I love reading blogs when they have theme days. So I've decided to do some of my own. So, today is the first, I'm going to do Favorite Fridays, where I'll tell you about one of my favorite resources, books, etc.
Today's Favorite Friday is:
Favorite Saving Websites - These are the great sites that tell you who is having the best deals for the week. Here are my favorites:
The Krazy Coupon Lady - The Krazy Coupon Lady highlights lots of fantastic deals. She does the weekly coupon deals for the grocery stores, Target, Kmart, and more. She also highlights the really good deals at other stores. At the holiday times she has tons of resources for getting inexpensive toys for gifts!
Discount Queens - This one I found accidentally and a lot of stuff they feature is on The Krazy Coupon Lady, but every now and then they find some fantastic deals that I don't see elsewhere.
Pinching Your Pennies - They have a complete list for the local grocery stores of what's on sale, and what coupons to use. A little harder to use than The Krazy Coupon Lady (in my opinon), but a more comprehensive list. I definitely recommend subscribing to their newsletter, you'll find out about the best deals the fastest that way, especially really good Kohl's, Children's Place, and Staples sales. We've gotten clothes from Children's place with their deals that are the same as thrift store prices for good clothes too.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Studying
I want to study. I want to study and learn and study some more. I need to study and learn. So, how do I fit that into my already excessively crazy life? I mean honestly I work 8-9 hours a day, homeschool, attempt (ok, it's a poor attempt, but I really do attempt) to keep my house clean, cook meals, love on my child, babysit (a huge blessing because Nick has someone to play with all day) and try not to pull my hair out. I'm already studying a few things, but I want to do more. I need my full 24 hour day without sleeping... do you think I can give up sleeping? Probably not... I get too grouchy. So how do I fit everything in my life in?
Confidence / Self-doubt
Today I had one of those monumental moments when something I have been struggling with really just clicks and I understand it not just in my mind but in my heart.
The last week I have been reading a book about being confident... something I always struggle with. The book has been wonderful, and she said something in it that really struck with me a few days ago, and I've just been thinking and thinking about it. I know it's true, but it wasn't until this morning that it really settled in me.
I don't need to be confident in myself. Sounds crazy, huh? It isn't though, because I can't do anything without God, and I can do all things through God. So the confidence that I need to have is not in myself but in God. I need to be confident in God and trust in Him to guide me and show me what to do and how to do it. God will take care of it, I just need to make myself available to Him and listen to Him. As long as I do my best, He'll do the rest.
What a relief!
I can totally do that, I have complete confidence that God is both able and willing to take care of it all. I've lacked the conifidence in my ability to do some things, but I do not need to have confidence in me, if I have confidence in Him, I just need to follow Him and I can be confident knowing that I am covered. Whew!
The last week I have been reading a book about being confident... something I always struggle with. The book has been wonderful, and she said something in it that really struck with me a few days ago, and I've just been thinking and thinking about it. I know it's true, but it wasn't until this morning that it really settled in me.
I don't need to be confident in myself. Sounds crazy, huh? It isn't though, because I can't do anything without God, and I can do all things through God. So the confidence that I need to have is not in myself but in God. I need to be confident in God and trust in Him to guide me and show me what to do and how to do it. God will take care of it, I just need to make myself available to Him and listen to Him. As long as I do my best, He'll do the rest.
What a relief!
I can totally do that, I have complete confidence that God is both able and willing to take care of it all. I've lacked the conifidence in my ability to do some things, but I do not need to have confidence in me, if I have confidence in Him, I just need to follow Him and I can be confident knowing that I am covered. Whew!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Infertility... cont.
Today the infertility wound is raw and gaping. Infertility is an issue I deal with everyday. Not a day passes that I don't think about the baby we want to have who has not yet joined us. Everday it burns, but somedays, the wound is worse than others. Somedays it is at the back, today it is in the forefront.
I want a baby so badly. Erik would like one, but I don't believe it is the same for him as it is for me. It eats me up inside. I am sad for myself, and I am sad for my son who grows older every day without the pleasure of having a sibling to grow with.
I know that somehow, I must figure out a way to let go of it, to give it to God and trust that we will have all of the children we are supposed to have, one way or another, but I can not do that. I want to but I just can't get there. Somehow, it is much easier for me to believe that if we could just do those infertility treatments, it would happen, but right now, there is just no way that we can manage to pay for even one infertility cycle, and of course there is no guarantee that we can get pregnant after just one. In general, they say to expect it to take several. We did one a year and a bit ago, and it was heartbreaking when it did not work, especially since the doctor made a mistake that may very well have been responsible for it not working.
It just frustrates me to know end that what so many people have to work not to have happen, we have to work and pay money to have happen. For us, having a baby becomes a major expense because not only do we have to spend the money for the infertility treatments, but then we are faced with the normal bills that people have bringing a baby into the world... hospital or midwife, either way means expenses.
We'd happily adopt, but for what it would cost to adopt, we could get pregnant AND have a baby, we could do about 3 infertility cycles and a pregnancy for what it'd cost us to do a private adoption.
Somehow I'm going to have to come to peace with it all... I just don't know how.
I want a baby so badly. Erik would like one, but I don't believe it is the same for him as it is for me. It eats me up inside. I am sad for myself, and I am sad for my son who grows older every day without the pleasure of having a sibling to grow with.
I know that somehow, I must figure out a way to let go of it, to give it to God and trust that we will have all of the children we are supposed to have, one way or another, but I can not do that. I want to but I just can't get there. Somehow, it is much easier for me to believe that if we could just do those infertility treatments, it would happen, but right now, there is just no way that we can manage to pay for even one infertility cycle, and of course there is no guarantee that we can get pregnant after just one. In general, they say to expect it to take several. We did one a year and a bit ago, and it was heartbreaking when it did not work, especially since the doctor made a mistake that may very well have been responsible for it not working.
It just frustrates me to know end that what so many people have to work not to have happen, we have to work and pay money to have happen. For us, having a baby becomes a major expense because not only do we have to spend the money for the infertility treatments, but then we are faced with the normal bills that people have bringing a baby into the world... hospital or midwife, either way means expenses.
We'd happily adopt, but for what it would cost to adopt, we could get pregnant AND have a baby, we could do about 3 infertility cycles and a pregnancy for what it'd cost us to do a private adoption.
Somehow I'm going to have to come to peace with it all... I just don't know how.
Prayer
An interesting, and very true quote from Soren Kierkegaard:
"The immediate person thinks and imagines that when he prays, the important thing, the thing he must concentrate upon, is that God should hear what he is praying for. And yet, in the true, eternal sense, it is just the reverse: the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God wills. The immediate person, therefore, uses many words and, therefore, makes demands in his prayer; the true man of prayer only attends."
Time spent listening in prayer is always as productive or more productive than time spent talking.
"The immediate person thinks and imagines that when he prays, the important thing, the thing he must concentrate upon, is that God should hear what he is praying for. And yet, in the true, eternal sense, it is just the reverse: the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God wills. The immediate person, therefore, uses many words and, therefore, makes demands in his prayer; the true man of prayer only attends."
Time spent listening in prayer is always as productive or more productive than time spent talking.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Homeschool Blog
I am sooooo behind on our homeschool blog, I don't know how I'm ever going to get it caught up. The problem is that I like to put lots of photos on it, and that takes forever. Of course the fact that I am bordering on overextended probably isn't helping either. Who'd have thought life as a "stay at home mom" of 1 child could possibly be so darn busy? The worst thing is I just want to do more!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
On Fire
I am on FIRE tonight! Woohooo!
God is truly awesome and I'm so proud to be able to serve Him. Tonight the excitement is just overflowing out of me!
God is truly awesome and I'm so proud to be able to serve Him. Tonight the excitement is just overflowing out of me!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A link you might enjoy
I don't know if anyone reads this blog LOL... but i thought that there might be someone out there who would enjoy this:
www.achievingpeace.wordpress.com
www.achievingpeace.wordpress.com
Friday, April 9, 2010
Problem or Blessing
I've been learning a lot lately about how the way we choose to look at something affects how we see that issue, and the effect it has on our lives. Like most people, I've heard this millions of times, but lately I have realy come to understand it and see just how much our perception can change things.
We can choose to view anything that happens to us as a problem, or as a blessing. Even those things that seem like hardships teach us and help us become better people, sometimes the moments that seem the hardest in our lives are also the most defining. Likewise, even with the most wonderful things that can happen to us, if we search we will find problems in them. That wonderful new responsibility that we were so excited to get takes time away from something else we enjoy doing.
Today I was looking at some music on youtube and came across the song "Breath of Heaven", which is one of my all time favorite songs. It is basically sung from Mary's point of view when she is pregnant. Anyways, that got me thinking. Mary is generally viewed as one of the most blessed women of all time, I mean this is the woman who gave birth to and raised Christ, what an incredible priviledge. And what a nightmare! Think of all the things that poor woman went through in her life. She could easily have wondered why God did this to her. What did she do wrong that made God give her a son who she would have to watch struggle just because of who He is? What did she do wrong to have to watch her innocent son get tortured and hung on a cross by the very people he'd been trying to help? Imagine what she must have faced. Did she view it as an awesome priviledge? An awesome burden? A punishment? I really can't tell you, we don't know much about what life was like for her. It was her decision though, certainly she could very easily have justified any of these answers.
My point is that everything that happens in our life can either be a blessing or a burden, it is up to us to decide which it is. I am really going to try to work much harder to view life's situations as blessings rather than problems.
We can choose to view anything that happens to us as a problem, or as a blessing. Even those things that seem like hardships teach us and help us become better people, sometimes the moments that seem the hardest in our lives are also the most defining. Likewise, even with the most wonderful things that can happen to us, if we search we will find problems in them. That wonderful new responsibility that we were so excited to get takes time away from something else we enjoy doing.
Today I was looking at some music on youtube and came across the song "Breath of Heaven", which is one of my all time favorite songs. It is basically sung from Mary's point of view when she is pregnant. Anyways, that got me thinking. Mary is generally viewed as one of the most blessed women of all time, I mean this is the woman who gave birth to and raised Christ, what an incredible priviledge. And what a nightmare! Think of all the things that poor woman went through in her life. She could easily have wondered why God did this to her. What did she do wrong that made God give her a son who she would have to watch struggle just because of who He is? What did she do wrong to have to watch her innocent son get tortured and hung on a cross by the very people he'd been trying to help? Imagine what she must have faced. Did she view it as an awesome priviledge? An awesome burden? A punishment? I really can't tell you, we don't know much about what life was like for her. It was her decision though, certainly she could very easily have justified any of these answers.
My point is that everything that happens in our life can either be a blessing or a burden, it is up to us to decide which it is. I am really going to try to work much harder to view life's situations as blessings rather than problems.
Classes
I'm considering offering a few classes. Haven't quite figured out how they are going to come together, or when, but if I can find enough interested people I will definitely be moving forward with them.
Couponing Class : Learn the basics of couponing including tricks of the trade, websites to help making couponing easier, organizing your coupons, seeing the most benefit for your effort. Learn to save big bucks on your shopping.
Class Size - no more than 15
Number of Sessions: 2 The first class runs approximately 1 to 2 hours and covers the information above, the second class meets for aprox. 1/2 hour followed by a couponing shopping trip.
Cost: $5 (includes both classes)
Forgiving Through Faith class: Learn why it is important to forgive, and more importantly HOW to forgive the people who are the hardest (you know, those people you don't think you really should have to forgive, or who you don't think you can forgive). This is a faith based class but is not geared towards any one religion, if you believe in God, you should be comfortable at the class.
Cost: Free
Class size : 15 person limit
Number of Sessions: 1
Couponing Class : Learn the basics of couponing including tricks of the trade, websites to help making couponing easier, organizing your coupons, seeing the most benefit for your effort. Learn to save big bucks on your shopping.
Class Size - no more than 15
Number of Sessions: 2 The first class runs approximately 1 to 2 hours and covers the information above, the second class meets for aprox. 1/2 hour followed by a couponing shopping trip.
Cost: $5 (includes both classes)
Forgiving Through Faith class: Learn why it is important to forgive, and more importantly HOW to forgive the people who are the hardest (you know, those people you don't think you really should have to forgive, or who you don't think you can forgive). This is a faith based class but is not geared towards any one religion, if you believe in God, you should be comfortable at the class.
Cost: Free
Class size : 15 person limit
Number of Sessions: 1
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Praise
Isn't it amazing how God will often give us a job or project, and in the end it will benefit us as much as or more than the person who we do it for? I've had a case of the blues lately, and have been struggling to get rid of them. Not so long ago, God had me start work on a blog project (not this blog), and one of the things I wrote about is how much praise helps with overcoming sadness and/or depression. I know this, I've experienced it, and I just wrote about it, so what did I do when I had the blues? NOTHING!!! Well, that's not entirely true, but nothing helpful, I just kept thinking how much I needed to snap out of it. Suddenly yesterday, I remembered that I know what to do, I know how to snap out of it. I pulled out my favorite praise music, and within 10 minutes I felt fantastic! I'm so glad God had me write that, I apparently really needed the reminder.
Today I'm feeling so thankful for the wonderful people in my life that taught me how to truly praise God with my whole heart and my whole being. Over the years it has been one of the things that has most changed my life.
Today I'm feeling so thankful for the wonderful people in my life that taught me how to truly praise God with my whole heart and my whole being. Over the years it has been one of the things that has most changed my life.
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