Remember Me

This video was put together by a 15 year old girl. She did a super job. Sadly it instigated a debate on YouTube and she had to turn comments off. What is wrong with people?
I read a bumper sticker once that said, If you can't stand behind our troops, stand in front of them! Touche! No matter what your political views are, your freedom to have those views are secured daily in ways you can't imagine by our troops!

Dear Men and Women of the Armed Services: I remember you. I pray for you daily. Come home soon! Thank you.

Redefining Romance

In response to a post on my daughter's blog, I started thinking about romance. Kendra wrote about how she has romantic notions of love, but is somewhat apprehensive about the real thing. I think that is because as a society we have put too much stock in it. We pretend that the fluttery butterflies in our stomachs are the symptom that we are "in love". Sometimes we confuse sex for romance, in our sex-saturated culture - it is the message of soap operas, romance novels, and many movies. And then once the butterflies are gone, the relationship ends and our hearts that were never meant to be given away so freely, are shattered. Or worse, they're not and we move on looking for the next feeling.
I remember the moment it occurred to me, and it changed me forever. I had been on bedrest throughout most of my pregnancy with Kendra. I spent hours and hours and hours everyday watching a little black and white television, which was my only form of entertainment during the long hours of the day. Daytime TV in the 90s, without cable consisted of talk shows (in the Donahue era no less!) and soap operas. I got hooked on the soaps. As two toddlers slowly took over my life, I had less and less time for them. One day out of the blue, and I know it was from the Lord, I saw them as a poison. They were feeding me a scenario that was not realistic. A bunch of plastic people were going from relationship to relationship chasing the butterflies, giving up their bodies, and sacrificing their hearts. I realized that watching the soaps were affecting my expectations of my husband - the hard working man who would come in covered with dirt contrasted starkly with rich playboys with nothing better to do than womanize. And that day I decided - and I have.never.watched.them.again. Period.
I am proud of Kendra - she is wanting God's best. I have talked to her about not putting too much stock in "romance" and the stuff of fairy tales that no guy can live up to. Guarding her heart does not mean putting it in a steel box and never allowing anything or anyone to touch it. Song of Songs tells us not to "awaken love too soon". Really loving somebody is a process. I am having trouble navigating her through this as I gave my heart away freely and often as a teenager. But the Lord is the best teacher. I am going to keep pointing her to Him. He wrote the best Love Story of them all - He can surely author the one He has for her life as well.

Pirates 3 - Movie Review

Saw Pirates of the Carribbean 3 this afternoon - and my review in two words - hated it. It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen - but it was just one long action scene that was exactly like some of the scenes in #2. Long drawn out storyline - and SPOILER WARNING: the good guy/hero dies. Although while watching the movie you can hardly tell who is alive and who is dead with the whole "Davy Jones' Locker" theme where the dead sail around in a state of eternal limbo. I hope that #3 is the death of this series. I think the first 2 were worth watching, but this one went too far. Sorry Pirates fans!

Scrap Happy - Week 7

Okay Scrap Happy participants, since your hostess is lame-o and didn't even get the meme up last week I am going to extend the contest deadline to this week! I am still going to offer a prize of $15 to your favorite online scrapbooking store -digital or otherwise. So let's get those pages posted.
Here is mine:
I made this page of my son wearing his daddy's welding hood. I thought this would get you inspired to make pages for Father's Day! It was the first attempt that I ever made at cutting a picture out. If you use Adobe Photoshop there are a bunch of great tutorials to help you with this online. I can't find the one I used since I lost all my bookmarks when my computer crashed - but I found this one that looks very user friendly! If you need help - email me and I will try to help you navigate the process at julientexasATsbcglobalDOTnet.
Post away Scrappers!

Alcohol Debate Revisited

We visited a new church yesterday. It was pretty interesting - we weren't there for 30 seconds in our seats when announcements were made - the first of which being that there was a petition in the back of the church for anyone interested to sign to support prohibiting the sale of alcohol in that town, about 30 minutes south of us. Kendra and Allan just started to laugh. Let me just say - I believe that the church, seeing the adverse affect that alcoholism has on the family, the community, etc. has every right to take a stand against the sale of alcohol in their county - the same way I would take a stand if they opened an adult book store in my neighborhood.
I didn't see anything wrong with this church encouraging members to sign this petition as their consciences lead them. I just don't think the church (in general) needs to behave as if alcohol is the primary culprit - when the primary culprit is the sin nature. Take a walk down the hall of any hospital and tell me that chocolate cake and tobacco use is not doing any damage. But instead of doing spiritual warfare against the enemy and the nature of sin that dwells in the heart of each individual - we attack a behavior. I know the battle will never be won this way. Think of how Nathan approached King David about his transgression with Bathsheba. He did not shake a finger at his nose and preach on adultery. He did not post an announcement in the local newspaper to shame David. Nathan told a story that pierced the king's heart. That heart-changing moment took David from a place of unrepentant sin back to being the man after God's own heart. Can we get a witness church? Can we learn?
What I also don't like is for those people who see the cultural pitfall of alcoholism - and the effect it has had and then use scripture in a way that supports their righteous cause. I don't believe for one cotton pickin' minute that Jesus drank unfermented grape juice only. Perhaps he did right after the harvest when the first grapes were crushed - but just based on common sense, and mathematical equations - the Last Supper took place many months after the grape harvest. Without refrigeration, it is impossible to think that juice was un-fermented.
A word study on the word wine in the New Testament translates to the Greek word - oinos. It literally means wine. It is the word used for the wine at the wedding in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. It is also the word used in all the gospel's analogies of putting wine into new wineskins - as the fermentation process occurs the skins must be stretched, which is why you do not put new wine into old wineskins. It is also the word used in Luke 10:34 where the "Good Samaritan" found the man beaten and left for dead - and poured oil and wine on his wounds. If the wine was used for antiseptic properties, doesn't it stand to reason that it would have been necessary for it to be fermented?
This is what bothers me the most - that no matter how good our intentions, the word of God cannot be twisted to suit our cultural agendas. Every study I have ever attempted on the subject leads me to the same conclusion. I have heard it said more than once that people want to get as far away as they can from God and still be able to be right with him. I would say that the rules are what put us in that shape. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. These are the words of Jesus. (Matthew 22:37) Anything outside of that is man's attempt at cleaning up something only God can clean, and it is the way of the Pharisees.

Unpopular Opinions About VBS

Let me start this post that is going to contain some likely not very common thoughts on VBS by saying that many, many years I have poured my heart and soul into Vacation Bible School at the church where we were longtime members. I loved the kids, and gave everything I had to the point of exhaustion every year, and I know that there was benefit in what we did to glorify the Lord. However, I think there is an ugly side to VBS that is seldom mentioned. One thing that was extremely distressing was when our VBS had to be closed to children outside of our church. Vacation Bible School is supposed to be an outreach to the community, a place for churches to reach out to the community and give the schoolchildren a place to spend their time during the long, hot summer months - that had a two fold purpose - the children are off the streets and we have an opportunity to share Jesus.
Now, that being said, another thing that has started to bother me in more recent years is the cheesy, canned curriculum that passes itself off as "educational material" for the local church. I am not saying that some of it isn't fun, and that the kids don't like it. They do - kids love cheesy - for the same reason they love SpongeBob. The stuff is just downright goofy sometimes. I think that sometimes we sell kids short and make the things of Christ come off like a Garfield comic instead of what it truly is, the Greatest Story Ever Told.
That said, I love Veggie Tales, although I hate that the kids who watch them who have never been in church and hear the real story of, oh let's say Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will spend the next 20 years of their lives thinking they were thrown into the furnace for not bowing to a chocolate bunny. Yep, Christian kids get that it is allegorical humor - but what about the rest of the world.
I do not mean to sound critical - I know how much blood, sweat and tears go into those programs - but wonder like much of what is done in the church if we've lost the true intent of what VBS is all about. In spite of these thoughts, Kullen will likely attend one or two of the local VBSs in our area, and if we were really plugged in to a church, I would likely be helping out. But that is not the sum total of his spiritual training. He's mainly going for the friends and the cookies!

Kitty Cat Update

Okay, you're gonna gush! Are you ready for this? Here is my new feline baby. My kids do NOT want me to call her Callie, so we need a name. I'll be taking suggestions. She was inside my bathroom today sitting on some clean linens when I was able to snap this picture. She has the best - absolute best personality of any cat I've ever had - and I am totally in love with her. We have also got homes for all of the others - so it has been a very good kitten experience for all of us. We are going to let this one grow up and have a litter before having her fixed as well - they will probably be absolutely precious!
Help me give not-Callie a name. Suggest away!

Weekend Wrap-Up

I haven't blogged much this busy weekend. The end of the month came last week which means invoice time at work. I was working on those Friday night until the wee hours of the morning.
There is a young man named Alan who has been showing some interest in Kendra. They met through a mutual friend - and we were excited to hear that he is a Christian. However, we were a bit concerned that first, we don't know him at all and secondly that he is 18 years old. The not knowing him was a bigger issue than the age thing to be honest. He came over Friday night to meet us, and brought his mom so we could meet her as well. She invited us to a church that I had been curious about - and we went this morning and really liked it. He seems like a very nice young man - and he has good taste in girls. While we aren't allowing her to "date" yet, we are open to any young man of good moral character spending time with our family and getting to know all of us more. Only the guys worth having anyway are going to put up with the Forsythes for very long!
So I have been too busy for deep thoughts. I have had a lot of them - but I cannot keep track, and as usually happens, as soon as I have 2 uninterrupted minutes on the computer - all thoughts are gone!
Hope you're having a great weekend!

Scattered Observations

Okay, this morning when I looked at myself in the mirror, I mean really looked at myself - I was a little frightened.
First of all I noticed that if you have a large head, you should not have big hair. Unfortunately for me, I have a hubby who is in love with the 80s (mid-life crisis I think) and whenever my hair isn't big, he thinks I am sick. Anyhoo, I have been growing it out and I think that the longer it is - the less huge my head looks.
Second, I decided to retire the nightgown I was wearing. I guess I am of the school of thought that if it doesn't have any major holes where parts that nobody wants to see stick out, then I am in good shape. However, I noticed a tear at the top - that I'll attribute to my hubby and not explain further (let your imaginations go wild - and know it is probably not nearly that interesting or scandalous), and secondly there is a stain of an unknown origin on the front. I looked at myself and thought, "my husband looks at this and wonders where the woman he married actually lives!"
What has happened to me?
In some ways I know I've let myself go - although I try to be at least clean. Yes, clean can be my minimum standard of acceptability - however, I think it is time to aim for much higher! So I am headed out to do errands today - grocery shopping, the bank, the pharmacy, etc. and while I am out, I am going to buy a new nightgown. I did finally put makeup on for the first time in about three days.
And recently I have had a renewal of my complexion. A friend of mine in WV is a consultant for Arbonne. It is a skin/healthcare company. I have been using their entire facial care line for aging skin - and it is like a whole new me. Let me just say that their eye cream is like a miracle in a tube. I had gotten to the place that my eye makeup was running toward my chin by noon every day - and this stuff makes my eyes a little more like the tight skin around the eyes of my teenage daughters. It is awesome. Pricey but well worth it! If you are interested - email me at julientexas at sbcglobal dot net and I can hook you up!
Is anybody else in this rut? Let's help each other out of it. I want to feel good again. Drop some pounds, tidy my overall appearance. It seems that life, and kids, and house, and pets, and family and animals take a higher priority - as it should be - but I have to find some little niche for taking care of myself.

Random Thoughts of a Late Night Blogger

I was thinking earlier that the busier and more full my life is the more I have to blog about - however, the less time I actually have for blogging! Isn't that just the way it is! Sheesh.
Also - Texas may hold hope for my weight loss efforts yet - as the southern accent does something indescribable to the word for my favorite frozen dairy confection - instead of saying "ice cream" it comes out sounding like a slang for Preparation H - say it out loud if your children aren't in the room "ais-craym". Sorry to be shocking - but this is really turning me off. I am sure I will be over it shortly!
Oh yeah - and um I almost kept this under wraps because I am totally hoping to win some of that yummy Canadian chocolate - but I figured that I should share it, because it's only right, and since my friend Fatty asked if there was chocolate involved if she voted for me at TopMomma - I figured if I at least pointed her in that direction, she may consider it! Head on over to Coffee Mom's blog and check out the awesome contest where you could win a chocolate bar.