Petraeus scandal puts four-star general lifestyle under scrutiny from the Washington Post

“There is something about a sense of entitlement and of having great power that skews people’s judgment,” Gates said last week.

“I love the man. I am his biggest supporter. But I strongly disagree,” said retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who served as Gates’s senior military assistant. “I find it concerning that he and others are not focusing on the effect on our guys of fighting wars for 11 years. No one was at it longer than Petraeus.”

The above quotes come from an article in the Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/petraeus-scandal-puts-four-star-general-lifestyle-under-scrutiny/2012/11/17/33a14f48-3043-11e2-a30e-5ca76eeec857_story.html

Ok, this is one Army wife's opinion, I am going with Gates on this. Yes, fighting in a long war can have an effect. But don't tell me that Petraeus didn't get home to DC enough to satisfy anything he needed from his wife, Holly. Power is intoxicating. Being 60 and having a 40 year old beauty chasing him was the effect, not the war. Let's lay the blame where it needs to be squarely on the those who stumble.

As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupt absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.”

Thanksgiving week

I am getting very excited. My man, JTB, gets to come  home from Ft. Hood from Thursday to Monday afternoon. He is getting ready to go on a deployment. We are having family pictures done on Friday with a friend of a friend. Well while in Target yesterday, I got me a dress and shoes. Both so out of character for me. Yet, I wanted them and in some sense needed them. We all want to feel and look our best. So even though I know I need to lose more weight etc... I loved this dress since I saw it and I love the shoes, even though I may break something wearing them! LOL

I will be wearing it to church today, so I may post a picture later. LOL I have to keep telling myself, it is okay to look sexy if I am trying to look sexy for my man!! Which in all honesty, I am not just doing it for him. I am doing it for me. And as long as I am okay with it, he is okay with it, and God is okay with it, then I have decided that is all that matters!!

A preview of the shoes!! (Target $29.99)

Things gone by

I am 43, most of Princess Pie's friends mothers are 5-10 years younger than me and still having babies. In fact one of my dearest friends is finding out the sex of their long awaited blessing today.

I truly don't want any more children, I believe the five God has given me is plenty. Yet, I still struggle when holding a baby at dance etc... It isn't so much about wanting another as it is knowing I am 43 and not having any more. It isn't that we can't we have just chosen not to.

Do any of you feel that way?

Below are our blessings!

Moral failings

We all have them, those little nagging thoughts that what we are doing isn't right. I wonder if  David Petraeus had those little nagging thoughts before he betrayed his wife, Holly. Now I am not saying Holly Petraeus is a saint. She is a military wife who has spent too much time alone and if like me can't get away with going to the bathroom by myself, let alone have time for an affair.

Yet her husband of 38 years has done just that. He hasn't just failed his country, he has betrayed his wife and his children. When there is a moral failing, especially of a sexual nature, it kills the person who is betrayed. Both sexes do it, which does not make it right. Men seem, to especially, not get what it does to the self-esteem of their wives. Mr. Petraeus is not an exceptionally looking man, and Holly is a middle age woman though still pretty, she is not Paula Broadwell. So how does Holly deal with this. I know I would be crushed, the devastation is not something I think I could get over. In this season of their lives, clinging to each other may be the only thing that would get them through it, but how do you do that? How do you rebuild your life with the man you thought you knew. I mean 38 years that is a very long time.

Sometimes you just wonder....

Abraham, Sarah and Hagar: A lesson not learned

I started reading a year long blended read through the Bible off of You Version. Today's reading is Genesis 16-18. I really want to post my thoughts on Genesis 16. It is the story of Abraham, Sarai and Hagar. As I was reading this, it struck me, verse 2 of chapter 16 says this," Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps I can have children by her." And Abram agreed to what Sarai said."


Ok I have to admit, when I see Sarah in Heaven I am going to say to her, "what in the world were you thinking?" Abraham was a man of honor. You don't read of him having a concubine or any other wives. So why would Sarah give another woman to him? He was so in love with her, they had been married a lifetime and yet he (as far as we know) didn't have another lover until Sarah gave him Hagar. 


Hagar was an Egyptian. So one she introduced a foreigner into their bloodline. It isn't like Egypt and Israel are the best of friends. So when Hagar became pregnant, she started treating Sarah with contempt. Sarah gets mad at Abraham and blames him. (yet we all know it is Sarah's fault for suggesting it and Abraham's for going doing it) It is the apple and the garden all over again. No one taking responsibility for their actions.


Hagar runs away and the Angel of the Lord finds her. He asks her what she is doing and she tells him she is running away because of the way Sarah is treating her. The Lord tells her to go back, but what is the kicker of this is what the Lord tells her.

 The Angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count."

11 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her:

You have conceived and will have a son. 
You will name him Ishmael, 
for the Lord has heard your [cry of] affliction. 

12 This man will be [like] a wild donkey. 
His hand will be against everyone, 
and everyone's hand will be against him; 
he will live at odds with all his brothers. 

The Muslims and the Jews are at odds because one man and one woman could not wait on the timing of God. Yet God loved Abraham and blessed him. Abraham is the father of all. We must not just look at the short term, but when we try to step outside of God's will and timing do we also look at the long term. Of course, not. We are an instant society and want what we want now. Looks like Sarah was the same way. What is disturbing though, is that Abraham heard the promise from the Lord and yet he still did what Sarah asked. So ladies, this is a prime example of how much influence we have over our men. Do you use it wisely or do you want what you want when you want it. 

Just some food for thought on this gorgeous Saturday morning!

A Down Day

Today has been kind of a down day. The boys are not feeling well. JTB found out an old friend from high school died this morning. Just one of those days where you want to climb under the covers and just go back to sleep. Yet we can't cause life continues on. We thank the Lord that JTB's friend knew the Lord and is safe in His arms today. We thank God that other than an inconvenience the boys cold is just that a cold. We have healthy kids! We are blessed beyond measure! Short, sweet and to the point. Good night.

Another Year....

I am so not a regular blogger. I sometimes feel so overwhelmed with what is going on in my life that I don't know if I have time for this. Here it is another year since I had blogged. Not much has changed in my life. Still doing the same ole same ole. The only thing that has really changed is I started selling Jewels By Park Lane ! So other than that, that is all that is new.

 Princess Pie had her dance recital again last weekend! She did so good and has gotten better as a dancer. (This is her second year)

Little Man loves his sushi and likes to go get some any chance he gets. He got to spend two weeks with his daddy over at Fort Bragg, NC. So he was a happy camper.

Nathaniel  has been busy with Souled Out Youth and South City Theater! So this summer not sure what he will be doing.

We try to keep busy and go visit JTB as often as we can.

What Harold Camping Got Right

What Harold Camping Got Right

Ballet Girl's dance recital

Customize your own free photo slideshow

Life happens, Joshua 1

I have been lax in my postings. Life happens! Last week was busy, busy!! I was preparing for my man, JTB, to come home for a visit! Plus work, the kids and school! So it has been crazy. JTB got in Saturday early evening! We went to church on Sunday morning, lunch and then went to see NSB in South City Theatre's production of "Wizard of Oz". Yesterday was a school day for the kids and JTB worked on our toilets!  Plus we went to Lowe's for some more supplies and dreamed a bit about the stuff we would like to do in our house! Especially the kitchen!

Cast picture from "Wizard of Oz". NSB was Uncle Henry, a flying monkey and a tree!


Today's reading on my You Version reading plan is Joshua 1. 


Joshua 1 starts out with God telling Joshua, Moses is dead. It is time to go on with life. How hard that would have been for Joshua. Just think his mentor, Moses, is dead. The responsibility for the spiritual and natural well being of the Israelites was now on his shoulders. He knew what they were like, so I am sure it was a responsibility that he took, but also was on his knees a lot!


God laid a lot on Joshua's shoulders in those first two verses, but then He lays out the plan for Joshua. He tells  him that every where the sole of his foot treads, the Lord has given to him, just as he promised Moses. Even when God comes to us with instructions on something he wants us to do, He backs it up. He lays out the plan, but also His promises! Verse 5 attests to that! " No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you." (HCSB) What an absolutely wonderful promise! Yet that promise just wasn't for Joshua! Peter spoke in Acts 10:34 (KJV) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" So to me that means that what God did for one person in the Bible He will do for me! Praise God!! God continues to instruct Joshua on what he must do in verses seven and eight. "7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do." 


As a good man and leader, Joshua does what the Lord has commanded. He prepares the people. A good leader will always prepare the people for a move of God! So if you are sitting in a church where the Word is not being preached, then your leader is not preparing the people for a move of God! You need to pray and ask God if you should get out and find a Word preaching church! 


The people of Israel obeyed the leading of Joshua. Which tells you that they respected the man and that he was a man to be followed! Verse 16 and 17 says "They answered Joshua, "Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. 17 We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses." 


I am sure that it comforted Joshua. The Lord allowed confirmation, by the people, for Joshua! When He calls us, He instructs, equips and confirms! Our God is an awesome God! He loves us and is concerned about every aspect of our lives, including the instructional part of our lives. He wants us to grow, to stretch, to continually trust Him more!


Do you trust? Do you follow His instructions? I am constantly growing in that area, just as you all are! May we all trust and follow His instructions so we can grow to be more mature Christ followers!

God's provisions, Exodus 1

Good morning! This week is a big week! NSB has tech week for Wizard of Oz. JTB comes home on Saturday! So exciting. Boo Boo comes back from Indiana this weekend. So busy, busy, busy!

Today's reading is in Exodus chapter 1. As I read it, I was trying to grab some wisdom from it. It is a short chapter. (I use the Holman Christian Standard Bible)

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.s6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.s13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

So during the famine, Joseph moved his family to Egypt and they prospered. Then the old pharaoh died and a new one came on and he didn't know of Joseph. Which I don't understand how he could not have heard of Joseph. I would think he would have been mentioned in the scrolls. 

There arose up a new king—Who this was it is difficult to say. It was probably Ramesses Miamun, or his son Amenophis, who succeeded him in the government of Egypt about A. M. 2400, before Christ 1604.
Which knew not Joseph—The verb ‏ידע‎  yada, which we translate to know, often signifies to acknowledge or approve. See Judges 2:10; Psalm 1:6; 31:7; Hosea 2:8; Amos 3:2. The Greek verbs ειδω and γινωσκω are used precisely in the same sense in the New Testament. See Matthew 25:12, and 1 John 3:1. We may therefore understand by the new king's not knowing Joseph, his disapproving of that system of government which Joseph had established, as well as his haughtily refusing to acknowledge the obligations under which the whole land of Egypt was laid to this eminent prime minister of one of his predecessors.
A Commentary and Critical Notes. Adam Clarke's Commentary

So now you have this new pharaoh who is afraid of the number of Israelites in Egypt. So he tells the midwives to kill all new born baby boys. They disobey that order, why? Because they feared God. So they spared all the new born boys, and God prospered them gave them husbands. The children of Israel grew. 

So what is the moral? I guess to me it is that when someone, even someone in power, tells us to do something that we know is wrong, we need to do what is right and trust that God will protect us and provide. These women were not Israelites they were Egyptians, Gentiles! So as in the New Testament, we as Gentiles when doing what we know is right in God's eyes, He will protect and provide. 

I find comfort that there are so many examples of that in the Old Testament as well as the new!

May God provide for you today, as you chose to do what is right.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today was a good day! I got  up this morning and prepared our lunch so that when we got home from church it could go straight into the oven. I got to Skype with my man, JTB, all morning then we got ready and  headed to Alabaster Church of God where Pastor Stroup delivered a good old fashioned fire and brimstone preaching on salvation. It was out of II Samuel 21. The story of Rizpah and how she stayed six months with the bodies of her sons that David had killed to avenge the killings that Saul had done.

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh–gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth–shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

Rizpah may or may not have been a good mother when her sons were growing up, but she was a good mother at their deaths. She kept the birds and animals away from her sons, she cried out to God for her sons. David heard what she was doing and he went and got the bones of Saul and Jonothan and then came and took the bones of her sons and buried them properly. He gave honor to the King and his descendants. The drought was gone. 

How much more should we as mothers be in intercession for our children who do not follow Christ?

Happy Mother's Day!! 

Here are my rug rats! My precious children!

ESB, Ballet Girl and NSB at church this morning. The two older ones are in Indiana. So they weren't here for the picture.

Intercede, don't let go until your children know Christ. I know I won't!

Saturday Ramblings

Well my reading plan on You Version gives me Saturday's and Sunday's off, so today is a catch up day.

What has been going on? Well a lot. Our daughter, Boo Boo, went to visit her grandmother last weekend for two weeks. She just turned 18 in March. She is trying to find herself. I am very concerned about the choices she has been making and I am praying God will open her eyes and she will see that there are some major issues to confront. So while she is gone it is just me, ESB, Ballet Girl and NSB.

Ballet Girl has her first recital coming up on the 21st of May. She is so excited. I am so very excited for her.

Isn't she just gorgeous?!!

 Her daddy is taking leave and coming home so we are all excited about that. JTB will be home next Saturday evening! It has been two months since we have seen him. It has just been crazy, between NSB's theater, weather and just life, but we are excited! We miss him so.

NSB has a performance in the South City Theatre workshop "Wizard of Oz". He has three parts, a tree, a monkey and Uncle Henry. We have all costumes, I just need to finish the tree costume. I am not a crafty person, so this is a challenge for me, but it is good to stretch yourself, right?

ESB just did his first audition. He auditioned for the Parnell Memorial Library theater camp. He got a part!! We are just waiting to see what it will be. So I have two children in theater! ESB is quite good. He can do a couple of accents etc.. I am excited to see what he gets. The camp is for 2 weeks in July!

Me, well I have been trying to read more than I have in the past. I am also trying to get on a schedule to help us with our days. Monday, cleaning the house and laundry. Tuesday, change and wash the bedding. Wednesday off day, Thursday and Friday, I work. Plus we do school everyday, and then we fit in theater practice, church and dance class.

Oh back to the reading. I just finished The Pioneer Woman's book "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". What was so cool was I borrowed it from our library's electronic library. I downloaded it and transferred it along with two books for Ballet Girl to my NookColor. So that was pretty cool. The book is wonderful. It is about Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man's courtship and first year of marriage! If you are a fan, you will love it.

Well lots to do today, so I better get at it. First, another cup of coffee. There is just something about coffee, a cool morning and all the kids still in bed that just makes it taste better (the coffee)!

Genesis 24 The Arranged Marriage

An arranged marriage....Can you imagine? Especially in today's society. Yet let's go back about 4000 years. 


Abraham was old, getting on in years. (Moses had a sense of humor!) He made  his servant swear that he would go to Abraham's relatives to get Isaac and wife. He also made him swear he would not let Isaac return to his relatives. How did they "shake" on it? Well Abraham had his servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh. Weird, but it worked for them.


So you all know the story, the servant left took a lot of gifts and ended up at a well of Abraham's relatives. This is the cool part. He prayed to God asking him to have mercy and favor on his master, Abraham, by sending him a girl for Isaac. He asked God to show him the girl by having her ask to water the camels after she offered him a drink of water.


Rebekah comes along and he asks her for a drink she says, "sure and let me water your camels why you do so" (my paraphrasing). So success! The servant goes with her tells her family all that transpired between him and Abraham, his prayer to God and what Rebekah did. Well then the family said let her stay with us and we will send her in 10 days....the servant was like hold the phone, send her with me now. So they asked Rebekah and she said she would go.


As she was starting to leave the family bestowed upon Rebekah a blessing...it is found in Genesis 24 verse 60 
They blessed Rebekah, saying to her:

Our sister, may you become
thousands upon ten thousands.
May your offspring possess
the gates of their enemies.


I want to camp on that for a minute. How many fathers or mothers out there, when their child is getting married bestows a blessing upon their child and future spouse? Not many, but it is biblical. So when your children are old enough for marriage, think about bestowing a blessing upon them. Speak life into that marriage and not death. Even if the marriage is not what you want for them and you know it will happen then stop and think that speaking life and praying for them, will change the situation.


Okay, so they all leave to head back to Isaac. (Interesting that Abraham isn't mentioned) So from a distance Rebekah sees a man walking towards them, it is Isaac. He takes Rebekah into his mother's tent and he loves her and he was comforted after his mother's death. Wow, there are several points in this verse. Let's start with how they didn't know each other. If Abraham was adamant about Isaac not going to his relatives land, we know Rebekah had never met this side of her family. So they were strangers. Secondly, he takes Rebekah into his mother's tent. One it has the ewww factor, but also Isaac is telling his servants, friends etc...this woman is my wife and she is your mistress...Third, Isaac loved her. He wouldn't have loved her with the love that we have after dating our spouses for months or years. He loved her with the love of God. He loved her like God loves. I thought at first it might be because she was beautiful, and that might have had a hand in it, but God said Isaac loved her. God doesn't lie, so Isaac loved Rebekah. Fourth, Rebekah must have loved him back because the Bible says that Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Rebekah was the right woman for Isaac.


So would you choose an arranged marriage for your child? Maybe not, but there is an example here. I think the number one thing is to pray for the spouse of your child. Two, provide for that child. Three, bless that marriage.


As I look ahead to my children's possible marriages, all I can do, especially in today's society is to pray that God sends them a person who loves God, and will love our children as only a God sent spouse can do. I pray He does the same for yours!

Genesis 22 The sacrifice of Isaac...Parent/Child relationship

Today in the Major Events reading plan I am on chapter 22 of Genesis. The sacrifice of Issac. When we talk about it we talk about how God provides, but there is another lesson to be learned in this chapter. The lesson is child obedience. Abraham was obedient unto God. He brought wood and  his son, Isaac. Now Isaac must have thought, okay dad and I are going to the mountain to sacrifice and worship Yahweh together. They get there, Abraham prepares for the sacrifice....Isaac doesn't see any animal there, so he asks his father where is the animal (Gen 22:7) In verse 8 Abraham tells Isaac God will provide.

Let's look at this. Isaac was a good boy. He followed his father to the mountain and was ready to worship with him. Remember Abraham by this time was older, but Isaac would have been a teen, maybe a young man at this time. He could have ran from his father when he realized he was the sacrifice, but he didn't. He stayed and he allowed his father to tie him up to be the sacrifice. There had to have been more conversation there that Moses didn't record. Isaac would have asked why? He possibly would have begged please no, father, no. Genesis 22 records that it took 3 days for them to reach the mountain. We all know the sacrifice of Isaac is symbolic of the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus knew no sin, so for Him we know how he pleaded with God let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but yours be done. (Matt 26:39) Yet Isaac knew sin, he was born into a sinful world, so he could have ran, fought with Abraham, he was younger, stronger...

The lesson I see in Genesis 22 is the obedient son, Isaac who submitted to his father's will. Just like we are to submit to our heavenly Father. Our Father gives us a commandment, or asks something of us, we are to humbly submit, as Isaac did to his earthly father, Abraham. Was it easy oh heavens, no. It would have been the most excruciating thing either one of them ever did. I wonder was their relationship ever the same? Did Isaac understand? Was he able to hear the voice of the Angel of the Lord (Gen 22:15-18) One think I will assume is that Abraham had taught Isaac the ways of the Lord, and he also had trust and an open line of communication with his son. So will we raise our children in the fear of the Lord and in His ways. Do our children trust us in the way that Isaac had to trust Abraham? I know I need work on myself as a parent.

My prayer for you all today is that God show you how to have that with your children like Abraham and Isaac had. Love, trust and open communication.