Life Is Funny: It's A Sign

By MAD21

My family loves July. I've talked before about why we love Independence Day so much, but July for our area also means the County Farm Fair. If you love tractor pulls, monster trucks, farm animals, dock dogs, baby pig races, and all the usual children's area activities (bouncy things, face painting, etc), then you'd love it, too.

After we had enjoyed our day and were properly painted and loaded with balloons and a bag of loot, we headed back to the car. We walked past all the cows and ponies to say good-bye and noticed this sign:

One can't help but wonder... is a sign really necessary? Really?

My friend and fellow blogger Wendy at Weight..What? has a fun carnival at her blog called "Life is Funny." Every Monday we talk about something in life that we find funny. Be sure to go visit her blog to read her post along with links to other blogs who are participating.

Tasty Bites: Best.Oats.Ever.

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts. It has that stick-to-your ribs character that gets you through the morning and is full of whole-grain goodness. In addition to the fiber, phosphorus, selenium, and manganese that oats provide, I like to “spike” mine with a few other healthy additions to boost the nutritional value. Therein lies the problem as I attempt to give you a recipe – I have never made them the same way twice, but the basic premise is the same: one part old-fashioned rolled oats to two parts liquid. Then get creative!

I almost always add the same three ingredients after the oats and liquid: ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and banana. Flax and chia seeds give you healthy plant-based Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, as well as more fiber. The banana makes the oats sweet and provides potassium.

I add spices and extracts to complement the toppings I plan to add. Vanilla, almond, or orange extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice … endless possibilities.

Then there are the toppings. Oh, the toppings. Think ice cream and go from there. Fresh in-season or dried fruit (dried is also good cooked in with the oats as well as on top), chocolate chips, coconut, nut butters, jelly, or nuts. (Because in my kitchen, anything good is better with nuts). Drizzle with honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. Again, the possibilities are infinite.

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YOB: #21. Go to Geppe's Entertainment Museum (Part 2)

By Beth

Entertainment is a big priority in my life and Lara's. What's the point of living if you don't have fun? I was told recently by my almost 14 year old daughter that I have "too much fun." I believe I was telling the family about a 30h birthday scavenger hunt Lara and I participated in and how we creatively interpreted most of the list. When I asked her if it was a problem that I "had too much fun" she said, "No, I just can't imagine any of my friends' parents doing ANY of the stuff you do!" She added that she didn't want me to stop having too much fun, I think she's secretly glad to see that being an adult is not boring.

Geppe's Entertainment Museum sounded intriguing. A way for us to relive our childhood by seeing posters/merchandise from years gone by. They also happened to be hosting a Harry Potter discussion one evening and, well, if you know Lara or myself at all, you know how much we esteem Harry Potter. We spent seven hours at a Borders asking each other Harry Potter trivia, that we had written ourselves after re-reading books 1-6, while awaiting the midnight release of the final book. We called it a wizards' duel, and we're about due for another (hint, hint, Lara... Deathly Hallows comes out in theaters this November). The discussion plus the museum was the perfect fit.

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Gone Before We Know It

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

Feet padding soft, silhouette standing bedside while storm crashes. He crawls in, asleep in seconds, arm flung over head, hair frizzled flat, thighs pale-moon soft. I watch him sleep, drinking in that bit of baby still left.

He cries while we watch Free Willy, worried about the whale -- brow crinkled, tears brimming lashes, mouth agape in wailing oh.

“We forget he’s still just five,” says Brad as I shush and console, stroke sunset curls, murmuring reassurances that Willy will indeed prevail.

It seems I’ve forgotten all along, so bent was I on surviving the trials of mothering infants and toddlers. And now, on the eve of too-late, I grip tight, finally not wanting to let go.

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One Word At A Time: Ego

By Alan

It’s interesting to guest write on Ego. Of all the sins, of all the topics, Pride and Ego are the most malevolent, the most evil. Love is the greatest of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 13:13), but is the oppositely most powerful evil Hate? I don’t think so. I contend that it’s Ego.

It is no less than Ego that struck down the second most powerful being in the universe. Satan was a shining beautiful angel. The Second In Command in Heaven. He was all set for Eternity on the winning side, and he let one little idea get into his head. He could maybe get a little bit more ambitious. He could succeed on his own, without any help from the Big Guy. In fact, the Big Guy was in the way. Satan began to think “I will get more” and “I will become like God.”

Read what it says in Isaiah 14 (the emphasis are mine):

How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

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