Thank you Mr. Anton Epp You have said it all and so well!!!!

I read this letter to the editor of the Hillsboro Free Press. I called them and they graciously allowed me to use the letter in my blog. Thank you!!! The gentleman who wrote the letter expressed it quite well and so I will not try to add anything to it, except the following, the mention of state, county and city should be expanded to all states, counties and cities. That's it and then a hearty,


AMEN

Mr. Anton Epp of Gossel Kansas it is refreshing to see that there are still good solid Christians, such as yourself, out there who are tired of standing by and watching people dilute the truth and say it's okay to keep on preaching that watered down just do whatever nonsense, bring back the Bible, bring back the truth, so without further ado Mr. Epps letter.




Wake up, you are being deceived



In Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” As we near the rapture, deceit abounds. Deceit in the White House, statehouse, city hall, school house and the home.

America has a president that, in less than a month of office, has given away more money in a lump sum than any president before. He has told America that the banks, mortgage companies, Wall Street, that gave themselves $20 billion bonuses, that made bad loans on houses people could not afford and could not pay back, that these bad financial decisions would not have to be held responsible for.

He says by his actions; “I, the president, am your saviour and messiah. Your bad decisions are somebody else’s fault, and you will be bailed out so as not to be held responsible for your actions.”

People, one of the best lessons of life is to fall, to start over, and not make that mistake again. Here, the people are being rewarded with billions for being incompetent.

Our president comes from a generation that was taught that if things don’t go right, it is somebody else’s fault, and your self esteem is all that matters. My generation, in their 70s to 90s, is the last of a breed that was taught and lived that you are responsible for your actions, both earthly and spiritual.

The next generation, in their 50s and 60s, have not heard that sin is sin and were taught in the public schools your self-esteem is important. They raised a worse generation, today in their 20s to 40s, and their school kids of today run around with “No Fear” shirts on.

I’ve got to say, people, in this day of breakdown of law, respect, decency, character and economic problems, I fear what is to come.

All because we have been deceived.

Our governor has failed to say, “If we can’t afford it, we don’t spend for it.” The best stimulus plan is get out of the working man’s pocket and let him take care of himself. Get rid of these welfare programs. “He who does not work should not eat.” That’s in the Bible.

You people on welfare with all your life problems, nothing is going to work in your life until you do.

School costs are out of control because they have failed to live within their means. Most people on school boards, administrators and teachers came out of college into the school system. They never worked a full-time 12-month-a-year job, expected to perform or be fired, and do not know how to earn a dollar on Monday and make it last until Sunday.

Money is poured into so-called visionary programs that are a dead end. The public school system is a government within government with no constitutional authority to exist and levy taxes. Yet, they levy taxes without accountability to the people.

City government, such as in Goessel, has become arrogant in behavior. The mayor and town council, without holding public meetings where the people could be heard, or without a vote, borrowed $390,000 for a project that was never clearly thought through. And put every house in Goessel as collateral for the bonds.

The mayor, when asked by a gentleman at a town meeting to tell the plan for repayment of these bonds, blurted out at him, “You have an agenda against this town!”

All because we have been deceived.

What will it take to return to the days when we did things right?

A president that goes to Congress every morning and prays for them and America.

A governor that goes before state employees and opens each day with prayer.

Marion County commissioners that open meetings with Bible reading and prayer. (Have the meetings from 5-9 p.m. so citizens can attend and be heard.)

A mayor and town council in Goessel that opens meetings with Bible reading and prayer. And recognize the citizen has a constitutional right and duty to speak and seek redress of grievances without seeking permission and sponsorship of a councilman. This is censorship. The mayor and town councilmen need to greet people with a sincere smile and welcome. The attitude now is to greet people with a scowl unless it is a buddy.

Schools open each day with Bible reading and prayer. Kick out the lie of evolution and teach the Bible. Then they can take out the metal detectors, watch grades go up and teen pregnancies go down.

Let’s not leave out the churches. Pastors, whatever happened to sin? Preach that sin is sin and a day of reckoning is coming near.

People, wake up. You are being deceived.

Anton Epp
Goessel

Does anyone besides me have a problem with this????

Okay so I have a question, why is it that the government and banks are allowed to screw things up and then think hey well lets just throw more money we don't have at it and that will fix it which in turn puts us a country more in debt. I have bills that I am struggling to pay, where is my money. I mean mine are all basically doctors bills for my husband and myself, as we did not have insurance, nothing we did on purpose.

These banks messed up and here Obama wants to give them more?????

From Yahoo news

In addition to sending Congress his $3.55 trillion budget plan for 2010, Obama proposed more immediate changes that would push spending to $3.94 trillion in the current year. That would result in a record deficit Obama projects will hit $1.75 trillion, reflecting the massive spending being undertaken to battle a severe recession and the worst financial crisis in seven decades.

As part of the effort to end the crisis, the administration proposes boosting the deficit by an additional $250 billion this year, enough to support as much as $750 billion in increased spending under the government's rescue program for banks and other financial institutions. That would more than double the $700 billion bank bailout passed by Congress last October.

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO BATTLE A SEVERE FINANCIAL CRISIS STOP SPENDING MONEY

While yes a bit simple, but seriously, the banks screwed up they should have to fix it. No one is handing me money for any thing I need to repay. How about this our landlady screwed up and didn't make the house payments after we paid her, for a house we were supposed to be buying from her. Perhaps someone again should hand me money this was not even our fault, but lost us a place to live eventually. Where is my money. No where, because of a lack of judgment on our part we lost our home. Of course, honestly we thought we could trust someone from our church, but hey the results are still the same.


I don't have anything else useful to say, and frankly none of this was probably useful either, but hey my blog, and my opinion to express, LOL.

SIGH
Boy that's alot of money!!!!
Amy

Knee jerk reactions and why they are bad

Okay am I the only one who sometimes has knee jerk reactions and then feels like a doofus and sometimes looks like a jerk later. I am now really good about not saying things I have no business saying. I always try to think about what I am saying count a few seconds and then say only what is appropriate. I was not always this way. Perhaps out in the with other people, but sometimes in my own home, I just spit out what I was thinking.

Okay my nifty, snappy, somewhat sarcastic, sense of humor that people LOVE about me does not count. If you ask anyone I am great fun and it is perfectly harmless. Really just ask them. People miss me when I am not there really, LOL!!!!

So anyway, back to what I was saying. I mentioned before that I have been going through some stuff, and I am still not ready to share any of that. Perhaps in the future when things are not quite so raw and fresh. Kinda like that too rare steak I had at Montana Mikes in McPherson a month ago, but that's a very long drawn out other story, but I still swear it was mooing at me!! ; )

Okay again back to what I was saying I have been having some issues with someone and they frustrated me so much over the weekend, that I removed that person, and everyone they had ever breath the same air as that person. Okay that's really now that I have looked at it pretty STUPID. Oh brother, and not only stupid enough so if only I knew embarrassing, but public stupidity. SIGH

And now I thought I should blog about it. Share my stupidity with the world!!!! Whooohoooooooo World I am announcing it now, I can be stupid. There you go. Although any long time readers will have witnessed some post about things that were not the brightest, LOL. Although on many other days, most I hope my stuff was at least somewhat educated sounding, LOL.

So that's why knee jerk reactions can be bad, but then all y'all knew that now didn't you??? ; )

Well gotta go I am sure there are some more people I need to apologize to.

Blushing Hugs
Amy

What you missed at tonights school program or the post other wise know as, When did school programs become so dangerous??!!??

Tonight was the school program for one of my kiddos. We were excited about it. Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Mark were coming. We decided to have a tea party afterward. We made egg salad, cucumber, chicken, and roast beef and asparagus, sandwiches and jam cake for dessert. We got all of the food done on time all ready to go in the fridge. The cake we had a few issues with, it's a new recipe and I think I just did not allow enough time for the frosting to cool. I think that's it anyway. We had to take two trips as the suburban will not be back from the shop until tomorrow.

Soooooo....... My husband drops myself, the child in the program and 2 more kiddos off at the HS. We get kiddo one where they needed to be, and myself and the other 2 kiddos wait to go into the auditorium. The program starts at 7:30 so we are there 45 min early. As are many parents. They open the doors at 7. We go in, we pick a row, kinda near the back. There are 8 in our family counting the child in the program, and 3 more coming so a total of 10 needing seats. We sat down and waited. My husband shows up around 15 after 7 and they take a seat.

Of course shortly one little kiddo needs to go guess where.......... dum dum dum dummmmmm yup you guessed it the bathroom. Normally not a biggie right?? Or so you would think. However to some I have learned this evening that just means those seats are up for grabs, even when you are telling them they are occupied.

So I am sitting there minding my own business when a woman, and I must say a very grouchy rude woman, and her poor meek husband and 2 kids, comes up and starts pushing past me. This was about 7:25. I said I am sorry those seats are taken. I am informed that she does not care. Their not here and she is. I said look there are more seats up farther. She went down there and I am not sure what happened with those, but she comes marching back and starts pushing past me. I said listen my family is just in the bathroom.

Again I am informed she does not care. By now there are a bunch of people turning around and staring. Now if there is one thing I hate it is becoming a public spectacle. And my gosh, this was one if I ever saw one. Briefly I was concerned she was going to hit me, as it was she pushed past myself and my daughter and went and set down next to my son who was farther in. Yes, people are staring still. I turned to her poor embarrassed looking husband and kids and I said look my husband and son are in the bathroom. He and the kids backed as far away from my row as possible. She continued to sit there.

Finally my strapping 6 ft+ husband and kiddo come back and she finally gets up and pushes past us and leaves the aisle. She mumbles something at me as she passed not sure I gave up listening. Her husband now avoiding all eye contact is plastered to the wall. They finally went and found some other seats. I just don't get it. I obviously stated my family was there and in the bathroom. Why are some people so rude and aggressive??

So the program was very cute and we enjoyed it after I got over feeling sick from nerves. Then we began figuring out how we were going to make our 2 trips home. The friends who were sitting behind us said they could drive half home. Now I got mixed up on which half he was taking, so we waited awhile, and then figured he must have taken my hubby and his group of kids. Now after my husband got to the program I had asked where he parked and I did not pay attention to the direction he pointed, but he clearly said out behind the school.

So we headed out toward the back of the school. As we were walking down the sidewalk we came upon some of that diamond grate metal stuff. And guess what happened to yours truly, Come on you know don't you............. Yup, I slipped, now not only did I slip, but I slipped spectacularly and on the way down one of my kiddos stepped on the back of the shoe on the leg that had a slight grip and that really helped, not. I fell all the way down on the sidewalk. Now this would not have been as bad as it was if I had not spent a couple of hours 2 nights before removing all the tack strip from around the floor in my daughters room. We pulled out the nasty carpet that was left there before. I tried to clean it to no avail.

So my legs were already hurting and I could not get up right away. People walked past and I guess after a few minutes a couple of women were headed over to help, but I finally managed to get up. So we continued on our walk to find the car. We finally get to the back of the school and no car. I finally decided to call my husband and ask again. He starts saying the street we turned on.......... I am thinking we turned 3 times what do you mean the street we turned on. I am thinking now I should have paid attention to which direction he pointed. Finally, I admit, I screamed where the heck is the stupid car. He says you know the street with the light on it. I started to continue yelling the street with the light on it that's at the front of the school. I just hung up.

So we basically walked almost all the way around the school. His friend I guess had dropped him off just as I was calling drove past and said have you found it and was like I see the stupid thing now. This is the front of the school not the back and he was like yeah I told him that. So I found the stupid car, loaded the kids and took my sore, bruised, emotionally upset self home.

We had a nice time having tea, sandwiches and cake. And now I am so weary. I can not believe, that I narrowly avoided a brawl at the program, fell on the ground at the program, lost the car at the program, and nearly cried at the program. Thankfully I did not. I wanted to, but thank the Lord I did not cry. When did school programs become so fraught with problems????

Tiredly
Amy

Frequent use will keep it sparkly....

Okay so what on earth is that supposed to mean?? That's what your wondering right..

Funny thing, I have 6 kids and a busy life so I have always tended to keep my wedding ring put up. Usually in a pocket in my purse, that way I can put it on when I leave the house. I recently decided, I needed to be wearing it all the time. I no longer have infants I am worried about scratching so I should be wearing it. So I have been wearing it. When I first took it out of my purse, I realized it was looking quite dingy. I thought rats need to get some cleaner.

Now it looks quite sparkly. Just by the constant wear and all the times I wash my hands during the day have revived it. Now here is the interesting thing, just bear with me. This struck me the other day as I sat here posting the Valentines post. How like so many other things this is. First and foremost it is like our relationship with God.

How many of you are as guilty as I am of sometimes putting God away on a shelf. Yes we pray, yes we go to church, and we read the Bible, sure.... But seriously are we actually having a relationship with God. No, it is just sitting there getting all dingy like my ring in my purse. As I have been recently reminded, we need to get the Bible down off the shelve or desk, really delve into it, We need to hit our knees literally and actually talk to God our father, He is waiting on us, he never gives up on us, just us on him sometimes. And go to church and really hear what is being said.

We recently switched churches. We have realized we were slowly starving to death at the other one. No I did not expect my old church to be my only connection to God, however, when all you are hearing are the same sermons year after year and you are learning nothing. Sometimes it is time to move on. The new church we are attending is such a blessing. We have never failed to leave there without hearing something relevant to ourselves personally. In fact yesterday, the Pastor could have been speaking only to me and it would have made sense. How refreshing that is.

I feel as if my relationship with God is sparkling again.

Another thing that the sparkly thing reminded me of is our personal relationships, family, friends, etc. Most importantly after God is the relationship with our husbands/wives. Have you kept yours sparkly?? Mine has not been as it should. I, with Gods help am working at correcting things. Not that I was doing a whole bunch of things wrong, but not all the things I should have been doing right. You know little extras that can say I love you, I am thinking about you, I am praying for

Notes or calls to tell them your thinking about them. Making their favorite desserts. Picking up their favorite snack. Putting the gas in for them when they have to go somewhere, yes ladies we can do this as well. Getting up early and making them breakfast even if you don't need to be up for hours. And don't forget to pray for your husbands/wives. There are so many others out there who are waiting like a vulture for your marriage to look near death. Just so that they can swoop in and save our precious spouse from suffering. We have all seen it happen. So don't let your marriage get all dingy.

Hope everyone has a delightfully sparkly day!!!
Hugs
Amy

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day!!! I have been busy making handmade cards for my husband and children. I planned on more for the more extended family members, sigh.... I did not get them done. I don't know why I waited so long, LOL. As Valentines Day was coming, I have been trying to do extra nice things for my sweetie, I made him cheesecake, picked up his favorite snacks, got him some chocolate, you know just somethings. We are planning on dinner and movies tonight.

I was trying to think of something to write and then I remembered that I had already written something 2 years ago for a Valentines Day Tea. I thought I would share it here.


LOVE

Today is Valentines Day and what do we think of when we think of Valentines Day? Candy maybe, flowers, cards perhaps, jewelry, and of course Love. There are many different kinds of love. For instance there is the love we have for our first huggy toy or blankie, that our parents probably wish they could toss out. Something we never even wanted washed. For us at that point it was a true and everlasting love.

We of course have the love for our pets. A kitty or puppy for some perhaps a lizard or even birds for others. Although personally I do like my pets fuzzy. And of course our love was returned unashamedly and unreservedly by our pets. Isn't that a wonderful love.

Then we often stumbled into puppy love. Awwwww. The love we often have for a childhood friend. Perhaps the person was your best friend or maybe even someone you never ever talked to. Maybe this other person loved you right back. Puppy love can hang on for a long time. Some of these "puppy" loves can last a lifetime. Through all the school years until the can marry and hopefully live happily ever after.

Of course then we grow up, or so we think and we fall in love in high school. This can be so dramatic. I met the young man I dated through high school at church. We hung around for awhile giving each other all of those mushy looks kids can give each other. Kinda hinted around through others that we liked each other. And finally at a Family Church Camp, we were sitting by each other and the preacher said he wanted everyone to hold each others hand for prayer.

Well he took my hand and long story short we dated through high school and then married and had 6 kids. I am so thankful for my husband and love him alot. So now we have the until death do us part love which is strong, compelling, even overwhelming at times. The belonging to and with another person, that's a big thing, and exciting thing a frustrating thing, and then an eventually, sad thing either due to a divorce or the until death do us part stuff comes along.

Okay going on then you have the love for your babies, sigh.... I will never forget the first time I saw my babies sweet little round faces. The sudden and complete falling in love with a little scrap of a person! I never wanted to put them down. I cuddled them all next to me all night until they slept through the night on their own. This is another love that is exciting and often frustrating. As babies become independent toddlers and then go off to school and then become teenagers that all of a sudden know everything and we as parents suddenly become some of the dumbest people on the planet!

We also have the love for our family that is important and changes as we grow. Our parents are everything when we are babies. We do become less dependent on them as we grow, but love them none the less. Now the love for our siblings that is another tough love. Sometimes it does not feel much like love but more like well let's just say extreme dislike. Perhaps your sister kept taking your clothes, or maybe you were kind of mean and teased your sister alot about everything. This doesn't mean we don't love them, just that were kids. We love our aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all of who supply us with love. Large games of hid and seek with all the cousins, grandmas hot homemade rolls, the time just spent together because you love each other. What a blessing love for and from our family is.

As we have grown up we find friends along the way. Special friends who can help cheer you up when you need it and who need you to do the same when they have a down day. To have a friend to love you and one to love back is a special thing indeed. To have someone who will put up with you when you can't even put up with yourself, that is an awesome love. I believe God put those special friends there because he knew we needed each other.

As wonderful as all these loves are there is a love that has no comparison. God's love. God's love will never die. He never decides, well Amy did not come to church today so I am not going to care about her anymore. God wants the best for us and loves us so much that he sent his own and only son to die for us. So that we would not have to pay the wages of sin ourselves. A firey burning pit in hell. That's how much he loves us. I know I could never do that. I love you all, but I could not sacrifice my son, my child for you. Sacrifice myself, maybe....

God's love is everlasting. Kids grow up and move away, not that they don't love you but they aren't there everyday to say it. Friends often leave, families get busy, husband or wives may divorce or eventually pass away, but God's love is here forever. No matter how mad at the world we get, or even if we have managed to make the whole rest of the world mad at us, God will love us. No matter what we do we can't make him hate us. He may hate what we do, but he will love us forever. His arms will always be there. We just have to let him carry us.

So even if you did not get a dozen roses, a thousand pounds of candy, diamond jewelry, or even if you are alone and think no one cares, you are indeed loved. You are blessed enough to have the best, most awesome, complete, never failing, will never leave you nor forsake you, beyond death, love that you can imagine. The most important love of all, God's Love!!!

Happy Valentines Day.

Hugs
Amy

We had snow

Today started out just the same as most week days. I got up made my husband breakfast. I sat with him while he ate and noticed the curtian in the living room moving. SIGH.... Someone left a window open all night with the heater on NICE.... So I go over to shut the window and this is what I saw. As I was saying goodbye to my husband I though hey I should grab the camera. He called me as he was driving to work and said hey you should video this. So I did. Quite pretty although I am glad that it seems to be melting. I am so ready for spring.

Hugs
Amy

Why does it take trials for me to grow, or the post also known as why oh why am I so dumb, LOL???

I have been not so gently encouraged lately to do some growing in my walk with God. It needed to happen I am the first to admit that. I did read the bible, I prayed, but to be honest it was all kinda half hearted lately. Dear God protect my family and friends keep them safe and healthy. AMEN...

Good things to pray to be sure, but hardly the deep and meaningful conversations that one should be having with their heavenly Father. Pretty sad Amy. This time it took a momentous shock a risk to my family as I know it to push me into growth. My knees hit the floor......... I have never prayed in this way before. I am so thankful for this even though the circumstances are not the best.

I am also catching up on my bible reading. The bible and a couple of devotionals are all I am reading currently. I used to read a book a day. Not anymore they went back to the library. It is amazing now with a different perspective how much more the verses mean to me. I was reading Job 4 the other day, and it served as such a good reminder that God can and does do all these things. These amazing, wonderful, fantastic, miraculous things, how dare I doubt that he can take care of me and this situation no matter what the outcome is God will take care of me.

I also have been trying to keep good Godly music such as my Gregory Paul Smith, Staynlis, Kim Hill, and a number of other Cd's playing. They are helpful in keeping my mood calm and peaceful. When I would just as soon as scream and cry. I just keep reminding myself the joy of the Lord is my strength. And so it is. I realized that a number of years ago. That thanks to the Lord I have the ability to find joy each and every day even when there looks to be little to be joyful about.

I know that God will take care of me and my family no matter what happens. That I am thankful for. I know he will carry me through. So tonight as I sit here weary and struggling, tonight is I guess one of those times when God is doing the carrying me through stuff. Tonight is a tired weary night. I am praying for peace and strength. I pray for continued joy I pray for love to those who say things about me who obviously never bothered to actually get to know me. I pray for a kinds spirit and understanding when dealing with anger that is turned my way.

Thankful for the Lord watching over me

Amy

I have my computer

Yeah Praise God. LOL. Yes I did miss my computer can you tell. We have been so busy, and I have stuff I gotta run do here in a bit however. I hope to update things alot later today.

Hugs everyone
Amy

Hello

Tomorrow, I should finally officially be back online. I will have an entirely new computer designed for me to have plenty of space for pictures, much fast everything and a new flat screen. A friend of a friend, builds them, and he made this one for me and for only 473.00. I will be up and running and should have a very hard time running out of space. LOL. Yeah!!!!!!

If there is anyone left who still stops by please pray for me and my family as we are going through some very tough times personally. I will share more perhaps when I can, but for now this is all I can say.

I miss visiting all of you other bloggers, and hope to stop by soon.

Hugs
Amy