Monday, December 26, 2005

Where are all the Turtles???

I decided to venture out today, boxing day, because we have a dinner to go to tonight and I wanted to give a box of Turtles to our host as a thank you.
I knew I shouldn't have done it, but like a magnet to metal, I hit Wal-mart. I'm sure I don't have to paint a picture of how crazy it was. But I had my list and a limited amount of time so I dove in. After weaving my way through annoying people I finally found the chocolates section, all I could see was the cheap chocolates that nobody wants, but then in the horizon I spotted the Turtle boxes, I ran over and they were all empty, people were circling like ants at a picnic. Boxes were being heaved off the high shelves and shook to see if any were left, and there weren't. Absolutely disgusted I turned to leave and there, squeezed in between some empty boxes was a small box of turtles. I grabbed it and headed for the pay out and lo and behold my eye gravitated to yet another box stuffed beside a cash register.
What started out as a bad judgment on my part to enter Wal-mart ended with sweet chocolate, caramel and pecans dancing in my mouth, but only I few, I'm trying to control myself.
Toodles~

Sunday, December 25, 2005

What is that sound?

Why is it that any man, including my man, laughs like a 10 year old girl whenever they hear said noise, or read the infamous word? There are days that I can hear Jay laughing hysterically, I come into the computer room and you just know that he has received an email containing some sound bite of bodily noises.
I try to act disgusted, but I can't help laughing also. What is it about that noise? Do we start remembering funny and embarrasing incidences? Do we recall nasty odours, I mean really why is it so funny?
Your thoughts on a disgusting, yet hilarious subject please.
P.S Even as I am writing this my dear hubby is giggling. (sorry if some of you find this crude, but we all do it)

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Chanukah Reflections...

I am quoting from a dear friend, you can read her blog at www.thefantasticspastic.blogspot.com
This message inspired me on the path we've chosen to follow.
"Personally, I enjoy this time of reflection and tranquility that generally falls amidst a time of cultural hubbub and general consumer melee. It is a time to strengthen one's inner self, to examine the cost of truth and appreciate the freedom enjoyed in our country to pursue truth and Godliness."
Beautiful words, from a beautiful person.

Gastritis (gas-tri' tis)

A few mornings ago after the boys had been fed and watered, I went to have a Chinese orange. With in minutes I had this huge cramping, very painful. It slowly subsided until my first coffee of the day, then BAM it hit again. So I went to the doc and he said I have gastritis, I am on Zantac to calm down the acid production.
I am feeling better today so I decided to blog.
Friends of ours called the last night, they don't know we don't celebrate X-mas. So she is asking me all these questions like are the boys excited about presents, have I got all my X-mas shopping done. Augh!! I answered very vaguely, we aren't close friends so I've never really explained our views, and when I do explain to someone it takes a lot of time and discussion, so to go into it over the phone doesn't seem like the best time. Augh!! I find this a little frustrating, never in my life have I felt so not apart of this world as I have since we have chosen to walk the way Messiah walked.
Shalom~

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Stop! Slide.... BANG!!

" I don't want you going out today Jody, it's been snowing all day and it's icy", stated my dear husband. I would have heeded his advice except the unthinkable happened, we ran out of milk. Maybe for most families that's no biggie, at our household it's something we avoid like the plague.
Our children's mood barometer is set by their first milk of the day, and it MUST be chocolate milk. They follow me into the kitchen, wait while I stir in the Quickie, grab a vitamin each and then head for their child sized 'laz-e-boy' chairs to watch whatever they fancy. I know it sounds incredibly indulgent,but it works for us. Who are you to judge? :)
Anyway as I was saying we ran out of milk so I decided to run to the Co-op to grab a few things. On my way home I noticed a car pretty much climbing up my rear, don't mean to be crude, when I reached the stop sign and stopped he plowed right into my car. No damage, and nobody was hurt. I was irritated and after I wrote down his digits and info. I told him he was too close and that's why when he slid he ran right into me. "Sorry ma'am." yeah! Whatever!
Anyway that's my story for the day.
Cheers!

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Leisure Heaven!

So this is to all the mommies and career women everywhere. I have been wanting to write about this for some time but I felt weightier matters needed to be put forth first given the season and all. But I am done ranting and raving about x-mas, some of you will be relieved I'm sure!, anyway here's what has been on my mind.
You all know how Opera has a list of favorite things, well I have one favorite I think every female should own. Whether it be brand name or the Wal-Mart special I believe it is a must for the wardrobe. Two words here, Leisure Suit. My husband coined the name 'Leisure Suit.' In other words it's a pair of 'fancy-okay no holes in them- sweats.' I know it sounds simple and a little foolish, and your probably thinking I am making too much of this, but I am telling you it has changed my life.
example: It's 7am and I hear a child crying, I crawl out of bed, grab my leisure suit and start the day. Say at 9am the post man comes with a parcel, I don't have to worry about the fact that I don't have a bra on, or that it may be a little' breezy' outside. The leisure suit can be worn outside, inside and it's soooo comfy.
Love yourself, do yourself a favor and invest in one. Mine is the walmart special made of fleece, very nice for winter.
Let me know what you think??
Cheers!
P.S Even though my husband teases me about my beloved suit, he has asked me to get him one!

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Hard Hitting Facts:

-The date of December 25th comes from Rome and was a celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god.
-This was done long before the birth of Jesus.
-In Germany, the evergreen tree was used in worship and celebration of the yule god, also in observance of the resurrected sun god.
-The evergreen tree was a symbol of the essence of life and was regarded as a phallic symbol in fertility worship.
-Witches and other pagans regarded the red holly as a symbol of the menstrual blood of the queen of heaven, also known as Diana.
-The holly wood was used by witches to make wands.
-The white berries of mistletoe were believed by pagans to represent droplets of the semen of the sun god.
-Both holly and mistletoe were hung in doorways of temples and homes to invoke powers of fertility in those who stood beneath and kissed, causing the spirits of the god and goddess to enter them.
The question now arises: How did all of these customs find their way into contemporary Christianity, ranging from Catholicism to Protestantism to fundamentalist churches?
-The word "Christmas" itself reveals who married paganism to Christianity.
-The word "Christmas" is a combination of the words "Christ" and "Mass."
-The word "Mass" means death and was coined originally by the Roman Catholic Church, and belongs exclusively to the church of Rome.
-The ritual of the Mass involves the death of Christ, and the distribution of the "Host", a word taken from the Latin word "hostiall" meaning victim!
-In short, Christmas is strictly a Roman Catholic word.
-A simple study of the tactics of the Romish Church reveals that in every case, the church absorbed the customs, traditions and general paganism of every tribe, culture and nation in their efforts to increase the number of people under their control.
-In short, the Romish church told all of these pagan cultures, "Bring your gods, goddesses, rituals and rites, and we will assign Christian sounding titles and names to them."
-When Martin Luther started the reformation on October 31st, 1517, and other reformers followed his lead, all of them took with them the paganism that was so firmly embedded in Rome.
These reformers left Christmas intact.
Outlawed:
In England, as the authorized Bible became available to the common people by the decree of King James the II in 1611, people began to discover the pagan roots of Christmas, which are clearly revealed in Scripture.
The Puritans in England, and later in Massachusetts Colony, outlawed this holiday as witchcraft. Sanctioned:
Near the end of the nineteenth century, when other Bible versions began to appear, there was a revival of the celebration of Christmas.
We are now seeing ever-increasing celebrating of Christmas or Yule, its true name, as we draw closer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In both witchcraft circles and contemporary Christian churches, the same things are going on.
As the Bible clearly states in Jeremiah 10:2-4, "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen; and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven. For the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain. For one cutteth a tree out of the forest. The work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not."
So, what is wrong with Christmas?
1. To say that Jesus was born on December 25th is a lie! The true date is sometime in September according to the Scriptures.
2. Trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe and the like are strictly forbidden as pagan and heathen! To say that these are Christian or that they can be made Christian is a lie!
3. The Lord never spoke of commemorating his birth but rather commanded us to remember the sacrifice of His suffering and death, which purchased our salvation.
Copyright 2002
" . . . it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."- Romans 1:16, NIV
Personal Note:
You may think I am some fanatic about Christmas, and maybe I appear that way, but to me it is a stepping stone. Christmas, Easter, I celebrated these holidays for 27 years of my life really thinking they were meaningful, using them as a way to worship God. Once I knew the truth about these pagan festivals I really felt like my heart was open to learn. I was pretty much raised in the church, went on many mission trips with YWAM and the local church. I was a camp counselor for 10+years. I had many spiritual experiences and I believed I was looked up to as someone who maybe knew what she was talking about, at least some of the time. :)
I am still sifting through all that experience, trying to find Biblical basis for some of it. I have been somewhat disappointed in what I am finding out about that in relation to scripture. I am not against the church, I would love it if they welcomed all the scriptures as relevant and didn't just pick and choose.
My question to you is this, are you open? Can you deal with the fact that maybe you, the church, your friends, your ideals have been wrong? It's something to think about, and a hard question to answer I know. I am interested in your thoughts.
Shalom~

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Why December 25th?

A few Facts I found interesting:
1. In Judea in the month of December it is cold and rainy, shepherds would not be in the field.
The Complete Book of American Holidays, Luke's account "suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night" (p. 309).
2. Jesus' parents came to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census (Luke 2:1-4). Such censuses were not taken in winter, when temperatures often dropped below freezing and roads were in poor condition. Taking a census under such conditions would have been self-defeating.
Knowing these facts why do we hold onto our old beliefs? Is it traditions of man? Is the cost too high to think that maybe, just maybe we've been wrong all these years?
I was watching 100 Huntley St. They were talking about Christmas and how they know that is has pagan roots, but that we as the Church have redeemed it. That use to be my answer too when my parents came to me telling me it was pagan. I don't think I truly understood what pagan meant at the time, nor did I think it was a big deal to keep celebrating it since we were putting a "Christian twist"on the holiday.
God challenged me, I remember thinking, why am I trying to redeem something that is full of evil rather then participating in what He has commanded me to celebrate in order to honor Him?
Isaiah 29:13 "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."
Shalom~

All Those Pretty Lights....

Well it's that time of year again. As I drive through my neighborhood and gaze upon the decorated houses I feel nostalgic. I remember being five and my brother and I being carted off to Grandma's house, the car weighed down with gifts for all my family. I would eat Turtles, potato chips and drink Ginger Ale until I felt sick to my stomach. I loved turning all the lights off and staring at the Tree. All those pretty lights. I still miss Christmas.
It has been three years now that I haven't celebrated this holiday. Every year it is getting easier. I think of my children, two little boys who have never celebrated this holiday, and I am so thankful. I'm thankful for the fact that my children will see biblical evidence for the feasts that we celebrate.
So when I see all those pretty lights I feel nostalgic, but I also feel determined. Determined to stay on the path the Lord has directed us to. To stay faithful to His Word and His Commands.
Shalom~

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