Bet you didn't see this one coming...

On July 1, 2011 Michael and I signed a one year contract on a house that we loved in hopes that when he had been at his "new" job long enough (now is current job) we might be able to buy said house. If nothing else we would possibly even owner finance what we believed to be the best house for this season of our lives. When we packed up and walked away from our other rental we thought we were moving to possibly a forever home. Or at least a 5 yr plan kind of home:) We didn't and couldn't have imagined what the year would hold. And now almost 1 year to the day later I find myself in my living room with barren walls and boxes lining every single empty wall in my house....we are moving again! One door closes and God opens another one and this is the story of how it came to be and how wonderful and MIGHTY our GOD really is!

So about 2 months after moving to this house we got some horrible financial news that would impact our income for at least 18 months but more like 2 yrs. We were devastated but determined to keep this house. We did ok for months then things got REALLY REALLY tight. My sweet husband was and still is working 7 days a week to make ends meet and we are still falling very very short. We went from being very comfortable in our lives to not being able to breath and in a very scary place a place we had never been before. Fast forward several months to the beginning of June. A gentleman Michael works for on the weekends approached him about a rental house they had. The name told Michael "that they had been praying for the right family and we were that family." Of course hearing the price and knowing how much money we would save made it a really good idea.  But because of how much we loved where we were currently live it wasn't black and white to us. Our flesh really wanted to stay here. So I asked a friend at church to pray with us about a decision we were about to have to make. I told her how this man had approached us and she said "she had been praying for us a new house for months." In that moment I realized that before she even knew my need, before I knew my need God had spoke to her and told her what to pray! It was like God was using these people to show us in the flesh what He had in store. We prayed about it and decided to move. And God has been ordaining every single step of the way. And He never stops amazing me. As a matter of fact this move was in jeopardy of not happening when I asked a friend to pray and someone showed up to meet the very need we had to make this happen!

No I don't want to move but who is going to argue with God. We know this is a door that only God can open because only He can work like this to make sure all the details are taken care of. I am so overwhelmed by His love and how He is holding us up during a very emotional time.

I guess if you walk away from this post and remember anything I want it to be...God loves all of us just this much. I mean He sent us a house and was working out the details before we even knew we needed a house. If you lean on Him He will do all the work for you...just believe! I am still in awe how everything is working. I am grateful for the door He opened for this season that lead us to this house but I am also excited about this new door leading us to another house. He sure is good and He is so much better and writing the book of my life than I could ever be.

Works For Me Wednesday- Snack Mix

I have been buying a "Sweet-N-Salty" snack mix at my local Dollar Tree for months now. It happens to be the ONLY pre portioned snack I buy! It is an okay deal 4 in a pack for $1. But I have to buy like 4 packs for our family since Michael takes them in his lunch. Much to my surprise and upset they haven't had them in weeks and don't know when they will be getting more. I was so sad so using the ingredients that are normally found in the mix I thought I would make my own. I bought all the ingredients at the Dollar Tree but the peanuts were small cans so I think I would have come off better if I bought those where you can get a larger quantity:) But my grand total was about $7 and I was able to make just over 20 bags. I didn't figure in the cost of the snack size baggies b/c I keep those here to package my own snacks anyway! I think if we hadn't of snacked on it before I started packaging it I could have gotten more bags out of it. Side note the most expensive thing was the M&M's which you could totally leave out. Total per snack was about .30-.35 cents not bad for nuts!

Ingredients:
Salted Peanuts
Cashew Pieces (instead of almonds since we don't think those)
Sunflower Kernels
M&M's
Rasins
Mix everything in a large bowl then scoop desired amount into snack size baggies.

I used snack size bag and put 1/4 a cup of the mix in it.

 

Here are the bags all lined up. I stored all of them in a larger Ziploc!

Music Therapy Thursday

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

A few year ago after attending an Emmaus walk my husband come home and declared this verse over our home and our family. That year on his birthday I gave him a sign quoting the last line "As for me and my house we will serve the lord". That sign hangs over our dining room table as a reminder of the covenant we made as a family to serve God and no other idols. Until recently I hadn't really thought about the idols we were serving...then as I drove my children to one of our many activities I heard the song I am sharing today. It brought me to tears as I was reminded of the kingdom I was busy building that had nothing at all to do with what God was calling me to. And then last week God gave Michael some verses Deuteronomy 1:29-33:

Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,  and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”  In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

Michael looked up from the pages of his Bible and said "What do you think? Is he talking to us!" I was beyond moved! Of course God was/is talking to us. Do you know the story do you know where this story is found? It is after God has brought Moses and his people out of Egypt they have made it to the promised land and aren't going in!!! They are there everything God has promised is at their fingers tips and what do they do they send in spies and vote NOT TO GO! It was like a spiritual ah ha moment...God was telling us "I have led you there my promises are at arms reach, what are you doing complaining about your situation, I have protected you! I have not left you I love you and I am fighting just for you...just for you! Do you not trust me?"

Then enters this song again at the perfect time. As the words played over the speakers in my car my heart nearly jumped out of my chest I was overcome once more by HIS great love for me. I called out "God forgive me for not trusting you! I stand firm on all you have promised my family. We surrender... use us!" Now this song is part of our declaration kind of our theme song.

I 'm done building my own kingdom...No more seeking worthless idols...Like sheep we have gone astray...but we must chose this day whom we will serve...As for me and my house we will serve the lord...Idols raised tear them down...to one kind we bow down...I'm done with powerless religion...no more living in deception...We will cross over Jordan and claim what you promised!

Works for Me Wednesday-Snack Cups

 A few weeks back I did a post on ways we save money and one thing I mentioned was that I don't by proportioned snacks because they cost so much more. But my kids love Jello and Pudding but making and storing it in large bowls takes up alot of room in my fridge. So I had an idea to save space and money I wanted to make my own. For the cost of 1 4-pack of jello or pudding ($1.20) I can make 5 snack cups of my own. I am not counting the cost of the containers which are a one time cost and can be used over and over again. I only paid $1.00 a pack of 5 for these bowls I snagged at my local "Dollar Tree". I am going to get more because all me have made so far is Jello and I want to also make pudding.



Here is a photo of the lable that was on the snack cups. I found them in the baby section of the store!

Here is a photo of the bowl so you can get an idea on the size perfect for snack sized portions:)

Pack of Jello .60 cents fills 5 cups. Mix jello according to package directions.

Use a ladle to fill the cups up with the desired amount of jello.

After all my cups are filled I place them in the fridge to set up without the lid on them. Once they are set I snap on the lids.



There you have it a ready made snack for about .12 cents a cup compared to .30 cents for the ones you get at the store so that is half the price!

Blessing or Curse

Proverbs 18:20-21
20 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Powerful words! To realize that life and death (blessings or curses) are in our tongues. I was reminded last week just how powerful our words can be over our lives and the life's of the ones we speak into. You know the bully who is always made fun of, pushed around and talked down to who later commits suicide? Or the child who is always told they are stupid and therefore they believe they aren't able to go to college and work at a fast food restaurant instead? Or the limb I don't climb out on because I don't believe I am strong enough to handle what may or may not come of my choice because I have been told I am weak?

You can not take back a word that has already been spoken no matter how much you wish you could if the words you spoke cause damage the damage is done in that instant. While an apology may be offered the words are never forgotten. And the way your words make a person feel never goes away either. Do you think of that before you speak? No not me not normally. I am a rather blunt person I say what is on my mind and most of the time with out even thinking I am spewing a curse right over myself, my husband or our children or over those around me. Why in the world would I want to consciously do that? Why would I want to tear anyone down? The truth is I don't I want to build up! So I had to make a conscious decision that I was only going to allow my tongue to offer blessing over my life, my family, my household, finances and those around me. Because lets face it was all have enough in this world cutting us down. When you speak blessings over yourself or those around you that is what comes! Our words are so much more powerful than we even realize. Here are a few more scriptures on the subject from the book of Proverbs...

Proverbs 31:26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 15:4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Better yet google Proverbs on the power of the tongue! I could post these things all day. But the book of Proverbs has so many wise wise words on the subject. Find a few read over them and let me speak to you about what you are offering...Blessing or Cursing? The choice is ours!

Worry and Fear

After yesterday's post I thought about worry all day. And as a Christian we are told not to worry we are also told not to fear. I do both and I do both very very well! It's me I am always scared about something ot honestly anything and I worry ALL THE TIME. God started speaking to me and so I took to my computer for a little research on the topics and found this...

The Bible tells you to fear not 365 times. How about that 1 time for every single day of the year! Sounds easy enough right? For me it is not so easy and I don't know why. I know God has my back he always has and I know He protects me but still I live in fear over so much. My sweet friend April always tells me fear is faith in the wrong kingdom! Talk about a reality check...I don't want any of my faith or time wasted on the wrong kingdom! I found these scriptures on fear I thought I would share:

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Isaiah 43:1-3 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

I know with God's help and a little study I can conquer my fear. I know I sure need to because I should be free!

I also looked up some verses about worry. I honestly think this is going to be the hardest one for me to break. I think I have consumed myself with worry over every little thing. I can not live this way anymore I am going to cling to the scripture read it study it and allow God to speak to me.

Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved

And then I found this last one. It jumped off of the page at me and I am going to have it be my mantra for a while. I know God will take my junk and make it wonderful I just need to lay down these things to Him!

Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

I found all the above scripture here it is a great read so head on over:
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-worry-20-comforting-scripture-quotes/

Realization

Since I spent all of yesterdays blog post ranting about how overwhelmed I seem to be right now because you know LIFE HAPPENS. I got to thinking it was time to reshape MY way of thinking because lets face it those around me who I feel like expect so much out of me are going to change their expectations:/ I had a couple realizations yesterday as I was cleaning my you guessed it nasty house.

Realization #1- I am only one person! No matter how much I wanna do I can only do so much. And I am the one who says yest to things and some of those things piled on me are there because I put them there. Learning to say No because I am already too busy is OKAY!

Realization #2- My house has 3 children who live in it full time. We don't leave to go to work or school every day and therefore it is not going to be spotless until they all move off to college and then we will only wish we had match box cars, random shoes, and books to pick up.

Realization #3- Laundry is never going to go away! I have to wash it people can not go naked. The sooner I get a handle on it the better!

Realization #4- I need to STOP! I need to stop worrying over EVERY LITTLE THING! I need to start really enjoying this time with my children that I have been given. I will not be able to replace these years if I waste them depressed and worried about things that I can not control.

I have known all these things but my own worry and self imposed ideas over what I should be doing have been beating me down. I just want to be the best wife, mother, daughter and sister God wants me to be. It was then that I realized I had neglected my own spiritual health. I wasn't feeding what I REALLY NEEDED! I have to find an outlet for what burns inside of me for God and stop letting life be in the way.

So how about you? Do you worry to much? Let life get in the way of the ultimate relationship? What do you need to put down? Or take up? Stop beating yourself up! All you ever have to be is the best you that you can be!