Blessings & Thanksgiving

2 Corinthians 4:15-16
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.


Psalm 95:1-3
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.

Our Sunday Pictures

And if you want to see even more pictures of my beautiful 3 year old and my handsome 9 month old check out THIS WEBSITE and tell Julie what a wonderful job she does!

Menu Plan Monday

WOW! It has been a while on this.
Not doing Menu Plan Monday's has really messed Chris up. He hates not knowing what to look forward to and always calls me in the afternoons when it has bothered him too long to ask what we are having.

SO, Menu Plan Monday is back on just for him. Warning! The menus will not be as great as they have been in the past. We are trying to get some debt paid off so that means cutting cost - - EVERYWHERE!

Monday - Tuna Helper, and Baked Zucchini
Tuesday - Sandwiches and Fruit
Wednesday - Hormel Italian Style Beef Roast, and Squash Casserole
Thursday - Chicken & Rice, and Green Beans
Friday - Pizza Boats, and Chips
Saturday - Chicken marinated in Italian Dressing, and Mashed Potatoes
Sunday - Salsa Chicken

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

New Book

The Total Money Makeover was great. I would definitely recommend it. I will say, however, be prepared for a little tough love. It is not a magical formula but it is a lot of common sense right there on the pages and it will really excite you and get you hyped up about living debt free! One of the things that I love about this book is that Dave Ramsey believes in God and there are many scriptures that he refers to.

Chris and I are going to do what we can to follow the steps in this book so that we can be debt free. We have already done a lot and have plans for even more. Chris and I have decided that our family mission is Luke 6:27-36 (of course, we want this for all that we come in contact with - not just enemies). Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. We hope to become debt free so that we have more that we can give.

I may keep you undated on how we are doing. I may not - I am not sure yet! :-)

My next book is Under the Radar by Fern Michaels. This is the latest in the Sisterhood series. I am so excited! I will let you know how it goes!

Happy Birthday Mr Chris!

To my husband.
To the man that I love with all my heart.
To the absolute best person for me.
To the most wonderful man I know.
To the best Daddy I have ever seen.
To You, Chris.....

I LOVE YOU!
I thank God for this day!

Happy Birthday!
I hope your day is wonderful!

Sunday Pictuers

Yes, Jennie! Of course we took Sunday Pictures!!

Sweet - Right?

Well, check this out...

Hannah gets spoiled rotten with loving from Nannah and Papa Joe.

(Justus got it too - don't worry - just no pictures - you will see why in a minute!)

Justus did not have a great morning.

Check out the cutie tear on this little face.

Check out one of the main reasons for the tears.

Can you see that first tooth coming in?

Poor Thing!

Advice To My Children

I read on Carrie's blog that her and her husband are going to start a list of things they want their children to know. She got the thoughts from another blog written by a girl named Jaime. Check it out.

Chris and I have talked about it some. This could be fun.

Here are some of my favorites from Jaime's blog.

#125 You are an American.
Whether or not love of country is a passion point for you, please don't take it for granted that you are a citizen of the United States. There are some vital things to be proud of, not the least of which is your right to feel however you want to about it.

#123 You don't have to pretend you know something if you don't.
It's okay to just say, "I don't know." You can't know everything!

#119 If you can't avoid an argument, at least avoid doing it in a public place.

#118 It's true that some things are worth fighting for.
But I can't tell you what they are little girl. Only you know that.

#108 Compliment people.
I don't mean you should flatter disingenuously, but rather that you should verbalize appreciation when it strikes you.

#93 There's always room for one more at the table.
Just like there's boundless room inside your heart. Feeding people can be a reflection of how much you love them. At least for mothers.

#80 Not everyone is going to like you, and that's just fine.


Do you have any???

An Echo In The Darkness

This is an excerpt from the book I just finished An Echo In The Darkness by Francine Rivers.

Having finished his meal, Marcus sank back onto the bed. "What Scriptures are so important you have to wear them on your arm and head and post them on your door?"

Ezra Hesitated because he was not sure he should share Scripture with a Gentile dog of a Roman. However, something compelled him.

"'Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.'"

Marcus listened intently as the words flowed from Ezra. His voice was full of refernce. He spoke the Scriptures precisely, but in a way that made it clear they were written in his heart and not just ingrained in his head after years of copying them.

"'You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth...'" Ezra went on, his eyes closed. When he finished reciting the Scriptures for the Roman, he fell silent. No matter how often he said or heard them, those words were like music to him. They sang in his blood.

When you read the scriptures do others see that they are written in your heart? Is God's word singing in your blood?

New Book

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers was WONDERFUL! There is a third book, obviously, in the trilogy but I am going to take a moment away from it and read something else. However, I have the 3rd book sitting waiting for me so don't worry - - - I WILL read it. I WILL have to.

I highly highly recommend this trilogy. It will change for life. Your way of thinking. Your excitement for the Lord. Everyone will enjoy these and see something that will help them grow in them.

Next... The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. My parents gave this book to Chris and I so we are reading it together. I am not sure I am ready for it. Honestly. But Chris and I can do it. We can!!

I have heard about Dave Ramsey for a long time and know a little bit about him and his thoughts. I am excited about reading the whole book.

As always, I will let you know.

Smiles

As I was looking thru the many many birthday pictures I saw this one and just fell in love with it! It is one of my all time favorites of the two of them.