Party Poopers

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Yep, that's us!

We didn't really have any super, exciting plans to ring in the new year. Just pizza and a movie. Mark even ordered a few slices of my absolute favorite pizza--pineapple! We rented Ratatouille and even let the kids stay up past their bedtime. Mullin tried to make it to midnight with Daddy, but I am told he fell asleep before 2008.

We did have a couple of "party" invitations from lovely family and friends, but what can I say, I guess we're fuddy duddies! A nice, quiet, relaxing evening is what we desired.

Plus, New Year's Eve is one of my least favorite holidays. The other is July 4th. I dislike them entirely for selfish reasons--I HATE staying up late, I HATE hearing fireworks go off late at night, and I HATE spending the next day exhausted from not getting a good night's sleep.

No, I didn't stay up until midnight. I believe I have only done that twice on New Year's Eve since I have been married. Once was to see the lighting of the 3 crosses at Bellevue Baptist Church in 1999 . I am glad I was there to witness that amazing sight, but it was a bit difficult with a 4 month old!! Oh my, and that was the time when everyone thought the entire world was going to lose electricity or something due to the date changing from 1999 to 2000. Mark and I made a few preparations but nothing major. I think I even filled the bathtub with water before we left that night. What funny memories!

Here we are having a smashing good time on New Year's Eve! Really it was fun. Good movie, good times.

7--The Perfect Number?

Pin It Now! Well, for me it's the perfect number to LOSE!!

I was pleasantly surprised with a few gift cards to a couple of clothing stores this Christmas!! My closet desperately needs an update, but unfortunately I have gone over my weight limit. :( I know by the world's standards, I would not fall in the overweight category or anything, but I don't feel good. I wish I could tell the extra fat cells to please visit my calves and bony knees or even my feet for goodness' sake! But they have a mind of their own,and for some reason they all like to settle in my middle. Yes, it is the ugly frog thing!!

So anyway, I have told myself that I cannot spend my gift cards until I have lost the 7 pounds. Yikes. What an incentive!! It is oatmeal for breakfast, fruit and nuts for lunch, and a portion-controlled dinner. So far I have done a very good job. I didn't get whip on my Venti Green Tea Frappucino yesterday, and I bought the Tear N Share M&M bag instead of the FAMILY size! Yea me! Well, ya gotta start somewhere.

Oh, my how am I going to resist all of those pretty Valentine candies already beginning to line the store shelves??

I will try and post Christmas pics soon. Been busy putting away all of the decorations. Only thing left is the Memory Tree for hubs to shove in the box. Oh, and the outside lights.

Misunderstood

Pin It Now! Well, it seems that one of my comments on this post has caused quite a stir.

Truly there was no jiggery-pokery here to incite a bloggy cat fight. It was purely written in a joking manner. Carrie is one of those real-life friends of mine who hopefully sensed the fact that I was for the most part, kidding. Of course I wanted to win--that is why I entered. If I didn't win, then it was my opinion that Carrie should have. I honestly thought her picture captured pure "Holiday Cheer" at its best. Also, one of my very best friends is a HUGE cat-lover, so I never meant ill will towards anyone or their cat.

Anonymous believes I need a slice of Humble Pie for my big head, so I offer my sincerest apology to Amber and to anyone else whom I have offended over my comment.

Worst Christmas Songs of All Time

Pin It Now! To view the 5 worst Christmas songs of all time go here. Enjoy!!!

Unbelieveable

Pin It Now! This is the kind of world we live in. I don't mind calling myself an alien at all.

Vote!!

Pin It Now! Okay, it is time to vote for the best Holiday Cheer photo!! I hope you all will take a moment and vote for me!!! Thanks. :)




Scroll down a couple of posts to see which photo I entered, then go and vote!

Baking With Mom

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Last Saturday my mom and I slaved in the kitchen from 7:30-4:30 to bring forth many, yummy, Christmas goodies! Here I am making our traditional Prize Sugar Cookies, and I am holding up 2 very sentimental cookie cutters--they used to be my grandma's. And the apron I am wearing was given to me by my mom after my grandma passed away over 2 years ago. This apron is also very special to me because my mom made it for her mother when she was about 14.
















Thanks, Mom for taking the time to bake with me. We really missed not having my sister or my sister-in-law there this year!
















While filling the kitchen with sweet smells, we listened to Christmas music and talked about everything, of course. It was a cloudy, rainy, yet very, refreshingly cool day!















Just a photo of some of the fruits of our labor. I actually sent this plate to work with my husband. The only treat not pictured was the amazing toffee my mom made--I wasn't about to share any of that!! In fact, I ate the last piece today! YUM, YUM!

Just a little reminder--vote for my Holiday Cheer picture tomorrow!!! (Only if you think it is the best one, of course.) I could really use the prize $!

Works For Me Wednesday: Clear Skin

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If I had my very own genie, I would wish for a beautiful, clear, olive complexion! Unfortunately I must have inherited my Norwegian ancestors' fair, slightly freckled skin. That, coupled with the off and on breakouts I have experienced since I was about 17 make for a not so lovely face. The Maybelline Cover Up Stick has been my companion for far too long!


I am one of those "use as many natural products as you can freaks", so I have definitely tried countless natural solutions to help clear up my skin. Many have helped a little, but not to my complete satisfaction. Just when I was about to throw up my arms in desperation and give up, I decided to beg my husband to buy me Proactiv for Valentine's Day last year. He did just that, and my life hasn't been the same! Seriously, I don't want to sound like a big cheese ball here, but this stuff has been a lifesaver. My skin looks and feels better than it has since I was two. I have been using it for 10 months now, and I am very pleased with the results. Forget cover up, I rarely even wear foundation anymore!


I could go on and on, but I will stop before I bore everyone to tears. I just thought I would share how this product has worked for me because surely I can't be the only 30-something struggling with breakouts. If only I could have had this as a teenager!!!!


For more insightful tips, visit Rocksinmydryer.

Christmas Past

Pin It Now! Christmas 2003--First Christmas to have a digital camera. Look at how tiny our Memory tree is!! Now our Memory tree is bursting full at 7 and 1/2 ft. Have I mentioned how much we adore ornaments?? I love gazing at the tree and soaking up all of the memories!

Larry the Cucumber's Christmas Countdown

Pin It Now! Well first of all, I guess there just aren't many Christmas bakers out there!! For me, the food, like decorating, presents, music, family get-togethers, etc. is all part of creating those wonderful, nostalgic feelings we love to experience at Christmas time! It is neat to hear how each unique family creates their own Christmas memories. Please feel free to add a recipe even though I will no longer have the Christmas Recipe Exchange at the top.

Now on to the real reason for this post: I recently posted about how we love to count down the days until Christmas starting on December 1st. I just found a new one--one the kids can do online. Go here to count down the days until Christmas with that wacky pickle (I mean cucumber) we have all come to love!

Christmas Recipe Exchange

Pin It Now! Scroll down to see new posts. I will leave this one at the top for a while.

It is almost Christmas baking time again!

Although spending countless hours in the kitchen isn't exactly my favorite thing to do, I absolutely love baking up lots of holiday goodies. There are a few favorites that stay on the menu no matter what, but I try to make a few new things, too. So, I am asking all of you to submit your very favorite Christmas recipe by either leaving it in my comments section or by using Mr. Linky at the end of this post. I am really looking forward to getting some new recipes to try, so don't let me down!!



Every Christmas, my siblings and I would look forward to decorating my mom's sugar cookie cut outs. I now know from experience that making these cookies is no easy task, but I am glad she put forth the effort year after year. It was a tradition passed down from her mom, and ever since I have been on my own, I have made these cookies every December as well. I even use the very same cookie cutters my grandmother used. Lots of great memories! Now my kids look forward to making these very same cookies.

Prize Sugar Cookies
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 cup butter
1 TBS vanilla
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 c. milk
4 c. all purpose flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 level tsp. baking soda, dissolved in a little water

Mix in large bowl, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and baking soda. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to large bowl, stirring thoroughly until all flour mixture is added. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, overnight is better. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake @ 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. ( I do not like mine very brown.) *When rolling out dough, you will need to add flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.*
Frost and decorate. Taste best with home made frosting, not store bought. We just use powdered sugar,butter, milk and vanilla.


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Several years ago a friend gave me a Christmas goodie bag filled with Oreo Cookie Balls. I was totally hooked just after one bite! They are so delicious, and I have made them every year since then. Everyone who tastes these delectable truffles just has to have the recipe--oh, and it's soooo easy! (The photo in upper left corner shows the Oreo Cookie Balls happily resting in a bowl of Christmas M&Ms) I bet Paula Deen's mouth would even say, "WOW!" to this recipe.

Oreo Cookie Balls
1 package regular oreo cookies, crushed
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. white bark candy coating, found in baking isle
chocolate jimmies, optional

Mix crushed cookies and softened cream cheese to form a stiff dough. Form into balls. With a fork, dip oreo balls into melted, white candy coating covering completely. Place on waxed paper and sprinkle with chocolate jimmies. Let dry at room temp.

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Another favorite I have enjoyed since I was a little girl! This is the best fudge ever!!


Fantasy Fudge
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 sticks butter
1 5 oz can evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)
1 package chocolate chips or 12 squares semi sweet baking chocolate chopped
1-1/2 cups marshmallow crème
1 tsp vanilla
1cup walnuts chopped if desired

Heat sugar, butter and evap. milk to full rolling boil in heavy saucepan on med. Heat, stirring constantly. Boil on med. Heat until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate and marshmallow crème until melted, stir in vanilla and walnuts.
Spread immediately in foil-lined 9 inch square pan. Cool at room temp. at least 4 hours, cut into squares. Store in airtight container. (Fudge can even be stored in freezer.)

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Now it is time for you to send me your yummy Christmas recipes. If you're not familiar with using Mr. Linky, here's how it works. Post your recipe on your own blog. After that click on the time at the end of your post to get the exact URL of your recipe post. Copy that URL by right clicking. Come back to my blog, type in your name and include the name of your recipe, then type your URL in the correct box by right clicking your mouse and choosing paste. Then press enter. That should do it! Thanks!! This feature will enable lots of folks to read and hopefully make your recipe!!

**Make sure you link back to my post :)

Works For Me Wednesday: The What Do I Fix? Edition

Pin It Now! So, what do I do when my cupboards are as bare as Old Mother Hubbard's?



Well actually this was me yesterday. 3:00 pm rolled around, and I opened my pantry door. Hmm, was about all I could manage to say. Smoked Vienna Sausage and Pork N Beans didn't sound too appetizing, so I went to the fridge, which was almost as bare as my cupboard. Well, I decided dinner would have to be the leftover box of chicken nuggets, frozen peas and butter noodles. That is until my thoughtful husband called and asked if it would be okay if he brought home Kentucky Fried Chicken. I am sure you can guess my answer!!



Well, I better get on with this b/c I have to go to the store in just a bit with all 3 kids! Yippee!




Just like Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer, Tomato Soup and grilled cheese are great stand- bys for me. I also make eggs and home made pancakes when the pickings are slim. My kids think that is a treat, anyway. If I have tortillas, cheese and salsa on hand, then making quick burritos will fill our tummies until I can get to the grocery store.



Head on over here to get more tips on what to fix when your in a pinch!

**I am looking for new Christmas recipes to make this month, so please stop by over here to participate in my Christmas Recipe Exchange. Thanks!!

Is That a FREE Candle I Smell?

Pin It Now! Heather is having her monthly candle drawing again!!



The winner will be able to choose one of these wonderful scents!








HOT CINNAMON ROLLS ~ Warming aroma of gooey iced cinnamon rolls.
WHITE RAIN ~ Pure, clean fragrance reminiscent of long-awaited morning rain.
WARM MAPLE SUGAR ~ Rich brown sugar swirled with delectable golden maple syrup and pure vanilla cream.
COOKIES FOR SANTA ~ Warm butter cream cookies iced with powdered sugar frosting and holiday sprinkles.
VANILLA SPICE ~ Exotic vanilla beans wrapped in fresh ground spices.
MOM'S APPLE PIE ~ Recipe of a variety of apples and cinnamon with a touch of nutmeg.

Go here to enter.

Dates

Pin It Now! Guys usually get a bad reputation for being a little slow in the date-remembering department, but not my guy. He remembers every important date having to do with "us".

I get so consumed with remembering the gazillion birthdays, appointment dates, special event dates, sport dates, and every other misc. date on the calendar, that I do tend to forget those special, romantic dates that happened forever ago. About a week ago, my dear husband blogged about one of those "dates". If you are curious and haven't already read about it, go here.

Thanks, Babe, for remembering stuff like that!

Gingerbread Cutouts

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My sister asked me for my gingerbread cookie recipe, so I decided to share with all of you.

Gingerbread Cutouts

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 tsp. each--ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vinegar

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

Red-hot candies

White icing if desired

*In a large saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and spices; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. Stir in eggs and vinegar. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into sugar mixture to form a soft dough. Chill for several hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2in. gingerbread man cookie cutter and place on greased baking sheets. Use red hots for eyes and buttons. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 min. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 6 dozen.

* I also like to use the tiny 1-1/2 in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Every year My kids and I like to make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and frosting. These little guys are the perfect size to use with these edible homes!

A couple of years ago we had a little gingerbread house-making party. Hard to see, but in one of those green bowls are a bunch of those tiny, homemade, gingerbread men. They are so cute!!

I hope they turn out for you, Brooke!

33 Christmas Shopping Days Left!

Pin It Now! I am almost certain that most of us will not be thinking about Christmas shopping tomorrow. I know I will be busy baking and preparing a few dishes to take to my Mom's house for a delicious Thanksgiving feast! Mmm, I can't wait.

Don't mean to take your thoughts from mouth-watering turkey, tangy cranberry sauce, and sweet pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream, back to the fact that there are only 33 shopping days left, but Black Friday is only 2 days away! How many of you plan on facing the endless sea of humanity? Wouldn't it just be easier to shop from the comfort and quiet of your own home? I think so!

Before you finish your on-line shopping, stop by CouponChief to get some great coupons. You can find coupons for almost every store imaginable! It's not just limited to coupons, though. The site gives you a heads up on great deals offered by different stores. These tips can help save you money!!

Besides Christmas shopping, I need to finish buying my daughter winter clothes, and I could definitely use a $5.00 coupon to Target! They really do have some cute, affordable toddler clothes. Books always make great Christmas gifts, and our family can never have enough of those! Check out Barnes and Noble for some great deals. I was just at that store and saw so many books I would love to own. I thought about buying my husband a Paula Deen cookbook, since he is totally hooked on her show!

So remember, after enjoying a satisfying Thanksgiving feast, sleep in the next day and finish your Christmas shopping on-line, but not before arming yourself with coupons

Works For Me Wednesday: Movie Review Site

Pin It Now! If you guys are like me, then you want to know what's in a movie before you see it. I don't want to pay $ for a movie and have to walk out of the theater, or rent one only to have to stop watching half way through due to inappropriate viewing material.

Screen It is a site that reviews movies in great detail. This is a free service. You do have the option of joining for a price, so if you don't want to just scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the "No Thanks" button. After that you are ready to start "screening" movies.

I have tried to use Christian sites in the past for this, like Focus on the Family, but I always felt that the reviews were not detailed enough for me, or that the reviewer gave too many opinions instead of just sticking to the facts.

Screen It has definitely worked for our family! If you know of any more sites out there like this one, please pass it on!

For more tips visit Rocksinmydryer.

Want to Win $50.00?

Pin It Now! Mel in a Nutshell is giving away $50.00!! Here is what she has to say about her contest:



Yep, you read right! I am giving away $50 (USD). Why you ask? Well, this money is purely money ive earned doing paid posts & in order to get more paid posts i need to increase my google page rank. So in an effort to do that im puting a competiton on here - got to spend money to make money right?First off let me say that you absolutly have to have a pay pal account to enter this comp, payment will ONLY be made via pay pal. You also need to have a blog - but thats it.So what do you have to do to enter? Two things - First write a short post linking to my main page http://www.melinanutshell.com/ including info on this competition. Then stick my cute little badge somewhere on your site, heres the code:

Happy Thanksgiving!

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"No matter what happens, always be thankful." 1 Thes. 5:18

While I am thankful all throughout the year, it is nice to have a holiday set aside specifically for focusing on all of God's blessings.

I like to do "holiday" research, so here are a few links if you would like to check them out.

The Pilgrims and America's First Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Story

The First Thanksgiving

1676 Thanksgiving Proclamation

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

My flesh loves to complain, but I know that I have so much to be thankful for.

As I have said in another post, I am so thankful for everything God has done for us in AZ.

I am thankful for my family's health and well-being.

I am thankful for my faithful and hard working husband.

I am thankful for our TN family and AZ family and CO family.

I am thankful that I can home school my kids.

I am thankful for a lot of the freedoms that I have.

I echo my 5 year old in saying that I am also and most thankful for Jesus dying on the cross for my sins.

The list could go on and on I have so much to be thankful for!

Works For Me Wednesday--Scripture Memory

Pin It Now! *Updated 10/20/10--This is a very old WFMW post, but I wanted to share it since this has been a favorite way for my kids to memorize scripture!

**Also, please take a moment to enter my FRESHhanger giveaway

Linked to Raising Homemakers

Sword Fighting has been such a blessing for me and my kids, so I thought I would share it with you all.




This is such a wonderful way of memorizing scripture--if only I would have thought of it sooner. I have always had trouble committing Bible verses to memory long term.

Following the suggestions in the book, I wrote the temptations on an index card. Then, I wrote the matching verses on swords, which I cut out in the shape of Sting, Frodo's sword. The boys really liked that!



Though, Shiloh isn't memorizing just yet, she enjoys handing out the temptations to the boys on Fridays. (We have already completed the entire book, so on Fridays we just do a review.)



The book contains 52 temptations and verses, so you memorize one a week. Each day you read a Bible story that corresponds to that particular temptation and verse. It really is a great way to teach kids how to specifically apply God's Word when dealing with temptation.



I love this way of learning Scripture so much that I plan on using this technique to write out more temptations and matching verses when I have the chance.

*If you do click on the above link, it will take you directly to Karyn Henley's site. She is the author of the book. You can just type in Sword Fighting in the search box on her site.

To read more great tips visit RocksinmyDryer.

From Bare to Beautiful

Pin It Now! If your garage looks anything like mine-plain, old, bare concrete with a few oil stains here and there, then you might want to consider installing garage flooring for an attractive, new look.

Diamond garage flooring is very popular and comes in some really snazzy colors and patterns, and for me, the fact that it contains no toxic chemicals or hazardous fumes is a huge plus!

Don't need new flooring? Well how about protecting the floor you already have by coating it with epoxy. Click link to go to site for detailed instructions on how to apply.

It is better to give than to receive, right? So, share your holiday cheer this season by giving gift certificates for all new garage flooring to all of your loved ones with cracked, stained, or bare cement garage floors.

Autumnfawn

Pin It Now! One of my friends has asked from where the name "Autumnfawn" comes.


So, here in this post I shall reveal its origin.



Once upon a time, there were 2 very best friends. One was tall and lean with dark, brown eyes, long, autumn-brown hair and a freckled nose. The other was short and petite with a silky, blond mane and watery, blue eyes.



On the outside, they both appeared to be your typical, model students. They were smart, responsible, and very well behaved. On the inside, though, they were really just silly, little, giggly high-school girls with wild and fanciful imaginations.

They shared so much in common, even their love of American Indian culture. Mostly, it was just an infatuation with the romanticized version of that time period in American History. They read lots of books, fiction and non-fiction alike, and imagined that one day dark, handsome Indian Braves would carry them off into the sunset upon beautiful, wild horses. They even learned how to speak a few Cheyenne words and went to local Pow-wows.

To make their vivid imaginations come even more alive, they decided to give themselves "Indian" names. The blond was given the name, Sky Dancer, because of her dancing, sky-blue eyes, and the other was given the name, Autumnfawn, because of the shape of her face, coloring, and freckles. Such fun times--they even began signing all of their notes to each other with these names. To make it even more fun, they gave their other friends and even all of their secret "crushes" Indian names, too. "Wounded Doe" was one of their sisters who always seemed to have some sort of ailment, "Flaming Hair" was a red-headed friend, and I believe "Tall Oak" was one of their secret "crushes", just to name a few.

Many years passed and Autumnfawn and Sky Dancer eventually went their seperate ways, but Autumnfawn kept her name in order to keep her cherished memories alive.

I Signed Up for PayPerPost!!!

Pin It Now! As a very busy, stay-at-home mom who home schools 3 children, rarely is there an opportunity for me to make any extra cash. As most of us stay-at-home moms know, living on one income can be quite strenuous at times. Over the years I have searched in vain for ways, that didn't require an insane amount of time, to bring in extra money. But, thankfully by reading other moms' blogs, I recently came across an advertisement for PayPerPost, a site that hires bloggers to advertise about various products and services.

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. Making money by blogging, doing something that I already loved to do, sounded too good to be true! But, after this particular mom who had advertised on her own site about PPP graciously answered a few of my questions, I felt confident that this opportunity was indeed, legit.

I excitedly told my husband about it, and he signed up first. In just a short amount of time, he has already made some "sweet moola", as he calls it. Neat thing is, there is absolutely no pressure. You can blog about what you want, when you want depending on the opportunities that are available to you.

I absolutely love the fact that there are no quotas to meet with PayPerPost! As a Creative Memories Consultant a few years ago, I felt so burdened by the required quarterly quota. The time that it required of me was also putting a huge burden on my growing family. While I am still enjoying Creative Memories a hobby, I no longer make a profit.

PayPerPost allows you to make money at your own convenience. I am so thrilled about finally finding something that fits into my schedule! I look forward to spending the extra cash on home school supplies, trendy clothes for myself, Christmas gifts, and more!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today and start writing your own blog reviews to earn some extra cash!

Four Guys You Wouldn't Mind Having as Sons-in-Law

Pin It Now! For the past few weeks I have been reading, studying and meditating on the book of Daniel. I have read about Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and
Abednego and their incredible testimonies many times, but I just felt God leading me to do so once again. He has me completely drawn in to the lives of these 4 handsome, intelligent young men.



From the very first day that I became a mom, I have been able to read Bible stories with a totally new perspective. My heart just sank when Daniel and the others were kidnapped from their homes and taken to the worldliest of worldly places, Babylon. For parents, the kidnapping of a child is one of the worst things that could happen!!! I am both amazed and impressed with the way these 4 boys handled being ripped away from the comfort and familiarity of their own homes to being plunged into such a pagan society. Even though God blessed them in many ways (Dan. 1:17), they still experienced many difficult trials and tribulations. Good grief, in modern times it seems like kids can't even go off to college without quickly succumbing to the pressures of this world.





Moms, could you just imagine how heartsick you would feel knowing that your child was about to be thrown into a fiery furnace, but yet how proud you would be, at the same time, knowing that he was willing to face a terribly painful death rather than forsake God and bow the knee to an idol.

How about knowing your son was about to be ripped apart by famished lions? The thought turns my stomach, yet Daniel had the courage to defy man's law and continue to pray to the one true God despite the horrific consequence.

I can't help but wonder what happened to the mothers of these boys. Were they kidnapped, too, and taken to Babylon? Were they killed? Were they left behind only to bear the burden of not knowing what was happening to their children? Did they ever get to see their sons again, or get to hear their incredible testimonies? Did they ever get to hear their sons thank them for raising them up in the fear and knowledge of God? Really, I have no idea what their moms were like, but I do know what kind of mom God wants me to be. One that soaks herself in the Word, one that prays without ceasing, and one that continually points her children to Christ.

I can only hope that my 3 children, when the last of the apron strings have been severed, when they have completely emerged from under the shelter of my wings and entered this cold, cruel, Godless world, that they will express the same kind of courage that Daniel and his friends expressed in the face of extreme hardship and severe suffering.