Maureen

Sure, but that philosophy allows you to not end the relationship.  
 
Here's my way of lending things:  Can I afford to lend this?  If I lend it and never get it back, is it worth losing this relationship?  Am I willing to not be resentful or angry if this person(s) never gives/pays it back?
 
If I can answer those questions, then I can choose to either lend it or not based on my answers.  And if I never get it back, I've already decided to not lose the relationship over it, so I don't have to worry about it.

I have learned in life that in general when you lend someone something to just let it go and to not expect it back.  Ask for it back, but don't expect it back.  I generally don't lend something unless I can afford to replace it.

From a born again Christian perspective:
 
1. There is only one God.  He has always been God, there are no gods before Him and there will be none after Him.
2. He is and has always been omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent.
3.He created all things by His power.
4. He is and has always been holy, merciful, just, and loving.
5. He is faithful, He is unchanging
6. He created us for His pleasure- He wanted to create and love us. (4:11)
 
Ok, that is some basic theology.  If you like I can post the supporting verses later.  You also need to know that as  Christian, God is everything.  He strengthens me.  He is with me always.  He loves me always.  He gives me security and hope.  I can always go to Him.  He is a perfect Father. He desires my love and worship.  His Word tells me that no one or nothing can separate Him from His love.  He is my constant.  Even when I have been through unbelievably hard trials I have had hope because I know that He is there and will always be who He says He is. 
 
I look forward to being in His presence in heaven.  He has been preparing a place for me.  He took 6 days to create the earth-a pretty cool place.  But, He has spent more than 2000 years preparing a place for those who love Him.  I can't even imagine how amazing it will be.

I'll give you the view of God from my Catholic background (and it's a very hard view to overcome, btw):
God is the unmoved mover who created the entire universe and everything in it. He always was and always will be, and is omniscient in every way. Now if you're wondering about the Trinity, I can give you a simple explanation: God is a being, made up of three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Like I said, they are different persons, but of the same substance (consubstantial). No one can say for certain why God did what he did, but we assume he created humans to have something to share his love with that knew right from wrong (created in his image: Free will love, a sense of good and evil).

So sorry for your loss annewandering, you are in my prayers.
 
M.

So sorry for your loss annewandering, you are in my prayers.
 
M.

I am sure with a nice charitable donation you could get it moved where you want...

Roy Orbison

By daughter is in that toddler stage (and is an only-child of course) so she definitely has "me me me" streaks...

Personally for me, I think it's great to have siblings. I have two kids. I have a niece that is an only child and she has two kids of her own. Bini, I think you would get a kick out of the relationship your daughter and any future children would have with each other; especially watching them interact together; it can be fun.
 
M.

My husband and I had seven kids.  We had a mini van that seated seven though there were nine of us total.  Car seats weren't the law until the younger children were born.  Finances were always tight.  I did what I could to bring in extra money like babysitting from my home, or at times I worked full time.  I would put money aside on a regular basis so we could go on vacations.  It was a priority for me.  We managed to go to Disneyland several times.  A lot of our vacations were visiting relatives out-of-state or going camping.  When our oldest daughter graduated from High School, we rented a large 15 psg. van and went to Great Basin Nat'l Park, Yellowstone, Canada, Glacier Nat'l Park, Seattle, Mt. St. Helens, Oregon, and then down the cost of California to San Francisco and Sacramento.  Then back over to Utah.  It was a wonderful vacation.  And, I knew it was going to be the last one we had as a whole family.  A few years later when I went to work for a major airlines, my older children were already out of the house.  The younger kids were able to travel internationally because of my flight benefits.  We learned to travel inexpensively.
 
As for providing for the family:  Our home is a moderate 2400 sq. ft.  But, it has six bedrooms.  The basement was unfinished when we bought it, and over time we have finished bedrooms as needed.  Now, whether if we had two children or the seven, we would be in the same house.  So, mortgage would have been the same.  We had our mini van, and usually one other vehicle.  Church was within walking distance, and except for that and vacations, or driving to visit Grandparents, we didn't need to be all in one vehicle.  Food and clothing would of course be more expensive for a larger family than a smaller family. But, you don't need designer clothes to be well dressed.  And, you don't need to eat steak for every meal.  I learned to cook casseroles, which by the way, my husband does not like, but he learned to eat them.
 
Also, on the practical side of things, I did not over schedule my life or my children's.  We couldn't afford it for one thing.  They did manage to have swim lessons, piano lessons, and some of them played sports.  When we had some really bad financial problems, all lessons were stopped because we were unable to afford them.  But, I think my children would say, thank you for giving us birth, we didn't need all the sports, music, or dance lessons.
 
Is it practical to have a large family in this day?  Practical may not be the correct word.  It's do-able.  My son and his wife are expecting their sixth.  And both of them are attending school full time right now.  My daughter-in-law will be taking a short break after the baby is born, and then she'll be back in school.  Now, their children are spaced a lot closer together than mine were.  With most of my kids, I had a three year space and one four year space.  They have about a two year space between all their kids.  So, to me their house is more hectic than mine was.  Their oldest is nine, and with the kids as young as they are, they don't go through too much food, yet.  Just wait until they are teenagers!  Diapers is one of their biggest expenses right now, but that won't be forever.  They are struggling financially, but managing.  I think even if they had one or two kids, it would still be a struggle financially.  That's why they are both in school.  They want to better their financial situation.
 
For me, a large family was what I always wanted.  I came from a large family, and so did my husband.  On my mother's side of the family I have an Uncle and Aunt who had 14 children, another Aunt and Uncle that had 12.  As a kid, my favorite place to visit was my Aunt and Uncle's house with the 14 children.  There was always something happening, and it was so fun.
 
I'm not an empty-nester yet, but almost.  My home is so quiet without all the kids and their friends coming and going.  I miss it.  This week I've been able to watch my 16-month-old grandson while his mama is in So. Korea visiting her older sister.  I love the snuggle time with the baby.  I love his little happy dance when he sees me.  I love his fresh baby smell right after a bath.  I love it when he wants me to hold him.  I love watching him play.  I love to see the progress he has made, just in the week I've had him. These are things that I miss from when I was a young mother.  And, because I was blessed with more than one or two children I had the joy of seeing the magic of childhood multiple times.  Are children a lot of work?  Yes.  But, to me, so worth it.  Children are a wonderful blessing.
 My heart is so full with the love for my own children and my grandchildren.  I can't imagine not having the children that I had.  In some ways I wish I could have had at least one more.  But, by the time I was 39 when I had the last, my body had had enough, and I almost lost the last pregnancy.  We were so blessed to have had that last baby, and he has been such a joy.  And, I was attending college full time when I had him.  I don't feel like I missed out on anything by having the family that I did.  I would do it all over again in-a-heartbeat.

It's not the right color......:))

So, just for information's sake, I just read three other translations of this story - The New International Version, The Living Bible and The Revised Standard Version. All three say that "they" in the King James Version is the brothers who pulled Joseph out of the well, not the Midianites.  And Reuben was inexplicably away at the time that Joseph was sold.
 
I've never delved into the Bible stories before like I have this year, teaching Primary. Wow, the things you learn as a teacher!

I would need therapy if I didn't have a NHL team to follow.

Hubby is looking for a Utah job and I have to learn how to live a life without hockey,  How do you survive?

A good Nicholas Cage movie. :)
 

Why don't you just ask your daughter?
 
M.

I liked Now You See Me also. And I did not predict the ending; I thought it was clever.
 
M.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_tornadoes_and_tornado_outbreaks
 
I wonder how we lived without wikipedia for all those years... :)
 
M.

hey Can we have voice here when we can hear each others voice or am I asking for too much lol

I can't imagine stating that there is no Easter bunny; considering the Easter bunny is no nice and thoughtful by leaving goodies and anything else that kids (young or grown) will find wonderful. I'm hoping the Easter bunny will always come to my house, even when the kids are old and grey.
 
M.

Honestly it really just depends on the people. My whole life I've only brought one guy home to meet the family (he is also the only one my family has ever even heard me talk about!). I also drove 8hours to meet his mum and moved two states to be by him. However! Marriage is not really anywhere near the picture for us. So yes big sacrifices can be made on both ends but it doesn't mean serious or marriage.
I'd personally ask your daughter to elaborate more on her statement.

To all those who dislike the video...
 
REPENT!
 
Lest ye get smitten with hellfire and damnation!
 
:P :P :P

Gordon B. Hinckley seemed to want the world to see Mormons as normal.
 
Mormons are regular people, President Gordon B. Hinckley said during a 1995 interview on "60 Minutes" that thrilled American church members who longed for their neighbors to see them as normal.
 
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695248252/Gordon-B-Hinckley--Long-legacy.html?pg=all
 
M.

If you are referring to the "Because of Him" video, I would have to say that I liked it. I found it Christ centered. It showed the present accomplishments of the world comparing them to the amazing accomplishment of God - saving the world.
 
M.