Thursday, October 28, 2010

A fun fall craft

The November issue of Family Fun magazine featured instructions for a really cute horn of plenty, complete with felt fruits and vegetables. 

This project is very easy, especially because Family Fun provides the pattern free online. Most kids who have any basic skills with handsewing would probably only need help with cutting the felt out, and stuffing the fruits and veggies with fiberfill before sewing them up completely. The stitch used is a simple running stitch.

I decided to make this project by myself, though, so as to have a surprise to pull out on Thanksgiving to give to the kids that will keep them occupied for some time while I spend the morning preparing the big dinner. It took me the last two nights to complete two sets (one to keep, one to give away), so it's not a very time-consuming craft - but it definitely took me longer than the 1-2 hours that the magazine suggests it will take. It was fun and relaxing, and I can't wait to give it to the kids. 

 
The fruits and veggies are: pumpkin, potato, apple, onion, green bean, carrot, turnip, tomato, pear, butternut squash, acorn squash, corn on the cob, eggplant, and garlic.

One huge benefit was that this craft cost me nothing. I already had a big basket of felt in my sewing room, almost all of which I have been given for free through freecycle over the years. But even if you have no felt at all, sheets of it sell for $0.20 at most craft stores, and one sheet in every color used will easily make several sets (or leave you with lots of leftovers for another project). The only exception to this is the light tan for the cornucopia itself, which uses two sheets of light tan.

 
By the way, there is almost never a scrap of felt too small to be worth saving. I keep mine in a gallon size Ziploc bag, and most of the pieces for this project were made from those scraps.


If you already have embroidery floss, thread, or anything of the sort in the house (as I did), you will likewise not need to spend any money on that part. If you decide to buy floss, one skein costs about $0.30, and you could even use just one or two colors in that case. 


Knowing our kids, they will spend hours playing with this, and I imagine so would most children. There is something special about playing with felt toys - they just feel so nice. Which makes this craft a great return for a few bucks, or a nice gift for a child with a fall birthday. I highly recommend it!

Monday, October 25, 2010

A quiet Monday

Today has been a quiet day around here. The kids enjoyed playing in the cooler weather outside while I got some chores done this morning, and baked 2 batches of hamburger and 1 batch of hot dog buns. Then I worked with the kids on their school work from 10 am until lunch at almost 1 pm, by which time they had all finished their "desk work" subjects such as math, English, spelling, handwriting, etc. They did some more reading and studying on the country of the week while the girls napped. I used that time to whip up a batch of peanut butter granola. It was super easy and quick, and very yummy! I think this will be great for breakfast tomorrow morning, on vanilla yogurt, with bananas sliced into it.

The country we are studying this week (and probably next, as there is so much to learn) is Egypt. We are learning about the Nile River, the Sahara Desert, pyramids, Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, Hatsheput, Tutankhamen, Joseph, the ten plagues, and modern Egypt. One of the suggested activities is to make a mummified chicken (out of a real chicken) - EWWWW! The directions say: "The entire process of changing the salt to dry out the chicken could take up to 6 weeks (or longer) to dry thoroughly. When it is dry, it should not smell." So, it it takes up to 6 weeks to dry, and it does not smell once it is dry, doesn't that mean the chicken will smell for up to 6 weeks? I'm sure that's what I want on my counter when having a baby at home - NOT!



I am SO not doing that! I think I will stick with this pyramid cake instead.



This is the last of the African countries we will learn about. All we have left of our "Galloping the Globe" curriculum is Australia and Oceania, which we will finish up with before our baby break in three weeks. Once we start school again in January, we are going to go through "Cantering the Country" for the rest of this school year and all of next. I am very excited about starting that because I have found several companion books to go along with the curriculum used at thrift stores and library book sales, saving me a ton of money (even if purchased used on Amazon).

I'm hoping to upload some pictures later tonight of the hiking trip we took on Saturday. It was beautiful!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Question & Answer

Thank you to all those who posted their questions for this. Oh my, did you ever keep me busy answering them! 
Remember, I am not an authority on these issues at all, only God (i.e. the Bible) is. This is just my take on the questions posted, based on my interpretation of the Bible. I am human, and inevitably, I am wrong at times. That being said, I neither have the time nor inclination to discuss my views as expressed below in back-and-forth comments. You may disagree with everything I say, but I will not debate with you on my opinions.
All questions are copied and pasted below exactly as submitted, including any typos and/or grammatical errors. For easier reading, I have broken the questions up by subject.  
Time to put your seat belt on! :)
 

  • Pregnancy
By Zetsubou: I asked a while ago whether or not it is OK for me to take birth control pills for my endometriosis. There is no chance that I would become pregnant, and I am in terrible pain if I don't do anything for it, so is it still wrong for me to take it? 

If there is no chance of you becoming pregnant (i.e. you are not doing what it takes to get pregnant), it would not be wrong (as in sinful) to take BC pills.

However, just because it is not wrong, does not mean you necessarily should. BC pills have some serious side effects, such as greatly increasing your chances of cancer. I know that many doctors routinely prescribe them for endo, but that usually only masks the problem, rather than getting to the root of it and eliminating that. There are many natural approaches to alleviate endo pain, and they are more successful for some women than they are for others.

Personally, I would recommend that you consult with a knowledgeable naturopath or midwife and see if there are more natural and safer alternatives that might work for you.

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By anonymous: A friend of mine had a molar pregnancy and was told by her doctor not to conceive for a year, or the cancer could recur. It was a fatal cancer that killed within a few months. She "left things up to God", got pregnant, and the cancer returned. She died very quickly, leaving 4 little ones, who are now motherless.


Can you comment on this situation? Do you think she should have stopped marital relations for a year? I'm not sure what is right, myself. Her children are out of control now, and the family is in chaos, but it has only been a few months since her funeral.


What do you think?

Since I do not know the situation, or the exact circumstances surrounding it, I cannot comment on it.

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By anonymous: Forgive me if these are stupid questions! Do you get ultrasounds? I really want a 3d ultrasound that shows the little babys face but I've heard they can hurt the babys brain. Do you have any thoughts on this? Also, for women who are naturaly very small/tight down there (sorry if tmi!!) do you have any tips on making natural childbirth easier/possible? My midwife who is all about natural birth has said one of my muscles will probably need to be cut to allow the babys head out and that I will need medication for that. She said women who had a tight "o" muscle like mine often died in labour in the past. I had never heard of this before. I live in Canada so I'm not worried that she's trying to scam me or anything, my delivery will be free.Have you had this problem and if so can you suggest anything I can do? Thanks for your time

I get ultrasounds if there is a medical indication for them, which is rare. I don't even like using a doppler. So once baby's heart beat is loud enough to be able to be heard with a stethoscope, I usually prefer not to use the doppler, even though it means that only the midwife will hear the heart beat, not me.

Personally, I am a bit wary of any midwife who will make predictions such as yours did. She really has no clue how your tissue will perform, and I just don't think there is a really high chance that you are a very rare freak of nature who has this very rare abnormality.

One suggestion would be to keep your tissues as healthy as possible by living a healthy lifestyle (lots of produce, walking, plenty of fluids, etc.). Laboring in a birth pool filled with warm water will do wonders to help your perineum stay intact. If that is not an option, applying hot washcloths (that's why they need the proverbial hot water for the laboring woman) and/or oil will help.

You could try consulting with a different midwife and get her opinion. I wouldn't stress about it.

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By anonymous: I know you believe that you should allow kids to come as God gives them, but what about people that are living off the government but still hard workers just trying to make it? What if they are having to have babies using government insurance?

I do not think that it is wrong to accept government assistance if one is working hard and trying to make ends meet, but just simply down on their luck. Our government has made it nearly impossible not to have to participate in their programs. We are taxed on all sides - whether we are earning money, spending it, giving it, investing it, or otherwise transacting it.


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By anonymous: A just for fun ? What do you think about belly casting? Would you do one?

I think they are fun and cute, BUT I would never want to hang one where it could be seen by anyone but myself. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having a belly cast, so I have never done one. Maybe I'll start my own private gallery some day! :)
  • Baby care

By Karen: I learned about co-sleeping from your blog for the first time, and I am curious to know more. It sounds like a wonderful way to facilitate breastfeeding and I would love to try it, but I have some logistical questions. When your child naps or is ready to sleep at night before you are, do you use a crib? Or else where does the child sleep? And how long would you allow a child to co-sleep before having them sleep on their own at night? I appreciate your parenting insights; you seem like an amazing mom. Someday when I have kids I hope to be as creative and dedicated as you. Thank you!


By anonymous: I am curious about your practice of co-sleeping from a logistical perspective. From what I have read, it could be a huge positive benefit for both mom and baby, but I don't know very much about it. Until what age do your children co-sleep? If they are napping, do you put them down in a crib (do you even own a crib?) or on the bed? How firm does the mattress have to be? etc. Thank you! I love reading your blog and appreciate all of your experience and wisdom that you have.

By anonymous: This question may be a bit personal....I know you co-sleep with your younger child/children. When do you and your husband have the chance to 'make' more children? I'm assuming you wouldn't 'be together' in a bed with a child sleeping there. This isn't meant to be a rude question,I have often wondered how this works with families who co-sleep.


People always have a lot of questions about the how's and why's of co-sleeping, but to me it's really just normal and natural, as it is to most people who practice it.

The benefits are:
- Practically zero loss of sleep for Mom and Dad. In fact, Dads won't lose any sleep at all, unless they are very light sleepers. Mom simply feeds the baby as soon as he/she starts fussing, and goes back to sleep while baby nurses in his/her sleep. Enough sleep will help mom stay sane and produce enough milk.
- Increased closeness between baby and parents. Especially nice if Dad is gone working much of the baby's awake time.
- Much lower chance of SIDS.

- Better milk supply, so baby grows faster and better.

Some things to consider:
- The mattress should be firm (no water beds)
- There should be no gaps, such as between the mattress and headboard. It may be best to not have a headboard at all.
- The parents must not smoke in bed, or sleep next to the baby if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Extremely obese people should not sleep next to a little baby.

Common concerns:
- Baby rolling out of bed: Bed rails help keep baby safer, as does pushing the bed into a corner, so that the head and one side of the bed are pushed up against walls (again, no gaps). But once kids know how to crawl, they quickly learn how to climb across a pile of pillows or a bed rail, which will only make a fall more dangerous. At this point, it is best to teach a child how to safely climb out of bed by rolling onto their tummy and sliding down feet first. Many people also feel better putting the mattress directly on the floor. I like having a baby monitor on, which alerts me as soon as the baby starts stirring, so I can immediately go and get them before they start crawling around.
- Parents rolling onto the baby: Have you ever rolled and fallen out of bed at night as an adult, or even as a child? If you have, you should probably not sleep next to a baby. But most people naturally are very aware of their surroundings even in their sleep, and will not roll over onto their baby and smother it, no matter how much they move all over the bed everywhere else.
- Child staying in bed with the parents too long: Well, they DO grow up. I have never regretted having our babies and children in bed with us, but I do miss every one of them who has since moved out.
- Child becoming too dependent/clingy: Actually, quite the opposite is true. The more secure children feel, the sooner they become independent.
- Parents not having any privacy: There are lots of other rooms in the house. There are also lots of times that children are awake and busily playing or otherwise distracted, freeing up the bedroom. As with anything in life, where there's a will, there's a way.

"The Baby Book" by Dr. Sears has some more practical advice on this subject, as do many websites. We do not own a crib. We had one twice in the past, but never used it (except as a hamper), including for naps. Our kids nap on our big bed.

Sleeping with your baby is not a right-or-wrong issue. Whatever works best for your family (as in, everyone gets the best night of sleep, in the safest possible way) is the best solution for you.

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By Taryn: How long do you nurse your babies- when do you wean them? I now wish I would have weaned my children at one(putting them on milk then) instead of later- maybe I would have conceived more children(we had 6). The post on Nephilim at you husband's blog is excellent.

I usually wean my babies within a couple of months of becoming pregnant with the next, just simply because of the discomfort that nursing causes me during pregnancy. The babies are usually between 18 and 22 months at that point.

Solomon was the only exception to this, as he was only 7 months old when I got pregnant again. I nursed him through my entire pregnancy, and once Isaac was born, tandem nursed both until Solomon was 22 months old.

I am not sure which blog post of my husband you are referring to.

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By Taryn: What do you think of a baby sleeping in a pack and play(playpen) for naps? I bought a plastic cover for the cushion and a few fitted sheets. I prefer this to the crib after a few months. My granddaughter(7 months) keeps hitting her face/head into the wood crib slats. Now my daughter understands why I like having 2 playpens-one in the livingroom(this one has sheets also)and one in the bedroom. Our infants never slept in another room. 

If it works for you, it's great! Whatever solution gets baby sleeping (and keeps baby sleeping) is a good solution. We have a playpen in our mother-baby room at church, and when Becky was younger, I would lay her down in there if she needed to nap during the service. When we stay at a hotel, we also often use their playpen. At home, I neither have, need, or use a crib or playpen, as they just take up too much room that I'd rather use for other things.


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By anonymous: Can you please do a post on how you potty train your kids?

Not sure if I am the right source of advice on this subject. My approach to potty training is very laid back. I wait until the child shows an interest in using the toilet. Some have preferred sitting on the "big" toilet, with a toilet seat ring for kids, while other or our kids have preferred using a potty.

Potties are a nightmare because most of the ones available to buy come apart into many different pieces (i.e. stepstool, lid, etc.). All that means is that whatever is supposed to end up in the potty, will end up in all the little crevices and joints of the potty. It looks and smells awful.

A good potty is made out of one single piece, such as the Babybjörn Little Potty. Their other model is exactly what I DON'T want in a potty (notice how there is more than one piece - the pee will always end up between the blue and white part).

It's also nice to have books that talk about going potty, to get kids interested in the subject. 

Once the child shows an interest in using the toilet/potty, and understands the connection between the feeling of needing to "go", and "going", I usually spend a few hours or a whole day letting them walk around in underwear and a shirt around the house, to make bathroom trips quick. I praise them when they use the toilet, and give them lots of water and other liquids to provide them many opportunities to practice. I put them back in a diaper when I can no longer work as closely with them, or if they are taking a nap, or leaving the house. I repeat these training sessions until the child learns to keep their underwear dry all day, but it is very relaxed and not pressured. My philosophy is that as long as diapering is easier and less time-consuming than potty-training, I'd rather diaper. Other moms with fewer little kids may have a more ambitious approach, and that's fine.

At that point, I will still keep a diaper or pull-ups on the child during naps, at night, and on trips away from home. Once they have shown a pattern or keeping those dry, I will start fading that out, too.

Our youngest 4 have potty-trained of their own accord between 24 and 40 months. It's really no big deal to me when they do. The later they start, the faster they learn, which saves a lot of work and frustration on both ends.

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By anonymous: I'd like to hear about how you introduced solid food to your children. At what age? What did you feed them? Make it yourself? How was this process influenced by your organic diet? Just about the experience in general would be great. Just curious because I have a 6 month old and people are losing their minds that I only breastfeed. Did people react this way (if you delayed intro)?

With our oldest, I did the whole baby food thing (store-bought and homemade). With all others, I nursed the babies exclusively until they took an interest in the foods us parents were eating, as evidenced by them trying to grab it out of our hands. At that point, I would start giving them bits of simple table foods, such as mashed banana or avocado, steamed veggies that we had for dinner that day, mashed potatoes, all-natural applesauce, oatmeal or cream of wheat, etc. Basically stuff that I'm making for the rest of us anyway, or things that I can quickly grab and make up in addition to what I am feeding the rest of us.
  • Medical


By Erin: I was wondering if you circumcise the boys

No. To quote myself from another Q&A where I was asked the same question:

We do not have our children circumcised. There is no Biblical mandate for us to do so; rather, the Bible makes it clear that it was a symbolic OT law that never extended to the Gentiles. Historically, circumcising all males in America became common during World War II, when mostly Jewish doctors stayed behind from the war and advocated for it. In Europe, this is not common practice. The American trend toward circumcision was further fueled by a fascination for Judaism and Zionism, both of which are contrary to true Bible doctrine. The Jewish religion teaches works salvation just like ever other false religion, and I have no desire to emulate their customs any more than those of Catholics, Muslims, or other false teachers.

My husband preached a sermon on this issue, you can listen to it here.

Another question is the motive behind doing this entirely unnecessary surgery. Of course, as always, the love of money is never far off. Many, if not most hospitals sell the tissue for various uses, such as making cosmetics, stem cell research/cloning/animal-human-hybrids, and other perverted uses.

The most common argument given for circumcision is that it makes the son look "like his father". This is a stupid argument if I ever heard one. Our sons all have blond hair, whereas my husband's is brown. Yet, we have never considered dyeing their hair brown just to make them look more alike. By that argument, nobody would have been circumcised to begin with, and it has to stop somewhere. It's not like father and son should be exposing themselves to each other and comparing body parts, anyway.

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By Anna: Could you please post the recipe for your cough syrup and ear drops? Also, would you by any chance know a remedy for face (flat) warts? I read about thuja tincture, but I don't know if i can't use it on my 4-yr old, because the warts are close to the eye. Thank you!

For the cough syrup, I simply slice a large onion, and put it in a small pan with an approximately equal amount of (raw) honey. Then I set it on the lowest possible heat on the stove, and let it gently simmer away for a few hours, or half a day. The syrup can be used after just a couple of hours, even if you keep the rest of it on the stove for longer. Whenever it's done, I strain the onion, and refrigerate the syrup (which is probably not necessary in most parts of the country). I give 1 tbsp to older kids and 1 tsp to the younger ones whenever they are having a coughing fit, or every couple of hours. Works like a charm, and tastes much better than one might expect.
I buy the ear drops ready at the health food store; a small bottle that will last for years (until it expires, ours has never run out) costs less than $10. There is a recipe on how to make your own in the book "Naturally Healthy Babies and Children" by Aviva Romm, my #1 go-to reference for common mild illnesses.

I do not have any treatment recommendations for face warts. I know that applying castor oil twice daily to regular warts will help get rid of them, as does taking valerian drops internally. You should consult with a naturopathic doctor or a knowledgeable midwife.


  • Biblical

By Sally: Just to repeat my question about your thoughts on interracial marriages and families. Many conservatives that I know are quite opposed to it (something about the twelve tribes not marrying each other), but I can't say that I share their opinion. I've never found anything in the Bible against it.

You haven't found anything in the Bible against it, because it's not there. Therefore, I am not at all against "interracial" marriages. The Bible never even makes mention of such a concept as "race", a word not used in the Bible (except as in running a race). Most people who are against "interracial marriage" only apply that to Black people, but would for example find nothing wrong with an American and an Asian getting married.

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" - Acts 17:26

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By Laura: I have often wondered about dedicated Christians like yourself. You make a big effort to ensure you shield you children from corrupting influences and I think that is admirable. But what I don't understand is why live in such a large metropolitan area when your values are so different than most people around you? The Quaker, Amish, Mennonites and others have successfully withdrawn from the influences of the present world and live protected in their own communities. Why don't present day Christians do the same?

Christians are commanded to share the gospel with those around them. The religious groups you mentioned do not obey that command, but rather live in seclusion. Personally, such a lifestyle would certainly be more appealing to me than living in our wicked world, but people who do not believe on Jesus go to hell, and it is our duty to warn them.

John 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
John 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
John 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
John 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;



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By Babs: I find it remarkable how your children can memorize chapters from the bible. How do you train, encourage them?

Starting when they are young helps, as does just reading the Bible to them and making it a central part of our lives. It can be really tedious working with younger kids that cannot read on their own, so teaching them to read at a young age makes it possible for them to study on their own. 

Incentives and prizes go a long way toward motivating kids, such as giving them a nickel or dime for every verse memorized, a dollar for complete chapters, or a large prize for entire books. We gave Solomon the big wooden swing set in our backyard as a prize for memorizing (and quoting end-to-end) all 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes. He started when he was 4 and finished when he was 5. 

As with anything in life, kids can have a tendency to want to be lazy and not want to learn. Most kids do not want to do math, spelling, or cursive either, but parents rarely let their children direct their studies based on their whims.

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By anonymous: #1 I have read your testimony of how you were saved and know that you were married shortly after being saved. I am assuming because of the circumstances, that your husband was pretty grounded in his faith at the time and I was wondering what impact, if any, your differences in "spiritual maturity" had on your early years of marriage? Were there key biblical issues you disagreed about? If so, would you say today that you and your husband see eye-to-eye on these issues? Also, what advice would you have for someone who is currently in the situation where both marriage partners are saved, but one is trying to live a sanctified life and the other doesn't hold the same convictions about music, tv, and other things?

I don't really remember that being an issue at any time, because I was eager to learn and grow as a new Christian. My husband was also not as conservative when we first got married as he is now, and he also didn't just unload the whole truck on me the day we got married. There have been a couple of major issues we have disagreed on, but later always came to an agreement. If two people have opposing opinions on a subject, one is right, and one is wrong (biblically speaking). Of course, both parties think that they are right, which is where the conflict comes from. My approach to that has usually been to pray that God would either show my husband that he was wrong, or show me that I was wrong.


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By anonymous: its not really about you, perse, but i was wondering how much of the bible your husband has managed to maintain? that is, i loved when he preached the entire book of hebrews from memory, and i know that he has memorized massive chunks of the new testament, but has he been keeping up? how is his long term memory? as well, what are the chances we could get another sermon like that? maybe reciting the entire book of Romans or Ephesians?

[answered by my husband]

I have about 150 chapters memorized right now including the entire books of Habakkuk, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation. I also have most of Matthew and Romans memorized and scores of other individual chapters. Now that I am traveling a lot less and actually getting a good night's sleep every night, my memorization is going a lot more quickly, and I am retaining a lot more, so hopefully I will be able to break 200 soon.

As far as doing another sermon like that, some of the books above are hyper-linked to YouTube videos of me quoting those chapters similar to what I did with the book of Hebrews in 2006. The book of Revelation will be the next one I preach like that in the near future.

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By Mrs. D: Other than soul winning are you and your family involved in the community and if so how? How does your Church follow up with the people they have witnessed coming to Christ? Does it provide support to those newly saved?

We invite them to church, where they can grow and learn the Bible. If they do not have a Bible, we also often give them one (or a NT) and encourage them to read it daily. Getting saved is easy, but living a Christian life takes determination and desire - something many do not have, nor want to do.

I'm not sure I know what other type of community involvement you are referring to specifically. We offer many church activities throughout the year, such as picnics, BBQs, classes, etc. which are open to anyone. But no, we do not hold, nor participate, in any strictly secular community programs as we are a church, and also do not want to team up with unbelievers or other religions.

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By anonymous: Do you believe that your husbands church or other independent baptist churchs are really the only ture Christian churches? And do you believe that someone living a very differnt life then you could be saved even if they believe in the Gospel? Such as sending their children to PS? Mom working outside the house? Using birth control? Going to a very seeker friendly church? Things like that?

I am sure that there are saved people in other churches than just Baptist, but only if the individual themselves believes in the true gospel. Because other religions usually teach a works-based salvation, few true Christians would feel comfortable there. How they live their life has no bearing on whether or not they believe on Jesus. I know many Christians who send their kids to public school, use birth control, or work outside the home. It simply means that they either do not know their Bible very well, or that they do not care about doing right, but it doesn't mean that they are not saved. We all do wrong things against better knowledge, or through ignorance.

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By Andrea: I used to read Candy's blog Keeping the Home, but she recently deleted her blog. How did you align with her spiritually and theologically, if you did follow her? As a 20-something looking for Christian fellowship, I have to admit she sometimes confused me, as she seemed to persistently get more legalistic and engage in practices such as head covering, saying that those who did not cover were not obeying God's commands. As another Christian woman out in the blogging world, I'd GREATLY appreciate your thoughts on this and certainly your Biblical perspective on the issue of head covering. Also, because you do not cover, what is the difference between head covering and wearing skirts? I have to admit that I primarily wear skirts, because I just feel more feminine and comfortable in them! :)

I am, quite obviously, not a believer in the practice of head-covering. The Bible makes it clear that "her hair is given her for a covering", i.e. women should have long hair, and men short hair, but that is the only requirement for having one's head covered (or not).

If external covers were the covering referred to, it would by that same logic always be wrong for men to wear anything on their head, including hats and caps. That is a silly notion.

The only religions I know of that require head covering are false religions such as Roman Catholicism (nuns), Muslims, Pentecostals, etc. People only come up with the idea by "going back to the Greek", although I doubt any of them could even say the alphabet in Greek, or count to 10. Basically, they get their doctrine from some dead theologian and/or a dictionary.

Skirts are a different issue because the Bible specifically commands men and women not to cross-dress. Since pants are only ever referred to as being for the men, we can infer that skirts are for women.

The principle behind both hair and dress is that of a clear distinction between the genders.

I was not a reader of Candy's blog much (maybe once every month or two) because I quickly realized that there were several other biblical issues we disagreed on, but it's not my place to take her personal beliefs apart on my blog in anything but a general manner.

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By Jochebed: Knowing that you did not grow up in a Christian home, what things did you do with Solomon as a young child to nurture his love of the Bible and God? I did not grow up in a Christian home and was saved at 21. I now have a 14 month old and I'll admit, I feel a little lost about the "right" things to do to encourage his eventual love of God and the Bible (I know there aren't "right" things to do per se but I have no real exposure to a Christian home and Christian childhood so I feel a little lost). Thanks!

We as a family have always tried to center our lives around the Bible and church as much as possible. I started reading the Bible to him daily even when I was just pregnant, and have continued reading to the kids ever since then. I think if we as parents worry about making sure we stay close to God, and then keep our children's hearts close to us, things will fall into place the way they should. 

I have always loved this verse: "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." - Proverbs 23:26

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By anonymous: what are your thoughts on the christian music of today, specifically the songs that are chosen to be sung at the "contemporary" church services versus the "traditional" church services. Personally, I don't mind the guitars, drums and brass instruments, but what bothers me is the fact that Christian music today seems to be more like love letters to Jesus than songs praising him. It kind of grosses me out. I then thought that maybe *I* was the one with the problem, but honestly .... singing "Jesus I love you, Jesus I want to be with you" seems to sort of get away from the message of praising him -doesn't it? And I just want to throw it out there that I pretty much disagree with about 90% of what you write. :) But I respect and value your opinion because you are so passionate about what you believe.

I think it's shallow, touchy-feely garbage that brings shame and dishonor to Christ. Is is patterned after the world, with mention of Jesus thrown in there occasionally, but might as well be a bedroom song written to a lover, or a rap song, or any other popular genre that is all about money and has nothing to do with God or biblical doctrine. It's disgusting.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:2

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By anonymous: I'm wondering why you only use the KJV? What's wrong with the NIV or some other popular ones?

You can read about that here.

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By anonymous: You already know that not everyone in the world lives the same way or by the same standards that you and your family do. How do you explain to your children that there are plenty of other people out there who don't belong to your particular faction of Christianity yet still manage to live their lives productively?

I guess it depends on your definition of "productive". There is no benefit to being financially or otherwise successful, and then dying and going to hell because of unbelief.

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" - Matthew 16:26

Those who are Christians but not living in line with the Bible will have God's chastisement upon their lives, something that is often evident to outsiders. I don't have to teach my children that others can "live their lives productively", because they can observe that for themselves. They can see that unbelievers who make money their god often become too prideful to believe on the true God. They can see that people who chose ungodly lifestyles such as drinking, sleeping around, having children outside of marriage, divorce, etc. live a life that becomes more depressing, confused, and pointless as they age and start reaping the negative consequences of those lifestyles.

On the other hand, they can also see the blessings that come with living in a family that centers around the Bible. They have the security to know who their parents are, that they will always be their parents, that they are loved and welcome, that they are of too great value to throw their life away for drugs or lovers, etc. That is very different from the families they see out in the ghetto when they go soulwinning, with a baby mama on welfare who works as a prostitute, with siblings from all different "dads", a filthy, stinky hole for a place to live, trash and beer bottles everywhere, crying babies in dirty diapers with no clothes and snot-streaked faces, and a drunk guy lying on the sofa half-naked. It's not hard to see the difference between that and their own lives.

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By anonymous: My 18yr old daughter recently left home "because she could". She went to an IFB school and we are very conservative...she was too, but when she left, she changed radically. She's running from God, running from us...running from herself. We are hurt, but moreso scared she will lose her soul in her newfound "freedom". My question-- if she contacts us (she hasn't yet), how do we handle it? I can only hand it over to God, but I have no idea what I would say to her if she called or came by the house. Any ideas? (I know, it's a tough one...)

I am so sorry to hear that. Really, I am in no position to give any advice, because I have never been in a situation like that, and all our kids are still little. The story from the Bible that obviously comes to mind is that of the prodigal son. The father welcomed him with open arms, but never once compromised his own beliefs in order to "lure" the son back. Sometimes, they just have to go eat with the pigs to realize how good they had it. When they do come to themselves, they will find comfort in knowing that mom and dad are still the same, and still welcoming them back.

If your daughter is saved, she cannot lose her salvation - not sure if that's what you meant by "lose her soul". But she can do a lot of permanent damage to her life. Praying for her is probably the only thing you can do for her at this time. And maybe you could help someone else's child that you do have influence over (who may be in a similar situation) get back on the right path, and pray that someone else will do the same for your child.

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By Christy: I would like you to share when you have your personal prayer and bible reading time with the Lord. Being a busy mom myself I am constantly in prayer it seems, but I don't always get a chance to sit down and just meet with the Lord daily. I really need to though, and getting up early doesn't work for me. Every time I have tried I have failed! *sigh* We do have a bible 'study' during our homeschool time, but I don't generally get personal time with the Lord on a daily basis. Any tips? 

My difficulty is actually quite the opposite - between reading to the kids, helping the younger ones on their personal Bible reading, and reading on my own first thing in the morning, I do get to read the Bible every day throughout the day. My problem is praying - it seems that even at midnight, someone is always talking to me, and even just getting 60 seconds of uninterrupted thinking without anyone talking to me is rare. It can be so distracting and frustrating! My best approach has always been to get alone time first in the morning, so if that doesn't work for you, I don't really have any good advice.

One thing that has helped me with Bible reading/memory is having the Bible on my phone. That way, even late at night when I go to bed, I can pull up a chapter or two before going to sleep.
  • Homeschooling
By fanaticpixie: What are your homeschooling plans going to be like when your children start learning more higher level things like chemistry or calculus? Are you familiar with upper level work like you are elementary school work? Will you teach them yourself or will you find a way to supplement their learning?

Yes, I am, and my husband even more so. Our kids are also very good at teaching themselves from self-instructing books, which is how most children in America used to learn, including many of the Founding Fathers.

In addition, there are many wonderful resources such as computer programs available for those who feel less comfortable in that area.


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By Taryn: I would like to repeat my question about what you think of Abeka books and why Harcourt math?

I used A Beka books a lot when I first started out homeschooling, and while I think they are nice and well-done, I have almost completely gotten away from them (except for reading and penmanship). They are pricey, and are too rigid, requiring too much work on the part of a parent who may be teaching many different grades (as I do).

I like the Harcourt math because it is not as repetitive as other programs I have seen. It is easily available, inexpensive, and the books from 3rd grade and up can be reused year after year. The books are broken into daily chapters, each of which explain the new concept well and lend themselves to self-study.

  • Cooking/recipes
 By Karen: I would love to know how you make food from scratch and have time to do anything else? lol I've been trying to and I always have a screeching baby attached to my leg and little time for much else.

Having one baby can be more work than having 5, because they want your constant attention. They grow up so fast, though, so just focus on her for now. If you don't have time for other things, they were not as important as the little sweetie anyway. Something has to give. 

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By Bakershalfdozen: I do have a question though about "shattered dishes" because you've mentioned this before. If you are getting shattered dishes on a regular basis, why not switch to something that is not breakable, or not as easily breakable as what you have now?

Our kids refuse to eat off plastic dishes anymore because they contain (or may contain) BPA. No joke. I have nobody but myself to blame for this one, even though my only rule was to not heat food on plastic plates in the microwave. I guess they took it one step further (or several). Plus, we have tile floors throughout most of the house, which makes for some pretty violent dish explosions. I seriously need to switch to wood or metal plates and cups!!!

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By Amy: Do you make your own bread? If so, do you have any simple recipes for novices who don't have bread machines?


By Mrs. D: Oh boy, some easy bread recipes would be great!


I put this post together just for you!


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By Taryn: The question about uncooked eggs in the mousse recipe was a good one.

We get fresh, organic, free-range eggs. I actually use raw eggs a lot, and have never had a child get ill from them. I just can't tell my husband, because he is deadly afraid of raw eggs - the result of growing up in America with its modern mass food production.

But if I were buying regular eggs at the store, I might not be so careless.

How could I miss out on (and deprive my children of) all the precious moments (and tastes!) of eating raw cookie dough and cake batter? 

Becky comes running as soon as she hears the mixer is on, demanding "Dough! Dough!"



This picture makes me want to kiss the batter right off her sweet little face!


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By Elizabeth: I had asked on a previous post a while back for tips on saving money with feeding a large family on an organic diet. We are a frugal family and when we use animal products we tend to purchase ones those that are organic, free-range, etc. We tend to cut corners on organic vegetables to save money. Frugal advice is greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry, still working on that in a separate blog post. I'm pretty sure I'll have it up very soon!! :)

  • Parenting/discipline
 
By anonymous: Hi, I just would like to know how you react when one of your children act silly. Thanks for your blog - I think it's brilliant.

That would depend on the level of silliness, what you mean by silly, and my mood at that particular time. I am guessing you mean acting silly as in wild. A little bit of it can quickly escalate when there are a lot of kids (especially boys) involved. Sometimes I ignore it, sometimes I tell them to mellow out a little or go be silly outside, and sometimes I just tell them to stop. Generally, I would consider myself one of the less tolerant parents when it comes to being loud and silly.

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By Michele: I've asked this before, but I was wondering about you discipline methods. What sort of discipline do you use and how do you handle a large family? 

We use two methods of discipline:

1) Punishing wrongdoing, foolish or dangerous behavior, disobedience, etc. - this is corporal punishment in the form of spankings administered to the child's rear end. We NEVER use any of the currently popular (and totally worthless) methods such as time-outs, grounding, loss of privileges, or whatever other fancy new substitutes the Dr. Spock's of this world want to come up with.

I know spanking has completely fallen out of fashion in the 21st century, but I guess that's why we live in a nanny state where the government feels the need to parent all the spoiled children who have grown up into adults who have no concept of right or wrong.

2) Making an effort to nurture a very close, loving relationship with our children, which will cut down on the need for discipline as mentioned above.

Our children are all very happy, well-adjusted, and well behaved. Are they perfect? No, they are sinners like the rest of us. God's plan is still the best and only approach to proper parenting.

That's the short answer. I have been meaning to write a more extensive post disproving why modern parenting/discipline methods are wrong. Until I have it up, I'll just leave you with these verses:

Pro 13:24  He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Pro 19:18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.


Pro 22:15  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Pro 23:13,14  Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 

Pro 29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.


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By anonymous: How do you maintain control over your children's behavior (especially in public) when you have so many little ones. We have 5 kids ages 7 and under and although I love them all more than anything, I feel completely overwhelmed at times. My husband works a lot and many times I am in charge of the discipline.

Generally, I try to avoid running any errands when the kids are tired or hungry, or after dinner in the evening when they seem to have way too much energy than they know what to do with.  Mid-mornings, after a good breakfast and some chores or school work, seems to work best for us. Stores are usually also pretty empty at that time. This goes a long way toward avoiding meltdowns.

Still, acting up at the store, or any other time for that matter, is simply a reality with kids. Many years ago, I heard about a method used by a missionary wife who was the mother to 10 or more children, I can't quite remember now. She said she often had to take all of her kids to the store with her, and to keep track of who was acting up and needed to be corrected upon returning home, she would put tally marks on her kids' hands while out. I adopted her method once I had to take 4 or more kids to the store with me, as it was not really a problem before then. Statistically, with that many of them, one would always feel the need to be wild or obnoxious, which would quickly get the other kids rowdy, too. The method has worked great for me. As a standard rule, the first infraction always earns TWO tally marks, not just one, to discourage them from even getting started.

In addition, our kids also each get one checkmark upon returning home on their rewards' chart for every person that complimented their behavior in the store, which has worked well as a positive incentive. I am always wary when they get complimented, though (as they almost always do) because it is an almost certain guarantee that one or more of the kids will take it as a green light to start acting up.

Part of it comes down to the parents' tolerance level. Some don't mind if their child screams and throws a fit in the store, some bribe their kids with treats to keep them pacified and busy, whereas I don't even want them wandering off in all directions and touching everything they see. I think that in large families, there is a need to up the level of self-discipline expected of each child as the family grows. And buying them all a treat at the register just for acting the way they were supposed to would neither be practical, nor healthy or economical.

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By anonymous: Love to read about discipline. Seems to be a topic you haven't posted about - or I've missed it.

No, I don't talk about it much, if ever. But I just did! And as I said above, I have been meaning to do a more extensive post on just that subject. 

  •  Other

By Niki: Hello, I don't mean to be commenting on this posting but I just had a question for you. I follow your blog, and enjoy reading it, I agree with you on many topics, except dogs. However, I am always open to hearing people's opinions on pretty much everything. I really want to know how you feel about Animal Rescue? Not groups like PETA, but rather the ASPCA or small, local animal rescue organizations? Just a thought... again I don't know where else I could comment to you.

I have no problem with such organizations, as long as they are privately funded rather than by tax dollars, and as long they do not make it their goal to achieve human rights for pets. Animals are not humans, and never will be.

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By Alicia: Still waiting (I have asked twice in the past) for your answer as to what you would do if you found out one of your children were gay. I hope you do not answer that they will NOT be gay because of ...blah blah blah. I want to know if one DID become gay, how would your family handle it. Thanks and I hope you are feeling better with your pregnancy.

This is a hypothetical question. What would you do if you found out your child is a child molester or mass murderer? Homosexuals are on the same (or worse) level of depravity. I would be absolutely disgusted with them and not want to socialize with them any more than I would want to socialize with the other examples given.

But how likely do you think it is for your child to grow up and be a Hitler or a sex predator? Do you think raising such a monster would be avoidable if you did your job as a parent right? According to the Bible, only unbelievers can become homos, because they have rejected God and hate Him. In turn, God turns His back on them, and they become the dirty animals that they are because they are only following their wicked, perverted hearts.

Our children grow up with the Bible as their guide from birth. At a young age, as soon as they are old enough to understand, they make their own choice to believe on God and become Christians, thereby making it impossible to ever become a reprobate. The reason why so many kids grow up in Christian homes and turn out fags is because they never get saved to begin with because they might be hearing a confusion of the gospel, such as that they need to "give up their sins" in order to be saved. Add to that the fact that most churches push their nurseries, day cares, and Christian schools, many of which are teeming with predators, and there is a good chance that the child will end up getting molested, and thus hating and rejecting anything they perceive as having to do with God, religion, or church.

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By anonymous: #2 I know your husband spends alot of time away from your family due to his church responsibilities and running his own business and that you, yourself have just as many responsiblities raising your kids and homeschooling. How do you find the time to nurture your marriage with all you have to do, especially if you don't choose to let others watch your children? Does it ever bother you that your husband works so much? I'm assuming since you moved to the U.S. from Germany that you have no family nearby and with all you have to do I can imagine there would be little time to develop good friendships. Do you ever get lonely? It sounds like a silly question because of all the children you have, but as a mother myself, sometimes I just crave "adult" converstation. Do you have many close friends, and if so, do they share the same religious beliefs and opinions on raising children as you do?

Yes, my husband working a lot does bother me sometimes, but usually I am so busy with the kids all day long that by nighttime I am just glad to be in a quiet house. Thankfully, he doesn't travel much any more. I have no family in America at all except for my in-laws, who really are a very nice family and (unlike my own family) Christians. I do get to feeling lonely sometimes, but again, I am usually too busy or tired to have time to indulge in such feelings.

As far as adult conversation, I don't have time to go out or hang on the phone with others hardly at all. I do like to stay in touch with other adults via the internet (blogging, email, etc.) as time permits.

My only circle of friends is with others who have similar beliefs as we do, such as people at church or other homeschooling Christians. 

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By mommylori: I would like to know how you deal with the negative post? People can be so mean to others online. It is really sad and shocking, like they forget they are talking to and about real people. Just look at the comments you got from this alone. I am new to blogging and have gotten some weird ones, I just erase them but still. Any tips for a new blogger? Is there scriptures that help?
Like the Gay one, I mean come on does ANYONE know how they would act? I mean come on, that was just rude and put out to be mean. Nothing more.

Haha, that post was so benign compared to what I get every day! I  usually simply hit "delete" as soon as I realize that I am dealing with a negative post, and then forget about it the next minute.

If this is an issue for you on your blog, you may want to look at changing your setting for comments to not allow anonymous comments. Is is amazing how 99.9% of the time, these cowards will only post anonymously.


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By Megan: I would love to hear more about your life before you came to the States. Where did you spend your childhood, go to school etc? I recall reading you're originally from Germany; is there anything you miss about Europe compared to the US? And conversely, what do you like about the US that is lacking in Europe?

I was born in East Germany (where my mother is from), which was under Soviet Communism at the time. A few months after my birth, my parents moved to Hungary (where my father is from), also in the Communist Block, where I lived until I was almost 8. Hungarian was thus the first language I ever learned. I went to daycare/kindergarten, 1st grade, and the first half of 2nd grade there. By that time, my mother had left my father, and had remarried a guy from West Germany. We moved to where he was from in Bavaria, and I lived in that area and went to school there from 2nd grade until I graduated High School. At that point, I went to live in the UK for a little less than a year before returning to Germany to start college in Munich. I majored in Cultural Anthropology; my minors were journalism and political science. I first met my husband around the time I first started college, and we got married right as I was about to start my second year in college. Because I became a Christian right around the same time, I no longer had a desire to pursue a career, especially in the subjects I had chosen, but rather we started our family right away and I have been very busy ever since majoring in being a wife and mother, an often looked-down upon calling these days.

There are some things I miss about Europe. Most of all I miss family and other friends. I miss the food and the scenery. I miss doctors who actually know something beside just prescribing drugs and surgery. But overall, I do much prefer living here, because as much as our civil rights have been trampled underfoot, and as abusive as our government has become, we are still much better off than the Europeans are in their Neo-Communism, otherwise known as Socialism.

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By Sarah: This is not really a question, but I would love to hear how you and your husband met, and how you were saved. If you have written a post about this, you could just direct me to it, as I have looked, but you've posted a lot of entries to comb through :-)

You can read about that here

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By anonymous: You often post stories of police corruption. Do you believe ALL cops are power-abusing/corrupt, or is it the bad apples spoiling the whole batch?

Yes, and yes.

I don't think anyone with any integrity could work as a policeman in today's society. Between our corrupt government, the usual nature of the calls that police respond to, and their systematical abuse of our inalienable rights, nobody with any morals should be working as a police officer.



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By anonymous: If you would have different "opions" with your husband e.g. he says - strongly believe - if you go out the church you are not saved because you left your place in the church the Lord put you - but you believe the people are still saved.
How would you talk with your children when the topic came up about that?

If my husband and I had opposing viewpoints on an issue, our kids would not really bring this up and ask either one of us. But if they did I guess I would tell them that different people have different opinion sometimes, and that if there are two opposite opinions, somebody is wrong. I'd probably just leave it at that, because I wouldn't want to tear their Dad down to them just because I thought I was right. If I were married to an unbeliever who tried to teach the kids wicked or ungodly things, that would not be as easy of a situation, but since that's not my case I don't now what I would do.

Of course, neither me nor my husband thinks that leaving our church means people are not saved, or that they could do anything to lose their salvation.

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By Taryn: I don't celebrate July 4th. Every July 4th one of my children asks me to explain why. I tell them when abortion is abolished then I might reconsider. They grew up not celebrating Halloween in any way. They know I am not a fan of Christmas(from what I have read Jesus was born around the end of Sept. during the holidays)(the history about it is interesting and then there's the Jeremiah tree) or Easter(Herod's Easter- KJV). I do look forward to all theirs and the grandchildren's birthdays and Thanksgiving. What is your opinion on this? Thank you.

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:




I do not think that it is wrong to celebrate holidays in general. Halloween is a holiday we do not celebrate at all because its sole purpose is to celebrate death and satanism. While our family celebrates 4th of July (which to us is a celebration of what our country was founded upon, and at least on paper still is), I can understand if others do not observe such patriotic holidays in light of how wicked we have become as a nation. We also celebrate Christmas; I have written a post on that subject before. But again, to each his own in this regard.