I remind myself of Miss Vivian in....

the movie "Pretty Woman".



There is a question Jesus asks the Chief Priests and Elders who approach Him in the temple as He is teaching. Matthew 21 records it. These C.P.E.'s are wanting to know by what authority Jesus is teaching...well actually I don't think they really wanted to know the answer to their question at all, they were just looking for ammunition to debunk the awesome teacher.

So...Jesus does what He does so well, He answers their question with a question...about the baptism of John's authority. He not only answers their question with a question, He also one-ups-them by telling them if they answer His question-- He will answer their question. In the famous words of today's youth, "SNAP"!

Now the C.P.E.'s are pressed into a logic corner; "...was it (John's authority) from Heaven or from man?".

As an aside, I just love reading in Matthew chapter 3 when Cousin John describes Jesus: "But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store his wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out."

Sorry... I digress...as I was saying. When the C.P.E.'s can not agree what to answer, Jesus throws them yet another question. This one is about two worker-bee sons. These two sons are requested by their father to work in his vineyard. Each son has a different response to their father's request. Jesus wants to know which son's response was the will of the father. The C.P.E.'s come up with their answer, (amazing they could agree) to which Jesus replies.
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you."

*sound of loud buzzer*.... Wrong answer C.P.E.'s!!

Have you guessed where me reminding myself of Miss Vivian comes into the story? I am one of those harlots Jesus speaks of. The woman who sold herself cheaply to many a false redeemer! Julia Roberts, as Miss Vivian, gets paid obscene amounts of money in exchange for intimacy with Richard Gere as Edward Lewis--her redeemer. Thanks to him, Miss Vivian gets jazzy new clothes to wear and is instructed on how to enjoy the rewards of her Redeemer's gifts of riches (Get your mind out of the gutter dear readers!).

The brilliant worker-bee question presented to the inquisitive C.P.E.'s is even more amazing when Jesus offers an observation. He makes the point that the real tragedy (tragedy is my word not Jesus') is when the unbelieving C.P.E.'s do not change their minds once they have witnessed the harlots transforming belief in Christ!

The moral of this story: Watch out if you pride yourself in being more of a scripture brainiac goody two shoes than your local prostitute, it could get you into a real everlasting pickle...especially when you see that she does not look or act like a harlot anymore.

I love the new wardrobe my Redeemer purchased for me!!!

Still not happy with my template...wish I was a html wiz!

Happy Anniversary MandW

33 Years of hard work mixed with bliss!
Thank you for forging the trail for those of us behind you!
I salute you!!!

A Little Redesign

I was bored with my blog template...am not real happy with the change but will leave it for now to see if it grows on me.

Ever get the feeling someone is watching you?

Monday

Peanut and I were grabbing a bite to eat a few weeks ago. We wanted to taste the food at the new restaurant in town, The Grub Hut.



After an enjoyable-- yet highly caloric meal of burgers, fries,onion rings, and a chocolate milk shake we headed out to the car. I looked up into the horizon from the parking lot...this is what displayed itself to me.

I grabbed my camera out of my purse and started shooting....I have not edited the photos. Aren't they amazing cloud formations? They look like humongous eyes of fire!

Enjoy more odd shot posts here

Crisis Recollection

Do any of you remember Y2k? If so, do you recall what it is you were doing the eve of that dreaded, expected dooms day night?

With the current "crisis" news being all the buzz (no comparison being made here...so don't get your panties in a twist) I have been reminded (that's all I am saying..just reminded. No comparisons are being made.) of the the warnings back in 1999 to stock pile food supply so when the grocery delivery system was jammed, due to the computer dating glitch mess, we would have food for our tables. Or, better yet, plant a garden. It was the perfect year to start a plot to produce some veg for your family--was the recommendation from the "be prepared" camp.

As nature would have it I did not grow a garden for back-up food support....here in the NW we had a wet and cold summer. The seeds I did sow had "lack of sprouting and growing a root base sickness". Now--now, I know I could always have been stocking up via purchased canned goods and gallon sized water jugs, not to mention beans and rice in 50lb bags. But some how I kept forgetting to make my back-up supply list, nor did I set aside storage space in the garage...those crazy kids bikes, big wheels, skate boards, roller blades, hockey sticks, and rock collections etc were run-a-muck in our garage. It was my back-up play room for crying out loud.

Truth be told, I am not a very good specimen of "just in case" living.

I always think I will get to that plan...some day.

I did however manage to plan and execute a Y2K New Years Eve Party, surprising isn't it? Invitation list: Ya Yas and their families. I have zero recollection of what food we enjoyed together but I remember playing games and stuffing a time capsule. I thought of opening it and sharing photos of it in this blog but decided I will save that for the anniversary blog in nine months.

There is one item I will share tonight that I just had to put into the capsule. These photos display the creativity we had playing a little game of, What Would You Use This Item For?

The item is a fat quarter of fabric that somehow early in the year got nick-named a derogatory name denoting that is should NEVER be used for anything pretty for any reason. I liked the fabric myself. I took so much flack that year for having it in my fabric stash I promoted it to the honorable job of time capsule life where it would be forever recognized as:

The 1999 Fabric of the Year!

Let me introduce you to "Doggie Fabric" ala multi-purpose--

What a creative bunch we were!

Hoping you are creative and finding laughable moments during our country's "crisis"!

Peeps and M&M's Gone Ya Ya!

Yesterday was another memorable Ya Ya Day for me. Not only did I get my traditional yak-yakaty-yaking in, taste delectable savory meal pleasures, inhale inspiration beyond what my brain is able to process (thats artist lingo for my homeys are way talented), lovely laugher, pizza dough undeservingly thrown at me, as well as a group shopping excursion for our jewelry group creation; I also got to view the 912 Project inception broadcast with them while we partook of Peeps with Peanut M&M’s!!!!

Thus far in my blogging career I have not been able to muster the blog out of me that would rightly introduce you to my love of Christ or to my love of Country. Today I shall take a stab at the latter.

Had I been born a male I am fairly sure I would have enlisted in a branch of our military. I know, I know, sounds like a cop out excuse for a woman in this day and age---come on Tink---women enlist these days girl!...wake up and smell the womens movement! But this woman was born with another “armed forces” passion called Motherhood. I wanted to be a mother more than an enlisted countrywoman. My logic deduces that had I been a man, I would not have wanted to be a mother; therefore I would have been an enlisted serviceman. My point being simply: I have always loved my country and appreciate being blessed to live here.

Things that I love I dedicate myself to preserving. Thus-- a love of politics was born. I do not recall when it occurred, the birth sort of snuck in sometime late in my high school career.

It is a difficult passion to have in the face of a government that has grown well beyond the bounds of our Constitutional forging Fore-Father's intensions. The largeness of it all has tempted me many times to just give up, go with the flow, let it slide, taker easy; but the William Wallace inside me will just not give in!

My favorite movie of all time is Braveheart. A little over a year ago I was introduced to a modern day Braveheart named.... Mr. Glenn Beck. Mr. Beck’s passions, and love for our country, have introduced a new project called the 912 Project. Last night on his television show he introduced it with a “We Surround Them” theme, meaning that those of us who believe in at least eight of these guiding ten principles far out number those in our country who do not. We Surround Them means that our voices can be heard and our efforts can make a difference for the coming generations in line to inherit our land. We need not give up or give in!!

In honor of our common passions for country and our fellow man...
Glenn, I snapped a photo of us together during last night's broadcast.

Cheers to those of us who surround them, may we never give up and never give in to fighting for what is worth fighting for!!

ParaPro Passed

I have exciting news! The Federal Government finds me intelligent enough to be a Paraprofessional in the public schools. Considering I have home schooled one child K-11 and two children K-12... I should hope so.

Yesterday I passed the ParaPro Assessment test . I finished in under two hours (they allow 2.5) with only choosing to brush up on the definitions of mean, median and mode before hand. I fully intended on reviewing Peanut's algebra book but when I opened it to study I could not decide what they may choose to test me on. So....I watched some DVR shows instead.
I honestly felt comfortable enough in my knowledge base to be able to pass general multiple choice questions on reading comprehension, math and english skills.

Finding myself not nervous about taking a test got me thinking about my public school testing experiences. I tried to recall ever being nervous about test taking days. I could not remember one single time I was stressed about them.

I have always enjoyed learning...well, except for the busy work and the redundancy of being taught the same material year after year in subjects like science and history. Maybe that is why I preferred math. With math there is progression...once I acquired a skill level I got to move on. I remember being one of very few 7th grade students who were allowed into the Algebra-I class with the 8th and 9th graders. Oh man did I ever feel cool!

Progressing onto something new is exactly what this ParaPro Assessment passing grade affords me. I am certain I will have opinions about content and tactics along this new journey with the public school system, but there is one thing I know I will very much enjoy. I will enjoy cheer leading and facilitating student's education progression....after all I have spent 20 years doing that very thing--haven't I?

"Rigorous" Test Tomorrow

Looking for work has me quite distracted. I guess I am, as Cindy says, "an all or nothing kind of girl'. Everywhere I go I think " Would I enjoy working here." When I pass people while walking the dog I have to refrain from saying, "Hi, know of any good jobs available a hip and happy chick could apply for?" When asleep I dream about job interviews and while awake I roll stupid sentences through my head that may sound more professional than "Oh my gosh, you would so love working with me!"

Tomorrow I am going to PAY $45.00 to take a Praxis test required by the school district for all job applications filed. I called to schedule an appointment for this test yesterday. However the very kind woman I spoke with recommended that I come in and check out the practice test book or perhaps I would prefer to purchase one for $25.00. I thought, "hmmm what on earth could they test me on that I don't already know?" Does that sound cocky?

I told her I was thinking I could handle a general test of skills in English, Math and Logic without a study guide but if she thought the math portion had higher level math then I better reconsider.

To which she responded "Many people have trouble with fractions and some of the new terms they use in math."

"New terms, what new terms would these be?"

Since we had determined earlier in our conversation that we were about the same age she replied "Do you remember learning improper fractions?"

"Yes, I sure do."

"Well they now call them 'top heavy fractions'."

I literally laughed out loud "You have got to be kidding me?" While thinking to myself "snap" to all the folks over the years who voiced "concern" for homeschooling academics.

At any rate, this lovely NKSD employee was helpful and kind enough to give me a heads up to a few other "new" math terms, before setting my appointment time.

Tomorrow I will report back to you weather or not I passed said Praxis test or not. If I fail you can be sure my ego will be dented if not crushed. If I pass I may have to share some of the "rigorous" questions with everyone so we can discuss the rigor of them.

Signing off now to go brush up on mean, median, and mode, since apparently the term "average" was bounced from the math lingo list along with improper fraction.....oy vey.