Humility

I am busy working on my new site (set to launch in January if I can get everything done) but wanted to pop over here and share a quick book.

My hubby and I have been reading a chapter every night from Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney.

{Go to the Amazon link above and you can read the first few pages}

It's a small book with a powerful message. The Lord has been really showing me my pride the past few weeks and it's a hard lesson to learn. But it's a lesson that we all need to learn, especially me right now! The Lord always knows what he is doing even if what we are walking through seems tough *sigh*.

I am learning that He has some things to teach me right now. Ahem, true humility.

Go get this book. Now. It's great and will tear you up and convict you of your prideful sin.

C.J. defines Biblical humility as "honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness."

Wow. Yup, when looking at that I am very prideful and need to desperately learn the lesson of humility. I'm working on it.

Note: I was not compensated for this in any way, I just really love the book and wanted to share!

Gift Donation Christmas Tree

In my office we have "adopted" three families to help this Christmas who are in our area. We were clothing needs, gift wishes and some big ticket items as well I.e. furniture. We also have a lot of people in our office and needed a good way to organize.

I really can't take the credit for this as my boss came up with the idea for the Christmas tree, but hey I actually made it right ;)

Here is the master piece (I"m actually pretty happy with how this turned out, I'm usually my own biggest critic).

The different "ornament" shapes correspond to a different need. For instance, the shirt ornament is for a clothing need. The present box is for an actual gift someone requested. The round shapes are for gift cards that kids requested. And the cupcakes are if someone wants to donate cash for large food baskets. 

Take a look at an ornament

On the left side they are to wright their name, department, and the gift and then they return them to me. I have then been keeping track of everyone so that we don't miss a need anywhere. 

The person then keeps the right side of the tag to remind them to pray for the kids and so they don't forget to buy the gift :) 

Here's what the tree looks like as people start to take gifts. 

'Tis the season to give!

Contributing to Homemaker's Challenge

I am so happy to announce that I will be a regular contributor to Homemaker's Challenge now! I'll be posting about once a month. If you haven't been yet, head over and check out the amazing site that Amy Bayliss has put together.

Head over to check out all the amazing ladies who are contributing to the site. Hope to see you over there soon :)

Coming Soon....

I have been blogging like crazy lately!

Oh wait...really? You haven't seen me doing much?  Well that would be because I have a new site coming. This has been a long time coming and my sweet hubby has finally given me the nudge I needed to get going. And I have been working on it like crazy, behind the scenes.

I am set to launch this new site in early January! Lord willing I can get everything done in time. If you don't see me much in December that is why.

Stay Tuned!

Christmas Pictures

We took hours of family photos yesterday and got a bunch of great photos :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I love this man!

How to Do Black Friday

Black Friday for some sounds like fun and for others it sounds like pulling teeth. However whether or not it is "fun"  to you may be irrelevant. Prices are going up, up, up and like it or not, Black Friday has some amazing deals. So if you are heading out still full from last nights dinner and blurry eyed from not having been up this early in years, you had better grab a Peppermint Mocha on the way and remember these Black Friday rules. 

1) Collect and Search all store Ads

 You never know when a great deals will show up at an unlikely store. For instance, I don't normally shop at Sears. Nothing against Sears I just never have. This year I was looking through Sears ad and saw 3 or 4 presents on my gift list for great prices. Now Sears is on my list of stores to stop at. I never would have known to stop there on Friday except that I look through each and every Ad. 

BlackFridayInfo.com is a great website with all the up to date information on Black Friday. You can search through a list of each item on sale at each store, view the scan of their actual ad or search for a specific item, i.e. Apple Ipod, and a list comes up with each store selling that item on Friday. Great resource

2) Make a Game Plan

Most stores on Black Friday only carry a limit number of their big ticket items and once these amazing deals are gone, their gone! So for the big items, especially electronics like televisions and video games, plan on getting to the store when they open or they are likely to sell out before you get there. 

Now a word of warning this year, many stores are opening early this year. Black Friday is starting to turn into Thursday night. Many stores are opening at midnight on Thursday night (or even 10pm!). 

3) Prioritize the items

Doorbuster deals are the reason we get out of bed so early to head to the stores. Doorbuster deals lure us into the stores and they are often the best deals of the day. This also means that these items are often the first to sell out. So prioritize what you want to get. There is very possibly 2, 3, or more stores with doorbuster deals you want. Pick your must have and go there first! You don't want to make a stop or two and get items of less importance to show up for your must have item and have them sold out. If you simply can't live without two doorbuster deals then recruit a friend...

4) Recruit a Friend

Shopping together can be fun, but tag teaming the deals can save you money and heartache. You can head out to Walmart when they open and buy two Cricut Imagines (plus two cartridges) for $187 each (YES! This is a real deal this year!!). Meanwhile your friend heads off to Target to snag you both a new Television. You then meet up after the doorbuster deals. This way you ensure you get the hottest items plus you get to do the less urgent fun shopping now (such as clothing shopping perhaps?). 

5) Get ready for Crowds

If you have never been Black Friday shopping before then just know one thing: There will be crowds. And lots of them! You probably won't have the space to leisurely peruse the shelves as you would like. But don't fret. Go into the Black Friday shopping expecting this. Don't go with plans to pop into a store for 10 minutes and get what you need. This will likely be an all day outing or at least a few hours. give yourself plenty of time and be relaxed. 

Remember what lessons you told your children the day before about being Thankful. And then be thankful. These deals are amazing. But if as you walk up to that perfect coat that's 90% off don't get angry as someone snatches it moments before you can reach for it. Be thankful and be lighthearted as you shop. 

6) Be prepared for long lines

This is a must. Expect the long lines and they won't be as bad. Charge up for your iPhone and make sure you have the newest Angry Birds downloaded. Or store up all your blog reading until you are standing in line. Or better yet, grab a friend who you haven't chatted with in a while. The time will simply melt away as you chat. I always go with my mom 

So bottom line, have fun tomorrow. Yes, it can be stressful. And yes it the crowds and long lines can be horrifying! But just remember to keep to light. Someone of us have to go out shopping on Friday because we can't afford regular price. 

Speaking of, I need to go make my game plan and prioritize my gift list! Only one more day left....

Will you be going out shopping on Black Friday? What stores will you be at when they open?

10 Day You Challenge: 1 Picture of Yourself

Haha. It was crazy hair night at Awana. You can't tell from the photo but our hair was sparkly as well :)

10 Day You Challenge: 2 Songs

1) Be Thou My Vision-Enfield



2)Jesus, I My Cross I Have Taken-Enfield




Short and to the point :)

10 Day You Challenge: 3 Films

3 Films

This is a very hard one for me. Hm...

1) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I am counting this as 1)

2) Ever After

3) The Princess Diaries
Okay...I couldn't think of a third one and I used to watch this movie over and over when I was younger. I really haven't watched it in years. So it's my number 3 ;)

10 Day You Challenge: 4 Books

4 Books

What? Just 4? This is hard, I Love to read!

This is a list that I'm sure could vary from day to day. 

1)The Excellent Wife ~Martha Peace

A must read for every woman! Martha so beautifully lays out the scripture concerning how to be a sister, daughter, wife, and mother. Warning: This book will seriously convict you and make you realize time and again how sinful we can be. It's great!! :)

 Amazon

2)Practicing Hospitality ~Patricia Ennis & Lisa Tatlock

A beautiful picture of what hospitality looks like. It's not a big beautiful perfectly arranged house but rather a heart for serving others and being obedient to God's word and His Kingdom. Another must read!

Amazon

3) John MacArthur-I can't pick just one of his books so I'm listing him as an author instead! :)

Anything by MacArthur is so Biblically sound and extremely readable. He has authored such classics as Twelve Extraordinary Woman, The MacArthur Study Bible, Fundamentals of the Faith, and too many more to list. 

4) Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I'm a BIG fiction fan so I had to throw at lease one in here. GREAT books and great movies! :)

10 Day You Challenge: 5 Foods

Day #5 of the 10 Day you Challenge

5 Foods

1) Shrimp 

2) King Crab Legs

3) Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

4) Baked Lays

These are my weakness! I will eat an entire bag in one sitting if I'm not paying attention. I don't like the flavors either, just the plain ones. And regular potato chips are gross to me. It's just the baked lays! Go figure!

5) Chinese food of any kind but more specifically a good Egg Drop Soup

10 Day You Challenge: 6 Places

I took a little break from doing the 10 day you challenge (okay a month long break!!). But I'm back to finish it. I started a new job in September and I have been so tired and worn out from learning it all. But I'm starting to get the hang of it and need to get back into blogging, I miss you all so much! :)

6 Places

 

1) Go on an East Coast trip with my Husband

My mother's family all live in Pennsylvania and I when I was a kid I would go back there and every summer (We live in California). A couple summers in a row I would go for 1 1/2 - 2 months at a time. I feel like I lived part of my childhood in Pennsylvania. My grandparents would take me all over the East Coast from Canada down to West Virginia and everywhere in between. My husband has been on the East Coast once for a family trip when he was younger. I dream of taking him back to explore all the places I did as a kid and enjoy that together :)

2) I want to take a cruise of the Mediterranean Sea (Nervous about getting sea sick though!). This cruise would stop at the rest of my 6 places....

3) Italy

The beauty. The history. The food! 

4)Greece

Again, the beauty and the history! I am a huge history fan, especially when it comes to Biblical history and learning the Bible better!

5) Jerusalem (Israel has a whole):

Oh the history! To walk where Jesus walked. To follow the path of Paul's missionary trips (see the previous destinations!). To understand the culture and the geography. Sounds Amazing!!!!!

6) Egypt

Egypt is last on my Mediterranean list so if I can only pick three then I pick Italy, Greece and Israel. But come on, Egyptian history is fascinating!!! And still lots of Biblical history to learn!  

These are all dreams of course. Dreams I'm not sure will ever be fulfilled but dreams none the less. :) France should be on this list as well as #7. :)

My Dream Apartment Search

A warm breeze, sounds of laughter and joy all around, and my toes buried deep in hot lovely sand. Surfboards and kites strewn around the beach. My husband, joyfully grabs his boogie board and hits the perfect wave. I watch all of this from right outside our front door with an ice cold tea in my hand.

In California this dream is simply that, a dream. Any apartment in California is expensive let alone a beachfront dream apartment, even if it is just a rental. So in thinking of my "dream" apartment I knew that I had to venture outside of California. I started searching on Vacany.com to see what I could find and my journey took me across the country.

My search began in Texas. Yes, Texas. I love country music and thought that the good old south would be a fun place to begin. Bucket hats and the slow pace of southern culture seems romantic and peaceful compared to fast paced Southern California. I quickly came across a winning Texan apartment: The Mirage Apartments (Sounds wonderful doesn't it?)

This is what pulled me in, the Pool!

Can't you just imagine sitting by this reading your Micro-Biology textbook...okay so maybe studying would take place more in this your living room.

In love with this living room! So much space to spread out all your textbooks and papers!

And if you can believe it, this apartment fits into our budget for apartments! Did I mention California is expensive?

But alas, I did some more research and realized I could never live in Texas, it is far too hot for me!

Texas=Too Hot

So my search continued.I decided that my next stop should be somewhere cooler for a change. A snowy winter wonderland sounds beautiful compared to a land where it never falls below the 70's (IN WINTER!). I decided to search the West Coast this time and my sights fell upon lovely Washington State. With the booming city of Seattle and lots of rich landscape, Washington seemed the perfect fit. Then I found it, the beautiful Williamsburg Court Apartments.

 

Beautiful and rustic, this apartment was even below our budget. Just think of the parties you could throw in this historic looking beautiful complex. But alas again, I started thinking about the weather. Sure, the snow would be beautiful at first. But having to get up at 5am to shovel snow doesn't sound like fun to me. Nope are are not snow people, I like some warmth!

Washington=Too Cold

At this point I started feeling discouraged. Maybe our dream apartment isn't out there! Maybe we are just that couple who will have to settle for paying too much for a mediocre apartment. Then Vacancy.com came to my rescue! They showed me how to believe in my dream once again.

I started thinking about where we could get wonderful warmth but also have it cool off a bit. I started searching in Florida. Florida came up with apartment after apartment. Quickly I was able to sort by apartments in our price range hoping all the good ones wouldn't be gone. Loading....As my slow internet started bringing up the search results I got excited again...countless (beautiful) apartments starting coming up within our price range! I quickly sorted again and found those ON the water. And.We.Found.A.Winner!!!

Alexan Henderson Beach Apartments

Can you say WOW!? Beautiful apartment with a beautiful pool and can you see the waterfront right behind it?

This apartment has everything we could want. 

1. It's affordable and within our budget!!!

2. It's ON the water

 

3. We were able to search Vacancy.com and see all the of available floor plans to make sure the apartments would work for what WE want and need! (Along with prices for each floor plan!)

 

4. Vacancy.com also listed for us the amenities included to figure out if we needed a fridge and things like that. And yes, if you were wondering, it does have an outdoor fire pit as well as a sundeck complete with Hammocks. 

5. We were even able to contact the apartments directly from Vacancy.com to apply for our Florida waterfront apartment the very same day!

In the end Vacancy.com allowed me to search out my dreams. I was able to quickly rule out what was Too Hot, Too Cold and find what was just right for us. Our dream apartment is out there waiting for us right now and I was able to quickly and efficiently find it with Vacancy.com's great online tools. 

Well I need to go now to finish our apartment application and see about getting my job transferred to Florida! Hope you find your dream apartment some day too!

Online Marriage Conference-TODAY!

At the Well is hosting an online marriage conference today!

The first sessions starts at 1:00 pm today, it's not too late to register. Sessions will run from today through Thursday afternoon. And the best part is, included in your $10 registration is a recording of all the sessions. 

So even if you cannot attend all the sessions, you get to listen to them later at your leisure. 

If you are not familiar with At the Well then head over today to check them out. They are a wonderful group of Titus 2 women striving to serve the Lord by encouraging and admonishing women!

Head over to the conference homepage to learn more. I hope to see many of you there today. I am excited to get some sound teaching and encouragement from these Ladies.

10 Day you Challenge: 7 Wants

Seven Wants

I was torn on this list. Should I list my spiritual wants such as wanting to lead a life worthy of the Lord. Or should I do my silly wants such as a beautiful kitchen. I couldn't decide so I made two lists.

Seven Wants: Important

1) Learn Greek

I already know Hebrew (although I need to brush up on it) and I deeply desire to learn Greek so as to better inform my reading of scripture and to better teach my children.

2) For my husband to trust in my and be proud to cal me his wife ~Proverbs 31:11

3) To memorize so much scripture that I cannot even count it all. I need to come up with a master list of all scripture I want to memorize...

4)To raise my children (Lord willing) up in the Lord ~Proverbs 22:6

5)To write a book.

My husband and I already have two ideas, we just need to start writing!

6) To homeschool my children.

This is a deep running desire that Lord willing I will get to one day fulfill.

7) To look back on my life at the end and to know that I did not waste it. I want to run the race well and finish strong (1 Timothy 4:7) not according to my own or the worlds standards but according to God's (Matthew 25:23).

Seven Wants: Less important but also Fun! 

1) A Kitchen Nook

I posted about this a few days ago, but would you look at that? So comfy!

{Photo credit}

2) To purchase our first home

3) To read one book a week (depending on length)

Not fiction books, but rather theological books that have a lasting impact. I'm averaging about 1 book every 2 weeks. I gotta step it up.

4)To launch my new website.

 I have already purchased the domain name and set up the wordpress. Oh it's very exciting. I'll give you a hint: It's geared toward Young Wives! I just need to finish it...

5) To travel to Israel, Italy, Rome and Egypt.

This is more important to me than visiting any vacation spot in the world. I would love to walk the streets that Jesus did one day.

6) To learn to sew well enough to make my entire wardrobe from scratch

7) To have 6 kids-Yes 6! :)

Hubby wants 4....we may have to compromise!

10 Day you Challenge: 8 Fears

Eight Fears

Hm...I don't like this one. I struggle with anxiety/worry. I was always prone to being a bit nervous about things i.e. heights. But in my old age I have been getting increasingly anxious.

I am battling this with Pray and the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let me explain.

I am a thinker. I ponder. I run things over and over and over again in my mind. And I have an over active imagination. All of this leads me to think about, dwell on and invent ridiculous situations. Combined that with the fact that I need to work on trusting the Lord with all things makes for one anxious lady.

And yes I do know that God is sovereign over all things. I know that He has a plan for my life and everyone around me. And yet, I so often forget/don't want to believe it. Over the last six months I have really identified this sin in my life and have been trying to release my grip on my life  so that I can trust the Lord in all things.

One thing that God has used to transform my thinking is memorizing scripture about worry and anxiety. Right now I am in the middle of memorizing Luke 12:22-31

"And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you."

Wow, did you get that? Christ was instructing his disciples that in the face of persecution, starvation, no earthly possessions, and even death that they are not to be anxious about it and instead, seek His kingdom. Wow, I have been focusing on the wrong things.

So with that being said and my hope and trust with the Lord I will attempt to identify 8 fears.

1) Snakes

Eeew. Everything about these things creeps me out. Yes, I'm like Indian Jones :)

2)Heights

I.do.not.like.heights. Never have, never will.

3)Boats

Yes, this one is thanks to Titanic. I saw Titanic when I was young and I still dream about it! My hubby has never seen it and has asked me to watch it with him....um...no, sorry!

4)Tornado's

Did I mention that I live in California? Earthquakes don't scare me, but every time a storm starts I get scared a tornado is coming. Don't ask.

5)Upside down roller coasters.

Wooden roller coasters are just fine. But I don't trust the upside down ones.

6)Airplanes

I used to fly all the time as a kid and I didn't care. But know I have to pray the entire flight. It might have something to do with the fact that I cannot understand how a multi ton metal thing can stay flying??

7)That I will be a bad mother.

Yup. I'm terrified of that.

8) That God will call us to live far away from our family forever.

See, I'm really working on trust. Hope this encourages someone. God does take care of us. We just need to trust and meditate on His word.

10 Day You Challenge: 9 Loves

Today is day 9 of the 10 day You Challenge

9 Loves

I will just start off by saying that I will be leaving The Lord off of this list.

What?

I am leaving Him off of this list because He is so much bigger and more glorious than this insignificant list can capture. This is a fun list to post about and let you all get to know me a little bit more. So just know,

"God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:10-12

And most importantly for this discussion, we are commanded by Christ to love the Lord,

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Now on to my list:

1) My Husband

After the Lord, my husband is my biggest love, my greatest source of joy, my comfort, my protection and my supporter. Love him with my whole heart!

2) My Family

This is like "Duh! A no brainer!" But some people really aren't close to their family. We are and it breaks me heart that we like about 8 hours away from them all! One day, Lord willing, we will live close again! :)

3) History

I really love history. I majored in Biblical studies and History in college and one of my biggest passions lies in study Biblical history and the church throughout of centuries. Understanding the historical Israel and their surrounding neighbors makes the Old Testament and the New come alive in a way that is not possible without that understanding.

4) Hebrew {And one day Greek}

I studied in Hebrew in college and I absolutely love it. It is a beautiful language and to read the Psalms and Proverbs the way they were meant to be read is a wonderful thing. Knowing how the original languages work again makes scripture come alive in a whole new way. I dream of one day learning Greek as well, and while I'm at it I need to brush up on my Hebrew!

{Source}

5) Crafting

If you have hung around my blog the past couple of years you know that I love to craft!! I haven't done as many projects on here lately as I would have liked but I have been very busy. I love to Scrapbook, sew {I'm still learning}, and make all kinds of fun home decor things. I am a DIY kind of girl and I love it!!

6) Cooking

I sincerely love to cook! Sometimes it feels like a chore but usually I am very happy and content in the kitchen. Cooking soothes me and I really enjoy using my creativity so that my husband and family can enjoy it.

7) Baking

This is a more recent love of mine. I have always loved to bake but I recently started making cakes and I can't stop! I love it! I need creative outlets or I get bored and making fun cakes is the perfect way to let that out!

8) Entrepreneurship

It is no secret that we plan on having me stay home when we have our first child. So I am always on the look out for skills I can acquire and things I can do now so when/if that time comes (Lord willing), I can still help out and contribute to my family as the Proverbs 31 wife does. "She considers a field and buys it; 

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard" Proverbs 31:16. I really have a passion for starting up something (maybe making cakes on the side:) )
 

9) Homemaking

Homemaking is a fierce passion of mine that really combines all of my loves. It benefits and shows love to my husband and future family. I plan on homeschooling our children and we are commanded to, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6. Giving my children a firm Biblical grasp of this world is very important to me. And Crafting, baking, and cooking all benefit my household and I will prayfully depart these skills to my children. And of course finding ways to be good stewards and help support our family is always on my mind.

10 Day you Challenge: 10 Secrets

Okay, I am jumping on the band waggon for the 10 day you challenge. It sounds like fun :)

I apologize, but I do not know how originally started this challenge...I just keep seeing it pop up all over the place. Please let me know if you know who started it!

The first days challenge is: Ten Secrets



1) I like change

Yup. I crave it. I get bored with out it. If things are going the same way for too long, I'm ready for a change! My husband thinks I'm bizarre.

2) I don't really like chocolate.

It's not that I hate it, I just don't crave it or really care about it.

3) Dairy makes me sick.

I don't know if you would call me lactose intolerant but I can't drink milk or too much cheese without feeling very queasy. And yet I eat ice cream anyway Haha

4) I wish that I could write better.

I'm trying to improve my writing skills. I just don't know where to begin!

5) I really dislike talking on the phone.

I will email or text all day long. But the phone? No thank you.

6) I don't pray nearly enough.

I go in and out. Some days are better than others. God is convicting my heart that I need to be in constant dialogue with Him.

7) I only have a handful of scripture passages memorized (if that).

God has been convicting me of this for years. I try and start and then nothing ever happens. I am trying (With the Holy Spirit's help) to change this. I am currently memorizing Luke 12:22-31 and I have about half of it down now.

8) When people put scripture in their blog posts or books, I have the terrible habit of skipping over them.

 I have been really working on that one for the past year!

9) I struggle with Pride.

Oh yeah! Anyone agree with me on this one?

10) I would rather sit at home with my husband any day of the week than go to a party.

I'm a home body.

Okay maybe we should call the last few 10 confessions not secrets. I have been working on being more up front with the areas I struggle in.

We all need to be open with out brothers and sisters in Christ to help each other walk this straight and narrow path we are called to walk on (Matthew 7).