:iagree: I am 39 years old and I would still NEVER roll my eyes at my mother. It is VERY disrespectful. My children are free to express whatever range of emotion they have with respectful words. I teach them they can't just outwardly express every single feeling they are having every moment they are having it. They have to learn some self-control and they have to learn how to RESPECTFULLY express themselves. Imagine if my BOSS told me to do something I didn't like and I ROLLED MY EYES at him? I think this is a life lesson.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

welcome to the club! we are a rowdy bunch but loveable. :D

CONGRATS!!!

I have said for years that I would like to live like Little House on the Prarie except with indoor plumbing and internet. :D

When we moved from NC to Michigan there were boxes in the garage that I just never got around to unpacking. When we moved to Malaysia (about 15 months later) I found those boxes still unpacked. I decided that if I have lived without whatever is in those boxes for the last 15 months then I probably don't need it. I sent the boxes off to the Goodwill without even opening them (if I had opened them I am SURE I would have decided I "needed" the items!).

Gosh...the "God's will" thing really bugs me sometimes. He seems to get blamed for a lot of things as being "His will". A friend of mine, a very strong Christian, ended up leaving the church because she had a miscarriage and so many people kept telling her it was "God's will" and really sort of condemning her for grieving...like she should just suck it up because it was God's will and any sign of grieving was a lack of faith or something? It was awful. I think some comments are harmless (like if someone says they are praying for you) but comments about whether or not the particular tragedy was "God's will" are NOT helpful at all.

I woke up this morning and read all these awesome replies and just...cried. Things are just so complicated and reading all your stories broke my heart too. So much hurt in the world. Thank you for the wonderful advice. I have a lot to think about...

Ugh. Don't get me started on the man my mother is currently married to. it's like she married my dad all over again.

Hmmm...good question. if you have a year lease then you are obligated to pay it and therefore you do "owe" a debt. A month-to-month would be different, I think. Never thought about that.

I remember from my home ec class that it depends on how thawed it is. If it still has ice crystals in it and is not completely thawed then you can refreeze it. I am not sure if that follows sanitation rules or not but it is what I have always done and so far we are still alive! :D

So I won't go into the details as this is not supposed to be a therapy session but suffice it to say I did not have a very good relationship with my father while growing up, my parents divorced when I was 28yo, and I have not seen or spoken to my father in over 10 years. And I am so envious and so heartbroken hearing all the stories of what great fathers everyone else has. Even if my dad was dead right now, if we had been close, if he had been a good father, at least I could miss him and have the memories, you know? Then add to that the "honor your father and mother" commandment that looms over me because I am obviously not doing that. And I don't even know how. How do I "honor" him but not have him in my life (it is far too late for reconciliation...even if he wanted to...which he doesn't). I can forgive him but I don't want him in my life. So how do I "honor" him? I look at my baby girl and I am so happy that my dh is a good father and loves his children and I know he will be there and be a positive influence in her life. So at least I am not repeating the vicious circle but, man, father's day just really bummed me out. :crying:

I consider it debt-FREE as in you owe NO debts. We are there except for my student loan which I will probably be paying off for the rest of my life. :tongue_smilie:

they see each other at birthday parties for the grandkids but that's about it.

Wait. Isn't public sex illegal? Something along the lines of indecent exposure? If there is an actual law against it, it is no longer simply a "moral" issue, right? If I am at a public park with my young children and an adult couple is actually engaging in intercourse out in the open where the children can see it? Uh, yeah..I am calling the police. To me, there is something WRONG with two adults who CHOOSE to have intercourse in a public park in front of other people's CHILDREN. That's not just moral outrage...that is anti-social behavior.

:grouphug::grouphug: I love you Nakia and I am praying for you.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Our TKD instructors used push-ups for discipline all the time. Very common.

My grandfather and two of my uncles are pastors. They all have full time jobs and get a very, very small salary that is really more of a love offering once a month. All the members pitch in...with playing the organ, with cleaning the church, with secretarial and book keeping duties, etc. I think that is how it should be. If the "people" are the "church" which I wholeheartedly believe, then they should pitch in and help to keep the building running. JMHO.

I had a book sale and sold about 1000 books last summer. I made a ton of money and the people who bought them got such a great deal and they were so happy. It was fun and liberating!

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

DS age 12 just read "Temple of the Dragonslayer" for fun and "Wher ethe Red Fern Grows" for lessons. DS age 6 is half-way through "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and just finshed a Jigsaw Jones book.

Heavens no. I am not a masochist! :D

The doctor also said that my breast tissue was very soft and therefore any lumps are easy to find. I think by "soft" she meant "saggy". :tongue_smilie: