Teaching Our Children to Be Homemakers

You know as I grew up I was taught some of the basic things to do to be a homemaker. However, looking back today I really wished my mom would have taught me a bit more. Like how to bake bread. How to make a menu for a week etc. Who knows maybe she taught me all that she was taught in her home as a child. We tend to pass down to our kids what we know and if that is not much, well, the child-now adult can suffer from that. I am glad that my mom taught me all that I know, but as I grow older, I am teaching myself more and more so that I can make even a better homemaker out of my little girls and an independent man out of my son.

In today's society we are always going for the drive through and buying those cookies at the grocery store and eating out way too much. We buy bread instead of making it. Then we complain about all the preservatives that are in our foods, yet we are not willing to do anything about it. Heck, we even pop in a frozen entry in the microwave and call that dinner.
I found a website that is dedicated to helping us raise up Godly homemaking woman. Here is a snip-it from their website:

*We believe that a successful homemaker is a Godly woman equipped with the Biblical knowledge and practical skills to manage her home well. The Bible is God's word instructing us how to live now, and for eternity. A woman will find true joy and success in her life when she lives according to God's word.
*Along with Biblical knowledge, women need to know how to cook, sew, and keep their home. This instruction should begin at a young age in the home. Future Christian Homemakers seeks to provide materials to help girls learn these skills at home, or through groups in churches, homeschool co-ops, or other settings.
*Future Christian Homemakers encourages women to teach the younger women to love their husbands, love their children, and be "keepers at home." Titus 2:3-5 We have much to learn from each other, whatever our age! FCH helps women share their knowledge and skills with the next generation and build strong Christian families.

They are selling a book called Future Christian Homemakers Handbook. It is a wonderful collection of how to cook, clean and a few pages on sewing. I just loved this book. There are 12 lessons as well as some general homemaking lessons. The 12 lessons consist of ...
Lesson 1: All About Eggs, Kitchen Safety, French Toast, Different Ways to Cook Eggs
Lesson 2: Muffins: Introduction to Baking, Measuring Ingredients Correctly
Lesson 3: Baking Quick Breads, Science of Leavening: Baking Soda & Baking Powder, Creaming Butter, Recipe Abbreviations
Lesson 4: Yeast Bread, Understanding Yeast, Bread Sculptures
Lesson 5: Cake Baking and Cake Decorating
Lesson 6: Ground Beef Meals, Making Meals Efficiently
Lesson 7: Poultry, Herbs & Spices, Grocery Shopping
Lesson 8: Microwave Cooking
Lesson 9: Casseroles, Food Guide Pyramid, Table setting & Manners
Lesson 10: Fruit, Cooking with Cornstarch, Fruit Centerpieces
Lesson 11: Vegetables, Veggie Garnishes & Centerpieces, Ways to Cut Veggies
Lesson 12: Cookies & Congratulations!

Now my daughter is a bit too young to do this as a full study, but I am already incorporating some of the concepts with both my son and daughter. Yes you heard me son. I truly believe that it is important for a man to learn the basics of homemaking too. You know the ideal is that he will go off to college and afterward get a job and a wife. But the reality of it is that he may not. I want him to be able to fend for himself or even help his wife out a bit. The best thing about this study is the "How to be a homemaker" is taken directly from the Bible.

Oh, wait did I say that was the best thing. There are two best things. They have now made the book available online for FREE. Now if you rather not print out that many pages, then you can still buy the book at $29.95. But if you want to save some money then go to the Future Christian Homemakers website and download each lesson and the supplements for free. I truly believe that this book/unit study will help you teach your children to be helpful in the kitchen now and beautiful homemakers later on. Yes, and even your boys!

9 out of 10

Do Not Be Ashamed

I find it interesting that a high school principal can see the problem, but not our society.

This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLeod"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country."

"Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK."

"I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK."

"I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem."

"I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology."

"I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment."

"However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated. This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical."

"Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments. Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression."

"For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time." However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box! The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America- the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD."Somehow, Kingston , Tennessee remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!

JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER."

A Homeschool Moms Psalm

A friend of mine sent this to me. I am not sure if she came up with this or if she got it from somewhere else, but I thought it was a great and I wanted to post here in my blog. The bible verses were taken from Psalm 4.

“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.Give me relief from my distress;Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”

Lord, today has been a long day of homeschooling. I am not so sure that I am cut out for this job. Are you sure you called me to this?

“How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.”

Lord, I admit that I am guilty of seeking the false god of education. I strap it on my children’s backs and burden us all with my expectations and insecurities. I want to do a good job… but I worry that I am not. What if I mess up, Lord? This is too important to do it wrong. I know that I am part of a remnant of people that You have called to be set apart… to do things differently from the culture with an eye on the prize of raising warriors for You. Help me do that Lord—and help me keep academics in the proper perspective.

“In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.”

Lord, sometimes at night I lie in bed and go over my day. I review all the things I did wrong and pray for You to erase all the bad stuff from my children’s minds. I know You have called me to sacrifice my sense of self, my time, and my agenda in the name of spending day in and day out teaching my children. I am learning that even on my worst days, I have to stay committed to this calling, continue making the sacrifices, and choose to trust You to bring out the best in all of us, no matter how badly I blow it.

“Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Lord, I hear people lament over the state of our country. They wonder about the youth of our nation and seem to just throw their hands up, resigned that there is no use trying to change the direction things are going. And yet, I look at these children you have given me and I see hope in spite of my many mistakes. I see them displaying character, learning to work and value money, to be kind, and to hunger and thirst for You. Lord, it is true that there is no greater joy than to see your children walking with You. I thank You for these little glimpses all along the way that fill my heart with joy and give me the strength I need to get up tomorrow morning and do it all again.

Bible Study

OK, today I finally can answer the question of how we got along with beasts and why they never ate us. How we were able to walk hand and paw with dinosaurs, tiger, bears and never die because of their carnivorous temperament. If you are curious, go to http://mybiblestudy-kristin.blogspot.com/ and read my thoughts on the matter.

The Bible in One Year...Join Me

The start of a new year. Can you believe it is 2009. Well, my 1 and only resolution for 2009 was to start that Bible study I wrote about a few days ago. Which then gave me the idea to make a new blog for my study notes. So for any of you who would like to join me on this year long journey my study note blog is http://mybiblestudy-kristin.blogspot.com/

New Year Resolutions?

I have never been one for trying to make a huge list of New Year Resolutions. However, I do have lots of things I would like to accomplish during 2009 (most in regards to homeschooling and the Children’s Choir I teach at church) but I am not sure if those are really considered New Years Resolutions or not. See I would like to get back into exercise again. I always, around November, loose track of my exercising until after the holidays. Of course I have a long laundry list of school things I would like to complete by the end of summer 2009, choosing new music for the choir, etc. But these are all just normal everyday things I think of all year long. However, there are two things that I really want to start doing starting on January first?

The first one is to finally love my body! I have been skinny in my elementary years, fat most of my teenage/early 20's, skinny once again in late 20's and most of my 30's and then back to fat currently after I had my little girl. I have felt the feelings of bliss fitting into a size 10 and walking down the street getting whistles and the feeling of agony fitting into a size 20 and the looks of horror on people faces as they see me walking towards them. But now I am in my 40's and I finally just realized that I need to be happy with my body no matter what size it is. Now that does NOT mean I will stop exercising and eating right. It just means that I will not beat myself up everyday when I look in the mirror for not being what everyone else in this world wants me to be. So my resolution is to be content with my body. I did that once before and when I became that content I lost 120 pounds. Maybe that will work again, maybe not, but I know I will sure feel a lot better about myself no matter what the outcome and be a lot happier.

My second resolution is to finally read the bible from cover to cover. I have never read the Bible from beginning to end before. I have read most of the books of the Bible through book studies at least once, but this year I am going to read it in chronological order. I have a daily reader Bible that is in chronological order and my church is also starting a group that happens to be using the same book. So we will all blog about it each day. Now that’s a whole God thing in itself. I was planning on doing this and had set a plan for it, had the Bible in hand when a few days later I received an email from my church saying they were putting this exact same Bible study together. Must be a God telling me that this was the right thing for me to be doing this coming year!

I will also be reading each day’s entries to my children as part of their Bible study. We will still do their regular daily Bible study, but I will add this reading too. I am hoping that by reading the entries out loud I will understand and retain more of the information I am reading as well as my children will pick up on some of the information I will be reading to them. I want to get them out of their children’s Bible and into the real Word of God sooner then later. Yea, I have always read passages from the Bible, but when we read stories it has always been from the Children’s Bible. This will be a wonderful change in our Bible time together.

How will I make these resolutions stick? I have 3 steps that I think will help me to make these two things become a habit.

1. For each resolution, focus in on one goal at a time I can do to make the change. Example: if you want to loose weight focus in on eating 3 pieces of fruit each day. When this has been accomplished, focus on another small goal.

2. Put together monthly objectives. Example: For the Bible reading I have put a check list of chapters to read each day for the month of January.

3. Don't beat myself up if I mess up. Example: Keep positive thoughts like "I have done really good so far. Lets get back on track tomorrow".

Anyway, I would love to hear from all of you and what you thoughts are on New Years resolutions. Do you have them? What are they? Are you totally against them? Write me and let me know. You can either comment on the blog or send me a personal email. And if you are interested at all in doing the Bible Study with me, let me know. I would love to blog back and forth with you about what we learn and your take on things. Just an FYI, I do take the Bible to be literal not figurative. So keep that in mind as we discuss our thoughts on what we are about to learn.

In any case, I hope you all have a wonderfully safe and fun New Year. May God bless you and your family in 2009!

My Christmas Wish to You

Well, the time has finally come. It is Christmas Eve and all the work and shopping and wrapping and baking we have done is all about to be demolished. Sometimes I look back at Christmas and ask myself was it all worth it. The answer...Yes! For me, the month of December is all about learning more about Jesus with my kids. Participating in the advent daily with them and praying to God that the world will know Him, especially at this time of year if at no other time.

Also December 24th is a time for me to people watch. I love to go to the malls and watch people freak out on Christmas Eve. I will never forget the one year Anthony (my husband) and I (b4 kids) went to South Coast Plaza Mall in Santa Ana. Now first let me explain for those who do not live here in Orange County California. South Coast Plaza is an upper scale mall filled with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Channel etc shops. Anyway, this one year we went to the mall about 5:00pm. Now the mall was closing at 6:00. We walked around and just watched the people. We actually saw several people running through the mall trying to get all their gifts purchased. The lines were very long and ridiculous. At 5:55pm as we were leaving this one shop was closing its doors as we actually saw a human being run under the closing door to try to get that last minute gift. Needless to say, Anthony and I had a laugh at this person expense. I still wonder what the security guards were thinking as they were watching the security monitors.

My point. Please do not let today turn into a scurry for you to finish all the things you still need to get done. Take today and read the gospel of Jesus Christ and His birth to your children. Take a moment to call a few friends and wish them a Blessed Christmas. And more then anything take a moment to wish our Savior a Happy Birthday and a mighty Thank You for coming here to us and giving us eternal life.

May you and your family have the most blessed Christmas possible. Merry Christmas from the Nitz's. Kristin, Anthony, Vincent and Raquel. and don;t forget...Spencer, Shalimar, Sunny, Fish 1 Fish 2 and Whitie!

The Gift by: Jill Cooper

I just had to post this. I get an e-news from Living on a dime and this was in one of her lastest emails.....

She stood at the window watching the snow falling gently to the ground. Thanksgiving was over and soon it would be Christmas, her favorite time of the year. But her heart was heavy in spite of the snow and the feeling of Christmas that it should invoke. The Christmas spirit that she had felt all year long seemed to have been drained out of her with a couple of simple phone calls, each from a family member saying they didn't want to exchange gifts this year because they couldn't afford them.

As she turned from the window her eyes fell on her little tree standing in the corner. It's lights twinkled ever so brightly, casting a warm glow over the small pile of gaily wrapped gifts lying under it. A smile touched her lips as she thought of each person that the gifts were for. In her mind she could see the joy and excitement on their faces as they tore open the gifts and saw what was in them.

All year, she had carefully planned their gifts and had sacrificed much time and money in order to be able to buy them. She listened to each person's big desires and little ones and had drawn so close to them that she knew not only the things they verbally said that they wanted but also the things they hadn't voiced. She knew she had bought each one the perfect gift -- Not the most expensive gift, maybe, but the perfect one for them.

Yes, she had sacrificed a lot to buy the gifts, but because her love for each person was so great and because of the joy she felt in giving, she didn't see it as a sacrifice at all. So what if she had to turn the heat down a couple of degrees and wear a sweater in order to be able to have a little extra to buy that special something for someone she loved. Yes, it's nice to go out to eat at the end of a long hard day, but it's even nicer to watch the face of a child open a present and go into rapture over his new car or to see mom get tears in her eyes because you not only remembered her favorite perfume but also how much she had longed for it.

Of course there had been times when she had looked in the store window thinking how wonderful it would be to own a dress like that, but when it came to a choice between that and the fur trimmed coat her granddaughter wanted, the coat won hands down. To see that granddaughter running towards her and throwing her arms around her once more thanking her for the new coat would make her feel more beautiful then any new dress could.

Oh, she knew there were those out there who would scold her and say she should think of herself more and do more for herself, but she just shook her head in pity for them. They had no idea what they were missing out on with that attitude.

It was that very same attitude that had caused the heaviness on her heart right now. The phone calls she had received came from people who had spent all year spending money on the things they wanted: new cars, TVs, clothes and going out to eat and now they had nothing left to give to someone else.

"When did it happen?" she wondered, "-- this change in people's thinking." What happened to the times when even a small gift was greatly appreciated because you knew the person had sacrificed so much in order to buy or make it? What happened to the times when parents, spouses and children worked so hard in order to be able to give that special gift to someone they loved? When did it become acceptable to call on your expensive cell phone, from your favorite restaurant, to let others know that you can't buy them a gift this year because you can't afford it? Had she been mistaken all this time in her understanding of gift giving?

With a droop in her shoulders she turns and walks toward the little tree. How could it have lost its sparkle in a matter of moments? Why do the presents under it suddenly look less gaily wrapped? With tears gently rolling down her cheeks, she stoops to turn off the tree's lights. As she reaches for the plug, her hand accidentally brushes her Bible laying on the table. As she looks up through the blur, her eyes alight upon the passage on the open page. "For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

A sweet peace starts warming her heart. She begins to smile and her tears are flowing even more freely now -- not from sadness, but from joy. The lights on the little tree become brighter and brighter, lighting up the whole room with it's sparkle. The gifts under it look more beautiful than those in the most expensive department stores for, in that moment, she realizes that she wasn't wrong to love, to sacrifice and to want to give gifts to the people she loves.

Hadn't God Himself so loved us that He gave, with the greatest of sacrifices, the most wonderful gift, His Son. She was so glad that God hadn't spent His time in heaven selfishly using all His resources for Himself. She was thankful that He hadn't sent her a message saying, "Sorry, but I can't afford to give you a gift this year."

In those few moments of heartbreak she had learned something more. She had learned what God must feel like to have the gift that He sacrificed so much to give be rejected and scorned. How hurtful to take away the blessing of giving from someone or to reject their gift.
Yes, it seemed to be popular to say, "We can't afford to exchange gifts this year", but it didn't matter. She would continue to love, sacrifice and give, always following her heavenly Father's example.

The Future Belongs to Our Children

OK, so I know there is this continuous battle between the public school Christians and the Homeschooling Christians. A lot of times the public school Christians feel like us homeschoolers are calling them bad parents or bad Christians for putting their children in the Devils path. And the homeschooler feels the public schoolers are calling us stupid by throwing our un-socialized children in a bubble.

There are sooooo many reasons for people to continue public school even thought it is a publicized fact to be a broken system. Money, who has the money for private Christian school? Time, there may be reasons that both parents must work full time jobs both during the day and maybe evening too and so on. But patience is not one of them. Do you think I was born with patience enough to homeschool? NO! I learn everyday about patience and pray that God will continue to be oh so graceful in giving me an abundance of it!

There are also a lot of public school Christians that also believe that their school is full of christian teachers and that their school is still built on a christian value system. So their children are safe from all that stuff we hear has come to California. Well, I have to agree with the fact there are some schools that do have a lot of teachers that profess to be Christians, but I will say that a teacher can only teach what their superiors allow them to teach. If they say no Noah, then No Noah! As far as the school being based on Christian values. You have to ask yourself these few questions about your school before you can say that for sure. If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then really is it a Christian value system?

1. Does your school teach about creation or evolution? Now if they teach both, great. That means they believe in free will. To put ALL options on the table for the children to decide. But if they teach that evolution is a fact and never bring up any other option of where we came from other then a money or cave men, then you have to ask yourself if that is a fact you are willing to have your child drilled in his/her head for the next 12 years.

2. Does you school have a policy in place to increase awareness and acceptance towards different groups based on race, age, gender or Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals or Transgender persons? Another words, "Amy Has Two Dads", Gay Pride Day, "My Daddy Wears a Dress", During the health class they could possibly discuss sex change operations, or how about the whole Gay Pledge Card thing http://nutbugs.blogspot.com/2008/11/gay-pledge-cards-in-calif-schools.html. Is this something you want your child to have drilled for 12 years in their heads?Does God says it is OK to have a sexual partner without marriage and of the same sex?

3. Does your school have a policy in place for discrimination against, gender, races, age, disabilities, immigrations status, occupation, religion stereotyping of Gender Identification or Sexual Orientation? Not to say we should discriminate against them, beat them or hurt them however we certainly do not need to teach about the choice people make in sexual acts in school or give them any special place or privilege in our schools. What, should we start teaching about people who like to be whipped during sex or beastiality. Those are choices too. Right?

4. Does your school have a family planning policy? Another wards for the school to have free family planning available to pregnant children or some that are wanting to know about how to have sex, counseling and free condoms. All without parental consent? Or have the birds and bees discussion to your child without your permission. Who knows what Mr. Joe's view is. Could be a view of the birds and the birds or the bees and the bees or the birds and birds and bees. Get it?

5. Do you know for sure the answer to all of these questions?

OK, I know your saying, "Kristin aren't you being a little paranoid?" YES! I am raising up the future generation. That means the future president, first lady, congress men, senator, mayor or maybe just a future voter etc. So if I don't like the way the world is going today and I do not take control of what my children learn and how they are being raised, then how can I complain? I am not doing anything to change the future of our world.

Look, I know I can not possibly keep any of this stuff completely away from my children. And I would be a fool to never explain any of it to them. But at 1st grade? Or 4th grade? No! Let the kids be kids for a while. We throw movies like Hanna Montana or High School Musical at our 6 year old and expect them to stay 6? No way right? Then why would we throw sexual preference at them at 6 or 8? Why would we throw condoms at them at 6 or 10?

Please let me make it very Crystal Clear. I am in NO WAY saying you are a bad parent, a terrible Christian etc. because you choose to put your child in public school. I am not trying to make you change your mind either! I just want you to be aware that if your child comes home asking Questions or telling you there is NO God or Mommy, did you know that an ape is our cousin?, you know where it might be coming from.

I pray all the time for my friends children. Homeschooled and public schooled alike. I pray that each one will grow up with a fear and love for God like no other! And I pray for you that God will be there protecting your children from the evil ones hands! Whether you homeschool or public school, just remember your child could make a difference in the future of our world with what you teach them today!

Hot Topic for Discussion

Now I think most people would agree that when a certain gene in an animal is not used over an extremely long period of time that the gene goes dormant. Would you say that in the animal kingdom most male animals find a female animal to procreate so that their species can live on and not die out? Would you say that most animals in the animal kingdom when wanting to procreate they always choose a mate of the opposite sex? Would you agree to most or all of that? OK if you agree then read on.

Alright, here is where the hot topic comes in. I know many people out there who really believe that homosexuals are born gay. That they do not have a choice. That they were handed this gene and they have to live with it. I know many Christians who believe in the Bible as perfect truth, believe in God and also believe this sin. Well let me shed a little light on this subject from a different point of view.

Lets take a step into evolution (a whole subject on it own) and say we really were once cave men and monkeys etc and if us humans are truly part of the animal kingdom as the scientists say we are, then the drive to procreate would be extremely strong. Right?????So now lets say that this gay gene is a gene. How is it that since we agree that certain genes that are not useful die out of the animal kingdom and how come this gene did not die out of us. Would you agree that there really is no use for it. It does not help to repopulate our world, right?

If you have 1000 people and 1/4 have a gay gene and they do not have children and then another 1/4 were gay and did not have children and so on, wouldn't it be feasible to say that our current population would eventually cease to exist due to the fact that just by nature a gay couple are not physically able to have a baby? Yes I know currently they can adopt, but from the beginning of time there was no such thing as adoption as it is in the terms today.

OK lets step back into my world now. In the Bible God dislike a lot of stuff, but there are only 2 things that He detests. Homosexuality/Sodomy and Witch Craft/Magic. So if God is a loving God and cares for all His children so much then how could He makes something that He Himself DETESTS? How is it that a girl at age 17 decides she is gay, then a year later says she is not and has a baby, then decides to become gay again? How is it that our bodies by nature are not made to be man with man or woman with woman. Think about it. It just does not fit together, literally. (Lev 18:22 and 20:13)

Lets call it by its true name. SIN! I was not born FAT. I was born with sin. I chose to put the food in my mouth over the years. Absolutely I could say I was born with a gene to be fat. It is a battle I deal with on a daily basis almost my whole life. But the real name for it is... I am a gluten and a sinner! Absolutely there are people who may have a predisposition to this lifestyle due to lack of father figure or maybe they were raised in a home like that or who knows. I am not saying that all fatherless sons and gay parent children become gay. But the sex drive in us animals is strong at a very young age.

Think about baby boys. What is the first thing a new mom finds out when changing her baby boy for the first couple of times. His penis is hard all the time. This is also why big burly he men that would never in a million years touch another man turn to homosexuality in jail. Why, the drive to procreate or have sex. Do they continue this lifestyle when they get out of jail? I would have to say No!

Our world is Topsy turvy. In the 1500's when our country was founded, we would have never thought twice about imprisoning a person that would do such an act as homosexuality. We openly believed in God and taught it to our children in our homeschooling (no public schools then). When the public school came to be in the late 1800's we thought nothing of teaching our children to read, write and do math. We never would have added all this junk in the disguise of tolerance that has nothing to do with education. We said prayer before and after school.

Today we teach about sex (Molly had two dads is going to raise the ???) to 1st grader under the guise of tolerance to the homosexuals. We (in some schools) no longer say the pledge under the guise of tolerance to other religions. We learn about mayors because of their sexual preference not because they did anything extraordinary for our country. We vote for a president due to skin color, white or black. What is wrong here. Is it the end times as written in Revelation? I don't know. Unfortunately God did not decide to give me insight to that and I certainly am not one to run around preaching it the end times.

Well, with all that said. I hope I have given you some food for thought for those of you who just were on the fence of whether it is a gene or a decision. I am in no way trying to persuade you to change your mind, not to say I wouldn't mind. But one day the truth will prevail and one of us will be very disappointed in ourselves for letting the Devil deceive us all those years. All any of us can do is pray and ask God to open our eyes to the truth. He will if we just ask!

OK now I have stepped on some toes of somebody who may catch a glimpse of this site for the first time and really believes the opposite that I do, but I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and that His Word is the absolute truth and can be taken 100% literally! That sin is sin and by no other name can we call it. That sin comes from Satan the deceiver and that the one thing he wants to do is keep us from the truth. The more young children he can get into believing this story of a homosexual gene the better for Satan.

Oh, by the way. You may think by reading this that I hate gays or I am a homophobic. I am not! My very best friend, who is now dead of aids, was a homosexual. He got married in his homosexual church and I went to his wedding, even thought it was not a legal act at that time. I went to many of his parties where my husband and I were one of a few straight people there. At his funeral there was a gay pastor (don't understand that one. I guess she missed the whole sodomy thing in the bible) and I prayed with her over his ashes. So please do not tell me that I am homophobic. Homosexual or not, your true name is human and all humans should be treated with the utmost respect no matter what sex life they decide to choose!

So with all that said, Is it a gene or a choice? I know what God says!

Working Replica of Noah's Ark

Ok you have to see this working Replica of Noah's Ark Opened in SCHAGEN, Netherlands. This is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I wish it were here in the USA. But since it is not you have to go to the site and see the pictures. It is the most spectacular thing you will see!

The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday for the first crowd of curious Pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine -Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy.

Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel. Visitors on the first day were stunned. 'It's past comprehension, ' said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw The ark looming over the local landscape. 'I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big.' There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

''If You Need Help, Ask God. If You Don't, Thank God''... 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' Psalm 23:6

From the web...
Replica of Noah's Ark built by a Dutch contractor. It was built approximately to scale, however is 1/2 the length and 1/3 the width of the Biblical dimensions. It was built to show the world how massive the Ark was and how so many animals could have been housed for a long time.

http://www.worldwidechristian.net/Noah

Satan Get Out of my Heart, Head and House

I have figured out that something is very wrong with me lately. I am not exactly sure what it is, but it is getting to me. Everything is bugging me. I am moodier then usual and grumpy most of the time. Sad most of the day and just down right DOWN. ball I want to do is sleep, eat and read. Yes I said read for those of you who have known me for a very long long time. I don't want to see my friends, go out or do anything

I finally decided today that I need to pray about this attitude change I have been having. Yes I know...duh! But for those of us that are a bit slow, it was a revelation. So I am in the process of praying as well as in the process of continued prayer of Gods armor.

I have also realized lately that I have felt closer and closer to God. In the last 18 years or so that I have been a Christian there have been a few times that I have questioned myself and my faith. Mainly when I was a new Christian. But I have really noticed since I have started homeschooling that I am getting to the point that I can not go a moment in my day without talking with God. I find myself praying for guidance, wisdom, safety all day long. Short little prayers all day. And you know what....I love it. This is the best feeling to know He is listening and walking with me all day long. Even when things are just not right!

I have never felt the way I feel today about my Lord and savior. I want every thing I look at, read, watch, say and do to glorify the Lord. Including what i teach my kids. All the new curriculum is all Christin based. I have chosen to use mainly Rod and Staff this year just because of the wonderful Biblical based reading books they have.

This is why this terrible attitude I have lately is really bugging me. I feel closer then ever to God and here I am angry and down most of the day. What the heck is wrong with me? Ahhh! The Bible says that when we are in a close relationship with our Lord that Satan will try to divide it. What better way then to divide me against my family. To prove to my family that I am a hypocrite and God is not walking side by side with us! Well, Satan.....GET OUT of my HOME, HEART and HEAD!
There, now it's not only been said by my lips but in writing too. I will keep praying that the Lord will deliver me from this terrible attitude and that he will help me to find peace. But for those of you who may read this, I ask that you pray too not just for me, but for all those people out there who are troubled with Satan being in their house too.

Put on Your Armor

A dear friend of mine gave me this prayer to say daily when we are hit hard by our advesaries. I wanted to share it with all of you!!!

The quickest way to lose a war is to not even realize you’re in one… PREPARING FOR WAR!

Good Morning Lord, Thank you for assuring me of victory today if I follow Your battle plan. So by faith I claim victory over _______ (I normally list something I know I will be facing that day)
To prepare for the battle ahead, by faith I put on the belt of truth. The truth about You Lord, that You are a sovereign God who knows everything about me, both my strengths & weaknesses. Lord You know my breaking point and have promised not to allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able to bear. Te truth about me Lord is that I am a new creature in Christ & have been set free from the power of sin. I am indwelled with the Holy Spirit who will guide me and warn me when danger is near. I am Your child & nothing can separate me from Your love. The truth is You have a purpose for me this day – someone to encourage, someone to share with, someone to love.
Next Lord I want to, by faith, put on the breastplate of righteousness. Through this I guard my heart & my emotions. I will not allow my heart to attach itself to anything that is impure. I will not allow my emotions to rule my decisions. I will set them on what is right and good & just. I will live today by what is true not by what I feel.
Lord this morning I put on the sandals of the gospel of peace. I am available to You, Lord. Send me where You will. Guide me to those who need encouragement or physical help of some kind. Use me to solve conflicts wherever they may arise. Make me a calming presence in every circumstance in which You place me. I will not be hurried or rushed, for my schedule is in Your hands. I will not leave a trail of tension or apprehension. I will leave tracks of peace and stability everywhere I go.
I now take up the shield of faith, Lord; my faith is in You, & You alone; apart from You I can do nothing. With You, I can do all things. No temptation that comes my way can remove Your protecting hand. I will not be afraid, for You are going with me throughout this day. When I am tempted, I will claim my victory out loud ahead of time, for You promise victory for those who walk in obedience to Your word. So by faith I claim victory even now because I know there are fiery darts heading my way even as I pray. Lord You already know what they are and have already provided the way of escape. Lord, by faith I am putting on the helmet of salvation, You know how Satan bombards my mind day & night with evil thoughts, doubt & fear. I put on this helmet to protect my mind. I may feel the impact of the attacks, but nothing can penetrate his helmet of salvation those thoughts will get no further. I elect to take every thought captive; I will dwell on nothing but what is good and right & what is leasing to You.
Last I will take up the sword of the spirit, which is Your word. It is strong & powerful and able to defeat even the strongest of Satan’s onslaughts. Your word say’s that I am not under obligation to the flesh to obey its lust. Your word say’s that I am free from the power of sin. Your word say’s that He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world. So by faith I take up the strong & powerful sword of the Spirit, which is able to defend me in time of attack, comfort me in time of sorrow, teach me in time of meditation, & prevail against the power of the enemy on behalf of others who need the truth to set them free.
So Lord, I go now rejoicing that You have chosen me to represent You to this lost dieing world. May others see Jesus in me, and may Satan & his hosts shudder as Your power is made manifest in me. In Jesus name I pray - Amen

More details about me

I finally did it. I got a blog. You see I have actually had this blog for about 6 months, but forgot about it. Can you imagine. I have been reading and posting information on other peoples blogs and completely forgot about my own. So here it is and I am going to start from the beginning I guess. Now will I post daily like some...probably not. I am not fortunate enough to have time to sit around and post on a daily basis. But I do have time to put in a note here and there or a rant and rave about a subject. So here we go!!!

Hi! My name is Kristin Nitz and I love scrapbooking, card making and my family. I have been happily married since 1986 and I have a son Vincent (2002) and a daughter Raquel (2005). I’ve been scrapbooking since 1999, but have been a preserving photographs and crafting since I was a teenager.

I started my own small card making business in 2006 called NutBugs.com and have enjoyed making cards for different companies and individuals around the central Orange county area and through my internet presence. A few of my favorite scrapbooking embellishments are brads and eyelets, (by far my favorite) glitter, stamps, ribbon, and Buttons. My style? Well, eclectic I would have to say. I’m not fond of cluttered pages with lots and lots of stuff on them. I like them clean with more pictures then embellishments, well most of the time. I guess I’m kind of all over the place with my style. But isn’t that the beauty of scrapbooking. You can have so many styles in one book and it’s OK! I don’t journal much, because I firmly believe that the pictures and the layout should tell the story. With the exception to a caption and a date. But every so often there is so much to say about a certain picture or event I just have to put pen to paper and of course in my own handwriting. I don’t really look thru books and magazines too much. Most of my inspiration comes from the great outdoors or things I see around town.

I can’t image a week without making a card or scrapping something. It’s relaxing and most of all I am recording a legacy for my family. Something our forefathers tried to do with those old black albums, but we in the 21st century have been give the opportunity to put a historical archive and lineage in every home and preserve it correctly. We are able to tell the world about the story of our lives and that of important people around us no matter how significant. We are all beautiful in our amazing scrapbooks and ALL scrapbooks are beautiful. I tell everyone, that they can scarp no matter what. You don’t have to follow a certain pattern or rule, just your heart. With a few simple tips, tricks and techniques your vision will materialize right before your eyes and your books will turn out beautiful! You too can be a scrapbooker!

*****HOMESCHOOLED*****
I am also a Homeschool Mom. I'm trying to bring my kids up in a Godly education learning the earth was made by "God", not chance, the earth is NOT a billion years old, we walked with dinosaurs, God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And we will go to heaven if only we love, believe and walk with God according to His word.

Socialization? Picture This one....There are a few girls (age 12) that are gathered around a popular girls locker. A less popular girl walks by and one of them makes a snicker and says "Ooh my Gosh, look at her dress!!!! Gross!" This is a scenario played out daily in our schools. Kids feel valued by the way they dress, the conformity to media driven standards and by what the other kids say about them. Look at a typical homeschooled girl. This girl may still have that awkward feeling all us girls have at age 12, but she knows how to socialize with kids her own age as well as younger kids (example: because she is taught to help her younger brother with his school work), teenagers (because all aged kids are together at our social circles) and in conversation with adults (because they're around them all day not just at dinnertime during that awkward silence). So she now she has an ability to communicate effectively with everyone instead of age-segregated socialized communication we have in most of our schooled children.

I have to give an example of one of my long time good friends. Now First let me say she is a wonderful, awesome and beautiful woman. However, and she will admit it too, she is not a social butterfly by any means. Was she homeschooled? NO! Public schooled. She was the type to sit by herself in a corner or in the library. Never went to parties etc. She did not like to socialize with other kids except for the couple of close friends she had. So now the questions of we need to put our kids in school for socialization, well did not work for her.

I am going to use that same friend. We now have the argument of child abuse. "Well, if we have kids in school then the teachers can watch out for child abuse." Well, let me tell you about that same friend. Not one teacher knew that her father beat the crap out of her almost daily! Not one teacher cared to know why her tooth was broken etc. So, please do not give me the bull that keep them in school to keep them from child abuse. Give me a break!!! Parents who do that hide it WELL!!!! Beside, do really think that a child abuser is going to go thru all the loops we jump thru as homeschoolers just to keep their kid home so they can beat them. Yea right!

Socialization? Yea, I worry about it! I worry about the teacher who is a child molester but has not been caught as of yet. Or the principle (current news). I worry about the bully beating up on kids who look different or just for walking by them. I worry about the drugs & alcohol being pushed by peers. Yea my husband and I know about this one first hand. I worry about the sex kids are having on the back of the bus. But lets not forget that a lot of kids feel that going down on a boy is NOT sex. Thanks Mr. President! I worry about the confusion of un-teaching things our family do not agree with that are being taught as FACT in our schools. I worry about condoms given to kids at 10 yrs old and telling them to just be more careful. Socialization? Yea, I worry about it!!! As we all should!

Please do not get me wrong. I do not blame most of the teachers for this. I am friends with many teachers! Most of our teachers care and are great and awesome teachers, but they can only do what they are told to do and no more for fear of their jobs. They can only do so much and watch so much when their school rooms are filled above capacity 30+ kids per teacher. You may have a public school with all Christian teachers, but they still can not say the pledge with the word God in it if the school does not allow them too. They still have to hand out condoms if that is what they are told to do. They still have to have gay pride day if they school wants to push early sex education on kindergartners. Where as the homeschooled kids can be one on one or 4 on one if you have a big family. We can teach or not teach gay pride. We can say God and teach the Bible. And most off the kids can go to the bathroom without worry about the hall bully stopping them and stealing their lunch money!

So am I ranting? Yea maybe, but at least I can stand up for what I believe in and not feel scared of the criticism that some of you who read this may have for me. Lets re-evaluate in 15 years when all our kids are grown. Lets see where each kid goes in life and what each one believes in. Remember we are raising the future. If we want a bunch of adults who are scared to speak out for their own beliefs or who's morals are really all messed up, then that what you need to start teaching today. Cause what we teach today is what we will reap tomorrow.