PETA has gone too far

WASHINGTON — The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.
PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.
"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."
During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama's conversation with correspondent John Harwood.
"Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.
"Now, where were we?" Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."
Friedrich said that PETA was pleased with Obama's voting record in the Senate on behalf of animal rights and noted that he has been outspoken against animal abuses.
Still, "swatting a fly on TV indicates he's not perfect," Friedrich said, "and we're happy to say that we wish he hadn't."
Deputy press secretary Josh Earnest said the White House has no comment on the matter.

taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/17/peta-wishes-obama-hadnt-s_n_217162.html

Look, call me an animal hater, but I think this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. My brother and I have declared war on the flies in our house and we aren't going to 'trap them and release them into the air!!!!' What's next? Don't kill rats that caused the black plague, but release them so they can infect some one else!!!! God told Adam to have dominion over the fish of the sea the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth~ Genesis 1:28 not for them to have dominion over us!!! Now I love animals, I don't condone cruelty to animals, but come on. A fly!!
We need common sense!
Blessings,
Victoria

Sixteen!!

As many of you know today is my 16th birthday! I I had a wonderful day. My family wouldn't let me do anything, no matter how much I wanted to help. My dear sister made me two cakes: a cream cheese pound cake and a carrot cake. Yesterday, around 10pm, just one hour after Gabbi put the pound cake in the oven, the electricity went out. It didn't come back for two hours. We were afraid that the cake would fall due to the lack of heat, but it didn't. Here's a picture:

Isn't my sister great? I thank the Lord for keeping me for sixteen years. I know I couldn't have done it on my own.

Blessings in Him,

Victoria

Would You Deny Christ?

I certainly enjoyed this. I hope it encourages you today.

RUSSIA: HYPOCRITES

They were singing choruses when the two soldiers entered with rifles. The service came to a halt as the Russian soldiers stared at the believers with wild eyes.
"What are you doing here?" They shouted. "Worshiping your imaginary God?" The church members cowered in their pews, wondering if there were more soldiers outside.
"All of those who are faithful to God, move to the right side of the church," said one of the soldiers, his face a mask of hatred. "You will be shot for your faith. You who wish to go home and keep your life, stand on the left side. You must decide to live or die. Those who are faithful to this 'God' will die. Those who deny Him can live freely."
Ten minutes earlier everyone had sung praises equally. Now it was a question of life or death. Some stood to the left, looking sadly or waving apologetically to those on the right. Some stood on the right, their eyes closed in last-minute prayers.
"You on the left are free to go," one of the soldiers said moments later. Those people filed out, taking one last look at those who would soon be dead.
When those on the right remained, the soldiers put down their weapons. "We, too, are Christians," they said, "but we wish to worship without hypocrites."
-- Extreme Devotion, Voice of the Martyrs

Blessings,
~Victoria

Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful week. My week has been pretty wonderful. I haven't posted much this week so I'll just post this recipe.

Healthy Strawberry Muffins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick oats

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1/2-2/3 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1-1 2/3 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen, chopped)*

Streusel (below)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Line 12-18 muffin cups or grease the bottom of them. Sift the first seven ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk the next four ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Stir thoroughly Fold in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and sprinkle with streusel.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

Streusel: 3 tbsp. raw (or regular) sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir together

*Note: If you use frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them by running cold water over them.

And now here are some miscellaneous pictures of flowers in my yard.

Can any of you name all of these flowers?

Have blessed weekend,

Victoria

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you ladies enjoy this poem by Mark Bullen. I know my mom did.

DEAR MOTHER


NOT NEAR ENOUGH IS SAID TODAY
ABOUT WHAT MOTHERS DO:
THE PATIENCE AND THE LOVING CARE
OF THE FAITHFUL AND THE FEW.

TOO MUCH POMP AND PAGEANT
IS GIVEN TO THOSE OTHERS
WHO GIVE THEIR HEARTS TO SOME CAREER
AND NOT TO BEING MOTHERS.

THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE THEIR FANCY CAR;
MORE MONEY IN THE BANK;
BABYSITTERS RAISE THEIR "KIDS"--
NOW WE HAVE THEM TO THANK...

FOR OVERCROWDED PRISONS,
AND TEENS ON DRUGS AND DRINK.
THEIR FAMILY'S NOT IMPORTANT,
OR, SO THEY SEEM TO THINK.

DUNKIN' DIAPERS, CLEANING HOUSE--
IT'S NOT TOO COOL THESE DAYS:
GOT TO HAVE SOME BIGGER TOYS;
NEED SOME JOB THAT PAYS.

BUT THANKS TO GOD, THERE ARE STILL
OLD FASHIONED MOTHERS 'ROUND;
NOT SWAYED BY THE OPINIONS OF
SOME NEW AGE FEMALE CLOWN.

STEWARDS OF GOD'S HERITAGE,
WHO SEE THEIR SACRED CALL,
TO TRAIN THEIR CHILD TO LIVE FOR GOD
LEST SATAN MAKE HIM FALL.

IT IS SAID THAT NO YOUNG MAN
IN SIN AND RUIN HAS STRAYED;
WHO HAD A MOM WHO LOVED THE LORD,
AND EARNESTLY FOR HIM PRAYED.

THERE IS NO HONOR OR GLORY
NO WORDS THAT WILL SUFFICE,
TO SHOW TO YOU OUR GRATITUDE,
THAT YOU HAVE PAID THE PRICE.

TO GIVE TO US A CHANCE TO KNOW
WHAT THRONGS WISH THEY COULD SHARE:
THAT'S GROWING UP WITH MOM AROUND,
NOT OFF AT WORK SOMEWHERE.

THE MEDIA WON'T CROWN YOU, MOM,
TO SHOW THE QUEEN YOU ARE;
THEY'D RATHER LIVE IN SINFUL LUST:
THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES TO SCAR.

I'M GLAD YOU DID NOT BOW YOUR KNEE
TO THEIR MATERIAL GODS.
I SEE I'D NOT HAVE MADE IT,
JUST LOOKING AT THE ODDS.

I'M GLAD YOU PUT MY LIFE AHEAD
OF OTHER THINGS TO DO.
BECAUSE YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO ME,
I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU.


MARK BULLEN

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all you mother's have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Victoria

Oh How Good the Lord is!!

Yesterday I got my ACT results, and I got a 30!!!!!! I reached my goal! Praise the Lord!!!!!! According to my results, my scores were in the 99th percentile for english, 95th for math, 85th for reading, and 92th for science. The Lord is good! I really wanted to thank you all for your prayers. The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much. ~James 5:16b

Leaping for Joy,
Victoria

Sewing my own headcoverings

After my post in July on my first sewing project using the machine, my sewing machine was having problems (caused by me) and was forced into premature retirement. well I still wanted to learn how to sew. So, I decided to actually read the instruction manual for the machine. I realized how to backstitch, re-thread the bobbin, and sew slower. At least five months ago, I bought some material to make myself some headcoverings, the simple bandanna and wide headband style ones. So using my newly acquired knowledge, I made two headcoverings. The first one wasn't so neat, but I did better on the second one. Here's a picture of it:

I guess everything gets better with practice. I'll finish making the rest of the coverings for practice, then maybe I'll be able to move on to other things, eventually clothing!

It has been really hot here. Yesterday it was 93 degrees when the weatherman said the high was 80. :( But, I prefer the hot to the cold, so I guess I can't complain. I hope you all are having a wonderful Lord's Day.

Looking to the Hills,
Victoria