Why I Homeschool

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

stack of booksIf you could be a fly on the wall of my house sometimes when we’re doing school, you might wonder why in the world I would choose such a path. It can be quite chaotic and stressful at times. We do have some peaceful and smooth days, but they can be few and far between sometimes with my four rambunctious, hard-headed little creatures. This isn’t the easiest route we could’ve taken, by any means, but I believe that it’s the course that God laid out for our family.

As I mentioned before, God planted a desire in my heart to homeschool my children many years before I even had kids. It took some convincing to get Trevor to agree to it, but now he’s sold on the idea as he has seen the many benefits that are evident in our family.

People choose to homeschool their children for various reasons: some bring their children home because the kids are being bullied at school; some fear for the physical safety of their children; some wish to impart values into their children that wouldn’t be taught at school; some enjoy their children so much that they want to be with them, even during school time. There are many varied reasons why people walk this path, and some families walk it for a short time while others stay for the long haul. I’ve thought a lot about homeschooling through the years, and I want to share with you a few of the reasons why we chose to educate our children ourselves.

1. First, and most importantly, I want my children to learn about the world and gain knowledge of the universe from an explicitly Christian worldview. I believe that the world can be understood properly only through such a lens, because God created everything—even us—and He is the source of all true wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Unfortunately, even the best public schools will not teach openly from this perspective. More likely is that in at least some areas, children will be instructed in ways that are contrary to what we believe God tells us in His Word. There’s a battle raging for the hearts and minds of our children, and I feel that if I give my children a solid foundation based on God’s Word and in agreement with His principles, they will be much less likely to be led astray when they are grown and on their own.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)

2. Along the lines of #1, I want to be in control of what my children learn, how they learn it, and when they learn it. Our children are precious gifts, entrusted to us for only a short time on this earth, and I want to be diligent to guard their hearts and minds until they are ready to stand on their own.  Here’s an example of something we’re trying to avoid, where “health” class in many schools is little more than an avenue to generate more clients for abortion clinics. I am not quick to trust people anyway, especially with my children, and I’m even less apt to trust the government to have a captive audience of my kids for 40 or so hours every week.

3. Because babies are born with sinful natures, they need godly grown-ups to teach them how to be disciples of Christ. I don’t know about your kids, but mine are less likely to demonstrate their sinful natures at outside activities (thankfully) than when they are in the comfort of our home, around our family. This means that even though my kids are around committed Christian adults at most of their activities, those adults don’t usually witness my kids’ character “issues” and probably wouldn’t feel comfortable dealing with those issues even if they did see them. Because I’m with my children almost all of the time, I’m able to recognize and help deal with their sin issues and character flaws much more diligently and effectively than if I was with them only in the evenings.

4. I want to be there for my children at all of their activities. This is very important to me. I want my children to remember that I was there for their performances, practices, competitions, recitals, matches, and so on. I tell them that I’m their biggest cheerleader, and I pray that if they know that I’m “there for them” now, they will feel comfortable coming to me with anything and everything on their hearts and minds as they grow into teens and young adults. Of course while they are young, our children need us to be their parents, to guide them and discipline them and mentor them, but as they grow older, my heart’s desire is that they will consider me one of their most trusted and valuable friends.

5. Trevor and I feel like we are uniquely qualified and equipped to educate our own children. My husband has been a high school math teacher for 20+ years. His bachelor’s degree is in physics, and he has two graduate degrees in math education. My associate’s degree is in early childhood education, though I changed my major to sociology for my bachelor’s degree. I’ve done a lot of editing through the years, and we’ve both done a fair amount of writing.

However, even if we didn’t have the experience and education that we do, there are multitudes of resources available that make homeschooling “doable” for almost any family—from online public education programs to boxed curriculum that guides one through teaching all of the subjects to homeschool co-ops to computer-based courses and on and on. In fact, there’s so much available that it can be intimidating to sort through it all and choose something that works.

A couple of years ago, we enrolled our three older kids in a local Christian homeschool “academy,” which meets three half days each week, and I teach the kids at home the other two days. We made this decision because our day-to-day school routine had become very difficult, and we were all struggling with the arrangement. I had a kindergartener, a 2nd grader, a 4th grader, and a two-year-old, and I was keeping Trevor’s two-year-old niece to bring in some extra income.  In addition, I was working a fair amount online from home in the afternoons while the little ones napped. I was stressed and overwhelmed, so when we found out about the homeschool academy, it sounded like exactly what we needed.

We have to scrimp and save to afford to send the kids, but they love their other teachers and the friends they have made, and it helps me to be a better teacher on the days when the kids are at home because I’m not doing it alone anymore. My point is, as homeschoolers we can be flexible and use whatever resources that are at our disposal to provide the best education possible to our children.

6. Along the lines of #5, I want the flexibility and the freedom to tailor my educational approach to fit each of my kids’ learning styles. Children are individuals, and they learn in different ways. As homeschoolers, we can change and adapt our educational activities and methods based on what works best for each child. I can let my kids jump on the couch while they’re reciting spelling words if it helps to solidify what they’re learning. I can introduce the concept of fractions by cooking a special treat with my children. We can take nature walks in the beautiful spring weather while discussing various plants and birds and clouds.

7. Last but not least, I want to spend as much time with my kids as possible while they are growing up. Don’t get me wrong….they drive me up the wall sometimes and I count  any time alone as precious, but I am so thankful that I’m able to be home with my babies, to raise them and nurture them and love them as only I can each day. I want them to grow up secure and happy and well adjusted and productive and responsible, but more than anything, I want them to grow up loving Jesus. May He pour out his love for them through me each and every day.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Posted in Christianity, Encouragement | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

My Couponing Haul

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

My dear husband surprised the kids last night by bringing home a movie from the Redbox. So after I fed them all supper and they started their movie, I slipped out for a little R&R at the grocery store.

Yes, I said Rest and Relaxation at the grocery store. Can I get an “Amen” from you moms who know what I mean? After a long day with the kids, there’s not much that energizes me more than a leisurely browse through the aisles of Kroger, coupons in hand, on the prowl for some DEALS!

Boy, I hit the jackpot last night. I shopped at Kroger and CVS, and as you’ll see below, I  brought home a nice little haul.

deals 2-21-14

Now, please don’t judge me for my food choices. 🙂 The photo is for illustration purposes only.  I know that I should be buying all organic and natural and I do buy some when I can afford it and when it’s things we will eat (like 1/4 of a grass-fed steer that we bought last fall and all of the garden fruits and veggies that are in our freezer). I also realize that there’s some junk food pictured, but just bear with me (and yes, that’s 9 boxes of popcorn…..who can pass up 49¢ popcorn?). As you couponers know, we don’t necessarily cover all of the food groups in every shopping trip; we stock up on rock-bottom-priced items when they’re available. Then our stockpile contains everything that we need all of the time.

Who wants to guess how much I spent out of my pocket for all of the things pictured???

Drumroll, please….

Nothing! Zilch! Nada!

Think I’m telling falsehoods? I promise I’m not. Let me explain….

I bought the things in this picture from Kroger.

kroger trip 2-21-14Here’s how I did it. First of all, there’s a Mega Sale going on. This is a frequent occurrence at Kroger. They have a whole bunch of participating products, and when you buy a certain number of those items, you get an amount off of each item. This week, it’s buy 6 items, get $3 off (the receipt shows 50¢ off of each item). Most of the items pictured are part of the Mega Sale, and I had paper coupons off of almost all of them, too.

In a Mega Sale, you need to make sure to buy exact multiples of the required number of items, or you won’t get the sale price for some of them. For instance, this week I bought 30 Mega Sale items (or 5 sets of 6). Sometimes the Mega Sale is buy 5, get $5 off or something like that, so it varies.

Two of the items, the South Beach bars and the Oikos yogurt, were free. Kroger offers a “Free Friday Download” each week. I get an e-mail every Friday morning telling me what the free item is that week, then I simply log into my Kroger account and load the coupon to my loyalty card. The next time I’m in the store, I just have to purchase the item and the e-coupon is deducted when I check out.

Also, I had a $5 off of a $50 purchase coupon loaded onto my Kroger card, hence the two packs of Mounds bars. In order to get my pre-coupon total over $50 so I could use the $5/$50, I had to grab a couple of filler items. So, ahem, I just happened to be walking down the candy aisle, and I just happened to hear the Mounds bars screaming my name. I mean, what’s the fun of a leisurely shopping trip if I can’t get a little treat for myself now and then, right? And I needed them in order to push my total over $50. I know, I know, I’m trying really hard to justify it.

Oh well, so back to how I made it out of Kroger without paying anything out of my pocket. After all of my e-coupons came off and the cashier scanned my stack of paper coupons, my total was $26.06 (according to my receipt, a savings of 74 percent or $70.99). Pretty good, right?

There’s more….

Because I have a Kroger Visa card, I earn points for purchases when I use my card (double points for Kroger store purchases), and once each quarter I receive reward checks made out to Kroger (the amount varies based on the number of points I accumulate each quarter). This quarter I earned $15 in rewards, so I used those toward my total, bringing me to a balance of $11.06. (Of course, we use the Visa only for budgeted purchases and pay it off every month, so we never pay interest.)

Several weeks ago, I received a survey request in the mail from the Kroger Visa company, and the thank you gift for completing the survey (it took about 30 minutes) was a $25 Kroger gift card. I used that gift card to pay the remaining balance of my bill. Not a bad deal at all. If I hadn’t had the reward checks or the gift card and I had paid the $26.06, it still would’ve been a great trip (it would’ve come out to about 70¢ per item that I purchased), but that extra bit of work helped even more.

Oh, and also several of the items that I purchased at Kroger had SavingStar e-coupons, so I’ll be getting back several dollars in the next few weeks in my SavingStar account that I’ll transfer back into my food budget. I discussed SavingStar in a recent post.

Now on to the CVS deals. Here’s what I got:

cvs deals 2-21-14

I did three separate transactions for the items at CVS so I could “roll” my Extra Care Bucks (as I discussed in the Couponing chapter of my book). In the first transaction I purchased the three packs of Angel Soft toilet paper. My subtotal was $15; I used $2.45 in paper coupons and $5 ECBs that I had from a previous shopping trip, bringing me to a balance of $7.55 plus tax, which I paid with a CVS gift card.

I regularly get CVS gift cards with my Discover card “cash back.” I can get a $50 CVS gift card for $45 of cash back, so for our family it’s one of the best uses of the cash back that we accumulate by using our Discover card (which we also use for budgeted purchases and pay off each month).

So, I paid for the Angel Soft and received $5 ECBs back. I then bought the Zegerid. I had a raincheck for it (rainchecks at my CVS never expire), making it $24.99, and I had an $8 coupon. I used the $5 ECBs from the previous transaction, so my total was $11.99 plus tax. I paid with my CVS gift card and received $12 ECBs back because of the raincheck.

Third was the transaction with the three bags of Gevalia coffee (my favorite kind!) and the two packs of M&Ms. I used paper coupons for the coffee and $12 in ECBs from the Zegerid, bringing me to a total of 14¢, which I paid with my gift card. I got back a 75¢ ECB for the M&Ms to use next time.

So there you go. According to my receipts from both stores, I purchased a total of $188.41 in merchandise, and with some fancy footwork I was able to bring it all home without even a tiny dent to our budget.

Some would say that couponing is too much work or it’s too hard to figure out, but for our family it’s a necessity. Thankfully I enjoy the thrill of finding ways to stretch our dollars, but more importantly, as a steward of God’s resources I feel like I’m doing what I can to manage His property well. It took a long time to learn the ins and outs of couponing, and I’m still learning new things as companies change and offer different saving opportunities, but the time and effort has saved our family thousands of dollars. It has allowed us to live well during a lean time in our finances.

“You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.” (Psalm 128:2)

Posted in Christianity, Couponing, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Barefoot and Pregnant

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

pregnant bellyWhen I was a senior in high school way back in 1992, a group from my senior class, maybe the yearbook staff—I don’t quite remember—assigned a “Most Likely To….” title to everyone. These titles were things like, “Most Likely to be Rich and Famous” or “Most Likely to Become President” or “Most Likely to Own a Business,” and so on.

When I was informed of my assigned title, I was taken aback and quite offended. Can you guess what they gave me?

Most Likely to Be Barefoot and Pregnant!

Really? Me? That’s the best they could come up with?

You must understand that I was a college-bound, highly motivated student, graduating second in my high school class. I was president of the student council and involved in band, tennis, church youth group, and various clubs. I had no plans to birth a bunch of kids or be a (gasp!) stay-at-home mom. I was going places in life.

I let the “powers that be” know of my disgust at the offensive title they had bestowed upon me, but my complaints fell on deaf ears. I was branded, and there was nothing I could do about it. (Now to their credit, I did have a brief engagement to a young man from my church at the end of my senior year, which was later broken off, but even so, I didn’t feel that my title was justified.)

I went on to college that fall and took full loads, even through the summers, so I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in only three years, with a GPA of 4.0—Valedictorian of my 300+ member college class. I was still motivated and still going places.

I had something to prove. I had to show those label-givers at my high school what I was really made of.

Behind the scenes of my life, though, God had been working. While in college, I volunteered at a local crisis pregnancy center, to try to make a real difference in saving lives from abortion. Two ladies who worked at the center really took an interest in me and in my life. They were both young moms and they both homeschooled their children. I fell in love with what I saw as I spent time with their families.

Their children were so smart and talented and well behaved. My friends actually spent most waking hours of every day with their kids, something that was a bit foreign to me. In fact, I don’t think I had ever even heard of homeschooling before then. As was common in that time, I grew up in daycare centers, public schools, after-school sitters, and then was often a latch-key kid with my siblings. We had a strong, close Christian family, but my parents both worked outside the home while I was growing up.

I went on to finish college and was accepted at a seminary in Kentucky, where I planned to pursue a master’s degree in counseling. However, because God didn’t provide the funds for me to go and I didn’t have peace about taking out loans for it, I decided that seminary wasn’t in His plans for me. So I started my career, and I no longer crossed paths with my homeschooling friends, but the memories would linger and slowly take root in my heart and mind.

My first job was in social work, and I specialized in meeting the needs of home-bound patients through a local home health agency. It was challenging work, and I spent a lot of time on the road by myself visiting patients across five counties, but it was rewarding to help people and get acquainted with some wonderful members of the older generation. They had valuable wisdom and insights that would help to shape my young world. I moved on to a job in a financial ministry after doing social work for two-plus years, where I continued to grow and learn and make a difference in people’s lives. I enjoyed pats on the back, promotions, and the recognition that comes with being a capable employee.

A couple of years into my career, I met my husband. We had a short, whirlwind courtship and married seven months after our first encounter. As a newlywed, I was completely against expanding our family (not that Trevor was in a hurry, either). People seemed to ask us constantly when we were going to have a baby (Just an FYI: that’s NOT a polite thing to ask a young couple…..there could be infertility issues or any number of other reasons why they aren’t reproducing, not to mention that it takes time just to figure out how to be married, without adding the stress of a dependent little creature to the mix.).

It got so bad that every time someone would ask when we were going to start having kids, I would say that we were extending it six more months, just because they asked. But as the years went on and we were in the midst of building our home, the “baby bug” started to bite. A co-worker had wisely told me early in my marriage that it bites everyone eventually. I didn’t believe her at the time, but she was right.

So about 4 1/2 years after our wedding, along came baby #1.

Then 22 months later came baby #2.

Just 23 months after that, baby #3 arrived.

Nineteen months later, baby #4 went to heaven while still in my womb.

Baby #5 was born 13 months after that.

Because we were just halfway through building our home when our first baby was born, we still needed my income (we had committed to build our home debt free). I’m so grateful that my employer allowed me to work half-time from home for a couple of years. But for the last 12 years, (in addition to continuing to work a little from home for that same employer) I’ve had another job title:

Domestic Engineer, which includes, but is not limited to:

nurse

accountant

chef

chauffeur

plumber

counselor

barber

administrator

custodian

homeschool teacher

hostess

musician

contractor

negotiator

party planner

project manager

church bookkeeper

and on occasion, mechanic…..all rolled into one.

I’m convinced that it’s the hardest job on the market, hands down–unbelievably harder than any job I had before or could imagine having. I’m on duty or on call 24/7. I’m forced to put other little lives ahead of my own, to die to my selfish self daily. I’m responsible for shaping four little people into responsible, intelligent, caring, productive adults. It’s rough; it’s thankless; it’s exhausting. Did I mention thankless? No more awards or accolades or promotions. On top of all that, the pay stinks, but the rewards are out of this world. Literally.

I must apologize to those in my senior class who so prophetically pegged my future all those years ago. You were right. I admit it.

Barefoot and Pregnant? I would say most definitely so. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. For “children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him……Blessed is the man [woman] whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127:3, 5a)

IMG_8071

Posted in Christianity, Encouragement | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Jesus Obeyed His Mama

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Do you know how sometimes as we’re reading a familiar passage of Scripture, something new and profound jumps out at us? Something that’s been there all along, obviously, but the Holy Spirit just opened our understanding to it for the first time. That happened to me the other day as I was reading the account in John 2 of Jesus changing the water into wine.

To refresh your memory, Jesus was in Galilee attending a wedding. His mother was there with him, along with his disciples. Apparently, the person in charge of the reception hadn’t planned very well, because they ran out of wine. Now, Jesus’ mother Mary must’ve been closely acquainted with the wedding party, because when the wine ran out, she felt the need to do something about it. What did Mary do???

She looked at Jesus and said, “They have no more wine.” Just a simple statement, but one full of expectation. Full of faith. Full of knowing, as only mamas can know things.

To this point, Jesus had done absolutely no miracles. Zip. Nada. How did Mary know that Jesus could do something to fix the wine situation? Do you think she had sat up late at night with Jesus, drinking coffee and discussing the fact that he could do things that no other human could do….miraculous things like making instant wine from plain water?

Maybe.

Mary had other children besides Jesus, so I’m sure she could tell that he was very different from other kids. He had never sassed her or lied to her or disobeyed her instructions or fought with his brothers or any of those things that “normal” kids do. But I wonder just how she knew what Jesus was capable of doing at this wedding.

Jesus’ response to his mama is funny to me, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.”

“Woman”? Really? My dear husband calls me “woman” sometimes just to annoy me, and it works. He says that he does it out of love (i.e., I’m his “woman.”), but something about being called “woman” offends me for some reason.

Not Mary, apparently. Unfazed, she simply turned to the servants and said, “Do whatever he tells you.” I want to laugh out loud here, because Jesus had just told her pretty clearly that he wasn’t ready to start doing miracles yet. His time hadn’t come. Well, his mama thought otherwise. With her hands on her hips, she basically told Jesus to,  “Get to it. Make some more wine so the party can go on.”

Okay, this is the part where Jesus retorts, “I’m not going to do anything. I told you my time hasn’t yet come.” Right? Nope. What did he do?

He obeyed his mama.

He got right on it.

He snapped to.

Jesus told the servants to take the huge stone jars and fill them with water, then dip out some and take it to the master of the banquet to taste. When they did, they found that the water had turned into a very fine wine–fine enough that the master of the banquet chastised the groom for saving the good wine for last, instead of letting people have their fill of the good wine and then serving cheap wine when they were too drunk to notice the difference.

Jesus was around 30 years old when this event occurred, and when his mama told him to jump, Jesus still said, “How high?” I love that. I really love that.

Another thing that I love is that even though Jesus had not performed any miracles before this wedding, Mary knew that he could. She was his mama, and she knew in her heart what Jesus could do. Yes, he was the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but he was also her baby boy.

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Story on Zpolitics and 103.7 FM

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Trevor and I were interviewed this morning by Martha Zoller of 103.7 FM for a 30-minute radio program that will air on Sunday, February 23. I’ll post a link to the show when it’s available to stream online. We had the opportunity to discuss God’s principles of managing money and a little about our financial journey.

A brief column about our story is on Martha’s website, Zpolitics.com. Please check it out and “Like” it on her site.

Blessings!

Michelle

Posted in Christianity, Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mammograms and Colonoscopies

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

doctor's officeI recently passed that magical age at which the “powers that be” have decided that I’m suddenly in need of a certain medical screening. You women know which one I mean.

When I went for my yearly check-up last month, my doctor sheepishly said, “You had a big birthday, didn’t you? You know it’s recommended that you get a mammogram every year starting at 40.”

He must’ve noticed the pained look on my face, so he proceeded, “I tell you what….if you’ll get one this year as a baseline, we’ll talk about doing it every other year through your forties. Then at 50, you’ll begin getting colonoscopies.”

Yay! Mammograms and colonoscopies! Just what I was longing to hear.

You need to understand something. I’m the girl who still breaks out in hives at the thought of disrobing at the doctor’s office, even after birthing four babies and breastfeeding said babies for a sum total of almost six years of my life. Those experiences have helped some to allay my fears and insecurities, but still I was NOT looking forward to this appointment.

I was bemoaning the fact that I was “of the age” to get my first mammogram to a friend, and she proceeded to tell me how lovely the whole process is. “It’s like a spa,” she said. “You get to wear a warm robe and have refreshments.” It’s so relaxing that she said she could stay there all day.

Then my other friend said, “Yeah, but then you have to take off the robe!” And I might add other unsavory details, but for the sake of the guys, I won’t go there.

I was whining to my mom about my mammogram appointment this week, and I told her that it stinks to get old. She wholeheartedly agreed. People often say that getting old is better than the alternative, but I wonder….is it, really?

As believers, we have an awful lot to be excited about when thinking about leaving this world and entering eternity. We are promised new bodies, ones that won’t get old or decay or die. Ones that won’t require mammograms or colonoscopies. We’re promised that “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). We’re promised heaven.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for the advances in medical science that have made such specialized screenings possible and that help to extend our lives on this earth, but I’m so looking forward to my heavenly home. Jesus told us in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

Jesus is preparing a place for me. On the days when my life is really hard and I’m yearning for heaven, I can remember that Jesus is getting my house ready and I can be at peace.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

 

book cover

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

My Thoughts on the Ken Ham/Bill Nye Debate

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham Debate

I watched the highly publicized debate tonight between famous creationist and CEO of Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham and evolutionist Bill Nye, “The Science Guy.”

The debate was civil and calm, even humorous at times. Each man presented his case, using slides and media to make his points. Each was sure of his position and I believe presented his side well.

Of course, I agree wholeheartedly with Ken Ham’s views of creation, so I felt that he was more convincing. I wish there had been more time for each man to answer the questions of the other, but the format didn’t allow for much discussion between the two.

Bill Nye is an agnostic who said several times during the debate that there are “billions of religious people” around the world who reject “Ken Ham’s” beliefs on the origins of the universe. He phrased it that way several times–Ken Ham’s beliefs or views. What he fails to see is that “religious” people could be Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and so on. I’m not sure where he got his stats on this, but I believe he made a serious error lumping Christians in with the pagan “religions” of the world and trying to make it sound like creationists are such a tiny minority.

One of my favorite parts of the debate was when Nye was asked where the atoms came from that were involved in the “Big Bang.” He didn’t know. He just said scientists would keep looking for answers. Then Ken Ham told him he knows “a book” that has the answers, that tells us where all matter originated.

I almost felt sorry for Mr. Nye. Bless his heart. Apparently, he has a paralyzing fear that the U.S. will fall behind technologically if we don’t make educating our young people with “real science” (from an evolutionary mindset) a priority. To read between the lines, he means that if we reject the science of evolution and train our kids in the creation model, we are ignorant, backward hillbillies, incapable of real scientific advancements. He made this point multiple times.

Maybe he wasn’t listening when Ken Ham pointed out a few of the multitudes of scientists who have accomplished amazing feats, all the while adhering to a young earth creationist viewpoint. Or maybe he took a nap during the video snippets of the renowned PhDs around the world who are respected in their fields of science and accept the biblical account of creation. There’s the doctor who invented MRI technology; there’s famous geophysicist, Dr. John Baumgardner; there was Isaac Newton; Louis Pasteur; Leonardo da Vinci. Here‘s a list of prominent modern day scientists who are young earth creationists. Here’s an even longer list. These are brilliant people, real scientists, who understand that we didn’t evolve from a blob of nothingness–that Someone designed us and created everything that we see.

I was most impressed with Ken Ham’s very clear and direct presentation of the Gospel and the way in which he referred back to the Bible at every opportunity. If nothing else was accomplished in this debate, potentially millions of people heard about the fall of man and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If even one soul is turned from darkness and is saved from hell through this debate, it will be worth it all.

I highly recommend watching the debate, if you haven’t already. You can stream it online here .

Posted in Christianity, Creation | 3 Comments

Esther’s Wild and Crazy Life

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Esther's Wild and Crazy LifeMy favorite Bible woman is Esther. Her story was just so very cool. It was like the ultimate fairytale, only it was real. She went from peasant girl to queen in no time flat–and she went on to become a heroine, saving the entire Jewish population of Persia from annihilation. Wow.

To refresh your memory, the king had his buddies over for some drinks one night….a few too many drinks, apparently, because in their intoxicated state they called for Queen Vashti to come to the party so the king could show her off. She was reportedly a sight to behold.

Well, Vashti refused to come. And who could blame her? I certainly wouldn’t want to be a spectacle in front of a bunch of drunk, smelly men. This made the king kind of furious (and probably pretty embarrassed, because he couldn’t control his “woman”). So, he got some advice from his trusted advisors. They warned the king that when the women of the province heard that Vashti had refused his order, they, too, would become emboldened and would disobey him.

So, to put a stop to any potential mutiny, the king kicked Vashti out of the palace, never to return. And he didn’t stop there. He sent out a decree to all parts of his kingdom, declaring that “every man should be ruler over his own household.” I’d call that part overkill, but I wasn’t consulted in the matter.

Well, the king began to get “lonely” after a while and probably started to second guess his decision to banish his beautiful wife. So his trusty dusty advisors suggested another brilliant plan: round up all of the beautiful young virgins of the kingdom, parade them before the king, and let him pick one to be his wife. The whole thing sounds like sex trafficking to me.

So, Esther was kidnapped–I mean forcefully invited–and taken to the palace for beauty treatments FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR before she could go before Xerxes. Esther’s turn finally came, and she appeared before the king. The Bible tells us that he was “attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women.” So, Esther was crowned queen, whether she liked it or not.

Then Esther’s cousin Mordecai, who had raised her after her parents died, learned of a plot afoot to kill all of the Jews in Persia. He persuaded Esther to go before Xerxes to ask him to spare the Jews. The only glitch was that Esther could be killed for approaching the king uninvited. So she had the Jews fast and pray for three days, and then she went to Xerxes. Thankfully for everyone, the king summoned her in, and she was able to expose the evil plot and save her people.

I’ve been wondering just how Esther might’ve felt about all of that drama in her life. She was likely a young teenager when she was plucked from the streets to live in the palace of King Xerxes. From what we read, she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Women of that day didn’t have a choice in much of anything. Of all of the girls taken to the palace (maybe thousands?), she, a Jewish girl, was the one chosen to be the king’s wife.

Something that jumps out at me is that the king probably was a lot older than Esther. So, unless he was a handsome older man, as the Bible describes King David, and chances are he wasn’t, Esther probably felt little in the way of “attraction” toward him. I would’ve been thinking, “Ewww, gross! I don’t want to marry him!” But not Esther. We’re aren’t told that she fell madly in love with him or anything like that, but she submissively fulfilled her queenly roles.

Out of all of the beauties of Persia, Esther was the chosen one. For a reason. “For such a time as this.” You see, God knew that a plot was going to be hatched to wipe out the Jews in Persia, so He put in place Esther, a young Jewish girl, to capture the king’s heart.

Esther was seemingly a nobody. She was an orphaned girl who ended up queen of Persia and saved her people from death. Why? Simply because she was available and she obeyed God.

That’s the kind of hero our children need–not the kind we see in Hollywood. Not the ones who sell their souls for fame and fortune. But the ones who store up treasures in heaven because they please the Lord. She’s one of my heroes.

book cover

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

16 (Now 17) Years

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

On the day I graduated from high school, in June 1992, I remember looking out of my bedroom window and thinking to myself, “This is it. The next thing I know, I’ll be graduating from college, then getting married, raising kids, and before I know it my life will be over.” Deep thoughts for an 18-year-old, huh? But in that moment, the brevity of life really weighed on me. I realized that “life is but a vapor,” and time really does fly.

A couple of years after I graduated from college, I met my Knight in Shining Armor. I was 23 and Trevor was 27, and we were fixed up by mutual friends. We both were sick of dating the wrong people, and we both knew right off the bat that God had brought us together. We had a brief, whirlwind courtship and married exactly seven months after we met— 16 17 years ago today. (For more juicy details, check out my book.)

photo 1 (1)

I would be lying if I told you that we rode off into the sunset and have lived happily ever after. Our first two years of married life were anything but bliss, and the next several weren’t exactly anything for the books, either (Among other things, we were digging our way out of debt and building a home ourselves. Then we added four children in rapid succession.). Our families of origin would be quick to tell you that Trevor and I are both very strong willed and opinionated, which isn’t the greatest combination sometimes, and we tend to butt heads. A lot.

The good news is that we have worked through a lot of the kinks in our relationship, and the last few years have been much better, for the most part. Of course, all marriages have “issues,” but we have matured, mellowed, and meshed through the years. We’ve learned that we each have strengths and weaknesses, and God intends for the strengths of one of us to compensate for the weaknesses of the other, and vice versa. We still butt heads and probably always will (“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17), but I like to think that the conflicts help to mold and shape us more into the image of Christ than if we were doing life on our own. God has a purpose for everything, even conflict.

Trevor and I now share many goals, such as raising godly children, making a real difference in the political arena, and doing all we can to encourage and strengthen the Body of Christ.

We are learning to use the strong wills that God gave us to fight against the schemes of the devil, instead of each other. Well, most of the time. And here’s an interesting thing about our strong wills—maybe the most important thing: when we said “I do” 16 17 years ago, we meant it. And we’re stubborn enough to make our marriage work, no matter what. We’re sticking together through thick and thin, or “for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.”

I have to say that the Lord knew what He was doing when He gave Trevor to me. As much as I’d like to send him to the dog house sometimes, I don’t know where I would be without him. I’m thankful that he works hard to provide for our family so I can be home to raise and educate our children. I’m grateful that he stands up publicly for The Truth, knowing that he will be criticized and attacked at times. And I’m humbled that he still loves me, even after 16 17 years of seeing my faults and experiencing my failures. He’s committed to the Lord, and he’s committed to me, to us.

Trevor tells me that I’m spoiled, and maybe I am. But he is, too. And that’s okay, right? I’d like for us to take the next 16 17 years and figure out how to spoil each other even more.

Here’s a poem that my precious sister wrote for my wedding day. It still brings tears to my eyes…..

wedding poemWe’re in it for the long haul, and that’s a really good thing. Happy Anniversary, Sweetie. 🙂

IMG_8095

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Few Creative Ways to Earn and Save Money

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

saving money imageThe recession of the last few years has produced several forms of pay cuts for my husband, a public school teacher. First came a 2.4 percent across the board reduction. Added to that came furlough days, starting out as just a few the first year and then growing each year to a maximum of around 10. Next came an additional freeze in automatic “steps up,” or what were small pay increases every couple of years as teachers gained experience and seniority. All told, our family’s income is down about 10 percent from where it should be at this point in my husband’s career.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m very thankful that Trevor has a job. Many people have become unemployed or underemployed during this economic slowdown. But in order for our family of six to live on such a large reduction of an already modest income, I’ve found some ways to stretch our dollars and to earn a few more.

swagbucks1. Swagbucks. This is a search engine, much like Google or Bing, and so much more. As you do Internet searches through Swagbucks, you earn points (Swagbucks) randomly throughout the day. If I do several Internet searches, I often earn 20 or 30 Swagbucks in a day. There are other earning opportunities, as well, such as surveys, games, and points for signing up for newsletters or purchasing products.

My favorite part of Swagbucks, though, is the printable coupons. Through the Discover tab at the top, there’s a link to Coupons, and for every coupon that you print and redeem, you earn 10 Swagbucks! I print and use a lot of coupons, so the points really add up.

Here’s the fun part…..you can redeem your Swagbucks for all sorts of items in the Rewards Store. My favorite reward is the $5 Amazon gift card for 450 Swagbucks. That sounds like a lot to earn, but if you do a few searches each day and use several coupons a week, you can easily earn enough to get three or four $5 Amazon cards each month. It’s not going to make you rich, but it can sure help out with day to day expenses. As I’m sure you know, Amazon carries everything, from food items to books to clothing to movies, and on and on. Those Amazon cards come in handy! There are many other gift cards available, such as Walmart, Starbucks, Target, CVS, Lowes, Olive Garden, and so on, but they all require more Swagbucks than the Amazon gift card.

ebates2. Ebates: For stay-at-home moms like me, shopping online is a necessity, but did you know that it can also save you money? Many stores offer cash back for online purchases through Ebates. Cash back amounts vary depending on the store, from as little as 2 percent of your purchase up to 40 percent. I’ve gotten some phenomenal deals on items such as magazines and ink cartridges with Ebates cash back, but even small amounts back add up. To earn cash back, simply go to Ebates and search for the store, then click the link to that store within Ebates and complete your purchase. The cash back will be credited to your account usually within a few days. You will receive your cash back by check or a Paypal deposit once each quarter.

If you sign up for Ebates, you will receive a free $10 gift card to one of four stores (Macy’s, Target, Walmart, or Kohl’s) or a $5 Ebates gift card after you make your first $25 purchase. It’s fun to make money on items you were going to buy anyway!

shopathome3. ShopAtHome is very much like Ebates in that you earn cash back when you make purchases by clicking through their site. It’s very quick and easy to use. I’ve found that the hardest part is remembering to click to each store through Ebates or ShopAtHome first!

ShopAtHome and Ebates also offer various coupon/promo codes that can be used when checking out at online stores, so be sure to take advantage of those, as well.

ibotta4. ibotta: This is a new digital coupon app that you can load to you phone or device. It provides numerous eCoupon offers each month for products in grocery stores, home improvement stores, restaurants, and so on. You simply complete a couple of easy tasks for the offers that you want to redeem, then purchase the items, take a picture of your receipt, scan the barcodes on your items, and upload the information to ibotta.

The money that you earn for each ibotta offer is added to your account, usually within a few minutes, and when you have amassed several dollars you can transfer the money to your Paypal account (I always choose this option and then transfer the money right back into my grocery budget.) or purchase gift cards to Redbox, iTunes, Starbucks, and so on. One cool thing about this is that you can use a paper coupon in the store on the items and still receive your ibotta cash back. This makes for some super cheap products!

5. SavingStar: This eCoupon service is similar to ibotta. One big difference: You load your store loyalty cards onto the app, and SavingStar keeps up with your purchases for you. You simply have to activate the offers that interest you and then purchase those items in your store. When SavingStar receives your purchase information from each store showing that you purchased an item on their list (usually within a couple of weeks), your account is credited.

Another difference is that in addition to offering cash back coupons for purchasing single items, such as 50 cents for a box of Wasa crackers, SavingStar also offers deals such as “Buy $20 of Weight Watchers products and receive $5 back” or “Get 20% back on your next broccoli purchase.”

Just last week, I redeemed an offer for Dole Fruit Squish’ems. The deal was $5 back when you buy $20 in certain Dole fruit products. Squish’ems are on sale at Kroger for $2 a box. I bought 10 boxes for a total of $20, used 10 $1 off paper coupons to bring my total down to $10, and I’ll get $5 back from SavingStar, which means net 50 cents a box for the fruit. Not bad at all!

One down side of SavingStar is that because it requires you to register your store loyalty card, it doesn’t work at some stores, such as my favorite grocery store, Publix. But it is available at Kroger, Food Lion, CVS, Rite Aid, and other stores with loyalty card programs.

cellfire6. Cellfire is another digital coupon service. You simply load your store loyalty card numbers, “clip” the eCoupons that you want to use in the stores, and when you purchase those items the amount of the eCoupon will come off of your total automatically.

One bummer about Cellfire is that you aren’t allowed to use a paper coupon in the store along with the eCoupon, but for those products that might not have paper coupons available, it can make for a good deal.

These are a few easy ideas for stretching your budget. I enjoy the thrill of getting the best deals possible and making our budget stretch to meet our needs. I hope that one or more of these ideas might help you, too!

book cover*A few of the links in this post are referral links.

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lessons from My Goldfish

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

goldfish picI, er…I mean my kids, have four pet goldfish. We’ve had them for almost a year now, and their names are Creamsicle, Creamsicle Jr., Butterbean, and Peaches. They’re fun little creatures. My husband thinks I’m crazy because I talk to the fish like they’re babies. And they engage with me, too, with eye contact and all. They’re really quite entertaining, as goldfish go, not to mention much quieter and less messy than a cat or a dog. The only downside is that I can’t pick them up and pet them—if I want them to live, that is.

The fish tank sits at the far corner of my kitchen counter, so I’m able to watch the fish while I cook meals and clean the kitchen. As I glanced over at them this evening, some thoughts came to mind about lessons I can learn from my scaly little friends.

1. My goldfish eagerly pursue me. When I walk by their tank to go downstairs to my car, they all swim over to me and wag their tails in joy. Well, maybe they’re just swimming with their tails, but nonetheless, they notice that I’m close to them, and they flock to me. What struck me is that I fail so often in eagerly pursuing my Master, my Heavenly Father. I know that He’s there for me and that He loves me, but do I really run to Him as eagerly as my goldfish swim to me? Do I love to spend time with Him as I should? Does my life reflect what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God”? As my goldfish pursue me, may I pursue my Creator, the Lover of my soul.

2. I have a confession. I don’t clean out the fish tank as often as I should. Right now, my poor fish are swimming in murky water. I will clean it tomorrow, I promise. But you know what? My fish aren’t complaining. They aren’t holding up signs to protest their unfair treatment. They aren’t organizing a focus group to work on the dirty water problem. They simply swim, just like they always do, trusting that everything’s going to be okay. They’re content, whether their water is crystal clear or a little dingy.

Sometimes my life gets murky, too. Sometimes my circumstances downright stink, just like my fish tank. During those times, do I swim around content, knowing that my Father will clean up the tank of my life in due time? Not usually. I like to whine and feel sorry for myself. I cry and complain. I don’t enjoy learning the lessons that are gleaned from the tough times; I want the heartache just to go away.

Yet, James tells us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).

That’s our goal, right? To be mature and complete, not lacking anything. But contentment and joy in the face of trials isn’t a natural response, is it? We need God’s power in our lives to help us see the silver lining when we’re in the midst of the storm. We need the supernatural. Thankfully, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV)

Thank you, Lord, for Your promises and for my special goldfish.

book cover

Posted in Christianity, Encouragement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Maximize Your Gas Budget with Gift Cards

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

gift cardThe high gas prices we’ve experienced in this nation the last few years have taken a toll on the average family’s budget; I know they’ve certainly hit us hard. Because my husband and I have four children, we drive large, older vehicles that get less than desirable gas mileage. Out of necessity, I’ve come up with some creative ways to save money on gas.

Many of us live near a Kroger (or Kroger affiliate) store, and many of those stores sell gas. If you don’t have Kroger’s loyalty card yet, the first step is to sign up for a Kroger Plus card. It’s fast and free to sign up at the customer service desk of your store, and having a card can potentially save you a significant amount of money in the store and at the gas pumps over time.

Kroger Plus card holders get an automatic discount of 3 cents per gallon on all gas purchases at Kroger fuel centers. All you need to do is scan your card before you start pumping in order to receive the discount. Then when you accumulate points on your loyalty card for in-store purchases, you can qualify for additional gas discounts, up to $1 per gallon off. For each 100 points you accumulate, you earn 10 cents per gallon off, so 1,000 points equals $1 per gallon off, or a savings of $35 for a 35-gallon fill-up.

Usually, you receive 1 fuel point for each $1 that you spend in store. Now, unless you spend a huge chunk of change on groceries each month, it might take a long time to accumulate 1,000 points to get a full $1 off per gallon of gas, and points expire at the end of the month after they’re earned.

Here’s where it gets fun. Kroger offers a huge selection of gift cards to various retailers, from home improvement stores to restaurants to clothing stores to Amazon to Facebook to iTunes to gas stations. Yes, even gas stations. The store’s regular practice is to double fuel points on gift card purchases (with a few exceptions, such as Kroger gift cards and pre-paid MasterCard/Visa-type cards). So for example, if you purchase a $50 gift card to Home Depot, you will receive 100 points for a fuel purchase, or 10 cents/gallon off of a 35-gallon fill-up.

Generally it would take $500 in gift card purchases to reach 1,000 fuel points, but several times a year Kroger offers quadruple fuel points for gift card purchases, so you can reach 1,000 points with only $250 in gift cards.

To reach 1,000 points, I generally take around half of our $400/month gas budget and purchase gift cards for BP. During times that Kroger offers 4X fuel points, that one purchase nets me 800 fuel points. If I add in a $50 gift card to Amazon or Belk, I’m at 1,000 points and I’m saving $35 on a fill-up. Our vehicles don’t hold 35 gallons, so when we’re going to use the full discount, we drive both vehicles and split the fill up.

Now, I have a Kroger Visa card, so I get an extra 5 cents per gallon off when I fill up at Kroger; I actually save $1.05 per gallon when I have 1,000 gas points, or a total of $36.75. Additionally, I earn rewards for using my Kroger Visa, equaling quarterly checks to spend for groceries at Kroger.

To help us qualify for two or more $1.05/gallon fuel discounts each month, I purchase gift cards to any stores or restaurants where our family regularly shops. Gift card selection varies somewhat by store, but there are many, many from which to choose. It takes a little work to plan ahead to purchase the gift cards and remember to use them, but to save $75 or more each month on gas is worth it for our family. Perhaps it would be for you, too.

Posted in Couponing, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Southern Savers Reviewed Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Jenny at the wildly popular Southern Savers couponing site posted an excellent review of Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World this week. Check out the review here.

book cover

Posted in Christianity, Couponing, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Having Fun on a Post-Christmas Shoestring

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

In the early weeks of a new year, it’s easy to become discouraged because of a lack of extra funds for entertainment….eating out, movies, shopping, and so forth. If you’re like our family, your property taxes were due in December, and then came Christmas. Those two events alone can make for a pretty bare-bones bank account. And if you you’ve spent more than you anticipated on those gifts on your list, you may feel the need to cut back temporarily in other areas of your budget to make up the shortfall. Entertainment spending is usually completely discretionary, so it makes sense to start chopping there.

If you’re looking for fun entertainment options at little to no cost, here are a few ideas to get you going.

1. Concerts at local churches. I just discovered that Matt Redman, one of my very fave Christian singers, will be in concert in a couple of weeks at a church in North Carolina. The best part? The concert is FREE! You simply have to call the church to reserve your tickets. Now, I won’t be going to the concert because it’s six hours away, but you get the idea. Another of my favorites, Third Day, recently did a free concert at a church in my area. Just do an Internet search for artists or bands that you want to hear in concert, and see what turns up. You might be surprised.

2. Pull out the board games. I’m sorry to say that it’s not often enough that we play board games together as a family around here. Doing so might not sound like too much fun for the grownups, but making an effort to turn off the tube and play a game together as a family can result in some wonderful memories for all involved. My kids are all getting to an age where they can understand how to use strategy and employ some skills necessary for effective play, and maybe yours are, too.

3. Renting movies from Redbox. We rarely go see movies in the theater because it’s so expensive. My husband took our four kids to see The Hobbit over Christmas break with a Fandango gift card he had received for his birthday, but it’s generally just way too expensive for us to see new movies in the theater. Redbox is a good option for us, and if you sign up for text alerts, they often send codes for a free rental or a rent one/get one free code. For us, it’s a good alternative to expensive theater excursions, and we can enjoy movies and hot popcorn from the comfort of our living room.

4. Swapping date nights with another couple. A few months ago, we started swapping date nights with a couple with whom we’ve become friends through our homeschool group. One weekend a month they will keep our kids for a few hours while we go out, and the next weekend we keep their kids. Our kids all enjoy each other, and they have spent so much time together now that they are becoming almost like siblings instead of just friends. Prior to this arrangement, my husband and I almost never went out without our kids. We don’t have family close by or available to give us date nights, and we’re simply too cheap to pay a sitter. Date night swapping with our friends is a perfect solution.

5. Restaurant coupons and discount cards. It isn’t cheap to feed our family of six at a restaurant. We do love to eat out on occasion, though, so it’s important that we stretch our dollars as much as we can. One way is to use discount cards that are sold by local high schools each year. They often have some great discounts to local restaurants, and they can generally be used an unlimited number of times. We also use restaurant coupons that come in the occasional packet in the mail, ones that can be found in the Sunday paper, and even some that can be purchased directly from the restaurants. Two examples are booklets that we’ve bought recently from Wendy’s and Burger King. Both were for fundraising campaigns that the restaurants were promoting (one to support adoption and the other to provide college scholarships). The booklets were $1 each, and they contained multiple coupons for free treats. Not a bad deal for a family that loves cheap treats!

I hope that these ideas have encouraged you to break out of the January doldrums and determine to have fun, in spite of your checkbook. There’s always fun to be had and memories to be made if we look around and get creative.

Happy January!

Michelle

book cover

Posted in Couponing, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Southern Savers to Review Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

The very popular couponing website, Southern Savers, will be doing a book review and giveaway of Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World next week! There will be a two-day sale on the Kindle version to go along with the giveaway. Then Money Saving Mom will be doing the same thing in February. Stay tuned!

Posted in Couponing, Stewardship | Leave a comment

“Why 2014 Is the Year to Get Out of Debt”

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Kingdom Crossing

Check out this article from CNN Money about “Why 2014 Is the Year to Get Out of Debt.”

Posted in Money, Stewardship | Leave a comment

Howard Dayton endorsed our book!

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Kingdom Crossing

BIG NEWS!! Our first significant endorsement…. Howard Dayton, co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries, author, and founder of Compass- finances God’s way, had this to say about Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World:

“Nothing is more authentic or powerful than people who are actually doing what they encourage others to do. Michelle Thomas and her husband Trevor have done just that. Living on a modest income they have remained debt free through children and the building of their home. This excellent book will motivate you to do the same.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Our book is available!

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kingdom Crossing
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment