Scripture Bookmarks

I am stalking my mailman daily right now... LOL... in anticipation of getting this swap back. The requirements were to make a bookmark of any size/shape, include a scripture verse, and it had to have a tassel or ribbon of some type to hang out of the book. This is one of my favorite verses. I can't wait to see what the others made!

P.S. I'm linking up with Sunday Scrappin' , even though it's Wednesday. I don't want my SS girls to think I've totally abandoned them! ;) I have been doing plenty of crafting lately, just not so much blogging.

WFMW: stinky towel solution

Ever had towels with that funky smell, even when they're freshly laundered? Yeah, me too. My kitchen dish cloths get that way sometimes, and more recently, the kids' bath towels seem to get that funky smell when they leave them on the floor. Yuck.

I tried all kinds of things-- hot water, bleach, soaking cycles,OxiClean-- and nothing seemed to make a difference. The towels would look clean, but the musty odor prevailed.

It turned out that the solution was right in my pantry. One day I stumbled across a tip online somewhere to use plain white vinegar instead of fabric softener. I just poured it in the fabric softener dispenser and washed the load as usual (no fabric softener). Since then, I've tried it several times with towels, and once with a load of funky-smelling dark clothes that someone (cough, cough) left in the washer overnight on a hot summer day. No odors, no funk- it's great!

Using vinegar to get rid of laundry funk definitely works for me... see what works for other folks and share your own tips at Works for Me Wednesday!

Review: Catholic Answers to Common Objections

If you've ever found yourself discussing religion with your protestant friends, at a loss to explain why you believe certain things as a Catholic, then you won't want to miss this CD set! I enjoy a good religious discussion... assuming everyone is willing to debate, not scream... and I was very happy to have the opportunity to review this particular CD set for The Catholic Company.

I listened to the CD's in the car over the course of a couple days, and I found myself nodding my head and talking back several times. :)

Tim Staples answers these questions and more:

• Why do Catholics call priests “father” when Matthew 23:9 says, “call no man on this earth father, for you have one father in heaven”?
• How can Catholics claim that a priest can forgive sins when Isaiah 43:25 says God forgives our sins?
• Why Do Catholics pray to saints when the Bible says we are to pray to God?
• Why do Catholics fast in public and place ashes on their foreheads during Lent when such practices were condemned by Christ in Matthew 6:16-18?

Each question is answered with numerous scripture references, along with a dialog in common launguage... there are no cryptic religious documents here.

Many questions are answered with full explanations of what protestants think we believe, versus what we really believe, as well as detailed explanations of why protestants may disagree with various beliefs. As such, I think that even non-Catholics would find this interesting to listen to if they would like to learn more about our faith.

If I had any complaints, it would only be that I wish this was a paperback book, rather than a CD set, so that it would be easy to refer to in the future. As a CD, however, it makes for thought-provoking listening material... perfect for an otherwise boring commute to work!

Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Catholic Answers To Common Objections (CD Set) .

WFMW: Swagbucks

I know, I know... everywhere you go people are talking about reward sites. Go ahead and roll your eyes, I'll wait. ;)

Now, let me tell you why Swag Bucks is different: you earn swagbucks for just doing the online searches that you would normally do- no sites to remember, no required shopping, and no secret codes are necessary. (There are bonus codes that you might come across from time to time... but those aren't required to use the program!)

I've set Swag Bucks as the default search engine (using IE 8) on our computer, and we've been earning swagbucks every day without any extra effort at all. And, never fear, their search engine is powered by Google, so you'll still find what you need.

There are various ways to earn extra swag bucks, as well:

• install their toolbar, and you'll receive a daily bonus code throughout September which earns you extra swag bucks
• follow them on Twitter for periodic bonus codes, especially on Fridays
• refer friends, and you earn when they earn
• shop through their site at select retailers for extra swag bucks

Earning free items by doing nothing more than my usual internet searches... that definitely works for me! Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We Are That Family!

Free ChickFilA today!

My whole family will be headed out to ChickFilA today for lunch... what about yours? Wear any sports team logo (I read somewhere that even little league or soccer shirts count) and receive a free chicken sandwich- yum!

And don't forget to check out the Chicken Wave... it cracked me up! :)

Spiritual Sunday: The Stew Story

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand.'

'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

I found this little gem over at Will and Guy's Clean Jokes, Short Stories, and Funny Pictures, and it really stuck with me. So simple, yet so true... we all need to take care of each other in order to thrive.

Find more inspirational stories and verses over at Spiritual Sundays.

The Book of Life: an easy read

The Book of Life: The New Testament Retold was a fairly quick read, and it's written in everyday language-- it's not one of those religious books that requires total concentration and a Bible by your side as you read. I really appreciated that.

The tone of the book is as though a friend, or trusted teacher, is recalling the events for you. It's easy to imagine yourself right there as events unfold.

The only thing was.... it didn't really stick with me. I put it down a few weeks ago, and today, when I finally have a few free minutes to write this review, I had to flip through parts of it to remember what it was that I liked about the book. Now, whether that's the book's fault or my own is, of course, a matter of opinion. ;)

Check it out for yourself at The Catholic Company!