Home Again/Tale of Two Wolves

Made it home yesterday and all-in-all I'd call our vacation....interesting. :P It seemed to be the vacation for various ailments (these included migraines, stomach issues, allergic reactions to the bed, toddler puking, and bad sunburn) and there was high tide a lot of the time so we weren't in the water as often as usual. But we visited Boardwalks and ate a ton of junk-fudge, icecream, pizza, candy and popcorn- (bleh....kind of regretting that. not a normal routine for us), played in an arcade, bought trinkets for ourselves and people back home and did a lot of relaxing. I had a few books to go through, one about True Cat Stories, and Chicken soup book about True Dog Stories, and when we visited a fancy bookstore I finally bought; "Four; A Divergent Collection." XD Yay!! And I also purchased 2 bumper-magnets for my car. One saying; "My friends are crazy but I love them" and the other "I love my rescue dog." And my sister got a Hermit Crab, which she named "Neil."

Now to get to the more serious part. This quote caught my eye today, so I thought I'd share.

An old man told his grandson; "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, love,  hope, peace, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth." The boy thought about it and asked; "Grandfather, which wolf wins?" The old man quietly replied; "The one you feed."

How true this is. The Bible warns us against those evil qualities, telling us that the latter is what God loves, and the former He hates. Because we are sinful we are going to want to feed the Evil wolf when God commands us to starve him. Ask Him to help you want to feed the Good wolf instead.

^"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." ~Galatians 5:20-23 KJV

Start of our Vacation

Ok, now that I have a possible minute, I'll tell you how our Beach Vacation is going so far. ;) We left on Friday, and stayed in a Hotel partway, visiting a small Historical Museum, and seeing a few creepy Southern Bugs. And 3 Hotel cats. ;P We ate at a nifty little Café, called the Blue Moon, and I ended up trying some interesting appetizers along with a really yummy burger.


(This is a Stone Fly. They spend most of their lives in the water as larvae and then emerge a few years later as adults.)


(This is one of the appetizers. Toasted Baguette Bread with sliced apples and cheese. Hunger Games food! lol. Sadly, it is overrated. It's pretty though!)


We made good time getting here (the drive was pretty dreary thanks to all the rain), arriving just in time to be let into out Beach House, which is only a minute or so walk from the Ocean. The place is quite roomy, sleeping 12 people! All us "kids" are in the Basement, with a bed for each and a TV, so we're having fun camping out. The place is big, so we have played Hide-n-Seek twice now. :) 


(here we are enjoying a nice game of "Clue")

We went down to the Ocean this morning for a walk and it is WINDY. The windiest I've ever seen it here. Needless to say, not too many people were in the water. And by the time we got back, my bun had fallen out and my hair needed a good brush through.



(The waves were pretty wicked!)

So now we've finished lunch and are figuring out what to do next. Probably going on a hunt for Health Food Stores and Herb Shops because, among a few other things, we forgot our massive bag of Supplements. :)

Ice Bucket Challenge: Pro's and Con's.

Ok, so we've been hearing about this Challenge for a while now, and I finally just discovered what it's all about. A friend nominated me today and I reluctantly complied, letting my brother douse me in cold water. :P However, I'd like to point out a few things about the organization, ALS.

Do not donate money to them. While raising awareness for a disease is fine, giving money to people who support Stem Cell research using Aborted Babies is very wrong.

Here is a link to an article standing against ALS's use of Stem Cell Research.
http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/georgia-purdom/2014/08/20/pouring-cold-water-on-the-als-ice-bucket-challenge/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GeorgiaPurdom+%28Dr.+Georgia+Purdom%27s+Blog%29

Before you donate money to any organization, please check them out and make sure they are not using questionable methods in the name of a greater good. The end does NOT always justify the means. 

On another Note, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to my Riding Instructor. XD

Dog 101

Ok, time to talk about a favorite subject of mine: Dogs. :P They are such popular pets, and we love 'em to death, but I do notice a few things people don't do. So I'm just going to touch on a few subjects important to owning a Dog.

1. Training:

I see a lot of dogs who's owners don't take the time to train them to behave. While I know this can be a very long, and sometimes frustrating process, it is necessary to owning a dog. Dogs need to learn not to jump, to stay in their own yards, how to walk on a leash and behave with other dogs, at the very least. When they aren't taught these things, it can lead to a host of problems, which are not safe for anyone involved. Dogs who pull on the leash can hurt whoever is walking them, not to mention, it's very bad manners. Dogs who jump can knock people over, plus it is a behavior that can lead to different problems later on. Dogs who don't stay in their yards can cause trouble in their neighborhoods, get hit by a car, or get lost forever. Not to mention, some neighbors can get testy and resort to what they will call "defending their yards" using BB Guns, sling shots or calling Animal Control. There are tons of resources available t help you train your dog, so make good use of them. It may take you a while to finds the methods that will work for you, but in the end it's worth it. And if your dog develops severe behavioral issues, like aggression, territorial behavior, etc. please don't ignore them or isolate them. Try to solve the problem, even if it means contacting Trainers.
I suggest every dog learn the following:
Come
Sit
Stay
Lie down
Getting off the furniture when asked, and not getting on unless invited
Staying out of the room when the family is eating meals
Heeling on a leash (not just walking nicely, heeling)
Waiting to go in and out of doorways
Drop it
Yard boundaries
Proper Socialization with people/others pets

2. Exercise:

This is a really big problem that I see. People own dogs, but they often don't give them the proper exercise. Dogs need things to do, especially breeds who were made to work. Collies for example, were bred to herd sheep, so if they don't get exercise, they are going to resort to barking, chewing, and a host of other behaviors. Research the breed of dog who own, and figure out what it was made to do, then adjust his exercise schedule accordingly. Of course, not all of us own sheep/cows, or need hunting dogs or guard dogs. But there are other ways to drain our dog's energy. Building an at-home agility course is fairly inexpensive and fun for both you and your dog, and gives him mental and physical stimulation. Long walks are also helpful, and not just once every so often. Every day at least is best. You can buy your dog a backpack to carry on walks and load it with water bottles for the appropriate weight. Bike riding is also an option. And if you have a treadmill, don't hesitate to train your dog to run on it! All you need is a leash and some food. And of course the good old game of fetch the ball, and there are some great puzzle toys you can purchase for them while you're not home. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and have some fun!

My Dog is a Boxer/Jack Russell mix, and he's really hyper. I've got the makings of an Agility Course in my yard, he has a backpack we take on walks, and he has a favorite toy he likes to chase. If I had a treadmill, I'd use that too. :D And we have a lot of fun, sometimes I even have him pull the two year od around in his wagon. He's not the most enthusiastic agility dog in the world, but he's learning. XD

It may take some time, but learn to really know your dog so you can take advantage of what makes him tick and make him healthier and happier.

Bible Verses and Birthday Wishes.

I'd like to say a big Happy Birthday! to Anya Becca, who has a Birthday this week! XD Hope you have a good one!


"And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND." ~Matthew 22; 37

Whom-or what-shall I fear?

A girl I know is starting the above Project and so I thought I would touch on the subject myself and share. :)

This is to those who are struggling with any challenges in life, no matter what they are. If you feel like you can't keep going, that nothing is going right, know that you aren't alone. Even if there is no one left to hold you, stand by you, or help you, God is always, always watching.

There are so many examples in the Bible, of people going through hardship, trials, and suffering, but they were never left to deal with it on their own. God was there, holding them in His hand, working things out in His providence. Think of the Psalmist, who frequently cries to God, asking Him why he seems to be hiding His face, and ignoring David in His suffering. He pours out his heart to God, telling Him his troubles and asking Him to show His mercy. And then, he writes Psalms of how God is good to him and how his loving kindness endures forever. How God never forsook him.

Then there is Job, who lost everything dear to him, and he still praised and worshipped God.

Gideon, who was hopelessly outnumbered, and had to put his complete faith in God to give them the victory.

Abraham, who left the only home he had ever known, to go where God had told him.

All the martyrs, who never lost faith in God, even when their very lives were being threatened, whether by burning, beheading, or some other torture their enemies thought up for them.

These are only a few of the many people who trusted God to do what was best for them, and to get them through the trials set before them.

God promises us that even in our darkest hours, he will not abandon us. That He will always go before us. That things are never out of His control.

"Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, it is He that goes with you. He will not fail you, or forsake you...fear not neither be dismayed." `Deuteronomy 31: 6, 8c 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28


God promises this to us. And He tells us to trust Him to keep that promise. Is trusting God hard? Absolutely. But He never promised us our paths would be easy. In fact, He tells us the opposite. But, we have something that others do not.

"What shall we say then to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ our Lord." ~Romans 8:31, 38-38.

When we think about it, we really have no cause for worry, because we know that even though this life is hard, we have Eternal Life with God. Forever and ever, we will be filled with peace, and joy, no more tears, and no more pain. That is to give us comfort. That is to give us the strength to say; "I can keep going, I will not let this trial defeat me, because I have God on my side, who is in control of all things. A God who knows when the sparrows fall, and he knows what is best for me. He will never abandon me." 

Are we going to stumble? Yes. Are we going to ask why things are how they are? Yes. But we should never let those things pull us under. We should let God pull us up. Because he commands us to trust.

"Trust and obey, there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey." ~Old Hymn

I like what Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:3-4

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus, Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are troubled, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God."

Our enduring our suffering is a testimony to others. It is part of our witness, and it helps us to grow in our faith, so that we are able to help others when they are suffering, and grow ever closer to God.

Take comfort in this and much more, so we will be able to say:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"~Psalm 27:1

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.