Christian Homekeeping

This isn't anything fancy but tastes so good and is frugal!  It is so simple to make and you can double it if you have a larger family.  This normally lasts us a week.

• 1 can FF refried beans (or make your own)
• 1/4c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2c salsa

Combine all and heat to melt cheese; stir; serve with tortilla chips.

I posted a recipe back in 2007 about homemade dishwasher detergent, but can't seem to find the post!  Either I accidentally deleted it or missed it while searching.  Anyway - I had shared the powdered version of dishwasher detergent that has been around for years:

Equal parts of Borax and Baking soda; Combine; Use 1-2 T per load

I used it for a while but I've never been a big fan of powdered detergent, so I just bought some cheap store-bought liquid dishwasher detergent and have been using that.  Until it dawned on me that I could easily make a paste by adding water to the borax/baking soda powder.  (yes, I know that should be common sense, but it seemed to have escaped me until recently lol). 

So, to get homemade liquid dishwasher detergent, simply add water until you get the consistency you want!  I use 2-3 T of the liquid per load.

There is one thing that we all have in common - we all have 24 hours given to us in a day. Some people use that time and do so much in that 24 hours and others do so little and waste their time. What does the Bible say about our time and how we are to use it?

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Redeeming - to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.

We should make WISE use of our time! I hear people all the time tell me they are too busy to do this or that and how much they have to do everyday. Yet, when I ask what they did.......they come up with a blank....why? Because they are doing things that aren't really worthy of their time! So what is worthy of our time?

1. God -time spent with God is wise and useful time!
2. Family - as women we are called to love our husbands and teach our children!
   
3. Others - if you don't have time for others, what kind of life are you living? A selfish one? To build a relationship with someone, you spend TIME with them. If you really love someone, you will not be so upset that you had to spend TIME to help them when they needed you!
   
4. Self - contrary to some, we should spend some time on ourselves. If we are not taking care of our selves, how can we help others and take care of our families? It is when we let self take over completely and don't give time to the above, that our priorities get warped
   

There are some people who are so busy they have no time for God and they have no time for others. They are living a life unto themselves and they don't even realize they are getting no where in their 'busy-ness'.

If you don't have time to read your Bible and pray every day, spending that precious time with God each time then you have your priorities wrong! Let's look at Jesus' visit with Martha and Mary:

Luke 10:38-41

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Martha was just so busy that she didn't have time for Jesus. She even got mad at Mary because Mary was not helping her. Yet, in reality, Mary was using her time wiser then Martha was. Mary was where it was really at - at Jesus' feet! Notice it said that Martha was cumbered about and careful and troubled about many things. Just what do those words mean?

Cumbered - to be driven about mentally, to be distracted; to be over-occupied, too busy, about a thing
Careful and troubled - anxious; troubled in mind; troubled with cares; disturbed

Martha was too busy and didn't realize she was not doing what was "needful", but Mary knew what was needful! How about we become busy with needful and useful things?

Just what is your life really full of and what are you really "busy" with? Stop and think about it and make a list of what you fill your life with each day and does it include God and others or just your own selfish agenda. If God is not first in your life and the top of your priority list then you need to change that. Then on the flip-side, some think they are doing God's will and so busy for the Kingdom of God but they actually forget the King!

You need to have goals and a purpose to your life instead of just running around being busy and not accomplishing anything! Set some goals! Have a purpose to your day and your life! Quit running around spending time accomplishing nothing and doing things that are unfruitful. End your day feeling like you actually redeemed the time and used your 24 hours wisely.

What a service this morning!  The choir sang a song about a psalm and it was wonderful and for those that weren't there, I'm going to share the Psalm where the verses for the song came from:

Psalm 3:1-3

"Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" 

It was such an uplifting song!  Then Pastor preached a message entitled "Straighten Up" and spoke about the woman with the spirit of infirmity eighteen years.  He explained the "spirit of infirmity" in detail.  It got me to thinking of what I was saying in my last post towards the end about that I don't have time to pity myself.  Yes, it would be easy for anyone when they are sick or struck with a disease or cancer to walk around feeling sorry for themselves but that isn't how it should be!  Someone had told me that they struggled with wanting to be sick and they asked me to pray for them.  It was honorable that this friend had even confessed it and made it known that she knew she struggled with this.  Some people struggle with it, though they never face themselves - they live in denial.  I believe that God is going to deliver this friend from that feeling because she wants deliverance!

Here is the text from which he brought the message:

Luke 13:11-13

"And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God" 

He went into detail about straight and tied in how the road to Heaven is narrow and straight.  He also spoke on how we relate mean men with being crooked.  God's way is very narrow.......it is very straight!  When Jesus comes on the scene, he straightens us out if we let him! 

Then going on with the woman being healed, she was made straight!  She was no longer bent over, but Jesus had loosed her from her infirmity that satan had her bound in!  Let's look at what the ruler of the synagogue said in response to Jesus healing this woman:

Luke 13:14

"And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day."

He got angry at Jesus because he healed on the sabbath day.  How dare he heal someone on the Lord's day is basically what this man was saying to Jesus.  So how did Jesus reply?  Oh I'm sure it was with soft spoken, very gentle and kind words right?  Oh wait......did Jesus respond and label the ruler of the synagogue for what he really was?

Luke 13:15-16

"The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day" 

Jesus called the ruler of the synagogue a hypocrite! That really goes along with what I was saying in the last post about how some people have misconceptions about WWJD.  There are times to be quiet and have mercy but then there are times when you must be bold and tell it like it is!  Jesus wasn't one to back down to even the ruler of the synagogue.

God spoke to my heart about a lot of things in my life this morning that I need to work on and like Pastor said, he isn't perfect and there is a lot he has to work on too!  There has never been a time in my life that I have had it all together and reached perfection, I'm still a work in progress and so thankful that God loves me enough to deal with my heart and show me just where I need to fix something!

I just wanted to share with you all about this morning's service, it was a blessing!

While I was in the hospital, I got so many things and can't wait to write about them, this devotional being one of them! Common misconceptions abound, satan loves confusion and its time to squash some of his confusions with truth from God's Word! What are misconceptions? A misconception is a false or mistaken view, idea, or belief.

A phrase that so many people are familiar with is WWJD or What Would Jesus Do? People have used this simple phrase for many things and one of them being using it in an accusatory fashion as if you were doing something that Jesus wouldn't do. Let me explain.....some say that you should not get angry at anything, or that you should not say anything bad about governmental leaders, such as the President. However, they seem to have forgotten that Jesus himself had some choice words of the leaders of his day! He labeled evil for evil! If a man's works are evil then he is evil. If he does the works of satan, he is of satan! It is that simple......you represent your true Master by your actions. And on being angry.......well, God himself is angry at the wicked EVERY day! (Psalm 7:11) Actually, true Christians HATE sin and even the garment spotted by sin! We are like our Father. Seeing that our laws allow the murder of babies is something that I get angry at and I KNOW God hates it and is angry at the evil people that bring it about.

Would Jesus ever say anything bad about someone or label them in public? Yes he would! Even Paul labeled people that left God and the Bible warns us to stay away from the likes of them! I like this one verse that Jesus told the Pharisees to tell Herod:

Luke 13:32

"......Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected."

WHOA! Did Jesus just call Herod a fox?? Yep, he sure 'nuff did! What did fox mean? Let's look at the word as it was used:

Fox - a fox; a sly and crafty man

Looking even further when we check the definitions of sly and crafty we see it as a whole that a fox is a man who is deceitfully cunning, one that conceals and is full of tricks.

Jesus wasn't someone who refused to label the "haters" or evil men! He told it like it was and didn't back down until it was His time to be quiet. While he carried out his ministry, he was bold and definitely did not resemble this mamby-pamby pious Jesus that some like to paint Him as. He was bold......he was straight to the point! When people say you aren't acting like Jesus because you may call someone out that is evil, just what Jesus are they referring to? Actually you are being like Jesus! There is a time to be bold and time to be quiet and we use the wisdom God gives us to differentiate between the two. When it came Jesus' time, he opened not his mouth and let the Will of God be fulfilled but until then, he boldly proclaimed the truth and called out evil doers and even whipped some people out of the temple and turned over their tables! It was his fierceness of righteous indignation (zeal) that drove them out! He knew what time it was that day......it was not a time to be quiet lol.

John 2:14-16

"And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."

Just what does it mean to bold? Have you ever really looked it up in its true meaning from the scriptures or do you just think you know what it means? Let's look it up as it was written in several places in the New Testament:

Bold - to use freedom in speaking; free spoken; to speak freely; to grow confident, have boldness, show assurance, assume a bold bearing

Mixing bold with confident we get this meaning from Webster's: standing out in assured and certain conviction

For some they seem to never have that time of boldness but rather are full of shame and embarrassment to even stand up for their God or His Word. What does God think of these type of people? In Mark 8:38 and Luke 9:26, it tells us that whoever is ashamed of God and His Word, He will be ashamed of YOU when he returns! We are rather admonished by Paul to do what?

2 Timothy 1:8

"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God."

Paul tells us to not be ashamed but rather be a partaker of what? The afflictions of the gospel! The gospel comes with afflictions (to suffer hardships). Also we are told that we WILL suffer persecution as well. What is persecution?

Persecution - to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict ; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief 2: to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks, pleas, or importunities)

Have you ever experienced any of the above in the definition of persecution because of Christ? I have! Just having a website of truths from the Bible opens you up to that. But I won't back down or let it shut me up! It just 'comes with the territory' of standing up for God and His Word in a sinful world! Rejoice when others revile you! Get excited when things come your way because God will work it for your good somehow! I found it so odd that the nurses in the hospital wondered why I was so happy, even though I was so sick. My response is I don't have time to pity myself! I force my mind to see ahead and to see just how God is going to work this to my good because God doesn't lie! I look for the positive in the situation - hey I lost some weight! I lost more in 1 week being sick then I did the past year lol.


It's high time that people STOP COMPLAINING about the cross they have to bear! Stop complaining that your cross is too heavy or its too hard! Did you hear Jesus saying this while he carried his cross and went all the way to Calvary? Are you bearing a greater burden then what he did; the sins of the world?? NO! So shut up! Bear your cross, quit being ashamed and trying to be a men pleaser and be bold and stand for something for once in your life!

I know people who claim to be a Christian, yet when they get around family and friends, and start getting asked about their faith and convictions or why they do this and why they do that........they clam up and say "uh I don't know, that's just what the Pastor said to do". When will you find out for YOURSELF what the Bible says? When will you be bold and not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

The misconceptions abound and there will never be a lack of them for satan is the author of confusion and his job isn't over yet. Will you listen to the lies of the devil or will you search God's word for the truth? Next time you hear someone ask WWJD......you might just have to tell them straight from God's word just what Jesus would do! Instead of getting down and wondering 'why me' when bad things come your way - why don't you shock satan and started Praising God for the trial? Why don't you rejoice that God counts you able to bear it? Get up and shake off the self pity and bear your cross with joy!

If I were the Devil:

I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;

I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings;

I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around;

I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;

I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership;

I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;

I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent machines to make it convenient;

I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals are valued more than human beings;

I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a law suit;

I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them;

I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind of every family member for my agenda;

I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation.

I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does the nation;

I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and movie screens, and I would call it art;

I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that there lifestyles should be accepted and marveled;

I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically correct;

I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive;

I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are good enough to get by;

Hmmm...I guess I would leave things pretty much the way they are."

“Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.”

The faucet was leaking again! Every time I tried to read or think or sleep, all I could hear was that awful dripping. I always felt a flush of anger, as I had to jump up and attempt to shut up the noise. I would put a washcloth in the sink where the water would land hoping this would quite the noise. I would tighten the faucet handles, but nothing worked. I could always hear it no matter what I did to remedy the problem.

“Drip…Drip…Drip.” If it was quite bothersome to me, I may have even gone to a different room to read where I could not heart it, although I really longed to sit in my chair which I remembered to be my comfortable and peaceful place.

No remedy could be found, until one day we replaced the entire faucet. Now it is silent and I do enjoy it so. Most of the time I forget how irritating it was. But sometimes I stop and remember and am grateful for its silence.

I believe God used that dripping faucet to teach me something very important. God speaks to us all in different ways. Because I am sensitive to noises, God used this sensitivity to teach me.

Proverbs 19:13 tells us:

“….the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping”

When I am quarrelsome or “nag” my husband, I am like a constant dripping! Do I want to be like that old leaky faucet that always stirred bad feeling in me? Just when I wanted to relax in my chair; my safe haven, to read or nap, that dripping invaded my space.

Is it possible that a wife who nags her husband invades his peace everyday? A man’s home is his safe haven from the outside world. It should be a place where he comes after a hard day’s work. He knows he is free to be himself, to kick off his shoes, to relax, to just enjoy the peace of his home. He knows that it is a place of unconditional love and respect, or does he?

“Don’t leave your shoes there!”

“When will you fix this? I’ve asked you five times!”

“Do you think you could help me with the housework? I have to do everything myself!”

“How long are you going to read that paper?”

Does this sound familiar? Even if it does not, there are most likely other words used that seem accusatory or insulting as these do.

Just as I tried to fix that faucet with the washcloth or by tightening the handles, the husband may try his own tactics to remedy the problem. If nothing works and he still hears the “dripping”, he may decide to go somewhere that he can’t hear it.

Not only does the Word of God tell us that a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping, it tells what is better than living with one.

Proverbs 21:9

“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.”

Proverbs 21:19

“It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”

The dripping faucet certainly could not fix itself. But when we replaced it, it was made “new” and did not drip any longer. In that same way, Jesus can change the wife and make her “new”. He will change her to see more clearly and have different priorities and give her love in her heart.


by Julie Ryan

I was talking with a Sister tonight about using coconut oil to help prevent breakage. A few people have told me they started to do the treatments and one Sister's hair has improved greatly and even grew! She was telling me about it a week or so ago and I noticed the difference in her hair!!

So with that said, I have been doing this for as long as I've been a Christian (almost 10 years). My first Pastor's wife showed me to use it on my ends before I curl my hair, but my WHOLE head at the time was dry from a perm I got right before I got saved, so I put it all over and since then I still do that!

You don't just dab a little on. You actually COAT the hair in oil - drench it. I normally do it on Sunday night since I normally just clean the house on Monday and I can leave it in a long time. Since tonight it was time for a treatment, I decided it would be helpful to others to show just what I mean by drench it! Hubby took photos for me after I coated my hair (which takes me a good 15 minutes).

I do it in sections and from root to tip I put it on, putting a lot more on my ends because they are double processed from perms. You may ask why I put it on my new hair that is not processed - well, I want it to be in the best condition it can, because it will one day be my ends!

Once I've done all my hair, I use a fine tooth comb and comb through from roots to the ends all over. Then I flip my hair and add more oil on the hair while its flipped over and then I comb it again and wrap in a bun or braid.

I do this twice a month and use the Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo when its time to wash it out and then follow that with Finesse Moisturizing Conditioner. You will notice you will still have some oil left in your hair but that is ok! It will come out in the next wash, 2 or 3 days later and you should still be able to style your hair normally.

Click the photo to enlarge if you need to:



My hair (the permed part) has been really dry lately because of all the heat I've been using. I've been straightening my permed part so it matches my new growth or curling it. So if I keep using the heat on the permed portion, I may increase my coconut oil treatments from twice a month to every week. I used to do it every Monday with my first perm back in 99/2000 and it worked wonders, so I may have to do that again or just not use heat and let my hair be half permed/half straight and wear it back like I do sometimes. When I do this, I use the Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioner on the permed portion and then let it air dry and put the sides back.

Ok hope the photos help you all in some way realize I'm talking about drenching the hair, not just barely putting it on there! If you have permed hair, this will help. If you have un-processed hair - well it might help if you use heat a lot on your hair, but usually un-processed hair looks great already and that is what I'm headed back to as soon as my perm grows out (which will be probably 2 years!).

Here is my update for Week 1:

The permed portion of my hair (since it is twiced permed) will eventually all break off. I've been through this before with my perm back in 1999. It all eventually departed lol. Once you have processed the hair (this time being double processed), I don't care what you may do to it to prevent the breakage, it is inevitable as I have learned! If it wasn't for my new growth, my hair would be around my bra strap right now but right now it rests at a little below my backside.

My hair has improved the past few weeks because of the following:

1. I went a full month without fast food in January and ate healthier
2. The past week I've ate a well rounded diet with correct ratios of proteins, carbs and fat
3. I'm doing more scalp massages (I will be covering this in later posts when I continue on with my Hair Care series)
4. I'm stressing less - yes, stress causes hair loss and slows down the growth rate, not to mention it causes physical illness
5. I'm praying more for my hair - asking God to help me during this time of 'growing out' from my old perms and praying for my hair to be like it used to be naturally - silky and easy to manage
6. I'm rarely using heat and/or product on my "new" growth - I do flat iron JUST the permed part or curl it and put product on it

Growing out a perm is a trying time but I've done this before about 10 years ago and the results in the end were worth it all! I'm treating my new growth very gently and one time I had to blow dry my hair because we had to run somewhere quick and I almost cried because I didn't want heat on my new growth! I prayed and asked God to protect it because I had to get it dry quick and then I had faith he would and went ahead using an Ion blow dryer that is gentle.

I've noticed a lot of breakage this week, mostly because my double processed ends are ready to leave and I have no idea how short my hair is going to get but hopefully my new growth will continue growing at a good rate and make up the difference!

Here is a photo of me this morning (it was early, so hard to smile hehe)  Even though I flat ironed my permed portion, you can tell where it starts because it is lighter and coarser and not as smooth as my new growth, at least I can tell lol. =0

I just read an article that made my jaw drop! Here was a feminist lady who embraced the so-called "freedom" of a woman working and not being 'tied down' by husband or children confesses that:

......loving relationships and children bring more happiness than work ever can.

She is looking back and sharing with the rest of us women that the whole "career woman" mentality is not all its cracked up to be. I knew that already.....been there done that, it wasn't fulfilling like my marriage and daughter are to me, not to mention taking care of my home. Here are some more quotes from the article:

To that end I have spent 20 years ruthlessly pursuing my dreams - to be a successful playwright. I have sacrificed all my womanly duties and laid it all at the altar of a career. And was it worth it? The answer has to be a resounding no.

WOW! The words 'laid it all at the altar of a career' is so visual to me that it just shocked me to hear this lady say that. Her honesty is amazing! Notice, this lady has spent 20 years running after this "freedom" to find that in the end, it was not worth it. It is sad that she had to go through her life without the joy that a child brings or loving relationships but her words echo to women out there what we are made to do.

Notice in the next quote how she tells about this instinct:

Somewhere inside lurks a woman I cannot control and she is in the kitchen with a baby on her hip and dough in her hand, staring me down. She is saying: “This is happiness, this is what it's all about.” It's an instinct that makes me a woman, an instinct that I can't ignore even if I wanted to.

Then she ends with a summation of it all:

I have always felt a huge pressure to be successful to show men that I am their equal. What a waste of time.

May women glean from the experience and lessons learned of this feminist woman. She learned the hard way but you don't have to!

God made us and I think he would know how we were designed: to be keepers at home, bearing children and loving our husbands! It's that simple....that is our purpose.

You can read the article in its entirety here:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article5662099.ece

Here is the list of products I use or have used and that I recommend! I will also be doing a post on Hair Tools, which will show the combs, hair dryers, irons, etc.


Shampoo:

• Finesse Volumizing Shampoo - I love this stuff!
  
• Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo - I use this only to remove buildup once every 2 weeks (twice a month usually)

Conditioner:

• Finesse Moisturizing Conditioner

Leave-in Conditoners:

• Garnier Fructis Sleek n' Shine leave in conditioner - this is my miracle product! I've used it for about 2 years now and love it. For the first few months after my perm in 07, this is all I used on my hair! I would wash my hair and then put in the leave-in and let it air dry.

Gels:

• Suave Sculpting Gel - I use level 10, but have tried 8 and 9 in the past. It is alcohol free and inexpensive and works great! It doesn't flake either.

Hairsprays:

• John Freida FrizzEase Moisture Barrier Hairspray - don't use too much, it holds very well but if you use too much there is no going back unless you wash it out lol
• Suave Max hold #8 Hairspray - Light and you don't have to worry about using too much; it works good on taming flyaways

Oil:

I started out using the coconut oil in the ethnic hair care section, called Blue magic. I used this for years and it worked well. I then saw it was not plain coconut oil but also had petrolatum in it, so I stopped using it and started using Louana 100% coconut oil from Wal-mart and it works great and its cheap too!

• Louana Coconut Oil - the kind you buy in the grocery aisle! Take some in your hands and rub together until it emulsifies and turns from a solid to a liquid oil, then apply to hair. I coat my hair once a month and put it in a bun and then wash it out the next day or a few hours later. You can also put it on just the ends lightly before curling your hair.
• Blue Magic Hair Conditioner - works better for ethnic/women of color because it has petrolatum in it along with the coconut oil.
  

Heat Protectant:

• got2b crazy sleek, hot smooth, flat iron and blow dry lotion - you use this after you towel dry your hair if you plan on using heat on your hair. I've only used it a few times and noticed it actually helps hold curl too!
• Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray - I absolutely love this stuff! Not only does it smell so good, it makes my hair softer and protects against heat damage from my flat iron. When I curl my hair with my flat iron, this causes it to hold the curl more then without. I highly recommend it.
  

Hair Serum/Shine Products:

• Citre Shine Colour Prism Glossing Gelle - My Favorite! I love this stuff! It smells like citrus and then gives you a wonderful shine. I mostly use it when I wear my hair curly (what's left of my curly perm). I mix it in the palm of my hand with my Garnier leave-in cream and then apply to my hair from the shoulders down to the ends.
  
• got2b Dazzling Shine Spray - It's light because its a spray, so you can slowly add it on where needed. I like that it gives a more even coverage then if you put shine serum on your hand. I use this when I straighten my hair (sometimes, depending on how dry it looks) and also when I hot roll my hair or use a curling iron to create curls. Get ready for silky hair! ; )

I'm supplying this information to back up with evidence what we believe about the issue. The intent is meant to show the "why" we believe what we do. We hold life sacred, in case you haven't noticed, this is a Christian website!

My husband and I have certain personal convictions that we don't force on anyone else but are things we got from the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us over the years. I'm not entirely sure where my church stands on these issues as I have never heard them addressed in a service but maybe they have been, I don't know? Either way, we practice these things and hold them to be true. With that said......I hope to make this as plain as possible so we don't have to go over this every time I mention these things on this blog and have people jump to conclusions and categorize us into their little box lol.

Issue #1 Birth Control

We are against Birth Control pills. I think they are a device of abortion. Medical Science has shown that they probably do not prevent a pregnancy but rather STOP one from continuing on by not allowing the already conceived embryo to implant on the uterine wall. (60% of women have silent abortions with the pill in a given month! - how many babies do you think you have killed? Will you find out when you stand before God and tell him you didn't know those pills killed those children!?) I've done my research and even without the research......I have no doubts that God guided us against these. This also includes other forms such as IUD's, etc. DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE! It's lack of knowledge that is the enemy here.

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine confirms that the pill causes abortions:
http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/ASRM_Confirms_Pill_Causes_Abortion.shtml

Here is a free pdf of the book "Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortion" and shows the medical science:
http://www.epm.org/media-files/pdf/bcpill.pdf

I highly recommend this one:
http://www.wayoflife.org/otimothy/tl110003.htm

Another great one that lists several other sources at the end:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-bcpill.html

Don't believe me, listen to the doctors:
http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/The_Growing_Debate_About_the_Abortifacient_Effect_of_the_Birth_Control_Pill_and_the_Principle_of_the_Double_Effect.shtml

Not a big enough doctor for you? How about the Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University Medical Center?
http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/Birth_Control_Pill_Abortifacient_and_Contraceptive.shtml

I don't want to take the chance that I murdered an already conceived embryo. That is not an area I want to be near, rather I would be far away from it. Can you imagine standing before God seeing all your children that you killed? I can't bear the thought that I had the control over the situation and actually took the pill that killed them.

What about other types of birth control? Yes, we believe you should not have children if it isn't in God's timing. I believe you should seek God's direction for your life. If you are just having babies without using the wisdom of God and then making other people pay for it (welfare) then how can you say you are right before God? Why would God approve of you living off the government, i.e. other people's money? If it is OF GOD, then he will supply ALL your needs.

So what type of birth control do we believe in. You can find them listed here, scroll to the bottom for those. You may say, well I can't get pregnant because of this and this. For starters, we have been married for almost 9 years and have 1 child. HELLO! The other safe methods do work folks lol. ; ) If you have something wrong in your body and medically you shouldn't get pregnant, first off pray......God will guide his children. Then you might have to get sterilized(depending on the severity of the situation) or stop having intercourse for a time (only when both parties are in agreement according to the Bible). But you can't say birth control pills would prevent your pregnancy and it isn't a valid argument to use them.

What about a woman who is on a medication and can not get pregnant during that time? Well, do you know how many babies are born even while a woman is taking birth control? Some babies make it through the pills, so you still have a chance on the pill. The approved methods that I linked to above, if you combine several of those at once, you have a better chance of not conceiving and staying safe, then with the pill! I for a time was on medication and I was advised to not get pregnant and be on birth control. However, I did not go on birth control, I prayed and believed God and kept doing what we have been doing and all was ok!

WHEW! That's a lot to swallow huh? It's a lot for me to write it but I figured its no big secret and you may have personal convictions that me and my husband don't share but I still love you, so hope you return the favor!

BOTTOM LINE: Ask yourself this question and really think about it:

Would God approve of a pill that has a significant chance of killing an already conceived embryo/fetus?

Related Posts:
Inventor of Birth Control Pills Now Calls it a Catastrophe
A Woman's Role

In Part 8, we left off at March 2008 (1 year after the perm) with my hair at 30 inches and 4 inches of new growth that year. From March up until August, I had to work with my hair to try and disguise the fact that part was straight and the other part permed. I continued to have to use gel and a blow dryer to get it to look right, it was still very dry, and I would also straighten it sometimes and then curl it with a curling iron or hot rollers as shown in the photos below:



I did the above for months, until it dawned on me that I could just straighten and/or curl JUST the permed part and leave my new growth untouched! So I started to do that, leaving my new growth and scalp alone and my hair grew rapidly and the condition of my new growth is black, shiny and silky. Also, I started using the leave-in conditioner again and letting my hair air dry more often, even though my curls from the perm aren't as tight, its much easier on my hair that way. If I want all my hair straight, I just straighten the permed part. If I want to curl my hair, I just curl the permed part now.



You can see how much lighter my permed hair is from my new growth (which is black, some dark brown). My new growth is now at 12 inches of new hair since my perm!! Total length right now is 38 inches. In just 9 months, my hair grew 8 inches! I credit it to my supplements, diet, taking better care of my hair, not perming it again and most importantly prayer! I hope to get my "old" hair back that I used to have in 2005 before my 2 perms by taking care of it like I used to from now on.

We left off in Part 7 talking about the perm I had gotten in March 2007 (probably my last perm). My hair was ok for a year or so after the perm. I had used Garnier Fructis Color Treated (color treated shampoo/conditioner's work for permed also) Shampoo and Conditioner and then the leave-in and that was it! No gels, no blow-drying, etc.

Then, my hair started to get drier and break off more. I had no idea why it started to do that as I was doing what I had always done. (I will tell you what caused this in future posts as I found out) My curls were not as curly anymore either because once curls are dry, they usually have a hard time holding the curl. Curls that are moisturized show the best curl, just ask someone with curly hair! I had no clue what was causing this, and I had to start using gel in my hair (alcohol free) and then blow-dry my hair holding the hair scrunched as I dried it to get my hair to look right. So I did this for months and lost inches, but luckily my hair was growing at a good rate on top or I would have had even shorter hair than I did in this photo:


This photo was taken one year after my perm. You can see in the photo, how much length I had lost! My hair above was approximately 30 inches long (remember it was at its longest 50 inches before the 2 perms in 2005 and then 2007). In the one year since getting a perm, my hair had grown with new growth but only 4 inches. Remember how long my hair was when I first got the perm? Then look at it above, a year after, even with new growth it is so much shorter.

I also started straightening my hair (to match my new growth) and was frustrated that my hair was so dry and frizzy and no longer had that nice look with my curls when left air-dried. So I contemplated getting another perm and even set it up to do so, but my husband mentioned that my hair would just keep getting shorter and shorter and more damaged. Did I want long hair or did I want to keep making it shorter for vanity was the question that rang through my mind. I made the choice to NOT get another perm.

So this part ends at a year after I got my perm, March 2008. The next few posts will continue on from this point up until today. I also have a slideshow compilation of all the photos with captions and then we will start the "Hair Products" posts showing what I have used in the past, what I still use and what works, etc.

Proverbs 32

1 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. And she will remind you of that worth every day until death do you part.

2 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. If he does she will remind him of how worthless he is or has become.

3 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. That is unless she is scorned and then all bets are off.

4 She looks for wool and flax, And works with her hands in delight. But you must tell her how much she is appreciated and daily is recommended. Otherwise delight turns into bitterness.

5 She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar as long as it isn't too far and takes too much of the day.

6 She rises also while it is still night, And gives food to her household, And portions to her maidens. So when she is cranky by the time you get home... you need to understand.

7 She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. Then she will make sure others know that it is her labor and has nothing to do with you.

8 She girds herself with strength, And makes her arms strong as long as she doesn't have anything physically wrong with her. Then this isn't applicable.

9 She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. Not until she is good and ready to turn it off.

10 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. She then realizes that she's forgotten how to sew and gets upset because she hasn't the extra money to buy that outfit she saw in the store the other day.

11 She extends her hand to the poor; And she stretches out her hands to the needy. As long as they aren't too poor and needy. That would require adding another entree and one might have to wait a whole 20 minutes for something to thaw in the microwave.

12 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet. But if it rains and they don't wipe off their shoes and track mud in the house... they just don't care.

13 She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. She just needs a lot of linen and looks like Barney because she has just let herself go over the years and now she can't get rid of the weight at all.

14 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. They will never forget the "ON STRIKE" sign that was in the front lawn.

15 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen. Then gets with the women and complains about how she has to do all of this because the dear husband isn't cutting the mustard.

16 Strength and dignity she does not know, And she cries loudly at the future.

17 She opens her mouth in folly, And the teaching of bitterness is on her tongue.

18 She looks to the ways of her household, shakes her head and then lies down..

19 Her children rise up and can't wait to find the door; Her husband only likes the door from the inside and trembles when he sees it from the outside, and he avoids her, saying:

20 "Many daughters have done nobly, But you... what can I do to please you."

21 And beware of the hissy fit. No man likes it when that happens.

Author Unknown

We left off in Part 6, where I had gotten my first perm in 2005. My hair was still full and lovely UNTIL we moved from Alaska to Washington. In WA, we lived in a place that had well water (nothing wrong with that) BUT the water had very high levels of iron, it was even orange and would stain our toilet, sink and tub within a day. My daughter's hair even got an orange tint. My hair became very, very thin and so did my daughter's. At first I had thought it was my health because I had some severe health issues with my heart and liver in Alaska and upon arriving in WA that caused my hair to fall out in the front a little, as you can see below in the photo the bare patch in the front. However, seeing what it did to my daughter's hair too and reading about how heavy iron levels in your water damages your hair and its irreversible.....made me scared! So I started to wash my hair with distilled water and that was a task! I ended up going back to the shower head to wash my hair and watched my hair just get worse and worse and break off dramatically.

Now, my hair was already porous (after having a perm) so maybe had it been unprocessed, it would not have been effected as bad as it was. Nevertheless, we moved to another location that did not have high iron levels in the water! It seems like my hair would not grow at all even, my perm was about 2 years old but my growth was barely a few inches!



However, the damage had been done and I had lost SO MUCH length. My hair went from near my knees up to my backside (that's a lot of inches lost!) So what did I do? Stupid me, figured all was lost, so might as well get another perm. <---STUPID!!! I got this perm in March 2007. The perm was great and I didn't have much breakage at all with the perming process, although my hair really didn't need the extra processing!

This is actually some snippets from a sermon I listened to on the internet, just took some highlights from what the minister had said:

My mind is made up, my face is set.
My gait is fast, my goal is Heaven.
The road is narrow, the way sometimes is rough.
My companions sometimes are few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear!

Then he went on to say as "your Pastor" and as a Christian:

I can not be bought
I will not be compromised
I will not detour
I will not be lured away
I will not be deluded
I will not be delayed
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice because I'm too close to Heaven.

I can't hesitate in the face of adversity
I can't negotiate at the table of the enemy
I can't ponder at the pool of popularity
I can't meander in a maze of mediocrity

I'm not going to GIVE UP
I'm not going to SHUT UP
I'm not going to LET UP
I'm not going to SLOW UP

Until I'm preached up, payed up, prayed up, and stored up
I'm going to stay there until Jesus says COME UP!

I've got my mind made up, I'm going to be saved!

No matter how rough the road may get
No matter how often I may have to kneel and pray
I've got a made up mind and that's my conviction
I'm going to be saved!

We left off in Part 6, with my hair being at its longest (50 inches) and very healthy. Enter: Stupidity!! I was tired of straight hair, tired of curling it if I wanted curl and yada yada yada. (Wish I could go back in time but I can't!). So I got a perm (2005). I figured it was going to be great, I would have curly hair all the time and could straighten it if I wanted to. It was nice in the beginning and I loved it:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

The Lord Jesus gave this commission to His disciples after His resurrection and prior to His ascension to the third heaven. The command is to "Preach the gospel." The verb "preach" means to herald the message. It is the same word found in 2 Timothy 4:2--"Preach the Word." In ancient times momentous messages were communicated by a herald. This was the King's personal messenger who would cry out the king's message as the people in the town would assemble together eager to hear the latest news. The herald would not give his own message and he would certainly not give his own views and opinions. He would simply give the King’s message word for word. He would not interpret the message. It made no difference whether the herald liked the message or did not like the message, he had to faithfully deliver it. He did not debate with people. He did not argue with people. He just presented the King's message. Paul once said, "necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel." Woe unto me if I fail to faithfully announce the King's message of good news!

Today it seems as if the church is doing everything except the very thing that our Lord told us to do. We substitute our program and programs for God's program. We present our gospel instead of His gospel. Let us briefly consider what God's great commission does not say:

Go ye into all the world and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, build homes for the poor and care for the sick

While we certainly should not be oblivious to the pain and poverty and suffering in the world, yet the social gospel is not what our Lord commanded. The solution is not for each believer to become like Mother Teresa. We may feed their stomachs but what have we done for their souls? We may cure them of a bodily illness, but what has been done about the deadly and incurable disease of sin (Jer. 17:9)? What good does it do if they become rich for a second (in this life) but poor forever (in eternity)? If we clothe their bodies with the finest of garments, how shall it help them if they die without being covered by the robes of Christ's righteousness? What shall it profit them if we build them a wonderful house, but no provision is made for their eternal home in heaven? What ultimate good have we done if we only help them this side of the grave?

The Salvation Army is today almost exclusively devoted to a social gospel, with little emphasis upon the salvation of souls. It is very interesting to hear what William Booth had to say years ago: I recall hearing William Booth, the first general of the Salvation Army, say, when explaining his "Darkest England" scheme, that its real objective was, not just the amelioration of social conditions, but first and foremost the bringing of men to repentance that their souls might be saved. I can recall the flash in his eye, and the noble bearing of his commanding figure as he exclaimed, "Take a man from the filth and squalor of the slums, exchange his rags for decent clothing, move him from the stifling stench of the city tenement to a neat little cottage in the pure air of the country, put him on his feet economically where he can make a decent living for himself and his family, and then let him die in his sins, unsaved, and be lost forever at last—really it is not worth while, and I, for one, would not attempt it." (Cited by Harry Ironside, Except Ye Repent, pages 181-182).

"If every person in the world had adequate food, housing, income; If all men were equal; If every possible social evil and injustice were done away with, Men would still need one thing—CHRIST! --J.W. Hyde

1. If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein, you have but one to please instead of multitudes; and a multitude of masters are hardlier pleased than one.

2. And it is one that putteth upon you nothing that is unreasonable, for quantity or quality.

3. And one that is perfectly wise and good, not liable to misunderstand your case and actions.

4. And one that is most holy, and is not pleased in iniquity or dishonesty.

5. And he is one that is impartial and most just, and is no respecter of persons, Acts x. 34.

6. And he is one that is a competent judge, that hath fitness and authority, and is acquainted with your hearts, and every circumstance and reason of your actions.

7. And he is one that perfectly agreeth with himself, and putteth you not upon contradictions or impossibilities.

8. And he is one that is constant and unchangeable; and is not pleased with one thing to-day, and another contrary to-morrow; nor with one person this year, whom he will be weary of the next.

9. And he is one that is merciful, and requireth you not to hurt yourselves to please him: nay, he is pleased with nothing of thine but that which tendeth to thy happiness, and displeased with nothing but that which hurts thyself or others, as a father that is displeased with his children when they defile or hurt themselves.

10. He is gentle, though just, in his censures of thee; judging truly, but not with unjust rigour, nor making your actions worse than they are.

11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men, which blind their minds, and carry them to injustice.

12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers, whisperers, or false accusers, nor can be perverted by any misinformation.


Richard Baxter 1615-1691