Sweetness

It's been a while since I blogged and I think I'm on the mend but I just had to share this picture of my 2 baby boys. I just love them to pieces!

Look at Our Little Scout!

Isn't he just adorable?

25 Ways That Parents Provoke Their Children to Anger

1. Lack of Marital Harmony
2. Establishing and Maintaining a Child-Centered Home
3. Modeling Sinful Anger
4. Habitually Disciplining While Angry
5. Scolding
6. Being Inconsistent with Discipline
7. Having Double Standards
8. Being Legalistic
9. Not Admitting You're Wrong and Not Asking For Forgiveness
10. Constantly Finding Fault
11. Parents Reversing God-Given Roles
12. Not Listening to Your Child's Opinion or Taking Their Side of the Story Seriously
13. Comparing Them to Others

This is the first half from the book Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo. I have had this book for years but just never got around to it but since I'm spending so much time laying around this is the perfect time to read it and really work on it. One of our children is especially angry and very defensive and I really want to help her with that and to help my husband and I correct in ourselves the things we need to correct to be the best parents and role models we can be. Now I just have to get him to read it too. Do you see yourself in some of the examples listed above? I sure do- see myself that is.

Meatball Meatloaf

Since I'm not able to get up and roll meatballs for our Saucy Sunday-we always have some for of Italian on Sundays after Church- or make lasagna I decided to make a meatball meatloaf. And we will have to use jarred sauce :(.
All I did was use the usual ingredients I would in my meatballs- stale Italian bread cubes soaked in milk, free range ground beef- wish I had some veal too- eggs, parsley, mama garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Topped it with some pizza sauce and baked it. So much easier than trying to stand and roll meatballs!

Mandarin Orange and Almond Salad

A good friend made us dinner the other day, marinated pork tenderloin, cheesy potatoes, biscuits and this delicious salad.  I would have never even tried it when I was younger-oranges and spinach???- but I really would have been missing out. I love it!  I think she "candied" her almonds.  Thanks so much Julie!

MANDARIN ORANGE AND ALMOND SALAD

1/2 c. chopped almonds, toasted 6-8 c. mixed lettuce's 2-4 sliced green onions 1-2 cans (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained DRESSING: 1/3 c. vegetable oil 3 tbsp. sugar 3 tbsp. vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper Dash hot sauce (optional) 1/2 c. chopped parsley (optional) Refrigerate. Mix all salad ingredients on individual plates or in large bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients in shaker jar until blended. Pour over or toss into salad.

The Apostle James

      The Apostle James, Brother of the Lord – was the son of Righteous Joseph the Betrothed (Comm. 26 December). From his early years James was a Nazorite, a man especially dedicated to God. The Nazorites gave a vow to preserve virginity, to abstain from wine, to refrain from eating meat, and not to cut their hair. The vow of the Nazorites symbolised a life of holiness and purity, commanded formerly by the Lord for all Israel. When the Saviour began to teach the nation about the Kingdom of God, Saint James believed in Christ and became His apostle. For his God-leasing life he was chosen first bishop in the Church at Jerusalem. Saint James presided over the Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem, and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop the Apostle James converted many of the Jews to Christianity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill Saint James. Having led the saint up on the roof of the Jerusalem Temple, they demanded that he renounce the Saviour of the world. But the holy Apostle James instead began to bear witness, that Christ is the True Messiah. Then the Jewish teachers shoved him off downwards. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies, who at this while were stoning him. The martyr's death of Saint James occurred in about the year 63.

      The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which has formed the basis of the liturgies, composed by Saints Bail the Great and John Chrysostomos. The Church has preserved an Epistle of the Apostle James, which under his name is included among the books of the New Testament of Holy Scripture. In the year 1853 the Alexandria Patriarch Hierotheos sent to Moscow a portion of the relics of the holy Apostle James. The Church makes a distinction between the holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord, from James the son of Zebedee (Comm. 30 April) and James Alphaeus (Comm. 9 October).

Dealing with PAIN

This constant pain is getting really annoying. When I'm laying it's tolerable and I can even get distracted and forget for a few mins but when I'm walking or sitting it becomes almost unbearable and I wish I could just figure out how to make it go away and be myself again. I want so badly to be well and waiting on my husband and children again instead of them waiting on me. I want to drive my van and go to the store or even clean my toilet! I don't know how people do this, how they live with long term pain. I guess maybe if I could take the drugs it would help but I know there are a lot of people who just live in pain that the drugs don't help and I don't know how they do it. I feel like now i wake up and it hurts so I just find myself wishing the day away till it's time to go to bed and hoping the next day I'll feel better cause it's been over a month and this can't go on forever right?
Okay, I'm going to quit complaining because I know it could be worse and say my prayers and go to bed and hope I wake up feeling better tomorrow.

Jodi

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.