The Christmas story - Luke Chapter 2 - in the Bible

The Birth of John the Baptist in Luke Chapter 1

King David's Victories - READING THE BIBLE

PROPHESY OF JESUS BIRTH - 2nd Samuel

The Ark of the Covenant - Reading the Bible This Year

READING 2nd Samuel Chapter 5-King David

Join us as we learn what God says in the Bible

Reading the Bible this Year: 2nd Samuel Cptr. 3

The Houses of King David & King Saul are at War

The Resurrection of Jesus is the Good News of the Bible

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ - Mark Chapter 15

What the Bible Teaches about The Last Supper - Mark 14

Jesus teaches us using many stories and parables

What does God Say about righteous Anger? Read Mark 11

Divorce - What Does God Say About it? Mark 10

Saul's Death - 2nd Samuel Chapter 1 - Reading the Bible

The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ - Mark 9

Reading the Bible - Mark Chapter 8 - Jesus Feeds 4 thousand

Demons, Dogs & Deafness - Bible Discussion Today

Jesus Walks on Water - READING THE BIBLE - Mark 6

Demon-Possessed Man Gets Healed - Mark 5 - READING THE BIBLE

Join us as we READ the Bible Today

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR - 1st Samuel Chapters 30 & 31

The Witch of Endor - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

Spend 5-Minutes in the Bible Today - Reading the Bible

5-Minutes in the Bible - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

KING DAVID escapes Saul

5-Minutes in the Bible

Jonathan Saves David - 1st Samuel Chapter 20

SAUL TRIES TO KILL DAVID (AGAIN) - READING THE BIBLE

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: 1st Samuel 18

A Story About a Giant Battling a Boy - David & Goliath

Spend 5 minutes in the Bible today

TO OBEY...Reading the Bible this Year

Jonathan Attacks the Philistines-1st Samuel-READING THE BIBLE

Jesus and Beelzebub - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

Mark Chapter 2 - Jesus Heals

John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus

Christ's Resurrection - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

The Death of Jesus and Judas Hangs Himself

THE LAST SUPPER - Matthew 26 - Reading the Bible

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-1st Samuel Chptr. 13

READING THE BIBLE - 1st Samuel Chapter 12

5-Minute Bible Study

Reading the Bible this Year: Samuel Anoints Saul as King

The 7 Woes - Parable with Warnings from Jesus

The Wedding Parable-READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

Jesus Enters the City on a Donkey - READING THE BIBLE

DIVORCE-What does the Bible Say

The Supernatural Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

The Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

READING THE BIBLE-1st Samuel 3-The Lord Calls Samuel

Hannah's Prayer-READING THE BIBLE-1st Sam. Ch. 2

Reading the Bible This Year: 1st Samuel Chapter 1

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-Matthew 15-Jesus Heals

Jesus Walks on Water-Matthew 14

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Matthew 13

READING RUTH CHAPTER 4

Reading the Bible this Year: Ruth Chapter 3

5-Minutes in the Bible-Ruth Chapter 1

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Curious about Demons? Join us as we Read the Bible

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 20

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 19

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Judges Chapter 18

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Matthew 10 - Jesus Sends Out the 12

What does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Micah's Idols

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Samson & Delilah

Read the Bible with Us-Matthew 5-The Beatitudes

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR-John the Baptist Prepares the Way

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-The 3 Kings

Reading the Bible this Year: Judges 14-Samson's Marriage

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Judges 8

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Revelation Chapter 22

Forgiveness in the Bible

READING THE BIBLE - REV. 20 - SATAN'S DOOM

Hallelujah! - READING REVELATION 19

Curious What the Bible Says about Prophesy?

Reading the Bible - Revelation 17 - The Woman on the Beast

7 Angels & 7 Plagues - The Tribulation in the Bible

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim - Reading the Bible

666 - The Number of the Beast - READING THE BIBLE

Joshua's Farewell-Reading the Bible this Year

The Woman and The Dragon - READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR

The Two Witnesses for God - Revelation 11

The Angel & The Little Scroll - Revelation 10

Misunderstandings Can Start Wars - Joshua Chapter 22

Cities of Refuge: Joshua Chapter 20

END of DAYS: DEMONS & DESTRUCTION

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 5

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua Chapter 21

Revelation Chapter 2 - Angels, Stars, & the Future

HAVE A PEACEFUL WEEKEND - Read the Bible With Us

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Joshua 18

Revelations Chapter 1 - Hope in Crisis

Reading the Bible-The Division of land of the Children of Israel

Our Daily Reading of the Bible

CHAOTIC TIMES - READ the Bible with Us for Peace

Join Us As We Read Through the Bible This Year

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Lies, Trickery & Deception

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Ai Destroyed

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua 7 - Greed, Theft & Punishment

Reading the Bible- Talking about Atlantis, Math & More

Angels...? We're Reading the Bible Today: Joshua 5

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: The Death of Moses

Generosity and Divorce are themes as we Read the Bible this year

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: History of the Children of Israel

The Nation of Israel - Reading the Bible in 1 Year

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The Milwaukee Monster - (Part 5 Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls)

HAUNTED PLACES I VISITED IN MARCH 2020

Haunted Shaker's Cigar Bar in  Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I've been working on a  ghost story and doing some ghost research. So, I went to Shaker's Cigar Bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...notice the ghosts in the windows? Yep, it's haunted. And, if you're thinking about going to visit it or interested in reading more about it,  check out the Milwaukee's  Haunted Bar site.

Of course, I didn't just pack up and head off to Wisconsin. My daughter was working in Chicago for a couple of weeks, and I decided to go visit her for the weekend. While I was there, we decided to go on the Chicago Gangsters and Ghost Tour.  After that exciting adventure, I decided to go visit a lot of other haunted sites.

My daughter, Kara, and my daughter-in-law, Fatina, went with me on our road trip to check out some  of these strange and spooky sites.

Kara, Fatina and Me in Search of Ghosts
Plus my daughter-in-law Fatina and my daughter's best friend McKenzie, have a Stranger Danger podcast  so.  .  . where do you think we ended up going to visit...?

Yep, Jeffrey Dahmer. Or,  maybe I should say the ghost of Jeffrey Dahmer because serial killers are just a  little too creepy for me...typically. I can handle ghosts, ghouls, creeps and crypts but serial killers are super spooky to me.

But, this was a group road trip, so,  like I said, we went to visit the haunted sites associated with Jeffrey Dahmer.

You've probably heard of him before. Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was also known as  the Milwaukee Monster. But, I'm not going to get into all the creepy things he did. I'm just going to show you some of the sites we went to see and I'll tell you about the one place where we experienced something that some might say was a paranormal experience.

Like the house next door to where he lived. It looks pretty haunted too and it's been abandoned. I bet it's because no one wants to live next door to where Jeffrey lived.


House next door to where Jeffrey Dahmer lived


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ytLTLC8Kk

This is the spot where Jeffrey lived. As you can see, it's been  completely obliterated.

What remains is an empty lot. And, it was a little creepy even standing next to the spot.

Just down the street from  this location was the Ambassador Hotel,  with the Deco Coffee Shop.

Ambassador Hotel and Deco Coffee Shop
So we went inside. It was so pretty, even the bathrooms had stained  glass  doors.

Beautiful Bathroom


And after we chatted  for a while with one of the employees and  got the inside scoop on the spirits there, we wanted to move on.

We had more sites to see and spirits to try to catch.

Another picture of the haunted Shaker's Bar

Shaker's  Bar - with some Dahmer merchandise you can buy
Now, all  these  sites were a little creepy but there was only one place where something seriously strange happened and that was in one of  the hotels we visited.

The Pfister Hotel
I saw a beautiful chandelier I wanted to show my husband, so I grabbed my phone and started to film. And, while I was filming, nothing strange happened. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary but when we got back home and I showed  the video to my husband...

The film flickered and faded in and out in a ghostly manner. So, you can believe me or not but I posted the video to my Facebook page. And, I do believe there are some pretty creepy places and spooky sites to see.

What do you think....do you believe in spirits?





Monday, March 23, 2020

5 Kid Friendly Crafts to Keep Busy


Are you going a little stir-crazy?
(WHO ISN'T?)

Well, Easter is only a little over two weeks away, so why not put this time to good use by making some holiday crafts, treats, and tasty dishes to keep the kids and yourself busy? 

(Below are some tried and true crafts/recipes I've done-and their links-so happy crafting)

1)

The prettier the paper – the better
But white paper will work 
Simply color, paint, draw or even paste magazine pictures to beautify your baskets

The stiffer the paper – the stronger
If you have cardstock – all the better

Staple, tape or even glue – use what you have around the house 

2)

These are simply cupcakes with coconut frosting but if you don’t have coconut, simply scoop your frosting into a baggie and cut the end off to pipe “grass” on top. 

If you have questions let me know in the  comments.

3)

If you have food coloring and eggs, you can make your own minions. If you don’t have jiggly eyes, simply draw them with a marker or paint them with food coloring.

4)

If you have rice krispies and marshmallows – you can make easter eggs! If you don’t have marshmallows, you can make your own.


5)

If you have a can of beets and some eggs, you can color eggs the natural way. This is safe (except for the obvious staining issue). Put on an apron, tie a towel around yourself, or simply wear old clothes for this project. 



It couldn't be more simple. Just dunk your egg in the juice - then let it sit - it takes longer than food coloring but it comes out pretty.


I hope you enjoyed these five simple ways to have some fun with things you probably have around the house.

Stay well and happy creating!




Gangsters and Ghosts - Haunted tour in Chicago, Illinois (Part 4 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)


Me and Fatina Ghost Hunting
While we were in Chicago, we had to visit one of the most famous gangster's in history, Al Capone.
Maybe you've seen the movie Scarface, which just happened to be Al's nickname. So, we took a road trip to Mount Carmel Cemetery to pay our respects. And, of course, Mount Carmel is said to be haunted. But, not by Al. Instead the story Julia Petta, the disappearing lady in the white gown.

But, still we  had to stop by Al's grave.

Al Capone's Grave

Even though Al Capone went to prison at 33, and died January 25, 1947, it  looks like a lot of people  still visit his grave. 

Stormy Skies over Mount Carmel Cemetery

The clouds rolled  in and it turned into a stormy sort of experience. And, as we searched for the specific  gravesite, we came upon some beautiful crypts.

A beautiful place to sit and remember. . . loved ones
We  didn't have any paranormal experiences  while we were there although as soon as we climbed out of the car, it started  to rain, and as soon as we climbed back in the car, it cleared up. We started to leave and, we got a little turned around  for a second, so we drove back by the cemetery, and it started to rain again. Just  a little creep factor.

We also went on a Gangsters and Ghosts tour in downtown Chicago and had to stop at Death Alley, which is said to be haunted by the victims of the fire of December  30, 1903. Over 2000 people were inside the theater in front of the alley, when an electrical fire broke out and claimed hundreds of lives.  

Death Alley in Chicago
There were lots  of other spooky sites but I'll save those for Part 5 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls.

After our Gangsters and Ghosts tour,  we were tired so we went back to our hotel and enjoyed another type of spirits ;D

Me,  Kara and Fatina Toasting After Our Tour







Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Haunted Houses in Gary, Indiana (Part 3 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

My daughter and daughter-in-law, and  I went on a road trip in search of forgotten spirits (and I'm not talking about Lemon Drops ;)

We've taken a few of these ghostly road trips before, like the time we went to Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan and caught a few strange (some might say Paranormal) occurrences on camera.

But this time we were searching in Gary, Indiana--yes, it  seems like Indiana has more than its fair share of ghosts and ghouls. Maybe that's why it's ranked as one of the most  dangerous cities in the United  States.

I'm working on a ghost story. So, lately, I've been doing a lot of paranormal research by visiting Castles, Crypts and Creepy Places. And even though I've gone to a lot of cities and different states, I've realized my favorite creepy place is right here in Portland, Oregon.


If you're interested in seeing my #1 location for creepability, check it out here.



And, if  you've had any paranormal experiences of your own, please share a bit about it in the comments below.




Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Most Haunted Cemetery in the World - Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Midlothian (Part 2 of Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls)



Bachelor's Grove Cemetery just happens to be the most haunted cemetery in the world. And, I was  skeptical about this spooky story but, as my daughter-in-law, Fatina, and I jumped in the car and drove off on our road trip, I soon began to see how this location had earned its reputation.

First, we had trouble finding the cemetery. It's actually hidden inside the woods and although google maps  has the location marked  correctly, it's not so easy to find. There are no signs directing you to the historical location. And there isn't even a parking lot or a simple sign to mark its location.

We had to park across the  street at the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve. Then we ran across the busy highway to find the entrance, which was marked by two wooden posts with a rope strung between the two, blocking the path.



But we didn't let that stop us, as we walked around the rope and started our search for haunted spirits. The path was nothing more than dirt, littered with stones, that might have once been a walkway. Now, it was muddy and slippery but we walked on.

After walking about a quarter mile, we suddenly came upon an opening and didn't even notice the graveyard until we were right next to it. It was literally in the middle of the woods.

A chain link fence surrounded the small cemetery but there was no gate, no sign, nothing except for tombstones in the center to confirm we'd found the spot.

We went in and wandered around reading the fallen gravestones.



Many were too deteriorated to even read and some were nothing more than stones poking out of the  earth.


People have seen spirits and strange colored lights here. Some claim to hear ghostly sounds as they hike through the woods and some have even said they've seen a two-headed monster.

While we were there, we did see a frozen pond at the edge of the cemetery. We walked over and saw a misty vapor rising from the chilled ground. 

It was freezing cold in the shaded woods. And, as we walked away from the cemetery we heard strange sounds and creaking branches from the trees as they swayed in the wind.

It was definitely one of the creepiest places I've ever visited and this was during the daylight. I can tell you I wouldn't have the guts to walk down that deserted path in the dark to search for the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. And I can understand why people say this is the most haunted cemetery in the world.


Friday, March 6, 2020

Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls - in Gary, Indiana - the 1st in a 5-part series

Recently I went on a whirlwind, weekend trip to visit my daughter in Chicago. While I was there, I thought why not do a little ghost-hunting...so we did.

We started out in Chicago on the Gangsters and Ghosts tour (but I'm saving that for another post).

We started out Saturday morning, on a roadtrip….

ROAD TRIP TO GARY INDIANA
That big (once beautiful building above) is the City Church, in Gary, Indiana, which by the way, just happened to be the murder capital of the world in 1994 and it still holds the dubious honor of ranking as the 6th place in the country for violent crime...Chicago ranks 25th.

So, what better place to start a ghost-hunt?



It was a day filled with Empty Places and Ghostly Spaces.

And, as we wandered around the city, I felt overcome with a sense of sadness, not simply because these once-beautiful buildings  have fallen into such horrible disrepair but also because this city was once home to a thriving community. But, when the steel factory jobs all disappeared, so did most of the people...at least most of those living in Gary. And, while Chicago ranks high on the list of MOST HAUNTED cities in America, Gary would get my vote.

I don't even think I would have had the guts to wander around this city in the dark, at night...of course I don't usually like to wander around most big cities in the dark, at night. But at least during the daylight, I found the nerve to enter a few creepy places.

I'm going to close out for now, but keep watching here for more ghost stories...because they're coming....





Sunday, January 19, 2020

Valentine's Day Gingerbread House

At Christmas I wanted to make a gingerbread house but never got around to doing it. So, I decided on this long holiday weekend, I'd make a Valentine's Day Gingerbread House, with the help of my daughter and daughter-in-law. And this is how it turned out.





If you want to see how I did it, click on the link below.

Video of how I made the gingerbread house

And, if you watch the video, please let  me know what you thought.

Thanks!