RECIPE BOOK WINNER and A SECOND CHANCE TO WIN!

We're back from our fun weekend of camping and fishing.  What a relaxing family time! I did make dinner Sunday night after we got home!  Whoot!

We had the Baked Pasta from page 55 of "70 Meals, one trip to the store."

1.  I added 1 pd hamburger to replace the spinach. (hubby's request)  I added 3 cans of tomato sauce instead of the tomato paste.

2. We like our pasta "SWEET" so I also added some glops of Ricotta Cheese all around the top of the filled casserole dishes BEFORE I topped the dish with the Mozzerella cheese.

3. I didn't add any Parmesan Cheese because the boys add it at the table...why waste it?

We all loved it...of course!  It's Baked Pasta, what's not to love?

Brian went out to the store to replenish some items and add some new ones to our pantry.  We grabbed some more bread, yogurt, (pop..shhh), some "snackys" for Brian's lunches.  The total was $46.15

For those keeping track, This brings our total grocery bill up to $317.38 so far. I'm hoping that by the end of the 4th week we will be under $600 for 4 full weeks worth of meals....Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner....for a family of Eight. (Most of them are Boys and Men!)

We are NOT eating out so we are going to save money right there...Add to that the falling grocery bill and I am hoping beyond hope that we will make our goal of being Debt Free (except our house) by July 2011.

I'll keep you posted!

Now what was that other thing I was going to write about?  

Oh! Who Won The Book?

Drumroll Please..................... 

The winner of the book is 

SISTER TIPSTER!!

Okay Sister! :o) If you could please use the "contact me" button at the top of the blog and send me your mailing address, I'll be happy to mail the book to you, pronto! :o)

Also, I will have Another
Book in my hands very soon.  

Be on the look-out for the next Book Giveaway!! 

If you didn't win this time, you have a second chance in a week or so!

OUR NEW MENU PROGRESS and A FREE BOOK!!

Alrighty, here is how we're doing on our menu plan so far. 

For the sake of space I will share that we eat yogurt, cereal and/or fruit for breakfast.
We eat sandwiches and veggie chips or veggies or fruit for lunch or Leftovers.
For snacks we eat veggies, fruit and/or a 1/2 sandwich.

Things of note:


1. The Grocery list does not include Parmesan Cheese, but you will need that for some of the recipes.  Buy more than one container of it, if your family likes to add more at the table.

2.  You'll notice that all of the dinners I make from the book are also accompanied by what I call "Fillers."  I either make pasta or rice to accompany a meal. That way we eat less of the more expensive meats and everyone is still quite satisfied.

3.  When preparing the chicken breasts, I cut them in half, "long-wise" so that I can use 2 breasts for One meal.  I then use a "meat hammer" (as my kids call it) to beat the snot out of the chicken. This spreads it out so that it fills a large casserole dish.

4. When a recipe calls for Tomato Paste and water I use one can of Tomato Sauce.  When it calls for just Tomato Paste, I use 1/2 can of Tomato Sauce.

Here are the Dinners we've eaten since getting The Book. 

Tuesday: Kitchen Sink Meatloaf on page 33

  

I haven't made meatloaf in forever.  Kole asked me what it was and I had to laugh.  I'm pretty sure that he's the only 6 year old who's never eaten meatloaf. LOL  Everyone devoured it. This is an absolute keeper.  It was gone in no time flat.  I've never put cheese in a meatloaf...so...that may have been the difference for my hubby.  It tasted like an Italian Meatloaf of sorts and will definitely be coming back to our table very soon.  I served it with white rice and tea.

Wednesday:  Chicken Parmesan over Pasta from page 16 of the cookbook

*I cut two large chicken breasts in half...meaning I thinned it out and made 4 fillets out of the two.  This meal fed our entire family. I liked it very much, as did Brian.  The kids ate it up like a house aflame. Very good and a keeper!




Thursday: Homemade Pizza from Page 50 

This was so easy to make.  The dough was a cinch, as was the sauce.  I used a large casserole dish to make the pizza.  It was deep and about 12"x8"  The dough is thick iand I had to use a lot of vegetable oil in the dish to get the dough spread easily.  Be sure to grease the sides of the dish too.

There is a LOT of sauce to put on this pizza.  I thought it was going to be way too much but as it cooked, the dough soaked it up a bit and it turned out just so yummy. It is a Deep Dish, Saucy pizza.

Everyone raved about it.  Even my guys who hate tomatoes ate the thing.  They just picked off the Diced Tomatoes and really enjoyed the taste they leave behind.

This is a definite keeper!
 
Friday: Pecan Crusted Chicken

This one sounds intimidating but it's very easy to make.  It calls for 1/3 cup butter in the list but does not use the butter in the preparation instructions.  I skipped the butter and it turned out very fine and without as much fat. :o) 

It tasted good but wasn't a huge hit with the kids.  There is just something about honey on chicken that makes me cringe a bit.  It was a bit too sweet for my taste, but I'm glad we tried it.  Everyone still got filled up. It was definitely eatable, but not repeatable for our family.

-------------

My husband really enjoyed the first three recipes.  Our finicky 13 year old enjoyed meals two and three.  I'm amazed because they are the biggest critics in the house. They have both resorted to making their own meals in the past, when dinner was not to their liking.  

This weekend is a fishing/camping trip for some of our family so I'm not sure I'll keep up with the full out dinners this weekend.  Smores and hot dogs may be in our future. :o)

I plan to resume full force on Monday.  I'll be back soon to give updates on our dinners.

Would anyone be interested in a Free "70 Meals One Trip To The Store" Book? 

If so, this is your chance to get one!!

Be sure to comment on this blog post and Keep watching! I'll draw ONE random name from the commentators on this post here.  Facebookers, please head over to my blog to comment.

I'll announce the winner on Monday!

Have a great weekend!

BLOGGING PERKS AND OUR FAMILY GROCERY MENU

There have been a few times, throughout the years of my blogging, that I have been offered free products, by various people (and sometimes companies), so that I could try the product and give my opinion about it on my little blog here.  It does surprise me when I get an email asking me to try this or that because, for the most part, I forget that people actually do read the words that I place here in the cyber world.

The reality is that, first and foremost, this blog is for my children.  I log our memories here so that I can have them bound into a hard cover book when I have enough memories to warrant a new one.  So far, we have 2 Mom with Brownies books in our possession and I hope to make many more as time passes.  This is our scrapbook...but I digress...

Regarding emails about free products; More often than not, I delete the email because this blog is more about logging memories for my children and less about trying out new products. The other issue I have with blogging about items that are sent to me, is that I worry I won't like the item.  If I don't like the item I would then have to send it back to the person, or company, and that would be one big waste of my time. So...I don't usually blog about free items...

However, I was recently sent an email from a woman who has made a book called "70 meals, One trip to the store."  Now THAT intrigued me.  I have been trying to get a grocery and menu plan together for this family for many years.  At times I feel as though I've gotten our ducks in a row and at others I feel that I'm totally failing in this venture.  I decided to answer the email and agreed to take the 70 Meals Challenge.  I have agreed to try her plan to see if it is the ticket to curing my dinner planning woes.

I joined her website, entered her contest to win free smart ingredients and "liked" her page on Facebook.  I will blog about our experience with the book as time goes by.

Yesterday, Kazz, Becca and Kole went to the store to buy the groceries.  Yes, I sent 3 of our children to the store with the list.  The semi-annual and weekly grocery lists are spelled out well in the book so I just typed it up, and DOUBLED THE AMOUNTS...because we have 8 people in our family and the recipes are for families of four.  I also added foods for breakfast and lunch for our family.  We eat cereals, yogurt, fruits and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch...for the most part.


The first task went off without a hitch.  I handed them $300.00 and asked Kazz to cover any overage with his own cash if need-be; and Off They Went.

As you can see by the pictures they had 3 baskets full of groceries BUT, to my sweet, sweet surprise, they only spent a grand total of $271.23 between Save-A-Lot and our local market with $196.23 of that spent at Save-A-Lot.

I will try very hard to log what we eat for the next month and what I have to buy to create more meals as supplies dwindle.  Hopefully this helps us get a grip on our grocery spending, stop eating out for quick meals and begin saving money! :o) 

Last night, we ate the yummy Kitchen sink meatloaf recipe, white rice and fruit.  I have decided to make white rice with most of our meals as a filler.  I've also toyed with the idea of brown rice, but decided against it as I'm making meals that are nutritionally sound and the rice is meant to fill the void if a recipe is not very filling.

This morning the kids had yogurt and fruit for breakfast and we had Bologna sandwiches and veggie chips for lunch.

Tonight is our eldest son's 18th birthday so we will eat out and have a family night tonight.

That's the beginning!  Snacks are cereals and fruits and veggies, by the way...and the odd 1/2 PB&J sandwich.

The recipes in this book don't have crazy ingredients that would break our budget.  I took a quick peek at the recipes and quickly discovered that they are mostly the time-proven, All-American meals that most everyone would enjoy. I recognize and use almost every item on the recipe lists.

I have high hopes for this plan.  If it saves us money too, I'm going to be one happy camper!

I have $28.77 to spend for the next two weeks.  We'll see if that holds.  We usually spend over $600 for groceries, which really chaps my hide, because I used to have that bill down to under $400 for the month...but that was before the boys grew and our family increased by one more...and a fiancee.  :o)  I will be happy as a lark to feed our crew for anywhere near $600.00 per month.  We'll see how it goes. 


I'll be posting updates as the days pass.  I am so very hopeful that this little plan will be just what I need to finally answer the question, What's for dinner AND save us money!!

Wish us luck!

MY BROTHER'S NEW KENTUCKY HOME

Our family loaded into our 15 passenger van and took off for Kentucky last week.  My niece, Keisha, turned Sweet-16 and we were invited to the Luau!

My Brother and Sister (in-law) recently bought a new home-on-the-hill and we couldn't wait to go see their new digs.


The scenery to behold on the drive to their home was nothing short of breathtaking.  I couldn't snap pictures quickly enough to do the views justice, but I was able to grab a few sites as we zipped by.

We arrived just in time to catch my nephew Ryker wide awake.  He was waiting up for his Aunt Shelly to arrive.  He just couldn't shut his little eyes before he said, Hello and I love you.  (tee hee)   Oh My Gosh!  What a cutie-butt! He just grabbed my face and kissy-kissy-pull-hair-kissy-kissied till the cows came home.  I couldn't get enough of my little 8 month old baby boy.






The next day, Keisha's party gals arrived for the weekend sleepover-luau.  Their new home was full of family and friends for days on end. 

All the kids had a ball running around the hill, swimming, shewing away cows and swinging on the porch swing.  I got a kick out of swatting bumble-bees with a tennis racket.

My awesome sister (in-law) (I don't like to say "in-law" cause she's my one and only sister soooo... that's why the parenthesis...I thought about just saying sister on the blog but then you all would have thought my brother married my sister and well...the Kentucky jokes would fly now wouldn't they) LOL


Anyway, My awesome sister (in-law) hung out with me and chatted and let me nap and sleep and relax so that our weekend vacation was actually a relaxing event.  Our boys didn't have time to be bored since there were acres to play on, a pool to swim in and a large house to navigate.  The dogs and cows kept them so busy that I barely saw any of them while we were there.  Thank you LeAnn for the relaxing weekend!

(I want one of those fake out-houses! Those are fake boots under the door! LOL) 

Zachary, my brother, your talented Tile Laying Magic is amazing!  I could NOT believe how awesome your floors looked! No wonder people pay you the big bucks to lay their tile.  You're an artist, my brother. :o)

Anyway, Keisha turned 16 and had an awesome party.  Shayla is taller than Keisha now and looking like a runway model.  I just can't believe how tall they all are these days!

My parents came over to grab a few fruit smoothies and we all got to take some time out to play with our family. 

There's just nothing like family to lower the blood pressure and fresh, Kentucky, country air to breathe a little life back into these weary, city bones of mine.

But all good things must come to an end.  I got to hug Keisha, Shayla, Brooklyn, Caleb and Ryker...I got to hang out with them, party with them and laugh with them...and sometimes AT them.

Our boys also got laughed at quite a bit. LOL

It was a good weekend but as pretty as the country view can be....It only took one look at Detroit, as we rolled up the highway, to put a smile on my face and prompt a photo shoot from our vehicle. 

Yes, it was good to see my old Kentucky home, with it's lightning bugs and rolling hills but the City does call to me.  

She lights up brighter and rolls a little longer in these eyes.

You know what?  I think it's perfectly, alright to love Bluegrass, MoTown and Rock City all at one time.  We only live once; Might as well appreciate it all.

HELLO GENTLEMEN

Wednesdays are "Homeschool Park Day" in our neck of the woods.  Each Wednesday a group of area homeschoolers gather together to play, run and roam the local park while mom's chat and relax in the nice, Summer breeze.

Today was no exception.

I gathered Kole, Daxx and "Chickadee," our foster daughter, into our 1 ton family van.  We began to roll down the road when it became quite apparent that we were all very hungry, so I decided to drive over to our favorite Little Caesars to grab a Hot N Ready pizza....as usual.

I was driving along, when I looked back, through the rear view mirror.  I couldn't help but notice that my little babies are just not babies any more.  They were sitting, quietly, right beside one another, chatting and getting along as if they were happy as larks to just hang out together.

I drank in the serenity and decided that this would be a good day for Kole and Daxx to go inside to get the pizza and pop by themselves.

Yes, today they are men.

I gave Kole 10 bucks, explained that he will do the talking...because he talks best and can be understood...and Daxx will grab the 2 liter of cola while Kole orders the pizza and pays the man.

As I sat in our van, right outside the store window...just in case help were needed....I couldn't help but sneek a little picture of their very first grown-up action taking place.

If you squint really hard you will see Kole and Daxx standing in front of the counter chatting with the owner.

They were all smiles when they emerged from the Pizza Parlor with their pizza box and 2 liter of Mt. Dew.

I asked them how it went.

Kole: "The man said, 'Hello Gentlemen.' "
Daxx: "And he gave us Animal Cookies!" 

Yes, today our little 6 1/2 year old gentlemen navigated the adult world on their own. :o)  It was a good day.

NEVER FLOAT

I, listening to ABBA, dive into memory. Our first, born six weeks early, my desire to make him strong,

Our sons laughing, splashing down the water slide, our foster daughter, asking to change her swimsuit,

Time, swishing by;

They, untying family, adopted children, unknitting hearts, patchworking normalcy, bonds,

Mesh, city-folk, let go of frivolous, Feel the beat, vibrating, bouncing from the black man's car;

Swish, swish;

Hope, pray, abhor the small towns; watch my boys, my hope of a daughter, watch them closely; Do not become oil,

Immerse in truth, NEVER only tolerated, only floating, never accepted; Boys, my daughter, watch, look, listen,

Swish, swishing time;

Realize difference; kindness or pity; generosity or obligation; Detect and define

Will they find the soul that God made for them; Family, real family, one to cleave.... All others fade.

Time, it swishes;

They take, we keep, they spend, we remember; Pour into souls, emotion, experience.

Swishes on by;

City, take us. Immerse children. Immerse! We cannot float. We will not float. Nevermore

No Time, No time to waste

Shelly Rae

HOMESCHOOL ICE CREAM SOCIAL/BBQ/FIELD DAY

Well It's June and that can only mean one thing....well...it can mean many things but for this post is can only mean one thing...and THAT'S the 5th Annual Homeschool Ice Cream Social!

This is the time of year when the kids from the Homeschooling World in our neck of the woods gather together to make a 40 Foot Ice Cream Sundae/Banana Split, Hop on the Bounce House and Play Games. 

The Ice Cream Sundae idea originated with my father.  He used to plan an event much like this for the kids in our church.  (I'm the curly headed kid with the striped shirt.)

I remember it to this day....and that's why I plan it for our boys and the Homeschool group I founded.  

 

This year, even the teens got in on the action, riding tricycles and running around the obstacle course.  

 
It is a lot of work to put together and I have to thank my WONDERFUL Husband.  He's my backbone through all of the orchestrated chaos.



A HUGE thank you goes out to all of the Homeschooling Parents in our group for bringing supplies and running the games.  This could not be done as efficiently and run as smoothly without all of their help.
 
This is the last year that Kazz will be a "child" for the event.  He turns 18 next month.  *sob*

It gives me a little tear to see the picture of him and his crew.  I was surprised to see that our Brise is the tallest of the bunch and that doesn't make me feel any better.  They've all grown so much.  

But, that's why we do these things, I suppose.  These memories last a life-time and hopefully our kids will do the same thing for our grand-children in the future.




We counted over 150 in attendance.  It was a beautiful, breezy day and couldn't have gone any better. 




My favorite part of the day was playing catch with my boys.  They all have quite an arm and gave me a run for my money in the catching department.  I think it may be time to start that ball team people are always accusing Brian and me of having. :o)  


There's just nothing quite like the feel of a stinging fast ball hitting my 25 year old ball glove, delivered by my boy.  Nope. Nothing like it at all.

Saturday was a good day....a really good day.

WE'RE REBELS

I turned Forty.  *sigh*  Yep, I turned the big 4-0.  I have been saying that I'm 40 since my 39th birthday....just to get used to the idea.  Once it actually got here, I sort of stopped saying it.  It's just not the same when it's true.

I've never been one to have a big birthday celebration or ask for big gifts for my birthday.  I just don't have much interest in yahooing around once a year just because I was born on that day.  This year, however, my husband thought it was time to change that situation.  He planned a party at a local Bistro.  He called some of our closest friends and to my amazement, they showed up to support me on my big day!

I didn't know about the party at first, but Brian let the cat out of the bag sooner rather than later.  I guess he had to because he was bringing the balloons to the event and I, of course, would be riding with him! LOL

We, and our friends, met up at a local Bistro where we Feather Bowled, ate, hung out and chatted until the Bistro closed.  I had a great time and am starting to think that this should be a yearly event! 

I sort of like having a big birthday party.  I especially like the Broadway Tickets to 6 Broadway shows that my hubby bought for me!

I wonder how many years in a row I can cajole my buddies into coming out to celebrate? All I know for sure is, I've missed out on a lot of fun and plan to make up for it in spades!  Next year we're totally going to Vegas you guys! (...or maybe we'll have a BBQ) 

HI MOM!

I haven't been blogging as much as I used to.  It's really a shame, because many of our family memories are held within this blog. I've even had a hard-cover book made of "half" of this blog.  It serves as a family scrapbook and has been a joyful read.

The kids crack up at their pictures and our son, Vinze, has dubbed it his favorite book in the world.

My mother, who lives in Kentucky, has commented a few times that she misses the family blog.  This used to be the place she would surf to find out how we are doing and see how the kids have grown.  I've slacked off long enough I suppose.

I've decided to pick blogging back up, full force.  I hope to add memories and pictures and rants, on a regular basis.  I hope my mom and dad love getting to see what's going on with our family.  I hope Blogger keeps on being free so I can continue to print books to keep as family treasures. I hope my 15 minute a day, self imposed limit, to free myself of Facebook holds out!  Facebook keeps me from blogging!

I hope my mom is reading this because I've written this post to say, Look-out, Mom!  I'm back! :o)

American Idol

You Died, serving our Country.

Thank You.

You carried him/her from the field, from the ocean, from the water, from the road.

Thank You.

You made them ready to come home.

Thank You.

You flew with them, drove with them, sailed with them, home.

Thank You.

You gave us your child.

Thank You.

You gave us your parent.

Thank You.

You gave us your husband, your wife, your sister, your brother, your blood.

Thank you....

is not enough, for the 

True American Idols.

(Shelly R. Mabe 2010)

2010 MICHIGAN HOMESCHOOL PROM CRUISE

April 30th marked the 2nd Annual Michigan Homeschool Prom.  It was held, once again, aboard the Elegant Detroit Princess in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.








The Detroit Princess is a beautiful, 5 story riverboat with chandeliers and stunning views; Located between COBO Hall and the GM Renaissance Center. 

The Ship is enclosed, heated and air conditioned. What more could we ask for?
 How about a 2 1/2 hour Cruise DURING our 6 hour prom!  Oh Yes!  Truth it be!

This is the second year that I've planned and organized the Michigan Homeschool Prom.
It's been a joy to work with the ship and watch the kids have a ball dancing and hanging out with old friends and New Acquaintances. 

 Our sons, Kazz and Brise, have attended with their friends both years.  Brise is still a bit young to go, but he helps decorate so he gets to enjoy the party too.

Brise (age 13)

Kazz and Becca

 Becca

Last year, Kazz danced his hiney off with his girlfriend, Becca.  This year, he danced his hiney off with his fiance, Becca. :o)   Brise didn't feel comfortable dancing last year, so he didn't. However with a year of maturity, some prodding from big brother, Kazz, and help from the DJ, who taught the kids to dance, before letting the music rule the evening, he got out there and shook his groove thing some this year. 

Jade

The Masquerade Theme was a hit. 

The evening was a beautiful 80 degrees and breezy.

Brian and I are so thankful to have such wonderful friends who worked their tails off as Chaperons. 

I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
(Not Pictured: Randy & Ellen, Rita J., Jeannine G., Andre)

If you live in Michigan, The USA or Canada and feel like attending next year, feel free to join the Facebook Group to follow updates for the 2011 Homeschool Prom Cruise!  (Click Here)

Hope To See You There!

My Parents

Our Friends: Joel & Stacy

Our Friends: Keith & Jen

Our Friends: Dan & Dawn

FACEBOOK SUCKS

In 2008 I joined Facebook and now....my world is one big computerized mess!

Oh sure, it started out easy enough. I friended all of my real life friends. I recruited a bunch of my buddies to join the madness. We played games, took quizzes, commented about how the quizzes were pathetic, had spelling errors and were an utter waste of time....but kept taking them anyway just to pass the time away until the wee hours of the morning.

That craziness wore off just in time to find friends from my old high school, my last high school, my grade school, my clubs, my churches, my parent's friends, my kids, my kids buddies, my kids buddies parents, my family, friend's of family, my past work associates, my college professors, my buddy from my radio DJ days, and various blasts from the past that I still can't quite put my finger on...but I know I just HAVE to know them from somewhere.

So it was that I was friending here, friended there, friending, friended everywhere. It was a hoot.

Weeks turn into days, days into months and months into present day. At any given moment I can get caught up on my old friends' lives, find out more that I care to know about new acquaintances, check out everyone's photos and give the thumbs up whenever the mood strikes, for any reason, for any random event.

All of that is well and good...but...in the process of all this catching up...I found out that an old...OLD...flame got married, divorced, and weird. I found out that some of my weirder friends turned out pretty normal. I found out that some of my goody-two-shoe friends got their freak on and others...put on Jesus...and I just keep reading more and more about people from my past. Sounds great, right?

It would seem that way, but something funky has happened. All of the sudden...about 6 months ago....the excitement of Facebook...wore off!

For a while now, I've gone on there to check out pictures, make sure that everyone is fine, post a few blurbs on my status and try to get off of there as soon as I can.  I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew that Facebook...somehow...kind-of ruined something for me. 

Something just hasn't felt "right." I have been going about my day all bummed and out of sorts. I couldn't put my finger on it for so many months...but today, I think I figured it out!

The mystery is gone.

I no longer have fun memories to carry me away when I'm stressed out or need a break from the reality I have going on here at home! Why?

Well...

That old flame from teenage past no longer flits through my mind as a fun, little, youthful romantic memory. He's sitting right in front of me on the screen all old and taking up space in my "real" world. That's not youthful OR fun.

My childhood buddy who used to ride through the muddy, water filled ditches with me on bicycles as a kid is now a Democrat....and she's equally annoyed to find out that I'm not.

My spunky friend who was always laughing and showing the world what was what...now argues with her mother, hates work and wishes she could quit her job.

Facebook! You Stupid, Stupid thing! You sucked the fun, quirky, never to be found out mysteries of my youth right out of my life! All of my warm, fuzzy, breezy memories that swept away my stress in times of angst are now replaced with reality. What a stupid, stupid thing!!!

Reality sucks. Reality really is just boring, real life, no fun, darn daily life. And sure...we're blessed and happy and life is truly special...and it's all good for the most part...but OLD memories...those warm, special, only I get to return to those days moments are now gone! :o(

I used to return to childhood at any given point in my day and smile. I used to feel the rain on my face, the mud splashing up my back from my bicycle tire and the water swishing by my legs as I peddle through the ditches. Now...I think of politics and my friend, the democrat.

I, at the very least, enjoyed pretending that those spunky people from my past somehow kept that spark of youth, that uncontrolled love for life and were able to side-step the hum-drum daily yolk of the world.

But no...today my memories are displayed before me in all their glory. All real and ordinary and true. Nothing for the fantasy, wispy dream world of yesteryear. It's all here, all real and all gone.

Thanks Facebook.


---------------

hmmm...

I wonder if my best friend from the First Church of God has a Facebook page yet? When I was 11 years old, I would spend summer days at her house. She had a pool in her backyard and we used to eat peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches on the porch and prank call Joey Darling. Man, those were the days... Oh Wait!

THE WHOLE RELIGION THING

Here is Catholic/Protestant Post Number Five! 
:o)

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this written.  Life is hopping over here at our home.  Things...they are a changin'. 

-------

As most of you know by now, I am a Bible Belt Protestant who has been trying to understand "the other" Christians for well over a year now.

I began these posts in an attempt to figure out my good friend's religious beliefs because I was intrigued and frankly, didn't understand how anyone could actually be Catholic if they have read the same Bible that I read.

Well, God has a sense of humor, now doesn't He.  He decided to show me just how little I actually know about Catholicism. My "knowledge" consisted of half truths, complete misunderstandings and total falsehoods. 

God surrounded me and my family with wonderful friends who are faithful, practicing Catholics.  They have learned a lot about what Protestants believe....and why.  And, I have learned a lot about what Catholics believe....and why. There has been a beautiful, mutual respect that is felt deeply. I am so happy about that.

And guess what!  NONE of my Catholic friends have ever paid a Priest off so they could have their sins forgiven.  wellll...who knew! LOL

Of course I jest, but the sad truth is that some Protestants believe this kind of thing when the reality is that practicing Catholics are focused on Jesus and have a very sincere desire to do His will.  THAT is something I did not know.  I "thought" they worshiped Mary.  I "thought" they had to talk to her to get to Jesus and.... I have to say ... I was amazed to find out that Catholics actually PRAY to JESUS for forgiveness!  Gasp...

Imagine my surprise when I found out that not one of my Catholics friends live like the devil during the week and then go to Church on Sunday just to check in with their Priest so they can go out and live a life of sin again for the next 6 days.  Sadly...I held that view for a time too.

Yes, I was Pharisee material my friends...with a Capital "P."  I had a funky idea of what Catholics believe, I thought I had it all figured out and God had a very interesting way of changing my view of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thank you Jesus.

Not only have I found that Catholicism is based on the Bible, I found that much of what I believe as a Bible Belt Protestant is also actually taught in Catholicism...but "worded" differently.  My understanding has grown, my Faith has grown and friendships have deepened through these interesting conversations.  


To my Protestant and Catholic Friends: If you feel led to say something, please read the other 4....longgggg posts before inquiring about certain things regarding either religion because I've touched on and answered many common concerns and questions about both religions. I'm hoping I don't have to "re-visit" old topics so I can concentrate on new concerns and/or excitement.  I LOVE to look for the answer to direct questions.  All respectful comments and questions are enjoyed and we have nothing to lose by asking!  Bring them on. :o)  This is how all of these posts have come into being.  (See the numbered questions below from a Catholic about Protestants.  The misconceptions are actually mutual.) :o)

If there were ever a time to jump in with concerns or blessings...now is the time. 

Click for...

 POST NUMBER 1: EVANGELICAL ME AND MY CATHOLIC FRIENDS

 POST NUMBER 2: THE WHOLE CONFESSING TO A PRIEST THING

POST #3: WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?

POST #4: DO CATHOLICS PRAY TO DEAD SAINTS?

POST #5: THE WHOLE RELIGION THING

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My husband has always hinted to me that he wants to be Catholic, but I've always assumed that he was joking.  How I could have interpreted the words, "If I have to pick a religion Shelly, it would be Catholic" as a joke, I do not know.  Maybe my Protestant born and bred genetics find that statement amusing but the reality is...he was NOT joking.  He just knew that I could not go there...at that time.

He's been patient.  He's been precious. But, now...he will no longer attend a Protestant church because HE is led to his roots.  So, it has come down to this...After 20 years of marriage, my husband wants to go back to the particular Christian Religion he was born into.  He has told me recently that he's not Protestant...so, there you have it. Ack! Those are words I understand...clearly.

I've told my husband that I will have more questions than the Priest may want to answer during our "Catholic Classes", but the information I've learned over the past year has really been an eye opener for me.  I am so blessed to have so many Protestant and Catholic, Jesus Worshiping, friends who love and hold us up in prayer no matter what our religious choice.  I am so blessed by all of you!

My husband has assured me that he has questions of his own.  Who knows what we will learn or where we will end up, but one thing is for sure...Our family will worship JESUS together...As Always...wherever He leads us.

I have had a few friends who have pulled away from us in the past few months.  I sense that they are uncomfortable with our choice, though they haven't outright mentioned it.  It may be that they "think" we may try to convert them to Catholicism?  I don't know...but I'm just a Jesus Christian.  If people worship in a different "kind" of church than I do...I don't feel the need to "convert" anyone to anything.  Goodness knows, I've attended just about every kind of Protestant church there is to be had! LOL  In my lifetime, I've attended everything from the Nazarene Church to the quiet First Church of God to the loud, running the isles, talking in tongues Church of God.

They all leads us to Jesus so, to me...It's all Good! :o)

There's that revelation...some are more shocked than others I'm sure. :o) 

Now on to the most recent questions posed to me.  To read the other posts in order...click the links above. :o)

I'm going to number the questions that have been presented to me since Post Number 4 and then give the answer just to keep this as simple as possible.

Here we go!

Question 1:  "Why are you using Wikipedia...I talked with a friend of mine and she just shook her head that you used Wikipedia as a source for information." 


Answer:  I sometimes use Wikipedia as a "jumping board" to find cited books, articles and history where I can THEN GO to find the sources and back up any answer I "think" I know so I can be sure to have facts to support the conclusions.  I don't believe Wikipedia on face value.


Question 2: from a Catholic in blog comments: "I don't understand why Protestants believe that you can confess Jesus as Savior once and you cannot go to hell after that, regardless of what you do."

ANSWER:  We don't believe that.

That is a HUGE misconception some Catholics have about Protestants. Aren't you glad we don't believe that! :o)

There is a sect of the Baptist Church that believe this, however MOST Protestants do NOT believe this AT ALL. We are constantly praying and asking Jesus to forgive our sins. We pray all the time. We are told to be in a constant state of prayer and faith believing. We are also told to pick up our cross daily....meaning....choose daily to live our lives for Christ. Basically, we believe He saves us when we pray to Him for forgiveness...sort of like the day Catholics take their first communion and have their first confession...that would be the "day" we would say we were "saved" HOWEVER, we KNOW that we have to always ask for forgiveness and TRY to live the best that we can to do the work Jesus has planned for our lives. We DON'T believe we can go and commit crimes, willfully sin and forget God's plan for us and still get to Heaven just because we prayed one time. That's crazy talk to us.

Question 3: from a Catholic in blog comments: "In the case of believing the "Bible alone", what do Protestants think people did for the first 1500 years of Christianity without a Bible?"

ANSWER: There are a few "schools of thought" on this subject.

A. Some protestants never even consider this. Some of us have a huge gap in our historical knowledge.  We assume that the churches formed after Jesus resurrection were configured "like ours" and worshiped like we do today because that is how we worship.  We just never even "think" to go look up how the Apostles and people worshiped in the years after Christ's death because we "think" we already know.  We "assume" we are doing what they did.

B. SOME protestants believe that the Catholic church "hid" the Bible for those years and God protected the "real" church as a "remnant" that practiced His teachings in private and later became the Baptist Church.  Some even try to trace their lineage to the apostles through the Waldenses. Many of the older Waldensian histories speak of them as a body of Christians, hiding in the Alps from the days of the original apostles, or at least from the time of Claude, archbishop of Turin. But the eminent French historian Jean-Pierre Poly has shown that from 883 until 972 (nearly a full century) that Saracen pirates fully controlled southeastern France and the Alpine passes. All inhabitants of the areas later known as the Waldensian Valleys were swept off. There simply could not have been a continuous group there.

C. Other Protestant acknowledge that we were obviously taught the Bible from the Catholic Church.  Many of us have studied history and know that the Catholic Church translated the Bible, Put the books in order, Chose the books of the Bible and was the only source where the Bible was even accessible for over 1500 years after Christ's resurrection.  We acknowledge that nobody owned a Bible of their own until they could be copied by a printer...so obviously The Catholic Church was THE Church for those many, many, years.  However, we also believe that after Martin Luther "righted the wrongs" that were occurring in parts of the Catholic Church at the time, well....we believe that the Catholic Church ceased to be the Universal Church left behind by Christ.  We believe that somehow, during that time, the Eucharist ceased to be as important and that now "anyone who believes in Christ will go to Heaven" even though the Bible does say that "NOT everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

I know it sounds funky.  That's just how it is.  The Protestant Reformation took place.  It is what it is.  Some people believe that the Wolves in Sheep's Clothing in the Catholic Church tainted the Church as a whole and others do not.  It's that simple.  Those who don't think the Church was tainted hold to the truth that no Dogma was created during that dark historical time and believe that the Catholic Church is still the same Church that gave us our Bible.  Those who think the Church WAS tainted forever, believe that we can be any kind of Protestant we want and get to Heaven. It's that simple. It's just something that has to be accepted at face value, because it's that simple.

Question 3: from a Catholic in blog comments: "Why are you (protestants) so scared of Mary? Because you're scared of sounding Catholic, who you think "worship" Mary?"

ANSWER:  We (Protestants) are very concerned that people begin to take their eyes off of having a Relationship with Christ when we begin honoring the vessel that carried Him.

Basically, Protestants understand that she was His earthly mother, but we wouldn't dream of talking to her because we don't "talk" to anyone other than Jesus. We believe that giving Mary honor in our daily lives or asking Her to talk with Jesus for us is actually hindering OUR relationship with Christ. We believe this because the time we spend talking with Mary could be time we build our relationship with Jesus. We actually think we would be offending Jesus by asking Her to go to Him for us because He's the one who died for us, so we believe His love for us FAR supersedes any love She could have for us.

All of that said....though we think she was wonderful....we would never think that she can hear us down here anyway. We are not brought up to believe that people in Heaven can hear us at all. We believe we will see each other in Heaven again, but we are all worshiping together....without actually "being" together until we meet again in Heaven.

Cutting to the chase: We don't put anyone between us and Christ because we are to have a full, committed relationship with HIM. Anyone who would come between that relationship is a hindrance to our time with Christ.

HOWEVER....The Bible says that the prayers of the Righteous avails much...(James 5:16)....and after reading about the Great Cloud of Witnesses (Hebrews Chapters 11 and 12) and the portion of Revelation where our prayers are being given to Jesus...(Rev. 5:6-9 and Rev. 8:3-4) I am inclined to believe that Saints can indeed hear us and present our prayers to Jesus.  I have come to understand that Saints in Heaven could help us reach the Throne of God as PRAYING people of God, just like our friends here on earth who pray for us when we need prayer.  Prayer requests are okay. In THAT relationship, I understand talking with Mary....HOWEVER...There are many Catholics who actually ask Saints to "do" Supernatural things...like find them a house, keep them safe...etc. That is not what the Catholic Church teaches...if I'm reading the Catechism correctly. When we take our eyes off of Christ and begin asking other Saints to "DO" things for us, rather than "ASK" things for us...we have then replaced our Jesus with His creations which is not something I'm willing to do. 


Question #4: "But Catholics believe that unbaptized babies go to something called Limbo and will never see the face of God."

Answer: One thing I've learned about Catholicism is that there are many people in the Catholic Church.  Where there are people, there will be vast differences in how people "interpret" their religion's teachings.  If you know one Catholic, you know one thought.  If you know two...you know two stances.  Until you read what the church actually teaches for yourself...you will not KNOW that these stances "could" be beliefs that those specific families hold as truths that may indeed go directly against Actual Catholic Teachings.

Here's a snippet about "Limbo"

Since at least the time of Augustine, theologians, considering baptism to be necessary for the salvation of those to whom it can be administered, have debated the fate of unbaptized innocents, and the theory of the Limbo of Infants is one of the hypotheses that have been formulated as a proposed solution. Some who hold this theory regard the Limbo of Infants as a state of maximum natural happiness, others as one of "mildest punishment"....This theory, in any of its forms, has never been dogmatically defined by the Church... (source)

To Sum Up:  Limbo has never been Dogma in the Catholic Church. 

For those who are Protestant: we can liken this thought to the Faith Healing debate.  Some Christians believe we can pray for healing and get it no matter what.  Others believe we can pray for healing and God may choose to take us home to Heaven to heal us perfectly.  Either way....we're still Christians...nobody knows "who, how, why" some are healed and others are not but we can all agree that God holds the final answer.  When we get there...we will know.  This is a matter of debate, faith and interpretation among people of a certain faith...this is NOT taught as Dogma for the entire Catholic church and Faith Healing is NOT taught as Dogma in every Protestant religion. 

Question 5:  from a Catholic in blog comments: "What do Protestants make of Jesus on the cross saying, "here is your mother", and "here is your son"? Why even mention it in the Bible if it is insignificant?"


ANSWER: Protestants believe that Jesus was making sure she was going to be taken care of after He left earth. Nothing more, nothing less.  It's that simple.

Why was it significant?  Because it may answer the age old question..."Did Mary Remain a Virgin after Jesus' Birth?" 

I have to wonder why Jesus would ask someone.... who is NOT His "brother".... to take care of Mary....IF...she had other children.  (as most Protestants happen to believe)  I was always taught that Mary had other children...and I believed it because I didn't know that "brother and sister" could mean Aunt, Uncle, Cousin etc...in those days. So IF she had other children...Why appoint someone else to care for her other than one of her natural born sons... a natural brother of Christ?  That would be a huge offense to Jesus' natural family IF he had other siblings.  (There's another pickle my Protestant mind has to navigate.)

Question 6: This was a statement from my family member. "Communion is "like" the last supper.  It "represents" Christ and is to remind us of Him.  It's not actually Him, Sacramentally."


ANSWER:  I understand this position.  I respect that stance and certainly don't expect that everyone is going to beleive the way I do on any given subject.  I will explain how my mind processes this information but please don't assume that I think everyone has to agree with me...

My personal answer to this is that I often wondered how we could damn ourselves to Hell by drinking grape juice.  When I was a child watching people take communion at our little First Church of God in Ohio it looked like everyone was so uncomfortable with doing it.  It seemed like everyone was trying to "get into" the act but it never did quite "feel" right to me. 

When I started studying history I found a lot of information about how Communion (the Eucharist) was celebrated.  I now realize that I would like to be a part of the Original Design.  And...in my mind...there is nothing new under Heaven, God does NOT change, so what Jesus put forth as an example should be kept true to it's origins.  Thus...keep the form it had when Christians were risking their lives in the Catacombs to take the Eucharist. I don't want to do it "like" they used to.  I want to do IT...take THE Eucharist....the one He Passed Down and People Died to take while trying to keep IT in HIS true form. Back then...The Eucharist WAS church.

Here's a snippet of information from History just after Jesus' Resurrection. In one of the first Christian texts, St. Justin the Martyr narrates how the Eucharist was celebrated during the ancient times. 

"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, And the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. (San Justino)  Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying “Amen”; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.  And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined.  For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.  For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do in remembrance of Me, (Lk 22:19) this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone.  And we afterward continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. 
(St. Justin the Martyr, Letter to Antoninus Pius, Emperor, 155 AD)

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Well that sums up the questions from the past few weeks. It's hard to put this stuff "out there" because now you are reading it.  But in the end, this blog is for my children.  This is the path your dad and I took in April of 2010.  These posts basically detail what we did and why.  Always remember that no matter what you believe...Respect other people's point of view and most of all LOVE PEOPLE!  That is the gospel summed up.  If you do that...everything else will fall into place.  

When I've gone the way of the Dodo bird, please remember that your dad and I love you kids.  Always hold to that and Jesus and you'll never be alone. :o)

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UPDATE: POST NUMBER 1: EVANGELICAL ME AND MY CATHOLIC FRIENDS

UPDATE: POST NUMBER 2: THE WHOLE CONFESSING TO A PRIEST THING

UPDATE: POST #3: WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?

UPDATE: POST #4: DO CATHOLICS PRAY TO DEAD SAINTS?

UPDATE: POST #5: THE WHOLE RELIGION THING