Nikon vs Canon: Your Thoughts?

I'm just looking for your thoughts concerning the Nikon D3000 DSLR vs. the Canon Rebel XS DSLR. I know both are entry level, and right now I don't have the money for the more expensive models. I have been debating this for weeks, and I have read reviews. I have held the Nikon D3000 in Target, and I liked the way it felt in my hands. Generally I do gravitate more toward the Nikon, but I was just wanting to know what you all thought, if you have any thoughts.



the Nikon



the Canon

What camera do you own? Any input is appreciated!

Praying Just to Pray

Every day it seems that someone new is requesting prayers for some difficulty a friend or family member is having in their life, or maybe even for themselves. I love to pray for other people. I know God has commanded us in His word to pray for the sick (James 5:24) and to pray for God's people (Philippians 1:9-11) by Paul's example. I like to remember to pray to God for our daily needs (Matthew 6:11), and especially for forgiveness when it's needed (Acts 8:22-24). I pray for strength and to resist temptation when I'm faced with one (Matthew 6:13, 26:41). I even try to remember to pray for my enemies (Matthew 5:44), even though I really don't like to call anyone my enemy. We always pray when we sit down to eat, too!

But I was just thinking today... when do I ever pray just to pray?

I have reasons to pray every day. There are so many hurting people out there. And there are also so many reasons to be thankful and to rejoice! But when do I ever just sit down and pray just to pray to my God? Just to talk? Just to let Him know what's on my mind? Sometimes I just feel like venting and sometimes I go to my husband and let him know what's on my mind and what's got me so riled up. Why don't I go to God like that? When something's upset me, how come I don't just sit down and talk through it with the Father?

I think about Daniel, who three times daily knelt down in his home (while in captivity!), to pray to God. Three times daily! Daniel made time to talk to God, and I just pray when we're about to eat or when I get to thinking about those who have asked for and need prayers. I sing the song to Benjamin in Bible Class "Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day" - Listen to God and Talk to God every day - yet I find that I don't do that half the time! Isn't that awful?

It's something I need to work on. It's something I am going to work on. It's something so crucial to my walk with God, and it needs my attention! God needs my attention just as those I pray for need His.

So, the question for you is, how often do you pray just to pray?

Guess the theme

I have too much to do and too much to think about tonight, and really no room to give insight.

Based on these pictures, can anyone guess the theme of Benjamin's First Birthday Party (which is the 23rd - while his birthday is the 19th)?






If I've already told you, shhh, please!

"I just want what is best ... "

You may not agree with me or my views in this post. This is just something that has been on my mind lately. Facebook friends, you may have already read this!

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I do not know any parents who do not strive daily to make sure they do what is best for their children. As soon as Carl and I learned that I was pregnant, we began immediately doing what was best for Benjamin (even as we did not know he was Benjamin yet!). I took prenatal pills, got my rest, ate healthier, got more exercise, and refrained from harmful medications and the like. When Benjamin was born, we made it a high priority to make sure we made the best choices for Benjamin since he could not make choices himself. We choose healthy foods for him to eat, safe toys for him to play with. We put baby gates up to keep him from playing with dangerous electronics and from climbing the stairs, and we put covers on our unused electrical outlets. We chose to use cloth diapers and hypoallergenic baby wash because of his sensitive, rash prone skin.

While all of this is good, while all of this remains a priority for us in the way we raise Benjamin, none of this even comes cloes to the importance of the decisions we have made concerning Benjamin's spiritual upbringing.

It baffles me how some parents say they are so concerned with doing what is best for their child or children, and yet they forget completely the most important thing they could ever do for their child. That is - teaching them about God and His Son and His Church and His creation! How to be a faithful Christian and how to love our neighbors and our spouses and our family and friends and enemies. Most importantly, how to resist the devil so that he will flee from them (James 4:7), and how to gain eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Parents who know better, who know what's right, and yet they concentrate on the earthly vessel that will one day be nothing but dust in the ground.

You can feed your children organic foods, healthy foods. You can make sure they never eat a bite of fast food, never eat a piece of junk food, never take in too much fat or sugar or salt - but are you feeding your children the bread of life (John 6:35)?

You can provide every safe toy to fill your child's heart with joy. But are you teaching your children about the abounding joys and blessings found in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3)?

You can teach your children that touching the hot stove is dangerous. You can teach your children that they could get hurt or killed if they played in the street. You can keep your babies from danger using baby gates and socket covers. But are you armoring your children with the armor of God against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:4)?

If you're not, can you honestly say that you are doing the best for your children in the long run?

If you're not taking your children to Bible Class and Worship on Sundays and Wednesdays and whenever else the Saints meet, but instead taking your children out to the park or over to Grandma and Grandpa's house, or to the store or just staying at home to play and relax - can you honestly say you are doing what is best for your child, spiritually?

Parents are commanded in the Bible to teach their children. Are you willing to risk your soul, along with your child's?

Is that really what is best?

Just something to think about...

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." - III John 4


Benjamin all ready to go to Bible Study at 9 days old.

Inhale, Exhale

My eyes are murky from inhaling too many cleaning fumes today, and my body is screaming for me to take a good, long rest already! I have been cleaning pretty much all day today. Tomorrow we are having a fellowship at our house, and this is the first time since New Years that we have invited the congregation out to fellowship. Isn't that terrible? But with a new baby, and everything else that was going on - plus not really having been very moved in when we did have Benjamin - we hadn't had the opportunity. Well, as of Halloween, we have been here an entire year - in Fort Valley, that is. We have not lived in this house that long. We moved in here the day after Black Friday last year. Can you imagine driving a UHaul truck through the Mall of Georgia area on Black Friday - me, 8 months pregnant, and already a stressful passenger?! Whew!

Anyway, we wanted the house to look presentable for everyone ... isn't it sad that it has taken so much out of us just to have it presentable? And I don't even mean spic-and-span - that will probably never happen. No, I know it will never happen, and you will see why in a few minutes.

I was thinking about what I could possibly write about today in my blog (since I missed yesterday - oops - sorry!), and while I was mopping my kitchen, I realized exactly what I would write about.

This is why my house will never, ever be spic-n-span - and no, it isn't the baby (or the husband):



No, this is not a photograph that I have taken, nor is it one that is taken with things I own or in my house. However, this is how I feel when I am mopping. I feel like I am mopping with the most ancient mop and bucket, and that I am mopping an impossibly dirty floor.

I don't know what the deal is. Seriously, I can sit there and scrub away all day long and it still looks like an entire football team has hustled through my kitchen with dirty shoes, and then a herd of cattle (Cattle? Why not.). There have been times when I would go through with a Swiffer mop, then the regular mop, and have resorted to getting down on my hands and knees with a clorox wipe. Okay, maybe I am a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to cleaning. I may not enjoy cleaning, but when I do get down to it, I never want to do it half way. Go big or go home (That's for you, Stephanie!).

After all that ... why, oh WHY can I not get it clean?! There is a stretch of linoleum that just remains black, beneath the cabinets. I am afraid there could be something nasty down there but I really don't know if I want to find out. All I know is: it can't be scrubbed up from the top... could it be the bottom?

Let's not think about that. It might spark my obsessive compulsive side.

Then again ... I am renting ... would that be something the landlady would have to take care of? Hmmm...

Anyway ... that's what's been grinding my gears tonight! Oh, did I mention that I am not finished cleaning yet? One room remains to be cleaned before tomorrow (our guest room is not it - that is littered with stuff from the yard sale and has yet to be sorted through). The family room. It shouldn't take too long. Tomorrow Hubby and Benjamin will be going to a Veteran's Breakfast over at the American Legion, so that might give me some time to situate things over here, and then decorate outside some.

So, here's my question for you wonderful* housewives: How do I get my kitchen to really sparkle, what mop do you suggest, and what could it be that is making my kitchen floor remain that dark color beneath the cabinets?

*Wonderful as in ... you are wonderful. You don't have to be the best housewife in the world to answer. I know for a fact that I am not the best!

Oh, and before I leave you to it, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to my husband for helping out so much today with cleaning. He got his office all straightened up - which was a HUGE task in and of itself! Way to go! I love you!

... One more thing ...



Benjamin learned how to comb his hair today. Smart boy!

Hope you all have wonderful weekends!