I totally jumped the gun in Sunday's Sermon: Part 1.
I'm not even completing my thought's that I had originally been enthralled in.
I didn't even listen to the sermon again, honestly.
But I prayed about the words spoken that ruffled my feathers. And I was taught that it doesn't matter what others say about your worship style as long as you are growing in your relationship with God.
More specifically towards the Catholic church, which seems to catch the most negativity of all denominations.
It doesn't matter if you choose to say the same prayer at every meal time -- it does matter that you are talking to God, it doesn't matter if you ask saints to pray for you -- we all need as much prayer as we can get, and it doesn't matter that you confess your sins in the presence a priest -- as long as you are confessing them for God.
No surprise to anyone that I do love the Catholic church, even though I don't attend one. I'm not sure why I am still surprised at how many other "Christians" from varying denominations are quick to judge without educating themselves and/or being hypocritical in that they don't follow those commands (prayer & confession).
Moving on, I'm not angry anymore at the passive ideas I had thought I had heard. And I can't even confirm they were said (perhaps I wasn't listening as well as I should have been!) But it's over with & God is good :-)
Friday, March 22, 2013
All about me: A way to avoid homework
I need to do an official introduction of myself for Simply Southern Homesteading, however, when I started listing out what makes me me, it got a little too long for a Facebook status.
This is me.
Ok, so truth is, that was me 2 years ago April 30th. Getting ready for our camoflauge wedding held at deer camp....it doesn't get more country than that! My hair is shorter, and a different color, but I don't have many good pictures of myself because I'm always the one taking pictures!!
I am mom of 5 children (ages 1, 2, 5, 7, & 8). I am a stay at home mom by day, most days....others I'm a full-time student studying pharmacy or an independent consultant for doTERRA essential oils (And, yes, I do realize those are on 2 opposite ends of the health care spectrum).
I hunt (bow only so far...this year I'm learning about guns), fish, bowfish, camp, 4wheeler ride, horseback ride, bake, cook mostly from scratch (my 2 year old has life threatening food allergies), garden (huge garden in my back yard), attempt to can from the garden harvest, craft, sew, build things, do most of the at home fix-ups, host a bible study, do karate, volunteer in the community, at church and for organizations we as a family are passionate about.
I am an old fashioned heart in a young body. I believe in living conservatively, naturally, and as self sufficiently as much as possible.
I have a strong relationship with the Lord, that is growing more everyday.
Phew. That was a long. I'm a lot busier than I had realized! :-)
This is me.
Ok, so truth is, that was me 2 years ago April 30th. Getting ready for our camoflauge wedding held at deer camp....it doesn't get more country than that! My hair is shorter, and a different color, but I don't have many good pictures of myself because I'm always the one taking pictures!!
I am mom of 5 children (ages 1, 2, 5, 7, & 8). I am a stay at home mom by day, most days....others I'm a full-time student studying pharmacy or an independent consultant for doTERRA essential oils (And, yes, I do realize those are on 2 opposite ends of the health care spectrum).
I hunt (bow only so far...this year I'm learning about guns), fish, bowfish, camp, 4wheeler ride, horseback ride, bake, cook mostly from scratch (my 2 year old has life threatening food allergies), garden (huge garden in my back yard), attempt to can from the garden harvest, craft, sew, build things, do most of the at home fix-ups, host a bible study, do karate, volunteer in the community, at church and for organizations we as a family are passionate about.
I am an old fashioned heart in a young body. I believe in living conservatively, naturally, and as self sufficiently as much as possible.
I have a strong relationship with the Lord, that is growing more everyday.
Phew. That was a long. I'm a lot busier than I had realized! :-)
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Sunday's Sermon. Part 1.
This particular post has 2 pieces, but the first topic will be finished in a later post....
Piece 1......
I have to split this blog topic into multiple postings. I will forget some of what I want to share if I don't start doing it now, but I checked out of the sermon somewhere in the middle & before I attack the items said that caused me to quit listening, I want to rewatch the sermon on our church's website.
My heart hurts for my Catholic friends. For the negativity brought upon them by the media and our fellow Christian brothers & sisters. It really has saddened me to see the reactions to the choosing of the new pope.
One of top things on my "must-have's" list when finding a new church home, was to find a place where the Catholic church wasn't constantly being bashed....by the other attendees of the church or by the leadership. I very much still love the Catholic church. (The church we now attend, by the way, is non-denominational.)
I was pleasantly surprised when we started going to this church, and the other 'members' were not instant haters on the Catholic denomination (and many of them either have a Catholic background themselves, or their close family & friends do).
I very much appreciated going through the first segment of our foundations class and having a day where there was a timeline of denominations, listing out important people & where some of the beliefs came from for those churches.
There was no bashing at all in that towards any denomination. And it made me happy.
Sunday's sermon began with the Pastor speaking of the media coverage of the Pope being chosen. It seems that people were appalled by some of the Pope's first statements....his views on subjects such as abortion and homosexuality. If you aren't aware of it, the new Pope is rather conservative & made it known off the bat. Our Pastor pointed out that it's ridiculous for them to have expected him to say anything else. Our culture has changed, our society's level of acceptance has changed, but doctrine still remains the same.
I was happy to hear speak of the new Pope & his beliefs in our church. I was happy that it started out positive, and not in a descending tone. It really made me feel good about the church we chose for our family.
There may be more for me to add to that part, like I said, I checked out somewhere along the way Sunday morning & need to rewatch the sermon :-)
Piece 2.....
In December there was a Sunday where I went to service alone, while D-man stayed behind with the kids. It had been a rough week, rough month, rough couple of months, but that morning I was nearing the point of a complete mental breakdown.
During service that day, our Pastor had invited us to acknowledge publicly if we were in need of prayer for something, anything, that was becoming a real struggle at that time. He invited us to stand, and for others to pray around us, for us.
I haven't told anyone about my experience in service that morning, not even D-man. I stood. I was sick of fighting all of the battles going on. I needed prayer & I needed the power of prayer from others, but I was not about to ask for it on my own. I felt like it was God's will that I ended up there that day alone, and that the invitation to be prayed over presented itself.
So I stood there, in that moment during service, and I was surrounded by a small group people...both people that I have known for years, and complete strangers. They prayed over me, and the others who were standing as well. I felt such a sense of peace in those moments.
There was an invitation of the same sort this past Sunday, and I was able to pray for someone else who needed it. I hope they felt that peace as well.
It's a small small world with an amazingly complex plan already set in place and looking back, I now realize that that Sunday when I was in need of prayer and the opportunity arose that I was able to get it from others, was a part of an even larger plan. The complete strangers who were standing in the row in front of me, touching my arm & praying over me.....we became a part of the small group that they lead, and now have grown into another small group that is branched out of theirs.
Piece 1......
I have to split this blog topic into multiple postings. I will forget some of what I want to share if I don't start doing it now, but I checked out of the sermon somewhere in the middle & before I attack the items said that caused me to quit listening, I want to rewatch the sermon on our church's website.
My heart hurts for my Catholic friends. For the negativity brought upon them by the media and our fellow Christian brothers & sisters. It really has saddened me to see the reactions to the choosing of the new pope.
One of top things on my "must-have's" list when finding a new church home, was to find a place where the Catholic church wasn't constantly being bashed....by the other attendees of the church or by the leadership. I very much still love the Catholic church. (The church we now attend, by the way, is non-denominational.)
I was pleasantly surprised when we started going to this church, and the other 'members' were not instant haters on the Catholic denomination (and many of them either have a Catholic background themselves, or their close family & friends do).
I very much appreciated going through the first segment of our foundations class and having a day where there was a timeline of denominations, listing out important people & where some of the beliefs came from for those churches.
There was no bashing at all in that towards any denomination. And it made me happy.
Sunday's sermon began with the Pastor speaking of the media coverage of the Pope being chosen. It seems that people were appalled by some of the Pope's first statements....his views on subjects such as abortion and homosexuality. If you aren't aware of it, the new Pope is rather conservative & made it known off the bat. Our Pastor pointed out that it's ridiculous for them to have expected him to say anything else. Our culture has changed, our society's level of acceptance has changed, but doctrine still remains the same.
I was happy to hear speak of the new Pope & his beliefs in our church. I was happy that it started out positive, and not in a descending tone. It really made me feel good about the church we chose for our family.
There may be more for me to add to that part, like I said, I checked out somewhere along the way Sunday morning & need to rewatch the sermon :-)
Piece 2.....
In December there was a Sunday where I went to service alone, while D-man stayed behind with the kids. It had been a rough week, rough month, rough couple of months, but that morning I was nearing the point of a complete mental breakdown.
During service that day, our Pastor had invited us to acknowledge publicly if we were in need of prayer for something, anything, that was becoming a real struggle at that time. He invited us to stand, and for others to pray around us, for us.
I haven't told anyone about my experience in service that morning, not even D-man. I stood. I was sick of fighting all of the battles going on. I needed prayer & I needed the power of prayer from others, but I was not about to ask for it on my own. I felt like it was God's will that I ended up there that day alone, and that the invitation to be prayed over presented itself.
So I stood there, in that moment during service, and I was surrounded by a small group people...both people that I have known for years, and complete strangers. They prayed over me, and the others who were standing as well. I felt such a sense of peace in those moments.
There was an invitation of the same sort this past Sunday, and I was able to pray for someone else who needed it. I hope they felt that peace as well.
It's a small small world with an amazingly complex plan already set in place and looking back, I now realize that that Sunday when I was in need of prayer and the opportunity arose that I was able to get it from others, was a part of an even larger plan. The complete strangers who were standing in the row in front of me, touching my arm & praying over me.....we became a part of the small group that they lead, and now have grown into another small group that is branched out of theirs.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The hearts of your family
If you, your spouse, and your children were in a car wreck tomorrow & none survived, are you confident all will be in heaven together? Do you know the hearts of your family? Do you know where they stand in regards to relationship to the Lord?
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. --- Romans 10:9-10
If you know the answers, and they're yes, Rejoice in knowing you will continue to be together for eternity, Pray for those who haven't made the decision, Pray for the families who will be and have been seperated by Heaven & Hell.
If your answers are "No", or "I don't know", don't give up hope. Share your heart, your testimony. Be a witness. Pray. Because as of now, you're still with us since you're here reading and there is still time to change the outcome. Don't lose your faith over choices other must make, but believe in them, believe in God's presence and ability to help them. <3
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. --- Romans 10:9-10
If you know the answers, and they're yes, Rejoice in knowing you will continue to be together for eternity, Pray for those who haven't made the decision, Pray for the families who will be and have been seperated by Heaven & Hell.
If your answers are "No", or "I don't know", don't give up hope. Share your heart, your testimony. Be a witness. Pray. Because as of now, you're still with us since you're here reading and there is still time to change the outcome. Don't lose your faith over choices other must make, but believe in them, believe in God's presence and ability to help them. <3
Monday, March 11, 2013
The "S" Words.
S'mores and Shoes.
Two very beautiful things.
We were supposed to have company Saturday evening for dessert. My voice was gone & D-man doesn't talk enough to make up for it so I had to cancel. So sad. :(
The boys were bummed. Princess was gone to a slumber party, so they were excited about special treats she wasn't getting. We decided to continue on with the kids' dessert for our boys.
Oven baked S'mores. So simple.
Break graham crackers in half (so it's a square), place several halves on a baking sheet.
Top graham cracker squares with a large marshmallow.
Bake for 5ish minutes @ 350 degrees. Marshmallows will puff up. It's really cool, I should have taken a picture.
Take pan out of oven. Put some chocolate on top of marshmallow. (You will have to smash it down a bit when you do this)
Top with another graham cracker square. The chocolate melts quickly.
Shazam! You've got ya some S'mores, no campfire necessary. (Ohhhhh but how I wish we would have had one!!)
***As a side note. I probably shouldn't have cancelled. D-man really does talk sometimes. Like when I'm dying of thirst & send him to the gas station 3 blocks away for a fountain soda (my addiction) and he takes ummm half an hour to return. Now that I know he is capable of such chattiness, I'll never cancel because of my lost voice again!
On to shoes. These shoes here...in this next picture....
I want them. Badly. And I'm not certain my picture message sent to D-man's phone was a strong enough hint. So I'm posting it here too. Hopefully he'll figure it out & the last pair of size 5's in the store will be mine soon :-)
Two very beautiful things.
We were supposed to have company Saturday evening for dessert. My voice was gone & D-man doesn't talk enough to make up for it so I had to cancel. So sad. :(
The boys were bummed. Princess was gone to a slumber party, so they were excited about special treats she wasn't getting. We decided to continue on with the kids' dessert for our boys.
Oven baked S'mores. So simple.
Break graham crackers in half (so it's a square), place several halves on a baking sheet.
Top graham cracker squares with a large marshmallow.
Bake for 5ish minutes @ 350 degrees. Marshmallows will puff up. It's really cool, I should have taken a picture.
Take pan out of oven. Put some chocolate on top of marshmallow. (You will have to smash it down a bit when you do this)
Top with another graham cracker square. The chocolate melts quickly.
Shazam! You've got ya some S'mores, no campfire necessary. (Ohhhhh but how I wish we would have had one!!)
***As a side note. I probably shouldn't have cancelled. D-man really does talk sometimes. Like when I'm dying of thirst & send him to the gas station 3 blocks away for a fountain soda (my addiction) and he takes ummm half an hour to return. Now that I know he is capable of such chattiness, I'll never cancel because of my lost voice again!
On to shoes. These shoes here...in this next picture....
I want them. Badly. And I'm not certain my picture message sent to D-man's phone was a strong enough hint. So I'm posting it here too. Hopefully he'll figure it out & the last pair of size 5's in the store will be mine soon :-)
Friday, March 8, 2013
Growing up
My little girl looks all grown up today after her first "real" haircut ever. She went almost 6 years with no haircuts other than occasional trims. She wanted to donate her hair to locks of love and after a few months of bugging asking about it, I finally got an appointment to get it done.
My babies are growing up, and it was pointed out today that perhaps I am as well. I went to my monthly lunch date with a best (still single) friend from high school today. He asked me if we were going to be out at the bar tomorrow night for a band that was playing. I sort of laughed, and told him we had company coming over for dessert. I told him the highlights of my weekend was going to be watching Lady & the Tramp with the munchkins this evening & visiting with this family tomorrow & church on Sunday. Oh and that we made it to the Illini game last weekend & that was a big deal for us...the most excitement we've had out in awhile!
My dear friend laughed at me, and reminded me of where I was 10 years ago. The little social butterfly, at all of the gatherings, do all kinds of crazy things.
My kids are growing up, but they are making me grow up too, and I actually really like where life has brought me!
My babies are growing up, and it was pointed out today that perhaps I am as well. I went to my monthly lunch date with a best (still single) friend from high school today. He asked me if we were going to be out at the bar tomorrow night for a band that was playing. I sort of laughed, and told him we had company coming over for dessert. I told him the highlights of my weekend was going to be watching Lady & the Tramp with the munchkins this evening & visiting with this family tomorrow & church on Sunday. Oh and that we made it to the Illini game last weekend & that was a big deal for us...the most excitement we've had out in awhile!
My dear friend laughed at me, and reminded me of where I was 10 years ago. The little social butterfly, at all of the gatherings, do all kinds of crazy things.
My kids are growing up, but they are making me grow up too, and I actually really like where life has brought me!
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