Clothed With Scarlet

True Freedom

Are you good enough.......?

 

Heaven.

Heaven?

Heaven?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You goin' to Heaven?

??

You good enough to get in?

??

Give to others?

Sacrifice for others?

Serve others?

No stealing.

No murder.

Nothing too bad, right?

~~~

I make some mistakes but I am pretty good at heart.  I don't mean any harm.

I do my best.

Do I really need God?  Do you really need God?

The Secret of A Beautiful Life

 

"There lived once a young girl whose perfect grace of character was the wonder of those who knew her.  She wore on her neck a gold locket which no one was ever allowed to open.  One day, in a moment of unusual confidence, one of her companions was allowed to touch its spring and learn its secret.  She saw written these words ---"Whom having not seen, I love."  That was the secret of her beautiful life."

                                                                                                            ~Author Unknown

~~~

That was the secret of her beautiful life.

That...

Her love of Christ.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  ~Matthew 22:37-38

I pray that the husbands of my daughters might have to seek the Lord completely to gain her attention.

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

April 1, 2010

"Once upon a time, men...

..wore the pants, and wore them well."

There are a couple of blogs that I visit daily (kind of like some folks read the newspaper daily). 

Yesterday I saw an advertisement from Dockers that started with that "Once upon a time" sentence above.  I wasn't sure if what I was reading was actually from Dockers so I went to see for myself...

Here, you read it:

Just because our society is what it is today...

...does not make it right or best.

~~~

Did you have trouble reading all the small words?  I did.

Is this better?

"Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well.  Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never crossed the street alone.  Men took charge because that’s what they did.  But somewhere along the way, the world decided it no longer needed men.  Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khaki’s and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny.  But today, there are questions our genderless society has no answers for.  The world sits idly by and cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street.  For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes.  We need grown-ups.  We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and untie the world from the tracks of complacency.  It’s time to get your hands dirty.  It’s time to answer the call of manhood.  It’s time to wear the pants.”

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

December 11, 2009

Music: From My Front Porch Looking In

By God's Design

Proverbs 31:10-31

 ¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

 ¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

 ¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 ¹³She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

 ¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

 ¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

 ¹⁶She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

 ¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

 ¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

 ¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

 ²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

 ²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

 ²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

 ²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

 ²⁴She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

 ²⁵Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

 ²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

 ²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

 ²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

 ²⁹Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

 ³⁰Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

 ³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

March 6, 2009

Television Shows & Movies - Just My Opinions

This is simply more of a journal entry of my personal thoughts and opinions on particular television shows and movies.  As I learn more and grow more in the Lord, perhaps my opinions will change and this page will read differently. 

* Beatrix Potter, The World of Peter Rabbit & Friends Video Series - on video only- These are the Beatrix Potter books that have been animated.  They are produced by Good Times Home Video.  The only way to find them online is to type in "Good Times Home Video Beatrix Potter" and you will get links to purchase off of Amazon, eBay, etc.

* Curious George - PBS - Although very silly, it is the adventures of a curious monkey.  It is mostly benign.  There are always the influences of women working out from underneath the authority of their husbands and fathers and I think constantly requires discussion and return to God's word for the biblical role of women.  Those characters are only occasional.

 

*, with parent preview and/or guidance How's It's Made - SCI - Generally these programs are kind of like a mini-field trip to see how things are made.  However, there are episodes that things from a non-biblical worldview like how the world will end, etc.    You can find info here:  http://science.discovery.com/tv/how-its-made/

* Little Bear - Nick, Jr. - I like this little show for the most part.  The earlier episodes are much better.  The family is established and the authority of the parent's is made known.  The father works and is not made out to be the family idiot.  The mother's clothing is modest and she keeps her home.  The later episodes contain more of the stories of the forest goblins.  I could live without these but none of them are frightening or scary.

* Mr. Rogers - PBS - Overall, this is fairly benign.  The children are entertained a bit and they learn a bit.  I have found that there are some episodes that I prefer that my children not watch, or at least not without me viewing the program with them.  One example would be the episode on divorce. 

x Super Why - PBS - I do not care for this program.  The children have all the answers to solve all the problems that they come into contact with.  They often determine themselves successful because of tokens that provide luck.  There are no parents and rarely any form of authority.  Authority figures are shown as the tooth fairy who wants everyone to be like her, she performs, sings, dances and winks at the crowd....

~~~~~~~~~~~

* 

x  

If God is so powerful & good, why do bad things happen?

A Living Sanctuary

"To what aspect of my person am I drawing attention to and is that honoring to Christ?"

                                                   ~~Dr. Voddie Baucham

 

I recently heard Dr. Bauchman speak the above words.  He suggested asking ourselves this question each morning as we are selecting our clothing.

And we should teach our daughters to ask themselves this question as well.

~~~~

All that we are...

All that we do...

Do we honor and glorify the Lord?

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Lord prepare me to ba sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

~~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

June 11, 2008

Music: Sanctuary

I was living inside the box.

*+*     This was actually part of the next post, which you will find below, but technical difficulties prevented me from adding anything to that posting. *+*  The article The Rise & Fall & Rise of Motherhood in America has been posted with the written permission of Vision Forum Ministries.

~~~

Once upon a time I would never have been in agreeance with the writings of Doug Phillips in the post below, The Rise & Fall & Rise of Motherhood in America.

I was living my life "doing good" and "being good" according to the world's standards and/or "the Christian standards".  I did not really realize that I was in complete control of my walk with the Lord as I meandered along doing what everyone else did.  In hindsight, the steps were clearly taken as I deemed them according to God's word.

Then, one day, the Lord stopped me and had me look around and question my motives, my actions and my thoughts.  I had to think "outside of the box" and I realized that I was living according to societal norms instead of according to God's perfect word. 

...please read on to through the next post:  The Rise & Fall & Rise of Motherhood in America...

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

The Rise & Fall & Rise of Motherhood in America

Only women can be mothers. Have we forgotten this fundamental? Only a woman can carry in her body an eternal being which bears the very image of God. Only she is the recipient of the miracle of life. Only a woman can conceive and nurture this life using her own flesh and blood, and then deliver a living soul into the world. God has bestowed upon her alone a genuine miracle — the creation of life, and the fusing of an eternal soul with mortal flesh. This fact alone establishes the glory of motherhood. Despite the most creative plans of humanist scientists and lawmakers to redefine the sexes, no man will ever conceive and give birth to a child. The fruitful womb is a holy gift given by God to women alone. This is one reason why the office of wife and mother is the highest calling to which a woman can aspire. This is the reason why nations that fear the Lord esteem and protect mothers. They glory in the distinctions between men and women, and attempt to build cultures in which motherhood is honored and protected. In his famous commentary on early American life, Democracy in America , Alexis de Tocqueville explained: Thus the Americans do not think that man and woman have either the duty or the right to perform the same offices, but they show an equal regard for both their respective parts; and though their lot is different, they consider both of them as beings of equal value. They do not give to the courage of woman the same form or the same direction as to that of man, but they never doubt her courage; and if they hold that man and his partner ought not always to exercise their intellect and understanding in the same manner, they at least believe the understanding of the one to be as sound as that of the other, and her intellect to be as clear. Thus, then, while they have allowed the social inferiority of woman to continue, they have done all they could to raise her morally and intellectually to the level of man; and in this respect they appear to me to have excellently understood the true principle of democratic improvement. De Tocqueville contrasted the American understanding of women, with European sentiments: There are people in Europe who, confounding together the different characteristics of the sexes, would make man and woman into beings not only equal but alike. They could give to both the same functions, impose on both the same duties, and grant to both the same rights; they would mix them in all things — their occupations, their pleasures, their business. It may readily be conceived that by thus attempting to make one sex equal to the other, both are degraded, and from so preposterous a medley of the works of nature nothing could ever result but weak men and disorderly women. The War on Motherhood America ’s glory was her women. de Tocqueville believed this when he wrote: As for myself, I do not hesitate to avow that although the women of the United States are confined within the narrow circle of domestic life, and their situation is in some respects one of extreme dependence, I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked, now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many important things done by the Americans, to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women. But this birthright would be exchanged during the last century for a mess of pottage. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the 20th century has been the war on motherhood and biblical patriarchy. Feminists, Marxists, and liberal theologians have made it their aim to target the institution of the family and divest it from its biblical structure and priorities. The results are androgyny, a radical decline in birthrate, abortion, fatherless families, and social confusion. Incredibly, the biggest story of the 20th century never made headline news [i]. Somehow we missed it. It was the mass exodus of women from the home, and the consequent decline of motherhood. For the first time in recorded history of the West, more mothers left their homes than stayed in them. By leaving the home, the experience and reality of childhood, family life and femininity were fundamentally redefined, and the results have been so bad that if this one trend is not reversed, our grandchildren may live in a world where the both the true culture of Christian family life and the historic definition of marriage are the stuff of fairy tales. Many “isms” have influenced these trends-evolutionism, feminism, statism, eugenicism, Marxism, and more. But in the end, the philosophical gap between the presuppositions of the Atheists, eugenicists, and Marxists of the early 20th century, and the presuppositions of the professing Church in the 21st century, have narrowed dramatically. The goals of the state and the goals of the mainstream church have so merged, that the biblical family with its emphasis on male headship, generational succession, and prolific motherhood are a threat to the social order of both institutions. Less than one hundred years ago, the architects of the atheistic communist Soviet state anticipated the death of the Christian family. They explained the need for destroying the Christian family with its emphasis on motherhood, and replacing it with a vision for a “new family.” Lenin wrote: Lenin We must now say proudly and without any exaggeration that part from Soviet Russia, there is not a country in the world where women enjoy full equality and where women are not placed in the humiliating position felt particularly in day-to-day family life. This is one of our first and most important tasks...Housework is the most unproductive, the most barbarous and the most arduous work a woman can do. It is exceptionally petty and does not include anything that would in any way promote the development of the woman...The building of socialism will begin only when we have achieved the complete equality of women and when we undertake the new work together with women who have been emancipated from that petty stultifying, unproductive work...We are setting up model institutions, dining-rooms and nurseries, that will emancipate women from housework...These institutions that liberate women from their position as household slaves are springing up where it is in any way possible...Our task is to make politics available to every working woman. In his 1920 International Working Women's Day Speech, Lenin emphasized: The chief thing is to get women to take part in socially productive labor, to liberate them from 'domestic slavery,' to free them from their stupefying [idiotic] and humiliating subjugation to the eternal drudgery of the kitchen and the nursery. This struggle will be a long one, and it demands a radical reconstruction, both of social technique and of morale. But it will end in the complete triumph of Communism. Lenin’s comrade Trotsky played a key role in communicating the Marxist vision of what he called the “new family.” Lenin and Trotsky believed in the overthrow of Christianity by destroying the biblical family. They sought to build a new state, free from historic Christian presuppositions concerning the family. This meant denigrating the biblical notion of male headship and hierarchy within the family. It meant eliminating any sense that there should be a division of labor between man and wife. This required delivering women from the burdens of childbirth and childcare. It meant adopting tools like birth control as guarantors that women could be free to remain in the workforce. Trotsky said this: Lenin’s comrade Trotsky Socialization of family housekeeping and public education of children are unthinkable without a marked improvement in our economics as a whole. We need more socialist economic forms. Only under such conditions can we free the family from the functions and cares that now oppress and disintegrate it. Washing must be done by a public laundry, catering by a public restaurant, sewing by a public workshop. Children must be educated by good public teachers who have a real vocation for the work. Then the bond between husband and wife would be freed from everything external and accidental, and the one would cease to absorb the life of the other. Genuine equality would at last be established... The most disturbing part of quotes like those above is how similar they sound in sentiment and spirit to voices today from individuals who claim to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ . Even more disturbing is how many of the anti-family social reforms are presuppositions of modern Christians in America . Presuppositions which have been fully accepted. How America’s Conscience Was Seared Toward Motherhood But motherhood is not easily defeated. It was here from the beginning and it has always carried the Church and civilization forward. Motherhood not only perpetuates civilization, it defines it. At first Jamestown was a bachelor society struggling for survival. But she became a civilization when the women arrived. Plymouth , on the other hand, began as a civilization-families of faith committed to fruitfulness and multiplication for the glory of God, an impossibility without motherhood. Motherhood is not easily defeated because God has placed reminders of its importance in the very bodies of the women He created. To defeat motherhood, the enemies of the biblical family must do more than make it a social inconvenience, they must teach women to despise themselves by viewing their own wombs as the enemy of self-fulfillment. This means minimizing the glorious gift of life which is only given to womankind. It means redefining what it means to be a woman. But even this is not enough. To defeat motherhood the enemies of the biblical family must sear the conscience of an entire generation of women. This is done through the doctrines of social emancipation from the home, sexual liberation, birth control, and abortion — all four of which cause a woman to war against her created nature. Instead of being the blessed guardian of domesticity for society, she is taught that contentment can only be found by acting, dressing, and competing with men. Instead of being an object of respect, protection, and virtue, she sells herself cheaply, thus devaluing her womanhood. Instead of glorying in a fruitful womb she cuts off the very seed of life. Sometimes she even kills the life. Years of playing the part of a man hardens a woman. It trains women to find identity in the corporation, not the home. It teaches them to be uncomfortable around children and large families---the mere presence of which is a reminder of the antithesis between God’s design for womankind and the norms of post-Christian societies. But women are not the only ones with seared consciences. Men have them too. Consider that fifty years ago a man would have winced to think of female soldiers heading into combat while stay-at-home dads are left behind changing diapers. Today’s man has a seared conscience. He no longer thinks of himself as a protector of motherhood, and a defender of womankind. He comforts himself by repeating the mantras of modern feminism, and by assuring himself of how reasonable and enlightened he is — how different he is from his intolerant and oppressive fathers. But in his heart, modern man knows that he has lost something. He has lost his manhood. To be a man, you must care about women. And you must care about them in the right way. You must care about them as creatures worthy of protection, honor, and love. This means genuinely appreciating them for their uniqueness as women. It means recognizing the preciousness of femininity over glamour, of homemaking over careerism, and of mature motherhood over perpetual youth. But when women are reduced to soldiers, sexual objects, and social competitors, it is not merely the women who lose the identity given to them by the Creator, but the men as well. This is why the attack on motherhood has produced a nation of eunuchs---socially and spiritually impotent men who have little capacity to lead, let alone love women as God intended man to love woman—as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters. Motherhood Will Triumph There is an important reason why motherhood will not be defeated — The Church is her guardian. As long as she perseveres — and persevere she will — motherhood will prevail. The Church is the ultimate vanguard of that which is most precious and most holy. She holds the oracles of God which dare to proclaim to a selfish, self-centered nation: “Children are a blessing and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” Psalm 127:3. The Church stands at the very gates of the city, willing to receive the railing complaints of feminists, atheists, and the legions arrayed against the biblical family, and she reminds the people of God: “Let the older women teach the young to love their children, to guide the homes.” Titus 2:3-5. It is this very love of the life of children, this passion for femininity and motherhood which may be God’s instrument of blessing on America in the days to come. As the birth rate continues to plummet, divorce rates rise, and family life in America dissipates to the point of extinction, life-loving families will not only have an important message to share, but thy will have an army of children to help them share it. The Question: Teacher: Susie what do you want to be when you grow up? Susie: I want to be a doctor. Teacher: How wonderful! And what about you Julie? Julie: I want to be a soldier. Teacher: How commendable! And what about you Hannah? Hannah: When I grow up I want to be a wife and mother! Teacher: [dead silence]... After years of society belittling the calling of motherhood, something wonderful is happening — something wonderfully counter-cultural! In the midst of the anti-life, anti-motherhood philosophies which pervade the culture, there is a new generation of young ladies emerging whose priorities are not determined by the world’s expectations of them. They have grown up in homes where fathers shepherd them, where children are not merely welcome, but where they are deeply loved. Some of these women have been home educated, which means that many of them have grown up around babies and their mothers. They have learned to see motherhood as a joy and a high calling, because their parents see it that way. And when asked about their future, these girls know their own minds. These are the future mothers of the Church. Young women who are not afraid to say that the goal of all of their education and training is to equip them to pursue the highest calling of womanhood, the office of wife and mother. The Cost of Motherhood Once a lady went to visit her friend. During the visit the children of the friend entered the room and began to play with each other. As the lady and her friend visited, the lady turned to her friend and said eagerly and yet with evidently no thought of the meaning of her words: “Oh, I’d give my life to have such children.” The mother replied with a subdued earnestness whose quiet told of the depth of experience out of which her words came: “That’s exactly what it costs.” There is a cost of motherhood. And the price is no small sum. And if you are not willing to pay this price, no amount of encouragement about the joys of motherhood will satisfy. But the price of motherhood is not fundamentally different from the price of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christian mothers see their duty as mothers flowing from their calling to Jesus Christ. And what is this cost? Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love. And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling. In other words, Motherhood requires vision. It requires living by faith and not by sight. These are some of the reasons why Motherhood is both the most biblically noble and the most socially unappreciated role to which a young woman can aspire. There are many people who ask the question: Does my life matter? But a mother that fears the Lord need never ask such a question. Upon her faithful obedience hinges the future of the church and the hope of the nation. In 1950, the great Scottish American preacher Peter Marshall stood before the United States Senate and he explained it this way: The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge — that of being a godly woman. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other kind of women — beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career woman, talented women, divorced women, but so seldom do we hear of a godly woman — or of a godly man either, for that matter. I believe women come nearer fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America . It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realm of morals to be old-fashioned than to be ultramodern. The world has enough women who know how to hold their cocktails, who have lost all their illusions and their faith. The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right that socially correct As we approach America ’s national Mother’s Day celebration, lets remember that we are fighting for the Lord, and it is He who prioritizes motherhood and home as the highest calling and domain of womanhood “that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:5. May the Lord fill our churches with faithful mothers. Persevero,        Doug Phillips President, The Vision Forum, Inc. [i]In his 2002 book Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News Bernard Goldberg wrote: They don’t report the really big story — arguably one of the biggest stories of our time — that is absence of mothers from American homes is without any historical precedent, and that millions upon millions of American children have been left, as Eberstadt puts it, “to fed for themselves — with dire consequences.” Pg. 166

Teach Them How

"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men."  ~~Bill Beattie

~~~

"17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."  ~~John 17:17

"1Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."  ~~Deuteronomy 6:1-9

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

May 6, 2008

Music:  Misc.

...busy...

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from assembling with the church.  We cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.  We cannot even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.

So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels.  Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"  "How shall we do this?" shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes! To occupy their minds," he answered.  "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.

Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"  Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.  Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."  "Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards.  Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so their husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. That will fragment those families quickly!"  "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week.  Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead."

Keep them busy, busy, busy!

And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.  Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.  It will work!  It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there.

I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme?  You be the judge! Does "busy" mean:

B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke?

Are we too BUSY?!

A most powerful sermon by Douglas Wilson:  you can order the tape from his church,
208-882-2034 and Fax:  208-882-1568 and because of its importance, you are permitted to copy and
distribute the tape.  Please take the time to listen and ponder his message...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

March 18, 2008

Music:  The Vigil

His Suit

I cannot get Logan to sit still for a photo!  He had surgery on Wednesday and is doing well.  For those of you that missed the first post on the old dog, you can go here.

The previous post showed the gown that Mother thought of and that I made.  It worked well and served its purpose.  However it confined him and basically made the dog bedridden since he couldn't walk in it.  It was made like a newborn gown where only his head stuck out.

The second "version" of his "ANTI-LICKING SYSTEM" was a 'one-sie' that I made by attaching two little girl's shirts shirt-tale to shirt-tale.  Of course I made other alterations by tapering and sewing neck holes shut and making tail holes and such.  It worked well but the mild but constant hemorrhage causes the garment to need a nice hot bleach water washing every day.  So...now you see the third "version". 

Here is Logan taking his morning nap in his new "duds".  He wakes from his night-time sleep (just barely) to go outside for 34 seconds, he has a nice big drink of water and a few scratches and then he retires for his morning nap.  :0)

Mr. Klause remembered a woman that we ran across years and years ago that had a Chinese Crested dog that was wearing boys clothes.  She had sewn a pair of shorts to a shirt and of course made necessary adjustments to fit.

So...off I went in search of size 4T little boy's clothes.  I tapered the shirt to fit and attached snaps so that I could snap the shirt to the shorts.  The previous 'one-sie' was cumbersome since the entire thing had to be detached from his collar and removed so that he could go outside to potty.  With this "suit", I can just unsnap his shorts and take them off!  This morning I will make a tail-hole for him by creating a large button hole in the shorts and four button holes around the neckline so that I can attach his collar to the shirt.  By attaching the shirt to the collar it will keep it from sliding down his chest AND it will prevent him from intentionally getting out of his "suit". 

A little snack before bed last night...

Of course if you happen to find  yourself in need of such clothing for your dog, just send me an email and I would be happy to make something for your pooch!  :0)

~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

March 14, 2008

Music:  How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

A Tremendous Problem - A Wonderful Solution

Old dog is sick.  Very sick. 

I give you detail as we have discovered a wonderful way to care for our dog...to prevent him from disturbing wounds.

He is experiencing blood loss due to external tumors and hemangiomas.  He has had these for over a year but have proven to be benign and have required minimal care.  Recently one of the tumors has enlarged and begun to hemorrhage.  He is severely anemic and unstable for surgery to remove one of the tumors that has had regular hemorrhage. 

We have to stop his continuous licking of the wound.  A common remedy is an Elizabethan collar (it looks like you have put an upside down lamp shade over your dog's head).  Logan is an Italian Greyhound.  Their body shape causes issues with most commercially made items.  Their necks are the same diameter as their heads making it possible for them to slip anything around their neck right over their head.  Their large chests and narrow torsos make bandaging and such nearly impossible.

We were told by the veterinarian that if he lost any more than about three tablespoons of blood that there was a significant chance that he would die in the night.  So....an intense brainstorming session began to try to come up with way to prevent blood loss.  Mother came up with a wonderful idea!

This is a gown for Logan.  The idea was to enclose him in a comfortable situation that would prevent him from licking the wound.  It is just like a gown for a newborn baby really.  I took two of my husband's undershirts and sewed them shirt-tale to shirt-tale.  Then I cut the neck out of the bottom of the "gown" so that we could just tie the ends shut but be able to open it quickly and/or easily to remove Logan from the gown.  We used strips of fabric to tie the gown to his collar.  We did not want for him to be able to get his paw into the neck hole and just pull down to wriggle out.  I cut off the sleeves of the t-shirt and sewed the area shut.  I also lined the gown with a very heavy t-shirt to absorb any blood that may have seeped from the wound.

All of the white fabric that appears to be a blanket over the top of him is actually the gown that he is enclosed within.  He has plenty of room to move around.  As you can see, he has his front legs fully extended out in front of him. 

I take him out of the gown/collar every couple of hours to go potty outside and get some water.  I can quickly and easily check his wound without even waking him by just untying the bottom of his gown.  We used one of the plastic tablecloths that has the soft batting on the underside as a layer of protection for the furniture.  He has a kennel but sleeping on the furniture is his preference; he is more comfortable there and rests much better.  The large tablecloth is turned plastic-side down and then a few layers of his blankets give padding and layers of absorption (if necessary). 

His condition is very critical and he will require continuous care for the next 7-10 days until we can see if the medication will lessen his anemic condition.  Even though Logan is just an old dog, he is a creation of our Heavenly Father.  It is good for the girls to help with Logan's care.  It is good for the things "on our schedule" to be set aside to care for Logan.  He might live for years to come or these could be his last days.  It is my prayer that God would be glorified, even through the life of an old dog.

"And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."  ~~Genesis 1:25

"22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  ~~Galatians 5:22-23

~~~~

If you ever happen to find yourself in need of a gown such as this for one of your family pets, just drop me an email and I will be happy to make one for you.  mrs_klause@yahoo.com

~~~~~

posted by Mrs. Klause

March 5, 2008

Music:  Magnify The Lord

The Young Ladies Klause

The girls were so very excited this morning.  They were going to see Daddy at his office!  This is such a treat for them.  :0)    We were even going to be treated to lunch out with Daddy but a last-minute meeting came up.  Maybe another time... 

Everyone gussied up to look their best.  As the wife and children of Mr. Klause, we represent him when we are out and about.  We are also representatives of the Lord. 

I once told a friend that it seemed a good 'rule of thumb' for dressing might be to look around at the beauty that God created. 

The deep red and orange in a sunset that seems to stream on forever...

the soft purple scalloped petals of an iris...

the long wavy dark green grass...

the absolutely amazing glassy turquoise of the rippling seas...

the soft butter-yellow wings of a butterfly...

powdery white snow covering the ground...

an endless field of pink tulips...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple...lovely...flowing...feminine...

I don't think it is just supposed to be for little girls...

posted by Mrs. Klause

What else can you monitor?

I have discovered a new use for my baby monitor!  Are there some radio programs via internet that you might like to listen to?  I like to listen to Dr. Stanley at www.intouch.org sometimes.  www.bbnradio.org has some wonderful music and programs.  However I cannot always be in my kitchen area (where the computer is at) to listen.  When the children are resting and I am sewing, the computer is too far from me to really turn up the volume.  Early, early in the morning when I am readying myself for the day in the master bathroom, I would enjoy hearing God's word... 

Here's how you do it.  Put one of your baby monitor transmitters up close to the speaker on your computer!  Adjust the volume so that it only comes out of one speaker.  The monitor receivers have clips on them so you can clip that to the collar of your dress or blouse and you can move about, even work in the yard, and listen to those messages or music that you never get to because you don't have time to sit in front of the computer!

Just a thought!  :0)   It is working wonderfully in the Klause House. 

P. S. Klause does rhyme with house.   ;0) 

posted by Mrs. Klause