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First posted June 25, 2009

Today the entertainment world said goodbye to Farrah Fawcett, one of Charlie’s Angels, and Michael Jackson, king of pop.  50 year old Michael Jackson died this afternoon of cardiac arrest.  62 year old Farrah died this morning following a three year battle with cancer.

I’ve followed Michael’s career from the time he sang with the Jackson 5 as a child.  He started with his first performance at the Apollo Theater at the age of nine.  Then a memorable album and video, Thriller, propelled him forward, and he grew into The Man in the Mirror.

Michael brought us groundbreaking videos, a sequined glove and the moon walk.  Michael was not just a singer.  He was a very talented performer who sang, wrote, danced and acted.  He was also a man of compassion.  He, along with Lionel Richie, wrote the lyrics for We Are the World.

Farrah will be remembered most for her Charlie’s Angel role of Jill Munroe, and the distinctive hair style that came to be known as “the Farrah.”  Farrah’s acting career neither started nor ended with that role, but 29 episodes made sure we would always think of her as an “angel.”

These two each were a “one of a kind.”  They will be missed.

Update: Has it really been nearly five years?

Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013)

I love this episode where Edith finally tells Archie to stifle.

First posted June 19, 2009

April 15, 2009, the Lubbock TEA Party was held.  It took two months for me to discover Dr. Donald May, who delivered an outstanding speech on the courthouse steps in Lubbock.  His masterful delivery dominated the event.  As usual, the news media didn’t bother to include this.   It’s been much too long since we’ve had objective reporting of the news.  Now we get it slanted or colored by opinion.

Ladies and gentlemen, This is a Time For Courage.

We are gathered here today on the Plains of West Texas in common purpose.  We are here to remind our government that this is our country, We the People are still in charge, and our government is still our servant and not our master.

Our Nation’s founding document is The Declaration of Independence.  It tells us that our rights come from God and not from a small group of Elite men and women.

Our Constitution starts with the words “We the People.”  Our Constitution was written for ordinary Americans like you and me.  Our Constitution protects us from our government and from the politicians.

Our President has complained that our Constitution gives ordinary people too much protection.

He has ridiculed us for the high value we place on our Bibles, our guns, our personal property, and our Liberty.  He tells us we do not deserve to keep the money we have earned.

We are told freedom has not worked.  Personal responsibility, free enterprise, and Liberty have not been effective.  Our government will now make more of our decisions for us.

Other than our military, I can think of not one government agency I have ever found to be helpful.

And speaking of our military, how about those Navy Seals blowing the heads off those three terrorist pirates?  Don’t you just wish our entire government would function with such efficiency, professionalism, and courage?

We watch in disbelief as our beloved United States is weakened economically, militarily, and morally by a Radical President and his eager accomplices.

What has taken generations to build is systematically destroyed and replaced with the same Socialist Evil that brought poverty, destruction, and despair to untold hundreds of millions.

The problems we face today have occurred because we have not defended our Nation from Socialism.  For too long we have allowed the wrong people to make the worst possible decisions.

The Bible warns us of class hatred.  The Radical leadership of our government daily fans the evil flames of class envy.

Our European and Canadian friends beg us to not make the same Socialist mistakes they did.

The President of the European Union warned our President that his Socialist economic plans are taking the World down the “road to Hell.”

The path to power for Socialists includes taking God and guns from the citizens.  Without spiritual and physical protection, people cannot defend themselves and their Liberty.  They soon become slaves.

We are angered that our President apologizes for the exceptionalism and heroism of the United States of America.  We are deeply troubled he told others the United States is not a Christian nation.

We are angered that we have been called cowards and racists because we oppose Socialism.  Socialism is not racial.  Socialism is an equal opportunity destroyer.

We are angered that a recent Department of Homeland Security report has singled out our military men and women who are returning home as being radical threats.

The report also characterizes you and me as right-wing extremists and radicals because we favor smaller government and lower taxes.

You and I are average citizens who believe just like most of our fellow Americans.  We want our government to leave us alone and to keep its hands off our money, our religion, or guns, our private property, and our lives.

We demand that our government stop spending money it does not have.

Stop confiscating our money and private property.

Stop printing money.

Stop subsidizing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the other failed financial institutions and companies.

Mr. President, stop appointing tax cheats to positions of power and influence.

Mr. President, secure our borders.

Mr. President, do not divert money from our missile defense, F-22 Raptors, and other vital military equipment.  This gives encouragement, aid, and comfort to our enemies.  Protecting us is your number one job.

Mr. President, do not give voting rights to millions of illegal aliens and felons.  You have no more right to create new voters for your benefit than you do to use our money to buy the 2010 and 2012 Elections.

We gather peacefully here today because there is a growing concern for what our government is doing to us and to our future.  We fear for the very survival of our Republic.

Yet there is much to make us hopeful and to fill our hearts with optimism and courage.  This is still our country!

The Constitution of the Unites States belongs to We the People.  Our Constitution still protects us from our government.

Call every possible elected official, including our President, Vice President, and the Speaker of the House.

Demand that they stop stealing our money and giving it to ACORN and their other political supporters in order to buy votes.

Call Senators Cornyn and Hutchison, and Representative Neugebauer.  Thank them.  Urge them to do much more.  Remind them now is a time for action and not for campaigning.

Volunteer to work on our 2010 Census.  Confront ACORN.  Keep our Census honest.  We must not allow our President to take control of our Census for his political advantage.

We must replace as much of our Far Left Congress as possible in 2010.  Get involved.  Do not let the ACORN control our 2010 Election.

Talk with someone every day who does not understand our nation’s history and our great heritage.  Tell them why the United States is a good and prosperous nation.  It still remains that brightly lit city on the hill.  It still is the best hope for all mankind.

Talk with all of the young people you can find.  They are our future.  Many do not understand what they have and that their future is being destroyed.

Encourage your elected State officials to pass legislation that will protect us from our Federal government.  Governor Rick Perry and others are doing that right now for Texas.  Thank them and pray for them.

This is a time for strong peaceful action.  Let us pray that We the People can quickly return our government to its Constitutional responsibilities.

Our President and Congress were elected to be our servants and not our masters.

May God help our President and Congress to quickly realize the error of their ways and stop their reckless and unwarranted spending, cut our taxes, and reduce the size of our Federal bureaucracy.

If they do not, may God grant us the courage and determination to vote them out of power next year.

May God richly bless and protect each of you, and our Constitution, as together we pursue Liberty!

Delivered at the Lubbock, Texas, TEA Party

Tax Day, 15 April 2009

Update: Just change the dates in the message. It’s still relevant today.

First posted June 12, 2009

There is a must read article in the English edition of Pravda, the Russian newspaper.  How ironic that the Russians see what very few US citizens see.  We are quickly sliding from a free market society into Marxism.  The Russians know the dangers in following this path.

The article stated, “Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK’s Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our “wise” Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.”

Russian owners of American companies are being advised to close down and flee the “Red” country.  It’s a case of “been there, done that,” and they don’t want to get involved in any form of Marxism again.  Do you blame them?  Why are we quietly accepting it here?

Click on the Pravda link to read the entire article. Here are the last lines of that article.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4: 19-20

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One “promising” winner will receive:

• Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
  
• Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc…)
• Sherry Gore’s Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
• The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 
  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the “The Promise Box” Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun – book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

The Promise Box

By Tricia Goyer

With her heart – and her loyalty – on the line, can she let true love in her life?

Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother’s death.

She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother’s most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational ‘tell-all’ book about the Amish. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride.
Will the pain of her childhood-and her potential betrayal of her community-keep her from committing her whole heart?

ISLAND BREEZES

You’re going to need those tissues when you read this book. There’s heartaches and secrets here. Love, but also pain.

Lydia came home for her mother’s funeral, but stayed to help her father. What she had planned for a couple weeks turned into the summer and more – all because of her mother’s promise box.

Unable to cope with finding out details about her birth had sent her out into the Englisch world. Her adoptive mother’s promise box drew her back. Mem’s words brought Lydia home, both to Montana and her faith.

But that didn’t guarantee a happily ever after. Both Lydia and Gideon, the Amish man she was beginning to fall in love with, had secrets that could break their fragile relationship and upset friends and family. They learned the hard way that secrets refuse to stay secret.

Lydia learned through Mem’s words, “You can’t heal unless the junk is cleaned out.”

Tricia Goyer has never disappointed  me. I’m looking forward to the next bride and bachelor story.

***A special thanks to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

   Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope.

A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.

In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired.

First posted March 21, 2009

Yes, I like to play with those kind of yo yos too, but I’m not talking about that little round wooden toy on a string.  I’m talking about fabric yo yos.  Yo Yos are fabric circles gathered to form little rosettes. I first worked with yo yos as a kid when I made yo yo clown dolls.  I’m still playing with them.  I made simple yo yo Christmas ornaments a couple years ago.  I just strung them together and added a big jingle bell at the bottom and a loop at the top.

Yo yos have grown up since I first learned how to make them.  They’re even simpler to make if you buy yo yo cutters.  You can get them in various sizes of round, hearts and flowers.  You can even buy quick yo yo makers for the round ones.  Lazy Girl Designs has a good tutorial on using the yo yo maker to make perfect little yo yos every time.  You can even make square yo yos, but you have to do it the old fashioned way entirely by hand.  Penny Sanford has a tutorial and pattern for making the heart shaped ones. You can go here to learn how to make the traditional yo yo by hand.  This video gives you details on sewing them together.

Update I’ve found the ladder stitch makes a neater joining.

You can make large projects such as a quilt or smaller ones such as garlands.  The quilts have been around for awhile.  This was a popular style of quilt making in the U.S. from the 1920-40s.  The tiny circles of fabric, gathered up at the edges and sewn together to create a three-dimensional effect, were popular because women could carry these little circles with them and make yo yos whenever they had a few minutes.

What have you made with yo yos?  Any more ideas for us?

Afloat

By Erin Healy

Who will you trust when dark waters rise?

Eagle’s Talon is an architectural marvel-shining residential units afloat in a protected cove of the gorgeous Rondeau River. The project is nearly complete, partially occupied, and ready to make investors rich when a sinkhole gives way. Then torrential rains and a flood leave a ragged collection of builders, investors, and residents stranded in one floating building, cut off from the rest of the world.

They’re bitterly divided over what to do next.

Architect Vance Nolan insists they should sit tight and wait for rescue. Developer Tony Dean wants to strike out into the darkness. And single mom Danielle Clement, desperate to protect her young son, Simeon, struggles to hold their motley band together.

Power failure, a pall of unnatural daytime darkness, explosions in the distance, then a murder ratchet tensions to a boiling point. But Danielle’s young son, Simeon, has spotted something strange underwater-beautiful, shifting lights in the dark water below.
In this watery world where everyone’s secrets will eventually come to light, salvation may mean more than just getting out alive.

Another stunning exploration of the human spirit and supernatural possibilities from best-selling author Erin Healy.

ISLAND BREEZES

I used to work on ships and lived afloat for ten years. When the rains came and the waters rose, it was nothing at all like the experience of these people at Eagle’s Talon.

It’s at a time of crisis that an unusual group of people, all with different strengths, needed to band together in order to survive. That’s difficult to do when you have a control freak in your midst.

Frightening times bring out the best and the worst in people. Some lives are touched as the secrets start to come out. Other lives are snuffed out in the attempt to keep secrets hidden.

I didn’t want to stop reading this book. Forget eating. Forget sleeping. Nothing was as important as finishing this book.

I’m eagerly awaiting Ms Healy’s next book.

***A special thank you to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

  Erin Healy is the best-selling co-author of “Burn” and “Kiss” (with Ted Dekker) and an award-winning editor for numerous best-selling authors. She has received wide acclaim for her novels “Never Let You Go”, “The Baker’s Wife”, “House of Mercy”, and “Afloat”. She and her family live in Colorado. Erin can be contacted through her website ErinHealy.com or through Facebook at erinhealybooks.

Erin Healy is celebrating the release of her latest novel Afloat (Thomas Nelson) with an iPad Mini giveaway.

One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini 
  
• iTunes gift card
• Afloat by Erin Healy 
  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 15th. Winner will be announced on Erin’s blog on June 17th. Save the date and click HERE to see if YOU won the iPad Mini!

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; ENTER today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Visit Erin’s blog on the 17th!