Saved, Not Stupid

Tonight's Mexican dinner

2010-04-12T21:25:00.004-04:00

I've been asked how do I eat Mexican food if I'm allergic to dairy and the entire onion family (including garlic)? Well, I make it from scratch. Here are tonight's recipes. I'm also going to include a couple substitutes for the meat. I normally make the substitutes. Tonight was just that kind of night that we felt like chicken. lol We alternate between flour soft shells and corn hard shells. Tonight, we used corn hard shells. Add lettuce, olives, and your normal taco toppings, and you have a great meal!

Chili lime chicken or Portabella mushrooms

4 chicken breast halves. I use Tyson's skinless, boneless with the fat already trimmed. Or use whole large portabella mushrooms.
4 small limes, or 2 regular sized ones, zest and juice
1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 1 teaspoon powdered ancho chilies (chili powder has garlic. powdered chilies are only chilies)
salt and seasoned pepper to taste

Mix the seasonings, lime zest and juice in a ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to coat. I actually keep the chicken partially thawed. Keeping it frozen helps the chicken stay moist. I just put in the portabella mushrooms in whole cuz they are easier to grill that way. Marinate for at least an hour, preferably 4. Grill until done. With them being partially frozen, I grill them around 30 minutes on low. The portabellas I play by ear depending on the size. The chicken comes out juicy! Just slice the chicken or mushrooms and use for your fillings.

Fat free "refried" beans

1 28oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinse
1 10oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground ancho chilies
pinch sugar
salt and seasoned pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium high 10 minutes, until beans are soft. Blend with immersion blender until as smooth as you like.

Mexican rice/quinoa taco filling

1 cup brown rice
1 cup rinsed quinoa (We prefer Inca Red for this dish)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground ancho chilies
salt and seasoned pepper to taste
4 cups water

Combine in rice cooker and cook for normal time. This makes a lot! It freezes well.

Quick vanishing guacamole

1 Haas advocado
juice of 1 small lime
1 tablespoon diced tomatoes with green chilies (yeah, we eat them a lot)
1 or 2 drops green habanero hot sauce (or whatever kind you like, to taste)
salt and seasoned pepper to taste

Enjoy using any of these in your Mexican dishes. They are really easy to make and keep my family happy! By using the same spices in everything, I am able to get dinner to the table quickly and with a minimum of fuss. It's an easy go to dinner for busy days. Oh, and normally, if I plan it out right, the whole dinner costs about $7 for the whole family including my brother in law who ate with us tonight. And yes, the kids have lunch for tomorrow from it also.

So very sick of being sick

2010-02-17T21:30:00.002-05:00

Here's the update on the vegan menu from a couple weeks ago. It didn't happen. lol I was sick when I wrote it, but thought it was my normal asthma trying to play games. I am just NOW getting myself caught up. It has been a couple weeks of breathing treatments and having to sleep sitting up because I was so congested.

Part of the reason I struggle so much with my asthma is that I am allergic to or have had serious reactions to just about every maintenance drug out there. Many of them use dairy as binders. So, all I have available to me right now is breathing treatments and rescue inhalers. I have so much albuterol in my system that I don't even get shaky from my treatments any more.

We had a yummy vegan dinner tonight. Quinoa brown rice burritos with sauteed peppers, green chilies and advocado. They were yummy and easy to make. I love my rice cooker. I plan on getting one with more bells and whistles when we can afford it, but that's more of a luxury. I can use it to cook grains, steam veggies, and I've even used it to steam Chinese dumplings. Here's the recipe for tonight's dinner. Um, I really have to remember to take pictures BEFORE the horde at my house gets to it.

Quinoa Brown Rice Burritos

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 cup Inca Red Quinoa (You can use normal too. I like them both.)
4 cups water
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon powdered ancho chilies

Add all of the above to your rice cooker and cook just like you do for normal rice. While that is cooking...

3 sweet bell peppers - I used 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange - sliced thinly
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Seasoned pepper (I almost always use Lowry's Seasoned Pepper in place of regular pepper) and salt to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add seasoned pepper and cook for a minute. Add bell peppers and cook until soft and slightly browned. I normally do my mushrooms the same way and have them in this dish, but we eat a lot of mushrooms and ran out last night.

Slice up whatever veggies you want - lettuce, tomatoes, olives, advocado etc.

Once the quinoa and rice is done, warm your tortilla shells and sub the quinoa and rice for the meat. Add your veggies including the peppers and mushrooms (if your family hasn't already eaten them all like my family) and enjoy! This is a great meal that takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to cook. The quinoa is a complete protein so it's a great replacement for the meat. Enjoy!

Well, I'm going to take my meds, which I am slowly weaning myself from, and heading to bed. Night all!

Menu Planning for the week

2010-02-03T21:11:00.002-05:00

I love menu planning and grocery shopping. I love knowing that the food I cook is going to be appreciated by my family, and used for their good health. Because of my health issues, the vegan lifestyle is the best for me. I do have honey, since it's local and helps my allergies. Other than that, I don't have any animal products, except occasionally eggs. Yes, I do this for a while, then start feeling great, and letting chicken and fish back into my diet. Next thing you know, I am eating burgers from fast food and feeling awful. So, I am going vegan again. The last straw was my son getting sick from fast food. He shudders when we pass by that restaurant now. We are always dairy free, but the rest creeps in. It is now time to get back to basics.

Here's the coming week's menu. Our lunches tend to be leftovers from dinner, so unless there's something different planned. All dinners have salad with them.

Thursday - Breakfast - toast and coffee (so not giving up coffee this time)
Dinner - Rice and Quinoa tacos

Friday - Breakfast - steel cut oats. I'm trying a new crock pot recipe.
Dinner - Jamaican Red Pea Soup

Saturday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - leftovers from tacos or soup

Sunday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - vegan chow fun, steamed dumpling

Monday - Breakfast - fruit, oatmeal
Dinner - Pancake dinner at school (I have our own recipe that I'll take for the non-dairy folks. I'm organizing the dinner.)

Tuesday - Breakfast - fruit, oatmeal or toast
Lunch - tuna pasta salad for the kids, salad for John and me
Dinner - Sweet potato burritos

Wednesday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - Red Beans and Rice - yes, this can be vegan too.

Well, that's it for now. I'll post recipes as I go along. I'm still trying to decide the direction of this blog. It's not clear to me what I'm supposed to do, but am sure God will show me. Right now, I'm going to hang out with my husband for a bit then hit the bed. It's been a long week so far. Michael's been sick and I'm fighting it off too. Have a great night all!

It's John's birthday!

2010-02-03T21:05:00.002-05:00

My handsome husband is celebrating his 38th birthday today. 4 years ago on this day, we had our first date, complete with both of our children. By the end of that date, our children were already calling each other brother and sister and were scheming about how to get us married. Not quite 4 months later, we were married. He swept me off my feet! I have been so blessed by having him as a husband and the family we've created. I am so thankful! I can honestly say I am madly, deeply, truly in love with him, more so than when we first married. We've been through much in our four years, including a major health issue with my liver, and his acid reflux. No matter what, we love God, each other, and our family. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!

Please help Haiti!

2010-01-14T11:09:00.005-05:00

The stories and pictures are heartbreaking. I find I have to shut off the tv and news occasionally. The horror the people there are dealing with...just no words. But you can help.

There are several organizations that have set up easy donation options. Here are two. As I find out more, I'll come back and post them.

Text haiti to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. They have already run out of medical supplies in country, and are working on bringing in more. They already had boots on the ground as Haiti was in need of so much help beforehand. It's overwhelming how much they need now.

Text disaster to 90999 to donate $10 to Compassion International. They have worked in Haiti for years. Before the earthquake, they served 65,000+ children and families around the country. They have the infrastructure and connections to help people in a great way.

Please pray for Haiti. Even if you can't afford to donate any money, prayer is the one thing everyone can do. Prayer can open the door to miracles!

One last note. So many people didn't care about what was going on in Haiti before this. Now, Haiti is in the forefront of everyone's minds. Let's not do our typical American short term memory loss/span of attention. Haiti will need help for a long time to come. Don't turn your back on them once the initial urgency of this wears off.

*****added 1/15/10*****

Evidently, the scammers are already out in full effect. Please be careful about what charities you donate to. I've also heard that a popular one being mentioned, Yele, run by musician Wyclef Jean, may be questionable. Use your own discretion when choosing.

Salvation Army is a great choice.

UNICEF is also a good choice.

Look for organizations that have already been working in Haiti before the earthquake hit. There's are several charity rating organizations that will tell you about different organizations.

There is a huge outpouring of help from the world community. I just pray that it keeps up after the inital clean up is done. Pray for Haiti and the people touched by this tragedy.

Why I love Sprint Customer Service, or How I killed another car

2010-01-08T20:29:00.002-05:00

Yep, you read it here. I killed another one. Actually, I think I've had this car the longest out of all of them. This happened a couple weeks ago, but I need to say thanks to Sprint Customer Service. So, here's what happened.

Before we left to visit my parents, my cell phone broke and my old one was turned on for a few days while the replacement was shipped. We came back from visiting my parents in another state for Christmas, and I had a ton of driving to get done. The day after we came back, my husband picked up the cell phone while I ran around doing errands. I kid you not. It was during the two hours between the time he picked up the phone and I got home to get it from him that the car died. Really. My old cell phone had been turned off when John picked up the replacement one for all of two hours! THAT'S when my car died. It was only a mile and a half from the house, on the exit ramp from the highway. But, the windchill was subzero, and my asthma is triggered my extreme cold. I knew there was no way I could walk the way and still breathe.

I still had the old, now disconnected, cell phone on me. The only number I could dial was customer service for Sprint. The gentleman who answered my call dialed my husband's phone (he didn't hear it over his video game) and my mother's phone (she was out and didn't hear it ring) trying to let them know what happened. Neither one picked up. This gentleman stayed on the phone with me for 20 minutes while I tried to reach someone, anyone, to come help me. Finally, a woman stopped and gave me a ride home. I didn't know her but she was really sent from God. So was the Sprint operator. I regret I can't remember the name of the Sprint operator that helped me. I was so stressed out and upset. But thank you Sprint operator man!

Now, for those who know me, I killed my car this time by having a belt snap. So totally not my fault, but given my record, I'm still getting blamed. Eh, even I agree some of it is valid. I didn't think a broken belt could hurt the engine that much. But there are these things called impact (or something like that) engines and they tend to bend pistons or break them or do something really really bad when the belts break. Bottom line, it's dead. I'm driving the big gas guzzling truck. It's a blessing to have a running vehicle, but I drive a lot. We're hoping we can find someone to fix the car without costing an arm and a leg. I've also started looking for a job. But that's a post for another time.

Just a quick note

2010-01-05T23:18:00.002-05:00

I forgot to tell you all that I may not post on Mondays. We don't watch any TV on Mondays, or use the computers much for non-business items. We also don't use our phones after dinner. Instead we play board games or have a family devotion. This week, both children had sports practices after school. It's J Term, which is a week of fun classes for the kids at school, and Mikey signed up for half day gym classes. So, he's in gym class for over two hours, then has practice for an hour and a half. By the time we got home and had dinner last night, both kids were wiped out and went to bed early. We also don't get home until 6:20 or 6:30. I can see now our crockpot is going to get a workout. There is no practice or any type of after school activity on Wednesdays so the families can go to church. I'm looking forward to that. I don't know what/if church we will go to tomorrow. Michael is really tired and needs some rest. I think we might watch the movie that's based on Dinner with A Perfect Stranger. We really loved that book, and Michael wants to have a party with non-dairy versions of the food. Yep, that's my boy. He loves to eat. lol

I'm really enjoying my Bible reading. Yes, reading through the Bible in 90 days is intensive, but wow! For example, isn't it ironic that Abraham and Issac both lied about their wives being their sisters, then Jacob was deceived concerning two sisters? Maybe it's just the odd way I tend to connect things, but that just really struck me. And yet, they are in the bloodline of Jesus! We can mess up, and still God will use us mightily. I know that's a great comfort to me. I mess up on a daily basis. Sorry if you thought I was perfect. I'm far from it. FAR from it. I'm just happy He sees me as worthy to even keep around.

Well, I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow is a slower day, and I'm looking forward to that. Thursday is another crazy day, including Katelyn's 16th birthday and a game she's cheering for. We're going to celebrate on Saturday instead, I think. It's up in the air as we try to coordinate schedules with family. I'll be taking pizza and dessert to Katelyn and her friends on Thursday at school. I've promised to try to not embarrass her unless I show up with pizza. hehehe I'll be embarrassing her. It's my job as a parent. Now, just how am I going to do that. I think I'd have to sleep with one eye open if I showed up as a clown. Maybe baby pictures posted around the school....

Freezing my toes off!

2010-01-03T21:28:00.003-05:00

Yep, it is officially cold. Very very cold. I'm readay for a little warmth now I don't mind winter, but sub-zero wind chills are too much. The woodstove version of heat wars is going on. Put another log on, too many logs are on, let the logs burn down, the logs have burned down too far. and all the while, I'm still cold!

The Bible reading is still going well. It's more intensive than I thought it would be. Going through it in 90 days is quite a challenge. But, I know that it is going to be so fruitful. It already is. And the whole point of trying something new is to stretch yourself past the point of comfort to see what you can accomplish. I love reading the Word!

Today was a quiet day. I had a few errands to run, and we're getting ready for the start of school tomorrow. And sports. YEAH! It's going to be a busy time here, but that's the way we like it. So, let the insanity begin! Oh, did I mention that Katelyn turns 16 this week? She's counting down the days, and I'm trying to forget that she is growing up. She's become such a beautiful composed young lady. It seems like just yesterday that her father and I were married, and this girl on the verge of womanhood. Now, she's almost grown! I'm not ready. lol

I'm going to finish watching Masterpiece Theatre and head to bed. I want to just burrow under my blankets and not come out until the mercury rises above 25deg!

What a busy day!

2010-01-03T00:39:00.002-05:00

We're finishing up the downstairs area from all the flood damage. The floors are being done, and we just have the walls to finish. John is still working on the floors this late at night, and I'll be running to the store tomorrow for more supplies. But, it looks great and he is working so hard! I've been busy working on the upstairs. I have to reorganize just about everything. I need to set up our spaces to work for us. They haven't been, and stay messy. So, it's time to organize, purge, and clean.

Today's reading for the Bible in 90 Days is Genesis 17-28. This is already so much fun! I love reading about the geneology of our faith. Imagine, the people I'm reading about right now are in the bloodline of Christ, and all of us! Have you ever stopped to realize that? Yes, you can claim direct lines to Noah and Adam. I think that's so cool. Imagine that family tree!

Well, it's short and sweet today. It's already past midnight and I'm very tired. I need to sleep. I've battled insomnia a lot lately and am thankful for fatigue tonight. I need the sleep. So many people I know have had sleep issues lately. I don't know what's going on with that, but we are all very very tired people! lol

Night all!

Happy New Year! Goals for 2010

2010-01-01T21:40:00.004-05:00

Hello! How are you all doing? Me, well, we've had an interesting end of the year. We've had flu, allergic reactions, and all sorts of stuff going on. I decided around the beginning of December that I needed to just regroup and concentrate on family for a bit. I picked January 1 to be my reemergence from my self-imposed exile. So, here I am. I'd like to be able to commit to posting every day on my blogs. But, honestly, my schedule is truly packed all ready. We'll see how that works out. We are now a two sport family. Katelyn has cheerleading and Michael is on the basketball team. Practices are at two different times in two different locations. I'll be living in the car most afternoons. So, what's a girl to do? I'm planning my days around this time in the car so I can use that time to read and do Bible study. Hopefully, I'll be able to use that time to work on some of my other goals for the year. Notice I say goals, and not resolutions. I think goals are much more attainable and quantifiable than just some vague resolutions.

Here are my goals for the year. I've broken them down into the 7 areas of life that we all have. I also have a couple unnamed goals, that I cannot share until I have actually started them.

Spiritual Goals:
1. Read through the Bible in 90 days
2. Consistant Bible study, either through books or tape series
3. Prayer every day, and not just when something is going wrong.
4. Be more open about my faith and share
5. Church every Sunday (we're looking for a church home right now)
6. Write that books God's put on my heart - I can't give details yet. This is one of the unnamed goals (what they are about and all that).

Physical Goals:
1. Lose weight! Have a healthy BMI of 20-22
2. Follow THM eating plan. No dairy, no red meat, no processed sugar, just whole healthy foods. For more information, visit www.marilu.com
3. Exercise 5 times a week
4. Complete a marathon
5. Get asthma back under control without any of the icky meds that make me sick in other ways.
6. Look more feminine. The whole jeans and t-shirts thing is getting tired. I want my hubby to look at me and say WOW!
7. Get my Hidradenitis Suppurativa under control and help spread word and knowledge about this rare and painful disease.

Family & Home Goals:
1. Make sure my husband knows how much I love and value him. He is a hard working incredible man of God. Plus, he puts up with my craziness and makes me laugh. lol This includes date nights, fixing meals he likes and are healthy for him, and lots of other little things.
2. Be a good parent to my children. Not a friend, but a parent. Be there for them, support them, make sure they are growing in their faith and will grow up to be Godly adults. Use chore lists, family nights, model the behavior I would like them to follow...
3. Keep the house straight all the time
4. Family dinner every night Sunday - Thursday.
5. Decide about redecorating and get moving
6. Keep in touch with my extended family and friends better. Not just emails, but letters and phone calls too.

Business Goals:
1. Get a job to meet some short term goals we have right now.
2. Continue to grow my business
3. Keep track of every penny spent
4. Revise business plan
5. Revise website
6. Work more with the organizations I belong to.

Friendship Goals:
1. Become more involved with church women's groups.
2. Keep in better touch with my friends and spend time with them.
3. Host teas at my house from time to time.

Mental Goals:
1. Read through classics and not just Jane Austin over and over (yes, I love her work!)
2. The unnamed goal. I promise, I will share later. I've been dreaming about it and God has given me a way to start working on this goal soon.
3. Work on organization. Use my planner and Blackberry to keep up my efforts.

Ministry Goals:
1. There is a group I know that I'm supposed to be involved in. I need to get working on doing so.
2. Being more involved in church fits in here as well. But also, involvement with non-Christian charities is important.
3. Blogging more consistently. I'll share more about this later, once I work out all the details.

I think that's enough for now, don't you? I pray everyone has a great night. I'm going to be starting my reading through the Bible in 90 Days challenge tonight. I couldn't find the Bible at my local store, so I will do the reading in my own Bible with the schedule. Today is Genesis 1-16. I'm going to order the Bible online though. I just can't wait! I know that there are many people doing a challenge with this starting today. I'll have to link up with them, maybe tomorrow. May I just say I love my Bible reading?! I can't wait to see what fruit a concentrated reading like this will bear.

Chele

For the month of October

2009-10-01T21:18:00.002-04:00

I'm making a concerted effort to blog on a daily basis. Don't know how well that's going to work, but hey. I can try. So, I'm posting this on all of my blogs tonight, October 1st, and taking it from there. Life is no more less hectic now than it was before. I just have a lot to say! lol You know me. I talk a lot.

Ramblings on Reality TV

2009-08-15T21:21:00.007-04:00

Let me preface this entry by saying that I know what some of you will think. Yes, all 11 of you. lol I haven't lost my mind, or changed my views on God, life, or coffee. I'm just saying that sometimes Christians can be so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good (as Oliver Wendell Holmes first said). There are times I feel that by being so seemingly strict and unbending we're driving people away from the love and light of Christ that we Christians are supposed to be.

I've recently started watching reality TV. Yes, I am strange. I've never seen an episode of American Idol. I could care less about Big Brother. And until we got the expanded channel offerings, I only watched cooking shows on Food Network, as my hips will attest. We have the big channel package before, but all I watched then was Food Network, Clean House and when my mom was in town, Bridezillas. lol The rest of the shows our family watched were on regular channels, so we got rid of the other channels. The basic package had Food Network and Hallmark, so I was good. lol Now, we have many many channels. Yes, we watch approximately 7 of them now instead of the 4 we did before.

There are two reality shows that I watch now. They will be a surprise to you. They were a surprise to me. I watch Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood and Gene Simmons Family Jewels. If you don't know, the basic premise for both shows is following a famous family through their everyday lives. There's the mom, dad, and two kids. All sorts of situations, both normal and only-the-rich-and-famous-would-have-this-happen type stuff. Now, real or contrived, what comes through in both of these shows is the love that the families show. I do know that there are many people who would say that it's all editing, or that they are only showing what they want people to see. Yes, I'm gullible. I think that there is a true deep and abiding love with these couples and their families.

For those of you still with me, I bring these shows up for a reason. I've heard people say that these shows are trash or what a "proper" Christian wouldn't watch. These same people watch movies and TV shows with content that surely is more questionable. They listen to music that talks about these same situations, they use language that is dicey, they wear clothes that are the wrong kind... Anyone else see this as hypocrisy? Seriously folks. Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed, although not married, have a beautiful family and home, are devoted to each other and have lasted a lot longer than other marriages in both Hollywood and the rest of the world. They are hard working and take time to not just write a check to charities, but actually give of their time. Obviously, I don't agree with some of their lifestyle choices. I've never actually heard a Kiss song, at least that I know of, but I've heard it is kinda out there. The make-up is enough! lol But why throw out the good values being shown? I know people who would say I'm not a real Christian because my hair is too short (it's a little past my shoulders) or because I buy store bought bread sometimes. Get real!

Tori and Dean is based on the same premise. They are married with two very young children. They show the trials that all of us working (yes, even work from home) parents deal with. Finding a balance between work and family, wanting success at our chosen careers, even family relationship issues. They lean on each other, fight with each other, love each other. There's one scene that just cracks me up. Tori's infant daughter is fussing and Tori says this line about every mom does the check and smells for poo. It's classic parenting. Who among us hasn't had to do that smell check. My son is 11, and instead of smelling for poo, I'm now checking that he puts deodorant on his smelly man-funk pits. That's as real life as you get! As with Gene and Shannon, Tori and Dean are not Christian and don't espouse Christian views. But they are committed to their marriage (or in Gene and Shannon's case, long term relationship) and their family. They are real life people living extraordinary lives. Tori and Dean's arguments about Dean's motorcycle racing reminds me of fights with my husband about his computer games. Um, yeah, we no longer fight about that with my blogging, tweeting, facebooking, and on and on. lol

All too often, we Christians throw away great opportunities to share with the world around us. We spend too much time trying to witness to each other that we forget we are supposed to be lights to the world. That would be the world of NON-Christians. They are not going to be won over by our Christian-ese language. They are not going to be converted by repeated thumps over the head with our Bibles. And the last time I checked, a forced salvation isn't a real one. As my husband says when I'm trying to get him to do things my way, agreeing with a gun pointed at your head isn't real. (Kidding! I don't really use a gun. It's a frying pan.) The world is going to run in the opposite direction when we are negative about everything that they do. If you can't find common ground to start a dialogue, then you're just talking to yourself.

Here's the point of this long rambling post is to say that if you are serious about trying to model Christ and show Him to the world, remember, it was the sinners He dealt with. None of us are perfect, and we shouldn't try to impose our own prerequisites when God doesn't require any. Do you remember who you were, what you were doing in your life when you heeded God's call to you? I remember where I was.

I used to party. I mean, get drunk, hang out in the club, act stupid partying. The stories I could tell! I met my first husband while pledging, don't remember that, then met again at a party, don't remember much of that, and didn't remember what he looked like when he showed up for our first date. We dated for a year and a half before I became pregnant and we thought we should get married. The next year, I was saved after realizing what a horrible mess I was in. Fast forward six years later. We were divorced, our son was living with me and seeing his dad on weekends. I met and married my husband in four months. Seriously. We met in January, married in May. And I've never been happier. That story is for another post. Talk about God working out things!

God worked (and is still working) on me in tremendous ways. It took me many years to stop partying and going to clubs. It took the death of a friend to get me to stop drinking. My driving, which was legendary for it's awfulness, is now much improved. I know what a speed limit is! And I follow it! My temper, which once led me to park my ex-husband's car in the middle of the front lawn in January, in Michigan, in two feet of snow, is now under control. Imagine if that first person who told me of God's love had tried to do it by saying how wrong I was in the lifestyle I was living. I have no doubt that I would have been living that lifestyle a lot longer if that happened. Instead, the person who first planted that seed met me where I was. She didn't go clubbing with me, but she didn't tell me I was going straight to hell either. She was a friend. She was honest and real and that, more than anything, made me crave what she had.

I'm not going to start writing letters to try to convert Tori, Dean, Shannon, or Gene. I'm not going to start preaching on street corners. I'm not going to be Suzy Sister Christian with the perfect family, perfect house, and perfect bundt cake. I'm me. I'm someone who still listens to secular music. My husband calls it noise, but that's kinda what I think of that rock stuff he likes. lol I'm someone who's house looks more House Lived In than House Beautiful. Shoot, I'd love to have a housekeeper cuz I hate cleaning (hint hint John!). I am guilty of neglecting my family at times for business, and vice versa. But you know what? I have real relationship with people and am open about my faith. That's where God will meet the world. More people have been saved by craving what others have. It's the keeping up with the Jones syndrome. Let's use that to our favor!

Plan B

2009-08-08T21:48:00.002-04:00

There are times when Plan B is really Plan A. It's just that my Plan A is not always God's. Take this weekend for example. I was supposed to do a craft show. Things happened, and we decided I shouldn't do it. We have a family friend spending the night. Her little brother was just diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I signed up to do a marathon for Team in Training on Monday, he got the diagnosis on Tuesday and started Chemo on Wednesday.

Now, she is spending the night with us, relaxing and de-stressing. The show I was supposed to be in? Well, it poured all day today. It would have been canceled due to rain anyway, and I would have lost inventory, time and sales. I've been able to test a few new recipes, which I will post on my other blog. More than that, we were able to minister to a teenager dealing with a serious illness in the family. See, my plan A wasn't the important one. God's plan A was so much better.

I'm heading to bed soon. I want to get up and make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow for John and the girls. Maybe I'll get pictures of those BEFORE they eat them all. lol

I'll be honest here

2009-08-05T23:29:00.003-04:00

I didn't accomplish even a portion of what I planned today. So, I'm heading to bed and will try again tomorrow. I did post on my domestically challenged blog about pizza. I attended a meeting that I'm so excited about. And now I'm going to bed, late. I did accomplish more than that, but it wasn't at all how I planned my day. Oh well. I'll be up early to play catch up before my day really begins. I need to start tomorrow with God. That will make my day run all the more smoothly. So, goodnight all!

Where have I been!?

2009-08-04T10:35:00.002-04:00

Right here! lol Very busy trying to take the business to the next level, trying to be sure the kids finish school on a good note, trying to manage the every day items of life that seem so overwhelming at times, but always joyous. Plus, I've been on twitter. A lot. lol I've actually cut back lately, but still it is there. I joined because someone said it would be good for business, but I've mainly been chatting. lol I admit it.

I have been storing up things to blog about. As I prepare for the new school year and all the challenges of having a high schooler and (gulp) a junior high schooler, I find myself anxious to get back to the routines of life, and establish new routines. If you think about it, it's the routines that keep life and all its surprises going. We have to have the basics - food, shelter, clothing, God. I find if I have those things in order, I can cope with anything that comes along. Well, we have food, shelter, and clothing. But lately, my time with God has been decreasing and decreasing. Now, it's at an unacceptable level. So, it's time to regroup and get back to those things that keep the rest in check.

Today, I have to realistically look at my schedule and figure out how to make it work. I'm not willing to reduce my committments because I know that I am supposed to be doing these things. But I am going to reduce my "committments" to my time wasters. ***and now, while I'm typing this, my handsome husband just emailed me asking me to plot out how to accomplish the goals I have for this month. lol*** You know what time wasters I'm talking about. For me, it's TV, twitter, and texting. True, I can do some of that while I'm melting wax or stuff like that, but they need to take more of a back seat. (this is kind of ironic since an upcoming post is on a couple TV shows. lol) My time with God needs to be in the driver's seat - Bible reading, Bible study and prayer. The rest of the schedule will fill in.

Well, I'm on my way to get more work done. I have some exciting things coming up. I can't wait to talk some more to everyone. I've been reading blogs and trying to stay current. I'll have scheduled blog time now, so I'll be able to keep things even more straight. At least, with prayer, that's the plan.

Still around

2009-05-31T12:11:00.002-04:00

We've had a busy few weeks, and are now all fighting off colds. I think that I get these occasional bouts of stop the world colds when my life is out of balance. I'm not spending time with the Lord like I should, my house is a little, um, disorganized, and I can only breathe through one nostril. lol Yeah, life is a little out there. I'll catch you all up on our lives in a day or two. For now, I'm just happy that the kids only have three half days left of school. Finals will be interesting for Katelyn. Please pray that we end the school year on an up note. It has been a very long school year for us.

Talk to you all later!

I have found the straw

2009-05-05T11:50:00.002-04:00

that broke the camel's back. That's right. You read it here. I will explain on Monday. I'm getting packed up to go to a great creation science camp with my son and his class. Three days in the woods collecting bugs, going on a bog walk (which I will stand just outside of and take pictures like a good mom), kissing pigs (of course, taking pictures again), touching snakes (I really like taking pictures), and stuff like that. I will also find some time to write some blog entries, including about this straw. Plus, I have playscapes to post!

Well, off to pack. I know we'll have a great time. My friend is going (our sons are best friends) and we're sure to have a ball! I also have to cook the food Michael and I will eat at camp. The menu is heavy on dairy - which we don't eat - and other things that I'm allergic/intolerant to. Talk to you all on Saturday!

This week's plan

2009-04-27T07:44:00.002-04:00

is to finish separating the blogs and get back to a routine. How great that will be! No, really. I need the routine to help me accomplish everything that needs doing. We're getting busier and busier here. Next week, I'll be at science camp with my son for three days. Ugh. Ick. I am not the type to go looking for critters in the woods. So not my thing.

So, here goes the plan.

Today - start moving entries over to the appropriate blogs and adding some more
Tuesday - finish the moving
Wednesday - SNS - resume our study, plus post lots of playscape pictures. You'll find out why soon! I'll have the same post on all three blogs. Plus, I'll post what's planned on the other two blogs.

I have to go do some cleaning today. We've had quite a bit of rain and since our ground is already completely saturated from the winter, we had a little moisture in the lower level of our home again. Just a little though. We're trying to dry it up before the rains start back up tonight and tomorrow. Talk to you later!

I'm ticked and I don't care who knows it!

2009-04-22T09:44:00.003-04:00

If you ask for a person's opinion, then don't be mad when you get it! We are living in a time when people's feelings get hurt at the slightest things. Come on! Get a grip. Personally, I think it's a symptom of how self-centered people are. Just because you feel a certain way DOESN'T mean everyone else must feel that way too. Whatever happened to agreeing to disagreeing? This culture of being afraid to speak your mind has got to stop. I just love how the tags of "diversity" and "acceptance" apply only if you agree with the people using them.

I'd like to stand up and applaud Miss California. She stood by her faith and her beliefs. Kudos to you. I pray that you continue being bold. Don't back down. There are many people standing by you.

I'd like to say that I'm glad I've never read anything that Hilton Perez (or is it Perez Hilton?) ever wrote. And the only way I know about it is that the "news" media keeps talking to him like he's a real journalist. He's not. He's a hate-filled person who comes across as a bully. He needs his mouth washed out with soap. I will pray for him as well. I pray that he sees there is a better way to make a living than to denigrate people.

The news broadcasts now sound like the tabloid TV shows did when they first came out. Seriously. What happened to the days of reporting the news and letting people make up their own minds about the story? This dumbing down of America has got to stop. I don't need anyone to tell me how to think. I'm fully capable of doing that for myself.

And while we're at it, where are all the "women's" groups? You know, the ones that complain at the least little thing. Are you not outraged that this man used such filth to describe Miss California? When did the C word become acceptable? My son asked me what it meant. I told him it meant daily washing out of his mouth with soap and grounded until he was married. How in God's green earth did this man get away with calling Miss California that and having it reported all over the world?

Enough ranting now. I'm going to go do something constructive now. I just wanted to comment on this. I really need to go back to my news fast.

Please Help!

2009-04-21T13:43:00.003-04:00

I've entered a competition for a small business grant from Intuit. Please go to

http://community.intuit.com/contests/bVxSpalPur3QVhacfA8pyY

and vote for my essay! I'd love to at least make it to the next round. Thanks!

Changes are a comin'

2009-04-21T08:48:00.003-04:00

So, if anyone ever looks at my profile, they'll notice a couple new blogs. Just hold tight! There's new content coming to all three blogs. I'm building up entries before the official launching. Here's how it will break down.

Here - Bible Study
Chele's confessions of the domestically challenged - homemaking and living with food allergies
Blue Water Scentsations - The biz, upcoming products, and related items.

I have to run! Things are crazy today. Crazier than normal. I have so much to get done, including making an appointment to see the dentist since I'm having trouble with a filling. It hurts!

Missing everyone

2009-04-17T11:20:00.002-04:00

I have missed updating my blog this week. We had some activites come up that really threw our schedule in a tizzy. Fortunately, I have a slower schedule for the next week. Ok, maybe not slower, but at least in the house and not running around crazy. One thing I started this week was running the concession stand at Katelyn's home soccer games. It has been fun. Tuesday was spent setting it up and selling for the first game. It was cold and rainy, and we only made around $10. lol But yesterday was a beautiful day, and we did much better.

There are a lot of changes coming up in my life. I don't know how things will shake out, but I am taking the time this weekend to evaluate every activity, including this blog, to see where it fits. We're also going to put together our bedroom FINALLY! We had three floods between October and February and we need to get moving on fixing everything. Please pray for wisdom in all we are doing. I really need those prayers.

Well, I better get moving. I have quite a few things to get done. I need to put together my to do lists from the past week and get moving on it. lol

Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen!

2009-04-12T09:47:00.003-04:00

It's Easter! What a wonderful day. Our Lord is risen! So many people think that this is about eggs, chocolate, and bunnies. But that isn't it at all. That's what the world wants you think - take Jesus out and insert chocolate. I have nothing against chocolate, but I don't put my faith in it.

Easter is about relationship. Our relationship with God. He gave His Son to us so that we could have relationship with Him all over again. God loves us so much that He gave a part of Himself to bring us back to Him! How can we not love Him back at least a fraction of the love He has for us? There are four words that came to mind when I was praying about what to write this morning. I'm just going to put the words and the verses for your reading and thought. Enjoy your families today, and reach out to those who don't yet know the true meaning of Easter. Happy Easter!

Hope:

Romans 15:11-13 (New International Version)
11And again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12And again, Isaiah says,
"The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will hope in him."

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Faith

Romans 1:16-18 (New International Version)

16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written:
"The righteous will live by faith."

Praise

Psalm 117:1-2 (New International Version)

1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.

Sacrifice

Hebrews 10:1-10 (New International Version)

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.
3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "
8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Getting back into the swing of things

2009-04-09T10:11:00.003-04:00

So, this is going to be another short entry. My menu for the week, and my to do list for today. I'll report back tomorrow and see how I'm doing with it.

Menu for the week:

Tonight - sweet potato burritos and salad
Tomorrow - leftovers (the burrito recipe makes a boatload and it's just John and me until Sunday night)
Saturday - grilled veggie salad
Sunday - Easter dinner - take spinach salad and cake
Monday - Oriental Chicken Salad
Tuesday - Pot pie
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - Fried Rice

And here's the to do list. I'm going to just try to get the most done that I can. After all, I have no kids at home until Sunday, and it's time to bust it out! I got my planner done yesterday, except the addresses. So, I have all the dates in there that I have obligations. I have a couple more to add, as I set them up. If I get time today, I'll come back and tell you about the goings on. Big surprises there for everyone.

To do -
Grocery list and shopping
30 min on the Wii Fit
Finish my Eventlister stuff (can't give details yet)
Find a vet for the puppy. I'm so not doing the whole going into heat thing.
Craig's list (can't give details yet)
Finish scheduling the meetings (are you tired of me saying I can't give details yet? lol)
Dishes
Laundry
Start eggplant and pepper seeds
Make 5 calls to businesses about wholesale
Finish production schedule
Do today's production
Finish packaging SCM stuff
Bible Study
Run off next week's chore schedules
Email rest of soccer parents about Snack Shack schedule
Letter to 5th Grade parents about carnival
Ask John to figure out how to get emails going through Outlook so they are all in one place
Check back with Project F.A.R.M. and 5 Minute Moms about emails sent week before last

I actually have about 50 more things on my to do list, but I'll spread that out over the next few days. Some of this stuff takes 5 minutes, some will take more. But, I want to get as much of it done as possible. I can't afford not to. If I don't get myself, my house, and my business together, I'm going to just lose it! lol Seriously, I know what God wants me to do, and I can't with the disorganization and malaise in my life. Plus, if I don't get sales up for the biz, I'm going to have to get a job. That will affect so many different things I'm involved with that it would really pull me out of God's will for the work I'm doing at school, and the other stuff we have planned.

Talk to you all later! Have a great day. I'll try to get back today if I have the time.

My get up and go...

2009-04-08T09:30:00.002-04:00

Got up and went. lol

Seriously, the kids are on vacation and not here for the week. We had a power outage. I had my long put off allergy testing, John had to take the laptop back to work, so we're on one computer now, and I've just generally felt like not doing anything. After all, it's spring break, right?

Spring break is now half over, and I still have so much to accomplish. So, I better get myself in gear and moving. Not sleeping last night didn't help either. The good thing is that I'll be sleepy tonight. Hopefully this week, I'll be able to get back to the blog again and post more. But, I need to seriously get some stuff done. Maybe I'll post my list to be more accountable. We'll see. Sorry this is so short, but I have got to make that list and finish it by Saturday Night.

What a day!

2009-04-03T08:38:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was report card day and conferences with the children's teachers. They are both on the honor roll! YEAH! And then conferences hit. I knew that my disorganization was affecting the kids, but Michael is extremely disorganized also. So, we're going to work on that together. Katelyn is doing much better with getting work in, but we have to work on her testing. She's still hiding things from us, bad grades and so forth. I'm not sure how to change that. We've told her that if she's having trouble, we'll help her and she won't be punished. Yet she still hides things. We'll keep working on it with her. Both children have projects to work on this spring break for school.

I have a rant though. I met with the principal today about several things. I volunteered for yet another thing. When will I add the word 'NO!' to my vocabulary? lol Seriously, I don't mind. I'm organizing the Snack Shack for home games. I can do that no problem. While we were there, we discussed cell phones in school. Now, Katelyn was caught (by us) getting text messages during school time. One even had test answers. I know Katelyn wasn't cheating, at least that time. She had been home sick for the past few days and wasn't in school that day. Since she was deleting her history on the phone, we had no way to see what else was going on. She is not allowed to delete that anymore. She also no longer takes her phone to school. Her friends at school were still sending text messages, so I had her tell them we had her phone and would be turning them into school if they kept it up. Katelyn lost her cell phone for two weeks, and now must leave it at home where we can see it during school hours and at bedtime. I spoke with the principal about this, and I was floored.

We spend a lot of money to send Katelyn and Michael to a private Christian school. Parents and students sign a statement of faith and agree to uphold the rules. Of course, since the school has a no cell phone policy, I thought that it was a few kids trying to skirt the rules. We're talking high schoolers here. Evidently, not only is it a widespread problem, but some parents openly flaunt the rules. Students are allowed to have cell phones turned off in their lockers. It's not happening. They are taking them to class and texting. Some students' parents are the ones sending them text messages throughout the day! Have they lost their minds?! When we found out about Katelyn getting text messages, we took the phone away and made sure it wouldn't happen again. We'd never text or call her during class. We value our integrity, her education, and our money to much to waste any of them by doing such a bonehead thing. Some parents are upset that the school is upholding their rules and punishing students who get caught. I just don't get it. The school has really been struggling with this, and has decided to send a letter home to the parents. I just hope that it does some good.

Things are moving along with our lives. There are so many plans in the works, and I love it all! I'll be back to post more later on today. I have to get some stuff done now and the kids only have a half day. Then, we have appointments and Katelyn has a game. So, until later! Be blessed. I'll let you know what we're doing for family devotion this weekend, and update you on a few things. God is good!

And the winner is...

2009-04-01T19:30:00.002-04:00

JMom! Yeah! Congratulations on winning the Blue Water Scentsations Tropical Escape basket. I'll send you an email with the details of receiving your basket. Thank you for entering our contest.

We'll do another giveaway in a few months. Keep reading for more information!

My daily schedule and advice needed from you all!

2009-03-31T11:25:00.004-04:00

So, here's how it's going. It's not. lol I've been staying up too long at night and waking up late these past two morning. Last night, I took a sleeping pill (I'm still having insomnia issues) and just couldn't shake it off this morning. I still have some issues about scheduling though. Maybe I can get some help from my readers out in blogland.

John and I have been talking about how to get our family consistently on fire for God. Too often, we start out with a bang, and end with a fizzle. Our love for God doesn't go away. Just our desire to be in the deeper things of God. I'm really worried that I'm not teaching my children to be the Christians they should be. I'm really worried that I'm not being the type of Christian that I should be.

I'm being absolutely painfully honest here. We don't do family Bible times. Shoot, only one of the four of us is a morning person, and the rest of us have to really restrain ourselves from hurting him. lol By the time we are back together again at night, we eat dinner, park in front of the TV and then crawl into bed at our appointed times. Or, in my case, after I've found out whodunit. We are looking for a new church, and haven't made going to visit any the priority it should be. I think part of that is Michael and I used to be very involved in our church. You could find us there most days doing something, or hanging out with someone from there.

When John and I got married, we agreed that blending our family took priority over outside activities. I scaled back (ok, quit) my activities and Mikey's. Then, we moved and switched churches. The church didn't have any activities for anyone other than Wednesdays and Sundays. Not for the kids, not for the adults. I mean, my old church even had an active men's ministry. How hard is that in this day and age! They had a Christian biker's group, hunting and outdoorsmen group, a father and son group... the list goes on and on. I think that's why that church was so successful. Our new church didn't have any of that and I struggled to really fit in. Well, they've had a shake-up. The pastor that drew us there isn't there anymore. The few friends I made aren't there anymore. And there is even less going on than before. So, we're going to a new church.

I firmly believe that you must have an active group of programs for people to join. That helps people connect. Once they are connected to the Body of Christ, they feel more emboldened to share Christ with others. After all, aren't we supposed to make non-Christians CRAVE what we have? I don't know about you, but I'd rather join a group with a lot going on and something to offer everyone in my family than a place where you just go to fill a seat. I'm not the type to just fill a seat.

Now, I don't think that our inactivity as a family is because of the church. It's us. We've blended pretty well, but in doing so, we took the focus off God and put it on the family. I have definitely heard from God about this. I'm starting two groups, getting involved with another group that I used to work with, and I'm joining a fourth group. I know I will be busy, but I have to do what God tells me to do. Plus, I used to do this as a single mom. I headed two large non-profits, was involved in two others, worked more than full time and was active in church. All while raising my son, who is a great kid.

I will not do any of this if it means not drawing closer to God as a family. So, how do we do that? Is the family Bible time too late to start with a 15 year old and an almost 11 year old? Can they not learn that from us now? Is it never too late to start? What is better, morning or night? We have pros and cons for both. Should we just start reading in Genesis and go on from there, or because we're new to this, should we get a family Bible study with a book and structure until we're ready to go it alone? I'm open to all suggestions. I'll share them with John, and let you all know what we decide and how it works. I know that there is no "one-fits-all" solution. I'm just looking for options at this point.

Confessions of a news junkie

2009-03-30T10:28:00.002-04:00

Yep, you read that right. I'm a news junkie. I really did try to give up the news. Really! For a whole week. Then, I just took a peek to see what was going on. The next thing I knew, I was back where I started. Following every news story, reading all the comments, refreshing the pages of the sites I enjoy to see if there was any breaking news. And the angst! Oh the angst of every news story. The rehashing of it with John, the venting about issues with the kids, the drama of the events. My peace of mind is completely gone!

I'm brought back to what started my whole news fast. The WORD of GOD! Here is Isaiah 33 again.

Isaiah 33 (New International Version)
14 The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
15 He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-
16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"
19 You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them.
22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

This is very clear! I need to keep my eyes on God and not on the world. I admit that I have had some discouragement over the time I've been back in the news. I've had some worries and doubts. I've fallen off the path that I knew He's set me on, all because I've taken my eyes off Him and put them on the detours of life.

Here's how I rescue this situation. I put my eyes back on Him who gave me sight, and I take them off the world. Easier said than done, but I need to do it. And so, I will be doing that this afternoon. I admit, I want to see what is announced with the auto industry. I'm in Michigan and know people who rely on the auto industry for their livelihood. Whatever is announced, I'm not letting it get me worried. We serve the most high God!

The start of a new week

2009-03-29T12:03:00.002-04:00

I admit it. I'm a geek. I love the beginning of new weeks, new months, new years, new school years. I just love new beginnings. This week is the start of several new things. I'm starting a new, improved daily schedule for me. The kids are working on their chore charts, and doing mighty well with them I might add. I'm starting a new phase in my business - we're transitioning from craft show based to Internet and wholesale based. And, John and I are working on a new project. I can't share that one yet. We're also looking for a new church. The kids really want us to go to one of the churches that their classmates go to - Colonial Woods or another one along those lines. Some of the parents have invited me to visit too. We'll see what happens. I really really really miss the AG church. I know that the one I attended was different than most AG churches, but I loved the activities, fellowship and all my friends. Now, we're all scattered around and the kids haven't really connected with the church we were attending. There just aren't kids' activities there for them.

So, my schedule is going to look something like this. It's a work in progress, and is going to be changing as I get into it more.

6am - up, Bible reading, shower and dress
6:45 - make sure both kids are up
7:15 - breakfast
7:35 - leave for school
8-9 - stuff that needs doing around the house
9-2:30pm - work
2:30-3:30 - pick up kids
3:30-5 - kids do homework and chores, I finish up work
5-6:30 - make dinner and clean up around the house
6:30-9 - dinner and family time - Michael shower at 8:30 - once the garden is in, we'll be using this time to maintain it as a family.
9-10 - Michael in bed, Katelyn get ready for bed, bed at 10 for Katelyn and me

Fridays are totally different. I don't work, and I do my errands and grocery shopping. My Saturdays, when not at shows, are going to be work 9-5 also, but more flexible. Sundays will be the Sabbath. Church and family time.

Now, I know there are some glaring holes in this. When do I blog? That is actually part of my work. I see it as ministry and work related. When do John and I get some alone time? Well, we have no kids on the weekends during the school year, so we get lots of time then. This will be especially true as I move the business away from craft shows and more into the wholesale part. Plus, Katelyn has soccer that we're working into the schedule. The thing is, the schedule for that is so crazy that it is pointless to put it in the schedule. We just have to work it out as it comes.

My schedule has been so crazy lately that something had to give. John and I talked, and my schedule is what has to change. I couldn't get more flexible without breaking something. I've been forgetting stuff and missing appointments - totally not me. My planner is back out and in full effect now. I also have to start treating the business as a business, not like something I get to when everything else is done. Things are never completely done! lol

Well, I have to get moving now. This is the last Sunday where I'll be doing stuff instead of keeping the Sabbath. I have to use this time to prepare for this week coming up. Plus, I have to make sure I can schedule in everything to be ready for next Sunday. I want minimal cooking and cleaning for Sunday. It's time to reorganize my priorities.

Coming up this week on the blog:
Monday - Bible Study
Tuesday - How the schedule is working so far
Wednesday - A look at my meals/cooking with allergies. Plus, announce the prize winners!
Thursday - Revisit the $3000 challenge (we have $500 of it sold.)
Friday - Menu Planning
Saturday - Organization update
Sunday - Nothing planned - just whatever God puts on my heart, if anything

That's the plan! Let's see how it all works out this week.

Welcome to Ultimate Blog Party '09!

2009-03-27T09:32:00.005-04:00

There is this really annoying commercial on Nickelodeon. It's a compilation of these guys saying the word "dude" over and over and over. Last night, we were watching Scooby Doo (yes, one of my favorite shows) and the commercial came on. My loving husband offered to throw something through the TV to turn it off. A normal family would have changed the channel. We are not normal. The kids and I promptly went into a 2 minute chorus of "dude" as many different ways and tones of voice as we could. By the end of it, even my husband was laughing. Life is just too short to get annoyed with the little things. Welcome to my world.

My name is Michele, but just call me Chele. Everyone does. I am a stay at home wife and mom. My husband John and I have been married for three years this coming May. We each have one child from our first marriages. Katelyn is 15 and a freshman in high school and Michael is 10 and in fifth grade. We are all evangelical Christians, and the children (excuse me, young adults) attend a local Christian school. John is the IT manager for a chain of collision shops. I have a candle and scented products company. I handmake all our products. I adore my husband and kids. We have such a great life!

We live in the country on about three acres of land. I love it! I'm starting a local chapter of the Mary Jane FarmGirls here. I'm really embracing my inner barn diva. I'd like to actually have more land. I'd like to be able to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm really frugal (ok, cheap), and the thought of not having to pay anyone else for stuff appeals to me a lot. There's also another reason we want to grow our own food. Food allergies.

Yes, I have some serious food allergies. People hear the list of what I'm allergic to, and the first question I get is, "What do you eat!". I'm used to it, and it makes me laugh. There is this perception that being allergic to something means that you are missing out. I'm sorry, but I eat very well without getting ill. My list of allergies includes dairy, the entire onion family (onions, shallots, chives, green onions, leeks and garlic), most food preservatives, meat tenderizers, MSG, roses, latex, most antibiotics, grass, dust, feathers, fur, and several others. My son is also allergic to dairy. I also have a health condition that makes me get very ill if I have too much fat. I can only eat 25-50 grams a day before my body starts to register its complaints. As a result, we eat very few processed foods, very little meat, and lots of homemade goodies. Some family favorites include spaghetti, all types of Mexican food, chicken and dumplings, sticky buns, bread, all types of Chinese (I make it from scratch, like most everything else) and almost anything edible. lol I love cooking, and we try new recipes often. I'm considering entering a cooking contest. We'll see how that turns out.

This blog is a mix of Bible study, homemaking, family news, and whatever comes to mind. I have a strange sense of humor at times, and we enjoy pranking each other. I also like to talk about living with allergies. It's a challenge that more and more people are living with. Living frugally is also important to me. We have a monthly grocery budget of $360, and that includes all of our pet foods, paper products, and toiletries. We're also working on being debt free in the next three years. I try to be organized. Really I do. It just doesn't happen very often. lol It's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I'm very open about my life.

Well, that's me in a nutshell. I welcome you to poke around the blog. I'm in the middle of doing a giveaway for my business. We just launched my revamped website. And now that I know where our camera is, I'll be taking pictures to share. The kids should be very scared. Let's just say I love taking surprise shots. lol

I'm just plain old mad now

2009-03-26T09:16:00.002-04:00

I mean, good and ticked. A friend asked if we could get the word out about this. People, this would directly affect your ability to have your own garden to produce your own food. I'm going to copy and paste the information from the message boards at marilu.com. I don't want to mess this up. We live in a farming community, and this would really hurt our already hurting economy. This is a long read, but worth it.

Please read: A bill to outlaw organic farming next week?

by Tonia on 25 Mar 2009 18:05

Hi everyone. Marilu received the following email on a bill that's coming up in Congress and we'd like everyone to know about it.-------------------

US House and Senate are about (in a week and a half) to vote on bill that will OUTLAW ORGANIC FARMING (bill HR 875). There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next 2 weeks before people realize what is happening.

Please take time to read this and pass it along to your friends. This is truly alarming! The wording of this bill is so general it gives the government complete control over our food. It has the potential to take away our right to choose the food we want to eat; all in the name of food safety.

The name on this outrageous food plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875).HR875 Title: To establish the Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.

Senate Bill 425 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the establishment of a traceability system for food, to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspections Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for improved public health and food safety through enhanced enforcement, and for other purposes.

Notice the last sentence “and for other purposes”…

How much control are we willing to give up?First of all can you imagine the additional expense to our government to create a new USDA/FDA body (In HR875 the new administrator is given complete authority to make this organization as big as he wants). We are already trillions in debt as a nation. This bill includes surveillance of growers/farmers, computer tagging, monitoring, and “mandatory” usage of whatever means the government deems necessary to kill anything living in our food they feel is bad, including all the vitamins which are quite fragile. Imagine the manpower. Are we trying to create jobs just for the sake of it? Who’s paying for this? WE ARE!

425 would potentially outlaw all “potlucks”, anything home grown, herbal remedies, alternative health options, personal food gardens, and so on! This is serious!

Don’t be fooled! READ IT!

This is all being claimed in the name of “food safety”. It is a way to squeeze out our smaller local farmers and shift food production over to large national “BIG Business”. The financial burden to comply will effectively squeeze out small farmers. No going green here! Major carbon footprints!

Please check links below on HR 875 proposal potentially criminalizing organic farming, seed diversity and the backyard gardener, all in the name of food safety and 425. It’s a violation of your rights. Please express your concerns to your state representatives and congressmen. This impacts all of us now and our children in the future. This bill will effectively give our government or whoever is in control, complete control over our food system. The downside is that heirloom varieties, non-GMO plants, non-cloned animals, non-irradiated, hormone free, organic and pesticide free plants and animals can be deemed illegal! Our health hangs in the balance. This hands our food future over to herbicide/pesticide manufacturers like Monsanto.

Main backer and lobbyist is (guess who) Monsanto – chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation. This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales.If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.

There is a video on the subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thE54K3PaTY

And another one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeWVkTU1s1E http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsan ... 9-337.html

(Article on Monsanto)http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h875: (bill itself - click on Thomas Home and then browse bill by sponsor Rosa DeLauro)

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtex ... l=s111-425 (Bill 425: Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act - Introduced in Senate)

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671THIS IS REAL, FOLKS! PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL CONCERNED ON YOUR MAILING LISTS & CALL YOUR SENATE REPRESENTETIVES TODAY!

Get on that phone and burn up the wires. Get anyone else you can to do the same thing. The House and Senate WILL pass this if they are not massively threatened with loss of their position.... They only fear your voice and your vote.

Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. sponsored HR875.The best thing to do is go to http://www.house.gov/writerep all you have to do is put in your zip and it will give you your congressperson and how to get in touch with them. When you call their office someone will answer the phone, just tell them (politely) that you are calling to express your views on HR 875. Tell them your views, they'll take your name and address and pass your comments along to the congressperson. The following link http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_i ... rs_cfm.cfm is a list of the U.S. senators and their contact info.

Here are a list of Reps cosponsoring HR875, if your state is on here, please contact them and express your concerns.
COSPONSORS(40), ALPHABETICAL:
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 2/11/2009
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] - 2/4/2009
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 2/4/2009
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] - 2/11/2009
Rep Castor, Kathy [FL-11] - 2/4/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] - 3/3/2009
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 2/4/2009
Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] - 2/4/2009
Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 2/4/2009
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 2/4/2009
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 2/10/2009
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 2/4/2009
Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] - 2/4/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 2/4/2009
Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 2/4/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 2/4/2009
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 2/4/2009
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] - 2/12/2009
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 2/4/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 2/4/2009
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 2/4/2009
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] - 2/10/2009
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 2/4/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 2/4/2009
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] - 2/4/2009
Rep Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] - 2/4/2009
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 2/4/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 2/12/2009
Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] - 2/4/2009
Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [MD-2] - 3/10/2009
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 2/4/2009
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 2/4/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 2/4/2009
Rep Schauer, Mark H. [MI-7] - 2/4/2009
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] - 2/4/2009
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 2/12/2009
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 2/4/2009
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] - 3/3/2009
Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 2/4/2009
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 3/3/2009

Still here

2009-03-26T08:25:00.002-04:00

Wow! Life has kicked into overdrive. I love that downward slide to the end of the school year. Big projects get wrapped up, moods lighten up, and no more ambushes from teachers about my children missing assignments. lol Yes, we have another 9 weeks of school left and I am counting down the days.

Our children go to a local country Christian school. Homeschooling is not an option for us because of custody arrangements, but we've found the next best thing. The school has a great family atmosphere. I volunteer in school, and the kids are active with their friends, as much as possible. I like the Christ-centered education that they receive. They are able to see people living and walking out their faith on a daily basis. I mean, that there are others that do it besides us. lol

I had some dental work done yesterday, and am still hurting. I'll take some Tylenol and go on with my day. John took the kids to school this morning, so I have had a quiet morning. I really have to remember to pack lunches at night. It makes everything go so smooth! The kids are settling into their chore lists really well. Once I took a look at what was being done by whom, I was able to balance things out much better. Great for one child, not so great for another.

In the busy-ness of life, I've gotten away from the $5 dinners that I was doing. So, back to that. With that in mind, here is the menu for the next week. Because of some changes around here (I'll explain in a few days), my grocery shopping is changing from Thursday to Friday next week. I've added an extra day in here to reflect that.

Thursday - Chicken and Rice soup (left over mashed potatoes for me)
Friday - Wraps with rice, veggies, and maybe shrimp
Saturday - Stuffed mushrooms and salad
Sunday - Pot Pie
Monday - Chicken and Dumplings
Tuesday - Spaghetti
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - Fried Rice

I always put in a leftovers day, but the reality is that sometimes we don't have leftovers. On those days, I make brinner - breakfast for dinner. I always have eggs on hand, and can do pancakes or omelets on short notice. I just throw in whatever veggies I have for omelets. A big hit every time.

John and I have been talking about the direction life has been going in. God has been so good and faithful. All He asks is that we be faithful in return. We're restructuring a lot of things around that. Two words that keep coming up are "Excellence" and "Integrity". Look for much more coming up on that.

Well, I have to run. I have grocery shopping to do, and Katelyn has a soccer game tonight. We're doing a family ice cream night after the game and dinner. Michael and I will be having Rice Dream ice cream treats - non-dairy chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate and rolled in peanuts. Yes, it's a splurge, but the fact that we actually found an ice cream treat we can eat is reason enough. That, and chocolate is always a good thing. lol

Giveaway for my website's launch!

2009-03-18T09:52:00.002-04:00

Yeah! It's finally done (except for six little pictures which will be done later this week.). I've finished our website and sent out introduction emails with coupons to the email addresses I have for friends and family. Now, it's time to do a giveaway. I'm hosting one on Facebook and another one here.

Times are stressful. Every day, the news just makes you want to curl up in your home, shut off all outside distractions, and relax. We want to help with that.

To celebrate the launch of our redesigned website, we're giving away a basket of our best selling products to one lucky person on Facebook. This Tropical Escape basket includes:

*12 votives - 4 each of pina colada, pineapple, coconut
*1 16 ounce jar candle - mango and papaya
*3 sachets - pikaki
*2 bars of soap - one cucumber melon goat's milk soap and one mango papaya glycerin soap
*1 brown sugar body scrub - brown sugar and fig
*1 jar bath salts - pina colada
*1 pound mixi melts - 1/4 pound each pineapple, coconut, fig, almond

Of course, there is absolutely no cost to you. Shipping is included.

The giveaway runs from 9:30 am Eastern 3/18/09 - 11:59 pm Eastern 3/31/09. The winner will be selected 4/1/09 by random selection at www.random.org and announced the same day. Each entry will be assigned a number. Multiple entries are possible.

*For one entry - sign up to follow this blog. Please don't sign up anonymously. I can't count that for the contest.
*For one entry - go to www.bluewaterscentsations.com and pick your favorite product. Post a comment here and let me know which product you chose.
*For one entry - Ask for the email with the coupon code - I do not share email addresses ever, and will not send further emails, if you request I don't.
*For one entry EACH TIME - Spread the word about this giveaway. Post here with the link to where you mentioned it, or how you promoted the giveaway.
*For even more entries, you can participate in the Facebook giveaway too.

Let the games begin!

Busy GOOD day

2009-03-17T19:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, it has been busy. Today was the bake sale for my son's grade. I worked it with his best friend's grandmother, who is my friend. We had a blast! We also talked about a project I've been working on. It looks like it's going to be fun.

John has decided to start doing consulting and tech support on a part time freelance basis. It means less time with us for a while, but it's ok. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get to where you need to be. I am going to be a busy girl with both my business and his, not to mention our regular responsibilities. Organization is going to be key in all of this.

God is so good. I'm so happy that we are being faithful in this. We just made the decision last night, and already John has two, maybe three customers. Isn't He great?

Tomorrow won't be as busy outside the house. But, I am always busy here. I have lots to get done. Not only that, my brother-in-law's birthday is tomorrow, and my father-in-law is treating us all to dinner at Outback. True, I don't eat beef, and can't eat garlic or onions, or corn, and the list goes on and on. I'll be calling them ahead of time to find out what's safe. Even if it's just a salad, it's dinner I don't have to cook!

Have a blessed evening everyone. I'm going to finish up some work on the website and head to bed. Tomorrow, finally, will be the long-talked about giveaway.

Praise in the midst

2009-03-16T09:34:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had a stretch of time in your life that just challenged you and your faith? I mean, where it seems like the tests come one after another, with barely time to breathe in between. I know that God doesn't make these things happen, but He does allow them for a reason. Right now, our lives are in such a season. This last test, which will be unnamed, has rocked me to the core. I worried, and stressed out, and all the things we're not supposed to do as children of God. Finally, God asked which I thought was bigger, Him or the problems? What works better, letting Him handle everything or worry everything in circles? The choice, while hard to put into practice, is clear. God is in control and I have to let Him work it out.

Now, don't get me wrong. I still feel worry coming up in me. Sometimes, even bordering on panic. But God! is there and is faithful. I crave Him! I need Him! He is the fountain of all my strength.

So, while I have planned and plotted out how everything should be, God is busy turning things upside down to show me where my trust should be. I praise Him, no matter what. I serve Him, no matter what. I build my life around Him, no matter what.

Today's to do list is being revised to what God has planned for me to do, not what I had for me to do. I must run. Tomorrow, God willing, I'll get back to my Bible Study. If not, I won't worry.

Menu Mondays

2009-03-16T08:34:00.003-04:00

Here we go. This week's inspired menu. NOT! I admit it. I have cabin fever and no working oven. lol We're still stove shopping. We haven't found any deals that are just sooooo good we have to jump on them. Thankfully, I still have the microwave with the convection oven feature, but that's just not the same. lol The whole family will be happy to have me back to full time baking, instead of the iffy experiments I've been doing lately. I just won't compromise on what type of stove we get for our dollar. We went to 6 stores this weekend without buying anything. Plus we're looking at Craig's List. The problem is that we can only have an electric stove, but not a flat top. You can't use cast iron or do canning with a flat top. We have a flat top now, and let's just say that it half works half the time. lol And on to the menu.

Monday - Leftover Pot Pie from yesterday. I ended up making a biscuit crust that went over well. Too well. I'll have to make more biscuits today so everyone has crust for their pot pie. lol

Tuesday - Spaghetti with homemade sauce. Remember, I can't have onions or garlic, so I'll be making my own version. One day, I'll remember to write down how I make it.

Wednesday - leftovers then over to the in-laws for dessert for my brother-in-law's birthday

Thursday - Nachos or some Mexican food

Friday - Dinner Salad

Saturday - Fried Rice

Sunday - Chicken and Dumplings

I might change this up, if we can get the propane filled for the grill. I want some grilled veggies and wrap them all in a pita, and maybe even some turkey brats (yeah, right. I can't eat those until my gallbladder is all better). I am ready for warm weather! lol During the summer, we grill just about every day. Rain or shine.

I also have to make up more of my spice mixtures. With all my allergies (I should list them sometime), I have to make them myself. For example, chili powder has other spices in it. But, powdered chilies have only chilies in it. Go figure. Plus, this week we'll be starting our seeds for our garden. Spring is in the air!

A wake up call to Christians

2009-03-11T21:09:00.003-04:00

This is a blog posting by one of my husband's online gaming friends.

*** Edited to add - several people asked for the link. Here it is, thanks to my sweet husband. http://kgov.com/writings/nicer-god***

I think that it's a wake up call for all Christians. It's time to decide which side you are on. I'm reminded of the verse in Revelation to the church in Laodicea:

Revelation 3:15-17 (Amplified Bible)
15I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!
16So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!
17For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Keep this verse in mind while reading this entry. Thank you to my dear husband for showing this to me, and sharing it with the children and me for Bible Study tonight.

Christians today are nicer than God.

Or at least they are trying to be so. In the Church there is a standard of niceness that Jesus failed to reach while on earth. Comparing God’s attitude and behavior with that of the Church today shows that believers are far more polite, tolerant, understanding and respectful to the wicked than God is.

The Church is also less offensive, rude and sarcastic than God’s men in the Bible were. And no Christian would ever be caught dead mocking the wicked, as God’s men in the Bible sometimes did.

Jesus was offensive. Most people were offended by him. The proof for John the Baptist that Jesus was the Christ was that the blind see, the lame walk and the majority are “offended” by Him (Mat. 11:2-19). As Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mat. 11:6; Luke 7:23). In Galilee, Jesus did not plead with his neighbors to understand Him when “they were offended at Him” (Mat. 13:57; Mark 6:3). If unbelievers are offended, so be it (cf. Luke 14:3-4; John 5:8-16). “Shake off the dust from your feet” (Mat. 10:14). But alas, that is no longer a Christian attitude.

Christ’s apostles asked Him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard [Your] saying?” (Mat. 15:12). What is the accepted Christian response today after an offense is taken? Quick, apologize! Ask for forgiveness! Tell them you are sorry. How did Jesus respond? He said to ignore the complaints of the unbelievers: “Let them alone. They are blind,” (Mat. 15:14). Today, many Christians condemn Christ’s attitude as unloving.

Jesus promised his followers, “you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended” (Mat. 24:9-10). When a Canadian started his call with a vicious, “Bob, I hate you…” The immediate and (super-) natural response was “Cool. Great! Because Jesus taught that ‘if they hated Me, they will hate you’” (see John 15:18-19; 17:14; Mat. 10:22; Luke 21:17). Today Christians think if the world hates them, they have failed. The reverse should be true. It is not that a Christian wants to be hated; it is simply an occupational hazard.

Jesus is the Rock. Most believers are unaware, however, that Jesus used this metaphor to issue a graphic threat against the unrepentant. For Christ said that on whom that Rock “falls, it will grind him to powder” (Mat. 21:44; Luke 20:18). Even the Father said that the Son is the “rock of offense” (Isa. 8:14; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8). Offending unbelievers is Christlike in the deepest sense.

God utterly forbid drinking blood (Lev. 3:17; 17:14). Israelites, from priests, to Pharisees, to average citizens, were at least superficially obsessed with “keeping the law.” Thus when Jesus said whoever “drinks My blood has eternal life,” (John 6:54) He was being extremely offensive, and intentionally so. Further, He made no effort whatsoever to clarify Himself. Rather, He let the offense work its ministry. Jesus knew He even offended His own followers. As He said to “His disciples” immediately afterward, “does this offend you?” (John 6:61).

Being rough with the wicked does not automatically turn off unbelievers. A harsh style is difficult for more sensitive Christians to appreciate. However the biblical approach to communicating with the world includes not only compassion, but harshness as well.

The Bible sometimes ministers through ridicule, humor, sarcasm and even mocking. For example, God mocked the Midianites when He defeated them after sending a nightmare to them that they were being attacked by a loaf of bread (Jud. 7:13-14). Elijah, just prior to executing 450 prophets of Baal, “mocked them” as the Bible says, telling them to yell louder to their god so that Baal could hear their prayers since he was either on a trip, sleeping or in the restroom (Hebrew, “private place,” 1 Ki. 18:27; and 2 Ki. 6:8-20).

When the Ad Council airs anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) that mock “pot heads on Jeopardy” who cannot even remember their names, they are not motivated out of hatred, but out of love. Ridicule can and does save lives. “Why do you think they call it dope?” Ad Council spots run on Christian stations and get no criticism for being unloving or unkind. Why is it that Christians never rise up against the effort to stigmatize drug users? If a pagan brings peer pressure against “pot heads,” that is accepted. Let a believer, however, use mockery to stigmatize fornication or sodomy, and the Church rises in condemnation. God, however, does not condemn those who “rebuke the wicked” (see Prov. 24:25).

When a harsh word is needed God uses a harsh word. This is true in the Old and New Testaments. Herod beheaded John the Baptist for “rebuking” the king for “all the evils which Herod had done” (Luke 3:19) and for condemning the tetrarch for incestuous adultery (Mat. 14:3-4; Mark 6:17-18; Lev. 18:16; 20:21) with “Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife” (Luke 3:19). Jesus warned of “the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15). When notified that “Herod wants to kill You,” (Luke 13:31), Christ responded without respect, “Go, tell that fox, ‘I cast out demons’”” (Luke 13:32).

The especially harsh term hypocrite is used in the Gospels twenty-three times. Christ often insulted the scribes, Pharisees and lawyers. He even called the Pharisees blind guides (Mat. 23:16, 24) and sons of hell (Mat. 23:15). Jesus spoke unkind words unacceptable today. He said to Peter “Get behind me, Satan” (Mat. 16:23). He told the Pharisees “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44), and made a whip and cleared “thieves” from the temple (Mat. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46; John 2:14:15).

Gentiles (as symbols of the godless) and sodomites are called “dogs” in the Bible (Mat. 7:6; 15:26; Deut. 23:17-18; Ps. 22:16; 59:5-6; Phil. 3:2; Rev. 22:15). And Jesus was harsh (not only to the Pharisees, as some believers wrongly assume but) to all the unrepentant (see His use of “hypocrite”). Jesus instructs Christians to not “cast your pearls before swine” (Mat. 7:6). Yet the silly dilemma now is, “Who could Christ possibly have meant by that, for we are too loving, tolerant, polite and respectful to refer to any human being by that mean-spirited term.”

In the King James Version, the seductive women among the people of God are worse than “whores” (Ezek. 16:33). That crude term appears in the Bible dozens of times. The men who use those women are “whoremongers” (1 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 13:4; Rev. 21:8; 22:15), which is the most raw term in the English language to describe promiscuous men. God describes other sinners in terms of filthy excrement (Isa. 64:6) and even worse (2 Ki. 18:27; Isa. 36:12). Sinners truly are repulsive, regardless of how men may try to sanitize them.

The Bible does not say, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” It says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). And that God hates “all workers of iniquity” (Ps 5:5). “The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man” (Ps 5:6). Also “the wicked and the one who loves violence [God] hates.” (Ps 11:5). Further, “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (Ps 34:16). God “loves righteousness and hate[s] wickedness (Ps. 45:7).

There are six things “the Lord hates,” including “a heart that devises wicked plans” a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19). And God reminds us “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more” (Ho 9:13). As Moses wrote of God, “if you do not obey Me… My soul shall abhor you” (Lev. 26:27-30).

Even in the New Testament, Paul wrote, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil” (Rom. 12:9) introducing the concept of hypocritical love. What is hypocritical love? “Should you” love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you” (2 Chr. 19:2). Warning the wicked of the coming judgment is harsh, but is a necessary component of acceptable love. A love that is not hypocritical rebukes and condemns, and then points the way to God.
God uses different methods to communicate the Gospel to people at different depths of depravity. At times, a Christian can pray with an unbeliever. At other times, a believer might ridicule the unrepentant in hopes of waking him up. Painful communication though is in no way reserved just for non-Christians.

Paul uses dripping sarcasm telling the Corinthians that they do not need his counsel because they are full, rich, wise, strong and distinguished. They are even like kings, and all that without Paul’s help (1 Cor. 4:8, 10). Sarcasm stigmatizes destructive behavior and prods people toward righteousness (1 Cor. 4:14). Paul also fell short of today’s compassionate Christianity when he wrote that the government should minister terror, wrath and vengeance against the evildoer and that the sword should be used against them (Rom. 13:3-4). The Apostle also erred by today’s standards calling unbelievers fools (Rom. 1:22) and the Galatians fools (Gal. 3:1, 3). Incidentally, Jesus also called men fools (Mat. 23:17, 19; 25:2-8; Luke 11:40; 12:20) when appropriate but never “without a cause” (Mat. 5:22) according to His teaching. As King David wrote, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Ps. 53:1). Thus, atheists are fools and it is cruel to withhold this knowledge from them.

Christians enjoy quoting, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” However many shudder at the rest of the verse. For thus says the Lord, “Every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn” (Isa. 54:17). Jesus taught that human beings will condemn the wicked. “The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it” (Mat. 12:41). Jesus said, “For God so loved the world.” Then two verses later He added, “but he who does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18). By today’s Christian standard, no unbeliever would know that he is condemned, because most believers will not communicate this vital truth. John 3:16 is nice. John 3:18 is not nice.

Jesus was asked a question that goes to the very heart of His ministry. “Who gave you this authority?” (Mat. 21:23). Within the answer to that question lies eternal life, yet Christ was not inclined to answer them. Rather, He asked them a question, which they failed to answer (Mat. 21:24-27). Therefore He said to them that neither would He answer their question (Mat. 21:27; see also Luke 22:67 and John 12:34-36).

When people misunderstood Jesus He often made no effort to explain Himself. Quite to the contrary, He often purposely let His hearers misconstrue His words (John 2:18-22). Jesus let people walk away in unbelief without running after them. The Bible does not record Him as saying, “I’m sorry, did you misunderstand me?” He is the “stumbling block,” and if men wanted to stumble, He let them. For those who want to hang themselves, He invites them (Rev. 22:11). Jesus made the rope available. He is that rope (Rom. 9:33).

Jesus was a man, not a girl. Christianity today has been emasculated. Men and women are different and they communicate differently. Women are softer and nicer than men, and thank God that they are. However, men are not supposed to be women. Today, Christian ministers are expected to behave like women. That foolishness is a death sentence for many unbelievers. Strength, confidence, conviction and tough love appeal to those who are searching. Thus Jesus is a beacon to real seekers. But for those wanting to get lost, Christ is like a street sign that has been reversed by a troublemaker.

Today we are way nicer than God. It is tragic. This spiritual plateau that the Church has reached conveniently reduces the chances for confrontation. Nice people rarely rebuke, judge, confront, accuse or condemn. Nice people have less stress. It seems the only ones that Christians are quick to judge are fellow believers who judge the wicked. Go figure.

Kudos to this brave author! Thank you for sharing these words.

I am blessed!

2009-03-11T15:33:00.002-04:00

So, I admit it. I'm totally fallible. What, you didn't know that? Well, I am. Take today, for example. I am having a problem with a piece of candlemaking equipment. Actually, it's the wax melter vat. That holds 300 pounds of wax. That has about 50 pounds in there right now. That needs one part replaced, but it's expensive, and we don't have it, and wax is an important part of candles, and on and on and on. I've worried and researched and even vented to my husband about it.

You know, I love having an annointed husband. I really do. It's just frustrating at times when he makes sense, and says what I know to be true, but don't want to hear. I would rather worry and come up with my own solution to things. But God! in His wisdom gave me this incredible man who snaps me out of the worry, stress, and strife. John asked me if I prayed. My reply? "Of course I did! And I'll pray more!" How dare he question my prayers!

John then emailed me with a reminder of some of the negative things I said during the course of today, and sent me these verses.

James 1:5If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
6Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
7For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,
8[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

Oh that he would have stopped at verse 5! But now I know. And once you know, you are accountable for it. All kidding aside, I am so grateful to have such a loving husband that he would give me correction like this. I'm so grateful to have a loving God to give me such a husband! And now, I'm off to go get some stuff done before church tonight. Be blessed everyone!

Really? Plague and Pestilance - again!

2009-03-11T10:17:00.002-04:00

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. lol After John's food poisoning (yes, it was food poisoning), Katelyn had what my former co-workers used to call the Michigan crud. She stayed home from school for two days with severe chest congestion and fatigue and stuff like that. We made it through that to find out it was going to rain all weekend, and I soooooo didn't want a fourth flood! John and his father rented a pump and dropped our pond down about six feet, and that kept the water out for now. We're going to completely drain the pond once it warms up enough to melt the rest of the ice on it. Thank you Lord for keeping us from flooding. The whole family is weary of the mess the last three have left, and the work still left to be done. Next, it was my turn to fight off the crud. Which, I did with lots of prayer and rest. Instead of my trying to still do everything, I listened to my body (and my husband) and slept and took medicine to knock it out. I didn't get nearly as ill as Katelyn. Praise God everyone is healthy and back to our routines.

Speaking of routines, Katelyn and Michael are NOT liking the whole chore routine. Attitudes abound, but will get better. The mornings are our biggest challenges. I have to think that the disorder in our home plays a large part of that. I'm also back to my insomnia routine, so I'm kind of out of it in the mornings and playing catch up the rest of the day. So, to fix that, I'm doing several things.

1. Quitting caffeine. I tried cold turkey once, and while it was successful, I was sick for a week while my body detoxed. So, I'm weaning myself off during the rest of this month. I'll be replacing my coffee with tea and local honey, which I need for my allergies anyway.

2. Posting the chore charts on the refrigerator in the kitchen. That way, it's in writing, and there's no doubt about what's to be done when.

3. I need to make a better daily schedule for myself. This includes limiting some time wasters, and increasing time spent on other things.

4. Get the areas that we do have available to be used better organized. Spring cleaning and getting rid of a bunch of stuff will help with this.

5. Cutting down on the last minute stuff that seems to creep into our days and throw everything off. So, the calendar is on the wall. If you have an activity, it needs to be put there so we know what's going on. I'd love to have illnesses planned out ahead of time, but eh. That won't happen. lol Seriously, no more illnesses are needed in this house.

6. Speaking of illnesses, we need to battle illness with prayer and staying healthy. I know, sounds simplistic, but taking vitamins, eating healthy and getting into shape will really help us stay healthy. And we don't do these things consistently.

I have more posts to do today as I get the time. Talk to you all later!

How do I learn how to can?

2009-03-03T16:15:00.003-05:00

Does anyone know where to find canning classes? I want to learn how to do both hot water bath canning and pressure canning. It's a practical thing to learn, not to mention required for my allergies now. It is really hard to buy foods when you are allergic to most food preservatives and meat tenderizers. We've lost way too much food in freezers when we've had power outages in the warmer months, so I try not to have too much in there during the summer. Last year's quest for dry ice really brought home the need to have another way than the freezer to store foods. Most people that I know who can only do the hot water bath canning, but I want/need to learn both.

I'm also going to take sewing classes. I remember learning in Home Ec, but don't remember how to use a sewing machine or even half of my embroidery stitches. Don't get me started on the last time I did cross-stitching! Do they even teach Home Ec anymore? My daughter needs to learn how to do all that stuff too. I know she doesn't really know a lot of that stuff.

Well, I have to run and do a couple errands. I hope to locate the camera and take pictures of dinner and even one of me tonight or tomorrow.

Let's catch up

2009-03-03T08:55:00.002-05:00

So, today will be a catch up day for me. John's feeling much better. We laid hands on him last night and prayed over him. This morning he woke up with the fever just about gone, and full of energy. He's off to work, and the kids are both at school. I can get back on schedule for my day and get some things done. I started a fundraiser for Katelyn and the cheerleaders. I have to start one for a great opportunity Katelyn has this summer. I promised Michael I'd find a 4H for him to join. I have a list of things to get done that's (no kidding) a whole page of my planner long. We'll see how much I get done today. I have several projects that I slated to start this week. I may have to bump them back a week. I also will be trying out the whole scheduled publish function of blogger to see how it works. Plus, the kids have chores to get done, and they are doing new chores in the morning. I give them a couple weeks to get into the new routine of chores. They have a lot they want to get done for this summer, and the deal is that we will put forth as much effort as they do. If they don't tow the line and do what they are supposed to do without giving us attitude, they will be home working for me this summer instead of having fun.

Talk to you all later! It's a busy busy day!

Prayers needed again

2009-03-02T21:21:00.001-05:00

John is fighting off something. He's been ill for the past few days, and now it is starting to make him jaundiced (we both have liver issues). Please pray!

A Plan B Kind of Day

2009-02-26T21:07:00.002-05:00

It has been one of THOSE days. You know, where you start out with a great plan, then it all gets shot to pieces? My plan was to get some stuff done around the house after my appointment this morning at the Sandusky Craft Mall here in Michigan. It's a new craft mall, and we're considering selling there. My real day? It started out with my husband and children being super sweet and letting me know I could sleep in. John was taking the kids to school, and as I had packed lunches the night before, I didn't need to get up. In theory. Of course I couldn't just let well enough be. I had to make sure everyone had everything they needed and were out the door on time. I decided that I could sleep in until 8 and still do everything I wanted to get done before the appointment. But, I've been having trouble falling asleep. So, I fall asleep around 7:30 and get a phone call around 7:50. I mean, I'm normally up at that time so I don't mind calls then. I just hope that I made sense this morning. I finally get to my morning routine at around 8:30 cuz I just didn't want to get out of bed until then.

I start getting into my routine, and John calls. The truck has a flat, the tire is here with me, and I don't have time to get it to him before the meeting. It's 45 minutes in one direction, and his job is 45 minutes...in the other direction. Plus, it's grocery shopping day. It was just one big car trip for the rest of the day. I made it home in time to make what I had planned for dinner and have it hot on the table when John got home. The house is in reasonable shape, and everyone's full. So, although I didn't get to do my regular blog entry for today, it has still been a good day. I am now going to take a sleeping pill and really sleep tonight. I don't like doing that, but sometimes I go through an insomnia thingie. So, a few days of sleeping pills and my body will fall back into the rhythm. I'll catch up on the posts tomorrow.

The Great News Fast of 2009

2009-02-25T09:26:00.003-05:00

Hello, my name is Chele and I'm a news addict. I mean, I will read news stories that have such a stupid sounding headline just to find out if it is as stupid as it sounds. I can quote obscure news stories from other countries and even try to make them relevant to everyday life. I have it bad. So, when my husband John pointed out God's orders on getting through these times, well, I was less than unenthusiastic.

Isaiah 33 (New International Version)

14 The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless:
"Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
15 He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-
16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.

You see from above, the righteous man doesn't pay attention to what is going on around him. He keeps his eyes on God, the great provider. If God is mighty enough to form the earth, He's great enough to let me know what I need to know. Concentrating on the problem and not the solution never fixes anything.

I can't say that I haven't seen any headlines or heard anything over the radio or TV. But now I am quick to turn those things off. I find that the world is a much more peaceful place now that I have my vision of it correct. I say this with almost a week of no news under my belt. Ask me in a month how I feel. lol Right now, I have to keep my eyes on the goal of the whole news fast.

Isaiah 33 goes on to end with

18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
"Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"
19 You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.
22 For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose:
The mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame will carry off plunder.
24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill";
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

When you take your eyes off the world's circumstances and put them on God, your whole perspective changes. When your perspective changes, your circumstances change. You may still have the same mess, but God's hand is on it and not yours. In verses 18-19, God tells us that you don't see any of the problem. You don't see the chief officer and his shenanigans. You don't see arrogant people or get confused from their double talk. Instead, in verses 20-22, you see the never changing, always holy Zion - the city of God. It is immovable. God saves us, not the news or the people in it. God is faithful and immovable, and will save from all problems. Verses 23-24 says even the lame - the handicapped and fallible (that would be us) - will carry off plunder and have our sins forgiven. The lowest of us can have our sins forgiven and God's solutions for our problems if we just look at Him.

This is a hard post for me. I really want to turn on the news, read the news, listen to the news. But I know that I need to not even let anyone tell me about the news unless it is something God wants me to know. My eyes are to be on Him. His Word can't get any more clear on that. Does that mean that a news fast is the right thing for everyone? I can't say that. Only you can listen to God for your own life. Seek His instruction in this. He may not have that in His plans for you right now. I know I was out of control with the news. I know that my reliance is to be on Him, and not anywhere else. God always blesses faithfulness to His Word. Does that mean we'll have lots of riches and material things? I don't know, but I just want the peace and joy that comes from following Him. The rest will come to us whenever (if ever) it does. I do know that God promises

Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 (New International Version)

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

If you want shouting and rejoicing, read the rest of the chapter. WAHOOOO!!!!! God is our provider, comforter, and security.

The Vision of His Glory - Chapter Three Part One

2009-02-24T11:40:00.004-05:00

Which church are you?

I know, that's a strange question to open a Bible study, but for the next few discussions we'll be dealing with the seven churches that Jesus commanded John to give Revelation to. The churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Each one had its own special challenge and correction given in Revelation. Today, we'll discuss Ephesus. Chapter Three will deal with three of the seven churches, and we'll probably do each of the seven separately.

First, Jesus praises the Ephesians. They are hard working and persevering. They don't tolerate wickedness and are discerning to see if someone is lying to them or is committing evil acts. They have been persecuted and gone through many things to glorify the name of Jesus. To me, this sounds like they were committed, right? But Jesus goes on to say this:

Revelation 2:4 (New International Version)
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

Um, what? Jesus just said all these things the people were doing for Him, but He has a problem with them still? But, be comforted. Know that first and foremost, no matter what and how much you do for God, you are still not perfect and not deserving of the salvation Jesus gives us. It is only through God's love and Jesus' sacrifice that we have our salvation. The Ephesians were doing everything right, but they were only doing. Sometimes, with the busyness of life and ministry, we can lose sight of Who we are doing all this for. It doesn't matter how many conferences you go to, how many times you volunteer at church, how pristine your home is or even how much you blog about Christ. If you aren't putting Him first, then it is all just works. Faith, not works, is what should take first place. That doesn't mean that you will never be able to do anything. You just have to be sure the reason why you are performing these works is right. Our goal in life is to glorify God. We do that by showing His love and doing His will.

Here's a way to test your motives. If God told you to walk away, no matter the hurt feelings it might create in others, could you do it? Are you doing things as unto God, or are you doing things because they are a tradition and/or people expect it? There is a woman (Candy) who had a blog that I greatly enjoyed. Her love and excitement for God leaped off the screen at you. Now, did I agree with everything she said? Nope. But, I knew that she was being obedient to God and what He told her to do. We are in two different places in life, so what He tells her to do isn't going to be the same as what He has for me to do. (As a side note, please please please listen to what I just said. God meets you where you are and brings you up to His level. Please don't put on anyone the conditions you have for them. We are only to follow God's will because He knows what each individual person needs at any given time.) Candy shut down her blog yesterday because her family has moved onto a different path that the Lord had for them. I will miss her, but I pray that they have great success in their endeavors. Here's the thing. There were some women that were so hurt by Candy's closing her blog that they chose to run her reputation down and talk bad about her. In my opinion - and this is only my opinion here - they forgot that while the blog was a blessing, it wasn't meant to be their church or spiritual food. They forgot their first love that brought them to the blog for encouragement and uplift - God. Only God should be the head of what you believe. Yes, she had some helpful hints and recipes and things like that. It was great to read about another Christian woman's life and get encouragement from that. But, her season for that blog was over and she needed to move on. God told her to move and she was quick to obey. She left a note saying what happened, and moved on. I wish everyone else could too.

Are you worried you might have lost your first love? Do you know for sure that you have lost focus and the joy of serving Him? Here's what you do. Test everything you do against the Word of God and see what happens. I once heard a teacher say that people can tell what your priority is by what you talk about the most. That's always stuck in my mind. Am I talking more about myself, my actions, my life or am I talking about God and His plans and His will for my life? If this is convicting you about any area of your life, don't worry. God gives us the way to get back to our first loves.

Revelation 2:5 (New International Version)
5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

It's really simple. Think back to when you last had joy in your life. You know, that joy that can only come from the Lord. Here comes the hard part. Repent. Not just of the bad things, but of the good things done with a wrong attitude. Sin isn't just action. It's also attitude. Repent and do those things you were doing when you had that joy. Was it turning off the TV and not allowing anything to get between you and God's Word? Was it giving in secret, like surprising a family in need with a bag of groceries on the front porch? Was it some other way of being a blessing and showing God's love to others? Whatever it was, go back and do that. Jesus ends the passage to the Ephesians with:

Revelation 2:7 (New International Version)
7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

WAHOOOO!!!!! God is faithful and mighty to save. After telling the Ephesians the issue He had with them, He told them how to fix it, and promises to give them everlasting life and salvation with Him. How very much our Lord loves us!

Prayers Again Please

2009-02-24T08:27:00.002-05:00

The first prayer request is for an unnamed family member who has had surgery. Please pray that this person not only heals well, but that they come into the Kingdom.

The second prayer request is for a schoolmate of my children. As you know, they go to small country Christian school about 10-15 minutes away. The young man was driving to the school when something happened (we don't know what yet) and he lost control and spun into a tree. He's in the ICU with a lacerated liver, bruised kidney and lungs, possibly a bruised heart, broken ribs, broken wrist, and other injuries. The Hand of God was on this young man. He is going to be fine, just have a long recovery. I saw the accident and stopped to see if they needed help right before the paramedics came. I didn't see who it was, so I came home and told my husband about the awful accident down the road. Imagine my horror to find out that it was this young man. Praise God because from the look of the vehicle it could have been much much worse!

Thank you for your prayers. We know we serve a Mighty God! He is good and faithful.

Menu Monday - 2/23/2009

2009-02-23T13:21:00.003-05:00

Here we go! This week's menu. I have to change a few of the things I was planning. We, um, had technical difficulties with our oven. I was roasting brussel sprouts, and the heating element kinda shorted out and had flames and some metal melted and is pretty much unusable. Our microwave has a convection oven feature that we never bothered to try using. We will be using it now. lol

Monday - steamed vegan dumplings, fried rice
Tuesday - chicken and dumplings (meatless option for me)
Wednesday - leftovers (note to family - there better be leftovers!)
Thursday - Burritos with red sauce
Friday - leftovers (just John and me)
Saturday - a surprise for John
Sunday - soup and homemade bread

That's it for me. Have a good one!

New $50 Meijer Card Giveaway at wwww.5dollardinners.com

2009-02-23T12:15:00.003-05:00

That's right, it's no typo. They are giving away a $50 Meijer gift card over at www.5dollardinners.com. Now you know how much I love that site. There are three ways to enter. But hurry. The giveaway ends this Wednesday.

The coming week

2009-02-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

This week, we're starting our spring cleaning and purge. I'm also starting a grand reorganization for the home, our schedules, and our goals. Things have been so out of control that it is starting to wear on all of us. There is no small part of our lives that God doesn't want to help us with. The Bible says

Proverbs 16:3 (New International Version)
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.

The word whatever is the key here. Not, what you think He's interested in, what you think is a BIG plan, not if it's only ministry or God related. Whatever! That means the plans for dinner, the plans for your child's chores. The plans to cut your hair even! WHATEVER! So, here goes our plans for this week. Keep in mind that if God tells us that we need to switch up our plans, then we will do so, without any doubt.

Our goals for this week:

Living room cleaned and organized, especially the bookshelves
Dining room reorganized, including computer desk and everything on it (once my bedroom is put back together)
Kitchen cleaned up, and maybe reorganized. Depends on a few other projects ongoing in there
My bedroom emptied out and carpets cleaned then everything out
Bathroom reorganized and cleaned
Katelyn's room completely cleaned
House hospitality ready by Wednesday night

New daily schedule in place for me
New chore chart in place for Katelyn and Michael
Start garden plans as a family
Make goals for the rest of the year with John
Start planning a tea for as yet undecided guests (part of our larger goal of practicing more hospitality)
Learn how to use convection oven to buy us some time to find the right oven to replace ours that died a horrible violent death (yes, my friends and family are cracking up at this. It's not the first - or last - mechanical thing I've killed. Recently.)

Work on Michael's room and organize what's left of downstairs. Will have to do production down there for a while.

Business goals for this week:

Revamp business plan
Redo cost analysis for our new business goals
Finish putting pictures up on website for everything
Send out email announcing launch of website
Post giveaway on blog
Make production schedule for this week and next week
Find at least one show for March that isn't canceled to get into.
Start getting together marketing and networking opportunities.

That's it for short term goals. We're going to look at long term goals probably next week. Oh wait! What's going on this week with the blog!

Monday - goals for the week, menu
Tuesday - Chapter 3 of The Vision of His Glory - Part one
Wednesday - The Great News Fast
Thursday - check in for goal list
Friday - Chapter 3 of The Vision of His Glory - Part two
Saturday - Giveaway announced

Goodbye to Candy at keepingthehome.com

2009-02-23T09:18:00.002-05:00

Candy has decided to shut down her blog. Congratulations on homesteading! We will miss you. I've really been encouraged by your writings. I will pray for your success with your new endeavor.

Food for thought

2009-02-19T10:40:00.003-05:00

So, have you ever thought the Bible was outdated? A nice book of stories? Well, I found a couple verses in my daily reading that should disprove it. Think about everything going on with the world economy right now. Then read

Isaiah 33:18-19 (New International Version)

18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
"Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"
19 You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.

Does that ring a bell? Maybe Wall Street? I tell you, listening to the chief officers try to explain some of the financial mess sounds like crazy mixed up gibberish to me. Just a little food for thought.

The Vision of His Glory - Chapter Two Part Two

2009-02-19T09:55:00.005-05:00

Well, things are finally settling down here. Everyone seems to be over their sickies, and there are no pressing emergencies. Phew! It's been a long few weeks.

I'm so excited about today's lesson. We get to see Christ! This is shouting time. The image of Him in Revelation 1:12-16 fills me with joy and hope. If He is for me, then there is none that can stand against me.

John turns to look and see who's talking to him in the first part of verse 12. Then, he turns around and sees seven lampstands. Now, this is the point when previously, I would have given up. The symbolism in Revelation really does seem to put people off. But those who pray and listen to God will find such beautiful imagery. Personally, I think that sometimes God puts the imagery in there to confound those who really don't want to understand, or aren't willing to lean on Him for understanding. But that's just my opinion.

The seven lampstands are the seven churches that Jesus mentions in verse 11. They are to receive the Words that He is speaking. Imagine Jesus mentioning your church by name. Mentioning you by name. He does know you and cares so very much for you. Here are verses 13-16. I'm going to show you what each symbol means. The portions in red are my notes.

Revelation 1:13-16 (New International Version)
13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man (Jesus - remember John knew Him personally),"dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest (like the priests of those days wore, but more glorious - gold signifies royalty - our King). 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow (He is pure and wise), and his eyes were like blazing fire (His eyes burn with anger over the treatment of believers). 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace (to trample over everything that isn't pleasing to Him), and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters (His voice and Word will drown out everything else). 16In his right hand he held seven stars (The seven stars stands for the angels of the churches. He controls them to do His work and will), and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword (His Word brings a two fold surgery, if you will. One side of the sword cuts out everything that is contrary to Him, and the other side offers salvation to those who are willing to face the first side). His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance (He blocks out all darkness. Light overcomes darkness and He is our light).

Christ, the Son of Man, is our priest and king, our avenger and judge, our Lord and the Light to the world. And He loves us and calls us by name! This is also a blueprint for us to judge our lives by. No one can be perfect. But we can listen to God, let Him lead our lives, and be blessed with the knowledge that we don't have to have all the answers. We can strive towards walking in wisdom - His wisdom. We can judge if our own thoughts and motives are pure - His purity. We can allow correction to come into our lives - His double edged judgement that brings life with that correction. We can listen to His voice and not our own. We can let Him guide us. We can follow Him, and not ourselves. We can let His light penetrate every area of darkness we may be hiding in our own lives, hiding even from ourselves.

Does this all sound impossible to you? It is impossible, by our own efforts. But God. I LOVE those two words. BUT GOD! wanted us to have hope. He wanted us to regain that relationship with Him that He always intended. All you have to do is accept that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, and let Him live and work in you. That's it. Once you take that step and get out of God's way, He takes over and shows you what to do. I'm not talking some mindless drone-type living. No Stepford Wives here. God gives you free will. But having Him in you gives you this hunger for more and more - of His Word, His Presence, His Will, just plain Him.

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then please, say this prayer with me. Then, send me a message or comment to let me know of your decision. I will rejoice for you and help you as much as I can.

Lord, I am a sinner. I have done things in my life that I know are wrong. But Your word says that if I believe in your Son Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for me and the forgiveness of my sins, I will be forgiven and come into Your kingdom. Please Lord, forgive me. I need You. Transform me into Your plan for me. Praise you Lord. Thank You for this wonderful gift of salvation. I accept. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Welcome to the Kingdom! WAHOOOO!!!!!!!! First, I'd suggest that you read Luke 15 to see how much all of Heaven is rejoicing over this moment. I can send it to you if you need it. Praise God! He is so good. I can't wait to hear from you.

Eating frugally with allergies - a look at two meals

2009-02-15T11:09:00.006-05:00

Well, I'm back to feeling normal, and getting back into my routine. What a rough two weeks it has been! Today is the start of a new week, and I'm raring to go. I've decided that instead of trying to do catch up posts, I'll just start this week like normal, and go from there.

Today, I'm going to show that you can eat frugally while eating healthy. Not only that, but I have to make two different versions of each meal, since my eating restrictions aren't shared by the family. We don't buy dairy that often, since there's two of us that can't have it. I use meat sparingly, normally as an addition to the meal, and not the meal itself.

First, we have nachos. There are two pictures of those. The first is what Katelyn, Michael (no cheese for him) and John ate. The cheese was leftover from the party. This is actually John's birthday dinner. We celebrated it a couple days late since he was sick on his birthday. The second is my nachos. You can't tell, but there's no meat, just beans.

And now mine, no meat, cheese, and lots of veggies.

The total meal cost lest than $10. Everything but the beans were on sale.

This meal - chicken, beans and rice wraps - are made from leftover beans from the nachos, some seasoned rice, chicken and veggies. My wrap had no chicken in it, but I forgot to take a picture. I stuck it all in a tortilla, and made some sauce that I wish I could remember how I made it. When will I learn that I should write this stuff down! The whole meal was right around $5. When I'm organized again from this round of illness in my home, I'll be back to doing the cost breakdowns. Plus, why does it seem that the family will eat anything if it's wrapped in a tortilla? I have to learn how to make my own, since they can be costly. That's for a dinner this week, probably tomorrow.

Well, that's an idea of what we eat to accomodate allergies and be frugal. I'll be more organized tomorrow, I promise. It's been two weeks straight of Plan B's. I'm praying for a week of calm so I can get us all back on as much of an even keel as possible. Of course, with us, that's relative. Not to mention, we're all crammed upstairs again, because of the flooding. Have a good Sunday all.

Me and my sweetie!

2009-02-14T21:16:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying a great day together celebrating Valentines Day. I hope you and yours are enjoying it also. We have no kids with us this weekend, so we can relax, kick back, and get some respite from all the drama around here. I'll be back tomorrow.

When in a hole...

2009-02-13T15:40:00.002-05:00

STOP DIGGING!

I pray the Senate will not pass this "stimulus" bill.

You know, John and I came to a point where we realized that our debt was keeping us from what we needed and wanted to do. We decided to stop spending on stupid stuff, follow a budget, work hard, and get ourselves out of debt. Why is it so hard for the people who lead this nation to come to the same conclusion!! GRRRRRR!

Now comes reports in the news that there was no way that lawmakers could have read what was passed. WHAT?! How do you not read something like this?!

Okies. I must go and calm down. I'll be back either later today or tomorrow. My eyes are the latest to deal with this whole whatever I've been fighting off. They are irritated allergy eyes and need lots of rest. This is the last thing I have to deal with, and then I'll be back and raring to go! I have a whole bunch of posts planned out.

Thank you, and keep them coming

2009-02-12T12:51:00.002-05:00

Thank you for the prayers. We're still under attack, and facing some stuff, but we'll get through this. God's Hand is on us, and I just trust in Him. I feel like we know what we're supposed to be doing, and we're on the right track. I just have to hold tight to the Comforter. Please keep praying. Please also pray for my attitude. I'm entering what John calls my "angry phase" where I get fed up with everything and everyone. I don't want to get angry at anything but this mess we're dealing with. I'm fed up with the shots being taken at us. Ok, and to be honest, I'm impatient for everything to be done and back to normal. lol Patience and calm. Not two of my strong points. hehehe

Well, I have to run to the kiddos' school. Michael's class is having a party, and I made my giant chocolate chip cookies for them. I'm just waiting for my eye drops to kick in so I can put in my contacts. I have some major allergy eyes today. If they get bad like before, people will think John's been knocking me around. That's what they thought before. Bah hahahaha! I had on sunglasses because lights were hurting my eyes, and I had huge puffy bags that were black and blue and my eyes were completely red. I really did look like I had gone a few rounds with someone other than unseen particles of annoyance.

This weekend, I have nothing planned but to catch up on some projects, including this blog. I have pictures of some great meals (including one I can't remember how I made it - I'm a little fuzzy around the edges) and a very valuable lesson. Ok. Buh bye!

Prayers Please

2009-02-11T22:08:00.002-05:00

We're going through a time of testing here, and I could really appreciate any prayers. We're flooding again, my gallbladder problems (or whatever it is) is going overtime, and we've just had a lot of stuff that's going on. Please pray for us. I'm still going to keep praising God. He is in control, and as my husband says, we must be doing something right to have the devil shooting at us so much. I still know who my hope and faith is in. God is faithful and loving. I am going to rest in Him.

Giveaway here later this week

2009-02-08T11:33:00.003-05:00

Oh, and before I forget, I will be doing a giveaway to celebrate the launch of my new website. So, keep your eyes open for that. My brother Michael (yes, we have a lot of Michael's in the family) has helped me get things together, and will be helping me more this week. Once we work out all the kinks, we'll put up the giveaway. In the meantime, if you would like to get an email with a coupon for the grand opening good for all of our candles, scented goodies, bath products, and fun stuff we've found, then please email me at chele @ bluewaterscentsations . com. Thanks!

I'm still around

2009-02-08T11:29:00.002-05:00

But things have been incredibly busy. It culminated with John going to the ER late Friday night. I'll tell you all about that later, but for now, we're just trying to get some rest and relax. If I get a chance to post tonight, I will. If not, look for several catch up posts this week. John is doing well now, in some pain, but it's manageable. Trust me, you won't believe what happened.

Dude, I'm cheap!

2009-02-05T14:23:00.005-05:00

Seriously, I am. I enjoy it. lol I took a picture of all the groceries I bought today. Because the sales are so good this week, I'll be going back to stock up on some stuff. So, here's how this week's shopping broke down.

Wal-Mart

2 1/2 dozen eggs $3.88

2 3pks tomatoes $2

3 Avocados on sale for $.50 each $1.50

30 ounce Hellman's Mayo $2.98

2 15 ounce cans red beans $1.24

8 lbs navel oranges $3.98

Tostitos corn chips $3.98 (a splurge for us)

5 lbs Fuji apples $4.86

3pk sponges $2.47

2 26 ounce petite diced tomatoes $1.74

2 15 ounce cans black beans $1.36

1 box 40 count gallon not quite Ziploc baggies $2.18

8pk paper towels $5.43 (had a $.25 off coupon)

4 pk Scott toilet tissues $3.44

10pk AAA batteries $5.75 (had a $1 off coupon)

Woman's Day magazine $1.79 (was $1.99, but Wal-Mart discounts their magazines)

2 boxes Milk Bone Dog Biscuits $2.84 (Buy one get one free coupon)

Borax $2.98 (I make our laundry detergent and dishwasher booster with this)

Grand total including tax $56.15 - more than I planned to spend, but they had some good stuff. I always spend the bulk at Wal-Mart as they have the best prices on some stuff.

Meijer

4 1lb boxes elbow macaroni $1.96

4 1lb boxes spaghetti $1.96

3 8 oz containers fresh mushrooms $3

4 cans pineapple in juice $3.17 (had coupon for $.50 off two and a coupon for $.75 off two. The $.50 one doubled. Plus, the pineapple was on sale for $1.23 a can)

2 10pk flour tortillas $3

2 bags salad mix $3.34

2 dark chocolate bars $1.96

Grand total $18.41

Kroger

2 12 ounce bags Kroger chocolate chips (they are non-dairy and for Michael's school party next week) $2.78

Super Washing Soda (for our laundry detergent) $2.89

Honey Nut Cheerios $1.67 (I'll be going back for more)

Grand total $7.51

Total for all three: $82.07

Now, you might be asking if my budget was $70, how did I go over? I almost always use cash, and cash only. Well, I almost never spend change. At any given time, I have $10-$15 in change, in my purse. I also have a larger change cache at home. I keep it around for just such times. Not to mention, I also have soda bottles that I can turn in at any time. Ok. My purse was crazy heavy because not only did I have that, I forgot to get gas money from John and he had the debit card. So, I also pulled together $8 for gas so I could get to and from the stores and pick up the kiddos from school. I need to go back and get more pasta, and some tuna, and a few other things that we use a lot of. That will be part of the stock up stuff I'll be doing. I bought chicken a few weeks ago when it was buy one get one free, and I'll stock up on ground turkey again since it's $1/pound at Meijer this week. My plan is to learn how to can meat so I can keep it around, even during the summer. Out here in the country, it's just common sense to stock up and be prepared. Last year, we lost the power for several days due to a storm, had a brown out, and the fridge died. So, living out of the pantry just makes good sense. Not to mention, the closest grocery store is about 15 minutes away. There is no just running out to pick up something I forgot. lol I'll show you how we turn this list into cheap meals during this week. I'll take pictures, if I remember.

Talk to you all later! I still have the second part of the Bible Study to do later on tonight. I've missed my morning quiet time for the last few days. Today, it was -24deg out with the windchill, -15 actual temp. Michael and I are both asthmatics, and at those temps, we can barely breathe. So, John took Katelyn to school, and I took Michael later on. My schedule is now thrown off, but life goes on.

The Vision of His Glory - Chapter Two

2009-02-04T22:15:00.003-05:00

I hope that you all are being blessed by this book. I know that it blesses me immeasurably. I love the positive way that the Book of Revelation is presented.

Chapter Two deals with Hope When You Are Depressed by the Greatness of Your Problems. What an appropriate message for these times! It seems everywhere we turn, we are facing great problems. The failing economy, people losing their jobs and homes, corruption at so many levels from church leadership to the leadership of our country, wars and rumors of wars, and on and on goes the list. It is so easy to lose hope if all you concentrate on is the news. What a joy we have that our faith isn't in the world! Our hope is to be in the Lord. I love the verse at the beginning of the chapter.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God knew before time began that the economy was going to tank at this time. He knows the challenges that we face before we can even contemplate the possibility they could happen. When John was given the Revelation of God, he was on the island of Patmos because he had been preaching God's Word. He was on a prison island, being made to do back breaking work, and yet he knew where his faith lay. It was with God. John still took the time to hold the Sabbath holy and be in the Spirit with God. John made the time, in the midst of his suffering and problems, to spend the day with God. Because of his dedication, John was given the final words of the Bible. He was privileged to give us this hope and knowledge.

How many times have I worked a craft show on a Sunday without even going to church? I know that God will still bless me if I don't make it to church a few Sundays. But, am I taking another day to spend with Him? For that matter, what are the things that I do on the Sundays after church that take away from keeping His Sabbath? I don't want to end up hearing God speak the words to me that He gives to the seven churches in Revelation . I want to concentrate on the Messenger instead. The passage of Revelation in this chapter deals with that. Let's look at Revelation 1:9-20. I'm going to break this up into two days. Today, we'll deal with verses 9-12 and 17-20. These verses deal with our actions. Verses 13-16 deal with the Character of Christ, and that deserves a whole post of its own. It is so incredible to just concentrate on HIM!

As I stated before, John was on Patmos. He was in exile, being made to do back breaking work. Yet, he still took the time to spend with God on the Sabbath. He was praying and just spending time with His Comforter during his time of trouble. I think that John's faithfulness to God was what made God give him that revelation. After all, God wanted to be sure we had His Word, and that it was done faithfully. What if that happened today to you? What if God said that you should listen, and faithfully report to the world what He said? Would you unquestioningly do it? Or, would you count up the cost, lack of popularity, maybe even losing a friend? In today's American society, would you do it if it meant losing your job or your comfort? John was in exile for preaching the Word of God and telling the world about Jesus, and he was still faithful to ALL that God said to do.

Verses 13-16 show Jesus in all His Glory. Verse 17 says once John took that all in, he fell to Jesus' feet. I find it amazing that during this whole time, nowhere does it say that John opened his mouth to say anything. I mean, I'm still working on staying silent if God tells me to share my blog in a new place. I did that today. I shared my blog with a group of women that I talk to about almost anything. But I still felt compelled to give a disclaimer about what I posted here. WHY! I mean, as Christians, we are to share the good news with everyone. Why was I worried about offending someone? I offend people on a regular basis with the things I say - telling my children no when they want to do something they shouldn't, telling someone that I can't help them with their problem (if that's what God's telling me and He has in certain cases), shoot, just talking on a regular basis. I'd like to think that if God told me to do something, I would. The reality is that while I'm getting better, I don't always follow His leading and timing.

We surrender our lives to Christ when we make the decision to be born again. The eventual goal is to be used in service to Him. I want to be like John, wherever I am, knowing what comes first and following God's leading. I know that every day I get closer. I love this passage:

Philippians 3:11-14 (Amplified Bible)

11That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
12Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
13I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

I'm pressing on towards God's plan for me, and the life I know I can have in Him. Tomorrow, we'll look at the image of Christ. The passage is full of imagery so rich and incredible it takes my breath away! Trust me, this is going to be a time for praise and shouting!

How we eat frugally and healthy

2009-02-04T19:53:00.004-05:00

My son and I have dairy allergies. Mine are more severe, but his are getting there. He had ice cream this weekend, and ended up throwing up all of his dinner. I get a whole host of issues if I eat dairy. In addition to that, I am allergic to onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, MSG, meat tenderizer, most preservatives, aspartame, and have trouble with my liver/gallbladder that makes it very difficult for me to eat much fat or animal products at all. Don't get me started on the non-food allergies, like latex, cylins, and other stuff. John has acid reflux, so we try to not eat a lot of tomato or acidy stuff. Katelyn pretty much eats it all, but occasionally has stomach issues. I hear from a lot of people, "What all do you eat?!" Well, we eat very well, and we do it all on $90 a week. That's for a family of four, two dogs, two cats, one rabbit now, and a bird. Occasionally, my brother-in-law, who lives with us, will eat with us. I'm going to share how we do it. Obviously, everything I make is without allergens, and I do make just about everything we eat from scratch.

First of all, my budget is actually more like $100-$110 a week. But John puts away $10 or $20 a week for our stock up. Because I have so few things I can eat, when some of them go on sale, we buy them in bulk. Other things just make sense to buy in bulk. We can save more money by doing that. For example, we have 50lbs of brown rice. I bought that at a local food service supply company for $35. That will last us quite a while. I buy my steel cut oats from the bulk food warehouse, and spend less than $1 per pound.

Next, I shop the sales. Tomorrow, I'll be grocery shopping at several stores. I'm blessed in that they are all near each other, so I don't spend a lot of gas money doing that. I'll be buying cereal from Kroger. I only buy a few kinds, and only when they are on sale under $2 a box. Honey Nut Cherrios are on sale for $1.67 each. They have leg quarters on sale for $.59 a pound (although I already bought them a while ago, and have them split up in the freezer). Pretzels are $1 each (even less if I get 11 of the $10 for 10 and get the 11th free) at Meijer. I probably will get the $10 for $10, since they have paper towels on sale too. I use a lot of paper towels in my business and home. I will eventually be transitioning us to cloth wipes for the house, but paper towels are still a large part of my biz. Meijer also has pasta on sale for $.49 a box. SWEET! I eat a lot of pasta. Tuna is 3 for $2, brown sugar is $1.98 (we use this for baking and oatmeal in the mornings). Fruit in juice is $10 for 10, and get the 11th free. I eat pineapple everyday. I also need olive oil, and that's 30% off. There are several other items on sale that I'll look at and see if it's a good deal.

Next are coupons and sure deals. I clip coupons and file them every Sunday. I try to get both the local paper, and the newspaper from the state's largest city. Kroger and Meijer double coupons. Wal-Mart doesn't. So, I see if it's cheaper at Wal-Mart with the coupon. If not, then I take the coupon to one of the other stores, and get it doubled. Wal-Mart also has 2 1/2 dozen large eggs for less that $4 all the time. We eat a lot of eggs here, as well as bake with them.

This all sounds complicated, but after a few weeks, it becomes second nature. Now, since I'm currently not eating meat, and sticking to eggs, fish, veggies, and grains and pasta, I have to make dinners that I can customize for me and the family. Tomorrow's dinner will be nachos - a splurge for John's birthday. I make them with one part meat, two parts beans, and lots of veggies on top. I'll post my shopping trip from tomorrow. I probably won't buy everything that I've mentioned here. We've stocked up quite a bit, and my budget is being cut this week because of last week's party. What I don't spend, I'll put on a prepaid credit card we have so that I have the money for another week where we need more than I have budgeted.

So, here's the menu plan for the week starting tomorrow.

Thursday - nachos
Friday - leftovers. There's always leftovers from nachos.
Saturday - something fish or seafood for me, and I'll do a chicken version for John. It's just the two of us this weekend.
Sunday - Chicken wraps (mine will be veggie wraps)
Monday - Shepard's pie (I'll do a mini-one with no meat or corn for me)
Tuesday - chicken and veggie pasta
Wednesday - leftovers

I'll post the recipes and price breakdown as I make them. A great website for reference is www.5dollardinners.com.

I'll be back later on tonight with the Bible Study.

One down, one to go.

2009-02-03T19:32:00.003-05:00

Well, Michael was feeling much better tody, and returned to school. Which was great because John's sinuses flared up again, and he was home ill. So, it was another plan B day today. I picked up severe decongestant, more sinus rinse stuff, and lots of tissues. I'll have to do the Bible Study tomorrow. Of course, my priority is with my family first, then any outside things like blogging. Thank you for your patience.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2009-02-02T21:51:00.002-05:00

Ok, maybe not babes, but a smart mouth tween. lol We haven't been watching TV for a while, but turned it back on this weekend. Well, we were watching a show this evening, and DS said, "You know, we like, um, talked more when the TV was off." (I did say he was a tween, right? Like and um are very important parts of his vocabulary.) How very telling. I'll have to discuss that with John tomorrow and see what we want to do with this.

This kind of reminds me. I've been thinking about God's command to keep the Sabbath and what that means. Now, during the summer, my work is mainly on the weekends. So, does keeping the Sabbath mean on Sunday, Saturday, or just a whole day during the week? I've heard arguments for all three. I think this is something that I'm going to have to pray about and see where God is leading me. But I do know that we need to start keeping the Sabbath.

Part two of the Bible Study

2009-02-02T18:32:00.002-05:00

I'm going to do chapter two of The Vision of His Glory tomorrow. It should be done today, but I had a sick child home. Michael ate some dairy during the party. It was only one scoop of ice cream, but he threw up everything that he ate just from that. So, no more dairy for him. He knew that it was coming, and we normally don't have dairy in the house because of my allergy. The school asks that we not send children to school if they have thrown up in the past 24 hours. Several children were out in the past few weeks with the flu, so we kept him home just to be sure. Today, he's just fine. Have a good evening everyone, and I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be posting chapter two, and something about menu planning and/or eating with allergies.

Menu Monday - 2/2/2009

2009-02-02T17:42:00.002-05:00

This week's Menu Monday will be easy! I am doing leftovers, all week. We had a birthday/Super Bowl party last night for Katelyn and John. What an overabundance of food! We had white chili, red chili, eggplant unparmesan, sloppy joes, coleslaw, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, stuffed mushrooms, and cake. So, we have leftovers for days! I'll put some in the freezer too. I made enough for everyone, then everyone brought a dish. Starting next week, I'm taking a class on frugal eating over at Marilu.com. I can't wait to get more tips on eating healthy and frugally!

My wheat and chaff

2009-01-28T10:42:00.001-05:00

Part two of the wheat and chaff message that God gave me is about my personal wheat and chaff. This is the really hard part that I SOOOOOO don't want to write. You know, once you've learned something in the Word of God, you are responsible for it. ARGH! Oh well. I asked for growth in Him this year. I'm getting it in spades. lol

We all have our own personal wheat and chaff to deal with. Our chaff can be watching too much tv, being disrespectful, not taking care of our responsibilities, or any number of things. The list of my personal chaff is so very very long! I'm disorganized, I watch too much TV, I am awful at housecleaning, and on and on. Yet, I have hope. I know that God is in me, strengthening me, helping me to overcome the failings of this world.

1 John 4:4 (Amplified Bible)
4Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

I've dramatically cut down TV time lately. I'm actually enjoying it. It started out that God said we needed to get our house together. No TV until it was all done. Um, yeah. I know He's seen just how much junk and mess we've had to go through. We made exceptions for the TV shows that we watch as a family. Actually, the kids and I discussed it, and we could get rid of our satellite TV and switch over to the free digital TV stuff since our family shows are on regular network TV. But don't tell my husband yet. We're still angling for a digital TV. hehehe

Seriously, the time without TV has been a blessing. I now realize that I like spending my morning in Bible reading and prayer and study. I'm adding that to my daily schedule as a regular thing. I still have to work on the internet time, but that will come. The main floor of the house will be finished today. The lower floor of the house will take more time since we're still redoing everything from the floods (we've had two in the last six months). I look at my schedule five years ago, and I was incredibly busy and even productive! I ran two local chapters of charities on a part time volunteer basis, and was involved in a third. I don't know what happened. I feel like I've been sleeping my life away for the past year. Yes, part of that was being ill, but part was ... well ... laziness. I can't try to hide it. Sin is sin, and we are to call it that. So, laziness is another area of chaff for me. But God (I love those two little but big words!) is delivering me from that. I still feel the call to be involved in charities. Actually, I feel it more - that I need to get out in the world if I am going to impact it for God.

Laying aside the chaff of our lives is only part of His plans for us. We are to grow the wheat so we can be of service to Him. For example, one thing that's working for me right now is the one ministry I'm involved in at church. It's the cookie ministry. Every other month or so, I bake cookies to be passed out to the visitors for that Sunday. That's one small step for me, and the family loves that I make a whole bunch of cookies. lol I have the list of things I'm supposed to be involved in, but haven't implemented it yet. I need to get moving. I need to get proactive, and leave the procrastination behind. I've been praying about how to do that.

Here's how. I look at the book of Revelation and see the many different ways God blesses us with it. The prophesy, the hope, and the planning. Yes, you read that right, the planning. God didn't say, "You know, I just don't have it in me to corral you all to go where you should. Do what you're going to do. Go with the flow." No. He has a plan that is incredibly beautiful and effective. First, the wake-up calls - the seals. Wars, earthquakes, famines, economic collapses. Then, after He has your attention, He begins the judgements to get those who are undecided to repent. The trumpets bring in more earthquakes, seas turned into blood, Wormwood, night and day changed, torture by those deviant locusts called Abaddon, killer horses and riders. We're talking some heavy duty judgements that are not just to punish, but to give those who will time to change their minds and come into the Kingdom. But God, out of His love for us, will give us two witnesses to show us His love and the way to repent. Then the earthquake when the two witnesses are called into Heaven. The seventh trumpet brings an electrical storm like no other! After the judgements comes God's wrath, and things get really bad!

God could end everything in one fell swoop. The fact that He planned out in such detail how to give us so many chances to turn to Him shows His love for us. How can I not take the time to plan out my day, according to His will? I've been doing that for the past few days, and it's really effective. Our next Bible study will be about time management, so hang in there for that. In order to grow the wheat in our lives, the good parts that God wants us to use in service to Him, you have to make the time to spend with Him. Then, He will show you what to do with the rest of your day. God gives us this in

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Seek Him first, and He will show you what to do.

I hope that this helps to give you some encouragement in your own lives. It's time for us to lay down some things and pick up the better things that God has for us. I'm getting more and more excited as His plan for this blog, and the direction He's taking my life right now, plays out. Even if no one ever reads this, He is showing me so much. I feel God's grace pouring out in my life. I have goals in my life that He's still showing me what they are and how to do them. I'll go ahead and post those when I feel like I'm at a place where I can share them.

Another giveaway!

2009-01-28T10:31:00.003-05:00

There's a really cool one at

http://childresshousehold.blogspot.com/2009/01/200th-post-giveaway.html

I love all the Etsy stuff she has. Ok. I love the kitchen gadgets too. lol I'm entered! When I have more time, I'll do all the other ways of entering.

Can anyone help? How do I

2009-01-28T10:29:00.001-05:00

put buttons on my blog?! hehehe Yes, I'm just learning how to use all the capabilities. Thanks!

Random Thoughts Giveaway

2009-01-28T10:09:00.006-05:00

I haven't listed any giveaways in a couple weeks, so I'm going to catch up on the ones I know about right now. I'm also trying to build up my blog, so bear with me while things are changing. I'll be doing my own giveaway here soon too!

First, Mira over at Random Thoughts (http://www.mirasblog.com/) is having a giveaway! Below are the prizes. Check it out!

1st PRIZE
$25 - c/o Random Thoughts
Customized Blog Layout (blogger platform) c/o My Web-Blog Designs
1 Swarovsky Bracelet c/o Yen's Handmades [Click here to see the ITEM]
$20 + 2000 EC credits c/o Windmill on the Hill
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o My Life's Journey to Success
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o Things I Did Not Know Before
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o Unique Ideas For Your Beach Weddings
2000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Night Clicks
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o NetFreeSource
3000 - EC credits c/o Random Thoughts
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Dashing Beauty
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Tales of a Pinay Single Mommy
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweety Tots

2nd PRIZE
$20 - c/o Mira's Web Journal
2500 - EC credits c/o Mira's Web Journal
2000 - EC credits c/o A Moment to Exhale
20GB Web Hosting c/o http://angelic-melody.net + 500EC credits
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o My Countryhome
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Live Love Pink
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Samantha's Own
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o 1716 South
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Garage Sale
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweety Tots

3rd PRIZE
$15 - c/o A Moment to Exhale
3000 - EC credits c/o Big Boys Have Toys Too
2000 - EC credits c/o A Taste of Both Worlds
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Kharlota dot Com
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o A Girl for All Status
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o A Fil-Am Journey
1 year text link ad c/o http://glamorous-heart.info
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Symphony of Love
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Sweepstakes Girl
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweet...Pretty...Naughty

4th PRIZE
$10 - c/o My Barefoot Journey
2000 - EC credits c/o Mommy's Little Corner
2000 - EC credits c/o My Online Paradise
2000 - EC credits c/o Kinda Life of Mine
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Just About Anything
1 month text link ad Thomas Travel Tales
1 month text link ad Great Finds and Deals

5th PRIZE
2000 - EC credits c/o Wife of a Warrior
3000 - EC credits c/o Life's Sweets and Spices
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Simply Irresistible
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o My Sweet Haven
1 month text link ad Work At Home Jobs
1 month text link ad Erlinda‘s Wandering Thoughts

6th PRIZE
2000 - EC credit c/o The Solitairy Love
1500 - EC credit c/o My Barefoot Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o My Kitchen Table
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Kalidadis
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Cooking is Fun
1 month text link ad CompTechGadgets.com
1 month text link ad Healthy Living and Lifestyle

7th PRIZE
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Simplement Belles
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Moi et mon univers!
1000 - EC credit c/o Scrappy Mommy
1000 - EC credits c/o Dashing Smiles
1000 - EC credits c/o Everything Plus the Kitchen Sink
1000 - EC credits c/o One at a Time
1 month text link ad Thomas Web Links
1 month text link ad Bohol Paradise

8th PRIZE
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from My Daily Sunset
1000 - EC credits c/o My Kitchen
1000 - EC credits c/o My Life and Family Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o My Whole New World
1000 - EC credits c/o Definitely Maybe
500 - EC credits c/o I Thought So
1 month text link ad Batuananons

9th PRIZE
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from Lovely Pink
1000 - EC credits c/o Small Side Bits
1000 - EC credits c/o In His Steps
1000 - EC credits c/o Moments of My Life
1000 - EC credits c/o My Crossroads
1 month text link ad Filipino Online Community

10th PRIZE
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from Hobby and Such by Carlota
1000 - EC credits c/o My Life's Adventure
1000 - EC credits c/o Wonderful Things In Life
1000 - EC credits c/o The Joy of Life Forever
500 - EC credits c/o Life's Journey
1 month text link ad from Nita's Random Thoughts

11th PRIZE
1000 - EC credits c/o Medan Daily
1000 - EC credits c/o Wiehanne Lounge
1000 - EC credits c/o Simply WP
1000 - EC credits c/o Everything Under the Sun
1 month text link ad from Nita's Corner

12th PRIZE
1500 - EC credits c/o A Moment to Exhale
1000 - EC credits c/o My Barefoot Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o EastCoastLife

The Vision of His Glory - Chapter One

2009-01-27T09:39:00.004-05:00

I love this Bible Study. I have had the book for a long time. Here's the link at Family Christian, if you are interested in getting it.

http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=34076

So often, when you think of the Book of Revelation, you think of prophesy and doom and gloom. That does seem to the the focus of most studies, at least that I've seen. But there's an incredible hope in Revelation. First of all, imagine that after all God has done for us - created us, loved us, forgave us, and gave us everlasting life through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ - He still took the time to show the Apostle John this incredible glimpse into the future. Jesus pulled back the veil and allowed John to bring us this message of hope, love, faith and the future. How can you not count that as love!

The first chapter of the book is titled "Hope When You Are Depressed by the Smallness of Your Life". It deals with Revelation 1:1-8. Think about it. God is telling us to not be discouraged or depressed, although not in those exact words. He is showing us His love, His mercy, His faithfulness. How many of us read the last few pages of a book before we finish it, just to see if it's going to end how we want it to? Well, God is telling us how He has ended His book. He has shown us the last few pages of time here on earth. Why would God do that? In a word, HOPE. God wants us to not grow weary of serving Him and praising Him. He wants us to know that until the very last, He will provide if we are faithful to Him. What a blessing!

In these eight short verses, God shows us the depth of His love. He gave John a revelation of the time to come, using angels and Jesus to show him. It's like going to the White House and having the Vice-President and all the cabinet members giving you a tour because the President values you that much. The awesome thing about God is that He doesn't just give you the test, He gives you the answers. Verse 3 says

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

God is telling us to read and be blessed. Know and be blessed. Time is running out. Katelyn has several tests this week. We've told her to study every day. Time is running out before the tests. You can't cram the night before and expect to get anything out of the information. Well, the Bible is the same way. Yes, you can wait for the last minute and be saved just in the nick of time - like the thief on the cross next to Jesus. Or, you can take your time and savor the Word every day, incorporating it into your every day life. You can live it and when you get to Heaven, be blessed to know that you touched so many lives and they are there in Heaven with you.

Revelation goes on to remind us all that God has done. God gives grace and peace to the seven churches in Asia (v4). He reminds us that Jesus loves us and paid for our sins with His Blood (v5). We are created to be God's kingdom and priests to serve Him (v6). He tells us to keep watch for Jesus' second coming (v7). Finally, He reminds us that He is in control, and always has been. Praise God! He is the beginning (Alpha) and the end (Omega) and everything in between (v8).

In the perceived smallness of your life, He has taken the time to reassure you that He is faithful and loving. How much must He love us! If you are feeling depressed because you think you are only a wife, only a mother, only a woman, only (whatever tag you put on yourself), start praising God. If you feel small because you don't have a worldwide ministry, you stay at home and "just" take care of the home and family, you have a dead end job or no job, start praising God. Think of all the blessings He has already given you. This wonderful thing happens when you start praising Him right where you are, in the midst of your mess. By praising God, you invite Him in wherever you are. His Glory takes over and radically transforms your circumstances. You may still have that job, or not have a job, you may not have a ministry, you may not see any changes at all in your situation. But God. Just think on those two words. BUT GOD! All the excuses and inferiority falls away with those two words.

BUT GOD steps in and takes over. He molds you and your heart into His vision. He lifts you up and gives you hope and grace and joy. You are transformed from the smallness you perceive to the greatness that He made you for. In the natural, you still have this mess to deal with. BUT GOD, in your spirit, has cleaned it up and shown you what to do. Praise expands to fit the space provided. Keep praising Him and allow Him to expand to fill all those hidden spots in you with doubt and depression and disbelief.

I'm more excited now about this message than when I started! Praising God will do that for you. Tomorrow, I'll go over the Bible Study method that Anne Graham Lotz teaches in the devotional guide in the back of the book. I haven't found the workbook yet, but I will. Right now, I'm just being blessed by the Word. Have a great day all! Keep the praises for God coming. Your day will be radically changed and blessed. Praise HIM!!!

Menu Monday - 1/26/2009

2009-01-27T09:19:00.005-05:00

Again, a day late. ARGH! I planned on posting last night, but just didn't. No excuses. Just started messing around with stuff and never did it. So, here goes.

Monday - Fried Rice with quinoa
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Pancakes
Thursday - Pot Pie (with a smaller all veggie one for me)
Friday - Probably chili, since I'll be making a bunch of it for the party
Saturday - Mom's in town, so we'll be going out to dinner
Sunday - PARTY! I'll be doing three kinds of chili (or two and a vegan lasagna), stuffed mushrooms (recipe from Marilu Henner's Healthy Life Kitchen, and a HUGE hit in this house), salad, and desserts (including two birthday cakes)

Yep, we are having a birthday party for John and Katelyn. It will probably only go through half time for the game. The kids have school. But, you never know. It may last the whole game, and we'll have some tired kiddos for school the next day. Wednesday's dinner may change, if there's a snow day. I'll do waffles for breakfast if there is, so dinner will probably be soup or something like that. I'll start the chili on Friday, and finish them up on Saturday. Chili always tastes better if you let it sit for a day so the flavors can meld. I'll actually use onions and garlic in two of the three, since I won't be able to eat them. I've heard that using fennel adds some depth of taste to replace onions and garlic, so I'll be trying that in whatever vegan/vegetarian option I make.

I've stopped eating meat for a while. My stomach can't handle it right now. I had a little jaundice last week, so I need to cut out the meat, the fat, and some sugar. I only have eggs, honey and occasionally seafood when I'm eating like this. I will still eat well though. There are lots of other things to eat. I hear from people all the time who don't think that there's anything to eat without dairy or convenience food. They are amazed at not just what I eat, but what my family will eat. The vegan lasagna has tofu, spinach, carrots, and mushrooms in it. Actually, I'll probably put more veggies in it this time. It's such a great dish! I'll have to post my modified recipe for it one day. I got it from a friend on Marilu's website. I have to tweak it so I can make it around my allergies, but it's still really good. I made it for Michael's birthday party last year, and one person couldn't believe there was no cheese or meat in it. lol

Well, I'm so excited to get to the Bible Study today with you all! So, let me get moving with that, and put that post up. I hope it blesses you.

Recession, Depression, Brother Can You Spare a Dime

2009-01-23T17:27:00.004-05:00

Google the phrase "Is the United States in a Recession" and you will get approximately 22million results. Chances are if you haven't been touched by the economic downturn the world seems to be going through, you at least know someone who has. Big name companies seem to be taking daily turns announcing bad news and losses. The government has begun "bailing out" corporations that are deemed too important to fail. Banks are being "nationalized" and money is being handed out with very little accountability.

Families are feeling the pinch. Groceries are climbing in price. The cost of heating a home is ridiculous! Clothing, toiletries, and everything else are costing more and more and more. This at at time when many families are losing the value in their homes and/or losing their incomes. What are we to do?! Listening to the news makes us feel like Chicken Little - the sky is falling, the sky is falling! It reminds me of the Depression Era song - Brother Can You Spare a Dime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU

The lyrics are

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Stop. Take a deep breathe. Close your eyes for a minute. Hit the pause button on the panic. Let me help you find the solution. It is right there in front of you. It may not be what you want to hear, but it works every time.

There is a Provider who can give you all you need. He is able to do all things exceedingly abundantly. If God can provide us with salvation and life everlasting, can He not provide us with every earthly need? I'm not saying that we will have manna from Heaven every day like the Israelites in the desert, but we are provided with God's strength and will to sustain us through these times.

1 Peter 4:7-11 (New International Version)

7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We are to use our God given gifts to be a blessing to serve others. Could you imagine what would happen if we all started using a servant mentality instead of a "serve me" mentality? Putting others first, and glorifying God, would have prevented most of what we are going through now. But, we know the truth. The Bible foretold a time when man would be self-consumed and lose its love of God. We have the promise of life everlasting if we know Christ. I know it won't be fun, easy or desirable to go through the rough times we are going through, but we have an advantage to going through these times. We have a secret weapon, if you will.

Philippians 4:12-14 (Amplified Bible)
12I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.
13I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].
14But it was right and commendable and noble of you to contribute for my needs and to share my difficulties with me.

Christ will see us through all of this. We need to lean on Him.

Now, there is a practical side to living through these times too. We need to learn practical arts that provide for day to day needs. We need to reduce debts and increase self sufficiency. The average family in the United States has around $8000 in credit card debt. Add to that the mortgages and car notes, and you see why we have such problems. No, spending our way out of it as a country isn't going to work. Neither is charging every day necessities, or still trying to keep up with the Jones'.

The difference between now and the Great Depression is our work ethic as a country. During the Great Depression, most people were willing to work, no matter what the job was, to provide for their families. Now, it seems that the majority (or very vocal minority) is looking for a hand out or "bail out" to get through these times. That's neither Biblical nor practical. Eventually, the country will have to pay back all the money that they are handing out so freely now.

Personally, I'm standing on the promises of God.

Deuteronomy 28 (Amplified Bible)
Deuteronomy 28 1IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
2And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
3Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.
4Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock.
5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.
6Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
9The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.
10And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
11And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.
14And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing my family's journey into greater self-sufficiency as far as growing our own food, and making many things we use. I'll also be sharing my family's journey into great dependency on God. He is the only thing that will get us through, and we trust completely in Him and His leading.

The Wheat and the Chaff

2009-01-22T09:36:00.004-05:00

I had a nice sweet blog planned yesterday. I was going to blog about living with food allergies (which I will still do at some point). I was going to blog about the tagging I got from a reader, but I can't. I was going to blog about ANYTHING other than what God was telling me to write about. I admit it. I didn't want to write this because, yes, I'm going there again. How many of you know that you just can't say no to Him when He has something to say?! A blog that I read, written by a woman that I admire - Candy, posted about persecution and crazy people. Here's the blog link. Check out the post about crazy people, persecution, and Meez.

http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/

It really hit home. I knew that we are counted blessed if we are persecuted, but who really wants that. Seriously, I've seen other people get mean comments and shut down their blogs. I don't want to make waves! But, I have to. God isn't going to let me really rest until I do. So, here goes.

Luke 3:16-18 (Amplified Bible)
16John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.
18So with many other [various] appeals and admonitions he preached the good news (the Gospel) to the people.

In order to understand this, you need the definition of chaff. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary defines it as...

Chaff
the refuse of winnowed corn. It was usually burned (Ex. 15:7; Isa. 5:24; Matt. 3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isa. 5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Ps. 1:4; Matt. 3:12). False doctrines are also called chaff (Jer. 23:28), or more correctly rendered "chopped straw." The destruction of the wicked, and their powerlessness, are likened to the carrying away of chaff by the wind (Isa. 17:13; Hos. 13:3; Zeph. 2:2).

***I love old dictionaries. I have a really old Webster's Dictionary that has Biblical definitions for everything. I need to dig it out from the flood zone stuff and use it. ***

There are several ways to look at this passage in Luke. Many take it as how God will separate the believers from the non-believers in the Day of Judgement. Oh, how glorious (and yet sad to see those who made the wrong decision) will that Day be when we are in front of our Lord! Some people look at it as how we will be refined by the Refiner's fire in the Day of Judgement. I think that's also a correct assessment. I'd like to deal with the chaff of false doctrine though.

I read a lot of Christian women's blogs. I love hearing from other believers. However, I have noticed that sometimes, we place our own expectations on others. Does this fall under false doctrine? I think so, if it's causing someone to stumble. Don't get me wrong. We need to challenge each other to come up higher in our walk with Christ. But if you cause someone to feel like they will never be good enough to be considered a member of the Body of Christ, then you are preaching false doctrine.

I used to belong to a nameless Christian women's group. At first, everything sounded great. As long as you believed that Christ was your Savior, and His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins, you could join. You were welcome. Then, as you peeled back the layers of the group, you realized that you had to fulfill other conditions to really be a "member". You had to only wear skirts. You had to wear head coverings. You were never allowed to disagree with your husband (taking the submissive wife position a little too far). You had to homeschool. You had to only read one version of the Bible. On and on the conditions went. Yet the Bible says

John 3:16-18 (New International Version)

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

I left that group when they started persecuting women for not agreeing with their conditions. It seemed that they were causing drama on a daily basis. I have enough drama in my life. I don't need it from a group that was supposed to edify. God said that you must believe in His Son for eternal life. That's it. There is a reason why the Bible goes on to talk about feeling condemned right after. Personally, I think that it is because God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that we would mess it up and try to put our own conditions on salvation. I have also noticed some of that legalism on people's blogs. Does that mean that I am to never ever read their blogs again?

For that matter, I've noticed many pastors coming out with theories or teachings that I don't agree with. I've had people tell me that I have to learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff with those people. But how much chaff should we be putting up with to get to the wheat? If a teacher has one good point, and many wrong ones, do we still listen to that message?

I've found the deciding factor. It's the Holy Spirit. The Amplified Bible brings this out wonderfully.

Romans 14:16-18 (Amplified Bible)
16Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]
17[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men.

Notice that we are to consider the kingdom of God as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - not the stuff. It's not the skirts or jeans or head coverings, or even the version of the Bible you read. It's the righteousness of God, and the peace and joy you feel in the Holy Spirit.

Here's how this works in practical life. Candy's blog, which I LOVE (see the link above), is one that I read frequently. She is skirts/dresses only, KJV only, and eats dairy. I don't really wear skirts or dress (or own them for that matter), I love several versions of the Bible, and would cause a biological hazard (as well as be hospitalized) if I ate dairy. Yet, I am so greatly blessed by her blog. I've read the discussions she's had about the areas we don't agree on, and I respect them. But, I've prayed about these things, and for me, for now, I'm settled with where I am. I don't embrace every version of the Bible. God has stopped me from reading most versions. But, there are some that He has shown me great things in. I always have to check with Him to be sure what I hear is true. That should go for everything, no matter what we believe. That Holy Spirit check that I get when I'm doing something wrong, or that Holy Spirit release I feel when I'm doing something right, is what guides me.

Here's another practical example. There is a well known pastor that I used to listen to a lot. I heard his teachings when he first came out on the national scene. I was truly blessed by the things he was saying. This is when I was a baby Christian, and hungry to find out just even how to begin serving God. This pastor laid a great foundation for me. As I grew in Christ, and he grew in popularity, I started noticing some contradictions. He was saying things that were against what I was reading in the Bible, and against what he himself had said just a few years prior. Eventually, I had to stop listening to him. The chaff was outweighing the wheat. Does that mean that I discount his foundational messages? Not at all. Those messages are wheat. I have to pray that he comes back to his first love - God. Again, I had to let God show me and guide me through His word and the Holy Spirit what my actions were to be.

One last example. Causing other people to stumble. That one is hard. Sometimes you have to ask God if you are challenging a person or causing them to doubt. We aren't to water down the Word of God, but we are to be loving about it. I was saved at a very difficult time in my life. My first marriage was falling apart. Right after I got saved, we almost lost our son to a bad reaction to a vaccination. Work was challenging in a high school drama kind of way. So, I get saved. A well-meaning person in the church counseled me about how life was going to change. My ex-husband wasn't saved, and I didn't know how to handle the situation. This person told me that if I really was a Christian, I should be able to pray him into salvation in the next month. Well, months later, with no change in him at all (things were actually getting worse), I found myself doubting that I was really saved. I started going to the altar every service to get saved. I had people laying hands on me to figure out why it wasn't working! It's a wonder I have any hair so many people prayed over me.

Finally, I called the church in desperation and asked for a mentor. I figured that having a person I could talk to one on one would help me learn what I was doing wrong. This Godly woman blessed me so much. She took the time to explain just how wrong that first person was. But, that one comment set me back probably a year. We have to caution ourselves that we are not causing others to stumble like that. We are to challenge, not condemn. We know which we are doing by being faithful to God and listening to the Holy Spirit.

I hope I've made sense with this post. I know that I'll be back on this subject again when God says it's time. In such a time as this, we need to learn how to measure everything we do against His word and His leading. Time is running short! Jesus said this...

Revelation 22:12-13 (Amplified Bible)

12Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.
13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).

Praise Him! I can't wait!

The Duality of the Day

2009-01-20T13:24:00.005-05:00

Before you read this post, please take a deep breath. I'm going there today. I feel this burning fire to share a few things, and I'm not PC or sweet and nice about what needs to be said. Please read to the end before you comment or anything. Let me make a disclaimer. I am a Christian, conservative, black woman. I make no apologies for my beliefs. I actually stand firm on them and rest in the knowledge that I am doing what God has for me to do. I'm not going to defend being a conservative today. It's another post for another day.

Today is Inauguration Day here in the USA. We have a new president - the first African American president in our history. I am filled with pride that our country has come so far that we finally elected an African American for president. I am not a person who has lived her life searching for racism and racists. Unless it's overt, I don't think that every bad thing that happens to me is because I'm black. My husband is white - Scottish, Irish and French. That's about as white bread as you get. lol DD is actually my step-daughter. She's white, very fair skinned and flaming red hair. My ex-husband, Michael's father, is black. So, race hasn't really played into how I live my life. I just don't let it. That doesn't mean the historicity of today is lost on me. I am filled with pride that my son can see someone who looks like him as president. My son knows that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. But, it's still nice that he can see this man fulfill so many people's dreams.

However, how I wish it wasn't this man. President Obama was rated the most liberal senator. His views honestly make me almost worry. My rest is in the Lord, so I'm not going to really worry. I just can't agree with what he stands for. More than that, I honestly can say, after this whole election process, I don't know him. I don't know anything more than the biography put out by him and his people, the company he keeps, and the scary adulation that people seem to feel for him. I've read newspaper articles and blogs comparing him to the new Messiah (Um, nope. There's only one and he isn't it) to the anti-Christ (I have no idea and we won't know for a while who is, although many keep guessing). I'd like to give him the benefit of doubt. I'd like to get fully behind him as our president. I just can't. Michael asked me yesterday to tell him about Obama. I couldn't answer. I mean, with every other candidate, there were all kinds of investigative reports and digging up of dirt that didn't happen with Obama. It was almost like everyone was too scared to say anything that was remotely questioning or negative.

Where are his childhood friends and relatives? Where are the inane interviews with his mother's cousin's uncle's best friend twice removed? Shoot, they had that interview about the pilot who did the successful Hudson landing. Why not the man who is leading our country?

Our country and world is at a crossroads right now. We are facing challenges that were unthinkable just a few years ago. I hope, and pray, that Obama makes wise choices for our country. We are commanded by God to pray for our leaders. We have no choice, or we are disobedient. We are also to be respectful of those in authority over us. I didn't vote for Obama (big surprise). I wasn't really wild about McCain, but I love Palin, and have done so since before she was nominated for VP. I don't like what's happened to the Republican party. Too many RINO's, but that's another post for another day.

The biggest problem with the country (no, it isn't Obama) is that we have lost our first love. We have lost our heart for God. Turn on the TV. There are shows celebrating all kinds of depravity. There is one channel that is geared to teenagers that I would be embarrassed for my mother to see. I don't think that it matters who is leading the country at this point. If we, as a nation, don't get on our knees and repent before God for the mess we're doing, this nation is sunk. For that matter, we already know how the end is written. I shouldn't be surprised by the things we're seeing. The financial crisis and the loss of common courtesy and the downward slide of decency shouldn't be a surprise. It was foretold. This is not new! This is prophecy fulfilled. We are living in interesting times. Part of me is sad to see what's happening, and know the outcome of so many people's eternity. Part of me is happy because I know that no matter what, I get to see my Savior face to face. I am determined to take as many of my family, friends, acquaintances, passersby, and strangers to Heaven with me as I can.

For today, I'd like to close with this. President Bush was treated with incredible disrespect. I think that, more than anything, contributed to the disrespect of the world to our country. I see it with my children all the time. If I get mouthy with my husband (and I do. Let's just keep it honest here), I notice the kids get more mouthy with him. The same holds if he's disrespectful to me. John and I had a talk with the children before the election, during the election, and after the election. God says we are to respect those in authority over us. It is still ok, and even expected, for us to call our leaders out if they mess up or if they are going in the wrong direction. But, it must be done respectfully. I will be watching. I am incapable of keeping my mouth shut. Please join me for the study of Revelation with the book The Vision of His Glory by Anne Graham Lotz. It's not doom and gloom prophesy. It's joy and hope and faith. It's God's promises to His people - that's us. It's knowing that there is a purpose in all we do. It's encouragement. Spread the word! Have a friend join us for the study. I can't stress enough that we are running out of time. There is far less time in front of us than there is behind us. We need to be bold in proclaiming our faith.

2009-01-20T12:32:00.004-05:00

Ok. I'm going to do something you won't see me do often. I'm going to talk football for just a minute. Bear with me. I haven't lost my mind or anything. And John, my dear husband, that doesn't mean I'm going to start watching it either. lol

This is an interesting article - http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85729

Here, Tim Tebow is literally wearing his faith on his face. But more than that, he walks his life out according to God's will. He makes God first and he makes sure everyone knows it.

Me being me, this made me start thinking. Hmmm. What about my life? When people look at me, do they see God's Word on my face? Do they see Him in my life? How am I making Christ known to those who don't know Him?

In church this past Sunday, we prayed about getting rid of the spirit of timidity and putting on boldness for Christ. I want that for my life. I may not put God's word on my face with my eyeliner, but I do want people to see Him in everything that I do.

2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline." (NIV)

So, if I'm reading this right, I shouldn't be scared to let others see Christ in all I do. I should use His power in me to show Him to others. I should use love to show Him to others. I should use self-discipline to show Him to others. There is a boldness that comes from doing God's will. You know that nothing and no one can successfully come against you. There is a peace that comes from doing God's will. A joy! That is my prayer for today, and every day from now on. I want a boldness to cover everything I do for Christ. I want to lose my concern about what the world may think, and be consumed with concern that I not let my Lord down.

I was going to blog today about starting a Bible Study. The book I selected is a great book, but now I feel led to work on another one. It's one that I've studied from before, but I think that God has something new to show me. I have to be faithful to His leading. Here's the Bible Study that I'm going to start. I'll be posting lessons from it every week. Obviously, with copyright laws, I can't just post the whole book. Check it out, and let me know if you decide to read along with me.

http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?prodID=34076

I hope to find the workbook that goes along with it by next week. If not, I'll just use the mini one in the back of the book.

I have one more post for today, unless I find the transcript of the prayer today. Hang tight!

Menu Monday - 1/19/2009

2009-01-20T11:50:00.003-05:00

Sorry this is a day late. Life is crazy. Katelyn has four games this week and a practice. I am not happy about it. John and I have already said that if the coaches call another practice on a game day, then Katelyn can't do both. She won't be home until after 10pm.

We're on a mission to completely revamp and organize our home this week. That's our first step for the $3000 challenge. You can't get rid of stuff until you know what you have.

*****Breaking News - I am watching the inauguration while typing this out. May I say that Rick Warren knocked it out the park! He made sure there was no doubt that he was praying in the name of Jesus. He said it in several different ways, just to be sure we got the message. When they release a transcript of the prayer, I'll post it here.*****

Our week's menu started yesterday with spaghetti. I make the sauce from scratch, since I'm allergic to onions. I've also suspected that my allergy is getting worse, and is going to other onion related seasonings. Last night, I added garlic to the list. I had the same symptoms with garlic that I have with onions. They are in the same family, so it makes sense. I love garlic! Oh well. I don't love it enough to get sick again. Garlic had bothered me some before, but I thought I had a little more time before I had to stop eating it.

Here's the menu -

Monday - homemade spaghetti sauce over linguine
Tuesday - Turkey patties and steamed veggies
Wednesday - Turkey and rice soup, homemade foccacia
Thursday - Fried rice and veggie won tons
Friday - leftovers if Michael goes to his father's. If not, then wraps
Saturday - wraps (rice, grilled veggies, and sauce)
Sunday - chicken and veggies

Also this weekend, I'm working on testing some recipes that I want to enter in a cooking contest.

That's about it for the light stuff of today's posts. I have a few more posts that I am going to put up. I have a few things I know that I need to say. I apologize ahead of time if I am not PC or kind and gentle about it. I have this fire burning in me that I have to pay attention to. God has put some messages on my heart that I need to share.

2009-01-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

I love www.5dollardinners.com. I try to make our meals fit into that most nights. Sometimes, if something special is going on, I'll splurge - like today. We all needed a pick me up, and I always have a splurge meal on grocery shopping day. Here's how tonight's dinner broke down for me. I went over, but my BIL joined us making us 5 people, and this is actually two meals since I'll be sending it for lunches tomorrow and having the rice with a salad for lunch tomorrow.

1 lb ground turkey - $1.68 (frozen roll from Wal-Mart by the Turkey Store - awesome deal and I stack these in the freezer)
30 ounces kidney beans - $1.25
Spices - $.50
Tortillas - $1.25 (buy one get one free)
Rice - $.75
canned tomatoes - $.50
can of diced green chilies - $.75
lettuce - $.50
mushrooms - $4 (a grocery day splurge. My family LOVES mushrooms!)
advocado - $1

Total - $11.18

I could have made another meal out of this, but I let everyone serve themselves seconds and they loaded up on the meat and not the rice. ARGH! Next time I'll have to put half in the freezer BEFORE I put dinner on the table. lol

I try to start off my menu planning week with salad and fresh veggies and fruits. By the end of the menu week, I am with frozen or canned veggies, normally in a soup, stew, or pot pie. With my food allergies, I have to make just about everything from scratch, so I don't buy too much processed food. All of my cooking is dairy free and onion free (as well as a bunch of other stuff I'm allergic to also).

Gotta go! Night all. I'm heading to bed and getting a good start to tomorrow. Is it a bad thing to wish for a snow/cold day from school tomorrow for the kids? lol

$3000 challenge

2009-01-13T21:47:00.004-05:00

Here's my great idea! I've been mulling this for quite some time. I heard someone on a morning show say that the average family has at least $3000 in stuff lying around their house that could be sold without them even missing it. Me being the frugal person I am, and us trying to work the Dave Ramsey plan, I thought it would be great to turn that into a challenge for my family. We've agreed to try it out. I'm going to chronicle our journey with this challenge here. Basically, we're going to simplify our lives, our home, our belongings and sell stuff off or give it away. The goal is to raise at least $3000 by the end of the summer. We will be utilizing Craig's List, having yard sales, and trying every other avenue we can think of. Some things will be given away, via freecycle or the Salvation Army. We've already agreed that we will give away more than just the normal tithe on this money though. We're giving away quite a bit to local charities. The rest will go to our goal of being debt free in three years - mortgage and all. I'd love to hear from anyone else wanting to try this out. I'm thinking how I could do the same thing with my business, but I don't know.

Well, I'm off to bed for tonight. I've posted several posts from my old blog here, with a few updates. Hopefully I can post tomorrow. I think our schedule is pretty free. I'm half hoping they call school tomorrow because of the cold.

To do or not to do, that is the question

2009-01-13T19:46:00.002-05:00

Have you ever known the right thing to do, wanted to do the right thing, said you'd do the right thing, then go right ahead and do the WRONG thing? If so, I completely understand. I do that all the time. This ranges from knowing I should do something before I forget I needed to do it, then putting it off...and forgetting about it to not eating stuff I'm allergic to but tastes so good. Shhhh... here's a secret. When I was first saved, up until a couple years ago, I had trouble leaving my old self behind. I used to drink, smoke, go clubbing and partying, and do things that you wouldn't normally associate with a Born Again Christian. Read my last blog about my driving. That was pretty normal. I worked in Ann Arbor Michigan and lived in Ferndale. I could make it home in half an hour (it's an hour and 10 minute drive). I was saved in December 1999 and the last time I went partying was October 2005. Obviously, there's a little overlap.

Every time I'd go out paryting, I'd get drunk and feel awful the next morning. I'd pray to God that I'd never do that again. Then, my girls would call and say let's go out, and there I'd go again. Dancing, drinking, smoking... A few things happened that changed my actions. First, a friend was killed. He died one night while I was out acting an idiot with some other friends. He died being chased by people who wanted to hurt him, supposedly over a cigarette, and was hit by a van that just left him there. I kind of lost it. People, I suppose they meant well thinking I wanted or needed all the details, told me all about what happened, his injuries, and the horrible way he died. I dreamed about that for weeks. I started chain smoking and we went out a couple weeks later to toast him and blow off steam. That's when the next thing happened. That night is a blur! I remember bits and parts. Neither the friend I went out with nor I remember how she drove us home. Later that week, the smoking and partying caught up with me in the form of a double lung infection. Then a situation came up at work, and I was purposely made even more ill. That situation is still too much for me to talk about without blowing a gasket. I'm still working on being a Christian about that situation.

So, all this happens, and I'm sitting at home, whacked out on medication, literally drowning in my own phlegm. I hear someone on the TV, a well known female Bible teacher that I adore, talk about the Apostle Paul's words that make up the verse of the day. All of a sudden, it clicks! First of all, how sick do I have to get, physically and spiritually, before I finally stop trying to straddle the fence? I mean, I was saved, but I wasn't living the way I should have. I was still listening to my flesh instead of my God. Secondly, by condemning myself over the mistakes I was making, I was giving the Devil too much ground. I should have been praising God for the work He was already doing in me instead of concentrating on the shrinking ground that Satan was occupying.
I wasn't doing as much dirt as I used to. I only partied a handful of times a year, normally in times of great stress. I had overcome quite a few issues and made peace with myself and others in my life. I had a great life, and it was still improving! Why was I concentrating on the negative? If the great Apostle Paul confessed to doing stuff that he knew he wasn't supposed to do, then surely I could have a little slack. How liberating that is! I'm not where I'm supposed to be, but I'm sure not where I was.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that by feeling this way I have been delivered from doing everything I shouldn't. And I am definitely not saying that we shouldn't be improving in our behavior and actions. The more of God you get in your life, the more your will is going to decrease. You won't have the desire to do the things you shouldn't. For those behaviors that are really tough, like quitting smoking or drinking, changing your actions when everyone else around you still does the same stuff, etc... it's going to take some time. For me, it meant not hanging out with some people. It meant not listening to certain music that put a desire to go out to the clubs. It meant having someone I could be accountable to - my husband. Let me tell you, the thought of facing my husband after sneaking a cigarette or something like that terrifies me. Fortunately, he knows he doesn't ever have to worry about that stuff coming into my life again.

For those new Christians, and to the ones who have been saved for a while but still struggle, let the words of Paul encourage you. Too often, the church plays like once you say the sinner's prayer and are saved, your problems go away and you never do anything wrong again. Reality steps in right away. You go home from church, and your spouse is still getting on your nerves. Your bank account hasn't magically increased, your boss is still leaving a lot to be desired in the humanity department, and you still have to wash dishes. Come on, let's get real folks. Unless God delivers you from addiction (and He can, let there be no doubt), you are still going to have cravings. Getting saved isn't a cure-all. It's a change-all. Instead of facing life's problems alone, you have serious back up! I mean, if God is for you, who can be against you?! That's even a verse in the Bible. lol Romans 8:31 says

What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?} - Amplified

Here's today's verse for the day:

New International Version
Romans 7:15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Why I don't have a Christian Bumper Sticker

2009-01-13T19:08:00.003-05:00

First of all, let me say I have nothing against people that have these bumper stickers. I have seen some cute ones, but can't bring myself to get one. Please allow me to explain why.
My driving sucks. Not your normal every day bad driving, but really and truly sucks! I have worked hard on making my driving better. I don't speed like I used to. I don't have nearly the level of road rage I used to. And I haven't hit anyone in a long time. I have been hit by others, but I haven't hit anyone.

Close your eyes. No really. Close your eyes and imagine a cross between all the bad stereotypes of a New York driver with all the bad stereotypes of a woman driver. Now, multiply that times 10 and you have the way I used to drive. Now, I do the speed limit, which causes its own problems, especially in construction zones. I use my turn signals now, instead of thinking it gave other drivers advanced warning to cut me off. While I do still talk smack to other drivers, I don't use the same language. Actually, I rarely do that at all anymore. I has to be a really spectacular mess up. I also won't do some of the other aggressive driving techniques that I used in the past. I know that many people are appreciative that I no longer go 90mph on a regular basis. I have been known, much to the amusement of my family and dismay of other drivers, to shake my finger at drivers who almost hit me or don't follow the rules of the road. NOT THAT FINGER! It's more like I'm scolding a disobedient child.

However, I do still have my moments. People do not like you doing the speed limit. I can still have moments of road rage, like when people wait until the last moment to get over a lane when there have been signs for the past mile saying that the other lane is going to end. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who don't know how to YIELD!!!!!!! Yield does not mean speed up or just come over into the flow of traffic because you feel like it. It means slow down or stop until there is a break in traffic for you to enter the flow of traffic. We use a lot of highways, since we live out in the country. I have to use the highway to get to the closest grocery store. There are yields all over! At least once a day I almost get hit by someone who won't yield at the entrance to one of Michigan's busiest highways. ARGH!!!!

I'm telling you all this for a reason. Imagine my antics driving while having a "God is my co-pilot" or "Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly" bumper sticker. How about the icthus one? You know, the fish that some people like to pervert? That's another pet peeve and blog, but still. Ok, so maybe the bumper sticker I saw that says, "The way I drive, I gotta have faith!" would work. lol What kind of witness would I be to non-Christians in one of my more stupid times when I'm running really late and flying down the highway doing 85? Or shaking my finger at someone who has almost hit me while driving a car with a John 3:16 bumper sticker on the back of my car? Sometimes, I wonder if we do more harm by declaring our faith with trinkets and slogans and then acting like a bunch of idiots. Why not just act like God tells us to in His word, and let people crave what we have? What do you want more, some MP3 player that you see someone enjoying or the one that no one is using, but everyone is jumping up and down screaming about? It's just me, but I'd rather have the one I see working than the one that has a great ad campaign.

Well, to make a short story long, I don't have a Christian bumper sticker because I'd rather people see my actions and read Christ there. Besides, with my driving, someone would rear-end me trying to read my bumper. Driving is one of the things I'm still working on. Unless you've heard some of the other stories about my driving (the Detroit Edison truck will live on in infamy forever), you'd think my driving is a weak point. It's actually a testament to the work God has done in me. But, you wouldn't know it. hehehe

More coming soon. DD needs to do a paper for school, but I have a great idea. At least, I think so.

Website frustration!

2009-01-13T11:51:00.004-05:00

So, I decided to go with a large, well known online retailer to build my website and be able to add my products to their catalog. Three frustrating weeks later, it's still not up and running. I've shut down that account before the free trial ends, and I'm switching over to another hosting company. We'll see how that goes. But, that means my website is still not up and running. Oh well. It just gives me time to make sure it's done the right way. lol

New contest at www.5dollardinners.com!

2009-01-13T11:39:00.003-05:00

They have a contest giving away a designer lunch tote from Spring Los Angeles. They are so cute. I love bags and purses!

Not only do they have this cool giveaway, but this is an awesome website to check out. We are doing the $5 dinner challenge, although I haven't participated in the posting of recipes yet. As a matter of fact, I was just discussing it with a woman in the grocery store yesterday. I highly recommend this site to anyone trying to be frugal.

Introducing ... ME!

2009-01-04T19:23:00.006-05:00

First things first Well, I thought I should probably introduce myself and explain my blog title before getting started.

My name is Chele. I have a great husband (who drives me nuts) and two great kids (who also drive me even more nuts). We're born again Christians. We believe that we should live the life that God has for us. Let me tell you. So many things come to folks' minds when they hear that. Hopefully, this blog will help dispell some of those myths. Or, I will prove that my family really is driving me nuts, and some kind person will call the men with the cozy white hug yourself coats to cart me away.

Let's see. I grew up just outside Buffalo NY. Yes, I've heard just about every joke there is to hear about snow. If you think you have a new one, just try me. I now live in the Blue Water area of Michigan. For those who don't know, that's around Port Huron. Country living is quite the adjustment. I have a candle-making business that I run from my home. That can be found at http://www.bluewaterscentsations.com/

Most of my family are very driven for success, very type A, very successful, and very confused about why I am not. Don't get me wrong. I want my business to succeed - very much so. But I don't have the degrees or work for some big firm, or anything like that. My ladder to success is on another type of building. While I'd like to have more money - or just less money worries - it's not a priority to me.

Now then, on to the part about my faith and God. Well, I was born again in December 1999. Sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday. Sometimes I feel like I've been born again for eons. Which one it is depends on how big the screw-ups were for that day. My goal is to be a true Proverbs 31 woman. The Proverbs 31 woman is outlined in verses 10-31. King Lemuel's mother is telling him what kind of wife to find. Let that be a lesson to all men out there - ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! lol Yeah, if I tell my son that one, he'd laugh and ask me if I had taken cold medicine.

Anyway, the Proverbs 31 woman has it all and does it all. She's the original feminist. What was that old commercial? She could bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and - get this - her husband was respected in part because of his awesome wife!

Me? After I located the frying pan, washed it out, remembered I don't have any bacon because I'm trying to get my family to eat better, then decide that I'd rather not fry anything, but wait, did I remember to answer that email oh look my friend sent me a humorous email maybe I want a cup of tea but I have to use MY special tea mug which I'll put in the microwave and forget that it's in there and does my husband have clean socks for tomorrow and what is the dog barking at and what was I doing again? Proverbs 31 I'm not - yet.

I have books that I read on the subject, I have an online community that I belong to, and I pray to God that I learn how to do that before the ever growing pile of laundry takes over the world. I get closer each and every day. I still struggle with issues, like not giving in to my OCD tendencies and color coding everything even though there are days I really want to. I lose my temper, car keys, sunglasses and just about everything else. I am more slob than neat freak. There are days (and no, they are not just lady days) that I want to rip off everyone's lips and make them eat them for dinner.

Now then. For the not stupid part. If we all believed the stereotypes that people, mainly the mainstream media and hollywood types, try to shove down our throats, it would be a sad sad world. Come on folks! Not all Christians are hate-mongering big mouths. Yes, there are Christian idiots, just like there are idiots and morons of every shape, color and creed. But the vast majority of us, who don't get any air time, are just normal people. You know, I don't know of any born again Christians who kiss poisonous snakes. I don't know of any of them telling people they hate
them or are going to burn in hell. Actually, a lot of the people that are said to be saying that stuff don't even say that stuff. No one I know has actually hit anyone over the head with a Bible. I've wanted to hit my husband over the head with a frying pan (the really nice heavy one with the copper bottom), but never with a Bible.

Just because I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came down to die for our sins so we could have everlasting life in Heaven doesn't mean that I'm going to fall for the African money scheme or the "your bank account is compromised so send us your login information so we can
fix it" scam. For all of those Christians who try to perpetrate our own stereotypes, I don't know any born again Christians in my circle who think they are better than anyone else. We don't have all the answers. We don't have the right to be hate-filled. We do have the right to say when we
know something is wrong, but we need to do it in a loving way. I mean, I sure don't want my sins put out there for everyone to comment on. What gives you the right to do so? We do have the right to share the Gospel and tell people about how much God loved us. I mean, He sent his only son to die for our sins. Isn't that incredible?! Saved? Yes. Stupid? I don't think so.

Here's today's verse. Proverbs 31:10 - A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman - who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls - Amplified Bible.

The Father's Love Letter

2009-01-04T19:18:00.002-05:00

We saw a video of this at church one day. I just love it!

My Child,
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad.
Almighty God.

'Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2008 www.FathersLoveLetter.com'

How powerful is this! Each line comes from the Bible, His words to us. God has written such an incredible love letter to us, and this just brings you a few verses of it. Any time you are worried, stressed, lonely, feeling unloved, go to this love letter and remember the depth of His love for you! The website has a lot of free downloadables. Check it out.

Great contest and great site!

2009-01-04T17:45:00.001-05:00

I just LOVE this website - www.5dollardinners.com

Starting today, they even have a contest going for a $25 gift card from Kroger. Jump on over and check it out!

Start of a New Year

2009-01-04T13:12:00.001-05:00

You know, I hate when a new year starts in the middle of the week. It always seems so...strange. To me, the start of anything is when the week starts - Sunday. So, here we go.

What is it I want this blog to achieve. Hmmmm. Good question. I really just wanted this to be a place to share my goals in this crazy life and walk with Christ. I wanted this to be a place where I can share the journey I go through as I strive to reach those goals. So, today will be the day I list those goals. I'm also going to post some entries I did on my old blog. I shamefully neglected it, and so have put it to rest. Besides, I started it a couple years ago, and it's not where my life is now. I'll be posting multiple entries for the next couple days to bring some of that content in, then posting on a regular basis. I don't know about every day, but I'll try to.

My overall approach to life is I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman. She is the original "feminist". She accomplished many things, while always putting God and her family first. Haven't heard of her? I strongly urge you to read Proverbs 31:10-31. This is a woman telling her son what type of woman he should be looking for as a wife. I look forward to sharing my trials and successes as I work towards that goal.

I'll be back later to get things rolling. My step-daughter's dog at her mother's house was put to sleep this morning. Bez had advanced bone cancer. We're going to be telling her soon and I want to be available for her.