The Chicken Culprit

I woke up this morning hearing a commotion at the chicken coop. I grabbed a jacket and ran down with Reagan the kitten running behind me. I found a dead chicken in a far corner of the chicken yard. Our chicken coop is at the edge of a wooded area. As I looked around I heard a little rustle and peered in the woods to see a huge raccoon staring at me. The only thing I had nearby was a snow shovel. I grabbed it and beat on a post to scare it off. Now I know who the chicken thief is! No wonder it’s a huge raccoon after eating a chicken a day. I’m thinking I will come home to find our hen count at 0 unless I lock it in the coop. This is why we need a good watch dog! My Annie would have never let this happen.

Secrets to SuperMarkets Savings

I was reading over at Crystal's blog and saw she is having an excellent series on coupon grocery shopping. Everyone should check it out!

Life's Odds and Ends

The past few days have been pretty busy with some fun times mixed in. Tuesday night I went bike riding with a friend from “yesterday days”. We rode on a walking/bike trail that’s near a river. (It looks like a big stream to me) It is such a beautiful trail back through the country area. We saw 10 deer in a field grazing for supper. There are times on the trail when you go through wooded areas by the river. Being evening there were a lot of bugs. I swallowed a few bugs (hey, I needed some protein) along the way out because I was talking. On the way back I got another one from the “Protein Platter” section of the trail for the same reason. I will know better next time.

I was given an abandoned kitten Wednesday. I named him Reagan after one of my favorite US Presidents. My Mom can’t stand cats and I was shocked she said I could bring it home. Her parents had two Siamese cats when she was little. Her remembrance of them consist of these cats clawing their way down the living room drapes screeching the entire name. I sympathize with her fear of cats after hearing some of those stories. Reagan is a very friendly kitten and wants to be near a human 24/7. I’m afraid he’s going to be lonely outside by himself. I love animals but I will not ever voluntarily let a cat live in the house. I think it’s really gross. I have been in homes were the cats climbed up on the kitchen counters. I’ve seen them in the kitchen sink, and up on the bookcases. Today Reagan was climbing up my dress trying to sit on my shoulder. I need to find a way for him to learn that is not acceptable! He’s also running in the house as soon as the door opens. I’m more used to trying to train a dog. (Notice I said try.) What I would like to do is get a little water bottle. When ever Reagan runs in through the door I’ll squirt him with some water and say no. I’ll see if that helps.

My parents have some chickens in our coop. They are dwindling in quantity since some creature has been stealing them away the past 2 days. This morning I went down to find the rooster has disappeared. A bunch of feathers were all that remained of him. He was a beautiful rooster. I liked him because he had never tried to spur me like our last rooster did.

This evening I have been sewing up several of my newly designed doll slings. I’m going to get some pictures taken with some little friends. Then the new doll slings will be up on New Little Blessing. I had fun sewing them. I found some of the cutest fabrics for the doll slings. I really enjoy looking for fabrics. To be honest it’s my favorite part!

I have been taking an online college class on using Frontpage 2003. I finished the last lesson today. Now I need to put this learning to good use. I'm going to finish up my practice website before I touch New Little Blessing myself! The instructor was great. He did a wonderful job of making the class interesting and interactive, despite being online. Isn't there some quote about "the longer I live, the more I realize what I don't know." That's how I'm feeling these days. My brain is spinning!

The Best Bread Recipe Ever

As I was growing up my Mom tried a number of whole wheat bread recipes. My Dad wasn’t too fond of a dense whole wheat bread sandwich so Mom kept trying to find a lighter w.w. bread recipe. For a number of years now that recipe has been Sue Gregg’s whole wheat bread recipe. It’s a great recipe! Mom was given a Bosch mixer for Christmas last year and that’s a new learning curve with the bread dough. She just tried a new recipe from a church friend and my Dad and I were raving about it. It is so light and yummy! The secret to the light taste is in the type of flour used. So if you use different w.w. flour than the one in the recipe, don’t be disappointed with less than spectacular results. If you like your bread with a slight sweetness you might want to try adding honey. These instructions for mixing are with a Bosch mixer in mind. Enjoy!

The Best Bread Recipe Ever from Debbie S.
5 cups hot water
2/3 cup olive oil
¾ cup honey
1 egg
Mix until combined

Add: ¼ cup wheat gluten
¼ cup lecithin (liquid or granules)
4 cups Bronze Chief flour
Mix until combined

Add:4 Tb. yeast
Mix until combined

Add: 4 tsp. salt
Add Prairie Gold Flour 8 cups at one time on speed 2 until all is combined. Mix for 5 mintues. Let rise 10 minutes in bowl. Punch down then shape. Let rise in pans til doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes then 325 degrees for remaining time 20-25 minutes.

New Missouri Child Restraint Law

A friend recently brought to my attention the new "booster seat" law in MO. I'm feeling sorry of the 8 year old who would still need to be in a booster seat. Still, if that child has a greater chance of safety in a car wreck so they live to be 9, go for it.

A new Missouri law,effective August 28,2006, says your child must be in a booster seat if they are ages 4 through 7 who weigh at least 40 pounds, unless they are 80 pounds or 4’9” tall.

Missouri's Child Restraint Law (RSMo 307.182)

• Children less than 4 years old or less than 40 pounds must be in an appropriate child safety seat.

• Children ages 4 through 7 who weigh at least 40 pounds must be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat unless they are 80 pounds or 4'9" tall.

• Children 8 and over or weighing at least 80 pounds or at least 4’9” tall are required to be secured by a safety belt or buckled into an appropriate booster seat.

The fine for violating this law is $50 plus court costs.

The WalMart Effect

I found a new book at the library and took it home because the title caught my attention. It was the Walmart Effect by Charles Fishman. Now let it be known I come from a family of Wal-Mart shoppers. We enjoy a good deal as much as the next person. You simply can’t find prices better than Wal-mart. At the same time I think there is a point when frugality for the sake of frugality becomes a bad habit instead of a good habit. Wal-mart itself may be the example of that. Is it worth the pennies or dollars saved if your products come at the price of your treatment of employees, using factories with terrible human rights policies to their own workers, and so on? To me it’s not worth it! I am only a few chapters into the book so I’ll have to report on my thinking after I’ve finished reading it cover to cover.

In the meantime, I ran across an article about Costco that was really interesting. I like the philosophy behind Costco and have lost heart in Wal-Mart. I know nearly every large corporation these days I would have issue with for one reason or another. I may try to totally stop shopping at Walmart and find alternative stores. Costco would be the first to get my business!

The Modest Heart

What does it mean to dress modestly? As a teenager I was made aware there was a desire in some Christian circles to return to the modest dress. Modesty means different things to different people. There are those who feel certain colors are okay to wear but others are not being considered too flashy. Some only wears skirts and jumpers, while other ladies feel they can wear shorts, jeans,and swimming suits. There is a joke about denim jumper home school moms. In the midst of all this can come a judgment in the hearts of women looking at each other. “Can you believe so and so showed up in jeans today?” “How legalistic to think you shouldn’t wear shorts on a hot day like today!” I have seen this backbiting and hardness of hearts and it’s not pretty. My own heart is needing to be submitted to the love of Christ in this matter as it says in Galations 5:“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another…” Our prayer for each other should be that God would give each of us a modest heart. If we have a heart that desires modesty this will be reflected in the outward appearance of our clothing and in the spirit that we carry with us. Someone won’t have to stand over us with a list of do’s and don’ts.

From personal experience I can share the workings of God upon my heart. As a little girl and teenager I was considered a tomboy. I wasn’t some rough and tumble little girl, but I enjoyed playing with boys more than girls. I didn’t like playing dolls all morning long. I wanted to be out riding my bike, playing soccer, or touch football with the boys on my street. After moving to the country I learned to enjoy our huge trampoline, horseback riding, climbing trees, hiking, and caring for our animals. Through this all I wore shorts or jeans exclusively. I couldn’t stand to wear a dress. My parents made me wear a dress to church but as soon as church was over I would change back into my jeans. As I moved into my teen years I kept this up. I noticed other girls started to dress in certain ways and heard them talking about trying to attract some guy’s attention. I wasn’t interested in such behavior. I just wanted my clothes to be clean and comfortable. Otherwise, I didn’t think much about it. As for modesty itself, I didn’t consider myself immodest at all. My parents were pretty strict about how long my shorts had to be, no tight tank tops, and so on. In the youth group I was in for a short time the other girls were feeling sorry for me because I had to dress so conservative. My parents wouldn’t let me wear my Sunday dress above my knees. Poor Jennifer!

When I was 16 my Mom came across writing about modesty and came to believe it was best for my younger sister and I to wear dresses and skirts for everyday life. The issue of modesty really struck a cord with my Mom. Before she became a Christian she spent her youth wearing clothes to gain the attention of the men around her. She knew first hand how important it was in God’s plan to dress in such a way that you do not cause your brother to stumble, let alone trying to make him stumble on purpose!

As I was asked to wear the dresses and skirts I was horrified. Give up my jeans? No way would this work! We lived next to a horse farm at the time and I would go into the stalls, climb up to the top of the stalls, and walk on top of the stall edges to the end of the barn. Do that in a dress? I listened to my Mom and changed my clothing selections but inwardly my heart was stewing. I was mad and feeling rebellious. This nonsense would end someday!

In the next few months I decided to pray about this whole modesty and clothing thing. Surely God would be fair to me! What did he expect of me? I started looking for scriptures about clothing and modesty. I began in Genesis with Adam and Eve sinning and realizing they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together to make aprons for themselves. I thought, “oh, just like all the pictures I have seen in our Bible story books.” Several verses later I read that God himself came along and saw those aprons. He decided to clothe them himself and replaced the aprons with coats of skins. That sure impressed me! God really cared how they were dressed? I had never thought about God himself wanting me to dress in a certain way. I read in Isaiah 47 about God’s judgment upon Babylon and Chaldea. As part of the curse upon them He would “make bare the leg, and uncover the thigh”. I went on to the New Testament to read that God asked women to adorn themselves in modest apparel and wear the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. As I continued searching and found more verses that spoke of the need for a modest outward appearance and spirit, I began to be convicted in my heart. God used a situation from a few years previous to this to help me understand my need to protect my brother from stumbling. Sometimes I would wear pretty tight jeans (looking back on it I realized that) and didn’t think anything of it. One day I turned around to see a man looking at me and I knew in my heart I didn’t want to wear this pair of jeans around him again! As I prayed God brought that moment back to my mind. The study and prayer became a time to ask God to help me have a modest heart.

From that day I have continued to pray and strive to have a spirit of modesty in my heart. God never gave me a “thou shalt not” list that showed me down to the dotted i and crossed t what I should and should not wear. He didn’t give me a list of colors I could or couldn’t wear. He didn’t tell me to look like a picture right out of the 1800’s, or the 1700’s, or 1950. I never found I could only wear a denim jean jumper to be a modest woman, or only calico fabric for that matter. What God did do was change my heart. I went from a teenager bent on living out what I thought was best to having a desire for righteousness and holiness. My spirit changed as I strove to have a meek and quiet spirit. That spirit within me changed the clothes I desired to wear. I decided I wouldn’t be involved in a sport if it required me to dress immodestly. I wouldn’t try to dress in a way that stoked lust in the men about me, but in a way that showed them I was a lady and above all, a Christian. I would try on certain clothes and feel uncomfortable with how a shirt gaped or a how tight a skirt was when I bent over. I questioned my swimsuit habits. Did I really want to walk down the beach or go to the pool in a suit that covered less than my underclothes? Why was I willing to wear a “modest” swimsuit with a little skirt attached that was shorter than a tiny mini skirt and feel it was okay because men would see me at a pool instead of the pew at church? What was God’s definition of nakedness? Did I desire to wear expensive clothes that would cause pride in my hearts and others to stumble as they coveted what I was wearing? As I was striving to walk with God my clothing wasn’t really an issue of “me” anymore because my desire had changed. The desire of my heart was now, “God I want to be a woman after your own heart. I am willing to wear your coat of skins instead of the aprons I wanted for myself.” That’s what God wants, our hearts. When your heart is in the right place it won’t be about you, it will be about God, a modest heart,and the brethren around you. With that spirit of God within you will become a Christian women who others see as chaste, meek, and loving. We are called to be a peculiar people. That means you are to be a peculiar woman, full of love.“For they will know you are Christian’s by their love.” Do you love your God and your brother? Your outward appearance will reflect the love that is in your heart. God delights in the woman with a modest heart.
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Clothing:

Deuteronomy 22:5 “The woman shall not wear that which pertained unto a man, neither shall a man put on a women’s garment; for all that do so are an abomination unto the Lord thy God,”
1 Timothy 2:9,10 “ In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with goodworks.”
1 Peter 3:3 “Let your adorning be not that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, or wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Definitions of words I strive for in spirit and dress

Modest-2887 Greek says: orderly, of good behavior.
Neat- very clean, pure, well adjusted
Comely-decent, suitable, proper, becoming, suited to time, place, circumstances, or persons.
Sober-pure, chaste, temperate
Plain-void of ornament, simple.

Recommended Reading:
Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America available from Vision Forum
Author: Jeff Pollard
Format: Paperback (76 pages)

Vision Forum's description of this booklet:
The Church is being destroyed by sacred cows. A “sacred cow” is an untouchable subject that we are not supposed to discuss. To do so impinges upon another’s “Christian liberty.” Certainly, there are few sacred cows quite as sacred as the right of modern Christians to dress however they please. But in this groundbreaking work, Jeff Pollard challenges us to embrace God’s standard and to understand the historical roots of the rise of nudity and immodesty in modern culture. His perspective is thoughtful and balanced. Most importantly, he accomplishes what few authors on this subject have achieved: a treatise that avoids both license and legalism. A courageous booklet.

Once a Month Cooking

I have never been a big fan of once a month "grab it from the freezer" cooking. My Mom tried it once when I was a teenager and the result left our entire family less than enthusiastic. My Mom, sister, and I have decided to try again after reading an ebook, Grande Cooking. (Visit our ebooks webpage for more info.) We are going to spend a day preparing all the food together and see what the taste testing results are after being pulled out of the freezer. If you don't have family to try preparing all of it with maybe a group of friends, or church ladies, would be interested in giving it a try. Or better yet see if there is a Social Suppers in your area. At Social Suppers you can go in and prepare the food from your meal choices. You buy the food for the meals from them but in return you don't have a messy kitchen to clean up! Sounds great to me!

SuperDad Vitamins: Companion to SuperMom

Recently the SuperDad Vitamins were added to New Little Blessing. My Dad was happy because he was tired of being a "SuperMom". :-) We have created suppliment sets for your convenience and savings. We have a SuperMom and SuperDad set that will last Mom and Dad for 3 months.

Why SuperDad Vitamins? What’s the difference between SuperMom and SuperDad Vitamins? Good questions! Super Dad is very similar to SuperMom in formulation. The primary difference is unlike SuperMom Vitamins it does not contain Iron (something Mom’s need!) and it also contains a broader range of minerals than SuperMom. It is more specifically slanted to a guy’s needs while having the same basic formula premise as SuperMom. If your Husband is anything like my Dad he will want to tell people he’s a “SuperDad” not a “SuperMom”!

The companion product to SuperMom. SuperDad 180 Tablets (3 month supply), high potency multi-vitamin with Spirulina and green superfoods.

Multiple vitamins help to bridge the nutrient gap in our daily diets. In today's world of processed foods and fast-paced lifestyles, many of us do not get the daily recommended allowance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Multiple vitamins can help fill in the areas lacking in our diets, and are formulated to provide a broad range of nutrition in a synergistic manner. SuperDad contains a huge array of vitamins and minerals essential for good health. SuperDad also contains Spirulina which increases the potency of the vitamins.

Conservative, Liberal, or Christian?

I went to the polls to vote on Tuesday. I was disappointed with voter turnout here in Mo. I believe in this free country it is our duty, responsibility, and blessing to have a vote and choice of leaders in government. However, I don't always have much trust in those running for office! I was listening to a FOX news station on the radio the other day. A popular conservative Republican host was speaking for some time about his opinions on various political topics of the day. His show reminded me of this article by Randy Alcorn. I read this article several years ago. As a registered conservative Republican I thought it was so excellent! Randy Alcorn is sharing a perspective not many Christians seem to mention or discuss. As I read it again today I note the truth of what he is saying. If you want to read more articles by Randy Alcorn visit Eternal Perspectives Ministries.


Conservative, Liberal or Christian?
by Randy Alcorn
Conservatism seems to be getting more popular in America. In the moral realm that encourages me. In the political realm, I have mixed feelings.
While it was still unpopular conservatism offered many necessary correctives to the liberal status quo. I'm not sure, though, how it will stand up under greater power and popularity. Conservative politics as usual may prove not much better than liberal politics as usual.
When liberalism was popular it became arrogant and presumptuous and sunk to its lowest levels. I fear the same could happen to conservatism. And I fear it not only in society , but in the church.
The largely liberal philosophies that have dominated American media and politics for years have failed us miserably. Some recent elections testify to the fact that America is fed up with the lies and half truths of liberalism. While the media are still much more liberal than the country as a whole, even they have been penetrated. Rush Limbaugh and a host of other conservatives jam the airwaves with their ideology. Millions of Americas, including many Christians, are taking notes and saying "Amen."
But what about conservatism? Does it have its own dangers? Or is "Conservative" simply a synonym for Christian?
Many people I have talked with and many articles I have read seem to equate a return to conservatism with a return to the Christian faith. "Rush is Right" bumperstickers share space with "Jesus is Lord" bumperstickers, as if both are undeniable truths existing on the same plane.
I get the feeling from excited politically-oriented Christians that voting Republican is equivalent to falling on your knees at a revival meeting and getting your life right with God. It's like if America gets more conservative it's the same as drawing near to God.
The possibility of a Republican controlled House, Senate and White House may have some merits (it's hard to imagine things getting worse in Washington), but it's hardly on the level of the Great Awakening.
Though they are too slippery to allow simple definitions, the words "conservatism" and "liberalism" contain hints as to their essential nature. Conservatives want to conserve for society what is right. Liberals want to liberate society from what is wrong. To this extent, both philosophies are in theory right and biblical. Unfortunately, in their practice both are capable of being thoroughly unbiblical.
Liberals want to change the status quo. That's good when the status quo is wrong. Liberals desired to change from the status quo of racism in the 60's and they were right. Even though I oppose most of what it does today, I thank God for what liberal groups like the ACLU accomplished in the racial arena.
But liberals didn't know where to draw the line. They seemed to want to change everything, as if the notions that society once held (including that abortion and adultery and the homosexual relations are wrong) are restrictive and unhealthy, demanding liberation.
But it is wrong to seek liberation from all norms. It used to be that marriage was much more sacred, divorce was much more rare and abuse was much less common. Children learned how to read, achievement scores were much higher. Life was more sacred, religious values more respected and upheld.
Liberals have done much to "liberate" society from what is right, removing the guard rails that kept Americans on the road. In so doing they have enslaved while claiming to liberate.
Too often politically liberal Christians end up being liberals first and Christians second. They redefine compassion according to current political correctness. They act as if you either have to hate and vilify homosexuals or you have to say their behaviors are right. As if these are the only two alternatives.
They need to read Ephesians 4:15 about "speaking the truth in love." We are not to choose between being loving and being truthful. We are to be both. Jesus loved the woman who committed adultery. He loved her the way she was, but loved her too much to let her stay that way. His love didn't compel him to say "adultery is okay, you don't have to change," but "Go and sin no more."
Conservative Christians, on the other hand, like to conserve and hold on to the existing or past norms. In a society they believe to have been recently ruined by liberalism, they want to go back to the way things used to be, i.e. the old status quo. They want to go back to when America was a Christian nation, when there was prayer in public schools, when abortion and homosexual behavior were illegal and known to be immoral.
Conservatives seem to want every-thing the way it used to be, like it was when kids weren't bringing guns to school and killing each other in gangs and dying of AIDS and when television wasn't filled with garbage (which many of them watch, despite their complaints).
Well, that all sounds good. But you have to qualify what you're talking about. "The way things used to be" includes women being unable to vote. "The way things used to be" includes slavery. In the post-slavery era it included notoriously racist Jim Crow laws and segregation. And frankly, to their shame, many, even most conservatives wanted to conserve these unjust practices.
Many conservatives today want to go back to the days when prayer was allowed in the schools. But they forget the same schools that allowed in prayer did not allow in black children. To be nostalgic without qualification about times that were racist and demeaning to many Americans is unjust and insensitive. Politically conservative Christians can thus end up being conservatives first and Christians second.
As undiscerning liberalism tries to liberate us from not only the bad but the good, undiscerning Conservatism tries to conserve the bad along with the good. Liberals live under the false notion that change is always good, conservatives under the equally false notion that change is always bad. ("Who do those northern agitators think they are comin' down here and stirrin' up our niggers?")
So when conservatives talk about going back to our godly roots, theologically conservative but socially liberal Christians (both black and white) are understandably skeptical.
"You mean go back to those godly roots where black people were enslaved and beaten and raped and had their families torn apart by plantation owners who were deacons in their conservative churches? Or back to those days of Ozzie and Harriet and Leave it to Beaver, where you wouldn't let black people in your restaurants and theaters and schools, and you wouldn't let us drink out of your water fountains?"
I know conservative evangelicals who are selective in standing for what's right. They may want the schools to be more hospitable to truth and Christianity. But they may not bother intervening on behalf of the unborn. Or they may be active in pro-life work but ignore or minimize the issues of poverty and racism. In the 50's and 60's, while defending the Scriptures, a very good thing, they defended institutional racism, a very bad thing. As some liberals have no discernment as to the fact that some people are poor due to laziness and need to be required to work, likewise some conservatives seem to have no heart for the truly poor, those who are not at fault for their poverty and who given opportunity and training would work hard to escape it.
Some conservatives seem to think that free enterprise (in which I believe) solves everything. They seem to have no ecological concerns, as if a sense of stewardship of the earth God has entrusted to us is restricted only to "environmentalist whackos."
Some conservatives serve the god of patriotism. Their Christian faith is dangerously intertwined with their faith in America. Ours is a great country, as countries go. But countries only go so far. Despite its flaws, America deserves our respect and loyalty. It deserves neither our uncritical endorsement nor our worship.
I know politically liberal evangelicals who are as quick to disregard the rights of unborn people as many conservatives were quick to disregard the rights of black people. To them, pro-life efforts are just another "white middle class right wing agenda."
Some liberals, even professing Christians, equate animals and trees with human beings and defend preborn eagles while advocating wholesale destruction of 1.5 million preborn humans each year.
Liberal solutions to economic problems are stealing (via taxation) from other citizens and indiscriminately passing out the money to the poor, creating a permanent underclass riddled by no sense of personal responsibility and by bitter resentment. Often liberals are more concerned about appearing to be racially sensitive by throwing people's money (others, not their own) at ineffective programs for minorities, including the largely (though not exclusively) debilitating welfare program. As black economist Walter Williams has said, "If I were the Grand Imperial Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan and my goal was to destroy black Americans, I could not have come up with a more effective plan than America's welfare system in our inner cities."
I have in front of me the evangelical but socially liberal magazine The Other Side. It professes to believe the Scriptures. Over the last thirty years The Other Side spoke out against racism and advocated racial reconciliation in America when most conservative Christian magazines had nothing to say, and by their silence perpetuated injustice. Yet in my current issue of The Other Side there's a full page worth of books endorsed by the magazine, which advocate "Christian" homosexual relationships. One book, which I've read and reject as blatantly unbiblical, is described this way: "From an evangelical Protestant perspective, the authors argue for the validity of faithful, permanent, same-sex relationships." In their attempt to be compassionate, the editors of The Other Side sacrifice the revealed truth of the Scriptures.
I get tired of being told I have to choose between conservatism's emphasis on truth and liberalism's emphasis on compassion. Why can't we oppose injustice to minorities and to the unborn? Why can't we embrace biblical stewardship of creation and the primacy of human beings over the rest of creation? Why can't we oppose the greedy destruction of the environment by some businesses and the anti-industry excesses of New Age environmentalism?
Why can't we affirm the biblical right to the ownership of property (along with the command "thou shalt not steal") and emphasize God's call to his people to voluntarily and sacrificially share their wealth with the truly needy?
Why can't we uphold the truth of God's condemnation of sexual immorality, including homosexual practices, and reach out in love and compassion to those imprisoned in this degrading lifestyle, as well as those dying from AIDS?
The answer is, we cannot do all these things if we are first and foremost either liberals or conservatives. We can do all these things only if we are first and foremost followers of Christ. We can do them if and only if we are governed not by temporal political affiliations, but by eternal allegiance to Almighty God. Our governing document must be neither the Humanist Manifesto nor the Contract with America nor even the U.S. Constitution (great a document as it is), but by the authoritative Word of God.
Neither the judicial, legislative nor executive branches of our government is the ultimate solution to America's problems. Isaiah 33:22 tells us the solution--" For the LORD is our judge (judicial), the LORD is our lawgiver (legislative), the LORD is our king (executive), it is he who will save us."
May God preserve us from a liberalism hell-bent on liberating us from what is good. And may He preserve us from a conservatism hell-bent on conserving for us what is bad.
Let's change the bad and preserve the good. In doing so we will sometimes look like conservatives, sometimes liberals. But what we look like to men shouldn't matter. What we look like to God, the Audience of One, should. (He is neither Republican nor Democrat. He rides neither on elephants or donkeys. He is the ultimate independent.)
God doesn't care about conservative and liberal, he cares about what is true and right and just and compassionate and biblical. (He does therefore care about political party beliefs, platforms, moral positions and policies. Before standing behind any party we better be sure these harmonize with his Word. That's part of being a Christian first.)
So, when the status quo is right, let's conserve it. When the status quo is wrong, let's get liberated from it.
Is Jesse Jackson right about some things? Sure. About everything? No way. So if you defend Jesse Jackson, you better qualify your defense. If you attack him you better qualify your attack.
"Rush is right" cries out for clarification. Right about what? Some things? Sure. (Keep this in mind if you're a Rush basher. Better qualify your attack.) Most things? Maybe. All things? No way. So if you defend Rush Limbaugh, you better qualify your defense. After all, Rush is no more God than he is the devil.
I happen to believe that despite its limitations, conservatism is right more often than it is wrong. Still, it is sometimes wrong, it often does not resonate with the compassionate heart of God, and it never saves the soul.
"Rush is Right" is only true sometimes. "Jesus is Lord" is true always. "Rush is Right" requires qualification. "Jesus is Lord" does not.

by Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 2229 E. Burnside #23, Gresham, OR 97030, 503-663-6481, www.epm.org

Angel Dry Diapers Review

My sister Caroline wrote this review for New Little Blessing's August Ezine:



Stephanie from Angel Dry Diapers sent me one of her diapers to try. These diapers are of great quality and workmanship!She has a really cute website. I would encourage you to stop and visit Stephanie’s prayer forum located on the website. Stephanie sent me a hemp diaper. Wow, was I impressed! What sold me were the snapson this diaper! It has a full row of sturdy high quality snaps. I can adjust the snaps for a perfect fit. The diaper will grow right along with my baby! It is also nice and thick. Read this description of the hemp diaper:“It is constructed out of 2 full body layers of hemp fleece or sherpa with an additional layer sewn into the wet zone. A 2 layer, bi-fold, soaker allows for better cleaning and faster drying. An absorbent 7 layers ofhemp fleece in the wetzone. Gentle elastic in the back and on the legs contain even the worst messes within the diaper. Snaps are closer together for super adjustability.” The hemp diapers retail for $14.99 a piece. These are all from a Work at Home Mom!

Angel Dry Diapers has the following categories in their store for your cloth diapering needs:
All in Ones and Pockets
Fitted Diapers
Wool Covers
Packages
Doublers and Inserts
Things For Mom
Diaper Accessories
Gently Used and ClearanceDiaper Fabrics

I would recommend a visit to Angel Dry Diapers!

Cloth For Your Angel-Cloth Diapers Review

My sister Caroline wrote this review for the New Little Blessing's August ezine:

I bought a wool diaper cover from a Work at Home Mom off E-bay, and was very impressed with it. She has an E-bay store, Cloth For Your Angel, where you can find all different sizes up for sale. They sell for $15.00 each. Sometimes they are up for bid in an E-bay auction. What I liked most about them, is the leg gussets. They are much wider than the Bumpy wool covers, making them a better fit around the baby’s legs. If you have bought Bumpy wool covers before, be warned, the wool is not as thick as Bumpies.These wool covers are supposed to wash them on gentle cycle only. Unfortunately, I forgot. I washed all my covers on a normal cycle once, and it made a big hole in thecover and I had to throw it away. I had washed it on gentle cycle several times before without a problem. If you are on a budget, and still want to use wool covers, these would be good. You can visit this great ebaystore.
Cloth For Your Angel has the following categories in the store for your viewing:
Fitteds (25)
Wool Wraps (46)
Sets (33)
Baby Blankets (1)
Cloth Diapering Accessories (7)
Embroidered Wool Wraps (5)
Organic Baby Clothes (5)

Fitteds Cloth For Your Angel: Fitted Diapers Product Description:
“My fitted diapers are 2 layers of high quality unbleached flannel plus a cute patterned flannel outer layer. Soakers are made from 6 quilted layers of natural cotton batting fleece for great absorbency and quick drying. Diapers have elastic around the legs and across the back for a great, trim fit. Newborn size diapers all come with a cross over tab at the waist for tiny new babies. Closures are quality Aplix, which holds up great with extended wash and wear. Laundry tabs on every diaper make washing easy and keep your diapers nicer for longer.”

Cloth For Your Angel: Wool Wraps Product Description “Wool covers are great for heavy wetters and nighttime use. Wool covers are either one layer of heavy wool or two layers of lightweight wool flannel. All are in beautiful colors and come to you lanolized and ready to use. CYA Wool Wraps fit well over our fitteds as well as other brands and prefolds. Elastic in the leg gussets and back waistline are great at controlling leaks and provide a comfortable fit.”

August 8 Primary Election

A freind reminded me at church last night of the August 8 Primary Election. In the flurry of busy work the past few days I lost sight of it. If you aren't registered to vote yet now is a great time to do so. If you register now you can vote in the November election! I hope everyone makes it out to the polls. :-)

A quick Sunday Dinner Meal

Crock Pot Lasagna from Rebecca Inglis
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Brown these 3 ingredients together and drain

1 can 29 ounce tomato sauce (can use 4 8oz. cans and go a little less on the water
1 cup water
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
Mix all these ingredients together to make meat sauce

9 lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 12oz. carton small curd cottage cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
Mix all chesses together in a small bowl
Spread a 4th of the sauce in a 5 quart slow cooker. Top with 3 noodles. Spoon a third of the cheese mixture on top, top with neat sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender.

Caesar Dressing from Lisa O’Neil
Prepare the dressing and place fridge. Make a salad and toss in Caesar dressing and croutons before serving. You have a delicious and quick salad!
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup mayo
½ tsp pepper
1 small garlic clove minced

Fruit Salad
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups pineapple bits
1 ½ cups seedless or red grapes, halved
1 ½ diced peaches or nectarines
1 cup fresh blueberries
Begin adding ½ cup vanilla yogurt and continue adding yogurt until you have consitency desired. Add more sugar is needed and refrigerate. This fruit salad needs to be eaten up the day it is prepared1

Amy Middleton’s Tea
2 or 3 peppermint tea bags
3 Celestial Seasonings Tangerine Orange Zinger tea bags
Juice of 4 lemons
Honey to taste
Make the tea first in a tea kettle and steep. Add tea to a gallon container. (If your container is plastic allow tea to cool and add ice and cool water. You can add extra water and keep tea bags in container.
Add lemons and stir in honey to taste
Simply add more tea bags if you want it stronger. This is a refreshing iced tea. Normally I don’t like to drink tea, but I love Amy’s tea!

These cookies are a family tradition. My Grandma makes these cookies for special family meals and holidays. They are a soft white cake type cookie. She always adds white frosting to the cookies.

Grandma’s Cookies
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour milk (add 1 tsp. vinegar to sour)
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Cream eggs, butter, and sugar together. Add milk and vanilla. Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl then add to creamed mixture and stir. Add remaining 2 cups flour and mix gently. Do not over mix! Drop on cookie sheet by the heaping teaspoon
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.
Makes 50 to 60 cookies

What a day

I don’t like shoes. I avoid wearing them when ever possible. I’m a bare foot woman when I’m home! Although I live in the country I’m always running outside bare footed. I happened to have sandals on this morning. I went outside to water the flowers by the house. I stepped on something and looked down thinking it was the black garden hose. No, I had stepped on a snake! It was just a thin long creature and it slithered off quickly. I don’t think I hurt it. I will be thinking twice before I head outside without shoes!

I had such high hopes for today. There were many things I planned on getting done. :-) I came over to my sister Caroline’s house. I was missing her and my nephews. Everything could be done on her computer. I didn’t factor in 2 little nephews who are very distracting. While Caroline was taking care of baby Israel I helped Mosiah. He is being potty trained. After false alarm number #12 within 30 minutes, alarm # 13 was for real. Aunt Jenny didn’t get him to the bathroom in time. Mosiah got a quick bath then back to work I went. I stopped to fix lunch, play basketball with Mosiah, hold the baby while Caroline typed letters, and look for glass shards after Mosiah knocked two glass bowls on the floor. Now we are off to WalMart to buy some needed supplies for an orphanage in Liberia. Today is the deadline to get items in the barrel. Just think of what I would have missed today!