New Rasmussen Poll - Presidential Matchups

This new Rasmusen Poll has Hermain Cain leading President Obama 43% to 41%, among all likely voters.  The polls margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Click the link below to see the new Presidential Matchups Poll by Rasmussen Reports:

2012 Presidential Matchups

Louisiana October Elections - Get out and Vote!

Just want to remind everyone that Louisiana's upcoming elections will be next Saturday, October 22! Please take this time to review and think about who you are going to vote for. Take the time to be an informed voter. Let's elect the correct people into office, Louisiana!

If you want to know who's on the ballot, you can visit the Louisiana Secretary of State's Website. Here's the link directly to the Elections division, so that you can review who will be on your specific ballot:

https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/

In Louisiana fashion, there are also 5 Constitutional Amendments for this election. So, make sure to view the details of that on the website, as well.

Hermain Cain Keeps Gaining Speed

Here's a great article, by Louisiana political analyst Jeff Crouere, about Hermain Cain and the Republican Presidential race.

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/buzz/latest-buzz/356831-herman-cain-on-fire-and-can-burn-romney-rinos-and-black-liberals-

Hermain Cain leads Obama in New Zogby Poll!

A new Zogby poll shows that Hermain Cain leads President Obama 46% to 44%, among all likely voters. If you want more detailed information, please visit the link to the poll below:

http://www.zogby.com/news/2011/10/06/ibope-zogby-poll-cain-expands-lead-over-gop-field-leads-obama-46-44/

Perry Plummets, Cain Surges in Positive Intensity

Hey guys! Check out this new Gallup Poll, on the Presidential Race:

Gallup Poll: Perry Plummets, Cain Surges in Positive Intensity

Mexican Jambalaya Recipe

A few days ago, I was trying to avoid going to the grocery store, so I came up with this yummy recipe with what I had on hand in my pantry. It came out soooo good, that I decided I had to share it. Hope that you enjoy it =)

Mexican Jambalaya

4 cups of cooked rice (approx.)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Cajun Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
1 lb of Chicken Tenderloins (boneless, skinless), cut into bite size pieces
Chef Paul Prudhomme Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade (or something similar)
1 lb Frozen Onion Mix (onions, bell peppers, etc.)
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chilis
1 15oz can of Black Beans
1 10 oz can Red Enchilada Sauce, mild or hot ( I used Casa Fiesta)
1 8 oz Can Tomato Sauce

The first I did was marinate the Chicken Tenderloins in the Chef Paul Prudhomme Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade, for about 30 minutes (which, is my all time favorite marinade, by the way), and cooked my rice.


Then, over the stove in a large saucepan, season the Onion Mix with Cajun seasoning, and add a drizzle of olive oil, saute' for approx 5-10 minutes or until the onions are transparent.


Add and cook the Chicken until cooked through. Next, add the can of Diced Green Chilis & Black Beans (do not drain), and stir & cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the can of Enchilada Sauce & Tomato Sauce.

Let simmer uncovered for about 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring. This is a good time to taste your sauce. It should already be a bit spicy from the Enchilada Sauce, but not would be the time for you to season to taste.

Now you can add your cooked rice and stir until everything is mixed together well. Cover your pot and turn off
heat. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then serve, eat, and enjoy!!!

Prayer Warriors Needed!!!!

Please pray for our friends, The Renken's and their son Will. On Saturday, September 24th, Will fell off a 2nd story ledge onto a foyer floor and cracked his scull. He's been in ICU ever since, with brain swelling & bruising. 

I have been following all the updates on a website they set up, through Caring Bridge. The update from this morning was not encouraging. They can use all the prayer that they can get. Please pray for peace for the entire family & complete healing for Will.

God is an awesome & mighty God. We know that all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord, and that there is awesome power in prayer!!!! 

If you would like, you can follow all the updates here:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/willrenken

I've posted the latest entry from today below:

"Good morning friends and pray warriors!

Please continue to pray for Will.  After talking to the doctor's this morning it looks as though Will doesn't want to play by the rules.  (Marcy said she wasn't so surprised by that.)  I guess his body has figured out all the meds that's he's been getting and now the meds are just not as effective.  All the doctors are meeting and trying to figure out the next "best" steps.  They are considering a bone flap surgery (which will allow the brain to 'breath' more). 

Marcy was pretty upset this morning.  (Understandably so).  The doctor did tell her that because of all the brusing on the front of his brain that he'd be lying if he promised that Will would be perfectly "normal" again.  

All - I know we are storming Heaven for Will right now but I am begging ya'll to pray for Marcy and Tom.  Please pray for them to have strength to walk through this fire.  All your letters and emails and notes have meant the world to them.  Please keep writing.  

Nothing can separate this family from the love of God and they need US to keep reminding them of that."

Please Take Our Republican Presidential Poll

Where's My Choice?

When we hear about the abortion debate, the words “choice” and “a woman’s right to choose” fairly often. But, I believe, that in medical community, a woman’s “choice” stops with abortion.

I just found out recently that I’m pregnant with my 4^th child. And, after having 3 C-sections, I was seriously considering having this child naturally, otherwise known as a VBAC. However, after doing some research, my state apparently doesn’t give woman much of a “choice” in the matter.  Most Doctors in my state won’t even consider letting a woman try a VBAC after 1 pregnancy, much less 4. And even Midwives & Doula’s would have to work closely with a Doctor, before my state would allow them to work with me, which, as you can imagine, doesn’t happen very often. However, to the Doctors’ credit, most of them have their hands tied, with most medical malpractice insurances, not covering them if something does go wrong. I really don’t blame the Doctors. I blame the system.

After finding all of this information out, I wasn’t just frustrated with the situation, I was mad.  Realizing that, if I wanted to “terminate my pregnancy”, or as I like to call it, murder my child, that wouldn’t be a problem. Because, you see, that would be my “choice”.  It doesn’t matter that the risk of abortion is higher, than the risk of my potentially natural delivery. Because I don’t have a choice! Abortion has never been about a woman’s choice, or women’s rights. It’s always been about what’s convenient.  There is really something wrong in the medical community, when a Doctor, if they so “choose” ß there’s the word again, has more leeway to terminate a pregnancy, than to encourage a natural one.

Really, at the end of day, no matter how I deliver this child, he/she will be here in 9 months. And, although I may not have much of a “choice” with my delivery, there is one thing that I will always choose. And that is LIFE!

God Bless,
Mandy

Great Homeschooling Blog

Hi Everyone! With school about to start across the country, and with families deciding whether or not they want to homeschool, I wanted to share a great homeschooling website/blog, Heart of the Matter:

http://heartofthematteronline.com/category/hotm-blog/

Please check it out! There are some great educational tips, as well as information on crafts, curriculum, and just about anything else you can imagine. I know when I started out, I really didn't know much about what to do, and was craving information. I'll try to list some more resources for you guys, as soon as I can.

Blessings,
Mandy

Spenditol: A Bit of Humor, For a Bad Situation

This is very funny!



You can visit the website by going to http://www.spenditol.com/

Cut, Cap, and Balance Act: Vote is Tonight

The House of Representatives is voting tonight on the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act. Earlier today I received an email stating that there were 7 undecided House Republicans.  Please call now, and urge them to vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act tonight.  Here they are:

Rep. Paul Broun- 202-225-4101 

Rep. Michael Burgess- 202-225-7772 

Rep. Morgan Griffith- 202-225-3861  

Rep. Ron Paul- 202-225-2831 

Rep. Ted Poe- 202-225-6565 

Rep. Denny Rehberg- 202-225-3211 

Rep. Steve King- 202-225-4426

Mandy's Mexican Stuffed Red Bell Peppers Recipe

Thought that I would share my recipe for Mexican Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with you.  Hope that you enjoy! =)

Mandy’s Mexican Stuffed Red Bell Peppers 

(serving size, 1 stuffed bell pepper)

7 Red Bell Peppers

Large Pan or Casserole Dish

Cajun Seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s

1 lb of 93% Lean Ground Meat

½ cup of cooked White Rice

½ cup of cooked Brown Rice

2 cups frozen cut-up Onion & Bell Peppers mix (you can substitute fresh)

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 can Rotel

1 can Black Beans (drained & rinsed)

½ to ¾ cup of frozen Corn

2 cups fresh Baby Spinach

3 Tbsp fresh Cilantro (chopped)

Kraft 2% Pepperjack Cheese slices
Drizzle of Olive or Canola Oil

First, prepare your Red Bell Peppers by cutting the tops and gutting the seeds.  Set aside and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  

On the stove, cook Onion & Bell Pepper mix with a drizzle of olive or canola oil, until they start to appear translucent. Add the Minced Garlic & cook for a few minutes more.  Add Ground Meat and season with Tony Chachere's, or other cajun seasoning.  Once the Ground Meat is completely cooked through, add the Rotel, Black Beans, & Corn.  Cook at a medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes. Add the chopped Cilantro & Baby Spinach.  Cook for 5-10 more minutes, until Spinach is completely cooked.  Now stir in the cooked White & Brown Rice.  Your filling is now finished.

Fill the Red Bell Peppers with the filling that you’ve just made.  Put your filled Bell Peppers into your pan or casserole dish, standing up.  (Tip: depending on the size of your pan, you may need to put wads of aluminum foil around them, to keep them from falling over).  

Put your pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  Take the pan out of the oven and top each bell pepper with ½ slice of the Kraft 2% Pepperjack Cheese.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Take the pan out the oven and let it rest for approximately 5 minutes.  Then eat and enjoy!

Per Serving Nutritional Information

245 calories

6g Fat

20g Protein

6g Fiber

The Separation of Church and Hate

 via

Over the 4th of July weekend, Pastor Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA preached a sermon called The Separation of Church and Hate. This message poses the question "Are we making a point or making a difference?"

"Are we making a point or making a difference? It's easier to make a point; to adopt a policy; to put up a billboard or hand out a pamphlet. Making a difference is messier. It requires relating to people with whom you may not agree. But that is what Jesus modeled. In this message, Andy shows us why relational evangelism - despite being more complicated and despite looking inconsistent at times - is what we were called to as a church." (via here)

Check out the snippets below or click here to view the entire message. 

In His Love,

Lindsey Christmas

Freedom, Can We Hold Onto It?

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” ~Ronald Reagan

As I think about the state of our country and economy, I can’t help but think of this quote from Ronald Reagan.  Could our country be on the verge of falling apart when we “pass it to our children”? Do the majority of American people really even care or realize what’s happening in this country?

I’ve often felt that there is a lot of apathy in this country when it comes to politics.   A general “I don’t vote, so don’t blame me” mentality.  That our freedom is just being taken for granted.  And, usually, when you take something for granted…you lose it. It makes me think about that old saying, “You never know what you have, until it’s gone”.  But, in this case, I believe that once the America we know is gone, it may be too late.

Today is day 803, since our country has passed a budget. All because there are too many people in Congress who care more about spending money on their little pet projects, than about the future of America.  Government programs and spending are out of control!  Now don’t get me wrong. There are real, legitimate programs that need funding. But, I’m getting tired of the government telling me that I need to sacrifice and budget my money, when they obviously don’t even understand the concept of the word budget! I read an opinion piece over the weekend by Brandon Greife, which really summed it up for me. He said,

 “Our federal government is like a teenager who has been handed the keys to a high-performance sports car. Over the past several decades the car has been picking up speed, recklessly testing the limits of our nation’s credit, and now it’s careening toward a debt crisis.” (You can read the rest of Brandon Greife's article on foxnews.com by clicking here)

Well said Mr. Greife! Now someone needs to tell Congress to put on the brakes! 


God Bless!
Mandy Sonnier

Dear Senators, Where Is The Budget?

It's been 798 days since our Senate has passed a budget.  Please follow the link below and sign the petition urging your Senators to pass a budget.  Together, we can hold our Senators accountable and make sure that they do what they were elected to do. 

http://sgpaction.com/whereisthebudget

Thanks so much!

Liberty and Justice

2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.


“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all.”

I think sometimes that we, as Americans, forget about those two words “liberty” and “justice”.  The signers of the Declaration of Independence stood up for exactly that, when they signed their names to that document over 200 years ago in 1776.  They did so under persecution and death threats so that we could live our lives in complete freedom.  They were willing to stand up and fight for what they believed in….Freedom, no matter what the cost. 

They also knew that founding a nation on an Almighty God was essential, and that through Him are where our freedoms ultimately come from.  Look no further than the 2^nd paragraph of the Declaration to see it:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

As Independence Day weekend is upon us, remember that without God there would be no freedom. All over the nation this weekend, people are gathering together with family & friends. I hope that while you are all gathered together that you take the time to pray for our nation, our leaders, and maybe even take the time to say the Pledge of Allegiance.  Not because you have to, but because of our Founding Fathers and all who died fighting for freedom, you can! 

God Bless,

Mandy Sonnier

Please stand with us & others on July 3 to pray for our nation. www.call2fall.com