Candy, candy, and more candy

Trick-or-treating season is officially here and it seems that there are various candy related activities going on all weekend. I love candy and the girls love candy, but let's face it, there can be too much of a good thing. I read recently of one mom who wanted to cut down on the candy eaten, yet allow her kids to enjoy the holiday. I decided to emulate her and so the girls and I put into practice our newest tradition.

First, I had the girls pick out colorful construction paper, wrote their names on it, and allowed them to decorate it.


Second, I taped the paper around a quart-sized canning jar. I instructed them to pick out their favorite candy and put it into their jar. They had a fun time doing this....their favorites definitely aren't my favorites!


After they filled their jars, the remaining candy will leave this house. City-wide trick-or-treating is tonight and the candy rejects will be sitting in a bowl for the neighborhood kids to enjoy. Here the girls proudly show off their jars:


As someone who LOVES sugar, it is kind of painful to let go of all the free candy, but I know that limiting our treats and eating them in moderation is the healthy thing to do. Best of all, my kids have no problems giving away the candy and learn an important lesson sharing.

Raising Homemakers: "Granola Fest"

I wanted to share the fun that the girls and I have been having in the kitchen this afternoon. We made some homemade granola which will be a great snack to have on hand. I am also trying to make ahead some tasty treats to put in Kyleigh's lunches next week. Her school advocates waste free lunches and healthy foods. I thought that some homemade granola would be fun to put in her lunch since desserts are on the 'no food' list.

It has also been my mission this summer to teach my girls more about homemaking, specifically cooking. In the past, I would shoo them out of the kitchen because with their 'help' everything would take longer and be a huge mess. However, they LOVE LOVE LOVE to help me and I've been trying to teach them about all things cooking and food related.

Here are some pictures from our "Granola Fest" today:

Kyleigh helps me add old fashioned oats, sliced almonds, and sweetened coconut.

Macy assists in adding the dried fruits. We just used what we had on hand: golden raisins, pineapple, kiwi, papaya, and cranberries.


The finished product.....yummy!!!


So, what did the little homemakers think of the granola?


FOUR THUMBS UP!!!!

Here is the Kyleigh&Macy-approved granola recipe:

4 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
2 c. sliced almonds
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. honey
4 c. dried fruits (apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, etc)
1 c. roasted, unsalted cashews

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F. Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are covered. Pour onto a 13x18x1 inch sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns into a nice, even , golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the dried fruits and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

The Simple Life

The girls and I recently returned home from a long vacation. We went 'home' to the small rural farming community where I grew up. It was a great place to grow up but when I got old enough to be on my own, I left. I grew tired of being so far away from any kind of shopping (you have to drive 40 miles round trip to even get to Walmart!) and knowing that everyone knew my whole life story. My family is there and that is what holds the most sentimental value for me.

I guess that my trip this summer kind of caught me off guard. The things that I always hated about farm life were suddenly kind of fun and adventurous. It was so much fun to see my kids running around outside all day, without fear of traffic, strangers, etc. They would come in at night with dirt-smudged faces, filthy toenails, and stains all over their clothes. My youngest grew fond of being able to just 'drop a squat' in the grass to relieve herself whenever she felt like it. She ran around barefoot all day long. My mom asked her about her missing shoes, to which she replied "Grammy, I'm a hilly billy". The kids got to swim in the pond, help pick vegetables, and play with their cousins.

The girls particularly enjoyed feeding the chickens. We did a lot of canning and dehydrating during my visit and every time our scrap bucket filled up....we would call for one of the girls who would happily take the scraps to the chickens. Those chickens would get so excited to see the girls coming, knowing that special treats were on the way.

Mom and Dad were very generous with sharing the veggies and fruits from the garden. Like I mentioned before, I did a ton of canning...I brought home nearly 80 jars of fruit, vegetables, and jams. Recently, we opened a can of sweet corn and it was so delish! I couldn't believe how sweet the corn was! Even now I look at all the pretty jars lined up and it brings such a satisfaction of knowing all the hard work that went into it. This food will really be enjoyed this winter.

So, I am back home now. It was a great visit and sometimes I really wish that our family could be 'normal' where we could really establish some roots and ties to the community. I really love being so close to everything but wish that I had more space for my kids to run and a huge garden. I just have to remember that my home is where the Army sends us and just maybe someday we will have a permanent home. Until then, I have to be content to savoring each moment of country life when I visit.

Admiring my hubby!!

I'm so sorry that it has been so long since I've written on my blog. I've had a lot going on since my last post: Kelly came home from Afghanistan, my sister and her family came for a visit, my parents stayed with us for a week, throw in both girl's birthdays, along with all the usual summer activities= BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!

I recently started reading an awesome blog called Women Living Well...it is written by a godly woman and she gave a challenge for everyone to write a list of all the things that they admire about their husbands. She stressed the importance of showing this list to your husband...too many times we may take our husbands for granted or fail to tell them what we love about them.

So, last night I sat down for about 30 minutes and wrote out a long list of things that I admire about my husband of twelve years. These points are in no particular order. I just wrote them out randomly.

~Kelly is very dedicated to me. He has made our marriage a priority in his life and I am very thankful.

~Kelly is a GREAT daddy to our girls. He loves those girls so much. He shows them a lot of love and affection. He is playful, fun, and loves to wrestle with them. Macy, in particular, loves to take off her shirt and tell him "let's w(r)estle!" It also means a lot to me that he has started a tradition of taking our girls out on individual dates. These dates are very anticipated in our house and the smiles on the faces of my girls as they leave with Daddy is priceless.

~Kelly's quiet, steady, and unwavering faith in God is also a trait that I admire in him. It is really important to him that our faith be the center of our family.

~Kelly is really funny. He likes to joke and is a good sport of being the butt of my jokes! He is really fun to be around and he is well liked by everyone who meets him.

~Kelly has a very laid back personality. He always approaches everything in a calm manner and he doesn't get easily upset. He is a perfect balance to my more high strung personality.

~Kelly is a wonderful handyman. He has great mechanical skills and is good with tools, engines, etc. He can do nearly any kind of home improvement project. He and my Dad lovingly gave me a brand new kitchen last summer and they did a great job. He changes the oil in my car, rotates my tires, and other vehicle repairs. I am thankful that he is not opposed to learning new skills or trying to do things himself. His skills have literally saved us THOUSANDS of dollars because he is a 'do it yourself' man.

~Kelly is very loving and affectionate towards me. In all 12 years of marriage, he has shown his love for me on a regular basis. He gives good hugs and is fun to snuggle!!

~Kelly is willing to help out with the girls. When he is home, he gives the girls their baths every night. He is also willing to help with housework if I've been busy and need the extra help. His willingness to be an active father is a big blessing to me. He is very hands on with our girls and gives me a much needed break.

~Kelly selflessly sacrifices to serve his country. He has willingly given up a lot of time away from our family. He has missed countless birthday, anniversaries, many 'first' moments, and even Macy's birth. I'm proud of his service and am thankful that he is obedient to God's call on his life.

~Kelly is a good provider. His wages and benefits provide us with a comfortable life and helped us to become debt free nearly 7 years ago. He has been a partner in making good financial decisions which will ensure that our family is provided for in the future.

~Kelly is a hard worker. He does everything with excellence, even those 'other duties as assigned" jobs that the Army gives to him. His evaluations at work are always extremely positive and it makes me proud.

~Kelly makes good decisions. When he struggles with a decision, he always asks for my advice or seeks the council of godly mentors. He sees my thoughts as important, which means a lot to me.

~Kelly is a good cook. He is a natural cook in the kitchen, unlike me! He doesn't need a recipe....just throws in the ingredients and it always tastes good.

~Kelly is very reliable and dependable. He always does what he says he will do....this is a trait lacking in the world. I appreciate that Kelly is a man of integrity.

~Kelly is very patient. He rarely gets angry with me or the girls. He is very level headed.

~Kelly is very trustworthy. I have complete trust in him. I have no fear that he would ever leave me or cheat on me. Even though we have literally spent years apart if you add up all the deployments, trust has NEVER been an issue.

~Kelly loves me unconditionally. He also lets others know of his love for me. It pleases me that I will hear from other people that he speaks highly of me at work, with friends, etc.

I am so blessed and thankful that God brought Kelly to my life.
Amy

My deadly sin

I woke up at 4am on Sunday and could not go back to sleep. I tossed and turned in bed and after nearly an hour, I decided to get up. I began to do my devotions and really felt God speaking to me about something that I have struggled with for a long time. It is one of those hidden sins that most people struggle with but never admit to. It is a subject that is rarely mentioned in Christian circles, but gluttony is mentioned as being one of the deadly sins.

St. Thomas Aquinas described gluttony as: eating too soon, eating too expensively, eating too much, eating too eagerly, eating too daintily, and eating wildly. I think that all of us could say that we fit this description on a regular basis.

My personal struggle is eating too much sugar.....I just can't get enough of it. It is especially hard for me to be self controlled at night. I'm usually really tired after a busy day, just wrestled the kids to bed, and am wanting something to satisfy the palate. I end up consuming and consuming. I've felt an inner struggle about my lack of control for a long time. I attempted on my own to free myself of this struggle and I failed time after time. It was finally on an early Sunday morning that I began to study God's word, research the topics online, and realized that I had failed to include God as a solution to my problem. I won't ever see success until I give this struggle to him.

I found a great resource online that gave steps for overcoming gluttony. I failed to write down the source and can't give the author credit, but I printed this out and have it posted on my refrigerator. I plan to read through it every day as needed to help remind myself of what I need to do to overcome my problem. Just because someone is at a healthy weight, it does not mean that they don't struggle with some type of overeating.

Here are some helps to overcoming weight problems which usually come about through lack of knowledge or lack of discipline or lust for food:

(1). First, repent for yielding to the temptation of lust for food.
(Phil 3:19, "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.)

(2). Then, submit to God and ask Him for the power to overcome gluttony through His Holy Spirit and resist the devil through prayer and obedience to God.
(James 4:7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you".)

(3.) Next, ask for God's plan for your weight loss. Allow Him to lead you as to what He wants you to do. He knows your body and He will direct you as to how you are to eat. Ask for a desire for healthy foods and ask Him to remove your cravings for unhealthy foods.
(1 John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him".)

(4.) Daily, thank God for setting you free and do not allow the devil to discourage you by his condemning whispers to your mind. Sometimes the Lord does a quick work at other times it may be slower. Don't be discouraged even if at times it seems slow or you fail occasionally.. Remember, this came "little by little" and it is sometimes more healthy to lose it "little by little" (Losing as little as 2 lbs. a month amounts to 24 lbs. in a year). In the process you will be developing new habits and disciplines that will eventually become established eating patterns.
(Romans 8:1-4, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering . And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit".)

(5.) Add fasting periodically as the Lord leads. Even fasting one meal or one day a week will help in disciplining your body to be subject to your spirit man.
(Matthew 6:17-18, "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.".)

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body!".

I am learning that I can honor God by enjoying ALL foods, but eating them in appropriate quantities. God calls us to control our appetites, rather than allowing them to control us. "Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand". Philippians 4:5

What about you? Do you struggle with this? Do you feel convicted to make a change?

Ode to my Grandparents

The girls and I recently had a week long visit from my Grandparents. They live in northern Michigan and head to Texas every winter. They decided to take a 'not-so-short' short cut to Savannah on their way back home to Michigan. This is the second year in a row that they made the trip and it was such a blessing to see them!

My sisters and I had the privilege of growing up close to our grandparents. Grandma Jones lived next door and we were always welcome to walk down to her house. She always had jelly beans or brownie mixes waiting for us! My other set of Grandparents....Papa and Grandma Ginnie lived just a few miles away and we spent a lot of time at their house too! They always made the holidays so special for us and I have so many great memories of all the hours spent in their house on Vesta Road.

One of the hardest parts about living so far away from family is that my girls don't get to know their extended family....this is why it means so much when we have visitors! The girls LOVED spending time with their Great Papa and Great Grandma and Kyleigh shed many tears when it was time for them to go!

They blessed me in so many ways over the week that they were here...they helped with yard work, home maintenance, babysitting, and provided lots of good company. Their generous help was yet another way that I felt God's love to me as I struggle to maintain my house and family while my husband is away.

The Seven Principles of the Proverbs 31 Woman

The Proverbs 31 Woman...

*Pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

*Loves, honors, and greatly enriches the life of her husband, encouraging and supporting his leadership within his family and his church.

*Nurtures the next generation, shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and as a nation.

*Creates a warm and loving environment for family and friends.

*Is a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.

*Speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she encourages others and develops godly friendships.

*Shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help the poor and opening her arms to the needy.

Proverbs 31 is one of my favorite passages from the Bible. Becoming a mom, especially a stay-at-home mom, has been life altering. Growing up I never wanted to be a mom and definitely did not want to end up being a stay-at-home mom. However, God changed my heart and has now given me insight into how important my daily job is. I am not receiving a paycheck every two weeks, but am still receiving rewards! These seven principles listed above explain exactly what I am striving for in my life. I am right on target with some of them, and others I need to buckle down and work at more. The world would tell me that what I am doing is insignificant, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Busy day canning turkey

"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family". Proverbs 31:15

I got up early this morning to get a 22 lb turkey in the oven. It was the first time I have EVER baked a turkey. This may surprise some as I love to cook, but my husband ALWAYS handles the turkey every Thanksgiving. I have never had to worry about it. So, I was a little nervous today hoping that I could pull off a great tasting turkey. It ended up tasting very good. My oldest was a little concerned about the baking turkey asking me "Momma, is this turkey dead?" I had a good chuckle out of that one!

This was also my first day of canning all by myself. My parents came to visit during the month of January and Mom and I did some canning. However, it has been over two months ago and I hoped that I could remember all the necessary steps. I did call Mom before I started to make sure that I remembered how to do it. I had enough meat to do 13 pints which will in turn feed us for 13 meals. The best part is that I got the turkey on sale at the commissary for $9.50.....the cost breakdown per meal is .73 cents which is so affordable!

I have really loved having canned meat in my pantry the past few months. There are so many benefits.

1)The meat is already cooked and is recipe ready! It is great for those days when you don't have a lot of time and need to cook a meal fast!
2)Pressure cooking the meat makes it super tender. For example, you can buy cheaper cuts of roast and it comes out so yummy and shreds easily.
3)I am able to take better advantage of store sales. I can stock up on meat when it is at the cheapest price.
4)Canned meat doesn't take up any space in my freezer!
5)Canned meat lasts a long time. It is so well preserved that you have a year to use it.
6)Canned meat provides a plentiful source of protein for my extended food pantry. My goal is to have three months worth of food on hand.

I'm sure that there are many more benefits but these are the main reasons why I am starting to can meat. I'm really looking forward to berry season this spring and want to try my hand at homemade jellies. Strawberry season is just around the corner! I can't wait!

All but one of my jars sealed so I consider this a great first effort. I will have to use this unsealed jar this week so that the meat doesn't go to waste. Overall, I am pretty pleased with how the day turned out and am thankful that my first canning experience was a success.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Tonight I taught a class on how to make homemade laundry detergent. Several of my friends have asked for the recipe. I've been using it for about two weeks and have been very pleased. My clothes are coming out just as clean as they did when I used store bought detergent. In fact, yesterday Kyleigh came home from preschool with a giant red drink stain on her white shirt. I got her home and immediately stain treated it and washed it.....the red drink completely came out! I was so thankful.

A SIMPLE RECIPE

Each batch yields 16 ounces. I made four batches of this recipe and store it in an old #10 can. You could also store the detergent in large yogurt containers.

• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha
• 1/2 cup of borax
• 1/2 cup of washing soda

Use a knife to chop Fels-Naptha into small chunks. Add some of the washing soda and Fels-Naptha chunks into your food processor or blender. If using a blender, use the pulse button. Mix all ingredients and thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results! For normal loads use 1 TBSP (yields 32 loads) and for heavily soiled loads use 2 TBSP (yields 16 loads).

All ingredients can be purchased at Publix on the southside. Here is a cost breakdown:

Borax $3.99 for 76 oz box......cost per batch: .21
Washing Soda $2.29 for 55 oz box......cost per batch: .17
Fels Naptha $ .99 for 1 bar..........cost per batch: .99

Total cost per batch is $1.37. Regular loads cost .04 and heavily soiled loads cost .08! This is very inexpensive considering most store detergent costs around .20 a load.

Many have asked about High Efficiency (HE)Front Load Washers:
You may have been told you need to use “special soap” for your HE front-load washing machine. Let me enlighten you as to why. HE front-load washers require “special soap” for one reason and one reason alone…low suds; because they use less water, they require soap that is less sudsy. The good news is, the homemade detergent in this recipe is VERY low suds. Just make sure you use the recommended amount of detergent. The HE designation is just another advertising mechanism the industry is using to try & swindle consumers into buying “special soap” that they charge unnecessarily exorbitant prices for.

Personalizing Psalm 91: A Psalm for Soldiers

We talked about Psalm 91 at the Hope for the Home Front Bible study tonight. It was brought to my attention years ago by my dear friend, Melissa. This Psalm has provided a lot of comfort to me over these past few deployments. My Mom always taught me to personalize God's word as it makes it so much more meaningful. I shared this tonight with the ladies. So, here goes my personalized version of Psalm 91:

Kelly who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Kelly will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely He will save Kelly from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover Kelly with his feathers, and under his wings Kelly will find refuge; his faithfulness will be Kelly's shield and rampart.Kelly will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at Kelly's side, ten thousand at Kelly's right hand, but it will not come near Kelly. Kelly will only observe with his eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If Kelly makes the Most High his dwelling— even the LORD, who is his refuge-then no harm will befall Kelly,no disaster will come near Kelly's tent. For he will command his angels concerning Kelly to guard Kelly in all his ways; they will lift Kelly up in their hands, so that Kelly will not strike his foot against a stone. Kelly will tread upon the lion and the cobra; Kelly will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because Kelly loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for Kelly acknowledges my name. Kelly will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy Kelly and show him my salvation."

This passage of Scripture is FULL of God's promises and is especially meaningful to those of us who have sent our husbands to fight battles overseas.

Ready or not...here comes kindergarten!

My oldest daughter, Kyleigh, will be heading off to Kindergarten this fall. I've been amazed and overwhelmed by all the school choices. Our traditional public schools are not good and most people choose to send their kids to private schools. Another option is to send them to a magnet/specialty school. In the past two months I visited numerous open houses at both private schools and specialty ones. I've filled out several applications, had pre-kindergarten testing done, and talked to other parents to get their opinions. The specialty schools are all based on a lottery system.

I found out last week that Kyleigh got into the newest Montessori school in the area. Their lottery is six weeks earlier than all the others. This school was one of my top two schools but I have to preregister her by next week or forfeit her slot. I really wish that I knew what our other options were, but will most likely go forward with this Montessori school.

I had the opportunity last week to go do an observation at her prospective school. It is mandatory for all parents to see the Montessori classrooms in action before their child can be accepted. It was really interesting to see because it was SO different than anything I have ever experienced. There are no orderly lines of desks. No chalkboards. Instead the room is bustling with a dozen different activities. The children are constantly moving and interacting with each other. They get to choose the activities they want to do. The teachers work 1:1 with the kids and little structured group instruction is done. The students are different ages....Kyleigh's kindergarten class will have kids who are ages 4, 5, and 6. The older students master certain 'works' or activities and then learn to mentor and teach the younger children. The classrooms are amazingly calm and quiet for so much activity going on. There are no report cards and the children aren't given grades.

The thing that I am most excited about is that the Montessori schools really encourage children to be self-motivated, organized, self-controlled, and teaches self discipline. I really hope that this school is a good fit for Kyleigh. The other thing that really excites me about this school is that there is a strong community between parents, teacher, and the children. Parents are required to volunteer 60 hours every year. I'm so thankful that I will be able to have such an active role in Kyleigh's education. I've been really impressed with the school principal too. She meets 1:1 with all prospective parents. I am sure that this takes up a lot of her time...this really impressed me.

Ready or not, here comes kindergarten!

Hope for the Home Front

Several months ago I felt God calling me to lead a Bible study for military wives. I felt that it would be especially timely as a deployment was on the horizon for the military families in my area. My friend, Marybeth, had sent me a copy of "Hope for the Home Front" during the last 15 month deployment and the book blessed me in so many ways. It deals with the emotional and spiritual battles that military wives face. I found out the there was an accompanying Bible study book and so it all began!



I have been incredibly blessed by the ten or so wives who are doing the study. We finished our sixth week tonight and every week I leave feeling so encouraged. The study is taking us all over the Bible as we learn about how to handle our fears, deal with anger, overcome temptations, etc. It has impressed me that many of these ladies have opened up and shared their hearts...so we all can learn from one another. I love these gals and am so proud of the common bond that joins us together.....we are all military wives!



It is such an honor and a privilege to be serving alongside these ladies as our husbands fight overseas. These ladies serve with extraordinary bravery and strength....and I'm so blessed to see God working in their lives. These ladies are living out God's command:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"

There are a lot of unknowns in military life but we can be confident that God is with us wherever we go!

Freedom from Worry

I am a worrier...I can over think even the most simple things. I have always been plagued with worry and anxiety. It often results as my need to control the situation. This is an area of my life that I am really trying to work on. It seems like every time I turn around God is talking to me about fear, worry, bitterness, etc....these are just some of the emotions that threaten to steal the peace in my life. So, it seemed fitting that I walk into church yesterday, open my bulletin, and see that the Pastor would be preaching on being "Hostage to Worry". I immediately sighed and thought 'oh no, not again!'

Worry is an old English word meaning "to choke or strangle". This definition pretty much summarizes what worry does to me. It causes me to lay awake at night, steals my joy, takes away my peace, makes me scared, and even angers me at times. My pastor shared that worry is the sin of not trusting the promises and power of God. Ouch! I mean, I knew that worry was a sin....but to put it so bluntly that my worry was a total lack of faith...that really made me think. My worry has kept me from focusing on God and it has affected some of my relationships.

My biggest fear right now is my future. I won't go into all the details, but the future is unknown and very scary to me. I've tried to look at all the options, make up my Plan A and Plan B...but my plans have achieved nothing. My Pastor then went on to say that when we worry, we are trying to take God's place...it is saying that we don't trust Him to take care of us. We falsely claim that we know more about our situation than God. This is so untrue!

At the end of the service the Pastor had us write down what worries us on an index card. I had the opportunity to seek forgiveness and to rip up my card and lay it at the wooden cross that stands at the front of the church. It felt so liberating. I know that my struggle to worry is far from over, but will be a daily process of making sure that my burden are kept with God and not on my own shoulders.

There were several scriptures that really spoke to me..some I had heard many times before and some were new to me:

*2 Corinthians 10:5~ this verse talked about "taking captive every thought (even worrisome ones) and making it obedient to Christ."

*Psalm 145:15-16~ this passage claimed that "God satisfies the desires of EVERY living thing"....this includes trusting God to meet all material and physical needs.

*Phillipians 4:6-7~ this is a familiar one to many:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The peace of God, which transcends ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

This week I am praying for God to renew my mind and when I start to worry, I am going to immediately pray. I want to take the focus off myself and put it in its rightful place...on God! I always find that God uses deployments to really speak to me...the past few months He is really challenging me to get rid of the junk in my life that is weighing me down and keeping me from fulfilling His plan for my life.

Adventures in Frugality

I LOVE A GOOD DEAL! I love being a frugal person! This is not to say that I don't like nice things because I do, but I love getting nice things at a low price. I dropped the girls off at the CDC this morning and had SIX blessed hours to myself. I went grocery shopping by myself and went to some yard sales. I was so excited to find a 4 quart pressure cooker/canner. It is not big enough to do canning, but I figured that I can use it to quickly cook meats. The instructions came with it and I'll be excited to try out some of the recipes. I also got several books today...many of them by Christian authors. I am always looking for a good book to read and go through them so fast. I went to Publix today. They were having a Kellogg's cereal sale. They were 50% off and I had coupons for every single box. I got 9 boxes of cereal for $8.01!!!!

I shared my good deals with Kelly this afternoon while we were talking on Skype. He told me that he really likes it when I save money. This surprised me a little because he always seems so unenthused when I go on and on about all the money I am saving. I think that he really appreciates that I am a good steward of the money that he works so hard to make. He also commented that he knows that I've been able to save for our future. It is my dream to be able to retire early, live comfortably, and live a life of service to others! Anyhow, his comment really made my day and affirmed to me that I am doing a good job with our family finances!

It was so nice to get a break from the girls today. Even just a few hours a part will give me a fresh perspective and I come back excited to see them. The girls had a great day at the CDC and I decided to take them to Lake Mayer to play on the playground. Kyleigh talked me into getting some ice cream and so we picked up some to take home. It was such a beautiful day out....a perfect spring day. The girls were really tired tonight and went to bed easily. I am waiting for my two loaves of bread to come out of the oven and I'm going to watch "The Time Traveler's Wife". I rarely watch movies these days and hope that this is a good one!

Good Night!

My first entry into the world of blogging...

Here it goes......I'm an official blogger. There is a lot on my heart and mind these days and I want to share some of it. The topics will vary as there is a lot going on right now. I am four months into a year long deployment....struggling to be a great mother and wanting to rise above mediocrity. I'm dealing with yet another military separation from my husband of almost twelve years. I'm striving to become a Proverbs 31 Woman. The past few months I have felt compelled to return to simpler times.....cooking from scratch, building an extended food pantry, and improving my family's nutrition. I am continuously trying to find ways to be a better steward of our money and am enjoying the new realm of couponing and other money saving tools! Most importantly, I am on a journey this year to really grow spiritually. God is using this deployment to teach me some very important lessons. I hope that some of what I share will be an encouragement and a blessing.