I'M BIASED

Of course, but this is totally cute. My kids love all things Charlie Brown. We have been watching the Charlie Brown Christmas movie a lot. (We've been watchig them all, but the Christmas is the all time fave.)

THE ELECTION

Hey, y'all. This letter was an email forward from a friend, from a friend. I don't know the author and frankly, it doesn't really matter. The words are powerful and they are good. The author has given permission to forward this at will...if you agree, please put it on your blog.

If you are like me, you have already voted. But, it's not too late to intercede for the country and to pray about the decision that others have to make.

Dear Friends in Christ,
Are you sensing that there is something
different about this presidential election? I was telling
someone just recently that it seems like this election is
far more serious than those in the recent past. Something
in my spirit is very uneasy. In the past I have felt the
need to pray for different elections but I have never felt
so strongly the urge to pray, and pray fervently, for an
election as I do for this one. I truly believe that if the
wrong person (Obama) is elected this nation will be changed
forever. We may not be able to undo the things that will be
unleashed during an Obama presidency. My concern about an
Obama presidency is not based on politics; it is based on
righteousness. Look at any of the major moral issues
(abortion, homosexuality etc.) and you will find Obama on
the wrong side of the issue, and Palin and McCain on the
right side of the issue. What makes this so disturbing is
that the Obama team has raised far more money than
McCain/Palin and the media is unabashedly supporting Obama
with every story and headline they write. Currently
McCain/Palin is behind in the polls and is having a very
difficult time. Some in the media have suggested that the
race is over and there is little or nothing McCain can do to
change the outcome. Oh how wrong they are!

Let me briefly share a story I recently read in
2 Samuel Chapter 5. David had just become king of Israel
and the Philistines went up to wage war against him. So
David inquired of the Lord and said, 'Shall I go and
attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?'
The LORD said, 'Yes I will surely hand them over to
you.' So David went and defeated them. He said,
'As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my
enemies before me.' After suffering a great loss in the
first battle the Philistines must have thought they now knew
David defense strategy and they would be ready for him the
next time, because once more the Philistines came up to
attack David. So once again David inquired of the LORD, but
this time the Lord gave different instructions. He said to
David, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around behind
them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon
as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam
trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has
gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.'
David obeyed the Lord and was victorious.


This story holds a very important lesson for us
at this time. In most presidential elections a frontal
assault, a face-to-face battle, is what is needed. But this
is no ordinary election. McCain is trying all the normal
tactics but he is not prevailing. It seems no matter what
he says or does it is not effective. I am convinced this
election CANNOT be won using normal methods. Just as the
Lord told David to go around behind the enemy and attack him
there, so we must go around the face of this election and
wage war where the battle is truly raging...in the spiritual
realm! The fact that the normal physical methods are not
effective this time should tell us that this is a very
important spiritual battle and we can only win by using
spiritual methods.Prayer!


What about the sound of marching in the
treetops? What is that? I have read on the Internet
several accounts of fellow Christians being stirred up in
their spirits to pray. Many have been drawn into times of
deep prayer and weeping as they intercede for Palin and
McCain. Some have woke up in the middle of the night and
sensed a great need to pray, other have told of how when
they heard about Sarah Palin being chosen as VP that
something came over them and they wept and felt a need to
pray for Her and McCain. Many others are feeling the
calling and urging of the Spirit to enter into a time of
fervent prayer and fasting for Palin and McCain and our
nation. What is this unusually stirring that is occurring?
I believe it is the Sound of the Lord marching in the trees,
calling his children to act quickly to pray and fast for
Palin and McCain. Think about this, what would the marching
have sounded like to David? It may have sounded like the
rustling of leaves as when wind blows through them, but was
this time something was different and out of the ordinary.
Maybe it was like the sound of the great wind when the
Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost. Also, God's people
are referred to as Trees of Righteous in Isaiah 61. So the
sound of the Lord marching in the treetops in David's time
is a portrait of the Spirit of the Lord moving among and
stirring up his children today.

So what are we to do when we sense this
stirring of the Spirit? Two things, first we are to take it
as the sign that the Lord is moving out in front of us.
Anytime the Lord calls us to do something he goes ahead of
us to prepare the way and fight for us. When Joshua
returned from spying out Jericho the Lord gave him insight
to see that the Lord had removed the Jericho 's protection
so Israel could defeat them. When the Lord calls us into
battle he goes ahead of us, removes the enemy's
protection, and fights for us to give us the victory.
Secondly, the Lord tells us when we sense the stirring of
the Spirit we are to act quickly and join Him in the battle
(through prayer, fasting, praise and obedience)

This election is by no means lost. For God
would not be stirring up his children all across this nation
and indeed around the world, to pray, if he did not want to
give us the victory in this election. And he wants us to
join him in the battle. God will hear the cries of his
children if we will only cry out to him with fervent,
earnest, prayers for this election and this nation. If
those who are being drawn to prayer by the Spirit will
indeed enter into a time of prayer and seeking His face,
then God will have mercy on America spare us from having an
ungodly leader, I'm sure of it!

One more thought, after the last debate,
so-called 'conservative' David brooks gushed about
Obama,

'I thought Obama had the night he needed to
have. You know, through this whole 20 month marathon, I
think what struck me is how incredibly even he is. And how
frankly reassuring he is. It is like you're camping, and
you wake up one morning, and there is a mountain. And then
the next morning, there is a mountain, and there's the
next morning, there's a mountain. Obama is just the
mountain. He is just there.. He is always the same, he
doesn't hurt himself. McCain can sometimes lob a
cannonball at the mountain, but the mountain doesn't
move, and the mountain doesn't care. And so I think his
steadiness, his temperament has been the dramatic theme of
this campaign, dramatic in being undramatic. And it was on
display tonight. And the good part of the mountain is that
he is reassuring and reliable.'

I'm really glad he used the word
'mountain' to describe Obama. It caused me to remember
what Jesus said about unmovable mountains. Jesus said, I
tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to
there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for
you.'
And it only takes a little faith!
This election can only be won by going around
the face of the election and attacking the enemy where he is
vulnerable, through prayer, fasting and praise. If you hear
the sound of the Lord marching in the tree tops, if you feel
the stirring of the Spirit calling you to pray, then move
quickly into a time of prayer, for God is moving ahead of
you at that time to give us the victory. May God give us
ears to hear the marching!

Together with you in the battle,

Scott Whitley

This is good....please watch it.
(when I first watched it and saw the word "abortion" I was ready to close it....there are a lot of distrurbing things out there. this is NOT one of them....don't worry.)

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

uh-oh!

OK...so it's not as bad as all that. They totally had permission. We are redoing our dining room. (Let me clarify....DH is redoing my dining room ;) )

Either for fun or to keep us from backing out, we decided to let the kids color on the walls. Isn't that fun? I just hope they don't do it on the new walls.

Pictures of the finished product will follow.

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

Remember this? This was my idea for the next several TMTT.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is a blog carnival that is hosted by my blogger-friend, Lisa. She and her sister put together a way for us bloggers to share tips, recipes and other kitchen info. It is such fun. I hope you will join us.

For my entry, I will do 2 recipes.

We have 30 days, as I type this, until Thanksgiving. That's right. Look to the left of my blog. Right there on the sidebar....30 days until THE day of turkey. Except by the time most of you read this, it will be 29. EEK! You should all be in full-holiday swing by now. If not...you need to get crackin'!

What should you have done this week?

You should have your guests invited to your feast and your menu planned. Started rounding up your recipes and get ready to make your grocery list. Do all that unpleasant cleaning that nobody really sees, but makes a huge difference to you.

OK, sorry....off my soapbox and putting on my apron~

Today's recipes are:

Cornbread Dressing and Southwestern Cornbread Dressing

This first recipe is one that has been used by my family for years. But a few years ago, we tried this recipe and now it is the keeper. We like the texture a bit better...and the flavor can't be beat. The words "dressing" and "stuffing" can be used interchangeably, depending on where you are from. I call it dressing 'cause I don't cram it up a.......sorry.....not appropriate conversation for the table. I have just always called it dressing. The ingredients can be the same. I don't DO stuffing (literally) of the bird. I do a casserole dish of dressing.

CORNBREAD DRESSING:

2 8-inch pans of cornbread

10 biscuits

2 large onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped (or celery flakes...1 Tbsp.)

6 eggs

5 cups chicken broth

sage, salt, pepper to taste

Crumble breads in large pan (I do this a few nights before) and let them "stale" a bit. You want them dry.

On Turkey day~to the bread add onions, celery and raw eggs. Moisten with chicken broth and stir until well blended. Add sage, salt and pepper to taste. Pour into 9" x 13" baking pan.

Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes

SOUTHWESTERN CORNBREAD DRESSING:

1 pound chorizo (Mexican sausage)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 large clove garlic, minced or put through garlic press
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed and minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
10 to 12 cups cornbread crumbs (see recipe below)
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen/thawed)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups chicken broth, or more
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Cornbread: (personally, I used Jiffy :) )

2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons bacon drippings

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a 9x13-inch pan, melt the bacon drippings while the oven is preheating. Once melted and hot, sprinkle a thin layer of corn meal in the bottom of the pan and return it to the oven to brown for a few minutes. Mix together the buttermilk, baking soda, baking power, salt and eggs. Add the cornmeal, and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour the batter into it (it should sizzle). Bake until lightly brown and cornbread starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the cornbread a day or 2 before you intend to make your dressing. Leave it out, uncovered, overnight.

For the Dressing, preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large skillet, saute the chorizo in the olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. (the chorizo I use is not the "bulkier" kind that you can dice up. I just remove the casing and cook it.) Remove the chorizo from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, poblano, jalapeno and garlic to the skillet, and saute until onion just begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add chili powder, oregano and cumin, reduce heat, and stir to combine.

Crumble the cornbread into a large baking dish or pan.

Combine the vegetable mixture, chorizo, corn and cilantro with the crumbs, and stir well.

Stir the beaten eggs and chicken broth into the cornbread mixture, and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and stir dressing down from the sides of the pan so that it cooks uniformly. Check the seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste. Return pan to oven and cook for 15 minutes more.

Either of these recipes will make you want to slap your momma.....I do not recommend this at the holiday table.

Enjoy!

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

Hola! Hope y'all have had a great week. And I hope that you will join me on MHHM! I would love to see your ideas.

Making a Happy Home Monday is a blog carnival that I started about 1 month ago. The idea behind it is this....we all have areas in our homes that need a little attention. And quite honestly, most will take only a few minutes. So I'm asking you to find an area and improve it a bit. Make the area work for you a bit better, either in function or in beauty.

I would love for our ideas to be an inspiration and an encouragement for other women to improve their environments. You can clean out your fireplace, have a fresh batch of cookies ready for your kids when they come home, or hang a new wreath on your door. Big or small, any area of your home is worth 15 minutes of your time.

"If Momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy." That is true in my house. Take control of the unhappy areas. Make a happy home.

Sign up at the bottom on Mr. Linky. Then, go and see what everyone else is doing. Show them some blogger love and leave a comment. I hope you will join me.

This Monday, I decided to work on the area that we see everyday. It's the place that all my visitors see first thing. It's the part of my home that makes an impression, but is easy to overlook because it is outside.....MY FRONT PORCH.

Here is a before picture:

A few pumpkins* later and here is what we have.

*Notice that one of the "pumpkins" is STILL wearing his "Soccer Monster" shirt. Today makes 5 weeks and counting of DAILY USE!!!

I can't wait to check out your posts.

Have a great week!

THAT Mom

I have often threatened to be "THAT Mom."

You know who she is. You may have even been her from time to time. I'm thinking of the readers whom I know of....YOU have definitely been "THAT Mom" before.

You remember? She is the one that is in your face...well, maybe not YOURS, but whomever might need to be told to "step off." She hovers at the school....just showing up to make sure that things are done the way she thinks is right. She has no problem pushing her agenda when it comes to her child.

The problem comes in knowing when to be "THAT Mom" or when NOT to be. You see, "THAT Mom" can bring some definite good. (As long as she keeps her cool.)

Well, "THAT Mom" showed up at soccer today.

I thought I was going to have to kick her butt.

Seriously.

First off, it is just a game...the kids are under 8.

Secondly, it is a TEAM SPORT! You know the whole "Together Everyone Achieves More" saying? Well....it ain't about your kid lady.

Thirdly, I paid a decent chunk of change to have my son coached by a COACH! (Go figure.) If I wanted a blond female yelling at my son from the sideline, I would have pushed your fat-tushie out of the way and done it myself.

Finally, SHUT-UP!

Seriously!

You are driving me insane. I'm about to have to become "THAT Mom" just to make sure YOU step off.

Know when to use it, lady!

Know when to use it.

You don't use it in the face of a 7 year old child.

And you certainly don't use it in front of me!

There ain't room for 2 of us!

Have a nice day.

STUFF

I am no theologian. I haven't been to seminary. I only know what I read in the Bible and what I feel in my heart. There are certain things I KNOW will happen....I'm just not sure when. Lots of things are being said and I guess I just want to jump on the wagon and share my own thoughts. I have no doubt that this will bug some people, but I haven't (to my knowledge) made anyone mad in a bit, so.......

I thought about linking you to some specific articles, but I will let you research a bit. (Heh....I can't find what I'm looking for.) One site I like to look at every now and then is a gal on Xanga who goes by annamatrix. She looks into prophecy. I don't know if she is or considers herself to actually BE a prophetess. I think they exist, but I don't know if she is one. I do not necessarily agree with all she has to say....and I don't care for her language at all...so a disclaimer, should you look her up. She is a Messianic Jew and has said some interesting things. I don't read her all the time, but I have seen some interesting things on end-times.

Some think that Obama is the Antichrist. I don't know. Part of me....the "pre-trib" part of me....wonders if we will know for sure who the Antichrist is, or if we will just have a few "inklings" about certain people. The "mid-trib" part of me says that we WILL know. I am not ready to put money on anyone...YET. (Though Javier Solana has caught my eye.)

I do feel that Obama is totally wrong for this country, but honestly, I have a peace about it all. Keep in mind that NO MATTER WHAT....GOD IS IN CONTROL. He still answers prayers and there is a measure of protection over the saints (Christians). If you aren't comforted by this, you should be. It reminds me of the book of Judges. Israel fell into great sin and was appointed judges. It was a cycle of being away from God, being closer to God. I think that is what we, as a nation, are going through. We have to go through hard times. It is in the Bible. We will possibly go through tribulation. How much of it? We won't know until we go through it. Pray for the best, plan for the worst.

That is in the back of my mind when I stockpile. I do not have my own cattle to butcher, nor do I garden enough to can and store. But I do buy a few extra staples every now and again. There are a few trains of thought about this. I have spoken to friends....just to get their ideas on this subject.

Matthew 6:34 says: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

BUT, Proverbs 6:6-8 says: Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

What do I get from those verses? I get that I, as a follower of Christ, will be taken care of and that I shouldn't needlessly worry. I also get that I should not take a lackadaisical attitude about it all. Yes, what will be will be, but I shouldn't just sit back and watch it happen. I still need to take care of my family.

So, what are we (my hubby and I) doing? Well, we are still planning our future. We are about to open up more college funds. I still coupon. We are stockpiling, but not because we may, or may not, be in the first part of the Tribulation. We stockpile because when I shop correctly, I get twice the food for my money and don't have to go to the store as often.

We are making sure that our kids are brought up in the Word. Not because we are worried about the future, but because we are supposed to do that. We are still working in JBQ, which is a great way for us to teach the Bible to our children. We are training our children in the way that they should go....planning for another 50 years....though I personally give us less than 10. BUT like I said, I am no prophet. It is just my thought.

My friends, (heh...now I sound like McCain), if you are a Christian, then you are not to fear. WE have the Blessed Hope. We know that we know that we know that Jesus is coming back and that we will be taken up, in the twinkling of an eye. These are exciting times! Remember....GOD IS IN CONTROL!

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

Thanks for being patient with me.....all 7 of you!

THANKS for participating in Making a Happy Home Monday! I loved all your ideas and I hope other readers got some inspiration out of it.

Now, for TMTT!

My blogger friend, Lisa, and her sister Lana, host this blog carnival. It is a lot of fun. Pop on over and link up!

First off, I'm going to share my basic Thanksgiving menu. I say basic because I always try to add something new and I might take something out. But for the most part, this will all be served....and 95% of it will be prepared by myself. I will have a bit of help with a side-dish or 2, but I will do most of the preparations.

In the interest of time (tonight) I will share only one recipe. On the coming weeks, I might share a few. I might not share for something I think is common. However, if there are any questions you have about a recipe or want a recipe for something in particular, please leave a comment.

I'm totally looking forward to the next few months of TMTT as I will be talking about my favorite things to prep in the kitchen!

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving menu:

Roast turkey
dressing (may be cornbread or southwest)
mashed potatoes
gravy (may be giblet or pan)
sweet potatoes (I don't DO sweet taters...these are prepped by my mother)
green beans (NOT casserole...blech)
broccoli and rice casserole
homemade cranberry sauce
homemade noodles (I hope they are served)
fruit salad
corn on the cob
coconut cream pie
pumpkin pie
pecan pie
cranberry upside down cake
cheesecake
*various appetizers....I haven't even thought of these yet

Today, let's talk turkey.

Turkey is one of the easiest things to fix, but so many have never done it and are a bit overwhelmed.

First off, you want to allow roughly 2 pounds per person so if you have 10 adults, you need at least a 20 pound bird...I would allow 1 pound per child. This will feed everyone well and allow leftovers which are a MUST! Keep in mind that when you look at the tag with the weight, they are including bones...you are not getting 20 pounds of meat and an adult isn't going to eat 2 pounds of it.

When you buy your turkey, it needs to be bought with enough time to thaw or defrost. (I have a former friend who would say "dethaw." Huh?)

To thaw in the fridge you need to allow 1 day per 4 pounds. So, a 20 pound turkey will need 5 days....Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Your 20 pound bird should be bought and in the fridge by Saturday! There is another way to thaw...using a cold water bath, but this is a pain in the tush. You have to change out the water every 30 minutes. It's messy and you have a mushy, gross mess if there happens to be a hole in the wrap. Also, if the bird gets TOO warm, you do run the risk of bacteria in the meat. Just buy it a week early and keep it in the fridge.

Thursday morning you need to get up EARLY (if you want your feast at lunch) and work on prepping "Tom." If you buy that 20 pound turkey, you will need to bake it 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Until a meat thermometer, stuck in the inner thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180.) You really don't want a "self-basting" turkey, as that tends to mask the flavor of the turkey (IMHO). At the same time, if you buy a frozen bird, it doesn't get much better than Butterball....again, IMHO.

So, unwrap your turkey, rinse inside and out.

****VERY IMPORTANT**** Remove the bag with the giblets and neck.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Oil the skin. (here is where opinion comes into play) You can brush with vegetable oil, spray with cooking spray or rub with butter.

Personally, I like to take a handful of softened butter (quite literally) and rub it over the breast UNDER the skin AND on top of the skin. This will keep the bird moist and will brown the skin nicely.

Sprinkle both outside AND cavity with salt and pepper. Then fill the cavity with aromatics. (I personally don't do stuffing. The thought grosses me out (it also adds baking time) I do a pan of dressing.) I fill cavity with onion, celery, thyme, garlic, maybe lemon slices. You won't eat this, but it flavors the meat mildly.

Tuck the wings under the body to prevent them from browning too much. Tie the legs together. (You want to do this as the legs loosen from the body and the skin will break. You will end up with leg bones and meat just hanging off the body....broken skin and a lot of moisture lost) Some folks say to skewer the opening...I don't because I don't stuff with a side dish.

Put turkey, breast side up, (flat portion down), in a roasting pan. You NEED something heavy-duty. If you do buy a disposable roasting pan, it will need to be put on a cookie sheet or other heavy-duty baking pan. I have placed it flat on the pan, roasted it in a bag (in the pan) and put the turkey on a rack.) I have had success with all 3, so don't freak if you don't have a turkey-bag. I will say this, a bag helps with clean-up as the juices can really stick to the pan. Just be sure to cut a vent in the bag and allow enough room for the steam to "puff up" the bag. You don't want it to touch the top of the oven. My preference is to place it on a rack.

Put the turkey into a 325 degree oven and bake for at least 3 1/2 hours (for a 20 pound turkey). The last 30 minutes to an hour, you might need to tent some foil over the breast to keep it from getting too brown and too dry. You won't do this if you use a bag.

Before taking it out, check for doneness. One easy way is to grab a leg-bone and move it back and forth. If it moves easily, it should be done...or really close to being done. I like to check the temp. I stick a meat thermometer into the inner thigh (where it is thickest...NOT touching the bone) to see if it reads "180." If yes, I remove from oven.

Final step before carving....LET THE MEAT REST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. Keep it covered with foil to retain heat. Really, this step is very necessary. ANY meat that you roast should sit out for a bit. As the meat is roasting, the juice tends to head to the surface and evaporate. While the meat is resting, the juices redistribute leading to a moist meat. If you carve too soon, a lot of the juice will run out at the first cut.

Carve, either at the table or in the kitchen. (This is what I prefer. I carve it and arrange on a platter to put in the center of the table.)

Well, there you go. I hope this was helpful. Another great help is Butterball...the company. You can go to butterball.com and they can give you MANY turkey tips. They even have a hot line that you can call on Thanksgiving Day to help will any "uh-ohs" or other concerns you may have. They actually will start the line on November 3 and keep it up through December.

Let me know how you like this idea. I'm kinda pumped, myself!

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

Hey, y'all. I'm doing this on the fly.

I am in a hurry. We are heading out west to see my grandfather, who is in the hospital. And extra prayer or 3 would be much appreciated

I would still love for y'all to join me :D

This is a bit bigger than what I normally do, but still...it makes for a happy home. My hubby redid my bathroom a few weeks ago. The paper was nasty and peeling off the walls. The flooring was dull, scratched up and gross. He peeled wallpaper, painted, reset the toilet, redid the flooring....doesn't it look great?

Please join me. The point of Making a Happy Home Monday is to encourage and inspire other women to do something...just ONE thing during the week to make a happier home. Paint a wall, dust your ceiling fan, sweep your porch. Any of these can make a home a happier home. Link up on Mr. Linky so we can all see whatcha got going on!

Blessings....I'll be back soon.

THE BEGGAR

With hands clasp under my chin
While down on my knees
As I bat my eyelashes
And raise my voice to an ALMOST annoying pitch
I ask.......


Won't you join me for "Making a Happy Home Monday?"

LETTER

I got this through email. I did verify this through Snopes and read Brown's response to the check. I know that there are some out there who will disagree and probably try to rip me a new one. That's OK. Those of you who DO agree...please copy and post this letter on your own blog.

*I did not correct any spelling or grammatical errors.

Why I Can't Vote For Obama
By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating... First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader. I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter. We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007. NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008) To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating.
There is a reason the homosexual community supports him.
There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him.
There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court.
There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill.
There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion.
There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him.

There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law. Think about this: You can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years. Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you, talk like you, believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a ...
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace t he White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that? Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside. This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church.

The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world. A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if it’s a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote. O

bama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.”

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation? In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment. Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.

First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." Then God says 1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure. God is not schizophrenic He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will l be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy. I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions.

Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings, Huntley Brown

AWARD

My good friend from the Stacy Family, and my good blogger friend Miss Paula gave me this award. HOW SWEET!

Thank you so much for this!

Along with accepting this award comes a small series of questions that must be answered & then passed on to 5 of your Blogging Friends.

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood?

Yup! My hubby and I have known each other since first grade...and yes, we were friends.

Les, and Ly, who frequently comment have been friends of mine almost as long as DH....in fact, I think Ly was 1st or 2nd grade, right? And Les...7th grade. Then there is B, who does not blog (so far ;) ) but reads...I remember her walking into class...what was it, B? 3rd or 4th grade...

2. What do you value most about your friends?

I love that they accept me for who I am. They let me rant and then hold no grudges. They call me stupid to my face and let me live it down without any reminders. And....they are just cool to know~

3. Are your friends your sounding boards?

Not so much now, I guess. Well, if you count my hubby...he is. I don't necessarily call the girls up to confirm something. BUT, when we do get on the phone, it is almost scary :)

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends?

Memories, hopes, dreams, recipes, and our love for our children.

OK...now I'm supposed to choose 5 recipients.

I am going to choose people who have come into my life THROUGH the computer. Some, I have met IRL. If I haven't, I sure would like to some day. I hope they will all accept this award...along with the hug it comes with. They have each brought something special into my life and for that, I thank them!

One-Hip-Mom*

justdawn*

Random Thoughts from the Zoo*

*These 3 mommas I have "known" since 2003. We were all preggers at the same time: I with my 3rd, One-Hip-Mom with her 2nd, justdawn with #4 and Random with #4 (I think ;) )....my how times have changed. Our group of 4 mommas with 13 kids, collectively, grew to 4 mommas and 19 kids. WOW!!! Good, strong women!

Make You Work More - this momma was preggers with her #4 when I was. We met on an online, parenting message board and hit it off immediately. Now, 4 years after "meeting," we are still cyber-friends. I'm still trying to figure out a way to fly up to Canada to meet her IRL!

Lanarightnow-this momma is relatively new to the blogs I read. She is nothing but sweet and her twin sister (blessedwithgrace) is just as sweet! These ladies are the ones who host the Tempt My Tummy Tuesday blog carnival. Lana is the one that designed my widget for Making a Happy Home Monday carnival.

So, there you have it. Mi amigas!

Coming up

I have done one of these before...kind of a teaser as to what I plan to blog. I don't know if I kept up with it properly. Hmmmm, maybe I should find it and blog on what I promised to blog on...because you might (or might not) want to read my thoughts. :D HA!

No...I had, what I think, is a great idea. I have already discussed this with my BF, so she won't be offended by this, I'm sure.

When she and I met, she soon discovered my love of cooking/baking and TRYING to be a Proverbs 31 woman. She also shared some of her concerns in some of those same areas. Like MANY women of my generation, she wasn't taught: housekeeping and cooking skills. (I wasn't really taught them either. No offense to my own mother. It just wasn't done, growing up in a microwave society with the mother earning a much-needed second income.) Now that I am staying home, I have tried to teach myself (some areas, more successfully, than other.)

Anyway, so close is our relationship that she knows she can (and she has) called me at the last minute to help with a recipe, offer a substitution or make a suggestion when it comes to a menu.

SO....all that to say this. SOME people who might read this, may not have developed cooking skills. (And no, I don't consider Hamburger Helper to be a home-cooked meal....sorry.) Some of you have 1 or 2 tried and true recipes, but don't think outside the card, so to speak. Some won't experiment or learn new things. And some are lacking in the basics.

I thought that it would be fun to share my menu for Thanksgiving and some of my Christmas goodies (selfishly keeping a few surprises for a few more years) during the next Temp My Tummy Tuesday. I would then start to break it down.....giving recipes/directions for what I would think would have the most interest. Then, if there is something you have a question about, or want to know, you can leave me a comment and I'll answer ASAP. Sounds like fun to me, anyway. :)

I also want to blog on my stockpiling again. It is not near as impressive as it was about 3 months ago, but there are some things that I am NOT allowed to buy for awhile....body wash, toothpaste, detergent, febreeze, Windex wipes, deoderant, shampoo, tooth brushes.....)

I have other ideas, but I really wanted to tease the food thing.

Tell me what you think.

AND....if you deem it lovely, PLEASE join me on Making a Happy Home Monday. Yes...I am begging now. LOL!

THE SHIRT

Do you see the shirt that my youngest is wearing? Scroll down to my "Wordless Wednesday" post and look again. It is a blue and yellow striped soccer jersey. My dad got all the boys "pro" soccer jerseys when he went to Turkey.

Thankfully, he got the 2 younger boys identical jerseys, as the youngest hasn't taken it off in WEEKS!

I kid you not. This past Sunday made 3 weeks that this shirt has been worn. I switch them out so I can wash one while the other is worn. *sigh* I'm a bit tired of seeing it, quite frankly, but honestly...it doesn't bother me that he wants to wear it....ALL THE TIME.

It seems like all my kiddos have gone through a phase of loving something and keeping it with them at all times. Granted, even the Superman cape lost its appeal after about 10 days.

This Jersey is called "Soccer Monster." It comes for the Backyardigans, "

Here is Pablo from the Backyardigans as "Soccer Monster"



AND THIS...because it is SO FREAKIN' FUNNY!!!



If you haven't discovered the Backyardigans, I suggest you check them out. They are great. The voices (as they sing) are really great. I.....I mean my kids, LOVE them!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

BELLY-ACHE

I need to belly- ache for a bit. I'm just very irritated today. Nothing has really happened. Just a bunch of crap....that's all...crap. And I want to get it off my mind. Not that this will clear my mind of it all, but it does help to put into words my issues. I try not to do this too often, as I know y'all don't care. And I usually care what you think (despite the fact that I don't want to care.) But today? I don't really care....is it the weather? Is it "THAT TIME?" I don't know, but sometimes....you just need to belly-ache.

I'm sure this will be random. There are probably some things that won't make sense to anyone, but my hubby, who, bless his heart, doesn't fly out until tomorrow, so he has had to take the brunt of my insanity.

This wasn't even an issue until about 3 minutes ago. I just sat down to watch the recorded episode of "my" Martha. She had some Sesame Street puppets. What is up with that? Martha doesn't do as well with a studio audience, or celebrity guests, for that matter...but puppets? Ugh...that just ticks me off. Thankfully, it is recorded (and yes, I know I'm behind about a week, but please) I was able to forward through that few minutes of torture.

I'm bothered that my goals for "Making A Happy Home" seem to be flopping on various fronts. Did you see how many people signed up this last Monday? Go ahead...scroll down. Yep. I know. Also, you know the before and after pictures I've posted? Well, my table, buffet and counter look like the before picture AGAIN. I feel like a big flop. (and the thing that even ticks me off more is that there are a few people who might read this blog and enjoy my UNsuccess...whatEVer...they can kiss my big toe!)

And speaking of people....I find it bothersome that some only seek you out to gain something (info or whatever) and when you try to reach out to them, they offer their own big toe...or worse, nothing. *sigh* Why do I try? Why do I care? It bugs me that I try AND care. GRRRRR. On a lighter note, there seems to be one reader whom I seem to be reconnecting with...and I'm happy about that.

I did really well with couponing and such for about 4 months. Now I suddenly have trouble with them....am I lazy? Probably. Do I care? Yup. Do I feel powerless to change? Uh-huh! And that bothers me, because you know, I don't work....please...I know that SAHMs do stuff, but you know what I mean. I don't earn cash WHICH is what is needed more and more these days.

I have started stocking on staples as a "just-in-case." I would explain further, but there are some (yes, you know who you are) who think that I should not put my beliefs out on MY blog and tell you why I think stocking is important...and it's not because I think the local grocery store is going to explode. Thankfully, there are OTHER readers who, if you consider your faith, and my faith, know exactly what I'm talking about.

I'm mildly freaked out about the quickly approaching holidays. I have been working on my holiday binder...and I'm behind by about 8 weeks. Yep...you read right. EIGHT WEEKS! So much to do, so little time. Am I the only one?

I'm greatly bothered by the election crap. I know some folk just aren't thinking that clearly and will vote for the wrong man (in my opinion.) *Please note that it is my OPINION and I didn't d@m* anyone to hades or anything. Putting aside who is running against whom, I am bugged by crap, smear, mud-slinging. "Is Sarah qualified to lead?" Honestly, I haven't seen as many polls asking about Barry.....double standard? (There again....just stating my opinion....I haven't said that someone is going to hades.)

I'm very nervous about Saturday. I'll be going to the first JBQ match of the season and it will be my very first as a coach. I'm sad that I won't get to be there to support my oldest son as I will be with my younger son....I'm his team's coach. Also, the match is 1 hour away in a place I've never been....don't like going into the unknown at such an early hour. I see a Dr Pepper or 3 in my Saturday forecast.

Well, that wraps it up......

One more thing. My hubby just "lovingly" told me not to slip back into my DP habit. He is about to be offered my OTHER big toe. I love him, but I need me some DP!

Anyway, that about wraps it up. I will be back tomorrow with some other things. Things that are probably boring, but won't make you mad, as I'm sure some are upset about this. I guess you do care, huh?

Later.......

oh....btw...that is NOT my big toe. I have much better looking feet!

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

Hey, y'all. It's that time of week again. Time to make a happy home.

I host a blog carnival called "Making a Happy Home Monday." The point is to do something, JUST ONE THING, that makes your home a happy home. This is so easy to do. You can clean out a closet, wipe down the baseboards of your bathroom, or vacuum the cobwebs off your ceiling.

If what you do makes the area prettier, or makes your home run a bit more smoothly, YOU have succeeded in making a happy home. Please join me in encouraging, and being encouraged by, other women who are reaching for the same goal: A HAPPY HOME!

Take pictures if you can. If not, no worries...just tell us what you did! Leave a comment on the links you follow to let these ladies know you popped in. Be sure to link up on Mr. Linky down at the bottom.


So, you can probably tell by the above photo that I have a problem with clutter. So bad is my problem with clutter that I spent most of the past week "Making a Happy Counter-top" (from last week's post.) Clutter will NOT beat me!!!

Here you see a lovely old buffet complete with 3 weeks of newspapers, various books and spirals, a plant and other schmuck.

About 5 minutes later and you have:

(Granted, the floor wasn't done YET, but the papers were gone.) I have my Bible and a devotional on the right. On the left is where the mail gets stacked for DH to peruse when he gets home from his tour. (I don't DO mail....unless it's a cooking magazine, a cookbook that I "accidentally" ordered, or an Astronomy magazine."

JOIN ME AND MY FRIENDS IN MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY!

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR IDEAS!!!

FOLLOWERS

If you follow me...please let me know in my sidebar.

WHEN I WAS A KID

I grew up in a small town. A town where football ruled during the fall. Summers were filled with Little League Baseball and hours of swimming. To go to a mall, or a movie, one simply had to drive to the nearest "big city" (pop. 108,000), a mere 30 miles away.

I grew up as an only child, but I had 2 cousins that lived in the house just across the street. One cousin is 10 months younger and her brother 3 years younger. We did everything together for YEARS. We lived in an area of town that was right on the line separating the blacks and the whites.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I'm not being racist in the slightest...also, if you lived in my town (or know the area) you know that I speak the truth when I say that there was a wall (which is still standing, by the way) that kept the whites in their neighborhood and the blacks in theirs. My kindergarten building used to be the black school. I often walked passed the shut-down black pool, and would swing and slide in the white park...being able to see the black park. The only thing we lacked were the signs that indicated the drinking fountains for "colored only." (And I'm sure they were there at one point.)

SO....my cousins and I would play in the street (on this border) a game that we made up. The street that crossed between my house and my cousins' house was 2nd street. It led to a grocery store (going East) and led into the black neighborhood (going West). Then going North, Katherine Street would go to the livestock pens and finally, going South, the road would lead to the swimming pool. (That was desegregated.)

The name of this game was "CAR!" And let me tell you....HOURS of fun, my friend. HOURS we would play this game...standing in the middle of the the intersection. We were lucky to spot about 10 cars an hour, but we loved it.

This is the gist of the game....

We decided that we couldn't have anyone driving a car see us. What would happen? We haven't a clue, so stealthy we were...so good at avoiding detection...we were never spotted, thus never finding out what horrors awaited the one who was caught.

Our escape was simply running to my yard to hunker down behind the 2 foot tall, cinder block fence. OR, we could run to my cousins' yard to peer twixt the branches of the Crape Myrtle. As this would only work when the thing was in bloom and leafed out, we would often find that we had no choice but to throw ourselves on the ground face first, flat as we could get and eyes pinched shut....because you know the rule....if you can't see them, they can't see you!

Our warning system was the most sophisticated of the day. We would stand and watch for cars. When one was spotted, all shimmery in the heat, floating on the apparent lake that hung on the horizon, we would holler at the top of our lungs, "CAR!" Then we would give the location. This information was vital to our escape plan.

Now, before I go on....let me refer you to paragraph 3. I am NOT racist, but my grandfather was, as was a lot of the town. Nurture over nature my friend...we talked as any self-respectin' redneck was expected to talk.

So the following are the 4 most common warnings that could be heard:

"CAR! Coming down Circle M Road!"

"CAR! Coming down N****r Road!"

"CAR! Coming down Pool Road!"

"CAR! Coming down Sheep Pen Road!"

Creative, no?

So difficult was the game if there were 2 cars coming from 2 different locations at the same time.

You will be happy to know that neither my cousins, nor I, ever got caught. We were able to escape the cars, as well as our prejudices, to lead relatively normal lives.

TAGGED

My blogger friend, Catey, tagged me with this. I'm supposed to list 7 interesting (I read "weird") things about myself. Frankly, I find myself very normal and will probably have trouble with this. LOL!!!

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged...unless you are of the 50% who has done this in the last few weeks ;)

OK.....this is so tough.

I have done this before, so some of this might be a repeat.

1. I refuse....REFUSE....to smell things to check for freshness, goodness or cleanness. If something gets to that point that you have to put your schnoz into the "odor zone" then assume is is bad, and call it a day. For example, dirty undies. Now, I know if MINE are dirty. My hubby is good about putting his BVD's into the hamper. BUT, I have 4 little guys who tend to leave things lying around, or pull things out of drawers without being asked or drop stuff when putting away. SO, if I see some cute little Thomas undies on the floor I, of course, pick them up. However, I do NOT smell them to see if they are clean. If they are, great...no harm, no foul. If they are not? Oh, dear reader, that is maxed out on the "EWWWW" Factor. And really, those teensy-weensy size 2T skivvies don't take up that much space in the wash....just throw it in. Your nose will thank you.

2. Gel toothpaste CREEPS ME OUT!!! It feels freaky on my teeth...I can't stand it. My hubby is OK with it. My kids love it...with stars in it, no less. But me? NO THANK YOU!!! I have a rigor just thinking aobut it.

3. I can taste the metal of some pieces of silverware. It doesn't necessarily have to be a certain brand, and it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I'll take a bite and I taste the spoon. I get another spoon and all is well. I can't tell you how many times, when buying new silverware, I have been tempted to just take out a spoon and lick it. :p

4. I count ALL THE TIME! When I'm at the dentist, I count the tiles. (Heh...when at the gyno, I count the same thing.) When I'm walking across the yard to check the mail, I count my steps....guess I'm just a regular Rain Man!

5. I MUST have food and/or a drink when I take a road trip. What is a road trip? Anything that requires my presence in the FTU! When dh and I take the kids to the doctor (40 minutes away) I ask if we can stop and get a drink. I need to know this because if he says, "no" (he's mean like that, sometimes) then I have to fix something. When I pick the kids up from school, I have to have a drink. It is usually a bottle of water, as it is convenient. I don't care if it's healthy.....DP used to be my convenient beverage of choice, but you know THAT story. Anyway, I'm like Pavlov's dog....I hear keys jinglin' and I am immediately thirsty and develop the munchies!

6. I hate chick-flicks, for the most part.. Sorry, friends. I just do. There are a few that I can enjoy, but in general NO THANKS! (that goes for stupid-funny movies, too.)

7. I make lists for EVERYTHING! I keep a notebook in my purse at all times and often jot things down. I keep paper and pen by my bedside. I keep list-making tools in my bathroom. I have my HMNB and my holiday planner notebook. I use sticky-notes all the time. I do not have a master list. I have yet to learn to combine them all so I often have multiple lists to consult during the day. And some of the things on my list are stupid, but that is for me and me only.

Well, there you have it. Another fascinating look into my life. Love me or leave me! That's who I be!

**Join me for Making a Happy Home Monday**

MAKES MY HEINEY PUCKER

And it wasn't even my situation....not really.

We went to The Great State Fair of Texas. SO MUCH FUN. So much money.

Anyway, DH was riding a roller coaster with the 2 older boys. My 3rd was not tall enough, so I took him on a smaller ride. (Frankly, I don't know why he could ride this specific ride instead of the one mentioned...but I digress.)

AS I WAS SAYING, we were on a different ride....kind of like the Octopus. The claw that has the seats hanging from the top arm. It raises, spins, twists, and turns....I had to pray...LITERALLY....that I would not puke. (again...digression)

My 5 year-old and I climbed on and got the shoulder bar pulled down and locked into place. I looked around and saw a mom with her 9 or 10 year old son, all grins....she was locked in...he was not.

She asked me, "Could you wave that man down? He needs to lock in my son."

First, for those who don't know me, my voice carries....well....ok, really, I'm LOUD. (I don't have to try.) So I wave and holler, "SIR!"

I did this about a dozen times....leaning to the left trying to catch the eye of the man locking the seats....leaning to the right trying to be noticed by the man operating the machine.

I looked at the mom and said, "He'll probably be back around to check."

I continue waving, kicking and hollering.

Next thing we know...the arm starts to lift up. Had my heiney not been puckered so tightly, I would have pooped my britches! The mom, in hysterics, screams at her son, "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" At the same time, using her left arm to physically shove him out of the seat.
These kind of seats have the raised area that fits between your legs to keep you from sliding out.

He finally got out and dropped about 4-5 feet. As soon as he hit the ground, people waiting in line began screaming and waving that there was a loose body under the ride. The boy ran over to the gate where the operator just froze (thankfully, after pushing the "stop" button"). A few seconds later, upon coming to his senses, the operator lowered the ride, and the boy (surprisingly) got back on, strapped in and all went as planned.

That could have been bad.....really bad....REALLY BAD.

I still have the memory of that momma's face in my mind...I hear her screams....I put myself in her place and think of my own children.

One of those freak accidents that could change lives forever.

Thank you, God, for keeping your hand upon that boy. For helping him to be instantly obedient and for giving that momma the physical strength to help her son out of the seat.

For helping me not throw up.