Pursuing Holiness...

My blog is now archives only!

2007-10-30T16:59:00.000-04:00

After 180+ posts here at this faithful blog, I have set up a new home in the blogosphere. Please head over and let me know what you think!

New Blog: http://benotconformed.wordpress.com

Gems from Vision Forum

2007-10-26T22:57:00.000-04:00

So, there is a giveaway over at In a Shoe. Five winners of this particular drawing will receive $150 of Vision Forum goodies! In order to be entered, you must make a list of items you would like to receive. Entries must be in by midnight tonight!

I looked through the catalog and these are the items I came up with:

~Family Driven Faith, Voddie Baucham ($18)
~Home-Making, J.R. Miller ($20)
~The Family Worship Book, Terry L. Johnson ($20)
~The Blessed Marriage (CD), Doug Philips ($10)
~Verses of Virtue, Elizabeth Beall Philips ($20)
~The 1599 Geneva Bible ($58)

Time Management, Organic Food

2007-10-19T23:03:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have simply not been managing my time very well. I am very easily distracted by a number of things, but mostly my computer. There are so many interesting things to read that I could just spend hours each day....but when I do that, other things don't get done. Surprisingly, even though I am single, I live with my parents, and I do my college work from home at my own pace, I am a *very* busy girl. I have really learned to value days I don't have to leave the house! This is something I've simply never appreciated before! Every day, my schedule SHOULD include:

~at least an hour to two hours of Bible reading/prayer/other reading (theology books, etc)
~around 5-6 hours of time for school
~an hour for practicing my flute
~an hour to exercise and shower
~some time in the morning AND evening to talk to my beloved (an hour in the evening, morning time varies)

Plus I need to make breakfast and dinner (and I've been trying to cook really healthy, soak my grains, make as many things as I can from scratch, etc, which takes longer! AND uses more dishes!), and clean up afterwards. Plus, I'm trying to start doing some freelance writing, and I need time to get set up for that, too! *head spins* Plus, I do need some time to blog, etc. Reading the blogs I read is very edifying & uplifting. I've learned a lot from the ladies whose blogs I read!

I'm so thankful the LORD has me where He does, though. It is so precious to know that He is sovereign, and I am so thankful for His grace bestowed upon me. I am so happy that I am able to stay at home, and I'm thankful for this time of figuring out how to do everything I need to do! Developing serious discipline at this stage in my life will, I'm sure, be very beneficial. Once I'm married, and Lord willing, once we have children, it will be an absolute, positive necessity! Lord, give me the grace I need to manage my time in a way that honors You!

How 'bout it. We get back on Sunday evening from S. Florida. I'm going to start Monday. But, Monday at 11AM, I'm picking up a shipment of food from Amos Miller's Organic Farm in PA. I found out about a local co-op just in time to place an order with them that will be delivered Monday, with the orders of others from my area. We've order enough meat/dairy to last us about a month, and I'm very excited. The animals are all grass fed and given no antibiotics, etc. The dairy products are made from raw, organic cow's milk! I'm pretty excited, as I've recently been studying the benefits of this type of food. So, anyway, that is a necessary outing for Monday morning, but other than that, I am definitely going to try to be more organized this coming week.

Adventures in South Florida

2007-10-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning at 9:53am, Mom and I pulled out of the drive way of our Orlando home an hour later than we had planned. We were somewhat frazzled from the hustle and bustle of getting ready for a trip, but at last, we were on our way. Four hours, and one stop at Starbucks later, we pulled into the driveway of my Aunt Dana's home in South Florida. She called us earlier in the week to ask if could stay with her three kids (my cousins!) for a few days while she and my Uncle John go out of town for business. Not being one to turn down a chance to spend time with my cousins, I was happy about the trip! When we arrived, Aunt Dana gave us a run-down of what everyone was going to be doing and then they took off for the airport. Shortly thereafter, my youngest cousin, Ivan, walked in the door from a day in the 4th grade. I was on the phone with my dear Grandmother when he came home. After talking to him for a while, Andrea (who is now 15--I remember her in diapers and sucking her thumb!) walked in from her day at the largest high school in America. We were happy to find out her band practice was cancelled for the evening. It gave us some extra time together. Andrea and I have been close for as long as I can remember. We're always together at family get-togethers and whatnot, and we always have really good conversations when we're together. I much enjoy her company! After sitting in the living room going back and forth from playing Nintendo with Ivan and talking to Andrea while she did her homework, I went to pick up Sydney, the seventh grade cousin of mine, from her soccer practice (yes--I drove *grin*). We spent the evening around the house, and got to bed somewhat late.

This morning, I took both of the girls to school! It made me feel old (sort of...?). I spent the day relaxing, and doing none other than playing what used to be my favorite video game (back when I was...8 or 9?)--Donkey Kong Country (3). Haha. They pulled out the super nintendo yesterday. So, Ivan and I have just about beat the game today. I know, impressive, huh? Just kidding. I'm really not that much of a nerd, and I don't usually just relax all day. I did go out to lunch with my Mama as well as take Ivan to the store when he got home from school!

Now, Andrea and Sydney are both at the High School football game (it's Homecoming tonight), Ivan is playing Play Station 2 (some guitar game?), and I am writing a very late blog update!

I think I'll start posting more soon. But then, I always say that... :o)

~Mary Jo

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2007-10-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago yesterday, my Mom and Dad were covenanted together in marriage. Twenty years ago, they said vows to each other so binding that they were joined together as one flesh, until death parts them. The past (almost) 18 years, they have faithfully lived out those vows before my eyes. In hard times, in sickness, in pain, they are always there for each other. In joyous occasions, they always celebrate together. They are a constant encouragement to each other, and these past years since they have become followers of Christ, they continually build one another up in the things of God, challenging each other to be more like Christ. In so doing, they have been a wonderful example to me of how marriage should be. Their love for each other has only grown these last twenty years, and continues to grow into something more and more beautiful as time passes. While they look back on twenty years, I look ahead to marriage and pray that God will allow my marriage, by His grace, to be as wonderful as theirs!

You know the days are evil when...

2007-10-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

You know the days are evil when you can say, "Only two women killed their children this morning at Orlando Women's Center." But, alas, such is the case.

My good friend Ashley spent the night with me last night and, after our four and a half hours of sleep, we got up and very quickly got ready to go to the killing place. We were joined in the cool dark of the morning by Spring and Julie with her three daughters. We boldly approached the throne of our Lord before the Mommas began arriving. This morning, two women came to murder their children in the second trimester of pregnancy. As I type this, they are probably both experiencing contractions as their bodies prepare the push their infants out of the comfort of the womb prematurely. They will be pushed into the icy cold toilet water, perhaps alive, within 6-72 hours.

Only one of them spoke to us, and it was very brief. She only said she was having the abortion because she wasn't going to put the baby up for adoption. Now, I'm not going to say adoption is always perfect. It's certainly not an easy thing for a momma to do. But, it's the height of selfishness to murder your infant to avoid it. We hear it all the time. "I don't want to go through giving a baby away." "I don't want to carry this baby nine months for someone else." " don't want to spend my life wondering where my baby is." Do we see a pattern? It's all about I, I, I. That's really the ugly face of feminism, though. It's a movement that simply propagates self-centeredness in the name of "equality."

You know the days are evil when...murder is sanctioned in "the land of the free" and "the home of the brave."

Passionate Housewives

2007-10-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

Crystal has a great giveaway going on for a book that look like it would be an excellent read, called Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God! Head on over and enter! :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-08T07:03:00.000-04:00

Okay...it's been a while since I've done this! :) But, here's my menu plan...

Sunday: spicy rice and beans, chicken
Monday: pepper-lime chicken, rice & beans
Tuesday: lasagna w/ steamed broccoli
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: white bean & sausage rigatoni
Friday: cashew pork & veggies

Input Requested...

2007-09-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to think of a good name for a Christian freelance writing business, and I need to have this name by the end of the week. If anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated!

5 Children Perish in orlando

2007-09-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

We arrived yesterday morning at Orlando Women's Center in the refreshingly cool dark of the morning awaiting the arrival of the late term mamas who were to come for abortions. After hugs and hellos, Mom, Patte, and I prayed together in the quiet of the morning before anyone had arrived. We boldly approached the throne of God, pleading with Him to give us holy boldness and to soften the hearts of the women we would meet.

Shortly after we prayed, the first couple arrived. They were a young couple and did not say much. We spoke to them off and on throughout the morning, but as far as we know, their baby still perished in the toilet of 1103 Lucerne.

One young Mom who came to kill her infant appeared to be about my age. Her mother brought her. This scene always impacts me a lot. It is the height of wickedness for a mother to bring her teenage daughter to an abortion mill to labor and deliver her fully formed infant into the toilet. Neither of them spoke a word to us.

One woman went in the doors, arms packed with bags of clothes, a pillow, and goodies. It looked like she was preparing for a slumber party. Another locked herself out of the car. The last Mom we spoke with was 20 weeks along, and was killing her infant for financial reasons. One must wonder why she could afford an abortion that late in pregnancy. She was incredibly nonchalant about the whole thing. That never ceases to amaze me.

I will never understand why women would be willing to pay thousands of dollars to labor and deliver their infant prematurely, and watch him or her (or both, if a mom is carrying twins!) perish in the toilet, aside from the fact that scripture teaches the doctrine of total depravity. Nonetheless, it is unfathomable.

Here is a video of a doctor examining babies aborted using the same procedure as they use on Wednesdays at Orlando Women's Center. It is not a bloody video. They are perfectly formed, tiny babies murdered by their own Moms.

"...the LORD hates...hands that shed innocent blood." (Prov. 6:16-17)

I'm Back...

2007-09-27T11:47:00.000-04:00

On September 6, I left to go see Ben! I flew into Raleigh/Durham early in the morning, and we headed to my Grandma's house. On Friday evening and Saturday, we went to the Ligonier Ministries Regional Conference in Charlotte, NC. That was a real blessing. R.C. Sproul and Steve Lawson taught extensively about the sovereignty of God! Sunday morning, we left from Grandma's to Ben's church, and then went to his family's house. We spent the week there, and came to my family's house the following Monday. Ben just left day before yesterday (he was here for a week and a day)...I miss him a lot. He is the reason I've not been blogging! But, I should be back into the swing of things. :)

This Week in Books: The Excellent Wife

2007-08-30T16:44:00.000-04:00

My review this week is of the book, The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace.

This is what the publisher says about the book:

Here is a scripturally based blueprint for the woman who really wants to be the wife God intended her to be. This book is based on Proverbs 31:10: An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.

Thousands of women have already discovered the worth of this volume and testify to lives and marriages changed because of a commitment to the principles presented here. If this is a commitment you have made, or want to make, The Excellent Wife answers the difficult questions facing you today.

I haven't read too many books about being a wife yet, but this book has to be one of the very best available today. Mrs. Peace clearly spells out the biblical role of the excellent wife and gives practical advice for becoming the wife God desires for you to be.

The very beginning of the book is the author's testimony about her salvation, and subsequent pursuit of being a godly wife. The beginning chapters cover truths about God, sin, and marriage. After that, the focus of the book narrows down to the wife's responsibilities; first and foremost to Christ, and then to her home, and to her husband. The heart of the book deals with submission to Christ and your husband, as well as how to handle communication problems and conflicts in marriage. The end of the book also addresses issues such as dealing with your husband's sin, anger, fear, loneliness, and sorrow.

In each chapter, the author uses much scripture to lay out the role of a wife in an understandable way. One of my favorite things about the book was that Mrs. Peace gave biblical advice for learning to apply the principles she laid out. The focus of the book was not only on outward actions, but on the condition of the wife's heart. She wrote a lot about the importance of replacing ungodly thoughts with God-honoring thoughts. When she talked about this, she would also give specific examples of bad thoughts, and their good replacements. Also, her emphasis on genuine repentance before God and others was refreshing.

A couple of excerpts:

"The works that God has prepared for you to do include not only what you do in your relationship with your husband, but also your heart's motive or attitude. It will help you to have the right attitude if you focus on what you are supposed to be doing, not on what your husband is supposed to be doing. Certainly, it is easy to get caught up in seeing whether other people (especially your husband) are doing their jobs right. However, the issue for the Christian wife is "am I doing the good works that God intended for me?" (Excellent Wife, p.12)

"Your 'heart' is not some emotional part of you that you have no control over. What you think about is a choice that you make." (Excellent Wife, p. 188)

I know I have been guilty of blaming my bad reactions to things on my hormones and whatnot; this book was a nice reminder that that's no excuse. Another things she brought up that I thought was very interesting was not judging your husband based on what you think his intents are. I know I have also been guilty of that with Ben; I may think he is thinking something, when in reality, it's completely different, and I get all upset for no reason!

I'm very thankful for Martha Peace. She seems to be a true Titus 2 woman who women in our day can look to for wisdom. Her books are far from politically correct, and very much in line with scripture. I highly recommend this book to anyone striving to be a truly excellent wife.

I used the study guide with my study of this book, and it contained many thought-provoking questions. I recommend using it, should you read this book.

Giveaway

2007-08-27T15:41:00.000-04:00

At Frugal Hacks, they are giving away two copies of the Tightwad Gazette...I've heard a lot of excellent things about this book but haven't ever read it! Head on over for your chance to win. :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-08-27T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hey, sorry for the lack of posts as of late. You can look for my first "This Week in Books" post tomorrow! :)

For now, here is my menu for the week.

Sunday~snacks
Monday~Italian chicken w/ steamed vegetables
Tuesday~bean soup
Wednesday~chili (Crock pot)
Thursday~pork scallopine w/ steamed vegetables
Friday~Turkey burgers
Saturday~chicken mole' w/ black beans and rice

Good article...

2007-08-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

Peace, peace?

They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:14 (ESV)

A church in decline surrounds herself with peace-mongers who war against her soul. She suppresses uncomfortable truths of God’s holiness and righteous anger against sin. All the while, soothing words of peace, comfort and assurance drip from the lips of those commissioned to lead God’s people to lasting peace and joy.

In Jeremiah’s day, the spiritual leaders of the people had given up on their duty. The task of priests and prophets was to teach the truth that God had taught them. In Jeremiah’s case, he was to proclaim God’s judgment over His sinful people (1:9-10, 6:1-13), warning them to flee from idols and cast themselves on the mercy of God. This was not a time for peace in Israel. They had rejected their God. His wrath was upon them, and they faced armies of men enacting His righteous judgment (vv. 4-8). Only by repenting at God’s fearsome warning could they once again have peace.

However, owing to their greed for unjust gain (v. 13), Israel’s leaders had left God’s warnings behind. Rather than proclaiming wrath, they quickly announced,“Peace!” Over the mortal wounds of God’s people the prophets placed band-aids, soothing assurances: “It’s only a graze! No harm done.” Their bedside manner was impeccable, their diagnosis damnable.

How many of today’s pastors step out of the pulpit with blood-caked hands? Congregations leave for home in a haze of anodyne assurances, little knowing that the man charged with being the physician of their souls is content with their spiritual ruin, providing that his church “prospers,” and membership is up on the previous quarter. Some claim that talk of sin and wrath will discomfort those in need and cause lasting psychological damage to the fragile and the helpless. So they peddle therapeutic remedies that serve only to poison those they would claim to heal.

The Church is crying out for pastors who will declare, with Paul, “the whole counsel of God.” They are called to be fearless diagnosticians. However, bad news is not an end in itself. The prophet’s work is not done until he has shown the way of life. Yes, it is his solemn duty to expose the false “peace” of the charlatans. But it is his joyful privilege to also proclaim, “Peace, peace!” over the marvellous grace and work of Christ in the hearts of His transformed people.

http://www.kairosjournal.org/Document.aspx?QuadrantID=1&CategoryID=10&TopicID=18&DocumentID=5119&L=1

New Feature

2007-08-13T19:57:00.000-04:00

I am going to (Lord willing) begin having a "This Week In Books" post each week...I am thinking the first one will be tomorrow! We'll see! :)

A name has been chosen...

2007-08-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

No one took me up on the $10 gift card offer! But, a name has been thought of. I'll wait until the grand opening of the site to announce it though :)

Southwest Roll-up Recipe

2007-08-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

Since a couple of people have asked for it, here is the recipe for Southwest Roll-ups. I got it from Crystal Paine's Simply Centsable Suppers eBook, which can be found here. It is a great eBook...I have used it countless times!

Combine 1 cup of chopped, cooked chicken, a can of refried beans, and 2 T of salsa (or however much you want). Divide mixture amongst flour tortillas (I use whole wheat ones...you can use 10-12 small ones or 4-6 regular sized ones), top with cheese, and place in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. I serve with sour cream and extra salsa. :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-08-13T08:25:00.000-04:00

Sunday: Southwest Roll-ups
Monday: Chicken Jambalaya
Tuesday: Black Bean Soup
Wednesday: Chili (crock pot)
Thursday: Spanish Tilapia
Friday: Steak w/ grilled tomato relish and roasted red pepper cauliflower
Saturday: Turkey swedish meatballs w/ whole wheat noodles and steamed veggie

God is so good!

2007-08-08T18:13:00.000-04:00

I almost got in a car accident yesterday! It was truly one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. I was quite shaken up for the rest of the day, but so thankful for God's protection!

I was headed to my sewing lesson. I hadn't ever driven there by myself, but the route is fairly easy. Not far into my journey, I ended up behind a rather large and slow semi. Now, I do not speed. I stay right at the speed limit (much to the dismay of most of the drivers on the road!). Nonetheless, I am not a fan of driving below the speed limit. So I got in the left lane, but it ended up being a turn lane. Whoops! So, I set to get back in the right lane. There were two trucks and there seemed to be plenty of distance between the two, so I went to get between them...and just as I did, the one in front stopped, thus forcing me to stop. That wasn't part of the plan! So, the truck behind me had to slam on his breaks. As I watched in the rear view mirror, I braced myself as I prepared to be rear-ended by a HUGE truck...it got closer and closer until it felt like it was about to touch the car...and then it stopped (and honked really loud)! I pulled up as soon as I could, trying to leave the truck more room, and feeling quite shaken up. Then, traffic stopped again. I peered into the side view mirror and much to my horror (as if I hadn't been disturbed enough already!), the truck driver was headed towards my car! That was when I kind of panicked. He banged on my window, yelling and cursing, as I helplessly apologized over and over. Then he went away. I was quite shaken up. Literally, shaking. The rest of my ride was absolutely nerve wracking. When I arrived at my sewing teacher's home, I just had to sit down and take a few deep breaths, while holding back my tears (I was REALLY shaken up). Eventually, I calmed down and went on with my sewing lesson.

When it was time to head home, I wasn't really excited about driving again, so I had the brilliant idea of taking a different route. Anyway, I ended up getting on the wrong highway, unbeknowst to me. About 10 minutes into my drive, my surrounding was very rural. This is unusual, and certainly was not where I intended to be. So, I called my Mom. She didn't know where I was. So I called my Dad. He didn't know where I was either. And, on top of that, he couldn't get his laptop to work. In the mean time, I found out I was running out of gas! Dad told me to get off at the next exit to get gas...it just so happened that the next exit was Disney World..."Dad, I'm headed for Disney. Dad...I'm going to Disney World." Haha. So, after driving around the Disney complex, which is like a whole state in the middle of my state, I was headed the right direction.

After leaving my sewing lesson, I arrived home 1 hour later, all in one piece, though still somewhat rattled. Thank you, Lord, for protecting me!

Who doesn't love Vision Forum and Biblical Womanhood?

2007-08-07T16:31:00.000-04:00

Crystal is hosting a great giveaway on her blog this week for a $25 gift certificate to vision forum, plus a few great CDs! Head on over and check it out :)

In addition to the giveaway, she's having a great end-of-summer sale. Everything in the Biblical Womanhood online store is marked down! Crystal has been such an encouragement to me through her blog, as well as the many resources she offers on her site. I highly recommend you purchase some of these wonderful items while they're discounted.

Giveaway!

2007-08-06T20:24:00.000-04:00

Okay...

Ben and I are trying to think of a new business name for his high end birdhouse business. We want it to sound somewhat artsy and would like it to be a name that would draw people looking for higher end birdhouses. Here's the deal...if you suggest a name and we end up using it, I'll send you a $10 gift card to ChristianBook.com. Suggest as many names as you want, and be sure to leave me a valid e-mail address in case we use your suggestion! Suggest away!

Venturing into the outside world...

2007-07-31T14:38:00.000-04:00

Today I went all by myself to Staples. I have made a few trips out by myself since I got my license, and this wasn't even the longest one, but the excitement of being able to drive alone hasn't quite worn off. I needed to go out to get a couple of things. The first thing on my list was a binder...I won't divulge what this binder is for just yet, but it's an important binder ;) The 2" binders are $8.49! So, I didn't get a 2" binder. Instead, I got two 1" binders for $1 (it was 1 for $.99 or 2 for $1...so I splurged and got two *wink*). Ah, the frugality of it all. I also got 100 page protectors, and stick-on divider tabs. These are for this new mystery binder as well as my home management binder, which I am redoing along with Keeping the Home's HMB University. I really enjoy improving my binder...I really enjoy homemaking. Guess it's a good thing! I also got a planner...a pretty one with a pink, striped cover :D I really like the format of the planners that come out at the beginning of the school year. I had one last year that I really, really liked! So, I got a bigger one like it this year. It has monthly pages and also weekly pages...the monthly page looks like a normal calendar page and on the weekly pages, each day has a long column which is perfect for to-do lists :D So, I was rather pleased with that purchase. Lined paper was on sale for $0.59/pack so I got two packs of paper, and also a package of 3 4-color pens. I have been looking for such a pen for so long to mark my Bible with and haven't found one until today! So, that was exciting. Who would have thought a single pen (much less 3!) could make an individual so...happy! Ha.

So, in case anyone is interested...such was my shopping trip. Maybe I'll post about my HMB when I finish redoing it. That would be a fun "series" (for me at least!). But then again, maybe I won't! We shall see.

In other news, I'm nearly finished with my second Bible College course, the book of Exodus. Then, it's on to Leviticus :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-07-30T16:45:00.000-04:00

Alright! I'm back home and back in the kitchen ;) Here is my menu plan for the week:

Sunday: We just had snacks because there was a church picnic for lunch
Monday: vegetable beef soup
Tuesday: pork satay
Wednesday: bunless burgers
Thursday: homemade chicken tenders with dipping sauce (not fried)
Friday: Steak with grilled tomato relish and roasted red pepper cauliflower
Saturday: leftovers

Great Deal!

2007-07-28T22:15:00.000-04:00

Ben has this beautiful birdhouse up on eBay at a $99 Buy it Now! This is indeed a rare low price. My recommendation would be to take advantage of it :) Click here to view the auction.

An Update!

2007-07-27T18:53:00.000-04:00

I know it's really bad not to update my blog for almost a month. But, what can I say? I just didn't do it. Hopefully, I'll be back "into it" now. It's hard to get myself back on track after being gone for so long (20 days!). I had a sweet time with my honey...I sure do love him. I thank God for him! He is such a blessing in my life and such an encouragement in my walk with the Lord. If you think of it, please pray for his business...this month isn't looking too great as of right now. Not making budget would complicate things somewhat, so we are praying for 3 orders before August 1, which is Wednesday. Please join us in praying! :)

While I was in Virginia, we were able to do some witnessing. On July 4, we went to Red Hill and did some witnessing there, though not as much as we would've liked. Then, we went to DC with a bunch of other Christians and did a little bit of "political activism", so to speak. We delivered information to each senator about the upcoming hate crimes bill, which, more or less, seeks to illegalize the preaching of God's Word against the wickedness of homosexuality.

The rest of the time was spent with my darling and his family at their home. They had little puppies, so that was lots of fun. They'll all be given away by next time I'm there, I reckon. Unless they keep Sassy, who looks just like her papa Grommit, who died this past Sunday in a car accident. He was a good ol' dog, and will be missed.

In other news, congratulations to Lauren (Ben's sister) and Nathan who are now officially courting! May God bless this wonderful season in your lives!

Once I left Ben's, I went to our family reunion at the beach in South Carolina, which was, as always, so much fun! I so enjoy the company of my family. They are a blessing to me! I didn't spend hardly ANY time AT the beach, but our house was on the beach, so I saw plenty of it. There were lots of late nights up playing games and chatting, and it was a lot of fun.

Since I've been home, I truly haven't gotten that much done. I started back at the abortion mill, which was not particularly fun, but I thank God for the opportunity to serve Him. Yesterday, there was a save, which was so glorious! God is certainly good. Today was less wonderful...not one mommy left, out of about 20-25 who went in to kill their precious babes. May God have mercy on them and grant them repentance.

It should be a nice weekend...tomorrow, I get to go out witnessing with my church, and then I need to go grocery shopping. Sunday is Pastor's last sermon on Matthew and it's also friend day. There is a picnic and baptism after the service. It should be a sweet time of fellowship!

Hope you are doing well!

"Ten Reasons to NOT tell People to Ask Jesus into their Heart"

2007-07-26T13:11:00.001-04:00

This is a really good article by Todd Friel. All my growing up years, I thought I could be saved by asking Jesus into my heart, and even once I prayed that prayer, I lived in rebellion against God and had I died in my sin, I would have gone straight to hell. This issue is that serious. People's very eternities are on the line, here. Does not the Lamb who was slain deserve the reward for His suffering? Is He not worthy of TRUE disciples who love Him and serve Him wholeheartedly?

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

By:
Todd Friel

The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.

Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.

Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.

Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. the Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow and does not look back because he is fit for service. In other words, a true convert cannot backslide. If a person backslides, he never slid forward in the first place. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (II Cor.5) No backsliding there.

Brace yourself for this one: with very few if any exceptions, anyone who asked Jesus into their hearts to be saved…is not. If you asked Jesus into your heart because you were told that is what you have to do to become a Christian, you were mis-informed.

If you have ever told someone to ask Jesus into their heart (like I have), you produced a false convert. Here is why.

1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.

The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.

The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance. (NOTE: See text of the excellent True Repentance tract by Pastor David Downs attached)

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.

People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.

If you are reading this and you asked Jesus into your heart, chances are good you had a spiritual buzz for a while, but now you struggle to read your Bible, tithe, attend church and pray. Perhaps you were told you would have contentment, purpose and a better life if you just ask Jesus into your heart. I am sorry, that was a lie.

Please read: “Never Backslide Again” on the site ttwministries.com.

If you have been preaching that people should ask Jesus into their hearts, I beg you to stop immediately. You will give an account for all the souls you have led astray. Read two articles on this site that will help you present the Gospel correctly: Hell’s Best Kept Secret and How to Witness Manual (”Witness Tools” section).

If you would like to do further reading on this subject, Pastor Dennis Rockser offers several other reasons why we should not ask Jesus into our hearts.

For his take, visit his article at www.duluthbible.org/seven_reasons.htm

Special thanks to Todd Friel, of KKMS in Eagen, MN for writing and sharing this document. You might know Todd from his appearance in the “Wonderful Plan” episode of “Way Of The Master” with Kirk Cameron in the witnessing skit there. Todd has an exciting talk radio ministry called Talk The Walk. Check it out at www.ttwministries.com.

Some reading material from my precious friend, Patte Smith

2007-07-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

Cursed is (s)he who takes a reward to slay an innocent person
Deut 27:25

It is easy for anyone to see that abortionists and the owners of abortuaries take financial reward to slay the innocent persons in the womb. No one argues about that. And few would object to the fact or even the justification of that scripture pronouncing a curse upon the physicians who pay for their homes and boats and vacations by poisoning, dismembering, sucking the brains out and delivering live babies into toilets.

But, what about the mothers who kill their sons and daughters? What is their incentive for slaying their own innocent child in the womb?

According to the report by the Department of Agriculture in 2006 the reward for the mother who kills her baby is enormous. The average cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 (if the average family income is $,000) is $197,700! This figure does not include the expenses of a college education. If the family income is less than $44,500 (average $27,800) the cost of raising a child is still $143,790. Since nearly half of the mothers who kill a child will go on to kill at least one more, her reward increases. For instance, if a lower income mother murders one baby, her reward is $143,790. When she murders her next son, her reward for slaying innocent persons is now doubled, a whopping $287,580! I know a woman who killed all three of her babies and remains childless today. Her earthly reward totals $431,370 plus the benefits I will discuss later in this article.

While the abortion clinic charges anywhere from $400 for early killings to $25,000 for later murders, the fee that the mother pays must be divvied up to pay for staff, building, etc, etc. The abortionist gets a cut, but compared to what the mother gets as her reward, the abortionist and staff get peanuts for slaying an innocent person. Naturally, the killing staff’s rewards multiply much faster than an aborting mothers does because they can kill over 25 babies every day for many years. But, due to the fact that when the mother murders her baby she experiences a daily reward in that she does not have to purchase food or clothing or pay for child care for her son or daughter. According to Runzheimer International Miami is among the least expensive cities for day care. The price for a month of day care for one child there is $381.67 a month. Boston’s day care is much higher at $1,091.80 a month. Naturally this figure of reward by savings is doubled when the second child is murdered, tripled with the third child, etc, etc.

Another aspect of the aborting mother’s reward is time and energy. As I watch my sister care for my dear little nephew I see how much of her day is spent consumed with attending to his welfare and his needs. She must nurse him, cook for him and feed him three times a day, seven days a week. She must dress him and wash his clothes. She must rock him to sleep and rouse from her own bed when he awakens at night. She must bring him to the doctor when he needs a check up and when he is sick. She must discipline him when he is fresh and listen to him when he needs to communicate with her. In the years to come she will have to prepare him for his lessons and help him with his homework and get him safely off to school or manage his education from home. The daily tasks of caring for children are monumental. The sacrifice of time is incalculable. I read a magazine article that stated that women who do not have children have THREE MONTHS MORE SPARE TIME PER YEAR than their counterparts who have children. If this is true, and it seems entirely reasonable to me, every time a mother murders an infant she gains THREE MORE MONTHS OF FREE TIME A YEAR for all of the years that she would have raised that child. What a reward!

We have seen what the mother’s temporal reward for shedding the blood of her baby is. Now we come to the curse.

Cursed is she who takes a reward to slay an innocent person.

First, what exactly is a curse?

Curse: divine malediction, pronouncing disfavor and doom, a call for evil to come upon a person, anathema, destined for/devoted to everlasting destruction, to be exterminated, not to be redeemed, held in abomination, objects of loathing, severely condemned, excluded from fellowship or alliance with Christ.

Although the aborting mother receives a reward, the Bible says that she and the reward are accursed because everything she GAINS for slaying an innocent person is drenched in the blood of her babies. Bloodguilt saturates her money and her time for the rest of her life and what is even more awful, into eternity.

Why is shedding innocent blood so serious that God swears a solemn oath of a curse upon the mother?

God’s moral Law is clear. His Commandment charges: You shall not murder. Abortion is not just any murder. The slaying of a babe in the womb is among the worst kind of murder. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on this passage, explains why (emphasis and notes are mine):

(1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites him secretly (v. 24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not who hurts him. See Ps. 10:8, 9. Though such secret murders may go undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them.

(2.) Murder under color (cover/excuse) of Law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it makes an ordinance of His to patronise the worst of villains, and the greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his life (attacking the sancity of the child’s personhood, value, inherent dignity as sacred image & likeness of God): cursed therefore is he that will … condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, v. 25. See Ps. 15:5.

It has always disturbed me that mothers who kill their infants by abortion are so often placed in a special category of sinners. Not the category of the accursed as the Bible counts the aborting mom, but an entirely different one from Holy scriptures. Post abortive women are treated as if they are very nearly NOT even culpable for their diabolical sin, let alone entirely responsible and under the judgment of God for their premeditated murder. God has not made a special dispensation that makes forgiveness automatic when a mother slays an innocent person for a reward. Killing a son or daughter by abortion has become a sacred cow, if you will. The literature of post abortion ministries is rife with terms like ‘mistake’, ‘poor decision’. Indeed conversations with Christians regarding post-abortive moms include such excuses for murdering babies (‘she didn’t really know what she was doing’, ‘she did what she thought was best at the time’, ‘she wouldn’t have done it she had understood what abortion was’, etc) as to all but remove the culpability of the mother and make her into the victim of the sin instead of the perpetrator who shed innocent blood for great personal gain and reward.

The Bible has a far different explanation for why mothers murder their babies. Their heart is evil. Jesus said:
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders ..."
Matthew 15:19
I met an aborting mother at the killing place who said something that I’ll never forget. As I approached her to offer her my help through her pregnancy, she put her hand up to stop me. She said; “Don’t bother. It’s no use. I’ve killed my baby already. To me, in my mind, she’s already dead. It’s already done.” Women are not basically good. Abortion is pre-meditated. Murder begins in what the Bible describes as the ‘desperately wicked’ (Jeremiah 17:9) heart and the darkened mind of the aborting mother. Mothers aren’t sinners because they sin, they sin because they are sinners.

What is the curse for mothers who murder their babies by abortion?

There are profound physical, psychological and emotional ramifications and most important, spiritual danger to the mothers for committing the sin of murdering a child. Scripture records the results of willful disobedience (transgression of God’s law which forbids slaying an innocent person) to be: a hardened heart, darkened understanding, alienation from the life of God, futile thoughts, reprobate (rejected with a mind of which God cannot approve, whose moral sense is perverted and whose minds are beclouded with their own speculations), vain in their imaginations, of corrupt minds.
In other words, they become hardened, defiled and eventually even seared and evil in their conscience. Mental illness may very well be one of the outworkings of the sin of murdering their innocent sons and daughters. Mothers can go mad over their bloodguilt.

This is not mere speculation. Here are some of the biblical proof texts:
1. Romans 1:21
because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts (vain in their imaginations), and their foolish hearts were darkened.
2. Romans 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”
Romans 11:9-11 (in Context) Romans 11 (Whole Chapter)
3. Ephesians 4:18
having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
4. Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
5. Tts 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
6. 2Ti 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
7. 1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
8. Tts 1:15 Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
9. Hbr 10:22 ... evil conscience ...
10. Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11. 2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Now it is important here to address the degrees of sin and of culpability for murdering one’s own child. We have met girls as young as eleven years old having labor-and-delivery abortions at Orlando Women’s Center. They didn’t even know what was happening to them. We have seen brutal mothers pushing their unwitting children through the doors of the killing place. We know women who were brought to killing places by their incestuous fathers when they were teenagers. I have a dear married friend who took her very much wanted child to be murdered because her perception was that the disease of pregnancy called hyperemesis gravidarum was torturing her to death. I have known mothers who were deceived and held down while the abortionist cut their children into pieces. No one will deny that there are degrees of culpability.

By now you are probably wondering: What about the fathers?

I haven’t written about the murdering fathers because, frankly, my ministry and the ministry of most crisis pregnancy centers and post-abortion ministries, is to the moms who kill. Of course, the fathers share in the reward for murdering their babies and they most assuredly will inherit the curse. But, let’s be honest, for all intents and purposes many of the dads of aborted infants would not have helped support them even if they had allowed them to be born. Far too many moms are left with the entire responsibility of raising children. Be assured that there will be an awful recompense for fathers who kill their babies. In light of the fact that God Himself has given man the responsibility to protect and provide for women and children, I have no doubt that the guilt of the father is even greater than the mother’s. The black-hearted scoundrels who impregnate women and help them kill the child God allows them to conceive, will have their day in God’s holy court of judgment. Woe unto them!

How are we to minister biblically to both abortion-bound and post-abortive mothers?

What then is to be done when mothers are lining up in droves at the doors of the killing places all over America and the world? First let’s consider that about half of the women who want to kill their babies today are post-abortive mothers from yesterday and consult the Word of God for advice:

Know this, the Law is made for ... manslayers
I Timothy 1:9 & 10

The moral Law of God, His commandment, “You shall not murder” is written on the heart of every human being. Everyone. This includes abortion-vulnerable mothers.
When we use the Lord’s appointed means we confirm and affirm what a killing mom already knows. We have an ally to truth and eternity in the aborting woman’s conscience. Romans 3:20 explains “By the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” As Christians our goal is to rescue the threatened infant and see the mother come to repentance and faith to be saved. Therefore, let us not withhold what is both good and necessary to help show the lost mother the way of salvation. Remember, “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7

We must trust the Word to accomplish its divinely appointed goal. The Law speaks to the conscience of a murdering mother. Unless she sees herself as a great sinner, she will never see Christ as a great Savior. Do not fall prey to humanistic drivel and diminish the sin of abortion by calling it a ‘mistake’ or an ‘accident’, but as Charles Spurgeon recommended; “Always by your speaking boldly seek to put sin to the blush.”

The lives of precious infants are at stake. The souls of the murdering mothers is at stake. And friends, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at stake. Jesus didn’t come to save people from their ‘decisions’ or even their ignorance. Christ bear the shame of the Cross for our ‘mistakes’. The Son is not the Lamb of God who takes away the ‘regrets’ of the world. Jesus Christ died for our sins.

Unless an aborting mom genuinely repents and forsakes all of her sin and trusts wholly in Christ to forgive her and cleanse her and make her new, she will perish under the curse and spend eternity in hell for every last deed of darkness she committed. It isn’t kind to lie to her by saying she made a mistake. It is a lie that God forgives her if she has not turned from her sin. It is cruel to misrepresent God and His glorious gospel.

Bring back the shame of abortion. If you are ashamed of Jesus and His Gospel, the Lord will be ashamed of you at His coming. Say it: You shall not murder. Bring back the stigma of abortion. And by all means, bring back the Word of God, which declares:
“I have set heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live …” Deuteronomy 30:19

Patte Smith
Sanctuary Ministries
www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com

24 July, 2007

Hey!

2007-07-24T18:52:00.001-04:00

I'm still alive...sorry for the lack of posts. I've been out of town. I should have an update soon :) (as in--tomorrow-ish)

Blessings!
Mary Jo

Greetings from just outside of DC

2007-07-09T22:29:00.000-04:00

We are in DC right now. The ministry starts tomorrow. There's a group going to the Senate offices, a group in public ministry, and a group going to the Department of Justice. The hate crimes legislation is due to be voted on quite soon. This is truly a pivotal point in our nation's history. Please be in prayer that God would use our group for His glory, and that His mighty, Sovereign hand would prevent the hate crimes bill to be passed, basically illegalizing biblical christianity as we know it!

More updates tomorrow.

Blessings,
Mary Jo

Update on life

2007-06-29T19:21:00.000-04:00

So, I haven't done just a general update on life, so here goes.

I'm going to see my beloved, Ben, at his family's house on Tuesday. My flight leaves eeeeearly in the morning. I'll have to leave at 5:15am from the house! Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we'll be in Washington, DC on a ministry tour. I'm not sure who organized it, but I'll be there. I believe it's when they're voting on the hate crimes bill. Ick! I hope it doesn't pass. After we're in DC, we'll go back to the Murches' house. I'll be there until Sunday, May 15. Ben's going to drop me off at my Grandma's house after church, and I'll leave Monday with Grandma for the beach in South Carolina, where Dad's whole immediate family will be gathered. We'll be there for a week, and I'll return home with my parents on the 23rd.

I started sewing lessons this week. This sweet 70-something lady named Mary, who works at the fabric store, offered to teach me one time a couple months back. So, I took her up on the offer. I brought my sewing machine to her house and she taught me how to use it. So, I'm going to have Mom and Dad bring it with them to the beach, and I plan to make a skirt while I'm there. She showed me how to cut out the material and all that. It's a very basic skirt and shouldn't be too difficult for a beginner like myself.

Last night, my friend, Paola, spent the night. We had a really nice time...I don't see her as much as I did when I was in school, but we always have a good time together. Tomorrow night, my Pastor's daughter is sleeping over. That should be fun, too! :)

In other news. . .I got my driver's license today! By the grace of God, I passed my test after 2 and a half years of having a permit. So, that's exciting. I went grocery shopping by myself this evening while Mom made dinner. I went to the ATM to get cash, and then to both grocery stores. I didn't run into any trouble, and stayed under the budget! Quite an adventure ;)

So, I guess I'll get going.
Blessings!

Follow-up Comments to Pendergraft Hearing post

2007-06-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

I have some follow-up comments to my last post.

First of all--it was really strange being in the same room as the person I've been indirectly, and directly, working against for the last two years. His pockets are filled with the money of the Mommies I've pled with not to murder their babies. I've only ever seen him one time, outside that room--that was heading in to OWC to kill babies--what he does best. If he "wins" this battle, he might think he's gotten away with murder yet again. But one day, he will stand before a Holy, Righteous God and be held accountable for each and every innocent child who has died at his hands. The fancy cars and big houses won't matter then. Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" Obviously, the answer is nothing.

My next comment is that I know without a doubt that James Pendergraft is guilty of many, many third trimester abortions. Until this whole thing started last fall, I didn't even know it was illegal to do third trimester abortions outside a hospital because I met so many women going into OWC who were in the third trimester. One I recall very clearly was a young, black couple. Ben was there, and so was my Mom. All of us tried to talk to them at one point or another. The boyfriend said a lot more than the girl did. Ben and I were both talking to him and he told us she had just gotten the sonogram done and she was pregnant with twins. I asked how far along she was, and he said "8 months." He went on to say that they couldn't afford that late of an abortion, so they had offered (they being the clinic staff) to say she was only 23 weeks, to save them some money. I was shocked, and didn't know *what* to do! If only I had known to call the police, or the FDLE, or someone.

But that leads to my next point. Even if I had, they wouldn't have done anything. The state has had proof (they did an investigation) of at least 11 illegal third trimester abortions done by Pendergraft in one year. They chose not to prosecute. I don't know why. But I do think it's disgusting. They will be held accountable before God for failing to prosecute a guilty man, a man with the blood of thousands of babies dripped down his covetous hands. They had a chance, and they failed miserably. In accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, he should have been arrested years ago. It's unfortunate to have a state full of cowards who won't even prosecute people who murder babies. Pendergraft has received upwards of $12,000/abortion to kill babies through 9 months of pregnancy, illegally. Shame on them for allowing it to happen. God hates the hands that shed innocent blood. Failure to do something about it is to be an accomplice in the murder.

It is my prayer that James Pendergraft is brought to justice, in this world. I hope that some how, each and every illegal abortion he has commited will become known. If God is willing, it can happen. In the mean time, his license is still suspended.

Also in the mean time, infants continue to perish at the hands of their Mamas, and the church continues to sit around warming pews, making quilts, and having "get togethers" instead of caring. Our work is not yet done. If we are to pray that God's will be done, and His Kingdom come, we better be willing to make some sacrifices and do something.

He comes quickly...will He find you idle?

Pendergraft Hearings, 6/20-6/21

2007-06-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday and today were the hearings of Dr. James Pendergraft, Florida's premier child butcher. Some people come to Orlando to see Mickey Mouse, others come to labor and deliver their babies through 9 months of pregnancy at Pendergraft's abortuaries. As most of you who read my blog know, Pendergraft's 5 Florida abortion mills were shut down in August of 2006. It was alleged that he killed a baby in the third trimester, outside the legal allowances for such an abortion to take place. The Florida statutes state that any third trimester abortion must be done for the life or health of the mother. It must be done in a hospital, with two doctors signing off that the mother's life is, indeed, at risk. The particular patient, referred to as RW, was carrying a baby with severe fetal anomalies and the state claims the baby was in the third trimester.

After a lot of delays for reasons unbeknownst to me, the hearings finally took place on June 21 and 22 here in Orlando. The hearing was the Department of Health, Board of Medicine vs. James S. Pendergraft, IV, M.D. The charges were not criminal and the only possible discipline is the permanent revocation of his medical license. We don't know exactly what would happen in that case, as far as what would happen to the death mills, but any disciplinary action against a murderous, lawbreaker is good. So, without further adieu, I will discuss the hearings a bit.

The state began the questioning by questioning Pendergraft. After answering the basic, generic questions about his own qualifications, he took the 5th (right to remain silent) on everything, so their questioning ended. The first question he pled the 5th to was when he was asked whether he was the owner of Orlando Women's Center. After jerking his head towards his attorney for an answer, he refused to respond. Once they ended his questioning, they called a Dr. Gomez to the stand. He was submitted as an expert witness in the field of OB/GYN. He is a practicing OB/GYN and abortionist at the Baptist hospital in Miami (there's another blog entry in the making). Based on the measurements given in the ultra sounds and the doctor's reports he studied, he gave the opinion that the baby was at least 27 weeks of gestation, and he said that was a conservative guess. He also believed that the infant had IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation), which would cause him/her to be lighter.

It was noted that in all the paperwork, it was never mentioned that it was an emergency. She saw a few different physicians other than Pendergraft and none of them indicated at any way that her life was at risk.

One of the reasons it is a risk to do an abortion outside of a hospital that late in pregnancy is because the cytotek can cause uterine rupture later in pregnancy, as the uterine wall is thinner. Also, Pendergraft's people were giving RW 200 mg's every hour. Dr. Gomez said he would give that amount ever 4 hours. Doctors are legally required to meet the standard of care set forth in the statutes. Thus, Dr. Gomez concluded that Dr. Pendergraft did NOT meet the standard of care, as he did an elective third trimester abortion outside of a hospital, thus breaking the statute in every aspect.

During the cross examination of Dr. Gomez, the defense lawyers were making a big deal out of measurement discrepancies. On one day, the baby's cerebellum measured 30.5mm and the next day, the measurement was 37mm. It was pointed out that both measurements fell within the same age range on a chart regarding prenatal development. Not to mention...6.5mm...that is just over half a centimeter! We're not talking about inches, here. So, I thought it was silly that he was just trying to discredit things that didn't need to be discredited. He also spoke to Dr. Gomez in a very demeaning tone, which I found rather obnoxious. The state attorneys were much more likeable.

Another thing the attorney brought up was that OWC is within a few minutes of ORMC. However, I find this to be completely irrelevant, and really a rather dumb thing to bring up, since the statute doesn't say it has to be done in a hospital or within a few miles. It says in a hospital. Period. He also mentioned that there were two physicians there (resident killer Harry Perper was helping Pendergraft out). Again--relevance?

During the rebuttal it was again emphasized that the baby was 28 weeks or later, according to every available record.

The defense then brought in a Dr. Plotkin, former Orlando baby killer who is now retired and an employee of Winter Park Memorial Hospital. He had become chummy with Pendergraft when he came to town because he appreciated having an abortion mill close by that did elective 2nd trimester abortions. It was noted by the state attorneys that it had been four years since Plotkin had treated a patient and 6-7 years since he performed an abortion, certainly making him appear less reliable.

Plotkin went on to say Pendergraft obviously met the standards of care. The reasons he gave were the RW was recommended to Pendergraft by a family physician, there were no complications during the procedure, and he thinks the baby was 2nd trimester based on fetal and placental weight at birth (recorded at Orlando Women's Center).

I would say all his reasons, aside from the baby being second tri. are totally moot. For one, it's breaking the law regardless of whether a primary care physician recommended it, and it's breaking the law regardless of whether there were any complications. I thought that was clear.

As to the fetal/placental birth weight, if the infant had IUGR (which, there is good evidence to indicate that he did), then he (or she) would weigh less than a normal fetus. Additionally, in order to push that clearly into the second trimester, Plotkin had to fudge his facts a little bit. He said that the chart was referring to gestational weeks or the menstrual age (the number of weeks since the first day of the woman's last period), and the age to consider is actually the age from the actual date of conception--the gestational age minus two weeks. Ironically enough, on womenscenter.com, the website for Pendergraft's butcher shops, he advertized third trimester abortions as one of their services until sometime in the last few months. Now, the website quotes the following and then says they do not do third trimester abortions, in accordance with state laws.

Third Trimester:
Defined in Chapter 59A-9.019 of the Florida Administrative Code;
"That portion of pregnancy beginning with the 25th week of gestation"

The Florida Administrative Code defines third trimester based on gestational age, and NOT age from conception. So, there that argument goes right out the window. He also said the ultrasounds were inaccurate. But, he gave no reason why. So, I don't believe him. He also said that there was evidence of hyperplasia, but that's not true, because the lungs were taking up a normal amount of space, as was the heart.

He went on to say that the patient had a mental medical emergency. However, he did not have the credentials to determine something like that. Not to mention, that such a thing was not determined before the abortion took place. A mental medical emergency clearly constitutes more than being distraught. If I was pregnant and I found out my baby was going to die, and his intestines were outside his body, I would be upset. I'd cry a lot. So would anyone. It simply does not constitute a medical emergency. Dr. Plotkin went on to say that the baby being nonviable and having no chance of survival was a medical emergency. That's ridiculous though. The medical emergency has to be regarding the life or health of the mother. Not the baby. The baby's viability has nothing at all to do with the issue at hand. Period! He continued to say that if the baby died in-utero, that would possibly necessitate a c-section and there are possible complications. But, again, there are far more possible complications with a third trimester abortion--like uterine rupture!

During the cross examination of Plotkin, he said there was no second doctor sigature, no medical emergency, no advice to be hospitalized, and no mention of medical emergency in the documents.

The following day, the defense brought in a seemingly highly qualified professor from UVA. Basically, his conclusion was that the baby was a second trimester baby, and that the ultrasounds were not sufficient to give an accurate age estimation. He also indicated that there were suspicious tests results on a gestational diabetes test which would make the baby LARGER than usual, rather than smaller. He said there were too many confusions between all the different measurements and numbers and hormones (Beta HCG--the pregnancy hormone--this witness said that the number indicated a 5wk. baby) and nothing was reliable.

There was no cross examination. However, there was a good rebuttal. They brought Dr. Gomez to the stand again, and he explained that the Beta HCG levals go up throughout the pregnancy, until the third trimester when they go back down...so the levels indicated that the pregnancy was late in the term. He also stated that there was no diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

The only witness left to question is Dr. Perper, who was present during the alleged illegal abortion. His depositions are due on August 10, and the Judge will have a recommendation to the Board of Medicine by the end of August. Then, they have 90 days to issue a decision.

caption: picture of Pendergraft and his attorneys after the final portion of the hearing, taken by my Mom on my cell phone.

Great Sale!

2007-06-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I think John Piper is great. God has used him in so many ways, and He really is such a breath of fresh air to the modern church; a nice break from the Joel Osteens and Benny Hinns of our day. His faithfulness to God and willingness to preach the Word in season and out of season are incredibly encouraging for me and so many others.

His books, and the books of a few others are on from the 27th (tomorrow) through the 28th at desiringGod.org for $5! Every.single.book. I highly recommend y'all head on over and check it out.

One book that I read of Piper's that was a great encouragement to me was "When I Don't Desire God." I read it when I was going through a more "wintery" season in my walk with the Lord. It contained many sharp rebukes to me, personally, for not delighting myself in the Lord always (I don't know whether they were intended to be sharp rebukes, or if they simply hit home for me because that was exactly where I was). Piper included many practical ideas and encouragements, as well. It was certainly a good book. I would definitely recommend it and will probably reference it again myself one day. Ultimately, God brought me through that season, and while I'm no where close to perfect, I certainly try to always delight myself in the Lord. After all, as John Piper so often says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

Menu Plan Monday

2007-06-25T07:59:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize it had been a whole week since I posted! I have a post up and coming about the Pendergraft Hearings, but it still needs a little tweaking. I'm being very careful with it, since it's such a serious matter.

But anyway, we are on Phase 2, as of yesterday, but I don't know that our dinners are changing much. It's mostly breakfast and some lunches that are different.

Sunday~snacks (we had a late, big lunch)
Monday~leftovers (I might have to come up with something, because we don't have any left overs!)
Tuesday~Herb Marinated Chicken w/ steamed vegetables
Wednesday~Asian Chicken Packets w/ vegetables and a salad
Thursday~Chicken Jambalaya
Friday~Chicken in wine sauce, spaghetti squash, salad
Saturday~Steak, Green&yellow wax beans, "potatoes" (mashed cauliflower), salad

So, that's our menu!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-06-18T10:08:00.000-04:00

Alright...we decided to extend phase 1 of the South Beach Diet an extra week, so these are still Phase 1 menu plans. So far, we have all lost weight, so it is working like a charm! :)

Sunday~we had a church picnic and were there until about 5, so we just snacked on nuts and stuff when we got home
Monday~Turkey Parmasan (we didn't end up having it Saturday)
Tuesday~Chinese style steamed chicken and broccoli
Wednesday~Turkey&white bean chili
Thursday~Chicken piri-piri with steamed broccoli
Friday~Grilled steak w/ grilled tomato relish and spicy roasted cauliflower (we really liked this meal, so we're having it again!)
Saturday~pot roase w/ mushrooms and steamed asparagus

So, we're all looking forward to Phase 2. We'll be able to add in some whole wheat starches and fruit again! :o) Yaaaay!

Great Book Sale!

2007-06-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

The Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore is having an excellent on-line sale, lasting until June 26, on children's books, up to 50% off! The beauty of it is, since it's a good store, they're pretty much guaranteed to be doctrinally sound! I don't have any little ones (one day, if God is willing, I hope I have a whole bunch of them, though!), so this sale isn't for me, but maybe some of you Christian mamas can benefit from it. The $5 flat shipping rate is a wonderful bonus as well. WTS is one of my favorite sources for book buying!

Titles Include:

The Lightlings, by RC Sproul
ESV Children's Bible
The Dangerous Journey (the story of Pilgrim's Progress)

and many more good ones. If I was married, had a child (even one in-utero!), I'd take advantage of this sale. :)

Food for Thought...

2007-06-14T12:14:00.001-04:00

How would you respond in these situations?

1. A preacher and his wife are very, very poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she's pregnant with the 15th. They're living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending she get an abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. Of their four children, the first is blind, the second has died, the third is deaf, the fourth has TB. She finds she's pregnant again. Given this extreme situation, would you consider recommending abortion?

3. A white man raped a 13-year-old black girl and she's now pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She's not married. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby, and he's upset. Would you recommend abortion?

In the first case, you would have killed John Wesley, one of the great evangelists in the 19th century. In the second case, you would have killed Beethoven. In the third case, you would have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer. If you said yes to the fourth case, you would have declared the murder of Jesus Christ!

God is the author of life, and He has givenevery single individual supreme value. Each life—whether inside or outside the womb—should therefore be valued by us. God knows the plans He has for each individual and has written in His book all the days ordained for us before one of them came to be. When we presume to know better than God who should be given life, we are putting ourselves in the place of God and are guilty of idolatry.

WFMW: Keeping a Schedule

2007-06-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

For a while, I had gotten out of the habit of having a schedule, and I shared here that I was not doing too great with time management. Shortly thereafter, I made a new schedule accomodating my need to have about 5 hours set aside each day to work on my correspondance Bible degree. This week, it was implemented and even though we're only half way into the week, things are going splendidly! I finished my first course (Genesis), chores have been kept up with, I've been able to practice flute and piano, work on sewing, exercise, read...it's been wonderful. :o) At least for me, this is quite a motivator to keep on the move! So, having a fairly micro-manage-y (but not TOO much so) definitely works for me. To see my current schedule, view this blog post.

Ben's Latest Birdhouse

2007-06-12T14:30:00.000-04:00

Isn't it lovely? Here is the auction I put up yesterday.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-06-11T16:32:00.000-04:00

South Beach Diet: Phase 1, Week 2...so far so good :)

Sunday: Savory Chicken Saute, "potatoes", green beans -- we ended up having something else because we had a big lunch

Monday: creamy cauliflower soup

Tuesday: Porkchops with Fennel and Lemon

Wednesday: Grilled steak with grilled tomato relish and roasted spicy cauliflower

Thursday: Turkey sausages with kale and chickpeas

Friday: Chili

Saturday: Turkey Parmasan

For more menu plans, see Laura's blog.

What Does the Bible Say About Benny Hinn?

2007-06-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

Interesting. . .

May God rid our nation, and the world, of false prophets such as this. Their judgment will be harsh if they fail to repent of their wickedness.

New Schedule for Me :o)

2007-06-08T20:41:00.000-04:00

I had a bit of productivity today and decided to make myself a NEW schedule, that includes all the things I like to accomplish during the day, with 2 hours of "free" time that will, unless something else comes up, be spent working on hand skills and some time on the computer. Without further adeu:

5:00 ~ wake up, make bed, freshen up, devotions
6:20 ~ exercise (20 mins. cardio/20 mins. weight training), shower
7:20 ~ talk to Ben
8:00 ~ make breakfast, clean kitchen
8:30 ~ morning chores
9:15 ~ practice flute
9:45 ~ schoolwork
2:15 ~ Greek
2:35 ~ practice piano
3:05 ~ "free" time
5:00 ~ read
6:00 ~ make dinner, evening chores
7:00 ~ serve dinner
7:45 ~ get ready for bed, talk to Ben
8:45 ~ scripture memory
9:00 ~ lights out!

So, I'm starting on Monday, Lord willing. I'm excited. After all, the virtuous woman "eateth not the bread of idleness." :o) In addition to this, I made a chore schedule for Mom and I. Right now, in the morning we just kind of decide who will do what and it doesn't always get done, so I made a chart to go by for that that splits the chores up about even, and she approved. So, that will be good, too. For a while, I thought I'd try to take over all the household chores by myself, and for a while, I came somewhat close, but with starting school, I just don't have the time. So, yes. :) We will share!

Many blessings!
Mary Jo

Oh, dear!

2007-06-08T13:49:00.001-04:00

So, I've been home for close to 2 weeks now, and so far, I've hardly accomplished anything. I know that's ridiculous...and not honoring to God. I've been kind of lazy. It seems like I've been doing things, but yet the house isn't very neat (my room, especially), my Genesis paper *still* isn't done, and I'm having a hard time getting motivated. I think I need to just paste a schedule in every room of the house and stick to it closely until I'm back into the routine of GETTING THINGS DONE.

So, anyway, I haven't blogged much lately because I've been really busy. I know, I know...I just said I haven't been getting much done, but I've still been busy. I've been to the abortion mill 4 times this week, and last week I went a few times (I don't recall the exact number). So that's part of why I haven't been around.

In other news, the diet is working for all of us! I think we'll stick to it :)

So, anyway. Hopefully I will (shortly) be more regular with posting :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-06-04T16:17:00.001-04:00

An update will be coming soon, but for now, here's my menu for the week. My parents and I started the South Beach Diet yesterday, so our menu for this week is in accordance with Phase 1 of that diet. :) Here goes...

Sunday: grilled salmon with rosemary, steamed asparagus, salad
Monday: baked chicken, steamed broccoli
Tuesday: sirloin steak, steamed broccoli, broiled tomatoes, "mashed potatoes" (made of cauliflower
Wednesday: tilapia in scallion and ginger sauce, snow peas, cabbage sauteed in olive oil
Thursday: balsamic chicken, stewed tomatoes, salad
Friday: leftovers, arugula
Saturday: london broil, "potatoes", salad

If anyone wants any of the recipes, I can send them!

Blessings,
Mary Jo

8% Feminist? Me?

2007-06-01T15:07:00.001-04:00

You Are 8% Feminist

You are definitely not a feminist. In fact, you are every feminist's worst nightmare.
You believe that women belong in the kitchen.... barefoot and pregnant.

Are You a Feminist?

I don't usually do these things, but Crystal at Biblical Womanhood posted her results, so I figured it might be fun to give it a try. I reckon they say I'm 8% because I said women shouldn't have to conform to a wacky standard of beauty or something like that. Anyone else care to give it a try?

Hello from Chapel Hill, NC

2007-05-18T17:06:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

I am in Chapel Hill, NC. Mom and I flew up yesterday, meeting Dad who was already here on business. My cousin, Marianna, is getting married here today. We're here for the wedding. Most of Mom's family is here, and I never see them, so it should be nice to spend time with them. My Aunt Mida and three of my cousins are staying in the same hotel as we are, and we just saw her for a few minutes this morning. We're going out to breakfast with them at 9:30.

Sorry my posting has been pretty sporatic lately. I've just been pretty busy! With schoolwork, and cleaning, spending time with friends, reading, talking Ben (<3), plus being at the abortion mill regularly, I just haven't had that much time!

The wedding is today, and tomorrow morning we're going to church. First Baptist in Durham, NC is on the 9 Marks website, and they have a service at 8, so we're going there. After church, we're going to my cousin and her (then) husband's house for a fairwell brunch. Ben is picking Mom and I up sometime tomorrow afternoon, as he and his family only live a couple hours from where we are. He's taking us back to covenant farm. Mom is meeting his parents for the first time, so that is exciting! She'll be staying until until Tuesday. I'm staying for another week, after Mom leaves. I'm so happy I get to see Ben. It's been a couple of months since we've seen each other, so I really can't wait...I'm so excited. I love him SO much!! :)

His business continues to pick up, so we're both very thankful to our Lord for that! We're very much looking forward to seeing what he has in store. He truly is so good, and gives us far more than we will ever deserve!

I better get going, but I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to be more regular with my posting again. :)

Paper Towels

2007-05-18T16:57:00.000-04:00

I have a Frugal Fridays post for this week! :o)

Recently, I've tried to stop using paper towels unless it's absolutely necessary. I think I've almost got it narrowed down to using them just when I clean the outside of the toilet. We used to go through at least one roll per week, and now we hardly go through any!

One of the things we used to use them a lot was covering food in the microwave. Then, I found a nifty plastic thing at wal-mart that is to cover up food...it was only a couple of dollars and should last a long time. We just wash it when it needs washing. :)

Also, I've been using dish towels instead of paper towels to clean the counters and other things with. We have an abundance of dish towels so that works out fine.

So, that's my tip for the day! I don't know how much it saves us, but I know it saves some, and it's easy to do!

Get Some Tissues...

2007-05-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

This video is so touching, definitely worth your time to watch. It's so tragic to think that many people would have ended the life of a precious little one like this boy, Eliot.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-05-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

I know, I said I'd have an update up last Tuesday, but I've been busy. I'll try and get one up tomorrow. In the mean time, this is going to be an easy week for cooking! :o) Dad is leaving on Wednesday and Mom and I are joining him Friday in NC for my cousin's wedding the following day!

Sunday~BBQ (Grandma's recipe)--Pastor and his family came over. What a blessing!
Monday~Tacos (super easy...boil and debone a chicken, put chicken pieces in tortillas and roll up, place in a pan, top with salsa--we use salsa verde--and cheese, back at 350 for 30 minutes, service with sour cream, rice&beans)
Tuesday~Leftovers
Wednesday~Bridal shower@ Women's Group
Thursday~Baked ziti
Friday~we'll eat somewhere in NC
Saturday~Wedding reception is a sit-down dinner

Menu Plan Monday

2007-05-07T20:09:00.000-04:00

Real update should come tomorrow, but for now...my menu for the week:

Sunday~leftovers
Monday~Southwestern Roll-ups
Tuesday~Leftovers
Wednesday~Nacho Grande Casserole
Thursday~Chimichangas
Friday~Pepper Jack Pizza (we ended up having normal pizza last week)
Saturday~Balsamic Thyme Chicken w/ Grandma's Vegetable Salad (recipe to come)

Works for Me: The Birthday Edition

2007-05-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

Since I am not allowed to get a job, my Dad gives me a fairly substantial allowance to cover the few 'expenses' I have as a 17-year-old (I probably spend most of my money on books *grin*).

But anyway...because I get a nice allowance, Mom and Dad do not purchase my friends' birthday presents for me anymore like they did when I was a little girl. Most people have a favorite 'sweet treat' of some sort that they enjoy, so baking them a present is a nice idea. That and a card usually makes them smile and feel special. Not to mention that most people have everything they need, and I don't want to add to their clutter, either!

That's what works for me!

Guest Room

2007-05-02T11:02:00.000-04:00

This is the Guest Room that I organized for the 30 Day Organizational Challenge at Org Junkie, which ends today. Before and After pictures are below, followed by the answers to the questions Laura posted.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Aah...Hopefully our next guest will enjoy having a nice, clean room. Ben comes to see us (me) more often than anyone else so this room is affectionately called "Ben's Room." :o) (yes, yes...I love him!). But, anyway...enough fluff...onto the questions.

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?
The hardest part was probably having to wait for a time when Mom and I could spend a solid chunk of time going through the things in the room. With her starting a subbing position and me starting college (correspondance), that wasn't as easy as it always has been. We did the bulk of it before she started the 4 week job, though.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place for your room/space to maintain its new order?
We just need to not use the room as a catch-all. It is only ever used when we have company, so maintaining its order shouldn't be hard.

3. What did you do with the "stuff" you were able to purge from your newly organized space?
We threw away a lot of stuff. The rest of it is in boxes waiting to be picked up by the Vietnam Vets. There are 2 moving boxes of stuff to give away. Aaah... (yes, that's a sigh of relief)

4. What was the biggest lesson you learned from this experience?
Don't keep things unless you'll use them! It doesn't matter if they're nice. If they won't be used, give them away. Don't just keep stuff everywhere.

5. Now that you've completed the PROCESS, do you think having and keeping the space organized will make a difference in your life?
It will be good to have it looking nice for company, and cut down on the "stress" of getting ready for house guests. :)

My Laundry Room

2007-05-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

The 30 Day Organizational Challenge is over today! This is the first of my two entries; my small space...my laundry room. My post from the beginning of the challenge is here. Below are my before and after pictures.

Before After

With this sink area, most of what I did was put the things away that were sitting around the sink. The bulk of the time I spent on it was scrubbing the sink, though. Notice the brilliant white shine :D It had layers and layers of paint in it. I'm not sure it had EVER been cleaned! I used a lot of all-purpose cleaner as well as some acetone for the paint. Steel Wool helped a lot, too, to scrub off some of the chunks of paint.

Before

After

For this portion of the room, I put things away in the containers we purchased and cleaned the washer and drier with all-purpose cleaner.

Before

After

One word: containerize! One problem we had was that a lot of bottles of cleaner we had were partially used. I combined the ones that were the same, and got rid of a lot of bottles. Then, we bouht containers for the rest of the things. They are labeled. The ones in the container up there are our extras. The cleaners in current use are now happily hanging on the back of the door:So, there you have it...my newly organized laundry room! :o) Now, to answer the questions Laura posted:

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge and were you able to overcome it?
The challenge wasn't that difficult in and of itself. Probably getting motivated. The first few times I worked on it, it was easy, but after that I "lost interest" to a certain extent. I'm so glad I was able to do it though! One challenge was that life around the house changed considerably mid-challenge. My Mom took a substitute teaching position for four weeks and I started Bible college. Those were both pretty big changes that gave me less time to work on it and also got me distracted.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order.
One habit I've gotten into is putting the cleaners back on the back of the door when I finish my chores instead of just tossing them on the washing machine or up on the shelf. Also, I've developed the habit of putting the dog treats back up on the shelf after I give them a treat. Same with the laundry detergent.

3. What did you do with the "stuff" you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?
I recycled a LOT of bottles once I combined like cleaners into one bottle. That got rid of a lot of clutter. I also threw away old stuff that was no longer good. Getting rid of junk feels good. :o)

4. What was the biggest lesson you learned from this experience?
I learned that just putting things back where they go, even in a room that is seemingly unimportant, is a great habit to get into, and prevents you from having hours of cleaning to do. Really, there's NO cleaning to do in there if I just put things where they belong after using them!

5. Now that you have completed the PROCESS, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?
I think it will be really nice to have the room continually remain clean. It's usually the first room we come into when we come in the house since it's just inside from the garage. Hopefully it will be nice for my Dad when he comes home from work to have the first room he sees not be chaotic. :o)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-04-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

Dad is going out of town for business and will be gone from tomorrow morning until Friday. He'll be home in time for lunch on Friday, though. :o)

Sunday~3 Cheese Baked Spaghetti
Monday~Mexican Chicken Skillet
Tuesday~Southwestern Rollups
Wednesday~leftovers
Thursday~out (Mom and I *smile*)
Friday~Pepper Jack Pizza
Saturday~Cheesy Tortilla Casserole

Day 2, Late Term Labor&Delivery Abortions

2007-04-26T21:23:00.000-04:00

Today, it was back to OWC to make one last effort to spare the imperiled infants. Again, my beloved Dad and I counseled together.

The first couple to arrive was the couple who had the supposedly dying child. The next was the couple who has the precious little girl. After they got there, the girl who left sobbing yesterday arrived, but this time with her wicked mother. I went to the back and called out. The husband of the woman with the dying baby was the first to react. I wasn't even aiming what I was saying directly at him, but rather at the mother of the aborting girl, but he got out of his car and began making faces at me (he has to be at least 50...and he was making childish faces), and telling me how disgusting I am. Then he called me a foul name. His antics encouraged the murderous grandma to open her window and in-put her two cents (she had already flicked us off as she drove into the drive way). She went on about how sad I was, and continued to hurl a couple of vulgar insults at Dad and I. "Sharon" (clinic worker) had come out earlier to give something to the Daddy with the cute little girl, and she was laughing (I'm pretty sure she and the guy were saying things about me--what else would there be to laugh at at an abortion mill, besides a fool for Christ preaching the gospel?)...I told her she would not laugh when she stood before God on judgment day...she said something as she went in the door, and slammed it. I'm assuming it included foul language, because it usually does. But, who really knows?

Eventually, the husband got back in the car and ignored me, and the mother/daughter killing squad got out...I ignored the mother and pled with the daughter on behalf of her unborn baby; but to no avail. The mother left her daughter there, and blew her a kiss on the way out the door..."Call me later!" I wonder how many babies she has killed. It was clearly her "choice" to kill the baby. I feel sorry for her daughter...albeit, she is still guilty for consenting to the murder of her own little one.

Just as we were about to leave, one last couple came in. I called out, and the boyfriend asked me to please by quiet. Apparently he doesn't know me very well ;) When he came out without his girl, I said "Sir, you are a coward." He said, "Thanks. You're a good person for doing this." I thought he was being sarcastic; Dad did not. As he headed to the car, I made one last plea on behalf of his baby, and then warned him of the judgment to come. Then, Dad and I got in the car and left.

Just as with Baby Chaz, Jehovah saw each and every one of these precious infants today. He saw them months ago; in fact, he knew them before the foundation of the earth. He willed their conception and knitted them together in the wombs of their Mommies...but their Mommies murdered them. Who knows the pain they felt; who knows how many were born alive, and left to drown in a cold, dirty toilet...no one but God and the murderers who want no justice. Only God will see their little bodies as they're "buried" with Orlando's other medical waste. It is a sad day in a country, when human beings made in the image of God are murdered through a government sanctioned "medical procedure" and thrown away as though they're garbage; they're obviously not.

May God have mercy on this nation by granting her repentance...may He raise up faithful preachers of His word, who will preach repentance in the name of Christ, for the remission of sins--in season, and out of season. Indeed, the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few.

Image from allposters.com

"Rescue the perishing..."

2007-04-25T15:42:00.000-04:00

It was back to OWC this morning. Five or six couples came to murder their infant children by labor and delivery abortion. None left, that we know of. Dad and I were there by ourselves (have I ever mentioned how grateful I am that I have godly parents? It is truly a blessing) ministering. No one arrived until about 5 'til 7, which is far later than usual. We were even beginning to wonder whether they would be killing late term babies at all today. Unfortunately, we spoke too soon.

The first couple to arrive was a husband and wife couple. They didn't want our information. After shuffling his wife in the door, the husband came back out to put her purse in the car. He claimed that they didn't want to do this, and it was tragic for them, but they had to because the baby was not forming properly. Truly, though...why kill your own infant just because she or he is not developing normally? Let the child die in God's timing, instead of at the hands of his Mommy and Daddy, and a greedy, wicked, money-grubbing baby killer.

The next couple arrived shortly after the first. They were young, probably college aged. They were hard as they entered the building; hardly a word was said. The boyfriend put his arm around her as they went in, and we didn't see either of them for the rest of the morning. It really irks me when guys act all affectionate as they take their girls into a place like that. It's nauseating, in my humble opinion. If you love a girl, you don't take her to murder a baby. Plain and simple. I wonder how many girls would turn away from those places if the men would just stand up and be men.

Another one or two couples drove in and went in, ignoring us completely.

Then, another very young couple drove in in a pick up truck. The girl looked visibly distraught (which makes sense, as she was preparing to murder her own baby). They rejected the information I tried to give them, and tried to avoid me by walking up the other drive way on the opposite side of the parking lot. Shortly after they entered the building they came back out, and she was crying. They got back in the truck and as they drove away, she had her head buried in her pillow; presumably she was sobbing. Just before we left, the couple came back and went in the building. It is a fearful thing to ignore a working conscience. God eventually gives people over toa reprobate mind, to live in their own wickedness and store up wrath for the day of wrath.

The last couple I spoke to had been there last week on Friday. They had been unable to afford the abortion, I learned today, and came back today to commit murder. I remembered them because of their precious daughter...she looks between 2 and 3, and is one of the most adorable little girls I have just about ever seen. Her smile is simply angelic...what a blessing children are from the Lord! Sadly, that little girl's Mommy and Daddy were there to slaughter her little brother or sister. When I first asked why they were doing it the Daddy said, "No reason." Then, the Mommy got back to the car and the father of the imperiled child claimed that his girl "could not have a second baby." They wouldn't go into details, and when I asked if they would be interested in seeing a high risk specialist he told me, "Look, I'm not crazy." I don't know what he meant by that. When his girlfriend/wife (I don't know which) got back in the car, she was annoyed at me, so they drove to the parking lot and rolled up they windows.

My Dad preached the gospel from the sidewalk, and then we left. Lord willing, we will return tomorrow. I don't know whether we'll be going to reach out to the same crowd we saw today (tomorrow will be the second day of the murderous "procedure") or the later shift, of Mommies in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Please pray that the LORD will use the faithful preaching of His word to turn the hearts of mothers and fathers to their precious babes.

Picture taken from allposters.com

Menu Plan Monday

2007-04-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

Sunday: Spicy Chicken Chili
Monday: Authentic Spanish Rice w/ Beans
Tuesday: Leftover Buffet
Wednesday: Chicken Helper
Thursday: Enchilada Casserole
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: Hamburgers

This week's meals are easy. :o) Most of them are new. I love Tammy's Recipes.com! Her recipes are always great!

I'm A College Student Now

2007-04-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

Yep. You did, indeed, read that correctly. Mary Jo, the epitamy of NOW's worst night mare (as some have said) is enrolled in college.

Before you think my 'hard-core' anti-feministic world view is leaving, let me explain (no, no...I'm not against women going to college...I just think it's preferrable for women to remain under the authority of their spiritual head, by living under his roof). I haven't moved hundreds of miles away. I still live at home with my parents, and will remain happily fulfilling the role of stay-at-home-daughter until the Lord allows me to be a wife (at which time I will happily fulfill the role of housewife). I enrolled today in The Homestead College of Bible and Graduate School. I am thoroughly thrilled to see what the Lord will do with this course.

The way it works is...each book of the Bible is worth a certain number of credit hours. So, the entire program is based on studying the Bible. With each book, you read through it twice and then listen to lectures, and do assigments, a project, and an essay about the book of the Bible. This continues until you have gone through all 66 books, at which time, a Bachelor's Degree is obtained (assuming you earn passing grades).

The school was founded by Arnold Pent, who some of you may have heard of through a book called 10 P's In a Pod. The book is about the upbringing of his 8 homeschooled children. His son, Dr. David A. Pent, is now President of the school. After some correspondance, my Dad decided to call him (we looked up his number in the white pages...he and his wife live not far from here). Today, Dad and I went over to his home to talk about the program, and I'm officially a student now. I'm much looking forward to the opportunity of growing my knowledge of God's Word.

Besides being able to obtain a college degree by studying my Bible at home, one wonderful thing about the school is its quite affordable tuition. My entire education will be under $5,000. That is considerably less than any educational institution. My Dad said that for me to earn a college degree at most places, the only way to do it without going into debt would have been for Mom to work. So, this is a real blessing, and I'm quite excited about the opportunity.

They have a number of payment plans. Homeschoolers receive a 25% discount on tuition. They can pay as little as $75/month. This isn't going into debt to pay for college. If you don't pay, then you just don't continue on with the school until you do. It's that simple. If a married couple does the course together, they receive a 50% discount on one person's tuition. After meeting Dr. Pent, I am confident that this will be a great, learning experience; I thoroughly enjoyed his fellowship, and I think his ministry is very glorifying to God.

I know the whole post wasn't solely about frugality, but since it's "Frugal Friday" at Crystal's blog, I figured folks might be interested in hearing about it. So, in addition to announcing my enrollment, I'm adding the post to frugal fridays.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

2007-04-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

As most of you are probably aware, yesterday a ban on partial birth abortion was upheld by the US supreme court in a 5-4 decision.

Most pro-lifers are hailing this as a wonderful thing, and while I think it would have been completely sick and disgusting if it HADN'T been passed, I'm far less optimistic than those who say that it will lead to fewer abortions, changes in abortion laws, etc. There are a number of reasons for this.

The first is that the ban only takes issue with the actual procedure being performed on a "living fetus." The procedure itself is not banned. This means that instead of delivering the child and murdering him by shoving the scissors into his head, he can just be murdered before labor is induced. Thus, the same gruesome procedure will be performed. It's just that the child will be murdered first.

The second reason is that even if partial birth was banned, that is--the procedure itself made illegal, women could just change their appointments to a different type of late term abortion. I would be incredibly (and pleasantly, of course) surprised if the number of late term abortions went down due to this ruling. There are so many possible ways to do a late term. At Orlando Women's Center, labor is induced and women deliver a premature infant. There doesn't even legally have to be an abortionist ("Doctor") present for the process. Another process is where they rip the baby apart and pull her out piece by piece. That is not illegal, even though it's just as gruesome. The whole thing is like illegalizing beating your wife by throwing bricks at her, while keeping it legal to beat her with a baseball bat or a chair. It's just ridiculous.

Each baby butchered at the hands of abortionists comes out equally dead, regardless of the procedure used. That, my friends, is the problem. America needs to repent of the sin of abortion in its totality...not just the "procedure" that happens to sound the most gruesome.

For those of you who think this, or any limitations on abortion, puts a damper on women's rights, kindly think again. God forbids the shedding of innocent blood. Abortion being legal does not make it right. It was legal just 3 generations ago to own black people; it was legal to lynch them. Was it right? Absolutely not. In Germany, just decades ago, it was legal to murder Jews. Was it right? Absolutely not. In both situations, it was because black and jews, respectively, were seen as sub-human that they were "allowed" the be slaughtered. Why is abortion legal? Because unborn babies are seen as less human. That's why the government sanctions their slaughter. Is it right? Absolutely not.

Women should not have any right to murder their children. The concept of abortion being constitutional due to right to privacy is absolutely ludicrous. The idea that it should be legal to protect women from back alley abortions is equally ludicrous. Why should murderers be safer while they murder? Maybe we should have little buildings all across town for moms to bring their 2 and 3 year olds into when they get stressed and don't feel like they are ready to be a Mom, so they can pay someone to kill them. It's no different. Abortion is this country's sacred cow. People know it's wrong; the conscience of every individual bears witness to that, until it becomes seared. And yet, because it's not "politically correct" to speak out against, people don't. They are cowards.

Abortion will not end until the hearts of Americans are changed by a Holy God. The hearts of Americans will not be changed by a Holy God until the hearts of professing Christians are changed by a Holy God. As David said, "Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee." It is only when people who profess to know God actually KNOW Him, and live in obedience to His command to preach the gospel to EVERY creature that people will be saved. Revival has to start in the churches, just as the cleansing in Ezekiel started in the temples. Until people fear God and preach repentance in His name (as Christ commanded) to those who are perishing, the slaughter of innocent children will continue in this country.

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness..."

Virginia Tech victim

2007-04-18T17:27:00.000-04:00

Lauren McCain, Christian homeschool grad. from Hampton, VA was one of those murdered in the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech. I found her MySpace today...the things people had to say about her in the comments are touching. What a legacy to leave, for the Lord's glory. May her godly life continue to touch people now that she is gone.

"God bless America"

2007-04-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

Today marked the first day of second trimester slaughters at Orlando Women's Center killing place for the week. Dad and I were the only Christians there, and the group was hard, hard, hard. In fact, not one person took a ministry packet. The first woman I talked to told me to shut up and pretty much completely ignored me. She talked on the phone, put her fingers in her ears, laughed...it's sad. Dad and I are in agreement in assuming she has probably murdered many babies; that's the only way an individual could seem so conscience-less. She even told the "Army Mom" mentioned below that she just wanted to get it over with and go home and sleep. "Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to go home and go to sleep." Being nonchalant while on the verge of committing one of the greatest atrocities under the sun is unfathomable.

Shortly after my first encounter with the aforementioned woman, "Army Mom" pulled up with a girl. Dad walked over to show them a fetal model and offer them a ministry packet, and they went and parked across the street. Dad followed them. "Army Mom" rolled down the window and yelled some; she told my Dad the baby wasn't a baby until "it" takes "its" first breath. She also said "This is God bless America." Presumably, she meant that the "legalized" slaughter of babies is God's blessing on our nation. Quite to the contrary, however, scripture says, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." As she rolled the window up, the young Mom she brought with her yelled "Read your Bible!"

As "Army Mom" walked up to the place of death, I called out to her. Instead of heading back to her car, she approached me, screaming at the top of her lungs. I backed away from her and she continued to follow me as I went backwards, getting increasingly closer and louder. Admittedly, I was quite nervous, as she certainly sounded QUITE angry, and appeared to be potentially violent. I was a coward as I feared man, who merely has power to kill the body. She backed away as my Dad walked up the driveway. He began to call out to her, and she went after him too.

She was screaming to Dad and I both about what horrific things were going on in Iraq and about how we needed to go over there and save the babies who are being killed. "GO TO IRAQ. GO TO IRAQ. GO TO IRAQ." However, what does the conflict in Iraq have to do with the slaughter of 4000 young Americans each and every day. This is not to minimize the tragic loss of life happening over seas, but I can't get to Iraq...however, I can get to Orlando Women's Center. Clearly, she wanted the focus removed from her own sin.

She came out a few times while Dad and I continued attempting to minister. Her behavior changed dramatically when she saw that we had a video camera. Praise the Lord that Patte left the camcorder with me. I know it is an honor to be persecuted for the faith, but I also believe we should take measures to protect ourselves against lawless men and women.

Dad preached the gospel after all the women were inside. They are able to hear inside when we use a small, plastic megaphone outside. After that, we left.

Tomorrow is the second and final day of these abortions. They are labor and delivery. Babies can be (and often are) born alive, delivered into toilets and left for dead. I am looking for a ministry partner for tomorrow; if God is willing, He'll provide one. If not, I will see it as His judgment on those mommies-gone-murderers as He with holds any preaching of His word to magnify what their consciences have told them. It is certainly my prayer that I'll be able to find someone to join me for an hour tomorrow morning...we shall see, though.

God will not bless a nation that continues on in the unrepentant murder of the weakest, most vulnerable, and innocent of its citizens. The greatest blessing America could receive right now is revival. Let us approach the throne of grace boldly and pray to this end.

The Heart of Murderers

2007-04-17T17:52:00.000-04:00

In view of the tragedy that took place yesterday at Virginia Tech. in Blackburg, VA, as 33 were shot and killed (including the murderer, who took his own life after slaughtering 32 people, including his girlfriend), the Desiring God Blog says the following, posted today:

While others are already making the Virginia Tech massacre a political issue and looking vehemently for someone to blame, let us remember that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Our hearts and the murderer’s.

No x-ray machines, revised gun laws, or fired college presidents will solve the problem. We need new hearts (Ezekiel 11:19, John 3:3). We need Jesus.

And to that, I give a hearty 'amen.'

Photo courtesy of FoxNews.

Sale of the Week at WTS Books!

2007-04-17T16:47:00.000-04:00

The on-line bookstore of Westminster Theological Seminary is going to be having a Sale of The Week each week for the coming weeks. The sale for this week is Reformed Classics, and there are a number excellent books at as much as 50% off! Authors include John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Martin Lloyd-Jones, and many more! The prices are great, and the authors are good...so check it out. :o) The link is only good through April 22.

Quick Update

2007-04-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

Hello, all! Life around here has been pretty good. God is faithful, indeed. I'm planning to be at the abortion mill 2 to 3 days (last week we were there for both late term killing days as well as early killing Saturday, and plan to do the same this week). I didn't have time to do an update on the goings on; perhaps I'll be able to this week.

I've been busy around the house doing chores, cooking, cleaning, etc. I made some cookies for my wonderful guy and sent them in the mail yesterday...hopefully they'll arrive and he'll enjoy them! Yep, I love him! :o) Thanks, Paola, for taking me to the post office!

I also did an auction for him, which is currently up on eBay. Click here to see it. In the coming weeks, I plan to work harder to promote his business; I want to do all I can to help, and it's a good way to prepare to be his own personal help meet, as well! Please pray for things to pick up soon, with his work.

Cleaning House

2007-04-11T14:19:00.000-04:00

So, what works for me this Wednesday is something I started recently, after being inspired by Erin's blog. I decided to make a few of my weekly chores daily chores. So now each morning, I clean the kitchen counter and sweep in addition to my chores for that day. Every evening before Dad gets home from work, I make an effort to declutter everything so the house looks really nice and clean. Then, I vacuum the main walkway of the house (basically, the front room and the den, and the inbetween space), as well as clean the kitchen counters. After I cook dinner, I do the counters and sink, and also sweep the floor. Vacuuming every day really helps, especially since we have two dogs. Cleaning the counters and sinks every day (and the toilets twice each week instead of once) gives our bathrooms a nice feel...like at a hotel, when every day the bathroom is neat and clean. :o)

One of Those Days

2007-04-10T14:08:00.000-04:00

Wow...today has just flown by, but at the same time...it's been one of those "blah" days.

I just got an alarm clock, so I've been using that instead of the alarm on my cell phone. The only problem is, I keep forgetting to turn it on. Whoops! I woke up at 4 this morning and looked at the clock, and I just had that feeling of "aaaah" because I realized I still had an hour left to sleep. Alas, the next time I woke up was 6--an hour late! So, I decided I'd just sleep until 7, when I talk to Ben. I have been getting up at 5 so I can do my devotions and go on the treadmill, and then shower before I talk to Ben. But alas, that plan failed.

At 7:04 (I had fallen back asleep), my phone rang and it was Ben. :o) (Yes, yes...I love the guy!) We talked until 8 or so, at which time I was going to go on the treadmill. However, my stomach alerted me that it was indeed hungry, so after checking my email and doing other things on the computer for a while, I made breakfast.

After breakfast, I piddled some and did the chores for today (well...half of them. Mom said she'd do the other half). Then, I got reeeeeeeally sleeeeeeepy. So, I decided to take a nap, and Mom said she'd wake me up at 11:40 (it was 10:55 when I got in bed). I think I finally fell asleep about 11:30. Mom came in at 12....and then again at 12:30. Yes, that's right. I took an hour long nap. :O

I got up and messed on the computer some, watched an adorable video on Crystal's blog (of none other than the adorable Kathrynne, Crystal's little girl) and then went to eat a roll to hold me over until after I ran (I was hungry for lunch, as I overslept).

Finally around 1:30, after stewing about it for a while, I got on the treadmill...and now here I am.

I don't like these days; I hate not getting a lot done. We are commanded to redeem the time, by our Lord, and that is certainly something to take seriously. Hopefully, the rest of my day will be productive. :o)

Blessings!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-04-09T07:22:00.000-04:00

Unlike most people this week, we won't be having ham leftovers. Our church had a fellowship meal after church, so we didn't make an Easter feast. I'm trying a lot of new recipes this week, so hopefully they all turn out well!

Monday~pepper steak with rice and salad
Tuesday~grilled chicken salads
Wednesday~chicken with curry sour cream sauce, rice, and steamed broccoli
Thursday~pork chop and potato skillet
Friday~Tacos
Saturday~Leftovers

Click here for more Menu Plan Monday posts.

Works for Me Wednesday: The Car Edition

2007-04-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

Ever since I started spending time with Ben's family, I've been in a vehicle with many, many people on a fairly regular basis, and while I'm no expert, I've picked up some tips along the way:

When one person stops to use the bathroom, have everyone go even if they don't "need" to...chances are, they will in the next couple of hours.
When stopping for food, have one person order everything for the whole group. If eating in the car, be sure to collect trash at the end of the meal so it doesn't get left in the vehicle for days at a time.
Throw trash out at every stop.
When we go on tour, we are on the road a lot for about a week at a time. One thing that is good to do in this type of scenario is to straighten out the van on a regular (daily, at least) basis. That way, when you get home after a week of being on the road, there isn't 2 hours of cleaning to do before the van is presentable.
If there are small children, it's good to have someone older near them who is authoritative, to stop arguments and rough housing, and to make sure they're not doing crazy things like crawling into the back where the suitcases are, etc.

So, that's what works for me.

This Week at the Shop

2007-04-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

Ben has this lovely birdhouse up for auction on eBay this week. Its frame is made from Southern Yellow Pine and the trim, windows, and doors are all Mahogany. The stone foundation is actually made of wood, and each stone is handcarved by Ben, giving it a quite realistic look! The starting bid is $150...even if you don't plan to purchase, at least head on over and check it out! God has truly gifted him with quite a talent!

30 Day Organizational Challenge, Pt. 2

2007-04-03T16:09:00.000-04:00

I know, I know...I already did a post about this just a couple of hours ago, but alas...I've decided to tackle our guest room, as well. I mean, really...I'm a stay-at-home daughter, not even doing schooling right now. If I tweak my schedule only a little bit, I certainly ought to be able to tackle this room, also. As a side note: the only reason the bed isn't made is because we just washed the sheets and haven't made it yet. It's usually made beautifully. :o) Without further ado, here is the room!

So, I don't really even know what all is in there, but I imagine plenty can be gotten rid of. It's so refreshing to throw things away, don't you think? *grin* So, here is my plan, just like last time:

1. What do I want the purpose of my room to be?
It's a guest room...so it should house guests, comfortably, and just look pretty the rest of the time. :) The closet can be used for storage of things like suitcases (which we have in there now), but ought to look nice anyway.

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?
Well, a bed...a dresser, night stands. Those things are all in there. I don't know what all is in there, but I imagine some of it will be staying; it just needs to stay in a more organized way.

3. What can I remove from the room?
I don't know yet! :o) I'll figure it out when I go through everything.

4. What problems do I see with this room?
Well, it is a little small for the bed that's in there. Since it's only a guest room, it doesn't need to have extra space like my room and my parents' room, though. It just means that if there's anything around that isn't in its place it looks messier. The corner and closet really need to be tackled.

5. What organizational tools might solve these problems?
Trash bags :o) Haha...just kidding. A lot of it doesn't actually need to be thrown away. I just need to find a place for everything. Perhaps a couple of bins for the closet; other than that...I shouldn't need much else!

6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems?
We need to stop putting things in the closet in a messy way; the corner needs to stay neater...I don't really know that we have any other habits, though.

7. What kind of budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?
I don't want to spend a lot preferably under $20.

8. What kind of timeline is necessary to organize the room?
I've got 30 days to do this one and the laundry room.

9. What is my plan of action?

Take everything out of the corner, closet, and dresser and sort through all of it. Throw things away, send things to good will.
Organize the things we decide to keep.

10. Who can I ask to help me with this?
Maybe my Mom :o) Actually, I know she'll need to help me, because the stuff in there doesn't belong to me, so I can't just go throwing things away!

30 Day Organizational Challenge

2007-04-03T12:22:00.000-04:00

Laura over at Org Junkie is hosting a 30 day Organizational Challenge. I am going to do our laundry room for the challenge. I have done a lot of organizing in the past few months, but that is one place I haven't yet dared to tackle...but it needs doing, as you can clearly see in the pictures below:

Needless to say, it needs some work. So now, for my plan of attack. The following questions are included in Laura's post on planning your challenge here. :o)

1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be?
Well, it's our laundry room, so it's main purpose is laundry (duuuh), but I'd also like to be able to store all our cleaning supplies in there in an organized fashion, and not be embarassed to open the door when we have company!

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?
I need our washer and drier (no problem; they're already there...I'm going to clean under them though!), detergent, etc, for laundry, and our other cleaning supplies, plus the mop and broom.

3. What can I remove from the room?
Nothing, really; it's a matter of getting it properly organized. I'm sure I'll throw away some old cleaning stuff we don't and won't use.

4. What problems do I see with the room?
For one, our dogs sleep in there, so the floor has to have their blankets on it, as it's a tile floor and they are old dogs. With those there, it doesn't seem like it will ever look 100% wonderful. Also, shelving space is limited. There is one long shelf to store all supplies on. Also, the wonderfully large sink (as shown in the picture above) is un-wonderfully dirty. I think it's probably stained with paint and other things.

5. What organizational tools might solve those problems?
I'll probably get some storage bins to keep the different types of cleaner organized.

6. What habits need to change in order to solve the organizational problems?
I think I use the room more than my parents, since I do a lot of the chores around here, so they're (probably) my bad habits, for the most part, that keep it messy. One habit I need to change is not just setting the cleaning supplies on top of the drier once I'm done with them, or shoving them on the shelves, wherever they happen to fit.

7. What kind of budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?
I don't plan to spend too much, hopefully under $20. All I need to buy are storage bins, so it shouldn't be too pricey.

8. What kind of timeline is necessary to organize this room?
I'm going to do it in under 30 days, since the challenge only lasts that long. My Wednesday chore is organizing, so I will focus my morning cleaning efforts each Wednesday on the laundry room.

9. What is my plan of action?

Sort through the cleaning supplies on the shelf and drier and see what can be thrown out. Organizing remaining supplies into categories.
Purchase bins to store each type of supply in, and put them on the shelf.
Move washer and drier and clean under and behind them.
Find some way to clean the sink.
Think of a way to keep it neat, even with the dog stuff

10. Who can help me with this?
I plan to do most of it myself, though my Mom will probably help some, if she wants to. :o) And, hopefully, my Dad will supply the 'funds'...stay-at-home daughters don't make a very high salary these days! *wink*

God's Intention in the Atonement of Christ, by C.H. Spurgeon

2007-04-03T12:09:00.000-04:00

We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is, on the other hand, our opponents limit it; we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, “No, certainly not.” We ask them the next question–Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, “No.” They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They say, “No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if” –and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say we limit Christ’s death; we say, “No, my dear sir, it is you that do it.” We say that Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.

Vacuum Giveaway

2007-04-02T18:10:00.000-04:00

I discovered a site today called 5 Minutes for Moms, through the OrgJunkie blog. They are giving away a brand new Dyson Slim vacuum cleaner. The contest ends on Wednesday, April 4th. You have to add your name to the Mr. Linky by 1pm Eastern Time. I am not a Mom at this point in time, but I have a Mom who doesn't have a blog...and since I should be getting married sometime, I imagine I will be a Mom eventually, if God is willing. :o)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-04-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

Monday: Leftover Chicken, broccoli
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Salads
Wednesday: Italian Chicken, rice, salad
Thursday: White Chili
Friday: Tacos
Saturday: leftover tacos
Sunday: We will remember our LORD's resurrection with our precious church family!

Hopefully, my family will enjoy it! :o) I love doing menu plans. It saves money, and helps me save time, too! I found "Menu Plan Monday" on Christine's blog.

My Story, Part 2: I'm a Bible Thumper now! :D

2007-04-02T16:01:00.000-04:00

So, the years following my joining the church, I didn't really change any, except ofor the worse...not what is to be expected from a new convert, eh? I finished up elementary school and started middle school...I was a typical kid. I had started getting into things I shouldn't have, like using foul language, hanging out with bad kids.

In seventh grade, I started going to the student center at church for Sunday school as well as Wednesday night activities. During this school year, I started becoming aware of the urgency of evangelism, towards the end of the year. I think God was working on me, preparing me for what was the come.

Every summer, the student center at FBCO hosts "Camp Orlando". It's a week-long trip. We stayed in cabins, and they had someone come out and preach 2-3 times each day; it was almost always the same person each day. During the day, aside from the 'fun stuff,' we met with a small group a couple times each day. We would talk about all sorts of spiritual things, like what needed to get out of our lives that wasn't pleasing to God, what people we needed to stop hanging out with, and other such things.

One night, the camp preacher was talking about how important it was to live in a way that glorified God, if we were going to call ourselves Christians. I don't remember all that was said, but it really hit home for me. I felt an incredible conviction of my sin, and cried out to God asking for forgiveness, and asking for Him to help me live in a way that pleased Him...to help me stop doing things that were sinful. Literally, immediately, it just 'clicked.' I stopped cursing right away; it hasn't been the slightest struggle since. A passion grew in me to read and understand God's word, to pray more. I suddenly desired fellowship; I wanted to talk about the things of God. The following school year, people even noticed I was a different person. I evangelized the best I knew how, whenever I got a chance.

Later that summer, I spent three weeks at Appalachian State University, taking a class through Duke TiP. There, my faith was tried. I wasn't quite sure exactly how to go about sharing the gospel, but I certainly knew I needed to. I developed a certain reputation there. While there were a lot of things I could have said and done differently, had I had more knowledge, God used that time to grow me, and hopefully seeds were planted, despite my ignorance about many things.

The first time I was ever 'persecuted' happened to be that first week at TiP. It just so happened that right after it was over, I went to read my Bible, and read the beattitudes for the first time in my life.

"Blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you."

Also that summer while I was gone, my Mom's Mom (the one I'm named after) died, after a long battle with emphysema, a lung condition caused by her years of smoking. She had lived with us since I was two, so this was a very hard time for me. How thankful I am that I was able to press into God during that time.

At the time, I didn't relize the reality that I had just been saved at camp; I was told I had recommitted my life. However, looking back, in view of what scripture says about salvation, I have no doubt that until that night, I was still a hell-bound rebel in the Kingdom of God. I don't go to FBCO anymore, so I don't go to Camp Orlando either. However, God used that year at camp to finally get it through to me to repent of my sins and start living for Him, to submit to His Lordship. For that, I am ever grateful.

No matter how much our Lord changes me, there is still so much more left. Since that summer, I have learned a lot more, and grown a lot in my walk with the Lord...but there is still so much more to learn, so much more growing to do. How I long for glory, when we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!

Into the Field of Souls

2007-03-31T06:02:00.000-04:00

I'm off to the abortion mill this morning...it's supposed to be a "full house"...40 mommies have made appointments to slaughter their precious little ones today. If you read this before it's too late, please pray that babies would be saved from their imminent death, and also that souls would be spared from the wrath of God.

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? ~Prov. 24:11-12

When will the church in America wake up, and see what Christ died for? They are millions of little babies being ripped to pieces in our own back yards; billions of people headed for a devil's hell. We can't just sit back and act like we don't know; God knows we know...and we'll all be held accountable for our apathy!

My Story: Part 1, The Younger Years

2007-03-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

So, I've decided after a bit of thinking, that I will share my testimony. This will be in parts because it's long, but I figure if you want to read my blog, you might as well know where I'm coming from. It might be boring for some (maybe even most), but alas...it will encompass a lot of aspects of my life, beginning when I was just a wee one, all the way through when I became a true, born again Christian. Thinking back on my life, and seeing God's clear hand in it really makes me wonder how people can not believe in the sovereignty of God (popularly known as the five points of Calvinism *grin*), but I digress....that is another topic for another day.

I was my parents' first (and only) child, born in a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Mom and Dad hadn't planned me, but I do suppose that since I came into being, God did! :o) So, two years (just about) into my parents marriage, I was born. I was almost Geneva, and I was almost Sofia...but I ended up being Mary Jo(sephine), after my maternal Grandmother. I think the name fits rather nicely; it's grown on me these past 17 years, I reckon.

Fastforward a couple of years: My parents were not Christians when I was a little girl, but my Dad's Mother was faithful to the Lord. She began taking me to church with her every Lord's Day, when I was quite young. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and when my Grandparents took a long trip to Florida, I was still anxious to attend church, so Mom and Dad decided they'd go ahead and take me. This was huge. I truly believe it was the answer to my Grandmother's prayers, as the prayers of the righteous do truly avail much! Just years before, my Dad had been embarassed that his mother was a Baptist, and certainly did not want to get married in a Baptist church...but one fine Sunday morning, he found himself sitting in a pew (probably close to the back, but I could be wrong...I never asked about that detail), with his wife, in the very Baptist church he had opted OUT of getting married in. Eventually, Grandma and Grandpa came back to North Carolina, and Mom and Dad kept on going to church. Within the next year or so, they both professed faith in Christ and were baptized together. This was probably the beginning of the path to becoming true Christians, but I think they would both say they were genuinely converted later on.

Now, we can fast forward a few more years. When I was four, we moved to a small town in Ohio where my Dad had been hired to be the publisher of the newspaper (it had a different name back then, and was owned by a different publishing company). After a series of completely crazy events, we ended up leaving there to come to the sunshine state when I was just a few weeks shy of turning 8. Dad moved before Mom and I did, as he needed to start working right away, so he found a church that we would attend together when his girls (Mom and I) joined him in Florida.

The following summer, I went to Vacation Bible School. It was that week at VBS that I asked Jesus into my heart, or accepted Him as my Lord and Savior (however you want to put it). Of course, I now know that that is not the Biblical gospel (accepting Him as your Lord--aka MASTER--and Savior can be biblical, depending on what is meant by it, but it is generally preached as a form of antinomianism), but at the time it was what I was told was true. (for those of you who preach that...try to find where it says in scripture that that's what we're to do) I recall at one point even asking my Dad where it said it in the Bible. "I'm sure it's there," I said, believing what I'd been taught at church, "But I'm just wondering where." We never did find the passage. The following December I was baptized, and joined the church.

At this point in time, I would venture to say that my "conversion" was a false profession. While I had done what they said I needed to do to be saved, there were a couple of problems. Namely, what they said doesn't square up with what God's Word says; that is "Repent and believe the gospel!" Needless to say, I had not repented, and my belief didn't really go deeper than an acknowledgment of the facts--Jesus died for my sins on the cross so I could go to heaven.

So, that's the beginning of my story as well as I can remember it. I praise God for those years, but thank Him for His mercy and forgiveness in that I did not live any of them for Him. But, He knew every detail of my life before I was even conceived; in fact, before the world was even created.

Stay tuned for Part 2 (I haven't come up with a title for it yet :oD )!

My Hope Chest

2007-03-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

Ben built me a hope chest while we were together this month! It is so beautiful, and is currently adorning my bedroom. We brought it into the house on Tuesday, and he helped me put my (eventually our) things into it! It's made of very nice pine, and it has a cedar lining, to prevent bugs from eating linens and other such things; I hope to have a number of linens ready for when we get married, so that was a nice touch! The latch is a window latch, which I'm sure will prove to be nice and child proof, should the Lord choose to bless us with children after we're married. Along with the hinges, there is a hinge of some sort that we found to hold the lid open, which is nice, since it is such a heavy lid...it makes it easier to close, and it's conventient to be able to keep it open. It matches the bedroom furniture my parents are going to give us after we're married (that's why I picked that stain). The pictures were taken in my front yard before we brought it in.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a handcrafted, custom hope chest, let me know! If you email me (or just comment, if you'd rather) specifications for size, type of wood etc, I could get Ben to quite you a price. They can be made nearly any size, with any kind of wood and whatever hardware you like. It's hard to find a nice, quality hope chest these days, so this is rare! I've wanted one for quite some time...long before I knew Ben. I think it's pretty neat that he was able to make it for me. :o)

Yes, I'm in love! :oD

2007-03-29T16:18:00.000-04:00

Us out back yesterday before he left

Ben left yesterday morning; I cried as always. I just love having him around. He is my closest friend, and the love of my life! Things just feel perfect (most of the time *wink*) when we're together. He's such a godly man...I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

Sorry for my extended absense from the blog-world. I should be back permanently; when Ben is here, he takes priority over my blog (I'm sure y'all understand)! :o)

I'm Back :o)

2007-03-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a million years since I've posted.

When life throws lots of wonderful things at you all at once, blogging doesn't take priority. :o) I'm with my beloved, and we've been doing all sorts of things out and about, and I love spending time with him more than I love blogging! haha

But just a bit about what's going on...don't forget about me, readers!

We spent a week at his family's house. While we were there, he made me a beeeautiful hope chest, which was a bit broken after it was shipped here (it ended up a smidge too big to put in the car), so he'll fix it tomorrow or Tuesday, so that is VERY exciting! I've been desiring a hope chest for quite some time, and who would've known that my future DH would be the one to build it? :)

We got to my house this past Monday, after an uneventful drive down. On the way, we stopped to drop off two birdhouses at a store that had its grand opening on March 15; the owner wants Ben's products in her shop...we're praying this will be the huge income boost we need to get married! May God's will be done in all things!! :o)

Since we've been here, we've had plenty of fun. One day, we went to Bright Light Books, a wonderful used bookstore (it started as a Christian bookstore, so they have a very large Christian section). Between the two of us, we had $60 worth of credit there, after trading in some books, plus I had $16 left from my last trade in, so we got lots of books (the total was $100, so we paid $24):

~The Fundamentals (2 vols.)
~The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible(5 vols.), recommended in Knowing Scripture
~The New Bible Commentary, also recommended in Knowing Scripture
~The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible
~The Person and Work of Christ
~The Religious Affections
~The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination
~Matthew Henry's Commentary (unabridged in 1 vol.)

Those were all very good buys, by very godly men of the past. I'm so thankful our Lord has blessed us with their writings!

This week was also the Ligonier Ministries National Conference, which was held in Orlando. Ben and I went, and boy was it wonderful! The topic for this year was Contending for the Faith, and the speakers were R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul, Jr., John Piper, John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Jr., and Ravi Zacharias. It was such an edifying and informative time...I've very thankful for the opportunity we had to attend! We also bought some books there (...can you tell we love good books? *grin*). Here are the titles:
~Meet the Puritans (it was buy 2, get 1 free)
~A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity
~Contending for Our All

The conference ended yesterday, and today was a blessed Sabbath. My Pastor preached an amazing sermon from the beginning of Matthew 25, the parable of the 10 Virgins(it's hard to believe he's only got 3 and a half chapters left!)...it brought me to tears more than once. I truly fear for the lost. How fearful it would be to fancy yourself a true believer, and stand before God and find out you're not, and it's too late to repent, too late to be saved; to say "Lord, Lord" to Christ and be told He never knew you, as His holy angels cast you into hell, to be tormented for eternity, knowing if you had only repented, you could be rejoicing in Heaven, enjoying God forever. May we all examine ourselves to see whether we be in the faith!

After church, Pastor and his wife invited us over to their home for Sunday dinner! That was also a huge blessing. It was a sweet time of fellowship.

Well, I better get going because folks (Ben and Mom and I...Dad is out of town) are getting hungry! :)

Many blessings,
Mary Jo

Late Nights at Grandma's House

2007-03-04T09:35:00.000-05:00

So, as of Thursday, I am in North Carolina at my Grandma's house. After a flight delayed 3 hours due to bad weather, Dad and I landed at about midnight and got here in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, and we went to bed at about 3! That is 5 hours later than my normal bed time, so I slept pretty late on Friday (about 9:30, I believe). We are here celebrating my Grandma's birthday...when we arrived, my Aunt Dana, whose family lives in south FL, was already here. Friday night, my cousin, Katie, and her husband, Chris, came, as well as my Aunt Dianne, and very late, my Aunt Debbie arrived. We've had a really nice time, although I haven't gone to bed before 1:30 since I've been here. . .my schedule is totally out of whack! That's fine, though. I've really enjoyed the fellowship with my family. Everyone but me is leaving today. This afternoon, Ben is coming here after church (his church is halfway between his house and Grandma's) to pick me up (yaaay!). We're leaving tomorrow morning sometime to go back to his family's house. I can't wait to see him *grin*

We'll be at their house for a week, and then we head back to Orlando. I'm not sure how long he's staying, but I'm sure happy that we'll have a nice long visit! He's coming down for the Ligonier Ministry's national conference. We're going to that together, and then he's going to stay a few extra days once it's over. :o)

I don't know if I'll get to post at all until I get home, but if Ben decides to take a nap or something (which seems unlikely), I'll try!

Have a BLESSED Sabbath!
Mary Jo

Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead

2007-02-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-26T19:06:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-23T17:02:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-23T16:48:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-22T06:55:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-19T19:11:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-02-19T17:18:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-02-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-15T14:52:00.000-05:00

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"

2007-02-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-14T12:50:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-02-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

...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

2007-02-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

"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

2007-02-12T17:49:00.000-05:00

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!