>*~*Down in the TN*~*<

Persecuted Christians in Iraq

Friends,

I just read a news report where 3,000 Christians are fleeing the Norther Iraq Province of Ninevah.  They are being persecuted, and are being threatened . They may lose their very lives.

Please, keep the Christians in the Persecuted Church in Iraq in your prayers tonight.

According to a statistic from www.persecutedchurch.org ,  there will be an estimated 165,000 Christians who will die this year for their faith in Christ.

May God bless & protect  these souls who are in harm's way -- and may they stay strong in their love for the Lord!

~ gloria ~

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

Don’t we all just need a closer walk with Him? I know I do. I’ve been so busy with this week I haven’t really taken the time to study my Bible as I usually do, and I can tell. I’m angry with people - People label me all sorts of things, talk about me behind my back, and I get nasty, condemning emails. I wish people would see me as I am, not as they see me once they’re offended from what they read because it might’ve hit home. I’m weighed down spiritually.I’m agitated. I’m tired, especially of taking Wilbur out to eat every four hours. I feel like my work is never ending. I need a closer walk with Him because I am weak but He is strong! I love singing this song.

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Just a closer walk! Amen! All for Him until I go safely home!

Blessings!

The Answer to our Financial Woes

The "financial" woes of our nation are on the hearts and minds of many in our nation right now. 

I am not surpised in any way by the economic crisis we face. What did Americans think would happen when it has lived on a steady diet of debt and allowed our government for decades to get deeper and deeper into national debt? It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that our nation's economic crisis is due to poor financial management. We can't point a finger at our nation and it's leaders without taking a good look at our own lives. Americans are addicted to debt. YES, I say addicted.  Pretty strong words, ya think? Americans want everything and they want it right now. They want their government programs and don't realize that everything comes with a price tag. They want their new cars, new homes and fancy electronic gadgets and don't think twice about putting down plastic to pay for it.

Then there is the concern over the upcoming election. Most of my loved ones and friends are very concerned about things. They are concered about the moral and social demise of our nation.  They are concerned and rightfully so.

So now what?

I was talking the other day to a good friend. She was expressing her family's reponse to our economic woes....... there was concern in her voice...... she was worried...... her response is to stockpile food and get a gun.

Now I want to say that I think it's great to have a full pantry, anytime of year and under any enconomic state we may find ourselves in.  But, I do not believe our trust should be in what  "we are doing" or "what we can do" or what our "government" plans to do or will do. I believe , whole heartedly that our trust is to be in the Lord. The Word of God tells us that the Lord watches over the sparrow and even the lilly of the field is dressed beautifully!   When times get tough, we need to earnestly place our trust in the ONLY safe harbor of  security  --- the Lord!

" Trust in the Lord with all your heart , and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  ~~ Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

Too many Americans have forgotten this proverb.

Many have invested heavily in the stock market. My husband was a broker for a few years. He could tell stories about what goes on in the stock market.  It's really just a more polished way of gambling.  I am sorry if that offends some of you.  Many are seeing their retirement funds disintegrate before their very eyes.  In the news the past few days there have been reports of some committing suicide because of their financial woes.

What is happening here?

Friends, let us not dispair! Let us not put our trust in our stocks, our savings account, our food storage or even our guns! 

May I gently encourage you to place your trust in the ONLY SAFE SECURITY we have -- and that is the Lord God!

" It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is His faithfulness."  ~~ Lamentations 3: 22 & 23

Great is His faithfulness! He will not fail us !!   Let us not turn to "man made" answers to our problems. Let us seek His face, humble ourselves and He has promised us that He will heal our land. 

My prayer is that all of us will seek His face, seek a closer walk with Him ..... and trust, trust, trust that He will provide, protect and continue to shield us!

~ gloria ~

Quote Of The Day

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

Homeschool Seniors '09

Missouri Voter Registration Fraud

For those of you in Missouri, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE this coming election.

The news just broke out stating that the  orginization/ group ACORN has been charged with fraudulent voter registrations. Apparently Acorn help folks register to vote and targets lower income families who vote Democrat. Apparently the FBI is investigating ACORN because many of the registrations they have compiled are coming up as "false signatures names and addresses".  This has been reported here in Kansas City.

So please folks - if you live in the great state of Missouri, please make sure you are registered and ready to vote in November.

Missouri is a battleground state and EVERY VOTE counts!

Keep praying for America, we reallly need to keep coming before the throne of Grace on this coming election.

~ gloria ~

Fall Favourites

Felecia at Flower In The Rain tagged me with listing my fall favourites, and since I haven’t done any tags in awhile I thought I’d give this a go ’round. Now, I love fall, especially here in Indiana where you can watch the trees turn to beautiful colours of red, orange, maroon, yellow, and brown. However, I do NOT like the freezing cold weather that slowly moves in! Eeeek! I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t get lower than 40….but here are my favourite fall things.

1. Favorite Smell? fading leaves as the wind blows more than usual
2. Favorite Food? pumpkin pie or bread
3. Favorite Color? burnt orange
4. Favorite Drink? hot tea with honey and creamer
5. Favorite Treat? egg-nog
6. Favorite Place to go? walking through the harvested fields back the woods
7. Favorite Candy? I don’t care for candy
8. Favorite Movie to watch? Little Women
9. Favorite Clothing to wear? my 6yr old blue hoodie that used to be Danielle’s sister’s… years ago.
10. Favorite Outdoor Activity? walking
11. Favorite Football Team? Uh none
12. Favorite Fall Holiday? Jesus’ birth (he was actually born in Setpember, not December)
13. Favorite Haunted place? you know haunted means “frequently visited”? I’d say the woods or the fields.
14. Favorite Food at Thanksgiving Dinner? greenbean casserole and turkey
15. Favorite Pie? pumpkin
16. Favorite Fall Hobby? looking at all the pumpkins or finding interesting leaves
17. Favorite Fall Memory? when Amanda, Rachel, Eric, Hannah, Mother Dear, and I went down the hill, made a leaf pile, and all played in it.
18. Favorite Fall Sight? the trees far off that look like a painted-masterpiece…. oh wait they are.
19. Overall Favorite thing about Fall? the colours
20. Overall Favorite Season? summer changing into fall

I guess I’m suppose to tag someone, but instead I shall put a linky on and if you post your fall favourites you can link it.

I do wanna know one of your fall favourites though!

Grab icon code here: » Fall Favourites

Blessings!

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Rootbeer Cookies!

This was a new recipe we tried and it's a keeper! These are fabulous and not just the ordinary run of the mill cookie!! My kids LOVED them!  The rootbeer used in the recipe is concentrate/extract not the rootbeer / pop you buy to drink. You can purchase the extract at the supermarket where the extracts are sold. ( next to vanilla)

The frosting/ icing is rootbeer flavored too!

YIELDS: 4 dozen

                                   Rootbeer Cookies

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tsp rootbeer concentrate/extract

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 c up butter melted

2 TBS hot water

1  1/2 tsp rootbeer extract

Cream sugar, butter and eggs. Add rootbeer and buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients and add to creame mixture.  Mix until  smooth.  *Refrigerate dough for 1 hour*.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Glaze/Icing: Melt butter in pan, remove from heat and add hot water, rootbeer concentrate and sugar.  Stirl until smooht. Spoon over cooled cookies.  If glaze gets too thick you can reheat over low heat.

Enjoy!

~ gloria ~

The Biblical Basis for Homeschooling Christian Children ~ Pt. 5 ~ A Battleground for the Minds of Our Children

A Battleground for the Minds of Our Children

            “Jesus said to His disciples:  ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through which they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch yourselves.’”  (Luke 17:1-3) 

            John Dewey was a very out-spoken prophet for the anti-God public school system.  Not only did he not want God entering through the doors of our schools, but God’s absolutes, God’s morals and principles would put a wrench in his plans for our youth.  There is no room for the God or anything to do with His kingdom.  “Every teacher should realize the dignity of his calling; that he is a social servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the securing of the right social growth…In this way the teacher is always the prophet of the true god and the usherer of the true kingdom of god.”[1] [emphasis mine]   And again, just in case you didn’t understand the first time, he added this for good measure: “Faith in the prayer-hearing God is an unproved and out-moded faith.  There is no God and there is no soul…There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes.”[2]   

            Oh, but there is more.  Horace Mann and John Dewey were certainly not the only ones to take this point of view.  They are merely standing at the head of the line of our modern school system.  More recently, Paul Blanshard, a writer for The Humanist magazine even hinted that even though America’s arithmetic, science and reading skills are sinking – even while billions of our tax dollars are being poured into the bottomless pit of educational “reform” – that only seems to be part of the plan for him.  “Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is sixteen tends to lead toward the elimination of religious superstition.”[3]

            For anyone who doubts, Blanshard was not the first person to think this way.  Adolph Hitler once said, “Let me control the textbooks, and I will control Germany.”  And that is exactly what he did.  And to make sure, he made private school, parochial school and home education illegal.  “Recalcitrant parents were warned that their children would be taken away from them and put in orphanages or other homes unless they enrolled[4] [in the government schools].”  (Sound familiar?)  But Hitler was certainly ahead of his time.  In 1983, John Dunphy, yet again another writer for The Humanist magazine, reiterated that what the public schools are secretly fighting unaware parents for are the minds and immortal souls of their children:  “The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new – the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.”[5]

            And let us not forget about this generation’s leader of the pack:  The National Education Association.  Dr. John Goodland wrote a report for the NEA in which he said, “Our goal is behavioral change.  The majority of our youth still hold to the values of their parents and if we do not resocialize them to accept change, our society may decay.”[6]  [emphasis mine] 

            Reading, writing and arithmetic have had to make way and be replaced by a new value system.  Values clarification seems to be the order of the day whether parents want it be or not.  (Remember the outcome of the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision.) 

            “Values Clarification.”  It has the sound of the educational system desiring nothing more than to help our youngsters get a handle on right and wrong, doesn’t it?  Mary Pride, in her book “The Way Home,” is not one known to beat around the bush.  She cuts right to the chase as she puts it this way:  “…as the public schools are demanding the right to indoctrinate children in values that may be directly contrary to the parents’.  Sex education courses are designed to brainwash children into accepting homosexuality and fornication as ‘valid forms of sexual expression.’ Values clarification classes systematically destroy the Biblical concepts of an absolute right and an absolute wrong.  One-world government programs in Social Studies are meant to destroy patriotism, while the study of ‘women’s role in today’s society’ is a front for indoctrination in feminism.  Economics courses teach socialism; English teachers assign pornography as required reading; even my high-school gym class featured instruction in occult Yoga techniques.”

            Even though I graduated from high school in 1977, I can personally verify nearly everything she listed.  In my own experience, my Psychology teacher required us to lay on mats hooked up to monitors that measured our bio rhythms.  All in the name of progressive learning.  Mann and Dewey would have been so proud.           

Prayers for our Country -- He can heal our land

Friends,

As you know our nation is struggling right now.  The past few months our nation was hit by 3 tornados,  and then the financial crisis on Wallstreet.  We are in the midst of a bitter contest for the leadership of our nation with the upcoming election in November.  Same gender marriage was recently allowed in the state of California. Shootings of various kinds have plagued our nation this past year.  Our nation continues to embrace national infantacide thru abortion.

We are in a deep mess and there is only ONE way out. 

" If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, an turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven an will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."                             ~  2 Chronicles 7:22 ~

I listen to the politicians spew their thoughts on "how" we can heal our nation from the challenges we face.......and I shake my head in disbelief....... where is God in all "their" plans? The fact is, it's just "their" plans and not God's plans.  God's plan is for us to repent, to humble ourselves, to pray and to seek His face...... and THEN He will HEAL our nation!

Our hope does not lie in a new administration ..... our hope does not lie in a "bailout" program.... our hope lies in the Lord! 

Please join me in prayer for our nation.  I have been praying for years for our nation to "turn our hearts around" .... but my prayers have become more feverent.   We are in a pickle for sure  & we have gotten ourselves there because of our wrong choices. We have left our "first love" and run after other gods.  We have as a nation ran after the god of money, greed, debt,... you name it, America's got the latest "idol"....

It's so very sad.

Please pray for our nation....... pray for our people to turn their hearts to the only SOLUTION to our national crisis we are facing......... God.

May He forgive us,

gloria