Cancer ~ Leading Cause of Death in Children

Dr. Oz recently had a fellow doctor on his show and this doctor stated that one of the first things they learned in medical school is that ALL drugs are toxic to the human body. Doctors should do everything to help the patient heal through lifestyle and diet changes before prescribing drugs. What is ironic is that most doctors seem to only know drugs, surgery and radiation. Diet and lifestyle should absolutely be the first thing that doctors address since according to the National Cancer Institute of Health, childhood cancer is rare, although it is the leading cause of death by disease among American kids! This is VERY scary.

I have NEVER liked to take drugs. Drugs don't cure. They just deal with symptoms. I will suffer in pain over taking drugs and I've suffered a lot but I know that drugs are harmful to my body. I research until I find something healthy that works. I will share some of these with you.

Here is what I found for ear infections after my daughter continued to have ear infections after rounds of antibiotics and surgery to put tubes in her ear wasn't working. Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves. The best thing to do is to work on having a healthy immune system. Here is a wonderful and healthy way I found to cure my raging sinus infection after brain surgery. Learn how to make fresh lemonade and become more alkaline and drink this instead of health destroying sodas. 

I've cured skin cancer, warts and moles with this product. Once they are gone, they NEVER return. I've been using it for many years and can't say enough good things about it. When I had a frozen shoulder that was so painful and not wanting anyone to even touch it, I found trigger point therapy which is so gentle and has cured many aches and pains in my body. After I had my neck fused and nine months after surgery I was still in incredible pain, I discovered The Tendonitis Expert and after a whole month of laying on frozen peas and doing neck wiggles, I was able to get out of my bed of pain; just in time for my oldest son's wedding!

When my youngest daughter, Cassi, burned herself so badly on her foot that her skin fell off, I found the curative powers of aloe vera and after a week, the skin was pretty and pink. My sister battled eczema on her arm for years by trying all the stuff the doctor gave her to try on it and nothing was working. She finally got rid of all gluten and was completely healed. The same thing happened with my son-in-law; getting off gluten healed his troubled gut. My mom healed herself completely of colitis, which the doctors say is incurable, by living on all raw foods and giving up all dairy and meat for a time. My Aunt cured her shingles by taking L-Lysine. She took ten capsules the first day, nine the second, etc and by the seventh day, she was completely cured.

You can cure yourself of constipation and allergies and asthma. I had a bladder infection so badly that I had a fever and bled from it and was able to cure it by using this healthy product that cured me in just a few days. After one of my babies, I got a breast infection with a red breast and a high fever so I lived on lemon and honey water all day. The next day, I was much better. After my first brain surgery, my esophagus was fried from all the cortisone I had to take and after a year of taking the drugs that stopped all stomach acid which made me worse. I finally found a healthy way to heal myself with no drugs. I met a woman who suffered with migraines her whole life and took every drug available for relief but found health and healing through simple and healthy dietary changes. We didn't vaccinate our children because they were drugs with potentially harmful side effects, preferring to do everything we could to build up their immune systems instead.

Okay, I'm sure you're tired of hearing about all the healthy issues I have gone through but I just wanted to share them to let you know that you don't have to go the drug route to cure yourself of most diseases. If you want more of my cures, go to my Pinterest Health Posts. If you've gotten this far, thanks for listening!

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper 
and be in health, even as thy soul prosepereth.
3 John 1:2

***Remember, I'm NOT a doctor. I'm just a homemaker who loves to research 
natural cures and have found many that have worked for my family and me. Information I have given is for educational and informational purposes only and to motivate you to make your own health care and dietary decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with your health care provider. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Nothing you read here should be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or course of treatment.

Are Leggings Modest?

There has only been one time that Ken told me I couldn't wear something and it was many years ago. I had a pair of leggings on and he told me I couldn't wear them in public. He said they were too immodest. They are tight and show every single curve on a woman's body.

I happily decided I wouldn't wear them anymore. This was WAY before I was a submissive wife but I figured if he thought they were immodest, I would trust him. He knows what attracts males and he has told me that its skin tight clothing and lots of flesh.

I asked the women in the chat room if there has ever been clothing that their husbands didn't want them to wear. Leggings were the clothing most husbands didn't want their wives to wear. 

Have you ever asked your husband what he thinks is modest and what is not? Have you asked him to be completely honest with you? Some men like their wives dressing immodestly. I think it must be an ego thing like, "Hey guys, look at the babe that I've got." It seems only insecure men would feel this way. Strong, godly men would desire their wives to be modest. They don't want other men lusting after their wives.

The majority of women today, even Christian women, don't seem to care about dressing modestly at all. They much prefer to wear what is in fashion or comfortable than to please the Lord. You must all realize, however, that men are VERY visual. They get turned on by what they see. We, as women, will never understand the way a man's brain works but we must trust what they tell us. We can't tell them that lust is their problem and we have nothing to do with it. What do you think turns them on? Scantily clad women, that is what! This is why God commands women to dress modestly. If you wear a long shirt over them, I believe it is fine to wear leggings but let's do all we can to not make it harder on men then it already is for them.

We can't simply live our lives for ourselves without any thought to the men we come in contact with. We are called to be modest and to esteem others better than ourselves. We are commanded to not be a stumbling block to others. When you dress in a way that turns men on, you ARE responsible for causing men to stumble whether or not you want to acknowledge it. The Lord tells us that in WHATEVER we do, we should do all for His glory. Do you dress in a way that is glorifying to Him?

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

I Timothy 2:9

Thinking of Having an Affair? Board That Baby Up!

Affairs can begin very innocently but they always end in destruction. Here is a comment from another women who wants to remain anonymous who had an affair ~ 

My husband and I are healing over my unfaithfulness which was revealed last May 2014. If you are in a tempting situation with another man, I cannot reverberate enough to get out! It is mass destruction. I am walking this road of repentance and brokenness and there has been good that has come from it because God always brings good, however, not worth the cost. Complete devastation. My heart shattered, my soul in anguish, periods of moaning, especially in the beginning, that now I understand the Psalmist when he speaks of the moaning. It was with an old flame from 20 years ago. He kept "checking in" with me on Facebook even though he was not on my "friends" list. I do not have a Facebook account now. My choice. So much deception an affair is. So much confusion and nonsense. Looking back, you cannot make sense of it because God is not the author of confusion. Please, please, please! If you are in a situation and you think you can change a man and you are just being used by God or you feel your heart soften toward another man please, please do like Joseph and RUN! This is one sin that is ever before me. I still don't know if we will make it through. Such torment. I love you sisters!

Then another woman admitted that she was close to beginning an affair and the anonymous woman responded ~

 Stay Strong. DO NOT GIVE UP!! If you can think of anyone you can talk to, as sister in Christ, go to her. Confess what is going on. It will free you so much to share this burden with someone. But more importantly, hit your knees, let loose and confess it all to God. He is faithful to forgive you if you ask, and He will give you exactly what you need to overcome. Then take whatever steps you need in order to close the door that has been opened. Lock it. Bolt it shut. Board that baby up! Whatever it takes!!! {Speaking from experience here; what may FEEL good now will end up in destruction.} 

Another woman wrote a list of things that might happen if you are to follow through on this open door!

Have a lovely relationship with a *person* {nice for a time}
Get found out or end up confessing {ouch}
Break husband's trust {ouch}
Have to tell children what I have done {ouch}
Have to tell family and friends what I have done {ouch}
Divorce perhaps? {ouch} Or long road to healing {ouch}
Leave a legacy of unfaithfulness {ouch}
And more ouches!

When I have made lists like these, it has helped me to see that the carrot being dangled in front of my face is actually poison in disguise. I would also agree with the other comments and say that telling your husband is a good way to put water on the fire. Secrets lose their power when they are brought into the open. They can lose their glamour too!

Many of the chapters at the beginning of Proverbs warn men about prostitutes and how they are a path to destruction. Unfortunately, many women are on the path to destruction as they leave the husband of their youth to chase empty and destructive dreams of a more romantic relationship with excitement. Once all the passion is gone, you'll only be left with the ashes of a ruined marriage and if you have children, damaged children. It is NEVER worth the cost. Going against any of God's ways is never worth the cost but sexual sins are sins against your own body.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; 
but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1 Corinthians 6:18

Anerica in Spiritual Decline

According to a provocative Pew Research, Christianity is on the decline. 70.6% of people say they are Christians, down 8% from just seven years ago. Those opposing any religion is up 50% from 16.1% to 22.8% from 2007. There’s no question that people of faith are being marginalized by a secular media and pernicious entertainment. The rap industry often glorifies depraved behavior and that sinks into the minds of some young people. Many movies and TV shows promote non-traditional values. If you are a person of faith, then the media generally thinks you’re a loon. The prevailing wisdom especially among youths is whatever is good for me is good, period; the overall good be damned. There is a strong move to legalize drugs and decriminalize even the sale of poisons like heroin and cocaine. Any student of history knows that when a nation turns towards the pursuit of individual gratification, the country is in trouble. Romans ultimately rejected sacrificing for the republic, and the empire collapsed…Although the founding fathers wanted freedom of religion, they did not want a secular nation. That is clear in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The founders believed that a strong moral code protects people from harm and avarice….There is no question that America is changing for the worse.

These sobering words were said by Bill O'Reilly, host of a Fox News show. Now, as Christians, we know that that those who are true Bible believing, Spirit-filled Christians are always going to be a remnant. If almost 71% of those who claimed to be Christian were truly walking in the Spirit, this nation would look much different than it does today.

However, our nation was founded upon biblical principles, thus most people knew right from wrong and they had a strong sense of godly morality. This is what is being lost. What is right is wrong and what is wrong is right in today's culture. Mr. O'Reilly is right on when he stated that "the prevailing wisdom especially among the youths is whatever is good for me is good, period."

Unfortunately, when we seek only our good, nothing good comes out of it. This can be seen in women leaving their homes to pursue the "good" they believe is "out there" somewhere. When everyone is seeking their own good, societies crumble and children get the brunt of the storm. 

Our answer isn't in politics, as Mr. O'Reilly points out. No President can get us out of the mammoth hole we have dug for ourselves. However, our goal shouldn't be a "Christian nation." Our goal should be to live lives that glorify our Savior and give hope to the many around us living in darkness. As society grows darker, our light will shine brighter for greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world! How can we shine brighter? Mothers need to be home raising their children to know and love the Lord. Wives need to love their husband and be vow keepers. This world desperately needs to see Christians living godly lives and drawing others to Jesus, always remembering that we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength. This country doesn't need a great President {although that sure would be GREAT!}. This country needs Jesus and His children to live godly lives through Him and be lights to this once great nation in rapid spiritual decline.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

Picking Up The Ball Older Women Have Dropped

Master's College is one of the very few colleges that offers a degree in Home Economics.  Many of you think homemaking, marriage and child raising should be taught in the home or church, according to this post I wrote over a year ago. I fully agree but many times it is not being taught by the family or the church. Older women are the ones who should be teaching but there are very few older women who are willing to teach young women to love their husbands, love their children, and be keepers at home.  Therefore, I think it is wonderful that Masters offers this degree.

What is more important than raising godly offspring; children that grow up to love Jesus, be salt and light to society, and then spend eternity in heaven? Can any other degree match the power of a wife and mother has on future generations and eternity?  I think not.

One mother's daughter went to Masters and got her degree in 
Home Economics. This is what she had to say about it ~

My daughter attended The Master's College and graduated with the degree Lori mentions.  She attended community college her first two years and finished out at Master's.  This helped with the cost.  Also, we paid nowhere near $20,000 a semester after scholarships, etc.  We homeschooled her through high school so she had a good start in "home economics," but as a young woman who desired a college degree yet did not have any career aspirations {She wanted to be a keeper at home and home with children.}, this was a wonderful choice!  She learned so much more than cooking or sewing, but was mentored and encouraged by godly women, was challenged by Dr. MacArthur, was pushed academically and had many opportunities to serve.

She is now married to a wonderful young man whom she met at Master's, is home with our sweet grandson, and already mentoring and encouraging those younger than her!  She is making a lovely home, decorating on a budget, fixing home-cooked meals, sewing some of her own clothes, helping friends plan their weddings, caring for her son, and being a helper to her husband.  She is enjoying using the gifts God has given her, and in her case, is very grateful for the opportunity to hold a college degree that prepared her for exactly what she wanted to do!

This is the class description at Master's College of the Home Economics Class which is now called Family and Consumer Sciences ~

Use time management skills in her home.

Manage the family finances.

Cook nutritious meals.

Practice hospitality.

Joyfully submit to her husband.

Raise her children in the "fear and admonition of the Lord"
{Ephesians 6:4}...

...so that the Word of God will not be discredited.

This sounds absolutely amazing to me!  If the older women have dropped the ball and so few take the time to teach young women, why not let a godly, Christian college pick it up and run with it? However, if you are an older woman, I encourage you to pick up the ball and begin teaching the young women in your life!

The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior 
as becomes holiness...teachers of good things.

Titus 2:3

Just Love Each Other Mommy and Daddy!

Carrie Underwood sings a song called "Little Toy Guns." 

Here are some of the lyrics showing a young girl hiding in the closet ~

In between the coats in the closet

She held on to that heart shaped locket

Staring at a family flawless

But it ain't a pretty picture tonight

Mom and daddy just wouldn't stop it

Fighting at the drop of a faucet

Cuts through the walls catastrophic

She's caught in the crossfire

Puts her hands over her ears

Starts talking through her tears

She's saying, she's praying.

This little girl wishes words were like little toy guns; no sting, no hurt, no smoke, no bullets, no pain, no damage done. At the end of the video, the little girl draws her parent's hands together in peace and unity. Jesus says in Mark 9:50, "Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another."

No mother and father, you are not suppose to learn how to fight fair or how to resolve conflict. You are commanded to not argue or fight at all but to be at peace and live in harmony with one another. This is what your children want more than anything. A home filled with peace and harmony raises children who are secure and joyful.

There can be little peace and harmony in a home, however, if there isn't one leader and one help meet as the Lord has commands. God designed marriage this way so there would be peace in marriage. Yes, share your thoughts and concerns with your husband and then leave them there. Allow him to make the decision and lead your family as he feels is best. 

Don't bring your children up in a home filled with strife and conflict. Children hate it. I know. I was raised in a home like this and hated when my parents fought. It makes children insecure and afraid their parents will divorce leaving them to be raised by a single parent. The best gift you can give your children is to love their daddy deeply and create a home of peace and harmony.

Never Abdicate Your Throne!

Women write me who are upset with their husbands for using foul language and watching shows that they don't feel are appropriate for their children to watch. What is a wife to do in this situation? I recently wrote this on my Always Learning Facebook page, "If you are married to a man who uses foul language and watches bad TV shows, yet you are submissive to him, shows him respect, loves him, aren't critical of him, warm, loving, generous, and kind; who do you think your children are going to be more attracted to; the world and it's ways or Jesus? This, my sisters in Christ, is how you sanctify your home."

Then Wendy, one of the women who reads my blog, wrote this, "It reminds me of the story of Abigail, David's wife. Copying the footnote from the Amplified here: I Samuel 25;31, 'Whenever God's inspired Word says earnestly remember, one is certain to miss something if he does not stop, look and really listen to what the Holy Spirit is wanting to tell him or her. Earnestly remember Abigail, is the woman whom God has specifically held up as a pattern of right behavior in an unfortunate marriage. Here a dozen vital questions are answered through Abigail's example. She could not have known that thousands of years later people in similar circumstances would become 'more than conquerors' because of her, but God knew. Study her until you know her God-given secrets of success; then pass them on to the people who are letting an unfortunate marriage wreck them rather than sanctify them for service. F.B. Meyer {Through the Bible Day by Day}  Then it added, "Never let the evil disposition of one mate hinder devotion and grace of the other. Never let the difficulties of your home lead you to abdicate your throne. Do not step down to the level of your circumstances, but lift them to your own high calling in Christ. 'Be not conformed...but be ye transfromed' {Romans 12:1, 2}."

Women are called to love their husbands whether or not they are a believer. Those married to unbelievers need to change their attitudes, if they have a bad attitude, to one that believes their husband is their mission field. When they are loving their husband, they are loving Christ. When they are serving their husband, they are serving Christ. When they are submitting to and obeying their husband, they are submitting to and obeying Christ. When they are sacrificing for their husband, they are sacrificing for Christ. Let Christ be your all in all! He is the One you want to please the most and when you please your husband, you are pleasing Christ!

Watering Down God's Word to Make it More Acceptable

We just listened to a very popular pastor teach about submission. I respect his teachings and think he is right on in most of his teachings. He was specifically teaching about wives submitting to their husbands, so I was very excited and then VERY disappointed.

He first said that husbands are never supposed to tell their wives that they are to submit since the verse begins with the word "wives." I completely disagree. The verse begins with "wives" to make it clear that this is who the verse is directed towards. If the husband is the head of the wife, he is definitely suppose to tell his wife that she is suppose to submit. {I sure hear of many wives reminding their husbands that they are supposed to love them as Christ loves the church!} No, he can't force her but he definitely can tell her what the Bible clearly commands.

Then he spoke about mutual submission and camped out there. He said we all submit to each other and even Christ submitted to us by dying on the cross. The Bible never states that Jesus was submissive to us. Yes, He died for us, He served His disciples, and He loved us but He never submitted to us. He only submitted to the Father.

You see, he changed the word submissive to mean serve. He said everyone in the family should submit to one another. A true head of the home, submits to his family. No, a true head of the family serves and loves his family but he doesn't submit to his family, just as Christ never submits to the church. A government doesn't submit to its citizens, parents don't submit to their children, employers don't submit to their employees and husbands are NEVER commanded to submit to their wives.

The dictionary defines the submit is "to yield oneself to the power or authority of another." Jesus never yielded His authority to us. Even His crucifixion was because God allowed it. He sets the rules of our conduct and we can either obey Him or not. If we are His children, He will discipline us if we are living in disobedience {Hebrews 13:7,11}.

Most pastors when they teach about submission, don't really teach submission at all. They teach loving, serving, pleasing, and sacrifice but not submission. They are afraid of it. They don't want to teach about headship and authority for fear it may be abused. This pastor defined being a head and authority of the family as submitting to the family. No, a father should love, serve, sacrifice, and please his family but he is never called to submit to his family, just as Christ is never told to submit to us, but to the Father.

It is just completely frustrating to me that godly preachers who study God's Word pervert this word to be politically correct. Yes, headship and authority can be greatly abused, but the majority of godly men will never abuse it and only hold that position with respect {if they even want to be the head of the wife, which so few today even seem to want}.

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, 

so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Ephesians 5:24

Do We Need Sex Manuals?

God created sex to be between a man and a woman who are married. Our society has completely lost sight of this fact. We are suffering the consequences of it. Sex classes, books and blogs are everywhere. Isn't anything sacred anymore? It seems that a man and his wife can figure it out just fine between the two of them since they, hopefully, will be married for many years and have plenty of time to practice.

I love what Elizabeth Elliot wrote in Let Me Be a Woman. I'm not going to tell you where, how, or when to do it. I'm not going to tell you what to wear. I'm leery, as you know, of getting too technical. ...If you get too technical you're going to miss the blessing...Beware of how-to-do-it books. There is danger in analysis...There is something deadly about the relentless scientific probe into the mechanics of sexual activity...It's all "perfectly natural," we're reminded and it is therefore supposed to follow that mystery, silence, and privacy are entirely out of place. We've outgrown that. We're liberated. I very much fear that this liberation is not freedom but a new and demonic bondage. By throwing away the very things which guarded its meaning, we have thrown away the thing itself. What was once priceless is now the cheapest commodity on the market. The new pornographers subvert this last vital privacy; they do our imagining for us. They take away the words that were of the night and shout them over the rooftops, making them hollow...You can buy textbooks, diagrams, and full-color photographs of sexual techniques. We are expected to be a nation of bedroom virtuosos.

In the olden days, they didn't have all the sex material we do but they still managed to have children and keep marriages together better than we do, even up until 50 years ago. All of this sex education hasn't made anything better, just worse in my opinion. I believe any couple can work things out sexually if they sincerely love each other and try to please each other. If they have a physical problem, there are doctors to go see. If they do have an issue that can't be resolved, they can first seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and seek an older, godly couple to meet with for counsel.

Our society just makes sex way too big of an issue. Yes, it is an important part of marriage but it isn't everything. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth" {Proverbs 5:18}. Besides this, the only instructions the Bible has to say about sex is that it is for marriage only and not to deprive each other. That's it!  No, you're not going to have hot, passionate sex the first time or every time you have sex as the movies and TV shows portray but you have ALL of your lives together to learn, practice and grow in the privacy of your own bedroom. Don't fret if it's not what you expected. It will get better! Just keep working on becoming a godly, submissive help meet with a meek and quiet spirit. This will draw your husband to you and is the very best sex enhancer!

What if Submission Doesn't Work?

She tried submission because she saw how great it worked for her friend's marriage. Her friend's husband was loving and attentive to her friend. He even helped with the housework so she tried giving submission a try. Well, after a month, her husband was still not helping with the housework so she was angry and decided submission didn't work.

Yes, this is how some women approach submission. They approach it as just another manipulative tool in their arsenal of "changing my husband to be what I want him to be." She found out quickly, even this didn't work.

If you are "trying out" submission to change your husband, you need to do a heart check. Our motive for obeying God's commands should never come out of a selfish goal of changing someone else, but changing us, making us more like Jesus and pleasing the Lord.

Yes, the Bible does state that a woman MAY win her disobedient husband by having a godly lifestyle but this is due to her husband being drawn to the Jesus he sees in her by her gentleness, kindness and love she shows towards him. It doesn't guarantee anything, especially that your husband will become everything you want him to be, like helping you with the housework.

We must change all of our goals into God-honoring goals instead of self-serving ones. Our desire should be that our husbands are more drawn to the Lord and His ways instead of to our ways. Women certainly don't need one more way to try to manipulate their husbands to do what they want, instead of walking in obedience to the Lord which requires denying our self and our wants and placing them at the feet of Jesus.

Remember that when you are submitting and obeying your husband, you are submitting and obeying the Lord. He is the One you want to please and He asks that you submit to and obey your husband, even if you see no good thing come from it here on this earth. You are storing up treasures in heaven and this is the best bank to put your investment into because moth, rust,  and fire can't destroy it and neither can thieves steal it.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:20,21

Life Without Cell Phones

We didn't have cell phones in college. My children couldn't figure out how we managed without them. When we needed to talk to someone, we'd walk over to their dorm room, knock on the door and actually talk face-to-face with them. No one sat in their rooms for hours a day playing on their iPhones or computers. When we were bored, we'd all hang out in a room together and talk for hours or we'd go on long hikes or walks together. Sometimes, we'd go to the beach for picnics and playing catch.

While we were walking around the campus, everyone's head was up since they weren't looking down at an iPhone. We would smile and say "Hello" as we passed each other. Sometimes, we'd even stop to talk to each other. Since we didn't have iPhones to text each other each time we were hungry and were on our way to the Dining Commons, we'd have to find someone new to sit with if none of our friends were there. We'd hang out a long time there if we could and simply talk about different issues.

People couldn't reach each other at all times of the day whenever they wanted. It was easier to have quiet times and just get away without interruptions. We did have one land line telephone for an entire floor so our parents would call us on that phone once in awhile but not too often.

We didn't have any cyber friends. All of our friends were people we knew in the flesh. Don't get me wrong, I love my cyber friends. I love that I can teach so many women through the Internet but I think today's young are missing out on the simplicity of not being tied to an iPhone.

None of my children had iPhones until they were out of high school and I don't think Alyssa got one until she was in her early 20s. I still don't think I would give my children one in high school, except for maybe just a simple one to use to make phone calls but not access the web. There's just way too much filth on it and it is too tempting to allow it to consume your life. I still would want them to be able to make eye contact with those in the hallways and spend their free time actually talking to people in person.

Instead of spending so much time on the computer, iPhone, watching television, etc. spend your time making an eternal investment into your children. Teach them God's Word consistently. You don't want to stand before God and confess to Him that you failed to teach your children His Holy Word because you were too busy on the Internet. 

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, 
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation 
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15

Please Don't Tell Women They're Beautiful!

You'll get in trouble if you say she's beautiful! There was a big brouhaha awhile ago on the news about one of the dancing contestants on Dancing with the Stars {which I don't recommend watching} and one of the judges. After she was done dancing, apparently the judge said something like, "You're easy on the eyes." She is a beautiful woman. I could not figure out why this was such a BIG deal. Remember when that sportscaster noticed the girlfriend of one of the football players who was sitting in the stands and he made some remarks about how beautiful she was and got blasted for doing it? I couldn't understand that at all, either. I am reading a book and the author brings up the time President Obama made a remark about how good looking the attorney general was and the President had to apologize. WHAT is up with this? Men aren't allowed to comment on the beauty of a woman??? 

However, the author of this book I'm reading made this comment, "Noticing a woman's looks is sexist, as any good college-educated man knows." Oh, I get it now. Dennis Prager has commented that young adults go into Universities knowing there's a difference between male and female and graduate thinking that they are the same! Feminism has so blurred the lines of sexual identity that men are not supposed to  notice or say anything about a beautiful women because it will be seen as sexist. This is disgusting!

The one woman whom the judge told was easy on the eyes, should have responded by saying, "Thank you!" This used to be a compliment given to women. Instead, she had interviews about how offensive this was and it should not be tolerated. What woman doesn't want to be told she's beautiful? This is a crazy society we are living in.

Supposedly, there are no distinctions between the sexes anymore. Yay! This has helped society become such a better place! NOT! How anyone can believe this shows me that they must be blinded by the enemy of their souls. God was very clear when giving the roles for male and female. Society works beautifully when they are followed and falls apart when they are not. The only thing women seem they can't do, as of today, is play some of the sports like NFL football.

As believers who are called to be salt and light, we MUST live out our God-given roles and shine light upon the darkness. This is our responsibility! Love being a woman, women. Treasure your role as a wife and mother or a godly single woman who shines the light of Jesus. No earthly way can come close to God's marvelous ways. By the way, I also think the woman in the picture is beautiful!

But from the beginning of the creation

 God made them male and female.

Mark 10:6

For Those Who Fear the Future

Every morning, Ken and I have devotions together. We read Morning Evening by Charles Spurgeon, then read a chapter from the Bible and pray. This past week, I read the following written by Spurgeon. After I read, "Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may, God's people are safe." I was so choked up, I had to stop for a minute. This is just what God's people need to hear in this turbulent day and age in which we live. Our hope, faith and trust must always be in God and not our circumstances.  I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help is from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth {and the mountains!} Psalm 121:1,2.

Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it shines in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath. 

When the Israelites provoked the Most High by their continued idolatry, he punished them by withholding both dew and rain, so that their land was visited by a sore famine; but while he did this, he took care that his own chosen ones should be secure. If all other brooks are dry, yet shall there be one reserved for Elijah; and when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a place of sustenance; nay, not only so, the Lord had not simply one "Elijah," but he had a remnant according to the election of grace, who were hidden by fifties in a cave, and though the whole land was subject to famine, yet these fifties in the cave were fed, and fed from Ahab's table too by His faithful, God-fearing steward, Obadiah. 

Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may, God's people are safe. Let convulsions shake the solid earth, let the skies themselves be rent in twain, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be as secure as in the calmest hour of rest. If God cannot save his people under heaven, he will save them in heaven. If the world becomes too hot to hold them, then heaven shall be the place of their reception and their safety. 

Be ye then confident, when ye hear of wars, and rumours of wars. Let no agitation distress you, but be quiet from fear of evil. Whatsoever cometh upon the earth, you, beneath the broad wings of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay yourself upon his promise; rest in his faithfulness, and bid defiance to the blackest future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. Your sole concern should be to show forth to the world the blessedness of hearkening to the voice of wisdom.

"Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, 

and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

Proverbs 1:33

Best Granola EVER and Grain-Free!

This cookbook was on the table at a friend's home. It looked good so I checked it out on Amazon. At the time, there were 1600 reviews and the majority were positive. Many said that every single recipe was fabulous so I ordered it since I can't eat grains or dairy.

It is fabulous! Every single recipe is yummy. Every person I have given the granola to taste has LOVED it. I'll write the recipe so you can try it. If you love it like we do and want to fix your family nourishing food, order the book!

I bought all of these raw and organic at the health food store ~

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon sea salt

Put in a bowl, cover with water and let soak 24 hours.

Drain and dry them off with a towel.

Put them  in a food processor; process until they are the size of oats, then add ~

3/4 cup melted honey or maple syrup 
{I used maple syrup since it's much lower in fructose
 and I only used half this amount and it's still yummy!}

2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Pulse until it's all combined.

You can then add 1/2 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut, if you'd like.

Spread the granola out in a dehydrator or your oven set on low and dehydrate for almost 24 hours. Add 1/2 cup raisins also, if you'd like. I eat it plain or with her homemade almond milk which is SO easy to make! Your whole family will love it.

I've had this book for a week and have already tried her roasted garlic faux mashed potatoes, blueberry jam, marinated and grilled zucchini, waffles, bread, chocolate chip cookies {Oh my, are they delicious!} and my daughters-in-law made her Korean Beef Noodle and they loved it!

In my opinion, this cookbook is money well spent!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 
and cometh down from the Father of lights, 
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17

Best Chocolate Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, and Wheat-Free Cookies!
The only problem is you eat half the batter; it's SO yummy!

Men are Happier with Wives at Home!

It's always encouraging to see articles written that support God's plan for us as being best! When feminism convinced women that they were bored at home and there was much more for them "out in the world," the majority of women failed to ponder the long-term consequence of this choice and instead went with their feelings and short-sightedness by leaving their homes. They left their children with others, swarmed the universities and took over many men's jobs. Now, children are being raised by strangers, most universities have more women than men, and many men are out of work. Back in the 1950s, just 3% of men in their prime working years were out of work and not seeking employment. Last year, that number was 12 %. Things began to change in the 60s, just as the feminist movement was rearing its ugly head when women streamed into the workforce. Now 60% of all bachelor degrees are held by women! The Women's Rights Movement is cheering these statistics. "Hooray! Look at what women have achieved; more hold jobs than men and more are highly educated than men. Hip, hip, hooray!"

How does unemployment affect men? Here are the words from a highly educated man who can't find a job since so many women have taken over the job market and he has been looking for years. "Here's where the second ugly truth came up. You can't be a guy and get a job in fields that are dominated by women. Most doctors may be men but most support people are women. And all administrative assistant/secretarial/clerical jobs are filled by women. You would think women would be understanding about sexism. But I found that women definitely do NOT want a man to intrude into their work environment....The pain and anguish and despair at time was unbearable. Everything I worked my entire life to achieve is gone. And it's not coming back. I haven't cried in about a year because there are no more tears. I can't even do the things that I used to take for granted...I don't have any money. I can't get a date. Even if I could meet a single girl, I can't ask her out. I don't  have an apartment to bring her back to. I have nothing. Actually, that's not true. I have two parents who love me and a roof over my head and foot to eat...I had a blood test this morning. There's nothing wrong. It's something my mom wants me to do each year as part of a regular check up. I pray that the results come back with cancer or leukemia or something that will cause my demise. How sick is that? But I pray for the sweet release of death every night. My life ended six years ago. Now, I just exist. And I don't want to anymore." Men are MADE to work and provide.

Depression in our society has skyrocketed since the 1950s even though our needs are so much more abundantly met than in the 50s. "Since 1956...the rates of depression in the general population have skyrocketed. Depression has become widespread where it was formerly rare, recurrences have become more common, inter-episode recovery has declined, and long-term disability has increased." This article continues with trying to figure out why this is true since our life spans are so much longer, people have more money and things, etc. I can tell you why! Men who aren't working are depressed. Men who have wives who work are depressed since they no longer have help meets and have to help with the home and children and receive little intimacy. Women who work are depressed since they are exhausted and can't juggle everything. Women who don't work are depressed because they're made to feel guilty for not working and they aren't being taught to find joy being at home. Now, I realize these are generalizations but they have to be a HUGE factor to depression skyrocketing in our present day and age. The farther we go from God's plan for our lives, believer or unbeliever, the unhappier we become.

However, the feminists fail to see the destruction they have caused and continue to yell, "Hip hip hooray but the fight isn't over. Now we have to fight for equal pay. Who cares if many men are unemployed and distraught." The unemployed men can be compared to women who can't bear children. Women were created to bear children as men were created to work hard and provide. Barren women grieve deeply and many become distraught. They want a baby to hold in their arms, the same way men want and need a job. 

God commanded men to be providers, not women. It appears that it isn't simply because He decided for it to be this way but men NEED to work. They were created to work and provide. When we try to thwart God's purposes, everything begins to fall apart. When women were home full-time taking care of the home and children, society was a much better place. Children were being raised by their mothers, the schools had few discipline problems, marriages were stable, divorce was rare, crime was low, and most men had jobs. 

Since women have left their homes, the complete opposite has happened and it has slowly destroyed our society. The saddest part is the destruction of marriages and studies have proven that men are happier when their wives don't work. "When you look at men's relationship satisfaction, it's at its highest when their wife is not in the workforce. Those traditional gender roles die hard...I guess all things being equal, men would prefer their wife at home and managing the household. The report proposed that a household income did not affect the happiness of the couples that were surveyed..." Therefore, it matters not how much your husband earns in order to be happy. I have seen couples where the man works hard to provide and doesn't make a lot of money, yet the wife stays home and takes good care of the children and home and the marriage is happy.

Go back to God's ways. He created us and knows what is best. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee {1 Timothy 4:15, 16}.

Picture is by Susan Rios

Raising Responsible Providers, Leaders and Men of God

The Joy Filled Wife wrote me this text yesterday, "What do you think were the most important steps you and Ken took in parenting your sons that made them grow up to be responsible providers, leaders, and men of God? I look around and see how immature most grown men are, even those who grew up in Christian families, and I'm wondering what was missing in their upbringing that caused them to never grow up and want to take responsibility for leading a family. What do you think?"

I asked Ryan, my 30 year old son, what he thought. The first thing he said was we never allowed televisions or computers in their rooms. None of them had cell phones as long as they lived in this home. We didn't give them a lot of stuff. If they wanted things, they had to work for it. He got a job at 16 and has had one ever since. {All of his bosses loved him and hated to see him go because he worked hard, always showed up on time and was kind to others.} Ryan said too many kids are given anything they want. They just ask their parents and don't learn to work hard, just like our government giving away money to many who don't want to work. It makes them lazy. When our children were 16 years old, they drove an old 1984 diesel Mercedes {that went from 0 to 45 in 15 minutes flat!} to school while other children were getting new cars for their birthday. We had high expectations for them and expected them to live up to them, including working hard, being kind, loving others and being generous with their time, money and talents. 

When I asked Steven, my 28 year old this question, he said it was having a dad who was integrally involved in his life. He watched his dad work hard to provide for us, saw that he was a man of integrity, willing to help and serve anybody in need, generous with what he had and taught them the Word of God. He modeled how a good husband and father lives his life. He said that Ken would often tell them that hard work will always beat out intelligence and talent.

We also kept them very busy. During junior high and high school, they were always playing a sport. During high school, they went to school, studied and practiced hard for varsity baseball and basketball which left them little time to be lazy. Some of their coaches were hard on their players, yet my sons never argued back. We never got a bad report about them from any principal, teacher or coach. In fact, we only heard good things about them. Ken was hard on them, especially with sports. {He coached a lot of their teams when they were young.} He wanted them to play hard, do their best and not give up. However, they always knew their daddy loved them deeply.

We taught them the Word of God consistently. We were always teaching them right from wrong from the time they could crawl. We never allowed them to be mean or fight with each other. We taught them early that life wasn't fair and that "Alexanders love each other." We disciplined them often when they were very young and wouldn't let them get away with disobedience. As soon as we saw any rebellion, we'd nip it in the bud. Therefore, they grew up to be disciplined adults. 

I told Ryan that when they were younger Alyssa asked me why all her friend's brothers were perverts and had garbage decorating their rooms at home but Ryan and Steven weren't perverts and never decorated their rooms with trash. Ryan replied, "That would have NEVER been allowed in our home." They knew the danger of pornography and we were strict with what they could watch, even through high school.  We talked to our children a lot. Nothing was ever off limits. Even when they were teenagers, we continued to mentor them in the ways of the Lord and set boundaries for them.  We protected them from the garbage of the world. We home schooled them through junior high, when most young boys are introduced to pornography. They went to a biblically sound high school and college. We were open with them about sex and always treating girls with respect, waiting until marriage to have sex. 

We trained them in the ways of the Lord. We knew what habits to build in them, which ones to get rid of and worked consistently with them to be strong men of God. They both are very happily married now to beautiful godly women. They work hard and provide for their families. They are faithful in attending church and cling to the Lord and His ways. Ken and I frequently talk about our children and how blessed we are with all of them. They are our greatest joy in life. We would have had more if I hadn't gotten so sick. God's grace and His Spirit gave us the ability to obey Him and do things His ways. He gives us the wisdom to raise godly offspring and children who are productive members of society. If you are a believer, you have His grace and Spirit poured abundantly upon you also and can raise godly offspring but it takes a lot of time and energy. Nothing good in life comes easy.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: 

but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4