A child perceives and evaluates that which goes on around him in a way different from adults. Children are constantly asking questions, and for the reason of things that happen around them, such as where they came from, how are they able to speak, how other things in nature came to exist, and many other such things. There is actually only one true answer to a child for all these questions. Yet, people tend to offer two types of answers. The first, and correct answer is that it was God that created everything, and that people are responsible to God, who created them from nothing and enables them to grow, eat, drink and breathe, and who protects them. God holds the entire universe under His control, is omnipresent, and sees and hears everything.

Some people, however, do not give their children the right answer to these questions. They may say that God created everything, but they do not go on to say that He is Lord and Ruler of all, and that everything happens by His will. Another group mislead their children in an even worse manner. They offer the mistaken claim that the entire universe is the result of unconscious and blind chance. That is because they were instructed by their own parents or their teachers with the same answers. That deception has over time become part of their basic outlook.

The kind of ideas with which these people educate their children is in accordance with the religion of the antichrist, as it is the one they believe in. That is how a great many people are raised, even from an early age, in the belief that everything is the result of chance, never considering the existence of God and the art of His creation.

In the second stage people are taught the lie that life is a struggle founded on violence.

Someone who thinks that life is the result of chance and coincidence, even if he is not fully conscious in the early stages of his believing in it, comes to believe that matter is the only absolute existence. Here he has completed the first stage of his indoctrination. As a consequence, in those cultures where people raised under such propaganda are in the majority, another important suggestion that roots itself in a child’s mind is that he can “only survive so long as he is strong and selfish.”

That idea is first instilled by the family, and then becomes stronger and more broadly based when the child starts school. The indoctrination the child receives from his family and his surroundings is reinforced by entirely unscientific theories, which are nevertheless portrayed as sanctioned by science, along the lines of “the ancestors of man were animals, for which reason the relationships between animals also apply to those between people.” In this way, the child begins to learn the lie that there is a constant state of conflict between individuals and in society, that the weak must be eliminated, and that he needs to behave in that manner in order to survive. According to this principle, force, violence and deception can be employed, if necessary, in order to survive.

Such indoctrination is not restricted to the educational system. The child continues to receive intensive Social Darwinist indoctrination in the lyrics of the songs he listens to, the films he watches, in advertisements, videos, and even the computer games he plays, in short, in every sphere of his life. However, the morality of the Qur’an offers a life at total variance with this model. In the Qur’an, God calls people to peace and security. Societies where the morality of the Qur’an prevails are characterized by love, compassion, tolerance, honesty, self-sacrifice and humanitarianism. The proper morality that God commands people to abide by is revealed in these terms:

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives: “We feed you only out of desire for the Face of God. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks. Truly we fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day.” So God has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made them meet with radiance and pure joy. (Surat al-Insan: 8-11)

In the third stage, people are taught they are not responsible to anyone else. A child who is given a materialist and Darwinist answer to every question he asks will inevitably come to share those views. Even if he is still unable to openly explain them, he will begin to regard himself and all those around him as merely a highly evolved species of animal.

Yet, there remains another important phase in his education. That is the teaching of the falsehood that he is responsible to nobody but himself. According to this superstition, if matter has always existed and will always continue to do so, if life is solely the product of chance, and furthermore, if death is total extinction, then the only thing that matters is material gain. In a world made up only of matter, spiritual values can have no place. That being the case, the only thing people ought to think about is satisfying their own desires and passions, by whatever means necessary. According to the following verse in the Qur’an, “Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?” (Surat al-Muminun: 115), God clearly reveals the distorted outlook of these ignorant people.

People, who genuinely believe that they can live unfettered lives, and that they will in the end merely cease to exist, are committing a serious mistake. We are responsible to our Lord, who created us from nothing. It is God who created man to accord with a particular destiny, who knows each person’s past, present and future, who at death will call him to account for his past deeds, and reward or punish him accordingly. Unlike animals, God has created man with a soul, a mind, freewill and conscience. In other words, even if someone feels a certain temptation during a specific situation, he has been created with the necessary qualities to prevent him committing evil.

Someone who is unaware of or who ignores this truth will obviously pose a danger to the society of which he is a part. For instance, someone who is angered by something that has happened can behave quite ruthlessly, and harm the person responsible without thinking. It makes no difference if that person were defenseless. All that matters is venting his anger. Yet, someone who knows that he possesses a soul given him by God, who exercises his reason and his conscience, is capable of controlling his anger. He always remains in self-control and conscientious. Such a person would not dare to do the slightest thing that could earn him punishment from God. If he does happen to commit a sin, he repents and puts things right.

The true religion is the religion of God, yet, as a result of the indoctrination that people are subjected to, many people are turned away from it. Someone who has gone through the various phases of the Social Darwinist education is presented with very few alternatives. His view of life and mankind is shaped in the light of materialist-Darwinist thought. He will then struggle for only himself and to defend his own interests, will usually see violence, oppression and deception as the only means of doing so, and will be driven from transgression to transgression, lost in the nightmare of atheism. What is more, there will be nothing to prevent him from doing so.

The most important reason for this is that the terrifying truth taught by the religion of the antichrist is portrayed as if it were a mere fact of life.

I can honestly say, in hindsight, the most important part was the ceremony—it was the whole point. The most rewarding parts were the speeches our friends and family made—we had a wedding because we wanted to share this momentous occasion with our community, and feeling their love coming back at us made it worth it. The party? It was fun.

In fact, it was a lot of fun.

(I think Mr. S was singing Jai Ho here, which is a few kinds of awesome.)

But then it wound down, and then it was over. Eighteen months of planning, three days of activities, and eight hours of event…done. So fast!

It was a wonderful day and I’m so grateful that we got to have it, to share it with our friends and family, and that I was able to share it with all of you. I’m ready to say goodbye to our wedding, but not to Weddingbee… I still have a few nuggets of wedding wisdom I want to share before I sign off as Mrs. Spaniel for good. So, for the moment, I’ll let Grandma Spaniel say goodbye instead.

(Guest photo)

All photos by the terrific Meg Perotti unless otherwise noted.

Miss anything?

• The Spaniels Are Married!
• Watching Paint Dry
• Vendor FAIL
• Putting Our Faces On
• Something New
• Boutonnieres and Tuxedos
• Sneaky Spaniel: The First Look
• Something Borrowed, Something Blue
• Hey Laaadies! (The Wedding Party)
• Signing Our Lives Away
• Marriage Is a Process…ion
• We’ve Only Just Begun (The Ceremony)
• Organized Chaos
• All Kinds of Pretty and One Big Fat Ugly
• (This Will Be Our) Budget Recap Post
• Wedding Rituals

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Miss Sloth, Philadelphia
Age & Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion Blogger
Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 30, Design Admin
Engagement Date: December 25, 2009
Wedding Date: May 2011
Venue: Bartram’s Garden
About Me: I’m an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn’t live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We’re planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it’s all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.

Some people may think that a large plastic bag or any old storage box will do when it comes to properly storing a wedding dress, but the fact is that you need to use an acid free pH neutral storage box for your wedding dress to keep it it in the most optimal condition. Why?

Acids Destroy Fabric The acids in the cardboard box will damage the fabric over time. The point of storing your dress is so you can have it perfect condition in however many years, to pass on to a daughter or a sister, or maybe even wear it again when it is time to renew your vows.

Why pH Neutral? Even if they aren’t acidic, the boxes may have a reverse alkalinity which may also work to damage and discolour the fabric. This is why it is very important to make sure that the box you store your dress in is not only acid free but pH neutral. This will keep the box from causing any damage to the dress.

Viewing Window or No Viewing Window No viewing window, because light will cause the fabric to discolour. When you are looking for a wedding dress storage box, make sure that in addition to being acid free and pH neutral, the box has no windows to let light in.

Once you have selected the proper box for your dress, remember not to use tissue paper inside (unless it is pH neutral!) the box to cushion the dress, because with the right box, you should not need the tissue paper. Also remember to clean the dress and allow it to dry completely before storing it to ensure that it will be in the best condition possible later.

Temperature fluctuations could also cause damage to the fabric, so the place where the box is stored should be a fairly consistent temperature year round. Store in a dry, dark place to prevent discolouration. Take time to inspect the dress each year to ensure there are no new stains and admire its beauty. So, the key is a pH neutral wedding dress box.

Wedding favours are very popular gifts for wedding guests and are a great way for the couple to show their appreciation to their guests. They are not essential but are a very traditional feature of weddings. You should budget for them but they can be done very cheaply to save on costs. Some cost effective ideas include:

Using candy tins! Simply buy some candy tins and just place a couple of pieces of delicious candy in them and your guests will love it! Favours boxes with cookies. Very simply, just bake some cookies yourself using your favourite receipe and present them in one of a variety of favour boxes that you can purchase. A simple and effective idea that provides a personal touch. Favourite CDs. Select some of your favourite songs and make a compilation CD to your guests. It’s very easy to print out your own labels with software you can cheaply buy.

Another great idea is to go with seasonal gifts depending on the time of year your wedding is being held. For example, hot chocolate would make a great winter favour gift. Simply make up some powdered milk, baking cocoa and sugar and present everything in a small bag with a ribbon to give to your guests. Again the personal touch will go a long way to earning your guests appreciation.

Another idea would be to give some seed packets of your favourite flower to your guests. Present the seeds in a nice small box or bag and include some basic growing instruction. It’s very environmentally friendly and cheap.

Simply use your imagination to come up with original gift ideas based on your interests or wedding season. Present them in a nice favour box or bag with a ribbon and the favour is complete. This is a great way to make it very personal and it didn’t break the bank!

Wedding Favour Delights are an Internet retailer of high quality DIY favour boxes. They are a great way of saving costs and presenting great looking favours.

Well, Mr. Lion proposed two weeks before I left for Boston. This was one of the main reasons we decided on a longer engagement; I would be out of state for three months, which would make the first stages of planning difficult. Instead, I got to just enjoy our engagement without thinking about the actual wedding. There was one thing I wanted to plan, though.

I wanted to tie down my bridesmaids. Since it can be such a financial commitment, I wanted to give my girls plenty of time to start saving up. I wanted to ask them in a really unique way. Of all the elements of wedding planning, I feel like this part is one of the most pure and innocent. As little girls, a lot of us dream of one day becoming brides. I wanted to capture that moment of pure joy and share it with the little girls that I dreamed about that moment with. So, I made children’s books! Ladies and gentlemen, here is my first DIY project!

I bought colorful paper, stickers, and ribbons. I spent more money on this than I would have with store-bought cards, and it is in no way well crafted. I had two criteria I wanted it to meet: I wanted the books to look like a child had made them, and I wanted them to bring smiles to my bridesmaids’ faces. Done and done!

The book’s cover

In case you can’t read the poem:

There once was a princess who dreamed of true love.

She hoped and she wished and she prayed to above.

Til one day, an unlikely Yankee* kaptured** her heart.

Even 150 miles couldn’t keep them apart!

*Mr. Lion is a Yankees fan; I am a Red Sox fan. More on this later.

**This is a play on the sorority grab-a-date that served as our first date.)

Their relationship grew strong and their days filled with laughter.

Then he gave her a ring that promised happily ever after.

There’s a twist to our story! That princess was me!

And Dave has made me his bride-to-be.

So now I have a question for you, a favor to ask.

And I really hope you’re up to the task!

I’ll get right to the point. There’s no reason to tease…

You can probably read this one! Obviously it was different for every girl.

How did you ask your girls to be your bridesmaids? What inspired you?

{all personal photos}

Most brides spend hundred and even thousands of pounds on their wedding dresses. Dresses are not cheap and are probably the most expensive piece of clothing you will buy during your lifetime. Traditional and with the majority of wedding dresses, they are white or a very light colour like beige. Obviously this means that any marks or dirt will show up more readily.

During the actual wedding, in having a great time and enjoying yourself, your dress will get some dirt on it no matter how careful you are trying to be. Panic not as you can always clean your dress. You can always try and clean the dress yourself but this is not recommended! There are professional dry cleaners who specialise in cleaning wedding dresses.

Wedding dresses are usually substantial garments and therefore cleaning them is a a task in itself. Not only that, the value of wedding dresses means that the dry cleaners do need to cover themselves with insurance in case anything goes wrong. Due to these factors, having your dress dry cleaned is an expensive business. It can cost a couple of hundred pounds and in some cases can cost a percentage of the cost of your dress. I have come across people who were charged 10% of the cost of the dress! A large proportion of this goes towards the insurance.

Once your dress is dry cleaned, then you need a proper dress storage box for it that is the right size and more importantly is pH neutral. This means that there is no acidity or alkalinity within the material of the box. This is important because over time, any acidity or alkalinity can over time degrade the fabric of the dress or discolour it. So, when you have your dress boxed, store it somewhere at room temperature so you avoid wide temperature fluctuations.

The main piece of advice on this site is to invest in getting your dress professionally dry cleaned rather than doing it yourself. Once cleaned, store it properly in a pH neutral dress box.

Wrong. We still had a few songs to pick out. We are getting married in a Catholic Church, but we aren’t doing a full mass, so luckily it did narrow down our choices. We needed to decide on songs for the mothers and wedding party to walk down to, the processional, and the recessional. We thought we had it nailed down.

So, the processional was our obvious choice. We are going with The Bridal Chorus by Wagner.

We then had to find a song for the wedding party to walk down the aisle. We decided to go with Canon in D by Pachelbel. It’s so long that we are also using it as the mothers’ walk down the aisle.

Last, it was time to choose the recessional. The obvious choice for us was the Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I never really considered anything else for the recessional.

Until…I realized there was no where to include our alma mater’s song. Our school song, which was played many times throughout our college years, is Hail Holy Queen. I knew we had to include it in the wedding somehow. When we found out we only needed three songs, it narrowed our places to use it. The processional was set, so it left the wedding party song or the recessional. At first I wanted to keep the Wedding March, but it doesn’t make sense to have our friends walk down to our alma mater song, so we decided to forgo tradition and we’ll be leaving the church as husband and wife to Hail Holy Queen.

Too bad we can’t include the Sister Act version somewhere.

Are you choosing traditional music for the ceremony or are you going for something a little different?

When trying to decide what kind of storage to use for your wedding dress, you may be stuck between a proper wedding dress box, or a plastic bag. Let’s take a look at reasons why you should use a proper box instead of a bag.

A Proper Wedding Dress Box

A proper wedding dress box will be acid free (because the acid will break down the fabric and cause discoloration) and will also be pH neutral, because a box that is acid free without being neutral will likely have a reverse alkalinity which will cause the same kind of damage as not having a acid free box. The proper wedding dress box will also be solid with no viewing window, because a viewing window will let light in.

A Plastic Bag

While it may be good to help you get your dress from the store to the seamstress for alterations and to the cleaners after the wedding, using a plastic bag allows light to get to the dress which will break down the fabric and lead to discoloration. In addition to light, the bag will likely be more susceptible to moisture which can cause the dress to mildew and mold. As time goes on, the plastic bag will break down, whereas the proper dress box will stay intact. Chances are the plastic composition of the bag will also contain acids that will break down the fabric.

While it may be more cost effective to store your dress in a bag initially, in the end it will do more harm than good when you go to take out the dress in a few years to give to your daughter, friend, or other loved one to find it ruined with discoloration and weakened fabric.

Save yourself potential heartbreak later and store your dress correctly with an acid free, pH neutral wedding dress box. This way you know your dress will be safe through it all and when it is time to renew those vows, you will be ready to go.