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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Pioneer Woman Has It Right

The first time I found out about Ree, the Pioneer woman, was long time ago before she was popular. I was reading her blog when she was telling us her love story. I loved her writing and now I love her show. She loves her husband and her children so much. It's very refreshing!

Once in awhile, she will have a day when she responds to reader's questions.  This one particular question and answer really caught my eye ~

Dear Pioneer Woman:
My husband and I recently celebrated our one-year anniversary last month. It’s been a wonderful year full of love and fun. We’ve recently started talking about having a baby. What advice would you give us?
Babies on the Brain

Dear Brainy:
My advice would be to have a baby.
Then ago ahead and have another one after that.
And so on.
And while you’re having all these babies, just don’t ever forget why you married each other in the first place. I guarantee your fruitful family will stay happy and healthy for a long, long time.
Eternally Sick with Baby Fever

She got it right! Good, practical, godly advice; get married, have lots of babies, and love your husband; straight from the Bible.

Take wives and have sons and daughters;
take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage,
that they may bear sons and daughters;
multiply there, and do not decrease.
Jeremiah 29:6

Friday, November 29, 2013

Who Owns The Knives?

My mother-in-law, Barb, lives in  Villers-St.-Paul, France.  She is a wealth of wisdom.  I have asked her to share some of her pearls of wisdom with you.  Here is her first one ~

This morning our doorbell rang, and Harold answered it.  It was a man in need of work, sharpening knives and scissors and garden tools, among other things.  Harold took pity on him needing work and asked me to round up things we had that could use sharpening.  I did so, collecting two garden snippers, two knives {one of them being, of course, my favorite}, and several pairs of scissors {one pair was my sewing scissors, given to me by a friend who had helped me in my classroom when I taught first grade back when I was in my twenties}.

I watched the man, who seemed to be nice {he spoke French with an accent, and so fast that I didn't really understand much}, as he walked away down the street with my possessions in hand.  As he disappeared out of sight, I began to wonder if he would return; after all, what market value did used tools like that have?

 I began fearing that he would never come back, and that my favorite knife and scissors were gone forever.  I made myself busy housecleaning to distract me from the nervousness I'd begun experiencing, all the time thinking I'd said good-bye to my things.  When I expressed my fears to my husband, he said these things were replaceable; he had wanted to take pity and be generous with a man in need.

I kept watching the clock as it moved minutes and more minutes past the time the man had estimated for the job.  I knew it was wrong of me to let this get to me.  Then the Lord said to me, "If you're hanging on to them, you haven't given them to Me."  And I said,  "Yes, Lord, it's wrong of me.  They are just replaceable possessions.  I give them to You."  And I did.

A few minutes later the man came back with everything.  The knives and clippers and scissors are all put away now, where I can easily get to them when I need them.

But they still belong to God.

And He still speaks to me in that still, small voice: "100 years from now you will be dead and gone, and it will not matter.  The only thing that will matter is: did I {God} get the most out of your life that I could?"   I answered: "Take it all, Lord: knives, scissors, health...take it all.  Use it for what REALLY matters."  {I had just seen the movie Evening, which had this quote: "at the end, so much of it turns out not to matter..."}  And that's SO true.  Only His ways and purposes matter.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Blogs For Men

Women sometimes ask me if I know of any good blogs for men.  I thought I would share a few I have found~

Matt is a radio talk show host and he writes his blog from a Christian perspective.  The first time I read his blog was when I read about his defense of Stay-at-home moms and have since read more of his blog.  I enjoy his writing style a lot.

Mark is a man's man.  He has a passion in training men to be men in this highly feminized culture.  I have listened to many of his sermons and have enjoyed them very much.  He has a lot of wisdom and good, solid Bible teaching.

This is a ministry of Mars Hill Church.  There are many authors covering a wide variety of topics.  Most of the authors are men but there are some females.

I don't think this author is a Christian but he writes from a very moral viewpoint.  His goal is to teach men the fine art of being a man and gives great posts on some simple things like How to Tie A Tie, How To Start A Fire Without Matches, etc.   He also writes about the benefit of fatherhood, families, purity before marriage, etc.  It is a good resource for men of all ages.

If you know of any other blogs you think men would enjoy,
just put it in the comment section.  Thank you!

The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A Covenant Marriage

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:  and they shall be one flesh. {Genesis 2:24}  God designed marriage.  He meant it to be a covenant {leaving and cleaving} and consummation {one flesh} of a man and a woman.  Period.

Mark Driscoll believes that in his lifetime, we will see polygamy becoming legalized.  We will see a bi-sexual being able to marry a man and a woman.  We will see a Supreme Court upholding these unions, but they are not God's unions.

God is the first one who spoke marriage into existence in Genesis.  Moses repeated it and Jesus and Paul proclaimed it.  There are no blurred lines for those who claim to call themselves Christians.  Sex outside of a union between a man and his wife is wrong.

In the Old Testament, the penalty for adultery was death.  In the New Testament, the penalty is divorce and in the final judgement, it is destruction. God holds marriage by His design in high esteem, so it is wise that we do also.

Mark Driscoll preached a great sermon on adultery.  You can listen to it HERE.  He is very bold in calling sin "sin."  Sin is always destructive.  It always leaves scars and it always hurts someone.  The healthiest place for people to have sex is in marriage.  The healthiest place for children to grow up in is a home with a mother and a father.  These things will never change no matter what lies society tries and tells us.

We must not become lukewarm as times become more perilous.  We must stand upon the Word of God.  He will have the final say.  No one else.  Don't be swayed by those who want to tickle your ears and compromise Truth.  Base all of your beliefs on the solid Word of God and live.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Did God Choose Your Spouse?

Does God choose our spouse?  Is there one perfect someone out there for you?  One person commented on another blog, "I do not believe that God chooses our spouses or that there is "one person" out there somewhere that God made and meant just for me.  That's ridiculous in my opinion.  We have free will to choose if we marry and who we may marry."  Do you agree with this opinion?  Do you feel God chose your spouse?

I believe that if you love the Lord and you are seeking His will by asking Him to direct you in choosing a spouse, He will.  If He can save your soul, He can certainly guide you to a spouse.  Of course, He does command us to marry a believer so if you want to marry an unbeliever, He certainly didn't choose that spouse for you.  But if you marry an unbeliever by going against God's word, you must stay with him and be a godly help meet to him.

God did give us free will but He tells us to let our requests be made known unto Him, seek and you will find, and we know He is in control.  I sure wanted Him to pick out my spouse, the most important decision I would ever make after believing in Him.  I prayed a ton when I was dating Ken and even throughout our engagement.  We had the same beliefs and values.  I knew we could build a marriage upon that.

Love is a choice, however.  I have to continually choose to love Ken and please him.  I believe young women need to be mentored to know what that looks like because I sure did not.  God's Word and His Holy Spirit do guide us so we are not left in this world on our own, thankfully, even when it comes to choosing a spouse.

Delight thyself also in the LORD;
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalm 37:4

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Preachers Who Don't Tickle Your Ears

My favorite kind of preachers are those who aren't afraid to speak Truth, who teach the whole Bible, even the uncomfortable portions.  I like preachers like Paul Washer, John Piper, and Mark Driscoll.  I have been reading some of Rick Frueh's writings lately and am challenged by them.  I like to be challenged.  Here are some words of a recent post he wrote ~

WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????

I hear the panicked sound of demons as they scurry to steal, kill, and destroy before they are bound. I hear the whole world preoccupied with this world as they neglect the world to come. I hear the cackles of Lucifer's legions as they mock God's people and their anemic commitment to the Savior Himself. I hear the satisfied groans of Satan as his massive deceptive shift from the unseen to the seen has produced results far beyond his expectations. I hear the clinking of coins as believers lay treasures upon treasures on this earth. I hear the echoes of the empty prayer closets and the silence of the unturned pages of God's Word. I hear the constant sound of the last sands of the hourglass hitting the bottom but void of the bold prophets of God unashamedly calling us to prepared repentance.

He isn't interested in tickling our ears.  His main desire is to wake the sleeping church up from its slumber and be passionate about spreading the Gospel.  He doesn't want us to be lukewarm, complacent Christians but Christians who go into the world and love sinners by showing and telling them about the love of God.

Time on this earth is short.  It is so easy to get comfortable in this easy American life.  Eternity is forever and we are called to Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3

Saturday, November 23, 2013

An Evil Distortion Of God's Word

We have friends who stand near Planned Parenthood praying for the women entering. If the women will listen, they share with them God's Truth and how He hates the killing of innocent life.  He hates pills that abort babies and mess up women's hormones.  They are actively involved for the Kingdom of God.

She relates one story that happened recently ~

 A man dropped off his girlfriend at the back door of PP and watched her go inside to have their innocent child’s life terminated. He was most likely told, as is the custom at PP, to come back later when it was all over. But as this man was leaving he stopped in the driveway to give those of us who were standing at the gates, with arms open wide to offer help and God’s love and biblical truth, a “word of admonition!” Robert Unger, our dear friend and brother in the Lord – a gentle, but fiery and passionate for the Lord, priest stepped forward to the open car window to talk to this nice looking black man before us. What we heard coming out of his mouth was painfully shocking! With obvious enthusiasm and a strange kind of conviction he responded to Robert’s polite, “Can we help you?” with, “What do you think you are doing here? Don’t you know that the blood of Jesus is able to cover everything and anything – including this? I can do this, and I am covered!”

After hearing this weird and distorted declaration, our dear friend immediately proceeded to share biblical truths of how this thinking was absolutely not right, and that he was deceived – that there was no excuse for willfully and knowingly taking the life of an innocent child with the justification that even though you know it is wrong, God will forgive! This dear gentle servant of God, with the fire of a Holy God fueling his words, turned righteously angry with the confrontation of such strange twisted doctrine and strange grace that was before us. Satan, the deceiver of men, is forever at work, and has no limits to how he can twist the precious life saving Truths of a Holy God – the only Truth that can set men free!

God will not be mocked.  We must never use Scripture to justify sin.  God hates sin.  He died to free us from sin and to walk in holiness.  He did not die so we could continue in sin.

What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid!!!  How shall we that are dead to sin
live any longer therein?...
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 6:1,2,12

Friday, November 22, 2013

Trusting God Instead Of Emotions

Ken lost his mother to cancer when he was 19 years old.  When I went home to meet his family, his father was remarried to Barbara.  I asked her to share her wonderful love story with you and she willingly obliged!

Happily single at age 29, I was loving my life as a first grade teacher in a Christian school.  Raised in a Christ-centered, missions-loving  home, and saved at age 5, I had been heading toward the mission field myself until God told me to stay Stateside.  I found joy in spending my summers, at my own expense, helping out missionaries I knew.

However, facing turning 30, I refused to view that as most Americans did, as in being over the hill.  So the Lord gave me this thought: when Jesus was 30, His real ministry began; up until that time He was in preparation for it.  Great idea!  But after awhile I got to asking: "God, is there something to this?   Is something going to happen when I turn 30?"  No answer.  But I kept on anticipating my future after 30.

Summer of 1978 found me on a missions trip to Ecuador, where I celebrated my 30th in the jungle, fasting, praying, "Lord, I don't know what You're up to with this turning-30-thing, but whatever You have for me out there, I dedicate myself to it."  Before leaving Ecuador, God spoke to me through a sermon on spiritual warfare, and I felt myself pulled towards becoming involved in that kind of battle.

Home again in Miami, I was looking for a new church, closer to my home.  Felt God's tap on my shoulder saying "This is it" when in a church I visited, the pastor announced the next series of messages to be on spiritual warfare.   In September of '78, 2 friends from the church invited me to attend a small group which was lead by an elder named Harold Alexander.  {I had actually heard of him before from my former roommate who worked at the mission where Harold was a leader.}  Harold would chat with me after house church, and I figured he was checking me out as a possible applicant for church membership.  Fat chance!

No, from his side, he'd lost his first wife of 23 years in March of '77, and  in spring of '78 was encouraged by his colleagues to remarry.  He asked the Lord about and He said, "OK"; Harold replied "I'm too old {47} to go looking, You'll have to bring her to me."  Voila!  Barb shows up at church, impresses Harold with her credentials, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Harold asked me out for dinner, and the night he asked me I got 3 hours' sleep, and the next day had diarrhea - sure signs of true anxiety!  BUT as I look back, my spirit knew THIS was the "turning-30-thing" God had in mind, this was the real thing, I was going to marry this man!  On our second date he told me his side of things and asked me if I was willing to date him to see if I was to be the woman God had for him.  What else could I say?  It was predestined.  We held hands across the front seat of his car.  I did not yet love him. We agreed to set our emotions aside in order to determine God's will.

We had 5 dates in 3 1/2 weeks.  He knew all the time that I was the one.  I was scared: he's now 48, I'm 30, he has 5 nearly-grown kids.  But God said to me: "100 years form now you will be dead and gone.  What will really matter was did I get the most out of your life?"  I said, "OK, God, if You can get more out of my life marrying Harold Alexander than staying single and teaching at Miami Christian School, then that's what I want."  Peace.  Relief.  But still not sleeping well, and lost 5 pounds through it all.

On the fifth date, he knew I was ready for the proposal.  {I like everything spelled out in black and white, I wanted to get this thing settled.  He could tell.}  I don't recall what he said, but my exact words were:  "Yes, I will marry you, I'll be happy to be your wife."  I knew that if I followed God's will, He would give me whatever I needed to do His will.  So He would give me what I needed to be a good wife for Harold.  I did not love him when he proposed.  Five days later, I fell in love with him.  But I needed that assurance before the emotion, because the going was not going to be easy as a second wife.  I could always look back and know that we discerned God's will without emotions clouding it all.  At each tough time that followed, I could say to God, "Father, You got me into this; You're going to get me through it."  And He has.

We married in March of '79, making a big to-do of it all, big wedding and all.  His kids had different responses to me, but I knew it would just take time basically.  And God gave me what I needed, because He promises to do that when we seek Him first.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Defending The Pearls

The hate being spewed out towards the Pearls and their book To Train Up A Child is difficult to watch.  Even Christian blogs are speaking evil towards them.  They say that three children have been murdered due to the teachings the Pearls advocate.  This is simply not true!

Only evil parents beat their children to death.  Here are some quotes from the book  that specifically warn against abuse ~

“Train up—not beat up. Train up—not discipline up...A child needs more than ‘obedience training’, but without first training him, discipline is insufficient” {page 4}.

“Disciplinary actions can easily become excessive and oppressive if you set aside the tool of training and depend on discipline alone to do the training” {page 9}.

“Parent, have you trained yourself not to discipline immediately but to wait until your irritation builds into anger? If so, then you have allowed anger to become your inducement to discipline” {page 25}.

“Parent, if you are having problems with your children, you can be assured that you are not alone. Your children are also having problems with you. You are going to have to make adjustments in your own life if you are going to help them with their problems... the responsibility for making a significant change is completely yours” {page 32}.

“There are always some who act in the extreme. These individuals are capable of using what has been said about the legitimate use of the rod to justify ongoing brutality to their children” {page 50}.

“The rod should never be a vent for parents’ anger. Where the supreme motivation is anything other than the child’s good, it is inevitable that such behavior by the parent will assuredly create problems” {page 51}.

Now the Pearls are being attacked on Amazon by those who want to destroy their ministry.  They are writing horrible things about them and trying to have Amazon remove their book.  The Pearls have asked those who support them to give a good review of their book to fight evil with good.  If you feel led, please go HERE and give them five stars.

Here is their message they sent out to their supporters ~

Please do not engage in an online debate via the Amazon comment pages. The vast majority of these people have already made up their minds based on false information that agrees with their own preconceived ideas. They are resistant to the truth that challenges their prejudices. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him” (Proverbs 26:4).

If you read those opposed to the Pearls, you can see the sheer hatred they have for them which is clearly not from God!   We raised our children the way they teach.  We rarely had to spank our children because they learned very early that what we said is what we meant.  The Bible admonishes us to use the rod.  It worked for us and for many others who use it in a proper way.

The Pearls main mission in life is to spread the Gospel to all the ends of the earth.  We, as believers, ought to do everything we can to pray for and support ministries who do this even if we don't agree with them 100%.  Ultimately, they rest in the wonderful fact that GOD is their protector!

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

***I am not sure writing a positive review on Amazon is going to help much.  Since their email went out, their attacks have gotten much more numerous and vicious.  It is a spiritual warfare and our God is much stronger than them.  He will fight this battle for them.  Keep them in your prayers.

HERE is a wonderful youtube of the Pearl family explaining the way they raised their children and what the children thought of it.  Very good!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ken's Side Of The Story

Cynthia asked that Ken give his perspective on our marriage.  He gladly obliged ~
I will be happy to share from my perspective Cynthia, and how God has worked to bring us both to a deeper relationship with each other and with Him.

For years I tried to be make Lori happy by doing what she wanted me to do, yet always I failed to live up to her desires and expectations.  Even when we finally came to years of “peace,” I lived much like an island in my own home hoping not to make her upset, see her frown, or cause an argument. Lori took care of the kids, the home, the cars, the lawn, the garden, and I took care of the kids' sports, my job, my food, my ironing, and investments. Many nights Lori made her big salads which the kids loved, then they came running for daddy’s food that I cooked. Remember, most of these years Lori lived with a sick stomach and other health issues, so I had to fend for myself many days and nights.

Between my travel schedule, and Lori’s illness, we still managed to have regular times of physical intimacy, but rarely connected on a deeper emotional.  Once the physical was over we went back to living life as partners with her managing half and me the other half.

Some time back, about 12 years ago, I decided that there were some things I needed to clean up in my life. I try to live a generous and caring life towards others, be a great father, and a good husband in many ways, but I longed to have a deeper and more intimate relationship with Lori. I went to Lori and told her I wanted her to hold me accountable for every time I said a cross word to her, changed my tone of voice, or got upset with her. I wanted to learn to express myself clearly in a caring way without upset, no matter how many times she screwed up the check book or frowned at me.

We played a game for a  couple of months where every time I started making her feel small or demeaned she would say my name, and keep saying it until I stopped.  I felt I needed to catch myself right then in the moment if I was ever going to break the back habits passed down to me perhaps from my Dad and his Dad.

“Ken… Ken… Ken” was pretty common the first month, but it did not take long to break a terrible habit and stop expressing myself in negative ways. I think I even had some sort of penalties assigned if she had to say, “Ken” more than a few times each week. It got my attention and helped me to change.

There were many things I was changing in my life at that time, and confessing to her, seeking her help to hold me accountable for them. What I discovered was that my vulnerability was leading her to finally open up and she too was becoming more vulnerable.

Intimacy is based on trust, and trust only occurs when two in a couple become vulnerable with each other. I grew up in an godly family with loving parents who got along great. Mom was submissive, Dad was loving, and the marriage seemed perfect in every way. Lori grew up with two great parents who lived like islands with Dad working 60 hours a week and Mom handling the family and home.

We both wanted what my parents had, but neither of us knew how to get there.  Fortunately at that same time we found the Pearls' at a conference on Hebrews and our lives were forever changed for the better. We both found the truths of our “new lives in Christ” that Michael teaches so clearly, and Lori found the best book I have never read, Debbie Pearl's Created to Be His Help Meet.

Lori came to me one day about ten years ago and said, “I finally figured out how we can have an intimate relationship!” I said, “I'm in… what do I have to do now?”  She paused for a moment, looked me right in the eyes and said, “There is nothing you can do. I need to please you.”

“I like the way that sounds!," I exclaimed as I headed to my office upstairs, and she came running after me saying, “No, no, what can I do right now for you, right now.”  Well, she caught me so off guard I wasn’t thinking clearly or we might have headed straight to the bedroom, but instead I said, “Well, my shirts are never ironed. Maybe you could iron some for me.”

With that she headed off to iron some shirts and ten minutes later she came back tired and said, “You know ironing is awfully tiring. Could I maybe iron a few shirts every day and at the end of the week they will all be done?”  “Lori, I just appreciate the fact you are trying to please me. Iron as many as you like, whenever you like.”

“You don’t believe me do you?” came her retort.  “Lori, all we ever seem to do is argue. If I say white, you say black. If I say its good, you say its bad. We never seem to be on the same page together.”  “That is right,” Lori responded as she put forward her had to shake mine she added, “and we will never argue again.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle watching this scene where my difficult, strong headed, beautiful inside and out woman, was really going to try and please me. I thought I had married a selfish wife and no way around it, I was going to have to put up with her selfishness the rest of my life, because she was mine, and the wife God had given me.

“Can I test you?” I asked.  To which she quickly agreed that I could test her in any way I wanted to. No time limit, no take backs, she was going to please me no matter what the costs. Vulnerability and trust had finally come after 20 years of marriage.

Well as you can imagine the next week was one of mild testing, but more so a time that I watched my doll blossom into all God wanted her to be.  I would start to wash  my own dishes and she bumped me off of the sink and said, “I will do those.” She would do anything and everything to try to please me. What we did not know at the time was she was doing all of this with not only a severe stomach and head aches, but also a brain tumor.

I do not recall if it was two days or a week later, but I found myself sitting across the table from Lori with two teenagers on either side, and we were smiling at each other and making eyes like school kids, when it hit me.  I had fallen in love with this girl much more deeply than even the day I had married her. True intimacy had arrived and we were finally connected to live life under the same roof not as two islands, but as one person in Christ.

We still had lots to work through over the next few years, but having the foundation of finding our New Life in Christ, and both trying to please each other, became the keys to unlocking our hearts to be the fertile ground for true and abiding intimacy.

Yes, we continued to struggle with some things, like arguing, but each time I would say to Lori, “You know you have been a little argumentative lately,” she would respond by putting her hand out to shake mine and say, “It will never happen again.” I no longer cared if it happened again or not, so long as I knew she was truly trying to please me and seeking after harmony in our relationship instead of fighting.

Is our marriage perfect?  Almost! If we could get rid of Lori's health issues it certainly would be close to ideal, as God has answered my many prayers and tears with the most fabulous, godly woman I know. We wasted far too many years, but God is restoring them with great rewards, especially as we watch our kids do it right from the beginning.

If a couple wants to achieve a great marriage and true intimacy, it can be found by doing things God’s ways… WITHOUT expecting your spouse to reciprocate. Only when both spouses are sold out to do their part no matter what, does it work best. It may take 20 years as in our case, to finally get the wife of my dreams, but it was worth being faithful to all God had in store for us.

Trust, vulnerability and love are essentials in any relationship that desires intimacy. Until a wife is ready to trust her man by trusting God at His Word, no man can force her.  All I could do was remain faithful to my calling and the demands God makes on my life while waiting patiently for Him to deliver on the desires of my heart. Is this not what faith is all about? Trusting Him even when we do not see the results we want, because we know that His promises may be slow in coming, but the are forever secured by His Word and His faithfulness.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands
as you do to the Lord...
Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Ephesians 5:22,25

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Do You Need A Sex Manual To Have Good Sex?

Ken and I have been married almost 33 years.  Maybe I read a book on sex right after we got married. I can't remember it having any lasting impact on my sexual life.  I have skimmed some books written by Christian authors but my question is, do we really need one?  Did all the couples in the olden days have poor sex lives because they didn't have sex books or manuals?

I asked this question on my facebook page and Angela, one of my readers, wrote this ~

Lori's, it's funny you should ask.  There is indeed a book that has helped improve the sex in a marriage.  It's called the bible.  To be specific, 1st Corinthians 7:4.  It's as follows, Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me.  It is not good for a man to touch a woman...nevertheless because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband.  Let the husband render to his own wife the affection due her and likewise also the wife to her husband.  The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband.  And likewise the husband does not have power over his body but the wife does.  Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer:  and come together again so that Satan tempts you not because of your lack of self-control.

I have to agree with her.  I don't read sex books.  Ken and I have learned together what works and what doesn't work.  We try to please each other.  We don't deprive each other.  We don't use sex to manipulate the other one.  We are happy!

Angela gave great advice.  Sure, if you are having problems in the sex department, I think it is fine to seek out the advice of others but for me, books on sex never did much for me.  Once I really learned true biblical submission and how to please my husband, everything else just fell naturally into place.  This was the secret to me.

When the Bible tells older women to teach young women to love their husbands, a large part of loving your husband is giving frequent sex.  I do teach this but I am not about to teach details.  I feel like this is something that can be easily learned by two people who love each other and want to please each other.  We are all so different and we all have personal preferences.  Time and experience is what gives a good sex life to couples.

Coconut oil is a great lubricant!  It kills bacteria and has no chemicals.  So I guess recommending this, not depriving your husband, and learning what pleases him are the only things I will recommend.  In conclusion, learning God's ways about biblical womanhood is what drastically changed my marriage in every way for the better.  How about you?

Monday, November 18, 2013

Comparisons Are Deadly

Ann Voskamp wrote a beautiful post lately titled The Real Truth About Boring Men.  She  wrote about her amazing husband ~  How a man proposes isn’t what makes him romantic. It’s how a man purposes to lay down his life that makes him romantic...Get it: Life - and marriage proposals - isn't about one up-manship - it's about one down-manship.  It's about the heart-boring years of sacrifice and going lower and serving. It's not about how well you perform your proposal.  It's about how well you let Christ perform your life.

She shares all the ways her husband serves her and loves her as she is aging.  It is an absolutely beautiful writing.  I loved it but after I was done reading it, all I could think of was how upset this probably made many women with their husbands.  "My husband doesn't serve me like that!"  "My husband isn't at all like Ann's.  I need to give him this post and let him see how far short he falls."

The sad thing about this is that Ann's whole mission in her writings is to encourage others to live a life of thankfulness.  However, it is so easy to compare our husbands to hers and feel that ours falls so short.  Instead, it should make us see all the things we have to be thankful about in our husbands even if we don't think they measure up to Ann's husband.

Instead of being happy for others when they are happy, we mourn for the lack in our lives.  It is so easy to be selfish instead of obeying God's command to rejoice with those who rejoice.  Her post should encourage us, as women, to serve our husbands even if we feel they fall short in serving us.

If your husband isn't like Ann's,  if you feel he is not serving you and giving you what you need, keep looking to Christ as your example.  He continued loving and serving others, even the one who betrayed him.  We are called to do the same and we can since He promises us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

If you read Ann's post, how did it make you feel:  thankful for the husband you have or discontent because he isn't like Ann's?

Not that I am speaking of being in need,
for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians 4:11

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Red Letter Words

Many people believe the red letter words {Jesus' words} are the only important words in the Bible.  These are the words we should focus on, since Jesus says nothing about homosexuality, wifely submission, or being a keeper at home.  His words are only about love and compassion.  They are the only words that matter.  Oh yeah???

What about the red words that say if your hand causes you to sin, cut if off or if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out?  What about hating your mother, your father, and your siblings?  What about selling all of your wealth if you want to enter into eternal life?  What about lusting being equivalent to adultery and hating being equivalent to murder?  Those don't sound like words of love and compassion to me.

We must remember that Jesus was speaking to people who lived under the Law.  His purpose was to show them that they would NEVER be able to attain eternal life by obeying the Law even if they cut off their hands, plucked out their eyes, hated their family, sold all they had, and never lusted or hated.  It was impossible to keep the Law.  Therefore, no one would inherit eternal life, right?

Wrong.  He was preparing the people for His death and resurrection.  If it hadn't been for Paul writing Romans 6 and 8, along with some passages in Ephesians and Colossians, we would not realize the full extent of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

When He died, we died.  When He rose again, we rose again.  When we believe, we are new creatures in Christ.  We are freed from our sin and dead to it.  We have inherited eternal life, not by what we have done, but solely based upon what He has done for us.

He was able to pay the full penalty for our sin.  He was the perfect, sinless Lamb.  He fulfilled the whole Law and now He asks us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as we love ourselves.  By doing this, we show we love Him.

The work is finished.  We no longer live under the Law.  We live under a New Covenant.  We believe the whole Bible to be the inspired Word of God, not just the red letters.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable
 for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness.
II Timothy 3:16

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

This is a spicy, very easy and filling chili that your family will love!

Saute in a large pan ~

1 Tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 chopped up onion
4 cloves of garlic minced

After ten minutes add ~

2 Tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chicken broth {Homemade is always best!}
2 cans black beans {or make your own}
1 can diced tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 large sweet potato chopped up
2 cups chopped up uncooked chicken breasts

Bring to a boil, put the lid on, and simmer until the sweet potatoes
and chicken is thoroughly cooked.  After serving in bowls,
you can top with cheese and tortilla chips if you would like.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies:
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Psalm 23:5

Friday, November 15, 2013

Kathie Lee Adorns The Gospel

 At the age of 12, Kathie Lee had a choice to make.  Would she follow the world's way or God's way?  She chose God's way and her life has never been the same.

She talked frequently of her marriage to Frank Gifford.  She loves him and being married to him.  The Globe, a tabloid newspaper, helped Frank fall into an affair.  Yes, he initiated it but they paid his mistress to set him up so they could take pictures of the two, splash it all over the tabloids, and make a mockery of Kathie Lee's marriage and her goody two shoe image.

But God..."When I went through very, very tough times when I was accused of awful things, the first phone call I got was from Billy Graham," she said.  "When my husband was unfaithful to me, and it was a terrible time, you know who Billy called first:  Frank.  He called Frank first.  Then I got on the line.  He wanted to talk to both of us.  He knew that healing had to be from both of us."  Satan thought he won but God won because they were both willing to listen to wise counsel and mend their marriage."

I have always enjoyed watching Kathie Lee.  I watched her when she was on Regis And Kathie Lee and now I watch her on Hoda And Kathie Lee.  She is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  She often shares what she has learned in her devotions that morning.  She frequently interviews people of faith who share amazing stories of redemption.  She loves her husband.  She loves her children.  She loves what is pure, good, and holy.  She is an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness.  Yesterday, on the Today Show, she proudly told of the moment she received Jesus into her heart because of Billy Graham's preaching.

I love goodness.  I love holiness.  I love watching people who walk with Jesus live godly lives for all the world to see even a during their broken times.  Kathie Lee shared with us a person who has been inspirational in her life.  She shared Billy Graham.  You can watch it HERE.  It is well worth the time.

My grandfather came to know Billy Graham from watching him preach on television.  Billy Graham has lived a life above reproach and I am deeply thankful for that.  He never wanted to blaspheme the Word of God by being disobedient to Him.  He lived a life adorning the Word of God.  This is something we are all called to do.

Billy Graham and Kathie Lee live lives for God boldly and unashamedly.  May we all follow their example and do the same.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16

Thursday, November 14, 2013

My Youngest In Engaged!

Cassi went to Houston to visit her brother, Steven, last February. Steven picked her up from the airport and drove her to his apartment.  His good friend, Ryan, was there to have dinner with them.  The moment they met, they liked each other and their feelings have not wavered since then.

Last Sunday, he planned a picnic for them.  Later, they played a game of Monopoly.  They both love playing games.  When she turned over one of the cards, she read,  "From the moment I met you..." and then proceeded to share the feelings he had about her, got down on his knees, presented a beautiful ring to her, and asked her to marry him.  No, they aren't into extravagant proposals.  They love each other and just want to be married.

A few days after she was engaged, I asked her if she was excited about marrying Ryan.  She quickly responded, "The Lord is in this.  I haven't been more sure of something my entire life.  I seriously love him so much and feel so blessed to be able to spend the rest of of my life with him.  It seems surreal that I'm engaged...but then I see the ring on my finger."

Yesterday morning, she sent me an email telling me she had just listened to a great sermon about submission in marriage.  They want to do it right.  Ryan wants to be a godly leader and Cassi wants to be his help meet.  She has been trained well.  She reads my blog all the time and knows exactly what God requires of her.

They are planning a wedding for the end of January or beginning of February.  My baby is getting married!  She has always loved Jesus and walked with Him.  She believes God has led her to the perfect man for her to call "husband."  So we will be very busy the next few months planning a wedding.  Congratulations, Ryan and Cassi!

Therefore a man shall leave his father
and his mother and hold fast to his wife,
and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24


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Saturday, February 28, 2015

Women are Still Chewing on the Forbidden Apple

Lindsay wrote a great piece on the Fifty Shades of Grey. TheJoyFilledWife commented on this post. Many times, I get posts just from her comments! She has such a heart for the Lord and for marriage. Here are her comments ~

I spent a great deal of time last night in prayer and sorrow for our nation. The fact that the pre-sell tickets for this movie have topped just about any other, shows the great depravity of our nation, as well as the sickly state of Christianity. It is said that the most tickets have been sold in the Bible Belt of the US -- obviously the majority being women -- and I sit here asking myself, "Where are the men of God that should be stepping in and telling Eve that not only may she not allow Satan to deceive her by eating the fruit, but that the 'fruit' is but a disguise for the bondage that accompanies it's consumption?"

But, alas, the women of our society are reaping what they've sown all these years through their rebellion against the protection and authority of men. At a time when we women need the strength and power of men the most, few of them are anywhere to be found. Since we have, for decades, sent the message to men loud and clear that we are capable of taking care of ourselves in every capacity and have no real need for them, we are left to fight our battles alone, aided only by our immense vulnerability to deception that will ultimately leave us -- the weaker sex -- to be held captive with no knight to come and rescue us from the pit we have willingly thrown ourselves into.

Oh Jesus, come quickly! Separate the wheat from the chaff and refine your bride so that she may shine like a light on a hill in this dark and dismal world. Sweet Savior, you are our only hope! Oh God, hear the prayers of your saints and be ever near to us, drawing us unto the shelter of your wings. The enemy roams the earth, seeking to devour and destroy, but we rest on knowing the Truth that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
I Timothy 2:14

***Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, the parents of the woman who stars in "50 Shades," won't even go see the movie. If you read my post, you will find out the trouble men are having enjoying normal sex, even with their wife because of the detrimental effects of porn, yet women are flocking to this movie hoping to have better sex lives, in reality, it is the vehicle that is destroying their sex lives.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Catering to Your Tastebuds

Do you cater to your taste buds? Do you only eat something because it tastes good without having any idea what is in it and what it does to your health? I want to encourage you to STOP! Everything you put into your mouth affects your health. It doesn't just go in one end and out the other.

Food is meant to nourish our bodies. Sure, a treat once in awhile is okay but why not make that treat something that does not have these ingredients in them like the Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix ~

Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Dairy Product Solids, Vegetable Oil {Partially hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel and hydrogenated soybean}, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, and less than 2% salt, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Caseinat, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminosilicate, Mono-and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Aritificial Flavor, Sucralose.

There is not one healthy, nourishing item in this list. Sugar is very detrimental to your health and it is the first several ingredients. Hydrogenated oils are not even fit for human consumption and then there are chemicals that should not be ingested into the human body.

Instead, fix some organic milk {raw milk if you can find it} or coconut milk with organic cocoa powder, a little bit of stevia and pinch of salt and it will be much healthier for you; real food and nutritious. If you want a power bar, you can buy ones at the health food store with healthy ingredients or make your own from scratch. Cookies are easy to make with REAL ingredients; ingredients you can pronounce and food that hasn't been overly processed in any way. My daughters make these yummy Peanut Butter Cups when they have a sweet tooth!

We shouldn't depend upon our health care system to keep us healthy. Yes, they are wonderful to have in emergency situations but we need to be responsible for what is going into our bodies. Therefore, stop catering to your taste buds and cater to your body instead. Nourish it with food that will create good health and a strong body. Work on building a strong immune system and then go out and be salt and light to a dark and decaying world!

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Sweethearts For Life Even After Adultery

Her husband decided to leave her and cling to a Jezebel. His wife was controlling and this Jezebel made him feel desirable. He had papers drawn up to give his wife the home and some other things and another paper for divorcing her. She signed the papers to get the home and things but refused to sign the divorce papers.

He began seeing a change in his wife and became "spooked" about this Jezebel lady, yet he still had another affair with even another woman. However, after two long years of hurt and separation, Jimmie Ruth Matthews welcomed her husband home. This was based on obedience, not on strong feelings.

She told him, “Lorne, I don’t feel anything for you.”

He said, “Well, you know, I don’t feel anything for you either.”  We both agreed that it was right for us to be together as husband and wife.  I remember, Nancy, when I finally came home, I began to see that she was a changed woman. I studied my wife. I didn’t see the same person—this clutchy, fearful woman that was so blanketing and mothering and controlling wasn’t there. She’s the same strong-willed person, but the beauty of coming to the place where . . . She sat down with me and we talked, and she said, “I’ve learned something. I’ve learned my significance. With you or without you, I am significant in Christ. I am somebody because I know Christ as my Savior.”

She said, "I remember laying by Lorne and praying, 'Lord, this was not our idea. This was Your plan. I submit to You, first of all, and I submit to my husband because I know it honors You.' So it was years of just walking the Word."

 He said, "She submitted to the Lord, and she submitted to me. I hear about all these ministers who are falling and getting away from their wives. The greatest thing I believe in the world is the power of influence of a godly woman to love her man no matter what, and I have been given that treasure, and I am so grateful...The sign language has a sign for sweethearts. You'd think that sweethearts would be fingers all entwined together, but what their sign is is two strong personalities together facing each other. "

Nancy: You’re putting your fists together.

Something interesting that Nancy Leigh DeMoss' guest brought up during this powerful program was this statement: "When I started studying the patterns of covenant and the New Testament plan, I just could not see that was what God was saying in the Word {Matthew 19:9}. The Scripture they use says, 'Except it be for fornication.' So people think when a person has a mate that he's committing adultery, then what the Scripture is saying is that you can go ahead and get a divorce. But actually, the Scripture is referring to a Jewish betrothal pattern."  Nancy agreed with this interpretation and had remarked earlier, "Marriage is a covenant. It's a pledge to be faithful unto death, regardless of what circumstances my arise." {Not sure I agree with this interpretation, but I find it very interesting.}

These are hard words for many women in difficult marriages. I have mentored women whose husbands were having affairs. These men are in bondage to their sin. A godly wife who waits for her husband can be a huge testimony to the world and to her husband of God's faithfulness to all of them, even when they sin over and over again. She may even be the vessel God uses to save her husband's soul from damnation. I have seen and heard this happen too many times to not trust God and know that His ways are by far the best and most sure way for restoration in a marriage.

God allowed divorce only because of the hardness of their hearts. He hates divorce and He knows the destruction it causes on everyone involved and around the couple who divorces. If only women could have an eternal vision and know that by staying with their husband they are sanctifying their husband. Yes, it is very difficult, but eternally worth it.

What therefore God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder.
Mark 10:9

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

NEVER Paid a Penny in Interest!

She was born in 1963. She was the fifth and final child in her family. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and her dad, who is 91 years old and looks amazing, would work three jobs to keep food on the table. He knew where every single penny was spent. He never had debt and never wanted to pay interest on anything. If the family needed something, they would save up until they had enough money. He bought his cars and home with cash. He never overspent. She said their childhood was a happy one!

Her mom would go to the second day bakery and they all wore hand me downs but they had a lot of fun. Their vacations were at a friend's cabin at a river near their home. Children today get gifts all the time; they got a gift at Christmas and their birthday and that was it. They never felt as if they were struggling; they just lived on a very strict budget.

Her dad went through the Great Depression and she feels that he has the key to healthy financial living. He never paid a penny on interest. He has a relationship with cash; something this generation knows nothing about. We have a relationship with our credit cards. "In my day, you'd get a quarter and spend 15 cents and save a dime. Your generation gets a quarter, you spend the quarter; you borrow another quarter at 23 % interest."

His first pay check was $3.63. He's from the era of sticking to a budget. He had a couple of envelopes and used cash. He kept track of every penny he made; his income and every bill that needed to be paid were in a little book from 1942 to the day he retired in 1990. "You need to pay yourself first and save some each time you are paid. Save it as if you didn't have it because you are going to need it eventually."

Now, they own their home and they are well set financially but they still live frugally and within his budget. This is her dad's mindset: If you can't afford to pay it with cash, you don't buy it. Whereas, we go shopping, hand over the plastic and have no idea what we're signing or how much we've spent. If you had to turn over $100 bills there's no way we would spend so much. MIT did a study and there is a pain associated with turning over cash, but you do not have that pain when you turn over plastic.

Stay home. You don't need granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and brand new cars. Learn to live simply and within your husband's income. Be content with buying needs instead of getting wants. Get rid of clutter and stop wasting time on the iPhone and computer. Keep your homes clean and tidy. Fix nourishing food from scratch.

We expect too much today. We want what we want, when we want. We are not willing to wait patiently for anything, therefore, we are a nation deep in debt. I encourage you to get out of all debt. Stop paying money on interest, if at all possible. Live simply, frugally and content!

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:
for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

***To get you started, here are my recipes for homemade laundry and dishwasher detergent and a very cheap, non-toxic and effective all purpose cleaner!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Giving His Daughter a Purity Ring

We didn't give our daughters purity rings. We taught them about purity and did everything we could to make sure that they were well-educated in sex and marriage the way God intended it to be. They did go to a purity camp and they both committed themselves to purity before marriage.

As you know, the Bates have a television show. I watch it and the Duggar's show. I enjoy watching families who desire more than anything to do things God's ways. This past episode, Gil Bates, the father, gave his daughter a purity ring. The parents have decided to do this when their daughters get around the age that they notice members of the opposite sex.

The mother went out and bought a beautiful dress for Carlin and flowers were delivered to her; the ninth child out of nineteen. Then the mother and father took her to a nice restaurant. The father took the ring and said these words to her ~

Being pure until you are married, saving yourself for your husband alone, that's God's design; one man, one woman, for life. You've already lived such a godly life. I'm so happy. So this is a little gift we got you. It's valuable but what you are is way more valuable than any gift we could give you. What God's given you is a wholesome, pure life and I want you to keep it until the day that I hand you off to some fine young man and he'll begin to take care of you. We love you." {They both were shedding tears at this point.}

In the background was a song being played by Tyrone Wells called,  Always Love You.  Some of the words were, "I will guard your innocence. All I ask in recompense is to know the Truth inside your Father's heart...I will always love you..." It was a beautiful song and a very touching scene. I wish you all could have seen it.

Therefore, mothers, whether you do a fancy event to give your daughters a purity ring or simply make sure you speak often to them about purity, it is very important in this evil society that we live in. You don't want them learning about sex and marriage from the world, but from God's Word and God wants you to teach your children in His ways. If they learn it from the world instead, it will put them straight on the path to destruction. Also, make sure they know how very much the Lord loves and values them. Help them to find their worth in Christ, know who they are in Christ, and not to look for their identity in things of this world.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
that you abstain from sexual immorality;
that each one of you know how to control
his own body in holiness and honor,
not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.
I Thessalonians 4:3-5

Monday, February 23, 2015

Where's the Lovemaking Gone?

God designed sex, well, actually He designed lovemaking. Lovemaking is suppose to be between a husband and a wife to unite them as one, to provide intimacy between the two, to produce children, and to satisfy our sexual desire. Many have quickly ruined this beautiful act given to us by the Lord.

A friend just informed me that many young men are having trouble holding an erection when they are with a woman due to the amount and types of pornography they view. She said her friend who lives on the other side of the world said it is a huge problem in her country also. I personally know couples where the husband only wants oral sex or isn't into lovemaking with his wife since he watches so much porn. There is not much lovemaking going on anymore. Lots of sex, but little lovemaking.

When I was growing up, it was difficult for men to find porn. They had to go out and buy it hoping no one would find out. Everyone knew it was wrong. Now, eveyone can get it with a click of a mouse. Many movies even have porn in them. Just watching other couples have sex on a big screen has reduced our nation into a nation of peeping Toms.

God made lovemaking to be private; shared between married couples who have committed their lives to each other. We are commanded to keep the marriage bed undefiled {Hebrews 13:4}. Lovemaking is a very beautiful thing when it is done the way God created it. Man has completely defiled it to where many young men will never know the joy of  true lovemaking to the woman they have promised to love "until death do they part."

If a young man and woman want to "make love" and they aren't married, they are simply having sex. Making love only happens within the boundaries of marriage where there is a commitment. There can be no true love without commitment. Sex outside of marriage is NOT commitment and a very cheap imitation of the real thing.

Pornography is destructive and addictive. It reduces lovemaking to sex; an act with no intimacy. It destroys marriages. Do everything you can, Mothers, to protect your children from its deadly influence. This is a large reason why I don't think Christian parents should be sending their children to public schools anymore. Most children have iPhones and can introduce your innocent children to the vileness of porn with just a push of a button.

We must be vigilant to know where are children are at all times and who they are with. God calls us to raise them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. You need to take this command very seriously or the world will capture them and pervert everything that the Lord created to be good.

It's amazing to me how few parents talk to their children about these things. You MUST unless you want to lose them to Satan. It is a spiritual battle waged in the heavenlies for the souls of our children. Tell your sons that if they fool around with porn, they are ruining their chances of having a future godly marriage with fulfilling and satisfying lovemaking.

Don't let Satan have your children!!! Teach them God's Word continually. Hide it deep into their hearts. Help them memorize a lot of verses. They must know God's Word. It will be their protection from Satan and his wiles. Read Michael Pearl's writing on the evils of porn and read it to your sons when you feel that they are old enough.

Make knowing and loving Jesus look like the most wonderful thing in the world! Be joyful and love your husband and children deeply. Pray daily for your family and for a hedge of protection around them. Do all you can to protect them from evil and then trust the Lord.

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Proverbs 5:18, 19

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Are Christians Still Under the Law?

NO, Christians are NOT under the Law. The only way anyone could get to heaven before Jesus died on the cross was if they fulfilled the Law and obeyed it perfectly. A lot of what Jesus taught while He walked on this earth was how impossible it was for anyone to measure up to the Law. This is why we needed a Savior.

Many argued with me when I wrote about tithing and the reason they believe in tithing is because they still believe we are under the Law. Even my post about modesty, some wrote me rules for modesty from the Law. Yes, if you live under the Law, you must keep the rules of the Law but I just want to inform you that no matter what you say, you are not going to convince me that we still live under the Law.

Jesus fulfilled the Law completely for us. When He died, we died to the Law. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" {Romans 7:4}.

In the whole book of Galatians Paul is exhorting Jews who became Christians and began living under the Law. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?...Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed {Jesus} should come to whom the promise was made...Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster {the Law}." {All from Galatians 3}

Then in Hebrews 8:13, we are told, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first {the Law} old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." You'll also find this teaching in Romans and other books of the New Testament. Hebrews was specifically written to explain the superiority of Christ over the Law and sacrifices.

I don't know how anyone who studies the Bible can really believe that we are still under the Law. Just these few verses prove it but all of Galatians was written to explain it clearly to us. I'm not going to be publishing any comments that disagree with me. I have heard them all before but I believe the Bible is very clear about this topic and no one is going to convince me that I live under the Law. Christ died to free me from the Law and the punishment of the Law and I intend to stay in the freedom the Lord provided for me! No one's going to put this baby under the Law! :) {Taken from the woot woot lady!}

If you're interested in doing an in-depth, amazing study of Galatians,
 Michael Pearl's study on this is eye-opening!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Is Our Value Measured by How Many 'Likes' We Get?

Thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, gone are the days of needing to lease the newest model car or fill your garage with expensive gadgets in order to impress your friends and neighbors. In fact, in  this day and age, you’re unlikely to receive more than a wave or “hello” from a neighbor, much less an in-person exchange.

     Although there has been a steady decrease in face-to-face interaction since social media entered the picture, online “friend lists” are growing at an exorbitant rate--and they don’t just include your real-life friends. They encompass casual acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, friends or friends, and even the kid you sat next to back in  the third grade.

     With all this talk of online “friendships,” one has to wonder how genuine these connections are and if they are really adding to the quality of our relationships. Are the hours we spend every week browsing through “status updates” merely encouraging interactions that have no real-life foundation? And do online apps, such as “Check Me Into Places,” only increase our desire to keep up with the now hundreds--or thousands--of “Joneses” on our friend list?

     Whether our fitness guru friend boasts of his “Checking In” to 24-Hour Fitness for the sixth time this week, or our neighbor has gone on eight shopping sprees at Nordstroms this month, do these facts really enhance our friendships or are they merely a facade for the deeper longing we have to be seen as someone of worth? Is our value as a person measured by how many “friends” we have, how many comments we receive on our posts, or how many “likes” we get on the pictures we upload?

     True, social media has its benefits and gives us the opportunity to witness to mass amounts of people at once, but is it a healthy substitute for the face-to-face connections we were created for? In all our striving to “one up” our friends who brag in their statuses of their brilliant children, luxurious trips, high-paying career, designer clothes, or perfect marriage, we fail to see each other for who we really are and the struggles we’re facing on the other end of the computer screen. When we engage in the online popularity contests that are so often found in the daily musings of social media sites, we miss why we came here in the first place: to connect.

As I {The Joy Filled Wife} ponder a true example of the word “connect,” Mark 5:35-43 instantly comes to mind. Many Bible-readers are familiar with the story of the 12-year-old girl pronounced dead who was brought back to life with the mere touch of Jesus’ hand and the command to “arise”. This story is touching because of the simplicity of the message and the tenderness of Christ. You see, when Jesus heard the news of the little girl, He could have chosen to “say the word” from where He was standing, and His faith would have healed her from afar. He didn’t do that, though. He chose to connect on an intimate and personal level, showing Himself as a Savior who is interested in knowing and interacting with us face to face.

As believers, we need to remember that we were created in the image of God and since He is a God who longs to connect, He has created us to need connection as well. There’s no substitute for a friendly smile, a warm conversation, and two friends “checking in” in person over a cup of coffee or a morning walk. Making true connections with others does require carving a little bit of time out of our busy day, but I think we will be amazed at the harvest we reap when we sow seeds into other people’s lives.

And He {Jesus} took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her,
Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted,
 Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Mark 5:41

***This post was written by TheJoyFilledWife and the picture is
Ken, Emma and me on our way down to the park!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Yearning for Biblical Motherhood

The problem with working mothers is they usually can't fully focus on anything; not their job, their family, and not their home. Some women have come home, yet they are still overwhelmed. Did you know that before 1975, most families only had one car, therefore, mothers were forced to be at home! Unfortunately, now that most mothers have their own cars, they are once again out of the home most of the day. It's time to step out of this hectic lifestyle and come home.

From reading Scripture, it is obvious that a woman of God should be busy at home and caring for her family, no matter how badly many want to interpret the Bible differently. God has hard-wired women to require a mostly home-centered life so we can become the meek and quiet women that the Bible speaks about. The enemy of our soul knows this and has done everything in his power to keep women out of their homes.

When you decide to leave the workplace and come home full-time, you are stepping into the front lines of a vicious spiritual battle. Our enemy does not want us to be more rested, peaceful, content and quiet raising godly offspring for the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows that spending our days in our homes, joyfully immersed in the unhurried business of gardening, cooking, baking from scratch, crafting, teaching our children and many other things, will have numerous benefits for women and their families.

We'll have more time to be in God's Word and prayer. Our families will eat healthier from our home-cooked meals. We'll save money on gas, fast food, new clothes, and everything else that comes from having a career. Our homes will be cleaner. We'll be more rested and ready to be intimate with our husbands. We will be available for those in need; the sick, the hurting, our grandchildren, etc. Our children will be better disciplined, better rested, happier and more relaxed.

The yearning to have the old-fashioned lives our grandmothers lived is just an inward call for hearth and home that is built into a woman's soul to live the way the Lord created us to live. Too many women are looking for peace in a bottle, buying more and more stuff, being in a 'perfect' career, in some type of ministry or being constantly busy.

This is a spiritual battle, dear mothers. Fight it God's way; at home serving and loving on your precious families. This is glorifying to God and frightful to the enemy!

She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Is NOT Having Children Selfish?

Think of all the excuses for not having children. I am too tired. I want to travel and have a career. We want to enjoy life as a couple first. We don't make enough money. They take too much work. Did you notice that not one of those excuses included God, the Great Provider and His desires for us?

Kelly Crawford has ten children and is open to any more the Lord may bless her with. She has gone over all the buts....and the reasons to use birth control but she keeps coming back to this ~

All those things are self-centered things that completely disregard the eternal hand of God in my family, in this, my short life. And I am called to not set my mind on the things of the earth so much.

This is unselfishness. Having a lot of children and sacrificing your "me time" and peace and quiet in your home is an act of sacrifice. She has decided that raising godly offspring is more important to her than any earthly riches or pleasures. I sure wish more Christian couples had this eternal view when it comes to children.

Up until birth control was invented, most couples had no choice but to have all the children God blessed them with. Even after it was invented, most preachers and churches preached against it. What happened between now and then? Are we so highly intellectualized that we know more than all of them. Is birth control a good thing? Has it contributed good things to our world?

NO! It has allowed people to think that they should control their fertility instead of trusting the Lord. It has allowed promiscuity to flourish since unmarried couples can have sex without worrying about pregnancy, but if they do get pregnant, they can get an abortion.

Now, I am not saying to never use birth control, as I have stated before. This is an issue that needs to be decided between a husband and his wife. A wife must respect her husband's decision whatever it is since he is the head of the home and will be answerable to God for how he lead his family. {Hopefully, he will take his wife's desires into consideration.} I just want you to ponder your decisions in light of Scripture and how society has perverted what God calls very good. It is so easy to become selfish and think only upon our own needs and desires, instead of seeing the whole picture, eternity, especially in this entitlement mentality society that we live in.

Think carefully about the decisions you make. Study Scripture, pray about it, and read other people's experience of allowing the Lord to bless them with children. Don't just go headlong into what everyone else is doing, even those inside the church. Make your decisions based upon God's deepest desire for you, not society's.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psalm 127:3

***The picture is a young couple Ken and I mentored!
They are very happily married and enjoying their precious twin daughters.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

How is Biblical Modesty Defined Today?

Does modesty change with the times and cultures? Should we be dressing like the women did in Little House on the Prairie? Should cultures in times past define modesty or should the Bible? Are bikinis modest? How should we know what modesty is when different cultures have different modesty standards than ours? What is truly biblical modesty?

This topic causes a lot of confusion with women. We know our standards shouldn't align with culture but with God's Word and His Word never changes so what are the modesty standards we should live by today? Should we only wear dresses? Is it okay to show cleavage? How are we suppose to know?

God's Word has everything we need for life and godliness. It is not that difficult to find out. Titus 2:3-5 commands older women to teach young women to be chaste and discreet. Chaste is defined as "pure in style; not excessively ornamented; simple." Discreet means "modestly unobtrusive; unostentatious which means to not attract attention."  1 Timothy 2:9 states, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with boided hair, or gold, of pearls, or costly array." Shamefacedness is not wanting to draw attention to yourself

From these verses, we learn what biblical modesty looks like. It does not draw attention to oneself. It does not spend a lot of money on clothing. This doesn't mean you only have to wear dresses. It doesn't mean you can never show your knees or arms. We all must prayerfully consider these verses and allow the Holy Spirit to convict us in our clothing, not society or even other Christians. Our freedom in Christ gives us this ability to make our own decision based upon His Word and the Spirit. The first place to begin is asking your husband what he thinks looks modest on you.

When a woman's cleavage is showing, people look. If their bottom is hanging out, people look. If your bathing suit is skimpy, people look and you are attracting attention to yourself. You don't want to draw attention to your body, according to God's Word. This isn't too difficult to figure out. If there were hard and fast rules about this, God would have given them to us. Study God's Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you and then go about living out those convictions. Model modesty to those around you. Yes, you may look different than most but that is okay. We are a remnant and we should look like God's chosen people.

If you are not married, ask the godly, mature men in your life what modesty looks like to them. Most honest men would say bikinis and leggings are immodest. Showing an excess amount of flesh is immodest. Wearing extremely tight fitting clothing is immodest. I believe this would hold true for most societies that ever existed. Be modest, women, and obey the Lord in this very important command to us.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Should Christians Tithe?

No, Christians do not have to tithe; give a certain, prescribed amount away to the church and others. Some think we should still tithe because of what Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" {Matthew 23:23}. Remember, Jesus was speaking to Jews who were still living under the Law. He had not died and fulfilled the Law yet. They were still in bondage to the Law.

Paul teaches a whole new teaching after Jesus fulfilled the Law for us; thus we died to the Law. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" {Romans 7:4}. We are no longer living under any burden of the Law. If we still lived by the Law, we would be living under the punishment for breaking the Law; stonings, etc. Just as Christians no longer have to keep the Sabbath, we no longer need to tithe.

Now we are commanded to do this instead, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" {2 Corinthians 9:7}. God wants us to give because we want to give, not out of a sense of duty. He wants us to live lives that give; lives that are living sacrifices and are known for being generous. In order to be an elder, one must have the quality of generosity. We are all called to be servants for others in every way; not just giving our money but our time and talents.

God wants us to walk in obedience to Him because our greatest desire is to please Him, not because we have to and out of a sense of duty but because we want to! We have already been saved from the wrath to come. Jesus fulfilled the whole law so that we can walk in newness of life! Paul tells Philemon concerning giving; "but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will {Philemon 1:14}."

Therefore, don't let the burden of tithing and keeping the Sabbath weigh you down anymore. We are living under a brand new covenant that was given to us when Jesus died on the cross and rose again. He freed us from the bondage of the Law and put His Spirit inside of us so we can be transformed into the likeness of Him. What a Savior!

2 Corinthians 9 is a wonderful chapter on giving and generosity that every believer should study. Paul states, "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully  shall reap also bountifully!" Notice that none of the New Testament writers, after Jesus' death on the cross, ever command us to 'tithe.' Study Hebrews 7. However, if you enjoy giving 10% of your income away and feel cheerful about it, go for it! If you want to give more than 10% away, please do for God LOVES a cheerful giver! For there is now NO condemnation for those who love Jesus.

Here is a fabulous article about the origins of tithing and why it is
no longer applicable for today.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Is Money a Bone of Contention?

There were some women discussing finances and money in marriage on television. One of the women said she hides some of her money and how she spends it from her husband because it's her money, she works hard, and she doesn't want anyone telling her what to do, especially her husband. {Funny, she works for a boss and I am sure she obeys her boss and does what he tells her to do.} She said that money is a bone of contention in her marriage. Should she tell her husband about these things or is it okay for her to keep this from him since it's "her" money? Many couples even have their own bank accounts now. Is this a good thing?

Yes, she should tell her husband and NO, it is not a good thing. The day you are married, you become one flesh. You have signed a covenant before God. It is a mysterious event but you are joined together until death do you part. In this covenant marriage, God has ordained the husband to be the head of his wife and the wife to be his help meet.

Yes, this TV host makes money but it is NOT her "own." His money becomes hers and her money becomes his after the vows are spoken. Everything that you once owned when you were single is now both of yours. You are joint heirs together. Who is in charge of the money now? The husband is the head of the wife, therefore, the husband is in charge of the money. He can designate the wife to pay the bills, buy the groceries, etc. but you both need to decide together how you will spend your money and when you have to ask him whether or not you can buy something. It's good to set a limit on how much money you can spend before you need to ask permission. You see, if there is one leader in the family as God designated the husband to be, there should be no bones of contention in your family about anything. God designed this for peace. Arguing and strife are NOT from the Lord. Doing things His way is the good and right way.

This may not seem fair in the world's eyes but we don't look through the world's eyes anymore or match up our lives to what is fair or not. We match our lives up to the Word of God and live by biblical principles. Therefore, never keep secrets from your husband about what you buy and if you want to buy something that is over the agreed amount, ask him. If he doesn't care what you buy or how much you spend, you have nothing to worry about or hide. However, many husbands are the bread winners and providers of the family and have every right to know where their family's hard earned money goes.

Older women teach the young women be obedient
to their husbands so the Word of God will not be blasphemed.
Titus 2:3-5

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The Taboos of Modesty: Why Should Women Dress Modestly?

{Guest post by Psalm1Wife}
Young women are being told from Christian pastors, teachers and well-meaning parents everywhere that they should dress modestly. There is a push from the world to dress immodestly and those of us in the conservative Christian corner are exhorting the young ladies to a higher standard. If we are immodest, we are rebuked, and rightly so.

I {Psalm1Wife} am going to submit a reason to dress modestly that is different than what you have likely heard. If you're like the rest of us, the reason that comes to mind is that dressing provocatively can cause our brothers-in-Christ to sin and would make us a stumbling block. {Romans 14:13; James 1:14-15} This reason has been drilled into every private schooled, homeschooled or fundamentalist's daughter's head from the time she was a teenager.

When this reason is solely being taught and reiterated to young women, it can be a very dangerous thing when these young women get married. Wives are always searching for a reason to control their husbands. When we teach young women that the only reason they must cover up their bodies is because it is their responsibility to keep their brothers-in-Christ from sinning, we are subconsciously telling them that it is their job to not allow their husbands to sin. Could this be another way we try to control men and even maybe our husbands? We are training our brains to think that if it weren't for women making the moral choice to cover up, men would automatically sin by lusting after our bodies and this encourages women to have a distrust of men and a sense of spiritual superiority over the male species in general.

Men and husbands are responsible themselves to refrain from sin, not women or wives. Dressing in a way that does not draw attention to our bodies is a good safety measure in defense of the very few men who may overpower us and take advantage of us because of the temptation that revealing our flesh will elicit, but keeping men from sin is not our responsibility; it is the Holy Spirit's. Which brings us to the real reason that women should not dress provocatively ~It is a sin, our sin.

We are neglecting a very crucial part of immodesty ~ how good it makes us feel to be lusted after. Men have a desire to have sex and they are visually stimulated by a woman's body. God answered this desire by creating a wife for a husband whose body is solely his. But people tend to think the buck stops there, when in fact, it does not.

Men are not the only ones with desires. Women have a desire to be lusted after by men and God answered this desire too. He gave us a husband to dress provocatively for and elicit raw, sexual attraction from.

When women dress immodestly, we are seeking that exciting rush from others, besides our husband. The same women who dress this way, will condemn their husband for lusting after women through pornography or through checking out some scantily clad girl in the mall. No one says anything to the wife,  whose skin-tight jeans with rhinestones on the bottom that may as well be a well-lit landing strip with arrows and a service man holding flashing lights directing every man's eyes directly to her rear. Or the women who wear cleavage bearing shirts or extremely form fitting clothing with the purpose of drawing attention to our flesh.

I remember one time, before I realized my grave sin in flaunting my body for other men to see besides my husband that I was envious of a woman I knew that had gotten her breast size surgically enhanced. I was telling her how much I would also like to have this done and that instead of just making my breasts larger, it would be nice to have them cosmetically enhanced as well. She answered me that there is no need because it costs more and no one, besides your husband will see them anyway. In my wickedness, I agreed with her. She outwardly and blatantly exposed the fact that a woman's desire is to be attractive for others, besides her husband, to the point of saying that a breast enhancement that would be making her look more attractive in a way that others would not notice would be a waste of money and I understood her logic and agreed with her. Woe is me!

A woman's temptation to dress immodestly for attention is just as dangerous and sinful as a man's temptation to look at a woman. This is a very real and serious topic and so it is also important to remind ourselves that our husband is our authority and we must not cause dissensions in our marriage because we have been moved to throw out all of our pants and boots. If you are convicted to change your wardrobe, talk to your husband first. The point I am making is that he is the one we should dress for. If your husband wants you to wear tight jeans in public, you should obey him but we must acknowledge the error in neglecting our own sin, as women, of enjoying the flattering attention from others that comes from immodest dress and the error of conditioning ourselves to thinking that the only sin committed is on the part of the man who looks at us.

In conclusion, keep your finger pointed at yourself and do not dress immodestly. Not because it will cause the brothers-in-Christ around you to sin, but because it feeds your own desire to be wrongly lusted after and noticed by other men. A godly man's perspective on the subject of modesty and all of the excuses that ensue is as follows ~

If you are like me and have been seeing and doing things wrong for your whole life, things like this are hard to hear. All the talk of the “utility” of immodest workout clothes, sports uniforms, comfort clothes, etc. is an alluring sidetrack. It appears like a shortcut through the wilderness of moral choices, but it leads to Sheol.

Your heart will tell you lies to make sin appear reasonable. Friends and even respected elders will make to you excuses for immodesty...anything to try to make you feel bad for choosing modesty before trivialities. That’s what uber-efficient work-outs, amateur sports, or a smidgen more comfort in the supermarket are: trivialities. Do not be deceived! You must choose what you love.

If we love to serve God, we will not sin against Him and our husbands by ignoring our desire to be lusted after by other men and continue to suppress the fact that that is a core reason that we may dress immodestly. We will choose what we love. If we love that attention, we will remain in the dark and continue to hush the taboos of modesty ~ how enjoyable it is to be attractive to all men and that we must work against this desire at all cost.

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a
beautiful woman without discretion.
Proverbs 11:22

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Your Covenant Sustains Your Marriage!

On the day you married your husband, you promised to love him 'until death do you part.' Do you remember? Whether you have been married for six months like Steven and Emily, or 34 years like Ken and me, or 61 years like my Mom and Dad, you must stay faithful to your vows; a whole generation and more is affected by your commitment or lack of commitment to your vows! "The covenant sustains the marriage, not the love," John Piper recently stated. Begin a godly generation with you and your husband by keeping your covenant, just as Christ keeps His covenant with His bride, the Church.

In order to have a marriage that lasts a lifetime and is built on the covenant you made, you must determine to never use the word divorce or think it. It must not be in your vocabulary. Determine that you are going to do everything in your power to keep your marriage together forever. The best way to do this is to work on yourself and becoming a godly help meet to your husband.

Secondly, don't ever speak negatively about your husband. Ruth Bell Graham advised wives to "tell your mate the positive, and tell God the negative." Remind yourself that NO man has ever crawled out from under his wife's criticism to become a better man, as Debi Pearl wrote. Instead of criticizing your husband, pray for him and dwell on what you love about him. You did choose to marry him and there were qualities that attracted you to him, remember?

Thirdly, read good marriage books and blogs that encourage you in your role as help meet to your husband. Most days I write something on my Facebook page to encourage women in their lives, mostly in their marriages. We need to be reminded to walk as Jesus walked, love as He loved, forgive as He forgave and serve as He served. It's so easy to forget unless we are daily reminded and in His Word. So many things in our society are intended to pull us away from our husbands, make us dissatisfied and break our covenant to them. We live in a society of vow breakers. This is a spiritual battle, women. Fight the enemy of our souls with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God and prayer.

Finally, be joyful! The joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy draws others, especially your husband, to you. Believe in the power of God and the protection of His armor {Ephesians 6:10-18}. Pray daily for your husband and the things he struggles with. Believe God and His promises. Don't depend on your ability to change your husband. Depend upon God. Have faith. Be a vow keeper and commit to loving him all the days of your life.

 What therefore God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder.

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Artist at Home

The daughter of renowned artist Kurt Trampedach and award-winning children's book illustrator and author Dorte Karrebæk Dalgaard, Mary Trampedach carries on the family business as a successful artist in her own right. The Copenhagen apartment she shares with her husband Gorm Bülow is filled with her work as well as personal mementos and much loved items, such as the wood burning stove and the vintage Swan chair that Mary received as payment for a painting. Mary and Gorm also love their dining table, made from an old and very heavy door that required several strong men to carry up to their fourth floor flat. With such interesting surroundings, it's easy to see how Mary is inspired in her creative work. More here on Bo Bedre.

(photography by kira brandt)

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mirlinthloth writes:

“See the light, a new day has arrived for us ”

So, it's been awhile since I updated and posted. I wanted to make it worth it. Some of you know I got a call from Dreamworks a few weeks back. They mistook us for a comic book shop, I told them we aren't but they were kind enough to send us tickets to Real Steel. Well there are only two of us that work here. And we have ten tickets in total. So one of those tickets goes to Me and the Artist. This leaves nine tickets in which to give away before Tuesday September 6th. So we figured we'd give them away to our fans who lived in the Indianapolis area. Cause why shouldn't we see it with our fans?

So, if you live in Indiana, want to go see a free movie with someone, and want to meet us. Now is your time. You just need to email me at and I'll set aside a ticket for you and someone else. But beware there are only 9 tickets left so act quick.

And in other great news, it's time for our new Monthly Donation Wallpaper! This month we feature Terra and her Not Safe For Work habits. Can't wait to see what it is? Just head over to the wallpaper area and donate.

Till Next Time


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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Watery Wednesday- Jungle Stream

Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy who hosts Watery Wednesday. You can see more picturs at

  1. Beautiful as always! Enjoy your day!

  2. You are one lucky girl! That place is amazing! I could have sat there the whole day watching the stream, hearing the soothing sound of flowing water.

  3. Looks like a fast moving stream. I would like to listen to it.

  4. Beautiful shots! I would love it there!

  5. Sylvia, I am enjoying my classes.
    Doc, that place is in Kerala which we visited recently.
    Ewok, yes, it is a fast moving stream just after the falls, and it makes a roaring sound.
    Annelie and Lyndsey, welcome to my blog. Thanks for taking time to comment.

  6. This is a lovely, magical place, and you've got some beautiful shots of it! Just lovely...

  7. First time visitor (Google guided me when I was searching for info on Shankha Pushpa). I went thro' some of the posts. Nice blog :)

  8. Imaginationlane, welcome!
    Soumya, welcome to my blog, and thanks for taking time to comment. I hope you will visit often.My other blog is about Indian native flants and herbs.
    Cecilia Artista, thank you.

  9. Happy THANKSGIVING to you and thanks for being a CYBER friend.

    Nice cooling water.

  10. What a beautiful place, lovely capture for Watery Wednesday.

  11. Nice I feel like dipping in the river when its so hot here during the day.

  12. o much like the streams from my hometown area. Very beautiful. Kerala has a lot of similarities with Assam.

  13. A beautiful place to refresh the mind. The last picture looks like a doggie's face to me.

  14. Wow fantastic shots. Very beautiful and refreshing.

    Goldenray Yorkies

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