Monday's Menu: Outback Potato Soup

This soup was very good and so easy to make. Great flavor and perfect for the cold days ahead.

Here's the recipe:
*One 30 oz bag of shredded hashbrowns
*Three, 14 oz cans of chicken broth
*One can Cream of Chicken soup
*1/2 cup copped onion
*1/4 tsp ground pepper
*One package cream cheese (Not the fat free kind.  It doesn't melt.)
In crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT cream cheese.  Cook 6-8 hours on LOW heat.
About an hour before serving, drop in the cream cheese and let it melt completely.
Serve with grated cheese, bacon bits, sour cream...etc.
I made a skillet of cornbread to go with ours.

Definitely a keeper for the recipe book!

~~~~~

This past weekend, some of the ladies from church ventured up the mountain to Mrs. Ava's house near Boone.

We had a good, relaxing time.  Most of the ladies went shopping Saturday morning, but three of us stayed at the house and did nothing.  Absoutely nothing.  Just sat and talked and had a good time doing it.

I'm thankful for the church family I have in my life and for the friends that I have made there.  They are a terrific group of ladies and a blessing. 

My sweet husband and I have been facing a giant lately, that only God knows about.  It's been a difficult past couple of months, and I really needed this get away to just let go of things.  It really could not have come at a better time.  I've been sick this week and, although I probably should have stayed home and taken it easy, I'm glad I got to go on this trip and share some laughs with good friends.  God is good to give us what we need through good friends and great fellowship, and lots of laughs!  After all, laughter IS the best medicine, right?

Here's a few pics from our trip... 

This picture below is for my friend "S's" son.  When he heard we saw deer up there, he really wanted to be there with us.  So, "E", this one's for you...  :D

Here's another one, "E." 

This little sweetie was perfectly content to lay down right in front of us and stayed there for a very long time.  We kept coming out to look at her and she was perfectly content to keep resting.

OK, "E," look at the picture below carefully.  There's a deer in there for you too.  Can you find it??

~~~~~

We had a family reunion after church yesterday.  It's always good to see those we don't get to see that often and catch up on things over the last year.

I made another recipe I found on Pinterest.  And Hannah made some cookies I found on Pinterest also.  I'll post those recipes later.  They were very good.  Especially those cookies.  Pumpkin spice!  YUM!  I'll probably make a batch of those for Thanksgiving at my Aunt's house.

After the reunion we had our church kid's fall festival.  As always, it was total chaos and fun for the kiddies.  And then we had an amazing service Sunday night.  Love it when the Lord shows up and just sits down in the meeting. 

And that was my weekend.  :) 

 

Bus Ministry Fall Festival, 2012

We had a good time last Saturday at our Bus Ministry's Fall Festival.  Mrs. Janet had the hot dogs and popcorn and all the game stations were in full swing.  Candy was the goal!

We even had a clown.  I didn't know who it was at first.  But I figured it out.

Before we got started, though, the gospel was presented and several people came to know the Lord.  It was a blessing to see a parent of one of our bus kids getting saved in the middle of all the festivities.

Sweet Na...

Sand art is a popular table...

And who doesn't like milking a cow?

We go through a lot of face painting too.

Harrison was in charge of the PLINKO game.  The kids just kept coming for that one.

And "F" was feeling cheesy for the camera.  I tried to get several of him for his daddy who is stationed in the sand box.

Pitching apples into a basket was giving Chey a workout.  They were throwing those apples as fast as they could.

Madison worked the Foosball table.  That was a popular game too.

Mrs. Rebecca and Mrs. Mott.  Two of the sweetest ladies.  I love them both.

"F" was pulling the clown's hair.  Nice.

And last, but not least, our sweet Pastor's wife.  She is terrific.

Had a photo shoot with two families this weekend.  One, of which, was shortly after bus ministry.  And then after that, we met up with some people for a bond fire.  Had a good time.  Also spent Sunday afternoon at other friend's home.  It was so relaxing and I still got my Sunday afternoon snooze before Hannah had to be back to church for practice.
~~~~~
And on a "lighter" topic, I am down more pounds and am officially down into the next set of tens.  YAY!  I have plans for my before and after picture but want to lose about ten more pounds. 
~~~~~
I didn't do a Monday's Menu this week.  I had a brain burp and forgot to take my list of needed ingredients to the store this weekend.  We were just too busy to try and get back to the store. 
~~~~~
Fighting a chest cold right now.  Not feeling very well, but I'm pumping up on my vitamins and echinacea, hoping it will pass soon. 
~~~~~
School is going great.  The kids are working double time right now so they can have a longer break over the holidays.  I'm all for that!  Just another reason I love homeschooling.  More holiday time to spend with my kids doing holiday fun things.  I'm glad they're motivated and working hard to earn those days.
~~~~~
And that's all folks!  Have a good week.  :)

Monday's Menu: Cheesy Chicken Enchilada

Well, I didn't think to take a picture before we ate today.  But I took one off of the blog where this recipe comes from.  She has some great recipes on here and I'm looking forward to trying more of them.

I liked this dinner ok.  Bruce, not so much.  He said the taco shells were too wet on the bottom for him.  The kids seemed to like it ok, but basically had the same opinion.  It sounds GREAT, it just didn't meet up to expectations.  You might know to do something different to make a dryer bottom.  If so, please share.  I would try it again.

Here's the recipe:
10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups, grated, monterey jack cheese
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1, 4oz can diced green chilies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray
The person that originally posted this recipe suggested several ways to cook the chicken.  Buying a rotisserie chicken and picking it off the bone, boiling it, or roasting it.  Once you decide on that, shred the two cups of chicken.  She suggested using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  I used my kitchen aid and I'm telling you, it was perfectly shredded!  What a great idea! 

Add 1 cup of shredded cheese to the chicken.  Here is where you want to add your seasoning (salt and pepper) if you boiled your chicken, to give it some extra flavor.

Place chicken mixture in each of your ten soft taco shells.  Roll them up and place them in your baking dish.

In medium sauce pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour and let cook and thicken for one minute.  Do NOT let it burn.  Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth.

Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Be sure not to let the mixture boil.

Remove sauce from heat and pour over enchiladas.

Top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

If you'd like, turn the oven to broil and let the top broil for one or two minutes.  I did this, and it was good.

I served ours with refried beans and chips like she did.  Other than the bottom of the shells being too damp, they were delicious.  Any suggestions for the bottom of the shells?

Click here to visit The Country Cook.

Monday's Menu: Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Today's Pinterest recipe is Chicken Tater Tot Casserole.  You make this in the crock pot so it's really easy clean up on those busy days.  Who doesn't like that?? 

Big hit with the family.  My honest opinion is that it was good, however, I don't think it could be considered great.  My family, on the other hand, loved it and said it was a definite keeper for the cookbook.  The council has spoken and it will be added. :)

I tweaked this recipe to the size of my family.  I didn't really double it, but I did add a little extra of each ingredient.

Here's the original recipe:
One 32 oz bag of Tater Tots
One pound of chicken breast
1/2 cup of bacon bits
2 cups, shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus extra for topping
3 green onions
salt and pepper
3/4 cups milk

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and thinly slice green onions
Layer half the tater tots in the bottom of your crock pot
Top with 1/3 bacon bits, 1/3 cheese, 1/3 green onion
Add all the chicken on top of this and add salt and pepper
Layer on another 1/3 bacon bits, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 green onion
Layer on the rest of the tater tots, followed by the rest of the bacon bits, cheese, and green onions
Pour 3/4 cups of milk, evenly over the top
Cover and cook on high, 4 to 6 hrs.  Mine was done in about 4 1/2.  To check it, I just made sure the chicken was cooked through.

This recipe was pinned from Lisa's Dinnertime Dish.  I look forward to checking out more of her recipes.

Monday's Menu: French Bread Pizza

Monday's menu was French bread pizza.  The kids and Bruce loved being able to make their own pizza the way they wanted it and it was a big hit.  You can choose your family's favorite toppings and they'll have fun putting their pizzas together.  I thought younger children would love this idea if you have family night at home.

Here's how you make the French Bread Pizza:

*Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 
*French Bread loaves, enough to feed your family, cut lengthwise.  (We used two and a half loaves for our family and that made lunch and supper. :)
*Pizza sauce (I bought the smaller jars and we used one and a half of those.)
*cheese (we used grated sharp and mozzerella)
*Toppings (use your favorites.  We used sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers)

Layer your sauce on the bread, add your favorite toppings and cheese, and place in the oven five to six minutes.  Keep an eye on it.  It cooks pretty fast.  The edges will get nice and crisp while the center stays fairly soft.  ENJOY!

I found this on Pinterest from a site called, What's Cooking with Ruthie.

 

~~~~~~

There was a boy, about nineteen years old, that accepted Christ at church yesterday morning and then we had six baptisms last night. 

What a blessing to see some men from the mission and some of our younger children follow Christ into believer's baptism.

~~~~~~

We had a fellowship after church last night for our Sunday School class too.  It was a cookie social.  So needless to say, there was cookies and milk.  It was fun and we had a lot of good laughs. 

I have no idea what happened in the picture below but that whole table of teens was dying in laughter.

My friend, Sam, especially had me cracking up.  She'll read this and know why.  But, Sam, I have laughed off and on all DAY over what you told me.  Ohhhhh, you are wonderfully sweet and funny.  And I love you to pieces!!  :)

 





Prayer and Photos

We have our weigh in and church tonight.  But before we go there, we have some errands to run and need to stop at the funeral home.  My sister in law's father passed away this week.  My heart has really been breaking for her.  She was close to her dad and helped to take good care of him.  I am praying the Lord comforts her and her family with the same grace He granted us when we lost daddy.  Please remember the Newsome family in prayer.

 

I had a family photo shoot with a family Monday and had a great time.  They were so funny.  The mom and dad were hilarious and their four children a very fun challenge!  But I must say we did get some beautiful shots. 

I also had a shoot with a little foster girl in our church.  I can't post her pictures, but they are so good!  I wish I could share them with everyone.  She was so cute and at the early age of seven, she knows how to pose and cheese for the camera, that's for sure! 

While I was photographing her, we noticed a very old, large tree, standing all by itself in the middle of a freshly cut field.  So after a few shots on a hay bell, we walked down to the tree.  I noticed there was poison oak vines on the tree so I told the little girl not to touch the tree, and to just stand a couple feet away from it. Her "mama" spotted one lone poison sumac standing close to the tree.  But she didn't touch that either.  She did some poses and we got some nice shots of her.  But when we were finishing up, I looked down and realized we were all standing in poison sumac.  Nice.  Needless to say, we all showered and washed our legs good when we got home.  I got a text from the "mama" today saying that she and the little girl are great.  No itchy rashes.  And that goes for me too!  Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me...and them.

 

I have a senior shoot this weekend and then I'll be spending all next week in editing and then next weekend, I'll photograph a wedding.  I'm looking forward to that.  I love weddings.

 



Monday's Menu: Manicotti and Cherry Lemon Sun Drop Cupcakes

I was trying to think of something to call my regular Monday blog posts, since I'll be trying a new Pinterest recipe for my family each Monday.  I saw someone online call theirs Menu Monday.  I liked it, but didn't want to copy-cat it.  So this is what I have.  For now. 

Today I fixed Manicotti.  I have never tried to fix it before.  My family isn't one for a lot of Italian dishes.  But this one sounded like something they would enjoy.  And enjoy they did!  They loved it.  There was nothing left this week.  My men devoured it. 

We are also not one for marinara sauce, so I used a jar of prego instead.  Not to mention I added more cheese. 

 

Here's the recipe:

One box of Manicotti noodles

one 15-16 oz tub of ricotta.  I had a brain burp in the grocery store and accidentally purchased cottage cheese.  Which worked well this time.  Next time I'll do the ricotta. 

1 lb freshly grated mozzarella

3 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese

Two large eggs

1&1/2 Tbs dried parsley

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 recipe of marinara sauce.  Or in my case, a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

 

Cook your noodles as directed on package. 

Mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, parsley, and pepper together well, and divide it evenly, stuffing each shell.  If you've never stuffed a manicotti shell, simply place one end in the palm of your hand and use a spoon to stuff the shell from the top.  Lay each stuffed shell, side to side, making a single layer in your 9x13 pan

This is where my extra cheese came in.  I placed a very small layer of cheese on top of the noodles, covered the layer of noodles and cheese with my sauce, and then a heavier layer of cheese on top of the sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cheese is brown around edges and bubbling. 

Serve with salad and garlic bread or your favorite sides.

OH!  I forgot to say that I added cooked ground beef to my mix.  But you can add anything, really.  Pepperoni, sausage, chicken.  Or no meat at all.  It's your dish.  Fix it the way your family will love it.

 

For those of you who like Marinara sauce, here is the recipe for that:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed Roma tomatoes (I prefer Contadina brand)
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan, simmer 20 minutes (This can be done while preparing the manicotti filling and pasta).

 

This recipe and others can be found at Cooking Classy with a Sprinkle of Fancy.

I also tried a dessert I found on Pinterest.  The original recipe was Mountain Dew Cupcakes.  But since I do live in the original SUN DROP capital of the world, I decided to make Cherry Lemon Sun Drop Cupcakes.  My kids went nuts over these.  And if you have small children, this is PERFECT for them to make for their class parties, etc.

 

 

Here's the recipe:

1 box of cake mix

Twelve oz of your favorite soda

 

Mix well, pour into cupcake liners, bake at 325 until done. (I never use paper liners.  I always spray my tins and the cupcakes just pop right out. 

 

I liked this because you can do away with the eggs and oil.  Which takes about 400 plus calories out of the cupcakes as a whole.  I must tell you, though, the cupcakes will be very moist and "tender."  So handle them with care!  lol 

When they came out of the oven, I immediately removed them to cool and while they were still hot, I brushed the tops of them with the cherry lemon Sun Drop. 

 

For icing, I made my own.  There was a recipe on the site but it called for five cups of confectioner's sugar and two sticks of butter.  Really?  I just made a glaze with a fraction of the confectioners sugar, a little bit of the cherry lemon Sun Drop, a drop or two of lemon juice, and a little 1% milk.  Yeah, it's definitely a sugar fix if you have a sweet tooth needing satisfaction. 

 

I think Monday's Menu was a success this week.  Now what to make for next week? 

 

 

Week Three of School

Week three of school is over.  Fifteen days complete, one hundred sixty-five to go.  Hannah passed her first Trigonometry test with a 97%.  How awesome is that??  And Harrison is doing equally well.  Speaking of Harrison.  Math is not his finest subject.  I was turned on to a website that is terrific for tutoring your child in math.

It is called Math with Larry.  He literally takes your child to the very beginning of math and works their way through high school.  He strongly suggests this method he uses, in hopes of filling in gaps where they have apparently missed something along the way.  So we've been doing this about a week now, along with his regular math lessons, and so far it's working pretty good.  If you have a child that needs some tutoring or if you just want to make sure they're "getting it" give the site a look.

We've been working on RUSH displays the last couple of nights and I'll be leaving here shortly to work again.  It's been interesting to watch the youth work on their displays and the ideas they come up with.  Lord willing, we'll be completely finished today and ready to set up tables for the church family tomorrow night.  We'll be doing soup and sandwiches again this year.  I had planned on taking potato soup, but decided a pot of chicken and dumplings would be good.

The house is so quiet this morning.  The children have already left for bus ministry, Bruce is delivering some bananas to my mom, so she can make some of her famous banana bread, and I am home all alone.  At least I thought I was until, just now, I heard Justin sigh in his sleep.  It scared me.  I thought I was by myself.  LOL

I just finished my bowl of cocoa puffs.  Yes, I did eat a bowl of cocoa puffs.  There's 100 calories in 3/4 of a cup.  It's Saturday.  I splurged and had something sweet for breakfast.  So shoot me.  I'll have cheerios tomorrow.

Y'all have a blessed day!  I'm going to.

 

Ten Pounds Down!

So last night we had our weigh in.  I reached my ten pound goal for this thirteen week cycle and we still have a few weeks to go.  That's a total of twenty pounds all together.  If I can make five more pounds before it's over, I will be so thrilled and then on to my next goal.  :D

RUSH night is this Sunday night.  I'll be working at the church the next couple of nights as the youth get their displays ready.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with in their projects.  Lots of pictures to post after Sunday, I'm sure!

~~~~~

New Recipe Monday

Who loves Pinterest?  Yeah, me too.  There are so many DIY projects on there I want to do.  Lots of crafty ideas for children I can share with friends and teachers.  And recipes.  I'm a recipe junkie.  But I rarely fix anything new because, like most men, my husband likes to stick with what he knows is good, if you know what I mean.

I decided we would have New Recipe Monday.  So now he knows there will be a new dish on the table come Monday.  He'll be ready for it.  LOL

Today I fixed Cheesy Chicken Lasagna.  It turned out good.  The children said it is a definite keeper and Bruce had seconds and even took the last square to work.  So it is officially in the recipe book.

Here's the recipe:
~~~~~~~~~~

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (not fat-free)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I recommend reducing it to 8 oz to 12 oz)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated
Cook the chicken and noodles first at the same time. Once noodles are done–rinse in cold water and set aside (it keeps them from sticking together). Combine evaporated milk (don’t use fat-free version) and Ranch dressing in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes (don’t do any less), stirring frequently. Layer half of lasagna noodles, poultry sauce, and cheese in well-buttered 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
~~~~~~~~~~
When I cooked the evaporated milk and Ranch together, it tasted like Alfredo Sauce.  If you don't like Alfredo Sauce, you might not like this dish. 

We visited with my mom today after Bruce and Justin left for work.  We had a good visit.  She seems to be doing better.  We also visited with Barbara O' for about ten minutes.  She looked tired so we didn't stay long, but we are thankful she is on the mend.  Hannah and Harrison made homemade applesauce and we took her some of that.  I hope she enjoys it.  If you like applesauce, it is so easy to make.  This is what we do:
~~~~~~~~~~
Homemade Applesauce
3 lbs Granny Smith Apples
3 cups of water
1 cup of sugar (The recipe calls for one cup, but you can do this sugar free or add sugar to taste)
1 TBS of lemon juice
(The recipe does NOT call for cinnamon, but we like to add cinnamon to taste)

Core and peel apples.  Cut in small pieces, making sure there are no seeds, and place in large cooker.  Cover with the 3 cups of water. 
Cook on high until boiling.  Turn down to med/low and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
Pull from burner and mash with potato masher.  There will be some small chunks of apples visible.
Add sugar and lemon juice, mix well.
Cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes on medium.
As it cools, it will thicken. 
~~~~~~~~~~

Marshmallows. Who Knew?

I sing Midnight Cry with our choir backing me on chorus.  We haven't sung it in a very long time... like years...but Brother Johnny was determined for us to do it.  So at choir practice I ended up completely losing my voice.  It was gone!  After choir practice was over, Mrs. Janet told me to come with her to the fellowship building, she knew a remedy.  Imagine my surprise when she pulled a bag of marshmallows from the cabinet.
Turns out that marshmallows were originally made for sore throats.  Who knew!? 
I admit I was skeptical.  But I ate a few, just the same.  Brother Johnny walked into the kitchen and he was also very skeptical.  Kind of laughed it off.  I told my friend, Tammy, that if I handed her the mic she was going to have to sing.  Thankfully, she was willing.  :D
But amazingly, when it came time to sing, I was able to sing the song with no problems at all.  When it was over, Brother Johnny looked at us and said, "Bless God...I gotta get me some marshmallows!"  LOL
Thankful the Lord allowed me to sing it tonight and that HE touched my voice.

Had a great service tonight.  I was in nursery this morning, but even over crying babies I heard the announcement that one of our newlyweds were going to have a baby.  I am so excited for them!  Praying that all goes well for this little family.
~~~~~
RUSH night for SIGMA is next Sunday night.  They'll have three days to get their decorations up.  We'll see how this plays out.  In the past, they've always had a couple weeks.  But there's a reason it's called "rush."  So rush, they will.
~~~~~
Another month and a half and our country makes a HUGE decision on who the next presidency will belong to.  I am really afraid for our nation.  And I agree with what Alan Keyes has been quoted to say:

Week Two Down

Week two of school is completed. 
I spoke to the company I ordered Harrison's books from and they just shipped some things that were on backorder.   So he'll be two weeks behind in Social Studies.  But it's ok.  I have a plan to catch up. 
180 days down, 170 to go.
~~~~~
Bruce and Justin are working and Harry is spending the night with a friend.  So it's just me and my girl tonight.  We're enjoying a quiet evening at home.  Me, pinning things on Pinterest.  And Hannah is reading a book Mrs. Rebecca brought to the house yesterday.  After a day of school and typical Friday errands, it's nice to have some quiet. 
~~~~~
I'm worried about all this nonsense going on in the middle east.  Bunch of savages wreaking havoc over there.  Supposedly over... "the film."  I don't buy it.  It was planned.  And I'm sick of the liberals shouting what is going on is this film maker's fault and should be charged with murder.  Him charged with murder?  Ummm, how 'bout we charge the savages actually committing the murder? 
Last I heard, the first amendment to the US constitution is still in affect.  If the libs have it their way, we'll have no freedom of speech.  Unless, of course, we agree with them on everything.  In that case, we can say whatever we want.  It's pretty much like that now.  Ridiculous.

I'm not an Obama supporter.  At all.  I really want him OUT of the White House.  But I don't see it going to happen.  Conservatives are sick of the GOP and are split.  If the conservatives that have decided to vote libertarian this year would give Romney a try, I believe we'd have some long awaited hope and change actually take place.  I'm not a great Romney supporter either.  But I'll take Romney over Obama any day.  At least he isn't trying to totally turn us into a socialist country.  And that's exactly what Obama is doing.  If he were the only man running, I'd write in Mickey Mouse.  After all, if Acorn can use Mickey Mouse to vote, he's eligible for presidency.  Right?
~~~~~
I saw this picture today on fb and got cracked up.    

Tell the truth... you do it too.

 

This-n-That

Had a shoot this weekend with Brandon.  He just turned sixteen and is a total trip.  First thing he asked me is if he had to smile.  I told him for a few.  So when I told him to smile, he would.

Had a good time taking his pictures and can't wait for them to be finished. 
~~~~~
My calendar is filling up for this month and October.  I love fall pictures.  The colors of the leaves are wonderful.  Looking forward to all of them!
~~~~~
We had our first SIGMA meeting last Wednesday.  We have two teams this year and they have been divided so we're looking forward to our upcoming RUSH night and what they're gonna be doing for that.  This year they're gonna have a very little window of time.  Much less than in the past.  Which I like better because they actually have to rush to get it done.  They always do a fantastic job.  We'll have fun.
~~~~~
School is going great so far.  Six days down, one hundred seventy-four to go.  My senior has some ideas floating around in her head about what she's going to do after graduation.  I'm not sure she's ready to tell the world, so I think I'll keep that under my hat until she is ready.  Planning on doing some senior pictures with her soon.  I want to do some for each season.  That'll be fun.
~~~~~
Harrison is getting along great in both school and SIGMA so far.  I hope he doesn't slack off anytime soon.  He has a tendency to do that.  Start out strong and then blah.  LOL  But he seems to be more focused than usual.  Maybe that's a good sign.  I'm looking into some field trips to do with him in the near future.  Have a few ideas in mind.  We'll see if they come to fruition.
~~~~~
Justin sang The Star Spangled Banner today up town at an event honoring those that died in 9/11.    He is working at a job that he is thankful for, but is patiently waiting for his former employer to give him a call back for a full time position.  This Saturday he will be with his junior fireman, repelling from a building at the fire academy.  He's asked me to come take pictures.  So, Lord willing, I'll be doing that Saturday morning.
~~~~~ 
Weigh in tomorrow night and church!  Hope to get out to another night of the Cleveland County Baptist Camp Meeting before it comes to a close this weekend.
~~~~~
  
 

Abortion is Wrong. No Matter the Reason

Many people want to know why Christians feel it is wrong to murder the unborn.  As Christians, we are followers of Christ and God's Word.  God is against abortion.  Therefore, the Christian will/should be against abortion as well. 

 

What about someone who is raped?

This is a common question.  I heard a friend answer this one best.  A very small percentage of abortions are made because of rape or incest.  So instead of killing a baby...a life that has not yet been established, a life that can be taught and loved and raised to fear the things of the Lord and live by his Word...kill the rapist instead.  Let's stop putting him up in a jail cell for us to feed him and take care of him until his time is up and he's out again to prey on other women and girls.  And if killing them seems heartless to you, then let's fix it so they can never rape another victim.  You can work your imagination there, if you like. 

 

I know what you're thinking...  well that's not very Christian.  Listen, God is for justice for the innocent and judgment for the guilty.  "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" is His law. Ex 21:24-25

 

But someone who has been raped, having to carry a child full term and then deliver is like being raped all over again. 

Nothing is like being raped all over again, except being raped all over again.  Yes, carrying that child full term and delivering that baby would be very painful emotionally and physically.  But there is NOTHING that will ever lessen the pain of what that poor mother went through when that little child was conceived.  There are so many couples that want to adopt but can't because the price of adoptions are so high.  Someone posted a statistic, I'm not sure how close it is, but it was something like $300-$1,000 for an abortion and $30,000 on average for adoption.  That's a shame.  And as Christians, it is our DUTY to reach these women and help them through this very emotional and hurtful time in their life, showing them the love of Christ.  He is the GREAT PHYSICIAN and can heal them emotionally and physically.  If the government wanted to help, they could offer an equally affordable solution to an unwanted pregnancy than abortion.  They could help find homes for these little ones instead of helping them find their way to a dumpster in some back alley.

 

But if abortions aren't legal, they'll just find someone unqualified to do it for them, risking infection and even death.

Yep.  That's what would happen.  But you know what?  That goes right back to being responsible for the choices we make.  The choices we make dictate the life we lead.

 

The majority of abortions are made by women who have made bad decisions, having sex outside of the marriage bed.  Yes, married women have abortions also, but I'm saying the MAJORITY of abortions.  The government has given solutions to our problems instead of making us reap what we sow.  Our society is irresponsible.  Instead of relying on God and His Word, we have become to rely on self and what WE want and government handouts.  People generally think twice about their decisions when there are consequences to follow.  Living life by man's rules of live and let live, never works good for man.  But following God's rules and His ways, always works... 100% of the time.

 

Bruce and I were thinking the other day and came to realize that we have nine nieces. All but two of them have become pregnant out of wedlock.  We are SO thankful that they made the right decision to choose life for their unborn child than death.  We have some precious little ones in our family because of that and they have enriched all of our lives.  We would LOVE to see them marry the fathers of their children and get involved in their local church, serving the LORD together as a family. 

 

 I think of all the terminated pregnancies and little lives that could have become something in this world, yet were ripped and torn away from their mother's wombs and literally thrown in a dumpster somewhere and it breaks my heart.

 

I don't hate women who have abortions and for the most part, I agonize for them.  I've known two women who have had them.  One had multiple abortions, but was gloriously saved after she had them and has gone on to be a fighter for the unborn sharing her testimony to other women considering that same decision.  I also know one that was never the same after hers.  She struggles with it on a daily basis because she feels guilty.  But Jesus can forgive her and heal her in that area, as well, if she'll just let Him.  And if you are reading this and you have had an abortion, struggling with the thoughts of it day in and day out, there is hope for you too.  God loves you and He will forgive you.  Just pray and seek Him.  He will show Himself to you in prayer and through His Word.

 

Abortion DOES stop a beating heart.  It is murder.  Legal, premeditated murder.  A choice to take the life of an unborn child.

 

You would be surprised at how many people do not know or understand what partial-birth abortion is.  Go ahead... look it up.  It is the cruelest form of LEGAL murder I have ever seen.  People on death row get more compassion.

 

Abortion is murder.  Murder is a sin.  God will judge.  And He will not only judge those that partake in it, but also those who turn their backs and close their eyes to a nation that allows it.

 

But what can we expect from a nation that desires a platform who boos God's name?  He is not wanted in our society, just like these unwanted children.  The children can not judge those who take their lives.  But God can. 

 

And He will.

 

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" 

Isaiah 55:6