My December 14th

Every year at Christmas time I struggle.

Even though I love the sights, the sounds, 

the reason for the season!

I fall in love with Jesus all over again!

 As I have become a mother myself, I ponder what Mary must have thought as she felt my Saviour kicking inside her womb. So young, and not having been known by any man, yet with child. What courage! What faith! What pain and hardship she endured to bring us our Redeemer. She could never have fully understood when she said "yes" to God how her actions would effect so many lives for eternity. I love Christmas!

But just eleven days before Christmas, when I was just eleven years old I was faced with something no eleven year old should have to go through. I was home alone for the morning babysitting my two younger brothers when my mischievous four year-old brother accidentally set fire to our house. He never escaped the home. The fire fighters found his body hidden under his bed in his bedroom upstairs. The smoke was too toxic. The heat was too intense. My eight year-old brother and I made it out alive though. Despite my best efforts to reenter the house twice, I could not save my baby brother.

For 27 years I have lived with this horrific memory. This is the reason for my struggle with the holiday season. I do love this time of year though. I love to celebrate Jesus, but I am also reminded that my brother didn't make it out of that house alive. I have faith however, that he is now WITH Jesus.

This is my December 14th.

Last Spring, I had a nightmare. I have not had, thankfully, any really scary dreams since losing my brother. But this dream was vivid and in full color. I was being chased by a woman with long dark hair. She had a gun.

I was running from her.

I realized I would not outrun her.

I stopped.

I decided to face her, even though I knew she had a gun.

She stopped chasing me and walked closer.

She smiled, a twisted, evil smile.

She raised her gun and pointed it at me.

I shuddered.

She shook her head as if to say, "no".

She smiled again, that same twisted, evil smile.

She began to hand the gun to me.

I refused!

She forced the gun into my hand and raised my hand up to the side of my head.

She wanted me to pull the trigger on myself!

I immediately dropped the gun and cried out...

and then I woke up....

When I got up that morning and told my dream over to my family it was then that I realized that the woman in my dream was my guilt. She chases me and hunts me down, she tries to get me to destroy my own life at my own hand. I refuse to live in guilt even though she is always there. I have guilt not only because I was the one babysitting when my brother caught fire to the house, I have a second form of guilt, survivor's guilt. How can I live when I know that my brother is gone? It makes me sick in my stomach some days. A piece of my heart is stripped from the fabric of my being. My brothers tiny little voice echoes in my head, "Jen!" The last words he ever called to me before he drew his last breath.

Just in the last few weeks, my nightmare has begun to stare me in the face. In other words, I can see my dream of the woman chasing me while I am awake as clear as I did when I was dreaming it. My dream is haunting me even while I am staring at the t.v. watching a show. It isn't all the time, but it's enough to take me back, and remember, and pray. I move on. I take another breath. I live.

Then in the midst of planning my husband's 40th birthday party my Facebook began to light up with comments about yet another school shooting. This time it is children, lots of little children. Children my own children's age. Children similar to my brother's age when he died. There is a man, with a gun. And he is real. And the horrific events that followed are just tearing me up inside. My own vision of a woman with a gun tries to press in, guilt mixes with grief. A deep, deep grief.
I draw my beautiful daughter closer.

 I hold her tight and try to study her. Try to make every single moment of her life matter to me. Her smile, her laughter, her likes, her wants, her needs, her graceful dancing, the way she hugs her baby brother, and takes her younger sister by the hand for tea parties, how she begs her older brother for piggy back rides, I drink it all in. I soak in my blessings of my daughter. I get to tuck her in at night knowing there are 20 families that won't get to do what I do each night as routine. It is all a miracle. Our children are all blessings.
Why God? Oh why? We all cry it, we all want answers. But no other answer can comfort more than the fact that I have faith that God knows us. He sees us. He meets us, right where we are at. He put on human flesh and came into our stinky world in order to save us from it. To save us from ourselves.

  "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)



So we put on our faith. Faith that God was there even in the midst of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Protecting many from harm and holding the wounded. Yes, God was there. Evil may have raised it's head, but God was there.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

There is evil all around us. But its days are short lived. God will be victorious. These children no longer suffer but rest peacefully in the arms of our Heavenly Father's loving embrace.

But as so many of us weep for the tragic loss of twenty little precious lives...who weeps for the more than 3,200 babies who are murdered EVERY DAY before they ever get to take their first breath? Who weeps for the baby torn limb from limb every 23 seconds in AMERICA? Who weeps for the little ones, unplanned, unwanted, yet still perfect, created in the image of our God, yet tossed in the garbage bins? Since Roe v. Wade it is estimated that there have been more than 54 MILLION babies lost to abortion. Who weeps for them? God does. God cares. God sees. He says vengeance is His alone.

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord." Romans 12:19

 I will trust God does not stand silently by allowing our country to murder our own children, there will be Justice. In what form, in what time, I do not know.

Residents of Newtown, CT will heal with time. They are a beautiful community and they will find a way to honor the dead and move on, even though their lives may never be the same.
Twenty-seven years have passed since the loss of my brother. Time does heal a great deal of the pain. Special dates force us to remember. My December 14th is now America's December 14th.
We will never forget.

Justin R. Chute

January 9, 1981-December 14, 1985

We will never forget!

Carrie and Bandit by Vicki Watson Book 2 in Sonrise Stable Series

Christian Horse Books For Children

I have been reading and reviewing a lot of great inspiring Christian books recently but when I found that I had the chance to review a Christian book written for homeschooling families about horses I jumped at the chance to be on the review team!
I had the opportunity to review the second book in the series of Sonrise Stable: Carrie and Bandit by Vicki Watson.

"The Sonrise Stable series is the heartwarming, continuing story of an extended homeschooling family as they live, learn, and love together. Mixing adventure, life lessons, and realistic horse experiences, the series is a must for readers who enjoy family values, Christian faith, and, of course, horses!"

Carrie and Bandit continues where Rosie and Scamper left off.

Carrie can't believe it—she has a horse of her own and is only weeks away from being adopted by the most loving family she's ever known. But Bandit is harder to manage than she first imagined—and the adoption might not go as smoothly as she thought either. When a bad decision jeopardizes everything, Carrie learns what it means to be forgiven and truly loved.

Scriptural themes: Our adoption as children of God, Romans 8:14-17

Read an excerpt from Carrie and Bandit

My Thoughts:

My daughters and I really loved this book, the second in the series. I loved the fact that the girls in the story were homeschooled and my own daughters could relate to them. My daughters also love horses but we do not own a horse. The author, Vicki Watson weaves her real experiences with riding and training horses right into the stories so we found it was a lot of fun to learn more about horses as the story unfolded!

I also loved the story line in this book. Carrie is preparing to be adopted into a new family. Just as Carrie can compare adopting a new horse to her own adoption into a new family, we could compare the book and being adopted into God's family through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

There is an important part of the story that occurs, I won't give it away here, but this really impacted my daughter. She is only five but could relate to the sin that was committed. Being able to read about a character's flaws and how the circumstances are resolved Biblically and lovingly really helped my daughter to see that everyone makes mistakes but we can be forgiven!

I was checking out the Sonrise Stable website and I saw that there were some fun contests my daughters could enter and that they also sell jewelry to go along with the books!

I am thinking of purchasing this necklace to go along with this book for my daughter. This necklace plays an important part in the book and I know it will have significant meaning to my daughter as she was really impacted by this story.

This book is a great read. Young girls ages 8-12 would have a wonderful time reading this on their own. My girls are five and three so I read the book to them but it this made our reading time all the more enjoyable. A good Christian, homeschooling tale about horses and adoption into God's Kingdom!

Here we are reading Carrie and Bandit.

I think this book would make a wonderful Christmas gift when bundled with a piece of jewelry too!

Sonrise Stable Website

Follow Sonrise Stables on Twitter.

Purchase the book here or at Amazon.

ISBN: 978-0984724215 | List Price: $9.95 | Format: Softcover | Page Count: 149

I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

NuNaturals Stevia A Review and Give Away!

I was thrilled to learn I was accepted to take part in an NuNaturals sampling as part of Christian Women Affiliates! I have used stevia products in the past but I was excited to learn more about this particular company and why their products are superior to others on the market. I thought I was going to to be sampling lemon, orange, and vanilla NuStevia, but I was given so much more to try than that!

Just look at all the wonderful products I was sent!

In addition to vanilla, orange, and lemon NuStevia,

I was sent a box of 50 packets of NuStevia Powder,

Peppermint NuStevia,

Alcohol Free NuStevia,

and a 3 oz. container of NuStevia Prebiotic Blend!

My daughters and I set to work right away taste testing each of the NuStevia Pure Liquid products.

The orange and lemon were FANTASTIC! So bold and flavorful, so true to their names, they tasted just like orange and lemon!

The vanilla was wonderful, but it was the peppermint that got me excited! We put drops of NuStevia Peppermint our tongues and it was like we were in in one of those York Peppermint Patty commercials being whisked away to a winter wonderland! Our taste buds soared with the fresh taste of peppermint and sweetness of stevia minus a bitter aftertaste that can come with other stevia products.

My sample products also came with a pack full of recipes to try out our new NuNaturals pure liquids.

I found so many wonderful recipes, particularly if you have a gluten-free allergy or if you are diabetic. We have none of these in my family, so why would I want to use stevia products in my home and in my cooking? Well, the number one reason I love NuNaturals products is to cut back on the amount of sugar we all consume in our home. These NuNaturals stevia products do not raise your blood sugar levels like when we use real sugar.

Here is a little bit about blood sugar levels and how they can effect your health:

"Blood sugar levels are one of the most discussed aspects of health with regards to diabetes but proper maintenance of blood sugar levels is also an important part of maintaining overall health. This article will give you blood sugar management tips as well as explaining just what blood sugar levels are and how they affect our health. First lets begin by explaining what blood sugar is. Glucose or sugar is the primary energy source for mammals and other animals, lipids (i.e. fats and oils) are another source but they are primarily a compact energy store. Blood sugar or blood glucose level is a measurement of glucose present in an animal, in mammals this level usually stays in a closely controlled range called the reference range and it is tightly regulated as part of metabolic homeostasis. Changes in blood sugar levels either increases or decreases from within the reference range do not usually have many negative consequences but chronically being outside this range can lead to many serious health conditions."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Orange NuNaturals Stevia and Blueberry Scones

(Here is a photo of my scones made for my family of 8!)

These were delicious! I used packets of powdered stevia for the scone batter and orange NuStevia to flavor the batter and the glaze. The recipe I used said it was for two people. I have 8 in my family so I octupled the recipe! The recipe called for two packets of stevia with 1/4 cup of flour. I used 2 cups of flour and 16 packets of stevia. Obviously I would have to buy the stevia in cans to cook this recipe frequently but for two people, two packets of stevia would be easy on my wallet.

Here is the original recipe:

Blueberry-Orange Scones For Two

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 TB oats

2 packets NuNaturals NuStevia White Stevia Powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp dairy-free butter

3 TB dairy-free milk (unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk)

20 drops of NuNaturals Orange Liquid Stevia

1/4 cup blueberries

(Optional Glaze)

2 TB powdered sugar

Few drops of water or dairy-free milk

Add drops of NuNaturals Orange Liquid Stevia to taste

Stir until you attain the consistency you desire

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In small bowl, mix together flour, oats, stevia packets powder, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into the mixture, and mix until combined.

Add milk and Orange Liquid Stevia to the dry ingredients.

Fold in blueberries, don't over-mix.

Flatten dough into a 3 X 3 inch square. Cut diagonally to form 2 triangles.

Bake for 17-20 minutes on a greased pan.

Drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

While I am blogging this I am enjoying this lovely cup of raspberry tea flavored with Lemon NuStevia. I was looking at their website and one of their suggestions was to add a few drops of vanilla too. What a delicious taste! I never would have thought of that! The raspberry tea is flavorful, the lemon is bold, but the vanilla is oh so soothing and sweet! The flavors blend and my tongue is just bursting with happiness in so many areas with the mix of flavors!

I've also been adding the NuNaturals  NuStevia Prebiotic Blend to my tea.

This is what the company has to say about the Prebiotic Blend.

"NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ uses Tagatose a natural sweetener that is produced from milk. NuStevia™ Prebiotic Blend™ will have absolutely no effect on blood sugar levels and is safe for both Type I and II diabetics. It is very low on the glycemic index as well.

The Tagatose used in NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ helps feed the good bacteria in your digestive system.

NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ contains 60% more Stevia extract than most other brands on the market. The cost to get the same sweet taste of other brands can be up to 2 1/2 times more expensive compared to NuNaturals. NuNaturals NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ will save you money.

NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ come in a convenient spice jar with a multiple opening cap. This makes it easy to sprinkle or pour the powder."

I'm all for feeding the good bacteria as I have read all about how sugar feeds the bad bacteria in our guts. I also like the added value.  I can use less to get the same sweetness level I crave at a fraction of the cost of other prebiotic brands on the market!

                                               

You can "like" NuNaturals on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

And because you have been such a wonderful follower of my blog and these products are really that fantastic, I am able to offer you 15% off your ENTIRE order when you use the Discount Code: BLG1212

This offer is good through December 31, 2012. Also, all orders placed totaling over $35 will receive FREE shipping to the Continental U.S.

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received NuNaturals products free to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Crowned By The King

I was sitting in church this past summer and had the most incredible experience. 

I was standing there, eyes closed, hands raised, and as I sang praises to Jesus, I encountered Him in a very personal way. 

Now this wasn't the first time God had met me here like this. I had had two other very emotional visits with Jesus and the Holy Spirit over the last few months. One of those I received the gift of tongues, and another, Jesus set me free from some sort of a prison I had been unaware I had kept myself locked in. But back to this moment.

I saw Jesus, step down off the stage where we were worshiping him. He was smiling and swaying with all our praises, keeping step with the beat of the music. He was so happy with us! He started coming down the center aisle and began to sway and walk in my direction.

 Again, still smiling. I looked away as he locked eyes on me. He couldn't be looking at me! I opened my eyes and looked to my left and saw my family standing there worshiping God, so I closed my eyes again and lifted my praise to God even higher. Jesus was closer than ever! He came down the center aisle and stopped at my row! He leaned in and began to lift the most amazing crown from his head.

photo credit

(It didn't look anything like this, but you get the point!)

 It was royal and clearly the most amazing crown anyone would ever lay eyes on, covered in jewels and very regal looking. Jesus, smiled, and began to lift the crown from his head and toward me!

I opened my eyes and again looked away from my vision to my left where my family was still standing and worshiping. "This can't be!" I thought, so I closed my eyes again wondering what on earth this was all about and sang and worshiped my Jesus with all my heart and soul and strength. But Jesus was closer than ever this time! He leaned in and placed His crown on my head!  

"This can't be!" I thought again, but Jesus kept smiling and said, "this is for you!"

So I have been trying to process this "crowning moment" all summer. I've been trying to figure out why Jesus wanted to crown ME while also trying not to figure it out and just embrace the moment and relish the fact that Jesus wanted to meet me in a real way, even though no one would probably believe me! 

Then last month I was introduced to this amazing necklace ministry called, "Crowned By The King".

I was chosen to be a part of this amazing ministry to encourage women to remind them of their beauty, their value, and their purpose in Christ.

When I received my necklace I fell in love with it!

I wanted immediately to give one to every woman I know, including my daughters, my mother, my sister, my cousins, my friends! What an amazing necklace to remind us that we are daughters of the King of Kings! 

But the one woman I knew in my life whom I wanted to give this necklace to I knew could really use it. She had just recently had to step down from leading our moms group at our church in order to take a full time job. Sometimes life can be difficult and while her heart was still very much with us moms this amazing friend has stepped back from leading our moms group in order to provide for her family. I know this has been a difficult time for her. She has spent the last three years running our moms group and raising her two children while working part time. To work full time meant giving up all the things that she loves to do with her children like story time at the library and reaching out to new moms and inviting them to our moms group. While her children are in good hands, I thought my friend could really use a "crowning moment".

I pulled her aside after church today and thanked her for all she had done in the past for our church's moms group. She shared her joys and a few of her struggles with her new job. I told her about my own "crowning moment" and that I wanted to "crown" her. I was wearing the crown necklace and so I told her I wanted to give her my necklace. She told me she thought she was going to cry! As I took it off her she told me that she really needed this encouragement. My timing couldn't have been better and she asked me to put it on her. I was so thrilled she accepted my necklace!

I shared with her how much I appreciated her and all the things she has done to bless our church with our moms' group and thanked her. I shared with her that I thought she might be the perfect one to carry this "Crowned By The King" ministry forward, simply by being who she is and sharing her love for God and love for people. I shared with her how this necklace might just be the centerpiece and conversation starter she might use to help her at work or wherever life takes her! I gave her a  little bit of information about the ministry in case she wanted to know more about the necklace as a ministry.

It was just about one of the most amazing moments of my life being able to not only thank this amazing woman but to also encourage her and lift her up before God and remind her how much God loves her!

We shared several hugs and then I had to leave. I plan to pray for my friend and her new necklace that she will cherish it enough so that one day she would be able to give it away to someone who desperately needs to know how much God loves them!

If you would like to hear another testimony to another "Crowned Moment" you can see the video below.

Here is one woman's testimony after receiving a necklace.

If you'd like to know more you can check out the website, Crowned By The King.
Here you will find out about How the ministry works.

You can also like them on On Facebook or On Twitter


 I received two free necklaces. One to give away and one to keep. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

The Best Anniversary Gift I Ever Received

After courting for three years, including surviving a year-long long distance relationship between Maine and Okinawa, I married my best friend. That was nineteen years ago! I can hardly believe its been nineteen years!

Two and half years into our marriage we welcomed our first child, a son.

Two years later we were blessed with another child, another son!

These two boys have become my driving force to my life's purpose in raising them up to be men of God, strong, and of good character. Phew! It's not easy! The tempers can flare (mine more often than theirs). I fitfully surrendered my plans for my life and dug in deep to God's promises for my kids. I took them home and began homeschooling them. You can read more about that here.

These two boys it seems have always been together!

And we have welcomed four more children since these first two boys joined our family!

My three boys!

Then we were blessed with our first daughter!

And a second daughter!

And a fourth son!

But back to my big boys and the reason for this post!

They are not so little any more.

My time at home homeschooling them is almost over.

They are growing up!

The oldest has his license now and drives himself and his brother to their JROTC class two days a week.

In this class they learn wonderful things about our country, good citizenship, reaching out to our Veterans, and the value of community service. They write speeches and essays on the military. They wear uniforms and learn to appreciate all our military does to protect our freedoms.

And occasionally, they get to go out to lunch. They are homeschooled so they are free to leave school after their class and grab a sandwich and return later in the day for outside activities. They bring their homeschool work I have sent along with them to do.

If you've ever heard the saying that "having children is to have your heart go walking around OUTSIDE your body", well, I have never felt this to be more true than now. These boys are my world, and yet they are not mine. They are God's. But the best anniversary gift I could have ever received was when they came home last night after their whirlwind of an activity filled day and told me that the lady at the sandwich shop where they were getting their lunch said to them, 

"School's out for the day already?"

"No, we're homeschooled." they replied.

She then went on to ask if they had other siblings and if they too were homeschooled.

They told her.

Then my son told me that the lady said to be sure and tell me...

"that I was doing a good job and I should keep up the good work"!

The best gift I could have ever received on my 19th  anniversary, was some simple, kind words from a stranger who saw a good work being completed in my children. And I am in awe, and give God all the glory! For it is by His grace I have been saved and by faith I continue this race to run it well and complete the task the Lord has set before me. A little bit of encouragement goes a looong way. The Lord encouraged me today through the very blessings I am working so hard at home to raise! I will continue to roll up my sleeves, die to self, and get to work. To not just be a hearer, but a doer for God's Kingdom. For I have at LEAST nineteen more years to go!

Do you have some simple, kind words for a weary mom today? Don't hold back. You words just might be exactly what she needs to hear to carry her for a very long time!

"The right word at the right time

    is like a custom-made piece of jewelry" Proverbs 25:11

I can't wait to share how this verse ties into my life right now!

Here is a sneak peak!

Not Just A Hearer But A Doer by Yolanda Shanks-Review

"We sit in the pews. We sing the songs. We recite Scripture–Scripture we know by heart. And yet buried in the midst of this routine are commands and requests straight from the Most High that go ignored. We’ve become so reliant on God fulfilling His end of the bargain that we fail to follow through with ours.

WE’VE BECOME HEARERS.

In 31 days, Yolanda Shanks’ devotional study, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer, will help you find calls to action within scripture ... and then act upon them. Starting with small things, like seeing that the Lord is good and working your way up to bigger actions, such as being a bold witness for Christ, you’ll soon have the tools, desire and confidence to put scripture into practice. Just as God intended."

GOD WANTS DOERS.

About the Author: Yolanda Shanks

"Multi-published author, speaker, blogger, teacher, wife, grandmother—Yolanda Shanks wears many hats, but the one she most resonates with is her role as an advocate for living life to its fullest.

Shanks’ award-winning first book, Destined to Live, Despite Me, continues to be a source of hope for those battling effects from a prior suicide attempt. It garnered an enthusiastic Kirkus review, which stated the book was “a commendable guide for finding meaning after considering suicide.”

Her second book, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer (released June 2012) challenges the body of Christ to act upon scripture. In the Fall of 2012, she released a third project, entitled Destined to Live, Despite Me – A Cause to Be Thankful."

My Thoughts:

This may look like a short book at only 143 pages but it is filled with some really deep inspiration and thoughts to challenge your faith and help you move from being a hearer of God's Word to a doer!

This is a devotional book meant to be finished in one month over a 31 day period. Each day you open the book to a title followed by a paragraph or two to open the chapter then a Bible verse. 

Yolanda Shanks labels this first Bible verse, "Observation".

She follows this by a little background to help you get grounded in what this verse is talking about and a bit of history about the verse.

Then each day has an "Interpretation". This is where Shanks helps you apply this Bible verse to your own life. It is here in the "Interpretation" where Yolanda's heart spoke the most to me. From the very first day she invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good! I had read that verse many times in my life but I had never actually stopped to consider what "taste and see" really meant. Yolanda explains that while everyone's taste buds are different, we all will sample God in different ways, so why not at least try Him out and "Taste and see that the Lord is good"?

After the "Interpretation" follows the "Application". This is where we are challenged to become a doer and stop being just a hearer of God's Word. Day 16 she begins the "Application" with, "It is your destiny. What do you hear God saying to you? Have you chosen to obey and trust Him, or do you prefer to pay more attention to what others will think or say?" Her challenge then is this:

"1. Intentionally put distance between yourself and those who are not focused on God's will, especially in sharing the Gospel and making disciples.

2. Do that which you have been given a vision of.

3. Reach for that which the world says is impossible.

4. Go where you have not been."

How's that for a challenge?! To go where I have not been and follow what God has given me a vision of. This has really inspired me to complete my book I am writing. I've been working on it on and off for about three years. God isn't going to write it for me, but Yolanda's words have challenged me to just go and DO IT! The final chapter titled "The Importance of Telling Your Story" really cemented this in my heart to keep on writing because she explains, "The telling of your story, your testimony of deliverance by God, isn't just for you! God's grace has allowed each of us the privilege to be the bearer of good-news to someone who needs to know that with God "all things are possible"." Now not everyone has a book to write, but we do all have a story, a testimony we can share and should share with others!

After each "Application" the author encourages you to write down today's scripture texts in your own words. There is plenty of space to record your thoughts. It is in writing down our own definition of the Bible verses that I believe we really cement a new idea into our hearts, allowing us to become a DOER and not just a HEARER!

I definitely recommend this book as a Bible devotion. You will be challenged to grow and stretch in your faith as you move from being a hearer to a DOER!

You can read more about the book at the website here.

You can follow her Facebook page or  Twitter account.

 I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Why I Like To Wear Skirts and Some Thoughts on Modesty

Here I am in my lovely new skirt, compliments of my Mom.
This was taken back in May.
I've lost about 18 lbs of pregnancy weight here.
The skirt is light weight and a fun color. My son thought I should start doing a Hawaiian dance when he saw me wearing it!

Whenever my mom is out and about she searches and often finds the most lovely skirts for me! I love to wear skirts now. They have been the perfect transition during and after my pregnancy. Because I have been breast feeding for nearly five years straight I also wear shirts that I can easily breastfeed in.

With a houseful of boys I also have been becoming increasingly more aware of how I dress around my teenage sons. Along with the fact I have two little girls watching every move I make. My girls love to wear dresses too!

We put on our dresses and head off to run errands. Almost every outing lends a wonderful compliment and a question as to why we're all dressed up! No reason, we enjoy being feminine! We are girls so we want to dress like girls! My husband loves it when my girls and I are all wearing our dresses!

In the summer months, skirts and dresses are the only way to dress!

So lest you think we are of some strange religious homeschooling order where I am forced to wear skirts by my church or my husband, I wear skirts because I like them! I don't feel fat in them, I can move about rather easily in a skirt, and I'll tell you a little secret....

The number one reason I found to where a skirt....

I respect myself! 

(It also can bring out the chivalry in old men. Sometimes when they see me approaching a door wearing a skirt, they will stop to open it for me. If you ever wanted to try this as an experiment for all of you who don't wear skirts, I dare you! It's quite delightful to see a man take a few extra quick steps to grab a door for you! Now this is not done in disrespect to my husband or with total disregard for my marriage, this is about RESPECT.)

Take a listen to this video below, it explains what I'm talking about.

(Here is a little background on it.)

He begins with a recent study done by Princeton of what happens to men's brains while viewing women with little clothing on. The study done is very revealing (pun intended) that women who dress modestly allow men to see them for more of who they are and not just for their bodies. Something in a man's brain actually turns off when he sees a woman wearing little clothing. Take a listen, it's less than four minutes long but definitely worth viewing.

 

When practical, wear pants. As often as I can, I wear a skirt!

Moving into the colder Fall and Winter months, I've lost more of my "baby" weight and can fit back into my jeans and pants again. You can read about my journey here.  Even though I can fit back into my jeans better than ever I still long to wear my skirts. Raising Homemakers has a great blog post on how she wears her skirts year round. Adding long socks and fun leggings are great ideas. I think I will try using some of her techniques!

 

"I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Just some thoughts to ponder!

Is the Constitution Still Relevant?

Here is my son's paper he wrote for his JROTC freshman class. He wasn't chosen to be in the top 10 to be recorded and entered in the annual contest only because his teacher said he spoke too fast. I think next time we'll have him practice it at home and time it. This is his first assignment for public school of which I did not assign to him. I think he did a pretty good job. His personality comes through his writing for sure!

       

         Is the Constitution Still Relevant?                     

by Jacob Smith

Is the Constitution still relevant? This can be a very difficult question, however, I think the Constitution still protects my rights. A lot of people would say that the Constitution is losing its power. Now that is partially true in some cases, however, I will tell you my thoughts on this subject. For instance, many kids still in school might say that they don't have all the rights that they think they deserve. Many will say that it is their freedom of speech that has been violated. I however have thought this over and have seen that the reasoning behind the banishing of rude or demeaning language in schools is for public safety. Now the public safety lies mostly in the public school system, it is there to protect the students from offensive language and harm. Now on the other hand, when you are an adult and not in the public school building, you have rights that allow you to speak any kind of language that you want. It may be disrespectful to other people but you have a right to talk in that manner.  It is the first amendment that allows to have this freedom of speech. We also can see that the Constitution is still relevant because if it were not I might not even be able to say this out loud to all of you! We also have the right to choose the line or kind of work that we do. So if I want to be a carpenter then all I have to do is get a certification and I can work. If I want to be an engineer then all I have to do is get a degree in that line of work. I even could be President if I wanted to, although I would have to be a U.S. citizen my whole life. The first amendment also has the right of the freedom of the press. The freedom of the press is the right that allows us to be able to express and or communicate our products or information to the general public. Speaking of general public, on October 15th through October 20th, there was an Occupy Maine Movement that was going on at Lincoln Park. The occupation was broken up by law officials because it was violating the rules and closing time of the park. Some by standers say that the occupation was getting rid of the beautiful landscape that they said they enjoyed. This proves that the Constitution is still relevant because if it wasn't, the occupiers wouldn't have made these actions, at least not without thought of persecution. There also is the second amendment that allows us to have the right to bear arms. This right allows us to carry or own a fire arm as personal protection or other uses for a fire arm. In the past, people have tried to get rid of this right as to stop the violence of crime and murders, however, if you were a criminal, you would not obey the law and would obtain a firearm through illegal sources We also have freedom of religion, that allows us to choose if we believe in God, or if we don't. So as I look at just a small fraction of these rights, I would have to say yes, the Constitution is still relevant.

Download a copy of the Constitution here.