ACCORDING TO JEMIT..

2012-01-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

Amanda Blair (Zombeck)

Amanda

JJ Blair (Vulhop)

Valentines

2012-01-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

Cory

Isaac

Elijah

Esther

Gayle

Asher

January..

2012-01-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

This has to be the biggest most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen in all my many years.

It made a complete arc, not just a section visible.. and some saw double rainbows.

Our January snowfall.. big one :) was about 6" and didn't last long

Instead of cranking up the furnace in the cold, I make bread!

Here's my very first try at French bread. Yesterday I made

4 loaves of rye bread.. now I'm out of rye flour.. will search for that again.

January 23

2012-01-23T12:42:00.000-05:00

Today would have been my Dad's 97th birthday.. he died 35 years ago this February.

2012-01-22T07:51:00.000-05:00

Am reading "Calvin's Institutes".. wow. Never thought I'd manage this book. I joined a group on Facebook with a few friends to read this slowly and be able to appreciate what Calvin had to say. I've read 6 chapters so far, but am going back to chapters 1-3 for the FB meeting on the 28th where we can discuss what we read. This is the 3rd time I've attempted the Institutes- but so far, I believe I'm understanding better and reading a bit slower to absorb it all. Amazing insights that Calvin had.

2012-01-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

I got up this morning to about 5-6" of new snow.. it was more than beautiful. I decided to just take it easy today and do a few chores rather than try to do a lot.. so...
I baked French bread- 3 loaves came out perfect. I took photos, but will post later. This past week I've tried whole wheat and rye bread. I am so used to our oatmeal bread that I forget there are other kinds of bread out there. So it's been a week of firsts.
Hoping to be at worship tomorrow. John plowed out our driveway and I cleaned off the KIA.. Now, we just need good weather in the morning....
Looks like a chance of rain on Sabbath... hmmmm
Lunch was fun. Wendell asked for an everything omelet.. so I filled a skillet with eggs and proceeded to load on as many veggies as I could.. then cheese and some hard salami cut in teensy weensy bits... that's 6 different cheeses ... and tomatoes, onion, mushrooms.. it was huge- take my word for it. I cut it in half for the 2 of us and ended up tossing a bit of mine- It was just tooooooooo much. I sliced up the end of the one loaf of whole wheat and , well... we were full to capacity.
Tonight we shall have home made chicken veggie soup again, but this time with the french bread on the side... oh.. yummy!
Thomas is doing well with all the wintery weather. Not many cats have a 2 bedroom apartment to keep them cozy and protected from the cold. Half is insulated and the other has a cozy little plush cushion with sides thanks to Carlow and Cricket. We take him fresh warm water every couple of hours and then take his food out for 15 min or so that he can eat without other animals disturbing him.

2012-01-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was like a marathon. Steady running for hours at a time. The good thing is that it was payday and Wendell and I went out for breakfast, to the Farmer's Market, stopped for ice cream at King Cones, Sam's Club, Dollar General.. and that's when he got sick and I had to take him home before finishing. That was okay- the car was overloaded at that point and all that was left was the supermarket and refueling. Hubby was sick the rest of the day and ate very sparingly. He's fine now- back to normal.
I'd unloaded all the stuff we bought before and then I took off to refuel and do the supermarket. We now have enough supplies to last us another week or two- fresh veggies, fruits.
So we are to be blessed with snow again. The prognosticators say 1-3"... that always makes me laugh- why not up to 3" .. 50% of the time they are right..
I do appreciate knowing when a storm is coming through however.

Today I made rye bread and a meatloaf. The rye is good. I gave Charlie a loaf and he gave me 3 dozen eggs in return. You gotta love barter. Tuesday I'd made whole wheat bread- quite good. Chicken is in the oven and will be done in 20 min or so.

I'm working on DVDs for our families. Right now I have the first one done- called : Simply the Best- Older generations. It's a compilation of as many photos of my mother's generation and ancestors before her set to music. It came out okay, but on this next one called "Simply the Best Cousins", I'm getting much more creative.

2012-01-14T01:44:00.000-05:00

Whatever it was I had before, it left.. and today I am again symptomatic.. sneezing sneezing sneezing!!! Feel a bit on the drippy side. Not sure how all this came about..
Today I need to clear all the snow off the car, warm it up, and then go for gas so we can get to church on Sabbath.
Chicken soup needed here.. I better get the bones out of the freezer and make a round of it for lunch tomorrow.

2012-01-10T22:46:00.000-05:00

Feeling a bit under the weather today.. ugh. Nothing specific, but achy more than normal and chilly when I should be toasty and overly warm when I should be just right.. You know that funny feeling when you have a virus and your skin feels all crawly? Yeah.. I have that too. Hmmm Tomorrow is another day...

2012-01-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

It's January 6th, the temperature reached 54* today. Love this global warming thing.. it's the best!
Had to buy a new dryer.. was thankful for my pension check that arrived the day I had to get the new one. The old dryer had been a little extra noisy, but when it began screeching and then smelled strange, I quit. I hung 2 loads of clothes on hangers in the guest bath and sat down to the computer and ordered a new dryer from Sears. That was on the 2nd.. I was drying clothes in it on the 4th by noon. WOW! The old dryer is on the back deck waiting for Paul to haul away for scrap.
Enjoying reading.. already have read 2 books this year and it's only the 6th of January :)

2012-01-06T14:15:00.000-05:00

I have just finished the series Understanding the Work of Christ teaching series with RC Sproul. It was well worth the time. I highly recommend it to everyone. He speaks in terms everyone would understand and even to people like me.
His series is 11-12 videos that you can access from the above link. He talks about the incarnation, baptism, temptation, triumpful entry, the Last Supper, resurrection and ascension as well as His return.
There are other topics, but these are the few I'm reminded of at this moment.

2012-01-02T10:52:00.000-05:00

I love my Nook. I've read 3 books already this past week.. and several of them have truly touched my heart. At the moment I am reading "The Christian Leaders of England in the Eighteenth Century" by JC Ryle.. one of my favorite authors.

Read some of his words here:
"From the year 1700 till about the era of the French Revolution, England seemed barren of all that is really good. How such a state of things can have arisen in a land of free Bibles and professing Protestantism is almost past comprehension. Christianity seemed to lie as one dead, insomuch that you might have said 'she is dead.' Moralityy, however much exalted in pulpits, was thoroughly trampled under foot in the streets. There was darkness in high places and darkness in low places- darkness in the court, the camp, the Parliament, and the bar- darkness in country, and darkness in town- darkness among rich and darkness among poor- a gross , thick, religious and moral darkness- a darkness that might be felt."
"The blight of ease and freedom from persecution seemed to rest upon the Dissenters. Natural theology, without a single distinctive doctrine of Christianity, cold morality, or barren orthodoxy, formed the staple teaching both in church and chapel. Sermons everywhere were little better than miserable moral essays, utterly devoid of anything likely to awaken, convert, or save souls."

2012-01-02T09:56:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

It was what I'd have called a Blustery day on Jan 1, 2012. It had been a beautiful day.. the winds picked up to more than gale force later in the evening blowing everything everywhere. Hoping our trash can got emptied by the trash people and not the wind.

2012-01-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

2012-01-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

Annabelle and cousin Jeffrey

2012-01-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Annabelle's cake...

2012-01-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

David and his chipmunk Alvin... it was pretty cute. Can't see Alvin's back..

2012-01-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

I think it a hoot that while I was gathering up the used wrapping paper from Annabelle's birthday gifts, I noted that ALL of them were in Christmas wrap, and ALL were snowmen!!
This was our gift to Annabelle... I couldn't find my tape, so had to use the nearest thing- Duct Tape!!!

2012-01-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

David, Annabelle, and Alvin the chipmunk...

Blessed new year 2012

2011-12-31T20:39:00.000-05:00

In just a few hours, we will welcome 2012. This will be a year of happy/sad, joy/sorrow, fear/security, and war/peace.
My hope and desire for you all is not for continual happiness in this world, for with continual happiness, one sleeps the sleep of death and destruction. Happiness is not found in 'things' of this life, but of the blessings that God pours out on believers. The more 'things' one has, the more time is spent away from our Lord, and in time He is forgotten, pushed under a rug till we 'need' Him. The world is full of such.
My hope and desire for you is that this will be the year that you recognize Jesus as Savior and King, and turn your heart and mind toward Him and dedicate your life to Him. Lean on Him for instruction and help, recognize His sovereignty.
Open your Bible and read.. hear the words speak to you.
I pray your new year is not particularly happy, but very blessed which brings joy to the heart.

2011-12-28T11:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we got snow and it's still 25* outside but windy so it's colder than that. As for the snow, the weather prevaricators predicted 1-4" by noon today. We have only 45 min to make even that minimum. :) I doubt it said the carpenter... and shed a bitter tear.
What we do have is a dusting.. more than a skiff, but certainly far less than half an inch.
My new birdfeeder is up and the birds are singing a happy tune! They seem to love it much more than my red neck feeder. Who can blame them?
I'll post pictures later when I get brave enough to go outdoors. :)
Today I need to make a trip to Butler, but am toying with the idea of waiting till tomorrow to go with Wendell when he has his weigh-in appt with his PCP. We need gas in the car, so that might just be a better idea. I don't think we'll get enough snow to make a difference by tomorrow.
Heading for Professor Horner..

2011-12-27T07:16:00.001-05:00

Monday afternoon we had a family get-together to exchange gifts with each other. I had a great time and I hope my family did too.
I love the white elephant exchange for adults- such fun! I stole a bird feeder from Jane and am so very very excited to have this gift. Wendell and I were just discussing whether we could afford to purchase an actual bird feeder and had decided to buy seed no matter this coming pay. What a great gift this was for us!!!
Paul and Amy gave both Wendell and me NAS versions of the Bible.. something I've been looking for to buy for myself.. and what a treat to find it is in GIANT print!! I've used the NIV for as long as I can remember. Now I have NIV, KJV, and the treasured NAS which I'll be using from here on hopefully.
The Vulhops gave us Skype and John hooked it up last night. Valentines got it too, so we had a LONG chat with them last night. It was such a joy to see the kids and grandkids. Anyone who wanted to chat was invited into the computer room to enjoy the Valentine's company. :)
Last week the Z's gave us a new TV and DVD player. Yippee! I can watch movies on that 32" screen. It is a lot nicer than the old TV.. and last night John hooked up the old one in our bedroom.. will need a universal remote, but that's not a problem..
Love you all.. you have filled in some spots that were on our wish lists for some time in the future.

We never know when we won't have our family around us... it's a delight to have wonderful family.

2011-12-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 11:

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

2011-12-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

It's 30* outside and not a flake of snow to be seen for miles. Suits me just fine. I can deal with cold weather, but snow and ice are my nemesis.
Wendell bought me a Nook and a router. He already has a list of books he wants to read on it. :) I can't get the router hooked up so will just wait till John has a free moment or two to fight with it. It really is a nice thing- we have been talking about buying one for months. Can't access it without wi-fi, thus the router. Oh well.. it is like giving a child a toy without the batteries.. hehehe.

Oh.. tomorrow is Christmas Day. I can't wait for New Year Day.. I'm about done with 2011 ..
Happy New Year to all !!!

2011-12-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Coming down to the wire here as far as holidays go. I'm already tired of the whole shebang. I'm ready to remove the tree and all signs of Christ Mass. Accckkkkk!
It is raining again tonight. Last night we had a horrific storm with gale force winds, rain, and thunder. More like spring. Oh, spring, where are you??? I am so ready.   I love the green green grass and leaves, not particularly pine needles.
Monday will be our family party.. that reminds me, I should check in with everyone to see if they are in agreement.. hehehe
I found another Zobmondo game.. "Would You Rather".... fun. It's similar to "Apples to Apples" that we played last year. Interesing games that make you think.   Then I found Scrabble and Password too. I may try to get someone to play with me .. hmmmm
"Would you rather eat an earthworm every day or have a tooth pulled without anesthesia?"   Glad I don't have to make that choice.. hehehe

2011-12-19T06:41:00.002-05:00

•Treat yourself every week.

•Read the labels before you buy.

•Always go fat free.

•Lose the bread.

•Portion control is 80% the battle.

2011-12-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

Good News Not Bad News

Before we leave the Old Testament, there is one other passage that clarifies a common misunderstanding of the sabbath. It is Isaiah 58:13–14. It is a shame that for so many people sabbath keeping is thought of solely in terms of what you can't do. Its original intention was certainly intended to be good news not bad news. The sabbath command is in fact a command to experience joy.

If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth.

God's Purpose for Us on the Sabbath

God's purpose for us on the sabbath is that we experience the highest and most intense joy that can be experienced, namely, that we "take delight in the Lord." And yet what he finds again and again is professing Christians who prefer little human-sized pleasures from things that have no close relation to God at all.

If you worked seven days a week in the hot sun to keep life and limb together, with scarcely any time for leisure and reflection, would you consider it burdensome if your God came to you with omnipotent authority and said, "I don't want you to have to work so much. I want you to have a day a week to rest and enjoy what really counts in life. I promise to meet your needs with just six days of work"? That is not a cruel command. It is a gracious gift.

Why So Many People Think of the Sabbath as a Burden

The reason that so many people feel it as a burden is partly that we have so much leisure, we don't feel the need for the sabbath rest; but more important, I think, is the fact that not many people really enjoy what God intended us to enjoy on the sabbath, namely, himself. Many professing Christians enjoy sports and television and secular books and magazines and recreation and hobbies and games far more than they enjoy direct interaction with God in his Word or in worship or in reading Christian books or in meditative strolls.

Therefore, inevitably people whose hearts are set more on the pleasures of the world than on the enjoyment of God will feel the sabbath command as a burden not a blessing. This is what John says in 1 John 5:3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." The measure of your love for God is the measure of the joy you get in focusing on him on the day of rest. For most people the sabbath command is really a demand to repent. It invites us to enjoy what we don't enjoy and therefore shows us the evil of hearts, and our need to repent and be changed.

2011-12-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

"But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it — and I won't take it away from her."

~Luke 10:41-42 NLT

"I can relate to Martha. If I were planning a party, she'd be the one I'd ask to help. Martha knows everything needs to be just right.

When Jesus showed up at Martha's door, she did what I would have done.
She started getting everything ready.
But her sister, Mary, had other plans.
Mary didn't share Martha's need to please, so she sat with Jesus. She knew the house was a mess, but she also knew that Jesus wouldn't be there long, so she forgot about the cleaning and plopped down at his feet.
What nerve, Martha thought to herself. Doesn't she know there's work to be done?
Finally, Martha had to speak up and expected Jesus to scold Mary.
But that's not what Jesus did. "My dear Martha," he said, "you are so upset over all these details! …"
Jesus took Mary's side. He said that Mary was the one who had the right idea. She did nothing but listen and was praised; Martha did everything but listen and was chastised.

The Lord's priorities are not the same as ours. Jesus isn't as concerned about our lace tablecloths and clean kitchens as we are. He's concerned with the state of our heart — the time we spend at his feet, reflecting on his words and resting in his presence.

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 209

2011-12-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Am working on a wreath for our deck. It looked okay yesterday until the wind started - we had pretty strong wind. It looks like the wreath was blown about a bit. It is quite large and my first time at actually "creating" a wreath. I pulled grapevine out of the tree, twisted it in an '0' shape.. then went and collected some smaller boughs from our pine trees out front..( carefully so they don't look like I removed any) :) Still needs a little work and restrung since the wind.. :)

2011-12-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

I bought myself "EGGIES" to hard boil my eggs. I only eat the whites, but peeling eggs is such a pain- literally. I always feel like my fingers are ripped to shreds after peeling them. And then- I lose half of my whites as they cling to the shells. NO MORE! These little Eggies are super de duper and I love them!

2011-12-16T14:10:00.000-05:00

This is the best part of the day .. when I pull out a nice mug and fill it full of coffee.. the mug makes it taste so delicious!

2011-12-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
~Phil 4:8

Why is it that at this time of year things are just 'different'? I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about coming of winter that just makes me feel sad. Days are so short and the sun doesn't shine much.. then evening comes way too fast.. It's cold outside and wet..and shortly there will be snow.
But as I look about these things I remember that scriptures say we will have seasons in a regular and timely manner.. and we can anticipate spring in another few months.. when all things become new again. Spring is always my favorite time.. :)

2011-12-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

It's a great day today.. I'm alive.. feeling well. No complaints.

Now that doesn't happen often all in one breath.. but today it is for sure. It's a brisk day outside, the sun has been shining.. but the temperature is only 43* at the moment- better than the 15* of this morning when I got up.

Crafts....

2011-12-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's such a hoot to have the grandkids come to visit. Last evening we watched Home Alone 2 and made more crafts.. boots for the tree mainly. Daniel baked bread.. all from scratch.

Today we started out baking .. Joyce really did a wonderful job on the cinnamon rolls.. they were so delicious. No way could I keep them here. I would have finished them off and my glucose would have been skyrocketed..

Then Daniel took over and made cookies.. lots of them.. Paul made a round of brownies.. Joyce did the peanut butter blossoms.. Daniel made chocolate chips, and then P3 made gob cookies..

2011-12-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

Daniel made bread.. and it was fabulous!!!

2011-12-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

Joyce treated us to home made cinnamon rolls.. they were to die for...

2011-12-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

I put this "Feedjit" on my blog to see where my readers come from and what their interests are.. I find it humorous that many many many are interested in the many uses of Listerine- and the other site is the article I did on the Ugly Ornament contest.. Hah!
So this year I believe we are again doing the ugly ornament thing.. kids want to join in too. Should be a hoot!
Planning a dinner later this month and an adult gift exchange- white elephant style.. anything new, used, old, or whatever.. anything goes.

More cookies to be made for fun times together during the holiday season. The New Year is right around the corner!

2011-12-03T14:27:00.000-05:00

So here is what I do when I 'm home and not real busy...

These are impatiens I am growing from seed.. The one on the

right is now blooming..

I made the birds a makeshift bird feeder out of a hanging basket.
Don't laugh.. it works!

Always interested in new things to bake.. this is Challah bread.. very beautiful.. a heavy eggy type bread.. I didn't put the fruit in it , but it's good anyway..

We made crafts and cookies..

2011-12-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

2011-12-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

This was one that Annabelle frosted and decorated.. and then proceeded to eat. One must be sure they taste just right!

2011-12-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

One of the creative cookies.. a lady bug?

2011-12-03T13:42:00.000-05:00

David worked hard to get his just right

2011-12-03T13:41:00.000-05:00

Paul rolled his own dough and then got creative..

2011-12-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

David and Annabelle made cut out sugar cookies

2011-12-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

Daniel concentrating on a snowman cookie

2011-12-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Annabelle made cut out sugar cookies..

2011-12-01T09:37:00.002-05:00

Lamentations 3:22-24 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

2011-11-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

Wendell says the ground beef soup is superb! I guess that means he'll eat it whenever.. :) I finally canned 13 jars of it for him + 4 quarts and a pint. That's a pot of soup for sure!
I'm looking for all sizes of canning jars now.. I just don't have enough to keep going, and the ham bone from Thanksgiving is on the stove simmering away. The beans are on the back burner soaking till tomorrow when everything will come together and I'll can this batch too. If nothing else, we will have soup this winter.
That reminds me that I have chicken bones in the freezer waiting to turn into chicken soup some time soon. That's MY fave. Yummo!

I have craft supplies now for when the grandkids come to visit me this week.. and .. cookie makings too.. This is gonna be a fun 2 days.

Baptism

2011-11-27T19:54:00.000-05:00

What is baptism?
Baptism is sign and seal of belonging to God's covenant community, His visible church. It involves the application of water in the name of the triune God, marking the recipient out as special in God's sight.

What is the covenant?
The covenant is the name of the relationship God has entered into with a people. "Covenant" is used to describe this relationship in both the Old Testament period and the New Testament period.

What does baptism have to do with the covenant?
There were two sacraments established by God related specifically to the covenant: a sacrament of initiation and a sacrament of continuation. The sacrament of initiation under the old covenant was circumcision and under the new covenant is water baptism. The sacrament of continuation was the Passover under the old and the Lord's Supper under the new. These covenant signs and seals have always been part of the expression of God's covenant relationship.

To what does baptism point?
Baptism is a sign of God's promises of eternal life and blessing found in Jesus Christ that are to be received by faith. Often it is misunderstood that what is pointed to in a person's baptism is his or her personal faith in Christ. It is said to be "an outward sign of an inward change." In this view the person's (subjective) faith is at issue. But, in the context of God's covenant, the issue is something objective—God's promise. So, baptism, as was circumcision, is actually an outward sign expressing the reality of God's promise.

Who is to receive the sign of covenant initiation?
Those who aligned themselves with the people of God and the children of those who were part of God's covenant family were to receive the sign. Or, to put it differently, the sign is for believers and their children.

Why are children set apart for the sign of covenant initiation?
God has always dealt with families and so the children of at least one believing parent are regarded differently from the children of unbelieving households. This sign was a pointed reminder of the need for the same cleansing from sin for the child that the parent had already received by virtue of faith in God's Savior. In Acts 2, Peter applies the same promises to new covenant believers as were given to old covenant believers in Genesis, both regarding families.

Does the sign save the child or indicate the baby is saved?
No, the sign points to the promises of God that are to be received by faith. If, by God's grace, the child grows up to believe, baptism becomes a sign of blessing of the promises of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Unbelief is a rejection of those promises. While it is the teaching of some that water baptism saves from sin, actually working a new nature in the recipient, this is a grave error. Many people have a false confidence in the fact that they were baptized, when in fact they are called to trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Did the covenant signs change with the new covenant?
Yes, they became fuller. The covenant sign was broadened from circumcision to water baptism to encompass females as well as males. Now the signs are unbloody rather than bloody in the case of both sacraments. But certainly God has not left His church without a sign of covenant initiation for children under the new covenant. That would be totally contrary God's design of His covenant.

Why should I baptize my baby?
Certainly not because of superstition or tradition or some idea that it in any way saves your child, but only out of concern for God's design and submission to God's command to give your children the sign of covenant initiation. Water baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary for obedience to our covenant Lord.

Is dedication of babies acceptable instead of baptizing them?
Dedication is not found in the Bible. It is the invention of man to fill the void created by neglect of God's sacrament of covenant initiation of children born into Christian homes.

Why sprinkle water instead of immerse in it?
The key factor is the water, as a symbol of the need of God's cleansing grace realized in Jesus Christ. Sprinkling was the method of ceremonial cleansing and the sign of the coming of the Spirit in the new covenant.

2011-11-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

Our part of the organized body of Christ is known as the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.

The “Reformed” in our name refers to our adherence to the biblical principles set down by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Our spiritual fathers include Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox.

“Presbyterian” refers to our form of church government. Each congregation is under the oversight of those elected as elders, who are also part of the higher courts known as presbyteries and Synod.

Reformed Presbyterians have also been referred to historically as Covenanters because of their identification with public covenanting in Scotland, beginning in the 16th century. This act was a protest for Christ’s crown rights over the state and the recognition of Christ as King over the Church without interference from the government. Our roots also include those referred to as the Seceders, who share in the testimony for Christ’s Crown and Covenant.

In 1743 the first Reformed Presbyterian congregation was organized in North America. In this continent, too, the Kingship of Christ has been maintained as a foundational principle of our denomination. Today, congregations reach all across North America. We also acknowledge sister churches of Reformed Presbyterians in Ireland, Scotland, and Australia.

I am a reformed presbyterian

2011-11-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

Our beliefs all stem from a full commitment to the authority of the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God. This means that we believe in the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We acknowledge our total inability to save ourselves and, in faith, depend on Christ alone as our Savior. We acknowledge Him as Covenant Lord in every area of life, and we vow together to advance His Kingdom on earth.

We believe that God desires His Church to set forth clear statements of her system of doctrine that can be supported from Scripture. We therefore accept as our creed, or subordinate standards, The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. In addition to these doctrinal statements, we adhere to the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, which is our continuing application of God’s written word to the world and the church of today.

We believe that God’s Word clearly sets forth how He is to be worshiped. The reading and exposition of the Word of God are the central focus of our worship. Our musical praise employs God’s Word only, thus making use of the divinely inspired Book of Psalms of the Bible. In keeping with the New Testament Church’s directive for heart worship, we sing without the aid of musical instruments.

2011-11-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

The Bible has been around for a long time. It is the Word of God and I believe it is true.

Fulfilled prophecy is a remarkable piece of evidence of that. Prophecy that was specific and often times came to precise fulfillment long after the prophet had died.

There is no other book with such accuracy, and no modern day prophets can begin to compare with scriptural fulfillment. It can be nothing less than divine revelation.

History also shows that what is written in scripture was also verified in the public writings of Egyptians and Assyrians as well as other early nations. Archeological findings have been totally correct according to Biblical references.

Another striking evidence of Divine inspiration is that many of the facts of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible long before science confirmed them.

For example,

Isaiah 40:22 says the earth is round

Isaiah 55:9 refers to the nearly infinite universe

Jeremiah 33:22 refers to the vast number of stars

Leviticus 17:11 mentions the importance of blood in life processes..

And there are many more . It is significant to note there has never been a mistake demonstrated in the Bible. Where there were questions, science has been able to verify in many cases, the veracity of the scriptures.

The Bible is a book that has a unique structure with 66 books written over a period of about 2000 years. One book- but consistent throughout. The individual writers had no idea that their writings would finally be incorporated into this book, yet each fits perfectly in its place.

Apostle's Creed

2011-11-27T18:46:00.000-05:00

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

the holy catholic church;

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

2011-11-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

It's the day AFTER Thanksgiving... Black Friday they call it. I just call it Friday .. :) It's amazing to hear how many crazy people go shopping at midnight for BF sales.. it's just not worth the hassle. But if YOU do this, feel free to go right ahead. Just because I don't participate doesn't mean you shouldn't if you are lead in that direction.
I was pretty careful on Thanksgiving.. small portions and few bad snacks and a whole lot of good snacks.. fresh veggies especially made the day easy to handle. But I'm not getting on the scales for a few days just in case.. *wink.
Had a little bit of ham for lunch and then for supper too.. my hands are pretty swollen, so I figure the rest of me is too. Not so good. I'll be much more careful tomorrow. I suppose that's why the headache today.. hmmmm
I was blaming it on allergies .. really stuffy and congested.. coughing and feeling rather slow. Growing old is one of the hardest things I've ever done. Hubby thinks it has been a snap- just sit or lay down and don't do anything you don't want to.. "you're retired" he says. Wish life was that easy.. not for this body. Gotta move tomorrow.. and get the diet back to where it needs to be. I don't think I even took my metformin tonite.. OH, Marilyn.. you nitwit.
Okay.. tomorrow is another day for sure.

2011-11-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

Trying to get caught up with pictures.. These firstfew were taken when the kids came Trick or Treating at our house. How cute they are.. Noticing my Impatiens....

David and Annabelle at my back door...

Paul3 surrounded by siblings...

Joyce dressed up too.. WOW! Love the look!!

Daniel.. he reminds me of a teenage heartthrob..

Just a sampling of the hors doeuvres at our house today.. What a joyful time for us all. The Zombecks hosted. . and what a beautiful job they did!!!

Joyce.. she was playing with her Mom's new Kindle

JJ and Keith helped get the dinner on the table.. You guys are the best!! Wendell behind JJ

Amanda Zombeck.. at John's back...

Paul3.. John set up one of his game systems...

Keith Vulhop... played against all the kids

Paul3 and brother Daniel play against their Uncle Keith

Such a princess... Annabelle..

After the big meal..Jane, Daniel and David..

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

2011-11-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

Our Father, giver of life and joy, who is like you, Oh Lord, that we should come to you with our praise? You need not these words, for you formed our lips. What is man that you are mindful of him? You own the lives of all that inhabit the earth.

Your power, might, and love are seen in the bounty of this season. We gather this day around a table laden with food that you have brought forth.
We gather as family and friends whom you brought into this world. We bow before you with humble hearts knowing we live because you brought us to life.
We celebrate this day as a nation of people who have been blessed more than any other people on the face of the earth and at any time. We acknowledge you as the giver of the good we so easily take for granted. Forgive us as we are a forgetful people.
Grant us on this Thanksgiving Day, the time to reflect on all the ways you have blessed each of us who has gathered.
Increase our understanding of your ways, defeat us when we use our blessings for selfish gain, and remind us to love one another.
Thank you for providing all that we need for life and godliness. Make us to be a light and a blessing to the nations of the world.
We acknowledge you as the only true and living God.
We pray this in the name of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

2011-11-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

To all who read, I pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving day .. that no cry or alarms would be heard in your homes, and thank the Lord for all He has provided for you this past year.

2011-11-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

I didn't get the bread made, but I did make an interesting apple pie.. I used 2 jars of the apple pie filling I canned a month or so ago. Then it has a crumbly top instead of the traditional top crust. Hoping it tastes okay.
If I can't sleep tonite, I'll be making the bread, but right now I'm just tired and I don't think fresh bread is in our near future..
I made veggie pizza.. I hope others like it. 132 cal/ slice.. but not all good calories :(

2011-11-23T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hoping to make bread today in addition to cleanup and then preparing my trays for tomorrow.. my job is hors doeuvres.. I think I have some good healthy stuff in addition to some sorta healthy stuff too.
Awaiting Klings with oxygen refill for hubby..
All is well on the home front.
Wondering if Charlie is coming tomorrow? Wondering if he knows he's to bring a pie? I may bake one today anyway..

2011-11-23T09:35:00.003-05:00

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
George Washington

2011-11-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

It is rainy and cold and windy.. I need to get adjusted to this.. and count my blessings. It's not snowing, there is no ice, and we have plenty of warmth in our house.. plenty to eat.. plenty of good books..
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day.. a day when our nation, the United States of America, stops to give Almighty God thanks for protecting us, providing bounty in our harvests, and for His son who died and was resurrected so that we might live eternally. It's a celebration where families join together and feast.. The tradition is turkey.. but Wendell doesn't like turkey, and I'm not able to eat it, though I can't remember a Thanksgiving in years past without one.
The President annually makes the proclamation..

Presidential Proclamation — Thanksgiving Day, 2011

One of our Nation's oldest and most cherished traditions, Thanksgiving Day brings us closer to our loved ones and invites us to reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives.
One of our Nation's oldest and most cherished traditions, Thanksgiving Day brings us closer to our loved ones and invites us to reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives. The observance recalls the celebration of an autumn harvest centuries ago, when the Wampanoag tribe joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony to share in the fruits of a bountiful season. The feast honored the Wampanoag for generously extending their knowledge of local game and agriculture to the Pilgrims, and today we renew our gratitude to all American Indians and Alaska Natives. We take this time to remember the ways that the First Americans have enriched our Nation's heritage, from their generosity centuries ago to the everyday contributions they make to all facets of American life. As we come together with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate, let us set aside our daily concerns and give thanks for the providence bestowed upon us.

Though our traditions have evolved, the spirit of grace and humility at the heart of Thanksgiving has persisted through every chapter of our story. When President George Washington proclaimed our country's first Thanksgiving, he praised a generous and knowing God for shepherding our young Republic through its uncertain beginnings. Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln looked to the divine to protect those who had known the worst of civil war, and to restore the Nation "to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."
In times of adversity and times of plenty, we have lifted our hearts by giving humble thanks for the blessings we have received and for those who bring meaning to our lives. Today, let us offer gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their many sacrifices, and keep in our thoughts the families who save an empty seat at the table for a loved one stationed in harm's way. And as members of our American family make do with less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand.
As we gather in our communities and in our homes, around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to each other and to God for the many kindnesses and comforts that grace our lives. Let us pause to recount the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay them forward in the year to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 2011, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to come together whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

2011-11-22T20:32:00.000-05:00

I talked the issue over (one more time) with the person who thinks I am "putting on" the fact that I don't have any sense of direction. I think I may have finally gotten through to him so he understands my flaw.. that, or it might have been the part where I said the next time he could walk home.. ?? Peace reigns.

2011-11-22T20:27:00.000-05:00

I have this bar at the side of my blog.. and the IMM 101 blog as well. It's curious to me why the majority came upon my page listed as Listerine does WHAT? Just sayin'.. it's odd to me.

2011-11-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

After making our 2nd trip to Wexford to the endocrinologist, I had to google "people without any sense of direction" ... and much to my surprise .. I AM NOT ALONE !!!!! The biggest problem with people like me is not that we get lost after the end of the driveway, but that other people think we should automatically go the right direction because THEY CAN. Are you sensing that I'm a tad irritated? Yeah.. I am. Asking me to make a trip without help is like me asking YOU to walk on your freshly broken leg with compound fractures. It just doesn't do anyone any good to get upset.. get over it! Accept me as I am. No apologies for my brain shortcoming- God made me this way and this way I'll be till I leave this world.

2011-11-22T09:39:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my day at the doctor's office. Today is Wendell's. He will see his new endocrinologist about his diabetes.. it's actually his 2nd visit. One thing that is really encouraging is that Wendell has lost 3+ # this past 2 weeks and this morning his blood sugar was only 99. That is NORMAL. Amen. He got up early this morning and had his bloodwork done. His A1c should be excellent. Can hardly wait to see what happens ..

Enjoying the last few drops of coffee #2 for today. Something I really love. I have several things needful today.. one is to get some bread made.. I think our home made bread is down to the heels.

Am working on a recipe for a cake made from scratch that is safe for a diabetic, yet low calorie. I think I may have one. It may need some tweaking, but we'll see. Does anyone know the purpose of butter in a cake recipe? Is it simply a flavor issue or does it really have a purpose? Can unsweetened applesauce take it's place? Hmmmm One of the things I love about CalorieCount.com is that I can put all my ingredients in the log and it will analyze and calculate the calories for me per serving.

2011-11-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

I had my first appointment with my new PCP today. SHE was everything I expected.. and I had a good experience. Managed care is good.
I showed her a page or two from my CalorieCount site and the receptionist was so excited about it, she took down the address. The one thing the doctor pointed out to me was that the suggestions for amounts of minerals.. Ca++ and K++ ... where I am low daily , are not particularly criticals.. I do take extra Ca++ every day, but my intake via foods still can't get it up to the 1200mg suggested for women.
In February I shall have more bloodwork done- this time majorly- and we'll see how things have been. Anxious to see this myself.
In March, I'll have a complete physical and get my marching orders for various tests that need done. I'm still fighting that colonoscopy, but she says if I don't, I'll still have to be tested for blood in my stools.
Otherwise, she gave me a sheet with stretching exercises that I need to do daily. What she told me was that my "intake" was excellent, but my "output" stinks. Let me translate that. My diet is nearly perfect, but I don't exercise enough. What the goal is kind of makes me wonder.. 30 minutes PER DAY of exercise enough to leave me breathless. I dunno.. right now, I can do 7 minutes of pleasure walking before the spasms hit.. hmmm
She was reassuring though.. she said ANY exercise is better than none, and I didn't have to do 30 minutes of steady exercise, I could split it into 5 sessions of 6 minutes or even 10 minutes 3x/day. Well, now it doesn't seem insurmountable.
I have a bone density in my future.. not yet, but next year.. and probably a stress test too.
All in all, I was rather impressed.. and the office staff was wonderful too... very friendly and helpful.
OH.. I got my flu shot. yay me.

2011-11-20T18:56:00.000-05:00

FEELING MORE ENLIGHTENED ABOUT CHRISTMAS NOW???????

part 2 of Barry's article

2011-11-20T18:54:00.000-05:00

Christmas (Part 2 of 2)

by Barry Isaacs
Here below are some more reasons as to why I don't celebrate Christmas. Please see Part 1 for a more detailed introduction and 'disclaimer' hahaha. Thanks and God Bless Y'All! And now for the start...We Don't Celebrate Christmas Because

the LORD condemns using pagan religious practices in His worship (Deut 12:29-31).
the LORD condemns adding to or taking away from His commandments (Deut 12:32).
the LORD condemns doing anything under green trees in His worship (Deut 12:1-4).
the LORD condemns the heathen use of decorated trees at a solstice (Jeremiah 10:1-4).
the LORD commands us to separate from and not touch pagan religion (II Cor 6:14-18).
the LORD commands us to come out of Roman Catholicism and her sins (Rev 18:4).
the LORD condemns turning to the left or right from His commandments (Deu 5:32-33).
the LORD told the apostles to teach us to observe only His commandments (Matt 28:20).
the LORD rejected David's worship for a small detail and killed Uzzah (II Sam 6:1-10).
the LORD rejected and killed Nadab and Abihu for offering different fire (Lev 10:1-7).
the LORD rejected Moses from seeing Canaan for a slight modification (Num 20:12).
the LORD rejected Cain's worship simply for bringing an alternative sacrifice (Gen 4:7).
the LORD rejected Saul forever for noble intentions in a modification (I Sam 15:22-23).
the LORD rejected Uzziah and gave him facial leprosy for a new idea (II Chr 26:16-21).
the LORD rejected and killed Ananias and his wife for fudging a large gift (Acts 5:1-11).
the LORD requires reverence and godly fear in worship to avoid His fire (Heb 12:28-29).
the LORD seeks true worshippers to worship Him in truth, not superstition (John 4:23-24).
the LORD commands us to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered (Jude 1:3).
the LORD requires us to esteem all His precepts but to hate all other ideas (Ps 119:128).
the LORD commands us to prove all things by Scripture and reject the bad (I Thes 5:21).
the LORD expects us to be noble and search Scripture to know true worship (Acts 17:11).
the LORD gave Scripture to perfect us, which does not mention Xmas (II Tim 3:16-17).
the LORD curses any gospel different than Paul's, and he didn't preach xmas (Gal 1:8-9).
the LORD condemns fellowship with men having only a form of godliness (II Tim 3:5).
the LORD condemns loving pleasure more than God as perilous times (II Timothy 3:4).
the LORD condemns anything different from His Word as dark ignorance (Isaiah 8:20).
the LORD abominates anything popular with the world and esteemed by it (Luke 16:15).
the LORD condemns friendship with the world as becoming His enemy (James 4:4).
the LORD condemns traditions in His worship as evil and vain hypocrisy (Mark 7:5-13).
the LORD hates the polluting of His glorious name with pagan idolatry (Ezekiel 20:39).
the LORD condemns the superstitious idolatry and blasphemy of the Mass (I Cor 11:26).
the LORD condemns bringing any item of false religion into our houses (Deut 7:25-26).
the LORD commands us not to set up any image, which He hates (Deut 16:22; Ex 20:4-6).
the LORD hates religion that goes under green trees (I Kings 14:23; Isaiah 57:5; Jer 3:6).
the LORD condemns adopting any practices of the pagans around us (Leviticus 18:1-4).
the LORD condemns sun worship (Deut 4:19; 17:3; II Kgs 23:5; Job 31:26-28; Eze 8:16).
the LORD endorses only apostolic traditions, and they never celebrated it (II Thes 2:15).
the LORD is honored by gifts to Him rather than a selfish exchange of gifts (Matt 2:11).
the LORD teaches us to remember His death rather than His birth (Phil 3:10; I Cor 15:3).
the LORD gave baptism and His supper to remember His death (Rom 6:3-5; I Co 11:26).
the LORD resents the hatred of pagans who exchange gifts against His men (Rev 11:10).
the LORD condemns "the spirit of Christmas" as another spirit He hates (II Cor 11:1-4).
the LORD condemns a mother and child wearing halos as another jesus (II Cor 11:1-4).
the LORD condemns a tradition glorifying sun worship as another gospel (II Co 11:1-4).
the LORD loves us to give up dear things as proof of our love to Him (Matt 10:37-39).
the LORD did not come to bring peace on earth but rather a dividing sword (Mat 10:34).
the LORD blessed giving over receiving, but Xmas is selfish exchanging (Acts 20:35).
he LORD calls Jewish holy days matters of liberty, but not pagan holidays (Col 2:16).
the LORD calls Jewish holy days matters of liberty, but not pagan holidays (Rom 14:6).
the LORD considers the birth of His Son worthy of honor rather than folly (Heb 1:6).
The two chief New Testament ordinances - baptism and the Lord's supper - pertain to His death, not His birth.
celebrating Christmas sincerely is identical to Jeroboam's two calves (I Kings 12:26-33).
Aaron led Israel to worship the LORD with a golden calf to their judgment (Ex 32:1-5).
it breaks the first commandment by having other gods - the sun god Mithra (Ex 20:3).
it breaks the second commandment by having images - a Christmas tree (Ex 20:4-6).
it breaks the third commandment by taking His name in vain - "Christmas" (Ex 20:7).
it breaks the fifth commandment by promoting children's greed over parents (Ex 20:12).
it breaks the tenth commandment by promoting covetousness to children (Ex 20:17).
many Baptist martyrs gave their lives to oppose Catholic superstitions and traditions.
it was a crime to observe Christmas in America, when our country truly feared God.
it was a crime to observe Christmas in England, when that country truly feared God.
all the God-hating, Christ-denying, and sin-loving pagans get excited about this day.
Santa Claus is a pagan mockery of God the Father with white hair, grandfatherly image, eternal, lives in the North, unlimited resources, omniscient of children's behavior, omnipresent for a night, hears confessions, comes as a thief, blesses children, and distributes judgment for works.
the name Christmas came from "Mass of Christ," and Christians hate the Catholic mass.
every sincere birthday party honors the one born that day rather than all the mere guests.
a gift exchange dictated by a calendar is not a message of love but a ritual of obligation.
a gift exchange at the winter solstice was invented by pagans to celebrate the sun god.
Christianity is giving gifts unexpected without obligation to reciprocate (Luke 14:12-14).
secular encyclopedias will gladly tell you that Christmas came from pagan sun worship.
the first state in our Bible-oriented country to make it a holiday was Alabama in 1836.
a little drummer boy did not travel to the manger to play his drum for the infant Jesus.
for the two centuries following the Pilgrims, Christians in America called it "popish."
English parliament under Oliver Cromwell outlawed it in 1644 and punished violaters.
loving Jesus Christ is keeping His commandments, not decorating a tree (John 14:15).
you cannot do unto the LORD what the LORD has condemned (Deut 12:1-4; 12:29-32).
Christmas is not a matter of liberty left up to our consciences and/or heart preferences.
true followers of God will not follow a multitude or majority to false worship (Ex 23:2).
a time of unbridled greed, covetousness, and materialism cannot honor Jesus Christ.
this unique holy day in the Roman Catholic calendar is exalted by three profane masses.
the world loves a jesus helpless in a manger, but God's Christ is the LORD and Judge.
on Christmas Eve the Pope of Rome conducts a special mass seen by much of the earth.
godly parents don't lie to their children about a Roman Catholic myth named Nicholas.
the Bible is totally silent about using this day or any such celebration to honor Christ.
the gospel according to Christmas tradition, cards, and plays corrupts the Bible facts.
the Pilgrims in 1620, seeking to worship God in truth, formally banned the holiday.
the Puritans in 1659, seeking to worship God in truth, set a 5 shillings fine for keeping it.
the modern Christmas tree was not introduced to this country by Germans until 1821.
Jesus was not born in December, for one-half year back from Passover is rather October.
Jesus was not born in December, for shepherds did not stay in the fields during winter.
Jesus was not born in December, for taxation would not have been in the dead of winter.
Jesus was not born in December, for wise taxation would have been shortly after harvest.
Jesus was not born in December, for careful calculation of the priest's courses exclude it.
the Roman feast at the winter solstice was to the sun god Mithras from the Persians.
the Roman, extended feast prior to the winter solstice was to Saturn, god of agriculture.
so many consider Christmas a "sacred cow" and beyond questioning or condemning.
our past lives suffice us for lusts, excess of wine, revellings, and banquetings (I Pet 4:3).
Emperor Aurelian picked December 25 for this holiday in 274 to worship the sun god.
pagan sun worshippers had a great festival to the sun at the winter solstice before Jesus.
it would be wrong to have a golden calf with candles to worship the Lord our Strength.
the public schools in Boston were still open for classes on December 25 as late as 1870.
the "birthday of the invincible sun" (dies natalis Solis invicti) was this date in Rome.
December 25 was chosen by being the date of the winter solstice in the Julian calendar.
Satan uses this pagan feast to steal glory from the Son of God for ignorant sun worship.
Christmas American-style is oppression of parents by greedy children (Isaiah 3:1-5, 12).
Jesus promised that the majority are on the wrong road leading to death (Matt 7:13-14).
Charles Spurgeon, the most popular Baptist minister, preached against it as late as 1871.
all the unique customs of Christmas may be traced individually to pagan religious rites.
using Scripture's silence to justify anything not expressly forbidden will lead to Coke and chips for the Lord's supper and ouija boards for difficult decisions.
it creates the most foolish, hectic, stressful, guilt-ridden, and unproductive time of year.
the LORD is a jealous God and will judge any playing with other gods (Ex 34:12-16).
New Testament charity may accommodate weakness, but it cannot error (Romans 14:1).
the moderation taught in the New Testament is temperance or self-discipline (Phil 4:5).
it would be identical to offering incense to the brasen serpent of Moses (II Kings 18:4).
the only day observed by the apostles was the Lord's Day (Rev 1:10; Acts 20:7; I Cor 16:2).
we choose to emulate Jacob, who put away family idols to worship God (Gen 35:1-5).
we choose to emulate Jehu, who defiled Baal worship to please God (II Kings 10:26-28).
we choose to emulate Josiah, who defiled all pagan worship to please God (II Kings 23).
we choose to emulate Asa, who defiled his mother's favorite idol (II Chron 15:12-16).

"Let it be a settled principle in our minds that the first and chief business of the Church of Christ is to preach the Gospel." ~ J.C. Ryle

2011-11-20T18:33:00.000-05:00

This is another of Barry Isaac's articles he wrote on Christians and Christmas..

The following write-up is not mine, nor do I necessarily endorse and/or agree with every single point in it. I know we're not 'under the law', but for me, not having anything to do with Christmas is a matter of choice, conviction and conscience etc. Some of the reasons why are outlined here below, and more will be found in the other note that I will be putting up. This is done just so that people will know where I'm coming from; NOT to try and make anyone believe as I do. I'm NOT judging anybody! Thanks, All, and God Bless!!! B. OK, here goes... Christmas is Spiritual Adultery

"These be thy gods, O Israel ...

To morrow is a feast to the LORD."

Exodus 32:4-5

"Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot."
Jeremiah 3:6

For a Christian to have a Christmas tree and engage in Christmas customs around December 25 is the same betrayal as a woman making love to her husband while thinking about another past lover, or with treasured intimate mementos of his in her dresser, or using sexual techniques she learned from him. If you think this is extreme or harsh, read Ezekiel 16 and/or 23 carefully.

1. Adultery is horrible. When a woman gives her body and love to another man for intimate sexual pleasures, she terribly betrays her husband. He is defrauded by having his most personal and prized object treacherously shared with a competitor. Adultery is outrageously wicked (Lev 20:10; Num 5:11-31; Job 31:9-12; Pr 6:32-35).

2. Jealousy is the result. It is the anger, envy, and pain when something dear to you is given to another. It occurs intensely in a husband, when his wife gives her body and love to others. Adultery causes great jealousy, as Scripture and nature show (Num 5:11-31; Prov 6:32-35).

3. God is Jealous. He created and saved His people from serving the devil to be His very own bride. He expects total adoration and perfect obedience. The first and great commandment is to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. He will not share your love or interest with other things. His name is Jealous, and He burns in jealous rage when His people even flirt with anything else (Ex 20:3-5; 34:14; Deut 4:24; 6:15; 29:20; 32:16; Josh 24:19; Is 42:8; 48:11; I Cor 10:22).

4. God hates idols and icons. God condemned all idols, any graven image or likeness of any thing, and any devotion given to them, because He is jealous of any flirting or distraction by His chosen bride with the false gods of paganism. Their gods are bugs, trees, stones, and stars. He is the invisible Spirit of eternity. He does not want any other object getting even indirect attention. He even hated Moses' brass serpent (Ex 20:3-5; Deut 4:15-26; 5:8; II Kgs 18:3-4; Is 40:25).

5. False religion is spiritual adultery. The Old Testament condemned association with false religion as spiritual adultery with false gods in the most graphic terms. Due to the ignorance of most Christians, they are unaware of these awful charges and descriptions in the Word of God (Ex 34:10-17; Lev 17:1-9; 20:1-8; Num 14:33; 15:37-41; Deut 31:14-21; Judges 2:17; 8:27,33; II Kings 9:22; I Chron 5:25; II Chron 21:12-15; Psalm 73:25-28; 106:34-43; Jer 3:1-5,9; 13:25-27; Ezek 6:8-10; 16:15-38; 20:28-32; 23:1-49; 43:7-10; Hosea 1:1-3; 2:1-5; 4:12-19; 5:1-7; 6:4-11; 9:1; Nah 3:1-7).

6. Props to worship God are condemned. The Lord knew His people would be intrigued by the customs of pagan religion, including the use of green trees. So He condemned any flirting with false gods by His people using their customs in worshipping Him. Their intentions or motives toward Him did not matter! He was extremely jealous of their use of traditions and/or objects from His competitors while professing to love Him only (Ex 32:1-6,26-29; Deut 12:1-4; 12:29-32).

7. Christians cannot flirt with the world. The blessed God plainly condemns friendship with this world as spiritual adultery. If you love the world, then you have betrayed and cheated on the Lord. He hates everything the world loves, and He demands His people to come out from them and not even touch their things, including Christmas, which is the world's favorite religious and commercial festival (II Cor 6:14-17; Luke 16:15; James 4:4; I John 2:15-17; Rev 18:4).

8. True saints are chaste virgins. Paul's ministerial work, based in godly jealousy and fear, was to present churches and saints as chaste virgins to Christ, pure from fornication with another Jesus, spirit, or gospel. There is another Jesus presented by Satan, but loyal saints will have nothing to do with this pretending seducer. Neither will they be moved by the Christmas spirit that infects so many during the final weeks of the year (II Cor 11:1-4; Eph 5:27; Col 1:28; I John 4:1-6).

9. Compromise is adultery against Christ. We are living in the perilous times of the last days, when an effeminate and compromising brand of Christianity threatens the true saints and churches of Jesus. Most so-called Christians today love the world and pleasure more than holy living and doctrinal preaching. They have no heart for earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. They prefer fables of Santa and Christmas dramas at church rather than hard preaching of God's inspired Scriptures. They have turned from the Lover of their soul to entertaining seducers (II Tim 3:1 - 4:5; Jude 1:3).

10. Roman Catholicism is the Great Whore. The Bible describes the church of Rome as a garishly dressed harlot with a chalice full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication, because she adopted many pagan customs to seduce her followers into spiritual adultery. This has been the near universal understanding of God's true saints for 2000 years. But she is not alone, for the churches of the Protestant Reformation are her harlot daughters by retaining many of her sacramental and liturgical corruptions (Dan 7:1-28; II Thess 2:3-12; I Tim 4:1-3; Rev 13:1-18; 17:1-18; 18:1-24; 19:1-4).

11. Christmas is Catholic. For Bible believers, the name of the winter feast is enough - Christ's Mass. The mass is a Catholic blasphemy in which they pretend to turn a cracker into God on their altars. They bow, worship, and talk to their cracker before eating it. Then they lock the leftover God in a little house made to keep Him safe. The Lord Jesus Christ died once for His elect, and He has never been on the altar of any Catholic Church. He is coming soon to vaporize it with the breath of His mouth (II Thes 2:3-12; I Tim 2:5; Heb 10:10-14).

12. Christmas is pagan idolatry. Superstitious pagans soon invented the worship of agriculture and the sun, for they realized their lives depended on both. Winter celebrations developed long before Jesus to celebrate harvest and the Invincible Sun. It was common to use evergreen branches, wreaths, and trees in their winter festivals. The Bible condemns green trees, even if they are used to worship God and celebrate the birth of Jesus (Deut 12:1-4; Jer 2:20; 3:6,13; 10:1-16).

13. Christmas is spiritual adultery. Taking an evergreen tree, putting it in your house, decorating it with twinkling lights, sitting in the dark, and adoring it to the tunes of Christmas carols is spiritual adultery. You are professing to love Jesus Christ, but you are doing so with the mementos and techniques brought from other lovers - the world and pagan religion. You are not content with Jesus Christ and His pure gospel found in the New Testament - for there is no Christmas there. You have added seductions of the world to keep you happy in your marriage. Jesus Christ is offended at your whorish ways.

14. Only total rejection will work. God is jealous. He will not let you flirt with His competitors. He will not let you keep mementos from past lovers, like an evergreen tree. He will not let you remember the important dates of past intimacy with paganism, like December 25. He will not let you use a blasphemous combination of His name, like Christ's Mass. He demands that you separate totally from your past lovers, the world, and false religion (Rom 12:1-2; 16:17-18; II Cor 6:14-17; II Thess 3:6; I Tim 6:3-5; II Tim 3:1-5; Titus 3:10-11; Rev 18:4).

15. There are many Scriptures to help. The Bible clearly condemns observing Christmas and other holy days of Rome's whitewashed paganism. We are Bible Christians, and our religion is based squarely on the Word of God without any regard for human tradition, popular opinion, warm and fuzzy feelings, or the countless compromises and inventions of contemporary Christianity.

2011-11-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

Well.... this was an odd day. I got up at 3am feeling like a new body, and decided to do some reading before I got ready for church. My intentions were very good, and I was looking forward to another of Vince's sermons on the Psalms. In good time, I had breakfast, showered and dressed... and went back to my reading. It was not long after that point that I started to slowly feel like a hat was falling down over my eyes and my head.. it progressed until my eyes failed me..and I felt they were trying to cross. This is tired.
After some heartfelt consideration, I realized it might be dangerous for me to operate a vehicle under these circumstances.. especially since Wendell was not attending. The decision made to stay home, I walked into the bedroom, applied my CPAP, and lay down on the bed with an article to read on Christians/Christmas.. That's what I remember until 2:30pm when I woke up. WOW. That was some sleep I just experienced.
Now what?
So I got on my trusty computer and dialed up Kindle for pc, and read a bit about holiness by JC Ryle.. really , besides Spurgeon, becoming fast my favorite author. A while later I brought up a John Knox "pamphlet" (really a small book) and read some of that too.. The First Trumpet.. written about women in public office- and why they should not be there. I haven't finished this yet..

I've connected with my friend Deejay..as we usually do daily.. and am looking forward to her new enterprise to be unveiled tomorrow.
Add her to your prayer list please, not just because of her new business, but because she is a shut-in basically and a wonderful Christian woman. She it is that has encouraged me to read the books I've been reading. Take a look at my bookshelf on the right side of this page.. (smile. I haven't read that many books in the last 10 years, and these are just the ones I 've read THIS year.)

Tomorrow, Monday, I have my first appointment with my new PCP. I'm really excited to keep this appointment, as I feel my managed care will be so much better.. more organized and efficient.

2011-11-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

"Sprinkle all my past sabbaths with the cleansing blood of Jesus, and may this day witness deep improvement in me.

Give me in rich abundance the blessings the Lord’s Day was designed to impart;
May my heart be fast bound against worldly thoughts or cares.
Flood my mind with peace beyond understanding;
may my meditations be sweet, my acts of worship life, liberty, joy, my drink the streams that flow from thy throne, my food the precious Word, my defence the shield of faith, and may my heart be more knit to Jesus." (The Valley of Vision)

2011-11-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

I want to share this article by a FB friend, Barry Isaacs. I thought it a very good discussion of whether the Christian should celebrate Christmas or not.. my opinion may be swayed.. Read on..:
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas (The 'Other Side')

by Barry Isaacs

The other day, I posted two notes that were against the celebration/observance of Christmas. This study (below) basically presents the opposite viewpoint and is well-written and put together. Although I side with the 'nay', the following is here for all to prayerfully consider and for fairness' sake. God Bless Y'All! Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
Study By: J. Hampton Keathley, III

Introduction

"Should Christians celebrate Christmas?" or, "How should a Christian celebrate Christmas?" These are questions of concern for many sincere believers. In fact, many believers dislike the season and have refused to celebrate it at all. A number of reasons are given, and while I might agree with some of their concerns and some of the reasons offered against the observance of Christmas, I would not necessarily agree with their conclusions.
One day I happened to catch a TV preacher denouncing the celebration of Christmas. He was saying it is pagan holiday, and that Christ could not have born in December. He used some Old Testament passages to show how the Christmas tree was idolatrous and an abomination. He quoted Jeremiah 10:2-4 which reads:
2 Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; 3 For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4 "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.

Then he quoted Isaiah 44:14-15:
Isaiah 44:14-15 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it. (NASB)

Finally, he quoted Jeremiah 3:13:
Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,‘ declares the Lord.
It seems that the points of reference for this preacher were to "wood cut from the forest," "they decorate it with silver and gold," "he plants a fir" (an evergreen tree), "scattered your favors . . . under every green tree," and "falls down before it." The preacher went on to say, that at Christmas people take an evergreen tree cut from the forest; they decorate it with ornaments of silver and gold, and then fall down before it when they place their presents under the tree. His conclusion was that this is idolatry.

If this weren't so sad, it would be hilarious, but sincere people hear this and become concerned. As a pastor, I have had people ask me questions such as, "Are we wrong to celebrate Christmas?" "Is this idolatry?" "What should we do about celebrating Christmas?"

It is this mentality that I will address in this study. How should believers respond to such questions and to the criticism leveled against the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season? Is it scripturally wrong to celebrate Christmas? Is it pagan?

Everywhere we go during the season, the signs of Christmas are there with all their glitter, tinsel, lights, greenery, cards, festivities, carols, bells, Santas, manger scenes, angels, trees and presents--and the push by Madison Avenue and the gimmicks of the retailers. The Christmas season either makes or breaks many businesses.
Should we play the part of Scrooge and say, "bah humbug!"? Should we call attention to the fact that certain of our Christmas traditions such as the yule log, the decorated tree, and mistletoe each have their roots in pagan festivals? Should we assert that celebrateChristmas is to promote paganism and materialism and thus is just not the biblical thing to do?
I personally do not agree with that conclusion. In this short study, we will take a look at some of the arguments and issues and consider some of the biblical options open to us as believers.

Arguments Against the Celebration of Christmas

Argument Number 1: Christmas is Commercialized and Materialistic
It is said that because the birth of Christ has been commercialized and secularized the real meaning of the season been lost. For the most part this is true. Even the story about the birth of Christ is often distorted, mocked, or misrepresented. The meaning of Christmas is said to be the spirit of giving. However, the giving of the Son of God who became the babe of the cradle that He might become the man of the cross and one day reign on earth with the crown is forgotten, rejected, or ignored.

Answers and Considerations:
If we use this argument as a legitimate reason for discarding the entire celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas, it would follow that we would end up having to throw out everything--even our Bibles and our wives or husbands. Why? Because Satan and man distort and ruins everything in life--the Bible, sex, marriage, the church, food--everything. Name one thing that Satan doesn't ruin. We don't throw things out just because the world misuses or distorts them.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Paul says, "abstain from every form of evil" (NASB). Because of the translation of the KJV, "every appearance of evil," some have taken this to apply to anything that even looks like it might be evil. As the NASB translation make clear, however, Paul's meaning is "to abstain from every genuine form of evil," not what might simply appear to be evil. We are to abstain from what is genuinely evil or wrong according to the index of the Word of God. To abstain from the mere appearance of evil would seem to contradict what the Apostle says in the second passage important to this discussion.
In Titus 1:15 the Apostle also warns against those who see evil in almost anything and condemn it. For these people, a lot of things have the appearance of evil, but purity is first of all a matter of the mind and conscience, not merely the external. "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (NASB).

Just because the world distorts something, that does not make it evil if we avoid the distortions and use it as God intended or in a way that does not go contrary to God's character and holiness. A good illustration is the beauty of sexual love within the bonds of marriage.

Argument Number 2: Scripture Doesn't Authorize It

The argument is that since we are not clearly authorized by the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ during such a season, we should have no celebrations or even special services to commemorate the birth of Christ. On the other hand, Scripture does tell us to remember His death in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and we celebrate His resurrection by assembling on the first day of the week, but there is no precedent for celebrating His birth.

Answers and Considerations:
This is what we could legitimately call hyperliteralism in the use of Scripture. Such an approach completely misses the spirit and intent of the Bible. Hyperliteralism (or letterism) is an intense devotion to the details of the Bible in such a way that one misses the spirit and essential thrust of a passage. Mountains are made out of mole hills and the truth is missed. One is busy counting the number of letters in a sentence rather than listening to its instruction.
If we applied this argument consistently, we would need to discontinue the use of overheads, musical instruments, hymnals, chorus books, the church building, pews, Sunday school, Christian schools, and many other things. Further, there could be no special services or seasons to commemorate things God has done as with Thanksgiving or a dedication service for a new building. Why? Because the only illustrations of such things are found in the Old Testament and not the New Testament. If the New Testament had clearly spoken on this matter, this argument would be correct because the New Testament does take priority over the Old Testament. However, since it has not, the argument from silence is not sufficient reason.
Some would argue that the New Testament has not been silent, and this is the third argument we need to consider.

Argument Number 3: Scripture Forbids It
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Using this passage, it is claimed that Scripture actually warns and forbids the observance of any special months, seasons, days or religious festivals.

Answers and Considerations:

What Colossians 2:16-17 forbids is the celebration of religious seasons or holy days when they have been prescribed as religious duty and necessary for holiness or spirituality.
In this passage, the Apostle is talking about the Old Testament festivals which were shadows of the person and work of Christ--but Christ has now come. To continue to celebrate them is to dishonor the fact of His coming, or to act as though He were not enough for salvation or spirituality. Note what the Apostle says, "let no one act as your judge in regard to . . ." He is saying don't let anyone tell you these things are requirements for fellowship with God. They were only shadows of the person and work of Christ, and He has not only come and fulfilled those shadows, but He is totally sufficient.
Colossians 2:16 and 17 in no way forbids believers from commemorating something such as the birth of Christ if it is done out of love, devotion, and the joy the season gives when used as a way of focusing on the Savior and not as a religious duty. The issue is not the observance, but the reason, the attitudes and the spirit in which it is done.
Furthermore, I believe there is scriptural precedent for commemorating and remembering the birth of Christ. This is in keeping with the events that occurred around the time of Christ's birth These include:

1. The appearance of the angel of the Lord with the glory of the Lord to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Lk. 2:10-12).
2. The response of the angels at the announcement of Christ's birth (Lk. 2:13-14).
3. The actions of the shepherds who left their flocks to go and see which was nothing short of a celebration (Lk. 2:15-20).
4. And the arrival of the men from the east bearing gifts as much as a year to two years later (Matt. 2:1-12).

There is, of course, the New Testament precedent for believers meeting together on Sunday. In essence this is a celebration of the Lord's resurrection. The early church automatically did this, but Scripture does not command us to do so. In fact, the early church at first met daily and took the Lord's Supper daily, but we don't do that today. Why not? Because these are not binding. We are not under the Law. Believers meet on Sunday because of its significance and because the early church set a precedent for it, but it was never commanded in the Bible. Believers did it out of love and adoration for the risen Savior.

The point is this: If the early church could celebrate the resurrection without a specific command from God, only the spirit of legalism or the letter of the law would forbid the celebration of Christ's birth as a special season of joy and adoration. Ultimately, the issue is not the season, its the attitude and reason behind it and the distortion of it. Let's not throw out the baby with the wash.

Argument Number 4: Christmas Traditions are from Paganism
Another argument against the celebration of Christmas as it has been done for years is the claim that many of the traditions found in the celebration of Christmas were brought over into Christianity from pagan practices. These include the yule log, the tree, special feasts or meals, and mistletoe. How can we justify these things? Isn't it just like celebrating Halloween? A number of Old Testament passages are sometimes used to condemn the use of Christmas trees such as: Jeremiah 10:2-5; Isaiah 40:19-20; 44:14-17. (See verses in introduction above.)

Answers and Considerations:
Some Historical Facts about our Traditions
The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says:
Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices.

The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Other nations, the Scandinavians, Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . . . as well (pp. 804, 805).

Concerning these ancient elements, The Christian Encyclopedia says:
Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration, such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later as Christianity spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas tree, bonfires, and similar items.

Finally, Unger's Bible Dictionary adds:
The giving of presents was a Roman custom; while the yule tree and yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into mere revelry . . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament in 1555; And the reformation brought in a refinement in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing it Christian elements.

But what about passages like Jeremiah 10? Some believe this condemns the celebration of Christmas and especially the use of the Christmas tree. Is Jeremiah telling us to avoid the customs of the nations? No. Jeremiah 10 is a denunciation of the making and worship of idols and not the decoration of evergreen trees in the home.
This passage is not a categorical denial of all the customs of the nations. It is only a command to avoid those customs that are contrary to the revelation of God to Israel. There were many customs that Israel and the nations had in common that were not wrong.
This passage in Jeremiah and others like it in Isaiah had to do with idolatry. First, Jeremiah warns against astrological worship--the worship of the sun, moon, and the stars. Second, he warns against going into the forest to cut down trees to be carved into an idol in some form whether human or animal, and then worshipped and prayed to for guidance, for protection, and blessing (cf. Isa. 44:14-17).
Some have tried to tie the reference to the green tree in Jeremiah 3:6, 13 to the reference in 10:3f to further justify condemnation of the Christmas tree, but this refers to the idolatrous groves of trees used as a place for idol worship and revelry.

Issues Facing Us Today

(1) The pagan associations were lost long ago

The names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Thursday originally stood for the Germanic god of the sky or of thunder. Tuesday stood for Tiw, the god of war. And Wednesday is derived from Woden, the chief god in Germanic mythology. Sunday and Monday were related somehow to the worship of the sun and the moon. Saturday is from Saturnus, or Saturn, and Friday comes from Fria, the goddess of love.
All of these ancient meanings with their beliefs and associations were lost long ago. When Friday roles around we don't think about Fria, the goddess of love. On Saturday we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. If one observed the days of the week or the Christmas season with their ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our Sunday, have been given Christian connotations.

The evergreen tree is a symbol of the eternal life which Christ, the Son of God, offers to man via another tree, the cross (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14).

The presents under the tree can remind us of God's gift and our need to give of ourselves to others as those who have received God's gift of life through Christ.

Even without seeking special significance in the traditions of Christmas, you could still celebrate this season for the joy and family fun the season can bring.

I would like to suggest that believers can capitalize on the Christmas season as a family tradition and as a learning experience much like the Old Testament Passover was to be used by Israel. It all depends on the spirit and attitude in which it is done. We can be very negative and critical, or we can be positive and use the season as a time to remember and commemorate the birth of the Savior. We can use it as a time to demonstrate love for others in a special way, and to be together as a family like we do on Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or New Years. We can make something evil out of it or something good.

(2) Facts of Scripture Concerning the Celebration of Christmas

In view of what we have seen, the Bible is silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under grace, we are at liberty to celebrate Christmas. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas even in the traditional form and we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.
Scripture does, however, set down principles which should affect the way we celebrate it. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world.
Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the reason for the season--the birth of the Savior of the World. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on.
Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt. They buy things they can't afford, which nobody needs, and sometimes can't even identify. The response is "Hey, thanks. What is it?"
Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Savior--or never hear about the Lord as God's gift of His Son that we might have life.
Through the Christmas message, Parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world.

Finally, some may observe the season as they would observe lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship.

(3) Ancient traditions are often distortions of original revelation

Many of the customs of Christmas originated in ancient Babylonian paganism and were related in various ways to the mother-child cult. But an important concept is often missed here.
Originally, many of the ideas of these pagan practices may have had their roots in the truth of the Old Testament or divine revelation from God as:
In Genesis 3:15, we have the promise of the Savior through the seed of a woman.
In Isaiah 7:14, we have the promise that this Savior will come through the virgin birth.
A number of passages use the symbol of a tree to point to the promise of life through the Messiah. Genesis 2:9: 3:17, 22; Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14 all speak of a tree of life, some historic, some prophetic. Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; 60:21; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 and Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 all speak of the branch of the Lord as the work of God.

These verses form a whole line of prophecies concerning the branch of the Lord, the shoot, that would spring forth and become a tree of life both to Israel and the nations. So, when we come to the New Testament, we find reference to a tree of life that is available to believers in Christ.
In view of these Old Testament prophecies, I believe four things are evident:
These ancient customs of the nations were originally introduced into the religious life of the nations by Satan to distort the original promises and truth of God which these customs would portray. For instance, in the mother-child cult of ancient Babylon, the mother was the primary object of worship, not her son. This was a distortion of the promise of Genesis 3:15.
These customs came from a basic need in man (one built in by God) for the truth and need of a Savior. The practices, though in perverted form, did portray a deliverer, the provision of eternal life, the gift of God through the seed of a woman, a divine branch from heaven as the means of reconciliation to God.

The principle is that these customs cast surprising light on the revelation of God's grace as they originally came from God in the beginning of human history. As with the story of the flood, the temptation, and the fall of man, they all became perverted from that which we find in the inspired Word. However, in many cases, they did point to original revelation from God and maybe even customs that were originally pure.

Today, our Christmas traditions have lost their original pagan significance or connotations. In some cases, the distortions were corrected by the reformers over two hundred years ago, but they did not see fit to condemn the celebration of Christmas.

(4) The celebration of Christmas falls under the category of doubtful things.
It is argued that since Scripture does not clearly rule out the celebration of Christmas; its celebration falls under the category of debatable or doubtful things covered by the principles of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 9. In summary, these passages teach us the following principles:
Every believer must become convinced in his or her own mind (Rom. 14:5).
We must not judge or look upon other with contempt who do not come to the same conclusion that we do (Rom. 14:3, 4, 13).
Just as there is nothing evil in meat sacrificed to idols, so there is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them by their attitudes and beliefs (Rom. 14:22-23; 1 Cor. 8:4-8; 10:19).
The ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.

(5) Some Options to Consider
If you have doubts or misgivings, do away with any observance of the Christmas season all together. But do not become a Scrooge and look down on those who do celebrate it (Rom. 14:-5).

Cut out some or all of the traditional elements like the tree, presents, etc., but spend the season reflecting on the birth of the Savior through the Word and the singing of carols.

Keep the season's traditions--the tree, presents, and decorations--but divorce them of any religious tones. Use this part of the season simply as a family tradition for fun and family togetherness. But remember the birth of Christ through carols, reading the Christmas story, and times with other members of the body of Christ.

Keep the Christmas traditions and use them to illustrate and focus on the truth of Jesus Christ. (1) The tree speaks of the Lord and the eternal life which He gives; (2) The presents speak of God's love and gift to us of His Son and of our love for one another. Make the emphasis more on giving rather than receiving. (3) The mistletoe speaks of the gift of God's righteous branch, and the kiss or hug stands for kissing the Son in faith--an expression of faith in Christ as God's means of salvation and reconciliation (Psalm 2).

The problem is that many believers are already carnal or marginal in their spiritual life and they get caught up in the rat race and secularization of the season. People spend far more than they can afford. They seek relief from their burdens and seek happiness in the glitter and merry making of the holidays, rather than in the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They look for the season to give joy, rather than the Person of the season. They expect from the season what only God can give. As a result, depression and suicide reaches its peak during the Christmas season and immediately following it.

Argument Number 5: Uncertainty of the Date of Christ's Birth
As one who has specialized in biblical chronology, Dr. Harold W. Hoehner, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote:
Jesus Christ entered into the history of our world, Christianity, therefore, has historical basis. The backbone of history is chronology. Whereas history is a systematic account of events in relation to a nation, institution, science, or art; chronology is a science of time. It seeks to establish and arrange the dates of past events in their proper sequence. Thus chronology serves as a necessary framework upon which the events of history may be fitted (BIB SAC, Vol. 130, # 520, Oct.-Dec., 1973, p. 338).
The argument is that Christ could not have been born on December 25 or even in the winter, so the entire celebration is wrong, even the time of the year.

Answers and Considerations:
By considering the chronological notes in Scripture such as Luke 2:1, "it seems that the evidence would lead one to conclude that Christ's birth occurred sometime in the winter of 5/4 B.C." (Hoehner, p. 350). Our concern here is not with the year, but with the month Christ was born--or at least the time of year, i.e., winter or spring. Is a winter date out of the question? Is it possible or maybe even probable?

1. Hoehner points out that the traditional date for the birth of Christ as December 25th dates back to as early as Hippolytus (A..D. 165-235). In the Eastern church January 6th was the date used for Christ's birth. But this is still a winter date and not far removed from December 25th.

2. Chrysostom (A..D. 345-407) in 386 stated that December 25th is the correct date and hence it became the official date for Christ's birth except in the Eastern church which still retained January 6th.

3. One of the main objections has been that sheep were usually taken into enclosures from November through March and were not out in the fields at night. However, this is not as conclusive as it sounds for the following reasons: (a) It could have been a mild winter. (b) It is not at all certain that sheep were always brought into enclosures during the winter months. (c) It is true that during the winter months sheep were brought in from the wilderness, but remember, Luke tells us the shepherds were near Bethlehem rather than in the wilderness. This indicates, if anything, the nativity was in the winter months. (d) The Mishnah tells us the shepherds around Bethlehem were outside all year and those worthy of the Passover were nearby in the fields at least 30 days before the feast which could be as early as February (one of the coldest, rainiest months of the year). So December is a very reasonable date.

James Kelso, an archaeologist who spent a number of years living in Palestine and who has done extensive research there says this:

The best season for the shepherds of Bethlehem is the winter when heavy rains bring up a luscious crop of new grass. After the rains the once-barren, brown desert earth is suddenly a field of brilliant green. One year when excavating at New Testament Jericho, I lived in Jerusalem and drove through this area twice every day. At one single point along the road, I could see at times as many as five shepherds with their flocks on one hillside. One shepherd stayed with his flock at the same point for three weeks, so lush was the grass. But as soon as the rains stopped in the spring, the land quickly took on its normal desert look once again.

Since there seem to have been a number of shepherds who came to see the Christ child, December or January would be the most likely months (James Kelso, An Archaeologist Looks At The Gospels, p. 23-24).

Argument Number 6: The Timing of the Magi's Arrival
It has been claimed the Magi could not have arrived in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. It would have taken months to travel to Bethlehem from the East. The family was living in a house when the Magi arrived, and Herod had children killed up to two years old when he heard about the child.
While none of this really affects whether one should celebrate Christmas, this argument is often used to throw further doubt and contempt for the entire tradition of celebrating Christmas.

Answers and Considerations:
The argument concerning the time required to travel from the East assumes a great deal. It assumes they were in the East when the star was seen, or even that God had not revealed information to them which could have caused them to begin their journey before the star was seen.

Let me just quote Hoehner from BIB SAC again (Vol. 130, # 520, p. 349).
The question arises whether Matthew is speaking of the same time as Luke or a later time. Madison attempts to demonstrate that the Magi visited Christ when He was about two years of age by noting that the Lukan narrative uses the term brephos (2:12) which is used to refer to an unborn, a newborn child, or an infant whereas Matthew uses the words paidion (2:8, 9,11, 13, 14, 20, 21) and pais (2:16) which are used of a child that is at least one year old rather than an infant. The fact that the wise men came to the house (in Matthew's account) rather than a manger (in Luke's account) would also indicate that Jesus was older when Herod slew the children. Thus Luke is talking about the time of Christ's birth whereas Matthew is talking about two years after Christ's birth.

However, the distinction is not so clear-cut as Madison would have one to believe. The term padion is used of infants (Luke 1:59:, 66, 76; John 16:21; Heb. 11:23) and brephos is used of a young child (2 Tim. 3;15). The word pais is used in the N.T. of a child six out of twenty-four times (the other eighteen occurrences speak of a servant). In the O.T. the meaning "servant" is almost unanimous. In Matthew 2:16 pais would fall into the same age category as paidion since the latter term is used nine times in the same context. Furthermore, to say that Jesus was no longer an infant because the magi visited Him in a house rather than a stable is quite weak. Certainly they would have moved to a house as soon as it was possible. Indeed the tone of Matthew 2:1 is that the Magi visited Christ soon after His birth. That Herod killed children up to two years old was only to be sure he got Jesus. This is not out of character with Herod. Therefore, the slaying of the children soon after Christ's birth is tenable.

Please note what Charles Ryrie has to say on Matthew 2:11 in his Study Bible, p. 1447.
into the house . . . the Child. These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and "child" can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were, gold and frankincense and myrrh. These were gifts worthy of a king. The early church fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity; the frankincense, of His purity; and the myrrh, of His death (since it was used for embalming).

Argument Number 7: Christmas means "Christ's Mass"
The name Christmas is objected to because it means Christ's Mass. This is supposed to be a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual involving the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Roman Catholic tradition holds that by the priest's consecration the bread and the wine are changed into the literal body and blood of Christ; that this consecration is a new offering of Christ's sacrifice, and that by partaking of the elements the communicant receives saving and sanctifying grace from God.

Answers and Considerations:

Christ + mass, can also mean "a large number or quantity." It can also mean simply a mass of religious services in commemoration of the birth of Christ. In other words, mass stands for festival involving a number of religious activities, and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist.
Further, even if the term originally referred to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist, it long ago lost that connotation and is really not an issue.

Argument Number 8: What about Santa Claus?

Christmas can involve children in the belief of Santa Claus, a mythical figure, which detracts from the person of Christ. The objection is that the emphasis is turned from Jesus Christ to Santa Claus as the giver of gifts for good behavior rather than God's gift of His Son by grace through faith.

Furthermore, young children sometimes confuse Santa with Jesus Christ since "he knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, . . .

The idea of gifts for good behavior can connote a "reward for good deeds" mentality which is opposed to God's gift of His Son through faith. Scripture does promise rewards for obedience.

Answers and Considerations:

The Santa Clause idea originated with a man by the name of St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the area of present day Turkey. He went about, often at night, giving gifts to poor and needy children. He later became the patron saint of children in the Roman Catholic Church. From here the story grew and became legend in country after country with various details were deleted and added as the legend of St. Nick grew.
So, how should believers handle it? Santa may be taken as a fairy tale idea like Alice in Wonderland, or Jack and the Bean Stalk. Children normally understand that Alice in Wonderland is only make believe--a fairy tale. However, for many children Santa is real. In many ways it is probably harmless. But because of the confusion between Santa and Christ, parents need to be careful in their use of this part of Christmas.

We also need to remember that Scripture does promise rewards for godly behavior or faithfulness for believers in Christ. Salvation is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone, but crowns, metonomy for rewards, are promised for faithful and obedient living (1 Pet. 5:4).

Conclusion

As with all of these doubtful things, each family needs to make up their own minds. In my opinion parents can explain the traditions and have fun with them, but make sure your children understand the historical roots and use these things to teach the truth behind the traditions.

2011-11-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

Whatever it was that slowed me down yesterday is gone. AMEN. Last night when I finished up my CalorieCount for the day, I found myself almost 200 calories over the top. Ugh. But believe it or not, the scales say I have again had a loss, though not a big one. Loss is good. At least I didn't gain. (smiling broadly at myself)
I've been thinking about some comments that have been made recently to me .. especially those who think I'm going to Hell for listening and following the directions of Glenn Beck. "Why, he's a Mormon" they say. Yes, I'm aware that Mormons don't worship my Jesus. But it occurs to me that in any part of the media where you are getting your information on global issues and those of your home territory, there is not one person who makes sure that the person giving you that information is a Christian.. there just isn't such a person. My support of Mr Beck has nothing to do with his theology, but his common sense and truth that he brings to the forefront daily. If you disagree, say so.. but as for me, I find him enlightening and educational despite his well known theology. There is something that can be said here for being aware and not being drawn in by false teaching.
So yes, I read The Blaze and am subscribed to GBTV. Highly recommended to my Conservative friends.

2011-11-19T12:25:00.002-05:00

2011-11-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

Felt a bit under the weather this afternoon... sore and achy.. so I layed down for a few minutes. Two hours later I awoke with a headache.. ugh.
My diet , though it is registered as an "A" for the day, has exceeded my allotted calories.. by a bit over 100. :( Not so good. The thing that did this was a large potato I ate for lunch- 8 oz baked in the skin. Though I didn't eat the skin, I was searching for a K+ boost. Then I weighed my baked chicken- 4 oz .. 2 oz more than needed for the day.
Well there is always tomorrow.. and perhaps the fact that I've been pretty steady with my eating habits .. may help and not be a bad thing really.
Calcium intake is still low.. I'll have a 70 cal Activia light for a snack tonite. :-\

2011-11-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

I've posted my Ground Beef soup on Favorite recipes blog.. you can find it on the right hand column...

2011-11-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

New International Version
Matthew 24:9

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Loving

2011-11-18T11:02:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Chris M

2011-11-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

It is extremely unfortunate that some who make a plea for the restoration of New Testament Christianity are caught up, quite erroneously, in the pipe dream of a golden era of the church when there were neither problems nor divisions.

But when was that? Churches of Christ have always been plagued by strife (Philippians 1:15-16), false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-3), perverse and destructive leaders (Acts 20:29f., Jude 4), the preaching of a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), servants of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), and divisiveness (3 John 9-10).

This is why Jude exhorted Christians “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3b).

This is why Paul admonished Christians to: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong”

(1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV).

What the kingdom of God needs today are more soldiers of the cross and less spiritual pacifists, who only stand around bemoaning what they say is a lack of love among brethren, and who frequently point accusatory fingers at those whom they consider to be much too strident.

via Jo Bower

2011-11-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day.. sunny, brisk, without precipitation, and 27*.
I'd love to can days like today to bring out during the long dark winter.. for a treat. Not looking forward to winter, but recognize it as a necessity to get rid of nasty viruses that will plague us through next year. Warm winters make sick people unfortunately. So we shall be thankful for the days just as they are.
Christmas is coming.. gifts for children are being assembled.. 9 down, 1 to go. Annabelle is my dilemma.. hmmmm
I hesitate to purchase 'soccer boppers' that she said she wanted.. it would seem that you'd need 2 sets to play with them.. the price is ridiculous at $20/set.. and you don't get the option of choosing PINK. So I think this is going to be overruled and out.
When I was 5 yr old, I would love dolls.. but I dont' think she does. Hmmmm

Quote.. JC Ryle..

2011-11-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

1. Substitute anything for Christ, and the Gospel is totally spoiled!

2. Add anything to Christ, and the Gospel ceases to be a pure Gospel!

3. Put anything between a person and Christ, and that person will neglect Christ for that very thing!

4. Spoil the proportions of Christ’s Gospel, and you spoil its efficacy!

5. Evangelical religion must be the Gospel, the whole Gospel and nothing but the Gospel.

~ J.C. Ryle

2011-11-17T17:19:00.000-05:00

So thankful to know our Saviour is good.. His mercy is new every morning and lasts a lifetime! Wow! That's love.

I've been watching the deer out the door/windows. There are 6 this evening and they don't seem to be afraid of me at all. Even when I stepped out on the deck, they looked up for a moment and then resumed grazing. Amazing creatures they are.

I wonder if animals will talk in Heaven?

2011-11-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is coming up soon.. in fact, just a week from today. We have so much for which to be thankful. Not sure I could even begin to list all my blessings..they are so many..

But I'm thankful for the change in seasons.. God promised that in scripture..

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us:

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Psalm 104:19 says:
Psalm 104:19

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.
Acts 14:7 says:
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
Jeremiah 8:7 says:
Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

It is reassuring to know we serve a God who controls all things- seasons, sun, moon, stars.. and we can expect these things in their times appointed.

2011-11-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Today was grocery shopping day. I'm glad and thankful to have fresh fruits and veggies in the refrigerator again. I almost need 2 refrigerators for all the good stuff. And the freezer is full of healthy veggies too.

I learned a valuable lesson today. Last pay I bought Gorton's grilled lemon pepper tilapia. It was fabulous! This time, the store had none, but had Mrs Paul's fish fillets breaded.. it was a disaster. I'll not be buying THAT item again. I can make my own grilled lemon pepper tilapia if I have to.. and last week we did have it home made- Wendell gave it a thumbs up. Always glad when something comes out really good.

I've lost another pound.. good for me!

CalorieCount has been so helpful.

2011-11-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful Saturday morning.. It's brisk at 34*, and yet the sun is shining so bright.. one would expect 90* .. but , alas, it won't be that way. Too late in the year. Winter is upon us, though snow is scant just yet. It gets dark really early..

Next week is payday and I'm getting a list of groceries ready for that day. Yesterday I baked 4 loaves of home made oatmeal bread. Mmmmmm.. so delicious, but full of calories, so have to be very careful cutting < 1/2" slices and then only once a day. I look forward to supper for just that reason.
I'm surprised to see that even hubby is willing to watch every item that goes in his mouth. He says he feels like he's lost some.. we'll see next week. He went from +/- 2600 cal /day to 2000 cal , a savings of 600 cal / day for him. In a weeks time, he should lose a pound even with no activity.
Mine went from 1600 cal to 1200 cal/day.. only a 400 cal savings, so my loss should be slower.

2011-11-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

My last A1c was 6.3.. within normal limits.. My CalorieCount site says I get straight A's for my daily nutritional choices, though I'm low in Calcium and Potassium every day .. :( I do take a supplement daily, but even with that, I'm deficient.
The scales says I've lost 21# so far since beginning the new way of eating this past February. Not bad.. a few 'bumps' along the way, but am on target now.

Snowing this morning.. just a 'skiff'... not bad, but cold at 34* right now.

2011-11-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Taking a moment here to thank those men and women who so selflessly serve our country. We are so aware that freedom is not free.. All give some, some give all.
Thank you Wendell and Keith for serving our family and country. Thanks also to our cousins, uncles, and aunts who also served.

Calorie count

2011-11-09T13:58:00.001-05:00

http://caloriecount.about.com/ is the new site.. it keeps track of everything I eat and all my exercise.. it's a fabulous site.. try it ... it's 100% free!!
you can find it on Facebook too! Calorie Count is the name!

2011-11-09T13:56:00.000-05:00

I've joined a new free group to help me control my diet.. here is some interesting information about cravings from that site:
As studies continue to suggest something that we've all known for a long time, reducing calories is the key to losing weight. But how do you choose which calories to cut? And how do you reduce your intake without feeling hungry? The answers to these questions can be found in a concept called Crowding Out.

The basic idea of Crowding Out is to make sure that you never feel hungry. Unlike most nutrition plans where one is asked to remove things or take things out of your diet, leading to feelings of deprivation and eventually giving up, one does quite the opposite. You make sure that you eat regularly and frequently. Eating more nutritious and nutrient dense foods satisfies cravings and feeds the body, leaving one satiated. Those bad feelings literally get crowded out.

You may be thinking that Crowding Out contradicts the concept of calorie counting and everything I've said in the past, but this is not necessarily the case. Let me make this clear: unless you consume less calories than you burn, you won't lose weight. Now, having said that, there are many ways to reduce calories, and some are certainly better than others. By Crowding Out AND counting calories, you are not only going to lose weight, but you will also do it in the healthiest and most fulfilling way.

2011-11-08T20:14:00.000-05:00

Today was election day.. did you vote? I did. I am proud to be an American and feel it is my duty to get out twice a year for elections.

It was a gorgeous fall day here. The temperature was nearly 70* and so sunny. Wendell and I enjoyed our time out.

I finally changed my PCP. I was going to wait for January.. but I feel so abandoned at this point. The issue of bacteria in my urine still is not addressed after 2 weeks. I called twice.. they were to call me back. UGH.
I see my new PCP Nov 21st. Quick appointment too. And the appointment secretary asked me if I would need any meds before that time.. WOW! I'm good for a while yet.

I have chosen my Co-insurer for Medicare. Colonial Penn Life Ins Co. Wendell has Security Blue. I wish he could switch, but with his problems, he will have to stay with SB. I also got short term disability that began yesterday. Yippee! I really like my new policies. Now I'm looking for a prescription drug plan.. hmmmm

Had stir fry for supper.. oh, yummo!!! So good.. .and filling... and low calorie!

2011-11-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

We dug the end of the potatoes yesterday.. Paul, David, and Annabelle and me.. big mistake for me. My back has been in spasm since I tried using the fork.. ugh. So I've missed worship today.
I'm listening to Psalms by Jason Cogwell. Beautiful.
I don't consider this a 'hit' by Satan today, but simply poor choice for myself. Live and learn.
I really enjoyed having Paul, David , and Annabelle for 2 days.. while Daniel had his surgery and was recuperating. Get well soon Daniel!
I was tickled on Friday morning when Annabelle requested to print her own name on her plastic cup. She carefully wrote "Ann". WOW! My little 4 yr old is growing up quickly.
It's always hard when they leave.. the quiet is deafening.. and I look around to see where they are.. that we might get a game of UNO or SkipBo going.. sigh....
It's lovely today. 50* right now.. and it's only 11:30am.
I've been behaving on my diabetic diet. 1200 cal ADA.. I've lost 5.2# for this week. I'm certain much would have been fluid loss, though I'm drinking more water and walking the perimeter daily.. so who knows?
Wendell decided he wanted to get back to his diet more strictly too.. his program calls for 2000 cal ADA /day. If he can get close to that, I think he'll see a change in his shape and glucose levels.
So far, so good.
Keeping a daily log helps a lot. In fact, it's a necessity to make sure you get all that's coming to you and no more.
*** WAKE UP***.. I always thought bologna was a fair choice for a protein.. 1 slice=1 protein or meat. Yeah.. but if you chose more than that.. it's 90 cal/slice and 3 slices can wreck a diet for the day with a whopping 270 extra fatty calories.
Sometimes I live in denial.. :(
Today I had a cup of Cheerios, 1 small banana, and 1/2c Lactaid milk.
Lunch will be a sandwich with a slice of deli ham, and piled with tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles..and a small dab of mayo.. my bread is 35cal/slice, so it's counted as only 1 bread. Woohoo!
Tonite I'll have 2 broiled chicken tenders with a slice of my home made bread/(I can't believe it's Not Butter) and a large salad and veggies..
YUMMY!
*****Note to self*****.. 1 egg has more calories than just the egg white.. which is 17 cal each and a very very healthy choice! Forget the yolks..
On to the day..

2011-10-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

Not feeling well today. Haven't felt 'right' for a little over 2 weeks. Having pain in my right flank/lower back. Wondering just what it is all about. Will find out soon.. have a doctor appt this morning.

2011-10-23T18:14:00.001-04:00

Message From A Mom To Her Child:

I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.
I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you.
I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.
I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I cannot make you beautiful inside.
I can give you love, but I cannot force it upon you.
I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish.
I can teach you respect, but I cannot force you to show honor.
I can advise you about friends, but cannot choose them for you.
I can advise you about sex, but I cannot keep you pure.
I can tell you about alcohol & drugs, but I cannot say "no" for you.
I can tell you about lofty goals, but I cannot achieve them for you.
I can teach you about kindness, but I cannot force you to be gracious.
I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.
I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.
I can love you with unconditional love all of my life....and I will.

~anonymous

10 Cannots

2011-10-15T14:57:00.000-04:00

William John Henry Boetcker (1873–1962) was an ordained Presbyterian minister. He was a rock-ribbed conservative. This was before so many Presbyterian denominations went liberal. In addition to his ministerial duties, “he quickly gained attention as an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded today as the forerunner of such contemporary ‘success coaches’ as Anthony Robbins.”

Boetcker is “best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots that emphasizes freedom and responsibility of the individual on himself.” It was originally published in 1916 and is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln. “The mistake of crediting Lincoln for The Ten Cannots has been repeated many times since, notably by Ronald Reagan in his address to the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston.”

Boetcker’s worldview is very much up-to-date. Unlike so many ministers today, Boetcker believed that it was important to engage the culture, not only with action, but with memorable rhetoric. Here are his The Ten Cannots:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

You cannot build character and courage by destroying men’s initiative and independence.

And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

In addition to The Ten Cannots, Boetcker developed a list entitled Seven National Crimes, possibly patterned after the Seven Deadly Sins, that if committed would inevitably lead to the end of everything the United States was built to be:

I don’t think.

I don’t know.

I don’t care.

I’m too busy.

I leave well enough alone.

I have no time to read and find out.

I am not interested.

“Never mind what others do,” Boetcker said. “Do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success.” With the all-important 2012 election nearly upon us, we cannot rest for a moment. We must take Boetcker’s tried and true aphorisms to heart and act upon them.