to do it." As if that alone justifies him. Of course, we tell him in no uncertain terms that he isn't being punished for what his sister said, but for his decision to disobey our rules.

I HATE the word "but." Have you ever tried to justify your actions without using that word? All of a sudden its not so easy to blame others. "But, I ..." These are Jerry's favorite words. Take away the word "but" and your left with "I..." All of a sudden the blame switches from a reaction to a choice.

All of us have made decisions in our past that we regret. Some before we were saved and some after salvation. We cannot change the past. God in His mercy has promised forgiveness in I John 1:9. Yet, forgiveness does not mean that there will be no consequences.

In the story of the rich man who forgave the poor man's debt, the forgiveness did not remove the debt. You see there was still a sum of money that was lost to the rich man. Sometimes others pay the price for our sin and sometimes we still bear the scars.

When this happens we need to first SEEK and ACCEPT God's forgiveness. Then we need to seek the forgiveness of those who face the consequences of what we've done. Finally, we need to forgive ourselves. I posted an article on forgiveness the other day which said,

"Forgiveness is an act of the will in which a person relinquishes any "right" to get even with an offender. It does not necessarily have anything to do with "feeling" that the person has been forgiven. Again, it is an act of the will, relinquishing the "right" to "get even."

This applies to our own selves as well as to others. Most often we refuse to relinquish the right to "make things right" (to get even) with ourselves. We re-hash what is already done and cannot be changed. If we are to have victory over the past, we must let God make things right. God promises to work ALL things together for our good and His glory. "Let go and let God" is what my father always says. Letting go means "I no longer seek to control the outcome of what I have done."

Christians live defeated lives because we choose it... not because it was chosen for us. My mother was abused as a child and because of this, she has struggled with a mistrust of others. One thing I have always admired about her is that she never used this as an excuse for her own choices. Yes, humanly speaking, her past has affected her judgement, but she knows that God has given her the choice and she is responsible, not for what others have done to her, but for what she chooses to do to others.

She taught us that bad things happen because people choose to sin against God and most of the time innocent people get caught up in the struggle. Each of us has a responsibility to allow God to use those circumstances for His glory and not as an excuse to sin against Him. Statistics say that if one is abused, they are more likely to abuse others. My mother has proven that this is a choice and not a fact.

It is time to face up to our choices and leave "But" out of it. Once we have chosen to accept God's forgiveness, forgiven those who have wronged us, and sought the forgiveness of those we hurt, we MUST forgive ourselves -- "Relinquish the right to "get even."

Have you been holding onto guilt? Have you been using unforgiveness as a safe-guard against pain? Do you keep re-visiting the past and taking hold of your "right" to control the outcome?

Claim victory today, and let God show His strength in your weakness. ---

LET GO AND LET GOD!!!

Is Forgiving Forgetting? by Wendell E. Miller

2010-08-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

IS FORGIVING FORGETTING?

What should a Christian do if he has forgiven someone
but cannot forget the offense?

byWendell E. Miller

Q. A former friend hurt me deeply, and I have tried to forgive and forget. I have asked God to help me to forgive, but I have not been able to forget. Does this mean I have not forgiven? How will I know if I have forgiven?

A. Many Christians believe that forgetting is an inseparable part of forgiving.

Quite possibly, this idea comes from the fact that God forgets our sins. The Scriptures say that God will remember our sins no more (Heb. 8:12). To "remember" or "not to remember" in Scripture refers to remembering or not remembering in blessing, or remembering or not remembering in vengeance.

The thief on the cross wanted to be "remembered" when Jesus came into his kingdom (Luke 23:42). His request was like that of a person in our day who wants to be "remembered" in a wealthy person's will, not merely by being thought about, but by being included among those who obtain financial benefits from the deceased. So, when we think about it, the biblical meanings of "remember" and "remember no more" are not so strange to our culture.

Further, God knows everything; so He cannot forget anything; or He would not know everything. In contrast, we know very little, and many things may slip our memory; but we do not have the power to forget. If we try to forget, the act of trying to forget will impress the facts even more firmly in our memories.

There are two prerequisites for knowing that you have forgiven: first, you must understand forgiveness (what the Bible says about forgiveness), and second, you must have forgiven (been obedient to God's commands regarding forgiveness).

Forgiveness is an act of the will in which a person relinquishes any "right" to get even with an offender. It does not necessarily have anything to do with "feeling" that the person has been forgiven. Again, it is an act of the will, relinquishing the "right" to "get even."

If another person asks to be forgiven, then, in saying, "Yes, I forgive you," all rights to "get even," or even to remind the offender of his previous offense, or to talk to others about it, are relinquished, unless talking about it is an act of love.*

Even if the offender does not ask for forgiveness, God's command is to forgive (Mark 11:25). This means praying and relinquishing to God, the "right" to "get even." Actually, we have no "right" to "get even." God reserves to Himself the right to settle all accounts (Rom. 12:19).

As an example of forgiveness, imagine that I owed you a sum of money, and you came to me to be paid. I gave you a long hard-luck story; and you sat quietly, not believing my story. Then I asked you to forgive me the debt. You thought to yourself, He will never pay me; so I will not lose anything by saying that I forgive him the debt. So begrudgingly you said, "Yes, I forgive you the debt." As you left theoffice, you got very angry at yourself for saying that you would forgive the debt. In a few days you decided to try again to get me to pay you. So you came in and asked to be paid. Then I said, "I do not owe you any money."

You had relinquished all rights to collect the debt by your act of forgiveness. You had not wanted to forgive the debt, you had not forgotten the debt, and you were angry at yourself because you forgave it. But you had forgiven it. You knew that you had forgiven it because we had made a verbal contract that I no longer owed you the money. I had asked to be forgiven, and you had granted forgiveness.

Notice in the example that your "feelings" did not agree with your verbal agreement to forgive. You may feel like you have forgiven immediately after forgiving, or it may be quite some time until you "feel like" you have forgiven. Forgiveness is an act of the will. It is a contract. Feelings may or may not change at the time that you forgive.

Another misconception about forgiving is that "feeling like forgiving" is a prerequisite for forgiving. Forgiving is an act of the will, a contract, that is volitional. You can forgive because God commands it; or you can refuse to be obedient to God's command; but there is no requirement for "feeling like" forgiving or for "wanting to."

There are at least six good reasons for forgiving, and none of these includes "feeling like it" or "wanting to." First, God commands forgiveness when asked (Matt. 18:22) and even whenever the offense is remembered (Mark 11:25); second, God proclaims that He is the One who has a right to "get even" and promises that He will "square all accounts" (Rom. 12:19); third, refusing to be obedient to God's command to forgive results in a breakdown in fellowship with God (Matt. 6:15); fourth, God has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32), and we are commanded to follow His example and forgive others; fifth, we have offended a holy God more, and He has forgiven us more, than others could offend us (Matt. 18:23-33); and finally, there is the danger of chastisement (Heb. 12:6) if we will not forgive others (Matt. 18:34,35).

However, if there were only one reason to forgive others--the command of God (Mark 11:25)--then forgiveness should be done as an act of obedience, and "feeling like it" would not be necessary.

Jesus did not "feel like" going to the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, His feelings were screaming, "No! I cannot do it" (Luke 22:44). He was sorrowful (Matt. 26:37,38). He prayed that He would be able to avoid the cross (Mark 14:35). Then, in spite of His feelings, as an act of the will, He committed Himself to the will of the Father (Mark 14:36), and He endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12:2). His determination to do the Father's will and to suffer and die as the Sin-Bearer kept Him on the cross, when legions of angels would have rescued Him (Matt. 26:53).

Where then do we get the idea that God is more pleased by obedience when we "feel like it" and when obedience is easy than when we do not feel like it and obedience is hard? Who loves most: he who does for another what is easy, or he who does for another what is hard?

Clearly, being obedient to God by forgiving another is no more dependent upon "feeling like it" than the obedience of Jesus in going to the cross when He did not "feel like it." In this, too, He is our example.

The feeling of anger toward a forgiven person may, or may not, subside immediately upon forgiving the offender. Also, the feeling of anger may come back to a lesser degree from time to time; but eventually, the fact of forgiveness overcomes the fact of the offense, and the memory of the offense loses its power to cause negative feelings.

But be sure that you have prayed, turning the penalty of the offense over to God. Sometimes Christians only pray, asking God to help them forgive. He may honor this kind of prayer; but His command is to forgive. So be obedient and pray, relinquishing all "rights" to "get even."

If the angry feelings do not subside, or if they come back from time to time, pray, telling God that you have been obedient to his command to forgive, that in obedience you have turned the offense over to him, that He has promised to square all accounts, and that you know that He will square all accounts. Then ask him to change your feelings toward the offender in His good time.

While you are waiting for God to change your feelings toward the offender, obey another of God's commands; and it is likely that He will change your feelings toward the offender as you are obedient to this additional command.

He has commanded that you love your enemy (Luke 6:27,28). This Scripture passage does not mean that you must "feel good" toward your enemy (the one who has offended you). Instead it means that, as an act, or acts, of the will, you dedicate yourself to doing good for him, without regard to how badly you "feel" toward him.

Jesus gives three ways to love your enemy. The first way to love your enemy is to do good things for him. That is, to do good and helpful things for him or to provide good or necessary things for him. The second way to love your enemy is to "bless him." "Blessing him" means complimenting him or saying good things about him to others. Be careful that your compliments and what you say about him to others is truth and not flattery. The third way to love your enemy is to pray for him. Pray for God's will to be worked out in his life. Pray for his good, not for God to change him according to your desires.

There may be situations where it is inappropriate or impossible to do good things for an enemy, but it is always possible to pray for an enemy as long as he lives.

Do not let your feelings control you. Instead, be obedient to God's command to forgive. Be obedient to God's command to love your enemy. Leave the feelings to God. You may be surprised how quickly He will change your feelings toward the offender. But if He does not choose to change your feelings as soon as you would like, you can still be obedient to His commands, and he will be pleased with your obedience.

*Editorial Note: Neither vertical forgiveness (releasing the penalty of the offense to God through prayer--Mark 11:25) nor horizontal forgiveness (releasing the offense to a repentant offender--Luke 17:3-4) require that the offended person act as if he has forgotten, if love demands otherwise. For a detailed study of all six kinds of forgiveness, see Forgiveness: The Power and the Puzzles by Wendell E. Miller.

May be reprinted and distributed in quantities if distributed free or at cost, and if
copyright, download, and permission information is included.

Joshua -- The God of Moses

2010-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Bro. Will Fehr started teaching the Adult/Youth Sunday School class this past Sunday. He is taking us on a journey through the book of Joshua. One verse really stood out to me.

Joshua 1:5b, "... as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Although this was spoken to Joshua, it is a promise that can be applied to each of us as well. Imagine, the same God that parted the Red Sea, Who turned the heart of a heathen king, Who freed an entire nation without a war... that same God is my God!

How often do we in our modern time wish that we could see the same miracles, revivals, and faith of days gone by? Think about it... we CAN! God has not changed. The problem is that we have. Let's get back to the days of Joshua. Joshua 24:15 is our family verse...

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua was told that he had the same God as Moses. Then Joshua tells the people that they can choose to either serve God or they can choose to serve the gods of their fathers or those who live around them. The One, True God hasn't changed and neither has the other gods of this world. Which do you serve today?

God's Love in a Loveless World

2010-07-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

I took this picture last year. The heart shaped hole in the cloud reminded me of God's love. This past week, we had our annual Tent Revival. Bro. Jacob Giesbrecht preached about Jesus. One of his sermons was on God's love. He said something that I never really heard put that way before. He said, "Let God love you." Think about that, "LET God love you." God's love is not something we earn, it isn't something we deserve, it is something we receive. God love is a gift which He has purchased, proven, and provided. All we need to do is receive it.

What is stopping you from receiving God's love? It doesn't matter if you deserve it... "There is none righteous..." It doesn't matter if you feel you've done enough to earn it... it is "not of works." Let God love you. He doesn't need love because He IS Love, God has chosen to love you, simply because He wants to.

The first time Keith actually spoke directly to me, we were doing yard work for a missionary and he ambled over to where I was working. He said these words, "Have you ever wondered why God would love you?" Not a very smooth pickup line, I know! But I appreciated what he was saying. You see there is NO good reason for a Holy, Righteous Creator to love a sinful, ungrateful man or woman. Yet He does because He is. GOD IS LOVE.

The other thing Bro. Giesbrecht reminded us was that God's love is sufficient. Even if no one else loved you, you can be satisfied knowing that God does! God loves you! Remember that when you are bogged down with laundry, dishes, and cooking for what seems like an ungrateful bunch. If you are without a husband, remember God will be your husband, He loves you. God's love never changes because He never changes. Nothing you do, no circumstances, no emotional baggage, no lack of human love will change the fact that God loves you. He loves you whether or not you accept His love.

So, I'll repeat Bro. Giesbrecht's admonition...

LET GOD LOVE YOU!!!

Bargains, Bargains, Bargains

2010-07-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I answered an ad on Kenora's Swap Shop for a piano. A lady around the corner from us was giving away her beautiful piano! So, I took our neighbor, Jessica, a teenage girl from church, to check it out. She played it and it sounded wonderful. The lady told me that she had many people interested, but no one could move the piano. Well, I thought, we have some strong young men in the church who would love to help out the pastor get a free piano for his lovely wife.

Well, it ended up taking six men, three young and three "over thirty", about two hours to move this piano about a block and a half. My husband told me that I owe them each five dozen cookies, because that piano wasn't free, he said. It cost six men their backs! It is a 110 year old piano in very good shape. Now, I just need to learn how to play it!

Another bargain I was able to get for our kids was a free swing set! They have had hours and hours of fun on it. The family had just moved in and needed room for their own swing set. My husband and some of the same men who got my piano took it down and moved it the same day. The next Sunday, my husband publicly threatened to limit my internet privileges. Oh well, I still keep my eyes open for freebies.

Today, I persuaded Keith to take me to some garage sales where I purchased, an almost new snow suit, 2 t-shirts, and 2 undershirts for Josie; a dress shirt for Jerry, 15 books, assorted hair accessories, and a child's tape recorder -- ALL For $11.00!!!!

I've had a great couple of weeks!!!

2010-07-21T08:41:00.001-07:00

Hello, again. Keith and Bro. Keith went to the bank this morning to see about financing for the property I mentioned yesterday. Because it is undeveloped land, the bank will only loan the church $25,000. We are praying that the Lord will provide another $25,000 which will allow us to make a bid of $50,000. Please make this a matter of urgent prayer.

First, that God will provide the finances we need

Second, that our bid will be accepted

Finally, that the owners would not choose to reclaim the land before the deal is final.

Thank you for joining with us in prayer. We have faith that God will give us the perfect place to build in His perfect timing. It is our prayer that this will be that place & time.

Urgent Prayer Request

2010-07-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Victory Baptist Church in Kenora, Ontario. As some of you may know, we have been meeting in rented facilities for thirteen years. A piece of property has become available and we hope to put in a bid this week. It is just outside of town in the unorganized township of Pellat. Because it is unorganized, we would be able to build a church without the hassle of re-zoning, something the City of Kenora is unfavourable to. It is 35.95 acres and the asking price is $55,000. We are asking everone to pray that our Heavenly Father would blind the eyes of other interested parties and that our bid would be accepted. Also, the current owners have so such time to pay their debt before it would be finalized. We as a church have been praying diligently for a permanent place for the church to meet. The things God could do with a piece of property this size is astounding! The realtors are hoping to open for bids tomorrow or at the latest later his week. Lord willing, this is an answer to our prayers. Thank you for joining with us, "where two or three are gathered" God can do great things.

Another $5 Amazon Gift Card!!!

2010-07-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

I just completed another Survey from Swagbucks Trusted Surveys and earned 250 Swagbucks!!! (which BTW was listed as only an 8% chance of qualifying!) In just two surveys in three days, I've won enough Swagbucks for a $5 gift card for Amazon.ca. That's not including what I received from my regular internet searches, Swag codes, referrals, and misc. other Swagbucks. If you want to give it a try. I'm serious, you won't regret it!!! Just click on the banner above. At this rate, I will be able to get my Hunny Bunny the Gary Cooper Signature collection of DVDs which include his favorite movie, "Sargent York."

Free Amazon Gift Cards in Canada, the US, and the UK!!!

2010-07-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

If you use Swagbucks for your search engine, I highly recommend signing up for the Swagbucks Trusted Surveys. Last week, I earned 100 Swagbucks for one survey. Last night, I saw a survey on my dashboard that said I only had a 25% chance of qualifying. I figured since I didn't have anything better to do with Keith being away, I tried it anyway. I did qualify and I earned 225 Swagbucks, that's halfway to a $5 giftcard to Amazon.com, .ca, or .uk. Even if you never qualify, you will earn points for completing your profile surveys. Also, you will automatically earn one Swagbuck each day you visit your Trusted Survey dashboard. Its definitely worth it!

If you still haven't signed up for Swagbucks, what keeping you? I speak from four months experience, its free and easy to use. I have earned $35 in Amazon.ca gift cards and am 3/4 of the way to another one. If you search the internet, why aren't you earning free gift cards for it? Just click on the graphic below and sign up today! There are still just over five months until Christmas, you could easily earn enough Amazon gift cards to buy someone a Christmas present for free. Think about it, you want have to spend money on cousin Fred!

What makes a man?

2010-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I was trying to help my husband find some good material on Biblical Manhood online. What I found disgusted me. First of all, I'd like to know where all the King James Bible believers are. Everything I found in my searches used a plethora of "Bible" versions. Some of what they had to say was good, but how can they teach on Manhood when they don't have the stamina to stand on God's Word?

Secondly, several of the sites used pictures of half dressed men and woman. On one blog about Biblical Manhood, the graphic they used was of a Greek goddess with half her breast exposed and a "Hercules" type man. One had an advertisement in the corner of a scantily clad woman saying something like, "I'm looking for a man like you." It was an ad for a "christian" online dating service.

IF you can find something more sound, it often portrays a "He-man", Dictatorship type of manhood. No wonder our boys are growing up to be confused men. Biblical manhood is NOT just being the head of the home, working schedule hours then resting while the wife continues to serve and work until she goes to bed.

I never realized how blessed I am to have a husband who is man enough to help me with my responsibilities. My husband does dishes, he will throw in a load (however ill-sorted or over-sized) in the washer for me, he even cooks on occasion for the two of us. He says, "I love you" and says it often. He is man enough to spend time with our children reading books, singing out of tune songs, and hugging them. He is man enough to take a stand on God's Word and preach without compromise. I thank God for giving me a true man.

One thing I did read this morning that was good was this... "Others may not consider (him) a man's man, but (he) will be God's man."

David was considered a man after God's own heart. Did his sexual conquests make him that? NO! Did his wealth make him that? No, Christ was poor and yet He is the ultimate example of manhood. Did his quivers full of children make him that? No, he was considered a man after God's own heart before he ever married. Was it his great power and position of authority? Not likely!

What made David God's man? He was man enough to put his faith in God. He was man enough to know that he wasn't man enough without God's help. He was man enough to know his weaknesses. He was man enough to seek forgiveness. He was man enough to forgive. He was man enough to fear an Almighty God. He was man enough to serve. He was man enough to take a stand when it was unpopular. He was man enough to value God more than his own life. He was man enough to cry. He was man enough to love. He was man enough to grieve. He was man enough to PRAY. He was man enough to hide God's Word in his heart... Do I need to go on?

As for finding good, KJV Bible study material on manhood online... I guess we'll just have to write some ourselves.

If you have a husband who is striving to be a man of God, thank God today for him. He is indeed a rare treasure. Encourage him. Do what you can to make his job easier. Thank him!

If you're harboring bitterness because your husband or son doesn't measure up, take it to the Lord. Only God can change the heart of a man. None of our men are perfect, just as David wasn't perfect. Let's be careful that our pride hasn't convince us that we deserved someone better. Ask yourself this, "Am I the woman God wants me to be?" Then focus on that answer and strive to be a woman of God. God is "Man" enough to take care of your man.

If you are dreaming about what kind of man you wish to marry. Make sure you are holding him up to God's standard. Don't fall into the trap of fairytale dreams. DON'T waste your time with books on romance and manhood. Study God's Word and set that as your standard. Did you realize that Christ was not considered comely? The "great" Paul the Apostle was physically weak. Moses had a speech impediment. Peter lacked social graces. A real hero is a man who will follow God at all costs, who will stand on God's Word even when its unpopular, who will treat you like the weaker vessel while respecting you as an equal partner, a real man will put his faith in God. A real man knows that it is not he who provides for his family, but God Who provides through his faithfulness to God's calling.

If it's too late for your man in the sense that your marriage is beyond repair. Focus on your sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, the children in your church family. Make sure you are teaching them what it means in God's Word to be a man. Lord willing, the boys will grow up to be God's men and the girls will respect manhood and pray for a man of God to lead her.

What makes a boy a man? Fear and Faith in God.

Earn free Gift Cards for Amazon.ca or Amazon.com

2010-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love free money?!

I know what you're thinking... nothing is ever truly free. In a sense you may be right. It will cost you few moments of your time to register. Just give me a chance to me explain.

I mentioned Swagbucks back in March. At the time, I had only used it for a few weeks. I first signed up March 12 of this year. Since that time I have effortlessly earned $30 for Amazon.ca.

I'll be honest with you, I hate sales pitchs and people trying to "sell" me things, but I just had to share this with my blogging friends. Here's how Swagbucks works:

Just click on the link and sign up. After that you simply follow the instruction to make Swagbucks your search engine. (Don't worry, you can still use your regular search engine if you don't find what you're looking for.) After that all you do is continue using your internet like normal. I'll admit that I probably earn a little more than some, because I have added my toolbar on both of the computers in our house. So whether I'm looking up activities for the kids, or recipes, or Bible study material, or my hubby is searching for material as he studies for sermons we have a chance to win Swagbucks. Doing this alone has won us the majority of our Swagbucks.

But it doesn't stop here... You can earn additional Swagbucks by finding Swag Codes. You will also earn 30 SB to get you started just by signing up. You can earn 4 SB everyday in less than a minute by visiting the Special Offers, Taking the Daily poll, Using the toolbar, and visiting the trusted Surveys.

The trusted surveys section is new to Swagbucks. Once you have signed up for Swagbucks just go on over and register for trusted surveys. You will earn Swagbucks for completing all of your profile surveys. After that you will receive different survey offers telling you what your chance is for qualifying. At first, I didn't qualify for any surveys, but the other day I not only qualified, but won 100 SB for it!

You can also earn by getting referrals. One of my $5 gift cards was basically won by my referrals. If you were to sign up here on my blog, I would get 1 SB for every SB you earned by using the Swagbuck Search engine up to 1000 SB. In turn, you can get others to sign up and you will earn 1 SB for every one they earn by searching up to 1000 SB for each referral!

So, what are you waiting for?

You can use your Swagbucks for other prizes as well, but I found that the $5 Amazon card is the best option. Most of the other gift card options come with "strings" attached. Amazon allows you to add the card to your account and save up until you have enough to purchase something. We are saving ours to buy a collection of Gary Cooper movies including the hard to find "Sargent York" (a favorite of ours.) You could also save for a free Christmas gift for someone.

Think about it. Even if you never use any other segment of Swagbucks, you can earn (okay, you're not really working, so I guess win would be a better word) just by doing your normal everyday searches on the Internet. So just click on the Swagbucks ad below and start earning today.

Kid Friendly Bran Muffins

2010-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Kid Friendly Bran Muffins

(Can be made sugar-free)

Yield: 24 muffins

Preheat: 375F

3 Cups Raisin Bran or Bran Flakes Cereal

2 Cups 1% (low-fat) Milk

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

2 tsp Vanilla

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 Cup Honey

1 TBSP + 2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Topping

2 tsp Cinnamon

4 TBSP Sugar (or sugar substitute like Splenda)

(I just tried brown sugar, and WOW!)

1. Soak cereal in milk for 10 minutes.

2. Add eggs, applesauce, vanilla and honey.

3. Mix well.

4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix until moistened, batter will still have lumps.

6. Fill greased or lined muffin tin about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

7. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on muffins.

8. Bake in 375F oven for 20 minutes or until done.

Note: I've been trying to find ways to make healthier food that the whole family will eat. This morning, I concocted this recipe from another one I found. I know, I know, can something that healthy possibly taste that good? Just ask my kids. They love them! Josie, our muffin-hating daughter ate more than anyone else. Jerry has already requested more. These are very moist bran muffins and with the cinnamon topping, you can imagine that you're eating a high fat, fiber-free muffin loaded with sugar.

Now to try them on Daddy when he comes home :o) Keith is slowly coming around to the idea of whole wheat flour and is a very picky muffin eater. Enjoy!

Taco Seasoning and Tater Tot Taco casserole

2010-06-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Taco Seasoning

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It 's so much better than the commercial brands. The best thing is that you can adjust the salt to suit your taste. I only put in half the salt and next time I think I will try even less, since we try and keep a low sodium diet. I like to make a big batch and keep it on hand. I also put it in the food processor to blend it into powder. I use 2 TBSP to replace a packet of taco seasoning (actually, I use 2 heaping TBSP because we like our food spicy.)

1 TBSP Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Chili Pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Paprika
1-1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Now I use the above recipe in a new casserole I tried this week. My husband and picky son loved it, in fact, my husband requested it again tonight. I found the recipe online, but I can't remember the site. I guess it doesn't matter since I tweaked it and didn't really follow the recipe anyway (it's sort of a habit with me.) Anyhow, here's the recipe for my new improved Tater Tots Taco Casserole:

About 3 cups of shredded left-over chicken
1 packet taco seasoning or 2 TBSP of the DIY Taco Seasoning
1/4 water
1/2 med. oinion
about 1 1/2 Cups frozen corn
Shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1 12 oz jar salsa
enough tater tots to cover about 1/3 of a 2kg bag
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F
1. Sauté the onion, chicken, and corn together
2. Add the taco seasoning and water
3. Simmer for a few minutes
4. Spread chicken mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
5. Layer shredded cheddar over chicken
6. Spread tater tots in a single layer over cheese
7. Spread salsa over tater tots
8. Cook for one hour

Serve with sour cream

Enjoy! A great make ahead dinner.

Train up a child in the way he SHOULD go......

2010-06-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

"I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of Hell unless they diligently labour in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt."

-- Martin Luther--

Today my heart is heavy because of the ignorance and irresponsibility of God's people. People who have been called by God to be parents.

Right now, I know of mothers whose hearts are breaking, because they truly have no choice but to send their children to a pubic school to be educated. They plead with the Almighty to protect and strengthen their children. I listened yesterday to a young girl who has been forced into a secular school by her father and saw the pain and anger on her face because she did not have a choice.

At the same time I know of parents who DO have a choice, but they have chosen to neglect God's Word and to send their little girl to the Enemy for her education. They are willing to sacrifice their little one because they're afraid. Whatever the reason, I am sickened and angered by it.

WHY? Why would born-again believers CHOOSE to sacrifice their child to Satan's indoctrination? They are no different than the Israelites who sacrificed their children to Baalam. God help these innocent children. Will a child's behavior improve in an over-crowded under-staffed classroom where they are taught that wrong and right are relative? Do parents really believe that what they say will over-ride what they do?!

If you are a truly born-again, child of God then you have the Holy Spirit within. Ask Him what He thinks of your choice? You know if you truly have no choice or if you simply have rejected the choice God has given you. I found this Bible study on education in the Bible. Bible And Education Read it in HONEST and HUMBLE prayer. God has already told you what He expects of you in His Word. If after reading this you still choose to sacrifice your child to Baalam, then read what He says in Matthew 18:6.

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

"Be not deceived; GOD IS NOT MOCKED: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh (or his child's flesh) shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we SHALL reap, IF WE FAINT NOT." Galatians 6:7-9

If you have selfishly made the choice to allow Satan to educate your child, then I plead with you to repent and obey God. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God's forgiveness is never a license to continue in sin, but rather, it is the way to remove the offense and to restore one's relationship with God.

If it is fear that keeps you from obeying God's command to train up your child in the way he/she should go remember, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 Go to your pastor, godly parents, other mature servants of God and you will find a wealth of resources and encouragement. If not, then find a church that stands on the Word of God and you will have help.

I realize that this is a little lengthy, but my heart is heavy because those I love have decided against God's Word and have broken the hearts of those who have been praying that they would heed the Bible; and because I watch others who pray that God would open doors so that their children could have a godly education and beg God to keep their children safe and pure in the ungodly world they have been forced into prematurely.

I would have written this to the couple in question directly, but I am not sure if it is my business to interfere directly or whether they would read it anyhow. Also, I know that they are not the only Christian parents out there who have chosen against God's Word. Lord willing, they will read this and be honest with themselves. No one who prays honestly can say that God has directed them to send their children to a secular, ungodly school. How can I say this so dogmatically? Because God's Word teaches otherwise.

Please, don't send your child to public school!! May God help you if you do.

Have you missed me?

2010-05-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everyone. I'm still here. I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. During the month of April, we didn't have an internet connection. Our first service in Kenora was May 2. We jumped in with both feet and have been running ever since. God has blessed us with so much. We were able to find a beautiful home to rent and our new church family sacrifice much to furnish it for us. It still amazes us that we are here. God is so good.

Our new church family is wonderful! They have shown us so much love it is easy to love them back. I'm getting used to hearing Keith called "Pastor," although, I don't think I'll ever get used to being called "Mrs. Loveless" by adults.

Kenora is a beautiful place to live. I can now get to church without the GPS and I think I know how to get to the mall. We've figured out how to use the church photo copier, although, we still can't get it to print; I've learned how to make the bulletin; and I've fumbled my way through a new nursery schedule. I'm well on my way to being a "certified" pastor's wife/church secretary :o)

Victory Baptist Church meets in rented facilities and beginning in June we will be meeting in the Norman Community Center for all services. Please pray with us that God will provide a permanent meeting place. Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (and Kenora probably has about that many hills:) so we have faith that He will provide just the right property at just the right time.

As a missionary, I had heard a lot about culture shock. Although Kenora is a northern tourist community, and I'm used to urban Southern Ontario; we really have little culture shock. But nobody ever warned me that after two years on the road, getting back to a "normal" household routine (if that's possible in the ministry) would be the greatest shock of all. Sunday morning as I was getting breakfast, I realized I hadn't planned anything for lunch. I grabbed a roast out of the freezer (another gift from our new friends) and thawed it a little and put it in the crock pot on high. I prayed all the way through church that it would be cooked when we got home (gotta have faith). I was disappointed to found that the house was lacking in the tantalizing smell of cooking roast. My hubby found the roast completely uncooked -- in my rush, I had forgotten to plug in the crock pot!

At least my family is used to my scatter-brained ways. Hopefully, my new church family will also get used to me. At least everyone will have a new reason to laugh! Besides....

God doesn't call those who are qualified -- He qualifies those whom He calls.

Until I get used to being a housewife again and a pastor's wife, my postings will be a little more sporadic. I have missed you all and hope to get back to posting at least once a week soon. Have a good day!

Do you wear prescription glasses?

2010-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

We first heard about Zenni Optical two years ago from a friend. A few months later, in the middle of a church service my glasses broke in two. There I was stuck wearing my prescription sunglasses looking like I was fighting a hang-over. We were at the beginning of deputation and funds were tight. Earlier that summer Keith's frames broke and we had crazy glued them together. Since we couldn't afford regularly priced glasses, we thought we'd give Zenni Optical a try. Keith ordered a pair of frames with ultra thin lenses and two pairs of clip-on shades and I ordered a pair of regular eye glasses and a new pair of sunglasses. The total charge for all three pairs with shipping and handling was less than $150 US! Tonight, my father-in-law ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses and the total was about $30 US.

Most people who wear glasses have tried on enough pairs to know what style looks best on their face. Zenni makes it easy to choose a pair. Each frame includes the size of the width of the frame, the height of the lens, the width of the lens, the width of the bridge, and the length of the arms. All you have to do measure the frames you already have. Now you can narrow down which frames will fit you nicely. Once you choose your frames you will need your prescription. You will also need the distance between your pupils. This is something you will need someone else to do. Zenni explains how to do this. That's it. The frames range in price, but are almost all under $30 US. This includes the price of the lenses which are 1.57 index.

With the price being so low, you may even want to splurge on an extra pair to give yourself a change. We have been wearing our glasses for a year-and-a-half and the only problem we had was with Keith's clip-on shades. His glasses are rimless and so without a frame the plastic lenses of his shades didn't survive our kids. Actually, one was broken by a kid and the other pair went through the wash.

Well, we're off tomorrow to head back to London, Ontario. We won't have a connection all the time, but I will try to get in a post or two. I'll miss you all. Have a great Resurrection weekend. God bless.

"Remind me why we had kids!"

2010-04-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

"For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there." 1 Samuel 1:27, 28

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3

Every Momma should memorize these verses. Anyone who has been a Momma for more than one trimester, knows this is true. Kids will give you grief. It starts when they learn how to play bladder ball and climb your ribs like a ladder. Then it's demanding food at an ungodly hour of the night. One day, they learn to roll, then crawl, climb, run (do they ever really walk?) Somehow, they learn to TALK! And it's all down hill from there.

Actually, that's not entirely true. I'm just havin' one of those days. It seems everything I put in a suitcase, they take out, everything I fold, they unfold, ect... It's on days like these that I need these verses the most. It's when I remember why I have children that I can stop focussing on all the rotten stuff they do.

The blessing of children:

1. The feeling of unconditional love when the doctor hands them to you and they snuggle up instead of kick.
2. The first smile (one that's not caused by gas)
3. Watching Big Brother hold his sister for the first time
4. Listening to little ones sing about God's love while playing
5. Giggles and "tickle me again, Daddy"
6. My big boy all dressed up for church on Sunday morning
7. My girls being good Mommas to their doll babies
8. My little man learning to shave with a spoon at Daddy's side
9. Listening to them quoting Scripture and learning new truths from God's Word
10. A repentant child who actually learned their lesson this time, I hope
11. "Mommy, I love you"
12 "Daddy, didn't have to do this for me, but he did it 'cause he loves me sooo much!"
13. The potty dance of victory
14. A new skill learned
15. All three kids playing together because they want to, not because they have to.
16. The faith of a child
17. A child praying
18. The look of amazement when God answers a child's prayer
19. "Momma, thank you for talking to me"
20. "Momma, I just saw one of God's miracles"

The list goes on.....

I feel better now.

"Thank you, Father, for my children."

Free Bottle of Oil of Olay body lotion

2010-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't signed up for Swag bucks yet you should do it now. It's free and you can win Swag Bucks which you can redeem for $5 Amazon gift cards. There are a lot of other prizes you can earn as well, but I found Amazon to be the best deal. (They have no purchase requirements or limits.)

Once you've signed up, you can earn Swag Bucks just by using their search engine (which is the easiest and best way). You can also find Swag codes or participate in special offers.

Most of the special offers will cost you, but every once in a while they have a free one. Today they are offering 4 Swag Bucks just for watching a short advertising video and downloading a rebate coupon for a free bottle of Oil of Olay Body Quench Lotion. Once you sign up, go to the home page and scroll about two-thirds the way down the page and find the "Special Offers."

You can't go wrong... Honestly, Swag Bucks is great! I've already earned enough points for one $5 Amazon.ca gift card and am halfway to getting another one. I've only been using Swag Bucks for three weeks! Yesterday, I found the old "Sugar Creek Gang" books used for $.01! Keith and I both used to read these books as children and would love to add them to our library for our kids.

If you would like to try it out, just click on the link below and get started today! Seriously, I know everyone is cautious of internet offers, but this one is legitimate.

Download music CD for just $2

2010-03-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

If you like good, Christ-honoring music...

I just downloaded the BTM Sampler CD from BibleTruthMusic.com! It is available for only $2, plus a post! Get yours today by going to this link: Bible Truth Music

The CD contains 16 songs, one song each from 16 favorite Bible Truth Music recordings.

Song List:

1. Lift to the Savior an Anthem of Praise (from Victory Is Won)
2. Amazing Grace (from Rejoicing in Jesus)
3. He Went Away (from Speak Peace to My Heart)
4. Lifted Up (from One Voice of Praise)
5. There Is Grace (from I Can Tell the World)
6. When I'm Afraid (from Near to the Heart of God)
7. He Suffered All for Me (from This Is My Song)
8. I Believe (from Come to Jesus)
9. God So Loved (from Bible Songs for Kids #1)
10. I'll Live in Glory (from What a Happy Day!)
11. Sweet By and By (from Bless the Lord)
12. Just Over in the Gloryland (from This Glad Hour)
13. Go and Tell (from Go and Tell)
14. Christ Is Mine, Hallelujah! (from Christ Is Mine, Hallelujah!)
15. Heaven's My Home (from Keep Praising Him)
16. Prisoner of Hope (from There Is a Friend)

"...As thy days, so shall thy strength be." Duet. 33:25

2010-03-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up completely exhausted. Why is it that Saturday night seems to be when kids have the most trouble sleeping? Seriously, every Saturday night at least one of our kids will have trouble sleeping, which means little sleep for Dad and Mom. Anyhow, this morning, I was so tired.You know how it is when you feel stuck somewhere between sleep and awake and the fog of dreamland just doesn't want to lift?! Well, against the wishes of my flesh, I dragged myself off to church with the rest of the family. I'm glad I did!

I have to admit, my favorite part of the service is the song service. It's not that I don't enjoy a good Spirit-filled sermon, its just that I love to sing. The song service allows everyone to join in. The offertory this morning was a beautiful piano/trombone duet. The hymn played was "Day by Day." I love this song. Although it isn't my absolute favorite (which is, When We See Christ), it is definitely in my top ten favorite hymns.

The words were just what I needed this morning. With so many changes taking place, working with Keith to find us a home to rent, packing our things for the trip to London, worrying about whether we'll be able to pack the lovely sewing machine my husband's aunt gave me, obsessing about all the little details of setting up house... Well, it just wears a body down! As I was singing along in my heart, the phrase, "As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure..." seamed to be louder than the rest.

I was instantly reminded of a favorite verse of mine, "Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34 Most of the time, the reason we find ourselves so run down, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, is because we're trying to handle tomorrow's trouble with today's strength. God has promised to give us strength for today. Tomorrow's strength is waiting for us and we will have it when we need it... TOMORROW. It's when I try to handle tomorrow's thoughts today that I run out of strength. God is teaching me not to waste today's strength on tomorrow's thoughts.

This past week, I've been consumed by thoughts of tomorrow (and the day after that, and the day after that, and, well, you get the idea) I've had trouble doing what I NEED to do now and leaving the rest in God's capable hands.

~Tomorrow is in God's hands, because God's hands planned tomorrow.~

This week, I am resolved to take care of today's tasks and let God take care of tomorrow. It's my guess that I'll get a lot more accomplished and be less worn out.

Earn free Amazon gift cards!

2010-03-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I heard about Swagbucks. At first, I thought it was crazy. But... what have I got to lose? Its so easy to use and in two weeks, we received enough swagbucks to get a $5 gift card for Amazon. All you do is sign up and use the Swagbucks search window instead of google or whatever you use. The swagbucks are given out randomly. You can redeem them for different things, but I found the best deal was for the Amazon gift card. You can save them up and use multiple cards to buy something. This is one internet offer that works! Just click on the banner above and get started earning points for free gifts. The offer is good in both Canada and the USA. Why don't you try it for a couple of weeks? It can't hurt.

Revelation ~ by John Greenleaf Whittier

2010-03-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

REVELATION

"And I went into the Vale of Beavor, and as I went I preached repentance to the people. And one morning, sitting by the fire, a great cloud came over me, and a temptation beset me. And it was said: All things come by Nature; and the Elements and the Stars came over me. And as I sat still and let it alone, a living hope arose in me, and a true Voice which said: There is a living God who made all things. And immediately the cloud and the temptation vanished, and Life rose over all, and my heart was glad and I praised the Living God."

-- Journal of George Fox, 1690.

Still, as of old, in Beavor's Vale,

O man of God! our hope and faith

The Elements and Stars assail,

And the awed spirit holds its breath,

Blown over by a wind of death.

Takes Nature thought for such as we,

What place her human atom fills,

The weed-drift of her careless sea,

The mist on her unheeding hills?

What recks she of our helpless wills?

Strange god of Force, with fear, not love,

Its trembling worshipper! Can prayer

Reach the shut ear of Fate, or move

Unpitying Energy to spare?

What doth the cosmic Vastness care?

In vain to this dread Unconcern

For the All-Father's love we look;

In vain, in quest for it, we turn,

The storied leaves of Nature's book

The prints her rocky tablets took.

I pray for faith, I long to trust;

I listen with my heart, and hear

A Voice without a sound: "Be just,

Be true, Be merciful, revere

The Word within thee: God is near!

"A light to sky and earth unknown

pales all their lights: a mightier force

than theirs the powers of Nature own,

And, to its goal as at its source,

His Spirit moves the Universe.

"Believe and trust. Through stars and suns,

Through life and death, through soul and sense,

His wise, paternal purpose runs;

The darkness of his providence

Is star-lit with benign intents."

O joy supreme! I know the Voice,

Like none beside on earth or sea;

Yea, more, O soul of mine, rejoice,

By all that he requires of me,

I know what God Himself must be.

No picture to my aid I call,

I shape no image in my prayer;

I only know in Him is all

Of life, light, beauty, everywhere,

Eternal Goodness here and there!

I know He is, and what He is,

Whose one great purpose is the good

Of all. I rest my soul on his

Immortal Love and Fatherhood;

And trust Him, as his children should.

I fear no more. The clouded face

Of Nature smiles; through all her things

Of time and space and sense I trace

The moving of the Spirit's wings,

And hear the song of hope she sings.

~John Greenleaf Whittier~

Acts 17:22-31

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Do you have what it takes?

2010-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Insecurity is a universal struggle all woman face.

I'm not an exception.

In the back of my Bible I keep a list of verses that I refer to when I'm tempted to doubt in God's ability to use me. I thought I'd share it with you.

2 Corinthians 9:8 ~ God has given us ALL grace and ALL sufficiency in ALL things.

Psalm 84:11,12 ~ God gives grace and glory and willnot withhold any good thing.

Philippians 4:19 ~ God will supply ALL your need.

Philippians 4:13 ~ God enables.

John 15:5 ~ I can do NOTHING without God.

Proverbs 3:26 ~ My confidence is in the Lord, because the Lord IS my confidence.

Exodus 4:10-12 ~ God made me, and God makes NO mistakes.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 ~ It is GOD who WILL do it -- He IS faithful!

Luke 13:3 ~ Do it anyway!

God leaves no room for excuses lke, "I don't have what it takes!" or "I just can't do it."

What does God want you to do today? You CAN do it, and you MUST do it.

My Latest Sewing Project

2010-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

This past week, I sewed the girls new dresses for Easter. I let them wear them yesterday so that they could show Uncle Cory since we'll be in London, Ontario for Easter. This morning, we got them all dolled up so we could get their portrait taken at Walmart, but couldn't get an appointment. So, we took some pictures of them at Grandpa's.

Do you know how hard it is to get three small children to all stay still and smile nicely AT THE SAME TIME?! I could never be a professional photographer -- I haven't got the patience!

Frugal Breakfast Recipe

2010-03-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my family's favourite breakfast recipes...

French Toast

This is adapted from recipe #188053 at Recipezaar.

We use one loaf of French Bread, (we always get ours for $.90 on the bakery clearance rack in Walmart)

1/4 Cup + 2 TBSP All-purpose flour

scant tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 TBSP white sugar

1 1/2 Cup Milk

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the first four ingredients together. Slowly whisk in milk. Add eggs and vanilla until smooth. Cut bread in slices about an inch thick. Dip bread and allow to soak in for a few seconds. Sometimes you need to stir the egg mixture again since the flour settles in the bottom. Cook on electric griddle at about 300F or in frying pan at med. heat until golden brown on both sides. Enjoy! Tomorrow, I'll have to post the recipe for cheater pancake syrup!

If you already have the other ingredients in the pantry, you can make breakfast for $.90! We find this amply feeds three adults and three small children. Makes a great Sunday night supper too!

God's Ways Are Far Better!

2010-03-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last night, God answered prayer. We have been called to go to Kenora, Ontario where Keith will be the new pastor of Victory Baptist Church. To read more about how this came to be go to our family blog, It's A Loveless World.

Wow! From missionary wife on deputation to pastor's wife! The responsibility is a little overwhelming. But I know this is what God has been preparing me for all my life. I once heard it said that God never calls the qualified, but rather, He qualifies those whom He calls. I'm so glad that's true! I'm truly going to enjoy getting to know the ladies of Victory Baptist Church. God has blessed me with a good group of ladies. I am also thankful for the blessing of having Bro.Will Fehr's wife, Tina there. I know that she will be a great blessing to me as the assistant pastor's wife.

I am still in awe of it all. All I can say is... praise the Lord and pray for those poor ladies who are getting stuck with a novice pastor's wife. We're looking forward to what God has in store for us all.

Love A Good Deal?

2010-03-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I would like to share a web site with all my American friends. This site belongs to the daughter of one of my blogging friends at A Home Is A House Full Of Love. If you love to save money, you will love this site. So, instead of raving about it here, I suggest that you just go on over and start saving. Have fun!

And if any of you know of such a site in Canada, please let me know. I'm no good at figuring out these kind of deals on my own. I guess I'll just have to learn by doin'! God bless.

Preschool Girl's Retro Apron

2010-03-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Jonquils & Ladybugs is having a giveaway for this beautiful apron. It's a beautiful, fully-lined apron for girl's up to size 4T. It's perfect for helping mommy with the chores or just playing house. If you'd like a chance to win, just click on the link above and find out how to enter.

Howdy, Pardner!!

2010-03-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is what I did this afternoon....

I made a dress for Jocelyn yesterday and was about to start one for Kaylee, when I got an idea. Jerry's been wanting a cowboy vest since he got his hat and guns at Christmas.

I remembered this piece of material Keith's aunt had given me. It was some kind of synthetic suede-like brown fabric. You know the kind that gives you the willies when you rub it? (((shiver))) Anyhow, it made a perfect play vest. It turned out fairly well, I think.

Now that I've sewed something for my boy, I can get back to Kaylee's dress. I also need to get some trimmings for Josie's dress. Well, gotta go get my little cowboy ready for bed. Daddy's coming home later this evening and I promised to have the kids asleep before he gets in.

Hershey's Syrup Copycat....

2010-03-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you mix the rich taste of coffee with the smooth, creamy goodness of chocolate milk?
Something wonderful (sigh!)
I've been trying different recipes for chocolate milk syrup and today I stumble upon one that the kids love! The recipe itself is from CDKitchen. Here it is:

Copy Cat of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder
1 cup Sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Vanilla
dash of salt

Directions:

Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Add water, and mix until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for one minute, be careful this does not over boil. Remove from heat, when this cools add the vanilla.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Hershey's Chocolate Syrup serves/makes 2 cups

Well, I got to thinking how much my Honey likes those coffee milks at Walmart. So, I had the brilliant idea of making this recipe with left-over coffee. Well, Hallelujah! What a treat. I'm thinking... add it to some half-n-half and crushed ice and... WALLAH! You'd have a terrific and cheap Ice Cap! The only thing different I'll try next time is making the coffee extra strong.

If you don't particularly like coffee, try it plain with milk. Either way you could use it for ice cream. Drizzle it on a chocolate fudge brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Okay, I'd better stop, before my thighs start complaining. But you get the idea. When you make it, it will seem very runny, but it will thicken up in the fridge a little. Also, it taste better after its sat for a while. Enjoy! If you have any good DIY, frugal type recipes email me. I love collecting recipes that are light on the wallet even if they're heavy on the hips!

Public Education - or - Russian Roulette?

2010-03-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

I've got a bee in my bonnet, so I'm posting from our family site, It's A Loveless World. If you follow us there, I'm sorry to repeat myself, but this is very important. Maybe later, I can post a recipe or something a little on the lighter side. Thank you for your patience.

Today we were sent a very angry comment which I chose to reject due to the offensive manner in which it was written. The writer was upset and offended by the stand we take against public education. I would not be so arrogant to think that NO child can be educated in a state run school and still be a strong servant of God. That is simply not so. My husband attended public school for the majority of his education. Miss L stated that it was not the school's job to teach our kids the Bible.

It is not so much about what they don't teach in the public schools as much as what they do teach.

What we do believe is, that there is a REAL danger in the public education system. We also believe that the education of children is a responsibility given to parents by God. God gives each family specific children for a reason. You are the parents of those children because God chose you. You have the experiences, the knowledge, and the temperament, best suited to raise that child to the glory of God.

Is your teaching being compromised? Your children spend more time under the influence of an education system that is nothing more than propaganda, promoting the agenda of Satan Himself, than the influence of you and your church. What was it that Hitler said? Something about... if you say it loud enough and long enough the people will believe it? I've found it to be true that children learn by repetition and example. In school they are sat down and taught that you are a liar, that God is a fairy tale designed by poor uneducated ignoramuses. They are told that sexual orientation is something that "nature" chooses. They are taught that they are more informed than their parents. They are taught that God's idea of family is oppression. They are taught all these things and more. And it is repeated over and over and over again. They see it lived day after day. Aren't parents taking a very big risk that their teaching won't be lost in the smoke? Isn't it playing Russian Roulette with your children's spiritual welfare?

I'm sorry if I've stepped out of line in the manner in which I've stated our views. But I do not apologize for the stand we take. We feel very strong about this and have chosen to home-school our children. If you have not chosen to do that, well, all I can say is, let God be the Judge. I have not nor will I ever go to someone else's blog or web site and comment in such an offensive manner. We are not to argue and fuss with one another. Miss L has the ability to feel the way she does about her choice, I do not begrudge her of her freedom of speech. However, I also ask that I be given the same respect. This is our blog where we share our beliefs. If Miss L. wants to share her beliefs on a blog she may start one of her own.

If you have been put in a position where you have lost the privilege of educating your child the Bible way, I hope you realize that I'm not talking about you. I know your heart aches for your children. God also knows and will protect them. My heart goes out to you.

If you think that what we are saying is a bunch of hype, then please, I beg you to go to this site and watch the news special by Fox News. Here's the link to the Glenn Beck Show March 5, 2010. It is about forty minutes long and I will warn you that it does use cr_p a few times and quietly uses one other cuss word. However, the message is unbelievable! The show encourages you to watch it with your children, but I would suggest watching it first and then decide if you want your children watching it or simply to talk to them about it. These are real dangers and history IS repeating itself.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

May God have pity on both the United States of America and Canada for relinquishing our freedoms at the expense of our children.

Thanks in the midst of a storm...

2010-03-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

"In everything give thanks....?!"

Even in the midst of trials?

Recently, I've heard of so many woman who are in the midst of a storm. Storms like breast cancer, fibromyalgia, the loss of a baby, shadows of past memories, loneliness, depression, a shaky marriage, a wayward child, frustrations of motherhood, financial troubles, the list goes on and on.... How can they be thankful?

I've heard it preached that we should be thankful for everything. I've also heard it argued that I Thessalonians 5:18 says that we should be thankful IN everything not FOR everything. But as I was looking up verses about the subject, I found Ephesians 5:20, "Giving thanks ALWAYS FOR ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." But how can we be thankful FOR a trial?

My mother was diagnosed with leukemia when I was sixteen, and I struggled with this idea of giving thanks for a trial. How could I give thanks for my mother's suffering and possible death or my father's agony? How could I be grateful that my sisters and I were virtually motherless for a while at a time in our lives when we needed her most?

Later on, I struggled with loneliness as a single woman. How could I be grateful for the pain?

How can someone be thankful for the loss of a baby they waited and prayed for? Should the cancer sufferer's first thought be, "Thanks, God, for letting me suffer?"

I heard a missionary wife once testify of the trials that God had allowed her to endure. She came to the USA on a medical furlough for the safe delivery of her baby. She had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong. Her and her husband prayed for this child, they loved this child, they had great hopes for this child... but God had other plans. They returned to the field with empty arms. How could they rejoice? How could they be thankful? Later they were forced to return to the USA due to health problems. She was then diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Why her? She was trying to be a godly wife and mother. She was serving with her husband on the mission field. Be thankful? for what!?

These are two quotes that I copied in my Bible from her testimony:

"Thank God BY FAITH for what He is doing WITH your trial." and "God doesn't waste ANY experience."

You see, in the midst of a storm it is hard to find a reason to be thankful. But she didn't have to wait for her situation to change, she could be thankful BY FAITH, because she believed that God was doing something great. She knew that God would use these experiences to bless others and to reach more souls for Him.

My Mom has had her share of trials. It started with a difficult childhood, later after my folks were married, the doctor found a brain tumor. The day she went in for surgery, the doctors were amazed by the mysterious absence of the tumor. (Note: I forgot to mention here, that my Mom also lost their only son at the end of the second trimester.) She suffered for years from Epilepsy having grand maul seizures. While my Dad was in Bible college, she was in a coma on two different occasions; once, for nine weeks. One coma was a result of spinal meningitis and the other was from an allergic reaction to an anesthetic during routine carpal tunnel surgery. Dad had to juggle going to school, working full-time, raising three little girls and taking care of his wife in another city. Both times my father was told that Mom would never survive, and IF by some miracle she did, she would be nothing more than a vegetable for the rest of her life. God saw fit to show those doctors who the real Physician is and Mom recovered fully both times.

When I was sixteen, my Mom went to the doctors for blood work. She needed some dental surgery and because of her previous trouble with anesthetic, they wanted to be extra careful. This was God's doing. Without this blood work, we would never have known that she had leukemia in an advanced stage.

My parents went into the doctors office, only to be told that the Canadian medical system wasn't treating anyone over forty. Shortly after, the bar was raised to fifty, allowing my Mom to be treated. We were told the chances of finding a related donor (her best chance) was 1 in 5. Out of five siblings tested, two matches were found!

Everything that could go wrong did. The radiation burned her esophagus and stomach lining making it difficult for her to eat or drink. She contracted Shingles while her immune system was at its lowest. This caused permanent nerve damage which gives her constant pain.

Four years later, the leukemia returned. This time, she was told that her body could not endure such a harsh treatment again. As my parents left the doctors office, they were called back. The doctor received a phone call as they were leaving. It seemed that they were looking for someone eligible to test a new treatment for leukemia. Mom fit the bill. She has now been cancer free for thirteen years. The doctors can't explain it, but we can! Due to all the cancer treatments and prescription drugs, she has had minor strokes, osteoporosis, her body has aged beyond her 58 years and she has suffered other side effects.

If you ever asked my mom why she thought God allowed all these storms, she would say, "So that I could be a blessing to others." Was she always thankful for the pain, the sickness, the weariness of it all? Probably not. But she was thankful that God would turn it all into something good.

So, how can you be thankful in AND for everything?

1. Remember that God is God... Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

2. Know that God will never leave you... Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conversation be without covetuosness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

3. Be patient... Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the LORD."

4. Have faith that God will not waste your experience...Philippians 1:12 "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;" Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

5. Don't dwell on the "what if's"... Mathew 6:34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

6. Remember this world is not our home... Hebrews 13:14 "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

7. Remember thanksgiving isn't always meant to be easy; it's a sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

8. Pray, pray, pray... Philippians 4:6,7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

9. Know that God will give you what you need... II Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" Philippians 4:13, 19 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me... But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

10. Finally, be a blessing to others, share your testimony... Hebrews 13:16 "But to do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

While my family went through the trials of cancer with Mom. We sang the song: "God Will Make This Trial A Blessing." This is the best video of it I could find. I hope it will be a blessing to you whether you're in a storm, coming out of a storm, or getting ready to head into one.

The Best Deodorant

2010-03-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love finding out that you can make something from scratch that is better for you and cheaper than the commercial brands? A few weeks ago, I found a recipe for deodorant on Keeping It Simple. At first, I thought, it couldn't possibly work as well as the expensive brand name kind. Well.... I was right! It works BETTER than the commercial brands I've tried. And I have picky pits! Ever since I started needing deodorant, only certain brands would work for more than a few hours.

Well, my curiosity got to me and I thought well what have I got to loose? (except the $10 it cost for the coconut oil, that is) Finally, I got up the nerve to try it... and WOW! My pits have never smelled so great. I have been wearing it since Saturday and not one problem. (Let me clarify that... I've been putting it on fresh once a day after my shower since Saturday.)

I also suffer from stinky feet, the other night before bed, they were particularly stinky. I used to use commercial spray deodorant on my feet since it has the same ingredients as the expensive foot spray. So, I tried the new recipe on my feet! They actually smelled good!

We purchased the coconut oil at Walmart for $10 for about 12 oz. You can find it with the health supplements. You can probably buy it cheaper somewhere else though. This will make several recipes and I found one recipe filled one of my husband's old deodorant containers plus. It would probably fill a ladies-size container twice.

So, how do you make this miracle deodorant? Here's the recipe:

1/4 Cup Corn Starch
1/4 Cup Baking Soda
5-6 TBSP Coconut Oil

Yep! That's it. If you have sensitive skin you may want to adjust the amount of baking soda to corn starch. I've heard that too much baking soda can cause irritation. Kristy at Raising Godly Daughters suggests increasing the corn starch to 1/2 cup. Give it a try. I don't think I'll ever go back to commercial brands!

Favourite Scriptures

2010-03-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

My favourite chapter is Psalm 27. Here are some of my favourite verses from this chapter:

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" vs. 1

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation." vs. 8,9

"Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies." vs 11

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." vs 13,14

What are some of your favourite verses?

Nice to meet you...

2010-03-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog.

I will continue posting on our family blog, "It's A Loveless World." However, I needed a place where I could share with ladies from the heart, post recipes, and just ramble about girlie stuff. I hope this blog will be a blessing to you. If you've never visited us at "It's A Loveless World," come on over and say hello.

Now, a little about myself...

Instead of re-writing my testimony, I simply added an excerpt from "The Blessing of Single Servants" a post from our other blog.

"I turned 27 on April 28, 2003. A few weeks later in May, I arrived at the airport to meet up with the rest of the mission team I was joining. We were taking a month long trip to Quebec and Manitoba, Canada. There in the midst of the girls was a guy. Something about him struck me right away, maybe it was because he was the only guy in the group. My initial thoughts were "I wonder if this is why God wanted me on this trip?" Not too spiritual I know.

wanted me, but I was so afraid that He was going to call me into missions alone. After I cried for a moment, I composed myself and went back to service.

That morning the missionary started his sermon by asking, "Do you really want to be like Christ?" Of course I'm sure most of the congregation would agree that we did. He went on to give example after example of what it meant to be like Christ. Christ was willing to leave His home, Christ was willing to be ridiculed and
persecuted, Christ was willing to die so that men could be free. It was also during this sermon that he mentioned how we are so often willing to pray for God to send laborers into the field, but how many of us were willing to be the answer to that prayer?

Here we are, living the adventure that God engineered for us. In the next week or so, we will know what the next destination will be. Lord willing, it will be on the field, serving the Lord full-time and in one place!

It is my prayer that this blog will be an encouragement to ladies everywhere. I love getting comments; it gives me a chance to get to know my readers. So, leave comments, just make sure that what you say is not offensive to the Lord. If it is, I will not post it. Thank you for visiting me. Have a great day serving the Lord.