To trick or treat or not to trick or treat...that is the question...

...and he answers it.

Those of you who've read this blog for a while know I enjoy listening to the The God Whisperers. HERE'S a blog post by Pr. Cwirla on whether or not it is appropriate for Christians to observe the holiday.

Below is an excerpt. Only an excerpt. Please click on the link above and read the whole post.

The Middle of the Road

Jesus didn’t hang on a cross so that His Christians could go around with a dour look on their faces judging everyone around them. When Christians become overly critical of Halloween, they may create the false impression that Jesus does not reign now over all things, including the devil, that He has not conquered death by His dying and rising, or that the devil is to be feared more than God.

Sour pietism on the part of Christians confirms the world’s mistaken notion that Christianity is nothing more than a religion of rules ruled by moral nannies who want to suck the fun out of everything. Martin Luther reminded us that we need to spite the devil every chance we get. Luther sure did, often in rather colorful ways. Halloween certainly affords the opportunity to sass the “old, evil foe.”

Having defined the ditches, let’s get back to the question that started this whole discussion. Ought Christians participate in Halloween? It all depends. Of course, I don’t expect baptized believers in Jesus Christ to be dancing in the woods around bonfires while chanting pagan prayers to the mother goddess or sacrificing black cats, ecumenical liberalism notwithstanding. On the other hand, the devil’s chief work is to draw us away from Christ’s death and resurrection and have us focus on our works, prayers, and piety. He seems to be doing a pretty decent job of that in mega-Christianity. Generally speaking, the cultural silliness associated with Halloween has about as much to do with the devil as Christmas has to do with the incarnation of the Son of God.

The shock!

This week the kids and I started taekwondo. The Boss has done it since he was about 7. He had a 2 year gap the first 2 years overseas but has kept at it since then. The Peanuts would participate a bit in the class in Kuwait, more as mascots for the class, but they still learned a bit. They tried it in Lebanon but they just weren't ready for it. This year the 4 of us are participating. I'm amazed by what I still remember since I took it for a few months about 20 years ago. I gave it up due to a retail work schedule that made my attendance erratic and my progress...well, erratic too.

This week I started up again and the Peanuts LOVE having me in class with them. We even got to "spar" a bit together last night. Thursdays the Boss is in the same class with us since it's the mixed belt class.

After class was over we did about 5 minutes of crunches. Man, that was good! I hope we do them pretty frequently. Then it was time to put on our shoes and socks and coats and run to the nice, cold truck. The Little Prince and the Diva were running around in circles on the mat and had to be told a couple of times to come and put their shoes on. Well, make that the Little Prince had to be told a couple of times before he came to put on his shoes and socks. The Diva was still running around in circles. The instructor overheard her and and said, "{Diva}, I want you to come and give me 15 push ups. You're not listening to your mother and that's unacceptable."

You could have knocked down that little girl with a feather! At first she just stood there because she wasn't sure the instructor was serious. When the Diva realized that she was, the look on her face was PRICELESS! And she did the push ups.

Tonight the other instructor, last night's husband, will be teaching the classes. He's a very nice, quiet gentleman who happens to be very tall. I'm curious to see if the Diva will be a bit quicker to mind tonight.

Ahmadi Nejad Radical Dancing أحمدي نجاد و الرقص الراديكلي

Let's hope this works...

or I'm stuck washing dishes by hand a few more days. And forking over money for a new dishwasher. Not that I'd mind having a new one. Preferably one under 50 decibels. It's right next to the door leading to the family room where we watch TV and there's no way to close it off. However, with a wonderful thing known as closed captioning I can watch TV without having it turned so loud the kids are kept awake. So in a couple of hours the repair guy is supposed to be here to fix it...again. He fixed it back in June and according to the receipt it seems that it's the same problem.

Last night we finally got our storms. Of course it was in the middle of the night. The wind blew all day and on the way home from Bible study/grocery shopping I was shimmying along I-44. On the 10:00 news last night the meteorologist warned people to be careful if driving there since they could get blown into the other lanes. No kidding! I could only imagine how much worse it was by that time. A couple of hours after going to sleep I was awakened by the storm. I now have my grandfathers old radio alarm clock (works much better than the new one I bought a few weeks ago-go figure) so I turned it on for the report. Our storm warning was set to expire in 15 minutes and before that it quieted down. I also figured since Mom hadn't called (they have a weather radio) we were fine. I really do need to check into one of those since we're out of ear shot for sirens.

I've also found some recipes for muffins that look like great options for school lunches. One is for Corn Dog Muffins. I haven't tried them yet, so please don't get mad if they flop for you.

2 (8.5 oz.) packages cornbread mix
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 hot dogs, chopped into pieces

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease muffin tins.

Stir together the cornbread mix and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Fold the eggs and cheese into the dry mixture until moistened. Spoon the mixture into muffin tins until 2/3 full. Add 1 hot dog half to each muffin.

Bake in a preheated oven 14 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

I don't normally buy the mix so I don't have any. I'm going to try this by adding brown sugar to a regular corn bread recipe. I'm wondering, though, since it calls for two boxes of mix, if I should double my recipe?

The other recipe is for Mystery Chef Muffins. I have no idea where this recipe came from...it was entered into my recipe program before I noticed that I could include a source for it.

The basic recipe is this:

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. shortening
2/3 cups cold water

Mix together dry ingredients. Add in shortening with fingers until crumbly, add water - it will be wet and sticky. Drop by BIG spoonfuls into a muffin pan. Fill the sections about 3/4 full. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes and golden brown on top. Top is crunchy.

Alternative 1:
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and 1 tsp. basil. Drop in mountains on cookie sheet.

Alternative 2:
Add 1 tsp. baking soda and replace water with milk. Pat out on floured surface and cut with water glass to make biscuits.

Alternative 3:
Add 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, replace 1/3 cup of water with milk, and drop onto boiling chicken and veggies for dumplings.

Alternative 4: Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp. yeast dissolved in the 1/3 cup warm water, and add 1/2 cup flour. Roll out for pizza dough.

I like alternative 1 as an option for school. The the 3rd option looks good as well. For pizza dough and biscuits I have other recipes that I like better. But they look like good ideas to have on hand for school lunches.

Off to tidy up so the repair guy doesn't think my house always looks this way.

I already regret this...but it was worth it.

Baba has been helping me find things online to buy...such as new horses and fire wood. I have to say that I prefer buying horses. Bringing our new lady home last week only involved asking a neighbor's help and watching the battle of wills in getting her in the trailer. Bringing the fire wood home this week involved the kids and me loading and unloading it ourselves...all 5 truck loads. BTW, be sure to wear long sleeves when loading and unloading firewood. No matter if it is a nice warm day. You want long sleeves if you don't want little red welts all over the inside of your forearms mixed with cute little bruises. Does nothing to prevent the necessity of naproxen sodium, but you got to have something to show for your hard work, right?

One good thing to be said about today's forecast for severe storms with the possibility of tornadoes? Excellent reason to stay inside and relax in front of the DVD player. Or better yet...making sure the Boss does his confirmation homework. Yes, much better. No outside work for us today!

Is it over yet?

This morning on the news I heard wonderful news...only 12 more days until the election. Whoohoo! Only 12 more days until all these insipid commercials are over...for a while anyway.

I'm sure there are some good candidates out there somewhere. I'm sure there are even some I'd want to vote for. Unfortunately it's so hard to tell. Both sides complain about the mud-slinging and the name-calling...and then start right in with it themselves. They point out that their opponents aren't addressing the issues, but by the time they finish complaining...Oops! Times up. Got to tell you I approve a message I just gave MYSELF! See, I'm in Missouri and if the candidate doesn't tell me s/he approves the message, I might think that a PAC used some kind of giant, life-like puppet. I must be told that the person talking, the candidate, approves his/her own message. {sigh}

In other news, a journalist that I used to enjoy listening to on Fox (back when I was throwing away money on satellite TV) has been fired from his job at a government funded radio station. I enjoy listening to that station sometimes. It didn't really matter if I agreed with what he was saying or not. He was someone you didn't have to agree to appreciate his insight. You learned a lot from listening to him.

I have to say that I'm not uncomfortable on a plane with Muslim passengers. I've spent the last several years living in the Middle East. Most of the time, when I was flying somewhere, a large portion of the trip was with a plane full of Muslims and my family and I were more often than not, the only ones who weren't. However, we can not lose our common sense and forget that that the murderers of 9/11 were Muslim. Granted they were radical. They were not in step with what probably most Muslims (and certainly the more moderate ones) believe. However, they were still Muslims. The screwball pastor in Florida who wanted to burn a Quran on the anniversary of 9/11 is a hideous example of a Christian, but he's still a Christian.

Do we have reason to fear Muslims? Unfortunately, due to the acts of some, we do. It's a shame really. I made wonderful friends over the last few years who are Muslim. When I hear of someone feeling nervous when he sees people who are obviously Muslim on an airplane, I completely understand. He has every right to feel nervous. We all do. The terrorists on 9/11 weren't Moonies, people!

Compare it to a woman whose raped by a man of a different ethnicity. For years she feels fear when she encounters other men of his ethnicity. But whose at fault? The woman who had the audacity to be a rape victim? The man who had the audacity to behave like an animal? Unfortunately there are idiots out there who would point at her and shame her for feeling that way. How dare she be so prejudiced?! While she knows that there is nothing inherent in that man's ethnic group for her to fear all of them, thanks to that ONE man, she now has to deal with the fear plus the guilt for feeling that way. Thanks to him. We now have a reason to fear Muslims...thanks to the idiots of 9/11.

I have a dear friend who has recently moved to the west and she's stopped wearing hijab due to the reactions she gets with it on. It's unfair that what should be a great time for her is shadowed by the fear and suspicion of people who haven't even bothered to get to know her. She's a wonderful lady and an excellent teacher and anyone who can count her as a friend is lucky indeed. But people saw her in hijab and avoided her. Now they talk to her and sometimes misunderstand her name and they think she's a westerner herself...until they hear her Arabic last name. Then the wall comes down and she's avoided again.

Our president would have us think that Muslims are the most enlightened people in the world. That the rest of us pale in comparison to them. Others would have us think that Muslims are evil incarnate and we should never trust them and allowing them a room to pray while at work or at school is just the beginning of a slippery slope into you-know-where. Both are wrong. Muslims are people. They have families, jobs, tuition to pay, homes to pay for, cars to fill with gas, and legitimate reasons for being on a plane. Some dress, speak, and act just like any other westerner on the street. Others maintain their more traditional dress and have a more noticeable accent. Whose the terrorist? Whose the Christian?

Yes, whose the Christian? Did you know that there are MILLIONS of Arabic-speaking Christians in the world? Did you know that the majority of Muslims aren't even of Arabic origin and don't even speak Arabic? Did you know that Christian Kuwaitis (and others parts of the region) dress just like their Muslim counterparts? So how do you tell them apart?

You can't. You can't tell by looking. You tell by listening. By paying attention. You do THAT by talking to them and getting to know them. You don't do it by staring rudely and avoiding them. You welcome the newcomers to your neighborhood, regardless of where they're from, and get to know them. In other words, treat them the way you'd want to be treated if you packed up and moved to their country...which I've done before.

I've sat on the floor of my Bedouin neighbor's apartment, drinking tea, and watching my little ones run around and my little girl having make-up applied by some young ladies who treated her like a giant walking, talking doll. I've gone to parties, women-only, where I've partied harder than I've ever partied here and there was NO alcohol in sight. I've been to a farm where we cooked out, sat in a tent in the back yard (complete with big screen and other amenities-though not used that night), and laughed and talked for hours. How did that happen? They invited me. They didn't avoid me because I was different. It was because I was different that I was invited and welcomed and they wanted to show me hospitality. They always asked me, over and over, how did I like their country? They wanted me to like it. They wanted me to be happy there.

OK, somehow I started a post about stupid campaign commercials and ended up ranting and raving about...something different. It's just been one of those days, I guess. Actually what I've posted about has been churning around in my head for a while now. Just kind of let it all hang out today. For anyone who can't decide if I'm conservative or liberal, I'm definitely conservative. However, let no one think that means there's never a place for political correctness. Lack of political correctness, by today's standard, lost an excellent journalist his job. However while what he said wasn't politically correct, it was correct. Avoiding a young woman, new to your country, because she's wearing hijab or has an Arabic name, isn't only politically incorrect...it's just plain wrong. There's a huge difference.

I've been bit!

The other day Baba forwarded an e-mail to me for a The Grocery Game. I checked it out and thought it looked neat and saved it. I'm a big believer in buying store brands and in the past have found them to be a better deal than coupons so I've rarely used them. Yesterday I was watching a show where a woman was talking about how to cut your grocery spending. She mentioned two websites, the one I mentioned above and A Full Cup. I checked them both out. The first one has 4 weeks free but after that you have to pay. The second one was free so I joined immediately. It has tons of valuable information and a forum where you can ask questions and get tips. You can trade coupons as well.

One thing I like is the shopping lists available for various stores. They have a list of all sale items and the products they list all, if any, coupons that apply. Many are from snail mail or newspaper inserts, but quite a few are printable. (Good motivation for getting new ink for my printer.) In the forum there are "rooms" for stores where people post about the stores, deals they've found there, tips for getting deals, etc.

Bad news is that I found this the day after my big shopping for the week. The good news is that I have a week to get an ink cartridge and grab a Wednesday paper (usually a good source for coupons besides the Sunday paper) and start looking for bargains.

I will still prefer store brands, but at least I'll have other options. If the coupon has to stand alone and won't save me as much money as the store brand, I can just share it with someone else. But, if I find a good sale with coupons (preferably more than one) where I can save money and/or stock up for later use, I've got that option. It'll take a bit more work from me, but a penny saved is a penny earned. And if you're not working, you're not earning.

Wish me luck!

Lebanese are Lebanese

Got this e-mail this week. I think I've posted it before but it's worth repeating... (Makes me miss the place.)

The angel Gabriel came to the Lord and said "I have to talk to you.
We have some Lebanese up here in heaven that are causing problems.

They're swinging on the pearly gates, my horn is missing, they are wearing Dolce and Gabbana instead of their white robes, they’re riding BMWs instead of the chariots, and they're selling their halos to people for discount prices.

They refuse to keep the stairway to Heaven clear, since they keep crouching down midway eating sunflower and watermelon seeds and smoking arghili.

Some of them are walking around with just one wing!"

The Lord said, "Lebanese are Lebanese. Heaven is home to all my children.
If you want to know about real problems, call the devil."

The Devil answered the phone, "Hello? Damn, hold on a minute." The Devil returned to the phone, "OK I'm back. What can I do for you?"

Gabriel replied, "I just wanted to know what kind of problems you're having down there."

The Devil said, "Hold on again. I need to check on something." After about 5 minutes the Devil returned to the phone and said, "I'm back. Now what was the question?" Gabriel said, "What kind of problems are you having down there?" The Devil said, "Man I don't believe
this.......Hold on."

This time the Devil was gone 15 minutes. The Devil returned and said, "I'm sorry Gabriel, I can't talk right now. Those damn Lebanese have put out the fire and are trying to install air conditioning!!!

Lebanese by Nature, Proud by Choice

Nice little break

This week I haven't been on the computer much. In fact, until last night, I wasn't on at all for two days. Last night I was online because the Boss needed some help with a project but otherwise I've been computer-free since Tuesday. I was online however. My iPod has WiFi and so I was able to check mail and listen to Issues, Etc. while working around the house. I managed to finish up the Peanuts' room. I've been itching to put it to rights since the cousins were here. But I couldn't really do that until they went home. They needed drawer space and M needed a place to hang a couple of things. The first week I was back I was sick, then the kids took their turns, and it's been crazy around here trying to figure out what my routine will be and getting my substitute teaching certificate done. But this week things started to click. The twins' room looks good, the Boss's room is getting there, and I got to have lunch with a friend yesterday before she stuck me with my flu shot. The Peanuts are happy to know that they can get the FluMist at school though with the Boss's asthma he's stuck with the shot. The school is giving them for free this month. Yeah!

This week at our Bible study I was given a rather thick, compared to last week's, homework assignment. Have I started it yet? Nope. That means I'm trying to work on it this weekend with kids around. That should work well. Last Sunday it did but it was just the Peanuts playing without the Boss around to yell at them. This weekend the weather should be lovely so maybe I can kick them out of the house, I mean, send them out to play.

I also want to pick up some cheese pumpkins this year. I love homemade pumpkin pie and who can beat pumpkin puree from your own freezer? Yum!

Last weekend the Boss was helping with a sister congregation's Hispanic Heritage Festival. He worked hard and the pastor brought him up front to tell everyone how much his help was appreciated. The couple he was with told me to ask if he remembered what the sermon was about. He said, "No." Of course, it was in Spanish. He has trouble following sermons in Arabic. He barely pays attention when they're in English, come to think of it. LOL

Well, I'm off to make pizza for the kids (we're heading out to look at a pretty little Arabian mare) and I think I'll get to work on my homework assignment. Isn't it nice that my *holiness* isn't bound up in whether or not I spend the right amount of time in the Bible? Granted, the more time the better. But isn't it nice that no one's up there keeping score?

Is he serious? Unfortunately, he is.

Egyptian Cleric Sa'd Arafat: Islam Permits Wife Beating Only When She Refuses to Have Sex with Her Husband

Interviewer: "Would you believe that the European women in our times yearns for a husband who would be like a guardian to her. I would like to provide the viewers with some statistics. 90% of British women do not want to marry a weak man, who sits down and cries the moment there is a problem. They say: No, such a man looks more like a woman. We want a manly man. [...]

"Wife beating is a serious accusation [leveled against Islam]. Let us examine this matter bit by bit."

Sa'd Arafat: "Allah honored wives by instating the punishment of beatings."

Interviewer: "Honored them with beatings? How is this possible?!"

Sa'd Arafat: "The prophet Muhammad said: 'Don't beat her in the face, and do not make her ugly.' See how she is honored. If the husband beats his wife, he must not beat her in the face. Even when he beats her, he must not curse her. This is incredible! He beats her in order to discipline her.

"In addition, there must not be more than ten beatings, and he must not break her bones, injure her, break her teeth, or poke her in the eye. There is a beating etiquette. If he beats to discipline her, he must not raise his hand high. He must beat her from chest level. All these things honor the woman.

"She is in need of discipline. How should the husband discipline her? Through admonishment. If she is not deterred, he should refuse to share the bed with her. If she is not repentant, he should beat her, but there are rules to the beating. It is forbidden to beat her in the face or make her ugly. When you beat her, you must not curse her. Islam forbids this."

Interviewer: "With what should be beat her? With his bare hand? With a rod?"

Sa'd Arafat: "If he beats her, the beatings should not be hard, so that they do not leave a mark. He can beat her with a short rod. He must avoid beating her in the face or in places in the head where it hurts. The beatings should be on the body and should not come one right after the other. These are all choices made during the process, but beatings are allowed only as a last resort. [...]

"The honoring of the wife in Islam is also evident in the fact that the punishment of beating is permissible in one case only: when she refuses to sleep with him."

Interviewer: "When she refuses to sleep with him?"

Sa'd Arafat: "Yes, because where else could the husband go? He wants her, but she refuses. He should begin with admonishment and threats..."

Interviewer: "Allow me to repeat this. A man cannot beat his wife..."

Interviewer: "...over food or drink. Beatings are permitted only in this case, which the husband cannot do without." [...]

Let's see...what's the Christian view of how a husband should treat his wife?

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." 1 Peter 3:7

"Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Colossians 3:19

Someone should tell THEM!

Last Thursday the cats went to the vet for their surgery. I love cats, but we only want these two. According to the after care instructions, they're to avoid activity for the first several days and after that they should still avoid jumping. Someone really should have explained that to Muffin in feline. From the day we brought her home from the vet she was jumping up and down to the bathroom sink. She's been jumping into the cabinet where we keep the clean towels. This morning she was jumping on the dryer to watch me putting laundry in the washer, jumping on the sink to watch me get out the dirty laundry, on the dryer to watch me put it in the washer, back on the sink to watch me get it out of the hamper, then on my back for a closer look at what was in the hamper... You get the idea.

I let them out for a bit this morning. Pancake is a little lady. Muffin is a Little Prince. Into everything! Barely caught her before she stuck her head in the crockpot that I was preparing with Chicken in a Pot. The chicken was already in, sitting on the veggies, when I caught her. So they're back in the laundry room until the kids are home to chase, I mean, keep a close eye on them.

If this is what Muffin's like after surgery, what's she going to be like when she's recovered?!

An Obituary Printed in the London Times

Or so I've been told...

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain
-- Why the early bird gets the worm
-- Life isn't always fair
-- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly
student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
-- I Want It Now
-- Someone Else Is To Blame
-- I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Suicide Bombers Strike!

Muslim suicide bombers in Britain are set to begin a three-day strike on Monday in a dispute over the number of virgins they are entitled to in the afterlife. Emergency talks with Al Qaeda have so far failed to produce an agreement.

The unrest began last Tuesday when Al Qaeda announced that the number of virgins a suicide bomber would receive after his death will be cut by 25% this April, from 72 to 54. The rationale for the cut was the increase in recent years of the number of suicide bombings and a subsequent shortage of virgins in the afterlife.

The suicide bombers' union, the British Organization of Occupational Martyrs (or B.O.O.M.) responded with a statement that this was unacceptable to its members and immediately balloted for strike action.

General Secretary Abdullah Amir told the press, "Our members are literally working themselves to death in the cause of Jihad. We don't ask for much in return but to be treated like this is like a kick in the teeth."

Speaking from his shed in Tipton in the West Midlands in which he currently resides, Al Qaeda chief executive Osama bin Laden explained, "We sympathize with our workers' concerns but Al Qaeda is not in a position to meet their demands. They are not accepting the realities of modern-day Jihad in a competitive marketplace. "

"Thanks to Western depravity, there is now a chronic shortage of virgins in the afterlife. It's a straight choice between reducing expenditure and laying people off. I don't like cutting wages but I'd hate to have to tell 3000 of my staff that they won't be able to blow themselves up."

Spokespersons for the union in the Northeast of England, Ireland, Wales and the entire Australian continent stated that the strike would not affect their operations as "There are no virgins in our areas anyway".

Apparently the drop in the number of suicide bombings has been put down to the emergence of the Scottish singing star, Susan Boyle - now that Muslims know what a virgin looks like, they are not so keen on going to paradise.