Quotable Quotes - 09/30/06

My favorite quote this week comes from a blog I read regularly, Life In A Shoe. In reference to the necessity of training the wills of our children, KimC says,

"How will they obey an invisible God in the hard times of their lives if they can't obey us now..."

Wow! You can read her entire post here.

Stone or Clay?

Which of these materials could become a bowl?:

Clay or Stone?









Maybe I should ask which of these could more easily be made into a bowl, because you are correct. They BOTH could be shaped into bowls.









The thing is the process of becoming a bowl is so much easier on the clay because it is yielding, malleable, pliable, willing. The stone can become a bowl but it's going to be a much tougher process on the bowl. Tougher on the one forming it as well. Instead of warm, gentle hands in direct contact with the bowl as it's being formed it will be hard, sharp, tools chipping away at the stone. Still, it must be done gently else the bowl will break. It's going to be difficult. Sparks will fly.










Are you clay in the Father's hands? Or stone? Do you need to be more willing to let the Father have His way in your life?

Are you trying to shape one of His children entrusted to your care?
Are they more like clay? Or stone?
If they are a stone, be careful. You want to make a bowl; not shatter the stone.
If they are clay, don't overlook them. You want to make a bowl; not a hardened, unformed lump of clay.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Behold, look now, all of us are Your people.
Isaiah 64:8-9

Grocery Store Alternative

For those in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon who need a grocery alternative to Wal-Mart because of recent developments, I suggest WinCo Foods. Here is a list of their locations. I have done my food shopping here for many years because of the great low prices and their HUGE bulk foods section.

Anybody have any other suggestions for alternative grocery stores in your area?

Where am I going to shop?!?!?

I'm SO disappointed that Wal-Mart is about to make the descent into the pit. The pit of Places Where I Can No Longer Shop due to the events and organizations that it sponsers. According to the American Family Association,

"Wal-Mart has given its full endorsement to the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage. Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, will observe LGBT Diversity Week October 9–13. One of the sponsors for the Diversity Week is Wal-Mart." Read the rest here.

This hits close to home. Very close. About 25 miles away. If Wal-mart does not pull it's support of this event, I'm going to have to find some other place to shop. I spend around $200 dollars a month at Wal-Mart, more or less. I'm sure I'll have to pay more in order to buy my stuff somewhere else. That's a bummer. I've shopped at Wal-Mart so long, I don't even know where to go instead...

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, a group that monitors the homosexual agenda throughout American culture, says,

"I think the corporate world is now in a rush to embrace the gay agenda fully. They don't see a downside, and it's up to pro-family Americans to create a downside. And to do that, those in the corporate environment with traditional values have to take a stand against the diversity agenda in order to see its growth stymied. Read entire article here.

Spread the word. Contact Wal-Mart. It's up to us to make a difference. Please post this information on your blog or link back to my post, either way it's fine. We need to get the word out!

WFMW - Precooking Hamburger

This week are instructions are: "Instead of sharing a new WFMW idea, go back in your archives and find your WFMW that you consider your best one." I've only posted four tips so I'm reposting my very first one.

For several years now before I freeze it I cook most of my ground beef (with diced onion, salt, and pepper). THEN I divvy it up into ziploc bags and freeze it "flat and smooth". That precooked meat is then really quick to use for spaghetti, tacos, stroganoff, pizza, sloppy joes, or whatever. I just add whatever other spices it's needs and voila! I'm done. It also takes up less space in the freezer if it's precooked. (It's good for 2-3 months in a big freezer)

I also premake porcupine meatballs and hamburger patties and freeze them on cookie sheets. I transfer them to ziploc bag when they are totally frozen. The patties go straight to the grill from the freezer and cook in just a few minutes. The meatballs go straight into a casserole with sauce and into the oven. Cooks in about 1 1/4 hours. It saves me so much time in the end to "do up" the meat all at once.

Oh, I also premake and freeze meatloaf, but I thaw it before cooking it.

Do you have anything that you precook and freeze?

Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for more great tips!

Abby's Nap

After she finally quieted down and went to sleep, I went in to check on her. This is what I found!:

Be strong to the finish...

...and DON'T eat your spinach!!!

2-year-old Idaho boy dies after eating spinach

Quotable Quotes - 09/21/06

updated to fix link

My favorite quote this week is from Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. She refers to the show LOST as:

The Queen Mother Of All That Is Good And Right In Television.

I have to say that I agree!!
Do you have a favorite quote that you'd like to share?

Three Things Thursday ~ Vol. 2 No. 7

1.) I'm finding that I really miss the way church "used to be". I'm missing the good old hymns (I never was tired of them in the first place) and I'm increasingly disenchanted with the newer, fluffy songs. It's true that there are some really, really good new songs and some fluffy old ones, but by and large I'd like to go back to the old music or at least a good mix of the old and new.

"Make new friends but keep the old.
One is silver and the other gold."

2.) I dislike church shopping because of the disconnectedness that accompanies it.

3.) I kind of like church shopping as it gives me a chance to meet new people and renew acquaintences with old friends.

My Tummy Hurts

I just read a really good post. Here's an excerpt:

My Tummy Hurts

Her seven-year-old words echoed down the hallway.
Defiant, rebellious, and angry.
~I won't~
~Only if~
~But she~
~NO~

Consequences meted out,
as painful to me to lose our
bedtime stories as it is for her.
Choking back tears,
her words rang out louder.

(read the rest here)

Spiritually Single

I just read an article on Lisa Whelchel's website and I'm wondering what you (general reader) think of it. Do you agree with what she says here? Here is a link to the original article as well as the article itself.

Spiritually Single

My husband isn’t a Christian, so I struggle with raising
our children to be believers by myself. While my husband doesn’t prevent us from going to church, my kids wonder why he doesn’t go with us and why we disagree on some parenting issues. How can I parent in a way that respects their dad yet honors the Lord?

Common sense tells us we should submit to our husband only if he’s submitted to God. There’s one major roadblock to this, however: God’s Word isn’t common, and it doesn’t always make sense! Case in point—1 Peter 3:1 says, Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words” (TLB).

You may be thinking, What? I’m supposed to follow my husband even if he isn’t following God? There’s no telling where we’ll end up! Besides, my children’s spiritual well being is too important to risk. But that’s where trust comes in. Even if you’re unable to trust your husband, you’re still called to trust God.

Are you willing to submit to your husband’s authority as head of your home and then trust God to take care of your kids? Can you keep from nagging or disparaging remarks when you walk out the door without your husband on Sunday mornings?

By respecting their dad, you’ll honor the Lord. And by modeling obedience to God’s Word, you’ll accomplish your primary goal of training your children to be believers. (And they may not be the only ones who come to believe because of your quiet faith.)

Tell me what you think.

Free Blog Design Contest

Susie at Bluebird Blogs has a contest going where 2 people can win a free blog design. Here's the scoop:

"Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and it's just right around the corner. To celebrate the beginning of the season, I'm having a contest for 2 lucky people to win a totally free, completely customized blog design from Bluebird Blogs.

Information on how to enter:

- Send an email with your name and blog address to bluebirdblogs@gmail.com.

- Entries will be accepted from 7:00pm EST on Thursday 9/14/06 until 11:59pm EST on Friday /22/06.

*Bonus* - Mention this contest in a post on your blog and receive 5 extra entries into the drawing!

The winner will be announced at Bluebird Blogs on Saturday, September 23rd, 2006. Good luck to everyone! "

File Under: Huh?

Here's an example of another inane idea the Postal Service has for making the carriers job even more complicated sure packages are scanned and delivered properly:

Tell me, if the carrier checks the other box on that sticker, who's gonna care? The recipient? "Let me check and see if I received my package. Oh, yes, here it is. It's marked 'Delivered'. I must have gotten my package then."

Maybe it's the sender who needs that information. What are they going to care that the box has been checked? Um, it's been D-E-L-I-V-E-R-E-D!

Most Likely Scenario: The Post Office needs to know if the package has been scanned into the system as attempted or delivered. Still, if it's been delivered, then it's been D-E-L-I-V-E-R-E-D and the post office WILL. NOT. SEE. THE. EVER. LOVING. STICKER. THAT. SAYS. SO.

Just who this information benefits I don't know.

And you wonder why the workers go "postal"? Just ask my sweet husband. Actually he is much more patient with the USPS idiocy than I am. I'd have quit by now! I'm lucky to have such a patient hubby.

WFMW - Holey Jeans, Batman?!

This is just under the wire but it IS still Wednesday. So, here goes:

IF you have a Shopko in your area, this may work for you as well. My son wears the knees out of his jeans SO quickly. Thankfully Shopko has this Kid Tough Promise:

Are you the parent of one of those youngsters who always seems to be coming
home with jeans ripped at the knee? No problem if you purchased those trousers
at ShopKo! We have a Kid Tough Promise! Any garment you buy at ShopKo will last until your child outgrows it, or we’ll replace it! (Same item. Same size.) Now
that’s a promise that will make any parent smile!

I take advantage of this deal several times throughout the year. I buy about 3 pairs of jeans for him in the fall and just replace them as needed. At first I felt like I was being sneaky and doing something that I shouldn't because it was SUCH A GREAT DEAL. But I'm over that now and very thankful to the mom of 3 boys that told me about Shopko's Kid Tough Promise.

Go over to Shannon's at Rocks in My Dryer for more helpful hints.

A cartoon for my rural-letter-carrier husband

Enjoy!:














http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/

Jon Stewart Post 9/11 Speech

Hat tip to the Headmistress at The Common Room for the link to this video. I completely agree with her statements:

Jon Stuart's (sic) post 9/11 speech is deeply moving. We don't agree politically, and sometimes he has a foul mouth. When he controls his mouth, he makes me laugh. I am sure that theologically we aren't even in the same book, and for this I grieve for him. But this was masterful. I wonder if he's watched it lately?

TIP: If you have trouble, as I do, with some videos starting and stopping while it's trying to load fully, here's what I do. I start the video and walk away. After it's played through once then I go back and watch it and this second time it plays without interruption. This video is almost nine minutes long and very much worth watching but if you try to watch it the first time around it will probably take about 15 minutes with all the irritating interruptions. However, if you don't have that kind of trouble then please, just ignore all that I just said!! :-)

9/11/01 - September 11 Tribute

Latchkey dogs?

I don't even know what to say about this. It's just so ridiculous. I say, someone in this position probably shouldn't own a dog.

Moms & Dads for Modesty

You'll notice a new button on my sidebar. Go to Everyday Mommy to read more about it. I totally agree!