Merry Christmas from John and Krissy

I'm dropping in quickly tonight to say Merry Christmas to you all. I also wanted to share my favorite Christmas song. Each year I put a different version of this song in my blog. Last year's version was rather "rock and roll." This year's version definitely isn't! I guess I'll just let you play it and see if you like it.

Here's Connie Talbot, age 8, from the UK, singing my favorite Christmas song ~

YouTube - Silent Night - Connie Talbot

John and I wish you a very fun and holy Christmas. I'm off to do Christmasy things! Love you all, Krissy :)

Monday Morning Question -- What was your worst Christmas shopping experience?

What was your worst Christmas shopping experience?

My answer:

I was shopping one year for Christmas gifts. It was back when I was in my late teens. I have five brothers and sisters, and they were all in their teens also, so buying gifts for everyone was quite a challenge. That year Christmas Eve arrived, and my gifts had been purchased for the whole family save one sister. I couldn't find anything for Grace. She was 17 at the time, if my memory serves me correctly.

That Christmas Eve, my anxiety mounted as I frantically searched through the stores for something really nice, then for anything that could be appropriate for Grace, but to no avail. I searched into the wee hours of the night, then finally went to bed. I awoke very early in the morning before the others and went to the only store that was open that Christmas morning. I don't recall now which store it was. All I remember is that I chose a gift, ran home, wrapped it and quickly placed it under the tree.

My sister's mouth dropped when she opened her tablet of construction paper that Christmas morning. By the way, she was disappointed.

Now it's your turn.

What was your worst Christmas shopping experience?

Please put your answer in the Comment Section below or in your blog with a link back to this post. If you post in your blog and leave your link here, I'll come read and comment there!

Love you all, Krissy :)

Monday Morning Question -- What did your childhood Christmas tree look like?

What did your childhood Christmas tree look like?

My answer: When I was a young child we had a silver aluminum Christmas tree. The one with the color wheel! The color wheel spun around and had four colors on it, lighting up the faux tree! We children thought it was breathtaking. Even without the color wheel the shiny, shimmering, silver tree was beautiful! Which was good, because my brother Carl sat on the color wheel and broke it. He wanted to spin around and around so he got on the wheel, and after that it was no more -- so we had a tree without changing colors. To put the lights on it was out of the question -- the tree was highly flammable! That is why it came with the color wheel, LOL.

The ornaments were extraordinary. They were the old-fashioned kind. They were mostly glass ornaments. There were your glass round bulbs, but there were also glass figures of almost everything imaginable. There were glass humming birds, religious scenes such as the creche, Santa ornaments and just lots of fun ornaments. Finally there were lots of fun homemade ornaments such as a carrot, raspberry and lacy snowflake I crocheted -- all without a pattern. All six of us kids contributed to making the homemade ornaments so the tree was special.

Later on we gave up the silver tree for a "regular" faux green tree with icicles, but that silver aluminum Christmas tree with the color wheel will always be my favorite!

Now it's your turn. What did your childhood Christmas tree look like?

Please put your answer in the comment section below. If you'd like to write your answer in your own blog, leave a link below so we can check out your answer.

I hope you'll enjoy answering as I enjoyed my Christmas memories. Love you all, Krissy :)

Monday Morning Question -- What would you do with a fruitcake...

You get a fruitcake about a week before Christmas. Which of the following would you choose to do, if nobody were to know?

I'd slice it up and serve it to my family and me. I love fruitcake!

I'd regift it. The very next person who needed a gift from me would be its recipient. I hate fruitcake!

I'd throw it away. It's too mean to give even to my worst enemy.

I'd give it to the bake sale or the bazaar at church. Somebody has to like it!

Is it the store bought kind with "faux fruit" such as maraschino cherries and little green bits, or is it homemade? I'll eat it if it's homemade but regift the faux! What are those little green bits anyway?

Other answers are welcome -- please leave comment

my friend Elayne speaks about AIDS

I want to apologize to Elayne of It's a Reel Thing. She wrote a post entitled World AIDS Day on Monday, and I promised some friends I would mention the post in this blog (Sometimes I Think). I can't believe I missed posting it, but then I have 2,437 emails and I simply overlooked it. That's my poor excuse. So I ask you all to please go read her post. Elayne is a very, very special woman. She wouldn't call herself exceptional perhaps, but I am going to! She was an LPN a few years back, and she decided to care for AIDS patients immediately after she met two men with AIDS who were being ignored by medical staff. It was at a time when very few others would help those with AIDS, because of the extreme stigma involved. I know that Yeshua (Jesus) would help those with AIDS if He were alive today, just like He helped the lepers in His societey about 2,000 years ago -- the outcast of His society...


While Elayne believes in helping those with AIDS/HIV, she also believes that we should turn to G-d (she does not spell God out completely because she is Messianic Jew -- which means a Christian Jew). Turning our life over to G-d means giving our life to Him, and asking for forgiveness of anything that one needs to ask forgiveness for. Elayne also believes in keeping oneself pure before marriage, and being monogamous during marriage. Her husband, Mark believes likewise, and so they had a pure relationship! Elayne writes a fantastic post about this, which you can catch in this post: Your Kidding, Right?.

Okay, enough said. I'll let Elayne speak for herself!

"Some personal stuff in my life"

Oh, one more thing I wanted to mention. I've got lots more to share with you still -- what has been going on in my life as of late. To make it a little short (ya, right, LOL), John has been in the hospital about one month out of the last two months. I will explain later. He was almost killed by a doctor. He was mocked (laughed at profusely) by several other physicians (an attending and about four residents) doing rounds. John got out of the hospital again about a week ago. Or was it two? It was two days before Thanksgiving. I was giving him home IVs around the clock. A nurse almost killed him during the last home IV when she came to pull his port out in his chest near his heart. Long story. Will explain later. Okay, so like, before that, several months ago, before the migration to Blogger, and John's month long stay at his bone marrow transplant center due to some very serious complications that almost killed him, we were actually having some fun! John and I raised some money for Light the Night walk (The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!) We were able to do the walk -- I think it was over 2 miles -- John's first big endeavor since his bone marrow transplant and remission from cancers about 3 years ago! I got photos of the event! They are spectacular!

Then Kodak erased ALL my photos because I didn't agree to give them like $59.99 for the rest of my life, LOL. And they didn't warn me that the six month trial period was up. Sigh. I have to find a way to get the pics back, because I still have the original photos on the memory card in my camera. Like 300 pics, including a fun day we toured a cave -- where a man lived for part of his lifetime -- near Hershey, PA. I will show you the cave and tell you his story too -- the Pennsylvania Hermit! I did SOMETHING correct for once -- I left the photos on the memory card. In this digital stuff and computer stuff, it seems I am ALWAYS making mistakes. I feel so stupid since I came to Blogger (blogspot). Sigh, I am having so much trouble with it... Anyway, I will be updating soon on all this, and will show you all the photos, and what else is going on in my life, when I find a way to get my photos online without KODAK eating or stealing them. Any ideas of what software I can use to keep my photos, both to download and to keep them? Perhaps if I can download without using KODAK (if the camera will let me, I can upload into Photobucket, and then KODAK can't touch them, because they won't be in My Pictures on my computer anymore. Does anybody know?

Thanks so much if you can help!


Oh, one final thing. I'm still going to get back to you on the series I am doing about what the best way to read blogs is. Or finding the best way for YOU yourself to read blogs. Thanks for being patient while I get back to this series!


Love you all, Krissy :)

Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008

Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008

I wanted to do this post much earlier today, but I didn't. Because it's a hard one. It's controversial. But I decided -- who cares. It contains a message I strongly believe in. The message is about why I believe in abstinence before marriage and monogamy during, to bring about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

But let me back up for a minute and tell you why I am talking about this today. December 1 is World AIDS Day 2008. It's also called "Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008." What this means is that bloggers all over the world will be bringing light to this subject, and will be bringing awareness to this epidemic, and stating what they believe should be done in regards to prevention, treatment, and how those with AIDS should be treated.

This won't be your typical "safe sex" post. I won't suggest that condoms should be thrown at them, while you turn away, telling them that they can use them if they just can't control themselves anyway. Why? Because it's sending them a mixed message -- telling them they just can't control themselves, just can't wait for marriage...

No, this will not be a "safe sex" post. I've already stated that to be safe, both the guy and girl must abstain before marriage, and be monogamous during. Do I believe our young people can do it -- can abstain before marriage? A resounding yes! Why? Because we as humans are made in the image of God. We are not mere animals with no self control. We have a will given to us by God. And those of us who are born again, have the Lord in us in a very special way, and can listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, always relying on the Lord to keep us away from trouble and temptation. If you do not know Him today, it is as simple as calling on Him, and asking Him to reveal Himself to you... Trust me, this will work, I have never seen Him turn anybody away. Just ask Him...

But to be successful these young people, if they are going to be able to practice abstinence must be taught several things by their parents, and must be allowed to opt out of school sex education "safe sex" classes. They must be taught behaviors other than those that will lead to sex, AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Some of these behaviors that might lead to sex (and therefore STDs) may be alcohol use, drug use (pills, pot, and IV drug use), taking the birth control pill, hanging out with a poor choice of friends (which could get them into sexual behavior), etc.

These young people, especially the teenage girls, should be given a lot of support in their lives. They should be taught self respect, hope for their future, job training, a desire to improve their lives, a realization that they don't need a boyfriend to believe they are something special. They should be taught a certain sense of empowerment, and that they are special in and of themselves. They need to come to believe that they don't need a child at an early age to be fulfilled.

The girls should come to realize that sex before marriage is not a good deal for them. They need to be taught that if they get pregnant, they won't be in a happy situation. Guys often won't marry women after they've had an abortion or given birth. About 80% of couples break up after an abortion. He just doesn't respect her anymore. And if the girl gives birth to the baby, he still won't marry her either. Because he won't need to make a commitment any longer. Look at statistical facts and you will find they bear this out.

Then the young lady is left in the position to raise the child herself. Each of these girls must come to realize that if she just gives herself away like this, that she will no longer, quite possibly, be loved nor respected, nor will her child, and she must singlehandedly, then, take care of, support, and protect herself and her child. It's not a good deal for her or her child. And at this point, she just may have contracted an STD and just could have given it to her child. If this young man was that casual with her, who knows who else he has been casual with...

Another reason it is not wise for these girls to engage in sex is because they risk getting the Human Papilloma Virus every time they sleep with a guy, as sexual contact occurs in the entire genital area, including the area outside the area where condoms are worn. This causes the risk of HPV every time sex occurs. And now that we are on the subject of HPV, AIDS is not the most common STD in America. HPV is. The Journal of The American Medical Association recently estimated that 49% of sexually active college girls, and 40% of sexually active highschool girls in the US are infected with HPV, an STD which can lead to cervical cancer. So, one can easily ascertain that, because of the way HPV is contracted, and because of the high incidence of it, there is no such thing as "safe sex." It's just not tue -- neither statistically, scientifically, or medically.

We need to be concerned about how HPV is contracted, and its consequences. Think about it -- every other young woman who is sexually active, that walks past you on a college campus, may just have HPV. Soon we may have our own even more serious epidemic right here in the U.S. It could supercede the epidemic of AIDS in Africa in seriousness, if HPV continues to spread, and cervical cancer rises in prevalence.

To hear more about HPV, as well as the emotional effects of premarital sex, please watch the following video.

It also discusses that after four years, girls who are on the birth control pill have a 60% chance of having a baby. That means six out of ten girls on the pill will become pregnant in four years! Now, you and I both know, the only foolproof way for these girls not to have a child before marriage, is to not have sex before marriage. Yet they, perhaps, are the ones most likely to be having the children. Such irony. And so sad for them to be in a situation they feel they can't handle, after having been lied to by the sex industry, who has tried to push sex on them for profit. Here's the video I promised you:

Jason Evert - Is There Such a Thing as Safe Sex?

So we've looked at why sex outside of marriage is not such a good deal. It's damaging for emotional and psychological reasons. It will lead to low self esteem. We've also discussed that it's not practical and it's not worth the pay off. You're likely to get a guy who won't commit afterward, especially if you've had a child, and who won't support you or the baby. Maybe you will be left with something. An STD. Sex before marriage is simply not practical, and it's a very bad deal. For both the girl and the guy. Sorry guys that I've beat up on you so badly in this post. You are sometimes the one to get the short end of the stick, I just don't have time to explain everything tonight...

Okay, now I am going to be bold again. There's another reason why you shouldn't have sex before marriage. It cuts off your spiritual life with God. It's a sin. If you find yourself in this kind of behavior, repent, and turn away, through the help of the Lord.

Okay, if you don't believe in the Bible, I'll give you another reason why you shouldn't practice what many call "safe sex."

"Safe Sex" isn't safe! Condoms just don't work. Let me give you some facts from this fact sheet:

Fact Sheet: Condom Warnings -- Beware!!!

Please read the above link. Here are just a few facts from this fact sheet:

Holes in Condoms . . .

STDs are very tiny organisms, minuscule in size compared to sperm. These super-small viruses can get through a hole in a condom much more easily than sperm can. For example, HIV (the AIDS-causing virus) is so small that two million of the disease-causing agents could crowd on the period at the end of a sentence.

In 1993 the University of Texas analyzed the results of 11 different studies that had tracked the effectiveness of condoms to prevent transmission of the AIDS virus. The average condom failure rate in the 11 studies for preventing transmission of the AIDS virus was 31%.

One reason condoms fail in preventing the transfer of AIDS is that latex condoms have tiny intrinsic holes called "voids." Sperm is larger than the holes, but the AIDS virus is 50 times smaller than these tiny holes which makes it easy for the virus to pass through [Source: Dr. C. M. Roland, editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology]. To give you an idea of how easy it would be for the virus to pass through these holes, just imagine a ping pong ball going through a basketball hoop.

Those are merely facts from studies! I can't make them up. Now let us end with this:

Here is another post from Lynne you may want to check out written for "World AIDS Day 2008".

SPECIAL ENTRY -- WORLD AID'S DAY

Also please pray this prayer in the sidebar of Ma's blog for World AIDS Week:
http://onyama.blogspot.com/

Here's a special post from Tom. Please don't get mad at me Tom, 'cause I didn't get a chance to ask if I could include you! You went offline, but I had to include this, as it was so beautiful and forgiving! Thanks!
"Never Hate the Sinner -- Hate the Sin."

graphic by Connie:



And remember, you all, true love waits! Okay, people, Spread the Word, Not the Disease! Krissy :)