Traffic Stopping Threads

Why God is both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice

2017-02-08T18:24:00.001-08:00

Formless to formed…Emptiness to fullness…Darkness to light…Water to sky and evening to morning…Dry ground and waters gathered into seas… These are the precursors on earth to the creation of life: First sea life, then plant life, then animal life, then human life. Genesis 1:27- So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. In many places, God’s word refers to the human race as “man.” Here it specifies that “man” means both genders and it continues to include both throughout scripture.

God is a God of life…of birth and of rebirth and renewal. He has the power to breathe the very breath of life into our physical or spiritual being. Genesis 2:7-The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. God is consistent across every aspect of His being and He is the giver, supporter and promoter of life. He values every single life (regardless of race, nation, gender, disability) from the aging to the middle aged, to the youth, to babies and the unborn babies in the womb. Psalm 139: 15&16-When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. There is no question that God is pro-life and that when He instructs us not to kill, He includes those babies in the womb whom he already “knows.”

In contrast is the thief who is Satan: John 10:10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. The very existence of death is a result of evil in the world and the being that promotes it.

God is also a God of choice! When man was first created, God showed them all the trees of the garden, allowing them to eat from any tree except for one. We talk of the forbidden tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) more often than we hear of the tree of life. What is this tree of life? It was central in the garden next to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It seems to represent and give life…without death. It shows that when he gave them full access to this tree and its fruit, God’s plan and intent for Adam and Eve was only life. And only one tree in the entire garden was off limits (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). God wanted to leave them with a choice. Sometimes I wish he hadn’t(!), but God is love and He didn’t want them to follow His ways without a choice. He didn’t want them to follow His ways because they were the only ones to follow. He wanted, and still wants, man to choose Him, choose His life, and His goodness, giving us an opportunity to obey.

Three years ago my dad died. His life ended when he took his own life. I was a complete dysfunctional disaster for about 6 months after this happened but had wonderful support from people all around me. I was in a very hard place during that time. I honestly feel like God allowed me to get to a similar place as my dad was in order that I might have some understanding. I had never really experienced depression before. Other people’s verbal responses varied in a large spectrum in trying to make sense of such an event. Some people said, “Well, maybe he didn’t have a choice” or “Perhaps that’s just what he had to do.” I told my kids, and will continue to emphasize with them, that he did indeed have a choice. “You always have a choice,” I say. If you are ever in that place, there is always another option, always someone to talk to, always an avenue of hope, and always some form of help. This is not a simplistic or easy answer topic. I know the lies of depression are strong… I heard some of them myself.

The really awesome thing is that even after Adam and Eve’s sin of eating of the ONE tree that was to be avoided, God still endlessly gave them the opportunity to choose to have connection with Him. Though their choice of fruit (to disobey God’s command) had consequences, they were able to decide again to follow God. We choose these things on a daily basis often starting anew when we fail. We can choose kindness over grumpiness, giving over selfishness, trust over fear, faith over control, love over hate, intimacy over lust, justice over injustice, forgiveness over revenge, responsibility over laziness, obedience over our own self-will, resisting temptation over giving in, and birth over abortion. Yes, we even have the power to choose our own life over physical death!

Whether or not the government makes assisted suicide and abortion legal, available, free or even if it wrongly forces it upon its citizens, God gives us (as humanity) choices. Whether our society approves or disapproves doesn’t change God’s position on life. And He still gives us a choice. Based on only one single choice of choosing to trust Him, He invites us to live in His presence eternally. Amazingly, when he bookends his word, we find that the tree of Life is not gone. The tree of Life is mentioned again. Revelation 2:7-He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

AND Revelation 22:2-…On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations….

What great gifts we have been given: Not only life, an ability to choose and discern, but forgiveness and healing and opportunities for renewal if we don’t always choose what is right.

J.Kondratieff

photo credit: Aleksander Markin. Александр Маркин <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33104187@N04/31261048732">Man was born! Grandson!</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a>

Chalk paint recipe and before and after

2017-01-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

I loved the final product of this chest. It was an item that was always in our house growing up so when my mom gave it to me, I wanted to give it some new life. I love how chalk paint is a different texture than paint so it seems softer and the brush strokes don't show. See the recipe below. On furniture it can be sanded on the edges to distress or just leave the full coverage. It is good to cover it when it dries with a layer of wax and buff the surface. If you want to paint several items, you can save alot of pennies by making your own chalk paint.

Chalk Paint:
1 part plaster of Paris with water to mix
3 parts paint

The paint must be flat paint. Other paints clump up and if they have a sheen in them it doesn't look like chalk paint anyway. I used plaster of Paris from Ace hardware (in a milk carton shaped box). Mix with water till it is smooth before adding the paint. I used a whisk to combine. You want to make sure there are no lumps. I also used Olympic interior flat white paint from Lowes. It's best to only make as much as you are going to use to paint an item because it starts to clump up and change consistency. I did save some overnight in a jar and it worked just fine. You may want to sand edges and then buff with a light coat of wax. On this item I didn't sand at all and just waxed it (Briwax from Ace) when dry.

Lemon Curd Recipe

2016-07-14T09:20:00.001-07:00

So good! We love this on toast in the summer time!

What You Need

Ingredients
3 or 4 lemons
3/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into pieces
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Peel and juice the lemons. Zest 3 of the lemons using a zestor or fine grator, taking as little of the bitter white pith as possible. Cut all the lemons in half, juice them, and measure out 1/2 cup of juice. Save any leftover juice for another use. Combine the sugar and lemon peels. Add the butter, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt to the bowl. Incorporate all the ingredients into a bowl by hand. (You can also use a stand mixer.)

2. Cook the lemon mixture. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and place over very low heat. Stir frequently, using a heat-proof spatula. Do not leave the mixture unattended as it is very easy for it to overcook and curdle.

Cook until the mixture begins to thicken, 12-15 minutes. If you are using a thermometer, cook the curd to 170˚F. You can also test the curd by coating the back of a spoon with the curd and running a finger through it. It should leave a clear, distinct path. You can strain out the lemon peel/zest but I like to leave it all in so I don't strain it at all.

3. Allow to cool to room temperature, then pour into a clean jar and store in your refrigerator. It will keep for a few weeks, if it lasts that long!

Notes:

• Lemon curd can also be stored in the freezer for several months.

Best summer dessert...Fruit Pizza!!

2016-05-30T09:16:00.001-07:00

This dessert seems to scream summer and is a fast and easy one for a party or potluck. Make it round or square and bring it anywhere....just don't expect for any leftovers.

Fruit Pizza:
Sugar cookie crust recipe (see earlier post on Best sugar cookies)
Whipping Cream
Cream cheese
sugar
Fruit (sliced)

After making the sugar cookie dough, spread it out evenly on a cookie sheet with your fingers.
Bake it for 10-15 minutes at 350.
Let it cool.
This is not a precise recipe!!! Whip about a cup of whipping cream and mix in some cream cheese...(half to a full pkg.) that is at room temperature with the electric mixer or kitchen Aid. Add sugar to taste (approximately a quarter cup). Spread on the cooled cookie crust. Top with fruit of many colors! The only fruit I don't usually add is apple because it is too crunchy and not too colorful. Bananas do well if you will be serving it right away.

Latest weekend projects...Pantry and Bathroom vanity

2016-05-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Before and afters around our house....I love before and after pictures! They inspire me to get my own projects done one at at a time. Here are a few of my latest weekend projects and since pictures inspire me maybe they can be an inspiration to start on something for you. I actually tend to put these things off and then it feels so good when they are actually done.

The Pantry before and after:

This is what all four of the shelves looked like but I wanted to get a close up on their messiness here!

Here is what all four shelves look like now. Yay, I breath a sigh of relief when I walk through the pantry now and I have to walk through because the door to my garage is in this room. I was feeling myself cringe when passing by....a sure time a change is needed! Baskets seem to be super expensive even when on sale, but sometimes the cost is worth it!! Total cost-$66 for the baskets and $6 for the curtain and spring rod.

Last weekend I finished painting our bathroom cupboards. I have to say, I wish that I would have used chalk paint, but I already had some white paint, so I used it instead. Chalk paint with a sealer or wax just looks so finished and makes it hard to see brush strokes. My recommendation after doing this would be to use at least 2 or 3 coats of primer (instead of the 1 that I used) when painting cupboards so that you only have to put on one coat of paint at the end (minimizing the visual brush strokes). However, I love my cupboards white so much more than before's natural oak....that I am leaving them alone now.

Before....the floor boads aren't finished here either...still in progress!:

After: Feels brighter in the whole room:

Total cost: $23 for the hardware...(but I already had the paint.) Still, painting is one of the most economical ways to improve a room!

Mother's Day Gift Idea: Peppermint Bath Salts

2016-05-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Whether you want to make this for somebody else or for yourself, an excuse to take a bath is a good thing to have around!! Happy Mother's Day.

Peppermint bath salts*** Here's what you need:
1cup of Epsom salt
1 cup of sea salt or rock salt
6 T. Almond or jojoba oil
20 drops of peppermint essential oil
(I actually used peppermint extract)
Red or pink food coloring.
The bottle is from the Dollar Tree and so are the chalkboard stickers.
Mix well in a large bowl and then transfer to a bottle or jar.

Best Sugar Cookies...for any holiday

2016-03-16T21:42:00.002-07:00

Yes, we make these sugar cookies for every holiday...though not for all holidays each year, or we would be making them all the time! For example, I haven't made them for St. Patrick's Day for several years now. We sometimes make them for Valentine's Day, sometimes for Easter, but ALWAYS for Christmas! I have had this recipe since growing up at home and the thing that makes it special is the almond extract. Sugar cookies without that are just not the same!

1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup sugar
1T. almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2-3 Cups all purpose flour
shamrock shaped cookie cutter
buttercream frosting with green food coloring and 1 t. almond extract

Cream the butter and sugar and then add the rest. Stir until well combined and knead together with your hand to form a ball that you can roll out. Roll out to about 1/4" thick and cut out the cookie shamrocks. Place the shapes on cookie sheets. You can put some green sugar on them before baking OR just bake them plain so that they can be frosted later. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely and then frost.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day...yes...my maiden name was Murphy!

Cake Pops

2016-03-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I attempted cake pops for the first time. It was a success and a fail all in one. We started out intending to make panda cake pops since she is a panda lover. But after that wasn't working out too well, we gave up (after decorating only 3) and just did simple cake pops....success because they tasted really good!
The food writers that we bought for our panda pops did not work as planned, making it hard to draw on the mouths like we had thought. We'll put the pic of our attempts down below....it's like one of those failed pinterest pics!
Anyhow here are the steps to some simple cake pops and if you want to go all fancy on them, it can be done....but here are the basics!

You will need: 1 box of cake mix and the ingredients to prepare it.
chocolate or candy coating
9oz. of frosting
lollipop sticks...25-35
more candy coating for embellishing with a pastry bag (use a contrasting color or coating)

First just make one box mix of cake...any flavor and bake it in a 9" by 13" pan. After it is cooled, crumble the entire cake into a bowl till it is all fine crumbs and mix in 9 oz. of frosting (we used homemade butter cream, but you could also use store bought.) I think the flavor of the cake pop is really based on what kind of frosting you use here, so that is why I avoided the store bought version. I kind of think they taste like plastic, but that is just me.

Next, roll them into balls of about an inch to an inch and a half diameter. We tried to use some cake pop presses to get them perfectly even, but it turned out to be easier to shape them by hand. Ours weren't perfectly round....but we decided to roll with it anyway. Cool in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or more before the next step. You can also freeze them to deal with at another time.

Dip lollipop stick ends in a tiny bit of the melted chocolate or white chocolate candy coating. Then put it through the cake ball about 3/4 of the way. Next, you will dip the cake ball into the melted coating or chocolate. We melted the white candy coating in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup so that it was a narrow area and we didn't have to use a lot of extra. After dipping....it will be dripping...so hold it and turn each one over the melted coating for a minute. We had some little Styrofoam blocks that we set them in to dry. You could also use a bowl of dry beans or rice to hold the sticks right after dipping. They dry pretty quickly, so you could change them out with the new ones as the previous ones dry.

As they dried, we just laid them on wax paper on a plate. Here were our attempts at making some pandas. The icing for the eyes wasn't really working out for us and neither was the edible pen we were drawing the mouths with! I didn't mind too much, but she wanted them to look EXACTLY like the pictures we were looking at. So she decided she would just have them be more plain....with a purpose of eating vs. being beautiful!!

So now it's off to bring them somewhere else...so that we don't have to eat them all (minus a few of them of course that will stay here, but not for long)!!

Valentines Day Coupon Book for kids

2016-02-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is a great coupon book for the kids. There is a little sugar involved since one is for soda and another is for ice cream, but at least it doesn't have to be all on the same day. I found it here, so if you are looking for a good kid gift that requires little effort and no cash (yet anyway) check out this printable!
Happy Valentines Day from Traffic Stopping Threads!

Human Trafficking in the United States

2016-01-29T14:31:00.002-08:00

Human Trafficking is the world's fastest growing criminal enterprise and the United States has a part in it. The third largest international crime industry (after drug trafficking and arms trafficking) is human trafficking. With an annual profit of 32 billion, 15.5 billion of that is made in industrialized countries...nearly half!
The US government has been proactive in fighting against trafficking. In 1994 they began monitoring trafficking in the states. At first, monitoring was only of sex trafficking of women and girls, but since then they have broadened to monitor all forms of forced labor and also the men and boys involved in such enslavement as well.
The US is a tier 1 country for trafficking, which means we are in full compliance with the Trafficking Violence Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. The US recognizes the need to sustain and improve efforts achieve the goals of the TVPA of 2000 and this act was also reauthorized and signed into effect in 2006. The US assists other countries in enacting anti-trafficking legislation and is responsible for assigning a rating for their level of compliance to the TVPA. See this map that rates each country according to their compliance/accomplishments in dealing with trafficking.
However, regardless of our efforts, trafficking is an issue here. The US Justice Department estimates that 17,500 people are trafficked into the country every year, but the number could be much higher because of the amount of undocumented immigrants. The number of people trafficked in is a separate number than the actual incidents of trafficking that occur. A portion of that number will be for forced labor and some for sexual exploitation but 80% of trafficking involves the sex trafficking. Also 80% of children trafficked in the US are US citizens. Some people may think that children are usually abducted for this purpose, but in reality only 1% of children are abducted and the rest are recruited through cohersion.
The number of children and youth that were at risk for specifically sex trafficking every year in the US was 244,000 in 2000 and is likely higher now. 38,600 of these originated as runaways. The average age for a teen to enter the sex trade is 12 to 14 years and children who are runaways are usually approached or recruited within the first 48 hours of being on the streets. Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are 3 of the 13 highest sex trafficking areas in the country. To read a recent story on what is being done in The L.A./Hollywood area, see this article.
Because many individuals and organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the problem, and the shocking rise of its occurrence, there are many programs and ministries working tirelessly to end the trafficking in our country. Even unaffected teens need to be aware of the issue so that they are able to recognize when this could be happening to a friend or classmate. There is some great material out there for educating teens and youth.
I look forward to writing about some of the organizations that exist and that are passionate about eradicating the problem next time.

Pray for the United States: That our land would be healed.

That women, children, men and boys would be rescued from this darkness.

That there would be wisdom on the part of the authorities to tell who is being forced and who is forcing...this all becomes very muddled when children are recruiting children!

That organizations standing up against this would receive favor and support from citizens and government.

www.humantrafficking.org
www.wikipedia.com
www.state.gov
www.huffingtonpost.com
www.dosomething.org
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46003680@N04/8431438320">Billboard</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54497431@N05/5650382450">Big Links</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

String Art!

2016-01-22T16:46:00.001-08:00

This was such a fun craft we did at my Mom's group this week.....wanted to share!

Super simple but so fun to just get out a hammer and pound away! And then using whatever string or yarn you have on hand to finish up this project is a really quick process! This would be a really great project for kids too....fun with String!!
You need: A small piece of ply wood, a printout pattern of a letter or shape, string, hammer and nails.

1. Print out an outlined letter or a shape: such as a heart or cross. The more space in the middle, the more area for string.
2. On a small piece of ply wood, hammer small nails along the edges of the shape in various spots. More nails mean it is easier to string back and forth and cover all the spaces.
3. Tear out the PAPER! I forgot to do this step and it was really difficult to get out from underneath the letter.
4. Tie a knot around one nail and just start wrapping the string around nails, up and down, back and forth and all around until the string in the middle is as thick as you want it.
5. Tie off the string around another nail.

I used a variegated string, because I didn't want to have to change colors, but you could switch colors and keep tying off the previous one.

Here is the letter before I got the paper out from underneath. Ugg, tweezers and little tiny pieces of paper were involved! But, yay, now I love it!

Christmas Centerpiece

2015-12-24T11:49:00.003-08:00

Merry Christmas from Traffic Stopping Threads! Easy Christmas Centerpiece idea: Use cuttings from your Christmas tree (preferably you cut these before you decorate the tree, but there are always a few branches that are too long, right?). Use a basket that you have around or get one at a thrift store and paint the end of some pine cones white. All other items here like the red berries are from the dollar store, so this is relatively cheap and so pretty...and smells good too! If you want it to last longer also get some floral foam from the Dollar Tree and put the branches into the foam (which you soak with water).

More gourds!

2015-12-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

I'm having fun experimenting with all my dried gourds. These are dipper gourds, named because the native Americans used them for spoons and dippers. You can see that they are large enough to be made into a ladle. One of the gourds that I dried out cracked and I am going to see if I can make it into a ladle that just hangs on the wall.

These really were fun to grow. They grow large and fast so they are fun for kids to watch and count because the plant really goes crazy, with alot of gourds coming from one plant. I had mine on a dripper system so it got plenty of water. You can see we got a ton of them once we finally picked them all!!

You can't eat these so it is more of a fun thing to grow and watch and hopefully have some for drying, painting etc.

So then we tried drying all of these. Sadly out of all of these, only about 10 were dried successfully. I followed the same procedure as the smaller gourds for drying...(see last post)...wiping them off with a bleach/water mixture about once a month. All these types of things take a little experience I think and this was the first time I tried it. Some of them just got soft and I had to throw them out, but others dried inside and out.

I spray painted this one with some white paint....Ace brand spray paint is not very good by the way! Next time I will use a different one. Then I used some masking tape to spray on a gold stripe and added some glitter paint circles after using a milk cap and pencil to make the circles.

Drying Gourds!

2015-11-22T20:29:00.001-08:00

It was super fun to harvest all these fun gourds last fall. I just bought a random assortment of gourd seeds and planted them and didn't really know what would come up. These little guys were my favorite! We got some bigger gourds too, but these little ones were so cute.

We picked so many of them. The kids were amazed when they kept finding more and more as they picked them.

We gave cute little baskets full of them to neighbors, teachers and friends. After some had sat on our own Thanksgiving table, we decided to dry out the ones we had left. Then it took an entire year to dry them! I put them in the basement on some newspaper (so they wouldn't get the carpet yucky if they did get soft and squishy) and then every month or so, I would wipe them off with a rag dipped in a solution of water (a few cups) and bleach (a teaspoon)...not because I knew how to do this, but this is what google told me might work. This would remove some of the dark spots or any mold that was forming. Some of them got soft regardless and I had never done this before so I probably wasn't doing something right. I just threw those ones out. But others stayed hard on the outside and just dried out. Maybe it had to do with some of them not being as ready to be picked when we harvested them all at the same time. Anyhow, a full year later, this is how they looked:

And I couldn't wait to spray paint them so this is what they look like now! Why is spray paint so darn fun? I think that if you dry these out completely and cover them with varnish or spray paint, they will last for a long, long time....next year these same ones may even be a new color!

Free Crochet Wool Headband Pattern

2015-10-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Do you crochet? I've been busy making these cozy headbands out of wool yarn for an upcoming craft fair. I love them, because they are so warm when made from wool! The pattern is so quick and easy that I wanted to share it with you! I've adjusted the original to make it my own. Heads can be all different sizes!! So headbands can be hard to judge! I decided to sew buttons on the bottom layer so that they could be adjusted for different sized heads and that seems to work well. You can use acrylic yarn too...it is also warm...just not as warm as wool. BUT the advantage is you can throw it in the washer and dryer with everything else. If you make these from wool yarn, hand wash in cold and lay it out to dry.

Hook: H/8 or I/9
Yarn: Medium weight....16-20 stitches to 4 inches
Materials: Buttons, needle and thread
(I used something called "Lamb's Pride-bulky, which is only 3 stitches per inch, but I don't always tend to follow rules on crochet patterns for stitches, hooks etc.!)

Directions:

Ch 75
Round 1: sc in next ch from hook, sc in each ch across. 3 sc in last ch.
Work along bottom of chs, and sc in each ch across. 3 sc in last ch, sl st to first sc. Ch 3 (154 sc)
Round 2: repeat round 1 using dc in each sc st, with 3 double crochets in each of the end stitches.
Round 3: Repeat round 1 using hdc in each dc st. This time do 4 hdc in each end stitch. Continue working rounds until desired thickness is reached.
Note: each round will gain stitches.
When you are done, sew two buttons on the inside layer with the needle and thread and button them through the top layer of headband according to the size desired.

Such a great gift! Have fun!

India...4th in the series of 5 countries to pray for

2015-10-14T10:26:00.002-07:00

I had started out wanting to write about 10 countries, but have decided to change it to five. The human trafficking problem is so saturated worldwide that there are just so many stories to tell. I've decided to narrow down the focus to 5, with the 5th one being the US. The countries I have already written about are countries with a widespread trafficking issue and especially the country we come to today...India...the largest destination, source and transit country for men, women and children to be trafficked.

In India, 22 people are trafficked every hour. The United Nations says that India is the most dangerous place in the world for a woman or girl. Back in 1998 the average age of those trafficked was 18 and a few years later, 15. Now that average age has dropped to 11-13.
“Trafficking for sex and other purposes has always existed in India, but trafficking children for domestic slavery is a relatively new development,” says HS Phoolka, a senior advocate at India’s supreme court and a human rights lawyer and activist. “This is due to rising demand for domestic maids due to rising income in urban areas and widescale poverty … in rural areas. This trafficking shows the rise of massive inequality in India.” (theguardian.com)

The problem there is growing. There is also a growing recognition of the problem as many ministries and safe houses have been started there to rescue and restore victims. However, the need remains great.
The number of children that are disappearing from remote villages is beginning to cause alarm and while they disappear, the number of "employment placing agencies" is growing. These are known to be a source for supplying "help" to wealthy families.
There is low priority placed on trafficking among law enforcement and there is a lack of funds to address it. There is not alot of fear of consequences for being involved in trafficking crime circles. As a matter of fact, it is projected that it will soon become the #1 criminal enterprise...even over drug trafficking. In poor areas, where traffickers earn alot of money, they have influence and power and it is a very attractive enterprise to become involved in.

Dasra, a Strategic Philanthropy Foundation did a study on trafficking in India and this was a quote from their results (profound and disturbing):

"The reason why sex trafficking persists is straightforward: immense profitability with minimal risk. A net profit margin of over 70 per cent makes sex trafficking one of the most profitable businesses in the world. It is becoming increasingly easy and inexpensive to procure, move and exploit vulnerable girls…Moreover, the average price of a sex act has been decreasing over time…These decreasing prices open up the market to consumers who could not previously afford the service."

(asianphilanthropyforum.org)

This causes me to ponder the moral vacuums in our world that just cause other moral vacuums....the devaluation of humans through the caste system allows people to even operate in this trade without a conscience. Selective sex abortions in India have made it impossible for men to find a bride in several areas of the country causing them (not justifiably) to seek out the services of trafficking...etc.

Pray for the country of India:

That children from poor areas can obtain an education through many of the services that are being started there.
Law enforcement where police are given consequences for turning a blind eye.
Breakdown of the caste system
The poverty problem
More ministries (and support for those ministries) that can bring the good news of Christ, which brings value to all people.

sources: www.air1.com, www.thegaurdian.com, www.foxnews.com, www.gvnet.com, www.nytimes.com, www.asianphilanthropyforum.org

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996589600@N01/359238741"></a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/64924693@N00/6559175903">Intricate!</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>

Fall means Pumpkins

2015-10-07T08:49:00.005-07:00

The pumpkin patch in our backyard this year has been so fun! We picked them yesterday, yielding 73 pumpkins!
If you live nearby and see me often, you will also be seeing pumpkin pies!..among other things. I think my kids might have a plan for selling these in the neighborhood so that should be good for them!
Here is one of our favorite recipes for pumpkin!
Chocolate chip Pumpkin muffins
4 eggs
1/3 C.oil
1C. sugar
15oz. pumpkin
3C. flour
2 t. baking powder
2t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 C. mini chocolate chips
Wet ingredients + dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips in. Bake in cupcake liners in a muffin tin (or just a greased muffin tin) 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. (makes 2 dozen muffins).

Denim art designs!

2015-09-21T19:56:00.001-07:00

Equals this:

I took this idea from an old issue of SewNews Magazine (January 2005). I found the magazine in the recycled magazine pile at the library and then I had it filed away for several years after that wanting to try this project, so yay!....reason to celebrate that I finally tried it! I think it turned out really good so I will rip the article out and file it again!

If you have a denim jacket that needs some new life or that you've had for awhile, this is a fun way to get a "new" version of your old jacket. This would also be a fun project to do with a daughter or friend. It doesn't have to be a jacket either....jean pockets, or the border on jean hems would be fun too.

I didn't have a denim jacket to begin with, which is one reason it took me so long to get this project going! I didn't want to buy a new one because I wasn't sure if I would like the effect. So I kept looking at the Goodwill and never seemed to be able to find one. Then, one day I went and found 3 at once! Ya just never know.

What you'll need:

Denim (Jacket, jeans, or something else?)
Clorox bleach pen (found in the laundry/cleaning isle of the grocery store)
Water or air soluble pen (optional)

Protect the work surface just in case the bleach goes through the fabric so that it doesn't get on your table or floor. Denim is pretty thick so most likely this won't be too much of an issue.
Spread out your article of clothing and draw designs with the fine tip end of the bleach pen. The water soluble pen could be used to draw your designs first and then trace over. You may have to go over the lines several times with the bleach pen. Wait for each section to dry rather than doing everything all at once so that you don't bump or smear wet areas. You will be able to tell where you may need a bit more bleach after it has dried.
Lines from the pen are about 1/4" thick so don't attempt to do anything to small or intricate. You can also use a stencil if you are more comfortable. I used a stencil just for the butterfly part of my jacket.
It doesn't have to be perfect or uniform to look good using this technique, which makes this project really fun.
Wash and dry the garment to remove the bleach.

If anyone tries this, I definitely want to see pictures!!

Transforming Thrifted Treasures!

2015-09-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun lately scouring the Goodwill and my local Thrift Rite store for items that need a little TLC. Amazing what a layer of paint or fabric can do. I love to see pictures of things people have gotten for pennies and then changed to something different. I haven't gotten too drastic in the transformations yet, but I recently saw a old dresser that had been painted and changed to be a bench with drawers on the bottom and sides on facebook. It was super cool. I am hoping that one day I have even more time for such things. But for now, I am having fun with these little changes that make a big difference. Covering something with a new layer of fabric is quick and easy if it is just a cushion that can be removed. Upholstering a piece of furniture is a whole different story but a cushion that can be unscrewed makes a fun and easy project. Here are the steps:

1: Unscrew the screws holding the cushion on the piece of furniture...save 'em out of little people's reach. 2: Use a staple remover from a craft or teacher store to remove any staples holding fabric on. This ottoman had a fabric backing and I needed to keep it in the same position in order to screw it back on in the right places. 3: Either remove the old fabric or just leave it on and put the new stuff over! 4: Wash and cut the new fabric and staple it on with a staple gun. Screw the parts all back together.

Yay, so much better and only 9.00 spent! Here are a few other projects I've been up to. My sewing room is finally getting color coordinated!

$4 table for displaying a sewing machine my mom gave me.

I forgot to take a "before" picture of this shelf:(, but it was a really dark wood, was scratched and looked like it needed refinishing, so I painted it my favorite color!

Finally a place for some fabric piles! The thread storage above the shelf was a little oak spice rack that I spent $3 on at Goodwilll and painted also. Getting a room coordinated and made into a space I like has always been a slow process for me...as in it takes years. But, I am often inspired by pictures or other people's resourcefulness. Man, working in small time increments does wonders too! A revelation for me instead of trying to finish all at one time! If you love it too, Happy Thrifting!

Haiti..3rd in the series of 5 countries to pray for

2015-09-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Haiti has been ranked as the second country in the world for prevalence of slavery among a population. The difficult thing about this country's situation is that many mothers are willingly sending their children to wealthier or middle class families in exchange for care of the child's basic needs. It is often agreed that the child will go to school and then this promise is not always carried out.

Many of these children, primarily female, are working 10-14 hours per day without pay. Perhaps even knowing this information, impoverished mothers would still be sending their children to serve in such homes so that at least they will be fed. And this being the case, the slavery problem in this country is complex. After all, domestic servitude with no pay is better than prostitution or begging on the streets, they would reason.

The estimated 200,000 to 230,000 slaves in Haiti are mostly women and children, with many of the children being orphans. Because of the high level of orphans, most trafficking cases consist of children in domestic servitude, but these children are subjected to all kinds of abuses in the places where they serve. Women and children living in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps that were established as a result of the 2010 earthquake, have been at an increased risk of sex trafficking and forced labor.

There are a set of standards that have been set forth in the US to grade each country on its efforts to end trafficking and help the victims. It is called the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act". Standards are given for each country to meet and each country has been graded on their progress or efforts to improve. There are 4 tiers: 1) The country fully complies 2) Not fully, but making significant efforts 3) Watch list: There are a significant number of victims and there is no evidence to improve conditions based on commitments for the next year 4) Do not comply and are not making efforts to do so. Haiti is a tier 2 country.

On a positive note, Haiti enacted legislation recently (in 2014) to criminalize human trafficking. However, the government has not increased efforts to address the problem and so they remain in tier 2. They would have gone down to the level of tier 3 if not for the plan that the government has in place (even if it has not been implemented.) Despite the large number of victims identified each year, the government has not convicted any perpetrators. They have closed several businesses, where children are being trafficked. Prayer is needed that these baby steps will turn into larger steps to end trafficking in Haiti.

Please pray: That the new laws will be enforced and that there will be resources to do so.
For the poverty of this country and that there will be donors to this cause and that money will be used without corruption.
For all who are currently enslaved in Haiti...for their lives and redemption.

sources:
http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2014/226735.htm
http://www.businessinsider.com/flawed-arrangement-turns-haitian-restaveks-into-slaves-2014-8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Haiti
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48858041@N05/12835794533">Ile-a-Vache Birdseye View Oceanshore Cove - Haiti</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57980142@N05/15458151750">FMSC Distribution Partner - Haiti</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://crea

Mango Sorbet

2015-08-27T11:27:00.002-07:00

This is such a great summer or end of summer recipe for those yummy mangoes. We love mangoes in any form, but this was a fun, easy and yummy way to use them and my daughter was the one who made this so that made it even better!! The first time she made it she put in 1/4 CUP of salt instead of 1/4 teaspoon. She realized it after it was done and said, "It will probably be ok still mom, right?" I told her we would for sure have to throw it out and start over. She didn't believe me and it was so cute to see her eyes open really wide after tasting it. All it tasted like was salt! It was a great cooking lesson for her to see how a little salt goes a long way!!

Mango Sorbet

2 ripe mangoes (chopped into cubes)
1/2 C. sweet cream of coconut (with the drink mixers at the store)
1/2 C. pineapple juice
2 T. Lime juice
2 T. maple syrup
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 C. coconut flakes (toasted)

Spread mangoes on a cookie sheet and freeze for four hours or overnight. Combine all except the coconut flakes in the food processor and blend until smooth. Freeze in a container until firm. Scoop and serve with coconut sprinkled on the top.

Days to come, bring them on:)

2015-08-23T16:22:00.001-07:00

Pictures from a recent fishing trip our family took...On one of the beautiful summer days that is now behind me....more fun lies ahead though!!

Feeling nostalgic and a little sad on the day before school starts!! I don't want summer to end! I love having everyone here. It feels like the days are slipping through my fingers sometimes....and then I remember who they all belong to. The words of this song mean so much to me, especially in light of loss and going through difficult times. Somehow, though they also make me glad for the days ahead and the road to come. How about you? Are you anticipating the days to come? Forgetting what is behind and striving toward the goal? Such great words here that I was compelled to write them out and share them:

Through All of it by Colton Dixon

There are days of taking more than I can give
And there are choices that I made that I wouldn't make again
I've had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This has been the story of my life

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

You were there when it all came down on me
When I was blinded by my fear and I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story's always gone

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, through all of it

And this is who You are, more constant than the stars
Up in the sky, all these years, all my life
I, I look back and I see You
Right now I still do
And I'm always going to

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

I haven't had a computer since the first of August. Now I have it back, which is a relief and I am completely thankful for, but really it was a nice break to be totally free of it. Sometimes I wish I lived in the days of Laura and Mary...free to run on the prairie...with no technology to have to think about fixing or figuring out!!

Review of an Alaskan Cruise on the Ruby Princess: "Inside Passage with Tracy Arm Fjord"

2015-07-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

We have been gone most of the summer and the trips have been wonderful and yet I am so glad that now I get to be home for the month of August!! We were blessed to be invited on a cruise with my husband's parents to Alaska and I wanted to put out a review of that cruise in case anyone is looking to go to Alaska. Also, so I can keep it all in my memory bank a lil better!!
This is the first time I have been on a cruise, so I really can't compare it to any other experience, but I can tell you what we were able to see on this particular route and about our experience on this specific cruise line. The route was called the "Inside Passage with Tracy Arm Fjord" with Princess Cruise lines. My mother in law says that you actually see more glaciers from the boat on the "Voyage of the Glaciers" cruise, which is a one way cruise, starting from Anchorage, Alaska and ending in Seattle. The route we took was round trip starting from Seattle and ending in Seattle 7 days later and was very beautiful. The Ruby Princess is huge, holding about 3,000 people. We boarded on a Sunday morning.
Here are our first views of the ship, inside and out and looking back at Seattle! The travel agent, who booked our trip had chocolate strawberries sent to our room!

It was so great to be able to look out of our balcony and see something different each time! I guess that is what a cruise is all about, but it was a new experience for me! We were in sight of land that first day for awhile after leaving the dock, but the next day we were out at sea. We were never very far from land, but that second day, it was far enough away, that it was difficult to see it in any direction. The boat was a bit bumpy that day and there were many sea sick peeps walking around. We took some Dramamine, but it would have worked better had we taken it the night before. Lunch wasn't quite as exciting that day. Ahhh well, after a good night's sleep, we all felt better and when we woke up the next morning, we were pulling into Ketchikan. So was another cruise boat behind us (see pic below). It seems that the cruise boats are constantly pulling in and out of these towns all summer. We got off the ship after breakfast and walked around the town, passing up the numerous jewelry stores that are the first things you see when you disembark the ship. I learned that many of them are owned by the cruise lines and that is why you get jewelry coupons on the boat too! A beautiful little creek flows through the center of town:

Then it was off to the Lumberjack show, which was the excursion that we did in Ketchikan. It was staged as a contest between two lumberjack camps and they did various sawing, chainsaw, axe-throwing and log balancing stunts, always trying to be the fastest finishers out of the two teams. (Below: At the show, and a random, but cool salmon statue by the creek.)

The all aboard time was 2:30 and then the boat headed northward. The next morning we were in Tracy Arm Fjord, which is 29 miles long, but only 1.5 miles wide. It was a great place to get some beautiful views of the mountainside and waterfalls:

We didn't get out of the boat 'till mid morning, when we pulled into Juneau. In Juneau, we did a bus trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. There were sprinkles all morning, but not enough to prevent our short hike (about a mile) from the visitor center for a closer view of the glacier. We didn't see glaciers like this from the ship, so it was great that we got to go on this particular excursion. Pictures: The waterfall (below) was just to the right of the glacier. Matt stopped in front of the famous (or infamous Red Dog Saloon). No time to go in though...we did peek inside. Interesting decor....lots to look at....I even saw a pair of underwear tacked up on the wall. I guess things are hard to come by in Alaska? You use what you have?

The next day, Thursday, we arrived in Skagway. I think this was my favorite town. We took a bus tour up the Klondike Summit, imagining what it was like for all those gold seekers in the mid 1800's. We saw "Tormented Valley" which gained its name because of all the trouble it caused a miner (with his load of supplies) to travel through such treacherous country. There is also an area called "Dead Horse Gulch" because thousands of horses fell to their death, unable to transport the load they were hitched to. We got to stop in "Liarsville" and pan for gold along with seeing an enactment.

The Skagway brewing Co. had yummy food! The building on the right is famous because it is covered with individual pieces of driftwood!!

Back on the boat by 4:30 and we were headed back south now. The following day we were at sea again all day, with a teensy bit of sea sickness again, but not as bad as on the way up. Views from the boat (clockwise): mountain views, pictures never do those rainbows justice, pool at the back of the ship, talk about living in the middle of no-where! (I think it really was a house- a plus would be no solicitors!!)

Saturday evening we were able to get off at Victoria Island for a short walk around from about 7-11pm. It was great to stretch the legs. We saw the capital building and the famous Empress Hotel.

The harbor and hotel by night. This is about 10pm and it was still fairly bright outside!:

It truly was an adventure of a lifetime! It felt like a taste of Alaska even if we didn't see any brown bears or Orcas. We did see lots of new birds (my husband and son keep an ongoing birdlist) and we saw a few whale fins pop out (most likely hump back whale). The cruise line and the food was amazing...I think I came off a different person than when I went on, if you know what I mean. The only thing I would make note of with the cruise line is that it didn't seem to have many shows that were specifically aimed at children. There was a children's program, where you could bring your kids and drop them off for activities and games. But as far as family shows or entertainment, there is probably more of that on somthing like a Disney Cruise. With the scenery on this route, there wasn't a need for much entertainment though, the views off of the boat were spectacular. Thank you G&G K!

13 Year Old Birthday Parties!!

2015-06-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

It's a sad thing when themed birthday parties are not cool anymore! Or maybe it can be seen as a relief too huh? No more spider man or Lego or dinosaur party themes. In some ways having a theme makes everything easier because you know just how to decorate, what favors to buy and what to put on the cake! Life has been busy around here, which is why I haven't been able to blog about the recent happenings. We just returned from a once in a lifetime (for us anyhow) Alaskan cruise and I will do a post on our adventures from that soon. There was no wi fi or cell phone coverage which was a nice change.

But another recent event around here was my oldest son turned 13!! We have a teenager in the house!! I think I am ready. Luckily he is very easy going and ready to tackle new adventures that life brings his way. When he asked to have a birthday party I was excited because last year he didn't even want one. He had some specifics in mind this year though. "Nothing on the cake mom, just chocolate", were my instructions. "Just gift cards to sports or outdoors stores" was the request when I asked what he wanted for a gift. And a movie at the theater, food, and wii was in his plan for the party, but he also let me add in a scavenger hunt of my own creation.

When my daughter started to hang streamer the morning of the party, Andrew (birthday boy) asked, "We don't really have to have those, do we?" I said that we could take them down if he wanted, but being the easy going guy that he is, he said, "That's ok, but just do a few!"

The party was a smashing success and the boys even loved the door to door scavenger hunt! (picture of the list is below). We saw Mall cop 2 in the theater, which was a very clean and funny/silly movie...perfect for 13 year old boys. We ate pizza, salad and buffalo chicken strips (recipe below). Next of course, the cake and ice cream. Then, they played wii for 45 minutes or so.

So I think the moral of my story is that teenagers like it simple and relaxed but still like to do things that push them a bit out of their comfort zone...like a scavenger hunt. And they like lots of food!!

Here is the paper that I made out for the scavenger hunt. I divided them up into two teams of 3 and then sent them in different directions. It was a race to see which team would come back first:

I really love buffalo chicken wings but sometimes it is nice not to have to eat around the bones, especially if you are a teenager and you inhale your food...

Buffalo chicken strips recipe:

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into strips
3/4 C. Flour
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. melted butter
1/2 C. Franks red hot pepper sauce

Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken strips, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the strips on the baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Combine the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the chicken strips into the butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the strips over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

Enjoy!!

Kid friendly Kale (even the adults like it!!)

2015-05-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I admit that I have NEVER liked kale...never until now, that is. It's one of those vegetables that I would buy because I know that it's good for you. I would saute it with soy sauce or put it in stir fry, but I always was trying to choke it down and simultaneously not let my kids know how much I despised it. But since I discovered a kale salad that doesn't require any cooking of the kale and has lots of Parmesan cheese involved, I love it and so do my kids!

Try this...and if you don't like kale, it may just convert you to a kale lover! It really is good for you:)

Kale Salad

1 bunch of kale leaves (shredded thin)
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 or 3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 to 1 C. of Parmesan cheese (grated)

Wash the kale and then pull the leaves off the stem (or at least off the thickest part) by grasping the end of the stem and then pulling the leafy part off with the other hand. Pile the leaves up and cut them into thin shreds with a sharp knife and put them in a large salad bowl.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Mince the garlic and add to the oil, cooking and stirring it over medium heat till the garlic just begins to brown. Add the teaspoon and a half of kosher salt and then the red wine vinegar. When you add the vinegar, it will sizzle. Just stir for another 30 seconds or so until the salt begins to dissolve. Pour the hot oil/vinegar mixture over the kale and toss it. This will just slightly wilt the leaves:

Grate between a half and a full cup of Parmesan cheese:

Toss this into the bowl. Serve immediately.