The year of the Bible

I read a news article that appalled me this morning. It seems that the Georgia Representative Paul Broun has introduced a bill that, if passed, would deem the year 2010 as the Year of the Bible. He says the bill seeks to recognize that the Bible played an integral role in the building of the United States, including providing the basis for our freedom of religion that allows Muslims, Hindus and even atheists to vocalize their own beliefs.

But wouldn't you know said atheists and others are protesting the bill saying that it’s an endorsement of religion by the federal government, and we shouldn’t be doing that.

Ok so here's where I get on my soap box...

If you look at our country today you will see suffering, despair, and sin everywhere you look. I happen to think that maybe if people weren't so afraid to "endorse" religion, our country wouldn't be in the shape that it's in. It hurts me to read the news everyday and to listen to reports of joblessness, homelessness, and the lack of morals that seems to affect everyone.

This is a direct quote from the article on Yahoo. When I read it, I was absolutely devastated.

Atheists, who might feel themselves a particular target with the declaration of a biblical year, aren’t even worried about Broun’s effort.

“Right now, we’re seeing atheism on such a rise,” said David Silverman, vice president and national spokesman of American Atheists, a group dedicated to fighting for the civil rights of atheists.

“We are seeing Christianity on such a dramatic decline that we’re not particularly worried about it. We’re thinking that this kind of old-style George W. Bush Republicanism is about to go away,” Silverman said, referring to the latest Pew Forum survey of American religious life, which showed nonreligious Americans as the fastest-growing group.

That is the saddest statement I have ever heard.

I grew up going to church every Sunday. But once I got to the age that I could decide for myself, I decided that I didn't need church and that I would rather sleep in on Sunday mornings. I did this for quite a few years. I never considered myself an atheist. I always have and always will believe that there is a God in heaven.

A few years ago, Big John and I were struggling with infertility and I was about at rock bottom. I thought about it and decided to try going back to church. In my mind, it couldn't hurt anything. We found a church that we love and look forward to going to each and every Sunday. After a few Sunday's, we decided that we wanted to get serious about this and dedicate ourselves back to the Lord. Almost immediately, my life changed. And so did my outlook on my life and my problems. We have had the most wonderful few years and I don't hesitate to credit it to the fact that we joined our church and gave our lives to God.

I know that there is a lot of turmoil in the world today. I happen to think that maybe this is God's wake up call to us all. Maybe this is His way of saying- Hey I'm still here even if you did forget about me. Stop denying my existence and things won't be so bad. I am not saying that God is vengeful. I think he is just reminding us Christians that we need to stand up and be heard. We, as a society, are so concerned about everyone's civil rights. What about Christians civil rights? Don't we have the right to say a prayer in school? Don't we have a right to have In God We Trust on our money? Don't we have a right to practice our religious beliefs without being looked down on?

I understand that we need to respect everyone's opinions and choices. But don't tell me that I can teach my child to pray and then have to tell him that he can't pray in public. Don't tell me that the phrase one nation under God is offensive. I find your lack of faith offensive. But I don't try to tell you that you have to honor my beliefs.

Think back to the 1950's. Crime wasn't nearly as bad as it is now. Our country was in a lot better shape than it is now. People weren't afraid to let their children walk down the streets. You didn't worry if your child’s teacher, or neighbor, or bus driver, or Scout leader was a child molester. People had morals. People were Christians. People had religion. Our country as a whole had religion. And we weren't afraid to stand up and say so.

I for one am not going to be afraid to stand up for what I believe in. No one is going to tell me that I don't have the right to display my religion. If you don't like it, don't listen, or look, or read. If you don't understand why I do it, ask me and I would be glad to talk to you about it. If you agree, STAND UP WITH ME AND BE PROUD!! Don't be afraid to tell people that you are a Christian and you believe in God. If everyone could do that, maybe Christianity wouldn't be on such a dramatic decline in our country.

The Evolution of Dance

Part 1



Part 2

Skin Free Winner!!!

Here is the winning comment!

janetfaye said...
3. I blogged:
http://grammyjanetsplace.blogspot.com/2009/05/may-giveaways.html

janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

May 6, 2009 12:26 AM

Congrats!! Email me at bigjohnsgirl@sbcglobal.net with your contact info and claim your prize!!!!

For everyone else that didn't win, stay tuned! I will have another great giveaway soon!! It's awesome! I promise.

I had a really awesome post all planned out for Mother's Day and then I got so busy I didn't get it posted. So I guess I have to save it for next year. I hope you all had a great Mother's Day!!! I know I did!

25 Hours in a Day

Who hasn't wished for more time in the day? I have a lot recently. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything I want accomplished. The wonerful people over at Frigidaire realize how much work we moms do every day so they decided to have a contest just for us. Head on over to their website and enter for your chance to win some really great appliances. All you have to do is tell them what 5 things you would do if you had an hour to yourself for a day. I know it's really hard to narrow down your list to just five things. Also you can take their Daily Dare for another chance to win a brand new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer. Log on every day for another chance to win.

ShopWiki

If you haven't entered my awesome giveaway, click here to do so!!

I stumbled upon a really awesome website the other day. It's ShopWiki's health and beauty site. Click here to check it out.

For those of you that may know me, you know I am addicted to all things health and beauty. I love lotions, hair care stuff, and don't even get me started on make-up! I am always on the look out for new cosmetics to try. As a result, I have an overload of things I don't use very often. But, every once in a while I do break them out and I am so glad I have them!

I browsed around on this site for over an hour. It is a great place for one stop shopping. I like it because they have a bigger variety of stores available than other search engines.

I started searching in the Cosmetics and Beauty Tools section. The thing I like the best about it is it gives you buying guides and helps you choose the product that would be the best for your skin type. I found out that I am using the wrong foundation for my skin type! All this time I didn't know anything about it. I also learned a really cool technique of how to do smokey eyes. I love that look and have never been able to reproduce it.

I also looked at the Hair Care section. I found out that I don't condition my hair right. I always apply the conditioner all over my head. But according to the Wimpy Locks No More section, I am only supposed to put it on the ends of my hair. That would explain why my hair looks so weighed down all the time. I also found a flat iron that I am currently coveting!!!

So needless to say, this website is a great source for tips, tricks and products for all of your Health and Beauty needs!! Check out these other sections they offer:
Mineral Cosmetics
Personal Care
Mens Products
Bath and Body
Skin Care
And for those of you that use Organic products,
Organic products

You also might be interested to know that they have a great baby and toddler section that includes a ton of buying guides for things like car seats, strollers, health and hygiene, and more. Check it out here.

Skin Free Review and Giveaway!!!

Ok so a few days ago I told you about the wonderful people over at Skin Free. I contacted them about their Exzema Relief Kit. Eli has some really dry skin on his face and head. We thought it was just cradle cap at first. But it wouldn't go away. And then it was also on his face.

We have always used free and clear laundry detergent so we knew that wasn't what was causing it. We started using Aveeno Baby body wash and it still didn't help. At Eli's 4 month doctor check up, his doctor confirmed that he has exzema. She said to just keep doing what we were doing. But I wasn't satisfied with that.

When I got the exzema reflief kit from Skin Free, I was kind of skeptical. But it works wondrful!! I used the soap the first night we got it. It has no scent to it at all. It lathers up real nicely. Most bar soaps don't lather enough for me but this one does. It lathers just as much as a body wash.

The After ShowerMoisture Spritz feels a lot like baby oil. I don't use this as much because it makes his hair and scalp very oily and greasy looking. I think if his dry skin was all over his body or other places than just his head I would use it. But I think I am going to use it this weekend. When I shave my legs, my skin is really dry afterwards. So I think I will use it to make my legs more healthy.

I would highly recommend the Exzema Relief Kit to anyone that has a baby with dry skin or even an adult with dry skin.

Here is what Skin Free has to say about Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap and Shampoo Bar:

Our soap is like no others. It’s rich, creamy lather makes your skin feel rejuvenated and fresh. Most commercially available “soaps” are actually detergents. They remove skin oils and break down the protective barrier that helps skin healthy. Removing skin oils causes itching and can contribute to cracking and infection of delicate skin.

We “superfat” our soap with extra virgin olive oil, which contains natural anti-inflammatory agents, anti-oxidants, and natural vitamins that aid in healing and soothing your skin. Naturally moisturizing shea and cocoa butters are added to reduce the tight, dry feeling normally experienced when using typical commercial soaps. The lack of chemical preservatives, fragrance, or colorants in this soap makes it ideal for individuals of any age, especially the very old and the very young, those with allergies, dermatitis, sensitive, or very dry skin.

Awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance August, 2008, our soap is like no others. It's rich, creamy lather will sooth and moisturize. Perfect for delicate, sensitive, or very dry skin. Helps with eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and acne.

And now for the good stuff; the giveaway!!




Up for grabs today is a Skin Free Exzema Relief Kit. It contains 1 After Shower Spritz and 4 Extra Moisturizing Soaps.

All you have to do to enter is head over to Skin Free and take a look around at their wonderful products. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what product you would buy and why. You MUST leave me a valid email address. That's how I will contact the winner.

For additional entries:
-Follow my blog publicly (2 extra entries)
-Fave me on Technorati (1 extra entry)
-blog about my contest and link back to this post (5 extra entries)
-tweet about this contest on twitter (3 extra entries)
Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry that you earn.

Contest will run until Friday May 8th. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified within 2 days. You will have 3 days to claim your prize or another winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

My kind of Mother's Day gift!

There's really no need to say anything about this picture. I think it speaks for itself!!