Supreme Court Ruling on DOMA

"The class to which DOMA directs its restrictions and restraints are those persons who are joined in same-sex marriages made lawful by the State. DOMA singles out aclass of persons deemed by a State entitled to recognitionand protection to enhance their own liberty. It imposes adisability on the class by refusing to acknowledge a status the State finds to be dignified and proper. DOMA instructs all federal officials, and indeed all persons withwhom same-sex couples interact, including their own children, that their marriage is less worthy than the marriages of others. The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its mar26
UNITED STATES v. WINDSOR
Opinion of the Court
riage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity.By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others,the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment. This opinion and its holding are confined to those lawfulmarriages.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the SecondCircuit is affirmed.
It is so ordered."

There goes the neighborhood.

Spiritual Warning Zone:

http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/jim-daly/bono-in-the-spotlight.html

The article above extols Bono of U2. It is from a Christian ministry.

"Good Fight Ministries" released a short DVD a couple of years ago that showed footage from U2 concerts and clips from interviews with Bono and the band members.

It is quite clear that two opposing viewpoints are emerging---one that he is a committed Christian, one that he is a Satan worshiper.

You can't be both.

I encourage you to get that DVD and decide for yourself about Bono.

http://www.goodfight.org/store/resources_video_tsc.html

The sheep are separating from the goats, dear ones.

I want to be a sheep, and I wouldn't compromise my eternity for anything that I knew about. Ignorance is bliss, but it can also lead to eternal destruction.

**Because the DVD is $25 I know that some of you will hesitate. If you care about your loved ones, you will consider the cost.

Be informed.  I was hoodwinked by the whole U2 thing for years. My friend in college thought they were  the most wonderful thing that ever happened to Christianity. Though my support for U2 cooled over the years, this GF DVD opened my eyes to the deception of Satan worked through Bono. I've been lending it to friends ever since I got it, so they can have their eyes opened to what Bono has been promoting ---in plain view---- for several years.

Don't be hoodwinked.

The Wheat From the Tares

Corgi Summer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/warriorforge/9120841812/lightbox/


Click on the link to see my son leading the pack at his officer's training school. He's in Washington, at Fort Lewis McChord.

I miss him.

With everything going on it's a wonder that I have time to miss him.

Cherie is back from camp. She had a wonderful time. What a start to summer for her with VBS the week before, then Bible camp next. Today she is home, quietly creating some stamp designs and drawing.

You see, the stamps are out because my future daughter-in-law came with her mother to create some darling wedding invitations last evening.

Don't be offended if you are not invited. This is a close family-only ceremony, and at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It's in the yard, rain or shine. Guests are asked to bring umbrellas.

Of course it might be a beautiful late summer evening. Maybe.

I plan to post pictures.

Oh, why were they here with the invitation making? A huge storm just swept through the area. Power is out for almost 90,000 people! My son's fiancee's home was without power, and probably they will not have it until Wednesday.

But the wedding goes on, and we are excited.

That same storm drove our dear friends, who had been visiting last week, back to our home, also due to power outages in their own town in South Dakota. A tree barely missed falling on their property.

They called about 3 hours out and asked if they could return. (Of course!) A large Dairy Queen cake was with them when they arrived later that evening. Margaret left for work from an empty house and came home at 10:30 pm to a house bursting with our friends---and neighbors, who stopped by, eating ice cream cake!

Corgi summer.

The pond is FULL of little black-------tadpoles???  There will be a plague of whatever creature they grow into. The goldfish are uninterested in eating them. They swim with the big guys. I think they are kind of cute, so black and round, with little tails. I think there are a million of them. We've talked about feeding them to avoid mass death.

I think nature will just have to take its course.

Speaking of things taking its course--two ticks have made my life more painful. I'm treating for Lyme's disease, but I still have aching joints. There are few things I hate more than ticks.

For refreshment last evening I made a lovely  new recipe. Very easy:

I got it from the "Joy of Rhubarb" cookbook.

Lola's Rhubarb Cake:

4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut up. 1 cup sugar. 1 small package of strawberry jello. 1 white cake mix---prepared as directed ( I used two whole eggs instead of 3 egg whites). Layer the ingredients as listed, bake at 350º in a big iron skillet (or 9 X 13) until done (toothpick clean), about 30 to 45 minutes.

Delish. With ice cream.

A few more pictures from my weekend away: (All photos, Dave Zdon)


   Gorgeous, huh??? :)

Minnesota is beautiful.

Corgi summer.

Yes, my dogs missed me. They were so happy to see me they didn't leave my side for 3 days.

This week is catch-up week. (As if that ever happens!)

Blessings.

The morphing of evangelicalism

The morphing of evangelicalism

Sent from a Friend...

THE OLD PATHS

I wish the old paths were before us instead of behind us

 

THE OLD PATHS

I liked the old paths, when

Moms were at home.

Dads were at work.

Brothers went into the army.

And sisters got married before having children!

Crime did not pay;

Hard work did;

And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;

Dads would work;

Children would behave.

Husbands were loving;

Wives were supportive;

And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;

And Men wore the pants.

Women looked like ladies;

Men looked like gentlemen;

And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,

And hated a lie.

They came to church to get IN,

Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;

Sermons sounded helpful;

Rejoicing sounded normal;

And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;

Drugs were for illness.

The flag was honored;

America was beautiful;

And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;

Prayed in school;

And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;

To be called an American was worth living for;

To be called a traitor was a shame!

I still like the old paths the best!

' PASS IT ON!

Fairy Dance Jig, Very Cute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xppqs-QhnUw

You Must Watch This--Louisiana senator now a Republican

http://therightscoop.com/make-it-viral-black-louisiana-senator-explains-why-he-became-a-republican/

Northern Lights Chorale - I Can Tell the World - Moses Hogan

Another selection from our spring concert:  (My favorite!)

Boot Lake- 2013

K Just spent the last four days right here, enjoying a crystal clear Minnesota lake. Two loons kept me company, as well as a dozen or so young scouts and their leaders.

It was a perfect scout outing, one that I will miss in the future.

The sky was reflected, blue or gray, clouds or clear.

The fishing was pretty fine.

I saw the Milky Way, gorgeous against the star-studded midnight sky. So clear.

A storm rolled in and passed by, leaving everything clean and sparkling.

I canoed in a silent smoothness, drifting noiselessly through this beauty, paddle splashing without undue pretension.

I do treasure God's infinite creative beauty. Marvelous.

Wilfred Hahn

http://www.raptureready.com/featured/hahn/h95.html

Forgiveness

I've written about forgiveness before, how it has shaped my life, how I've learned to forgive and the deep effects of being unforgiving.

Recently I learned another lesson.

I was feeling rather thin-skinned lately. I felt I needed to forgive other people more for slights and barbs I felt were directed toward me than they needed to forgive me for my misdeeds toward them.

But then the light bulb went on.

When there is mutual unforgiveness there is disharmony.

If there is a slight, and the slighted one does not forgive, the next thing is that the slighter feels slighted!

Laughable, but true.

Forgiveness is a daily thing. Something horrible, "unforgiveable," may have happened far in the past---10, 15, 20 years ago----and if that isn't TOTALLY forgiven---it will haunt you, especially if it's a family person. (Those people just don't go away! :))

Scars are remembrances of that thing, but only a way to cherish the one who hurt you!

Blessing your "enemy" is really the only way to truly forgive.

Asking forgiveness is the first step, and it is very humbling. But even if it isn't asked, you must forgive.

But what about those people who you hurt, but you never knew you hurt them?

Better find out what the trouble might be. I'm thinking that your need to forgive THEM may bring you a  clue that they need to forgive YOU.

Interesting. Slights and Slighters. Forgivers. Clear the air, and live in peace.

Forgive, and live in forgiveness.

Milestones

This weekend we celebrate Margaret with her grandparents.

We keep our "high school" celebrations quiet, just immediate family, as our whole school experience up until now has been, well, private.

Yet it is an accomplishment, and I couldn't be happier. Allow me to "crow" a little.

My eldest son was awarded a 4 year complete scholarship to a private liberal arts school here in Minnesota. My second son has maintained top grades at the University of Minnesota since he began there.

Margaret has been awarded top scholastic awards at the local community college, and has maintained a top GPA for her entire time there. She is graduating with two years of college under her belt, and will have only two more to complete her B.A. or B.S..

We are so happy, and thankful for how God has blessed them all. Home schooling is really wonderful.

And we are thankful for the two daughters-in-law that will soon be joining the family. Both are finished with college, and they are wonderful.

We'll be celebrating one wedding in August, and one in January.

Military life has its challenges, but it is rewarding and exciting. There is nothing else like it.

Quite frankly I couldn't face it except as a Christian Believer. The uncertainties are too great. Yet, it is a necessary part of our culture, to maintain a strong presence of order. If all goes well in a few years our soldier sons will be finished with active duty and on to other rewarding things.

For now they have a year of college left.

And I just can't help but believe Jesus' return will play a role in our lives before long. I just can't help it!

Look around the world. Look at the GMO poisoning we are experiencing! Look at the skies and how different they are becoming! Look at our government and how it lies to us. Look at the world and see the suffering. Can anyone figure out the economy? (Check out Wilfred Hahn, he's very helpful)  Look at our own lives, and see those who are suffering around us!

Look at how Satan wants to win this war he knows he is going to lose. Look at how he is trying to re-establish his known presence in our world today. Those who don't believe in him will soon see that he is real, or they'll start believing another of his lies: spiritual deception.

We are all soldiers. We are on the winning side, but there is a battle raging, and it's going to get pretty intense.

A Prophetic Manifesto: The Blight of Cultural Christianity

A Prophetic Manifesto: The Blight of Cultural Christianity

French Apple Cake----like Lincoln Del's

    This is an apple cake similar to the one I loved from the Lincoln Del.

I tried many recipes to figure out something similar.

It is also known as "Apple Babka"

Cake:
 1 cup warm water
 1 T. yeast
 5 1/2 cups flour
 1/2 lb. butter
 2/3 cup sugar
 5 eggs
 1 1/2 t. vanilla

Mix as for bread.

Filling:
1 lb. apples (about 3 cups) peeled and chopped
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Roll out dough, spread the filling over it and roll it up into a large roll. Place in a greased bundt or tube pan, wrapping the roll around the center of the pan.

Streusel Topping:

3 T. sugar
6 T. flour
3 T. butter

Strew on top of the cake. Let rise for 1 hour or more.

Bake at 350° F for 1 hour.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Scout Woes

By now you've heard the news of the BSA decision to allow openly homosexual boys join scouts. 

Here's my take:

It's only a matter of time before they will bend to protests from the gay community about homosexual leaders.

Churches rightly should back down from sponsorship.
(And this will reduce troops by scores)

Any parent that has children involved always should be present at any scout activity anyway. YOU are responsible for YOUR child, not the Scouts.

When you talk of permitting SIN openly and without censorship, unchecked, you are writing a recipe for disaster.

I truly believe that the Scouts just voted in their death. It's going to be a slow death, but it will end badly.

Being an Eagle Scout will no longer have any "merit."

Our summer plans are sprinkled with Scout obligations. I really have no reason to believe our troop will be affected in any way by this vote. HOWEVER, things change fast. Come fall we will assess the damage to the organization and act accordingly.

This is an ongoing issue.

Sadly, it will lead to changes for us all, whether we like it or not.