Book Report - The Ishbane Conspiracy

Title - The Ishbane Conspiracy

Author - Randy Alcorn

Summary - Jillian is picture-perfect on the outside, but terrified of getting hurt on the inside. Brittany is a tough girl who trusts almost no one. Ian is a successful athlete who dabbles in the occult. And Rob is a former gang-banger who struggles with guilt, pain, and a new found faith in God. These four college students will face the ultimate battle between good and evil in a single year. As spiritual warfare rages around them, a dramatic demonic correspondence takes place. Readers can eavesdrop on the enemy, and learn to stave off their own defeat, by reading The Ishbane Conspiracy.

What I learned...First let me say this book was recommended to me by mt BFF, especially since I was facing a difficult decision concerning my preteen. Do I assert my authority, put my foot down and risk her not talking to me? Or do I allow her to express herself, and avoid conflict and ultimately parental guidance.

In this book I got to see the correspondence between the demons assigned to the "vermin" (teenagers) and there quest to keep the truth about the "Enemy" and the "Carpenter" from them. How they use parental compliance to plant seeds of doubt and keep them from hearing the truth. That as long as you aren't seeking and hearing and living the truth, this is success for the devil. You don't have to be a satanist devil worshiper. It reinforced that children need parents, not friends. That they need to be accountable and guided.

I was surprised and happy that the book had several very real situations that young adults address everyday. It was interesting to read the letters between the demons and see what methods they were using to keep them from "the enemy", and to relate and recognize those moments in my own life throughout the years.

My favorite sentence in the book was in one of the demons letters, it read "do what ever you have to do, if they hear the Truth, all heaven's going to break loose"

I think every parent, every teacher, every young adult should read this.

This will all make sense in a moment... bare with me here.

If you've been reading for a while you will remember that I mentioned a recent weight gain... I had been pondering "What am I doing different?" and the only thing I could come up with is sweet tea. I am an original northerner... we don't drink sweet tea. You can verify that by walking into any restaurant and asking for sweet tea, they will bring you unsweet and packets of sugar.

When I got sick and was in the hospital for my kidney stone, I was told to lay off the soda... so since my husband is a sweet tea lover and I didn't want to make 2 separate pots I started drinking his sweet tea... Big giant 32 oz tumblers several times a day...

So I was watching something on TV and is said that there are about 200-250 calories per 16 oz of sweet tea....

So I start thinking... the average calorie requirement per day is 2000 calories (roughly) and if I drink 3 of my giant tumblers of sweet tea that puts me at 1500 calories and I have maybe 500 calories to spare... Hmmm....

So yesterday while my husband was making coffee at 4:15 am he, for whatever reason, put the coffee filter and grinds in the sink... yes, the sink. I called him after work cuz, well, it ticked me off! He swears he has no recollection of the event and that he was still asleep. When he got home from work, he had a candy bar and a note that said "Sorry :-)" So while I was indulging in my treat I looked to see how much damage I had done my enjoying such a delightful chocolate bar and I realized that that candy bar had 230 calories. 230 calories? So my 3 giant glasses of sweet tea would be the same as eating 6 candy bars a day. That is absurd! No one would be so self destructive as to eat 6 candy bars a day.

So, I have retired the sweet tea, I have one diet soda a day and once it's gone, it's water for the rest of the day...

Why my dog is getting a benadryl tonight...

Oh my Goodness...

Talk about body snatchers, I think I must have the wrong dog in my house because I do not remember her being so stinking annoying! (Not recently anyways)

Pepper ALWAYS sleeps with preteen A, but tonight was an all-night paaaarrr-tay.

1:15 am - Pepper is pawing at my bedroom door which isn't completely latched, after some whining and pawing the door finally opens and she barges in. Circling the bed, back and forth about 87 times, she finally stops to itch her dry allergy skin... Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud.....

2:00 am - In walks little P, to which the attack dog so kindly announces her arrival (insert really loud bark 7 times)
She says she "soiled" her bed... After some clarification that translates to she knocked her giant glass of water over and soaked her bed.

2:45 am - She is pacing the floor, rubbing her butt on my bed, sticking her nose under my hand that dared breach the perimeter of the bed and fall over the side and itching again... thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud. I kick the dog out of the room and shut the door.

3:30 am - Pepper is back pawing and crying to get in my room... I listen for a few minutes and then doze back off... I am abruptly awakened a few minutes later to her jumping up ON MY BED! Now I KNOW she has lost her stinking mind. Before you all go on thinking I am an animal hater, I have mega allergies, the fact that we can co-exist is a miracle in it's self... I draw the line at the bed...

4:15 am Hubby's alarm awakens me, and then I doze back off...

5:15 am My alarm awakens me... I shuffle out to get my coffee and turn off little P's TV and find the dog asleep on her bed and a pee spot on the floor.

my budding photograhper - A

These are a couple pictures Preteen A took on her camping trip... You will then see what we rescued from the jaws of my attack Miniature Schnauzer...

No we did not keep it, almost but after spending 5 minutes on the Internet, I learned that a wild baby rabbit in captivity doesn't do well... So after we played, and snuggled and took 100 pictures we finally let her go.

PS - Referring to my last post, I'm better now. Mostly just blowing off steam and frustration. I know that the better I am doesn't mean the less stress I'll have... Like I said I was just frustrated...

PPS - I just finished a really good book... I'll review it for you soon...

Why have you picked me to be Job?

Dear Jesus,
I read somewhere that you don't hear, or acknowledge or answer our prayers until we confess out sins. Have I missed something? I thought I got it ALL out that day, you know? I'm not sure if I understand all this so just in case I forgot something...
I'm sorry for spelling S-w-i-m-m-i-n-g in front of my little sister so I didn't have to drag her along.
I'm sorry for letting everyone believe that billy farted in 5th grade gym during sit ups when it was really me.
I'm sorry for dumping my good friends in a faint hope of being popular and liked by the cool kids.
I'm sorry I rejected you when my step dad died.
I'm sorry for being an all around teenage putz.
I'm sorry for ignoring you for my own self gratification for the past 10 years.
I'm sorry it took me SO long to get my head out of my (you know what) and finally give it all up to you.

So now, when I feel like I am learning your word, and understanding your message, and promoting my belief in you, and truly feel like one of your children, why do I feel like... Why have you picked me to be Job?
I went back to work, because I prayed about it and you opened that door for me, now hubby's work is only working every other week! I suppose this job was so we could meet our needs, not our wants.

I know you won't give me more than I can handle, but come on already... Does it always have to be pushed to the brim? I have only had 2 months of reprieve, out of the 2 years of ridiculous stress. I'm tired. I'm tired of this. It's too much. My plate of full. What more do you want from me?

Still praying and trusting in the Lord.
Lucky

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Preteen A award

My oldest, Preteen A, has won her second award this year for her writing. Earlier this year she won and award from D.A.R.E. for her essay written on what DARE has taught her. Last night we had dinner at The Crown Plaza hotel in honor of her nomination for her CHARACTER Counts essay. All the students her given a choice of 50 quotes/words of wisdom and then had to write an essay to apply that phrase to their life. She chose "Fall down seven times, stand up eight" Only 4 students were picked from each school in the county. I am a proud momma bear.

Here is her essay, which could not be any more than 500 words.

Fall seven times, Stand up eight
One day I was asleep in my midnight black room when I suddenly awoke because something was licking my face. When I awoke there was a chocolate black horse with a chestnut brown spot on it's back in my room. I ran out of my room and into my parent’s room. I asked my parents why there was a horse in my room. They exclaimed "because we got it for free and we know you always wanted one." I told them, yeah, but I don't know how to ride a horse! This is why they also bought me lessons.

I asked when I could ride the horse. I was told that I had to come up with a name and that my riding instructor was waiting outside. I had decided to name her Kogoma and I went outside for my lesson. First I need to show you the basics, my instructor informed me. So I'll show you how to mount the horse. First, go get the saddle out of the barn. Now that you have the saddle place it upon the horse's back. Then you need to strap it on. After, you do that you need to get on her. What do you do when you get on I wanted to know. You kick her side and she'll start to run.

When I got on Kogoma she got on her hind legs and I fell off! I wanted to give up but my instructor convinced me to get back on because if I didn't than I would never learn anything. So I got back on and Kogoma kicked me off again! I got back on about seven times before I finally got the hang of it. At the end of the day I put Kogoma in the stables and ran inside to bed.

After school I ran outside to the stables and got Kogoma. My mom told me I had to paint Kogoma’s name on the stable door I drew a red heart with an arrow going through it on the door. After I was done I saddled up Kogoma and got on. But when I got on, Kogoma stood on her hind legs and I fell off again! I fell off about seven times again but finally I got the hang of it again! I told myself that no matter how many times I fall off I will always get back up. Now I am a pro horse jumper. If I hadn’t listened to my instructor and gave up I would have never won millions, & millions of dollars.

From that day forward, every time I helped my friends do something they always wanted to quit on the first try and I never let them I always made them try harder to get it and they always got it eventually. Because I always stuck to the saying Fall seven times, Stand up eight.

I think I have a little author on my hands!!!!

On another note, this JOB thing that I started on Monday is really cutting into my internet addiction...