Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead

This was on John Piper's blog this morning, and I thought it might be interesting for y'all to read. It's a summary of an article that can be found here, called "Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead."


1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead.

2. The tomb was empty on Easter.

3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).

4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.

5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.

6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection.

7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers.

8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.

Birdhouse-Replica

So, after remembering hte contact info. for the blog I have for Ben's business, I posted today for the first time in months. The post can be seen here.

One of the things I mentioned was the birdhouse that is auctioning right now on eBay, pictured above. If you wish, take time to read the post I wrote; it has a bit of an 'update' on the business as well as a couple of lovely pictures!

Mrs. Wilt's Proverbs 31 Series

Mrs. Wilt (see link on my sidebar) has been doing a series called the Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman. Today was the third post, and I highly recommend you read the first two as well as today's.

The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman
The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman: A Woman of Virtue
The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman: The Excellent Wife

Here is part of today's post:

Proverbs 31: 23 states, "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." At first glance, this verse seems to reflect on the character of the husband, but in reality, it is a reflection on the character of his wife. She is of such excellent character that he is known through the land. Her goodness enables him to take his place among the leaders of the land and be all that God intends him to be. Dear ladies, do realize that each word that comes out of your mouth in regard to your husband either builds him up or tears him down. One of the verses I am memorizing right now is Proverbs 12:4: "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." Do you realize that virtuous women are viewed by our Lord as jewels in a crown for their husbands, but contentious women are viewed as a CANCER? What a powerful illustration! Just as cancer eats away bit by bit at the human body until it is consumed and life taken away, so do the words of the contentious woman eat away at her husband (spiritually, mentally, and emotionally) until he becomes weak from the strain. Let it not be so- choose instead to be a "mason of kindness" in your words to others regarding your mate. Never let a word cross your lips that does not build and strengthen his reputation among those you know.

Please take time to enjoy this edifying series of posts! :)

House Keeping Meme

So, I've never done one of these before, but I read it on Mrs. Wilt's blog (I just started reading it recently), and she said if you read it all, consider yourself tagged. :o) So I'm going to do it (keep in mind, I don't have my own house to keep):

Aprons- Y/N? I think they're very cute, but I don't usually wear one...I have a couple my Grandma gave me, that her Mom made. I might make a couple for my self once I know how to use my sewing machine.

Baking- Favorite thing to bake? Hmm...I think probably chocolate chip cookies, because that's what I always send to Ben. :o) And I like sending him things! But, I enjoy baking almost anything.

Clothesline- Y/N? Nope...no place to put one.

Donuts- Ever made them? Nope...those aren't healthy. :o) I try to make helf-ful things for my family, though sometimes I "splurge." Haven't made donuts though.

Everyday- One homemaking thing you do everyday? Hmm...make the bed

Freezer- Do you have a separate deep freezer? No place for one...once Ben and I get married, and we have our own place, I'd love to have one, though. (hint, hint *wink*)

Garbage Disposal- Y/N? Yes! I use it multipe times each day... <3 (haha)

Handbook- Y/N? I have a homemaker's binder...I think it will probably be more of a serious thing when I'm keeping my own home. I enjoy it, though. :)

Ironing- Love it or hate it? Eh...I don't do it too often; I try to get things out of the drier quick enough. When it needs to be done, it needs to be done, though.

Junk Drawer- Where is it? I think there's more than one...my desk has a drawers that's unorganized...and we have 2 in our kitchen and one in the coffee table. That's pretty bad!

Kitchen- Design and decorating? Let's see...we have dark granite counter tops and the walls are a chocolate color. The cabinets are white, and there are sort of victorian looking decorations atop the cabinets.

Love- What is your favorite part of homemaking? I don't know yet. I haven't really been able to decorate a home yet.

Mop- Y/N? Usually, I use this little swivel electric broom thing. I mop sometimes though.

Nylons- Wash them by hand or in the washer? eeeh! I HATE wearing nylons. I think we hand wash them, though.

Oven- Do you use the window or open it to check? Both.

Pizza- What do you put on yours? I usually just put cheese and pepperoni and some seasonings

Quiet- What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? I usually read

Recipe card box- Y/N? I'm working on it. ;)

Style of house- It's a typical FL home.

Tablecloths and napkins- Y/N? We don't have a tablecloth on the kitchen table, but we use placemats, usually only paper napkins.

Under the kitchen sink- It's kind of smelly...that's where the trashcan is. We keep some cleaning supplies under there though.

Vacuum- How many times a week? once a week.

Wash- How many loads do you do a week? 4 or so

X’s- Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? I love lists :D

Yard- Who does what? Dad does it all...we don't have a garden

ZZZ’s- What is your last homemaking task for the day? clean the kitchen and 'tidy'

I'll copy Mrs. Wilt...whoever read this, consider yourself tagged. If you do it, comment and let me know :o)

On the Sidewalks at Orlando Women's Center

That photograph is of a pre-born infant at 20 weeks gestation.

Many small children, smaller and larger than that baby (between 13 and 40 weeks--they say they don't do 3rd trimesters any more, on their website, but that's a lie...all you have to do is call and ask) were murdered today at 1103 Lucerne Terrace, the address of Orlando Women's Center. Paula, Patte, Mom and I were there to witness against the atrocity. No one talked to us, besides on angry Grandma (to a baby who is likely dead by now, after being delivered into a toilet inside the killing place) who shoved Patte. We called the police about it, but somehow they didn't consider grabbing her and shoving her an act of assault, so a report was filed, but nothing else was done. If I'm not mistaken, one of the officers who came was one of the ones who came when we called about the baby in the bag.

We stayed from about 7:45 until about 9. I thank the LORD that even though we don't see the fruit of our labors every time, His word does not return void, and each and every time it goes out, He uses it to accomplish His will.

Tomorrow, it's back out to the field of blood, to try and rescue the perishing (physically AND spiritually), as our Lord commands. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Of Fresh Bread and New Schedules

So, today I made bread using Marmee's Best Bread recipe. It turned out really good, if I might say so myself. :o) I've been wanting to make a bread that is healthy, but still kind of soft, and not really dense, for sandwhiches. Ben doesn't usually like homemade bread for sandwhiches, because of its denseness, so I decided to try and make some that's not so dense...and this recipe is perfect! It has some wheat flour, and some All-Purpose. I had to cut the recipe in half, because I do not have a Bosch. Our Kitchen Aid Mixer started making funny sounds when I turned it on, so I turned it off, and then I smelled motor oil, so I opted out of mixing it with the mixer, and ended up doing it all by hand. It still turned out delicious. Halfing it made three small loaves for me. Two of them are in the freezer, and one is already half way gone...Mom and I like it a lot ;o)

In other news, I made a new schedule for myself. I decided I need more time for housework and also to work on my needleworking skills. Any time left over during my housework time will be devoted to that, in addition to the time I already spend working on it. I decided I'm going to start getting up at 5 every day, so my day will last a little longer ;o). I've been working up to that point, as I was getting up at 5:45 every day for a while, and the last few days I've gotten up about 5:25, but I think I'm going to go ahead and "take the plunge" so to speak. My new schedule is as follows (but is, as always, subject to change):

5-7: Get up, make bed, "freshen", do my devotions, exercise
7-8: talk to Ben
8-10:30: make breakfast, dinner prep, clean kitchen, housework, needlework (if time)
10:30-12: shower, freshen up, scripture memory, practice flute
12-1: make and eat lunch, clean kitchen, practice piano
1-5: walk dogs, study (the Bible), study for NT Greek
5-6: computer time
6-7:30: make dinner, eat, tidy house, do any breakfast prep.
7:30-9: get ready for bed, straighten up, read
9-9:45: talk to Ben
9:45: go to bed

Going to bed at 9:45 should give me plenty of sleep, assuming it doesn't take me forever and a day to fall asleep.

I've also decided I'm going to change my cleaning routine for a while, because I want things more organized around the house. Once they're how I want them, I'm going to go back to my normal cleaning routine (which is different tasks each day: appliances Monday, dusting&counter tops&other wiping Tuesday, toilets&sinks Wednesday, hard floors Thursday, carpet Friday). I'm going to spend my cleaning time in a room each day until it's clean. I worked in my room for a while today...about an hour, and only got through my desk. Actually, I have a little left to do to have that how I want it. Once I finish my room (desk, dressers, closet, floor, under the bed, plastic bins), I'm going to organize all the other rooms. I'm going to spend a set amount of time each day cleaning, and once the time is up, I'm going to quit, and if the room isn't done, I'll finish it the next day. :o)

Response to Post Containing Liberty Counsel Release

A couple of days ago, I posted a press release from liberty counsel, and my friend, Jay Rogers, posted an interesting comment, that I thought y'all should read:

Matt Staver is seriously wrong here.

Free speech ought not extend to blasphemy or defamatory speech in the public square. Furthermore, schools ought to be able to discipline however they choose.

The problem here is that we've extended the term "public" education to a taxpayer supported government run monopoly.

The monopoly simply needs to be defunded. That would solve this case.

Let's say you were part of a church and some of your members attended a parade with a banner blaspheming Jesus. Can your church then excommunicate the blasphemers? Of course!

Can a private Christian school expel a student who is a professing satanist? Of course!

What about a private business? Can a business fire an employee for ethical and moral corrruption in private life? Can a boss fire an adulterous employee? Of course!

So why can't a school suspend a student for 10 days for deviant behavior? It can and should.

Matt Staver argues that since it is a "public school" the right to free speech in "private" life supercedes the school's right to discipline.

Schools have a right to discipline students just as churches, private businesses and clubs have a right to expel their members.

The so-called "public" nature of government education is not really public at all. What we have is a privately run government monopoly.

We pay these students' tuition through our taxes. When families take on this responsibilty themselves the nature of "public" schools will change.

A school should be able to discipline whoever they want -- however they want -- but the federal government has a stranglehold on "public" education -- a title that ought to be shared by competing private and Christian schools. That way, these suspended students could take their banner and their tuition money to any school that would allow this rebellious behavior.

Collecting Recipes and eBay auctioning

Today, I decided (quite randomly) to orgnanize the recipes I have collected over the year or two I've been teaching myself to cook; the ones my family--and Ben--have really enjoyed. I don't have any recipe cards, but I have a Collected Recipes Cookbook, similar to this one on Amazon (it is the same thing, but with a different cover). My Grandma gave it to me last year, and also gave me a bunch of the 'family recipes' to put in it. It has magnetic pages, which is really nice! I've made a list of the recipes I use from my cookbooks, and also from Tammy's Recipes and I'm planning to order some recipe cards from somewhere on-line. Once I get them, I'm going to write each recipe on a card, and put a piece of magnetic tape on the back of the card, and organize them in my cook book. I'm kind of excited about it, just because I've never done it before! :o) So, that's what I've been working on for a long time today.

I also did my first ever eBay auction for Ben, which will be going up tonight. I'll post a link once the auction starts. :D

Public Schools Could Hamper Free Speech Rights of Students off Campus

I received the following e-mail from Liberty Counsel this morning:

February 20, 2007

Supreme Court Could Extend the Reach of
Public Schools into Private Life

Today Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could affect the free speech rights of all public school students while they are away from campus.

If the Supreme Court rules the wrong way, then government-funded educational institutions could legally punish students for expressing their personal beliefs off campus. This could mean the abolition of free speech for public school students. A school could ban students from appearing at public events to express views that school officials oppose. One likely scenario would be for a school to silence students expressing views favoring traditional marriage. Students would essentially give up their right to freedom of speech by enrolling in a public school.

Pray that the Supreme Court does not choose to muzzle students from expressing their ideas while off campus. The effect would be chilling and the First Amendment would become nothing more than a hollow shell.

This is a huge concern. While the number of godly students in the public school system is dwindling, this could largely effect many of them, who are open in talking about their faith in Christ, and preaching the gospel to the lost and perishing, as well as taking a stand for traditional, Christian values in the public square. Perhaps more Christian parents will realize what an ungodly place public schools are, and consider pulling their children out and schooling them themselves, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Biblical Womanhood Valentine's Day Contest

Crystal hosted a Valentine's Day contest for unmarried women over at Biblical Womanhood, and the last day for entries was February 16. The idea was for unmarried girls to think of ways to encourage others, and not mope on February 14th.

Everyone who did an entry was placed in a drawing, and the winners were announced today. :o) I was a runner-up! So, I get a virtuous woman bracelet as a prize.

So, that is exciting!

Any piano players out there?

As some of you may know, I've been working on playing piano again, after quitting at the age of 11 or 12 (I don't even remember...it was sometime in middle school). The books I have are for kids, and I'm now 17, so it is sort of frustrating playing books written for 6-9 year olds (or something like that). So, I am looking for a teach-yourself piano book that is not for children. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Staying Home...

So, for the first time in a long time, I am staying home from church today. I have come down with a really bad cold, and feel really tired (even though I had 8 and a half hours of sleep), so I am going to stay home and rest. It's sad, though. :o( I really dislike missing church. It's the Lord's day, and I love being in His house with His people! Thankfully, I can have CD of the sermon, so at least I won't miss out on that completely. :o)

I'm going to sleep some, and then I'll probably do some reading or something edifying. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean it's not the Sabbath!

Another Busy Day

Aaah...it feels so good to get a lot done during a day. Perhaps I didn't get that much done, but I've been "doing" all day, so it feels good anyway :o) This morning, I allowed myself to sleep in a little bit (I got up at 7:10 instead of my usual 5:30), since I was up until about 11:15 (I didn't get home until 10:40 or so from the fellowship at my friends' house), and then had a hard time getting to sleep.

Last night was so much fun. I'm really grateful that Mom and Dad let me go. They planned their date on the other side of town so I could fellowship with the girls while they were out enjoying eachother's company on Valentine's Day. :) Five of my friends just moved into a house together, and they hosted a get together last night. It really was so much fun. The fellowship was so sweet...I enjoyed myself a lot. :D Women's group is going to be held there every week now until the church building is built, starting next Wednesday! I think it will be a lot of fun.

But anywho...this morning, I talked to Ben for a while and then exercised with my Mom. After that, I had some breakfast and got to work. I cleaned the hard floors (which didn't take too long), and then I put together some Farmhouse Chicken, for lunch. We were going to have it for dinner, but Dad has a meeting, and Mom and I are going to go to Orlando Culinary Academy, where a friend from church is going to school, and we're going to have dinner there; apparently they're showcasing what they've learned this evening. :) The chicken turned out pretty good, though it is less healthy than I thought it was when I added it to our menu plan for the week. After that, I grilled the last chicken breast in the package to use for salads. Then, I made Dad a dinner to take with him to eat on the way to his meeting tonight. Right about the time I finished that up, he came home to get some lunch, so I spent some time with him (I love my Dad *grin*). I went on the computer for a little while, while I waited for butter to sofften, so I could make banana bread. The fruit of my banana bread labors are in the oven right now, and they sure smell good. :) Banana bread is a wonderful way to use super ripe bananas. The recipe I make makes two loaves, so I can freeze one for another day. I like being able to do that. Then, you have a homemade breakfast in a matter of minutes!

I'm going to see if Mom wants to play Yahtzee now, so I'm going to go!

Hope everyone is doing well!

My "Valentine"

I know, I'm a day late...but I got this idea from Erin's blog...and I thought it was neat, so I'm going to copy her. :o)

Some of the (many) reasons I love and respect Ben:

~He loves God and helps me understand scripture when something confuses me
~He's incredibly sweet to me, and puts up with me even on my really emotional, off-days.
~He's a hard worker...he's trying very hard to get the money for us to get married. I know I probably don't show him how much I appreciate it, so he probably doesn't know how much I do...but I really do. It makes me admire him a lot, and it also makes me feel special..that he'd work hard just to be able to marry little old me. :o)
~He's appreciative. Whenever I bake him things (even if they aren't very lovely--like flat chocolate chip cookies), he shows his appreciation, and seems as though he enjoys them (hopefully, he actually does :o)
~When he's around, I feel a sense of safety that I don't always when he's far away in Virginia. There's just something about having him close by that makes me feel extra secure.
~He's my very closest friend. I can tell him anything in the world, and know that he'll still love me.
~When I look at the average 21-year-old guy, I am amazed at how different Ben is from the status quo. He's focused on his walk with the Lord, and getting ready to settle down, and provide for a wife, and eventually (if God is willing) a family. He could be having the "fun" (ie: doing the wicked things) that the average guy in his age range does...but he doesn't even think those things look fun! And I think that's wonderful. :)

I love and respect Ben because he deserves it. He's a wonderful man with a heart for God, and I very much look forward to spending the rest of my life with him.

New Recipe Wednesday

So, I'm not planning on having weekly "new recipe Wednesday" or anything, but I tried 3 new recipes this morning, and I'm planning to try one more before the day's end.

First, I made some chocolate chip cookies, using the recipe from Tammy's Recipes. They don'tlook very much like the picture, but they still taste good. Those are going in the mail to Ben today. :o) They're already in the bags ready to go in a box. Hopefully, he'll enjoy them!



Next, I made Italian Scrambled Eggs, also from Tammy's Recipes. I was a little nervous about it, just because it's an unusual recipe, but it turned out good, and both of my parents said they'd like to have it again. :) I didn't take a picture of that...and it's already been eaten! The only thing I did differently was reduce the recipe by 25%, because we only need 6 eggs (2 each). I also used real pepperoni, instead of turkey pepporoni, since that's what we had on hand.

After breakfast, I made a Cinnamon Sprinkle Cake to take tonight to a time of fellowship for us single gals, at the home of some of my friends. I don't know how it tastes, because I'm not going to test it before I'm there...I might have Dad have a taste, though...just to be sure it's good. I'm sure he won't mind. He's got quite a sweet tooth. ;o)

When my Mom gets back from the grocery store, I'm planning to make Southwest Dip to take to the get together tonight, also from Tammy's Recipes. :o) I really like that site, in case you couldn't tell. I highly recommend you check it out. Every time I click through it, I am inspired to attempt new recipes! And usually, the ingredients are normal ingredients you would have on hand. I'm also going to make a fruit salad. I'm going to somewhat by the "recipe" Tammy has for fruit salad, but will be adding extra ingredients, I believe. :o)

Now it's on to put together some salad with grilled chicken for lunch...!

Just One of the (many!) Benefits...

...of being in love with a carpenter :)

As I probably mentioned before, Ben made me a bookshelf while he was down here for a few days. I just wanted to show it off...because I'm really enjoying it. It's beautiful; he's so talented...and he made it for free! :) It's hanging on the wall above my desk, in my bedroom. It's so very convenient to have all my books right there...and I think the shelf adds a nice touch to my bedroom. Thanks, Ben!


The big set on the bottom left are my wonderful John Calvin Commentaries that I just got in December for my 17th birthday, from my parents. They're probably the "crown" of my bookshelf. *wink*

Right now, Ben and I are reading through the Westminster Confession of Faith together, as well as going through the Larger Catechism, three questions per evening. Here is a picture of the copy I picked up at Bright Light Books, the used Christian bookstore I mentioned on a previous post. I got it for a very reasonable price, and it's like new!

So, there you have it :)

Please Pray

"Ashey" who I mentioned in yesterday's post is reconsidering murdering her infant. Please pray that she will not do it.

Of Saved Babies, Back Yard BBQs, and Sabbath Rest

My weekend was pretty nice. After an incredibly stressful,saddening Friday at the abortion mill, a relaxing weekend was much invited. It's very easy sometimes to feel "crippled" under burdens you have, but thankfully when we are weak and lean on God, He is made strong. Praise Him that His grace is indeed sufficient for us!

Saturday, we headed back to the death camp at 6 in the morning. Early on, the people there for infant slaughter seemed incredibly hard-hearted. I was definitely trying to prepare myself for another disheartening day. Later in the morning, a Roman Catholic man named Mark who has an ultra-sound machine, showed up on the sidewalk. Having an ultra-sound machine there is such a wonderful tool to encourage the women to have mercy on their babies.

The first mommy came out about an hour after he arrived, to get her ultra-sound. After seeing her tiny baby bouncing around inside of her, she decided she could not go through with it! She and her friend came together to have abortions, and she went in and tried to get her friend to come out. I'm not sure whether her friend did or not.

While "Natalie" was still in the van seeing her baby, "Ashley", a sweet girl Patte had talked to earlier in the morning came out and said she had changed her mind and decided not to kill the baby, and wanted an ultra-sound. Unfortunately, the baby didn't show up because she is so early in pregnancy. Ashley was planning to visit an wonderful local adoption agency today to begin the process of picking a couple to adopt her little boy or girl, as she doesn't think she's ready at this time to care for a child.

While the other babies were still slaughtered on Saturday, the two saves simply make being there "worth it." It thrills my heart so when a woman spares her child from his or her imminent death! Please pray that we will be able to keep in touch with both Mommies, and ultimately lead them to the Savior!

We left the abortion mill shortly after for evangelism with our congregation. My group, consisting of Mary Anne, Leah, and myself, spent most of our time speaking with three separate teams of Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the leaders was a former elder, and was so incredibly hard hearted. His wife, leading her young daughter, was hard hearted as well. The last young man, David, who was out with his father (who spoke only Spanish) seemed to be fairly open to the Word of God. He has my Dad's number...pray that God will soften his heart!

After evangelism, we came home to let the dogs out and then headed back to the east side of town for a BBQ to say good-bye to my good friend, and fellow minister (on the sidewalk), Jesse, who is heading to India for missions, and won't be back for an entire year. It was a very sweet time of fellowship! The food was pretty good too ;o) It's hard to believe it will be a whole year until he's back on the sidewalks with us! His fiancee probably thinks it will be unbearable...but she'll be planning a wedding while he's gone. :o)

Sunday was also wonderful. I love my brothers and sister in Christ. Fellowshipping with them, and sitting under the sound preaching of God's word is truly quite edifying! My Sunday School class is going through the book, The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace. It is a really good book--I highly recommend it to any lady who wants to be a godly wife :)

Today has been a fairly quiet day. I've been able to read and clean, and exercise...it's been nice. I love being a stay-at-home daughter!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Child Brought to Orlando Women's Center Abortion Clinic in Garbage Bag

Today was late term killing day at notorious abortion mill, Orlando Women's Center. As many of you know the way they do late term abortions there is that they put cytotec pills in the vagina of the women one day, to soften the cervix and prepare it to deliver a baby, and then the next day, the women come in and take the same type of pills orally and labor is induced. Once contractions get really heavy, and the women feel a lot of pressure, they are asked to sit on the toilet for when their little baby comes out. There have been times, however, when the infant is born before the doors open at the clinic, and today was one of those days.

Patte Smith and I were standing in the back of the abortion mill this morning calling out to women, when a young couple came up to the building. I followed them as far as I could pleading with them to spare their child.

"Please, don't go in there. If you've only inserted the pills and you are waiting to take some orally, your baby is unharmed. The pills do nothing to the child. You might have even felt her moving since you came here yesterday."

Until the baby is out, labor can be stopped. The pills do no harm to the baby.

Shortly after they went in, the baby's father came outside to get something out of the car. As he waited for the clinic workers to open the back door, we spoke with him, concerning his child. He looked at us and said, "You don't understand," as he held up a large white garbage bag and then said, "This is my child." Clearly, it was. The rather large infant (easily a third trimester baby, though I don't know for sure) was wrapped in what appeared to be a blood-soaked towel or blanket, inside a large garbage bag. We could tell (s)he was a very late term baby, because his/her weight pulled down the bag. As the young man stood there, we pled with him to bring the child to us, and he looked at us for a long time, and then the clinic worker, Sonia, took the child and told us to shut up. Clearly what happened was the Mother delivered the child before she was able to get to the abortion clinic; perhaps last night or early this morning.

We asked the police officer who was there on duty as a security guard to go inside and check and see what was going on. We didn't know whether the baby was dead or still alive, nor did we know whether she was 3rd trimester. Since we know they are scheduling third trimester abortions, it certainly was not outside the realm of possibilities. Charles refused to do anything. As Mom and Paula pled with him to do something, I went back into the back with Patte. After she called the AHCA, FDLE, and the FDoH, with no response, she called 9-1-1. Thankfully, officers came shortly after, and one went inside to investigate. We just found out from the officer who investigated that he didn't even know we were the ones who called 9-1-1. He said he never saw a baby or a bag. So, for now, until the medical waste folks come to pick up all the sacrificed children, the little baby's body is probably in a freezer inside that wretched place, unless they destroyed him already, somehow, to get rid of evidence.

Perhaps, that precious infant did not die completely in vain...perhaps the LORD will use his death to bring an end to Pendergraft's wicked infant sacrifice. Please pray that the LORD will mightily use the death of this precious little boy or girl made in His own likeness, for His glory...something good out of something terribly, amazingly, awfully horrible. Pray that they will take the body in and find out it was indeed an illegal third trimester abortion; pray that they find he was born alive, as well. The truth of this wretched industry needs to go out. The killing must stop. This nation must repent. We certainly are not the "land of the free" or the "home of the brave" anymore.

Baby Rowan Born Alive and Left to Die

If you've been reading my blog for any period of time, you'll probably remember me mentioning Baby Rowan, a baby boy who was delivered into a toilet alive at Dr. James Scott Pendergraft's EPOC Abortion clinic in Orlando, and left to die. The following is a video made by a friend of our ministry's, including the 911 calls. I highly suggest you take the 5 minutes and 30 seconds to watch and listen.

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." ~Ephesians 5:11

"Are You Better off Single?"

I found a link to this article on Crystal Paine's blog, and since it's been a few days, I'm probably one of the only bloggers left in my "niche" who hasn't responded to it yet. As she said, some articles are so upsetting, you're not quite sure what to say. For those of you who don't want to take the time to read it, it is an article from MSN's Single's site that gives 10 reasons why it's best not to get married. It must be one of the most self-centered and ungodly articles I've read in quite some time. I have yet to be married (though it hopefully won't be too long!), but scripture says that a godly marriage is a picture of Christ's relationship to His church, and while I know all marriages are far from being perfect, like Christ's love for the Church, if they even resemble it, it must be something amazing. I am going to list each reason they give, and respond to it. :o) It shouldn't be hard to prove each point to be completely wrong.

1. You have a better body.
When you are married, you have someone who is committed to you for life, and admires you for so much more than simply your body. When your body is becoming less and less attractive (it happens to everyone eventually!), they will continue to love you. A godly husband treasures you for far more than your body.

2. You're more likely to achieve great things.
I disagree completely. It is only obvious (and I've heard there is data to prove it) that men are far more likely to be successful if they have a supportive wife. The saying goes, "Behind every successful man is a great woman" (or something like that). Additionally, what is greater for a woman to "achieve" than the blessings of raising godly children to serve the Lord and reach their generation with the gospel?

3. You do less housework.
There's nothing wrong with doing a little "extra" housework. Nothing can begin to compare to the joy of having constant fellowship with a person you love with all your heart, even if it means you have to do some extra cleaning. I feel sorry for someone who would trade the blessings of marriage for the sake of not doing as much housework. Plus, even if you're not married, do you really want to live in a pig pen anyway? Keeping a clean home for my family now is such a joy...how much more will it be when I'm keeping house for my husband?

4. You can do what you want with your money--including keep it.
I'm "stealing" someone else's point for this (see Crystal's post), but truly, the living cost for one person versus two under the same roof is far less than if both people lived in two separate houses. Not only that, but a stay at home wife has far more time to shop frugally, and make food from scratch, in order to save more money that way. Not to mention it's healthier! Additionally, even if you aren't married, we are commanded by God to be wise stewards. Spending our money wisely is pleasing to God. It does not, however, please Him when we go hog-wild and buy whatever just because we can.

5. You have better sex.
You shouldn't be having sex if you aren't married. God's word is clear on this matter. It even says that fornicators will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Any sex that takes place outside the bonds of marriage is Satan's cheap replacement, for something that God created to be precious, and even holy, in its proper context.

You are far more likely to contract all sorts of diseases, in addition to having emotional problems, if you are giving your body to multiple people, as opposed to if you give your entire self to one person for life, who has waited for you, also. Sleeping with anyone other than your spouse is nothing but selfish indulgence in something that is not yours to have. In marriage, you are given a picture of Christ's love for His bride, as I already mentioned. Husbands have the opportunity to lay down their lives for their wives, and wives have the opportunity to serve their husbands and families and the church serves Christ!

6. You're better rested and smarter.
You have the constant companionship of someone you adore. What way to get rested up than to fall asleep in the arms of the man who's committed his life to you! As far as being smarter...two heads are always better than one. When you have someone you can be vulnerable with, there is always a person to bounce even your craziest ideas off of, and get honest answers. When he is a godly man, he has your best interest in heart, as well as the glory of God!

7. You're less depressed.
There are loving arms to fall into when you do get sad. There is a set of shoulders to cry on, that belong to the person who loves you more than anyone else. You have a person to share all of life's trials as well as life's joys with.

8. You have better friendships.
You get to spend the rest of your life with your very closest friend, getting to know him better and better, and falling more and more in love with him, and you are also able to encourage another person in their relationship with God!

9. Your travel tales are enviable.
You have someone to follow wherever he goes, to support and be supported by. Not only that, but you have a room-mate who loves you no matter what, if you do decide to go on vacation! :o)

10. You know yourself--and what you want out of a relationship.
You get to spend the rest of life learning about your spouse, and being known by him (or her, if you're a man). There will be someone to cheer you up on your down days, who knows you in and out...and you'll be able to do the same for him.

Like I said, I've never been married, but when the day comes, as long as we keep Christ at the center, I know it will be glorious, no matter what trials we go through. We'll have Christ and eachother to lean on for life. It grieves me that our society has become so debased as to be in support of the ideas portrayed in the article...may God grant repentance to this nation before His judgment further falls on us!

So...

What do y'all think of the new template?

Bathroom Cleaning Question

Do any of my readers (I know I have *some* readers, since I'm just over 1,500 visitors) have any ideas (ones that truly work) on how to go about cleaning the water-stain rings inside the toilet bowls? I looked online, and there are so many suggestions, but I don't know which ones will work! Perhaps a seasoned homemaker might shed some light on the issue! The stains aren't terribly bad, but they are un-lovely, nonetheless. :o)

Please comment if you have any tips. Thanks in advance!

~MJ

Basic H

With the company coming tonight, I've been wanting to find something to clean (like countertops, etc--but they're already clean!) with my new cleaner that came yesterday!
Basic H is an organic, biodegradable, non-toxic concentrated cleaning solution. Last week, I was cleaning the bathrooms with 409 All Purpose Cleaner and my hands got dry and cracked and the inside of my nose got sore (from inhaling it), and I was thinking how nice it would be to have a cleaner that's easier on one's self. That same day, Crystal posted about Basic H, which she had just started using. She gave it a good review, so I thought we'd give it a shot. It makes 48 gallons, so for $12.00 plus shipping, it really is a pretty good deal! You can use it to clean just about everything. You mix different amounts of Basic H in with different amounts of water to get the right combination. For All-Purpose Cleaner, it's 1/4 of a teaspoon with 16 oz. of water.

The bottle lists the following things you can clean using Basic H: kitchen, appliances, furniture, woodwork, fixtures, walls, stainless steel, sealed granite, marble, and bathrooms, pots and pans, windows and mirrors, floors, woolens, nylons, and fine fabrics.

I haven't used it yet, so I can't recommend it personally. I'll let y'all know how it works out. :o)

Today...

...is going to be really busy!!

I got home late last night from women's group, so I didn't get to bed until about 10:45-ish. Everyone is coming down today, so Ben called me at 5:20, to let me know that they were well on their way to Richmond to pick up folks. I went back to sleep until 6:15, and I've been moving kinda slow. I intended to exercise this morning, but I am not going to have time. We're leaving at about 8 to go to Orlando Women's Center...it's their first killing day of the week. Mom and I will be the only ones there for a little while. Appointments begin at 9, so we're going to try and be there about 8:30. It's good to get there early.

When we get back, I'll need to exercise and get the house ready for company. I need to vacuum and mop, and just straighten up around the house some. It's relatively clean since Mom and I have been keeping up with the chores...there's just clutter that needs to be put away. Since there will be 20 people spending the night (in addition to the three of us), I need to get the rooms ready for people. Maybe I'll do before and after pictures of my cleaning efforts today, just for fun.

We're getting KFC for dinner tonight (well, the chicken...I'm making sides to go with it), so that should be fairly easy.

I need to do a couple things before we leave, so I'm going to head out!