The article that I have linked at the bottom of this post brings to mind my own small town where the suicide rate is the highest per capita in the NATION. Sadly, we have had several teens in our community commit suicide in the past few years and this article really brings to mind what circumstances can do to a person, especially in this fragile economy right now. There have been many times that I have wanted to just sit down and give up... too many bills, not enough money, not enough time, too many commitments, the list goes on... But the one thing that has kept me going is this...
"17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all" Psalm 34:17-19
God has never promised that believers won't have struggles and hardships in their lives. He has promised, however, that He will be there as a refuge in those times of troubles. I wish wholeheartedly that those teens that have taken their own lives had known this truth before making that horrible last decision.
The following is an excerpt written by Trent at "The Simple Dollar" Click the link at the bottom to go to the full article... well worth your time.
Bad Luck That Changes a Life
Quite often, the only difference between the people we look up to and the people we look down upon are a handful of little events. A parent that cared a little more. An unexpected death. A bad test result with no positive reaffirmation to get up and give it another shot. A lost promotion. A hurtful comment at an emotionally weak moment. A flash of anger, by them or by someone else. A bit of peer pressure. The opportunity to make a connection with someone who can open a door.
Our lives are full of these little events, most of which are out of our control. It’s those events – and how we react to them – that determine much of what we have in life, and what we work for.
Click below to read the entire article...
I have made these many times for my family and they gobble them right up! They are somewhat healthy, at least there is some added nutrition in there, but definitely yummy. Plus you can make it up ahead of time and store in the fridge for yummyness (blogger says that's not a word, but, I am leaving it anyway!) anytime! Here you go!
Corn Cakes
Mix all the ingredients together and fry up like pancakes...
3 eggs - non-salmonella ones if you can find them, I have some in the backyard :)
2 1/2 c milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c cornmeal
1 c flour
1/2 c oat flour - to make oat flour, chop up oatmeal in the food processor til powdery like flour, then measure.
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
5 tbsp soft butter
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c wheat germ
2 tbsp flax seed
1/2 c chopped pecans
2 tsp vanilla
That's Not My Job
There is a story told about four people named Somebody, Everybody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was one important job to be done. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it. Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Sound familiar? I think that those are pen names for my four children! Keeping house with 6 people in it is not an easy task, but it is one that must be done, and it is a constant. I once received a wall hanging from my husband's Great Aunt that read "Cleaning house while the children are growing, is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing". SO true, however, if the snow is gonna keep on for 18 years, then you're going to have to shovel it at some point, even if it is still snowing. And like a snow fence, children can be put to work to help contain some of the mess. Obviously the big ones, (my big ones are 10 and 18), can do pretty much anything I ask, such as washing the dishes, doing laundry, cleaning out the mud room, etc. But don't forget that you must train children to do the work... so start them young. My two youngest, 2 & 5, also have jobs they can do. My 5 year old can bag up the recycles to be taken in. The 2 year old can pick up the toys and put them in the box or pick up the books and put them in the bag. He will also throw away trash that has ended up on the floor. But when you have a larger family, everybody has to pitch in to get the job done or eventually you will just get snowed in! HAPPY CLEANING!
