Chapter 2: The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven -Matthew 5:3
"The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things.  The blessed ones who possess the Kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing.  These are the "poor in spirit."  They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem; that is what the word "poor" as Christ used it actually mean.  These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things.  They have broken the yoke of the oppressor; and this they have done not by fighting but by surrendering.  Though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things.  "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Chapter 1: Following Hard After God

I've started reading A. W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God."  There is some good stuff in it and I'll be sharing periodically!  Here is an excerpt from chapter one:
Everything is made to center upon the initial act of "accepting" Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.  We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him...The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire.  Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.  Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.  He waits to be wanted.  Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very lon, in vain.  Every age has its own characteristics.  Right now we are in an age of religious complexity.  The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us.  In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. 

Eat Your Veggies!

Who would have thought that I would become a border-line vegetarian?  But these last few months I've decided to give it a try for my health.  And it's worked out great.  I still eat meat on occasion, but I don't miss meat at all and I can live without it just fine.  Most vegetarian recipes I make myself but I tried this Dole Salad Kit and it was so good I had to share it.  It is spinach, dried cherries, sliced almonds, bleu cheese crumbles, and white balsamic vinegar dressing.  Very tasty, give it a try!

Review of Eat To Live by Joel Furhman

Anyone who wants to loose weight, eat healthy, or feel healthy should read this book.  I've read through this book twice now, and it's a wealth of common-sense information that unfortunately most people don't want to hear.  I originally bought this book because I wanted to loose weight, but I read through it again because I wanted to eat as healthy as I can and feel good.  I've lost about 50 pounds in the last 3 years(it took me that long because I had two babies in that time).  I have had lots of people ask me what my secret was to my weight loose.  Sorry, but there is no "secret."  When I would tell them I lost the weight by eating healthy and exercising, they would get this sad look on their face like, "Oh, you went about it the RIGHT way, call me when you've found that magic pill."  It's really quite simple: eat vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, and avoid meat, dairy, and processed sugars.  But the book isn't about being vegan, it's about putting the MOST healthy things into your body that you can, mainly vegetables.  People often use the excuse of expense to not eat healthy.  But meat and cheese, which are a huge part of the average Americans diet, are expensive.  And when you look at the fact that fruits and veges are full of protein that will fill you up faster and keep you full longer, it's probably actually cheaper to eat healthy. Too many people in this country are sick from totally preventable ailments and diseases, this book should be in the hands of every American so they can get out of their ignorance and choose to eat to live!

Fall Wreath

Wreaths are so expensive to buy, so I've decided to make my own!  For this one, I bought a wire round base, then wrapped and hot-glued brown ribbon around it.  I used fabric leaves and mums and hot-glued them on.  It was very easy and fun!

"Tea-Party Downgrade???!"

There has been a whole lot of tea-party bashing and I'm sick of it.  I've been to a tea-party rally, tea-partiers are generally good, working-class people who want lower taxes and less government and more freedom!  So get ready for a rant.  Senator John Kerry called our nation's credit rating downgrade a "Tea-party downgrade" because they wouldn't compromise with the Democrats on what they wanted in the debt deal.  This is such a load of garbage.  The White House, Democrats, and news media defy logic and reason and flat out lie to people when they report this.  We got downgraded because we spend money that we don't have and don't seem to give a thought to how we're going to pay it back!  The CBO(congressional budget office) told the Obama administration that we needed to cut at least 4 trillion to not get downgraded--that advise was ignored.  As far as I've heard, Obama's only idea during the whole debt debate was to raise taxes on the rich because they don't pay their "fare share."  Another load of garbage.  The rich already pay a lot in taxes, plus they buy lots of stuff and employ people, so if you tax them more, then they won't buy things or hire people.  Duh.  Even lots of Americans are complaining that the rich didn't get taxed, but those are probably the almost 50% of Americans who don't pay taxes anyway(everyone pays taxes initially in their paycheck, but then they get it back for their tax return, for those of you how don't believe there are people who don't pay taxes).    Also, getting back to my point, the tea-party and republicans gave in and compromised plenty by letting Obama take the country even more into debt--if the Tea Party had it's way, it would have bee Cut, Cap, and Balance(look it up, maybe if we can get a good President next time around we can get it into place) which the Senate wouldn't even read and the president promised to veto.  The world is laughing at us and we have been humbled.  I personally think we deserve it because there are way too many pampered, spoiled, entitled brats in this country.  So don't believe the media's trashing of the Tea Party-they aren't the ones who got us into this mess, but hopefully they will be the ones to help lead us out!

Chapter 21

This chapter contains letters that Mr. Pearle wrote to his sons and Mrs. Pearle wrote to her daughters.  Here are some good excerpts from Mr. Pearle's letter:

"Be sure to cultivate your relationship with your wife.  Meet her needs.  Make her happy.  Her state of mind is going to be 50% of your children's example, and 100% when you are not there.  If you will love and cherish your wife, the children will love and cherish her also.  If you are a servant to her, your example will translate to their experience."

"Don't marry a lazy, slothful girl.  Beauty can get mighty old lying up in bed, framed in a disheveled, griping, slothful pout.  Whatever you do, avoid a lazy girl.  If she expects to be waited on, let her marry a waiter.  You will have a full job rearing the children without having to rear a wife."

"Don't put yourself in an occupational position that will leave you out of position to be a good father.  If you gain the whole world and lose your child's soul, what profit is it?  Some workaholics will say they are doing it for their children-providing security, a good education, etc.  Why is it that the children of hard-working, absent fathers never appreciate their sacrifice, and even show disdain and contempt for their father's success?  The reason is that children are not fooled.  They understand their father's absence to be selfishness on his part and lack of interest in them.  They see their father getting more satisfaction from his job than from their presence.  Whether this be true or not, the results are the same."

"The modern concept of "quality" time as opposed to "quantity," is a salve for the consciences of modern parents thoroughly wrapped up in worldy pursuits.  A scheduled hour of clinical-like attention makes your "quality time" nothing more than the fulfillment of a business appointment-a therapy session.   Your best time together will be that which is spent in real struggles to achieve common goals.  A child will build self-worth, not by being the center of attention in idle chatter, but by actually conquering a real-world need-putting up a mail box, cutting the grass, etc."

"As soon as your first child is born, begin your role as father.  Relieve your tired wife for a couple of hours a day by taking the infant and attending to all his needs.  When I was newly married, I expected my wife to be a "super" woman.  I soon learned that if she were going to last through several more childbirths-and, that in good spirits-she was going to need a lot of support.  Treat your wife as a delicate flower, and she will "bloom" with energy to be a more giving mother."