Well now that we are all exhausted...

We found our Lab under the tree Christmas Night.
I think most of us can relate.
My husband and I got all the dishes washed and the foods stored .
He has given me the gift of service over the last two days.
He and the kids built Lego's, while I cooked the big meal.
This was the first year I just let the house go, and focused on a nice meal.
Dove came to me and said " Mom. it is so nice that you did not get all uptight over the house and having everything just right this year.
It has been so peaceful and your not all freaked out."..........
I knew I was doing the right thing!

I received lovely gifts from my family and friends.
Denise sent me the most beautiful book mark of a cross, I think it is a machine embroidery that is like the old tatting style.
I just love tatting.
It may even be tatting , I am not sure.
Thank you Denise.
Trisha made a very pretty bracelet of floral beads in plum and clear crystal.
Thank you my Dear Friends.
It was so fun to receive them.

Dove colored a beautiful snow flake and Dash gave me the gift of words.
Dove had Daddy Man take a picture of her with the Golden.
Very sweet.
To my great surprise I received a type of camera to hook up my computer to a thing called Skipe.
Now I am in the loop.
I was able to talk to my Sister out of state and see her face as we spoke.
This will also allow me one day to perhaps tape some demos or just a hello.

My Brother called me today.
We spoke a long time.
He is in cold country and is stoking up his wood burning stove.
He told me something that was a nice gift this year to hear...
He said "that he never tells me enough how proud he is of me"....

I have a tender heart.
Raising two special needs kids is hard.
It is made more difficult when I am judged by anyone who does not understand the things My Mr. and I go through on a daily, weekly basis.
We chose to be parents and have NEVER regretted it!
We KNEW that our kids would have needs that most parents NEVER face.
I am so flawed as a person, mother and friend.
Yet I walk in integrity and my character is good.
My brother being proud of me is nice.
It is a part of my great wound.
I NEVER heard my parents say that to me...
Sometimes I err and find myself longing for that same approval from those who I admire.
I need only to seek it from God!
It is not for another to ever fill that chasm of empty want for acknowledgment.
I get so mad at myself when I set myself up for disapproving words.
Critical cuts and digs that are so well intended perhaps , but so very hurtful.
I have been licking my wounds.
Unable to come here and write.
Thinking of ending this blog.

Yet is is you who have all given me the kindness that some days (many days) propels me on.
I am in tears of your kindness, lonely tonight as I am overwhelmed by the truth of who I am and the job I am doing. I am imperfect, but I am raising two amazingly wonderful little people who yes...may be imperfect at times. They are wonderful, kids...crazy charming drive ya nuts people who love me more than I ever thought possible. Depending on me to believe in them with all I have In me I stand up to that charge. Am I always consistent or as firm perhaps as I could be?
It is so hard to have a child who is socially cognitively challenged.
A great heart she has; sometimes "We" are just at a loss as to being able to tell what she is capable of or not. If we err it is on the side of mercy. For it just kills me when I have expected more than she could give and hurt her.
Between the joy glee and fantasy world of Dove, the hearing impairments, and the extremely high IQ of Dash... this is a zany loud chaotic (at times) home.
If you ever came here though you would be amazed at how happy our children are.
I would never want to trade that for perfectly miserable (behaved) kids.
O.K., I just had to wipe my eyes and rub my face folks.
I just had to blow that one off.
So I could come back here and be me.
Transparent me.

Today
We rode the new Metro

Today the New Rail system opened up her in the Valley of the sun.
We took the kids on an adventure is the metro system.
They had free rides from morning tell 11 p.m.
It is cold here however and night fall felt it coming on.

There were great celebrations of bands and booths, at almost every stop.
However Dove got by us with shorts on,
and so we cut it short for she was cold and the crowds were massive!
A fellow said that just by mid day they had moved at least 250,000 people!
I think they were all on the cars we were on.
Sardines in a can.
At one time a hand was in my back pocket!
Beloved grabbed his wallet and put it in his shirt pocket.
(my pocket was empty)

Dove hated it!
Dash was so small in the mass of people I really felt I had to guard him from being smashed by the crowd.
We kept the kids in the center of us.
It is NOT my preference.
I do think all of us will have a greater gratitude for our own cars.

So now Phoenix is a new metro city.

We came home and just took it easy.
I made burgers and apples for supper.
My Love and I washed HULU a internet type T.V.
The kids watched the movie "Big"
Then we all came together for talk time and put them to bed.
They are camping out in the living room tonight.

Now do I hit delete or publish?

Girls/Boys I am too tender and care too much what others think.
It is what God thinks of me and Daddy Man.
We are doing our best.

Freezing tonight

We covered the coop and put a light under the upper floor to warm it . The tomatoes are also covered with a sheet. I am not sure if the beans will make it or the peas.
Verrrrrrrrrrrr

Our Golden has a tender muzzle, I hope not a tooth gone bad...We have an ey surgery to do on her next month. She is 10 years old.

Dash is off of the steroids today...will see , watching him closely.
We have had a good time together. I'll post more if things slow a bit.

Hello My Friends

Hello,
I trust all of you have had a day to refresh you souls.
I had a wonderful morning studying for the "Art Master Piece" classes I will be teaching the first of next month,
I spent the most of the day visiting with a girlfriend and beading while she knitted.
We also played with my surprise gift from Beloved.
He gave me a camera to use for skipe.
It allows me to talk with my sister over the computer in real time and we can see each other!
Cool technology to be able to see her as we speak.
He awaits my presence. We are spending a lot of time together with him being off.
Just stopped by to say hello.

Justice...

What killed Harod?

--
Posted By Donetta to A Life Uncommon at 12/25/2008 05:24:00 PM

Lost, Then Found: Herod’s Tomb

By Mike Nizza

Herodium was built on the edge of the desert, south of Jerusalem. (Photo: Israeli Government Press Office, via Associated Press)

For decades, archaeologists looking for the tomb of King Herod have focused on one site in particular, based on an account in the first volume of “The Wars of the Jews,” written by the first-century historian Flavius Josephus.

Josephus wrote that a 25-mile funeral procession for the Roman Empire’s man in Judea and the great builder of Jerusalem ended at “Herodium, where he had given order to be buried,” according to a translation at The Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Instead of continuing about the procession’s final steps, and perhaps revealing further clues about the tomb’s location, the historian evidently considered the chapter done with the next sentence.

“And this shall suffice for the conclusion of the life of Herod,” he wrote.

“It is something very special,” Professor Netzver said of Herod’s sarcophagus. (Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP–Getty Images)

The omission sets up what The Los Angeles Times has called “one of the Holy Land’s greatest archeological mysteries.”

Chasing that mystery and others for the past 35 years has been Professor Ehud Netzer of Hebrew University.

Today, he was finally able to announce an answer: The tomb was on the northeastern slope of Mount Herodium, a site that his team has been excavating since last summer.

Herodium, which Mr. Netzer called “the most outstanding among King Herod’s building projects,” may have been best described by Josephus in an earlier section of “the War of the Jews:”

And as he transmitted to eternity his family and friends, so did he not neglect a memorial for himself, but built a fortress upon a mountain towards Arabia, and named it from himself, Herodium, and he called that hill that was of the shape of a woman’s breast, and was sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem, by the same name. He also bestowed much curious art upon it, with great ambition, and built round towers all about the top of it, and filled up the remaining space with the most costly palaces round about, insomuch that not only the sight of the inner apartments was splendid, but great wealth was laid out on the outward walls, and partitions, and roofs also. Besides this, he brought a mighty quantity of water from a great distance, and at vast charges, and raised an ascent to it of two hundred steps of the whitest marble, for the hill was itself moderately high, and entirely factitious. He also built other palaces about the roots of the hill, sufficient to receive the furniture that was put into them, with his friends also, insomuch that, on account of its containing all necessaries, the fortress might seem to be a city, but, by the bounds it had, a palace only.

The tomb had the same opulence, apparently, but it didn’t last very long.

The professor said that Jewish rebels trashed the place during the Great Revolt between the years 66 and 72 A.D., breaking Herod’s sarcophagus — made of rosetta-studded “Jerusalemite reddish limestone” — into “hundreds” of pieces.

Herodium, with the surviving ruins of a palace and fortress at the top of the mount, has at various times in history been colonized by monks and by lepers; it has been protected as a national park since the 1970s.

Now Run...Run for your lives...

With gifts in hand His parents ran.. they ran for the very King of the land;
had set his hand against them...
Throughout the Land screams came from the mother of every child under 1 years of age.
Mary may well have been racked with grief upon hearing of it.
Yes for the wonder, the beauty that is Christmas.
Came the thief that will come to steal, kill and destroy.
There is... like then...a real, and present danger.
Jealousy in Herod's heart, a threat against his descendants raged on within him.
So it is... in most homes across the lands.
The unit of family ...
is a threat that has everything stacked against it.

This morning my daughter asked a poignant question...
"Did the enemy enter the idea into Herod's heart?"

Her Father answered in a simple wisdom...
It is within all of us to make a choice.
Some have been taught to make choices wisely,
others have not had these lesson, or have ignored them.
The temptation that comes from the enemy is intent on causing us to become confused, jealous and bitter....all of that hinders us in our ability to chose.
Instead many choices are made out of ignorance , neglect or error.
Selfish ambition and greed are as "snakes in the grass" ...I told them.

Now Run! Run for your lives .
The course is set before us to flee from temptation.
Though everywhere around us the screams of those that perish grieve us.

The birth of this child was the beginning of History...
Time went on this child grew, became a man.
He knew that the plot that had been set against him...
wound be turned.
Turned upon the head of the very one, who had intended to cause the Him harm.
You know Herod was not the core enemy of Jesus.
Harod's heart had become a stone to all things living in order to save his own head.

Life exposes us to folk like that.
Hearts tempted into a state of self absorption.
Where words became wands of destruction of all things tender.
Flee Run for your lives from the ideas of revenge, hatred and bitterness.
Flee , run for your lives as you look around you and see thousands fall at your side into the traps set for them.

The Genealogy of Jesus

Are you up-to-date on your genealogy? Lots of families have their own historian who wants to delve into their family history and genealogy.

The Jewish people through out the early years of their history kept up with their genealogy because every male child of King David was a potential Messiah. Down through Jewish history, the people looked forward to the coming of their Messiah. The genealogies would show them who might be a legitimate descendant of David to reign on the throne. Only when Jesus was born in Bethlehem did the long awaited king arrive.

“Joseph, son of David” (Matthew 1:20) is a quote from the genealogy of Jesus. “Where is he who is born King of the Jews?” (2:2) Jesus was no son of the illegitimate King Herod who ruled Judah (2:12-23). Herod was an Idumaean, and he did not have a drop of David’s blood in him.

The angel said to Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

Why do we have two genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels? I agree with a number of leading scholars who understand the two lines represent the lines of Joseph and Mary respectively.

They are both identified as descendents of King David. Matthew gives us the “royal” line of those who actually sat on the throne as descendents of the great king. The other line was the “legal” line of those who descended from the oldest son to the next, even though they never actually reigned as kings on the throne of David.

How do you know this is true? The two genealogies reinforce the testimony of the angel to both Joseph and Mary. The two lines run parallel from Abraham to David. The interesting thing is the historian Matthew gives the lineage of Jesus by way of Solomon the son of David, while Luke traces us to Jesus by way of Nathan another son of David. Therefore, these two genealogies are the lines of two brothers and their families. Luke gives us the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Matthew gives us the line of Joseph, the stepfather or adopted father of Jesus. Matthew and Luke both trace the evidence to the Messiah. One gives it through Solomon’s line which was the royal line and the other through Nathan’s which was the legal line.

You will recall, Nathan and Solomon were both the sons of David. Nathan was the older brother of Solomon, but when David died the younger brother took the throne. Nathan’s line ran on through the ages and ultimately produced the Virgin Mary. Solomon’s line ran down through the centuries and ultimately produced Joseph. Matthew is careful to inform us that Joseph was not the father of Jesus, but that he was the husband of Mary, to whom was born Jesus (1:16). And Luke uses a word for a son that includes what we should call a son-in-law.

Moreover, the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus could not have been the Messiah if Joseph was his human father. In the use of the name “Jechonias” in his genealogy, Matthew declares that Jesus is the son of Mary and not the son of Joseph. Jechonias received a curse of God that took the throne away from any of his descendants. Jeremiah 22:30 reads, “Thus says the Lord, write you this childless: a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah” (KJV).

None of the seven sons of Jechonias could have been king because of the curse of God. If Jesus had been the son of Joseph, He would have been cursed and therefore could never have been the Messiah.

What about the legal line of Nathan? The royal line of the son of Eli (also spelled Heli) would have quickly contested any claim of the line of Nathan. Nathan's line that had no curse upon it and it produced Heli [Luke 3:23] and his daughter the Virgin Mary and her Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is therefore eligible by the line of Nathan and exhausts that line. Solomon's line had a curse on it produced Joseph and exhausts the line of Solomon, for Joseph’s other children now have an elder brother who, legally, by adoption is the royal heir. How can the title be free in any case? We have two genealogies: one with a curse on it, and the lack of reigning royalty on the other line.

God the Holy Spirit begat the Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary without any use of a human father. Therefore, the child born of Mary was the seed of David according to the flesh. Joseph, on the other hand, obeyed the command of the Lord and married Mary and took the unborn child under his protective care, giving Jesus the title that had come down to him through his ancestor Solomon. Moreover, the uncursed, legal, royal Messiah of David, the true and only Messiah can be none other than the Lord Jesus! Both lines of King David are exhausted in Jesus of Nazareth. There can never be anyone else who can ever claim the throne of David. Anyone else who claims to be the Messiah is an impostor.

Yes, Jesus is the true Messiah. There can be no other. He is the Son of God and believing on Him brings eternal life.

Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

Michelle Gregory said...you're probably aware of this, but i'll state it here. the genealogy that includes Mary also includes Tamar, Rahab the harlot, Ruth, Bathsheba (although there she's called the wife of Uriah)and Mary. I've heard this one called the genealogy of Grace.

In Loving Memory on the Eve, of all being made alive.

The perfect fruit off the vine...

With pancake batter whipped up and rising , Dash and I began the juicing.
Dove was intrenched in a movie so I pulled her back to family.

Dash worked tirelessly, He Was a bit upset when I spoke abruptly , he wanted to cut the last orange...however three of his fingers were in harms way via the knife. It startled him, but had to be done. He got a bit withdrawn after that. Mr tender heart.

So Dove came in and took duty.

She too worked hard and all the oranges were juiced.

Half wheat and half millet , we made some pancakes with egg, soy milk and just a little brown sugar in the batter.

Dash and I did hand over hand and worked on getting them flipped.
It was fun to teach, but took a bit of patience.

Dash set the table beautifully , he even placed knives.
We had "cups of orange juice".

This was our yield, about one and 1/2 gallons.

We worked together and had a nice meal prepared as a family.
That was really nice.

Daddy Man set the plates on the table.
We all sat down and Dash began the Prayer...
He thanked God for each item on the table , each bottle of syrup, the juice and the cakes, the butter and the honey butter. Dash is in training for one day leading his own family.
Then Daddy man interceded for the ones on our hearts.
We told the kids about the new tradition.
They are very excited about it.
Dash has requested communion.
He wanted to serve it. Daddy Man as head will serve it...
We told him, but you will be in training to one day serve it for your family.

1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.


I soak the oranges in the tub over night, reasons are two fold...
to clean them well and also to rehydrate them so they juice out the oils in the rind.
That gives a rich essence oil to the juice.
The smell and flavor is intense and rich.

Tackle It Tuesday

Good Evening all.
I am tackled !
So now I can tackle this post.

Yesterday Dash and I went to the neighbor behind us and gifted her with cookies and a card Dash had made (too cute).
Although we had been given permission last year to pick the branch (of the orange tree) in our yard,
we asked permission again for good measure.

I was able to glean a half bushel of juicing oranges.
One thing here in Arizona is that much fruit rots on the tree
for lack of folk harvesting it.
I soaked them in the tub overnight.
Dash helped load them back into the basket today.

After doing January and February zero balance budgets
we were set to do a household inventory.

Growing up I used to do inventory in my Parents Gas station every year.
Starting at around 9 years of age.
Inventory is a great way to know what you have.
Clear out any thing out dated.
Get set for the next several months to have menu knowledge.
Listed is expiration date/ how many/ size of container and what it is.
Today the pantry , kitchen freezer and refrigerator was accomplished.
No easy task.
It is finished though!
Just need to do the rest of the house,
the outside freezer,
both bathrooms (paper goods,cosmetic and personal care items).
There also is the outside garage storage, and the garage side by side.
This is a lean time of year for us.
Our stock goods are our private savings... as it were.

This is the condiment wall and the rice, grains and paper goods.
Some mixes found cheep as well as yeast and such.
Baking goods.
Everything is stored in date order.
Like kinds of things together.
The inventory will also spur ideas of what to make.
Items with expiration dates upcoming get to the head of the menu ideas.

During the year I will stock pile items that we use commonly.
Checking that the dates are extended.
That is hard winter wheat for baking in the barrel.
Dog treats in the cookie crock.

Thickeners, spices and the like are kept together.

Cereals, crackers low for the kids, soy milk on the floor so if it gets dropped , it will...it has less to fall. Large stocks of rice, sugars and such down low (it is far easier to lift up then to hurt your shoulders lifted it down if it is heavy.

Teas, and all surplus herbs and spices here. All sweeteners together.
The inventory included the refer where every date is noted and listed.
All outdated bottles and such gone.

Then at 4 p.m. I thought I better get dressed for the girl was still in her jammies :)

After suppers of pasta for the kids and left overs for us,
the cake was next.
As the cake was in the red mixer, the frosting in the white mixer the baked bread heals were in the food processor to make bread crumbs for a recipe. I set to get all the items out to make pies.

Once the pies were in the oven and the cake cooled
icing was piped along the edges and then real cherry jam (not sweetened) was spread in the center, the icing holds it in.

The top was then placed on the icing piped and it is now in the refer iceing the icing so that it holds a good shape.
It is homemade butter cream.

Now all the while My Mr. was doing the dishes and keeping up with me very well.

This is Beloved's Christmas gift from me.
This is a deep dish "light Cherry pie". Comstock makes a light cherry it has very little food coloring or sugars in it, tart and yummy.

I love my Man!

After cutting the cake level the trim is a snack for the children. We had extra batter for cup cakes these will be frozen for another date (they must be used though in 30 days).
Using some soy milk and soft real butter I whipped up some butter tree molds for the Christmas supper table. These are antique molds that once belonged to Doves name sake . She has long ago gone home. She will always be in my heart and at the right hand of the thrown of God praying for me both day and night (what a cool job).

With the mess of pie baking I made a gift for me. I love pecan pie and we can have these for our Christmas eve desert. It just came out of the oven. You might just be able to see it boiling.

So tomorrow ...another day.
Fresh orange juice.
To be juiced tomorrow.
Day is done and so is my post.
whew...

"Jesus Cake" Celibrateing the rememberence of the Birth of Christ Jesus

Folks I am a winging it here.
A New Tradition for our Family

Daddy Man an I are creating a new Christ mas for our children.
We have been amiss in our training of them at Christmas time.
We have allowed for far to many years a absence of the focus solely on CHRIST of CHRISTmas

On the "EVE" we have always done the nativity play, but on the morn what they have witnessed is a rushed Mother who begs for everyone to wait for me so I can witness the gifts being opened. Those gifts being opened being the sole focus as they arise and as the grandparents arrive. This year we desire a bit of character training for them that will help them to focus less on greed and more on gratitude.
Less on the gifts and more on those who are offering them a gift.
We are having a Birthday Party for breakfast and a hunt for the baby Jesus (from the nativity ) first.
Daddy Man and I can breath while the hunt goes on, then after we celebrate the "gift of Christ" we will settle down and open our gifts to each other in remembrance of the example of giving that Jesus set for us..


Gifts are in remembrance of what we were given that morning when Christ was born.
Then Daddy Man as the Leader of our home will read the Christmas Story aloud.

In acknowledgment of that, I will be making a
"Jesus Cake".
In the pantry I have the fixings for a cherry chip cake.
Dash had desired a cherry chip on his adoption day.
The center will have a layer with cherry preserves.
Ya...sorta weird if the thought of the blood that was shed for us is considered .
I do not believe in accidents :)
SOoooo.....
"Jesus Cake"
I read one of your blogs where ...
You hide the Baby from the manger then play a game of hunt for it from clues.
I loved that idea!
I think it is brilliant to give them a memory of "HUNTING FOR THE JESUS"
There well could be a day when as a parent we long for them to do so.
(Sorry I do not recall who it was pipe in if it was your post please so others can read it.)
We are changing...Folks it is never too late.
Dash and I spoke of whether to use the "Lamb" cake pan or the "Cross"...
We talked of the "Lamb" of God.
Dash could not understand a Lamb?
So I told him of the Law in the Old Testament, he was awed.

WE are the REASON FOR THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!
He Came For US!
He was born to live and die and be resurrected for US!

We are the reason,
gratitude is too small a price.
Give Him our all.

Please pray

Dash is still fighting out night sweats/feavers
If it does not change tonight he will need to go in for blood work as it could be the thyroid .

Please also pray for my neighbors Pat and Paul.
Paul is suffering increasing dementia, Pat is exhausted.

Menu Plan Monday

Merry
CHRISTmas
2008

It is time to learn how to bake my own bread!

and fix my tree skirt :)

Credit card debt free!

2008
Our gift to Our family
goal met...
Credit card debt free!
NO MORE CREDIT CARDS FOR US

Oh Christmas Tree-House, and cookies

"They had a dream...

We had a vision

Up from the ashes of a forest burn...

A Christmas Tree-House frame

Building a foundation is important to any home...

Strength and stability a must...

The joy of a sure foundation...
Freedom that it offers and excitement over the future.

They had a dream , it will turn a vision into a
Christmas Tree-House..

Pilot drilling to keep us all from splitting at our base.
He recesses the lag bots.

The base is formed with beauty at this Leaders hand.
He who depends upon the wisdom of a Master design.

While in the warmth of a Mothers hand we create a cord of memory to fasten the hatches for any storm.

The boys work on the structure Daddy and Son.

Equipt to build a memory.

This is the first framing...

True to level...

Now for Mother and Son while Father has daughter a while.

Dove comes to decorate when her batch is full.
The then had her prize and was off.
I finished decoration for her.

Cookies for a cookie's sake

He is making a pleasant time of it.
"I am enjoying a creation for creation sake"...said Dash
A plate for Santa...
Dove gives Santa her worst cookie for she has no consideration for him he is fiction...
Dash make his effort constrained and detailed to be the perfect of form.

Family.
Each has a gift to offer,
Each had a need to fill.

Each has the love toward one another.