The Pillow Chronicles continued...

www.mypillow.com

This could be the answer I have been looking for!! Last night I was flipping through the channels and landed on an infomercial for pillows, yes pillows!!! Who knew?

So, in my desperate attempt for a pain free sleep I watched the show and this morning went online to check out the price. Wow, $89.95 for a pillow.

Me: Dialing phone, ring, Oprah is that you?

Oprah: Yes, who is this?

Me: An occasional viewer who saw your show a few years back on pillows.

Oprah: Oh.

Me: I just spent $89.95 plus 25% discount, plus $9.95 for shipping, total $77 and change, on a pillow!!!

Oprah: Oh.

Me: This could be the real reason you are no longer on the air.

Oprah: Oh.

Me: Sleep tight Oprah.

So, as you can see, I just ordered "the pillow" hoping all those testimonials are true and my sleep life will dramatically change as promised. 10 year warranty, 90 day money back guarantee. We shall see...

Me: Honey, can I order "the pillow"?

Hubby: Really, you are going to spend that much on a pillow?

Me: It has a 10 year warranty, a 90 day money back guarantee, it's worth every penny to get a good night's sleep. There are testimonies.

Hubby: They pay those people to say that.

Me: So, can I buy it?

Hubby: Really, you are going to spend that much on a pillow?

Me: That is not an answer. Yes or no, ugh!!! (Men, really can't they just answer the question posed to them)

Hubby: What are you going to give up?

Me: What????

Hubby: You know, which bill are we not going to pay so you can have "the pillow"?

Me: Sorry kids, no dinner tonight, momma needs her sleep.

Stay tuned...

The Pillow Chronicles

UGH!!!! Pillow #7... I have now purchased 7, that's right, 7 pillows and none of them are comfortable.

This is all Oprah's fault. She had a show on that talked about how you need to replace your pillow every year. Okay. We had our pillows for like 4 years!!! So, the hunt was on, of course hubby found his after 2 pillows and he's sleeping like a baby. Me, well, my backs hurts with that one, my neck hurt with this one, etc. The latest pillow, my shoulders are pinching in pain. I decided at dinner to wash my old pillow in hot water and dry it in the dryer and hope for the best. Forget Oprah, what does she know, she can buy millions of pillows. I bet the pillow people love her now. Sales have probably quadrupled since that fateful episode aired.

I will keep you posted on the pillow chronicles.

Sleep well my friends.

Merry Christmas

It's all about JESUS!!!! Jesus is the reason for the season...

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Do you have room for Jesus?

He is the Savior of the world, that is why He came.

Savior
One who provides salvation, The word Savior often includes the related meanings of Deliverer, Protector, Preserver. One who would offer Himself as a sacrifice to provide redemption for all.

Luke 19:10 sums it all up, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Are you lost today?

Come to the Savior, today is the day of salvation, do not wait. There is always room and wise men and women still seek Him.

Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!

The Wise Men & The Shepherds

It's Christmas Eve, Yikes!!! I am a little behind in my blog so this will be a double post...





THE WISE MEN

The wise men understood the following verse;

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

They were astronomers, wise men, magi from the the East, these were very educated and smart men.

"For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him". Matthew 2:2

Behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matthew 2:9-10




THE SHEPHERDS

I love that the angel of the Lord appeared to ordinary shepherds tending their flock. Remember Jesus is the great shepherd who watches over his "sheep". This is what happened to those shepherds;

Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around then, and they were greatly afraid. The the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you, you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Luke 2:9-12

And if that was not enough, SUDDENLY, I love when God does a SUDDENLY!

And SUDDENLY there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:13-14

1 More day..

Joseph continued...

First things first, Joseph was NOT the physical father of Jesus! Matthew makes that very clear in the previous genealogy post, Joseph was the husband of Mary. Joseph was a direct descendant of David.

Let's pick up where we left off in the book of Matthew.

Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," [fn] which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. [fn] And he called His name JESUS.

Verses 1- 17 in the previous post establishes Jesus as a legal son of Joseph, verses 18-25 deny that Joseph was Jesus' physical father. The first was necessary to establish Jesus' lineage to David and His royal right to be King. The second was necessary to establish His qualifications to be the Savior of all people. Jesus was God's Son and not merely Joseph's.

I hope you learned a little more about Joseph, he was a gracious and just man. He obeyed the Lord.

4 more days until Christmas...

Next up, the wise men.

Joseph

Today and tomorrow we will look at what the Bible tells us about Joseph (Mary's husband). The Gospel of Matthew tells us the genealogy, and in my opinion, it is SO important. It's lengthy but crucial, God preserved his line, all the way to Joseph!!!! I will let the scriptures speak for themselves...


Mat 1:2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.


Mat 1:3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.


Mat 1:4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.


Mat 1:5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,


Mat 1:6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her [who had been the wife] [fn] of Uriah.


Mat 1:7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. [fn]


Mat 1:8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.


Mat 1:9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.


Mat 1:10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, [fn] and Amon begot Josiah.


Mat 1:11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.


Mat 1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.


Mat 1:13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.


Mat 1:14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.


Mat 1:15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.


Mat 1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.


Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David [are] fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon [are] fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ [are] fourteen generations.

Mary Did You Know - Kathy Mattea

This is a beautiful song!!!

If Mary and Joseph Used Facebook

7 more days until Christmas...

Okay, so we have talked about lights, cookies, movies, songs, all things Christmas. Really?

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy, would someday walk on water?

The rest of the week we will look at the most important event in human history, HIStory.

Let's start with Mary.

Today at church we talked about Mary, it was an excellent teaching. Listen here at:
New sermon posted: "Favor - The Story of Mary" http://bit.ly/sdfvmr It will be time worth spent.

Enjoy this very creative video.

Christmas Lights!

I love crazy Christmas Lights!!!


2012 In Lights!!!



The second house is a lot of different characters, Tigger, Snoopy, etc..



Santa's Landing Strip



Pretty House with white lights


8 More Days until Christmas...

Christmas Cookies

Another one of my favorite things...

Christmas Cookies!!

When we moved into our house 13 years ago, we started a tradition, I baked lots of cookies with the help of my husband :) and we delivered them to our neighbors on Christmas Eve. I should say that my husband and the kids delivered them. Now that the kids are older, it's hubby on his own in his Santa hat. The territory has enlarged too, we've expanded to other parts of the lake community we live. HOWEVER, this year I have NO OVEN!!! Hello, how do you bake with NO OVEN!!! So, the tradition will have to take a break this year and there will be no cookies. We have found ourselves apologizing to the various cookie recipients and telling them there will be no cookies. I will keep you posted on the oven chronicles as we figure out whether to fix it or get a new one. Anyway, the following is a recipe of one of the cookies I put in the cookie bags for the neighbors, enjoy!!!!

Secret Kiss Cookies

1 cup Soft Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups Flour

1 cup Walnuts (Chopped)

Powdered Sugar

Hershey Kisses

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in the flour and walnuts to form a dough ball. Form about 1 tsp of dough around a Hershey Kiss and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden (do not overbake) While the cookies are hot, roll in powdered sugar and let cool.

YUMMY!!!!!!!

The pic below are simple cutouts, you can use ready made dough like Pillsbury and roll and cut your favorite shapes and decorate. This is fun to do with kids.

Happy Baking.

11 days till Christmas...

The Nativity Story Trailer

A few more of my favorite things...

Christmas Movies

A Charlie Brown Christmas - Love this, have it on DVD, who can not sing along to Hark the Herald Angels Sing at the end

Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer and Frosty - Classic cartoons still on TV today

The Preacher's Wife - One of my favorites, see clip above from the movie which features Whitney Houston at her finest, it is said that when they made the movie and this part was filmed, the presence of God was so evident in this scene that director Penny Marshall was amazed!! She sings I Love the Lord/Joy to the World in this clip. Makes you want to shout Hallelujah!!!!! One of things I miss about being in a Pentecostal church, sometimes you just have to SHOUT unto the Lord.

The Nativity Story - If you have not seen this film, you must!! Beautifully written and directed. The Wise Men's role (they were astronomers who understood the signs in the sky, hence, following the North Star) is like the Bible come to life.

Joy to the World, the Lord has come!!

Christmas Songs

16 more days until Christmas!

I decided to blog about all things Christmas and a few of my favorite things...

Christmas Music - Here is Third Day performing Oh Come all ye Faithful

Enjoy!

12 days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me;

A partridge in a pear tree...

The Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas

You're all familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I think. To most it's a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written.

It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

The other symbols mean the following:

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Very interesting...

People I admire...

Tim Tebow - Quarterback, Denver Broncos - Standing firm in his faith

Jackie and Sue - Dear friends and the most generous people I know

The people who make up the TV show Extreme Home Makeover - Giving back to those less fortunate, I cry every time I watch the show

My husband - Always doing what it takes to support his family

There are many people I admire but was thinking about these tonight.

Who do you admire? Can you name three and why?

Admire - to regard with high esteem

Quote of the Day

I really like A.W. Tozer, he really got it, he would not recognize Christianity today. A prophetic voice that still speaks after all these years.

"The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it." -A.W. Tozer

Aiden Wilson Tozer
Born	April 21, 1897 La Jose (now Newburg),Pennsylvania, USA
Died	May 12, 1963 (aged 66)
Occupation	pastor, author
Religion	Christian and Missionary Alliance(C&MA)
Spouse	Ada Cecelia Pfautz

Movie Review - The Grace Card

I had movie night with my friend Diane last night and we watched The Grace Card. A three hankie movie with a great message. There are some powerful scenes and a few twists and turns. The main message of the movie is grace, the grace we have received and the grace we should extend to others.

"I promise to pray for you every day, ask your forgiveness, grant you the same and be your friend, ALWAYS."

There is a scene in the movie where the two men go down on their knees, and in my opinion, there is nothing greater than humbling yourself before a Holy God. I have been thinking about this, bending your knee and what the Bible has to say about it, stay tuned...

I highly recommend The Grace Card to be reminded how important grace is, to us and to others.

Grace - unmerited favor

Santa on Facebook

More on Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving

Carole King and James Taylor

Last night on my local PBS station, Carole King and James Taylor were in concert at the Troubadour. I have always loved both these artists and used to play them all the time when I was a young girl. When I say young, I mean from the time I was around 10 years old. I inherited both these "albums", yes they were vinyl albums, from my sister Kathy. They were a balm to the soul and I listened to Carole King's Tapestry and James Taylor's Sweet Baby James over and over again in my parents basement. That was where my stereo was, a Panasonic with turntable and radio combination. As I got older I listened to James Taylor more and in my young adult years, I played his greatest hits CD, that's right, CD all the time. I saw James Taylor live at the Garden State Arts Center (now the PNC Bank Center, never liked that name) many years ago. I do not listen to them much anymore but last night reminded me of the days of old and all those years in the basement. Below is the song, You Can Close your Eyes, it was a fitting way to the end the night after a very long and tiring week. Love their harmony and Carole singing the top of the melody.

Thanks Carole and James, you were with me through a lot of life stuff and thanks Kathy, you left behind a legacy of music that enabled me to enjoy so many different genres of music. This is one of them...

Book quote

Roscoe may have been a nice man, but he was over the top when it came to God. None of this happened because God was thinking about Sonja, wanting her to turn to Him. No way. She couldn't even fathom such a thing. For to do so would mean that there was a reason she lived - and others died.

She clamped her eyes shut and willed herself to sleep, choosing to face the disturbance of her half-dreams rather than the disturbance of her soul.

Taken from The Seat Beside Me - Nancy Moser - Book I am currently reading

Hallelujah Chorus

Love this!!!!

Very Funny...

Whale Rider - Movie Review

So I rented this movie from Netflix, great reviews, tons of awards and nominations, well...

Whale Rider = Bizarre

Keisha Castle Hughes = Excellent actress

Skip this movie.

Books

Have you heard of this website, paperbackswap.com?? I just found out about it and I am thinking of giving it a try. I love books and read all the time, I spend a lot of time at my local library because if I had to purchase all the books I read, one, it would cost me a fortune and two, I would not have room for all the books I have read.

So, if anyone has used this website, let me know, I would like to know your thoughts.

If you click on the video, it will direct you to their website and you can watch the video from there.

READ!!!!!

Trade Books for Free with our online Book Swap...

• It's easy: List books you'd like to swap with other club members.
• Once a book is requested, mail it to the club member.
• In return, you may choose from 5,147,247 available books!

- Books you request are mailed to you for free.
- No late fees. No hidden charges.

We're NOT just Paperback Books! Enjoy trading Hardbacks, Audio Books, Textbooks and more.

Very True...

Very Funny...

More from the Emergence Band

Classic hymn, How Great thou Art, performed by the Emergence Band, kicked up a notch. Arrangement by Ascend the Hill.

Quote of the Day

"If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." - David Livingstone

Who is David Livingstone?

David Livingstone (1813-1873) was a Scottish missionary, doctor and explorer who helped open the heart of Africa to missions. His travels covered one-third of the continent, from the Cape to near the Equator, and from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.

Movie Review - Soul Surfer

Just watched Soul Surfer, an inspirational movie we rented from Netflix. I love Netflix! Soul Surfer is a true story about a teenage girl, Bethany Hamilton, who loses her arm in a shark attack. Great surfing scenes set against the backdrop of Kauai, Hawaii. Beautifully acted by Anna Sophia Robb. The determination that she has to get back in the water and the faith that carries her through is truly inspiring. Great family movie, highly recommend it.

My Church

In October 2010 we started attending a church in Lincoln Park called Emergence. The above video is not the best quality but it captures the Emergence Worship band led by Steve Hawthorne. Steve has a great voice and plays acoustic guitar, which is my favorite lead instrument. This is one of my many favorite songs that we sing on a Sunday morning.

Emergence is a bible teaching church. The service is 1 hour comprised of worship and a bible study. It is very simple and has a coffee house feel, very casual and very relaxed. Yes, they serve coffee. The majority of the people that attend are young, 18-30 year olds. One year later and we absolutely love it!!! Excellent teaching and excellent worship, Sunday does not get any better than this.

To learn more, visit emergence.jacksonvillechapel. org or visit them on facebook at www.facebook.com/emergencenj

Mystery - Lyrics by Charlie Hall

Sweet Jesus Christ my sanity
Sweet Jesus Christ my clarity
Bread of heaven, broken for me
Cup of salvation held up to drink
Jesus the Mystery

Christ has died and Christ is risen, and Christ will come again

(Repeat)

Celebrate his death and rising
Lift your eyes, proclaim his coming
Celebrate his death and rising
Lift your eyes, lift your eyes

Book Review

Secrets

Long-hidden secrets come to light in the shadowed halls of a California villa

Antonia stared out the Studebaker’s rear window as it sped away from her grandfather Quillan’s Sonoma villa, leaving behind the vineyard that had been life to her family — a life now lost….

The old villa needed what Rese Barrett could do as well as any man on the crew. Trained by the best, she had honed her skills with a passion for quality, an eye for detail, and no room for compromise.Renovation was her joy–taking something old and making it new without changing the heart if it. But this time the inn she restored was hers, and this time she worked alone….

The answers were there if he could find them, and the commission from his grandmother Antonia compelled him to do so. Brash and impulsive, Lance Michelli arrived at the inn sure of his quest and sensing his right. After all, it was part of his heritage.

Chef, musician, and spellbinder, Lance talked his way into her plans before she’d even made them and had Rese telling secrets she’d never before revealed. He spoke of faith as if he could touch it, but how much more was left unsaid?

Winner of the Christy Award, presented by the Christian Bookseller Association to honor the best in Christian fiction.

Selected by ForeWord Magazine as a 2003 Book of the Year (Gold Award in Romance category)

I loved this book!! While I was reading I wanted to restore an old home and cook!!! The author has an amazing ability to capture these two things. Wonderful love story too.

Movie Review

I recently watched Mao's Last Dancer. I watched this film with my mother in law who was visiting from California. We had a wonderful movie night for just us girls. Excellent story about a ballet dancer who defected to the United States from China. See the trailer below. I highly recommend this movie, the Asian actors far outperform the American actors. I loved the end of this film.

Enjoy...

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

“Great sermons lead the people to praise the preacher. Good preaching leads the people to praise the Saviour.” ~ Charles Finney

Amen and Amen

More Quotes

"I know God will not give me anything than I can't handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much."- Mother Teresa

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, "I'm possible"!" - Audrey Hepburn

"Never, never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill

Good Night Irene!!!

We survived Irene! My husband and I want to get t-shirts that say "I spent the night with Irene". It was a wild night. I took the early shift until 3am to make sure that if the power went out we were able to get our generator running quickly so the house would not flood. Hubby woke up on 3am (something about some internal alarm clock he has that he tells his body what time to wake up, what???!!!???) and he took the next shift. Both of us prayed most of night and God was faithful. Thankfully we never lost power and our new drainage system withstood the very intense rains that we received. Our thoughts and prayers to those who flooded and kudos to Gov. Christie for leading the state in an effective manner. Although he sometimes can be very sarcastic, all in all, he did a terrific job.

Thank you Lord, your promises are yes and amen!!!!

Hurricane Irene

Go away Irene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have battened down the hatches, have food and water, done everything we can do to prepare, now we just have to trust God.

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

In a time when You may be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters

They shall not come near him. Psalm 32:6

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2

Stay safe my friends.

Quote of the Day

"Moses spent forty years in the king's palace thinking that he was somebody; then he lived forty years in the wilderness finding out that without God he was a nobody; finally he spent forty more years discovering how a nobody with God can be a somebody."

~Dwight L. Moody.

Do you know who your father is?

It was when I put Valerie to bed one night that I understood what Tillie had been trying to tell me on the day I got my tonsils out.

"Tillie, how do you know if you're going to end up in heaven?"

"Well now, that all depends on who your father is."

-Taken from Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock (Book I am currently reading)

I ask you my dear friends, do you know who your father is?

Women's Right to Vote

Today is the 91st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women nationwide the right to vote. The constitutional change was enacted on Aug. 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve the amendment. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, women gradually won the right to vote in local and state elections. The 19th Amendment assured that the right was universal. - As reported in the Look Back section of the Bergen Record - 8/19/11.

I did not know that Tennessee was instrumental in seeing this law come to fruition. To all the ladies out there, VOTE!!! It is our constitutional right to do so and women have been doing just that since 1920. 91 years my friends.

Quote of the Day

Believe you can and you're halfway there. - Theodore Roosevelt

Christianese

LOL!!!! But so true and so sad!!!!!

4Him - It is well

Four part harmony at it's best!!!!!

It is well with my soul...

Dog days of summer!

I love the summer, I love relaxing by my pool, going down the shore, the extended daylight hours... I do not like the humidity and today there is none! Open those windows, turn off the a/c and breathe. A beautiful morning, remember the song from musical Oklahoma!, oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I've got a beautiful feeling, everything's going my way.

This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad!

Enjoy the lazy days of summer, I know I will.

New Jersey

 

Jersey

Some fun facts about New Jersey from my local Life and Leisure paper.

Highlands, NJ has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

NJ has more race horses than Kentucky.

NJ is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

NJ has the most stringent testing along our coastline for Water Quality Control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.

Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.

The first Indian reservation was in NJ, the Watchung Mountains.

The first drive in movie theater was opened in Pennsauken, NJ.

YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN NEW JERSEY when...

You don't think of fruit when people mention "The Oranges."

You know that it's called Great Adventure, not Six Flags.

A good, quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter.

You've known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven.

You know what a "jug handle" is.

You know that there are no "beaches" in NJ - there is the shore NOT "at the shore" you are "down the shore."

You know that this is the only "New.." state that doesn't require "New" to identify it (like, try... Mexico, ...York ... Hampshire - see it doesn't work, does it?)

You NEVER, NEVER, pump your own gas.

New Jersey, the place I call home, for now... no place like it on earth!!!

Carrie Underwood w/ Vince Gill How Great thou Art

Carrie Underwood has such a pure voice. Watch the standing ovation at the end and listen to her hit those notes. She held those last two notes for 15 seconds, amazing! Vince Gill on electric guitar, not to shabby either.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee.....

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

I think I might be. I just passed the Praxis Paraprofessional exam with a score of 475!! 480 is the highest score you can receive. Woo hoo!!!

You may be thinking, isn't she bragging?

Well... first off I have been out of school for 30 years. When I opened the study book, I was like, what????? The math was like looking at a foreign language. So, I hit the books, studied for 7 weeks and took the test.

All hard work brings a profit. Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)

Fireworks!

 


Just watched (on tv) the Macy's Fireworks on the Hudson, one word, SPECTACULAR!!

Freedom in America, Stars and Stripes Forever

 

Freedom in Christ

 

Are you free???

Happy Independence Day America!!!! Today we celebrate our nation's freedom. I am so glad I live in a country where we are free, but greater freedom is available to all...

If the son sets you free, you shall be FREE indeed. John 8:36

You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you FREE. John 8:32

Freedom - the quality or state of being free

Free - to relieve or rid of what restrains

Blogging Break

Hi friends, I will be taking a blogging break for awhile. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

May 21st - Judgement Day

The link to the article below clearly helps people understand the false teaching of Harold Camping. Please check it out. If I may speak what is on my mind... this is a perfect example of what happens when we start to follow people and their doctrines instead of following Jesus and the Word of God. We must have discernment in these last days. This is a distraction to keep those from coming to the one True God.

While I am no expert on end time theology, I can say this with certain my friends, you must be ready. Someday all of us will stand before a Holy God and it is what we have decided about Jesus that will determine our eternal destiny. I urge you to choose wisely, think about the picture of the three crosses. Jesus and the two thieves hanging on the crosses. One thief chose wisely, he asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, the other thief mocked him and asked why He could not save himself. This is what our choice is today, will we mock him in unbelief and say well May 21st has come and gone and we are still here OR will we choose Jesus today and ask Him to remember us when we stand before a Holy God. Today is the day of salvation for anyone who calls upon His name.

Jesus will return, the Word of God tells us this, we are not to know the day or hour, just to be found faithful.

www.albertmohler.com/2011/05/16/the-end-is-near-the-false-teaching-of-harold-camping/

I am not familiar with Albert Mohler but I thought his article and insight was spot on.

My New Favorite Song

Casting Crowns sings this beautiful song!!!

This song is taken from the old hymn 'O Glorious Day' written by Rev. John Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918).

Enjoy.

Quote

Good Government generally begins in the family, and if the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow.
-Elias Boudinot

Who is Elias Boudinot?

May 2, 1740 - Oct. 24, 1821
Lawyer and Statesman from Elizabeth
Delegate to Continental Congress and US Congressman for New Jersey
Mentor was Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence
Princeton University Library, has a collection of his papers and many family possessions and portraits
On his death willed 13,000 acres to Philadelphia for parks and needs
He was Home Schooled!!!

Waiting For Superman (2010)

Waiting for Superman

Have you seen this movie?? This is an award winning documentary about the state of our school system here in America. It really looks at the situation from all angles and helps you understand what has happened to our once exceptional education system. Bill Gates makes an appearance, Geoffrey Canada is highlighted and the impact of his Charter School movement. We have dropped significantly in the math, reading and the sciences. There are not enough people who are qualified for the IT jobs that are abundantly available, they have to hire out of the country!!! Shocking statistics, excellent movie, I highly recommend this film to everyone, especially educators.

David Wilkerson

This post is in honor of David Wilkerson, a true servant of the Lord. Rev. Wilkerson died in a car crash this past Wed., he was 79 years old. For those not familiar with him, he founded Times Square Church in NYC in the 1980's. Rev. Wilkerson has an amazing testimony, he was a country preacher in the 50's and God told him to go to NYC to preach the gospel to the gangs in the city (think West Side Story). Nicky Cruz, leader of the dangerous Mau Mau's of that time heard David preach and his life was radically transformed. The movie the Cross and the Switchblade is based upon this transformation. God also told him to start the Teen Challenge Ministries which is a Christ centered drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Thousands upon thousands of lives have been changed as a result of this ministry. God also spoke to Rev. Wilkerson and told him to start a church in Times Square. Times Square at the time (1980's) was drug infested, violent, etc. Today Times Square Church stands as a beacon of hope for NYC. I have had the privilege of hearing Rev. Wilkerson preach at TSC and have attended that church many times. Today I listened live online to TSC morning service and was so blessed by the tribute that they paid to their former pastor. They recommitted themselves to carry on the vision that the Lord gave to Rev. Wilkerson some 30 years ago. David Wilkerson now stands in the presence of the Lord and has truly heard the words, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Washington DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We recently went to Washington DC for a quick getaway. I love history so this was a perfect trip for me. I love my country and I am proud to be an American!! I gasped audibly when I saw the Lincoln Memorial as we were getting off the elevator. I stood in awe as we viewed the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian. I cannot believe it has been preserved for all these years. I will never sing the National Anthem the same way again. The National Archives which hold the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, the freedom documents my friends, this is who we are as a nation.

We also saw some famous american pop items; the ruby slippers, ,love those shoes!! Archie Bunker's chair alongside Edith's, a show that changed television. We were able to go to a Washington Nationals baseball game, beautiful new stadium and they played the NY Mets.

Enjoy the photos and remember we are free.

He is Risen!!!!!!

You have to go through Friday to get to Sunday. Today is Resurrection Sunday. The above clip is a little lengthy but it is the most important part of the story. The Christian faith is like no other, you see, we serve a risen Savior. Jesus is alive, we do not worship a dead god.

A few song quotes;

Because He lives,
we can face tomorrow...

Hallelujah, Jesus is alive
Death has lost it's victory
and the grave has been denied.
Jesus lives forever, He's alive!!!

He lives, he lives
Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me
along life's narrow way.

Celebrate today my friends, He has conquered the grave.

He is risen....
He is risen indeed!!

Good Friday

Good Friday, what's so good about it? It's good because it is the gospel, the good news, Jesus died for you. It's good because it is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. No visual today just a reminder of the power of the blood, below are Matt Redman's lyrics to;

Nothing But the Blood

Your blood speaks a better word
Than all the empty claims I've heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me
And stands in my defense
Jesus it's Your blood

What can wash away our sins?
What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can wash us pure as snow?
Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Your cross testifies in grace
Tells of the Father's heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach
Not by earthly confidence
It's only Your blood

We thank You for the blood
We thank You for the blood

We praise You for the blood
We praise You for the blood

Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins. Hebrews 9:22

Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet

Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, The Last Supper they all mean the same thing. The Thursday before Good Friday, the last supper with the disciples and the washing of the feet. Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command", so Maundy Thursday refers to the command that Jesus gave his disciples to love and serve one another. Should we observe this day, the Bible neither commands nor forbids. To me the point is this; Love one another and serve one another in humility and not just on one day, throughout our lives.

In the video clip Jesus is celebrating the Passover with his disciples and all of the sudden he wants to wash their feet. Listen closely to Peter, I love this scene. This is also the first hint that Jesus knew that Judas would betray him.

For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not great than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:15-17

The Power of Words

Love this!!!!

Happy Passover

Thought this video was great.

Disclaimer: I do not know anything about Aish.com

Palm Sunday

Easter is fast approaching so I thought I would take the next two weeks and highlight the reasons why we celebrate and the various meanings and traditions. Being a visual learner, I will attach videos to go along with text. The videos will be taken from The Gospel of John movie, which in my opinion, is the best that has been done and it is a word for word translation. There is nothing added and nothing taken away. Production quality is excellent as well as the acting. You can rent it on Netflix, you will not be disappointed and if you have never read the gospel of John, you will learn a lot.

Why Palms? - The laying of palm branches indicates that a king or dignitary was arriving in victory, they also spread their coats (which you will not see in the video, the Gospel of Matthew tells us this info, you are watching the Gospel of John.
(This could be our equivalent of "rolling out the red carpet")

Why a donkey? - Fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly, and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
-Zechariah 9:9

Also note in the Gospels of Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19, Jesus told his disciples this;

Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.
-Matthew 21:2

Go into the village opposite you; and as a soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.
-Mark 11:2

Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.
-Luke 19:30

Luke also tells us that the multitude were praising and rejoicing God in a loud voice. Some of the Pharisees told him to rebuke them. I love what Jesus tells them,
"I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." - Luke 19:40
Could you imagine, the very stones would cry out!!!

NEVER will a rock cry out in my place, He is worthy of all our praise! Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the Name of Lord.

How He Loves Us...

David Crowder has an interesting and unique voice. Here he is in this video live at KLOVE radio station. Ignore the chit chat in the beginning and listen to the song.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13

Oh, how he loves my friends, how he loves.

Pia is going home??

What??? Sorry America, you got it wrong. Pia is one of the best singers on the American Idol show. I will say that I think what happened is people (me) did not vote for her because everyone assumed she would stay in the competition. I did not vote for her, sorry Pia.

And the beat goes on...

Go Green!

We talked about organics, let's talk about green cleaning. I have started to try to go green with laundry detergent, dish detergent, cleaning my kitchen floors(I use a wonderful steamer, no cleaners just very hot steam) and vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum. It's not just about the environment, it's about the toxicity in the cleaning products that are on the market. Your health is at stake. So today in my local newspaper, The Record, they had great information about getting started and creating your own cleaners. I will be clipping this info and posting it on my fridge along with the previous post about organics. Here is what the paper posted;

Getting Started
Remove shoes when inside (we do this!! So many germs on your shoes)
Use portable air filters
Use filters for tap water and shower (We use Aquasana shower filters, chlorine inhalation is very bad for you, this takes out the chlorine not to mention the other crud in the water, we also use this at our kitchen sink for purified water, also by Aquasana)
Switch to natural cleaning products (Expensive but worth it but you can make your own)
Dust and mop regularly, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter(We use the vacuum)
Green plants naturally detoxify the air (Need to get more plants)
DO NOT WRAP OR REHEAT FOOD IN PLASTIC. (My caps, this is so bad for you, it has been studied that possibly breast cancer comes from a certain plastic that is heated and gets in your food)
Don't reuse plastic water bottles (Same reason)(We use stainless steel containers for our water) Look at the the recycling numbers on the bottom; Nos. 1, 2,4 and 5 are considered safe
-Kara Yorio

Do it Yourself
Air Freshener
Boil cinnamon and cloves and let the steam circulate
Put 1/2 cup of borax at the bottom of garbage pails (I like this idea)
Place a box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb smells(A time tested idea)

All Purpose Cleaner
Mix 1 tsp. borax, 2 TBSP. vinegar or lemon juice, 5 drops of essential oil and two cups of hot water (Vinegar has so many uses!)

Floor Cleaner
Vinyl floors: mix 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup borax and 1 gallon of hot water (we use the steam cleaner on our ceramic tile)
Wood floors: Use a vegetable soap such as castile soap or Murphy Oil Soap

Furniture and Floor Polish
Mix 2 parts olive oil, 1 part white vinegar and essential oil for scent
Mix a few drops of lemon juice for each pint of mineral oil

Glass Cleaner
Mix 1/8 cup white vinegar 1 cup of water and use a spray bottle

Mold and Mildew Cleaner
Mix 1 tsp borax, 3 TBSP white vinegar and 2 cups of hot water. Spray on surface and scrub off mold. To inhibit mold growth, spray a few more times, but do not wipe off. (I am going to try this)

Tub and Tile Scouring Powder
Mix 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of borax, sprinkle on area and scrub with warm water

Source: "Cleanse Your Body, Clear your Mind" by Jeffrey A. Morrison, M.D.

**Please note that I have not read the above book, the above tips were posted in the newspaper and I thought valuable information about natural cleaners. I do not know anything about the book or the author.

Go Green, your health depends on it!!!

Elton John and American Idol

Last night American Idol highlighted Elton John songs. When I was a very young girl, I loved Elton John. The Idol contestants sang many of my favorite songs. My favorite for the night was Haley, she sang Bennie and the Jets and did a great job. For those who watched the show, did you not love the red baby grand piano! James Durbin lit one on fire in his segment of Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting.

So, here is some inside information... when I was 11 years my father took me to an Elton John concert at Madison Square Garden. 11 years old!!! What was he thinking!!! Elton came out as the Statue of Liberty and said, Here's to you New York. Kiki Dee was there and did their duet, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. It was one of my memorable nights, why, because my daddy took me to see Elton John. He sat there and listened to me sing along and I am sure watched all the people that night. He loved to people watch, he found people fascinating and he talked to EVERYONE. I am quite sure the Italian relatives thought he was nuts, he did not care. I was his baby girl and he only wanted me to be happy. The best daddy in the whole world!!! I miss him more and more as I get older, he passed away in 1996. Tomorrow, March 31st would have been his 82nd birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy, thanks for the memories.