CatHouse Chat

My JimJimJimmers!

UPDATE: Oh, blast... It looks like Verizon and TPad aren't getting along again; my text didn't come through.

Anyway, Jimmy (registered name "Filthy Rich," if I recall correctly) is a 21 year old Saddlebred gelding, and he's my darling! We get along very well, and my friend Lisa calls him the "Barbie horse" because he's so pretty.

If I had a zillion dollars, I would SO buy Jimmers and board him with Maggie, our trainer. Then, when it was time to retire, I would bring Jimmy to my house and a nice, lush pasture with a buddy or two to be spoiled until he went over the Rainbow Bridge.

Maggie takes excellent care of her horses, even though it makes life financially difficult. But, because she takes such good care of them, her vet bills are very low, and - as you can see - her horses are healthy and active well into their golden years.

Going riding today

Image via Wikipedia

The Munchkin and I are going to be riding in a little tournament show today, two classes each, so I'm asking for y'all's best wishes. It's her first show, and I really want her to enjoy it - and I'd like to do well, too! It would be lovely to have a mother-daughter blue ribbon picture, don't you think? Plus, I'm in the first class, and up against my best buddy and her daughter - yikes!-worthy!

Anyway, the Beloved Husband is coming as well to cheer us on and take pictures, so I'm hoping to toss one or two up either tonight or tomorrow. Mom's been bugging me for pix, so I hope the Beloved gets some good ones!

So keep us in prayer that we do our best, have lots of fun, and are safe... And that the Munchkin and I come away with blue ribbons! ;-)

President Obama:

It's NOT above your pay grade...

It's not beyond anyone's pay grade!

CHOOSE LIFE!

(kittipurrs to Gribbit)

Abortion = murder

Pure and simple. It really is.

I don't know why, but this topic has come up several times in the past couple days for me - and this morning I see a beautiful post by Gary Graham over at Big Hollywood (love Breitbart!) which sums up the argument beautifully.

It astonishes me that liberals, who are supposedly so interested in and supportive of human rights (well, when it suits their agenda, anyway), refuse to stand up and be counted when the rights of the most vulnerable and innocent of humans are violated.

It baffles me that people will go nuts over the "injustice" of the death penalty and won't firmly oppose abortion. The convicted murderer, at least, has gone through a trial by jury. An aborted child isn't given that courtesy, and that strikes me as a serious travesty of "justice."

Anyway, go read that post by Mr. Graham.

"Close Gitmo! Close Gitmo!"

But don't send the detainees to *MY* back yard!

What's the matter, Nancy? Couldn't the enlightened city of San Francisco treat these people in a "humane" manner? Or are you really counting on all those tourist dollars that no one will be spending because all our citizens are too busy working to pay off the obscene debt you and your cohorts (and, yeah, I included the RINOs) have voted in?

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge: FOOD!

Thai Duck Curry, from Lemongrass in Annapolis, MD... Although the restaurant has changed a LOT since I was there last!

I saw this post by my dear blog brother, Scott, and had to participate in this Bloggers Community Photo Challenge, although it's not nearly as technically perfect as I'd like ;-)

A piddly little irritation

I am SO SICK of the Glad trash bags I got a while ago. There was a nice, large box on sale at Food Lion for a good price, so I picked it up instead of the regular FL garbage bags I usually get. Boy, was THAT a mistake!

The flaps that are supposed to be so easy to tie often tear. The bag that's supposed to be so strong usually isn't. The bag that's supposed to fit a standard "tall kitchen" pail doesn't.

To be very trite and unoriginal? The Glad Quick Tie trash bags are garbage.

I'm going to go back to the Food Lion brand of tall kitchen bags with handles; they fit my garbage can better, they're stronger, and they're generally cheaper. *Pfui!* to Glad bags!

Are you in the market for a new Bible?

Well, then, I've got an AWESOME deal for you, but you're going to have to jump on it quickly: I have no idea how long the price will hold.

I love my old John MacArthur New King James Version Study Bible (except mine is black), but it's binding isn't the best ("imitation leather" - yikes) and it was getting pretty torn and tattered (which is, actually, a GOOD thing for a Bible - they should be read to death!).

So this is what I've been eying as a replacement:

I've been very interested in the English Standard Bible (ESV) for quite a while, but I tend to prefer study Bibles, and the ESV only recently came out with one. Plus, a lot of the ESV Bibles I've seen have a very small - 7.2 point - typeface (my one quibble with this translation), so I was looking for a larger type without going to a "large print" Bible, and this study Bible "fixes" that issue. I'm also hoping that this Bible will be with me for years and years, so I really wanted a genuine leather cover, rather than the pretend stuff (which never seems to wear well).

However,leather-bound Bibles can get very expensive (here's the actual listing at Crossway - scroll down - $95 plus shipping!), and I didn't really think I could justify spending that at this time - and so I resigned myself to dream from afar.

Image via CrunchBase

Enter Amazon.com! My heroes! They have this magnificent Bible for only about $60 at the moment - about what I'd pay for a study Bible with an average binding. Due to a very high demand, it is temporarily out of stock, so I'll have to wait a bit (the end of February, at least) until Amazon gets it back in, but that's OK!!!! For this kind of price on this quality Bible, I can wait ;-)

So, if you're in the market for a new Bible, I can highly recommend this translation AND this edition! I'm very excited to get it in my hands and make it into a well-loved friend. But like I said, you'd better jump on the band wagon QUICK, because I don't know how long Amazon is going to hold that incredibly awesome price!

Heart's ease (UPDATED)

[Grrrrr. For some reason, the text of the moblog didn't come thru... Ah, well, this is a better comment anyway]

"Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it rest in Thee." --- St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 1

I've been very busy at work with my new job, so I haven't taken the time to post much (gotta correct that). I've also been rather melancholy over the political situation - as you know, President Obama was far from my first choice to lead America in these perilous times.

However, I read Rick Warren's prayer for the inauguration on Mark Driscoll's blog, and it really reminded me that things haven't actually changed: God is still on His throne, He is still in control, and the Blood of Christ still cleanses us from sin.

I think, perhaps, that this is a good thing for me. I don't want to have a "functional savior" in politics or political leaders. I don't want to cling to anyone or anything other than Jesus, the true Savior and God, for my joy and fulfillment. So, I'm hoping that I'll take this opportunity to learn to grow closer to Him, to follow Him more faithfully, and to learn to seek His approval.

God alone should have my deepest loyalty and devotion. Although men can hurt and maim and enslave and hamper and cripple and kill me, only God has sovereignty over my soul. Only God is worthy of my worship. Only God can bring peace to my restless heart and my anxious mind.

God has made me for Himself, to bring glory to His name and to let His grace and love work through me. It's time to learn to trust Him fully, and to rest in Him.

All right, I'm officially addicted...

... to Bones... Funny, interesting - although Bones does drive me nuts a bit with her anti-God comments - and just... I love it!

... Which means it'll probably get canceled after the next season [headdesk]

OK, this is too good NOT to post!

(I looooooooove ICHC - I wish they'd let us have it at work [pout])

more animals

God is so good...

... He really is. I cannot say just how wonderful He has been to me. I cannot fully explain to any of you just how kind and loving He has been this past week. He's been holding out His hand to me for so long, pointing out sin and inviting me back to His loving arms. I've known the sin, I've known it WAS sin, and I just kept returning to it, like a dog to its own vomit.

My head knew it was sin, and my wayward heart just. kept. on. sinning!

God in His grace and mercy just keeps calling to me - my loving Father calling me to come back to safety and back to a loving, whole relationship with Him. And, so I have. I feel the pull, but I am going to rely on God's strength to say "no" and be obedient to His will rather than my sinful nature. It may be difficult to stay on God's path for my life, but I know that I can do it because it is God's power working in me, not my power. It is God who began this work in me and who will complete it. It is God's power in me that is greater than the power of my sin.

I am blessed with so many good and godly people in my life: my parents, my grandmother (who is with the Lord), several friends, and many people I've met through the internet. I am blessed with a wonderful family - a husband and daughter who I dearly love and who bring joy to my heart and a smile to my lips EVERY SINGLE DAY.

But, in particular, I want to thank my pastor and my church for being unafraid to preach the Gospel without shame:

Thanks, Hank. Thanks also to Roger, who told me of this local Church, who is also my Bible Study teacher, and who has been teaching God's word with simplicity and strength. I learn more about God, I grow closer to God, and I want to serve God more because of my church's encouragement and instructions.

Along with Pastor Hank and Roger, I also want to thank Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle for his sermon on Predestination. I just finished listening to it, and it was so humbling and yet incredibly uplifting that I need to post it as well. It is long, yes, but well worth a very careful listen. In particular, if you only have limited time, listen to the last half - and then marvel at the wondrous grace and love and mercy and kindness of the one true God:

EXACTLY!!!

What he said:

Which brings me to the whole preposterous idea that somehow, we conservatives need to change – or to use the in-vogue word, “redirect” -- our message. The problem we conservatives have is not with our message. The problem we have is with the men who were supposed to deliver it (as opposed to the one woman courageous enough to carry our banner, who did fine and dandy, thank you). The problem we have is with our “leaders’” methods. And their meandering, miasmic, mealy-mouthed meekness.

Remember the congressional majority we suffered through for nearly 12 long, harrowing years? For your sake, I actually hope not. For more than a decade, the Republicans (self-described conservatives almost to a one) controlled the Senate and the House. And they proceeded to surrender on almost every front. They bleated about being “non-partisan.” They whined about maintaining their majority (for what reason we now know not). And they “reached across the aisle” so often that the lines between the parties dissolved into an amorphous blur.

Then, when, inevitably, the American people tired of the Republicans’ pusillanimity and spit them from their mouths, the do-nothing losers blamed the message they had long-since betrayed. And now – after a Republican President pushes for open borders and blanket amnesty; after he spends like a drunken sailor on a Cinderella liberty; after he nationalizes everything but grandma’s put-back pin money; and after the American electorate shows open disdain for him, his policies, and his party – lo and behold, the self-same nervous nellies say it’s time to, you guessed it, change the message.

I am tired - deathly tired! - of politicians claiming the conservative label, and then acting like the worst kind of spineless, waffling, craven, America-hating left-wing moonbats! Stand up, be counted, and fight for true conservative values, you cowards!

Of course, I do have to put a fair amount of blame squarely on the shoulders (and, yeah, I'll include myself) of the voting public, because we've kept voting these idiots into office and then allowed them to remain there once their "mealy-mouthed meekness" has been exposed...

Grrrrrr... The video is fighting back!

I'm using Photoshop Premiere Elements 7 - or I was for a bit, but when I reviewed what I'd edited, the sound kept dropping out. I am not sure if that's just in the editor or if the final product will have those blank spots. It's quite irritating.

Also, editing the titles I add - sermon notes, Scripture references, etc. - is a pain. Making and adding them isn't so bad, but getting them where you want them, and then making sure they stay on screen long enough is NOT the most intuitive and simple process. [grumpy grumbles]

I really need to get this done and uploaded so I can send the link to Pastor Hank for review, and so it's ready for tomorrow afternoon if we can meet up to go over some web tools. *sigh*

OK, back to the Edit Monster to see if I can tame it...

I can haz coffee?

Um, or... Maybe not... LOL!

more animals

Oh, by the way...

How is everyone doing on their daily Bible reading?

I'm not doing as well as I'd like; it seems like I'm skipping every other day. Fortunately, it's easy to catch up, but it's not helping to develop the habit of being in the Word daily. *sigh* I really need to remind myself of proper priorities and just DO IT!

Anyway, today's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible are:

• Genesis 21 and 22
• Psalm 6:6-10
• Proverbs 3: 5-6
• Matthew 8:18-34

Working on something for my church...

My Pastor came to me just before Christmas, asking if we could get together so I could explain blogging to him, and perhaps set something up. Schedules during the holidays being what they are, we haven't been able to set things up yet, but I did take my video camera into service today so I could record the sermon.

Right now, I'm importing it on to my laptop from the HDV camera, and am going to try to add the Scripture notations, title and closing pages and so on, then upload it to Google video (YouTube's 10 minute limit is too short, and I'd prefer not to splice up the sermon).

So, as soon as I get it uploaded and processed, I'll post the video. Pastor Hank's remarks on Ephesians 1:3-6 are great, and I think you'll find them very helpful. One thing I love about Hank is that he's not afraid to preach the Word without apology - my kind of Pastor!

The incredible unbelievability of GRACE

It's funny - quite funny - that people who (to my knowledge) have only mild appreciation of Christianity want to slam a pastor like Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in the Seattle area. Hot Air has had two entries up just recently, and it makes me JOYOUS that a man of God who pulls no punches is in the forefront of right-leaning new media.

I would earnestly suggest that, to get an idea of where Mark is coming from, you might want to listen to "How Sharp the Edge? Christ, Controversy and Cutting Words." Secondly, I earnestly recommend his Religion Saves series. This is a man who loves God, and is not afraid to preach the Word in fullness and in truth!

I confess that I am imperfect and that my walk with God is not what it ought to be... But when dogs, pigs and wolves come up against me, I will mock, rebuke and shoot them with no apologies and to the best of my knowledge and ability. Just like Mark, my Pastor, Hank, is a wonderful blessing and encouragement to me to take a stand on the Rock of God's Word.

My commitment: I refuse to be bound by the expectations and restrictions of sinful humans - God and His Word alone constrain me. If you think I'm in error, you'd better rebuke me as a fellow Christian and remember the words of Paul in Galatians 6:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.

I know that I, and others I admire, are not always right - but I'm tired of backing down and being "diplomatic" when I contend for the faith in the true God who offers the only way to true freedom and joy and eternal peace.

If you are a Christian and disagree with my opinions and actions, PROVE to me that you are my brother or sister. Validate that relationship, and show your humility and gentleness.

Prove that you are a Christian before you rebuke me... Or be prepared to be mocked like a lying dog or shot like heretical wolf.

Microsoft still doesn't get it...

Heh. Link thanks to my Beloved Husband...

Fry me up some-a-dem "sea kitties"!

PETA continues to prove that there aren't even two functioning neurons present in the whole group:

People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals - believes calling fish sea kittens will make sea food less appealing.

It wants to change the image of fish as slimy and slithery creatures by claiming they are similar to cuter, more popular animals. "Would people think twice about ordering fish sticks if they were called sea kitten sticks?" PETA asked on its website.

I think I'm gonna go with LC & IB Mrs. M-ITT and ask -

Umm…..will they still come with Tarter Sauce?

[headdesk] And... TAG! I'm "IT"

*grumble, grumble* Well, that's what I get for torturing my DB-Bs - they torment me right back! Scott, I don't normally do these, either, but for you.... ;-)

Seven things about me, and then I'm supposed to tag seven people on Twitter... I don't know if I have enough brain-power to tag seven people, but at least I can play with the list, and then tag people later...

1.) I love to read. Love it! Nothing makes me happier than to stick my nose in a good story and let the whole world do whatever while I escape for a while.

2.) I adore traveling - and if I can combine travel with what's next on my list, well... Give me these top three, and I'm a happy camper! I love to see other places, learn about new people, and enjoy the traditions of other cultures. I've been blessed that I have traveled more than the average American. East or West, home is best - but I appreciate it even more when I'm out seeing the sights.

3.) I'm a foodie. Good restaurants (and they don't have to be formal) with awesome food are a delight to me. I think I'd make an excellent food/restaurant reviewer, because it's something I love. My Beloved and I joke about how I arrange our vacations (there's the travel portion): "If we do this and this in the morning, we can eat HERE for lunch, and then we can visit here and here and be THERE for dinner!" LOL

4.) I love to host my friends - I love it when I have people to cook for and spoil. I usually make enough for an army, because I want to make sure that my family and guests are properly stuffed with delicious food, and vehemently refusing my offer of "just another mint - wafer thin!" (um... Caution with that link - it's a Monty Python video, and MOM WOULDN'T LIKE IT)

5.) On the other hand, much though I love being a hostess, I also need to withdraw and have some "leave-me-alone-don't-BOTHER-me" time every day. I tend to get overloaded with lots of people around, and taking a small break to recharge my batteries really helps. In many ways, I have a very hermit-like personality, which leads me to...

6.) I'm shy. Yes, I really am. I fake not being shy pretty well, but it took me years to learn. Face to face, I'm much quieter, and more likely to prefer a *ahem* "diplomatic" solution for disputes. Frankly, conflict in real life really upsets me. I'll deal with it, but I hate it! In real life, it takes a heck of a lot more to get me in a riled up, fighting mood than it does online. So, yes, I'm shy - but don't push it. ;-)

7.) Finally (in the best-for-last tradition), I am a Christian, a wife and mom, and a conservative. God continues to baffle and bless me with His infinite kindness and grace every day. His gentle and loving hand is obvious in every aspect of my life, and I cannot ever thank Him enough. I fail Him, and He keeps picking me up, dusting me off, and carrying me through everything that comes my way. He's given me a husband and daughter who bring me joy each day, and He's given me a beautiful home and provided everything I could possibly need as well as most of what I could possibly want. Thanks, God! I pray that my life is a steady journey closer to You, and that I am slowly being conformed to the image of Your Son...

Anyway, that's it for now... And for a bit, really. Posting will be sporadic at best over the next few weeks while I'm working my new job (Shhh! I'm working as a tax consultant! *gasp!*). Things will go crazy from 16 January through around 15 February, plus I'm still learning the procedural ropes. I'll try to get posts up when I can, but they'll probably be pretty "fluffy"!

Uh-oh! She's cooking again!

I've had Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe open in a FireFox browser tab for a week, now, and finally I got around to making them...

Nom, nom, nom! Got milk? ;-)

Hey... Dad?

One of the things I really want to commit to this year - besides reading my Bible every day, and being in church every week - is deepening my prayer life.

I do pray, and I do pray for friends - several have astonished me by thanking me for prayers I've written for them - but I want to really, really pray... I want to just come boldly before the Throne and confidently lay my cares and concerns in God's lap, knowing that He loves me and that He hears me and that He will answer me.

I want to stop worrying about what other people think, and I want to have the faith of a child - trusting, confident, and knowing that Dad can do anything - when I talk to Him.

I want to learn to go to Him first whenever I have a need or a worry. I want to learn to hear His voice when my Dad talks to me. I want to throw myself into His arms and ask for forgiveness when I screw up. I want to hold onto the Hand that is holding me.

I want to get so close to God that I can see Him everywhere I look and in everything I do.

I know I'm the Daughter of the King of Kings... but I also want to be...

Daddy's Girl

...your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

(Matthew 6:8-13, NKJV)

All right, I'm trying again...

In 2007, one of my resolutions was to read through the Bible in a year. Sadly, as is the way with so many New Year's resolutions, it sort of fell by the wayside, which is really a terrible thing. So, this year, I'm going to try again, and I hope my fellow Christians will join me.

I'll be working from the MacArthur Daily Bible, which includes daily readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs and the New Testament, but there are other daily reading programs if you want to go straight through.

Yesterday's readings were:

• Genesis 1 and 2
• Psalm 1
• Proverbs 1:1-7
• Matthew 1

Today's readings are:

• Genesis 3 and 4
• Psalm 2
• Proverbs 1:8-9
• Matthew 2

I'm not going to write about what I'm reading in the Bible all the time; I want to concentrate on actually reading this year. It is probably that I'll post meditations on the day's selections, but I'm not going to make it a regular thing.

I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK...

All right... I'm not a lumberjack - but I played one on TV today! (OK, OK, not on TV, but on our security cams... geeze, you all are picky!).

The Beloved made a jig to load split logs on so he can sub-cut them. Our Hearthstone™ soapstone wood stove is rather small (but it does a GREAT job - small but mighty!), and the length of these logs is too big for it. So, we load it up:

And the Beloved cuts the logs -

Then our Munchkin helps him load the smaller logs into the bucket of our little tractor, and brings them on over to me, so I can stack them outside our back door.

(She hates to be photographed - is it a pre-teen thing? LOL)

It's maybe about 30 or 40 yards from the woodpile to the back door, and using the tractor really saves a lot of effort! Plus, the timing works beautifully: as the Munchkin drives the tractor over to drop the logs, the Beloved is re-loading the cutting jig. By the time the tractor returns to the woodpile, there's another bucketful ready to go.

And what am *I* doing while the Munchkin is trekking back and forth and the Beloved is cutting wood?

Why, I'm stacking, of course!

Fourteen or fifteen loads: oh, my poor back! My Beloved thinks we moved a ton of wood today, between this pile and the work we did at the main wood pile.

I think we'll be plenty warm over the next few days, don't you? ;-)

Dave Barry's Year in Review... and cute kittens

Yep. This is a good way to spend New Year's Day - reading Dave Barry. Some highlights:

• Abroad, Fidel Castro steps down after 49 years as president of Cuba, explaining that he wants to spend more time decomposing. In selecting his successor, the Cuban national assembly, after conducting an exhaustive nationwide search, selects Fidel's brother, Raul, who narrowly edges out Dennis Kucinich.
• In sports, the undefeated New England Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants in a stunning upset that confounds the experts, not to mention Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which had $38 billion on the Pats to win.
• In environmental news, Earth Hour is observed on March 29, when cities around the world display their commitment to conserving energy by turning out their lights for one hour. When the lights come back on, Detroit is missing.
• the International Atomic Energy Agency releases a report stating that Iran is actively developing nuclear warheads. In response, Iran issues a statement asserting that (1) it absolutely is not developing nuclear warheads, and (2) these are peaceful warheads. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China convene an emergency meeting, during which they manage, in heated negotiations, to talk France out of surrendering.
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac invest $17 billion in an Herbalife franchise.
• Speaking of vegetables, the big scare in June comes from the Food and Drug Administration, which announces that tomatoes are killing people. A wave of fear grips the nation as supermarket shoppers stampede from the produce section, causing several fatal shopping-cart mishaps. At the height of the panic, with the tomato industry reeling, the FDA declares that, oops, the killer might not be tomatoes, but some other vegetable, possibly jalapeño peppers, but nobody knows for sure. Eventually everyone calms down, but not before a bank in Cleveland is held up by a man wielding only a stalk of asparagus.
• Speaking of trouble, the economic news continues to worsen with the discovery that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have sent $87 billion to a Nigerian businessman with a compelling e-mail story.
• Also troubling is the news from Iran, which test-fires some long-range missiles, although Iranian President Whackjob Lunatic insists that Iran intends to use these missiles "for stump removal."

... Oh forget it - just go read the whole thing; it's hilarious!

And now for more hilarity, I present to you... KITTENS AND COKE!!!!!

(Kittipurrs to Bayou Renaissance Man)

Ah, a day is not wasted when you can combine politics, cats, cuteness and laughter...

Happy New Year!

And Uncle Jay really pretty much says it best:

Yep. Another new year. Woo-hoo.