My Miscellaneous Mental Meandering

Church, what are we going to do about it?

2011-12-25T18:11:00.000-05:00

If it wasn't for the church*, there would not be the universities and hospitals that there are today and not nearly the food/clothes/monetary help. Unfortunately, we have let most of this slip from our grip to become secular. I feel that this is due to the "splinteredness" of of our reach, ie all the denominational differences. We have stalled in our response to God and to society and spent too much time arguing within and amongst ourselves about who's right and who's wrong in our beliefs about God. As a result, unfortunately, we have become disgruntled and unsympathetic about our purpose in this world. Research shows that that the average church member only tithes 2.5% of their income when we are supposed to give 10%, at least. What a difference it would make if everyone gave their 10%! My theory is that we wouldn't have to rely on the government to support the less fortunate. Our grip on the colleges and universities (where anti-Christian slander now occurs regularly) who have a historic Christian background would be strong. We are losing our influence and have become LIKE the world. We are not supposed to be LIKE the world. We are supposed to be set apart and a peculiar people, but we are "blending" in quite nicely and then grumble when we see church membership and attendance continue to slide. My question remains as a challenge, church, what are we going to do about it?

*I use the term church and Christians universally for Protestants and Catholics alike. We both are believers in Jesus Christ and both share the responsibility of making disciples for the transformation of the world.

Am I really a temple?

2011-12-14T09:59:00.002-05:00

The answer to that question is a resounding, YES! And I need to remind myself of this on a daily basis - I forget, often, like everyday often.

Here's how I see it:

I'm hearing that some believe that the blood sacrifice was chosen by humans, that it couldn't have been chosen by God. I don't believe that for anything. It is indeed a God ordained, Divinely planned vehicle in which to escort into the world His holy presence.

At the start Adam and Eve were holy but teetered on the edge. When they gave into temptation they were no longer holy, they were marred, therefore God's presence had to depart. God's perfect holiness is too much for us to bare without some Divine intervention. All of a sudden, in the light of God's holiness, Adam and Eve saw the dark spot that now marred their existance and were embarrassed to be around God, they even became self-conscience and felt ashamed to be running around naked. God Himself took an animal and sacrificed its life in order to cover Adam and Eve's apparent shame. Thus kicking off the amazing story of how I am now a temple.

Time goes by, God chooses His chosen people, fast forward a little and we have an interesting escape from slavery story. During their time escaping and wandering, God had Moses oversee the building of the Tabernacle. This is fascinating stuff (I encourage anyone to read more about the tabernacle and the true miracle that it was)! The tabernacle must have been a sight to behold. It, of course, was the point of God's presence with the people. God dwelt among them. Blood sacrifices of animals were used, and there was an order to it. 1. the person bringing the sacrifice had to bring the best that they had and they had to sacrifice it with a grateful heart, 2. the priest took care of the rest.

The priest got to enter the Holy Place and the high priest got to enter the Most Holy Place (into God's presence) once a year.

The blood sacrifices continued. They Hebrew people eventually had a more permanent place to sacrifice in the form of the Temple, which has its own tumultous history.

As a Christian, my belief is that Jesus is the final and ultimate sacrifice and because of that I, having been grafted into the family of God, no longer need to make animal sacrifices. God dwells in me and all who believe in Him and accept Jesus' sacrifice. With God's presence in us - we are now priests.

This brief summary of the history of sacrifices is necessary to relay this:
Blood sacrifice was required by God because He knew that one day His plan to dwell among us once more would involve blood BECAUSE, in fact, He planned to dwell in us! Blood dependent creatures that we are!

Let me explain further. We have blood coursing through our veins. Blood is special to God. It is our life force. It has a voice (did you know that? Read the story about Cain and Abel in the Bible and how Abel's blood cried out to God). It can be impure, just as our spirit can be impure. Our acceptance of the ultimate, perfect sacrifice - the spilled blood of Jesus - cleanses us. What benefits us from this cleansing? God's Holy presence living in us! God's Spirit lives in believers - where blood surges in our veins....

The Tabernacle and later the Temple should be AWESOME symbols for us because of the calling out into the future that they did. The Tabernacle, and the Temple, became beacons of transition. A transition BACK to His presence being with us but in an oh so amazing way - our very own bodies! And let us not forget, as believers we give back to Him our very best and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.

I can't talk about all of this without mentioning satan. He has tried to prevent God's presence dwelling among us since the creation of man, after all, he tempted Adam and Eve, he got his wish - imperfect connection between God and man. He did a good job destroying the Temple a couple of times. He thought that the death of Jesus would be a fatal blow, but it wasn't. He didn't understand that Jesus blood was exactly what God had planned. And now God dwells among us once again.....I AM a temple! Thanks be to God!

Heart My Kindle Fire

2011-12-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

Of course, Amazon wants you to buy their Kindle Fire to purchase more of their stuff. The purchasing with the Fire is one-touch and super convenient......maybe too convenient. But I love the thing.

I am an average person, not a techno geek. So, the Fire meets my needs. I do not need a lot of "bells and whistles" to simply enjoy my hand held device. I have found the speed of the wireless connection to be satisfactory, the picture to be adequate and actually quite beautiful, as well as the volume to be satisfactory (the sound is very good considering how small the speakers are in these little things!). I'm also a fan of Amazon, so it being so closely integrated with Amazon doesn't bother me at all.

Amazon makes it easy to store stuff on their online Cloud Drive, so you don't need a tremendous amount of memory. This is a well thought through device and I recommend it to other ordinary people like myself.

Disney World Magic

2011-11-21T16:00:00.002-05:00

Gosh, I love Disney World. Been there 8 times. Love it!

My recommendations for travelers are:

Buy the book, The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. This book is great and is written based a lot on opinions and thoughts of people who have been there before. Of course, you have to remember that not everyone is the same and that what some may NOT like, you might actually enjoy. Read it with an open mind. It does have helpful reviews of the resorts. Read them carefully.
If you're planning to go to Disney World and plan to spend all of your time at the parks, then stay at the least expensive resorts (one of the All-Star Resorts) and take advantage of the transportation system. If you spend most of your time at the parks and are basically at your resort just to sleep at night, you really don't need a lot of extras. They're cheaper and to spend an afternoon in the pool at your resort is still a lot of fun. If you want something a wee bit more fancy, I DO NOT recommend the Carribean Beach Resort. This resort is more for folks who desire to stay at the resort more than the parks. Transportation between this resort and the parks is WAY TOO slow. All-Star Resorts are really the way to go. (When making your reservations, get a preferred room - they're closer to the front. They may cost a bit more, but at the end of your long day at the parks when your trudging back to your room, the closer the better! Trust me.)
I would also recommend that you plan to go during a more "off" time for Disney. Going during the summer is too crowded and way too hot. Going during other traditional breaks from school is also too crowded. Saturday's on holiday weekends are just plain horrendously busy. I'm talking shoulder to shoulder and elbow to elbow busy.
If you do stay at a resort, definitely take advantage of the dining service plans available. We generally use the quick service dining plan, but others seem content with the dining plan (one quick service meal and one sit down dinner). They also have a plan where you get two quick service and one sit down, but some people just do not need that much food in one day - you DO get a lot of food with these plans - snacks, too. They're definitely a money saver. Just a small lunch for 3 people (2 adults and 1 child) can be around $50 if you don't have a plan.
If you do have a dining plan that has a sit down meal, I encourage you to make your reservations well in advance. Like, weeks in advance. However, if you go during "off" times your chances of scoring lunch at a sit down restaurant without a reservation is greater than catching dinner. Dinner hours are usually booked fast. The food at Disney World is excellent, but I wouldn't expect anything less.
At the parks, you should arrive early (when the park opens) and do some of the major attractions first, then grab a fast pass to do it again at a later time without the long wait.
If you have a smart phone, you can download a free app that can help you plan your day at Disney by checking how busy each park is each day and what the wait times are for each ride. Very handy.
The new Fantasyland is to open sometime in 2012. That will be a busy year!

This has been just a few quick tips for first-timers. Hope this can help someone along the way!

Have a magical day!

No Replacement For Experience

2011-11-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

As I watch my daughter struggle at school with thousands of bits of information being crammed into her brain, I can see an obvious cloud in her eyes....one that indicates to me that she is glazing over and not exactly comprehending everything. I'm hearing (from very reliable sources) that in a few years the school system will focus more on hands on experience as the primary learning tool, not memorization. All I have to say about that is, "Amen! It's about time!"

There is just no better way to convey things to people than by experience. For example, we try to comfort friends during a loss of someone important to them, but we truly have no way of honestly empathizing with them or understanding what they're going through unless we've "been there". This is true of happy times as well. For example, the castle at Disney World is the most amazing, stunningly beautiful thing I've ever seen, especially right now during the Christmas Season. Also, the Memories, Magic and You show that they project onto the castle just prior to the fireworks is just plain beyond explanation. All I can say to someone is, "it's AWESOME!!" But, they truly have no understanding, unless they've "been there".

There is no replacement for experience. The same can be said for our relationship with God. No one can honestly know, unless they've "been there". There is no proper explanation. It's awesome. It is this shared experience that binds our hearts.

Experience is what life is all about. Why shouldn't it be part of the education system? Perhaps the method of teaching is already in your area. If so, I pray that it is going well.

Balanced

2011-09-16T09:18:00.000-04:00

Matthew 10:37-39 "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." NLT

I don't like to ride in a vehicle with an unbalanced tire. The ride could be so much better if I'd just get it fixed. Riding with it long enough even wears me out.

As our lives roll on, and twist and turn, and spin, could the ride be better if we were well balanced?

Of course it would. According to the above Scripture, in a nutshell, our life will amount to nothing without Jesus. We will live without Him, but not truly live. In order for the wheel to turn without wearing us out, the center of of lives must be Jesus.

Jesus repeated these words of wisdom many times. He stated that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart and our soul and our mind, in other words, love God above all else and with every ounce of our being. He said that we cannot have two masters. We can't love both God and money, for example. The equation just doesn't compute that way. As I said in an earlier blog: Jesus+anything = less of Jesus! (Hmmmmm, I'm beginning to think that He's referring to Himself as God again in this Scripture.)

Eve, in the Garden, in a fateful moment, changed the balance in her wheel, and thus changed the balance in all our wheels. Interesting that satan tempted her with food. Doesn't women everywhere struggle with food issues? Or maybe, the temptation in your life isn't food, maybe it's sex, or drugs, or the need to please other people, or in some sick, demented way, you feel like you must please no one but yourself. The list could go on..... But the speed bumps are there to knock us out of balance. To keep us from truly living.

I am convinced that the out-of-balance reality is hereditary. Adam and Eve certainly passed it on. We get it passed onto us both by actions of those around us as we grow and mature (i.e. the sins of the father) but also by the genes in our blood. Blood plays such an important role in the Bible, so this should come as no surprise. Blood has it's own voice. Did you know that? After Cain killed Abel, God told him that He could hear Abel's blood cry out. Which leads me to ask, how else are we saved? With nothing less than the perfect blood of Christ Jesus. Adam and Eve managed to taint human blood.....Blood provides a connection with God that only He truly knows.

God used blood to bind covenants. And, let me tell you, He still does. The blood of Jesus is one example. But, did you know that when a woman has sex for the first time there is a little blood involved? This is also a covenant. Marriage and sex should not be separated. You made the vow between man and God and it is sealed with blood.

It is a daily and hourly task to make sure that I am focused on God and nothing else. It's a difficult thing to do sometimes when I want to hold onto those things that will surely fade away....

Lord, help me loosen my grip on those things that I desire to be in the center of my wheel along with You. I want to be balanced and to find my life. Amen.

I'll always remember 9/11

2011-08-30T15:47:00.002-04:00

I'll always remember 9/11. It was a beautiful day outside. Crisp and clear. Sunny. The news came to me when my husband called from work and said that the guys there were saying we were under attack. I turned on the television and in an almost surreal moment saw what hell had been unleashed in New York. It definitely felt surreal. Beautiful skies. Beautiful day....until I saw the images on the screen.... Tower 1 on fire and then Tower 2. This couldn't be happening....could it? Later the Pentagon in Washington DC. And even later still, the plane that was heroically crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Let's roll!?! Would it ever end?

Planes landed at airports all over the U.S. in almost a blink of an eye. Not a plane in the sky. Unbelievable. We did see one military plane fly overhead in the evening, which was eerie. Were they expecting more rogue planes? More heartless attacks? It was heartless, you know. Evil.

Coverage continued as people were dropping to their deaths from the tallest heights of the Twin Towers. They would rather fall than burn. What a choice to have to make! Eventually the towers fell and even more lost their lives. Heroes. All of them. Not the slimy bastards that planned and plotted and high-jacked the planes - never them. Never.

This day should never be forgotten. We should never underestimate what our enemy, radical terrorists, are prepared to do and would love to do to our country.

Let us thank the warriors who offer us their lives to protect us by eliminating this threat one-by-one. By thwarting their plans and, yes, bringing about their ultimate demise.

Support Made in the USA

2011-08-27T15:09:00.003-04:00

Trying to compile a list of products made in the USA. Here are a few:

http://www.silkies.com/
http://www.allamericanclothing.com/SFNT.html
http://madeinusaforever.com/
http://www.metrovacworld.com/
http://u-s-ashoes.com/
http://www.okabashi.com/info/Made_in_USA

Here's another blog with TONS of links to stuff made in the USA:
http://usamade.wordpress.com/

A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy
Luna Premium Hypoallergenic Waterproof Mattress Protector - Queen Size - Made In The USA
Munchie Mug - The New Spill Resistant Snack Cup for Toddlers. Made in the USA. - BPA Free. FDA compliant materials. - Blue Top

Hear it, I'm screaming it!

2011-08-23T18:44:00.001-04:00

I love songs that are inspired - in particular by God's Word.

One of my favorites is I'm So Sick by Flyleaf.

While reading my Bible one day, I believe that I found the Scripture that must have been one of the factors that inspired the song: 2 Timothy 4:2-4. "...proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the upmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itiching ears, they will will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths" (NRSV) [emphasis mine].

Here's a link to the music video (caution: this rocks!): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGVNTO9PSZ0

or here's the lyrics:

"I'm So Sick" by Flyleaf
I will break into your thoughts
with what's written on my heart
I will break, break

I'm so sick,
infected with where I live
let me live without this
Empty bliss,
Selfishness
I'm so sick, I'm so sick

If you want more of this
We can push out, sell out, die out
So you'll shut up
And stay sleeping
with my screaming in your itching ears

I'm so sick
Infected with where I live
Let me live without this
Empty bliss,
Selfishness
I'm so sick, I'm so sick

Hear it, I'm screaming it
You're heeding to it now.

Hear it! I'm screaming it!
You tremble at this sound.

You sink into my clothes
And this invasion
Makes me feel
Worthless, hopeless, sick

I'm so sick,
Infected with where I live
Let me live without this
Empty bliss,
Selfishness
I'm so
I'm so sick
I'm so
I'm so sick!

Be made well and whole and inspired today! Pick up the inspired Word of God and let it be your bliss.

Dear Witness...

2011-08-06T14:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Jehovah’s Witness,

Thank you for sharing your publication regarding the Bible. I read the document and now ask that you read mine.

First, I commend you for reaching out and desiring to share the Word about Jesus. But, I would like to point out that your organization has made it’s presentation to people of the document The Bible, What Is Its Message? to be teetering on the edge of deceptive. I was told to read the document on the Bible and that’s all it was a document on what the Bible said and was not a document discussing Doctrine. That statement was not true. Upon sifting through the document I found, in particular, corners of pages dedicated to Witness doctrine. Anytime anyone makes any interpretation of the Bible and presents it, it's the same thing as presenting Doctrine. Your belief in Jesus is only one example.

Second, while I appreciate your efforts, no discussion of this topic (a.k.a. your doctrine vs. mine) will change my core beliefs, which are in obvious conflict with yours. The fact is, if we were to sit down and talk, you should walk away from that conversation a better Jehovah’s Witness and I a better Baptist. So, I gratefully decline discussion between us. I believe what I believe probably because of the same reasons that you believe what you believe – from a lifetime of study and teachings and experiences. Neither one of us in a space of a few short minutes will change a lifetime of learning. And, for lack of better illustration, we would both fall into the same non-compromising category as the Pharisees – tradition.

Third, my belief as Jesus Christ as God comes from a few very simple ideals: 1. Jesus Christ is prophesied and delicately interwoven into the Old Testament. Isaiah 7:14 tells me this, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” And, Isaiah 9:6 tells me this, “for a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 2. Jesus Himself referred to Himself as God, one such reference (there is more than one) is in John 9:58-59 where He says, “Jesus answered them, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!” At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.” - I AM was God’s name. He was about to be stoned for proclaiming to be God. In Mark 2: 1-12 it is determined that Jesus is forgiving sins. But the Jewish leaders are mortified because only God can forgive sins. – Again, blasphemy. Also, the very nature of God comes into question when Jesus receives and accepts worship. The Bible tells us that our God is a jealous God – I cannot believe for a minute that worship of a “created being” is acceptable to Him! And, I’m not sure that I would want to believe as my Savior someone going around blaspheming for no reason!

The three persons of the Godhead work together, very obviously, in many sections of the Bible: in creation, at the Tabernacle (and future Temples) [studying the Tabernacle is very fascinating, by the way!!], Jesus birth, life, baptism, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension.

Fourth, Jesus tells the disciples to go and baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). In the name of, not the names of.

Fifth, from other conversations with Jehovah’s Witnesses I also know that you do not recognized hell as a possibility in afterlife. Jesus does speak of hell (Matthew 5:29 – is only one reference) AND being thrown out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12 – is again, only one reference). In either case, I would prefer neither. But according to my Lord, they are both very real. If all that happened to me when I die if I didn’t know Jesus was that I just ceased to exist, what good would it do me to be forgiven to begin with?

Sixth, thank God that by the holy blood of Jesus Christ my sins are forgiven and that is not by my might but by His that this is so.

There you have it. Mostly. You go and believe what you believe and I will continue to believe what I believe. May God wonderfully bless you!

Most Sincerely!

How much Jesus do I have?

2011-07-30T21:54:00.000-04:00

In all four Gospels we see Jesus feeding the 5,000. Which we learn that there were actually more than that counting the women and children. This crowd gathered because Jesus and His Disciples (Jesus in particular) were becoming popular and easily recognizable. They gathered to see Jesus. The crowd wanted what Jesus was dishing out. As the Bible describes it, they were like sheep without a shepherd.

When the crowd became hungry the Disciples wanted them to go to nearby farms and villages to get something to eat, but Jesus said, "You feed them." (I can see a "Whhhhaaaatttt? coming from them. They were just itching to say, "Jesus, are you crazy?) Long story short, they gathered 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish from the crowd and Jesus fed them all - with 12 baskets of leftovers!

Thoughts arise as I recall this favorite story:

1. Tradition asks, how much faith do we have when we face impossible situations? Do we seek Jesus first or panic first?

My questions arise from the simple fact that Jesus is the bread of life and He used bread as one of the elements of the meal to feed them.
2. So, then, how much Jesus (bread) do we have? How much do we consume of Him each day?

My last post dealt with the woman who anointed Jesus with perfume and I how I admire her laser-like focus on Jesus.
3. Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God.....do we? Are we focused with laser-like precision? Are we full of Jesus? Or full of this and full of that? I saw a thought provoking equation the other day: Jesus + anything = less of Jesus.

4. As disciples of Jesus Christ in todays world, can we take what little faith we may have (5 loaves and 2 fish or even a mustard seed) and offer to "feed" the crowd, who are like sheep without a shepherd, with the nourishment of God's Word? Can we lead them to Jesus? When we offer God's nourishment, will we expect God to bless us and the crowd abundantly? If we don't we should!

5. Or, a question that begs to be asked is: are we like the disciples in the Bible and want the crowd to go elsewhere to find their nourishment? When the crowd gathered, Jesus immediately had compassion on them.....can we love them like Jesus?

Let's pick up our Bibles and read and pray! In other words, let's get in the kitchen and start baking! There are people who need to be fed....and Jesus is counting on US to do it!

Think about this for a minute: God sent Jesus to tell about Him, and Jesus sent us! Woa, I think Jesus got ripped! When His Word gets spread it is not by our power, but HIS!!! It truly is a miracle.

Giving it all to Jesus.....

2011-07-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

Had a phone call this week from a cranky lady....and, it got me thinking.....
It's hard for me to love people.....the bunch of whiners and complainers that we are.....

One of my favorite scenes from the Bible illustrates very nicely whining and complaining during one of the most tender moments in the entire Bible. Matthew 26:6-13 is the story of the woman who comes to Jesus while he is at a leper's home and gently and lovingly pours expensive perfume on His head. This woman was moved by her love for Jesus and grateful for what He had probably done for her. I imagine that she entered that home with laser like focus on Jesus. - Finding out that He was there, she grabbed her jar of expensive perfume and rushed over to the home (I don't know, perhaps she gathered her life savings together and went to the market and purchased it right then and there). I almost see her stopping in front of the door almost breathless from her rush (she didn't want this opportunity to pass her by!). She had no reservations about what she wanted to do and upon entering the home she focused on our Lord. Without words, that we know of, she went over to Him as He reclined at the table and poured her perfume on His head, anointing Him. A beautiful moment! - And, here we go.....BAM! the disciples had to go and almost ruin a precious moment by saying, "Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." (What can I say, sometimes church people are the worst!) Would you like a little cheese with your whine?

Jesus, of course, takes up for her - and does this for so many reasons that we cannot even begin to understand them all. Mostly, though, poor Jesus had been trying to tell these guys that He was about to die. He had to spell it out for them that she was preparing His body for burial. In addition, this woman came there, without hesitation, without embarrassment, with overwhelming love and adoration for Him - and Jesus knew it. He accepted her love and her worship that was completely from the heart. She was focused on Jesus that day - and only Him. She didn't care about what the disciples thought or anyone else for that matter.

So, questions arise within me for myself (and the rest of us): do we go to Jesus with such unrestrained devotion? If we did, would we not care what people whine and complain about? Would we let the whining and complaining stop us? Do we let opportunities pass us by to anoint Jesus with our praise, our worship and the holy sacrifice of our life?

Truly, this passage doesn't say where this woman came from. She may have been a guest at the house already for all I know....but I like how we are given some imaginative freedom here. I shared with you my vision of how it all went down, perhaps you have a different vision. The end of the story, however, does tell us that Jesus states that this woman's deed will be proclaimed throughout the world wherever the gospel is preached in memory of her! Here it is, roughly 2,000 years later, I don't know her name, hardly a thing about her, or anything about her past....the only thing that really matters, the only thing that has any lasting significance and impact is that one moment....where she gave it all for Jesus.

Dear God, Help me have such laser like focus on You.....In Jesus name, Amen.

Recommended Books for Children With Anxiety Issues

2011-06-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

In the past I briefly touched on selective mutism and children with anxiety. If you'd like some extremely helpful information regarding anxiety and negative thinking, here are two very worthy books to add to your library: Freeing Your Child From Anxiety and Freeing Your Child From Negative Thinking, both written by Tamar E. Chansky. Highly recommend them!

Help for "Pint-sized Pessimists"

2011-03-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

All kids have some measure of anxiety, but some more than others. It's up to us, who are given the privilege of raising these kids, to help them through their issues. Anxiety leads to negative thinking. So, how do we help them deal with that?

I found this article to be very informative and helpful:
http://www.worrywisekids.org/newsletter/index.html

It gives steps for us to use to help our kids overcome negative thinking. I'm sure that it isn't a cure all, but after reading the article I intend to put the suggestions to use at my house. The very first step tells us to resist the urge to downplay the child's distress. Instead, it suggests that we try to see things from their perspective and let them make themselves clear about what is bothering them. This not only allows them to feel heard but also gives them the benefit of hearing their own thoughts being played back. 1

Now, I have a child that is one stubborn stick-in-the-mud and she is usually the exception to the rule so this will be interesting to try at home. Historically, what I find is if she has trouble expressing herself to me she has a better time expressing herself to a favorite stuffed animal. So, my suggestion is that all of the steps in this article are wonderful, but don't be afraid to add something to it yourself, such as letting your little one talk to someone else - like a stuffed animal. Tweeking it to fit your situation can only benefit. Good luck!

Footnote:
1 http://www.worrywisekids.org/newsletter/index.html

World Water Day

2011-03-21T17:40:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is World Water Day (22-03-11).

This is a UN initiated event. Go to this link to learn more:
http://www.worldwaterday.org/page/121
This booklet by the UN is very informative:
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/waterforlifebklt-e.pdf
Also, several other posts on my blog bring to your attention the water crisis for many of our neighbors in the world.

Selective Mutism 101

2011-03-08T10:42:00.001-05:00

Well, where to start... The purpose of this blog today is to bring to your attention an anxiety disorder that for the most part is absolutely one of the most frustrating things I have ever encountered in my life - Selective Mutism. This disorder reveals itself early in life and is an anxiety which "expresses" itself by withholding a child's ability to speak in public settings, such as school. My observation so far is that children who deal with Mutism do not like have attention drawn to them and have an overriding fear that they will some how embarrass themselves. It is a gripping disorder that is very much a disability.

There is not much known about Selective Mutism and the professional opinions of the disorder vary widely. Where I live there is no one trained to deal with the disorder. In fact, I have only really seen one professional in the US located in Pennsylvania (north of Philly) who has devoted her career to Mutism because her daughter has it. It is a hard disorder to understand and unless you have dealt with children with the disorder you will and cannot have the slightest understanding of it.

This anxiety has to be handled with kid gloves, so to speak. You have to work with the child in question in cognitive steps smaller than baby steps. And it should never stop. Which proves to be exhausting and frustrating to parents. The old adage "it takes a village to raise a child" definitely applies to children with Mutism. Also, the old saying that if you make them speak, then they'll get over it does not apply with kids with Mutism. The oldest trick in the book only makes things worse.

The doctor that I referenced earlier has a website: http://www.selectivemutismcenter.org/
There are others who have spent time on this subject, but this one seems to me to be the best.

Early signs of Mutism include: being overly shy, consistant inability to speak, sensory issues (such as a fear of loud noises), and some resistance to change.

If you are dealing with a child with Selective Mutism, good luck to you and be strong.

UPDATE: Omega 3 is consistantly proving itself to be a beneficial factor in helping anyone with anxiety issues. After having my daughter on Omega 3 for nearly 4 months I have noticed a definite difference in her outlook - it is much more positive. I would encourage anyone to include Omega 3 supplements in their child's diet. There are even good tasting ones available, such as Flintstone Gummies with Omega 3. There are foods that Omega 3 is being added to, such as Horizon's organic chocolate milk and Puritan canola oil with Omega 3. Access to this is easier than it used to be and much better tasting than fish oil!

An Amazing Beast

2011-03-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

My daughter has been riding horses now for 2 1/2 years. My love and appreciation for this magnificent beast has multiplied 100 times. Humans started domesticating horses as early as 4,000 BC. (For their sake, I'm not sure that's a good thing). They have been part of our lives ever since. They are, and have been, warriors, workers, law enforcers, friends, therapists, part of our family, champions, and, unfortunately, money makers in ways that are abusive and hurtful to them. There are countless organizations who rescue horses. Here are some links to only just a few:

www.horsenethorserescue.org
www.chr.org
www.angelacreshorsehavenrescue.com
www.rerun.org

I encourage you to open your heart to these wonderful creatures who have helped mankind for thousands of years and support those who are helping them in there time of need.

Have a blessed day!

Why is it important to be thankful?

2011-02-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His steadfast love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1 (and many other Psalms vs. 1)

"All sun creates a desert." - Chinese Proverb.

I have to say that the first time I saw that Chinese proverb I laughed out loud, sarcastically, and stated 'yeah, right!'. But I can honestly say, after coming out of the other side of a grand depression, the proverb makes a whole lot more sense to me.

God has provided for me several lights who "rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous." (Psalm 112) Indeed, He is good and His love endures forever.

I have rediscovered joy and appreciate life on a much deeper scale than ever before. This would not have happened without the rain.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good...

H2Oh

2011-02-09T10:15:00.001-05:00

Just read an article from my World Vision magazine that outlined a typical day for a woman in Africa and her quest to make sure her family has water. Makes my whining and complaining seem a bit childish.

Also, just found out an interesting water fact: If you were to put the amount of water in the world on a scale that would make it fit into a 1 gallon jug, the only water that would be fit to drink would be equivalent to one tablespoon!

http://www.lenntech.com/water-trivia-facts.htm

Also, check out http://www.miir.com/
Every bottle sold provides 1 person with clean water for a year. one4one.

THANK YOU.

A Dogs World...

2011-02-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

Down With The Dawgz

2011-02-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

Really getting into sketching...especially friends' pooches. Here are a couple:

Sketching is good fun! I may not be the best, but I'm enjoying it.

Hope that you have a good, healthy hobby. It's therapeutic. =]

Expect Expectations

2011-01-30T15:58:00.002-05:00

“A desert is a place without expectation.”Nadine Gordimer
“A youthful mind is seldom totally free from ambition; to curb that, is the first step to contentment, since to diminish expectation is to increase enjoyment.” Frances Burney

What causes disappointment? Lots…but I would have to say that failed expectation is first on my list. We all have expectations of everything in our lives. We turn on the computer and expect it to work. We turn the key in the ignition of our car and expect the car to come to life. We sit down to eat our meals and expect the food to be not only tasty but to fulfill our nutritional needs. We expect people to be kind to us. We get married and have spoken expectations and even unspoken expectations whether we realize it or not. We have expectations of every moment of every day. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “I didn’t expect that!”

I like the first quote about the desert in terms of spiritual expectation. I have felt as though I’ve been in a spiritual desert many times. More often than not. Dwelling in the desert is not fun. But I’m there quite a bit. Is this what they call acedia? Or is it the result of the battle of my expectations versus His?

Indeed the second quote sounds a bit harsh, but it holds truth, nonetheless. Let down from unfulfilled expectations have gotten in the way of so much. My happiness firstly. My expectations and failure to live up to them have kicked me in the butt one too many times.
The good news is that God is good. He has sent some new friends in my life who have provided me with new wind in my sails and I am humbled yet again. So, even though we get knocked down by our expectations, I have learned that we must be careful to align our expectations with God's - He will rescue us and does. He has provided me much light in a period of darkness. Hope is good.

Some H20 quotes to think about....

2011-01-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

"Many of the wars of this (twentieth) century were about oil, but the wars of the next century will be about water." - Ismail Serageldin, former World Bank VP, 2000.

"Children of a culture born in a water-rich enviroment, we have never really learned how important water is to us. We understand it, but we do not respect it." - William Ashworth

But Wait! There's More!

2011-01-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

As a continuation of my earlier post, let me go into a little more detail about what the three organizations (and you) can do to help bring clean water to those who need it.

All three organizations (World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse and Lifewater International) work in three primary areas: provision, purification and sanitation. I think that this work is exciting and absolutely vital to the existence of our neighbors all over the world. Read on to find out a little more:

World Vision has an ambitious and exciting goal of drilling 825 borehole wells in rural West Africa that will bring the gift of clean water to nearly 500,000 people over a six-year period.¹ They provide water storage containers to help communities collect, purify and store fresh rainwater in safe containers for later use.²They also help through the construction of gravity-fed clean water systems. In southern Ethiopia, for example, they provided a similar system that benefits almost 64,000 farmers.³Through much dedication and support World Vision water projects have given more than 10 million people access to clean water and improved sanitation.^{4 (Go to www.worldvision.org to help!)}

Samaritan’s Purse also provides wells, purification systems, and sanitation. It’s interesting that just one of their community filtration systems can purify up to 10,000 gallons per day, enough to provide for the daily needs of 2,500 people.⁵They also have an easy fundraiser for groups (or even individuals) to raise money to support clean water. Through their program ‘Turn On The Tap’ they suggest using empty water bottles to collect change and use that money collected to donate. Every little bit helps! ^{(Go to www.samaritanspurse.org to help!)}

Lifewater International has similar programs. I am especially fond of their promotion of good hygiene and sanitation. They have conducted a 22-month pilot project called the Hosanna Project that essentially proved that good hygiene and sanitation alone can help reduce disease even without safe water access.⁶ They have not only receive help from individuals and corporate means but through USAID as well. ^{(Go www.lifewater.org to help!)}

The numbers of people who die each year from water and sanitation related illness is staggering. The information is easy to research and readily available on the internet as well as on the websites of the three organizations I have mentioned. We can all work together to help. It’s easy to get involved in the transformation of the world. There are people waiting and depending on us today!

1,2,3,4 www.worldvision.org

5 www.samaritanspurse.org

6 www.lifewater.org

Water, Water Everywhere?

2011-01-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

In uncertain economic times, it’s easy to become alarmed and frightened at what might happen. But even still I cannot help but think of people all over the world whose reality today are our worst fears of tomorrow. Did you know that if you make $50,000 a year you are richer that 99% of the other people in the world?¹ Poverty abounds.

For example, communities in places all over the world, and in particular Africa, do not have one of the most basic necessities that we tend to take for granted – clean, safe water. It’s disturbing to know that at the end of this day approximately 26,500 children will have died as a result of preventable conditions². Many of these deaths can be avoided simply by having clean, safe water available to them. The result of not having safe water is devastating, in fact, as many as 5 million people die each year because they do not have access to decent, safe water to drink and use³. Illnesses develop such as dehydration, diarrhea and people become infected with parasites from tainted water. Bodies do not function properly without proper hydration and therefore damage occurs to their brains and other body parts.

Clean water can make an incredible impact on communities who don’t have it. First, children can attend school instead of spending all of their time walking for many miles each day fetching water that isn’t safe to drink anyway; second, families can irrigate and grow crops; third, better sanitation results from having a water source in the community and better sanitation means better health.; fourth, more jobs result due to having better health and more time to work instead of needing to search all day for water; and fifth and most obviously, water-borne illnesses are almost virtually eliminated.⁴

I have often dreamed of being able to send enough money to an organization who, with my donation, could drill at least one deep water well in a community somewhere across the globe. But I don’t have the $18,000 needed to do so. I can, however, share information that might inspire those who have the resources to do it.

My recommendations for giving include:

1. World Vision (www.worldvision.org)

2. Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org)

3. Lifewater International (www.lifewater.org)

Whomever you support through your giving and for whatever the cause, please be sure that they are using your money wisely. Some charities have very high administrative costs and very little actual giving. Give wisely!

^1,2,3,4 The Hole In Our Gospel, Richard Stearns. Thomas Nelson Publishing. 2009. World Vision.