Queenies Little Kingdom

This past week's firestorm controversy over Pastor Louie Giglio praying at President Obama's Inauguration has once again reminded me why NOT BEING IN MINISTRY isn't such a bad thing.  At first, the tweets and Facebook statuses were in support of Louie (of course, many still are) for a sermon he preached about 15+ years back on the issue of homosexuality.  Those calling him out for his "anti gay" sermon of course were spewing hate and calling for action immediately and still are.  The White House has tuck-tailed into "make the left happy" mode and assured the whiners complainers haters folks who call Pastor Giglio a bigot that they will find a suitable replacement, ie: someone who thinks like they do!  This is not the least bit shocking to me and if you've been around the liberal frenzied world as long as I have….it's probably no shock to you either.  However…

What really sets my heart on fire regarding this issue is the reaction of "some" fellow believers (Christians/Ministry Leaders/Seminary Dudes/People hiding behind words on Twitter & Blogs etc) who feel it's necessary to jump on the criticism bandwagon and tear a hole into Louie Giglio because these people had to SEARCH BACK 15+ YEARS to find a sermon of him preaching on the sin of homosexuality!  SERIOUSLY?  Come on, people!

This, this is what reminds me of how awful ministry life can be.  Just a week or so ago, Louie Giglio and his Passion 2013 team ministered to 60,000+ COLLEGE-AGED KIDS and together raised over 3.3 million dollars to fund ministry help for the 27 million victims trapped in human trafficking & slavery.  COLLEGE KIDS along with Louie Giglio and his ministry did that (in Jesus' name).  Let me remind you that raising the money and choosing to support that mission work was only the beginning.  This work is a revolution in saving lives and making a difference for Christ.  Hands and feet, work.

What does it say when fellow laborers in Christ lash out and blast leaders like Louie Giglio for NOT PREACHING on homosexuality often enough?  I'll tell ya!  It sends the message to the lost and dying world that even the BELIEVERS are twisted and mixed up and in need of forgiveness!  And, if given the opportunity….they will kick their own when they're down!

How sad!

I have sat under the teaching of Louie Giglio.  He is a man of God and he preaches the truth, NO MATTER THE TOPIC!  I am confident in his love for Christ and his desire to follow & obey God's word to the nth degree.  I don't give credence to one shameful word of criticism thrown in his direction by those who claim to love & follow God just as I don't those who are openly trapped in a homosexual lifestyle and are calling for him to be banned from the White House.  Both remind me….my work here is not finished!

Want to know who Louie Giglio is?

Go to Passion 2013

His church Passion City

His statement to his church family regarding this issue?  Change of Plans

What he believes?  Belief Statement

Father,

I pray for Pastor Giglio and his ministry to millions in Your Holy Name!  Thank you for his endless love for Your children and the platform with which he is able to make a difference in this world.  I stand in awe when I see just how powerful and far Your love can go from one man.  Help me to love like that.

Amen

Dr. R. Al Mohler's article on Baptist Press.  

Dr. Russell Moore's article.

I just had a few things to pick up from the store; bread, milk, eggs — you know, the normal necessities.  What I wasn't expecting?  To bust some dudes doing "bad guy" shenanigans!

It all started as I was boogying my way towards the grocery section by way of the pharmacy.  As I pass by the girls department, I feel the presence of two men to my left.  I very courteously look over in their direction (thinking they are probably hubby's shopping with their wives….ok, I was hoping that) only to see them suspiciously crouching behind little girl clothing racks and eyeing the GUN DEPARTMENT which is straight ahead of me.

Here, ensues my adventure of being a Wallyworld mallcop!  Unpaid, I might add.

I make a decision at that point when I realize they appear to be watching the sales clerk who walks away in the other direction.  As soon as she walks away, they get even more fidgety and start moving around the racks.  I walk directly into the sporting goods department and begin "fake" shopping.  I turn the aisle and am now facing the guys still standing in the girls department.  Nonchalantly, I browse the gun cases and camo clothing…peeking up at them every once in a while.  Still, they are acting completely suspicious!

Normally, I would not pay attention to anything like this…but seriously, these guys were alarming me.  I didn't know if they had plans to steal from the gun department or do some sort of Walmart takeover!  

I notice them take off and start running towards the toy department.  I push my cart on down the main aisle and I watch them ducking and running down each aisle….almost like kids playing in the store except these are big guys all grown up.  Next, I see a student of mine from last year and he hands the salesclerk a cd and asks her to scan it for the price.  He smiles and gets excited when he sees me and we say "Hi" to each other and I go on to the food section.  My plan, was to find someone (a manager) and tell them of the strange behavior.  I'm sure something is happening, I just don't know what.  Possibly, these guys are doing surveillance and I'm just in the wrong place.  Who knows?

The first person I run into (which took 5 minutes or so) was an employee in the very back of the store.  I tell her of my suspicion and she proceeds to tell me what the store's loss prevention people look like and wear.  I describe what the two guys are wearing and look like and she says, "I'll call it in!".  Ok, I walk away and then decide to head back to the area where I saw them last.  Along the way, I run into the student again.  He stops and we begin chatting about the great deals he just scored on a bag full of camo clothing.  We talk for a few minutes and catch up on what's happening and off I go.

Then, right beside me…one of the mystery dudes sticks his head out from behind a shelf and then jumps back when I see him.  I turn around and screech my cart to a halt and say, "HEY, YOU'RE ACTING VERY SUSPICIOUS!!".  He sheepishly steps out of the shadows and says, "Sorry, I'm with theft prevention and I'm watching that kid you were talking to!".  Eeek!  I say, "Oh no!".  He goes on to tell me that they were concerned if he was stealing because he had that bag of clothes while he was shopping.  I explained that as far as I knew the kid was a great fellow but if he's stealing, I understand.

(He wasn't stealing, by the way)

I  know it probably wasn't the smartest decision to confront these guys…..but honestly, what would you do?  They were running through the store, jumping behind racks, crouching down on the floor — all suspicious behavior if you ask me.  Their actions could've been meant for harm (hey, turn on the news) and I sure didn't want to be on the news involved in a Walmart take-down!

The moral of the story is…..uhhm, I don't know what the moral is here.  All I know is next time I see a Wallyworld sting go down, I'm hitting the deck!

Over Christmas break, I worked on some blogposts that I don't normally have time to deal with and it was great.  The problem?  Now they won't post!  I can't even find my publish button!

Curses to you, WordPress!

I'm definitely not a blogging expert and I certainly can't do anything fancy with my blog but NOT PUBLISH A POST?  Come on!  I'm typing this post with the hopes that when I hit the publish button it actually pops up on my feed.

I posted a cute story about how much we love our dogs…only it placed it back on January 1st.  Huh?  What?  How in the world?  I think I might be going crazy!  See what happens when I try to help myself out?  I ruin everything!

I hope this snafu doesn't keep me from blogging but if it doesn't straighten up….I'll be MIA!  I can't work & rush around all day then try to blog on a broken WordPress blog.  I'm just not wound that awesome.  So, if I'm not posting…you know what happened people.

Before I go.  Today was Gates last day of school.  I took it like a champ!  The reality….will set in soon and I'll let you know how lonely I am for — running late mornings, clothing disasters & lunch dates in my classroom.  I'm officially an old mom.

I’m experiencing mean ole blog issues! I have a detective working on the case but until then….nothing will be posted on Queenies Little Kingdom!

On a good note? My baby finished her last day of HS today and I survived a Monday after Christmas break. It was a great day!

I'm pumped about my latest "creation". It's no secret that my girls and I have a crazy boot collection. A perk of having daughters around your size… Is sharing shoes & clothes! I borrow from them and they dig in my stash too. But taking care of boots can be important to their last-a-bility.

My hubby kindly uses the good stuff (leather cleaner/polish) on our boots which cleans them up and keeps them looking new. But when you're not wearing them…they flop over and the leather can crack. While shopping recently, I found boot shapers at TJ Maxx. I loved the idea but hated the price, $12.99!  I had a EUREKA moment –> I can make those!

Who wants to pay that much times multiple pairs of boots? Not me, y'all! So, I created my own version… Well, along with my sweatshop assistant.  Trust me, you can make these.  There isn't any fancy techniques involved or complicated measuring….honest!

Here's our white-trash DIY tute:

Fabric (any cheap or what ya have stuffed somewhere will do). Once I had my vision, I thought of old clothes that I don't want anymore that I could cut up to use.  Think:  an old plaid shirt!  Cute huh?

Printer paper.  I know, this is very scientific.  I used a piece of paper to measure how wide I needed to cut my fabric.  Told ya, white trash!

Now this is a fancy move….I placed one of my boots down to give me an idea of how long to cut my fabric.  You can do the same.  Your boots may be longer or shorter and this way you can customize.

And BOOM!  There you have it.  2 pieces of fabric ready for the sewing machine operator.  Oh, and if you have no sweatshop employees or refuse to touch a sewing machine (I loathe threading the needle)…I don't see why you couldn't HOT GLUE these babies!

We used all stuff we had on hand.  That includes thread.  Color will not matter.

Fold them backwards, of course and hand them to him (my angel).  Sew them straight up and then across on bottom.  He sewed the top 1/2 way (just to help me) not have so much to hand sew once I stuffed them.  That's totally up to you though.

Sorry, I have no picture of this part but all I did was rip open an old pillow (I save them for stuffing reasons) and pulled off bits of stuffing.  I shaped it and filled it as I felt would fit best in my boots.  You can do yours however.  Also, see that ribbon?  I used that to sew into the top (by hand) in order to have pully handles to grab them out of my boots.  Again, totally up to you if you want them or not.

And there you go!  Awesome boot shapers that cost….nada!  I had everything I needed to make mine.  I bet you do too!

Tada!  Don't you just love them?  So easy!  And if you're like me and have diva friends who wear sweet boots too, they make terrific gifts!

I can't get over the guy who helps me do all the crazy ideas that pop into my brain.  I believe that God knew I'd need a guy like him.  He's so dang cool and willing to try anything!  Plus, he's awesome in everyway.

 [THANK YOU, WORLD’S BEST MOTHER IN LAW]

This whole new year stuff is getting more awesome by the day!  Being snowed in is the number one contributor to all that is happening cool in my house.  I mean, what else can you do…but clean stuff out & up?

Hello, organization! You are my friend!

We are packrats!  I hate us!

We have too much food & junk!

What is this guy….an ANGEL?  Yes, yes he is!  He's cleaning out my horrible pantry.  The one that each family member walks up to and says, "I can't find anything!".  It was packed full and piled high with junk that no one wants or ever will use.  It might have resembled a scene from a Hoarders episode.  Food, mixers, dog treats, storage containers, lunchboxes and old brooms/mops had taken over residence and the clean out proved that I CAN LOVE MY PANTRY AGAIN!!

Thank you, precious hubby!  There really isn't another man on this earth that can love me like you!  LOVE LANGUAGE:  ACTS OF SERVICE

I didn't even mention the scrubbing of my bathtub (and the horrible hair cleaning out that takes place with that job) or the help making THESE—>

White trash tutorial coming soon.  Promise!

HE IS ALL MINE!!!  Now, I gotta go.  He's cleaning out a storage room and it's only fair that I go boss him around while he works!!