Aw, thank you. She was one of those people that just lit up a room when she walked in (not like me at all, LOL!), and she would get soooo excited over Christmas; she would start counting down to the day we got our Christmas tree in September, even in college. We were almost 10 years apart, so I remember everything about her life. Sometimes I have dreams about dd, but when I wake up, I realize it was really my sis as a kid and not dd. They have so many similar traits. I see you're a C.S. Lewis fan too!

Wow. Just... wow. Everything I've ever read about him just confirms that he has an ego the size of the moon. I'm no Beth Moore fan, personally, but how would he not know her? They've probably been speakers at some of the same conferences! How does a church acquire another church? I've never heard of such a thing! What kind of school does he have for pastors, and how does he get away with that?

Impossible, but... I'd love one more Christmas with my little sis. She was killed six years ago in a car accident. She was only 19, and she LOVED Christmastime. Plus, she never got to meet ds, and dd doesn't remember her. Otherwise, I'll take a new house. We had plans drawn up for a little cottage awhile back, but our land deal fell through, and then dh was laid off, and, well, you know how it goes. I don't want anything fancy, but right now our bedroom is in the basement (which I've not-so-lovingly dubbed "the dungeon") -- it's finished and all, but it's still a basement. I can't wait to get out of there. Oh, and wrap me up one of those Disney cruises while you're at it...

I think it was called "Real Marriage," but regardless, it was disturbing. The sheer explicitness was bad enough, but the whole thing about him having a vision of his wife's love life before they were married? :ack2: I honestly do not know why anybody listens to a word this clown says.

If she would tell you she didn't like it before, wouldn't she tell you after? I know mine would (ahem, did).

And then they turn around and sell their sermon series to pastors of smaller churches. A couple of Christmases ago, I was sitting in church watching my mom, who was clearly elsewhere mentally during the sermon. Afterwards, I asked her if she was okay. She said, "Oh, I'm fine. It's just that I've heard this sermon before." Her small group had done the exact same study the week before, and she'd been the teacher. The pastor preached the lesson nearly word-for-word (and with no citation, either). Hirelings, indeed.

One of the local companies around here does a kids' performance, which includes a slightly shortened version and a reception with the characters. You might see if something like that is available. I agree with the suggestion to read the story beforehand. If cost isn't too much of a factor, I would do it. What's the worst that can happen -- you have to leave before it's over? Of course, I remember when my mom took my sister and me for my sister's first Nutcracker. She was about 4. Ten minutes in, she leans over to my mom and hollers, "Nobody's TALKING!" :rofl:

I agree. I listened to the interview and saw the document Mefferd posted highlighting the plagiarism (which has since been removed), and I think the accusations were warranted. And Driscoll has a history of this kind of bad behavior. This whole idea of an evangelical-industrial complex is really interesting, though. Is there anything these days that's not controlled by big business? Or is that all a lame conspiracy theory?

This is blowing up my Facebook feed, so just wondered if anybody else is talking about it: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/12/06/mefferd-producer-resigns-driscoll-controversy/

I really, seriously, am going to talk DH into that! :iagree: If you don't want to know until the birth, I can appreciate that. But what's the point of not telling? I also don't get not revealing the name when you have it picked out months in advance. One of my co-workers was pregnant at the same time I was expecting dd. We were actually due on the same date. She and her dh announced they were having a girl but wouldn't tell her name. Turns out we'd picked the same middle name, but my dd was born 5 weeks early so the enthusiasm I think she'd expected never materialized. It was a little anti-climactic...

I'm late to the party -- my laptop died... but the new one arrived this afternoon, woo hoo!! -- so y'all have done a pretty good job covering all my unpopular opinions. (Does that mean I'm less unpopular than I thought? Hmmm...) But tonight I discovered one I haven't seen yet in the 13 pages I've read so far: Gag gifts are idiotic. Being forced to buy a gag gift for a grown man's birthday party is doubly idiotic. I could buy a perfectly nice "real" gift for half the price and an iota of the time it takes me to find a not-absolutely-crude-and-disgusting "gag" gift. Not to mention the complete and utter waste of time and money it is to purchase something whose sole purpose is to be giggled at for exactly 15 seconds and then discarded. Please, save us all the hassle and just let us get something you might possibly want or need. Or here's an idea: Whatever happened to friends celebrating a milestone together by simply enjoying the pleasure of one another's company? (As I type, it's 8:15 p.m. and dh has just texted me that he's been unable to locate a suitable gag gift for his buddy's birthday party tomorrow night and will have to drive to the mall 30 miles away tomorrow to get one. This is before we drive 30 miles in the opposite direction for said party. Gag gifts make me want to gag. :ack2: )

Sure it is. You and I may agree (even though I don't drink) that consuming alcohol is not prohibited by scripture, although drunkenness is. Someone less mature in their faith (and therefore less secure in their freedom in Christ) may believe that it is best for Christians to abstain from alcohol completely in order to avoid over-indulging and potentially becoming drunk. Many Protestant denominations/leaders have taught this -- John Wesley comes to mind. There are also other reasons why drinking might violate someone's conscience -- being a recovering alcoholic, for example. Even though I certainly have the freedom, according to scripture, to enjoy a drink in moderation, if I know myself to be in the company of someone for whom drinking is a violation of conscience, it would be loving of me to voluntarily curtail my freedom out of respect for my brother or sister. In 1 Cor. 9, the situation was eating meat sacrified to idols. Paul said that, even though it was okay to eat the meat -- because it was, after all, just a piece of meat -- it would be more loving to refrain from eating it if one were dining with someone for whom eating the meat was a violation of conscience. I don't feel like I explained that very well. Perhaps someone else can do a better job.

I think perhaps she was referring to 1 Cor. 9, which talks about not using our freedom in Christ to cause less mature believers to stumble. I.e., those who see that there is really no biblical prohibition against drinking choosing to voluntarily abstain from in order not to upset those who are less mature in their faith.

Lol. I was raised Methodist and by (as I mentioned before) a non-drinking family. When I was in my early 20's I went to work for an Episcopal church. I was the youngest person on staff by close to 20 years. It was about a week before Christmas, and they graciously invited dh and me to the staff Christmas party just a few days after I started work. We were told to bring an appetizer and a drink. Yeah, our little tin of fudge and 2-liter Pepsi looked kind of odd on the table next to the baked brie and bottles of fancy wine... :blushing:

I read TWTM before I came to the boards. Although we had kicked around the idea of homeschooling since before dd went the kindergarten, it wasn't until I stumbled upon TWTM that I felt remotely equipped to follow through. I came here looking for some guidance from people who actually "do" WTM. I was surprised at the variety of philosophy and styles I found. So much so that I felt compelled to post asking for help from people who were specific WTM-ers. I have to say that, even though I was looking for WTM-specific info, I have been enriched all the more by the differing styles represented here. We still use WTM as the core of our homeschool, but there's an incredible wealth of ideas on this board!

We're about four hours from Wilmington, in the central part of the state, but dh and I are both lifelong North Carolinians and wouldn't dream of living anywhere else! (And of course, we love the coast, especially Oak Island.) Hope you find what you're looking for. Welcome to NC!

It's not just you. And today, as I sit here on the couch in tears after having dealt with ds3 who literally has not done a single thing he's been told all day and with people I work with who can't seem to get that I only work 10 hrs/wk, in the evenings, and do have a "day job"... I needed to hear it too. Is there a full moon or something?

See, that's what I'm thinking too. Hers will probably be late afternoon/evening, so maybe that's why she's so adamant. She's not crazy about just doing beer/wine, but that's probably what she will go with. I guess I was just surprised at the vehemence of her reaction. Another issue is that my parents (especially my father) do not drink, so I suppose I feel that it is a little disrespectful of her to expect them to cover the rather extensive cost of a bar. Then again, I really think she's already crossed that line with the extravagance of the event she's planning (at their expense)... but that's definitely another thread! :)

This is an interesting question. I've been having a similar discussion with my sister about her upcoming wedding (she and fiance are social drinkers, dh and I do not drink at all, nor do most of my and my sister's extended family). She has been bemoaning the cost of her reception, and I suggested she forego the alcohol. She recoiled in horror. I guess I didn't see it as that big of a deal since I don't drink. Does it change anyone's opinion if the event in question is a wedding? ETA: Not trying to highjack. Should I have started a separate thread?

The best advice I can give is don't give him an opportunity to lie to you. If you ask him a question to which you already know the answer ("Did you bring your sheets to the laundry?") you are giving him a chance to lie. Don't. I would check his room every day. If the wet things are still there when they shouldn't be, simply gather them up and launder them yourself. Then impose a consequence for his failing to do what he was told. "You did not bring your laundry to the washer as I asked. Therefore, no playing outside this afternoon" (or whatever). I agree with you that he's probably embarassed about wetting, but IMHO, the best way around this is to "ignore" the fact that it's a bedwetting issue. It's not. It's a failure-to-obey issue. Focus on the fact that he's not bringing laundry to the washer, not the fact that the laundry is wet because he had an accident, KWIM? I think bedwetting is not an uncommon problem (from what I've read), especially in boys, and it will probably get better soon. Hang in there! :grouphug:

Me too! My mom and dad only live about three miles away, and I love when she pops by for a visit on her way home from work. The kids literally jump up and down and squeal. I had two younger sisters; one just moved several states away and the youngest was killed a few years ago she was 19. So in a lot of ways, I'm my mom's only, and my kids are really her only grandchildren. We spend most weekends with her and my dad, and all holidays and vacations too. The last fight I ever had with my mom was a month or so after I'd gotten married and moved out. We were right in the middle of a screaming match (how we spent most of my teens) when I realized that I didn't have to keep fighting, I could just go home! I walked out, and we never spoke of it again.

I'm kind of surprised to hear that about Martha Stewart; I always had the impression that she made high-quality stuff. But I haven't seen any of her brand in the places I've looked anyway. I did sneak in a call to the Le Creuset outlet while dh was gone, and it looks like with their current promotion I can get the 7 1/4 quart for $170-$210 (depending on color). A lot better than $325+, but still around $100 more than I had initially planned on. I have a couple of extra freelance jobs this month, though, so I might be able to swing it. I think my mom is going out there on Friday to do some Christmas shopping so she can pick one up for me. In the meantime, I think I'll hit Tuesday Morning/Ross/TJ Maxx (fortunately they're all in a row!) and see if there are any spectacular deals. I did read some good reviews on Tramontina, but apparently they discontinued their best one and came out with a new design this fall, so I don't know what, if anything, has changed. Oh, and you're welcome, Stephanie!!! ;)

I posted this somewhere else, but my go-to is a set of fun Christmas or winter-themed paper plates/napkins/cups. You can get them at the dollar store and they are at least something that gets used. My MIL was a teacher and they really do get piles of awful teacher-y stuff (she has WAY too much stuff with apples!). I make a cute card that says, "Our Christmas gift you to... fewer dishes to do!" and stack them up and wrap in cellophane with a nice ribbon. Disclaimer: Like all my best ideas, I shamelessly stole this one off Pinterest. :laugh: (ETA: Except the card I saw on Pinterest said "less dishes to do," so that's my contribution -- correct grammar!)

Hmmm... Macy's has a 7qt Lodge cast-iron on sale for $90. And I happen to have a $50 Macy's gift card. But the enamel ones are *soooo pretty*! Decisions, decisions!

Thank you, this is all very good to know. I was looking at the oval, but now I'll look for the 7 1/4 round. Because, like I said, what do I know? :)