Magazine Deals

This is the only way I knew to get you some good deals on magazines. I have used them to order another magazine for super cheap! Tanga has good deals and I have had good luck. Just click on what you're interested in!

• Shape Magazine Subscription – $1.50 per year with code: 8249
• Wine Enthusiast Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with code: cffd
• Mac Life Magazine Subscription -$4.99 per year with code: 0761
• Nintendo Power Magazine Subscription – $4.99 per year with code: b148
• Family Circle Magazine Subscription – $3.50 per year with code: 3b37
• Atlantic Magazine Subscription – $4.99 per year with code: 4bbd
• Motor Trend Magazine Subscription – $3.50 per year with code: d4a7
• Entrepreneur Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with code: 018c
• Skiing Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with code: f856
• Fitness Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with code: 84ce
• Saveur Magazine Subscription – $4.99 per year with coupon code: 381f
• Muscle and Fitness Magazine – $2.99 with coupon code: ba19
• Disney’s Family Fun Magazine – $2.99 per year with coupon code: 98c7
• Popular Science Magazine Subscription – $5.50 per year with coupon code: 75cf
• Maximum PC Magazine – $3.99 with coupon code: f7c1
• Taste of Home Magazine Subscription – $3.50 per year with coupon code: af65
• Weight Watchers Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with coupon code: ac98
• Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: ed9c
• Complex Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with coupon code: ce2d
• Boys’ Life Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: 7a34
• Spa Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: d712
• Women’s Day Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: 631b
• Outside Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with coupon code: f3eb
• Men’s Fitness Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: 000f
• Parents Magazine Subscription – $3.50 per year with coupon code: aab0
• Car and Driver Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: ea66
• Body & Soul Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with coupon code: 06c5
• American Photo Magazine Subscription – $3.99 per year with coupon code: ee24
• Vegetarian Times Magazine Subscription – $2.99 per year with coupon code: ee2e

Crazy Love and Me

I finished the book Crazy Love. Super easy reading, super convicting on the soul. I read the bible and I know about God and I know he loves me and his promises, but to truly believe them, that is where I struggle. Crazy Love is about loving everyone more than yousrelf, even the unlovable. Who do you avoid? Love them. Who has hurt you? Love them. Who do you need to forgive? Forgive and love them. These are not easy things for me to do.
I am called to follow Jesus fully, trust completely in him in such a way that it may look crazy. I am to give more than I have, help the poor, feed the needy. After all, it's not about this life, but the life to come. I am not to put my hope in this world but the one to come.
So, how do I love God more? How do I do this thing? First off, asking God to help me. Realizing its the cross alone that saves me and enables me. It is me constantly repenting of my selfishness and asking God to give me heart of flesh that doesn't look to the law to be the point (where grace, mercy, love, compassion, kindness will be void), but leads others to the point, Christ. I must pray for humility and ask him to help me with this.
I don't want this to be just another book I read and am inspired for a few days or weeks, but something that I allow God to use a tool to transform me.

I Suck. Thank Goodness for the Cross

I have began reading a book called Crazy Love. Got it from my parents and I have finished the first 4 chapters and already feel like I suck (thank goodness for the cross!). Chapter 4 is about being lukewarm and the characteristics of a lukewarm Christian and abomination it is to the Lord. After reading the descriptions, I found myself in many of them. After finishing the chapter, I had to go back and look at the descriptions of each, confess my sin in them, repent, and ask the Lord to help me.
Just a couple of the lukewarm descriptions I found myself in are:
I don't want to be saved from my sin, just from the penalty of it.
Rarely share my faith with neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
Think about life much more on earth than eternity in heaven.
Continually concerned with playing it safe; I am a slave to the god of control.

Jesus asks for everything, but we (I) try to give him less. Luke talks about being salt. Salt was used to help manure be good fertilizer. Salt that loses its saltiness is not even beneficial to manure. In same way, my lukewarm faith is useless.

If this is only chapter 4, I can't imagine what is in store. As I go through this book, I want to really understand the nature and character of God (in addition to the bible) and have a heart that declares: "The greatest good on this earth is God." Heaven help me.

Don't Call CPS, Seriously

My sweet Abbie was turning circles in her tent with Ellie and both were full of laughter until Abbie fell down, hit her head on her fan, began bleeding every where, carpet included. I hustled her into the bathroom, grabbed a rag and tried to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible while calling Brian to see if she would need stitches but he deferred to his mom, a nurse, who said as long as the bleeding stopped, she was ok. Thankfully, the bleeding did stop and stitches were averted.
Tonight my sweet Ellie was playing on the bleachers at gymnastics when her little wobbly feet slipped and she fell, hitting her head busting her temple, scraping her forehead, and scratching her cheek. She cried a cry that told me she was in pain (obviously). The puncture didn't bleed much so I took her downstairs and got some ice where the nice lady also gave her little a little icy treat which calmed her down.
Now my two sweet girls have indentions in their head, cute to match, but this is taking it too far!

Idols

As the holiday season approaches, it seems I always find myself in a funk of my own doing. Almost a year out of step studies, I am able to better view my life, its sin, the root of it, confess and repent. God has brought to my heart my idol of comfort/security and my distrust of his providing hand. I look at our budget and think, "How are we going to make it? What else can we cut?" With that, I trim the budget again getting rid of what we don't need in hopes to be more wise and more dependent on Him.
I think God knew I would be in this funk at this moment and has provided ways of helping me deal. The sermon Matt preached over money hit home. I am not an owner, merely a steward to what he has given and does my budget reflect more of an owner, or steward? Ouch. I'm an owner. Do we live beneath our means in order to bless others? Ouch. I don't.
Beau preached on anxiety that is rooted in pride or distrust. I can honestly say I don't trust God to provide so I search the budget for things to cut, things to sell, or things to do to make money instead of resting in his character that has provided for our family each and every month, each and every year. We have never gone without. Never. Shouldn't that be enough for me to believe in the power of God? One would think. But I find myself thinking with head in the flesh instead of my soul in the spirit.
Today's verse on twitter? Out of Philippians 4 to think on true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, things worthy of praise. I went back a few verses where it tells me not to be anxious about anything, but in everything to present my requests to God.
So, here is my web confession that I am seeking comfort, making it my idol, instead of trusting the ever giving, all sufficient grace of God to provide. My worrying to does not add to my day, nor does it solve any problems. When I bring myself before the throne, confess my sin, that is when the power of God is able to move in my life. Comfort can not be my end goal, but seeking the face of God.

Cereal Deal

At Target, they have buy 3 get 1 FREE on Kellogg's Cereal. Here is a deal for you.

I bought: Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, and Honey Smacks.
My cereal prices were:
$2.99
$2.99
$3.29
$2.69

I got the $2.69 cereal for FREE. Sweeten the deal with the following coupons.

A Full Cup has Target generator coupons. Choose $1 off Kellogg's and print it 4 times.
Go to coupons.com to print out various Kellogg's coupons depending on the cereal you eat.
Go here to get $1 off 3 boxes plus additional coupons on other cereals to add in.

Here are my coupon totals
$4 from afullcup
$1 from Kellogg's website
$.75 for Honey Smacks
$.75 for Rice Krispies
Total coupons: $6.50

Average out the price for all 4 boxes of cereal: $.69 each

Now I just a few gallons of milk!!

Point of View

Have you ever had something happen, or not happen, and you immediately became upset, angry, or frustrated? Then you found out the back story of it and felt like a heel? How much more kind and compassionate would we be if we, especially myself, saw things from a point of view other than our own? I know that I might be a bit more hesitant to kick my feet and throw an all out tantrum for not getting my way or having others agree with me.
Acts 10 tells a story about God revealing animals to Peter in a vision and telling him to kill and eat. Peter refuses because they are unclean. Acts 10:15: "What God has made clean, do not call common." This was to prepare Peter for a visit to Cornelius, someone who a Jew would not associate with, ended up being saved and having the spirit fall on him. No, Cornelius didn't have to be circumsized or convert to Judaism, he only had to believe. This was how God intended it to be. No rules to follow in order to be accepted, but a heart that thirsted after him.
Acts 11 continues the story where the Jews could not believe that Peter had went and ate with these "other" people. So, Peter told the story and how God showed him nothing was unclean or common. When the people heard this point of view, they "fell silent" which led them to glorify God.
All it took was to hear another point of view to make them silent and realize who are they to stand in God's way?
The lesson I have learned is that maybe I need to not be so quick to jump to conclusions and make my mind up about people and situations, but to hear their point of view, be silent, then glorify God.

Memories

On Friday I loaded up the girls and we headed down to Glen Rose, TX where my grandparents live. I have not seen them in years and my girls have never met their great-grandparents so I figured it was time. The girls did great in the car and thank Jesus for answering that prayer. The house looked the same, my grandparents looked the same, and the house smelled the same. It brought back so many good memories of spending time with them playing outside, riding go-carts in the field across the street, and playing in the workshop. I was so happy to see the girls running around under the huge trees. We headed out to lunch with Granny and ate Dairy Queen. You know you are small town when that is about your only option! We headed out to the park where Abbie kept telling Granny to watch and it was so fun to watch Granny push Abs in the swing. I think she enjoyed it too! After wearing Granny and me out, we headed back to the house where Abbie played catch in the living room with Pa and Ellie just ran around getting into stuff.
I am filled joy that we were able to go and see them and spend time with them. It was so cool to have my girls meet their great-grandparents and for them to meet their precious legacy. I secretly think they were thrilled we had come too! I am eager to go back and share more precious memories.

Proverbs 17:6: Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

30 and Fab

My new motto is, well, I don't really have one. I will say I now know my age when asked. For a while when I was 27, 28, and 29, I would just forget how old I was when asked. Seriously. I would have to figure out the year I was born then do some mental math which alone should be avoided. But I have arrived. I must admit I had put much fear into turning 30. I typically make things way worse they should be. I had tons of fun hanging with friends and getting a break from parenting for a night. I think parents should do that more often, especially moms. For those about to be 30, it really isn't that bad. Now 40...that will be another story!

Good Night 20-something

Tonight I will go to bed and say good-night to my twenties. I have wrestled with this and there is no going back, right? When I wake up tomorrow, I will be 30. An age that seemed so far away is lurking. I must admit, I have accomplished much in my twenties as noted in my other post, but now it is time to move on to a different decade with new challenges, growth, trial, heartaches, and joy. I am praying to embrace my birthday with joy and excitement. To allow others to shower me with love and presents---I mean praises. To be ok with this moment in history because God wrote the book. This is how he intended life to be until all things are restored. I am reminded of Psalm 139 each and every birthday because the LORD formed me, he is always there, he knows me, he loves me, he created me to be uniquely, individually his. To this I must say, thank you God for birthdays. Thank you that I can celebrate with friends and family and thank you for blessing me with another year of life. So, Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeeeeee, happy birthday to me!

Virtuous Woman. Me?

Proverbs 31 is by far one of my favorite books in the bible. This world is well, worldly, so I have to step back and see who God says who I am to be. I can't let the world define me by telling me how to look, how to dress, what to drive, or where to live. I can't let the world define me as a mother on what my kids are enrolled in, how advanced are they, and how you working to overcome their weaknesses? I can't let the world define my marriage by doing whatever I feel is right and usurping the God given call on my husband and being his holy spirit. I go back to the scripture and let it define me. This is a very slow process and much against the world's view for a woman. After all, we are to be achievers and go getters and balance work, kids, marriage, extra curricular activities, bake homemade cupcakes, throw together a Martha Stuart dinner while planning classroom parties without batting an eye. This is not me. Never has been. Never will.

The bible tells me clearly I am more precious than jewels (even the $66 million heist in Britain) and my husband trusts me. The virtuous woman works, takes care of her servants, her children, she is business savvy. She speaks with wisdom (in other words, knows when to keep her mouth shut!) and when she does speak, it's kind. It is not about my looks (praise God!), but about fearing the LORD.

What I have been thinking upon today is Proverbs 31:12: She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.

Wow, no matter what Brian does or says, the bible clearly lays out that I am to bring him good. Every day. Which led me to think, how do I bring Brian good? Is it what I think he needs or what HE needs? In turn, wives, how are you bringing your husband good? What areas do we need to surrender to the LORD so that he can manifest himself in our marriages?

When I get to heaven, I would like to meet this Virtuous Woman and thank her for setting an example of what can be done when I completely lay my life before God. I may never be able to do all the things she does, but I can focus on those I am good at and ask God's grace on what I am weak at all the while, bringing my husband good and honoring God. After all, that is what it is all about.

Tick Tock

I can hear the clock ticking till my birthday. I had a great lunch today with Heather. Probably the last time we will dine in our 20's together. She will be 30 before me, well, 3 days before me. We are both trying to have good attitudes about this landmark in our lives. I am praying to accept this with dignity and grace. I will be 30 and that's that. Her motto, "30 is the new 20." I like that.
What have I accomplished in 30 years?
Skipping through my happy childhood, which it really was, I have graduated high school, completed college in 4 1/2 years with a teaching degree. I was married at 21 (just celebrated 8 years together), first job soon following our marriage, first baby at 25, second baby at 28, quit teaching after 7 years to raise those sweet babies, and am now entering my Jesus years.
All in all, these 30 years the Lord has given me have been a time of change and growth otherwise known as sanctification. I am definitely more chill than I use to be (can you believe that?). I care less about what others think and more about what God thinks. I am learning that Jesus is better than things and I truly can live without the trinkets, even though I must admit, I still really like. I have walked alongside my husband who has been caring, loving, supportive, unselfish beyond degree, amazing, kind, generous, humble, servant-hearted, and has a faith that can't be shaken. Who puts his own needs aside and is willing to sacrifice whatever to keep me home to raise our children in the Lord and to teach them about his love and commandments.
As the time ticks closer to 30, I have to see what the bible says about age. Proverbs 16:31 says, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." Now, don't misread here, I don't yet have gray hair but I will most likely cover it up, but then would I cover up the righteousness I have found in Christ? I digress. Gray hair is linked to aging, and the bible says it is from a righteous life. That is what I want, a righteous life, even if it means gray hair--and the Lord helps me accept that humbly!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Some think I am crazy and turning a bit nerdy and that might be the case, but when I win a new Sienna, you won't think that. I worked as hard as possible to enter as much as possible, but I do know that others entered more than me. I did pray for God to show favor and allow me to win. Honestly, I did. But there is probably someone else more deserving than me, but I prayed any way. I am taking part of Huggies Enjoy the Rides Reward. Totally free. You earn points, you spend them. All free. You can enter sweepstakes or Instant Win. The new set of points and prizes are out starting today. Now I will try to win a gym set for the backyard!

$1.85!!

I am so excited about my shopping trip to Target. Here is what I bought:

1 Cheez It Whole grain $2. 99 $.75 coupon off Total: $2.24
5-8 count of poptarts $1.52 a box $.75 off coupons (I printed 5) Total per box: $.77
4 boxes of Raisin Bran $2.19 a box $1.50 off 2 boxes coupon Total per box: $1.44

Total Bill: $19.35
Coupon Total: $7.50
Final Payment: $11.85
Mail in rebate: $10.00
In the end, total paid: $1.85

Needless to say, you don't have to ask what's for breakfast :)

P&G esaver

This only works for Kroger and Tom Thumb. Sign up here. Choose the coupons you want and voila! It's automatically loaded onto your preferred customer card!

Kellogg's Buy 10 get $10

I have done the dirty work to the best of my ability to get you the fastest way to $10! I go tomorrow to see how it pans it out but until then, here is what I have done.

Kellogg's is doing a Fuel for School where you buy any 10 Kellogg's product, and get a $10 rebate. Go here to get your rebate. It's on the bottom right. Click on it, and it prints your rebate and list of qualifying purchases.

How about some coupons?
This is one of the best places for coupons. A Full Cup. You need to sign up. Once you do, on the home page, there is a tab on the right: Target Coupon Generator. This will pull up any coupons for Target at this time. Best part is, you can type in how many of each coupon you want. So I chose the poptarts to get $.75 off and I had it print me 5!!
On a side note, on the website click on the tab at the top Coupons, choose printable coupons, and you get about 38 pages of coupons and there are tons of ways to search for what you are looking for!

Raisin Bran is on sale at Target for $2.19. Here is a coupon for $1.50 off 2 boxes. Make them $1.44 a box!

Cheez It for $.75 off Whole Grain only. (Scroll through this link for other coupons including Kellogg's)

The 100 Calorie coupon has reached its limit. Sorry.

You can also go to google and type in the search what you are looking for such as: Cheez It coupon. This will help out tons. But again, A Full Cup so far is the best!

I will write tomorrow how the deal goes!

Sinned Against

I can say in my life that I can't recall a time that I have been sinned against where I didn't contribute to the situation. Until this week. I can't explain the pain my soul felt and the tears that were shed. It was something that I hope you never feel, but if you do or have, we can rejoice that we are suffering like Jesus. This pales in comparison to what he felt on the cross when the weight of sin was on his sinless shoulders.
I find the timing a bit ironic since Beau, the campus pastor, was teaching out of Philemon where Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother and to forgive this runaway slave who stole from him. Corresponding to the prodigal son where each of us were runaways and have been received by the father. Here are two things I have learned in the past couple days.

1. Atonement: Christ paid the debt. The end. It is not my job to make this person pay for their sin. Christ did it on the cross and for me to "make them pay for this" defeats the purpose of the sacrifice. I think it would be a slap in God's face for me to try to take the place of Jesus.

2. Forgiveness: Just like Philemon was urged to forgive, God tells us to forgive our brothers so that we might be forgiven. If I don't forgive, I am not forgiven. I must never forget that I have been received into the hands of God and am under his authority now. I must believe and apply the gospel of forgiveness with his help as to avoid bitterness, anger, self righteous pride and so on.

This was not an easy process but was quick I must say. I went straight to the throne and asked God to help me and I poured over the bible as to how I was to respond to the situation. Amazing how when you press into Jesus, you can truly forgive, no bitterness, no anger, no remorse, no sorrow, no guilt, no more pain, replaced by acceptance, joy, peace, grace, and mercy. This is not me who accomplished this process, but only the work of Jesus who was able to mend my heart and bring glory to him. Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Even when we are sinned against.

Pain and Suffering

Sometimes I just get a breath of how painful life is. I sit back and know that God is control and wonder how he chooses to intervene or not. I read emails about our friends whose son is trying to recuperate from a heart transplant to a family in Ohio (I am assuming) whose in the hospital with their baby boy and the doctors are telling the family, "it doesn't look good."
I gripe and complain that my house is a mess, there is yet another load of laundry to do, another meal to cook, but my kids are healthy. They are safe.
My heart goes out to the these parents who deal on a constant basis with hospital visits and life changing decisions that must be made. I can't even imagine what it feels like to do kangaroo care with your baby in hopes that he might have his temperature rise. Is there any length that you wouldn't go to?
Oh how that is the heart of Christ. That he sees our pain and suffering, and as a gentle parent he wants to kangaroo with us, to draw us to hear his heartbeat alone, to rest in his arms and to trust him. Really trust him in all circumstances that the God who spoke the world and put in motion, took time to create us in his image, knows our hearts and minds, and pain and suffering is used for our sanctification and his glory. On this side of heaven we may never know why God chooses as he does, but we must rest in the unchangeable, unwavering, always consistent God of the universe.

Rare Day

Today was a rare day for me. I took the girls to go hang with Courtnee then went grocery shopping. I came home and cleaned the house, worked, worked out, and then was done. With a couple of hours to spare. That is a rarity for me! I decided to go get my sweet tea at McAlister's since it was free and got a BLT minus the T and ate there. By myself. Now, there would have been a day I would not have been caught dead eating lunch out by myself. I am super self conscious and the whole time I would have been wondering what others were thinking or saying about me when in reality, they probably didn't realize I even existed. Not today, I sat down, sighed, and just enjoyed. Then heard the screaming kids next to me which made me glad I was alone! Is that what kids do to you? Make you come out of your comfort zone and relish the quiet moments anywhere you can find them even if it means eating by yourself? For that, thanks girls for helping this momma very slowly learn how to not care what others think and just enjoy.

Well...

Last night Brian came out to the conference to have dinner with me and hear the speaker all which was good. Then we I showed him my room and I began to get sad because I would have to stay there by myself without him or the girls around. After 30 minutes of debate, pros/cons, I came home to sleep in my house, my bed, with my family. So, I just can't be away from my loved ones. Maybe one day. Just not today.
I will head back to the conference this afternoon to finish it up. Until then, I get to be with my family.

Conference Time

Tomorrow I will leave and head out to Ft. Worth for a conference for my company. Now, I have NEVER been to a real conference before where you go and stay, even in all my 7 years of teaching. So, there are questions that I have that are pretty dumb like, do they foot the hotel bill? If not, I'm sleeping in the car and taking bath in the pool. Well, I will more than likely come home instead, however, the other might prove to be more cost effective. Also, do I have a room? If so, do I share? How do I feel about sharing a room with a stranger? Now, I poke fun, but really, I have no clue what to expect, what is going on, and I don't know anyone. Except Courtnee. And I think she might be busy working.
To top it off, I have to leave my family. I love my family so much that it would be an idol for me. (I am working the steps folks, just takes time). Not that Brian won't do a great job and have tons of fun, but because I might miss out on something and I don't like being left out. Kinda like that one episode on In the Motherhood. Ever seen that show? I like our times together as a family. I relish them.
I have also come to sense a bit of guilt for my hidden excitement to get out of the house and be real adult around other real adults. The only problem is that I don't have any kids to blame the food stain on my shirt on.

New Heart

Our friends precious boy (age 11) had a heart transplant on Friday night that they have been waiting on. He is doing good now but not out of the woods. I can't imagine as a parent what that must feel like to go through that. The other night he coded and was out gone for 15 minutes before the heart started again. I am not sure if there is anything more helpless than knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do but trust in the sovereign Lord that his way is best.
I began to think of how something like this is what God desires for each of us. New hearts. Where we take out the old that is broken, beat up, and not functioning to full capacity, and he wants to sew his heart within us that brings about the fullness of life that he intended. I can't help but be reminded of what Ezekiel 36:25-27 says:
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.


Just as Austin received a new heart physically, the Lord desires to give us a new heart spiritually. I continue to pray for Austin, his parents, and the doctors but more than that, that lives would be transformed by the power of prayer and the worship of believers that God can transform the old into the new.

Finding Balance

Now that Ellie is mobile and into everything, I often find myself telling Abbie to share, even if Ellie has forced herself to play. I find myself telling Abbie that Ellie is just a baby and doesn't understand. Then I began to realize that I was letting Ellie get away with almost anything! I have to find balance between both sides. Where Ellie learning and part of that is telling her NOW that Abbie is playing and will share and having Abbie share when appropriate. Boy, raising two kids has more challenges than just one!

Ellie is 1

My sweet little Ellie turns 1 tomorrow and I can't help but look back over this long, hard, fun, challenging year. So much has happened during this past year that I thought I might actually have something to say about it.
1. Ellie started off life rough. She was a colic, reflux baby who threw up on anything, anyone, everywhere, all the time with perpetual heartburn. She also had thrush that settled into her esophagus. The bonus: she slept through the night at an early age and PRAISE JESUS for that!
2. She loves her momma! She wanted me to play with her while standing her up, facing me, and nothing else would do. That alone was exhausting! She started to crawl finally at 10 months and our lives have forever been happier!
3. I quit my job and trusted God. He was faithful to give me a part time job at CDO then eventually to work at iteachTexas from home. It has been so hard to trust that we would be provided for. If you were to lay the budget out on paper, it does not work. We should be greatly in debt each month. Yet, somehow, we are not. I have no clue how God works that out each month!
4. I have learned that having 2 kids is way harder than 1! Abbie needs time, love, and attention while Ellie demands time, love, and attention. I have had to try my best to find a balance to top of my strong Type A, selfish personality who likes to get things done, NOW, and be a mom. I have to pray daily for God to help me engage my children. That is my job.
5. I am a better wife (I think) and a better cook (quite sure about that) than I use to be because I now have time to do that.
6. Abbie has grown up this past year as well and has adjusted perfectly to having another sibling in the house and kudos to her! She has been a great help to me and loves her sister so much that I pray for God to allow that to continue throughout life.
7. I have learned that when I trust God, am obedient, confess my doubts and fears, he instills peace that can only be from him and he gives me strength, mercy, and grace for today.
8. I appreciate the cool mornings and warm days, the stormy mornings drinking coffee eating breakfast with the girls, the park nearby, the zoo passes, and friends way more than I use to. I use to sit in my classroom thinking, I would love to go ______ with Abbie. Now I can.
9. I am where I know I am suppose to be. No matter what we have had sacrifice, I have seen Ellie each and every day of the first year of her life. I have seen each victory and trial. I have been her mommy and that, is something I can say I will never regret.

To you Ellison Noell, I love you and thank you for teaching me to be a better leader, lover, encourager, helper, friend, and mother.
Happy Birthday Little Bit!

Menu #3

Here is what we are having this week.

Spaghetti w/ Meat and a good ole can of spaghetti sauce. I do add red wine after the meat cooks then let the alcohol cook off before adding the sauce.

Taco Salad We just do meat, fritos, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce, catalina dressing.

Tomato Chicken Parmesan This is going to be new.

Breakfast Casserole For Mother's Day breakfast.

Steak and potatoes for Mother's Day dinner (per my request!) Kroger has their meat on sale for a great deal! And 4 baked potatoes for $1.99.

Crockpot Fajitas If it uses a crockpot, I will try it! My tortillas were on sale at Kroger for .99.

Happy Eating.

Menu #2

Some recipes we have had this week.

Creamy Tortellini This meal was really good. Next time I might consider adding more bacon :) I made a side of asparagus as noted below.

Cheese (or Beef) Enchiladas For this one, I used beef and a can of enchilada sauce. It was kind of bland. I think next time I will try the homemade sauce. Also, Brian loaded up his with hot sauce and sour cream and liked it. I served it with just corn and chips and hot sauce.

Asparagus I used to not like asparagus but I love it now. This is really yummy.

Bacon Wrapped Hamburgers We are not eating this this week, but I wanted to put them up because this hamburger is to die for (in my opinion). I absolutely love this recipe!

If you want to leave a short note if this is beneficial through Twitter or Facebook, that would be great!

Happy Cooking!

Installment 1

Here are some dinner ideas to get you going. I linked what I cooked to the website and wrote any changes that I made. Enjoy!

Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet I substituted the dry kidney beans for a can of black beans that I drained. We also just had corn for a side.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas One of my all time favorites! Plus you can use the mass amount of corn tortillas you buy for this recipe and the one above.

Oven Fried Chicken This is amazing chicken! I buy the mashed potatoes in the frozen section (with the fries) that cook in the microwave for 10 minutes and doctor them up and buy frozen rolls that take about 5 minutes to cook to make a full meal. Abbie loved this too.

Bachelor Stew This actually mine!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can vegetable soup
1 can ranch style bean

1. Cook meat in a large pan then drain.
2. Put the vegetable soup and beans in and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. We like to top with cheese and tabasco sauce and Brian smashes saltines in his too.

We do a side of corn bread too.

That's all I have for now! But more to come as I try them out.

Quietness

I got to thinking the other night but just now have time to write. Have you investigated the quietness of the soul? I think there are 3 places we (I) run. Either I drown out the soul with busyness or TV or anything other than facing my heart. Sometimes in the quietness of the soul I think of things and begin to worry and be anxious and fear begins to resonate until I am beside myself. Then there are times where all is well and I can face it. Where I just am and it's good.

When the site is down...

...you don't have to work!
What a fun fun day! We hung out at Fuzzy's for lunch with the Hipp's then headed over to the square for candy and proceeded over to the square for some hanging time where people struck a mini band and played and sang. Only in Denton would that happen. Later tonight we head off to Mr. Chopsticks for Brian's birthday dinner with his parents.

Going Good

I was talking to a long time friend of mine of just how God has been so amazing to us and that I needed to blog about it. As you may have read, I have a new job that is amazing and has allowed me to stay home and not go back to teaching. I am very excited about this. We are at a place in life where we went 6 months with nothing extra and barely making it to having an excess. The one thing Brian and I are praying for is protection over not falling back into old habits where we go back to charging whatever we want, but to realize we have been given a gift by God and we are to use it wisely. We want to be generous givers. Brian is natural at that. Me, not so much. I am greedy and stingy and don't like giving because, after all, the money is mine, right?! Now, you might say, "That sounds cold." Well, I must speak the truth of my heart and bring it into the light so that I can't hide in darkness and be given over to sin of greed. I have been praying for a few months now that God would give me heart of flesh. This will be his under taking and him alone who can do that.
Brian and I are wondering who can we help? Are there friends in need? Who could use a happy present? How can we go beyond ourselves and instead of having things terminate on us, let it terminate onto God? He has done something amazing and for me to be prideful, selfish, or greedy would be to deny my God the glory of what he has done. And that is a place I don't want to ever go.

Waterfall

I am so excited about my new job. I started grading yesterday. I have been praying for wisdom and fairness in my grading as to bring glory to God in this endeavor and benefit the candidates.
I began to think about this amazing job that seems too good to be true. Matt Chandler has been talking about going deeper this year and having hearts transformed and pressing into God. We can't just sit and wait for it to happen, but must put ourselves under the waterfall of God's grace for it to wash over us.
I have to say that I think this is how my job came to be. By putting myself under God, I went through Step Studies and have a better understanding of how to do life and deal with sin. Through obedience and devotion that has been hard for me, he has washed over me. Praise him for that. Now, I have to learn to stay here and not move.

I Have A New Job!

In case you didn't hear, I have a new job! I am so excited about it because I was probably going to have to go back to work teaching. I will be a grader for iteachtexas and I am so excited because it is still tethered to teaching and I can work from home a few hours a day. With this new opportunity, I will be able to stay home with my girls and Abbie is excited too because she told me she wanted me to stay home with her then was excited that I would get too. Ellie didn't have much to say on the matter. Diann, who founded the business, is responsible for hiring me. After praying much for God to get and keep me home, he has used this wonderful woman who was obedient and kind hearted to extend me this position. I thank God, through a humble obedience and a step of faith back in July, that this is where he has brought our family. I would have never in my wildest dreams would have thought this would be the road, but it proves once again that God knows more than me and certainly has things better laid out than I could. Praise his name. It's all about him, for him, and by him.