Dr. Louis Pasteur

Brought to you by American Minute


He developed vaccines for rabies and anthrax, revolutionized medicine with his germ theory of disease, and laid the foundation for the control of tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria and tetanus.

While Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Lille University in France, he developed the process of "Pasteurization" of milk.

This was Louis Pasteur, who died SEPTEMBER 28, 1895.

President Eisenhower wrote January 8, 1954:

"Pasteurization of milk has prevented countless epidemics and saved thousands of lives."

President Johnson stated April 7, 1966:

"Years ago Louis Pasteur said, 'I hold the unconquerable belief that science and peace will triumph over ignorance and war; that nations will come together not to destroy, but to construct; and that the future belongs to those who accomplish most for humanity.'"

President George H.W. Bush stated February 13, 1989:

"You know, Louis Pasteur once said: 'Chance favors only the prepared mind.'...For America to be prepared for the future, our children must be educated."

Dr. Louis Pasteur wrote:

"The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator...
There is something in the depths of our souls which tells us that the world may be more than a mere combination of events."

We can thank the creative abilities of this man for the health of people worldwide.  I saw an old black and white movie about his life.  It was amazing.  The strength, the drive and the determination to find answers is a huge trait we "must" instill in our own children.  Without that dedication to excellence our society will not survive.

God loves you,

Debbie

Why would anyone want to have children now?

Our country is in chaos!  Our world is on the verge of another world war!  Murder, drugs, crime - it's all over America and the world.  Why would any young couple want to have children now?

What if your child will be the person God had designed to bring this country back to Him?  What if your child was destined to be the next Billy Graham or the next great gospel singer or the mother of the minister that would show millions to Christ?  What if your child was God's pick for the president of the United States in 2040?  What if your child is one of many that will join together to fight against the loss of our religious freedoms?  Maybe she's to be the next great missionary and will have the powerful words that will change millions of muslims or atheists or buddist or whatever to God.  What if your child may face danger....but his/her heroic acts will destroy the next Hitler?

"But Debbie, is it fair to bring a child into a life where he may suffer?"

"Suffering is a part of life.  We all suffer in many ways.  The only thing that makes our measly little lives count is that we Overcome suffering and that we get through those hard times with grace and with honor and with dignity.  Avoiding pain while others suffer is the coward's way out.  It's sad that even if your child isn't born....you've still made him a coward.  You've made the choice for him."

"I'm not making that choice just because I don't want to see him suffer!"

"Yes, you are.  You are saying to the world that your bloodline has nothing to offer.  You couldn't possibly have a child that would be a strong hero or that would offer ideas and plans for a better future.  Your only hope is that you give your child an easy enough time so he wouldn't have to work hard.  You have said to the world and more importantly to God that you will not allow your future child the opportunity to be a major player in God's plan?  Do you have that right?"

I hope you will watch this terrifying video and tell all your friends about it.  The best way to conquer any country or any religion is quietly - by simply over populating them with another culture.  God have mercy on us!  While we play church and go about our selfish lives....the enemy creeps closer.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz1EMqp341I

Debbie....do you hate muslims? Asolutely NOT! But...I do think their religion or cult or whatever you want to call it is a threat to freedom of religion and other social freedoms. They believe that they have a right to kill infidels and they define that as anyone who is not muslim. When they enter a country it is not with the intent to blend in but rather to force their lifestyle and opinions on others. That is the danger. I have a link in the sidebar that will take you to a website Islam - Religion of peace? that will not only explain what they believe but will also list the ways they intend to carry out their missions. The most striking thing for me was to learn that they believe in lying. Lying to the infidel is not only taught it is rewarded.


I simply think we need to be informed and we need to be pro-active. I can't be the frog that thinks he's soaking in a nice hot tub only to find out too late that he's being boiled to death!

God loves you,

Debbie

Amazing commentary on Obama

I hope all of you will check out this artist.  His commentary is amazing! 



God loves you,

Debbie

Daniel Boone

Brought to you by American Minute

Daniel Boone served with George Washington in 1755 during the French and Indian War.

In 1765, Daniel Boone explored Florida.

Virginia Governor Patrick Henry sent Daniel Boone to survey Kentucky and in 1775, the Pennsylvania Company had him erect a fort on the Kentucky River, which he named Boonesboro.

In 1778, during the Revolution, Daniel Boone went to Blue Licks to get salt for his settlement but was captured by Shawnee Indians and taken to Detroit.

He learned of British plans to incited Indians to attack his settlement, so he escaped and ran nearly 400 miles in 5 days to warn Boonseboro.

Daniel Boone became a Major in the militia and served in Virginia's legislature.

He bought land in Kentucky but lost it due to poorly prepared titles.

Boone left Kentucky in 1799 and bought land from Spain in Missouri, west of the Mississippi River.

Boone then lost this land in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase.

An act of Congress gave him back his land just six years before his death, which was SEPTEMBER 26, 1820.

On October 17, 1816, Daniel Boone wrote to his sister-in-law Sarah

"The religion I have is to love and fear God, believe in Jesus Christ, do all the good to my neighbor, and myself that I can, do as little harm as I can help, and trust on God's mercy for the rest."

What an amazing man!  No wonder children in the 50's were wearing coonskin caps and pretending to be Daniel Boone.  I can't believe the man ran 400 miles in 5 days.  That's amazing!  That's an act of a dedicated man.  I hope moms will be inspired to use the story of Daniel Boone as an example to their young men.  I'm sure if you couple stories like Daniel Boone with current books like Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, you will be able to raise strong men.  Thank you God for a heritage of strong men like Daniel Boone!

God loves you,

Debbie

What a great example of Christianity!

I love this story!  Thank you Ron for sharing it with me. 

This story illustrates one of the biggest problems with our churches and our families.  Government is totally infected with this problem and that's why we are in the shape we are in.  It's the illusion of love and unselfishness that hides true sin.  Entitlement programs are not "unselfish".  Entitlement programs are actually the largest form of selfishness there is.  At the root of entitlement programs is the desire to control the other person - to take away their freedom.  It's all about "root motives".  Unfortunately, our faith is filled with people who talk a good game.  They know exactly what to say to make you think they are "Christian".  In reality however...their motives are more about themselves than they are about others.

Hope you enjoy this, bow your head and make sure that you are willing to follow God's purpose for your life.

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table..
In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.
They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.
But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell. They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.
There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.
The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand.
'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill...
You see, they have learned to feed each other.
The greedy think only of themselves.'
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.


This also goes along with our pastor's study.  Too many pastors allow selfish hearts to remain in places of leadership  or on the staff.  The very core of their heart is wrong and these selfish members manage to spread poison into everything they touch or do.  The real mission of the church is to be a place where we can all learn to be unselfish and just like Christ.  It's not about you....did you hear me?  It's not about you.  It's not about what you want to do, or get or be.  Perhaps the people in this little story "thought" they were good people.  They thought they could care for others and be like Christ.  Yet....when it came right down to it, Hell was able to show them their inner selves.  They were all about protection and taking care of self - not true unselfishness and love for others.   I know people that bounce from church to church looking for someone who will let them "serve" publicly.  What?  Service is a state of mind.  It shouldn't matter if you are seen or known when you serve.  It shouldn't matter "what" you do.  Service is about fitting in and moving into the background not just thinking about yourself.

As pastors, teachers, parents, and leaders within the community we need to look for motives and causes and be sure we have spiritually healthy people in place.  That's the only way to lead others to a better life.

God loves you,

Debbie

The Power To Tax - John Marshall

Brought to you by American Minute



"The power to tax is the power to destroy," wrote John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who was born SEPTEMBER 24, 1755.

No one had a greater impact on Constitutional Law than John Marshall.

Sworn in February 4, 1801, Marshall served 34 years and helped write over 1,000 decisions, including supporting the Cherokee Indian nation to stay in Georgia.

During the Revolution, John Marshall fought under Washington and endured the freezing winter at Valley Forge.

The Liberty Bell, according to tradition, cracked tolling at Marshall's funeral, July 8, 1835.

Chief Justice John Marshall wrote to Jasper Adams, May 9, 1833:

"The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and Religion are identified.
It would be strange indeed, if with such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity and did not often refer to it and exhibit relations with it."

A hundred years after John Marshall's death, the Supreme Court Building was completed in 1935.

Herman A. MacNeil's marble relief above the east portico prominently features Moses in the center with two stone tablets.

Adolph A. Weinman's marble frieze on the south wall includes Moses holding Hebrew tablets.

Every Supreme Court session opens with the invocation:

"God save the United States and this Honorable Court."



Hum....gives a whole new meaning to congress doesn't it??  If you are using these minutes to discuss government with your children, perhaps we all should think about "why" that power would destroy.....

God loves you,

Debbie

Thomas Cooley

Brought to you by American Minute


He was President of the American Bar Association, Chief Justice of Michigan's Supreme Court and dean of the University of Michigan Law School.

His name was Thomas Cooley and he died SEPTEMBER 12, 1898.

The first Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Thomas Cooley's commentaries shaped American law.

He declined offers to teach at Hastings College of Law, University of Texas, Johns Hopkins University, Boston Law School, University of Pennsylvania and Cornell Law School.

In his General Principles of Constitutional Law, 1890, Thomas Cooley wrote:

"It was never intended by the Constitution that the government should be prohibited from recognizing religion,
or that religious worship should never be provided for in cases where a proper recognition of Divine Providence in the working of government might seem to require it, and where it might be done without drawing an invidious distinction between religious beliefs, organizations, or sects."

Thomas Cooley continued:

"The Christian religion was always recognized in the administration of the common law of the land, the fundamental principles of that religion must continue to be recognized in the same cases and to the same extent as formerly."


It never ceases to amaze me at how blatantly the left will promote lies about this issue.  One Nation Under God....how much clearer can it be said!

God loves you,

Debbie

What to do when it hurts.....

I have several different things I do when life seems to crash in around me.  I may pull out a favorite book and read it.  I may put on some good music or take a walk.  I love to listen to Dr. Foth or my Dad preach an inspiring message.  Maybe...if I only have a second....I'll read a quick quote for a moment of inspiration.  Something like, "If the mountain was smooth you couldn't climb it." 

There are two items that seem to get my motor running quicker than anything.  I love to watch the video my son made about his transformation.  It's like fine dining to feast on the words of a dedicated youth.  Reinvention of Ken

The second item I use for those days when life seems too heavy to bear.  I need something that will lift me away from thinking of myself and set my eyes on thinking about things eternal.  Wintley Phipps sang for the Billy Graham Crusades.  He has a wonderful voice.  In this video he tells about how he came to sing for them.  He explains that it was a "hook-up from Heaven". 

I need those kinds of hook-ups in my life.  It's inspiring to know that they happen.  It's what he ends that story with that helps to soothe whatever pain I'm experiencing. 

"It is in the quiet crucible of your private personal sufferings that your noblest dreams are born.  And God's greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you've been through!"

Wow!  Don't you feel totally alone in your sufferings?  Haven't there been times when you know you are doing the right thing but it's stripping the very life out of you.  In those moments don't you wonder if anyone else can see you - or your work? 

Yet...Wintley is right.  It's at that very lowest point that we seem to envision our noblest dreams.  We seem to see a clearer path to a better answer. 

When I'm in the middle of one of those times it is so helpful to be reminded that God does see and that he is preparing his greatest gift - "In compensation for what I've been through!"  Praise God....he loves me, he wants his best for me and he will never forget me or forsake me! 

Then Wintley sings a song that lifts my eyes to the most important thing in life.  The thing that drives me and gives me purpose.  The thing that is the most important goal in life.  It's the only thing that really matters and the only thing that will survive and continue when death ends my physical presence.  My soul.  Is my soul healthy?  Is my soul saved?  Is my soul taking the journey that God designed for me?  Is my soul in pursuit of Heaven and Heavenly things?  This song answers all those questions by saying...."It is well with my soul!"

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I have.



God loves you,

Debbie

Fisher Ames

Brought to you by American Minute




Fisher Ames helped ratify the U.S. Constitution.

He sat beside George Washington during the service at St. Paul's Chapel following Washington's Inauguration.

Fisher Ames authored the final House language of the First Amendment.

At age 46, Fisher Ames was elected Harvard's president, but declined due to an illness which led to his death on July 4, 1808.

An orator, Fisher Ames stated no one could be eloquent "without being a constant reader of the Bible and an admirer of the purity and sublimity of its language."

In January 1788, Fisher Ames stated:

"The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the...ignorant believe to be liberty."

In his Dangers of American Liberty, February 1805, Fisher Ames warned that democracy without morals would eventually reduce the nation to the basest of human passions, swallowing freedom:

"A democracy is a volcano which conceals the fiery materials of its own destruction."

In Palladium Magazine, SEPTEMBER 20, 1789, Fisher Ames wrote:

"We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education.

We're starting to put more textbooks into our schools...containing fables and moral lessons...We are spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools."

Fischer Ames concluded:

"The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other manmade book."

 
 
I bet your child is being taught that faith has no place in government.  Arm him with the tools he needs to refute indoctrination.
 
God loves you,
 
Debbie

Nathan Hale

Brought to you by American Minute

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" were the last words of 21-year-old American patriot Nathan Hale, who was hanged by the British without a trial on SEPTEMBER 22, 1776.


A Yale graduate, he almost became a Christian minister, as his brother Enoch did, but instead became a teacher at Union Grammar School.

Nathan Hale fought in the siege of Boston, capturing a boat of provisions from under the gun of a British man-of-war.

After the British left Boston for New York, General Washington was desperate for information.

Nathan Hale volunteered to penetrate the British line at Long Island, but was captured upon return.

General Howe ordered him to be hanged the next morning.

Hale wrote a letter to his mother and brother, but the British destroyed them, not wanting it known a man could die with such firmness.

He asked for a Bible, but was refused.

Nathan Hale was marched out and hanged from an apple-tree in Rutgers's orchard, near the present streets of East Broadway and Market in New York City.

Nathan Hale's nephew, well-known author Edward Everett Hale, wrote:

"We are God's children, you and I, and we have our duties...Thank God I come from men who are not afraid in battle."

 
 
WOW!  Now that's a dedicated Christian American Patriot!  We have a wonderful heritage of men who believed in this system.
 
God Bless America!
 
God loves you,
 
Debbie

The Pastor's role in God's House - Forgiveness

Our lesson on Pastor's was a bit tough. It's hard to look at any life and set the standards high. We are always concerned about discouraging people and missing an opportunity to help them become successful.

I've known a lot of ministers who had a great heart for God but one thing led to another and they made a mistake. One mistake shouldn't ruin their lives or destroy their ministry. Yet...if we are concerned about sanctification in the House of God, how can we have leaders who are not in "good standing" with God?  How can we have ministers who take the pulpit to encourage others to live a "righteous" life and yet the consequences of their sins glare at congregants.

I guess the best example of this is Moses. What a difficult task he had. You know the story about growing up in the palace, finding out he was Hebrew and then leading the people of Israel out of bondage. Amazing! But then he did murder an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. God may have forgiven him for that - especially since it was sort of justified - but then Moses ran into the wilderness. He loses everything because he was taking up for God's people.   Hum, but God blesses him in the wilderness. He finds a wife, has a child and gets to spend 40 years training to be God's man.

God calls him once again. He's repented, he's suffered the consequences and he's been in training. Now he's sent to Egypt to set God's people free. Listen to how he grumbles to God....Exodus 3:10-11...."So now, go.  I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."  But Moses said to God "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"  For the rest of Chapter 3 and most of Chapter 4 Moses comes up with excuse after worrisome excuse. 

Debbie's translation - After 40 years it seems like Moses still suffered from the things he was taught and the sins he had committed. He was a prince of Egypt and yet he didn't feel qualified to approach Pharaoh. God finally had to send Aaron with him to help him.  Talk about consequences!  Moses was the only man at that time that was allowed to have a direct conversation with God.  God- maker of the universe, creator of all living things, divine inventor of everything on earth and in heaven - yet the consequences of Moses's sins ruined his self-esteem and made him fearful of Pharaoh.  God was on his side and yet he didn't have the courage to face Pharaoh without Aaron.

Moses calls down miracle after miracle until Pharaoh finally bends to God.  Moses proudly walks out of Egypt with God's people. What a wonderful day! But wait...Pharaoh comes after them and God performs another miracle by sending fire from heaven and parting the waters.  Now that's a great day!  Surely there wouldn't be any reason for Moses to ever disobey God.  Surely he had learned how mighty and miraculous God was! 

Well... you'd think so wouldn't you.  But that old sin crept in again.  The same anger that burned within him and caused him to kill once again raised it's ugly head.  Once again his anger caused him to disobey God and destroy the tablets written by the very hand of God.   Yikes!

Once again God forgives Moses, but this time there are consequences that God will not repair. This time Moses isn't allowed to go into the promise land.
My Dad thinks that maybe this was a blessing rather than a punishment. The Hebrew children had been so wicked and stupid, that it might have been a relief for Moses not to have to continue to lead them.  While Moses could have put that kind of positive spin on what happened....for me it's a clear directive about the forgiveness and love of God.

All through the Bible, God shows his love and his ability to forgive. He uses every bit of power he has to show compassion and forgiveness. But there is a limit. There is a time when God turns his back and refuses to remove the consequences of any sinner even the sins of his children or prophets.  

If we are diligent about being God's men and women and if we are diligent about making it to Heaven.....then we better know and avoid the things that will cause God to turn his back to us.  And this is where the greatest demands fall on our leaders - our pastors and priests - Men and women who are called to lead others to Christ.  Above all, they should have a higher standard and should be careful about doing the right thing.  They can't be fooled into sin or be lax in their study of the desires that trap men.  As leaders they must lead the way to a Godly - righteous life.  And if they don't....they too will find forgiveness - but they may not be able to continue to serve.  Forgiveness does not release us from responsibility or from consequences.

I was talking with someone the other day who asked me if I could forgive a certain person.  I replied, "Forgiveness is easy.  I can forgive most anything anyone does.  Forgetting what has been done or removing the consequences - that is something totally different."

I was talking to a young man who said he was a Christian but wasn't convinced that he should wait until marriage to be intimate.  I smiled and said, "What about the consequences?"

"Oh there's not going to be any consequences.  I'm safe."

"I'm sorry dear, that's just not true.  The consequences will still be there even if there's no child.  There will be women around that may decide at some point to come forward and destroy your good Christian name by "telling it all".  They may someday ruin your marriage to that nice Christian girl who thought she was the only one.  Or...maybe their child will become friends with your child.  Just when you are telling your beautiful young daughter to save herself for the right man, she will find out that you didn't.  Even if she doesn't find out, you will always feel like a hypocrite telling your children to be good when you know you weren't.  And then there's the girls that you defile.  Perhaps they had dreams or wanted to wait but you convinced them not to.  Their dreams are crushed just so you can have a pleasurable moment.  No dear, there are consequences.  Nothing we will ever do is totally free of consequences."

He stared at me for a good minute or so and then the tears began to fall.  He knew I was telling him the truth.  He had heard his own father cry because he couldn't offer an example of purity within his own life.  He also knew that my husband and I were pure when we were married.  He had an immediate contrast with two opposing views and two lives that lived with the good and bad consequences. 

Pastors....all I'm saying is that God wants you to be an example.  Can he forgive you when you do wrong?  Of course!  the Bible is full of second chances and God's forgiveness.  Just remember that a life of purity and a life that avoids the consequences of sin is a lot easier for your congregation to follow.

God loves you,

Debbie

Calvin Coolidge - September 21, 1924

Brought to you by American Minute

On SEPTEMBER 21, 1924, America's 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, addressed the Holy Name Society in Washington, D.C., saying:


"The worst evil that could be inflicted upon the youth of the land would be to leave them without restraint and completely at the mercy of their own uncontrolled inclinations.

Under such conditions education would be impossible, and all orderly development intellectually or morally would be hopeless."

Calvin Coolidge continued:

"The Declaration of Independence...claims...the ultimate source of authority by stating...they were... 'appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of' their 'intentions.'...

The foundations of our independence and our Government rests upon basic religious convictions.

Back of the authority of our laws is the authority of the Supreme Judge of the World, to whom we still appeal."

President Calvin Coolidge concluded:

"It seems to me perfectly plain that the authority of law, the right to equality, liberty and property, under American institutions, have for their foundation reverence for God.

If we could imagine that to be swept away, these institutions of our American government could not long survive."

 
 
Hum...seems like we need to take a serious look at the discipline of the youth in this nation and it's relation to the current adult problems in Washington.
 
God loves you,
 
Debbie

Welcome to "One Nation Under God"

I totally agree with Glenn Beck that a huge part of America's problems begins with the lack of knowledge about our founding fathers and the wonderful way this country began.  I've joined the site American Minute.  Even if you don't choose to support them, they will send you an e-mail a day about the founders and history of this country.  These history lessons are extremely short and can be read and discussed at the family table or on the way to music lessons.  If you choose not to join their site, I plan to post many of them here.

What a wonderful way to help your children to love America!
Calvin Coolidge - September 21, 1924

Nathan Hale

Fisher Ames

Thomas Cooley

The Power To Tax - John Marshall

Daniel Boone

Johnathan Edwards

Dr. Louis Pasteur

Francis Scott Key

Rev. John Harvard 

President William Howard Taft

John Langdon

Astronaut - Buzz Aldrin

George Washington Farewell Address

John Paul Jones

Samuel Adams

Govenor William Bradford

George Washington Thanksgiving Proclamation

George Mason

George Whitefield & Ben Franklin

Lincoln - The Emancipation Proclamation

The fight is just beginning.....

I was asked to be one of the featured speakers at the Unite In Action rally in Washington, DC on September 10, 2010.  It was a wonderful rally and we had a great time.  I'll post pictures and a full story about it soon. 

Someone at the rally mentioned that they were exhausted.  "I'm working my butt off trying to get this country turned around.  I wonder if anyone is listening?"  I told her I believed they were.  I just sent her a link to this You tube video.  This is a clip from a townhall meeting that was assembled by Obama's staff.  These were supposedly "middle-class" Americans and he was to be in friendly territory.  CNBC provided an hour of commercial-free air time so that Obama could take questions from the audience about the economy.  He sure didn't suspect that one of his supporters would explain why she is so exhausted. 

You must read the entire article by Bobby Eberle at GOPUSA.  Whether you like the republicans or not...you can't miss this great article that explains the deeper meaning behind this comment.  Exhausted !




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHv1ENYAulY&feature=player_embedded

Just not sure what else I can add to this  :)

God loves you,

Debbie

What a beautiful Sunday Morning

What a week this has been.....well....what a year this has been!?!?!

So much happening - some good - some bad....whew!  We drove 750 miles on Thursday to get my mother who is 82 and broke her foot.  We drove back with her yesterday.  I'm pooped doesn't even begin to explain how tired I am.  But...I'm thankful that I have this opportunity to serve and help my precious mother. 

I'm looking out my window at a beautiful Sunday morning.  The kind that makes you wake up and realize that God is showing off all His talents again.  I hope you will have time today to spend with your family and realize that no matter what else is going on - love is still the most important asset we have!

I hope you enjoy today's Darlene Daily.  She is such an inspiration and a wonderful lady. 

Darlene's Daily

If you miss an opportunity, do not cloud your eyes with tears; keep your vision clear so that you will not miss the next one.

~ unknown

`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her seven and eight year olds.

After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"

Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."
`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. - Jules Renard
`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:

A man writing at the post office desk was approached by an older fellow with a post card in his hand. The old man said, "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you but could you address this post card for me? My arthritis is acting up and I can't even hold a pen."

"Certainly, sir," said the younger man. He wrote out the address and also agreed to write a short message and sign the card for the man. Finally, the younger man asked, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
The old fellow glanced at the card a moment and said, "Yes, at the end could you just add, 'PS: Please excuse the sloppy hand-writing?'"
`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:

WHEN THINGS GO BAD,

always remember: It could be worse.

`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:`**`:

I was eavesdropping on two women sitting behind me on the bus when they started talking about a trip to Switzerland.

The first passenger asked the second whether she had enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

"Not really," came the reply. "I couldn't see much because of all the mountains in the way."


Have a wonderful day!

God loves you,

Debbie

A whole lot of grumbling going on....

Things are tough right now.  People are hurting and it seems there's a lot of grumbling and irritated emotional drama from most people I meet.  A dear friend sent me the following information.  It not only brought tears to my eyes but it was also a great encouragement.

Don't tell me you can't survive whatever is going on in your life!  Don't tell me you can't do what needs to be done until you look into the eyes of the following child and convince him that his attitude is wrong!

Attitude is everything.

You "can't" do what?

Have you ever seen a more beautiful smile than this one?

The next time you’re in a bad mood...maybe you need to remember this. Your attitude toward life defines not only who you are, but the quality of life you will have.

This little boy should be an inspiration to us all!!!

Anything bugging you today? Doesn't seem so bad anymore, does it?
Dear Jesus I ask you to bless this child today.  Thank you for his life and his example.  Thank you for his parents and their joy in teaching him that nothing is impossible.  Bless the entire family I pray.

God loves you,

Debbie

Interview with Debbie

If this is your first visit to my blogs or my website, you may be wondering who I am and what I believe.  You can check out my full resume at my website   The following answers to readers questions may also help.

Over the next week or so, I'll be adding to this.  If you would like to submit a question for me to answer please send it to debbie@debbiejansen.com  

1.  Why did you start The Family Training Center?

There is psychological proof that when people have a problem, they can be reached and helped quicker by someone that has experienced the same problems.  When I was counseling I found that to be true.  I was trying to help a young lady who had been raped.  I used every tool I had to get through to her.  It wasn't working.  No matter what information I gave her - since I had never been raped, it was just that....information.  When I brought in an older lady that I could trust and told the young girl that she too had been raped as a teen.....the dam broke.  They both melted into tears and we made great progress.

However, I've also seen the other side of just letting the wounded reach out.  Often their information can be flawed or tainted by their experiences.  Many times they can help restore emotional health but can't provide a road that "avoids" the problem or leads them to a better life. 

I was counseling with a young boy who came from an extremely dysfunctional family.  I put him on a behavior modification program and he was doing great.  In one week's time he turned his schoolwork from all F's to all A's.  His teacher was so impressed she called me to see what I was doing.  She said he was a totally different boy.  Unfortunately, one morning the mother called and said that he was off the program.  She brought his materials back and explained that something was said at breakfast to irritate the father.  The father threw his plate of food into the kitchen wall, stomped to his bedroom and began to cut up his own clothes. 

I was stunned!  There had been no discussion of these kinds of issues even though I had interviewed them extensively.  "You know," I gulped and shook my head.  "You know I can't help your son with issues that you and your husband won't correct or get help for."  She looked totally puzzled and asked...."Why not?"
I spent another hour explaining how it all worked but she left uncommitted to changing her family's future. 

It was then and there that I decided to start The Family Training Center.  It doesn't matter if I've had a different life from yours.  It doesn't matter if I've avoided most of the pitfalls that some people encounter.  There are certain rules to life.  If you don't understand those rules or why they are important, you won't have the "detailed" information you need to make a difference in your life.  Without that "detailed" information you won't have the tools to make the changes that actually solve problems. 

Most people buy books they think might help them solve problems.  Most books are never actually read or studied.  In our busy lifestyles we often purchase items, let them sit for months, finally read the chapter we think applies to our situation and then send the book to wherever we archive good ideas that don't materialize.  For that reason, even with the explosion of written material that we have in this country; there is also a great explosion of ruined lives.

That's why I offer 80 classes.  My classes are designed to give you lists and handouts and information so you can leave the class totally armed to go home and change your world.  It's like being able to read multiple books and personally do the research needed to change your life - all in only two hours.

2.  Sometimes on your blogs you seem a little harsh.  Why is that?

I believe there are absolutes to life.  If you break those rules or miss those ideas - no matter what you do, life won't turn out the best for you.  We are all bombarded with information.  The Internet, TV, radio, books, college....- everyone wants to tell you what you should think and how to live your life.  With all that going on, sometimes I have to be harsh in order to get your attention.  Sometimes I have to get passionate about what I'm saying. 

Of course, I also believe that we should be compassionate and concerned about other people's feelings.  That compassion must not get in the way of growth.  If I'm so compassionate to you that I worry more about your feelings than about what's right for your life, I probably will dance around the truth rather than come right out and say it.

For example, I don't believe we do our children any favors when we overlook the truth to protect their feelings.  I remember sitting my daughter on my lap and giving her a big hug.  I explained that I had to tell her something very important.  She was only 7 at the time and had a really bad habit.  I gave her several compliments so that she knew how much we loved her and how valuable she was to the entire family.

Then I told her..."Amie, we have to talk about your habit of ------because it's going to ruin your life.  I'm going to be totally honest with you.  It may hurt your feelings now, but if you stop this....in the long run your life will be so much better."  We talked about her bad habit and I explained that if she continued she would not only lose friends, but she would also lose our respect.  She cried....I cried.....we prayed together and with a little help she stopped the bad habit.  I probably couldn't have had that conversation if I did not have the reputation with my family that we were all on a quest for truth. 

Which would have been more loving and compassionate?  To let her continue making people angry?  To let her lose friends?  To deny that she was smart enough to change her life?  I certainly didn't want to promote any of those false ideas. 

Instead....I was saying to her that she WAS very capable of taking her life in hand and changing it to be the life she dreamed of.  For the rest of her life she was convinced that when changes were needed she could do them!  That real empowerment!  This other political correctness, compassionate, liberal victimization junk actually imprisons a person rather than setting them free.  It leaves them where they are.  It says...."You are so weak there's no way I can let you see the truth! And even if you saw the truth there's no way you are strong enough to change!"  How awful is that????

No thank you.  I want to be as compassionate as possible without distorting the truth!  That may be a process when counseling with an emotionally distraught person.  That may be a process for someone reading my blogs.  But that does not mean I should ever stop telling the truth!

I guess I hope that people reading my blogs and other materials will use me like a mirror.  A chance to check themselves out and be sure they are on the right track.  Check to be sure that the things I'm talking about are not happening in your life.  And then....please pray that those who read my blog and see problems in their own lives will decide to make a change.

3.  Is it right then to say that you believe in absolutes?

Absolutely!  Ha ha...

Most liberals and a lot of good Christians don't like the word "absolute".  They think it's a way to control them or to stop them from doing something fun.  They have a negative connotation about the word "absolute".  It's extremely important to search your own heart and be sure that you aren't being like a "spoiled" child when you hear the word "absolute". 

Actually, the word is not about what you can't do.  It's about what you can do!  When you have found an absolute you have a foundation to build your life on.  If everything in your life is constantly changing - then you will be off balance, you won't know where your going and you can't make a plan.  After all, if there are no absolutes how do you know that the plan you have made has the foundation to support the future?   Without absolutes....the foundation is always changing and so will your plans.

Think of it this way....If you put together a great plan for your life and it's built on 5 truths - but....those truths must change because you can't accept absolutes - your plan is eventually going to fall apart.  Let's think of your life and your truths as a building.  Your building is supported by the five truths each represented by a corner column and one in the middle. 

A friend demands that you change your opinion of something because "You can't hold to that absolute".  She bombards you with disjointed information and demands that if you are going to be compassionate you have to let go of that absolute.  You decide it's not that important and the top right corner of your plan (building) drops.  The drop in that side puts pressure on the middle column as well as two others.  Much like the twin towers you building is now compromised and will have a hard time remaining stable.  You are struggling but still able to continue with your plan.  A few years go by and you think you have patched the one corner and although it's still weak because your reasons are weak, it's holding steady. 

Unfortunately....the bottom left corner is challenged with such force that it totally collapses.  Your life is in total chaos.  The middle is sagging and the stress on the top right corner is causing it to shake. 

Like an earthquake, you hold steady through some of the shaking but the building simply isn't secure.  Eventually the entire thing is nothing more than rubble.  With all your plans demolished, it's hard to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild. 

Absolutes are only good building blocks if they are based on total and complete "TRUTH".  You can't just pick an idea and call it an absolute.  Let's use an Abraham Lincoln quote.

How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg?  Four.  Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it one!

How true!  Just because you decide something in your life is going to be an absolute for you doesn't make it one.  You have to do your research and be sure you have the "TRUTH".  When you are armed with the truth you can build a life plan that won't let you down.

That's what Debbie Jansen and all her writings are really about!!!!  I want the truth!  I don't want a fake life.  I don't want to demand my way and have a dysfunctional life.  I don't want the problems that go along with believing a lie.  I don't want to tell you something and then find out we both are deceived. 

That's why in my book, Discipline Exposed, I tell parents how to help their children join them in a "Quest for Truth"!  It's only when you are more concerned about finding the TRUTH rather than soothing your own feelings that you have a chance for a fantastic life!

I take my job seriously.  I know that I'm giving you the tools to make your building strong.  I simply will not support an idea that does not pass the "Quest for Truth" test.



Check back for more of an interview with Debbie

Does God have all the answers?

Are there solutions to every problem - part #1

Are there solutions to every problem - part #2

Send your questions to her at debbie@debbiejansen.com

Darlene's Daily

Darlene Mooberry is a dear friend of mine.  She is in her 80's but still gets up at 4am every morning to search the internet for fun stuff to send to her friends.  Here's today's e-mail from Darlene....

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"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons." ~ Alfred E. Neuman ~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~'''~***~

Two political candidates were having a hot debate. Finally, one of them jumped up and yelled at the other ,"What about the powerful interest that controls you?"

And the other guy screamed back, "You leave my wife out of this!"

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"I'm not saying that the customer service in my bank is bad, but I went in the other day and asked the clerk
to check my balance. She leaned over and pushed me!"
~Unknown

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A Desert Love Story!

Once upon a time there was once a very handsome male camel with two huge camel humps.  He fell in love and married a beautiful female camel who had one perfect camel hump.

As time progressed, they became the proud parents of a wonderful baby camel who had no humps.

They contemplated long and hard on what to call their beautiful little boy.

Naturally, they decided on'Humphrey'.

Oh, stop groaning, it's a very nice story!

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"A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking." ~Unknown


Thanks so much Darlene,

God loves you,

Debbie