Some girls dream of princes on white horses...

But not me.
When I was a kid I spent time dreaming of going to marineland in niagra falls, Canada. We lived a little more than 2 hours away... and from the time I was little I was completely smitten with orcas, and bottle nose dolphins, and sea lions. My favorite show was flipper and I spent hours dreaming of swimming with those amazing mammals & In southern California it seems everyone wants to go to Disney ... but not me. I mean I am sure it would be fun. But. I still dream of sitting by the blue pool watching the whales swim smelling the salty air. Sitting in the splash zone.... listening to the otters, & seals as the bark and play, touching the starfish in the tidal pools, feeding the bat rays.

My dream takes us to Seaworld SD and I am beside myself with anticipation!

When love came down.

Lately I have been hearing mixed messages about Jesus.

Some would say.... well we ALL are saved. God is a good God He doesn't want anyone in hell. And while part of that IS true God is a good God and he most certainly doesn't desire to send people to hell ... He does. When we don't choose Him. The only way to Him is through His one and only Son, Jesus.

Recently I heard a pastor teach on the 7 major world religions. On the chart he handed out he said that 33% of the world is Christian. But in that 33% he included many different nonchristian believers. People groups that do not believe that Jesus is the one and only way to heaven. I do think that in that liberalism.... in that "religious tolerance" the truth is watered down too much and that the Gospel is not preached in a way that leads anyone to the saviour.

But the opposite is also true.

I have dear friends that are Messianic in their faith... that observe the Sabbath and follow the rules in the Torah claiming the law is the only way. I think this is equally dangerous. Being too bound by the law, and entangled in the chains of legalism they teach that Christmas is an abomination. But sadly at a time of tear when many seek the saviour - they are pushing them away from the Jesus who paid the ultimate sacrifice and took their place killed as a common criminal for their sin. Are they so far removed from the day they received their own salvation that they can no longer remember the redemption that was inly available by grace. That whether they trim a tree or debate when the birth of Jesus actually took place upon the Hebraic calendar doesn't really matter at all. It is the birth of Jesus that is important not the debates. As those debates could lead unbelievers further and further from how great Gods love is.

Do we celebrate Christmas? Well we do. But hopefully like many other Bible believing Christian families we do it differently. We go to church on Christmas eve. We try not to get sucked into the vortex of greed and commercialism. We try to live within our means. Not purchasing needlessly on credit buying things we cannot afford. Trying to teach our children that black Friday... in itself is not evil.... but the greed associated with it is. We teach that Santa was a real man... the history and truth... and that all good gifts are from God. We don't pretend to deceive them that they will find laptops, ans ipods under the tree... as those things fade. We exchange 3 gifts. Some of which are handmade... a representation that the baby in the manger was brought 3 gifts by the Magi. We teach the truth of His birth. That the babe in a manger was probably not born in December but that this is when we celebrate His birth as Christians. We bake cookies and take them to neighbors as a gesture of kindness. We do.much like this throughout the year but we do make an extra effort at Christmas and pray a bit more fervently that they also would come to know and love Jesus.

Unlike my very liberal friends we serve Jesus with our lives - where often you cannot tell whether or not they are believers. The profess christ with their mouth and yet deny  Him with their actions. My other friends abide by the letter of the law. The law Jesus came to complete because noone could achieve it. They measure how they love Jesus by how strictly they follow the law.

But I don't think that is the answer either
I think when Jesus is your 1st love you live your life seeking after Him. Reading His word. Abiding in His desires. But all the time being aware that you are saved by grace... and you want everyone you know to experience that grace and love Jesus like you do.... drawing them to the saviour not repelling them from Him.

May you share the truth of the saviour this holiday with friends, family, and those you just meet. Making them ask you - what is different about your life. Take time to keep Jesus at the center of this holiday. Bring someone a warm meal, a plate of cookies, a gift for their children but most importantly invite them to church and introduce them.to your 1st love - and maybe if you can't say that Jesus is your 1st love... its time to let Him be that.

OverRuled. the movie

If you are a parent...
If you ever want to be or plan to be a parent....
Please, set aside 35 minutes and watch this short film put out by parentalrights.org

           

Schnoodle sadness....

We buried Bella today. She was a schnoodle and she was 10 months old. And while her cause of death is unclear it might have been a direct result of an adverse side effect from a pill called "comfortis" known to kill fleas.

What is in the fine print is that it causes all sorts of side effects. vomiting. up to 6 days. decreased appetite. Lethargy. diarreah. and seizures just to name a few. it is a systemic pesticide that we now "safely" give our animal to get rid of fleas. And I did something I never do. I gave it to her without reading about the risks before administering it.

why?
I have no idea.

I am a shot delaying mama.
I dont even do the flu shot cuz i have read too much negative stuff.
and yet I gave my 10 month old pup a pestiticide to ingest to rid us of fleas.
stupid.
and now she is gone.

we buried her today in the desert. the vet said Tuesday to bring her in by Thursday if she didnt get better. problem is Wed she seemed deaf. and perhaps had already had tonic seizure activity. she was still drinking and trying to eat... but it was too late. When we awoke this morning she had died in her sleep..

perhaps there were underlying issues. I will never know. What I do know is that I will never give my dogs a flea pill again. I will go topical long before I ever consider giving them an internal pesticide.

before you do please read ALL the links in this post thouroughly.

A Day at the nut farm

An Urgent matter

It's Time from IPHC Ministries on Vimeo.

I am sure none of my readers have ever experienced mommy burn out before...
but I am there.
at the cusp of why do i homeschool my children?
(knowing all the reasons why i do it)
why doesnt anyone ever obey me?
why can't they just seem to care about what they do...?

so we changed gears this year. A more relaxed approach. but it just seems like they dont care..about anything sometimes. It feels like I prepare or get excited for something only to walk upstairs and see my hallway and a bedroom thrashed by legos.... or see the arm of yet another doll chewed by the puppy.... i think I am just completely and utterly overwhelmed. exhausted. frazzled. and burnt out.

but if that is true... where does that leave us as a homeschooling family?
Even a more relaxed one?
I feel like with each passing day
I am just a little more taken advantage of...
just a little more less respected....
just a little more discouraged.....
just a little more overwhelmed....
just a little more exhausted.

I know my joy is in the Lord.
I am just having a really hard time keeping and maintaining   a happiness  with my children.
and why I homeschool is multilayered.
I feel led to do it.
but I really want to enjoy my kids.
and i dont know what to do at this point to change any part of that equation.
so
yeah. 

180 The movie

watch it!


I have very strong opinions on this topic. The halocaust it being erased from our history books and abortion is killing millions of babies.  please.. no matter what your opinion is on either of these two topics watch this short 33 minute film before you make a decision!

Bear claw sweet bread ,,,, mmmmm mmmm mmmmm

So this is a very old school recipe I thought I would try out today to share with some awesome peeps at Bible study tonight. I tried 2 variations but the bread recipe remained the same ...you can chage up your filling any way you would like. Here goes...
 Yeast Coffee Cake braid dough

(I mixed the dough in my bread maker to speed things up a tad)

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup water
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon rind (grated)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups flour ( or until dough is workable and not sticky)
2 Tbsp yeast

I put the ingrediesnts into my bread machine on the dough setting and an hour and a half later I had workable dough.I rolled out the dough onto a non stick cookie sheet. I filled one loaf with slivered almonds, cinnamon and sugar and almond paste and braided it. Maked it in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes and glazed with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla icing that I made
repeated the process again for a 2nd loaf and filled with everything you would put in your favorite peach cobbler.. braided it up and went about 30 minutes at 350. The 2nd bread was a bit moister ... I suspect from the canned peaches but tasty! glazed this one with the same topping as the 1st. 

Its not a super fancy recipe but yummy. You could fill with your fave ingredients. apples, peaches, bear claw, blueberry, cream cheese and raspberry jam... I suppose any of your favorite insides since the sweet bread recipe remains about the same. ENJOY!