Sunday is...

..Comment Love Day!!




The main rule is that you MUST leave a GENUINE comment on posts. None of that copy/paste schpeel or "I'm a new follower, follow me back!" crap. REAL comments.

I'm participating through For The Love Of Blogs and this is how it goes, per THEIR rules of playing along...

Link up below and then leave a comment.

After commenting, please visit the blog who commented before you and leave them some comment love. Remember, no cut and paste!

Then visit 2-3 other blogs from the hop and make some new friends!

Come click, comment, and link up!

Good Sunday to everyone! I'm participating in For The Love Of Blog's "Comment Love Day", where you go and click on other blogs and leave GENUINE comments. Not just copy/pastes of "Nice blog." or "I'm following you, please follow me back.". It is a chance to REALLY know the writers and get a good chance to REALLY read what is on their mind or important to them.



But before you go over there, be sure to also leave your link here as well. And feel free to also check out the links to my other two blogs.

If you wish to be a *FEATURED* Blogger, CLICK HERE.

If you want to see my (former) *haunted* home, where I grew up, CLICK HERE.

If you wish to see about the new group and chat area for parents of Special Needs children, CLICK HERE.

Bible Q&A Day

Welcome to Bible Q&A Day, where I will quote a question from the book (information provided below), word for word as it is printed in the book its self, and under it, provide the answer. From there, under the (****), I will give MY PERSONAL thoughts/views/feelings regarding the answer that was provided.

*Each question and it's following answer will be provided by "500 Questions And Answers From The Bible" (Mark Fackler, Editor, 2006, Barbour Publishing Inc.)*

(Genesis 1:26)

Q; What's important about being made in God's "image"?

A; Humans are not replicas of God, but we do share certain common characteristics with God. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, perfectly good, holy, and loving. We are not. But like God, we are spiritual, rational, emotional, communicative, and moral beings. We have dignity, purpose, and meaning. And we can experience the bonds of personal relationships.

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Funny that this one came up after the week I've just had, where I'd taken my youngest on a play date at a friend's house, where us three moms talked about various topics, including religion and beliefs as the girls all played.

Now, these weren't three Christian ladies, mind you. You had a Hindu mom, a New Age mom and a Christian mom. As we sat there at the table talking about what we each individually believe, and how much alike our three belief systems are, we all realized some strong commonalities.

1) There was a Higher Power that (at least) helped to create the universe and all things that are in it. Including us.

2) There is another life after this one is over.

3) We were all made in God's image.

The only real "dispute" among us (which really wasn't a dispute, being we are mature enough to discuss differences without fighting like rabbits and dogs) was how many "gods" that there are in existence and/or control of us and the universe.

My New Age friend feels that we have two creators. A God and a Goddess.

My Hindu friend believes in many Gods and Goddesses. So many I think my brain would hurt trying to keep track (lol).

Of course, being a Christian, I believe that there is only one God and Creator.

Now, "made in His image", I see not so much as a physical trait that God is speaking of, but of the deeper inner workings of our being. We were made to love others, to help others and to be the rulers over His creations (plants and animals lower than ourselves).

The only issue that I have with the above answer is the last sentence.. "And we can experience the bonds of personal relationships". Because while indeed, we CAN experience a PERSONAL bond or relationship with those here in the physical sense, I find great difficulty having a personal "relationship" (as in deeply like with your children or husband/partner) with someone you cannot see, touch, or smell.

Yes, as Christians, we must trust by faith alone. But it makes it no easier, at least for me to have that "personal" bond or relationship with God. Maybe this stems from what I went through as a preteen and teenager. Or maybe even earlier, being I felt cursed for something that I didn't do, but got "punished" anyways.

In all honesty, I have NEVER, ever really felt that close, intimate bond with Christ. I love Him. I believe in Him. I believe in what He did for me and the world on the cross. But I just cannot feel THAT intimately close to Him, no matter how hard I try to.

So, I don't take the "made in His image" to heart or to a level of being on an exact level myself.

If you like this new series, and wish to do so, GRAB MY BUTTON (below) and share it, and let others know that on Wednesday's and Sunday's, a new "Bible Q&A Day" post will be put out.

Please feel free to also share your thoughts and ideals in the comment area. Just keep it CIVIL, is all that I ask. Debate is great! But I will NOT have fights.

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Bible Q&A Day

Welcome to the first of many posts for this series. We will be looking Book by Book at the Bible.

Each question and it's following answer will be provided by "500 Questions And Answers From The Bible" (Mark Fackler, Editor, 2006, Barbour Publishing Inc.)

(Genesis 1:1)

Q; Where did the universe come from?

A; Who has not heard a child ask that question? Unfortunately we have no eyewitness around to answer it. We do have a record, however. Genesis 1 is the story of God's creation of the word and its heavens. Genesis does not intend to be a comprehensive, detailed account of how God created all there is. The story moves in wide, sweeping strokes. Yet it does answer two fundamental questions about when and who-in the beginning and God.

Most religious faiths recognize that the world could not have created itself. For the universe to do that, it would have to exist before itself, which is logically impossible. Something outside of and existing prior must be responsible for its creation. That something, the Bible tells us, is Someone-God.

Nothing forced God's decision to create. The decision was an expression of God's character: creative, rational, loving. God created the world to say something about Himself, to extend His relational nature to embrace beings who bear His image, and to communicate with them.

Genesis does not provide a scientific record of how and when the universe was created. Christians who wish to argue with science about these matters become caught in the give-and-take of empirical data and scientific interference, a debate that the Book of Genesis was not intended to solve. (Recall that not long ago Christians firmly believed that a Biblical view required that the earth was the center of the universe and all other heavenly bodies revolved around it. Nowadays, thanks to scientific measurement, only crackpots make such an argument. Christians can and should learn from science.)

Genesis teaches that the universe sprang from God's nature and will. The mechanics that God employed to give expression to His will are the important domains of science (physics, chemistry, biology), which like other fields of study has sometimes, regrettably, forgotten about God. But each source-the Genesis account and science-plays a vital roll in our understanding of God's creation. Genesis identifies the God whom we should praise, and science employs God's gifts of intelligence and curiosity to uncover clues the mechanics of God's work.

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So, in a nutshell, in my mind, Genesis just lays out the subtle clues as to how God made way for us to be where we are today. I believe personally, in both the scientific theory of the "Big Bang" , as well as that God laid the beginning foundations for the rest of it all to come in to play.

As a Christian myself, I cannot deny science. I cannot deny what they have discovered about the universe and of what discoveries that they have made concerning our world, and of us. But I also cannot deny that there is MORE to the picture. Something we will NEVER be able to explain. And that is God's hand in how we came to be.

He gave us gifts. Every one of us possess reasoning and the ability to use our logic ALONG SIDE our faith. God also gave some of us a lot of logic and intellectual ability (think medical doctors, scientists of all kinds, teachers). We all have a contribution. Because God made it so. By creating what we know of...Earth, land and sea, humans in His image, the universe.

If you like this new series, and wish to do so, GRAB MY BUTTON (below) and share it, and let others know that on Wednesday's and Sunday's, a new "Bible Q&A Day" post will be put out.

Please feel free to also share your thoughts and ideals in the comment area. Just keep it CIVIL, is all that I ask. Debate is great! But I will NOT have fights.

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New Look For The New Year! Come Take A Peek.

Well, at least this one isn't too complicated to work with. While I have loved the unique design of my blog that I have had for some time now, thanks to CheapskateMom, I felt it was time for a change and to freshen things up a bit to coincide with the new year starting.

As most of my friends know, I am a coffee fanatic. So what better theme to choose than to log on to find a hot, fresh-looking, steamy cup of joe?

At some point today (with the help from my daughter, Hayley) I will be doing the first installment of the Bible Q&A series (that will take place on Wed.'s and Sun.'s). I will be typing out the question and answer WORD FOR WORD from the book, "500 Questions And Answers From The Bible"...If some answers are VERY long (as like with the first post), then I will give my *personal* statements/views on the answers within the COMMENT section.

So with that all said, I shall be back later on today or this evening. Until then, I hope you all like the new look and have a great Wednesday.

Would you join me?

Thanks to my MIL's gift card giving this year for Christmas, I was able to buy a few things I wanted to have and know I would use.

One item being a book (for under $8.00 mind you!) that has 500 questions in regards to the Bible, and answers of explanation.

It goes by Chronological order to coincide with the Bible's text order. So, I would post the question (word for word), and then the answer it gives (word for word).

Then underneath, I'd place (********) to indicate the end of the quotes from the book and give my PERSONAL view of how I view the answer's explanation.

I'm not a fanatical, Bible-wielding Christian who even goes to church. I'm just a simple believer who enjoys learning in her own way and own time of how the Bible pertains to me as an individual and question myself a bit. And I have my own interpretation of how I read and view the Bible.

If this sounds like something you would like to read and participate in, let me know. I'm planning to do the first post TOMORROW (Wednesday, Jan. 5th, 2011), and will do them each Wednesday and Sunday.

It would be WONDERFUL to make this fun, engaging and interactive.

I've even made a GRAB BUTTON for this... (now that I found out how to do them on my own)

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Feel free to grab my button and spread the word about what I think will be a great series for all levels of believers (and non-believers) to discuss and learn from.

Sunrise Sunday (Join in the positivity!)

Each week, I will have a picture of a different sunrise at the top of the page. Underneath, I will state the positives from the previous week, and the positives that are to come in the week ahead. NOTHING NEGATIVE will be allowed in the post.

If you wish to participate, find a sunrise picture and follow the directions. And be sure to link THIS POST with your post as well, for your readers to look at, and see how it all works as well. Each of my posts will include the "rules" and how to post a Sunday Sunrise.




For this week, I am looking forward to Hayley's birthday party (today). She turned 11 on Thursday, but I had to do the party today due to school schedule, my husband's work schedule, and a prior family obligation.


Also, I am once again pulling a full day at school on Wednesday. Between helping with Art Class, doing things for Friday stuff, seeing as we (the kids) have Friday off, and also helping with a Staff Luncheon (for Teacher Appreciation).


Then, Thanksgiving is just around the bend. Not even a week to go and I can already smell the rolls, pies, turkey and all the other goodies that will be slammed in to my mouth. YUMMMM...Round 2, here I come!

Sunrise Sunday

It's once more the beginning of a new week. At least according to my husband's company work-week schedule.

I'm hoping that this new meme/carnival I'm trying to start and establish will be welcomed with open arms, is followed, and has other bloggers participating.  I want more POSITIVITY. Not just in my blog, to see in other's blogs or on other pages. But also within my own life. So, I'm hoping that by doing Sunday Sunrise each week, that I will be able to clearly see the new beginnings of each week in a positive light and also see the positives in my life.

Each week, I will have a picture of a different sunrise at the top of the page. Underneath, I will state the positives from the previous week, and the positives that are to come in the week ahead. NOTHING NEGATIVE will be allowed in the post.

If you wish to participate, find a sunrise picture and follow the directions. And be sure to link THIS POST with your post as well, for your readers to look at, and see how it all works as well. Each of my posts will include the "rules" and how to post a Sunday Sunrise.

*If anyone can make blog buttons, PLEASE help me out and make one for me to include as a grab button...It would be greatly appreciated!*

Here goes the launch! (And the only one with the picture this far down the post.)

Last week, I had been able to clear up (once again) a misunderstanding for my son's SSI pay without wishing to take someone's head off.

Also, I felt good and proud of myself on Friday for the fact that I was able to get everything, but one example project, completed on my "to do" list in the Kindergarten class that I work in for volunteer time at school.

For this coming week, I look forward to one-on-one time with the two older of my children and being able to go on trips with them. One being Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. The other, another trip to Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg.

I'm also gearing up for the first of two birthday parties, that will be back-to-back in two separate weekends.

And I'm looking forward to a full week of seeing "my" kids at school for various upcoming functions. I'm helping with a Staff Breakfast for Teacher Appreciation Week, then also going on the trips, and am planning on helping in class on Thursday (seeing as I won't be there Friday).

*Want to spread some positivity? If you like this new meme/carnival, then LINK IT UP and share it with others and feel free to snowball the fun and positivity.*

A Pondering Moment on this Sunday morning...

Why the following popped in to my head, I do not know. And the logic just seemed to hit me like a bolt of lightening. Especially when the thought hits at not quite six o'clock in the morning.

What came to mind was clearly a shocking "revelation" for me. Being that this "bam, wow!" moment was stemming from something in the Bible. Specifically in the Book of Revelations.

Now I am not sure exactly what verse(s) or chapter it is within, but the Bible states that once all is calm after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the war between Good and Evil has come to pass, that God will "raise the dead". Of course the dead is the army of souls that are of His Kingdom and will help with the battle to win over the world and trump Satan.

Suddenly, out of the blue, my logic brain jumped in with the following thought...

How can God raise the dead if the dead has been cremated?

Revelations speaks to us in regards to the Lord raising the dead from the depths of the grave in which they lay, only to have new life breathed in to them.

What about those that were cremated and placed in to urns? How is He to "raise" them? Give them new flesh to hold their ashes? Remember, he supposedly created Adam from the dirt of the ground.

At funerals, we hear the passage, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust".

Can anyone give me a clear, level-headed, honest explanation of how He shall prepare the "Ultimate War Between Good and Evil" if not all of His "chosen ones" are able to be "present", being that they were incinerated after their death?

To me personally, it seems a bit too far fetched. And really, if God and Satan were going to battle it out, God would not have let Cremation be invented. Because now, how will His army flourish and "be whole" if the entire gang can't be "arisen from their slumber"?

This is why I honestly have a real problem with the Bible. Too many holes, twists, two-faced stories and too many hands in the pot (Book Author wise) that have contradicting/conflicting stories.

Devotional Sunday (1 John 3:18)

Children. They are our most precious commodity in this world. They daily show us unconditional love. They bring joy and happiness to our lives.

If only those of us in the world can be more like them. Their view of the world is pure and innocent. So are their hearts.

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.


Actions really do speak louder than words. Even small children know this. Words can cut deep like a knife and drive directly in to the soul.

As I grew up, I had required medical intervention via a tracheotomy to help me keep air circulating through my lungs. So, I had a visible impairment, being that the "bolus" of the trach was on the outside of my throat.

Needless to say, men, women and children alike gawked, stared, snickered, sneered, giggled under their breath as they cupped their mouths to not let us see.

Then there were those, again adults and children alike, that made it no secret of how they thought of my parents letting me out of the house "looking like that" and using me as the butt of their god-awful jokes.

The children don't come out of the womb thinking, acting, and speaking in that manner. It was taught. Through the tongue of their parents. Their actions were of a lesser heartened person. So really deep down, I never truly blamed the children. I blamed those that are the "best" teachers (besides the Lord)...Their parents.

In all of this what made it worse? That I would see these kids, along with their parents in CHURCH! Talk about hypocrisy at its finest.

So yes, words of the tongue are sharper than any sword. Actions, depending on what it is, can be a softener. Words can never be taken back. So, speak through the tongue with love. And you will get love back in return.

Testimony Sunday (1 Peter 1:6-7...Grief, Loss & Suffering)

<sup>This week's verse...

6</sup>In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

I know of this passage quite well within my life. Within my thirty-three years on this earth, I have already lost my Maternal Grandparents, never knew my Grandfather's (but have 'felt them' near), my Mother, my Paternal Grandmother and two pregnancies, and my Paternal Great-Grandfather.


With the exception of my Grandfathers, my Maternal Grandmother (too young) and my Great-Grandfather (again, too young to understand), my Christian faith was rocked to the core from these losses. Especially the loss of my mother and my last miscarriage in 2003.


For years after my mom's passing I despised God, His love, and anything else to do with Him. I wanted nothing of Christ. He had nothing to offer me. Except pain, grief and internal agony within my spirit and my heart.


The Lord made me suffer within some very deep Valleys. I saw the Mountain tops. Every time I would get halfway back up that Mountain, it seemed that the Lord would push me off a cliff, back down to the Valley floor.


It took a few years worth of soul searching, internal 'tug-of-wars' and finally seeing God's Truths behind Satan's snares and lies that the demon fed me. 


You know the kinds..."If God really loved you, He would not have taken all those people away. Especially you mother and baby". "God is punishing you for being a bratty child, so he took your mother for all the lies you told her". Those are just a couple of the thoughts that I had...The 'gem' of them all came when I lost my second pregnancy. "The Lord has taken away your child because you are not worthy of His love. An eye for an eye. You rejected Him, now He has given the ultimate punishment....Your child for His".


It took much prayer, much Scripture reading and much one-on-one with my Heavenly Father to finally realize that none of the above was true.


What is true now, as it was back then is that He will test you. He will put you through "trials by fire" and He knows that you indeed will suffer. Loss, grief, anger due to the loss, and walk through some pretty deep Valleys in order to climb to the top of that Mountain.


But never once will He forsake you. He is with you every step. Even when it seems that you are alone. Jesus Christ is there. And in the end, when your grief and suffering are over, He will be there waiting to take you in His arms and let you know that He never leaves His children to ever fully fend for themselves. And that the Mountain Top is always attainable for all.

Testimony Sunday (Exodus 15:13)

It's certainly been a while since I have done my Sunday post. So, let's see if I can start this again to go on a regular basis.

The following Bible passage from Exodus really speaks volumes. It regards to love. Not the love of God solely, or the love of your husband or wife, or even your children. But the love for others and for mankind.

Exodus 15:13
"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling."


If the above verse doesn't speak volumes to you, then I think that there is something wrong. You, we, us, the people shall show the way to the Lord through our compassion, our actions, and by showing our fellow man LOVE.

Not judgment, fire and brimstone and damnation.

When I was a small child, my grandmother, Mary, who was a very devout Catholic forced me to go to Sunday Mass, and in turn was forcing my parents to let me go, even though, they did not particularly practice the faith any longer.

As I grew, she would do the "fire and brimstone" act upon me if I had done something wrong. And would tell me that I had hurt God's heart, and that He would not accept me in to His Kingdom if I didn't stop sinning.

By adulthood, she and I would clash almost on a daily basis while she lived with me and my father after my mother's death, and his remarriage. It had gotten so bad, I finally moved out just to be free of her "saving ways".

Yes, my Grandmother loved me. No denying on that. But, she was more concerned with saving my soul then leading me with a loving heart. Instead of leading me to God and my faith in Him, she forced me to look away and turn my back.

It made her even more angry that I was angry for a long period of my life with Christ, being that He "took my mother from me". I lashed out in many ways, even to the point of cursing God.

One thing I never lost, even though I was spiritually lost, was my love of my fellow man. My faith, love, and acceptance of other how they are had never once wavered.

Today, I am over my "blue period" of having a tug-of-war with my spiritual faith. And I lead others to the Lord not through forceful means. But by telling my story of my life, and all of the blessings within it.

From my birth, where I wasn't expected to live past the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours...All the way up to most recently, my sight being restored and saved, thanks to a miraculously successful Corneal Transplant that was done against all odds to a point of most likely not being successful.

God is love. And we have been made in His image. He shows us love daily. Is it wrong that we should show the same to our fellow brothers and sisters?