Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas To My Family, Friends and Their Families

Myspace Graphics
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Monday, December 22, 2008

Inspiring Story

Is Your Hut Burning?
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.
"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground --- it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves,God has a positive answer for it:
You say: "It's impossible"God says: "All things are possible" (Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"God says: "I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"God says: "I love you" (John 3:16 & 13:34)
You say: "I can't go on"God says: "My grace is sufficient" (II Corinthians 12:9, Psalms 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"God says: "I will direct your steps" (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: "I can't do it"God says: "You can do all things" (Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"God says: "I am able" (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"God says: "It will be worth it" (Romans 8:28)
You say: "I can't forgive myself"God says: "I FORGIVE YOU" (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"God says: "I will supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"God says: "I have not given you a spirit of fear" (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"God says: "Cast all your cares on ME" (I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I don't have enough faith"God says: "I've given everyone a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"God says: "I give you wisdom" (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"God says: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

My Spititual Gifts Analysis Stats

I highly reccomend everyone take this spiritual gifts test and see what they are strong and weak in and use these gifts for Him! You may also want to ask others what qualities or gifts they see in you, you may be surprised and even pleased! Then once you do this, pray with an open heart and open hands to Him as His vessel. He can do amazing things if only we are willing! Here's my scores;
http://www.churchgrowth.org/

Spiritual Gifts Strength

Evangelism 19
Prophecy 13
Teaching 16
Exhortation 18
Pastor/Shepherd 22
Showing Mercy 19
Serving 18
Giving 14
Administration 15


About Your Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are tools God gives Christians to do the work of the ministry -- to fulfill the Great Commission to reach, baptize, and teach and to minister to one another. Every Christian receives at least one gift at the moment of salvation. Spiritual gifts are not rewards, are not natural talents, are not a place of service, are not an age-group ministry, and are not a specialty ministry. They express themselves through various ministries which, in turn, accomplish a variety of results. A spiritual gift is the primary channel by which the Holy Spirit ministers through the believer. It is a supernatural capacity for service to God -- and He gives you a supernatural desire to perform the duties of that gift. Spiritual gifts are tools for building the church. They are a source of joy in your Christian life and influence your motives. A spiritual gift is a divine calling with a divine responsibility, because what God has gifted you to do, He has called you to do, and what He has called you to do, He has gifted you to do.
There are three categories of gifts: The Miraculous Gifts, generally known today as Charismatic Gifts; the Enabling Gifts which all Christians have the ability to develop (faith, discernment, wisdom, and knowledge -- qualities possessed rather than activities performed); and Team Gifts which are activity, service, or task-oriented. The Team Gifts are functional and involve speaking or ministering. Chances are, you have several of these gifts that vary in different degrees and intensity. In many cases, spiritual gifts even complement your secular employment. The Spiritual Gifts Analysis you took identified your dominant TEAM GIFTS which will help you find your place on the team in your church. Prayer and serving God will also help you see where God wants you. This profile gives you a simple bar graph showing how all the gifts relate to you and to each other, but analyzes indepth only your dominant and secondary gifts which are the ones that will have greater influence in your life.
Your dominant gifts are Pastor/Shepherd, Showing Mercy, Evangelism
The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your number one dominant gift is PASTORING/SHEPHERDING! The Greek word "poimen" means pastor. In Paul's spiritual gifts listing in Ephesians 4:11, this term is translated "pastor." Although the word "poimen" is translated pastor only one time in Scripture it is used sixteen additional times. The remaining sixteen are all translated "shepherd." Therefore, we are actually discussing the GIFT of shepherding, not the POSITION of pastor. Though a good pastor must have the gift of shepherding, everyone who has the gift of shepherding is not called to be pastor. The gift can be used in many positions in a church.
As a gifted shepherd, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of Christians. You are usually very patient, people-centered, and willing to spend time in prayer for others. You tend to be a "Jack of All and Master of ONE," meaning you are usually dominant in one of the speaking gifts (evangelist, prophet, teacher, exhorter) as well. You are often authoritative, more a leader than a follower, and expressive, composed, and sensitive. Your pleasing personality draws people to you.
You have a burden to see others learn and grow and are protective of those under your care. You want to present the whole Word of God and do not like to present the same materials more than once. You are willing to study what is necessary to feed your group and are more relationship oriented than task oriented. You are a peace-maker and diplomat - very tolerant of people's weaknesses. You tend to remember people's names and faces. You are more concerned with doing for others than others doing for you. You are faithful and devoted and may become a workaholic. You can become an all-purpose person in order to meet needs.
People with the gift of shepherding make the best Sunday school teachers and group leaders because their desire is to go beyond just teaching or leading, to shepherd and minister to the daily needs of their students. The position of Sunday school teacher or group leader is an extension of the pastoral ministry in the church. These groups should be shepherded on a small scale the same as the pastor shepherds the whole congregation on a large scale.
Be careful to involve other people; don't try to do it all yourself. Work on making people accountable. Do not be overly protective of your "flock." Because of these potentially weak areas, other people may think it is your job to do all the work; they rely too heavily on you. You may be expected to be available at all times, know all the answers, and be at every function. Learn when to say no.
Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He will cause discouragement when the load gets heavy, and pride because your "sheep" look up to you. You may develop family problems because of too little time and attention. You may become selfish when "sheep" feed in other pastures.
HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? This gift is a great help in many areas. You may serve as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, pastor or assistant pastor, bus captain, special ministry leader (such as youth, children, men, etc.), nursery worker or as a half-way house or other type shelter volunteer. You may consider serving as a dormitory leader in a college, orphanage, children's home, etc. Scout troops would appreciate your assistance as a den leader.
The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is MERCY SHOWING! The Greek word "ellco" means to feel sympathy with or for others. As a mercy-shower you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by identifying with and comforting those who are in distress. You understand and comfort your fellow Christian. You enter into the grief or happiness of others and have the ability to show empathy which is to feel WITH others, not just for others.
As a mercy-shower you are willing to deal with and minister to people who have needs that most people feel very uncomfortable working with. You seem to say the right thing at the right time. Your personality is likely one of soft-spoken love. It hurts you to scold someone; you are very non-condemning. People love you because of all the love you give them. You find it easy to express yourself and are outgoing with a low-key, inoffensive personality. You are easy to talk to, responsive to people, a good listener, peaceable, and agreeable. You tend to make decisions based on feelings more than fact and like to think about things for a while before making a decision.
In your burden to comfort others, your heart goes out to the poor, the aged, the ill, the underprivileged, and so on. You tend to attract people who are hurting or rejoicing because you identify with them. Be careful not to let others use you. Try not to resent others who are not as understanding as you. Refrain from becoming a gossiper when you are around other mercy-showers. Do not let your circumstances control you. Because of your supernatural ability to show mercy, others accuse you of taking up for people, being a softy and a compromiser. They may think you are too emotional.
Mercy-showers make excellent counselors. However, left untrained, you may destroy yourself by your tendency to take people's problems home with you. Your empathy can become detrimental without personal training on how to deal with it.
Beware of Satan's attack on your gift. He can cause pride because of your ability to relate to others. He may influence you to disregard rules and authority. You may experience a lack of discipline because of strong feeling for those who hurt due to disobedience and sin. Don't fall into Satan's trap of complaining and griping.
HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR GIFT? Your gift is used best in times of sorrow and in times of great joy. It fits well with another gift of service such as deacon, youth worker or hospital visitation. With a counseling course, you could become a good counselor. You may serve as a hospital, nursing home, or shut-in worker; a funeral coordinator and provider of sympathy and support; or a poverty center worker. You would do well as an usher or greeter and welcome center worker or hospitality person. You may want to work in a telephone ministry. You would make people feel welcome on a newcomer visitation team. Other appropriate ministry areas include missions, committee member, furlough assistance, and correspondence helper. You would work well with the elderly and with people who have mental and physical disabilities, in nursing, and with special ministries to migrants, released offenders or abused children and women.
The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is EVANGELISM! That does not necessarily mean you are supposed to travel the world, preaching the Gospel. The Greek word "Euangelistes" means to proclaim glad tidings, a messenger of good. It denotes a proclaimer of the Gospel. The evangelist can either be a preacher who stands before a crowd, imploring them to be saved, or perhaps an individual sitting in a living room or on a plane, trying to persuade someone to accept Christ. As an evangelist you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by leading people who are beyond your natural sphere of influence to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. You are sometimes classified as the aggressive soulwinner who seeks the lost.
As an evangelist you are likely very outgoing and personable. You compliment even strangers and are not afraid to ask them questions about their lifestyle - such as where they work, what hobbies they have, what's their favorite sports team, where they were born, and do they attend church. This opens the door to talk about their relationship with Jesus Christ - something you're just itching to do. Be careful not to be too overbearing or you may push some people farther away from Christ.
You have great joy in seeing people come to Christ and are often consumed with the desire to confront sinners with the Gospel. You urge other Christians to do the same by directly telling them they must win souls or by encouraging them by telling about your most recent experience. However, you must be careful not to belittle them or make them feel unspiritual because they do not have the burden for lost souls like you do.
You probably have memorized Scripture so you are not caught "empty-handed" while witnessing. Rather than waiting for opportunities to present the Gospel, the evangelist often makes opportunities. Since you will influence so many people, you must be careful to live in such a manner that you do not bring reproach upon your message. For instance, if you influence 30 people and only one of them accepts Christ immediately, the other 29 are left to be harvested later (by you or someone else). If you were to fall spiritually, your life's witness may negatively influence those 29 onlookers against Christianity.
If you are a new Christian, you may want to begin using your gift by providing prospects to seasoned evangelists and giving testimonies to those you knew before you were saved. Perhaps you could pair up with an experienced evangelist to follow up on prospects and visit strangers for the purpose of reaching them for Christ.
If you are a more mature Christian, with experience in evangelizing, take a new Christian "evangelist" under your wing. Share your experiences with him or her and provide encouragement. Continue to look for opportunities to share the Gospel and lead souls to Christ.
Other people may tend to think you are pushy, that you are more interested in numbers than people, and that you judge their spirituality by the number of souls thay have won. Beware that Satan can attack your gift by causing pride in your number of converts, causing failure to grow and learn, causing you to see people as numbers rather than people with needs, causing discouragement when converts are few or infrequent, and causing a lack of concern for Bible passages that cannot be used as "soulwinning texts."
HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR DOMINANT GIFT? There are many avenues in which you can carry out the gift of evangelism. Visitation programs are the most obvious. You may enjoy visiting juvenile detention centers or jails, going door-to-door, going to orphanages and shelters for women or the homeless, and of course, following up on visitors in their homes. Your gift is a plus for leading people to Christ during an invitation or altar call. You could participate in special evangelistic efforts, such as fairs and other events. Your gift also fits well in church planting, on Gospel teams, in migrant ministry, men's or women's conferences, and many public speaking ministries.
Building an effective team in your church depends on putting the right people in the right places. The best way to determine what place each person belongs in is by determine everyone's spiritual gifts. But, just discovering your spiritual gift is not enough.
Here's the real challenge. Many Christians are asking the question, "What is my spiritual gift?" When in reality they need to be asking, "What is a spiritual gift?" They do not understand the relationships of spiritual gifts. That is, they don't understand how a spiritual gift relates to their life, how it relates to the will of God for their life, how it relates to the lives of those around them, how it relates the local church, or how it relates to the body of Christ as a whole. To give John J. Christian an additional name and make him John J. Exhorter Christian is only doing him an injustice. Having a new name or title does not make you a more effective, more fulfilled, or a better Christian, nor does it give you any more understanding of yourself or those around you. Most contemporary material written on spiritual gifts does an adequate job in helping you recognize, discover, and define what your spiritual gifts are. Also, many do a fine job of teaching on the individual parts of the body, but few complete their teaching by assembling the body, thus showing how church members can work as complementing, effective, and efficient team. Thus, teaching a person only what their spiritual gift is without teaching them what a spiritual gift is, is like giving someone a new tool without giving them the operator's manual. They will never understand it fully nor will they be able to use it to its maximum potential. The same is true with your spiritual gifts.
Now that you have taken this inventory and know what your spiritual gifts are, we encourage you to study the principles that revolve around and relate to spiritual gifts. These principles combined with recognizing your gifts have been proven to dramatically change lives AND build churches. We have many resources available to help you better understand your gifts and how they relate to all areas of your life. Plus, we have resources to equip and assist you in teaching spiritual gifts and biblical team building to others. Furthermore, we have teachers who can come to your church and teach private seminars for you group. Analysis of Comparison ChartsCould the results from these comparison charts be skewed? Probably to some degree. Two factors to consider are 1) Results are not compiled from the Christian public at large but only those who are Internet users. 2) On the laity side, a much larger percentage of those taking the spiritual gifts inventory on-line are women (63.7%). Women tend to score high in the Gift of Shepherding because the characteristics of the gift of shepherding are very similar to the God-given instincts of mothering which comes natural to most women. Although many women have the gift of shepherding and it manifests itself in many areas of service, we believe women should consider this factor when evaluating whether or not they actually have the dominant gift of shepherding. They may want to also look closely at their second dominant gift.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Such a great time


I went out tonight for coffee with an old friend Carrie. It was so much fun! She's such a doll! We talked for hours, even after panera's was closed, and it only seemed like an hour maybe? We laughed the whole time and caught up on what's been going on in each other's life since we used to hang out when we were teens. We see each other at church every week, but it was so nice to just sit and chat. I was so blessed by her assessment of me, which I won't write the whole conversation, but just being told that I was full of life and such a positive happy person was like oh, thanks! Is that what you see? There's a song on KLove and one of the lines says "what if you could see yourself through other's eyes?" I have to say I love Jackie's blog entry where she says

quote "Nothing I write on here will be too important....opinionated, probably. Sorry--- no, no sorries. I am who I am- opinionated.I chose this blog background because it looks like I think a lot. I do...but not too deep. So, if you just want something to randomly read that could possibly make you think for a brief moment or maybe laugh before going back to do something of more interest- this is it.Enjoy.P.S.- I will not pretend to be some journalist writer....again...I am who I am....including my writing! " unquote

I love it, you said it! Just be yourself! Christ is our Redeemer and He knows our hearts and intentions and that's all that matters! I have so many friends on the computer on all my sites (I'm having a blast with facebook now too :) ) so many that don't go to my church that I maintain that contact with an soo many in church. I am blessed to have close friends and aquantinces. Thanks to all of you who have written and liked my blog, it's nice to know my thoughts and random ramblings are being read and appreciated! Thanks to my family and friends who love and accept me just as I am; Perfectly Imperfect! I love you all too for all you are and bring into my life and you are all wonderful and unique! I have many brothers and sisters! I am passionate about my beliefs and life and family and most importantly Christ! I can be shy and also outgoing and friendly at the same time. I am complex and simple. My soul must sing! I love my life!

Poinsettas and the beach!




It's been a great busy week! On Tuesday I got to have my friends Mike and Bonnie's son from early in the morning until after dinner! I just love him as he were my real nephew and he's a joy! I loved having 3, he is 10 months and has a little rocket in his diaper! He's all over the place, lol! My daughter is so in love with him and fed him his bottle, read to him, wanted to do everythiung for him. Eli kept laying his head on him and saying Badee ( Bradly). I even went out with 3! It was a blast! The more the merrier! We had a great day! She brought the kids sugar cookies and me a poinsetta plant! My first one! I never had one, so I was happy to be surprised! It took me forever to figure out where to put it!


Wednesday was fun, we got up and went to my friend Ness' for the day. The kids played while we chatted and had our own "playdate". We're both looking forward to our husband's Christmas party saturday night ( our husbands work at the same company. It's been 2 years since we met at the first Christmas party). After we left, I took a scenic drive home and since she lives near the beaches we took a detour. It was a grey day and kinda spitting rain on and off but not too bad. I pulled in to the beach and Mia was so surprised and excited! We ran our way down the deserted beach and chased seagulls and picked up stones. When it started to rain, we raced toward the car, Mia and my hair plastered to the side of our faces and sand sticking to us as a souvenir. It was an impulsive stop and was just a blast and such fun to hear our laughter in the wind on an empty beach. They had a nice warm bath when we got home! It's the every day little things that turn an ordinary into a pleasant memory......

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Homemade by Me! Cards and more For Sale! Any occassion!

This was straight and won't upload the right way! $2.99 free shipping
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$5.99 for the set, free shipping





This can be added to any color cardstock card $2.99 free ship




Homemade card and closepin












I have some cards I have lying around here, I love to create and come up with cards, tags and scrapbook layouts. If you want to see more of my work, click on the May link and you can see some cards I made. I make baby cards with a twine close pin and hanging blankets or clothes and new home cards with a happy home on the front. I love to use ribbons buttons and different papers. I also make close pins which are cute for a card holder on a present, or for a recipe holder. I use acid free card stock or scrapbook paper. I like to make verse cards also, see my post March 24th. I decorate frames, gift bags and pencils and anything I get an idea for. If you are interested in any of these or my cards I will send them to you ASAP, and you can pay me by check or I can send an invoice via email from Pay pal,(you do not have to have an account there to use this). Here are a couple I have made and ready.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Family Traditions and the truth about holidays

Just wondered what people's traditions are. I love that for every season there are differant art projects and baking projects. I love summer best of all, but I look forward to Christmas the most. It's an amazing time of year, sweet and reminiscent, preparing yet again to celebrate anew EVERY year the wonder of our Magestic King born in a humble way, a little one coming for the whole world. Mia asked me yesterday who Santa Claus is. So I told her about the first St Nick, the true story and told her we would go to the library to read about him. I love that she is so innocent and pure and has no idea what Halloween is or that it even exsists. Someone asked her in Target a couple months ago wht she would dress up as for Halloween and she looked at them funny? Then said to me" I just love dressing up, especially like a princess. " She disreguarded Halloween and commented on what she knows and loves, dressing up as a sweet little girl in her pretty dresses. She just knows Christmas is Jesus' birthday and that's the pure truth of it! We have many traditions for our family, some every single season, but I love this one we made up; instead of the cookies and milk for Santa thing, she makes Jesus something special, a birthday present, homemade with love and care and we put it under the tree. When she falls asleep the angels will come and take it to Jesus so He has it for His birthday. I love to read the story of His birth to them on Christmas Eve and every year it will become more real and personal as it pierces their hearts. I am very proud of my kids but as much as we listen to 91.1 and praise cds and read the Bible with them and try to be a good example with everything that goes in and comes out of our home and how we conduct ourselves, it is up to them as individuals to make that big decision. I pray every day from an early age they may desire and seek their Ultimate Creator. Write in the comment box, or share by posting one of your traditions in your blog! Blessings this CHRISTmas season! 17 days and counting!!!!!!.........

Saturday, December 6, 2008

December Fun Just Begun





December has been wonderful so far! The kids take turns opening their advent calendar which has pretty pictures and verses behind the doors instead of chocolate. The verses lead up in order telling the story of the angel appearing to Mary until His birth. We finally got our tree and decorated it last night. A few nights ago, we set up our outdoor stuff and last night Colin surprised the kids with a sparkling outdoor tree. They loved taking pictures with the reindeer and tree and down "candy cane lane" where our candy canes are lining our walk. They had a blast drinking cocoa and listening to Christmas music and decorating all the while memories flowed around us of Christmas' past with them, but especially Mia. We are blessed beyond measure. I need to get on the ball and start Christmas baking. Every year I do my usuals and then try some new recepies. Abbey gave me a new idea for choc cookies. The art you see we made some at my friend Alicia's house. Her husband and mine were working that night so we went over and hung out together. Mia and Trevor really loved making projects. Yesterday we made penguins and read a book that had penguins in it. Eli shreiked and pointed back and forth when he saw penguins like the one he created! We got a wonderful package in yesterday from Val in Kentucky we are able to bless each other back and forth, and she sent us a package with homeade hair bows for Mia, they are so beautiful! Abbey (from Tenn) and Val are friends I met online almost 4 years ago and we have remained close friends since and will always. I consider them to be among my most treasured friends. :)
Please pray for Mia, as she is battling something that has her quiet and feverish. I hate to see her sick, it seems she is always sick and it's frustrating. When she gets better the doctor wants to put her on a trial for allergy medication. We'll see if that helps her cough and nose that never seems fine.
Other than that we are well and enjoying the season. Thanks for reading, post a comment now and again so I know what you think or that you stopped by!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Paul, and his writings

I have been studying about Paul lately. Having a heart for missions, he is one of my favorite and most respected people in all the Bible. I find his journeys fascinating! I am amazed at the faith and courage it took to travel and spread the Word. I am also amazed by the fact that the Bible is so inexhaustable! Every time you read through it, you learn something new, and can truly get something more out of it and examine and rexamine the whole Bible without ever tiring on any account. That proves it is the infallable word of Christ. You can read of his journeys in Acts, but right now I am reading his greetings and letters in Galations. Paul energeticaly defended the truth of the gospel which is that we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ and nothing else! Any other teaching is a perversion of the truth of God. Gal 1:6-7. We are made right in the sight of God by faith 2:16 and become the people of God (real children of Abraham) in the same way-by faith. 3:7. Because we are free in Christ, we must never allow anyone to deceive us into thinking we must earn our salvation. But at the same time, we must live out the gospel. This includes submission to the Spirit of God 5:16, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 5:14. Continue on to Ephesians where Paul writes during his imprisonment in Rome. The basic idea of Ephesians is that God is working out his eternal plan through Christ and his body, the church. Paul closes the book by describing the provision that God has made so that believers can withstand the worst of satan's attacks and be victoriuos when the battle is over. Philippians continues while Paul is imprisoned in Rome. It is a personal letter of Paul's and the rejoicing within is evident. Even as Jesus had to endure the cross, so we must be ready to follow that example of submission to God if God requires it of us. But we are citizens of heaven and should live with that thought constantly before us. Colossians continues while Paul is imprissoned. In this important letter Paul presents a carefully worked out defense of Christ's deity and glory. Paul warns believers not to be lead astray by "empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking" Col 2:8. Paul's instructions for Christian living stress the power of God for people and the joy that believers can have when they make use of all the resources that are theirs in Christ. Follow these words all through to Hebrews, my Bible says the author is unclear is some have suggested Paul, Barnabas, Apolos, Pricilla, Luke and others may have written it. Either way, it's an awesome book and great read. So I'm going to dive back in while the kids are resting and get some reading done. Just thought I'd share! Blessings to you all and prayers for a healthy fulfilled beautiful Christian walk with our Saviour.

Monday, December 1, 2008

I looked up Info On Enfamil and found this article

This is one site I looked into, please do lots of research and know your facts. The health of our children is top priority.

Company News
The U.S. FDA Reaffirms the Safety of Enfamil® Infant Formula
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that no melamine has been detected in Enfamil infant formula products and that recent media reports indicating that trace levels had been detected were inaccurate.
Mead Johnson remains confident in the safety of our products and so should parents and health care professionals. We maintain stringent standards at all our manufacturing sites around the world to ensure high quality, safe products that parents and healthcare professionals have come to expect from us for over 100 years.
The U.S. FDA issued a statement on November 28, 2008, that said, "FDA's ongoing investigation continues to show that the domestic supply of infant formula is safe and that consumers can continue using U.S. manufactured infant formulas." » See FDA Statement
The U.S. FDA reported that minute levels of cyanuric acid were detected in Enfamil products. At this time we are unable to duplicate those test results. We are continuing to investigate. That said, the FDA confirmed that their reported levels of cyanuric acid are so low that they do not pose a health risk to infants.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cyanuric AcidMedia Reports
Media reports in the U.S. state that melamine has been detected in Enfamil LIPIL® infant formula. Is this true?
The Associated Press incorrectly reported that Enfamil LIPIL contained minute traces melamine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since confirmed that no melamine has been detected in Enfamil LIPIL infant formula products and that recent media reports indicating that trace levels had been detected were inaccurate. The U.S. FDA issued a statement on its website confirming that infant formulas in the US are safe. » See FDA Statement
Why did the media report this misinformation?
The U.S. FDA received a request for the testing data from the Associated Press media outlet. A preliminary report was provided to a reporter under the Freedom of Information Act. It appears that the data reported from the preliminary report were not correct.Melamine and Cyanuric Acid
Has melamine ever been detected in Mead Johnson formulas?
Mead Johnson's own testing, conducted by a third party laboratory using a published US FDA testing methodology, as well as tests conducted by the FDA, have never detected the presence of melamine in any of Mead Johnson's products. We maintain stringent standards at all our manufacturing sites around the world to ensure the high quality and safety of our products that our customers have come to expect from Mead Johnson for over 100 years.
Melamine was not found in your product but cyanuric acid was. What is that?
Cyanuric acid is a substance that has several useful benefits. It is a component of some sanitizers used in food manufacturing sites and it may be found in chemically purified drinking water following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance for safe drinking water.
Are the trace quantities of cyanuric acid in food a health risk?
No. Due to the extremely large margin of safety and the recognized positive public health benefit for use of cyanuric acid salts, there is no reason questioning the safety of a trace amount of cyanuric acid found in foods or formula products.
Is cyanuric acid present in other foods?
Yes. In the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-Water, the typical concentration of cyanuric acid resulting from maintaining microbiological safety is approximately 40 mg/L of water. That, for comparison, is approximately 80 times greater than the minute levels of cyanuric acid reported to have been found by the FDA.
Are there safe limits for cyanuric acid and melamine?
A report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) addresses the risk assessment of melamine and cyanuric acid. The WHO report summarizes tolerable daily intakes ("TDI") for total melamine and cyanuric acid for infants from several regulatory bodies around the world. Significantly, under WHO's risk assessment, the minute level of cyanuric acid reportedly found in Mead Johnson's products (0.247 ppm) was far below that thought to present any risk to infant health.
How could trace quantities of cyanuric acid be found in infant formula?
Minute quantities (parts per billion) of residual sanitizer used to clean formula-processing equipment and utensils could be detected with modern analytical technology that is capable of measuring ultra trace quantities of chemical substances. Concentrations at these extremely low levels, if they occur at all, are not a food safety concern and have no effect on the final product, similar to finding water spots on dishes.
Why did the US FDA find cyanuric acid and Mead Johnson's testing did not?
At this time we are unable to duplicate test results reported by the FDA that minute trace levels of cyanuric acid were detected in a sampling our infant formula. We are continuing to investigate. That said, the FDA confirmed that their reported levels of cyanuric acid are so low that they do not pose a health risk to infants.
Does the presence of cyanuric acid mean that melamine is present?
No. Melamine and cyanuric acid are compounds in the same chemical family. The FDA- approved uses of cyanuric acid can result in ultra-trace amounts of cyanuric acid in food products. It does not mean that melamine is present. This is especially true if the product is tested for the presence of melamine and none is found. Mead Johnson tests its products for the presence of melamine and none has been found.
Do you test for Cyanuric Acid? If so, have you found it in your product?
Yes. Mead Johnson tests for the presence of cyanuric acid. Mead Johnson's own testing, conducted by a third party laboratory using a published U.S. FDA testing methodology, has never detected the presence of cyanuric acid in our products.
What are the uses for cyanuric acid?
Among the many approved beneficial use for cyanuric acid, the FDA has approved it for use as a sanitizer that may be safely used on food-processing equipment and utensils used in the manufacture of infant formula. Routine sanitizing of processing equipment is an important step to our commitment to the quality and safety of our products and is part of Good Manufacturing Practice requirements.
Does the FDA have a position on melamine and cyanuric acid found infant formula?
Yes, on November 28, 2008, the FDA stated that the "FDA's ongoing investigation continues to show that the domestic supply of infant formula is safe and that consumers can continue using U.S. manufactured infant formulas. FDA has concluded that levels of melamine alone or cyanuric acid alone, at or below 1 part per million (ppm) in infant formula do not raise public health concerns."
Consumer Contact:www.enfamil.com1-800-BABY123Media Contact:Gail.Wood@bms.com(812)429-7800Health Care Professionals Contact:MJMedicalAffairs@bms.com(812)429-6399

Another Reason We Can’t Trust the FDA: Melamine is Now Safe for Infant Consumption

This was surprising to me, I thought I'd share just to make some moms aware of what we may not know. Thanks Ruth for the link to the website http://ecochildsplay.com/. I love it and will have fun exploring it more!

The FDA has come out with a “safe” level of melamine in Infant Formula. Just weeks ago, the FDA stated it couldn’t determine a safe level of melamine for human infants (Oct. 3, 2008- “the US FDA cannot establish a level of melamine and its analogues in [infant formula] that does not raise public health concerns.”).
Of course there isn’t a safe level, look what happened in China. (Melamine was added in China Formulas to fool protein content tests and was at a much higher level than what was found in U.S. Formula Brands. At least 3 infants died from contaminated formula in China.)While watching CBS news this evening, I was SHOCKED to hear Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician at New York University’s Langone Medical Center state “We think it’s safe.” Since when is THINKING something is safe okay? Is this an innocent until proven guilty situation? Do CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE before our government steps up to the plate?
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Dr. Rauch went on to say, “But the bottom line is that we don’t really know, and zero would be best.” Despite this, the FDA has set a safe level for melamine (and related chemicals like cyanuric acid) at 1 ppm (one part per million). All three major formula manufacturers have tested positive for levels of melamine at less than 1 ppm.
CBS gives this advice to parents looking for an alternative, “about 90 percent of all infant formulas produced in the U.S. are made by the three companies whose products tested positive for contaminants.” (Enfamil, Good Start and Similac all have tested positive for melamine or cyanuric acid. No samples have tested positive for both contaminants.) In other words, if you formula feed your child, there is NO SAFE ALTERNATIVE. You can’t backtrack and start breastfeeding months into your child’s life. Infants not breastfed MUST be fed infant formula or they risk malnutrition and its serious health risks.
This asinine move by the FDA reaffirms that they are not to be trusted. According to the FDA; BPA is safe, Melamine is safe, FD&C Food Colorants are safe, BHT & BHA are safe… AT THE LEVELS USED IN OUR FOOD, what happens when all these so called safe levels are combined in our bodies over a lifetime. Death? Cancer? ADHD? Fatigue? IBS? Birth Defects?
We cannot allow our children to be treated like test rats! The FDA is exhibiting more concern over corporate America than the health and well being of American children.
So, what do we do? We get the word out. We let the FDA and related government know that we will not stand for this continued ignorance! Demand they begin to set safety standards based on science not on big business. If you are an expectant parent, BREASTFEED (at least until a safe formula supply is available) because we don’t know what potential dangers the current contaminated formulas could represent. If you are feeding your child infant formula, check the FDA test list to see if there is an alternative that has tested negative for melamine and cyanuric acid. If there isn’t an alternative, check with your pediatrician. Chances are good that you should continue to feed your child the formula, this is a measured evils situation. We know malnutrition arising from improper feeding is deadly. Whatever you do… DO NOT STOP feeding your baby (less than 12 months old) infant formula or breastmilk. That is a decision that could prove tragic.
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