Get a Free 22kt Star Trek Card

Get a Free 22kt Star Trek Card
From the Danbury Mint…
Who doesn’t love Str Trek? Get his really cool collector’s 22kt Star Trek Card! Makes a great gift too!

Continue reading Get a Free 22kt Star Trek Card …

From Frugal Simplicity.

To My Valentine

This will be our experimental homemade Valentine’s Day. We are going out to eat as well, with the kids, of course. So, this is what we did:

For Dan

I made Dan Star Trek pillows. One had the Borg cube and one had the Enterprise. I’m not too fond of the Borg cube one and am going try again for a bonus birthday present. (He loves them both, as he loves all things Star Trek.) The Enterprise one, though, we both loved.

For Emily

Dan is giving me a certificate of permission to completely consolidate and redesign his DVD and CD collection. Consider this the “before” picture. I have a neat idea of how I want to do it. For someone with little time to devote to homemade gifts, my husband is giving me just what I want!

Question: To those of you going out to eat, will you be going for lunch or dinner? Which would you think would be less crowded? Dan and I are still trying to decide.

You might want to check out my new comment policy .
Copyright Under $1000 Per Month, 2009-2010

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Why Do You Love Star Trek So Much?

This is an answer to this question and is part of FAQ Fridays. If you have questions you would like answered, you can ask them on the FAQ page.

Question:

Why does your family love Star Trek so much? It is not a Christian program and in fact it strongly promotes a lot of non-Christian ideas, including the idea that women can be leaders and should not be submissive to men? Doesn’t this go against your life views? Don’t you think it will influence your children in a way that is undesirable to you?

Answer:

There are many parts of this question to address, so I’m going to take it one at a time.

Why does your family love Star Trek so much?

Because it is awesome! If you haven’t seen it, you can watch original episodes on YouTube and on cbs.com. The newer series’ DVDs are going down in price and our collection is slowly growing.

It is the most witty, entertaining and thought provoking show that either my husband or I have ever seen, and we both grew up with cable. My husband has a saying, “Even the worst episode of Star Trek is better than the best episode of anything else.” I whole-heartedly agree. We even love some of the fan series, also on YouTube.

Star Trek has something for everyone. My husband is a student of human nature, history and politics. He loves the interweaving stories of how different worlds are incorporated into the Federation and how other worlds fight against it. He loves the rebel Marquis fighters and the creativity that came when new planets were explored in “Voyager.”

I am a science geek myself. I find warp theory fascinating and my heart beats a litte faster when something goes wrong and I again get a further glimpse into how those engines run. I am intrigued by new species and the challenges Neelix faces in preparing foods for many different races. Looking at issues in genetic modifaction today verses in the “future” provides an interesting study of its own.

This stuff is so fascinating, and fun to think about. It is fun that my husband and I have something we both love and enjoy and discuss in depth. It enhances our marraige and our friendship. I am relatively new to Star Trek and am seeing many epsiodes now for the first time. He has been watching Star Trek his whole life. For each of our children, their first TV experience was Star Trek, and my husband can tell you which episode each child saw shortly after they were born.

It is not a Christian program and in fact it strongly promotes a lot of non-Christian ideas, including the idea that women can be leaders and should not be submissive to men?

The Bible does not say that women cannot lead, nor does it say that women have to be submissive to men in general. The Bible says women are to submit to their husbands. I don’t have to submit to your husband, my father, my brother, or any other man besides my husband, who I chose to marry because I love him and trust his judgement.

As far as women being leaders, the Bible is clear that women should not be in authority over men in the church. I, as a Christian woman, have no desire to have authority over men in any capacity. However, in the Bible Deborah, was a military leader because no man would stand up to the challenge. The Bible was pro-woman in a shocking way for thousands of years. It is only recently when new standards for women have rapidly emerged that the Bible is looked on as anti-woman. The idea of a husband loving his wife as Christ loves the church is more pro-woman than the philosophies of any other major world religion, and that was written thousands of years ago. For me, that command to my husband fulfills the desires of my heart as his wife, and is as pro-woman as you can get.

Doesn’t this go against your life views?

Some of what is portrayed in Star Trek does go against our life views. Some of what is portrayed in Veggie Tales goes against our life views as well. It would be impossible to find a TV show that we agreed with 100%. Some Christians decide not to watch any TV because of this. Agreeing 100% isn’t our standard for TV, movies, friends, a church, or books.

We choose to watch TV but think through what we watch. Dan and I talk about everything we watch. We discuss what was hilarious, what was accurate, what got us curious for more. If a Christian is not willing to think through what they are watching, they may need to abstain from watching TV, but there is no reason that those who are willing to put in the work of discernment should abstain as well.

Don’t you think it will influence your children in a way that is undesirable to you?

It is possible that our children may think the world of Star Trek is real, but we are planning on teaching them the difference between what is imagined and what is real. Star Trek is a great way to get them thinking about imaginary worlds, possibilities, new ways of thinking and other peoples’ points of view. In our opinon, that is a good thing for children.

Continue reading Why Do You Love Star Trek So Much? …

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The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Resolution Updates Edition

I thought I’d update you on my progress with my 2010 resolutions.

Resolution #1: Lose 40 pounds I lost three pounds in January, so I’m more or less on pace with this one. My biggest challenge here is the weather, which makes it very difficult to just get outside and take a long walk, something I love to do every day when the weather is nice.

Resolution #2: Pay cash for a replacement for my truck I have an adequate amount of cash ready to go. I’m just merely waiting for the right replacement vehicle to come along. Oh, and I’ve had additional truck troubles in the last month, so I have even more incentive to switch.

Resolution #3: Learn to play the piano After testing out two piano teachers, I’ve been taking weekly hour-long lessons from a teacher for the past three weeks. I’ve also been practicing a lot at home. So far, I can read most simple sheet music if I go slowly and I can play a few simple songs at a reasonable tempo.

Resolution #4: Reduce my entertainment and hobby spending by 50% This is going really well so far, as I spent just a few dollars on entertainment in January. If the rest of the year goes anywhere near this well, this one will be easy to do.

So, to put it simply, #2, #3, and #4 are very much on pace, and #1 arguably is. I’m pretty happy with that.

Here are some personal finance posts to enjoy.

Star Trek and The Time Well Spent Continuum In the last Reader Mailbag, I argued that MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Star Trek Online could be potentially good ways to reduce your entertainment spending. This article actually makes the opposite argument. (@ debt free adventure)

The Hypocrite Test: Should Rich People Pay More? As with many such fundamental political issues, I think there are valid arguments on both sides of the coin and that some reasonable compromises can be reached. The only problem is that people don’t sit down at the table and rationally discuss such issues today – instead, they resort to arguing, insulting, and “straw man” representations of the opposition. I have little interest in that, whether it’s Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck – I wish they’d both shut up. Whatever happened to the Lincoln-Douglas debates? Such thoughtful coverage of the issues of the day went away with the advent of fifteen second news blips. (@ awake @ the wheel)

Does Renting Make Sense? J.D. pulls out the P/R ratio to take a look at whether renting is more worthwhile financially than buying. The problem, though, is that it doesn’t really take into account individual financial situations. (@ get rich slowly)

How is disorganization and clutter affecting your job performance? In my own case, I notice a serious downturn in productivity when my office gets disorganized and messy. I’m far better off just stopping for a bit to get things in better order than I am just charging ahead. (@ unclutterer)

Continue reading The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Resolution Updates Edition …

From The Simple Dollar.

The Big Bedroom

This is a part of my Touring Tuesdays series, where you get to snoop around my home.

We love books and don’t see that changing, nor do we want it to. The big bookshelf is mostly theology books, referenced frequently. The one next to it is my bookshelf with mostly homeschooling stuff, but also some cook books and craft books. The one in the corner is my husband’s history and politics bookshelf. The bookshelf by the door has our Star Trek book collection, customized with some of my artwork. The kids’ books are in their own room.

We keep blankets in the bin at the end of the bed. I made the bed just for you all, but someone couldn’t resist taking a nap. Above the bed are the items that I am sentimental about. The two dresses (one not visible) are heirlooms from my Gran from when she was a missionary in Sierra Leone. The Tivoli poster has been in my bedroom since I was a child.

My husband has many trinkets he is sentimental about and they all live in the bedroom. I go through phases where I get sick of them, box them up and tuck them away some where. Then I think about how much he enjoys them, so I pull them all out and put them on display again. Then I pack them up, then pull them out again. They are his, so I can’t just get rid of them, but he lets me play this packing-unpacking game with them without complaint.

To my concerned readers, both the big bookshelf and the one by the door are attached to the wall. The two bookshelves in the corner are blocked in by the blanket bin and could not toppled unless first lifted out of their home.

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More Christmas Crafts

I still have some more Christmas crafting to do. I find cold winter months are my best crafting months. Crafts keep me from the winter blues and give me fun indoor activities since we can’t go outside as much.



Baby Booties



I have a love-hate relationship with booties. They are basically useless, but so cute. If a baby is not wearing booties an older lady is bound to approach you and scold you for it. My husband and I used to ignore these older ladies, knowing they were well meaning but that our babies don’t need booties in August. Our resolve has been battered-down and broken. We now plan our children’s wardrobe so as not to be approached and scolded by older ladies. When we take Thomas’ snowsuit off at church, he will be sporting these booties. I found this free booty pattern, through Dustin’s blog. I thought a choo-choo train would be so cute for Thomas. They need a little finishing around the opening and then they’ll be ready.

I usually see my sister sometime between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so after Christmas I’ll be making at least one pair for her baby girl. I’m thinking black Mary Janes.



Ukranian Eggs

This Easter tradition can make great tree ornaments. You can find full instructions and tons of patterns here.

I am going to be making egg-shaped lady bugs. Lady bugs are supposed to symbolize good luck on a tree. I’m not buying any of the traditional materials, but using household items. I draw on the pattern with lard, which repels the dye as well as wax, but you have to be careful about smudging it. I put it in a baggie with a pinhole to draw, just like you would draw with frosting.

Star Trek Stockings

My husband and I recieved a pair of stockings for a wedding present. They were hideous. We never got into the stocking tradition because of it. I’ve wanted a uniform stocking for everyone in the family. My mom made stockings for all of us and they were basically the same, each with our names on them. So, when I saw these on GeekCrafts, I had an “ah-ha moment.” I have found our stockings. My goal is to have one made by this Christmas, as a bonus gift for my husband, with the promise of having a whole family of stockings by next year, probably finished by the spring. With this free stocking pattern, I can easily add another one when we have another baby.

Generation Block Tower

This is what I did last year for my kids’ great-grand parents, but I thought I’d share it anyway. I got three photo cubes and filled each one with photos from a specific generation. My grandparents got a block with my mom and her siblings at different ages, one of me and my siblings, and one filled with my kids. The blocks build a tower that is suitable for displaying baby pictures. I made a set for each of Dan’s Nanas, customized with pictures they would enjoy. It takes some work collecting these pictures, but was a cute personalized project that older family members would love.

Continue reading More Christmas Crafts …

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Ten Things I Am Thankful For

#10) Dancing with my children and husband.

#9) Opportunity, and the freedom to pursue my dreams, hobbies and passions.

#8) My craft corner, which houses all of my art and craft supplies, which allow me to watch beauty manifest itself out of my hands.

#7) Blog readers, who are an encouragement to me as well as a source of ideas.

#6) Concordances, and online concordances, which allow me to find whatever Bible verse it is I’m looking for when my husband isn’t around to tell me where to find it.

#5) Star Trek, and the creative geniuses who opened up a whole new world with the new movie.

#4) Full access to the Bible, which many Christians around the world and through the ages did not have have.

#3) My children, each of whom has enhanced my life in countless ways.

#2) My husband, who refreshes my mind and spirit each day.

#1) My saviour, without whom my hopes would rest only in this world.

What are ten things you are thankful for? Or three? Or one?

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Halloween

In our home, Halloween is dress up like a Star Trek character day.

We’re not big on Halloween because it’s just not something we care about. We’re also not anti-Halloween, because if we rejected all holidays with pagan roots, we’d be skipping Easter and Christmas, too. But we love Star Trek. And a day where the whole gang gets to dress up like the crew of the original series is a great day indeed.

What do you need?

Black pants or skirts for everyone
Long sleeve shirts, either solid red, green, yellow, or blue
Masking tape
Black electrical tape
Band aids (optional)

It’s obvious what you do with the black pants. Put them on. Now, we’re going to fancy up the shirt a little. The electrical tape goes around the collar. I just put it around the front.

I make a basic emblem cut out of two pieces of masking tape. I also rip the masking tape into strips to make the rank braid around the cuffs that show the rank of each officer. This one will be a lieutenant.

The band aids I use to wrap around the top of one child’s ear, making a point. That’s how we get our Vulcan, or Romulan if you want to be real creative with the Star Trek timeline.

Maybe this post would have been helpful before Halloween. For those of you without any ideas, this one is pretty easy.
What, if anything, are your kids going to be today?

Continue reading Halloween …

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