Thankful Thursday

So there are 2 reasons I do Thankful Thursdays.

The first is that it is easy for me to get caught up with the routine of life. I forget to take a pause and give thanks to my Heavenly Father for all the ways He blesses my life. I need to remember what I am truly thankful for. Sometimes they are big things and sometimes just the little things. It really helps my mindset when I realize how many things I truly have to be thankful for.

The second reason is to take areas in my life that are frustrating me and put a positive spin on it and turn it into something I am thankful for. For example, cleaning toilets... don't love it.... especially the boys' toilet..... but when I look at pictures of the toilets the bloggers from the Compassion trip were using, and that those are the toilets that the people who live there use all the time, suddenly I am thankful for windex and paper towels and my fine porcelin toilet that flushes.

So that is why it is important for me personally to set aside a specific day where I concentrate on things I am thankful for. Here is my Thankful list from this week......

1) My parents are coming to visit! I am so excited! They should be in town sometime today and the excitement in the air is palpable!

2) AWANAS Club. I LOVE this program. It gives my kids incentives to learn verses. My 6 year old can now say all the books of the Bible in order starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. He also just committed Psalms 23 to memory along with a whole lot of other verses he has been working on over the year. What a wonderful way to hide God's word in his heart!

3) After reading all the Compassion blogs, I've really been so thankful for all my appliances. I take so many things for granted. Like the fact that I have 2 mixers, a small one and a big one. That I have some appliances I really only use for special occasions. I don't take my bread maker for granted because I make gluten free bread for one of my boys, but I appreciate it so much more now.

4) I'm thankful for conveniences I take for granted, like grocery stores and restaurants.

5) Friends who love me unconditionally and who encourage me to be a better wife, mom, and child of the King.

Well there you have it, nothing profound, but it helps my attitude tremendously! I am so blessed and have a lot to be thankful for!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

His love endures forever.

Paslm 136

How frugal are YOU?

As I was doing laundry today, I realized we are just about out of laundry soap so I've been skimping a little on each load and it reminded me of a time when we were first married,.... and we were doing laundry with a washer that my husband bought in McAlester, Oklahoma for $35....... it was just this side of being a fossil..... and he was very frugal... and I was washing a load of laundry......


He said (as I was getting ready to pour in the detergent): I only fill the cap about 3/4 full.

I wasn't going to let him win so I replied: Well, I usually only fill the cap about 1/2 full.

He replied: Well, actually, I usually only fill the cap about 1/4 full.

I replied: Well, I actually stop the washer before the rinse cycle and take out a couple soapy towels to throw in the next load instead of using more soap.

He came back with: Well, I don't rinse the soap off my hair in the shower, I just wipe it all off with a towel and throw the soapy towel in with a load.

(at this point I was laughing so hard I was crying,.... and I just couldn't think of anything that would be more frugal than that..)

So He won.

And I just thought I would share.

It Works... I Guess

So we were in the car and my 5 year old called my 3 year old an armadillo. (I don't pretend to understand why) She started wailing.... "Mooooommm... he called me an armadillooooo!!!!!!" (which of course must mean it is true) (because 5 year olds are full of wisdom)

So I remembered reading a post from BigMama that she was listening to Beth Moore one day and she explained how you can choose to reject things that are not true. That if someone says something to you or about you that is not the truth, you don't have to accept it. Which makes perfect sense.

So I decided to try it out.

I said, "Is that the truth? Are you an armadillo?" She said, "No" So I explained to her that if something is not true, you don't have to accept it. If someone says something, it doesn't make it true. You can reject it.

So later, I was downstairs with her and my 5 year old yells down... "My sister is a banana" and I brace myself for the impending wailing as she contemplates life as a banana. But instead, she yelled right back up to him, "I reject that, actually. "

This is a video by Shaun Groves who went on the Compassion Trip to Uganda. It is about a woman they met there who has 5 children and is raising them in a home which is actually a room, about six feet by eight feet. It is hard for me to comprehend how many children are in need and living in such poverty.

Compassion

I've been following the

Blog Compassion Trip to Uganda, Africa .

I've been reading BooMama's account of the trip and also Rocks in My Dryer. I have to tell you, my heart has been breaking for those children. I have cried a couple times just reading about the conditions some of these children are living in. Especially when I think how incredibly blessed my own children are in comparison.

Then I read this post by Shaun Groves who is also on the trip. It is worth reading.

The following is from a post over at Whittaker Woman who also went on the trip. She posted this youtube video of Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer and then added this:

" This is what Shannon told me:He is an orphan, his mother and father have died. His caretaker which is his aunt is very sick and his other sibling is also very ill. Somehow he is not infected and is healthy and beautiful. His smile was so contagious. He was so joyful to be with Shannon. Think about it, he is going to be all alone here in a years if not months. And here comes this hope, this woman who is tangible, who sends him gifts, who sends him money so that he can survive, and who writes him letters of encouragement. This woman who LOVES him. That is hope. That is what this organization is about. I did not completely get it until yesterday. I am so wrecked by this. My heart is so broken. I could not have been Shannon. I could not have allowed him to get back in the car where the social worker was driving him four hours away back to nobody. I just could not do it. "

(I start bawling everytime I watch that video and read Whittaker Woman's words)

My husband also read these posts and we talked about it. And we decided to DO something about it instead of just sitting here feeling so torn and heartbroken for all these children. So we went to the Compassion website and read all about their organization and the ways they help children that are sponsored.

Saturday night we decided to sponsor a child in Ethiopia who is 5 years old. It was really very easy to do. We will be sending $32 a month to make sure that he gets the opportunity to receive an education, the opportunity to be healthy, the opportunity to develop self-confidence and social skills in a church-based program where Christian adults offer love, guidance, personal attention, guided recreation and safety and most importantly the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus. These are ALL things that my children TAKE FOR GRANTED.

Not only is this going to benefit this child, it will benefit mine as well. It will open their eyes to the world. As we pray for this boy they will develop compassion and a heart for others who are less fortunate than they are. It will broaden their world view as we look on the map of where this boy lives and talk about the conditions that many children in that country live in. We will have opportunities to write to this child and to be an encouragement to him. We are all very excited and plan to keep his picture up on our fridge.

As we were looking at all the pictures of children available to sponsor, it really broke our hearts. There are SO MANY CHILDREN. And really, a $32 sacrifice a month isn't that much of a sacrifice at all. We looked at our budget and there are several things we could cut back on if we had to in order to make sure that at least this one child in Ethiopia has his basic needs met and an opportunity to learn about our Savior.

I can't imagine a better investment for our money, which is really all His anyways.

The Break Up Songs

So in high school my cousin made a compilation of break up songs. It was rather brilliant and here are two of my favorites from that tape.
(I'm not really sure what Legolas has to do with anything, but it was the best clip I could find)




And this one would come in at number one.

I challenge you to fine a better break up song than this!



Well that really and truly concludes my list of songs and hopefully my obsession with youtube.

On another note, up until this last Monday, I kept my blog on a "private" status. Starting next Monday I am going back to that status. Sooo, if you were already a reader previous to Monday, then you will be automatically put back on as a reader. If you have not received an e-mail invitation from me to read my blog and you would like to continue to read my blog, then please just leave me a comment saying so and leave your e-mail address. Thanks!

Have a great weekend!
And I would love to know what YOUR favorite love gone wrong song is!

Love Day Giveaway - The Winners Are......

Happy Valentine's Day!

So this is that hard part, today we announce the winners of our giveaways! If I was rich, I would just send everyone who participated a pan and a book. If I was filthy stinkin rich, I'd rent out Petite St. Vincent's Island and take you all with me! You KNOW I would. But I'm not, so I had to choose a winner.

So, to choose the winner, I copied and pasted all the qualifiying remarks in order to word and then numbered them and then used the online RANDOM INTEGER GENERATOR (which is kind of fun) and came up with my winners.

So the winner of the Williams Sonoma Heart Pan is....

THE ANDERSON ZOO
Congratulations!

The winner of the book Love and Respect is.......

SHERYL
Congratulations!

Thank you all for playing! This has really been fun and a nice distraction for me. Make sure and stop by Mrs. Troop's to see who her winner is and her Number One Love Songs.

So now, what you have really been waiting for...

Coming in at

Number 2
This is one of my new favorite songs and when I get a new

favorite song I'm kind

of crazy in the fact that I will listen to it over and over

and over and over

again all week long until

I have it completley memorized.

(Does anyone else do this or is it just me?)

(I'm sure it's just me)

I hope you enjoy!

Number 1

I have a tie for my number one song.

I absolutely LOVE the sleeping beauty waltz, "Once Upon A Dream"! I sing and dance to it with my kids and it is actually a life goal of mine to dance to it at some formal occasion with my husband.

My other number one song would be "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera. I've loved that musical since high school and I have been to see it twice with my husband so there is a lot of sentimental reasons also.

But since Mrs. Troop has already shown those on her blog, I hate to bore you and it really is hard to talk about love without talking about the One from whom Love comes, so my number one song is going to have to be about my Heavenly Father who is the true Lover of my Soul. This is one of my favorite worship songs and some of you have already listed this one so I hope you enjoy it and fall in love ever so much more with your Creator because He Loves YOU More.

Well, that concludes our Love Day Giveaway and our Love Song Countdown. Thank you Mrs. Troop and everyone who participated. It's been fun. Even though the giveaway is over, if you would like to leave a comment to congratulate our winners and let us know your favorite praise or worship song or even just another favorite love song, that would make my day!

Tomorrow just for the fun of it I am going to list my 2 favorite break up songs! Be thinking of yours and let me know what it is tomorrow.

Show some love to your Valentine today!

We interrupt this Giveaway to bring you Love Songs by Mr. Lunt. The part of the Giveaway where Mr. Lunt comes out and sings a Love Song.

An anonymous commenter

from the first day of the giveaway

has dedicated this song to me:

This same anonymous commenter has also sent these to my children today. They are thrilled and have not put them down yet!

And he has also sent these to me. I adore pink roses!

So yes, anonymous commenter,

the next time you see me,

you are more than welcome to check me for ticks.

Love Day Giveaway - Day 3

This is it! The last day of our giveaway... If you are just tuning in, go here to read about it and then come back and leave a comment of your favorite love song and then head on over to Mrs. Troop and leave a comment for her also . Please remember to leave an e-mail address if we don't already have it and let me know which one of my giveaways you would prefer. We will be closing the giveaway at midnight tonight and randomly drawing winners tomorrow at 8:00am.

And now, back to the Love Song Countdown...........

Number 5
So, when my sister was dating the guy that was to become her husband, I heard this song so many times (because it was one of her favorites) that it has also been committed to memory so I thought it deserved a place in my countdown. This one is for you Kimberly. :)

Number 4

I have been a Harry fan for many moons now. I believe this was the third tape (yes, a cassette tape... they came after 8 tracks and before CDs) I bought of his. I loved this song the most.

Number 3

We had some friends sing this song at our wedding. They were friends of Ben's and at the rehearsal they still didn't know all the words. I was just a little stressed but they promised me they would know it by the wedding, and they did. It was beautiful and Steven Curtis Chapman was and is still one of our favorite artists.

(and no, I don't know who Tom & Jeannie are,... sounds familiar but I don't think it's the same)

Tomorrow we will announce our winners and I will also reveal my first and second place choices for favorite love songs. I know it is going to be difficult, but you are just going to have to wait. :)

I am really having a great time with this and you gals are coming up with some GREAT love song choices!

Happy Day Before Valentine's Day!

But the greatest of these is love. . ." I Corinthians 13:13

Love Day Giveaway - Day 2

Today we start our

Favorite Love Song Countdown!

It was hard to narrow down my favorites because

there were so many to choose from so I decided

to go with the ones that gave me a gut-wrenching,

heart-tingling, memory -filled emotion.

Here are my picks starting with

(drumroll please)

Number 8

I start out my countdown with my favorite song from Grease. I love Hopelessly Devoted but I'm not for sure if that counts as a love song or a lovesick song....so I'm going with this.

Number 7

When we were dating Ben used to sing this song except he would substitute Lorita (my Spanish name) in for Maria.



Number 6
I've always loved Robin Hood. I've loved it since I saw the disney version. I have the one with Errol Flynn and I loved the one with Kevin Costner. I bought the soundtrack and listened to it over and over so this song had to be in my countdown.



I must say that I am having such a great time reading all the comments and all the brilliant songs you all have picked out! The ones I don't recognize I go look up on youtube. It's so much fun! I keep thinking " OH, but I LOVE that one too!" It's a good thing I already had my top 10 picked out! Oh, the memories that come flooding back with each song.

This is the second day of our Love Day Giveaway so leave a comment here with a favorite love song for your second chance to win and also head on over to Mrs. Troop and enter there....... and have a great day filled with His Love!

But the greatest of these is love. . ." I Corinthians 13:13

Love Day Giveaway

"So that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, pure, good homemakers, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered." Titus 2;4,5

In honor of my favorite month of the year and in honor of Valentine's Day, my good friend Mrs. Troop and I are doing a Love Song Countdown for the next 3 days and we are also hosting a Love Day Giveaway!

To enter the giveaway, visit each day between now and Valentine's and leave a comment telling us YOUR favorite love song. Please only one comment per person, per day. There will be two separate giveaways, so enter here and at Mrs. Troop each day! The more days you enter, the more chances you have to win. And since I only have 2 readers,... you've got a really good chance! :) The contest will end at midnight on Wednesday. On Thursday, February 14th, at 8:00 a.m., we'll randomly select a winner. Be sure to include your e-mail so we can let you know you've won! I will be having two giveaways so also include which item of mine you would prefer to win.

I am giving away a brand new copy of the book Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. It is about "the love she most desires" and "the respect he desperately needs". It is a GREAT book and it has had a positive impact on my marriage.

Because I have an obsession and love of new cake pans and I am also giving away a brand new Williams Sonoma Heart Cake Pan. Starting tomorrow we will be counting down our favorite love songs, so join us as we celebrate love and give away cool, free love stuff! So, leave a comment here and then head on over to Mrs. Troop and leave a comment with her also and let us know your favorite romantic song!

"But the greatest of these is love. . ." I Corinthians 13:13

Amazing Grace

This is what I needed today. Have a great weekend.

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that it is February! I absolutely love February. It is my favorite month of the year.

2. I am thankful for Youtube! Ha! Does that count? I mean, I LOVE that there are all sorts of Christian artists and big band singers and I can just look up my favorites and find a video to listen to....... I am currently fascinated with the fact that I can upload videos directly to my blog! How fun is that?

3. I am thankful for Bissell Oxy Pro! I had several children stains on the floor, one from yesterday and several that were older and it took ALL OF THEM UP. All hail Oxy Pro!

4. I am thankful for the rain we have been having. We have been in a drought and it has been wonderful to have the rain.

5. I am thankful that spring is coming! There are buds on the trees and my daffodils are poking out. I love spring!

Michael Buble Sings

This is dedicated to MY everything... my hubby.... and yes.. I would be singing this to you with my Bath and Body Works tube of lotion as a microphone using all the gusto and drama I could muster.......

We Love Our Daddy

He had to go back to Texas on Sunday, sick and all, so we wanted him to know that we miss him and love him.

Take 1

Take 2

The Man Cold

Well, my hubby came home from Texas with a man cold.

You can see more about them here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE&NR=1

He really is sick. He's had a temperature for the last

24 hours and has pretty much been comatose.

But he hasn't had to call 999 because I have

been taking really good care of him.

Of course, I have been talking to him in a

British accent.... I'm sure he would be amused

if he was feeling better!

Happy First Day of Valentine's

That's Right.

I celebrate the 14 Days of Valentine's.

The first year we started dating I gave my husband

something little for each day of Valentine's and

I've just kept it up ever since then.

Soooo..... here is what I did for the 1st Day...

I cleaned out and organized our garage!

Since we moved last February my husband has just not been

home enough to do it and it was a pretty daunting job.

But in the spirit of being creative in my gifts, and

since he has been out of town enough that I could

spend several days doing it.... I decided to tackle the garage.

Here are my before pictures:

And ....
(drumroll please)

Here is the cleaned and organized garage:

I still need to find a good solution for stashing shoes because no matter how hard I try, we always end up with a pile of them right beside the door.

I also need a good solution for the bikes but am waiting until we find out if we are staying or moving.

Well, that's it! I'm sure the pictures do not do justice to the hours of sweat, tears and toil I put into this. But I hope that you can now rest better knowing that our garage is clean and orgainzed!

Happy 1st Day of Valentine's, Babe!