House Church

It's funny, I never would have thought of us as the house church "type".

(Go with me here, I'm not trying to judge or label!)

What's a house church, you ask?

From Vine House Churches:

These are real churches that meet in homes, where believers gather at least once each week for prayer, fellowship, teaching, and to pray for the lost. House Churches can meet in homes, places of business, coffee shops-anywhere people meet. These are real churches, not just Bible studies or House groups. They have (pastor/shepherds), they collect tithes and offerings, and the leadership is responsible before the Lord for the souls of the people in the house church (Hebrews 13:17).

House Churches are local churches in which the church life and ministry to one another takes place mainly in House groups instead of in a "central service". Some house-churches do have a Sunday service, but the emphasis is on the Houses, where teaching, counseling, ministry, prayer and evangelism take place.

The important thing about a House Church is not the quality of the worship leader or how gifted the group leader is, but the tangible love of Christ between the members. People are drawn to Christ when they experience His love practically. Christianity is primarily relational. Jesus when he called his followers asking them to follow Him in relationship. Doctrine is essential but it must be realized in the context of people living out their lives in a way that looks Christ-like.

Yes, we look evil.  No, we are not! :)

 When we moved out of my Mom's house into our current home (remember, we are renting?), we found that not only did our back-door neighbors homeschool, their oldest child was in JMonster's class in our Classical Conversations group!  

And...they held a house church in their home!

Now we had been attending a great church here in town, with a pastor we loved and whose preaching was spot on, but we hungered for more.  We weren't connected in ways we wanted to be, and they started a capital campaign soon after we moved.  

I am NOT saying capital campaigns are bad, however our last 2 churches did HUGE capital campaigns toward the end of us being there and we were over them.  In our minds and hearts, that money could be used to directly help people who are in need!  Building more bricks and sticks, when there are SOOO many churches already here, just didn't make sense to us.

We visited the house church in November of 2011.  

WOW!  

We couldn't believe people actually churched like this!  

Where had this been all of our marriage?

Now that we have been attending for over a year, our thoughts are just the same.  

Church is good.  

Our church is good.  

House church isn't for everyone.  

It isn't better or worse than other churches, just different.

And we wouldn't change where we attend, right now, for anything.

At some point in the near future I will share about our community and just how it "works"!

Have you ever attended a house church?

Do you love the church you are in?

Are you being fed and getting to feed others?

 PLEASE SHARE!!!   

   

Telling your child about The Easter Bunny (& Santa & The Tooth Fairy)

5 years old and knows too much!

 

 

Today was the day.

JMonster wouldn't be put off when he asked.

"Is the Easter Bunny REAL?"

We've never lied to him.

We've just been very good at deflecting his questions.

"Look, Buddy, it's a giant spider!"

But today, his persistence won.

JMonster has joined the ranks of adults.

He now knows...

And my heart is breaking just a little for the loss of that magic.

And I'm also sighing in relief.

No more hiding!

So, do your kiddos still believe?

How did you tell them?

HAPPY EASTER!

HAPPY EASTER!

Prayers that your day was filled with thoughts of...

His sacrifice

The depth of his blessing as he descended into hell

And the love that overcame the grave!

He is ALIVE!

Random Question

Okay, so we haven't done one of these in awhile!  

Hopefully there will be at least one person out there who still reads and will answer.

Really.  You should answer!

This one obviously comes from the decision passed in Illinois...

If you could abolish the death penalty OR abortion (and could only choose one), which one would you choose?


Why?

(I saw a cartoon I thought of putting here, but didn't want to skew the answers!)

A Bad Poem about Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday

Oh day of shame!

We eat till we're rolling...

We read drink play till we we're lame.

(hey, it rhymes)

Tomorrow begins the fast...

on Ash Wednesday.

Lent.

40 (46 actually, but who's counting?) days to not stray.

Remember the sacrifice?

Remember the tears?

Remember the lashes?

Remember the fears?

Was he forsaken?

I think not.

For us He was beaten.

His death our life bought.

I pray for a time I'll remember each day...

and that each of my small changes...

forever will stay

inside of me

to remind me

of the price He did pay.

Lent.

Lenten promises...take 2!

As Lent approaches I've been processing more and more the changes I would like to make this year.  I told you about the challenge issued by my sister...remember?  No?  Go catch up.  We'll wait!

For those of you who don't know what Lent is, Wikipedia does a fabulous job of summing it up.  I'd try, but most of you would be asleep by the time I got through rambling.  If you already know what Lent is just skim over the next section for a quick reminder!

Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.
This practice was virtually universal in Christendom until the Protestant Reformation. Some Protestant churches do not observe Lent, but many, such as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Anglicans, do.

Most followers of Western Christianity observe Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Saturday

Back to the challenge...I believe I've thought and prayed long enough and the changes I will be making are far more sweeping than I first declared.  In no particular order:

1.  No reading, other than the Bible, Bible Study materials, and minimal computer usage.  (Which goes to say that I WILL be reading my Bible a LOT more.  I'm a reader, remember?)
2.  No desserts.
3.  No artificial sweeteners.
(This is sounding like a lot of No's...I guess I listed those first!  Now for the yes's!)
4.  One glass of wine per week...on the weekend.  (I'm not a lush and I don't really need to limit this, but since wine is sweet...)
5.  I will set the alarm for 7:30am every weekday (and get up then!).
6.  I will find useful tasks I've been meaning to get done to fill my time...wasting time because I have more due to the lack of recreational reading would be counterproductive!

I am praying that my prayer life, my family life, and my body will be much healthier at the end of the 46 days.

I'm still waiting for y'all to share if you observe Lent and what changes you are planning to make!

What will my legacy be?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what people will remember about you when you are no longer here on this Earth?

Was he/she funny?

Did he/she make you feel better or worse about yourself?

Selfish?

Giving?

Outgoing?

Shy?

Caring?

Bold?

Bashful?

Agressive?

Passive?

Mean?

Lately I've been pondering this.

A lot.

Mostly I am curious if they will remember me as wanting to be like Jesus.

Wanting to be His hands and feet.

Somehow, if I were to die today...I doubt it.

A bigger question...

What do I need to do to change this?

How about you?

What will YOUR legacy be?

Lenten promises

Lent has typically been a time when I do the same thing I did last year and the year before and the year before that because that is what I ALWAYS do...give up chocolate.

Because, everybody SHOULD love chocolate. For real.

This year my twin sister has challenged me to a Lenten challenge to beat all Lenten sacrifices.

She wants me to give up reading.

Reading!?!

yep.

Reading.

I will be allowed to read The Bible.

And I will be allowed to read our Bible Study Materials.

Oh, and keep up with my blog.

But that is it.

:o(

This may or may not be what I looked like when she challenged me earlier today.

Jesus made a HUGE sacrifice for us.

Huge.

This may not be is not on the same level.

But it is big.

For me!

I'm also debating giving up sweets so I don't end up roly poly with all of the stress of not reading.

Are you making a change for Lent?

If so, what is it?

Merry Christmas!

MERRY

CHRISTMAS!

May your day be filled with reminders of

our Savior, who came in the form of a newborn baby.

Thanks be to God for His gracious gift!

JMonster is SO excited for Christmas!

The Sun and the Moon

I've been contemplating lately.

I know, dangerous, huh?

What I've been contemplating is a bit...deep.  So if you're not ready for deep you'd better stop reading.

If you ARE ready, grab a cup of coffee and let's chat.

As most of you know I am living with my identical twin sister.

She moved to town almost 2 years before I did.

She built her house in our neighborhood and got established almost a year before I moved in.

She has roots.  And friends. 

We all live in our own little solar systems.

Did you know that?

We all have our families, our friends, our jobs, our places of worship...

And most of us think of ourselves as the sun in our little solar system!

Our solar system may not be the same size, made up of the same types of planets, but it involves us and "revolves" around us.

Lately I've been a moon. A moon doesn't produce it's own light.  It REFLECTS the light of a greater source. I've been reflecting the light of my sister.

Now, that's not a horrible place to be, but it isn't where I was MEANT to be.

Her light is not MY light.

I'm beginning to remember that now.

I am, however, not aiming to become the sun in my solar system anymore.

I've decided to stay a moon.

I will not be reflecting the light of my sister...

I will be reflecting the light of a much brighter sun!

The Son.

Are you a sun or a moon?  

What do you want to be?

(Image courtesy of Nasa.gov)

It's a slow fade...

 

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Religion Quiz

How much do you know about religion?

And how do you compare with the average American? 

Here's your chance to find out.

"Take our short, 15-question quiz, and see how you do in comparison with 3,412 randomly sampled adults who were asked these and other questions in the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.

This national poll was conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life from May 19 through June 6, 2010, on landlines and cell phones, in English and Spanish.

When you finish the quiz, you will be able to compare your knowledge of religion with participants in the national telephone poll. You can see how you compare with the overall population as well as with people of various religious traditions, people who attend worship services frequently or less often, men and women, and college graduates as well as those who did not attend college."

~ as found on The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life website

Good luck!  

Be sure and come back to share your score and what questions you missed.

Curriculum ORDERED!

Today has been a BIG day of ordering curriculum.

First I ordered our Bible Study curriculum:

There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth as the website was backordered until the end of the month.  OUR STUDY STARTS NEXT MONDAY!

Went to the phone and called local bookstores.  Same story...backordered.

Went to Amazon.com.  Too expensive.

Searched the internet.

Went BACK to Amazon.com.  Ordered.  Got free shipping AND an unexpected discount.  Ended up a little cheaper than the first site.  I gotta say...God is SO good.  I was worried.  He took care of it.

Then I ordered our homeschooling curriculum.  A friend had let us borrow theirs...water was spilled on it, we now need to replace it.  Plus we really want our own copy to mess up. :O)

We ordered the K4 parent kit, which includes everything you need, really.  Not the student version, but we can do without that.

It's definitely WAY less expensive to homeschool, but it still isn't free. 

Good? Friday...a revisit

Today I'd just like to share with you the scripture concerning Jesus' arrest, sentencing, and crucifixion. The Rev, JMonster, and I are grateful for the sacrifice that our Lord, Jesus Christ, made for us on the cross. We are humbled that He loves us so much that He was willing to die for each of us. As Easter comes upon us, let us remember that sacrifice and love, and be moved to share it with others.

John 18-19 (New International Version)

John 18

Jesus Arrested

¹When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.

²Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. ³So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

⁴Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"

⁵"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.

"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) ⁶When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

⁸"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." ⁹This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

¹¹Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Jesus Taken to Annas

¹²Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him ¹³and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. ¹⁴Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.

Peter's First Denial

¹⁵Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, ¹⁶but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

¹⁷"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, "I am not."

¹⁸It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

¹⁹Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

²⁰"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. ²¹Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."

²²When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.

²³"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" ²⁴Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter's Second and Third Denials

²⁵As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?"
He denied it, saying, "I am not."

²⁶One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" ²⁷Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Jesus Before Pilate

²⁸Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

³⁰"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."

³¹Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."

"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. ³²This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

³⁴"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

³⁵"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

³⁶Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

³⁷"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

³⁸"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

⁴⁰They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

John 19

Jesus Sentenced to be Crucified

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ²The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

⁴Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." ⁵When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"

⁶As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."

⁷The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

⁸When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

¹¹Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

¹²From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

¹³When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

¹⁶Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

²²Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
"They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," ²⁷and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³²The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," ³⁷and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴²Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Although this day is ultimately good for us, I'm not quite sure who had the audacity to label it Good Friday. Black Friday would be more appropriate, in my mind.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday on Maunday Thursday...

My life is filled with blessings to be thankful for,
but this week I choose to focus on Resurrection Week.

Starting with Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey while people cheered and waved palm branches.

Followed by Jesus rousting the heathens from the temples, ticking off the rabbis, and praying and preaching to the masses.

To Maunday Thursday, when Jesus knew he would be betrayed and yet he ate supper with his disciples, washed their feet, and reminded them to remember him when they broke bread and drank wine.

Good Friday, which wasn't good at all.

And Easter Sunday, when the tomb was found open and Jesus had risen.

All for my sin.

For this I am thankful.

Lent

Growing up high mass Episcopalian, my thoughts on Lent go like this:

"What am I going to give up THIS year?"

"Does Sunday really count as a day off?"

"Can I REALLY give up chocolate for 40 days?"

Until I heard a sermon, in the PRESBYTERIAN church, that now has me thinking:

"Am I going to give up, or ADD something, for Lent this year?"

"Does Sunday really count as a day off?"

"Hmmm...ditch chocolate? Nah."

Do YOU practice the art of sacrifice during Lent?

Do you add or give up something that brings you closer to Christ?

What will your Lent look like this year?

Me, I'm still thinking.

Reading in my Bible every day, even if it's just a few minutes, is the thought that sticks out above all the others right now.

I can always fall back on giving up chocolate. ;o)

With faith like a child

As we gear up for the Christmas Holidays, may we all have the faith of children!

JMonster has been giving us his updated list for Santa. Daily. It includes all things Ben 10, anything that shoots (you'll put your eye out Ralphie!), and cars. Lot of cars.

The way he begins the conversation of late is, "When Santa brings me..."

In his mind, there is no question that Santa will bring him any and all things he asks for.

If only I could approach my faith in Jesus the same way.

(And just how do we explain in the future that Santa ISN'T real, but Jesus is? We've started the conversation about who Kris Kringle was. Any suggestions?)

Rights

I am curious. What do YOU think are our basic rights as humans, and more specifically, as Americans?

Please keep the discussion focused and civil.

Fort Hood Tragedy

Many people will be blogging about the shooting at Fort Hood. If you don't know what I'm talking about here is a brief synopsis:

An Army PSYCHIATRIST opened fire in a training center at Fort Hood today killing 12 and injuring as many as 30 others. He had received papers that he was to be deployed to Iraq toward the end of November.

Fort Hood is located in the Temple/Killeen area, approximately 2 hours from the College Station area. In Texas, this is next door neighbors!

My two-cents on the topic: although I agree that psychiatrists are human and feel stress like everyone else it seems odd that the first sign of EXTREME stress would be to kill a bunch of people. I'm just saying...

Also, the guy's name sounds middle eastern. Doesn't mean he was a terrorist. Doesn't mean he wasn't. But are we now going to be stuck in a place where everyone with an arabic sounding name is suspect? I pray not. Post 9/11 was tough enough.

My prayers go out the the victims, their families, and their friends. Violence has far-reaching effects and those effects can linger. Let our prayers wage war on the needless suffering of humanity.

A small thought on Obamacare...

I LOVE the Discovery Health Channel. I can watch most of the shows any time of day (although I typically only watch TV in the evenings and only for an hour or so).

The other evening my sister and I were watching a fun show called Deliver Me. It is a great show, but this isn't about that.

AFTER Deliver Me came a show about Homebirthing. This is a trend here in the US and overseas where pregnant women deliver at home with NO SUPPORT. Their husbands (or "partners") are there, but no mid-wife, doula, doctor, etc...

This isn't a debate about homebirthing.

Will you get to the point already? :o)

One of the first segments of the show was of an ob/gyn office in Great Britain. The waiting room was MASSIVE and pregnant women were EVERYWHERE! Most of them looked like they had been there for quite awhile and were digging in for the long haul.

All I could think as I saw that room is HERE is socialized medicine at its best. Long waits. Large waiting rooms filled to capacity.

AND PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING THIS.

Choosing to take away choice.

Ironic, isn't it?