Ticks, Living without Paper Towels, and Misc.

   Ok, First ticks. I hate ticks!! Last Sunday we took youngest DS and dropped him off in tick infested woods at Boy Scout camp. We were only there less than an hour and hubby came home with 2. DD and I were fine. However My hubby is picking up DS from camp today. He has been camping in the woods all week. Even with deet bug spray (and I hate deet because it s a nasty chemical) he is going to come back with tick infested clothes. I just know it. I have the laundry  room prepared. His stuff is going to be quarantined till everything is washed in very hot water and maybe a tad of bleach. Hubby can check him for ticks in the bathroom. 

    

   Now onto my use of paper towels. I was trying to go all week without paper towels.  I was doing ok until yesterday when I decided I needed to clean out the fridge. It wasn't too horrendous but still needed it. I just couldn't bring myself to use real towels. ( I know silly) I could just as easily throw those into the wash with a little bleach and disinfect them after the job but it was easier to use the paper towels and throw them away. I however used 2 rolls of paper towels in doing so. So I failed my task of going all week without using paper towels. On a positive note though, I haven't used any paper towels for cleaning the counters or doing the dishes or drying my hands. So I still feel I have made accomplishments.  

      Other than that it is lonely here today. DD is at a retreat at Church. Hubby is gone to pick up DS from camp. Special needs son is happily listening to music upstairs. I am playing on the computer wasting time, and the little doggies are playing outside on the porch and in the back yard. Actually it is very nice to have some peace and quiet. I am rather enjoying it today. I think I will make some Ice Tea and do some reading . It is summer here and very hot! I keep telling hubby I want to move to Canada. He says no way. I have never shoveled snow, driven on icy roads etc. He is from north Michigan area before moving down south, when he was a kid, and he has no desire to move back up north. It can't be that bad. I would love to make a snowman someday. I have never done that either.

 Well  have a great day all! :-) 

Confessions of a Paper Towel Addict

     I use too many paper towels! They are costly and wasteful. My new goal is to try and do without paper towels. I bought a bunch of bar towels in a pack of 24 for $9 at Sams. I haven't calculated the price of running the washing machine to clean them, but I am thinking it has to be cheaper than buying 6 rolls of paper towels each week. Ok I might not use 6 rolls a week, but I know I at least use 4. I know it is simply a habit to grab a paper towels to wipe down the counters than to grab a towel.  I don't buy paper napkins but we do use paper towels for napkins, so I am also going to try and use all cloth napkins this week.  

 

First Half of My Christian Faith Journey and Christian Testimony

I grew up in Church so if someone were to ask me when did I first believe in Jesus, the answer would be, " I don't remember a time when I didn't believe in Jesus. I do remember a time when I first said a sinners type prayer. (However I was a Baptized, Born Again Christian before I ever said that prayer, but I am getting ahead of the story). I was invited to Vacation Bible school at my friend's Baptist Church. I was 7 years old. During a little flannel board story, they talked about sin and how Christ died on the cross for my sins. They talked about how to repent of our sins and ask Jesus into our hearts if we loved him. I knew I loved Jesus and of course I wanted to be forgiven of my sins. Come on now, what little child is really going to say no in that situation. They led us in a "sinners prayer" and had us ask Jesus to forgive us our sins, ask Jesus into our hearts and make him Lord of our life. Now with the understanding and trust of a child I said this sinners prayer. But before I ever officially said the sinners prayer in a formal way, I believed in Jesus. I believed as a child what I was told and had learned in Sunday School. I knew he was God's son and that he had to die on the cross in order for our sins to be forgiven. Even if I didn't know how that exactly worked. I knew what sin was. I knew right from wrong (at least a 7 year old's understanding of it.) I already had the concept that God forgives if we repent. Anyway a few days later some members from that Church showed up at our house to talk to my mom about letting them take me to the Baptist Church. I remember my mom being a little upset and short and abrupt with those visitors. She basically told them no thanks we attend Church and are very happy with our Church. And that was that. I was raised in a conservative orthodox Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church is the American Branch of the Anglican Church also known as the Church of England. Growing up in that local Episcopal Church, I was unaware of the liberal leanings of the Church hierarchy outside my own little Episcopal Church.

Skip ahead to when I'm 12 year old. In 6th grade I was caught cheating. We were allowed in math class to grade our own papers. Well one day I was lazy and just wrote down any old answers on my math work. Then I put a good grade on it. How stupid is that. We had access to the teacher's manual for grading our work. I could have easily just copied the correct answers. I guess I figured the teacher was lazy too, and when we turned in our papers I figured she just looked at the grades and recorded it. It was independent study so everyone was on a different page. Well at home that evening, I knew I had sinned and prayed all night long to Jesus to forgive me. I knew I still had to face my parents and the teacher and the humiliation of cheating. I found a book on the book shelf my mom had that was a book basically of faith stories. Stories of people who had great faith in Jesus and how he helped them get through trials. A good comparison would be like the '"Chicken Soup books for the Soul" today, however this was back in the seventies. In this book I read the scripture about peace; John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Ok I thought I have asked Jesus for forgiveness. I will just go to school and fess up and take the consequences and then everything will be all right. Well before I could confess, the teacher already knew and a conference was scheduled with my parents for that afternoon. Well I confessed and faced the consequences and everything was alright after that. John 14:27 is my go to scripture for all my anxiety even to this day.

On to high school. Not much to say there, but I remember in my Church youth group going to see the Movie "The Great Late Planet Earth", then I read the book by Hal Lindsey. It is like the "Left Behind" books of today. Scared the pants off me. I read Revelations several times after that. I also remember that I had awesome Christian role models in my local Episcopal Church. I remember my confirmation teacher Miss Ruth Ann Rogers. She loved Jesus with all her heart and it showed in everything that she did. It oozed out of every pour of her. I thought it was cool that she had served many years in the Peace Corp. She knew the scriptures exceedingly well. I have kept in touch with her up until the last few Christmases. I didn't receive a Christmas card from her, and mine was returned to sender. I am afraid she probably passed away. She would have been in her 90's now. Father Brown and Father Browning were also great role models. Yes their last names were Brown and Browning respectively.

Side Note: In the Episcopal Church, Priests are addressed as Father just like in the Catholic Church. They also do the sign of the cross and are very Catholic like in many ways. The Episcopal Mass is very much like the Catholic Mass. There are differences however, and at least in America, the Church has become very liberal. Many conservative, orthodox, Bible believing Episcopalians are returning in large numbers to the Catholic church.

Well through high school I became somewhat popular. The whole blossoming thing. I dated several guys. Without exception most were creeps. I remember finally having enough and saying to God I want to meet a good Christian guy. Please just let me find a good Christian guy. I went to two years to a local Junior College and then in my Junior year went away to a State University.

My first week up there my prayers were answered, but I did not know it at the time. I met my future husband. Our first date was to his Fraternity's rush party. Well I hate to say it, our dating relationship was pretty carnal in the beginning, I am not going into detail, but you get the picture. Well after that first semester my new boyfriend got sick and moved back home. I came to find out later he had tremendous guilt about our relationship. I think that actually made him feel physically sick. Anyway I was feeling the same way. So the next semester we were basically apart. Now up at the University there tends to be a lot of religious groups that are trying to evangelize students. I wasn't going to church up at the University, so when another student invited me to their Soul Talk which was code for Bible study I went. It turns out this was a Bible Study that was sponsored by the Church of Christ. However this was not the mainstream Church of Christ, but the Crossroads or Boston Movement Church of Christ. They were very rigid (They were a cult) and they in fact broke off from the mainline Church of Christ and became the International Church of Christ. They later imploded a few years after I left the University. You can find info on them on the web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Churches_of_Christ

I started really reading the Bible. I would call Russ long distance and we would discuss the Bible and what I was reading. He in turn was reading to challenge me. The Church of Christ convinced me that my infant Baptism was unscriptural and that I needed to be baptized again as an adult by immersion. I then was re-baptised by immersion. I have since studied the Bible enough to know I was misled, and my first baptism (which in my case was actually done at age 5 and not an infant) was my true baptism, but back to the story. The next summer I moved in with some girls from the Crossroads Church. Russ and I were still discussing the Bible long distance over the phone. I remember one month I charged over $80 worth of long distance calls to my dad's office. That was a lot back then, and when my dad discovered it, it was not a pretty picture. Anyway the Crossroads Church of Christ didn't like my relationship with this outsider. You know the being unequally yoked thing. They didn't trust him because he wasn't one of them. They tried to break us up. Well that wasn't happening and after that summer I moved back in with my old roommates. Russ also came back to the University. From there we decided we would not have a carnal relationship. We read the Bible daily. I stopped going to the Crossroads Church of Christ.

Moving on, Russ proposed to me January of '86. Down on his knee in front of the brown bean bag I was sitting in. Well I knew I had no real attraction to the churches that I had attended in college so we were going to be married in the church I was raised in. Russ had become a Christian in a Fundamentalist non-denominational church growing up. However when I met him and his family, they really didn't have a home church that they were attending regularly. At least not to my knowledge anyway. So we were going to be married in the church I was raised in. We then started the required church marriage counselling sessions. I really can't remember how we did that being that the church was a good 5 hours away from the University. The marriage counseling was mainly a personality test to see if we were compatible. Actually I think we were opposites on a lot of things. However the test was, I guess, to make us just aware of our differences. Opposites do attract and compliment each other. I do remember there was not much counselling from a Biblical perspective that I could tell. Father Brown had a good Biblical perspective though when we met with him.

We were married in the Episcopal Church July 1986. Then we moved to Russ's home town. We then had the daunting task of finding a Church home.

Story Continued in My Post: My Faith Journey to the Catholic Church from Fundamentalism/Evangelicalism

My Faith Journey to the Catholic Church from Fundamentalism/Evangelicalism

This is about my personal faith journey and how I have ended up becoming Catholic. I do not like the term converted because I did not change religions.

This is not my "Christian Testimony" or how I became a Christian I posted that here in this post: First Half of My Christian Faith Journey and Christian Testimony

This is a story of how my family and I came to the Catholic Church. I am starting the story after my hubby and I were married. That was almost 22 years ago now.

When we were first married and started our life together, our first order of business was to find a Bible believing on fire for the Lord Church. The Church we were married in was in my hometown and not where we were living. We started attending a non- denominational Bible Believing Church (Many Churches call themselves that.) It had good preaching. It had awesome worship, both traditional and contemporary. It had great fellowship. I read my Bible all the time, but I also wanted to learn as much as I could, and they offered adult Bible study classes. Most Churches I have attended offer some sort of adult Bible study or classes. Well this Church turned out to be of the Pentecostal /Charismatic nature. I know after research there are some differences between Charismatics and Pentecostals, but I am lumping them together because their beliefs are similar. They believe all the gifts of the Spirit are very much alive and active today. They believe and teach in addition to water baptism there is a separate baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking with tongues. They of course used Scripture to back up all their teaching. Ok-- this was new to me. It is not that I don't think the gifts of the Spirit are in use today. I believe they are still in use, and active today. I Believe that there is no Biblical proof to say they ended with the Apostles, although I have read apologetics that will insist otherwise. I just had problems with the way they were being implemented in this Church. Everyone felt that they individually had the power to bind and loose things. They were always binding the devil. They were always claiming a word. They believed all who were baptized in the Holy Spirit (not referring to water baptism) were suppose to have the gift of tongues. I actually think they are really wrong about the second baptism in the Holy Spirit. There is One Baptism and it is a water baptism. You receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism.

Anyway, about this time I gave birth to my son. As you know he had some problems. Well this church was very much into healing. By his stripes we are healed. I believe that, but not necessarily like they understood it. We prayed for my son. The whole church prayed for my son. I knew God would heal him. I still believe God will heal him. God has done wonderful things already in his and our life and so many have been blessed. I could write tons on how our situation has blessed us and others. All things work for good for those that love God. I know that God will heal him in his own time either now, later, or in Heaven. Either way I am fine with that. However, it got to the point in this Church that they wanted to put him in every healing line that came along. I wanted to say we have already prayed for him. God will heal him in his time. I almost had to defend why I didn't want to put him in every healing service or prayer line that came along. Everyone in the church did pray for him. One poor young faith healer became so discouraged with our son he gave up faith healing altogether.

This Church did give us a ton of support and love with Richard (It is getting to be a pain to keep writing my son. His first name is Richard) They helped out in so many ways, especially when we had to fly far away for surgery and to see a specialist. They were right there with support and would have found us housing and everything if necessary. I knew many strong Christians in that Church. However, I never felt comfortable there. I also saw no benefit to praying in tongues. I tried it. I prefer to pray with understanding.

On to Bible Believing Church Number 2. This Church was a Church of God denomination. It also believed that the gifts of the Spirit were active today, but it wasn't quite as flamboyant as the first Church. It left those things more to private experience. They were very supportive and had good preaching, at least, so we thought. After awhile there was a scandal that involved the Pastor, the church secretary, and accusations of embezzlement. I never found out all details and I don't want to know. After that Pastor left, they had a couple of new Pastors come in and try to keep things together. That however, is not the reason we left. Rich was about 8 at the time and there was no place for him. He had kinda out grown the nursery. He really couldn't be in big Church with us. He is blind, mentally handicapped, and has autistic behaviors. So here he was still in the nursery. So the nursery teacher tells me that such and such church down the road is starting a special needs ministry to include kids and adults with special needs and to help assimilate them better into the Church family. She suggested we might want to check it out

Bible Believing Church Number 3. This was a Southern Baptist Church. I went to the Special Needs Ministry planning meeting. They wanted to start a ministry not only to help integrate special needs children and adults into the Church community, but also help the families. Many families cannot attend Church together because of the special needs child. One or the other parent has to stay home while one goes to church. So this is what they wanted to try and change. At the planning meeting they said they didn't even want the family members to be the volunteers for this ministry. It was meant to be a ministry for the whole family as well as the special needs family member. This was a very large Church that had the funds and means to provide many things to the special needs ministry. They were even trying to establish some group homes for the special needs adults. Now what did this Bible believing Church teach? Well they basically taught that the more miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit such as tongues and prophecy etc. all died out with the last of the Apostles. This church also taught that the wine that Jesus used in the Bible was non-alcoholic. They taught eternal security- Or the stuck philosophy. "Once Saved Always Saved." They also had what I call Baptisty things such as no dancing, and no gambling (They wouldn't like Catholic Bingo nights)etc.

I studied and studied the Bible to try and figure out which Church was dividing the word of truth correctly. I still do. I have prayed fervently for years to find the Church that Christ wants us to be in.

So all the while, I had issues with these different things, I still loved the Special Needs Ministry. It was awesome. They had a classroom for the younger age kids. A classroom for the older kids, and a classroom for adults. If the special needs child could attend big Church, or a regular Sunday school class with some assistance that is what they did. They had volunteers they trained (usually kids from the High School, but also many adults) that "shadowed" the special needs kids, and helped them in the regular settings. If they had more extensive needs like Rich's, they had special classrooms and curriculum for them. This enabled parents to attend the Worship service together. This ministry was started by the most loving caring couple that I have ever known. They were some of the strongest and most faithful Christians I have ever known.

We were at this Church for about 8 years. We went to Church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. I taught the 4 year old Sunday School Classes during the early morning time slot. I taught 5th grade for the Mission Kids program on Wednesday evenings in the summertime. We were active in small groups, and adult Bible study too.

Another thing that bothered me about this particular Southern Baptist Church was that, in the 8 years we had been going to that Church, we had communion probably not more than a dozen times. Every other Church I had ever been to, had it weekly. Not this Church. They almost never had communion on Sunday mornings. From what I heard, it was always offered on Sunday evenings, but we didn't go on Sunday evenings. They had it on Wednesday nights occasionally too. I remember thinking that communion was treated almost like an after thought.

Moving on to Bible Believing Church number 4? This was our Church hopping phase. We moved further north. This was closer to where my husband's new job was. We moved into the bigger house and all that. We moved to a great school district. Rich could finally attend his neighborhood school and still get all the special needs services that he needed. (you can see my post on Why We Didn't Homeschool if interested)

Now to find a Bible Believing Church? Around us there are about 5 big Churches and some small ones. There was; a large non-denominational Church I would say was Pentecostal in nature, a large Methodist Church, a tiny Lutheran Church right next door to the large Pentecostal Church, a tiny Presbyterian Church, another midsized Southern Baptist Church, and another very tiny non-denominational Church more along the lines of fundamentalist. (There was also a big Catholic Church, but we will get to that later)

We tried most of them. They all were Bible believing. They all taught something different, and ALL used the Bible to back up what they taught. This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the differences off the top of my head.

Non- Denom Pentecostal Style Church: Believed adult baptism only, Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues, (Very similar to the Church we first attended when we were married)

Methodist Church: Believed in infant baptism, Does not believe in once saved always saved. Amillennial, Communion symbolic.

Presbyterian: Believes Infant baptism, Believes in Eternal Security, but differently than the Southern Baptists, Communion symbolic.

Lutheran:- Similar to Catholic, Infant Baptism, Can fall away from the faith, Real Presence in the Communion but technically a little different than the Catholics.

Little Evangelical Non-Denominational Church: Adult believers baptism only, Pre-Wrath Rapture (As opposed to a strict pre-trib rapture), Eternal Security (Once Saved Always Saved), Very legalistic

Church of Christ: Adult believers baptism only. Conditional Security (A Christian Can fall away from the faith), Works cooperate with faith. Baptism necessary for salvation

We Church Hopped for about 3 1/2 years. Hubby didn't like any of them. My brain was reeling trying to study the Bible and determine which was the true Church. What is the Biblical truth? Which church was rightly dividing the Word of truth? There was no unity among any of these Christian Churches. Where was the Church Christ founded? Where was the Church the Apostles started? Which one was the Church with Authority? Which Church is it that the Gates of Hell will not Prevail Against? Which Church is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth? Which one has the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Some say well they all agree on the basics. I wonder- Hmm is Communion a basic? Is Baptism a basic? Where is the One Faith? Is Eternal Security vs. Conditional Security a basic?

I wanted answers. So I decided to go back to the beginning. What were the first Christians like? What were the first churches like? When did they go from worshiping in homes to larger more communal worship? What were the churches like that the Apostles founded? What did those early Christians believe? Did they just baptize adults or did they also baptize infants? Did they pour, immerse or both? I can't ask Jesus directly. For instance, I can't say "Hey Jesus what did you mean when you wrote this?" or "Apostles what did Jesus really mean?" I always ask in prayer and have received many answers and I believe he has been guiding me all along and has lead me to where I am at now.

The way to get the answers to these questions is to see how the early Christians understood what Jesus and the Apostles taught. What did they believe? These early Christians were taught by the Apostles who were in turn taught directly by Jesus. Many early documents, that have been preserved, that were written at the time of Apostles show what these early Christians believed and how they interpreted Jesus's words. These documents aren't considered scripture. Think of it as more like finding ancient Church bulletins, Ancient Church service outlines, the Pastors notes, or music hymnal. These things aren't scripture, but you can learn what the early Christians believed. The Didache is one of these documents written about 60-70ad. Written within the time of the Apostles or very close to the time of the Apostles. It is basically a handbook for new Christians. Then there are the writings of the Early Church Fathers such as St. Augustine. You will be surprised at the answers you find. The early Christians did believe in the real presence of Christ in the communion bread and wine. They believed in adult baptism for adult converts, but they also believed in infant baptism for the children of Christians. That is not unbiblical and does not go against scripture. (but that is a whole other study) Adult Believers Only baptism was something that was not even heard of till centuries later and actually the majority of Christian churches still believe and teach infant baptism. It is only the Churches that have come out of the Anabaptist movement that don't) These are just a few of the things I discovered. There are so many more. Each would take volumes to write about.

So here are my conclusions thus far: (Always subject to change as I am still growing and learning): The Bible is Not clear and you can't understand it without some understanding of history, and ultimately Church Authority and Sacred Tradition. To do so has led to hundreds (possibly thousands) of differing Christian groups, who all interpret the Bible differently. So which is the Church that has Authority given to it by Christ? Which Church has preserved the deposit of faith both oral and written? Which Church can prove Apostolic Succession? Which Church has been the most influential on the growth of Christianity throughout history? Actually I believe there are 2 main groups. The Catholic Churches (all the rites not just Roman) and the Orthodox Churches. Anyway after much Bible Study, Study of Early Church History and Sacred Tradition, and addressing the many misconceptions I had about the Catholic Church, I can truly say I was surprised by the Truth

Bible Believing Church # 5 The Catholic Church
As you have gathered by now my family has been attending the Catholic Church for about 2 years. I was received into full communion Last Nov. Hubby will be received into full communion this July. DD will be probably this Nov. And the boys will be baptized here shortly. 
(I originally wrote this post in June of 2008- Update: I was received into full communion November 2007, My husband was received into full communion in July of 2008, My daughter was received into full communion Nov. 2008, and both my boys were baptized in February 2009)

Side note: ( we have learned recently that that wonderful couple I mentioned earlier who started the Special Needs Ministry in that large Southern Baptist church we were at have since returned to the Catholic church)

So that is me plain and simple. This is where the lord has lead and I will trust him.

So that is my story. It is not the complete story, and there is more to it than just that but that is the summary at least.

If you actually read this extremely long post thanks for listening. :-)

Sincerely, Deana

Added: First Half of My Christian Faith Journey and Christian Testimony

Also Added
My Reply to the Question: What did you study to bring you out of the Southern Baptist church and into the Catholic faith?

Answer to Mother Of Many in Response to my Post on Bible Interpretaion

(I have reposted my original article in the post below this one. It is the article that Mother of Many is commenting on that I posted originally as a comment on the VTC Blog- So See My Post for June 15th to view that article.)

Mother of Many Posted this Question to Me in My Comments Section in Response to my Article on Bible Interpretation. Here is her comment and question back to me below, and then my answer to her question.

Sorry this is off topic, but I didn't see an email link and didn't know where else to put it.

I read your post about the Bible at VTC and wondered how you can believe God could perfectly preserve his word through man in oral tradtion but isn't able to perfectly preserve his word in print?

There are many studies available by not only translators from different faiths but also non-believers about how astoundingly accurately the Bible has been preserved, especially after the Quamran caves were found and the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered and studied.

What about verses such as Isaiah 40:8, Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 12:6-7, Psalm 19:7, Psalm 102:18, Psalm 119:9-11, Proverbs 30:5, 1 Chronicles 16:15, Matthew 22:29, Mark 13:31, Luke 1:37, John 20:31, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, etc.?

If you do not believe the Bible has been perfectly preserved, is it accurate to say Catholics hold the scriptures and tradition in equal authority?

Thank you. (from motherofmany)
____________________________________________________________________

Hi, I just want to say these are my own personal thoughts and conclusions that I have come to over many years of study. They aren't set in stone, but do reflect where I am coming from at this moment in time. So be patient and understanding with me. I am by no means a Bible Scholar, but I am trusting the Lord and the Scriptures that say "Seek and ye Shall Find", So I have been doing that all my life. Thanks for writing.
I didn't really want my blog to become an apologetics blog so I was posting on the other blog. But OK Since you asked. :-)
On the other blog, I was simply trying to point out the problems with "Personal"Bible Interpretation. I guess my first question would be when you say perfectly preserve his word in print--hmm which printed version is perfectly preserved? Is there a perfectly preserved version in every language? I will say it again, the only perfect infallible scriptures are the original manuscripts in the original languages. Languages don't translate perfectly into other languges for all the reasons I mentioned in the other post.

I found it interesting one time in a Bible study that a Spanish speaker had said she had trouble with the English version of the "Our Father" the line in English is "lead us not into temptation.. She said that made no sense to her because why would we have to ask God not to tempt us? She said in the Spanish language the phrase is more aptly translated keep us from being tempted. I don't know if that is a good example but that is what I had off the top of my head.

OK here is I think a good example and I'll use the King James
Luke 14:26 (King James Version)

26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.


OK the word "hate" are you really suppose to "hate" your father, mother ......
We are suppose to honor our Mother and Father and If we look at

1 John 3:15 (King James Version)
15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Numerous Greek scholars have added their combined years of study to the discussion to testify that the word “hate” (miseo) in Luke 14:26 does not mean “an active abhorrence,” but means “to love less.”

The Greek word has a subtly different meaning or more meanings than our English word hate.



Here is another example (and I know I am opening a can of worms with this one) :

John 3:5 (King James Version)

5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The Problem " Born of water and the Spirit"

Those that want to say baptism is just a symbol say that Jesus here is not referring to water baptism. They either say that the "water" here is the preached word of God, or I have also heard, that the water here refers to amniotic fluid or fleshly natural birth. OK which is it? (Acutally I have studied this to death over the past 20 years) I will go with history and Apostolic Tradition on this one. The early Christians uniformly identified this verse with baptism. Water baptism is the way, they said, that we are born again and receive new life—a fact that is supported elsewhere in Scripture (cf. Rom. 6:3–4; Col. 2:12–13; Titus 3:5). And by many other early church documents and writing of the Early Church fathers.

No Church Father referred to John 3:5 as anything other than water baptism. Actually a wonderful early church document gives instructions on how baptism is suppose to be done. It was written about 70 AD written during the time of the Apostles and is called the Didache.
Actually the idea of "Being Born Again" as a personal spiritual conversion experience was unknown to early Christians. This idea didn't come along till much later in History.

Someday I would love to be a Bible Scholar, but I'm too busy being a mom right now. Even with a Greek and Hebrew lexicon that I have there are still translation issues.

I absolutely agree with you that the Bible is astoundingly accurate as a whole. One of the wonderful books I read in High School was Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowel'sl (Sp?) I also heard him give a lecture in College. Yes the Quamran Caves is an awesome find and actually pieces of several of the deuterocanonical books were found there. Those are the books that were eventually excluded from most Protestant Bibles. They were part of the Septuagint which was the Greek version of the Old Testament used at the time of Christ.

Ok I was going to print all the scriptures you mentioned but that got to be a bit long. But in all of these the gist is God's Word is accurate and will be preserved. I would ask you is that just his written word? Or is that his written word, his oral word and the word incarnate? I would say all 3.

I would say Scripture and Tradition compliment each other and need to be in agreement with each other. Tradition cannot contradict Scripture. Likewise I don't think you can fully understand Scripture without Apostolic Tradition. (I am not talking about the traditions of men here) You need both.

The concept of Scripture Alone and that Scripture is "All" sufficient is actually not Biblical. Nowhere in the Bible does it claim that all you need as your rule of faith is the Bible. The Church is the Pillar and Foundation of truth 1 Tim 3:15
1 Timothy 3:15 (King James Version) 15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16 Is not a proof text for the Sole Sufficiency of the Bible and doesn't even refer to the New Testament

2 Tim 3:16 (New American Standard Bible)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

In context it refers to the scriptures of Timothy's youth. The new Testament didn't exist in Timothy's youth. 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (New American Standard Bible)
14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.


The Bible denies that it is sufficient as the complete rule of faith. Paul says that much Christian teaching is to be found in the tradition which is handed down by word of mouth (2 Tim. 2:2). He instructs us to "stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15).

This oral teaching was accepted by Christians, just as they accepted the written teaching that came to them later. Jesus told his disciples: "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me" (Luke 10:16). The Church, in the persons of the apostles, was given the authority to teach by Christ; the Church would be his representative. He commissioned them, saying, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

And how was this to be done? By preaching, by oral instruction: "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). The Church would always be the living teacher. It is a mistake to limit "Christ’s word" to the written word only or to suggest that all his teachings were reduced to writing. The Bible nowhere supports either notion.

Further, it is clear that the oral teaching of Christ would last until the end of time. "’But the word of the Lord abides for ever.’ That word is the good news which was preached to you" (1 Pet. 1:25). Note that the word has been "preached"—that is, communicated orally. This would endure. It would not be
supplanted by a written record like the Bible (supplemented, yes, but not supplanted), and would continue to have its own authority.

This is made clear when the apostle Paul tells Timothy: "What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). Here we see the first few links in the chain of apostolic tradition that has been passed down intact from the apostles to our own day. Paul instructed Timothy to pass on the oral teachings (traditions) that he had received from the apostle. He was to give these to men who would be able to teach others, thus perpetuating the chain. Paul gave this instruction not long before his death (2 Tim. 4:6–8), as a reminder to Timothy of how he should conduct his ministry.

In Summary my current position on the issue. Tradition does not supercede or supplant the written word of God the Bible. However it is necessary for correct interpretation and understanding. So I guess to answer your initial question, I believe that the written word of God is preserved along with the oral interpretation to understand it correctly. Ok that is where I am at at this present time.

Sincerely, Deeny Sorry if I rambled a bit.

Bible Interpretation-- My Thoughts & Opinions

I am reposting this article I wrote originally as a comment on the VTC blog. (Here reposted with all the original grammatical errors too LOL)

I just want to point out a couple problems with Bible Interpretation.

First the only infallible Bibles- are the original manuscripts written in the original languages. Any copy or translation is subject to errors and linguistic problems. Languages do not translate neatly into other languages. Some languages don't have words that convey the same subtle meanings.

You not only have to know the language you are translating from, you have to know it in the context of the time it was written. Lets look at English: less than 100 years old, words that meant one thing at the turn of the century don't mean the same thing today. "Merry and Gay" means something different in 1900 and 2000.

You also have to know current events and the popular culture of the times to understand things. For instance the phrase, "I don't think we are in Kansas anymore", or "That's no moon that's a Space station". We know what these phrases mean because we share a common culture. 2000 years from now will a translator know what these expressions mean? Also lets look at expressions that really make no sense, "break a leg", "easy as pie", "down under", " your goose is cooked", " A little bird told me". etc. We know what these expressions mean, but will people in the future? There are also problems with hyperbole ie: "The ice cream sundae was as tall as a skyscraper". Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration for linguistic effect.

Now Luther thought that the Bible was perspicuous. Perspicuous means clear obvious. Luther believed one could read the Bible and everyone would come to the clear meaning. However reality has proven that it is not clear. There are thousands of Protestant denominations. I have seen a statistic as high as 33000+. Now out of those how many call themselves Bible Only or Bible Believing Churches? Almost all of them. When members of a congregation disagree with their Pastor over scripture interpretation they just split and start another denomination So the Bible is not Perspicuous.

The Bible itself says that it is a hard book to understand.
2 Peter 3:16 (New American Standard Bible)
16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

So you do need to be taught. Some will say, "All I need is the Holy Spirit." That is great until you disagree with your Pastor or someone else. Then which one has the teaching of the Holy Spirit? Of course you are going to assume yourself. I believe the holy Spirit guides us as a whole and does give us a measure of discernment. But we still need teachers. he Holy Spirit guides and protects the deposit of faith within the church.

1 Corinthians 1:28 28And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues

Second Problem. No one reads the Bible alone regardless of what they say. I am sure our friends have Bible commentaries on their bookshelf. Many a Fundamentalist has their King James version of the Bible with Scoffield Notes. They also get lots of Bible instruction from their Pastors. Where do their Pastors get their training? From Seminaries. Some big ones are the Dallas Theological Seminary, The Moody Bible Institute, Trinity College Theological Seminary. There are many more. Now all these guys don't agree with one another. So there is a Problem of Authority. And no they don't agree even on the basics.

Third Problem is a Historical one. First Individual reading of the Bible and personal Bible study is a very, very recent in History thing. It is only very recent in our history that People have access to Bibles in their own languages. It is only recently people can afford Bibles. And it is only recently the majority of people are literate and can read the Bible. We are talking less than 500 years. There was no Bible in the form we have it today with all the books compiled into the one Bible for the first 400 years of Christian history. So for 1500 years what did people do? Was God so careless as to leave Christians in the dark for 1500 years? No he gave us a Church. The Church is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth.

1 Timothy 3:15 (New American Standard Bible) 15but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.



So Now as a Protestant You have the daunting task of trying to figure out which Bible believing Church has the truth. If I want to understand the scriptures and know what they meant in the time of Christ I would go as close to the source as I could. What did the early Christian believe. How did they who preserved and wrote the Scriptures interpret them. Not only are there the canonized scriptures we have today. There are also many preserved Church documents by the early Christians that lived within the lifetime of the Apostles The Didache I believe was written about 70 AD. It is an amazing document. Read what the early Christians wrote. They didn't always agree and you can't take their word as 100 percent correct like you can't any Bible commentary. But if you read enough you will get a picture and a consensus of what that early church believed.

In Summary; The Church is universal but it is also visible. If the Church is the Pillar and foundation of Truth which Church is it? The Bible very clearly tells you how to discern correct doctrine. Know from whom you have been taught. If it is from Jesus and the Apostles that Jesus taught it is trustworthy. The whole problem is with Authority. I trust the Church that proves Apostolic Succession, that has a consistent history, and a consistent presence throughout History because I believe God's promise that the gates of hell will not prevail over the Church. There is a consistent rule of faith and standard for all Catholic Churches worldwide which is the Bible and the Catechism.

The Catechism is how those Scripture are interpreted and understood. Whether or not individuals within the Church espouse everything or not. The Individual Congregations are not deciding doctrine individually among themselves like Protestant Non-Denominational Churches. There are no contradictions of Scripture within the Catholic Church, Their is a unity that goes back 2000 years. It is awesome to read the ECF's and know it is the same faith of the Apostles. (Now the ECF's are not infallible and did not agree with each other on every single point but as a whole they are in agreement.) Not a faith that Protestants tried to re-create with just the Bible alone (trying to guess the mind of Jesus and the Apostles and what they might have meant in the many passages of the Bible) 1500 years after the fact. The Catholic Church doesn't have to guess. It had that knowledge and passed it down along with the Holy Scriptures protected by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 16:18 (New American Standard Bible)18"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

The Story of Stuff Internet Video

Hi, I actually have something to blog about today. A good friend of mine sent me this interesting link to a little internet movie. Now my friend is herself unique. We were best friends in junior high and she use to have purple and red hair in the 80’s. She now lives with friends in Greenwich Village New York and is a movie set designer. Our views on many issues are very different now. I watched this little video and being the idealist that I am, I agreed with a lot of it. However, I did think it was alarmist, and not a real balanced picture. There are other sides to the story that weren’t told and the problem isn’t just simple consumerism. The economics involved are much more complex. I remember after 9/11 my husbands business died. he is in manufacturing and they went from having more work than they could handle to none overnight. That was a scary time, but the business did rebound in a few months. So I understand the need for people to go out and shop, go to restaurants etc after 9/11. I think I would have liked the video more if it wasn’t so alarmist and presented the other side of consumerism and how it effects the economy in a positive way. As idealistic as I am, I was bothered by the video because I felt slightly manipulated to follow a particular agenda without all the facts and didn’t feel that I got the whole story. I would like to find an informed response to this video. I would love to know what other people think. The Story of Stuff Link

20 Reasons Why Your Dog's Haircut Costs More Than Yours.

20 Reasons why your dog's haircut costs more than yours.

1. Your hairdresser doesn't give you a bath.
2. Your hairdresser doesn't give you a manicure and pedicure.
3. You don't try to bite or scratch your hairdresser
4. You don't wiggle, spin or try to jump out of the hairdresser' s
chair.
5. Your hairdresser only cuts the top of your head, not your whole body
6. You don't try to hump the hairdresser
7. Your hairdresser doesn't wipe boogies from your eyes
8. Your hairdresser doesn't pluck and clean your ears
9. Your hairdresser doesn't squeeze your anal glands
10. You don't poop or pee while you are getting your hair cut
11. Your hairdresser does not remove fleas or ticks
12. You don't go 6 weeks (or more) without brushing or washing your hair
13. Your hairdresser doesn't brush your teeth
14. You don't try to bite the clippers. scissors, brush, nail clippers
or dryer
15. It doesn't take 3 people to trim your nails
16. Your hairdresser doesn't have to de-matt your hair
17. Your hairdresser would never wash your butt
18. Your hair dresser doesn't give you a "sanitary trim"
19. Drying your hair doesn't blow hair all around that gets on
everything.
20. You don't howl or bark while having all this done!

Love, Hope and Miracles; Miracle Baby

This post is to let anyone interested know about a little guy surviving against all odds. He was born a Thanatophoric Dwarf. It is also called thanatophoric dysplasia. You can look it up on the web. This condition is considered not compatible with life and usually the only treatment offered to most moms is a theraputic abortion. Well this little guys family said no, and by the grace of God this little tyke is surviving against all odds. He will be 3 in August. He is just too cute. Docs had even said he would be a vegetable and not be able to give or receive love or smile or interact. Well you can see by his darling smile the Docs were wrong. He needs continued support and prayer.
Here is his website: Samuel's Website
Samuel's name means God Hears
Thought I would post a nice story.

Awesome Day At the Water Park

Ok, summer is definitely here. We had an awesome day at the water park. Now it is about to storm. I made split pea soup in the crock pot but I really am not in the mood for soup and sandwiches tonight. I guess I can always save the soup it freezes well.

Crock Pot SPLIT PEA SOUP
Ingredients
2 cups split peas
2 qts. water
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
4 slices Canadian bacon, cut into small
pieces (or turkey ham, or any leftover ham or leave the ham out for vegetarian)
2 Tbsp. nonfat chicken bouillion powder
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Add more water for the consistency you like. Cook on high to get it hot, if you have time, then lower the heat setting to low and cook 8 hours. Don't fill the crock pot too full, due to foaming. Stir, adjust the seasonings and serve. If you like the soup creamy, take out 1/2 c. of the soup and puree in food processor, then blend back into the soup. Serves 6. 424 calories per serving. 4 g fat. 8% from fat.

Source: SFin1000 (8 servings)

Free Gas Fathers Day Deal From Sears

Hi this is a cool Fathers Day Deal especially if Dad or boys or anyone else needs clothes. Buy $100 worth of Dockers Clothing from Sears between now and June 15. Mail in the rebate for $75 in gas from Shell
You can find out more info here and download the form. Sincerely Deeny :-)

http://www.206inc.com/dockersgiftcard2008

Water Park Disappointment

OK this a bad mom story. So sad. When I called the kiddos  down for breakfast, my special needs child came down dressed in his swimsuit and sandals. He was all set to go to the water park. He had overheard me mention yesterday that we might go to the water park today. Well I talked to my daughter and she said that Wednesday would be a better day for her to go with us. So I decided we would go Wednesday instead. I forgot to tell son number one. Poor thing he was so disappointed. So I am trying to make it up to him. He is in now playing in the Spa and I have 50's music playing. Actually the 50's music is kinda motivating. I am dancing around the house picking up. It is out of control today and I have to get back on top of things today. Especially if we are going to be gone at the water park tomorrow. It is amazing how if you let things go a few days how behind you get. I have mounds of clean laundry that needs folding and put away, A refrigerator that needs to be cleaned out, and I have to go to the grocery store later. I still feel bad that I disappointed Kiddo number one. He doesn't take change well, but he is dealing with it today. We will pack a lunch and be all ready to go tomorrow morning and his siter promised to take him on the raft slide rides tomorrow. :-) Well back to work. 

What's For Dinner 6/9

Deeny's Leftover Chicken Paprika

Recipe By: Deeny
Serving Size: 5

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 tablespoons margarine, or butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 large onion, sliced (about 1c.)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt (Or to taste- if using store bought chicken broth it maybe too salty with a whole teaspoon)
1 can chicken broth, (14 1/2 oz.)
1 cup sour cream

Directions: Melt butter in large pan. Saute onions in the melted butter till soft and translucent. Add flour, salt and paprika and stir into a roux. Cook for a minute. Stir chicken broth into roux. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat. Add chicken.  Simmer till thickened . Turn heat to very low or off. Stir in Sour Cream and heat just till warm. Serve over cooked noodles.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday is Such a wonderful idea. I use to belong to a What's For Dinner Forum way back at the beginning of the WWW, but that forum closed a long time ago. Menu Planning is one thing I do well. OK I am bragging a bit, that is because my other household skills need improving.

My menus are too much focused around meat entrees. I am trying to change that with at least a couple of vegetarian type entrees a week. The classic meal planning I was taught was a meat entree, a salad opt., vegetable, and starchy compliment. That is old school in todays world, so I am trying to adapt more. I also try to do a roast of some kind on Sundays to have meat leftovers for the week for salads and sandwiches.

Monday: Chicken Paprika. (using the extra grilled chicken from last Saturdays dinner that I froze.) Served over noodles. Green beans

Tuesday: Homemade Pizza Night. (Can be vegetarian)

Wednesday: Crock Pot Split Pea Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Thursday: Sweet-Sour Pork Chops Over Rice

Friday: Spaghetti with Italian Marinara Sauce (I make up a big batch of sauce and keep it in 2 and 4 cup portions in the freezer), Tossed Salad, Broccoli Spears

Saturday: Hamburgers on the Grill, Grilled Potato Wedges, Hamburger Fixins.

Sunday: Savory Roast Pork and Apple Stuffing.

What's For Dinner 6/8

Deeny's 1950's Pot Roast Special for the Busy Cook
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Deeny
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

3 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1/4 cup flour
1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed, (10 3/4 oz. can)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 medium onion, sliced
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into 2" pieces
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

NOTES : This recipe had to be invented in the 50's by Mrs. Cleaver; she probably used frozen peas and carrots. Don't despair over the canned soup and packaged soup mix; just try it, then scoff if you will. The time-bake oven gadget was invented for this pot roast; it goes into the oven frozen before breakfast, and comes out 6 p.m., meat-falling-off-the-bone wonderful. Variations: Use tiny new potatoes or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. Use those packaged, peeled small carrots and/or winter root vegetables. Add 1 fennel bulb, cut in half, then sliced (about 1/3" thick). Add 1 cup red table wine. Add 1/2 lb. small button mushrooms with stems removed, or 1/2 lb. fresh wild mushrooms. Add the potatoes, beans, carrots, fennel, winter roots, or wine at the final hour; add mushrooms 30 minutes before serving.Yield: 6 servings.

Directions:
For frozen meat, unwrap the meat and put it into a roasting pan. Spread the undiluted mushroom soup over the meat and sprinkle the onion soup mix over the mushroom soup. Place the onion slices over the dried soup. Cover with foil, making sure the edges are sealed. Place pan in oven and set the time bake for 4 hours at 275 degrees, so that it will be finished cooking 1 hour before you want to serve it. One hour before serving, unwrap the foil and place the prepared vegetables and herbs around the meat. Seal the foil and continue cooking for an hour. For thawed meat, follow the same procedure, but reduce the initial cooking time to 2 hours.

Family Photos

Since I talked about my kiddos in the last couple of posts here are some photos. This is my eldest. Being blind, his eyes are closed in most pictures. He has no light perception, so he has no need to keep his eyes open. Actually many blind kids keep there eys closed or droopy. In his case the eyeballs themselves did not grow as he grew so they are sunken back. They also are blue cloudy and opaque looking. We had considered artificial eyes at one point but they would be a lot of work to take care of. Also to be fitted with the artificial eyes, they would have to extract the eyeballs. It makes me queezy just talking about it. Anyway, the way he looks doesn't bother us. It is funny, however, when we get professional photos taken because the photographer always apologizes that his eyes are closed in all the shots.

Darling Daughter.

Youngest Son Indoor Rock Climbing
Picture of All of Us Christmas Morning 2006

Follow Up To the Homeschool Post and Ramblings

Thank you guys who posted for the wonderful comments. I am brand new to the blog world, even though I have had my own kitchen websites and home daycare websites up in the past. Actually they are still up because when I quit AOL I just assumed the accounts would be closed and they would disappear. I was wrong, they remained up, I just have no more access to them and can't change or update them. So that is something to remember if you change internet services etc. But back to blogging, it is different than just putting up a website. It is kinda scary putting your personal thoughts out there into cyberspace

Anyway, I was concerned at posting on such a controversial topic. I am not controversial and hate conflict. However I had gone to one site (None of your sites who responded) and read an article that came across very harsh. (I am not sure the author meant for the article to come across as harsh) But the author made it sound like that if you were a "true" Christian or a "Good" Christian you would homeschool at all costs. Almost as if your Christianity was suspect if you didn't homeschool. It just seemed to come across as so judgmental to me. So I hope I never come across that way. I also know that it so hard to judge the "tone" of posts on forums and such.

I really love all the homemaking sites. I am desperately trying to get organized. As I have said, I am not by nature the most organized person. It is definitely a struggle for me. I am trying to make what is called a home binder? I like the Fly Lady's site. I actually have made one. It looks great. However I actually haven't followed it yet. I need to be more disciplined in my house keeping. So if you have any tips I will gladly take them. I like the idea of eliminate and simplify. We moved to this house in 2001 from a tiny 1260 sqft, 3 bedroom 1 bath house that had a car port and no garage. This house is 2507 sqft has 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 2 half baths and a 2 car garage. We are busting at the seems. I have no more storage space. We have too much stuff. I don't know how we survived 13 years in our tiny house, but we did. It is amazing how you end up acquiring stuff to fill the space your in. So I especially like the Simple Living Sites like "Lentils and Rice". I am definitely trying to reduce stuff. My Hubby hates garage sales and doesn't like to deal with them. He prefers just to give the stuff away and that is fine with me. Anyway have a great Sunday :-)

Why Our Family Did Not Home School

Why Our Family Did Not Home School

First off, I am in my forty's, and believe it or not, Home Schooling as a movement did not really start taking off until the mid 80's and didn't explode until the 90's. So My generation and Christians from my generation were not home schooled. It was not common in the 60's or 70's even in Christian circles to home school. So I know nobody my age at all that was home schooled. I am not against home schooling. I think it is a wonderful option. I know awesome family's that are home schooling and I know awesome and wonderful kids that are being home schooled.

I had my first child in 1987. He was born blind, mentally handicapped, and has some autistic behaviors. I was a very young mom. I married my college sweetheart right out of college at the age of 21 and my son was born a year later. I read everything i could about blind babies. Here where I live they had a public school program that came to your home (Or they would visit children in a day care if that is where they were) for all hearing impaired and visually impaired infants and toddlers. Starting when he was only 3 months old, I had a teacher that came to my house one to three times a week to teach me how to stimulate and work with him and to teach him. I was very impressed with her knowledge. I went back to college and finished my degree in Special ed. At the University I was at I could not specialize in the visually impaired because they did not offer that program. Anyway, at the age of 3 he went into a specialized preschool and at 5 he was in a special class for blind children. He had an awesome teacher. Also in the Public school system, he received Speech and Language Therapy, and Orientation and Mobility Therapy. (That is a specialized vision teacher that teaches them how to use the cane and to get around their environments.) He also had a full time vision teacher that designed activities appropriate for blind children. He had the most awesome teachers throughout his whole school career. Actually he has one more year of public school because he can be in school till he is 21. He attends his regular neighborhood high school but is in special classes. He still recieves all the above mentioned services. He thrives on school and the routine. Actually I am preparing now for the day he no longer has school. I will be homeschooling him because he will be forever learning and he needs things to stimulate him. Now I can find all kinds of resources. There is actually a blind home schoolers group on yahoo. We were so blessed, God provided the best teachers. If I had issues or problems at home they would work with me to solve them. Also this was the late 80's and early 90's. Everyone didn't have computers then. The web was not what it is today. Resources weren't as easy to find back then. With my son in the special preschool, I got a job at the school next door teaching Physically Impaired Children. I worked with kids with brain damage, spina-bifida, and cerebral palsy etc. I even worked with a child who had a stroke when he was only 10. I loved my students, and most of the parents I worked with were awesome. It was great. My daughter was born 23 months after my son. When I was teaching, my daughter was just a block away at a wonderful Christian Daycare and School. The school went from preschool all the way up to high school. So for our situation, at that beginning time in our family, that is what we did. By the time number 3 child came along it got difficult to be full time mom and full time teacher. We were better off and I then became a Work at Home Mom. I started a home daycare. I watched my 3rd child and 3 other little tykes. Son number one was still attending the special school and daughter was still attending the Christian private school. My daughter is now attending the State University. She is an awesome Christian, is grounded and has great moral values. My youngest is still in school. I know his teachers well. I figure the School is supplementing what I do. He loves Music and they have the best music program at his school. He plays the Sax. I know homeschooling parents that have dual enrollment in public or private schools so they can participate in some extracurriculars like band, or have the advantage of a complete science lab etc. But I decided not to go that route. My youngest is also a great Christian kid with great values. Although the Bible admonishes us to teach our children. It does not spell out how or where. And nowhere does it forbid formal schooling. I wish we could love each other and trust that the Gods will can be done in different situations and in different ways. Sometimes there is more judging and condemning going on rather than love, prayer and encouragement.

What's For Dinner Tonight 6/7

Menu:
Grilled Marinated Chicken,
Corn on the cob,
Mashed or Baked Potatoes (I haven't decided which yet),
Tossed Salad,
Wheat Dinner Roll

Grilled Marinated Chicken

Recipe By: Deeny
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

4 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in, skin on , (really as much as you want to grill)
Marinade:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Mix together marinade ingredients. Marinate Chicken minimum of 2 hours (or up to 24 hours) in refrigerator. Drain. Grill as usual


Wheat Dinner Rolls

Recipe By: West Bend
Serving Size: 17

Ingredients:

7 1/2 ounces water
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons dry milk
3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 1/2 t. rapid rise

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the inner pot of bread machine in order listed. Use Basic Dough Setting; press START. When setting is complete, remove dough from inner pot and place on lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 17 equal pieces (1.5 oz.). Shape into balls. Place on baking sheet, let stand covered about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Bake in preheated 350F. oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

VARIATIONS:

Bow Knots: Prepare dough as directed above, except for shaping into balls. On floured surface, roll dough into 12 ropes approximately 10 inches long. Tie each rope into a knot. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise and bake as directed.

Clover Leaf Rolls: Prepare dough as directed above, except for shaping into balls. On floured surface, shape dough into 36 balls. Place 3 balls in each cup of greased muffin pan. Let rise and bake as directed. Brush with melted butter. Bake as directed.

Parker House Rolls: Prepare dough as directed, except for dividing dough. On floured suface, roll dough 12 inch round; cut out 12 rolls with 2-inch round cutter. Place on greased baking sheet. Spread each roll with 1/4 teaspoon butter or margarine. Fold in half; press lightly. Let rise and bake as directed.

What's For Dinner Tonight 6/6

(PS: I figured how to cut and paste my recipes- I actually had to use a different browser and then it let me do it just fine)

Beef Teriyaki with Broccoli
Ingredients
1 lb. eye of round steak, about 3/4" thick
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (I make my own homemade teriyaki sauce)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups broccoli, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked brown rice
Method
1. Trim fat from beef steak. Cut beef across grain into 2x1/8-inch slices. Mix Teriyaki sauce, leemon juice, cornstarch, and ground ginger in square 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Stir in beef. Cover and refrigerate at least 10 minutes.
2. Drain beef, reserving marinade. Stir broccoli, onion, and garlic into beef in square dish. Cover tightly and microwave on high 6 to 8 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes, until beef is no longer pink.
3. Stir in bell pepper and marinade. Cover tightly and microwave 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and boils. Serve with hot cooked rice if desired.

Prep
- Start to finish: 30 Minutes

Introduction

   This is my very first post in my new blog. I am in my early 4o's. My little guys aren't so little anymore. They are 20, 18 and 12. I married my college sweetheart and we have been married for almost  22 years. I seem to be in this blog world with thirty something moms and sometimes 40 something moms whose kids are all still little tykes. It is interesting to see how parenting ideas have changed over 20 years. From Diapers, to Schooling, to Bottles, to Breastfeeding, to Discipline. Some old ideas are coming back, some new ideas are becoming popular. The world is changing. For better? for worse? Everyone seems to have an opinion.  These are my fur babies.  They are so different form each other. A 2 year old min pin and a 4 month old Maltese. Ok I have nothing really exciting or controversial to blog about. I have discovered I can't simply cut and paste things yet. I wonder why. Something to learn. I wanted to cut and paste a recipe that I am fixing for dinner but I couldn't just cut and paste it grr. I am too lazy to type out the whole thing. I am sure there is an easier way but I haven't figured it out yet. So I will work on that problem. If anybody out there can help that would be great.