My Trunk or Treat is Better Than Your Trunk or Treat

I think every church has a trunk or treat now.

Some of them go way out, having not only cars with candy, but homemade refreshments, inflatable jump arounds for the kids, games and prizes, spook alleys and other stuff.

Sometimes they even make commercials to talk about their Trunk or Treat.

Here is a selection of some of these such adds I found on Youtube.

Enjoy.

And I'll see you tonight at the Trunk or Treat.

A Thing of Beauty

I pulled into the Wawa the other day to fill up my gas tank, (I only paid $2.22/gallon),

but I was stopped short by something I saw in the parking lot.

I was so in awe that I asked the owner for permission to photograph his beautiful motorcycle.

Then we continued to visit about his bike and our love of motorcycles for the next 20 minutes until I was almost late for an appointment.

His name was Robin Brown and he built this motorcycle himself.

He came up with the design and ordered the parts to be made or got them off the internet.

Notice that the wheel is not see through, but reflective chrome.

You can even see my reflection in the back of the bike.

This bike has been featured on television and has been in several bike shows.

Wow.

Sigh.

Heartache.

The Best Jackolanterns- Wordless Wednesday

I will be posting all of these, plus a couple others on my pic blog, so be sure to check them out.

You can also check out extremepumpkins.com to see even more awesome pumpkins and jackolanterns.

Countdown to OBX!

I only have 12 days until I run the Outer Banks Half Marathon!

This is my second half marathon. I ran the Virginia Beach Rock and Roll 1/2 on Aug 30.

I am hoping to improve my time of 2:39:34 by 5 minutes.

If you have been watching my "Look At Me Go" button on the right you have seen that I have been training by running a few times a week and increasing my miles on one long run by one mile each week.

My running buddy, Laura, (she's running in OBX too) and I ran 11 1/2 miles yesterday, than walked another one.

We did 11 in about 2 hours and 5 minutes, so if we can keep that pace up we will be able to finish in just under 2:30, which would be awesome.

I have been using this training schedule since I signed up for my first 1/2. Except I modified it to suit me. For example, I always rest on Sunday. (And sometimes a few extra days).

I have been going to a deep water aerobics class and swimming laps as my cross training. It's way easier on the knees. (And might just come in handy if I get real serious about a triathalon).

I'm also planning on running the Shamrock Half Marathon in March. And I have lofty dreams of running the St. George (full) Marathon next October.

If you are reading this going "What? Is this girl crazy? I could never do that!" think again.

I only started running in June. Yes, of this year.

I started with one mile, worked up to 2, then 3, then 4. Then I signed up for a half marathon and started on that training program. And I stop to walk a lot.

Believe me, if I can do this, anybody can.

Even you.

I'll give you my bib # before the race and you can track me online.

Cheer me on! (I can't wait).

What Mormons Do in Their Spare Time

Synchronized Swimming

Why would we need to drink when we have entertainment like this?

BTW, I found this on Rebecca Talley's blog.

God's True Church, and Stronger Families, Sunday Post

I didn't know what today's Sunday post should be until I read a quote in Relief Society today.

Our lesson was based on the talk "The True and Living Church" given by Henry B. Eyring in this years April Conference.

He gave this talk in the same conference session that our new President Thomas S. Monson was sustained in the solemn assembly as Prophet, Seer and Revelator to lead over the church in this dispensation.

President Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ,

spoke about how the church has been brought "out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth."

He said "This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter."

He went on to talk about many blessings that the church and its members have recieved and will contuinue to recieve through their faithfulness.

(Okay, this is the part that stood out to me).

He said:

"Families across the church are searching for ways to strengthen and protect their children against the evils around them. In some cases those parents are desperately trying to bring back some in their family who have wandered.

I am confident that there will be, increasingly, a reward given by God for their efforts.

Those who never give up will find that God never gave up and that He will help them."

I can't say specifically why that jumped at me over all of the other things in the talk. But I felt impressed to share it.

I know the things he said are true, and if you don't know that they are, I challenge you to pray and ask God if they are.

He will answer you with the truth.

If you would like more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, click here.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, What?

Overheard from the back seat:

CJ: Lets play rock, paper, scissors.

Mark: OK.

(Unison): Rock! Paper! Scissors!

Then simultaneously:

Mark: Paper!

CJ: Chuck Norris! I win!

.

(In case you missed my 150 Chuck Norris jokes, please feel free to click on the Chuck Norris label below to peruse them).

Do I Laugh or Get Mad?

I have a wonderful husband.

(Pictured here with me at my birthday in August)

.

Chris and I have been married 11 1/2 years. And it's been awesome.

He is so sweet. He's such a hard worker. He has sacrificed so much to provide a good life for our family.

So once in a while, on that rare occasion, when he does something annoying it is easier to forgive him.

Like, for example, just for instance, once every so often, when he comes to bed after I am already there, and he lovingly hand feeds me powder donuts, candy bars and potato chips, one piece at a time.

.

In my sleep!

.

Do I know I am snacking while asleep?

Do I have any recollection of it happening or even of the flavor of the junk food I am eating?

No.

.

I wouldn't even know about it if he didn't think it was so funny that he had to tell me about it the next day.

Or the next week, after this has happened several times.

.

/sigh.

.

I might as well laugh. You probably are.

What a Child Can Accomplish

I knew Mark had taken the sidewalk chalk outside yesterday afternoon.

In fact, I made him put shoes on before he went, so he would not only be warmer, but would be ready when it was time for scouts.

But I wasn't quite prepared for his artwork when I went out to get him.

Nothing fancy, or even requiring great skill.

But the committment! The endurance, the color coordination, the dedication! The crouching, moving, crouching, and moving that my own calf muscles would never have endured.

I have to say, I was fully impressed.

I think he's going to try to finish it today.

Go Mark!

Riddle Me This! (Puzzle)

I haven't done any puzzles for a while, so here you go.

1. Unscramble the below 8 words.

E V A W

P I M L Y

M A I L A S

S H U D A N B

N I J O

T O V E R

P R I S I T

T R O M I N O

.

2. Why are 1980 pennies worth more than 1979 pennies?

.

3. If you were trapped in a room with no way to get out, but you had:

a piano

a baseball bat

a saw and

a table

What are 3 ways you could escape?

Wordless Wednesday, Too Cute!

Cooties, the PSA

I got this from Pikes Pickles blog and it was too important not to share again.

Have your kids been innoculated?

.

There are several more videos on cooties on YouTube, in case you need more information.

Tagged

I was tagged by my sister Carrie.

I am supposed to answer all of these with one word answers.

I'll try.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? behind me (playing WoW)

3. Your hair color? chocolate rasberry

4. Your mother? loved

5. Your father? admired

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? broken

8. Your dream/goal? motivate/train

9. The room you're in? kitchen/office

10. Your hobby? running/blogging/WoW

11. Your fear? unpreparedness

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? WhereGodwantsme

13. Where were you last night? Movies

14. What you're not? short

15. One of your wish-list items? bike

16. Where you grew up? Utah

17. The last thing you did? appointment

18. What are you wearing? polish

19. Your TV? big

20. Your pet? reinforcing

21. Your computer? mine

22. Your mood? mellow

23. Missing someone? always

24. Your car? messy

25. Something you're not wearing? makeup

26. Favorite store? Dick's

27. Your summer? long

28. Love someone? several

29. Your favorite color? green

30. When is the last time you laughed? earlier

31. Last time you cried? Yesterday (happy)

Now I tag YOU!

Our Country's Real Roots (Sunday Post)

(Another long one, but a really good one).

OUR REAL ROOTS:

God help us.

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, 'Give me liberty or give me death.'

But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said:

'An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.'

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks.

Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this 'It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.'

Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well- worn Bible: 'I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.'

Consider these words from George Washington, the Father of our Nation, in his farewell speech on September 19, 1796:

'It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.'

Was George Washington a Christian? Consider these words from his personal prayer book: 'Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ.'

Consider these words by John Adams, our second president, who also served as chairman of the American Bible Society. In an address to military leaders he said, 'We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.'

How about our first Court Justice, John Jay?

He stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians. 'Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.'

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President.

He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role. On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, 'The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.'

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States reaffirmed this truth when he wrote, 'The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.'

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: 'The congress of theUnited States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.'

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the 'Schoolmaster of the Nation.'

Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: 'The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology.'

Of the first 108 universities founded inAmerica , 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first.

Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the scriptures:

'Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3).'

For over 100 years, more than 50% of all Harvard graduates were pastors!

It is clear from history that the Bible and the Christian faith, were foundational in our educational and judicial system. However in 1947, there was a radical change of direction in the Supreme Court.

Here is the prayer that was banished:

'Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee. We beg Thy blessings upon us and our parents and our teachers and our country.

Amen.'

In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that Bible reading was outlawed as unconstitutional in the public school system.

The court offered this justification: 'If portions of the New Testament were read without explanation, they could and have been psychologically harmful to children.'

Bible reading was now unconstitutional , though the Bible was quoted 94 percent of the time by those who wrote our constitution and shaped our Nation and its system of education and justice and government.

In 1965, the Courts denied as unconstitutional the rights of a student in the public school cafeteria to bow his head and pray audibly for his food.

In 1980, Stone vs. Graham outlawed the Ten Commandments in our public schools.

The Supreme Court said this: 'If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments were to have any effect at all, it would be to induce school children to read them. And if they read them, meditated upon them, and perhaps venerated and observed them, this is not a permissible objective.'

Is it not a permissible objective to allow our children to follow the moral principles of the Ten Commandments?

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: 'We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.'

Today we are asking God to bless America. But how can He bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him?

Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots.

-Written by Mary Jones

At this time, as much if not more than any other, we truly do need God to bless our nation.

Ronald Reagan said "If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under. "

God bless America.