k-love

A positive and encouraging alternative to regular radio. We have our bathroom radio tuned to Positive, Encouraging K-Love. You can even listen online. While it can be considered a cleaner radio station than secular ones, we listeners need to be on guard.

Before church this morning, the K-Love news room shared a "positive" news story as they do throughout each day. They shared a short blurb from this 'Yappy Hour' article. (Please click to read the entire article.) Apparently, the First United Methodist Church in a couple locations has started a pet ministry, where the church has a "service of blessing the animals." People bring their beloved pets to church. You can read more details in the article. Not only is this ministry bizarre; it's UNbiblical. People and animals are different. Animals do not have souls. People do.

That's not the main reason for my outrage, though. I am very bothered that a "Christian" radio station would even air this story. Millions of people listen to K-Love. Airing a heretical story and calling it a "positive" piece of news, thus implying that it is Biblical truth-- is BAD, especially for those listeners who don't realize the untruth of it all.

Conclusion: K-Love may sound positive and encouraging at first, but that may not always mean Biblical and true. "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" 1 Corinthians 16:13.

grump

[grmp]

n.

a cranky complaining person

Grr.

Do you want to hear me complain? My husband got to hear it tonight. Poor guy. Instead of feeling better afterwards, I felt dirty. To make matters better, I went to the deep-freeze and pulled out three fat cookies and ate them with milk. That didn't help anything but my gut.

Late one night, Jesus walked on the water towards the disciples' boat. They thought he was a ghost, and they freaked out. Jesus said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Peter answered, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." So Peter did. He got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."

It just seems to me that I've been a lot like Peter. Why do I get so caught up in circumstances and activities that I forget to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith? One day (years ago), Jared described me as "busy, busy". I think ONE of those busy-s can be okay. So lately, this Veggie Tales clip kept popping into my head.

I'm not even sure what these guys were so busy with. I'm not even sure what I'm so busy with. I just know that "grump" and setting my eyes on earthly things have gone together. It's all meshed together with 5 cups of selfishness. Cookies didn't help, and neither did complaining. Jared's love and encouragement DID help, but what helped most of all was the realization of my sin and God's forgiveness of it.

While I'm posting You Tube videos, how about this reminder:

(The video stinks, but just listen.)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2 ESV).

proven toys

K'nex.

Have you tried them? The box says Age 5 and above, but our kids both love them. The directions that come with them aren't great, but once you get the hang of something more complex than Legos, they're pretty neat. The worst part of K'nex for young kids is the fact that they generally need help building a huge creation when you are busy doing something else (see picture).

Perler Beads.

Once called fuse beads, these things come with different forms in each bucket of beads. This is a tedious, time-consuming project for kids. The tricky part is moving the form with its arranged beads to the ironing board without spilling. Also, it stinks to trip on a bucket of beads in the middle of the night; they're not easy to pick up or even sweep up.

Lincoln Logs.

They've played with these for years. Somehow, we have accumulated three sets of Lincoln Logs, so the kids have taken to building Lincoln Log mansions. Isaac was in awe when he saw the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. He exclaimed, "Look at that HUGE Lincoln Log Cabin!" And if you've read old blog posts on here, you''ll know that Isaac even compares lengths of fecal matter to sizes of Lincoln Logs.

more fall images

Pumpkin Patch picnic day

We didn't even get a pumpkin, but we had a lot of fun.

So I over-edited these photos. Oops. :)

leaves

This was Carly's idea. She wanted me to take pictures, just like I did two years ago.

She even raked the leaves so they'd be in the same place.

Happy Autumn!

in memory of

Patches.

We adopted this kitten two years ago. The ugly truth is... my sister had too many cats, many with ringworm. She dropped Patches off at our house. See the ringworm on her nose?

Now, let me tell you the truth about cats. There are cats and then there are CATS. Patches was a cat; her grandmother was a house-cat. Barn CATS don't typically get along with house-cats, at least around here. Barn CATS hunt for their food if they're hungry. Cats with "house" in their blood wail at the back door hoping for some scraps from the table.

I used to like Patches, but she was a dumb, dumb cat. She didn't know the basic methods of survival; she actually thought Lucy wanted to play with her. Lucy really wanted to eat her. It's a wonder she lived to be full-grown.

She passed ringworm on to our kids. Her yeeeoowwwwing by the back door didn't bother us for a while, but pretty soon it got annoying. After she had her first litter of kittens, she developed a severe case of diarrhea and vomiting. And since then, she has walked with a hump back because she poops so often. Seriously, it's every 4 steps.

The barn cats shunned her. We started shunning her too; it stinks to be pooped on by Patches. Our deck got pooped on too.

Patches had three litters of kittens, all as clueless as she. Her kittens had a 12% survival rate.

This past Sunday, Patches went missing. Her kitten, Marmalade, has been bawling. Marmalade is also shunned by the barn cats. Marmalade was covered in dog slobber today. She's still alive and able to feed herself, but she's caked with dirt.

We aren't too upset about the absence of Patches and the whole situation, but a thought popped into my head this afternoon as the once-wild kitten came running, all crusty and smelly. This is what an orphan must feel like. The whole situation seemed painfully similar to what some people must go through. And I swallowed a hard lump.