Forever Free

Gettin' back on the horse...

2011-10-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you fall off? I've definitely fallen off the blog "horse" and intend to get back on! I have so many things that happen each day that I want to remember...things that Caleb says, faces Morgan makes...I've already forgotten so many things. I don't want to forget any more!

So.... Here it goes!

Today I took Caleb and Morgan to the Maple Leaf Festival parade. Caleb (and Morgan) haven't ever been to a parade, but it's full of the things he loves, so I knew he would get a real kick out of it! He LOVED the motorcycles, fire trucks, tractors, but when daddy asked what he saw, he said "horses!" Then daddy asked, "What else did you see?" and Caleb responded "Horses!" He loved seeing horses up close!

I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the candy that people were throwing, as well! I kept asking him to say "please", which he would do, but then they wouldn't throw any candy his way! He was so disappointed, but I just told him "Maybe next time!" That was sufficient for him, and he got more candy than he needed! We had such a good time together. I thought that taking the kids to a parade by myself might be more than I wanted to deal with, but they were great! I'm so glad I took them... it was a beautiful day!

While we were waiting (an hour!) for the parade to start, some older boys next to us were trying to blow on grass blades and make them whistle. Not to miss out on any fun, Caleb wanted to try it too! He didn't really understand what they were doing, so instead, he ended up picking up handfuls of dry, brown grass and blowing on them! He had such a puzzled look on his face as he tried to figure out why their grass was making noise, but his wasn't! Such a sweet (and funny!!) boy! :-)

5x7 Folded Card

2011-09-25T16:26:00.001-05:00

So Shutterfly gave me 10 free cards...I'm really working on thinking ahead, so I created these "thank you" cards for Morgan's 1st birthday! They really turned out cute! I've been so happy with Shutterfly's products. I recently created an ABC book for Caleb's 2nd birthday, and it was perfect! Yeah for Shutterfly! :-)

My one and only Black Friday Deal.... but it was a good one!!

2009-11-27T22:22:00.006-06:00

The mere thought of taking Caleb out at 4 or 5 in the morning for his first Black Friday made me cringe! As crazy as I am about finding a great deal, I simply couldn't bear the thought of taking him out. He probably would have been fine, but I didn't want to take a chance! Not to mention, we didn't get home from Emporia until 12:30, so he would have been very grumpy...

BUT.... as I was looking through the grocery ads for this weekend, I stumbled upon a deal that I simply could not overlook! I have been keeping a nice stash of diaper coupons, just waiting for the perfect sale to come along. Today, it did and I have no more diaper coupons left!! So here's how my deal went.... Hy-Vee had Huggie's diapers for $5.99 per package (10-50 count). I didn't want to drive all the way to Hy-Vee, so I went to Walmart, where I found that these packages of diapers normally cost $8.93. So, I price matched the diapers to $5.99, then used the coupons that I had. I used 4 $3 off coupons and 13 $2 off coupons... I ended up purchasing 17 packages of diapers.

Walmart price- $8.93 x 17= $151.83
Hy-Vee price-$5.99 x 17=$101.83
Value of 17 coupons-$38.... so $101.83-$38=$63.83 for 17 packages of diapers...
Which comes to $3.75 per package!! WOW!!!!

As I was standing and looking at the diapers, I was contemplating how many packages I should buy... A woman and her husband came up to get diapers and I explained to them the deal and gave them some coupons, then I gave some coupons to the assistant manager who had to come over and approve my excessive price matching!

Even as I write this post, I wonder if I should have purchased more?? Unfortunately the Hy-Vee ad is only good for Friday, so this deal won't work tomorrow...

Anywhoo...that's my 2009 Black Friday deal! I think it was worth it. I didn't have to wait in any lines or get up entirely too early in the morning! In fact, I didn't go to Walmart until 7:30 pm, and it was pretty quiet!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I'm thankful for diapers that should last me through the next few months!

P.S. A special thanks to my mom who printed out over 20 $2/1 Huggies coupons!! :-) It really paid off! I love you!

6 weeks...

2009-10-20T17:10:00.010-05:00

Time has absolutely flown by! Caleb is 6 weeks old today!! I went to a breast feeding support group and weighed him and he weighs 11 lbs. 14 oz.! Last week he weighed 10 lbs. 13 oz... so he's growing quickly! He's totally out-grown his newborn stuff and most of his 0-3 and 3 month stuff...we've moved on to 3-6 month outfits and they are a little big, but not too much! Here are some 6 week pictures... Enjoy! :-)

I'm getting tired!...

I'm sleepin'...

Great-Grandma and I are best buds....

A four generation picture...

A whirlwind...1 month and 1 week later!

2009-10-13T12:59:00.011-05:00

I feel awful! I never intended for a month and a week to go by without introducing our little boy!! Thankfully, most of you are mothers too and understand what a new mother goes through...I never had any idea of the amount of work and time that I would be spending taking care of our new little guy... without further delay:

Jeff and I are excited and proud to welcome

Caleb Andrew Widener

to the family!
Born: Sept. 9, 2009 (9-9-09)

Weight: 8 lbs. 7.5 oz.

Length: 19 1/2 inches

Time: 12:41 pm

C-section babies sure are pretty, aren't they!? :-)

Week 1: I'm so thankful that Jeff took this first week at home off from work. I would never have made it without him! When Caleb left the hospital his weight was down to 7 lbs. 11 oz., so I was pumping and we were feeding him with a tube and a syringe while he was breastfeeding. It worked very well, because when we went to our 1 week appt. he was back to 8 lbs. 2 oz. and we quit tube feeding. I know Jeff is thankful that we were able to quit tube feeding because it was a two person job at each feeding and he was getting worn out! Here are some pictures of Caleb at 1 week...

Week 2: This week my mom and my grandma came and spent the week with Caleb and me. The house got a major cleaning and my grandma spent some precious time with Caleb. They took morning and afternoon naps together as she snuggled with him. Jeff went back to work and life started to resemble something of normal... Caleb started to get the hang of breastfeeding, but we started giving him a bottle of breastmilk during the night, just so I knew how much he was eating and to make sure that he had enough to eat. Also, this helped me get a little more sleep...he seemed to eat better from the bottle than from me! Week 2 pictures of Caleb...

Week 3: This week was our first week by ourselves! I was pretty nervous, but it went well! On Monday, we ventured to Sam's Club to get a few things and since things went so well at Sam's, we stopped at Walmart too! On Tuesday, we slept most of the day! I think we did too much and wore ourselves out! Here are a couple of week 3 pictures...

4 days to go! (and 39 week pics)

2009-09-04T22:15:00.005-05:00

So some of you have wondered why I got scheduled for a C-section on Wed., so I thought I'd let ya know...

First, I have gestational diabetes, which can cause baby to be pretty large. At our last sonogram (about 2 1/2 weeks ago) baby was measuring 7 1/2 pounds. Since babies tend to grow at about 1/2 pound per week, baby is theoretically at 8 1/2 pounds right now. If we wait for my due date, we're potentially looking at a 9-9 1/2 pounder... not my idea of a good time!

Second, I've been checked the last three weeks and baby has not moved down at all. Baby is still very high and I'm just at a 1. Because of the diabetes, my dr. won't let me go over my due date, so we had to make some decisions. The plan is this... I'm going to my regular appt. on Tues. and Dr. will check me again. If things are the same as they are now and there has not been significant changes, then we will have the c-section as scheduled on Wed. at noon... if I have changed a lot, then we can cancel the c-section and do an induction instead. I'm very comfortable with both of these options and am really just ready to hold my little one!

Anyway, I hope this helps explain it a little bit...I still have until Wed. to go into labor on my own, which would be fantastic! Today was my last day at work, which works out well, since Mon. is Labor Day... Here are a couple of pictures of me at almost 39 weeks (mostly so I can remember what I looked like!)...

34 1/2 week sonogram pictures and 2 NEW deals!! (One new deal added...)

2009-08-08T10:08:00.010-05:00

I'm gonna try to keep it short and sweet! I had a sonogram on Tuesday to see how big baby is at this point. I'm 34 1/2 weeks, but baby was measuring 36 1/2 weeks and about 6 lbs. 8 oz!! I understand, though, that the sonogram machines can be off, so that's what I'm hoping for! My doctor did say that baby is growing very quickly and is large, so I'll have either a non-stress test or a sonogram each week until baby is born. Here are some pictures! Enjoy!! P.S. Jeff guesses that I'll go about another 3 weeks! I LOVE his optimism! :-)

Side profile of baby's face with LOTS of hair!!

Look really carefully... can you see lips, nose and chin??

Little baby feet!!

NEW DEALS!!!!

I did a couple of deals yesterday at Target and Office Max that just made my day!!! I'm so excited to share them!

This was at Office Max... before coupons, sales, and deals, my total came to just over $35... I PAID 99 CENTS!!! The Expo markers were B1G1 for 1 cent and I had coupons to stack with them... the Sharpies were 1 cent each with a coupon.... and I received a $10 reward card in the mail just for signing up for a MaxPerks card for teachers!! Very cool!

Here is my Target deal for the week!! I bought...

10 packages of Sharpie Highlighters

2 packages of stickers

2 Healthy Choice meals

2 packages of Poptarts

1 clear nail polish

1 L'Oreal kids shampoo

Before coupons my total came to around $30....after coupons, I spent $4.27!!! Whew... I'm heading to Walgreens this morning to see what I can find!! We'll see how it goes!!

UPDATE: Walgreens shopping trip!

I ran to Walgreens this morning... total before coupons and such: $42 and some change... Here's what I got!

1 bottle Dawn dish soap

4 bottles Pert Plus shampoo

2 cans Pringles

2 tubes Crest

2 Oral B toothbrushes

2 72ct. Huggies wipes

3 Sure Men's AP/Deo

1 L'Oreal lipstick

1 bottle aspirin

Total after coupons and RR's: $16, plus I got a $5 RR, so really only $11!! WooHoo!!

Now it's naptime! :-)

CVS and Target Deals!!

2009-07-31T09:47:00.004-05:00

Wednesday I posted about the great financial adventure that Jeff and I have been on since January as well as my new found love for couponing and "doin' deals!" So here are my CVS and Target deals for this week!!

It's not a ton of stuff, but it was sure cheap!!

Target:

Old Spice Men's Deodorant-clearance for $1.89-minus $1 coupon= $.89

Mechanical Pencils-$1.24 each x 6=$7.44-minus 3 $1/2 Target coupons-minus 2 $1/2 Bic coupons-minus 2 $.50/1 coupon=$1.44/6= $.24 EACH!! WooHoo!!

CVS:

Palmolive-sale $.88-minus $.25 coupon=$.63

Herbal Essence shampoo-sale $2.99-$1 coupon=$1.99

Dry Idea deodorant-sale $2.99 each-minus $2 coupon each=$.99 EACH!

So at CVS I spent $4.60, BUT I got $3 Extra Care Bucks back, so I really only spent $1.60!!

A Financial Adventure and A Walgreens Deal!

2009-07-29T13:26:00.005-05:00

So I decided to take a break from baby-blogging and share some of the financial adventure that my husband, Jeff, and I have been on since January. In January, Jeff and I decided to take the Financial Peace University class offered by Dave Ramsey. It's a 13 week intensive financial class based on Biblical standards and old-fashioned common sense. We both learned a TON and have put many ideas into practice. First and foremost, we decided that we want to be free of debt as is indicated in the Bible. Proverbs 22:7 says "The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender." We didn't want to be enslaved to someone else! So, here are some of the practices that we have put into place to achieve our goal of being free from debt!

1: Cut up all credit cards and purposed to never use credit again...

2. Bi-weekly budget, completed TOGETHER, spending each dollar that we earn before we get it! This has been a fantastic time to learn about each others desires and financial goals. We've been able to discuss financial needs and save for things that we want!

3. Cash envelope system for groceries, clothes, entertainment, garage sales, gifts, prescriptions, and gas. I was not very excited about moving to a cash system, but now I feel the freedom that it provides and LOVE IT!! I wouldn't want to go back to the way it was before!

4. Bi-weekly cash allowance...in our budget, Jeff and I agree on a certain amount of cash for each person to have and spend/save at their leisure. In the past, it's been only $10 per 2 weeks, which is a very small amount, but we are super dedicated to paying off debt and each dollar that we give ourselves is another dollar NOT paying off debt! Recently, we have upped it to $20, but it may not stay that way...

These changes have enabled us to save like we have never saved before! Here are some of our successes:

1. Paid 0ff-Terminix-$1500

2. Paid off-my car-$2500

3. Paid off-Jeff's car-$9000

So, since January 2009, we have paid off $13,000 in debt!! We are very excited and are now working on paying off our 2nd mortgage. We have a goal to pay it off in 1 year (by July of 2010)!

I've posted all this, not only to encourage those of you who are also working to become debt free, but also to share my adventure in couponing and "dealing"!!

My mom got me started on clipping coupons, stacking coupons with sales, getting great deals on groceries and household items. I feel like this is me doing my part to help our family be good stewards of the money that the Lord has given to us. A deal I did today was at Walgreens... here is a picture of what I got and what I spent! I will say, if you are interested in couponing and making great deals, go to http://www.moneysavingmom.com/. She is fantastic and is a Christian that I trust!

On this trip to Walgreens, I got:

Charmin-$2.49

Quilten Northern-$2.89

Lady Speed Stick-$1.25 for 2 ($.75 each)

Loreal lipstick-$1.29

Jane eyeliner-$.87

Crest toothpaste-$1.50

Oral B toothbrush-$1.75

TOTAL: $12.04, BUT I got a $2.00 registar reward to use on my next purchase at Walgreens, so I really only spent $10.04!!

I love getting good deals!! It takes some time, but it's totally worth it! I'm planning to go to CVS tomorrow and get some more good deals, so I'll post them when I'm finished!

Nursery Update

2009-07-25T10:07:00.007-05:00

I really should be cleaning, but wanted to post an update on the nursery! My mom worked soooo hard to get it together. It started out as a blue room. Blue as in the color of painter's tape blue, with a gray city scape and red fire engines at the bottom. Kinda cute, but not for a nursery!

Of course it had to be Kilzed and there were many holes in the walls from mole screws, so there was quite a bit of taping, mudding, and sanding. Many hours and two coats of paint later, it looks like a whole new room! Jeff and I put the crib together without getting frustrated at each other! We got the crib at a garage sale, the bedding set at a garage sale, and my mom found the changing table at a garage sale and refinished it with help from my grandma and dad. My mother in law bought the bassinet at a garage sale, also, so this room has been done very inexpensively! Now I need to put up curtains and put something on the walls... not sure what yet, but I've got 7 weeks, right?? :-) Enjoy the pictures!

In need of some creative juices!!

2009-06-07T22:52:00.008-05:00

Okay, so I got a really cute nursery set at a garage sale last weekend... it has a bunch of border paper in it, but I'm NOT putting up a border!! SO..... I really want to do something creative/artsy with the border paper... and that's where I need your help! I'm absolutely not creative or artsy... in fact my 1st graders have a hard time telling what I draw on the whiteboard! I'm not really sure what I want... but it has to be non-permanent... Below are two samples of the border paper... PLEASE help me!! Thank you!! :-)

Sono pics, FINALLY!!

2009-05-28T15:50:00.008-05:00

So I FINALLY got my new printer/copier/scanner hooked up and now I can scan sonogram pictures!! I'm so excited! These are from 21 weeks, and I'm 24 1/2 weeks now, so they are a little old, but precious none-the-less! :-) Enjoy!

It's a little crooked, but hopefully you can see the head and spine!!

Baby is yawning! It was so precious to see as my mom and I watched the sono... baby kept yawning and stretching out it's arm and fingers!Here's a footprint! Can you see the little toes?? :-)

Here is baby's arm and tiny fingers! So cute!!!

Mama's belly pictures soon to come!

IT'S A......!!!!

2009-05-14T20:28:00.002-05:00

Baby!!!!!! Okay, so that was a little mean... :-) Lots of people have been asking if we're having a boy or a girl, and I just wanted to jot a note to say that we're not going to find out! While this wasn't my husband's feelings, he graciously agreed that we could not find out and let it be a surprise!

I'm 5 months, 3 weeks and feeling great! The end of school has made me a more tired than I was a week or so ago, but there are just so many things to get done!!

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on baby "stuff"...

I had a lovely "soon-to-be" Mother's Day on Sunday... After church, Jeff and I spent some time shopping together... not buying much, but just hanging out! Then he took me out for lunch and home for a nap! What more could a pregnant lady want! :-) It was wonderful to spend the day with him... I love him dearly! He's going to be such a great daddy!!

TTFN! :-)

Looking for ideas...

2009-04-13T15:29:00.004-05:00

I'm officially 4 1/2 months!! I'm excited, but the thought that now I have to find a crib, changing table, breast pump, stroller, car seat, play yard, (and I'm sure lots of other things), has made Jeff and I a little nervous. We're working really hard at getting completely debt free (minus the first mortgage), so the thought of purchasing a bunch of baby stuff is somewhat discouraging to our "gazelle intensity"!!

I'm looking for ideas on what things we can safely purchase at garage sales (we've started putting cash in an envelope for our garage saleing adventures), what we MUST buy new, and things that we can simply do without! Since I'm starting on the mommy-thing a little later than most of you, I'm excited to see what you have to say about baby gear! I'd also like to know of brands that are reliable and specific brands to stay away from...

We had a very relaxing Resurrection Day. It was wonderful to spend the day with fellow Christians who are of the same mind and heart. Jeff and I relaxed in the afternoon and enjoyed the Easter musical in the evening at our church. I'm very thankful that the Lord has provided this place of worship for us as well as the Christians who make up the body!

I'm looking forward to what you have to say!! :-)

4 month check-up

2009-03-30T20:35:00.005-05:00

I had my 4 month check-up today and received great news! Although this wasn't a sonogram day, we did get to hear the heartbeat and "heard" movement. The nurse explained that when we heard certain bumps that the baby was moving, even though I can't feel it just yet...Baby's heartrate was 154, while at 12 weeks it was 164, and at 9 weeks it was 182. Never before would I have thought that everything would hang on something as "simple" as a heartbeat! It really gives new meaning and understanding to the references in the Bible of the "heart." For example, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Prov. 4:23.

The nurse measured my belly and said that I am measuring at 18 weeks even though I'm only 16 weeks. No problem, just information!

The best news of the day, however, is that I've only gained 1 pound in 4 months!!! I was half-way anticipating a gain of 8-10 pounds. I'm so hungry and I feel like I eat a lot, so 1 pound was a pleasant shock! (I'm sure it will all come eventually, but for now, I'm excited!) :-)

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers...

A new look and an update...

2009-03-28T21:01:00.003-05:00

Well, tomorrow I will be 4 months pregnant! Today I went through a bunch of borrowed maternity clothes and picked out some pants and jeans that I'm going to start wearing... My clothes are just too tight and uncomfortable. It's time for a new look!! :-)

Jeff and I have decided we're not going to find out if it's a girl or a boy...He wanted to know and I didn't, but neither of us had any solid reasons, so we're not going to find out. It's funny to hear people's opinion on this...some people are such planners that they would die if they didn't find out! Others, like me, think it's such a great surprise! We've started tossing around some names for boys and girls. I think we've settled on a girls name, but we've agreed to not tell anyone else. A boys name on the other hand has been very difficult... we don't have any possibilities at this point! Being a teacher and trying to pick out a name is pretty difficult! Many boys names that I think of or read remind me of a current or former student. Sometimes those memories are good, but sometimes they aren't!

I've been feeling some flutterings as of late... about every other day or so... I think I might be feeling baby moving, but it's hard to say! I'm anxious to ask my ob on Monday when I go. Generally, I've been feeling really good! Most of the time I have a really good appetite, but have to watch what I eat. I've had troubles with heartburn pre-pregnancy, and it's starting to flair up a little now. As long as I keep acids to an absolute minimum and only drink water, I seem to be okay without any meds. I can definately feel my muscles stretching! Some days after school, my back aches a lot, but once I lay down for an hour or so, I feel better. Jeff has been so kind! When I come home from school and lay down and sleep for 2 hours, he gets himself some dinner and just lets me sleep! I don't know what I would do without him!

Speaking of sleep... it's almost 9:30 and I'm ready to go to bed!

News, News, Glorious News!

2009-03-10T22:14:00.002-05:00

It's been a long road, directed by the will of the Lord and in His complete control. The journey is far from over...rather, it's just beginning! Jeff and I are excited to announce that we are going to have a baby! We found out Jan. 10th (the day after Jeff's 30th birthday) that we were expecting! Because of past miscarriages, we have kept it to ourselves and family for the last 7 and a half weeks, but now I'm 13 1/2 weeks and we have seen baby's hearbeat 3 different times and have confidence that this baby is developing very normally. We are due Sept. 13th!

We are so very thankful to the Lord for all that He has taught us in the last 10 months. We are also very thankful for all of you who have been praying for us. We know now, more than ever before, that we serve an awesome God who knows the beginning from the end. If you think of it, please continue to pray for us!

YEAH!!

Whew! Has it been long enough???

2009-02-22T16:40:00.003-06:00

I know, I know... when my mom is telling me it's time to update my blog, then it really is time! It was a rough fall and blogging really fell to the wayside... I'm feeling a little more with it now and after visiting with a dear friend, I've decided that I really need to stick with it a little more! (Thanks, Val!)

So, on my mind recently has been God's control over every situation in my life. I've been known to be a bit of a control freak, so it's been difficult to let go of situations. But my security has been in knowing the nothing I go through in my life is unknown to God. He has filtered every situation through His ultimate plan for my life and has "worked (it) together for good." Rom. 8:28

That's all for now... I'll be back soon!

Fall Photos

2008-11-01T20:24:00.011-05:00

As Jeff and I walked back to our car today after the KU/KSU game, we absolutley had to stop and take a couple of shots... The colors in the leaves were amazing! To set the stage, the weather in Lawrence, KS today was 73 and clear skies... it was fantastic!

As the sunlight filtered through the yellow leaves, it created an amazing glow... I'm not sure I captured it, but it was stunning!

Here is a shot from on top of The Hill at KU... this is looking south in Lawrence.

Jeff found this leaf and liked it... it certainly is brilliant!

I like these.... enjoy!

Happy Autumn!

2008-10-08T21:48:00.003-05:00

My friend/cousin Angie sent this to me.... I thought it was very insightful! Enjoy! :-)

Being a human being is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

(P.S. Thanks to Anna for the inspiration to play with colors and fonts! How cool!)

My new kitchen table!

2008-09-17T21:21:00.005-05:00

Finally!! I've been wanting a new kitchen table for several years. I've had my eye on this one for about 9 months at Sam's Club, but thought that I better look around for the best deal and make sure that I wasn't getting ripped off by the "wholesale" gimmic. After a lot of looking and relooking at this one (at least 6 or 7 times), I finally broke down and bought it. It is a counter height table with a butterfly leaf that stays inside the table, which means no more storing a leaf under the guest bed! :-) It has nine chairs, which easily beat anything else that I could find. I'm not sure what the stain is, but my floors are oak, if that helps any. It's probably a walnut or mahogany... And I think I got a pretty good deal on it! I'm excited and Jeff is happy, so all is good! Here's another picture...

The Joy of the Lord...is my strength

2008-09-14T21:29:00.008-05:00

Phillipians 4:1-9

1. Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

2. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

3. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

4. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

5. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Phillipians has to be my most favorite book of the Bible. In times of despair and discouragement, the letter to the believers at Phillipi has been the place that I turn to, time and time again. When our pastor asked us to turn there today, I was excited! So, below is a synopsis of what I learned or was reminded of today.... hopefully, it will be an encouragement to your soul, as it was to mine!

If any people in the world should be joyful, it is believers. We have the ultimate hope in Christ Jesus.
In verse 4, Paul does not give a "good suggestion", rather he gives a command to "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say rejoice." He must have thought that people would say, "But you don't know my situation. You don't know the trouble I'm dealing with. You wouldn't expect me to be joyful in this situation..." Paul repeats it for a reason. It's as if he says, "I know that what you are dealing with is difficult, but you must rejoice in the Lord to overcome your trouble..."
So what about my problems?? vs. 6 answers that question..."Be careful (literally translated, anxious care) for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." We are instructed to not be anxiously caring about anything... wow.... but submit our cares to God through prayer, while being thankful....talk about discipline. To retrain our thoughts to not dwell on our problems, but to automatically give them to God, while being thankful??? I've got a long way to go!
In case we are inclined to think that our trouble is more than Paul dealt with, read 2 Cor. 11:23-30... that will straighten out our thinking very quickly!
Faith is the victory to overcome any of our problems.
Mark 7:37- He does all things well...
Are we standing on the promises of God, or pouting on the premises?
How do I feel joy in the midst of my defeat? God has made provisions for our defeat. "God's grace is sufficient..." He knew we would fail! So why are we so upset when we fail? Because we didn't think we would fail... Our deliverance is not in how good we are, rather in how good God is...
God wants to demonstrate His strength in our times of trouble. He wants us to say "I would never have gotten through that without the Lord."
The same Spirit that saved me is the same Spirit that frees me from sin, daily.
How do I avoid defeat?? I must change what I am thinking about. vs. 8: Think on these things: things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report...

To put it all together....

When we choose to rejoice in the Lord, we don't ignore the existence of our problems. We acknowledge the existence of God's presence.

New Casting Crowns song

2008-09-10T22:34:00.002-05:00

This is a new Casting Crowns song that I absolutely love and probably need to hear at least once a day... The message pierces right to my heart... It's called "Slow Fade." I got these lyrics from http://www.castingcrowns.com/site.php?album=181765&content=information&subcontent=discography

© 2007 My Refuge Music/Club Zoo Music/SWECS Music (BMI) (admin. by EMI CMG Publishing)

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as
darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

The goodness of God endureth continually...

2008-09-08T19:58:00.010-05:00

Psalm 52

To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

52:4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

52:6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

52:9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

This was the passage for our message on Sunday morning and it really spoke to my heart. There are lots of situations that have gone on recently that may make someone think "Why did God allow this to happen?" I think of Katie Bloom, Grace and Brandon's baby girl, and several other saddening and hurtful situations. It's easy for us to wonder why God allows bad things to happen to good people. This chapter reminded me, once again, that we MUST rest in the goodness of God. When we don't understand why something has happened, it is not because it occured in vain or or as a result of something that person did. We don't get it, because we cannot see the whole picture as God sees it. If we look at verse 1 of chapter 52, David immediately reminds us that God will endure. We can't doubt God in times of trouble. David was in the midst of trouble and had brought trouble on Ahimelech. It would have been easy to question God's intentions and demand an explanation. David trusted in God and understood that He would have the victory. David knew that God is just. In verse 5, David describes the justice that would be served on Doeg. As hard as it seems to be to want justice for those who don't seem to get it on this Earth, we have to remember that God is just and according to Numbers 32:23 "ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."

So we come back to the question, why does God let bad things happen to good people? First, we have to know that we cannot see the whole picture and don't understand God's purpose. Second, James 1:3 tells us that "...the trying of your faith worketh patience." God gives us tests to measure and deepen our faith. We must remember, though, that "the goodness of God endureth continually."

This is another picture I took just before a storm.

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School has started again. In fact we're in the fourth week already! Time sure flies when you're busy! I'm teaching 1st grade for the fourth year. I love this age. They still have a short memory about unpleasant situations and can easily forgive me or their classmates. They learn and grow so much during this time. It is truely amazing! I have 15 students this year and 11 of them are below grade level, so I've certainly got my work cut out for me this year! I've also added the responsibility of having a PDS intern (student teacher) in my room for this entire year. I find myself to be much more careful how I react to students when I know that I'm an example to someone else. I think it will be a good year. I feel like I've grown a lot as a person over the last few months. I've learned so much about being in control. There are really so few things we have control over. It's of no use to fret about the things we can't control! But, we also have a responsibility to control the things we can. What an interesting scenario!

Heaven Came Down...

2008-08-25T19:07:00.002-05:00

And glory filled my soul! That's what I think of when I see this picture. I took it on my back deck one evening before a thunderstorm. I'm a sucker for photos of the sky and try to catch as many different moments as I can. As I looked at the sky that night, I thought of what glory must look like. I imagined what seeing God in person would someday be like. It's awesome. The brilliance of that light was inspiring and I'm quite certain that it is just a glimpse of what heaven will be like. May we all be reminded that our home is in heaven, not on this dingy earth!