Archive for the ‘She Said’ Category

Jesus makes it very clear that He is concerned wth our though life, not only with our actions.

In Matthew 5:21-22, our Lord says,

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Matthew 5:21-22

And just a few verses later, in Matthew 5:28 he says,

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

With that in mind, I have to take issue with some of the language used by even “good” Christians.

If you say “friggin’” or “frickin’”, what does that mean?

Are you not saying it as a replacement, since you certainly wouldn’t want to say “The F Word”?

But doesn’t that very substitutional process mean you’re thinking of that other word? And don’t you think that the same process will occur in the mind of whoever hears you?

And the same thing applies to “Snap” (as in, “Oh, SNAP, I forgot to do my homework!”), and any other unique replacements you may have come up with on your own.

So, when using these clever replacement words, not only are you *still* sinning by using vulgar language (even if only in your mind!), but you are causing your brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble on that issue, as well.

Granted, there may be those people out there who have led such a sheltered life that they aren’t even aware of the swear word, and use “frickin’” simply as a funny way to say “Ooops” or “Totally”… But I think for most of us who live in the world today that’s not the case.

English is by many multiples of words the largest language in the world. There are words in the language to express anger and frustration. There are exclamations. There are colorful adjectives.

Carry a thesaurus with you for a while, find some uncommon words that fit the bill, and develop your own unique style.

But, please, let’s not say that.

Remember Homestead Blessings?

I have been following this series with delight – be sure to check out my reviews of the first three DVDs, as well as the “Second Season”. And now…

The West Ladies are back indoors for some winter wonderment!

I’m going to go through all three new DVDs, and make sure you keep reading – you can win your own free copy of the new set!

The Art of Cooking

This program is such a delight! I felt warm, cozy, and HUNGRY watching it!

The West Ladies teach us how to make a few delicious dishes for each meal:

• County Breakfast with Stacked Pancakes, Fried Potatoes (think Home Fries), and Fried Apples and Onions.
• Lunch of Pizza, Tomato Soup, and Salad with Homemade Dressing, and a yummy Smoothie.
• Dinner featuring Pot Roast (with carrots and potatoes), Buttermilk Biscuits, Green Beans (fried with onion), and scratch Gravy (for the roast or the biscuits!), plus a Peach Cobbler for dessert!

The cooking advice was very good, for any cook coming in at a wide range of levels – and of course their recipes and tips would be useful to anyone. I thnk this was probably my favorite of these three new progams.

Although guideline measurements were given, the ladies emphasized the need to adjust to conditions to make sure things work properly (especially for more sensitive foods like biscuits), as well as the cook’s ability to improvise with ingredients, seasonings, etc.

The Art of Dairy Delights

The thing that this DVD accomplished best was to make me long even more strongly for a cow!!

But, naturally, you can do these projcts with milk from the grocery store, as well, and still reap economic, culinary, and nutritional benefits.

Watch as the West Ladies make some yummy homemade ice cream, a variety of butters, yogurt, and even cheese!

Like some of the others in the series, this DVD suffers a little from randomness of information. In some cases the information is extremely deailed, and perhaps even repetitive. But other times facts I’d really like to know about are glossed over – like finding and choosing an ice cream machine. They also demonstrate making mozarella cheese, but have no general discussion of cheese-making, or other varieties.

That said, I did enjoy the DVD, and it is sure to provide lots of great inspiration and ideas.

The Art of Sewing

The West Ladies start us out by making a few simple projects, and along the way teaching some basic sewing techniques:

• Doll pillow, pillowcase, and quilt
• Tiered skirt
• Rag quilt
• Blouse

The first three are done using only basic measurements and/or a self-created pattern. For the blouse they recommend buying a simple pattern, then they walk through how easy it can be to sew it up, and create many variations.

My favorite section is the final one – ideas for creating your own inspired items, and upcycling other fabric goods (wholesale conversions, grabbing a ruffle, and many other great ideas).

I’m so disappointed with one thing, though. Throughout the series, I’ve been enjoying Hannah’s beautiful skirts created from converting blue jeans (pants!) – she even had a very stylish new one on in this DVD… But they never mentioned it! What a lost opportunity to not only satisfy my curiosity, but also to give women another great option for upcycling their bargain finds into modest clothing.

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Whether or not you’ve watched the first six installments of Homestead Blessings, if you’re interested in learning homekeeping arts, you should check these out!

BUY IT!

• Amazon.com price is $19.95, eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping (if your order totals $25 or more).
• The Homestead Blessings site currently has them on sale for $17.95, but shipping is $4.50 each (no multi-item discount) – cheaper if you really only want one DVD, more expensive otherwise.
• Prices at the Franklin Springs site are typically the same as Amazon.com (sans Super Saver Shipping) for single DVDs, but you can get a much better value on one of the various collections of three, six, or all nine programs.

WIN IT! One lucky As For My House reader will win a copy of all three new DVDs!

Make sure to leave your email address with each comment. (Used only to contact the winner. If your email is entered in the form it will be saved for me but not displayed).

1. Leave a comment sharing a tip on Cooking, Dairy, or Sewing. Or just tell me which one you’re most looking forward to winning!

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each). Once you have completed #1, you can earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following. For those worth multiple entris, please leave that number of separate comments – each comment is one entry when I draw a number at the end!

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WIN Homesead Blessing DVDs at As For My House! Ends 3/28 http://tinyurl.com/yazaoyj Please RT! #giveaway

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This giveaway ends 3/28/10 at 11:59pm (Eastern).

The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on the blog, as well as contacted by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be selected. Your DVDs will ship directly from Franklin Springs!

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This is an open letter to Anesthesiology Departments everywhere.

Please help future baby patients by forwarding a copy to your local medical facility!

To Whom It May Concern:

My son was seen at the dental center last week. He needs a significant amount of work done due to carries, and an Operating Room scenario was suggested.

I was informed due to the anesthesia the child should have nothing to eat after 10 pm, but was typically allowed clear liquids up until two hours prior to the procedure.

When I inquired about breastfeeding, from both the O.R. Coordinator at the dental office and the Nurse Practitioner she contacted for me at the hospital, I got only the generic response that “feeding” the child, and “milk products”, were not allowed.

Knowing of the easy, complete, and rapid digestibility of breast milk, this answer left me dissatisfied.

A quick online search revealed several studies suggesting that a window of as little as three, or even two hours (as with clear liquids) was ample. Even the Practice Guidelines published by the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends a four hour fast from human milk.

In light of this, I would implore that Miami Children’s Hospital include this specification in their pediatric anesthesia guidelines – not just for R.T., but for all the infant patients you will serve in the future.

Sincerely…

References:
ASA NPO Practice Guidelines (see page 899)
La Leche League FAQ (also includes several more great resources in the accompanying links)

Well, He was, that’s all.

Christians should know better than anyone else – God designed our bodies to make the perfect nourishment for our babies, just like He designed our bodies to bear the children, and our hearts to nurture them.

One of the names the Catholics have for Mary is “Nuestra Senora de la Leche y Buen Parto” – Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Childbirth.

There’s a beautiful chapel housing this statue (a replica, as sadly the original was lost in a fire) up in St. Augustine, Florida – the oldest city in the United States.

There is a church, gift shop, and other historical markers at the Mission – well worth a look if you’re in the area.

And, naturally…

We only have one vehicle, so Wolf rides the bus/train/bus to get to and from work. Last week he came home with an alarming story, and the cell phone picture to prove it.

Dadeland Station is a transit hub. It is the South end of the train line, and a stop for all the area busses.

As he walked into the lobby one morning, he was greeted by an enormous round decal in the center of the floor – a swimming pool. And there, underfoot, life-sized or better, was a woman floating on a raft in a teeny bikini.

To see for yourself, you can View the Picture (naturally, this comes with my advisory that it is an immodest image).

I am aware that “most people” wouldn’t be offended by the picutre, which they would probably argue is entirely non-sexual. (Don’t get me started on how far society has slipped down the slope of accepting indecency!)

But I find it appaling that such a thing would be so rudely thrust “in your face” in a government agency location.

It is wholly unacceptable for the government to be so avidly promoting something which offends the morals and “strongly held religious beliefs” of a sizeable segment of the population.

Not to mention those people who have other issues:

• Men and boys trying to control their hormones (lust)
• Women who feel lowered self-esteem from the unfair comparison
• Those who might be triggered in their struggle with PTSD from past abuse
• “Sex addicts”
• Mothers who don’t feel it’s appropriate for the children they have with them
• People who find it disrespectful to be stepping all over a lady
• And on and on…

Yes, images like this (sadly) are “everywhere” today, but I find two main differences here.

One is the lack of ability to “opt out.”

Magazines and catalogs we can choose to keep out of our lives. I certainly don’t get lingerie catalogs, but I also don’t even get Lands’ End or other catalogs with swimwear (remember the Lands End Facebook debacle?).

Movies and TV we can choose not to watch. Billboards we have to look the other way.

But what about this?

In the lobby of the train station – a portal through which people must pass. And underfoot, where they must look at it at least somewhat (or risk tripping because they aren’t watching where they are going!).

This is far more… invasive? intrusive? forced upon you?

The second, touched upon above, is the government involvement.

By placing this ad in a County facility, the government is endorsing, sponsoring, and profiting from (a) immodesty and immorality, and (b) the discomfort and alienation of a lot of people.

Will you join me in letting them know this should be removed?

Mayor Carlos Alvarez
mayor (at) miamidade.gov

Michael De Cossio
Chief, Transit Advertising & Media Relations
Mike1 (at) miamidade.gov

(Modesty disclaimer – photos of shirtless young men are used to illustrate this story, below)

Political Correctness is so ridiculous, I continue to be amazed.

I do “mystery shopping” from time to time. It earns me a few dollars, or free stuff, and it’s flexible…

But filling out the survey forms is getting harder and harder.

Naturally, you are expected to identify the employee with whom you interact during your visit. Sometimes the name is enough, but if you can’t get the name (and sometimes even if you do) they want a description.

Except, as it turns out, you are strictly prohibited from discussing certain attributes that could be politically incorrect or sensitive.

I cannot mention a person’s race or skin color.

While I understand that this can be used in an offensive way, it is also true that it is a very useful means of identifying someone out of a small pool of choices (such as the employees who were working at a given time).

I cannot mention a person’s weight or size.

Again, I know that you can insult someone by labeling them as “fat”… But, again, differentiating between a stocky individual and a very thin individual can be very useful.

It got me to thinking…

If I were primarily concerned with political correctness, I would describe Nick as:

Young man, about 6′ tall, dark curly hair.

Hmmm. Not much more I can say, right?

But, based on that, my son could be this guy:

Or, just as easily, this guy:

Wouldn’t it make more sense to be accurate?

My son is a stocky, very fair skinned person.

The other young man pictured is very thin, and darker skinned.

Is that cruel, insulting, or unfair?

No. It’s simply the truth.

As Christians, we need to be committed to speaking the truth in love. All the time.

Women in Our House wear skirts and dresses only, and I know that for a lot of you (even if God has been prickling your conscience about femininity) that seems odd, or too hard, or awkward.

Well, the lovely Miss Jocelyn (I interviewed her for a Modesty Monday) started a terrific feature over at her blog magazine Feelin’ Feminine: The Challenge.

Wear only skirts/dresses for a week (seven days). Mix and match to make outfits if you don’t have enough. Try a different hairstyle each day, too, just for fun.

At the end of the week, look back and compare it to your regular way of dress. These questions of Jocelyn’s can help you evaluate your week:

• How was the experience for you?
• Any particular stories?
• Did wearing skirts rather than pants affect the way you felt?
• The way you felt about yourself?
• The way you acted?
• The way you carried yourself?
• Were you able to go about everyday activity as freely as pants?
• How did people respond?
• Were you more respected?
• Did you feel more like a lady?
• After the challenge do you desire to keep wearing skirts more regularly, or were you desperate to wear pants again?

The Challenge has been such an inspiration that it is now a regular feature, hosted at a different fan’s blog each month. For March, we’re going to be walking through our week with Simply Sarah-Anne.

How about it?

Why not accept this challange, and give it a week?

Leave a comment and let me know if you’re walking with us. And I’d love to have your thoughts (and photos?) afterwards!

The second half of my saga of struggling with breastfeeding in spite of the medical profession is now posted over at Mommy News & Views…

Stop by and have a read!

Ever wanted to see a map of cities with Christian Churches to A.D. 100? A chart comparing and contrasting couples in love in the Bible? An overview of the Levitical Offerings?

Well now you can! In Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3rd Edition. And yeah, it has the more “common” stuff, too…

This book is a biggie – over 450 pages of content.

It has a plethora of amazing maps, charts and tables, which would be a great resource for your home study, a Sunday School class, or small group study. The charts are full-color, most are a clean full-page layout, and they’ve even made them available as .pdf files online!

The maps are beautiful, and show the locations of numerous events, places, journeys, and stories in the Bible. The only thing I would have wished for here was a little more modern comparison – what occupies that space TODAY, not just what ancient city was it near.

There are amazing charts and diagrams, which pull together a lot of facts in a handy reference. Everything from the women of the New Testament, to the prophesies of Christ, to the images of God in the Psalms.

This is without a doubt the highlight of the book, in my opinion. These charts pull together facts in an easy to find way, saving you hours of research time (or giving up) when you say to yourself, “wasn’t there another church Paul founded with Barnabas?” (Okay, we’re admitting we are total nerds. But yeah, we do have those kinds of conversations around here).

There is also a lot (a LOT) of text , which I find more problematic.

It provides the basic information about each book – date written, author, outline, etc. But there is a lot more, including summaries and explanations, that seems to veer dangerously close to creating a “Cliff Notes: The Bible”.

This is definately a book any serious (or curious) Bible student should have on their shelf.

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Nail polish isn’t something we’re big on in our house – no acrylic nails, no fire engine red manicures… It’s part of that whole vain outward adornment thing that we try to avoid.

On top of that, there’s the toxicity of fingernail polish (and remover), that makes me totally unwilling to “go there”.

But we do still struggle with even the limited media and social exposure our kids get… Princesses obviously have on makeup and nail polish, you see.

Enter Piggy Paint. Natural as… mud?

Piggy Paint™ is specially formulated from God’s natural ingredients and dries to a hard, durable finish. There are no toxic chemicals; it’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, Bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone.

This sounds like just the thing!!

Their website declares it to be:

• Non-toxic
• Low Odor
• Water-based formula
• Hypoallergenic
• Fun, vibrant colors
• Dries to a hard, durable finish

We received a bottle of Girls Rule, a lovely metallic purple, and a bottle of their Polish Remover (also terrifically non-toxic and low-odor). (Check out the rest of their fun colors!)

Princess J was delighted when I told her it was “beauty spa” day and sat her down to paint. We discussed my plan that we would only do our toe nails, so it would be just for us to enjoy together at home.

Since Piggy Paint lacks a lot of the chemicals of “regular” polish, they recommend that you cure it with a hair dryer. Not having one handy, we went for option two – paint in the evening so it can dry overnight.

Since Jewel is new to nail polish, we just did one coat to check it out. I was delighted how bright and vivid the color looked with just one coat!

And I was very impressed with how well it has held up, between being only one coat and not having been heat dried. We’ve been calling her “Princess Purple Toes” for almost a week now.

I absolutely recommend this as a fun, safe, eco-friendly treat for your own little princess. I admit I was initially put off by the price, but the peace of mind that this product brings is, to quote a currently-much-overused phrase… Priceless. (There are also sales and discounts – keep reading!)

Send me in a photo if you try it, and we’ll do a “toe gallery” photo follow-up!

BUY SOME! Piggy Paint is available at a variety of online and brick & mortar retailers nationwide, but right now you can get a special deal if you shop at their website.

Until the end of February, use the code KISSES15L for 15% off any order. If you miss that, my readers can use the code HOUSE10L to get 10% off any order until the end of April! They always offer FREE SHIPPING (domestic) on orders of $25 or more (March 1 this increases to $35), and they do ship internationally.

You can also follow Piggy Paint on Twitter and Facebook to be notified of additional sales and promotions.

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