It seems to me that as I get older, I meet more and more folks who grew up in a fundamental Christian home but now embrace much more contemporory church settings in their adulthood.
Conversely, I meet a lot of folks who were not raised in a Christian home at all, got saved in their late teens or early 20's, and they are seeking to establish traditional fundamental Christian homes.
I find these two situations intriguing, perhaps because they represent opposite ends of a pendulum.
I would be interested to hear the whys and wherefores of these decisions from people in both camps.
I've already begun doing some research into this topic, but I imagine this is going to be a while in the works. Depending upon what my research finds and what responses I get to my questions, I may at some point compile my findings into a book format. Any and all comments would be kept anonymous - I wouldn't want to use anything that could in any way be attributed to a specific person or be hurtful to anyone. But I think knowing why people make the decisions they do could prove useful to church leaders trying to reach their communities.
It's just an idea.
Certainly, you do not have to post anything on here if you do not want to. You may email me at kapandpen@bellsouth.net. I am very interested in your opinions and comments.
Thanks!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Susan Boyle and Paul Potts...Beauty Where It Counts
If you haven't heard the incredible vocal abilities of Susan Boyle or Paul Potts, you should google their names and get an earful. Paul Potts won Britain's Got Talent a couple of years ago, and has since produced two CD's. He has a superb voice, gifted for opera.
Susan Boyle is the most recent hit from Britain's Got Talent. Within hours of her flawless performance, web sites and fan clubs were bursting from internetland. She sang "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables.
What do these two talented and previously "unknown" people have in common? They have both been gifted by God with absolutely incredible, beautiful voices. They both led normal, fame-free, neighbor-next-door existences until their talents were recognized. They were both bullied in school. They have both been portrayed as, how can I say this politely, less than model-perfect in their physical appearance. This is my subject matter for this post.
When is our infatuation with beauty ever going to reach further than the surface of one's physical make-up? I have read so many articles about Susan Boyle...referring to her as the "ugly duckling" making it big. Why do writers have to use such words when describing another human? Why does it matter what a talented person looks like? When someone like Paul or Susan has such a beautiful, awe-inspiring voice, why do writers focus on what they look like? Hello? Their talent, the part of them that they are choosing to share with the rest of the world, is their voice, not their body or their smile or their hair or whatever other feature critics choose to attack. None of the other stuff is important anyway - beauty is fleeting.
Has anyone noticed that the once incredibly good-looking male actors and singers of the 1950's and 1960's are aging, getting fatter, getting greyer, getting balder, getting "wrinklier," getting old? Their female counterparts pay gross sums of money to have their bodies sucked and tucked and plumped and filled in order to stay looking "young." For what purpose? Does the exterior make the interior? Of course not. There is SO MUCH MORE to a human being than their looks! When the book of Genesis says God created man in His image, it does not say He only creates the "pretty" people in His image. We need to learn to see past the physical - to see the real person. Sometimes the "pretty" people have ugly personalities: they are selfish, cruel, unfeeling, haughty, shallow, and filled with pride. So what if they are handsome or gorgeous? Yet we continue to judge a person by their exterior, without taking the time to know their inner person.
I, for one, hope many things for Susan Boyle. I hope she wins Britain's Got Talent, I hope she makes a ton of money from CD's (I'll buy some!), I hope she travels and enjoys the blessings God bestows on her, and I hope God protects her from miscreant suitors who would have never given her a second look before her fame. I hope she remains the obviously caring person she has been; she looked after her mother until her death two years ago. She volunteers with her church. She's done things for charity. This is Susan Boyle's beauty. This is her character. I hope God protects her from those that would use her for their own fame and rank. I hope Susan Boyle recognizes that her talent comes from the Lord, Who loves her and gave Himself for her. I hope He gives her wisdom and true friends and the ability to judge rightly and not be hurt or used.
True beauty stems from within a person. It is their character, their moral standard, their kindness, their compassion, their ability to feel and help their fellow man. For those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is His beauty that flows and reaches out to others, spreading the Gospel and reconciling sinful man to their Holy Creator.
Are we not yet filled to overflowing with fake beauties who live for their next hair appointment and wouldn't consider a humanitarian task which might cause them to break a nail?
I have told my children for years, and will continue to do so until they are all married, that beauty is fleeting. The Bible says beauty is short-lived. The book of Ecclesiastes says all is vanity, and truly we are a people obsessed with vanity.
When you find someone to marry, do it for the person inside, not the outside. We live in a sin-cursed world, which is why God the Creator had to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and pay for our sins. Because of the nature of man and the curse of sin, bad things happen. The Scriptures say that it rains on the just and on the unjust. Accidents, birth defects, illness, and disease happen to people of all races, ages, nationalities, denominations, color, and financial position. If you marry a woman because she is beautiful, and then she suffers an accident and her beauty is gone, does that change who she is? No. Yet so many men will divorce or obtain a mistress because "the wife" is no longer lovely to behold. The same is true of women when a husband loses his looks. What that really reveals is the extreme shallow character of the one who was not marred.
God has made each and every human being on the planet. The Bible says He knew us before we were formed. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Why then do we stand and judge that which God has created? Yes, some of us are not "lovely" by a dictionary definition to look upon while others are exceedingly beautiful. Most of us are average. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble. But does it matter? God says we are created in His image. Is that not beauty enough? We are to live for Him, to bring honor and glory to Him. A beautiful voice can be a tremendous way to bring honor and glory to the Creator.
I hope that many people will see Susan Boyle and Paul Potts and see that there is so much more to behold than just the outward appearance. Scripture says man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. May our hearts be right before God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Susan Boyle is the most recent hit from Britain's Got Talent. Within hours of her flawless performance, web sites and fan clubs were bursting from internetland. She sang "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables.
What do these two talented and previously "unknown" people have in common? They have both been gifted by God with absolutely incredible, beautiful voices. They both led normal, fame-free, neighbor-next-door existences until their talents were recognized. They were both bullied in school. They have both been portrayed as, how can I say this politely, less than model-perfect in their physical appearance. This is my subject matter for this post.
When is our infatuation with beauty ever going to reach further than the surface of one's physical make-up? I have read so many articles about Susan Boyle...referring to her as the "ugly duckling" making it big. Why do writers have to use such words when describing another human? Why does it matter what a talented person looks like? When someone like Paul or Susan has such a beautiful, awe-inspiring voice, why do writers focus on what they look like? Hello? Their talent, the part of them that they are choosing to share with the rest of the world, is their voice, not their body or their smile or their hair or whatever other feature critics choose to attack. None of the other stuff is important anyway - beauty is fleeting.
Has anyone noticed that the once incredibly good-looking male actors and singers of the 1950's and 1960's are aging, getting fatter, getting greyer, getting balder, getting "wrinklier," getting old? Their female counterparts pay gross sums of money to have their bodies sucked and tucked and plumped and filled in order to stay looking "young." For what purpose? Does the exterior make the interior? Of course not. There is SO MUCH MORE to a human being than their looks! When the book of Genesis says God created man in His image, it does not say He only creates the "pretty" people in His image. We need to learn to see past the physical - to see the real person. Sometimes the "pretty" people have ugly personalities: they are selfish, cruel, unfeeling, haughty, shallow, and filled with pride. So what if they are handsome or gorgeous? Yet we continue to judge a person by their exterior, without taking the time to know their inner person.
I, for one, hope many things for Susan Boyle. I hope she wins Britain's Got Talent, I hope she makes a ton of money from CD's (I'll buy some!), I hope she travels and enjoys the blessings God bestows on her, and I hope God protects her from miscreant suitors who would have never given her a second look before her fame. I hope she remains the obviously caring person she has been; she looked after her mother until her death two years ago. She volunteers with her church. She's done things for charity. This is Susan Boyle's beauty. This is her character. I hope God protects her from those that would use her for their own fame and rank. I hope Susan Boyle recognizes that her talent comes from the Lord, Who loves her and gave Himself for her. I hope He gives her wisdom and true friends and the ability to judge rightly and not be hurt or used.
True beauty stems from within a person. It is their character, their moral standard, their kindness, their compassion, their ability to feel and help their fellow man. For those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is His beauty that flows and reaches out to others, spreading the Gospel and reconciling sinful man to their Holy Creator.
Are we not yet filled to overflowing with fake beauties who live for their next hair appointment and wouldn't consider a humanitarian task which might cause them to break a nail?
I have told my children for years, and will continue to do so until they are all married, that beauty is fleeting. The Bible says beauty is short-lived. The book of Ecclesiastes says all is vanity, and truly we are a people obsessed with vanity.
When you find someone to marry, do it for the person inside, not the outside. We live in a sin-cursed world, which is why God the Creator had to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and pay for our sins. Because of the nature of man and the curse of sin, bad things happen. The Scriptures say that it rains on the just and on the unjust. Accidents, birth defects, illness, and disease happen to people of all races, ages, nationalities, denominations, color, and financial position. If you marry a woman because she is beautiful, and then she suffers an accident and her beauty is gone, does that change who she is? No. Yet so many men will divorce or obtain a mistress because "the wife" is no longer lovely to behold. The same is true of women when a husband loses his looks. What that really reveals is the extreme shallow character of the one who was not marred.
God has made each and every human being on the planet. The Bible says He knew us before we were formed. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Why then do we stand and judge that which God has created? Yes, some of us are not "lovely" by a dictionary definition to look upon while others are exceedingly beautiful. Most of us are average. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble. But does it matter? God says we are created in His image. Is that not beauty enough? We are to live for Him, to bring honor and glory to Him. A beautiful voice can be a tremendous way to bring honor and glory to the Creator.
I hope that many people will see Susan Boyle and Paul Potts and see that there is so much more to behold than just the outward appearance. Scripture says man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. May our hearts be right before God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
TEA PARTY DAY TODAY!!!!
Attend a tea party rally near you, if you can!!! This report from AFA Action Alert:
Mainstream media say TEA Party Day rallies in over 2,014 cities not worthy of coverage!
Take the pledge not to vote for any politician who votes to raise taxes or increase spending.
April 15, 2009
Dear Curt,
The mainstream media have not covered today's TEA Party rallies because they are fearful that coverage would hurt President Obama and the liberals' chances of getting a $1 trillion tax increase passed.
Despite the fact that AFA-sponsored TEA Party Day rallies are being held in more than 2,014 cities, the mainstream media have ignored it. Why? Let a member of the media tell you.
Leslie Marshall, a nationally syndicated liberal radio host, said the mainstream media are not covering the rallies because they're not worthy of coverage.
How about that! Small rallies in 10 cities protesting the war get extensive coverage, but the biggest tax protest in the history of America is ignored! If you are against higher taxes and increased spending, apparently your views are not important! But you can bet your bottom dollar (before taxes get it) that the mainstream will do all they can to get Congress to pass President Obama's trillion dollar tax raise.
Mainstream media say TEA Party Day rallies in over 2,014 cities not worthy of coverage!
Take the pledge not to vote for any politician who votes to raise taxes or increase spending.
April 15, 2009
Dear Curt,
The mainstream media have not covered today's TEA Party rallies because they are fearful that coverage would hurt President Obama and the liberals' chances of getting a $1 trillion tax increase passed.
Despite the fact that AFA-sponsored TEA Party Day rallies are being held in more than 2,014 cities, the mainstream media have ignored it. Why? Let a member of the media tell you.
Leslie Marshall, a nationally syndicated liberal radio host, said the mainstream media are not covering the rallies because they're not worthy of coverage.
How about that! Small rallies in 10 cities protesting the war get extensive coverage, but the biggest tax protest in the history of America is ignored! If you are against higher taxes and increased spending, apparently your views are not important! But you can bet your bottom dollar (before taxes get it) that the mainstream will do all they can to get Congress to pass President Obama's trillion dollar tax raise.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Obama's ideas are not original to him - see this political cartoon from 1934!
In case you can't read all the tiny print, here's what everything says:
The little character of Stalin on the bottom right corner is saying "How red the sunrise is getting!"
The wagon says, "Depleting the resources of the soundest government in the world"
Prominent political figures are dumping dollars out of the wagon as fast as they can shovel.
The little guy in the bottom left is saying, "It worked in Russia!" and he's writing out the plan of action for the U.S. "Spend! Spend! Spend: Under the guise of recovery - bust the government - blame the capitalists for the failure - junk the Constitution and declare a dictatorship"
The Young Pinkies from Columbia and Harvard are the guys in black graduation gowns and motorboards, getting drunk on a bottle that says "power."
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Great Lunch or Dinner Idea
Soups/Stews
We are huge fans of soups and stews. I could eat them all year ‘round, but my family prefers them in the cooler months. I have a vegetable beef soup base to which I add any number of items I have on hand. So far, no combination has been rejected. Every time I make a pot of soup, the kids say, “Oh, Mamma, that looks/smells GOOD! When’s dinner?”
The beauty of the soup/stew base is that it is SO EASY to use and add to! You do not have to spend hours chopping and dicing vegetables!
Base: Campbell’s Vegetable Beef condensed soup, either 2 small cans or 1 large family-size can. To this I add any combination of the following:
1 can blackeyed peas, not drained
1 can whole kernel corn, not drained
1 can carrots, not drained
1 can kidney beans (any color), drained
1 can peas, not drained
1-2 cans diced potatoes, not drained
1 large or 2 small cubes of beef builllon
(frozen peas, carrots, corn, or green beans can be substituted for the canned items)
1 can corned beef hash or about 1 cup of cooked ground beef
Seasoning to taste
You can add 1-2 cups of water for a soupier consistency, or drain some of the vegetables before adding for a more stew-like consistency.
Serve with crackers. The soup costs about 75 cents a can. The veggies are usually about 50 cents a can in my area. The corned beef is about $1 a can. Ground beef is generally $2.25 a pound. I can make a huge pot of soup that will feed 8-10 people or more for about $6.00. Crackers are $2.00/box, and we would use ½ box. Total cost: $7.00 (88 cpp if serving 8 people)
If you prefer a stew, you can serve it over rice.
Of course, if you have special dietary needs which require less fat or sodium, you can buy the healthier soup versions and canned vegetables which are available. The price will go up some, but it is still cheaper than eating out!
We are huge fans of soups and stews. I could eat them all year ‘round, but my family prefers them in the cooler months. I have a vegetable beef soup base to which I add any number of items I have on hand. So far, no combination has been rejected. Every time I make a pot of soup, the kids say, “Oh, Mamma, that looks/smells GOOD! When’s dinner?”
The beauty of the soup/stew base is that it is SO EASY to use and add to! You do not have to spend hours chopping and dicing vegetables!
Base: Campbell’s Vegetable Beef condensed soup, either 2 small cans or 1 large family-size can. To this I add any combination of the following:
1 can blackeyed peas, not drained
1 can whole kernel corn, not drained
1 can carrots, not drained
1 can kidney beans (any color), drained
1 can peas, not drained
1-2 cans diced potatoes, not drained
1 large or 2 small cubes of beef builllon
(frozen peas, carrots, corn, or green beans can be substituted for the canned items)
1 can corned beef hash or about 1 cup of cooked ground beef
Seasoning to taste
You can add 1-2 cups of water for a soupier consistency, or drain some of the vegetables before adding for a more stew-like consistency.
Serve with crackers. The soup costs about 75 cents a can. The veggies are usually about 50 cents a can in my area. The corned beef is about $1 a can. Ground beef is generally $2.25 a pound. I can make a huge pot of soup that will feed 8-10 people or more for about $6.00. Crackers are $2.00/box, and we would use ½ box. Total cost: $7.00 (88 cpp if serving 8 people)
If you prefer a stew, you can serve it over rice.
Of course, if you have special dietary needs which require less fat or sodium, you can buy the healthier soup versions and canned vegetables which are available. The price will go up some, but it is still cheaper than eating out!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Eating Better Than Beans! Sneak Preview of My New ebook
I'm putting together a new freebie (well - it will be free for a limited time!). It's an ebook on how we feed our family of 8 for about $600 a month.
I realize $600 is not record-breaking cheap - I've read many articles on families who only spend $30-$50 a week on food, but that's because they eat a TON of dried beans and cornbread. $600 is cheap for a huge portion of the population. Statistics for average spending for a family of four range from $560 to a whopping $1100 per month! So $600 is pretty good!
We eat a wide variety of food around here, and we eat meat. We are not vegetarians and I make no apology for that. I do like dried beans; I use beans several times a month. But I don't use them 3-4 times a week. I also don't make pan after pan of cornbread and biscuits.
Anyway, I thought I would share some recipes with my faithful readers over the next few days. I'll start with Breakfast Items:
cpp = cents per person
Apple Raisin Oatmeal
Prepare oatmeal for 8 people as directed on the package. Add 1 small jar applesauce, ½ box raisins, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir well. Serve.
Costs: ¼ lg. round container of oatmeal ~ 50 cents) + 1 sm. jar applesauce ~ $1.00 + ½ box raisins ~ $1.00 + .20 (sugar) + .10 (cinnamon) = $2.80 (35 cpp)
Pancakes
I used to make my own mix. Now I buy a box mix. There are several brands, and they all work about the same. Just add water, mix well, and pour onto a hot griddle. It’s a fast and simple hot breakfast. Serve with butter, jam, peanut butter, or syrup.
Box mixes usually cost ~ $2.00 and last my family for 2 breakfasts.
1 Bottle of maple syrup ~ $2.00 and lasts about 4 breakfasts.
Butter costs ~ $2.39 for 4 sticks
Jam ~ $1.50 a jar, lasts for 4 breakfasts
peanut butter ~ $3 a jar. lasts for many breakfasts
Costs: ½ box mix + ¼ bottle syrup + ¼ box butter = $2.10 to make enough pancakes for 8 people. (26 cpp)
Waffles
Usually the pancake mixes will also be used for making waffles, simply by adding an egg or two and by substituting milk for water. This may increase the above cost of pancakes by about 25 cents, or .03 cpp.
Kielbasa Toss with Scrambled Eggs
Fry together:
One pound sliced kielbasa sausage
1 diced onion
1 diced green pepper
In another frying pan, fry up scrambled eggs, using 12 eggs and ½ cup milk, whisked together. Salt and pepper to taste.
Costs: Kielbasa ~ $2.60 + Onion ~ .30 + Bell pepper ~ .60 + Dozen eggs ~ 1.25 + Milk ~ .13 = $4.88. Serves 8. (61 cpp)
I realize $600 is not record-breaking cheap - I've read many articles on families who only spend $30-$50 a week on food, but that's because they eat a TON of dried beans and cornbread. $600 is cheap for a huge portion of the population. Statistics for average spending for a family of four range from $560 to a whopping $1100 per month! So $600 is pretty good!
We eat a wide variety of food around here, and we eat meat. We are not vegetarians and I make no apology for that. I do like dried beans; I use beans several times a month. But I don't use them 3-4 times a week. I also don't make pan after pan of cornbread and biscuits.
Anyway, I thought I would share some recipes with my faithful readers over the next few days. I'll start with Breakfast Items:
cpp = cents per person
Apple Raisin Oatmeal
Prepare oatmeal for 8 people as directed on the package. Add 1 small jar applesauce, ½ box raisins, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir well. Serve.
Costs: ¼ lg. round container of oatmeal ~ 50 cents) + 1 sm. jar applesauce ~ $1.00 + ½ box raisins ~ $1.00 + .20 (sugar) + .10 (cinnamon) = $2.80 (35 cpp)
Pancakes
I used to make my own mix. Now I buy a box mix. There are several brands, and they all work about the same. Just add water, mix well, and pour onto a hot griddle. It’s a fast and simple hot breakfast. Serve with butter, jam, peanut butter, or syrup.
Box mixes usually cost ~ $2.00 and last my family for 2 breakfasts.
1 Bottle of maple syrup ~ $2.00 and lasts about 4 breakfasts.
Butter costs ~ $2.39 for 4 sticks
Jam ~ $1.50 a jar, lasts for 4 breakfasts
peanut butter ~ $3 a jar. lasts for many breakfasts
Costs: ½ box mix + ¼ bottle syrup + ¼ box butter = $2.10 to make enough pancakes for 8 people. (26 cpp)
Waffles
Usually the pancake mixes will also be used for making waffles, simply by adding an egg or two and by substituting milk for water. This may increase the above cost of pancakes by about 25 cents, or .03 cpp.
Kielbasa Toss with Scrambled Eggs
Fry together:
One pound sliced kielbasa sausage
1 diced onion
1 diced green pepper
In another frying pan, fry up scrambled eggs, using 12 eggs and ½ cup milk, whisked together. Salt and pepper to taste.
Costs: Kielbasa ~ $2.60 + Onion ~ .30 + Bell pepper ~ .60 + Dozen eggs ~ 1.25 + Milk ~ .13 = $4.88. Serves 8. (61 cpp)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Facebook homeschooling page
From a fellow self-publsiher:
I'd like to invite you all to the new "Homeschooling" Facebook page (4817
fans now).
Here's the URL of the page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeschooling/45899427713
Discuss homeschooling with like-minded families, post family photos and
homeschool videos, and read posts from numerous publishers who write about
their materials. Homeschooling sends out freebies every Friday to all the
fans - they go out as Updates and arrive in the fan's Update box.
I'd love to have your input on the page.
Laurie Bluedorn
I'd like to invite you all to the new "Homeschooling" Facebook page (4817
fans now).
Here's the URL of the page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeschooling/45899427713
Discuss homeschooling with like-minded families, post family photos and
homeschool videos, and read posts from numerous publishers who write about
their materials. Homeschooling sends out freebies every Friday to all the
fans - they go out as Updates and arrive in the fan's Update box.
I'd love to have your input on the page.
Laurie Bluedorn
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