Do you mean hybrid seeds? Or "terminator seeds" that make plants that won't make any usable seeds?

James says to ask God for wisdom. Too often, I think Christians wind up with a "just tell me what to do!" mentality, rather than asking for wisdom in making a decision about a gray area or non-moral choice. In the New Testament, we read about dreams, angels, and clear words, but is there much evidence for all the emphasis on vague, undefined feelings? Sure, if you feel led to show kindness, do it, because we know the Bible says to help others. But often I think we act like God has only one choice for us in a spouse or career and it's our job to find it, even if he doesn't clearly tell us what it is. I think that most of the time, as long as our choice isn't immoral, it's okay with Him. There are probably several people out there we could've married or several careers that would be fine for each of us. I pray for wisdom. If God has some special mission for me, one that isn't just a general thing for all believers to do (like feed the hungry), then I figure it's up to him to make his opinion clearly known. He had no problem telling Paul what to do or telling the apostles not to go into Asia Minor at a specific time. Most of the time, though, I'd guess that Paul just went where he thought best, while willing to have his plans be overridden by God.

It still sounds like your husband is in the "willing to go along with it" camp and not he "I really do want another" camp. In my opinion, if God really wants you to have another and you've asked his opinion, it is up to HIM to make it VERY CLEAR to you - not just a few impressions. I had my second after hearing from God specifically. It was one of only two times I have "heard" him tell me in specific words about something. It doesn't sound like a name popping into your head is the same thing.

Maybe you need to reframe your idea of "supporting the family." Instead of it being about earning money via a job, could you make it about reducing expenses? A dollar saved is more than a dollar earned, since you have to pay taxes on the dollar earned. Ways your boys could help save money: Gardening Car maintenance and oil changes Chickens for eggs Bulk cooking Canning and dehydrating anything that is a good deal Install a timer on the water heater (water heaters cost about $40-50 per month to heat all the time) Reading about and implementing other energy saving ideas If they put together enough of these (unless you are already that frugal), they might be able to save your family more money than they could earn if they were able to find a job.

That's probably zone 5, maybe zone 4 - much milder than what the OP is talking about.

I was having a problem with my 5 year old not being thorough enough when cleaning up his toys. Recently I started telling him to get the room "vacuum ready" and he does a better job. Less stuff gets left on the floor. "Don't expect what you don't inspect." If I can't check on his work right away, sometimes I have him take pictures on my phone. Then I look them over and point out what things he forgot to put away.

Here's a list of what my 5 1/2 year old does. -kitchen: set and clear the table, empty dishwasher, sometimes put his dirty dishes in the dw, wipe the table, sweep or vacuum, take the trash out (I have to lift it out of the can for him), take the recycling out -outside: trash can out to road and back, get the mail, water the garden (with help) -other rooms: vacuum, vacuum indoor floor mats, empty small garbage cans, put toys away -laundry: help put everything away, move wet clothes into dryer and start it, load washer (but not start it) -misc: he wants to help cook, but I haven't had the time or energy for having both of them hover during this; put groceries away; get breakfast for himself and his little brother, and have the kitchen cleaned up before I come down What I still need to teach: cleaning the bathroom and tub, dishes I've had a chronic illness for five years and have just started to feel mostly better in the last few months. I followed the saying "give the job to the youngest person that can do it" because I had to. Now I'm very greatful to have a son who's so helpful. A few things we learned along the way: -He gets upset if we keep telling him "do this" throughout the day. He is much happier if we just give him a written list all at once. -Racing against Mommy and Daddy to see who can get their big Sunday list done first speeds him up a lot. -If he's being too slow or getting distracted, setting a timer for each job helps him focus. Stuff he doesn't do that I should teach him

-Get some good, large exterior and interior mats and put them by all doors. This cut my sweeping and vacuuming in half, or less. Don Aslett's mats -Have one of your kids empty the dishwasher as soon as it's done. All dirty dishes go directly in. -Make good use of your crockpot. -Teaching your kids to do chores is an investment that pays off well. -Buy a small stick vac that even a two-year old can use to vacuum. -Whoever makes the mess cleans it up. If a toddler spills his drink, give him a washcloth and show him how to wipe it up. -I don't play with the toys, so it's not my job to put them away. I rarely put toys away. Cull the herd ruthlessly and only keep toys used frequently and that have a good spot to keep them.

Did you feel 100% completely at peace with it a few days before the procedure, or did you have a few doubts, if even your reasons for not having more kids were good?

I would look into freezing your credit, too.

What is with women calling themselves "moms" if they have pets but no kids? Do men do this? Someone I know listed herself as a "stay-at-home mom" when she doesn't have any kids. They do have many rodents, however. I know she takes very good care of them, but I find it hard to believe that their pets are even as much work as training and caring for a dog...no comparison with a baby.

Have a six month emergency fund in place before quitting any old jobs (even more would be better). Clark Howard recommends contacting SCORE, Service Corp of Retired Executives, for free advice. Find a good accountant or bookkeeper to make sure he's keeping good records from the start and to help choose the appropriate business structure.

Coupon code: 2012 Expires: Tues 1/17 Good for 20% off everything they sell, including freeze dried meat, dairy, veggies, fruit, beans, flour, and grains. Shipping is a flat rate of $4.49. I just placed my order and thought I'd pass along this great coupon code.

I haven't read any replies. I absolutely would not allow my kids on the trip. How can I even help them make a packing list if it's a secret? And how do I know the adults in charge are trustworthy?

I never had enough excess tomatoes last summer to feel motivated to can. So I sliced them and dehydrated them instead. If you sprinkle Italian seasoning on them first, they taste like pizza. I like to put them on my salad in the winter when tomatoes are expensive or lousy. I plan to dehydrate more this summer. It was much less work than canning. Dehydrated strawberries and pineapples are really good. DH made some amazing jerky.

We bought an Aroma brand one at Wal-Mart. It had good reviews on Amazon and came with a delay timer and a brown rice setting. It does a great job with brown rice, quinoa, and millet.

I just want to say I love the word shadenfreude. I've only seen it used one other place, on The Housing Bubble Blog. I wonder how it's pronounced.

The zoo would be a great idea.

If you are conservative with your money and don't know much about investing, put it toward the mortgage. Big piles of money have a tendency to get spent.

Hands going numb sounds like it could be a b12 deficiency. I'd consider starting some sublingual methylcobalamin form of b12, along with extra folic acid. Some people can't use folic acid properly (a genetic defect), which leads to the symptoms of b12 deficiency, since the b12 can't be used properly. Read about the MTHFR defect. Look into taking folinic acid and the 5-MTHF form of folic acid.

I've been at it for 5 years and each year I make fewer repeat mistakes, plus some new ones. I think maybe by 7-8 years, I'll be pretty good at it.

If you can garden at least better than average, how many years of gardening did it take you to develop a green thumb?

Millet isn't really gluten-free. I've been GF for years and just learned this. Gluten is the collective name for two proteins, gliadin and something else I can't remember. Millet has gliadin in it, so it seems like something GF people should avoid.

Your neighborhood sounds more stable. You don't sound like you want to move. Is the stress and hassle of buying, selling, and moving worth it?

Jesus warned about the Pharisees who went around publicly praying and letting everyone know about their tithing and fasting in order to look good. He said they already had their reward in full. He told people not to be like them, but to close the door and pray in secret. I don't follow football, but if he's being overly public about all this, then maybe the above is why it bugs you.