The Rogue Angel

Really Ugly

2009-01-05T17:57:00Z

Since I started reading Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution ... I can't get enough. I am so trippin' over the stuff we put in our bodies all I can think is that there is no wonder so many Americans are fat. We are seriously killing ourselves with the food we eat ... even skinny people.

Anywho ... in today's email I got a link to the 20 Worst Foods in America 2009. There are some doozies on the list. Wow.

Dairy Queen took the Worst Fast-Food Meal award with their 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket. It has 1,270 calories and 67 g fat ... 11 of which are saturated. Outback Steakhouse got the Worst Fish Entree. Their Atlantic Salmon has 1,640 calories. That's as many calories as 35 Chicken McNuggets. Quiznos took the Worst Sandwich. The Quizno's Large Tuna Melt has 2,090 calories and 175 g fat. 31 of those grams are saturated and 2.5 is trans fats.

The Worst Food of 2009 goes to Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake. It has 2,310 calories, 108 grams of fat (64 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats), and 266 grams of sugar. That is 66 teaspoons of sugar and you could eat 11 Heath Bars for the same amount of calories. Eleven candy bars ... and you drink this monstrosity.

Check them all out here.

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You Need This Book

Church Was Awesome

2009-01-04T21:20:00Z

It was. I almost didn't realize how much I had missed it either. Since NoNo has been sick, I have missed three services in a row. I am glad I did not miss today though. She is feeling much better ... thanks be to God.

It felt good to be back behind the projector. I love working the worship service and I love the creative license our Worship Leader allows me. I love the way God begins to move. You can feel it. He envelops the whole place and the atmosphere changes dramatically.

God is so awesome.

It Was Paid

2009-01-03T20:25:56Z

Thanks be to God. I wrote a few days ago about a lady writing me a cold check for $20 and how it was costing me $179 (the cost of the check and the fees that hit my account because of it). Well, yesterday my husband called her husband's phone ... since she wouldn't answer my calls ... to see if she was going to set my account right. She got on the phone with me and told me that her bank said the check cleared and that she wasn't going to pay the fees on my account.

Well, I explained to her that she was liable for my fees and that I had a copy of the check marked "insufficient funds" by her bank. I also explained to her that her check had her driver's license number on it and her address and I would take it to the County Attorney if I had to. She got testy and I hung up. I refused to argue with her.

We went to the bank and they called her bank. They verified that the check did bounce and they also agreed that she was liable for my fees and said for me to tell her to call them and they would explain that to her. I knew she was lying when she said her bank said the check did not bounce ... but I wanted to make sure.

Afterwards, we went to handle some business and her husband called mine. He asked where we were and asked us to wait for him. We talked and I explained to him that I was not trying to be ugly, but I did expect her to make things right and I did not like her attitude about the whole situation. I also explained to him that she did lie to me about the check and showed him the copy I had.

He paid the money. He said that he was not willing to lose a friend over this and him and my husband have been friends now for two years. I respect that too. I also appreciate the fact that he took care of it. It would have bothered me greatly if something I had done had cost someone so much money ... which is one reason I don't do checks. All those fees hurt a person's finances bad.

I also told him that I would still babysit for him. I know it is convenient for him ... and he knows his girls are in good hands. But, I did explain I wouldn't accept anymore checks. Cash only is the new policy. :)

You Need This Book

2009-01-03T19:09:00Z

I just bought Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution and I cannot put it down! Seriously ... there are things in this book that you need to know about the food you eat and don't. Believe me when I say you will be totally shocked by some of it.

Like me ... I love Twix candybars. I have loved them ever since they hit the shelves and probably eat one to two of them a week. They are one of my rare sweet indulgences. Last night, I found out they are considered one of the worst candy bars you can buy and have the saturated fat equivalent of 11 strips of bacon. Eleven! I love bacon ... but I don't eat eleven strips of it ... ever.

Plus, I am sure you have seen those commercials about high fructose corn syrup on TV. You know ... the ones that tell you that it is made from corn, nutritionally equivalent to sugar and is fine in moderation? Yeah. What they don't tell you, but Eat This Not That! does, is that HFCS has a few advantages over sugar ... 1) it is cheaper to produce, 2) it has a longer shelf life, and 3) it is easier to incorporate into products that never received the sugar treatment before ... like pasta sauce and whole wheat bread. It is in most processed foods ... so eating it in moderation is very hard to do if you eat much food from the center aisles of your supermarket.

So far ... I have learned that a lot of my food choices are making me fat in ways I never imagined. Also there are a lot of foods that I pick thinking they are more nutritious and actually they aren't. They aren't even close ... but food companies package them to make them appear healthier. Example: Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken. It has almost as much sugar as a Snickers bar!

This book is awesome and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It covers everything from produce, meat, condiments, frozen dinners, to bread and cereals. So, far ... I haven't seen an area not covered. And, I like this book so much that I have added Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds--or More! and Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block! to my wishlist. It really is that good.

May You Have ...

2009-01-01T19:17:13Z

A very blessed and joyful new year. From my family to yours ... God bless.

It's That Time Again

2008-12-31T19:23:20Z

I suck at committing to things. This is something I totally recognize about myself. I can commit to God ... but let me say I am going to read the Bible every single day and I will fail. I will miss one, then I will miss another ... and then a week will go by and I will still not have read it. Same with exercise and eating right.

I have good intentions. I want to be healthier. I want to be fit. I want to be spiritually sound and know my bible from front to back and then some. And ... I can come up with a multitude of things that get in the way of my very good intentions. We have eight kids. They range from 17 years of age to nine months old. I am always busy. I always have a million things that I need to be doing and most of it is not getting done. I don't have the time to do everything I need to do ... let alone do all the things I want to do.

Plus ... it does not help that I love doing mindless things that take up far too much of my time. Blogging is one. Facebook is another. Simming is yet another. I am shameless. I really am.

]]> As a result of my shameless pursuit of mindless things that take up far too much of my time ... my rear is expanding again. Having the baby did not help my figure either. Hubby is getting a bit bigger too and he has high blood pressure and cholesterol. So now ... it isn't just about me. It is about him too. And, it is about us being there for our little NoNo.

So, I am determined to reimplement my 30/30 Plan. Thirty minutes of reading the Bible and thirty minutes of exercise ... every single day. I am also going to implement some of the things I have learned from The Biggest Loser (one of my favorite tv shows!). I have updated my wishlist and we are going to focus on the things that will enhance our lives in healthy ways ... spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Me and the hubby were both little people when we were young and both of us aren't anymore. I want NoNo to grow up with some healthier habits than her mother and father. We both quit smoking as well ... and that has piled on the weight. I quit four years ago and he quit last year. It adds up and now it is time it comes off. I told him ... if we can quit smoking then we can do this.

So ... that is my New Year Resolution. We are going to make some lifestyle changes that are going to make us healthier. It won't be instantaneous. I doubt it will be all that easy. But, we can do it. I can do it. Through Christ ... I can do anything and I believe that. He does too.

What about you? Do you have a resolution for the upcoming year?

JSYK

2008-12-31T02:16:30Z

Just so you know ...

I am tired.

Facebook is addictive.

I wish I had more money. My wishlist is growing.

I still want a Wii and a Wii Fit. In a very bad way.

I am tired of hearing about The Shack. It is fiction people! God is not Aunt Jemima, Jesus is much more than just a carpenter, and the Holy Spirit is not a fairy.

That is all for now.

The Real Battle Ground

2008-12-30T16:00:12Z

I differ from many of my Christian friends in that I believe gay couples should have legal partnerships. I am all for them having inheritance rights, being able to make medical decisions for their loved ones, having legal protections should their relationship end, etc. I have taken some flack for it through the years, but I have never seen any reason for society to deny homosexuals these basic requests. I think they should have all the protections and benefits of heterosexual marriage ... I just don't agree with them calling it "marriage."

Well, one of the arguments a lot of Christians have had against "gay marriage" has always been that eventually the government would try to force churches to marry homosexuals. I have always thought that was the most ridiculous thing ever. That would be like me trying to force a mosque to marry me with a rabbi officiating. I am not Jewish. I am not a follower of Islam. Why would I expect either to even want to have anything to do with my relationship when I don't keep the tenets of their faith? It would be absurd.

]]> Unfortunately ... it looks like the absurd has now met reality:

A church group that owns beachfront property discriminated against a lesbian couple by not allowing them to rent the locale for their civil union ceremony, a New Jersey department ruled Monday in a case that has become a flash point in the nation's gay rights battle.

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights said its investigation found that the refusal of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to rent the oceanfront spot to the couple for their same-sex union in March 2007 violated the public accommodation provisions of the state's Law Against Discrimination.

This could get real ugly.

See ... my church has a building we use for social functions. People request use of it all the time for weddings, dinners, basketball games, showers and so on. We ask who wants the building, why they want the building, how long do they want it, what areas will they be using, etc. And, I can tell you this ... if a lesbian couple wanted it for their civil union ... I am pretty sure that my Pastor would not approve it. He wouldn't approve a group of pagans getting the building for one of their celebrations either.

The article goes on to say ...

Brian Raum, a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group that represents the Methodist organization, Camp Meeting Association, said his clients would keep pushing back against being forced to allow civil unions on the property.

"Our position is the same," he said. "A Christian organization has a constitutional right to use their facilities in a way that is consistent with their beliefs."

I have to wonder why a lesbian couple would have wanted the building or insisted on renting it. The more this stuff happens, the more it smacks of homosexuals particularly targeting Christians because we believe what the Bible says about homosexuality and I can't see how that kind of behavior is going to get them anywhere. I can't see churches giving in to this and they shouldn't. If church property becomes the next battleground in this "war" ... as it is being called ... God help us.

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Just Stuff

2008-12-29T16:28:00Z

Baby NoNo has been sick for a bit now. The week before Christmas we took her to the doctor and they said she had bronchitis. Christmas Eve she went to the ER because she had a high temperature and they said she was fighting off a virus. She kept that fever for three days ... and now she has a fine red rash on all over her. She has been congested for a month and has been waking up in the middle of the night wanting to play until 3 AM.

Needless to say ... mommy is tired. Very tired.

Christmas was good. We had a ton of food and a lot of fun. The guys played cards and Sis and I played SingStar. We rocked the 80's and the Pop II games. I loved it even though I have been fighting off something as well and my voice was not up to par.

Which reminds me ... Sis wrote a really good post about Christmas. Check it out.

]]> I have spent the last two days a bit upset. My checking account is bounced thanks to a check I was written for babysitting. I keep two little girls in the afternoons. It is only for a few minutes while their mom heads to work and their dad makes his way home from work ... so I only ask for $20 a week. Needless to say I don't do it for the money.

Well ... I check my account because with Christmas and all ... I know it is low and we need a can of formula for NoNo. I figure I have about eight dollars in there, but I want to make sure before I go to Wal-Mart. When I go online, I see that my account is negative $30 and some change. I get to looking and I see that her $20 check bounced and that my bank hit me for a fee because her check bounced. Four smaller items went in after that and now I have four bounced items because of her bounced check.

I call her up and tell her and she tells me that she can bring me the $20 ... like that is going to help at this point. I then explain to her that her check is going to end up costing me way more than $20 and it is going to cost her a lot more as well. Plus, she still owes me for a week. I haven't heard anything more from her and have a feeling I will end up having to take the situation to the County Attorney. Especially now that we just found out that gurlie is on probation for bouncing checks. Not good. At all.

I really, really want a Wii. Seriously. I want a Wii and I want Wii Fit. I know that is totally unrelated to anything I have written so far ... but hey ... it is what I am thinking about.

Hubby only had to work three days last week and he only has to work three this week. I love that! I get to spend time with him and he gets to help me get some things done around here too. And ... he gets paid like he worked all week. Win win!

Anywho ... I am out of here. I have dishes to do ... laundry to clean ... and I need to call the bank and see if they can get me a copy of that check. Maybe tomorrow I will have something more substantial to say. I doubt it ... but we will see. :)

Update 4:27 PM: The bank did get me a copy of her check. I tried to call her to let her know that the bank says she needs to give me $179 to put my account back in the right. They said it is obvious my items would have cleared had her check not bounced so she is liable for my fees. With the $20 she owes me for my last week of babysitting, that is $199 she needs to give me. She didn't answer her phone and I am not surprised. I left her a message telling her that I expect her to make things right when she gets paid. We'll see if she does.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:43:05Z

Fully God, fully man ... Jesus was born of a virgin and came to live a sinless life, the ultimate sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world. There is nothing that can compare to the greatest gift ever given. Nothing.

Merry Christmas.

The Next Few Days

2008-12-22T16:16:47Z

I can't see me doing much blogging in the next few days. Things are going to be crazy around here. Today, I need to make my cornbread for the chicken and dressing I am making for Christmas. I also need to clean the house. Big time. Later today ... I need to sit down and work out my Christmas menu and make a trip to Wal-Mart for some bleach. I have been needing bleach for over a week and have been to the store at least five times and have forgotten it each and every time.

Fibro Fog ... gotta love it.

Anywho ... tomorrow I have to fill in for the Pastor's wife who was filling in for the secretary. I have to get the church bulletin done, January's calendar, mail out the birthday cards, and whatever else is on the agenda. When I get home ... I have to make two cakes and six pies for Christmas. Plus make supper. I also need to buy my ham. I already have my turkey ... but I need my ham. I also need to buy whatever else I need for Christmas dinner.

Wednesday ... I will do most of my Christmas cooking ... everything but the turkey, ham, gravy, rolls, deviled eggs, and mashed potatoes. I will make the dressing up, but I won't actually cook it until Christmas day. I need the broth from the turkey, donchaknow. :) Everything else will just get reheated and will make cooking on Christmas much easier.

This year we are having my sister and her family, my sister-n-law and her family, my husband's uncle and cousin, and probably my friend K and her family. I don't know if Mom is coming or not. You never know with her. My brother and his family will probably make a stop in ... maybe. I don't know yet. Dinner is at 2 PM and friends and family will be coming and going throughout the day until probably 9 PM or so.

We will be showing The Nativity Story throughout the day. It will make for a very full and wonderful day. I am excited already and cannot wait!

Mary Did You Know

2008-12-20T22:31:58Z

]]> This just tears me up. I can't imagine what Mary went through. Knowing it had to happen ... but still knowing He was her son, her baby, and having to watch what He had to go through and knowing she couldn't stop it even if she wanted to.

And, I can't imagine anyone seeing what our Savior went through and not caring enough to love Him back. I can't even wrap my mind around that ... but I know that there are people who just don't care. It breaks my heart that there was a time that I didn't act like I cared. That I didn't thank our Lord each and every day for what He did for me ... what He did for us.

He loves us so much ... so, so, so very much. He was scourged for us. He was crucified for us. He died so that we could live ... all because of His love for us. How can you turn your back on that?

I can't and I regret the day I ever could.

Calling It What It Is

2008-12-19T17:37:27Z

Heterosexual sex outside of marriage is a sin. Getting drunk is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Having sex with someone else other than your wife or husband is a sin. Gossiping is a sin. Lying is a sin. Worshipping idols is a sin. Homosexual sex is a sin. Disrespecting your mother and/or father is a sin. Greed is a sin. Murder is a sin. Gluttony is a sin. Taking God's name in vain is a sin.

Having said all that ... which sentence makes me an intolerant bigot?

Calling sin a sin can get you called a bigot these days ... especially by gay activists. It can also get you called intolerant. In the last two days I have read a number of posts from gay people who are angry that Obama picked Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. They say Rick Warren is an intolerant bigot because he believes what the Bible says about homosexuality and he is against gay marriage. A few make it quite plain that all Christians are intolerant bigots if they believe the same thing.

See ... I do not hate gay people. I personally don't know any Christians that do. No one I know is calling for them to be strung up, whipped, or quartered because they are gay. Do I think they are sinning if they have sex with someone of the same sex. Yes, I do. Just as I believe it is a sin for my unmarried daughter to have sex before she is married ... or with someone other than her spouse once she is married.

]]> Interestingly enough ... I have never been called an intolerant bigot because I told my daughter she shouldn't have sex until she is married. Or that she shouldn't lie. Or that she shouldn't steal. Or that she shouldn't cuss or take the Lord's name in vain. But ... if I tell her she shouldnt' have sex with another girl ... then I have stepped over the line into "intolerant bigot."

And, the thing is ... calling Christians intolerant bigots because they are followers of Christ and believe what the Bible says ... it's not going to get you anywhere. I am not going to pretend the Bible doesn't say what it says just so you won't call me names. I am not going to cry because you are calling me something I am not to try and get a reaction out of me and make me go ... "Oh no! I am being called an intolerant bigot! The horror! The shame!"

I am quite tolerant of most people. I am not a bigot. Jesus wasn't intolerant and He wasn't a bigot. Yet ... He called sin as sin. He didn't pretend it wasn't just because there were people who wanted to do it. He called adultery the sin it is ... but He still loved the adulteress, saved her from being stoned to death, and told her to go and not do it again.

That is the example Jesus set for us. We are to love, care for, and correct. I don't love you if I uphold you in your sin. I am not supposed to beat you upside the head, be mean to you, and get all nasty about it. But, I am not supposed to lie to you either. If that is what you want to call intolerance and bigotry ... go right ahead. You have already redefined what God said marriage was in your own mind and life ... why not redefine those two words as well.

Introducing ...

2008-12-19T13:06:57Z

Some people may not like this ... but I think it is awesome! Love it! Love it! Love it!

Ignorant Racist People

2008-12-18T22:17:16Z

I have always received email from readers of my blog. Sometimes more so than I do comments. Sometimes people just feel more comfortable saying what they have to say in private and I understand that. I am all cool with readers emailing me.

Unfortunately, there are times when I offend some of my readers. It is not that I set out to do so ... it just happens. I say what I think about something and they don't like it. That is life when you have a blog. Some readers will love what you have to say and some won't. Some may experience both emotions in the same day ... depending on the number of posts you have.

Today, one of my reader's took offense at me referring to racist people as ignorant. They felt it was an unfair assessment and said that it seems I take pleasure in referring to them that way. Well, I probably do take some pleasure in referring to them as ignorant ... I admit. To me, they are.

]]> See ... to me ... stupid people are only stupid because they have not been educated. Plus, just because someone is stupid regarding a topic, does not make them completely stupid as they may be quite knowledgeable about a multitude of subjects.

Example: I know nothing about rocket science. I am quite stupid when it comes to foreign languages. I am dumber than dumb when it comes to astronomy. I can't point out a constellation to save my life and don't ask me where the north star is. I don't know.

Now, of course, being stupid on these subjects ... I could decide to take a class on astronomy. I could get me some Rosetta Stone and learn any language I want. I could change my stupid status with just a little education.

Being ignorant is a little different to me and when it comes to racism, I think people are willfully ignorant. They know hating someone on the basis of their skin color is wrong. It makes no sense. It is like hating someone because they are Catholic ... or gay ... or female ... or because they like cats instead of dogs. It makes no sense whatsoever but they choose to hate those people anyway.

Therefore ... to me ... they are ignorant. Willfully and completely ignorant. Sorry if it bothers you, but I doubt my mind will change on that topic anytime soon.