Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar are not to blame for Josh Duggar's actions!

I swear I'm about to blow if I see one more article blaming Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar for Josh's disgusting behavior. Really? Because I'm pretty certain there are hundreds of people sitting in sex rehabilitation centers right this very second that were not raised equal to Josh Duggar. As a matter of fact, I'll go out on a limb here & say that probably 95% of them were not raised like Josh Duggar. They were not "sheltered"; not to the extent he was, anyway. Most were probably raised open & free & free to explore, with 'typical' limitations. So, who's to blame for their choices? Their parents, too? No. Josh Duggar is not the first person to commit such inexcusable acts. Religion, upbringing, society, etc. does not make grown adults make poor choices. Grown adults make poor choices. One person alone is responsible for this humiliating, painful mess (poor Anna) & that's the 27 year old man - Josh Duggar. He obviously needs serious, professional help. Blaming his parents is just another avenue for people to belittle them & they have already endured so much. They don't deserve it.

Reading the bible every day, not watching tv/movies, not hanging with girls who dress like tramps, attending religious conventions, being home schooled, attending church, traveling to speaking engagements, performing musically for others, being on television, not going to the lakes or beaches, giving side hugs, not listening to rap/hip hop/current music, being chaperoned, getting to know someone before contact/marriage - NONE of these things caused Josh Duggar to do what he did. Not one. The children were not homebound their entire lives. They went out in public & they went out a lot. They have eyes, they saw. They have ears, they heard. There are certain things they were sheltered from & they weren't permitted to participate in, but they went out in society, so they knew about them. Have you seen their cousin Amy? Oh yeah, they knew, heard & saw lots of things. She was often in their home & she is anything but classy. As a matter of fact, I can't stand the girl. The fact remains that lots of children are raised like the Duggar children are & I think it's safe to say the majority are mature, responsible, honest, loving, Christian adults. That, too, is a choice. They chose the right choice - to live their lives with integrity. If the things I listed above truly, truly caused harm, there'd be a lot more Josh Duggars in the group of people raised like he was. You cannot argue that there is not.

I supported him after the first scandal in May. No one had any way of knowing this trash was going on behind the scenes - thank God he was exposed!! - so many of us supported him because he had had no other incidents since that young age & we thought (based on what we knew, saw & read) that he had turned his life around. The whole thing is just so heartbreaking, so unnecessary & I pray for Anna, as I cannot image how devastated she must be. I pray for his parents, I pray for his siblings. They didn't ask for any of this & to blame them for raising children in a positive, loving home is just almost unforgivable. They may not have done everything right but by george, neither have we. There is no perfect parent. You love your kids & do what you think is right - you do the best you can do. Growns adults are responsible for their own choices & it's time Josh Duggar is held responsible for his choices, not his parents or family.

Josh Duggar knew what he was doing was wrong. He chose to do it anyway.

I hope you'll join me in praying for his wife & family.

*I just read on TMZ that Josh Duggar also had a profile on OK Cupid - a dating site? So that's in addition to nasty internet viewing (without saying the word), Ashley Madison & now OK Cupid? How much more can there be? OMG his poor wife!

Here's another article re: the OK Cupid profile. Click here.

Blog URL change!

Hi! I don't even know if anyone reads here anymore! Heck, I don't hardly blog anymore! Life is just going lots of different directions. I'm not going to rid my blog, in case I ever want to return to blogging, but I am going to rid my domain. Why continue to pay money for a domain when I'm rarely blogging? So, I'm going right back to my free blogspot.com URL. It works & it's free, & I love free. In a few days, I'm hoping to switch this very blog address to:

http://www.adoringthesimple.blogspot.com

Just in case that doesn't work (I won't know until I try), be sure to follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/adoringthesimple & I will post updates with the new URL address.

I will probably, eventually, be ridding that page, but I'll keep it until I get my new blog URL all squared away.

I'm on Instagram & Twitter, too!

Twitter: adoringsimple

Instagram: Adoringthesimple

Josh Duggar & why I support the Duggar family.

I adore the Duggars. I commend the Duggars on how they raise their children. How strong their love is. How close their family is. How they help less fortunate. How they stay true to their faith. How they focus on the positive & not the negative. Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar are not responsible for what their son did. Josh is his own person & 12 years ago, Josh made his own decisions. I do not fault Jim Bob & Michelle whatsoever. What I personally am interested in is how they handled the unfortunate incidents. This is really just so awful. I thought I would just share some thoughts. This is my opinion only.

First, while all of this has been going on, I have never, ever, ever seen one person say "I defend Josh Duggar". I read tabloids, gossip sites, online articles, Facebook posts, etc. etc. No one defends Josh Duggar. Who in the world could? Who in the world would? There's NO justifying what Josh Duggar did. Anyone, in their right mind, knows that. I'm so tired of people saying "if you don't condemn him, then you're defending him!" Nope. Not at all. The acts Josh Duggar committed is disgusting. Violating others will never, ever be ok.

And then there are the lies. The twisting. My God. I know what Josh did. We all know what Josh did. It was 12 years ago. Does that make it right? Of course not. It will never be right. It will never be ok. It will never be acceptable. But really, what do people want? Do they want him to go back to treatment now? Do they want him to go to jail now? Do they want him to lose his family & children? Do they want the death penalty? People are out for blood! Which I totally get, had this inexcusable behavior continued. But it didn't, which even every single victim stated in the police report. When the Duggars realized they needed outside help, when the changes they had implemented failed, they removed him from the home immediately. They got him treatment. But oh, wait! That's not good enough, because it's not the exact, type of treatment 'everyone else' would have chose. Let's focus on the type of treatment & that people didn't approve, instead of focusing on the fact the treatment WORKED! Isn't that all that matters? The treatment was a success! Josh also got counseling, by a licensed professional, as did the girls. They all received professional counseling.

And the "they hid this information! They covered it up!" Really? They told people. They sought help. They contacted the church. And if there's one thing I know, if one has something to hide, something to cover up, DON'T TELL THE CHURCH! Is Josh supposed to go up to people now & say "Hey man, how are you! I molested 5 young girls twelve years ago! So nice to meet you & I hope to see you soon!" Or, Jim Bob? "It was so nice to get to know you. Thanks for helping me out today. Oh, by the way, my oldest son molested 5 young girls 12 years ago. Take care & lets get together soon!" What do people want from this family? Action isn't/wasn't good enough, change isn't/wasn't good enough, apologies aren't/weren't good enough, Josh resigned from his job, the show is temporarily off the TLC - what? Lives utterly & completely destroyed forever?? And ever & ever? No compassion, no letting them live life again, no thanking God he changed? And if you watched the interview, Ms. Kelly pointed out that statistics prove people who commit crimes such as this when they are younger - 90% never, ever do it again. (I can't remember the exact percentage, but it close to that.)

You know what else I really am having a hard time digesting? The language, the verbal accusations, the hate, the tone - all of it - I read from other 'adults'. I'll be honest, it's shocking. And it makes me sick. Everyone is not going to agree on a subject such as this. Disagreeing is ok. God made individuals, not duplicates. But the choice of words, the choice of assumptions, the choice of accusation (there WAS NO RAPE! There was not even skin to skin contact!!) & the downright disgusting language is actually making me click off of articles & stop reading. It's filth. There's no reason to resort to that. It just makes a volatile situation that much worse. And it lets me know that there are soooooooo many 'adults' out there who in actuality, aren't adults at all, & don't know how to conduct themselves accordingly. We live in such a sad society.

I feel so sorry for this family. All of them. Experiencing this type of nightmare hell has to be completely unbearable the first time. Talk about having your lives turned upside down. But to have all of this resurface, in a public, brutal, vicious way, with a lot of the information falsified, is heartbreaking. Frustrating, maddening, but mostly, heartbreaking. When does it end? Where does it end? Will it end?

This is what I know. Nothing will ever make what Josh Duggar did right. There is no making it right. There's just not. There is treatment(s), changing, growing, forgiveness, God & time. And praise God for all of those.

I support the Duggars. I've never met the Duggars (oh how I'd love to someday), but I pray for them & I will continue to do so. I hope their show continues because they bring hope & inspiration to so many who are lost. And now, after this turn of events, they might even reach more people who are hurt, confused & lost, due an incident(s) similar to what transpired in the Duggars lives all those years ago.

We must recognize the fact that good people do bad things. I agree with that wholeheartedly. We must understand people can be truly sorry after doing wrong. We must acknowledge when people change & prove that fact year after year. We must love. We must support. We must help. We must take a stand when we believe others are wronged. We must live, because life is short. But most of all? We must have compassion.

Blessings to you all.

*I made a comment on People.com (their FB page) that until someone actually lives this situation, you really don't know how you'll handle it. You might think you know what you would do, but there is no way of knowing, until you are actually faced with a devastating situation such as this. I think someone actually stated they would kill their child who committed the crime! Anyway, because of the comment I made, someone actually told me I should have my children removed from my home. Oh dear Jesus. People are insane. I think I will just pray & step aside.

Grand update on MckMama, including a fourth house foreclosure!

Our good friend Tracy Coenen, fraud investigator, did it again! Tracy is a professional, thorough & knows her stuff. I look forward to her information & so many appreciate her updates on MckMama (Jennifer McKinney) & her (MckMama's) consistent, deceitful, irresponsible life. And btw, after being separated for approximately one year, her husband, Israel McKinney, has allegedly moved back into the home. Read more on MckFacts.

Ok, back to Tracy's update. Easy peasy - just click the link below to read her updated information on MckMama.

http://www.sequenceinc.com/fraudfiles/2015/05/jennifer-mckinney-fraud-update/#respond

The only thing I disagree with is her comment about Network Marketing. Tracy does not believe in Network Marketing & that's ok - not everyone does. Personally, I fully support Network Marketing! Network Marketing is a true, legit business that offers so many an incredible financial opportunity, as well as amazing products. Network Marketing is just like any other business - it's up to the individual whether they work their business ethically or not. Network Marketing is just the 'type', it doesn't guarantee the person representing the company will be honest.

It's gorgeous in North Texas! Happy Monday! :)

The disturbing nightmare - thinning hair!

Prepare yourselves. Because I'm going to tell you right now - as you get older, your hair is going to start thinning, whether you want it to or not. It is alarming. It is disturbing. Why wouldn't it be? Who wants to lose their hair? Not one person, I know of.

I have done so much research on hair loss/thinning recently. Devoted so many hours upon hours in hopes of finding a solution to either stop or at the very least, slow down the process. I am NO professional in this area & I won't go into elaborate detail because it's so time consuming. If you have any questions, Google (& your dr., of course) is your friend. There is a lot of great information on the internet regarding thinning hair/hair loss on the internet!

Hair loss is one of the most difficult ailments to diagnose. So many things can contribute. From simple stress to serious health issues. The first thing you need to do, which is exactly what I did (several times), is see your doctor & rule out any serious problems. Be aware this isn't a simple process & it doesn't happen overnight. Literally, it can take several years. Which adds to stress & is more alarming, if you're losing hair. Ha! There's just no winning. I did realize one thing - don't stress over your thinning hair. Stressing won't make your hair grow any faster & really, it is what it is. Accept it, lower your stress (because remember, stress causes more hair loss) & just do what you can to get the problem rectified. Even rectified, like I mentioned above, your hair is still going to thin because that's a natural process with age. And it sucks.

Side note - I have noticed one thing. I have noticed (this is not a statistic!) about 90% of people who work out regularly do not appear to have major thinning hair. Coincidence? I think not, by that's just my opinion. Diet also plays a big part in healthy hair. Eat healthy, work out regularly & drink a ton of water. Three important factors for gorgeous hair!

Ok. So here is my regimen for my hair. I hate my hair. I always have. I'm very self conscious about my hair & that's why I wear visors almost every day of my life. - because I have this twisted thinking that hats improve the way my hair looks. True story. I have worn visors since about age 13! I have permanent indentions behind my ears on both sides of my head from wearing visors for so many years. I'm 47 now! That's long time! My hair is naturally curly = frizzy. And when it's humid (hello Texas) or rainy, good God, I'm so embarrassed. But now that it's thinning? I love my hair & want to keep it! I will do everything that I can to at least keep what I have. My researching will continue because new treatments are discovered & I want to know that they are. :)

Here's my DAILY regimen:



First things first - get rid of the crappy shampoo. Shampoos/conditioners with sulfates do nothing but dry out & damage your hair further. You can now find sulfate free shampoo at drugstores, which is awesome. They aren't that expensive. Currently, I am using Giovanni & I can get it at Walmart for about $8 - though I order mine from Vitacost & get it for about $5.00. Sprouts has it on sale occasionally for $5.99 & $6.99 (I've seen both). I love this tea tree/peppermint combination. Google sulfate free shampoos for more information & the damage harmful sulfates cause.

Nizoral is a chemical shampoo I use once a week to rid my scalp of any bacteria, etc. This is not a shampoo to use daily. It is very harsh & some people say it makes their hair loss worse. I only use it weekly, so I don't mind, because I know the Ketoconazole is effective. This is an anti-dandruff shampoo but others such as Head & Shoulders won't work because they don't contain Ketoconazole. That is the pertinent ingredient.

The rest are supplements. Side note - whenever I was low on a vitamin, I would pick it up wherever I happened to be shopping. Walmart, Target, Costco, etc. I don't do that anymore! I will never do that again. I have come a long way in the supplement department & now I only get them at Sprouts or Vitacost. I want more natural, effective supplements & many of them contain junk. When my drugstore brands run out, I am replacing them with better quality. There's not that much difference in price & to me, it's worth it.

Biotin - 10,000 mg daily
Evening Primrose
Zinc
Vitamin D
Iron - I am extremely low on Iron & Ferrin - I take 65 mg, 2 x daily - have your dr. check your Iron & Ferrin! It has to be requested.
B Complex
MSM
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Garlic
Acidophilus (not pictured, because I keep it in the frig & I forgot to pull it out for the photo)
Calcium (not pictured because I ran out & I plan to purchase the Vit. D supplement that contains calcium next time)

My dr. is not a lot of help when it comes to supplements. As a matter of fact, after 8 years, her & I really aren't getting along, so I'll be searching for a new dr. who is more knowledgable about supplements & healthier lifestyles. Anyway, watch the milligrams on your vitamins. Many come in different milligrams & I'm still playing around with what works for me. Ask your dr. & do some googling.

Question of the year:

Am I seeing an improvement with my hair? YES! I fully understand that my thinning hair will not be rectified overnight. It's very similar to weight loss. It didn't happen overnight & it won't be fixed overnight. I'm ok with that! I do see improvement, even with my hair texture. I see improvement in my eyebrows! Yep, I sure do! I still lose a lot (a lot) of hair daily. I try to keep in mind that my hair is long (thank you God!!) & that my hair loss may appear to be more than it is, because of the length. But the texture seems to be thicker & building a bit more bulk & that makes me VERY happy. I have been on this particular regimen for about a good 2 months & I can't WAIT to see my results after a year or so!

This is what is working for me & it may work for you, too! Be sure to check with your dr. before adding a lot of supplements like this & if YOU have any additional tips for me - please leave them in the comments! I am always, always looking for better results!

Here's to healthy, gorgeous hair & happy weekend! :)

Hubby's Tator Tot Casserole.

Typically on Sunday evenings, my husband cooks dinner. He's really a better cook than I am (ahem) & much more adventurous. He decided to come up with his own Tator Tot Casserole & it turned out great!



Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 - onion (hubby used used white)
1 - red bell pepper
1 - green bell pepper
1-2 cups of sharp shredded cheese (we shred our own - always - so much better!)
1 - bag frozen tator tots
Salt, pepper, garlic salt, chili powder
Plain greek yogurt

Brown ground beef with seasonings. While meat is cooking, chop onion & bell peppers. He didn't measure how much veggies - he just chopped up enough for our taste, probably about one cup+ each. In a separate skillet, pour a bit of the beef 'broth' in skillet & sauté veggies until soft. (I probably would have used olive oil or real butter vs. 'broth'.)

In a 9x13 dish, add meat. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of meat. Add onion & peppers on top of cheese. Top with tator tots & then remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.



Quick, simple & delish! Even our kids gobbled it right up!

Not the healthiest recipe, but hey, better than fast food, right? I call that #winning!

Love when he cooks & I get a break. Thanks, hubby! :)

Network Marketing & Direct Sales.

I'm going to do a general post because I'm getting a few inquiries about Network Marketing/Direct Sales & becoming a Younique Presenter (note: due to the addition of unhealthy ingredients in some products, I am no longer an active Presenter) . This is my opinion & my perspective only. Many agree & many don't agree, & that's ok. This industry is certainly not for everyone.

Let's get this part out of the way - is Network Marketing/Direct Sales a "pyramid scheme"? No. So many people argue this point & it's because they are misinformed or choose to believe what they want to believe. Pyramid Schemes do exist albeit, illegal. Pyramid Schemes involve money, but no product. NM/DS companies involve product. I'll take it a step further. Do you or someone you know have a job? Any job, anywhere, at a place of employment, where they do not own the company? Then they are in a pyramid. Do they have a boss? Does their boss have a boss? And so on. That's a "pyramid", if you ask me. The people at the top make more than the people at the bottom. It's typically how all businesses operate. Network Marketing/Direct Sales works the same way, but get a bad rap, & I don't know why. NM/DS is nothing more than a store without the facility. It cuts out the middle man & when you begin your own NM/DS company, you get paid more for selling the product, because there's no middle 'extras' to pay. In time, as you build a team, you move up towards the top, just like a 'typical' business. I'll argue another point, too. So many people say you can not make money in Network Marketing. Bologna! Again, just like a 'typical' business, you work your butt off, you're going to make money. Younique has current Presenters making $85,000 a month. You can doubt me all you want, but if I'm known for one thing, I'm known for being honest. I'm proud of that, because not many people can say that. (Although, honesty doesn't always work in my favor, trust me!) And I would never, ever state numbers like that if I didn't know it was true. Good Lord, look at Dani Johnson or Sarah Robbins! They both started in NM/DS & making are hundreds of thousands of dollars a month! The proof is in the pudding. Google Network Marketing/Direct Sales companies. You'll see hundreds! If Network Marketing/Direct Sales didn't work, all those companies wouldn't exist. The industry is strong & only getting stronger! If you provide a quality, trusted product, people are going to buy it whether it's at a store or via the net. It's that simple. And the best part of the NM/DS industry is building residual income. It's my future. This is exactly why I choose this industry. In my opinion, it's a no brainer. I get to work from home, & work how & when I want. I have 4 kids. This is what works for me & I'm grateful for the opportunity. I have now worked in NM/DS for about 4 years.

The Presenter starter kit, required to 'open' your own Younique business (yes, you will be self employed), is $99.00 (you'll receive $216.00 in products). Can you make a lot of money selling Younique or any NM/DS company? Yes! Is it easy? NO! Although, because it's makeup, it is the easiest money I've ever made, but I still work a lot. Is it a free ride? NO! Do you have to work your butt off? YES! Will it pay off? Yes! Will you get rich quick? No! Is there a possibility to get rich quick? Yes! That depends on you & how much you work & how successful you are. Oh, & something else I hate hearing - you work part time for a full time income. Maybe years down the road that is accurate, but it's not accurate now, just starting out. It may be possible if you explode your business immediately, but typically, it'll take time. But you can work from home, you can work out of your home, you can do events if you choose, you can go door to door or store to store, you can work this business however you want, as long as you are in compliance & remain professional. I will work with no one who is not professional. Ever.

If you read all this, thank you for hanging in there. I hope I answered most of your questions. Although I am no longer a Presenter with Younique, not because I wasn't successful (quite the contrary, actually), I absolutely will remain in the NM/DS industry. I believe in the business model that much. It is exciting, challenging & makes me happy. And life is too short to not be happy.

Want to visit? Contact me!

adoringthesimple@gmail.com

817.300.7755

Make it a beautiful day! <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">

Snow day!

My four. Pure happiness. Seeing them full of joy makes my heart explode. And I was so happy to pull out my camera & capture what I could before I froze. :)

Want an adorable Jacaranda doll that MckMama is selling?

These dolls are SO adorable! But oh my goodness, DO NOT ORDER FROM MCKMAMA! Order directly from the organization that offers/sells them - your purchase is considered a charitable donation AND helps provide income for the women in Nairobi! You can support these women from the comfort of your own home - no travel to Africa necessary or required! ;o) This incredible, generous organization actually posted their own link on MckMama's Instagram so people can order & help support this in-need village & MCKMAMA DELETED THEIR LINK! As a matter of fact, she continues to delete every single comment that links to the organization's site. So shady! She wants EVERYONE buying a doll through her & not the reputable organization that offers them! Hmm!! What does that tell you? Why would she do that if she truly wants to help these people? Exactly! Now you know why you need to order directly through them (www.jacarandacommunity.com) & not MckMama!



Here is a direct link to these precious dolls:

http://jacarandacommunity.com/collections/frontpage/products/sarah-doll-large

And they have more precious, precious, handmade creations! Click below!

http://jacarandacommunity.com/collections/shop-creations

Go read more about this amazing organization - very interesting!

http://jacarandacommunity.com

Get your latest MckMama information at MckFacts.com. 4th house foreclosure information, court documents, current, unedited photos of her). Click on Discussion, at the top. Fraud Investigator, Tracy Coenen, is also adding updates occasionally. :)

Make it a beautiful day! :)

My word of the year.

I wasn't going to choose a 'word of the year'. I don't do New Year resolutions or any of that. In my opinion, if you want to do something, change something, then do it. You don't need a specific date, or reason, to do so. Several years ago, I hopped on the bandwagon with everyone else & I did choose a word of the year. I believe it was TRUE. Loved it! And promptly forgot about it by January 10th. Well, it was good while it lasted.

Earlier, I was thinking about something I wanted to do & the word ACTION just popped in my head. I mean, really. How many things do you want to do? Whether it be pay bills, dust the top of the cabinet, paint furniture, find a new career, travel the world - big, small, whatever. We all have our desires & lists. But without action, those wants are going to stay wants. Those lists are going to remain long. Those bucket lists ain't gonna be completed. Everything takes action. I want to lose some more weight. Well, I better get back on my low-carb'ing if I want that to happen. Better take action. I want to start walking again & lifting some weights. Well, I better take action if I want that to happen. I want to get my family a piano. Well, I better take action, because God's not going to drop one down on my doorstep. And so on.

Though I don't really participate in this word thing, I think I will. Because I'm the type of person who constantly needs a kick in the butt. A nice, hefty, visual reminder. Not only that, ACTION is a great word for my kids, too! They need to be reminded that results take action. #winning

Here's to 2015 & a year full of ACTION! I got this. Do you? :)

Always apply your mascara to clean lashes!

Thought I would share an important beauty rule of mine, especially for those of you who love your lashes! I learned this thru trial & error. I am very fond of my lashes, so I treat them delicately. Treating your lashes harshly is like treating your face harshly - you're going to do damage. Your lashes do & will fall out, so be gentle! Lash tip: NO hairspray! When you apply your mascara, be sure to do so on clean, dry lashes. So much as one brief, light coat of hairspray overspray will hinder optimal results. No matter what brand of mascara you use, your natural lashes need to be clean & receptive. Your mascara wand should effortlessly glide over your lashes, so be sure to apply it before doing your hair. If for whatever reason I must apply a light spray of hairspray before I've done my lashes (which is like, rarely), I totally cover my eyes/face with a washcloth & spray with the other hand. When my makeup is complete, I come back & either add more coats &/or restyle my hair. Try applying your mascara before using hairspray & let me know if you see a difference! Pretty sure you will! ❤

Anti-aging Retin-A!

To fight natural aging & wrinkles, I finally decided to go with full strength Retin-A. It's on its way! I'm so excited! Because I have never used this product before, I started with a lower dosage, until I see how my skin reacts. Retin-A (also known as Tretinoin) can burn your skin, so one must be really careful. I plan on using it at night, so I'm on the hunt for a day moisturizer. I hope to find one with Retinol & SPF. I will not go without SPF on my face, ever. Retinol doesn't work as fast as Retin-A - that's why Retinol products are allowed over-the-counter. It's not as potent & it takes longer to see results. I'm fine with that since I'll be using my Retin-A at night. Currently looking into StriVectin. I LOVE beauty products! At 47 years young, game on!

Update:

I ended up ordering Tretinoin (same thing) .1% instead. .1% is the strongest treatment, so I'm a little apprehensive, as I only wanted to start with .05%. Now, I'll really be sure to take it nice & slow until I see how my skin reacts. The last thing I want is extreme burning.

Still excited to get started & I'll be checking out StriVectin this week! :)