Should Christian kids watch Harry Potter? Little mermaid is just as bad…

I was a parent who had decided our kids were not going to watch Harry Potter.  I had heard Christian leaders proclaim its evil and agreed this would not fill my child’s mind.

This year Dave and I changed our stance on Harry Potter.  Not because we think Harry Potter is a good Christian influence.  On the contrary, it has witches, wizards and magic.  It even has extremely scary parts.

But I got to thinking about the Disney princess movies we allowed into our home without a second thought.  Look at the little mermaid.  She is a princess and the king’s favorite daughter.  But she rebels against her dad, leaves the kingdom and gives up everything to follow a guy she does not even know.  The theme is don’t listen to your dad, but follow your heart and give everything away for a guy who doesn’t even know you and has made no promises to you.  She gave up her home, her biggest talent (voice) and went to a far away land in rebellion.  And they even made it have a happy ending.

But in the real world, daughters leave the protection of their father to chase what the world has to offer and end up broken.  It usually does not have a happy ending, but instead broken pieces that families try to fix with super glue.

As Christians we live in a world filled with bad stuff.  Many Christian parents remove it all, including the TV.  They may be right on this.  We have not done that.  I’m not sure what the right answer is, but I don’t think it is removing everything bad from their view.   We are allowing some stuff in and not others.  We do not allow Hannah Montana.  I cannot tolerate the way she speaks to her dad and friends during the 30 minute show.  I’m more concerned about our daughters picking up traits from Hannah Montana than some of the other stuff out there.  I also think Hannah Montana is preparing the way for culture to introduce the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

I’m not saying we’ve got this all right.  We, like other parents, are trying to make the best choices for our family.  Some allow more than we and others are even more strict.  I’ll let you know how it works in about 20 years.

This week Houston Grocery Store Advertisement Sales

It looks like this is the week for steaks.  That is the meat on the front page ads for HEB, Krogers and Randalls.  Randalls Rancher Reserve is my #1 pic when it comes to quality of beef.  They have boneless top sirloin steak for $2.99 per pound.  You can get USDA Select Top Sirloin steaks at HEB for $1.99/lb limit2w/$10p.  Krogers has stripe steak in value pack for $3.99 per lb limit 2w/$10p.

I think I’ll shop at HEB b/c I’m trying to keep our meat under $2/lb.   They also have Sanderson Farms whole chickens for $.79/lb limit2w/$10p.  Milk is $2.99 per gallon.

This weekend I’ll hit the Randalls 48 hour sale and get yoplait mutipack yogurt for $2.99, 5lb box of mandarins $4.88, betty crock cake mix $.59 andsafeway apple juice $.99.  They also have progresso soup for $1 and there is a coupon for this. And Asparagus is $1.49 per pound!

More on facial hair

I didn’t know that so many of you also had facial hair.  Based on the calls I’ve received, this should be a subject on the Presidential campaign.  Only two of you posted, but the rest are in the closet with your facial hairs.  Come out!!! It is liberating.

Our friend Tanya moved

Last August, we had an exchange student from Ukraine join for for 4 to 6 weeks. We were her welcome family until the program gave her a full year placement. She is such a lovely girl, the weeks turned into months and we had a long “welcome”.

She made the drill team and the schedule just didn’t work out with the other family commitments we have. So she decided it would be best to go with a family who could get her more involved in school activities. I am so pleased that the program found her a home within walking distance to the school, so she can be very active in afterschool activities.

Last Sunday she moved to her new home. The house is quieter without her. Maggie cried when she went to bed last night. I thought she’d be happy b/c she had given up her room to Tanya and had regained her private space. But she was more interested in having her friend back.

We are getting settled into a slower life and that is good for us all.

I’m turning into Aunt Ethel

This post is TMI.  Any men readers should change channels.

When you are a teenager your body changes and as a woman you have several milestones.  I’m learning that in mid life it happens again but in reverse.

This morning I found my first facial hair!  When I was a child I vividly remember Aunt Ethel coming over so my grandmother could get the tweezers out and remove her facial hair.  I thought that was so gross.

Now I think it is funny.  I had to show Dave.  He told me not to pull it out because two would grow back in its place.  It is very blonde and you have to really look to see it.  Should I pull it out or leave it for a while?  I wonder what else the 40s will bring?

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind

I think, no I know, I need to take my thoughts captive.  I’ve been really letting them run wild lately.  That happens when I get busy and I don’t spend enough time with God.  I think most women struggle with this.  We get a little thought in our head and we start building on it and working out scenarios on events, conversations, arguments, manipulation plans, etc.  I’m the worst.

Yesterday I ran into Romans 12 two different times.  Maybe God is telling me to get it together???  The first part of chapter 12 says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

If we offer our bodies to God, that is worship.  Our bodies include our minds.  We don’t have to enter the church on Sunday morning just to worship, but by refusing to let my mind run wild… I am worshipping God.  (Yes, I know I still need to worship with other believers… I’m not debating that.)   If my mind is full of clutter that I’ve allowed and fueled, then how can I hear God???  So many of us say we can’t help it.  I think we can, but it takes discipline.  We’ve lost discipline in so many areas of our lives (finances, eating, language, work ethic) that the mind is just an extension of this lack of discipline.  We can control much of what we chose to think about.  Granted, if you’ve had a tragedy, it will impact your emotions and thoughts.  I’m not addressing these times, but the everyday messy clutter we allow.

Since yesterday, I’ve been noticing how often I do this and trying to use this verse when my mind gets off on a tangent that is not pure.  It doesn’t take much to get me started.  I may look OK on the outside, but in the inside I’m going to town with an idea.  And it is not glorifying.  I’ll let you know how I do with my new resolve.

This week’s Houston Grocery store advertisements

Ads came out today.  It is a very good week for food.

Foodarama has fryer leg quarters 10lb bag for $.39/lb w/$10p.  Large hass avocados 2 for $1.  Yellow onions 2lbs/$1.  And sweet yams for 2/$1.  If you have their mailed ad with coupons, you can get one doz med eggs for $.88 limit2w/$10 and sandiwch bread $.69 each limit 2 and hormel chili $.99 limit 3.

Krogers has bonless chicken breast or tenders (including Tyson brand) for $1.69 per lb.  10 for $10 sales includes red seedless grapes/lb, romaine and other lettuce,  gala apples, pepperidge farm goldfish, green gian froz vegs (check your coupons), hormel chili, kroger black pepper or garlic powder,  and kroger brand bread.  Baby bella mushrooms are $2 / pkg and fall squash is $.79/lb.  And they also have their angus ground chuck on for $1.99 / lb.

HEB has Fresh seasoned boneless skinless chicken thighs for fajitas on sale for $1/lb w/$10p.  DO NOT BUY THESE unless you really like salt.  You might as well put a block of salt between tortillas with salsa.  I’ve tried these and they are terrible.  I hated them so bad I returned the leftovers and asked for my money back and HEB honored their satisfaction guarantee.

HEB has a good deal on eggs 1.5doz at $1.50 limit2/$10p.  And assorted pork chops for $1/lb limit2w/$10p.  They still have their texas orages 4 lb bag for $1.5..I’ve tried these and been pleased.  Roma tomatoes are $.57 / lb.  and hill country fare can veggies are 3 for $1 limit 6 w/$10 purchase.

Randalls has Rancher reserve Beek churck 7 bone Pot Roast for $1.49 / lb.  Gala apples are $.99 / pound.  For my mom… red baron pizza b1g1f.  Sat and Sun only:  safeway thick sliced bacon 3 lp packate $4.99 limit 2.  While folden pineapple $1.99 each.  Lucerne butter $1.99 limit 2.  Minute mail orange juice $2 limit 2.  Zucchini squash is 10lbs/$10.  Pepperidge farm goldfish crackers are $1.

Best Pork Loin dinner I’ve ever made

I cook all the time.  With 5 kids we cannot afford to eat out.  McDonalds is even expensive with teenagers!  When you cook this often, you have flops…especially if you try new recipies.  I do this to keep eating at home from getting boring.  Tonight was an over the top you’d pay $15 / dish night.   Every now and then I have those.

This morning I got a freezer gallon ziplock and made a marinade for an $8 pork loin ($1.99/lb at Krogers sale ends today).  I squirted about 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 2 second pour of reduced salt soy sauce, 2 second pour of teryiaki sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper.  I left the pork loin marinating in the fridge in the ziplock (in a bowl in case it leaked) until late afternoon.

I also made a cold broccoli garlic salad that Dave and I LOVED LOVED LOVED it.  It is from foodnetwork.  I’ve never cooked garlic like this, but it was not hard and tasted wonderful.

I saved the extra garlic oil left over from the broccoli salad, strained out the peppers and used for the pork.  I heated up my heavy dutch oven and seared the pork loin in the extra oil.  About 3 minutes on both sides.  After that I added about a cup of water and poured in the marinade.  I wouldn’t normally use the marinade, but since there was so much cooking time left it was safe.  I cooked for an hour at 300 degrees.  That was too long b/c they pork loin’s temp got up to 180 degrees and I was concerned it would be dry.  Not so, it was great.

I also made an asian orange sauce.  In a sauce pan, I heated about one cup of smuckers orange marmilade, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of chicken buillion.  Then I mixed 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of cold water and added to thicken the sauce.

I had jasmine rice, cold broccoli salad and pork loin with orange sauce.  Yum Yum Yum.

Nick won 1st place

Tonight Nick rec’d a trophy for winning first place in a computer competition.  It was a competition of several schools and he smoked the competition.  This guy is a computer whiz.

Nick turns 18

His favorite meal is a hamburger so we took him to Fuddrucker’s to celebrate his 18th birthday.  He ate a HUGE burger.  We sang happy birthday as loud as we could and gave him a little American embarrassment.  The entire restaurant clapped and yelled for him.  He turned red. Then on Sunday we took him to my mom’s and he drove the golf cart.

Tanya fell in love with the American Chocolate Milkshake.  We offered her a milkshake when we ordered and she asked for sprite instead.  I guess she thought she’d get a glass of “shaked” milk which doesn’t sound very good.  But when Maggie’s arrived at the table she went crazy and we had to get one more.