Happy Halloween and...

Happy Birthday...

Superman saved me...

Posing at his Art Camp this summer.

Looking cute in the front yard.

Tree climbing one of his personal favorite things to do.

Thinking at the park.

Superman and one of his building creations.
Jumping on the trampoline.

My journey into motherhood began with Superman flying into my life. He was a God send. Though he was not planned by Expresso and I God had ordained him to become a apart of our lives uniting us together forever and begining a long and hard journey for us to depart on. I was 19 and the last thing I had on my mind was being a mother and wife, the LAST thing! I will be honest here... I fell to my knees in tears when the + sign appeared. I was shocked and devasted, but He was working out His perfect will for my life whether I knew it or not. God sent me a son by the name of Eli aka Superman to begin my journey to His son.

And so 7 years ago tomorrow my journey began, the journey of slowly and painfully being transformed. Now as I sit here in this moment of time I can "see" His plan more clearly and I would not change a single experience that I went through in these 7 years.

It is so surreal that it has been 7 years since I began these journeys. Time has amazingly flown right by my eyes. He was so little and yet filled such a huge peice of my heart 7 years ago. He was an accident and a huge surprise and changed my life forever. I have said so many times that it was through Superman's arrival that God began to save my husband and me. He not only brought us joy... he brought us life. I LOVE this little creature and SO enjoy raising him.

Thank you God for sending my Superman to me and for the saving work of Your son Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour!

Superman has...

An amazing personality

A JOYful spirit

Boundless energy

A Loving heart

A Secret Gentle side

A Handsome face

A strong independent mind

Determination like I have never seen in a kid

A laugh that makes you giddy

A spunk that is contagious

A goofiness that brings your spirit to laugh

A sense of humor

And a prankster that is daily growing

A deep side that surfaces every so often

A love for God and His Son

A special place in my life

Superman has...

...My HEART

Superman has been the center of my universe since he was born, for 3 years he filled the space alone and now he shares it. He is a truly wonderful kid and we are all lucky to be so blessed with his amazing presence, there is no other Superman, he is the one and only. I can not fully express the deep love that I have for this Little, he brings so much joy to my life and so many smiles to my face. I can not believe that on Wednesday he will be turning 7 leaving another year in the memory bank of my mind. I am so blessed to be his mother and to watch God work in his life and mold him into His might servant.

Greeting Duties with JOYful Anticipation

Another week is approaching... full of demands and joyful duties. This last week I am thankful and sad that it is behind me and that I am able to look in the rear view mirror to see all of the joys and struggles. Striving to live a life in this calling with an attitude of embracing each God given moment is... exhausting and... difficult in times when the moments are so full of "to do's" and "expected duties" that are very energy consuming and that take away from moments better spent with loving and just enjoying my family. I don't want to miss the joyful opportunites though in those life moments of active duties of completing the lists, they are there and it just depends on my attitude towards them. They are apart of my calling and my life and they must be embraced and greeted with an attitude that accepts its painful experience and conquers it with JOYful anticipation.

If it is feared that some duties just can not be met with JOYful anticipation then it is neccessary for us to spend more time in prayer with our heavenly Father and to reflect on His word as our sustainers and encouragers. This week desperately try to meet your duties with JOYful anticipation and I also recommend "going out of your mind" if you become overwhelmed and stressed. I will leave you with this thought from my friend Allison...

"...we are enjoying life as it is right now and enjoying the blessings that God has given us in the moment. Life will not ever be like this again so we are soaking up everything about it!"

Just a few things...

It is a beautiful morning,

the sun is shining,

the littles are awake,

family is here,

coffee is brewing,

worship is coming,

fellowship with friends,

joy and contentment

are dancing,

I thank the Lord,

for His goodness

and grace,

and pray for His blessings

in this Lord's day.

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

before the gods I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple

and will praise your name

for your love and your faithfulness.

Psalms 138:1-2

Praise Him, be grateful and enjoy this day of worship.

Early in His presence

The purpose of a daily quiet time is to know God. Drawing apart to begin the day by communing with our Father shifts our focus and fixes our hearts. We begin to see God in every circumstance and receive interruptions as from Him. Withough this time, our days become harried and frustrating and we often miss great opportunities He sends our way.

Sandy Smith

Leading them...

It is going to be one of those days, those days that are full of high expectations and long to do lists, one of those days that the littles are going to smell their mothers weakness as she stresses out. We are all getting ready to head out to Butterfly's doctor appointment this morning... I am anxious to see how big she has gotten. Today I prayed that I would be given the eyes to see His blessings and the heart to feel their presence. I know that they are not going to just stand out to me through out this day. I am going to have a lot of moments that are on the surface going to be difficult... Superman and T-Rex are going to test me and their sins are going to irritate me even more than usual because it is just going to be one of those days. I pray that in each of these challenges, I will beable to view them as wonderful opportunities to train them in His righteousness and not fall under my own sin. These are blessings in disguise these opportunities to train them... to lead them closer to the cross.

1. Today I am grateful for the opportunities that I am given to train my children not in my own stupidity wisdom but in His true wisdom and righteousness.

May this day bring you great blessings and may you beable to capture them and store them in your heart producing in you a truly grateful heart.

The Rejected Cheescake

Number 60 on my 101 Things to do list is to bring a neighbor a dessert. About a month ago I did just that. I decided to make a blueberry cheesecake for our very sweet neighbor across the street. I prepared it and the family and I walked over to bless him with it when he announced that he doesn't like cheesecake! I wasn't offended at all but a little embarassed, I guess we should have asked. He said he likes blueberry pie, so I am going to try to make him one soon. We decided to take the refected cheesecake to our next door neighbor who also doesn't like cheesecake but his wife does... thank goodness! Next time I think I will just make cookies... 2 different kinds. :0)

A Grateful Heart

I am full… my heart lies within me beating with a rhythm of sincere gratitude. God is good, His love endures forever and His mercies are new every morning. It is not everyday that I feel so full the sad truth is that on most days I feel empty of this overflowing gratitude and full of my disgusting pride. Every day is a gift a blessing that my heart should show, feel and express the intense gratitude for its presence but it is when I miss it as a blessing and all of the many blessings that He gives me in each day that I become full of discontentment and consumed with myself. How often do His abundant graces and gifts slip past my humanistic and materialistic eyes.

Maybe it’s the season or the warm tones being brought in with it that have given me all of these warm and fuzzy feelings, but I believe that it is God alone that has filled me. Isn’t this how we should always feel… infinitely and abundantly full of gratitude… I believe that we have such a wonderful opportunity to reveal His glory to our families through a grateful heart. I am tired of living with this heart of inconsistent gratitude and desire to possess gratitudes presence in every day and every circumstance. I believe that if I look through His lens instead of mine each day I will be enabled to recognize and focus on His blessings and begin to cultivate a more consistent heart of gratitude. And so I embark on this journey of gratitude and vow to be thankful for the many blessings that I so often miss and allow to slip into the winds of discontentment.

1000 Thousand gifts is an attempt to ”see” more clearly and consistently these many blessings from the Lord rather than let them slip away, an attempt to fight for them rather than weakly surrender them to discontent, which will begin to grow a restless depressed frame of mind, hiding the JOY that I have in Him and that is given to me each day.

Does it feel like you truly have nothing to be grateful for… that life is just to hard right now… that God hasn’t given you any blessings to be grateful for, your life is miserable and you feel like it isn’t going to get better… can I ask you to dig deep to look further past your fallacy of emotions and find the blessings that are hidden behind all of the “obstacles” hindering your gratefulness and JOY today.

“Joy is a product of a Grateful Heart”

*Oh Lord my God... each morning you command the sun to rise blessing us with a new creation.. filling it with many adornments that we so often than not allow to slip past our eyes into the vast wind of discontent... leaving us... with our eyes down and our hearts empty... cause us to become true harvesters of a sincerely grateful heart daily acknowledging the presence of your blessings.. great and small... open our eyes to see them, our hearts to experience them and our souls to be refreshed and encouraged by them and may we through their being lift our eyes to Your love, Your grace, You mercy consuming our hearts and minds with Your goodness. You are holy and righteous! Blessed be your name in all the earth!! Amen.

Blogging to Glorify

I am very humbled and honored to recieve this award of discipleship from Julie at According to His Power. It is funny because just today I was searching through my old blog and reflected on all of my posts and it made me think of why I started blogging. I started with the idea in mind to encourage other women in their high and holy callings of being a mother, wife and homekeeper and I feel that in some ways I have wandered away from that first initial idea and starting place of this blogging experience. I believe that it is vitally important to have some encouragement in our journey as christians, as mothers, as wives and as homekeepers and the fellowship that is able to thrive in the blogsphere is in so many ways inspiring and motivating to the ultimate journey to the cross, to the daily adventure of glorifying our Lord and Saviour. This award has reminded me of the passion I have for encouraging in my own personal way and hopefully set my feet back in place as I desire to be a better disciple of Christ daily learning and growing deeper in my knowledge of Him.

"Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) it to make more disciples. I'd like to take the opportunity to award five other bloggers with this award and badge for acting in the role of a disciple of Christ. These five all share the message in their own creative ways, and I admire them all for what they do."

This award was created by Management by God

Five women of God that I feel honored to bless with this award...

Praise and Coffee

Laced with Grace

I Work from Son up to Son down

Simple Life at Home

Teaching Diligently

Still Abiding...

Teach me how to use the world, and not abuse it,
to improve my talents,
to redeem my time,
to walk in wisdom toward those without, and in kindness to those within,
to do good to all men,
and especially to my fellow Christians.
And to the be the glory.

Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers

Last week my personal memory verse was Ephesians 5:15-16. After dwelling on it for a week it has been amazing in seeing exactly what Paul was saying. When we walk as Christians, as I walk, walk exactly in the right way, in His way of wisdom and to make the best use of our time.

but here taking time for a space of time, it denotes a careful
and diligent use of it, an improvement of it to the best advantage; and
shows
that it is valuable and precious, and is not to be trifled with, and
squandered
away, and be lost, as it may be; for it can neither be recalled
nor prolonged:
and taking it for an opportunity of doing good to ourselves
or others, it
signifies that no opportunity of discharging our duty to God
and man, of
attending on the word and ordinances of the Gospel, and to the
private and
public exercises of religion, of gaining advantage to our own
souls, or of
gaining the souls of others, and of doing good either to the
bodies or souls of
men, should be neglected; but even all risks should be
run, and means used to
enjoy it. (The New John Gill Exposition of the
Entire Bible)

Why? Because the days are evil. Verse 17 adds a little more to the verse though... Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Therefore... Paul is saying now all of that being said don't be foolish or stupid and ignorant but... understand this one thing... what the will of the Lord is... understand what His path is and walk in it and be wise.

This week my...

Personal Memory Verse:

Love oneanother in brotherly affection. Outdo one another in shosing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Romans 12:10-11

Family Verse:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

For more on weekly memory verse visit Sarah.

Meandering and Menu Monday 2

Daily Quiet Time:

To continue to get up at 5:00 each morning... read His word, pray and worship.

Priorities:

I must begin the main preperations for Superman's party... envitations, cake, food, ect.

Make a list of people to work in nursery for the rest of this month and next!

Go shopping for nursery items.

I must call my loan people

Household Cleaning and Routines:

Continue with my room cleaning routine but also adding this week a de-cluttering block. Each day I have a room set out to be de-cluttered. Also this week... the boys will be required to help me and not just play.

Diligently Teaching and Training:

Okay, continue the tomato staking, keeping them close. I want to be more of an encouragment to them during school this week and commit more focused time to each second of it. Read aloud more often just enjoying good books together. Really reflect a lot on our memory verse this week and on many other verses that we all need to speak to our hearts and pray often together constantly relying on Him to guide us through each day.

Menu Planning:

I really would like to allow my Littles to join me in each meal preperation.

Monday: Red Beans and Rice with Cornbread

Tuesday: Pizza with Salad

Wednesday: Salmon Croquettes, Corn on cob and Potatoes

Thursday: Potato and Corn Chowder

Friday: Spaghetti with homemade sauce and breadsticks

Thanks Tiany and Laura for hosting these!!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Liz, this is for you!!

I started making my own laundry detergent in order to save a little bit of money. I have been doing it for about 6 months and make it about twice a month for a family of 5. It is very simple and I am pleased with the cleanliness of our clothes. Here is a link to a site that has several different ways to make it, I personally use the powder version for its simplicity. I can't say exactly how much I save a month on my laundry but I would guesstimate around 8 dollars a month which in a year equals 96 dollars, I know it doesn't seem like much but it is important to remember that the little things add up.

The Pumpkin Patch Tradition

Every year, since we have been here in Dallas which is 3 years now we have taken a trip to this enchanting little Lutheran church to visit all of their plump happy little orange friends. This morning we took our annual visit....

What an awesome time we all had! The boys hopped along all of the bright shining pumpkins and pointed and laughed at the ugly ones and mourned a little for the deceased and decayed. Little Butterfly enjoyed herself... gazing at all of the bright colors and beautiful big objects surrounding her. It is such a blast to see your Littles frolock around gleefully and just truly enjoying themselves and God's creation...

Poetry Friday: Amy Carmichael

Quiet Place

O Lord, my heart is all a prayer,

But it is silent unto thee;

I am to tired to look for words,

I rest upon thy sympathy

To understand when I am dumb;

And well I know thou hearest me.

I know thou hearest me because

A quiet peace comes down to me,

And fills the places where before

Weak thoughts were wandering wearily;

And deep within me it is calm,

Thought waves are tossing outwardly.

Amy Carmichael

1867-1951

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While visiting Adventures in Daily Living I found this little Poetry Friday, and being a poetry lover myself I thought... what a great idea. Two Writing Teachers is the wonderful host this week.

Abiding in Him...

I have missed the last 3 Memory Verse Wednesdays. This week I am starting something new. We will begin to have a Family memory verse each week along with my own Personal memory verse. I have enjoyed Sarah's selection of verses but am going to go out on my own and memorize what I feel the Lord is guideing me in at the moment. Sarah is doing a review this week, what an encouragement it is to see her list of verses that she has hidden in her heart! Mine is pretty short at the moment so I will wait a little while before I review.

Personal Memory Verse:

Ephesians 5:15-16

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Family Memory Verse:

Galatians 6:10a

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone..

A Night to Remember

What an amazing evening Expresso and I had Saturday night. Some friends of ours watched our Littles as we ventured out into the night. Before I even begin I must confess something... I am a disgrace to woman everywhere. That morning bright and early Expresso walked in all sleepy eyed and wished us a very happy anniversary, I smiled and returned the wish and then dropped my head down in shame and guilt as I had just realized it was our anniversary! What a thoughtless pig!! I had remembered up until Friday evening and then just plain forgot. I tried to figure out a way to recover from it and creatively find something to do but... nothing. So my 7th anniversary gift to my super sweet husband is a nice huge "You forgot our anniversary" to hang over my head for next year and many years to come. Well, anyway back to the evening. We first had to take a few before pics:

I don't like getting pictures taken of me but have begun to realize that one day my children might want to see what their mother looked like when she was younger. All videos and nearly all pictures are taken by me, I like to be behind the camera not in front of it. Well, our first stop was....

Where we had our very first date, not at this one of course but at one in Natchitoches Louisiana. I love Applebee's, mmm so good. We enjoyed some good food as we watched an important college football game if you live anywhere in Oklahoma or Texas it seems. I was going for Texas but they lost, go figure. I skipped off to the bathroom to finish a card that I had bought for my hubby but just felt to silly as I was writing it in the stall, so I just gave in and sucked it up for I knew he was about to give me my gift that he didn't forget to get for me...

When I saw the box I felt so unworthy! James Avery... I opened it to find a lovely silver ring with a black stone in the middle, perfect! Just perfect. Then he read to me, a poem that he wrote just for me... melt my heart... and it did. It was so beautiful, I felt like a princess....

(I was so caught up in the moment I forgot to get a pic so he posed for me at our next stop :0)

After we finished my hero came riding in on a white horse I mean honda to sweep me away in the rain to our next stop....

a place that I have only heard of and known as the place the men go to talk theology...

It was an amazing place that we are all going to come back to as a family. Very classy but yet casual. After that we stopped in a Urban Outfitters just to gaulk and drool and found a suprising sight... pretty little pillows originally 24.00 for only 4.99. Perfect match for our couches, I had to have them. Then after we made a few puddles on the floor we left to quench our thirst at Starbucks our favorite place where we rushed to get out after getting a call from our friends that our little Butterfly has been crying for a long time not even eating a bite of her food. I went into panic mode inside, we got our drinks and quickly left. On the way home we reflected on many wonderful moments and shared our favorites.

*I have some major making up to do next year, I must clear my name, but the 7th year will always be remembered not only for my absent mindness but for its magnificent memories.

Today Thoughts....

So I didn't get up at 5:00 this morning to meet with my King, which put me in an imediate grumpy mood, just ask Expresso. I had to within the first few minutes of my morning push the roof off and pull the walls down, which simply means had to ask God to forgive me (roof off) for my sinful behavior and my husband(walls down). I even went to bed at an early hour of 9:30. Mornings are always hard no matter what time I go to bed, I just personally hate them! I wish they would leave me alone, but I know that is impossible and must learn to love them, just like those difficult people in my life. Nancy Leigh Demoss expresses my thoughts exactly:

I battle my flesh, which loves to sleep, is easily distracted, and does not like to sit still and be quiet. I battle my schedule with its never-ending "to do" list. I battle interruptions-many of my own making. There are many mornings when I allow my pillow, the phone, or piles of office work to win out, and have ended up spending only a few hurried moments with Him.

A few hurried moments describes my devotional time this morning... that darn pillow! Maybe I should get a rock to sleep on, that would be less tempting to go back to sleep on.

Later in my morning I got a call from my friend who had to cancel our evening dinner plans due to sickness. I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to our fellowship with my friend, I have been looking forward to it since last Thursday but quickly got over it realizing that there is a reason for everything.

I do have some good news though... I made my own homemade babyfood last night saving a good bit of money. It was fun! I made green beans and blueberries. This morning I used the blueberry juice leftover from the food for her cereal, she loved it. I still have some breads to make today.

Also, I only spent 78.76 yesterday at the grocery store! But it isn't going to stay that way if I don't get busy baking some snacks and bread. That is good, but not good enough. There is still more room for improvement. Today I am going to print out my price book pages and record my prices from yesterday.

Meandering and Menu Monday

Tiany, an amazing encourager to all woman in their holy callings has a wonderful weekly accountability meme (or whatever those things are called!). I have seen the little lady hanging her clothes on her clothes line for several weeks now and have had it on my mind to do. Visit Less of Me, More of Him to find out more.

Here are the 5 areas:

1. Bible Study/Devotions
2. Must Do's
3. Zone/Cleaning
4. Train Them Up
5. Menu Planning

Here are my personal goals in each one:

1. Bible Study/Devotions

This week I am going to be working on getting to know my King in a much deeper and more intimate relationship as I devote each morning to Him. This means getting up early. 5:00 to be exact. Here are more of the details:

Pray over His word, dive in His word, worship and praise Him with music, reflect on memory verse for the week and any other verses.

My bible reading is loosely based on this reading plan but I am not bound to it. I am trying to catch up to where I should be but am not going to do it at the expense of making my reading time a duty instead of a delight. Know what I mean?

Each evening instead of turing on the tv, the computer or my mouth :0) I am going to be in the word some more to reflect on some more of His wisdom and read from my current book by Nancy Leigh Demoss, A Place of Quiet Rest. (GREAT book so far!!)


2. "Must Do's"

Let's see here...

1. Call for insurance for Superman and T-Rex
2. Call, again, to put my loan from college on hold
3. Look over budget to see where some changes can be made
4. Send care package to family member
5. Write 2 letters to friends/family
6. Call a friend or person in need... to encourage
7. Make a nursery list of workers for this month and then make calls to them
8. Make a price book
9. Enjoy my family and relax in the love of the Lord...

3. Zone/Cleaning

Okay this week I am really just going to be working on being disciplined in my cleaning routine. I feel like I say this way to many times! I am back to room cleaning... task cleaning just didn't work for me. Here is my schedule:

Monday: Kitchen
Tuesday: Bathroom
Wednesday: Bedrooms
Thursday: Livingroom
Friday: Playroom
Saturday: Outside/Cars

4. Train them Up

I have posted on my fridge right now Wise Words for Mom and a Behavior Chart. This week I am going to be loosely Tomato Staking and watching my boys very closely as they go through each day and will be taking notes, litterally. I have a piece of paper on my table to jot down their behaviors through out each day putting a + or - next to the description so that I can evaluate it at the end of the week. I am praying that this will allow me to "see" a little more clearly the sin that is in their hearts and that God wants me to replace with His words of wisdom. Spanking will be few and there will be a lot more training rather than discipline.

Something else I want to do this week is to have them repeat a certain verse that pertains to the sin that is causing their bad behavior at the very moment of it's appearance.

5. Menu Planning




Monday: Chicken and Rice with Peas
Tuesday: Out to eat and felloship with friends
Wednesday: Black Bean soup with Cornbread
Thursday: Brocolli Spaghetti with homemade bread
Friday: Baked Potato and Brocolli with rolls

This week I am really going to try and be healthy. For snacks we will have homemade breads, granola, peanuts, fruit, cut veges, yogurt, smoothies and water will be our main drink. I am hoping to get to Central Market to buy some wheat to make bread with, mmm but don't know if that is going to happen or not.

None of this above is going to be possible with out God and so it is vital that I stay focused on His will for my life and to take joy in it, to take each moment and use it for His glory. Have a great day.

His Steadfast Love

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

The Lord has spoken these words to me each day this week. God's constant, unchanging love is more desirable than life, than living! His love never changes, it stays the same. Isn't that just amazing! Let that soak in for a minute... now let us praise Him.

7 Years today

I would like to tell you that was our beautiful wedding cake 7 years ago but the truth is it was actually a friends from a few months ago. A beautiful wedding it was with all of the flowers, brides maids and music. Thinking back to October 6 2000 where we said our "I dos" it was a little less romantic as we stood in Expresso's grandmothers living room in front of the fireplace surrounded by friends and family who I am sure were filled with the lingering thought of "is this going to last". It was crowded to say the least being a single wide trailer. I remember getting ready, trying to get pretty for my soon to be husband but feeling it was a hopeless cause being swollen and 9 months pregnant! Yes, 9 months pregnant with Superman. Obviously neither of us knew the Lord at that time. Standing at the door together about to face all of the people and our fate we asked eachother "Are you ready?" Ready for what? We had no idea!! We both look at where we are now and are just amazed at what God has done in our marriage. The grace that He has poured down on us as we have walked through these 7 years. I am certain we are only together today because of God, there is no way we could have made it with out him especially in the first 3 years. There were so many times we said we couldn't do it and yet we did, said we were leaving and yet stayed, said we hated eachother and yet continued to love.... why? why didn't we follow through? The power of the devil tried to not only reign within our marriage but overtake it but... and I LOVE that but... God had His protective hand holding us up from his snares. You see we were His, yet we didn't know it, He loved us but didn't know it, He had mighty plans for us but we didn't know it and He told us... I will never leave you nor forsake you but we couldn't hear Him. Now 7 years later we are serving Him as we daily try to understand His will for our life and desperately try to yeild to where He leads us. It is good to be a child of the King, not easy, but good.

I remember the day he met my parents. I can not tell you how nervous I was! Pacing through out my house constantly checking the door anxiously waiting for him to drive up my driveway. He made a good impression :0). He is an amazing man and I thank God daily for giving him to me. I have not the words to express the love that my heart holds for him... for it can not be measured and reaches far beyond where even I can not feel but here is a poem that forever comes close....

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I lvoe thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,-I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Sonnets from the Portuguese, XLIII

Elizabeth Barrett Brownining

Food is Consuming our Money!

A closer look at our current food spending has me convicted to make some changes. Let me first share an example of our 1 week grocery spending with you:

Milk 3.50

Eggs (18) 2.38

Yogurt 1.98 (2)

Cool Whip 1.87

Sour Cream 1.18

Carrots 1.68

Hamburger Meat 2.13 (2)

Chicken 6.97

Lettuc 1.50

Cheese 5.96

Turkey 3.58

Bacon 2.63

Pinapple .94

applesauce 1.96

Bannanas .75

Celery 1.34

Bell Pepper .78 (2)

Tomato .73

Cucumbers .74

Corn 1.32

Apples 1.89

Onion .79

Tortillas 1.48

Miracle Whip 3.64 last the month

Creamer 1.48

Peanunt Butter 2.64

Salso 2.08

Cornbread Mix .56

SS Morsel 4.46

Syrup 1.56

Quick Oats 2.98

Veg Oil 1.88

Pam Spray 2.44

Pinto Beans .56

Pumpkin 1.13

Kernal Corn .66

Peach Tea 1.76

Canned Fruit .78 (4)

Tomato Sauce .32

Cream Chicken .98 (2)

Enchilada Sauce .96

Graham Crackers 1.18

Vanilla .98

Fruit Snacks 3.74

Flour 1.74

Potatoes 2.98

Sugar 1.68

Chips 2.50

Mac cheese .60

Baby Food .98 (7)

This is roughly a little over 100 dollars a week. Weekly my reciept is usually 115-125 which for me is HIGH and I am moving to LOWER it, how low? As LOW as I can GO. We are a family of 5, 3 of us being boys that can eat all day long!

Something that I have heard is a good thing to do and have wanted to do for quite some time now is a price book. I simply have not done this because I am lazy. I am going to start a price book as soon as I collect all of the information on exactly how to. It is going to take some extra energy and time on my part but I know that it is going to pay off in the end.

A few months ago I began making my own detergent and house cleaning products and made a significant difference in our budget. It only makes sense to begin to do the same in some areas of my food preperation as well. Baby food, bread, certain mixes and other items. I have done these but am very inconsistent and not reliable at all. I have hopes to commit to a day and time to spend on making these for each week, I know that it is going to be a huge challenge for me just because it will take discipline... something I don't have much of.

I know that there are many other things that I can work on but for now this is it. I know better than to overload myself with to much... walk... don't run. Oh how I want to run and jump right in!

Having any thoughts that you would like to share with me? Please leave it in my comments, I am SO open for suggestions and advice.

Soccer Boys

T-Rex ready to "play" some soccer!

Quick pic before we walk out the door.

T-Rex holding on to his precious ball that no one else can touch or even look at!

Superman, #7 out on the field.

Superman and T-Rex relaxing with a snack.

I am so amazed at the transformation of my little Superman. When he first started playing soccer he was afraid of the ball and would run around the ball, pretend not to see it when it found itself right under his feet and his enthusiasm for the game was pitifully weak. Expresso and I grew frustrated with his attitude but really tried to be his little cheerleaders on the sidelines encouraging him each step of the way even when he was whining that he was to hot and was it almost over. I decided that he needed a little motivation so I came up with a reward system if he gave it his all out there. It wasn't an instant improvement but it slowy over the course of 2 games and 3 practices he has become a soccer player who loves the game. Honestly, not being bias and all he is one of the best players on his team, now, and the fact that he has no experience with the game at all we are just so proud. How amazing to watch this little boy fight through his fears and his insecurities. What is truly amazing is that he is doing this on a daily baisis in this world as he struggles to find his place and to understand and serve an invisible God while being a boy. I am just so elated with joy this morning as I realize that I get to be once again his cheerleader, encourager as he makes this journey.

Little T-Rex is just enjoying watching his big brother and "playing" his own soccer each Saturday. It is so cute to watch his enthusiasm as he kicks his little black and white ball around. He wearies out pretty quick out there on the field as they teach him the fundamentals of the game and I try not to push him to much not to suck the fun out of it but what he loves is to just kick it around with momma or daddy, now that is his idea of soccer!

Healing of a Broken Heart

This morning I sit in awe and wonder of my Lord and His great power. I can not fully explain the intense emotions that have filled me over the past couple of days. On Friday a very close and very special friend of mine set out for a woman's conference where God would meet us both exactly where we were. My heart was broken and shattered into pieces as I was in the presence of His Holliness and I stood among 100's of other women just in awe of Him. I found myself yearning, crying for a heart that was willing and ready to surrender to His Spirit a heart that yearned and cried for a more intimate relationship with it's Creator. As I sat and listened to the Lord speak to me through His vessel I became overwhelmed with a desire to worship, to worship freely, to worship with hands thrown up in the air proclaiming my gratitude and adoration for my Saviour and my God and for the Grace and Mercy He has shown me an unworthy sinner small and insignificant. What an AMAZING God we serve. I had high expectations for this conference but was not fully prepared for the work that the Lord was going to do in my heart as he painfully peeled back the many layers of pride, I stood with my heart bleeding and vulnerable ready to be put back together with His guidance and now as I am home I can still feel the healing. The whole experience was amazing and I prayed that what I was experiencing was not just momentary but forever change and that when I left He would not leave me that He would come with me and not leave me to myself and let me just say that God is faithful. Listen to what He as said to me through Isaiah His prophet in several places as I have been dwelling in His word each morning.... "God... is with us". HE IS GOOD.

They had an amazing worship leader there that I just have to comment on. Shannon Wexelberg, an amazing artist. I can not stop listening to her voice proclaim the beauty of her love for her God which speaks what my heart feels.