Egg Donation

Many women are donating their eggs to fertility clinics due to the economy. Some places pay $3,000 – $5,000 0r more. You can get more if you are a surragate. You can make any where from $20,000 to $30,000 +. I am not opposed to this for people who have fertility issues, however, for me I don’t think I could know part of me is out there somewhere. In regards to surrogacy carrying the baby for 9 months and bonding and giving the baby up.

Oprah had children of sperm donors on her show and some wanted to be contacted and some did not. I guess it is similar to adoption but I just don’t think I could participate in it.

Crocs

You know the shoes. Everyone wears them, doctors, nurses, kids, adults and probably even pets but you have to be so careful in these cool, comfy shoes. Four incidents in the past two months of children being seriously injured because their crocs get stuck in the escalator at the major airport in our state. One victim’s four year old son was right behind her with his brother holding on to the rail and she heard screaming from other people and blood flying every where. Fortunately, two paramedics were on the same escalator and were able to free his foot. He was life flighted to children’s health care where he has underwent two surgeries and will have one more to repair his foot. I think there was a warning out last year but this particular person is in radio and she said she had never heard any kind of warning. I actually decided against buying these shoes when I heard what happened. The kids are not horsing around the escalator actually eats the shoe for some reason. I think because it is so soft and a little flimsy.

Our airport is now posting signs to be careful with the footwear. This can happen on any escalator not just airports. If they don’t already, Crocs and croc like shoes need to have warning labels on their shoes.

Doors: Door of healing

DOORS: The Door of Healing
This weekend, I had the pleasure of letting my wife Colleen give the message in our services. As usual, she brought a great word that was full of life. So, in case you missed it, I’d like to summarize it here.

God has the same heart to heal us today as He did for all those people that Jesus healed in the Bible. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God does not change. He was the Healer long ago and He is still the Healer today. Yet today, either because of ignorance or unbelief, people often miss out on receiving healing.

So, is God still healing today? Is Jesus really who He said we was? If we want to answer these questions, we should ask the person that they’re about. And, we’ll find His answers if we go to the right source – God’s Word. Isaiah 53:5 says, “By his stripes we are healed.” And, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “By his stripes we were healed.” Notice that it says “were healed” – as soon as God thinks something it’s as good as done. From God’s perspective everything that needed to be done by Him for us to be healed was completed in Jesus. The promise is intact.

What is needed now is our participation in order for the promise to be delivered. You see, just like the people in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, our doubts and unbelief cut us off from being able to receive. It’s almost like God needs our permission; He doesn’t force himself on anyone. Rather, He’s looking for us to trust Him. That is what opens the door of healing.

Now, if we want to keep the door open, there are two things we have to do: Sift and Stand. First, we have to sift, or filter out all our wrong beliefs and the lies that the enemy throws at us. Then, we have to stand on the truth of God’s Word. The devil would love to close the door of healing in our lives, but if we learn how to take a stand, we can refuse him that opportunity.

Still, standing is not easy. There are a lot of things that contend against our healing such as feelings, facts, fear, failure or false information. In order to stand, we have to keep believing in God and what He says He accomplished in His Son. We must embrace truth and isolate ourselves from the lies that serve to undermine our faith. That’s why we have to keep God’s Word in front of us. It is the lens through which we must examine the validity of what we believe. It will tell us if what we’re thinking and expecting is right or wrong.

Because of that, we need to fall in love with God’s Word. What’s great is that as we do so, and as we find truth in it, we develop faith. Now, this is not just mental assent or agreement. Faith is when the truth connects with our spirits; when we have that “aha” moment; when, regardless of circumstances, we know that we know that God is our Healer.

To get to that place, God’s Word must become a part of us. How? Through meditation. I don’t mean some kind of crazy eastern meditation where you’re sitting there saying, “Ommmm,” or whatever. No, I’m talking about the definition of meditation: to revolve in the mind; to ponder; imagine; speak; utter. Meditation is not only thinking about something, but it is also engaging our mouths. When we start speaking what we believe, the revelation of His goodness becomes illuminated. Something amazing happens. We get the Word into us and that enables us to stand.

Now, this can work for us or against us depending on what we’re meditating about. So often we focus on and verbalize our feelings, circumstances, sicknesses, symptoms, etc., but that only takes us further down, deeper into sickness and doubt. On the other hand, if we will meditate on the truth of God’s Word, it will work out through us in the form of faith and move us toward healing. Through faith we give God permission to move in our life. It may not be instant, quite possibly it may be a process, but it is inevitable.

As you go through this process, I want you to be patient with yourself. You’ve had a lot of experiences. It takes time to let go of traditions, preconceived ideas or impressions left behind on our souls from disappointing experiences in the past. But, if you will continue to sift your beliefs and take a stand, you will come to the place where your spirit agrees with the Word and you’re convinced.

Then, if you want to receive healing, you must activate your faith. Receptivity involves tenacity not passivity! The devil wants to steal your healing. Are you going to let him take it, or go after what is yours and take it back? Sure, you can be lying in bed, you can have a disease, but it doesn’t have to have you! Don’t just let the enemy run over you. Stand. Take up the armor of God (see Eph. 6). Activate your faith. And take what God has promised you – your healing.

God wants you to have the experience of healing. Why? Because after you’ve had to stand for it, gone through the process, and then received healing, you’ll want to go out and tell others about it and share the experience with them. And that is just what God wants you to do. He wants all of us to live life with the Door of Healing wide open!

Favorite Movies and all time TV shows

I had the tv on and Father of the bride came on. I love this movie. It is sweet, funny and classy. I also like 13 going on 30, Ever After, 27 dresses, Maid of Honor, Never been kissed, The traveling pants(cannot think of the whole name), and speed racer. I also like some of the classics Breakfast club, 16 candles, Pretty in Pink and Sneakers.

Some of my all time favorite TV shows are Golden Girls, I love Lucy, the Cosby show, a different world, 7th heaven, ER (the early years), The Facts of life, The Andy Griffith show, and Matlock.

When I was watching Father of the Bride it brought back memories of some of my favorite movies and shows.

Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I saw Dr. Pausch on Oprah and his lecture was very touching. It was really neat how he created this for his children. Randy Pausch at age 47, died early this morning of terminal pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed in September of 2006. He is survived by his wife Jai and their three children Dylan, Logan and Chloe. Randy was a professor in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. The Lecture was an instant hit on youtube and was made into a bestselling book.

The last lecture was about his facing terminal cancer and the things he wanted his children to always know. He said this on his website, “The lecture was for my kids- but if others are finding value in it that is wonderful.”

Here is the lecture by Randy Pausch from you tube:

41 Watermelons

Ok, I know food prices have gone up but I just bought about 15 items from Kroger for my husband and had a 200 dollar bill. He has GERD, Gastro esophagus reflux disease. He was doing so much better and he came off the prilosec and started drinking coffee again. So it started back up, anyway, I bought him some sickie foods such as soup, ginger ale and jello. The lady told me that would be $197.81. I about fell on the floor. I got my stuff and went to the car where I proceeded to check the ticket. Everything but a couple of items were in the dollar to two dollar range so I am trying to figure out why I owed almost $200 then I saw it. The watermelon I bought. First, it did not have the right price beside it then I noticed she gave me 41 watermelons. Um, do I look like I need 41 watermelons. I marched right back inside explaining my situation to the Customer Care person. She kindly refunded $125. So when it does not feel right, check the ticket. I have caught so many mistakes. Now think about if I had not checked they would have gotten $125 of my dollars that I did not owe and money I would have had to take from savings. This would have been a costly mistake. Ahhh I am just glad I checked and the money is safely back in our account along with some stuff I took back to Target. Yay!

Doors: Door of Rest

Here is the message our pastor preached last weekend. It was really good. I have just been struggling this week.

DOORS: The Door of Rest
How many of us truly live in the place of rest? Do you daily live in peace, without worrying or being anxious about anything? Most people don’t. Yet rest is an essential element of life with God. In fact, it is a promise that He has given us. As the writer of Hebrews says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9)

Now, there are usually two ways people interpret this Scripture. Some people believe this passage is referring to someday in Heaven. But I think it’s talking about living in the place of entire dependence on God, daily trusting in Him for everything – money, health, the future, everything.

If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us have to admit that we don’t live this way. We don’t really trust God fully and completely, even though we say we do, and sometimes even think we do. Whenever life gets hard and difficult things happen, we start to worry and try to take back control rather than trusting God. This is the opposite of resting. It is stressing, and it doesn’t accomplish anything. Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Obviously, no one can, yet we still worry – about our life, kids, health, etc. In fact, some experts say that most of us spend half our lives worrying … about things that never happen! And, we’re worrying ourselves sick, literally. Studies have shown that the majority of illnesses have stress (or the inability to deal with stress) at their root.

To live the abundant life God promised, we have to get to the place of rest. But, we have the tendency to believe the negative (all the bad things that might happen – the what if’s) before we believe the positive (that God loves us, cares for us, and will never leave us or forsake us). This is all part of the curse. You see, God had a simple plan for man:

1. Live in dominion over creation – the plants, animals, etc.
2. Be a good steward. He basically said to Adam and Eve, “Take care of this garden and you will always have plenty, all your needs will be met.”
3. Fellowship with Him. God wants us to have a daily, life-giving relationship with Himself.
4. Rest in Him. That is, trust that He is able to take care of every situation; no matter how hard it is, or what the devil throws at us. God can and will take care of us.

That was it. But, Adam and Eve didn’t follow God’s plan. They chose their own way and so came under a curse. Out of that curse a new religion was born: Humanism. This is the belief that “If it’s going to happen, it’s up to me,” or “If you’re going to get to God – you’re going to have to work to get there. You have to talk, act, pray and/or worship in a certain way or God won’t love you,” or that “God helps those who help themselves.”

None of these beliefs are biblical, yet it seems we all have a bit of humanism in us. Whenever we get stressed, we start trying to do things ourselves. We try to make sure things go the way we think they should go. We take control. Somewhere along the way, we’ve bought into the humanistic lie that we are in control. But in reality, when we do this, we take our hands out of God’s hands and set ourselves up in His place. But we are not God. We have no creative power in and of ourselves. And we will never find peace and rest outside of His hands.

And that’s why Jesus came: to teach us how to put and keep every part of our lives back into God’s hands; to trust the Father completely; to live as He did – doing only what He saw His Father doing. Jesus invites us to give up the atheism of worry and to get out from under the weight of life’s circumstances. He says, “Come up under me and let me carry the weight for you – that of your kids, your finances, your future, everything – that’s what I came to do – to set you free from worry.”

Read the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…” When you have this perspective of God, you get what it’s all about – you have entered rest. Let me ask you; is there a want in your life? Are you living with a lot of wanting? If so, you are not living with the Lord as your shepherd. When the Lord is your shepherd you will not want. Now, that doesn’t mean you’ll have everything you want and nothing will go wrong. But, it does mean that in the midst of life, even during struggles, you’ll have a sense of contentment and peace, trusting that no matter what, God is in control, He is loving, and He will accomplish His good purposes.

So, it boils down to this: will we continue trying to control our lives by ourselves, or will we start trusting God and turn control over to Him? God is inviting us to leave fear, worry and anxiety. He wants to set us free from the addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, approval or other coping mechanisms that we use to calm our nerves or help us feel like we can get through life. All we have to do is come to Him and surrender our lives, our future and our control to Him. Yes, it can be a real struggle – we don’t like being out of control. But God will help us and take care of us if we’ll just surrender and enter the Door of Rest.

Jon and Kate embarrassing and favorite episodes

Last night Jon and Kate were reminiscing over their most embarrassing episodes and their favorite. One of Kate’s favorite episode was when one of the little kids was helping the other with the water bottle. I thought that was a sweet moment. I also liked how she talked about their third birthday party. She had a circus and wanted to go all out because she said (I am paraphrasing) when you have multiples some don’t make it or are disabled in some way and we are so blessed that all of our children are healthy and doing well. I thought that was a sweet and tender moment.

Jon’s three embarassing moments were when Kate yelled at him across the toy store “hello”. When she yelled across the corn field and when she yelled at him in the Crayola factory> I would agree, there has to be a better way to communicate because it does seem you are talking down to your spouse or like a dog. I am sure we have all done that whether it is our spouse or children but I hope this is something they can work on. I wish Jon would stand up more when she talks to him like that but we all have our issues and I still love this show.

It was cute to see the little kids and the twins so little. It is hard to believe 4 years has gone by. I hope it will be on for a while longer.

Young children and body odor

UPDATE: My oldest will be 8 in a few weeks and I did give in and by her some deodorant. I could smell her from a few inches away and I felt like this could cause some social issues at school. I bought a natural deodorant with no aluminum. They actually had it at Kroger and it was on sale. It is by JASON. There are no chemicals or dyes just natural, organic materials.

I was freaking out yesterday because my six year old sat in my lap. I noticed her underarms were very sweaty and then a slight odor to them. The only time I had heard about bo in children is the onset of puberty. I started young but not that young. The embarrassment I felt all came back to me and I did not want my children to ever go through that. I was almost in tears yesterday. I called my pediatrician’s office this morning and the nurse was very re-assuring she said most likely she is not starting puberty especially if there is no other signs of puberty. There are not only the odor. She said not to worry about it that kids can start young sweating and that sweat mixed with bacteria is what causes the smell. I felt some better. My mother in law sent me a link about children and body odor but most people pulled their kids off milk and it went away. My daughter does not drink milk. She has always been on organic soy. We do eat meat and chicken but I limit how much my children eat. They eat red meat maybe two times a week or less and chicken or fish the rest.

Has anyone else had this issue with their children?

I did not want to blog about this because certain issues should be kept private, however I noticed the same thing with the other parents on the site, we were all freaking out so I thought maybe this would help someone or someone else could help me.

Update: I spoke with my pediatrician today and she said her daughter who is now 8 started sweating under the arms and had some body odor at age 6. She is also watching her closely due to her starting puberty early. She said so far her daughter still shows no signs of puberty and she is 8. There is an xray they can do to check bone development. If it is show abnormal bone development the likely hood that she would start puberty at an early age would show up and at that point they would want to do more tests. Since I see no signs of puberty, I don’t want to expose her to unnecessary xray radiation. It is good to know they can check if they have too.

Update 2009: At Pooky’s 7 year check up, the doctor said there are no signs of puberty and she only put on 2 inches since last year so that is another sign that puberty has not started. I am so relieved. She said, she just has increased sweat glands and when she sweats it comes in contact with bacteria and smells. I could use deoderant if it is an issue but at this time I don’t want to expose her to all those chemicals. I hope this helps someone out there. Your doctors can tell you if your child is starting to develop.

The super nanny

They have a new show on similar to the super nanny. It is ok but the super nanny with Jo Frost is my absolute favorite. She is loving, firm, confronts the parents and kids when she has too. These other shows including Nanny 911 just do not hold a candle to Jo Frost. They are all saying the same thing anyway discipline and consistency. The show then boils down to the personality and I think Jo trumps them all. She is very warm yet firm and that is what I love about her. She is genuine. She really cares what the kids think and will sit down with them and talk to them. Kids do have a voice but many people don’t give them one. They have a lot on their brain too. The number one discipline issue is no discipline and no boundaries. I struggle with this myself with my younger one. I put so much emphasis on my older daughter and really stuck to my guns on discipline then my second daughter was born and I find myself telling her not do something instead of here is your warning the next time you get a consequence. My husband and I are really having to focus in on this because she is almost two and you really have to set that foundation when they are young or they will walk all over you and their will be no respect. I see this all the time with kids. Speaking to adults any way they choose because it was never taught to them how they should act or speak to adults. I had a 7 year old child ask me to leave the room because adults were not aloud. I politely said, “sorry I am not leaving, my children are in here and I need to watch them.” she walked off but I know for a fact this particular child is not disciplined at all the parents just let them do whatever they want and they are very aggressive children. I had to intervene yesterday because the 7 year old kept pulling on my older daughter’s arms and pushing her etc. Pookie is very shy and quiet and typically will not speak up for herself so I did.  I was kind about it but I am not going to let kids who are not being watched or told no to toss my children around like rag dolls and get away with it.