:001_unsure: Um, Mergath IS thin! I really don't think she meant any harm...

LOTS of stuff you can put in a crock pot... Chicken, pork or beef with some bbq sauce. Shred it up right before you eat, and serve with hamburger buns. If you have coleslaw to go with, that's a super plus. Chili. Meatballs with either sweet and sour sauce or spaghetti sauce. Mac and cheese. Put it on high instead of low and you're good to go. (I made this for dsd's open house. It was SO GOOD.) Even mostaciolli with meat sauce kept warm on low is yummy.

This is what my dh would want, too. And congrats! Dh and I will celebrate our 12th this year; can't wait to have our 20th!

Yep, Paul talks about Cretians in Titus chapter 1.

You know what, I totally agree with you. If something (God forbid) ever happened to my dh, and my children and i needed a place to live, I'm fairly certain there are numerous ladies on this board that would open their homes to us. Blessedly I can say the same about numerous IRL friends as well. Not to mention I don't ever see that being a concern. But it's a comforting thought nonetheless.

I do it, but I know it's bad manners. :p I try not to do it when outside of my house, and I *think* I've taught my boys not to do it in public. Funny thing; I never even knew it was bad manners as a kid until I read in some novel about a man doing it and how it was bad manners, LOL.

Horton is right! Pancake Pantry. The end. You. Must. Go.

Thank you again sisters. For the pm's, the support, the prayers, the book recommendations. I appreciate each of them. Each encouraging word, each hug. It has helped. It is helping. Bless you all.

I don't know if the person who recommended the Pearls book really needs to be completely avoided. FWIW, the woman who gave me a copy of TTUAC is a wonderful, Godly older woman. She has four grown sons who are all great Christian men. Honestly, I was SHOCKED when I read the book that this woman would recommend it to me. I can only assume that she never actually read and/or implemented many of the suggestions with her own children. I don't really know the backstory there. I just know that this woman and her family are loving, Godly, wonderful examples, and I have no idea how or why she recommends the Pearls book. To be sure, I would be wary of someone who recommended that book to me who I didn't know well. But some people pass along a book, blog, website, etc because they're heard it recommended by *others* without necessarily having full knowledge of all the content, IYKWIM.

My dh and I are extremely conservative, homechurching Christians. I have read "To Train Up A Child". I do NOT think the book gives any useful advice. Quite the opposite; I think that book is awful, damaging, horrible, and should never be recommended to anyone. Same goes for "Created to Be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl. Others will give you good advice about what books *are* good; I liked "Bringing Up Boys" by Dr. Dobson as a nice insight into having sons. Don't know how helpful it would be for discipline. I guess I don't have any great books to recommend on that, except the Bible. I just wanted to caution you AWAY from "To Train Up A Child".

That's very true, and also how I look at it sometimes.

Ah. I see how they could be dangerous to people.

So, if you feel like educating this city girl, why is it bad to just let them have their horns? I mean obviously you're not removing them for fun or looks, but I have no idea why it's bad for them to have them.

Amen sister. You are so right. Thank you for taking the time to share.

Is that the adorable little baby cow your dh bought you? SO cute. I don't know what polled is. I'm assuming that dehorning is a good preventative sort of thing to do for cows? Either way, it sounds like a heartbreaking thing to have to do. Kind of like vaccinating, if you choose to do that for your kids, right? It's just so funny, because I live in a townhouse in the city. I grew up in the city, have always lived in the city. I've never lived anywhere where we could own a cow. But I would like to some day!

dp

Oh. Oh Chris, that just breaks my heart. If there's anyway the mother would be willing to talk to me so that I can warn her of the pain to come, I'd be happy to send my phone number.

God bless you both for having the strength to share with me. :grouphug:

:eek: :blink: :willy_nilly: Lalalalalalala. I can't HEAR YOU! {Runs away, back to her blissful ignorance!}

Sisters, ladies, thank you. I already feel your prayers. Thank you for bearing my burden with me.

Ha! Your grandmother sounds like a wise woman.

:huh: :001_unsure: Wow does this board really span different lifestyles. I am having to guess at what 'horn buds' and 'electric dehorner' are. And I refuse to google, because I'm not sure I want to know anymore. :p Good luck with that! :D signed, A city girl, blissful in her horn ignorance

I appreciate your observation. I've never thought of myself as being hard on myself. I'll pray about what you said.

But you see, the bolded is impossible in this situation.

I have considered it. However, I have not found an organization to volunteer at that would fully line up with our religious beliefs. I pray one day the Lord will open up an opportunity for me to do so. I *have* had the opportunity to share with a personal friend who is in the same position. It was, and continues to be, a blessing to both of us to not feel so alone. According to the statistics, 40 percent of women have been in my situation. But it's such a taboo subject that I only know ONE of my girlfriends who has been through it. Which means there are a lot of us carrying this burden alone, suffering in silence instead of allowing our sisters to come along side, bear our burdens with us, and lift us up in prayer.