Not trying to be a kill joy here, but if you aren't running the co-op, then you need to get your tip jar approved before placing it out there. Why? Because if you do it for your cause, then many others will follow suit, and it could get to be annoying at best - pressuring at worst for those who are already paying for the co-op and hopefully donating to their own causes. Just my two cents' worth.

My 16yo dd has had an emo look for the better part of 3 years. She is very solid emotionally, very open to me about every relationship, situation, drama. She just likes the emo look. The fact that some kids thought to look for cutting doesn't mean anything other than it's become very popular for kids to cut... not just emo kids either. And those who cut are usually pretty secretive about it, and do it on the insides of their legs or other places that won't be noticed. From my position - far away, and not knowing you or your dd, I would assume she's just looking for a way to be unique fashion-wise. My dd is tiny, and I think the emo look helps her feel like she's not being overrun by giants. LOL

I'm a pastor's wife. Lots of people have lots of truly great ideas, but few of them want to put in the leg work to get those ideas done. 99% of the time things don't get done because we have ideas but not workers. If I were you, here's what I'd do. 1. Contact the pastor / leadership team to see if the garden idea would even be feasible. They will know things that you wouldn't have access to. If they do say no, don't take it to mean that they don't care for needy people or don't care about nutrition. This is your first step. If they say yes, then be ready with the other things below. 2. Let your leadership know you are willing to assemble a garden team. Yeah, you're busy. So are they. So is everyone. :willy_nilly:You will need to find people who are not only good at gardening, but who also have the tools and the passion/drive available to make this a success. For instance, try to find someone in the church who owns a rototiller and who would be willing to use it or lend it out, or find a nearby farmer who might be willing to till the land. 3. Think out logistics. Not knowing where you live, I think the following questions need to be answered before I'd take on such a project: - How will the gardens be irrigated? -Who will be responsible for the weeding and harvesting? -How many acres would the garden be? -Who decides what is to be planted, and where? -Who pays for the seed, equipment rental, hoses, water, etc? -Who will transport produce to your food pantry? -What happens if someone gets hurt on the property - does the church carry liability insurance? If you do your homework ahead of time, and set up a time to meet with your church leadership (don't drop it in the pastor's ear right after service) you may just get a chance to spearhead a wonderful endeavor.

Pastor Mark Driscoll has a big huge banner on his church's website which reads: We labor to replace Christian porn, adultery and divorce with HOT HETERO COVENENTAL MONOGAMY. Dig around on the resurgence website - you might be surprised. Some fabulous audio and video. Enjoy!

We've all known people who have been book smart then gone on to make horrendous life decisions. We also know people who may not have scored well on the ACT, but are very successful and happy. What's with that? I was talking to my brother in law about this, and he talked to me a bit about emotional intelligence, and how that is measured. More information on multiple intelligences is here. Your questions are not easily answered. What I've seen in life, though, is that maturity comes primarily by virtue of chronological time. Sometimes we have very unrealistic expectations of our kids' maturity levels when they are young. They aren't little adults - in fact most neurologists would agree that the way kids think and adults think are quite different solely on the basis of the differences in brain structures at given ages. No doubt experiences can help our kids to mature. But I am doubtful that maturity can be taught - it must be grown into. Then again we all know grown adults who act like big babies. :lol:

I did call a pharmacist with that very question once. Go for it!

I so know what you mean! So you think it could be blamed on perimenopause? lol

I would come home from school with my sister to find that mom had "cleaned" our room by dumping ALL our belongings in the hallway for us to sort. The mattresses would be stacked on the wall, the floors washed, etc. Normally I would say that wouldn't be that big of a deal, but the emphasis my mom always put on the house always being picked up made her a very stressed and not joy-filled mom at all. She didn't yell or throw fits. She just was always needing everything to be in its place at all times. When she'd do the dump-all-belongings-in-the-hall stint all that did was make us mad at her and think she was crazy. It didn't teach us a lesson, nor help us to sympathize with her issues over clutter. It did, however, help me as a mother to not place so much emphasis on such things.

Children tend to be distracted easily, forget things easily, and jump around through life not being bothered by what we adults find to be either mind-numbing or annoying or whatever. You're on the right track with clearly marked bins. Be certain to stay with them when it's clean up time. Make it pleasant. Sing a clean up song. Break everything down in little tiny steps, ie., "Sadie, walk over to the dress up clothes and put all of them in the box, then talk to me." said with a big smile. Once she completes that task, tell her what to do next. You will need to stay right there, though. It's unrealistic to think that children that young will have a grown up work ethic. You'll be reminding them of these things until they leave your home, believe it or not, so buckle your seatbelt... you're in for the long haul. I say this as a mom to kids ages 18. 16, 14, 11 and 9. This is not a bad thing - you're in the midst of life training. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Don't take their actions personally (not that you're doing that, but I have done it). Their lack of follow through on picking up after themselves is not an indictment against your mothering skills either. Kids are kids and they act like kids. In my opinion, taking away all toys was overkill. Taking away perhaps 1/3 and then rotating weekly might be a better idea. Save your big guns for big issues - like starting fires, lying, wanting the car keys. Bring the toys back out, tell the kids you over reacted, and start fresh.

Soft Scrub With Bleach worked well for us.

I found this article helpful: How the Electoral College Works Be sure to click on the video on the right hand side.

If I were you, I'd contact your county and see if they have a winterization subsidy department. Many counties (at least here in MN & WI) offer free or low cost winterizing for those families whose income is below a certain level. The county sends a specialist over, who determines what you might need. Often times they will provide the materials and labor for free. Other than that, is there any way at all you could get some insulation in your ceiling? Blown insulation would be something to consider. Also, plastic on the inside of windows does a fabulous job. Make sure your dryer vent closes when not in use (lint can prop them open, which equals a direct breeze into your dryer!) Get weather stripping for your doors, too, and get the lock working. You will be able to get out if need be. But first, contact your county to see if they offer winterization programs.

What a mess. It's probably very good that your pastor resigned. It seemed like it was time. Speaking as a pastor's wife (small church - 150 in attendance) I sincerely hope your church will hire a full time pastor next time around. It's amazing to me the man lasted 4 yrs. working full time and pastoring. Even guys who do well with 1-on-1 ministry struggle when being bi-vocational pastors. While it seems like the man didn't do well at all with showing concern, most likely no one knows the other burdens he's had to carry. I didn't see any mention of functioning elders... they, too, should have been visiting and calling, if the church considers itself to have a new testament structure, and all of them should have been encouraging all in the church to reach out as the Spirit leads to minister life and hope to each other. I am glad he apologized to you, as he should have. I would caution you to guard your heart, though. It seems to me you are a merciful person, which is good. But there can be unforgiveness when a mercy oriented person doesn't see mercy in action in others. Only you know if that's the case. I'm not here to judge you, just to caution you. Be careful, too, of gossip. If you aren't directly involved in a situation, then it's best to not share it with others. If they try to share things with you that you aren't "supposed" to know, then it's gossip, even if it is true. It is very hard to say to someone that you cannot hear particulars about people, but it does help us to not stir up problems in our own hearts, know what I mean? It's the whole Matthew 18 thing. Sometimes we have to encourage our friends to go directly to the ones who have offended them, and sometimes our friends are too afraid to do so, but if they value the Word then they need to gird up their courage and do it. You can provide prayer cover. As the Lord brings this man to mind, please keep him in prayer, and his family. It's hard to describe how different and difficult it is to be a pastor (or pastor's wife) and we truly covet all prayers and any signs of kindness.

Managing Your Thermostat For Comfort & Energy Savings by Focus on Energy Again, they are saying 1% saving per degree per month. A lot depends on your comfort levels. Honestly, I can't see sitting in an uncomfortably cold home all day homeschooling to save a few dollars. But that's just me, and I can and do certainly respect those who can pull it off and be OK with it. I find other ways to cut costs, and still have some wiggle room in the budget should heating costs rise again. 'Hope the article helps.