Why I Blog

Recently, I've received verbal comments from a couple people who've read my blog.

They say I should be a writer.

Well, let me tell ya something....

My brother is the writer of the family.

If you don't believe me, ask him if you can read the intro to his book called, 

"You Don’t Want to Date Her: A Guide to Avoiding Psychotic Women."

Of if you're facebook friends with him, you can find it in his notes.

He truly has the talent of captivating an audience that I don't have.

Let me share with you why I blog.

I write because it's a way to express myself.

I used to keep a journal, but now it's electronic and everyone can read it.

I began this blog a little over a year ago, about a month before I got married.

I wanted to remember my feelings, thoughts, struggles, triumphs.

I wanted a way to journal what it's like to be a newlywed.

I wanted a way to journal my way of becoming a woman after God's own heart.

I've shared with you the road of transition this past year.

I've shared with you our achievements.

My hurts.

My struggles.

My blessings.

My heart.

I've put it out there, because I've wanted to be transparent.

The real reason I blog?

It's my hope that the people who read this will be able to learn from my experiences.

I want to encourage you.

I want to be real with you.

I want to be able to pray for you.

I want to be able to shine God's light in this very dark world.

Right now this is my way of reaching the world.

In my year of blogging, people from 10 different countries have read this blog.

I've had 8,265 page views, and I have 22 followers.

If this little blog has encouraged you, then it's reached its goal.

I just want you to know:

You are not alone in this big, scary world.  

I hope that in my writing you can feel the love that Christ has for you.

I'm not perfect.  I mess up.  A lot.

But by the blood of Christ, I'm blameless.

And you can be too, if you're not already covered in His Grace.

I know that I have more than 22 readers.

If you read my posts, will you comment and introduce yourself?

I would love to know who you are. :)

Don't let my writing fool you.

I'm an imperfect girl, who loves Jesus, and wants to share my heart with you.

Thou Shalt Avoid the Quicksand of Debt

Well, we're already to chapter 5!  That means we're halfway finished with this series!  This week's commandment was:

Thou Shalt Avoid the Quicksand of Debt

I am very passionate about this topic, not only because I have an accounting degree, but because I've learned a lot about money in the past couple of years, and because I saw a close friend in college drowning in debt.

Let me preface this post with my story and by saying that I am incredibly blessed.  I don't say that to rub it in people's faces, but by acknowledging how much God has given to me.  God blessed my family by giving me an {almost} full ride scholarship to the only University that I wanted to attend...and the only University that I applied to, might I add.  (A few years later, he blessed both of my brothers with the same...to that same University.)

Before marriage, I had never been in debt.  I didn't know what it was like.  I only knew that I never wanted to be in debt.  My parents had taught me how to save, and I became frugal.  When I got married, well, you know what happened. "What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours."  So I became part owner of college debt.  College is expensive and student loans are very common [which I didn't realize until after working 4 years of freshman orientation].  So I got my first taste of what debt feels like.  Can I tell you something?

I hate it.

I do not like knowing that I owe someone money.  I'm not sure why most of Americans do...  However, it's almost paid off. And we will celebrate. :) 

Another thing...my parents never had credit cards while I was growing up, and to this day they still don't have one.  Having parents model what it meant to be a good steward of their money has been a blessing.  They taught me the 10-30-60 method of money.  I can remember when I was probably 6 or 7, we sat down to talk about getting a paycheck.  {Yes, I was slave labor to my father's farm. :)}  But they had talked to me about giving back to God before then...

When we took my paycheck to the bank, I always asked for 10% of it to go into an envelope.  Then, I asked for 30% of that paycheck to go into my savings account.  The rest I got to put into another envelope.  That 10% went to God, which meant that I would take it to church and put it into the offering plate or I would put it in the envelope in my Sunday School class.  My parents always told me, "No matter what, always give back to God."

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

A lot of what my parents taught me was in this chapter.  A few things have changed since I'm now "on my own," but the teaching was the same.

We don't own anything.  Ultimately everything is God's.  The paycheck we get on a bi-monthly basis?  Not ours.  The extra income that randomly comes in the mail?  Not ours.  But these days, people, especially Americans, don't have that mentality.  The American Dream is what people seem to want:  big houses, nice cars, the nicest electronics, etc, etc, etc.  But all of that takes money...and when people don't have money, they put it on a credit card to pay later.  Except that "later" gets to be waaaaaay later.  Then they find themselves in debt a mile high.  This is a common cause of divorce.

Ed says, "When we give first place to the Father's agenda, the Son's priorities, and the causes of God's church, we invest in things that last forever"..."If husbands and wives vow that 'Today we are going to readjust, reschedule, replan, reprogram so that we put God's things first,' they would build a mighty wall against the temptation of material possessions that can destroy a marriage and family."

So I mentioned that when I was 7 I had a 10-30-60 plan.  Well, now growing up I have to change that plan...a little bit.  Ed gives the example of a 10-70-20 budget.  He says take 10% of what is left after your tithe and save or invest that amount.  Use 70% for operating expenses {what you live on}, and use the last 20% for debt reduction (if you have debt).  With any financial plan, you must have a budget and stick to it.  This is a smart example of being proactive about paying off any debt you have, and it will also help you get out of debt quicker.

Here are some tips that he gives about overcoming greed, which is a big reason so many people are in debt.  They *think* they need that certain item, so they put it on their plastic square.

1.  Learn the secret of admiring without desiring.  Can you go shopping without seeing something that you've absolutely got to have?  You can still admire and not have a want for it.

2.  Learn the secret of giving away stuff.  Go through your closets and home at the change of every season and give away what you don't wear or use anymore.  Not only is "stuff" included, but money too!

3.  Learn the secret of being generous toward God.  Learning to be generous towards God helps keep greed from your life.

4.  Learn the reality of death in relationship to things.  When you learn to focus on eternity, things aren't as important.  You can't take anything with you to heaven.

It's important to understand that, "When your money leaves your hand and gets into your heart, that's when you're in the greatest danger of sinking into the quicksand of debt."  Don't let it get that far.  Using the tips above, you can overcome greed which will help keep you from debt.

"Jesus said we are to seek first God's kingdom, and the things we need will come as a result of such prioritizing."  God will always take care of your needs when you trust Him.  When you give back to Him more than you have to give, He will be there to give you your needs.

Hebrews 13:5 says,

^"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 

'Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you.'"

Don't let the thought of becoming rich overtake the importance of giving back to God.  "When our spiritual wealth lags behind our physical wealth, we have too much money.  When our commitment to God, His Word, and the church comes in second place behind our commitment to material things, we've gone too far and outdistanced the amount of money we should hang on to."

Sometimes we wonder why we don't even have enough money to make ends meet.  

Matthew 25:21 says,

"...You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things."

If you're struggling, give the situation to God.  Many people don't give the tithe when they are struggling because they need that extra money to take care of their bills.  I would challenge you.  Give your tithe first, and then you will find that God will take care of the rest.    Maybe you're not struggling at all.  "When God gives us more than the basics, He wants to use our abundance as a blessing to others, for His Kingdom--for things that will last forever.  And the man or woman who does not realize this is a fool, by God's own definition."

One last thing...people are more important than money.  This is the one thing that I've been learning for the last couple of years.  Money is just something to help make life a little easier. But to hoard it all for yourself is selfish.  Does it matter in the grand scheme of things if I was a millionaire?  Does it matter if I had enough money to get by and then some?  Does it matter if I helped the homeless person on the side of the road by giving him a Blessing Bag?  Does it matter if I bought a friend lunch that really needed some encouragement?  In the big picture, you can't take money or things with you to heaven, but you can take people.

Being in debt can really hinder a marriage.  Finances are one of the biggest reasons for conflict and divorce.  But you don't have to wait until you are drowning in debt to do something about it.  Be proactive.  Communicate.  Make a plan.

1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV84) says,

^"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Questions from this week's chapter:

1. What is the driving force of debt in your family?
2. What purchase are you currently considering that would increase your debt?  Why do you need it?
3. What percentage of your income are you giving to the church?
4. How much is your current credit card debt?  Noncredit card debt?  What steps are you taking to get out of debt?

Missed a part?  You can catch up here:

Part 1: Thou Shalt Not Be a Selfish Pig

Part 2: Thou Shalt Cut the Apron Strings

Part 3: Thou Shalt Continually Communicate

Part 4: Thou Shalt Make Conflict Thy Ally

Miscellany Monday

Monday.

Where did the weekend go?

I've always had this idea of switching the work week with the weekends.

Anyone else want to do that?

Mondays are growing on me.

What? 

Who is this person?

I love being in my car, driving to work on Monday morning, and praying for the week ahead.

Usually, my Monday prayers start like this:

Lord,I give you this week.  Help me to find joy in each day.

When I give Him the week on Monday, I can rely on Him rather than myself. 
This morning, I was listening to the radio and several songs of the same theme were being played.  
Now, I am dense.  
When God speaks to me, He has to say it a million times for me to be able to get it.
Basically, He hits me upside the head.
So when I was listening to these songs, I was thinking, "Why is He telling me this?"

Yahweh, Yahweh
Great is your glory
When you go before me
 {Needtobreathe: link}

I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
 {Chris Tomlin: link}

God goes before me.
He stands behind me.
He is always there when I need Him.
He is here in this week.
When I give Him my week, my day, I'm inviting Him in to do His work and to carry me through.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Yesterday, we had a fantastic last message in our sermon series: 20/20.

The preaching staff has been preaching this series to share with the congregation what the vision of the church is and to let us know they have a vision until the year 2020.

Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

We have to build our foundation on the Rock.  

Because when the floods rise, if we're not built on the Rock then we won't last.

We will be wiped away.

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock

And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down

And the floods came up

The rain came down

And the floods came up

The rain came down

And the floods came up

And the wise man's house stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand

The foolish man built his house upon the sand

The foolish man built his house upon the sand

And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down

And the floods came up

The rain came down

And the floods came up

The rain came down

And the floods came up

And the foolish man's house went "splat!" 

Yes, we did sing this song in "big church" yesterday morning.
And yes, sometimes we need this reminder.
Sometimes, on a daily basis.

Not only is this true, but I've been thinking ahead to our next series.

We will be reading the book "Not a Fan," by Kyle Idleman.

The book talks about how Jesus doesn't want "fans."

He wants sold-out followers.

But before we can be a sold-out follower, we must have a solid foundation.

When the storm comes and we've build a solid foundation, on Jesus Christ, then we have absolutely nothing to worry about.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

I got new tires this weekend.

And it makes this girl very happy.

Brand new tires give a new perspective to your car.

My car quit "humming."

It quit shaking at 70 mph.

I don't slide around the round-about at 20 mph anymore {on wet pavement}.

It doesn't spin out when I barely touch the gas, either!

Woo hoo!!

Yes, I may be the only girl ever to be excited about new tires.

But it's a blessing.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

I've been working on CHRISTMAS in my craft room!
I'm so excited about Christmas this year, because:

1. We won't be homeless!
2. We will actually get to leave our {small} Christmas tree up until after Christmas this year!  Last year, we had to take ours down on Dec. 23rd to move. :(
3. We can establish our own "family traditions."
4. We are no longer in the "transition phase."  We are fully settled in our little apartment and looking forward to seeing where God takes us.

So be looking for those things in my shop towards the end of October/beginning of November and you can find new information about my shop when you "like" my facebook page.

Here's a snippet of what will be added soon!

{This was my first bunting that I made this weekend.}

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Another reason I love Mondays is because I get to catch up on my favorite blogs!

I have several that I love posted on the right side of this post!

Check them out!

Many have an etsy shop or something of the like!

Happy Monday, friends!

How was your weekend?

What are you looking forward to this week?

Tell me.  I really want to know!!

 Linking up with Carissa.

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

Today is Friday!
Finally!
Anyone else feel like this week has dragged on?
I am so glad that the weekend is here
and about sharing this recipe for Friday's Fabulous Foods.

I wanted to prepare this ahead of time as much as possible.
See, I'm not a morning person.  
I wake up.  I need 10-15 minutes of silence before anyone talks to me.
My husband has learned this very well!!
Anyway, I wanted to get this ready so all I had to do was throw it in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs russet potatoes, washed but not peeled, diced into cubes
• 1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 64 oz chicken broth/stock
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp season salt
• optional garnishes:  green onion, bacon bits, cheese

Directions:

• Last night, I went ahead and chopped my potatoes and onion.  I was skeptical of cutting up my potatoes because I thought they might not be very good in the morning.  So I got on my trusty google and googled it.  Lots of responses just said to keep them in water.  Perfect.

• 5 pounds is a lot of potato!  So I split them into two different bowls so that they could be completely covered in water and they wouldn't turn brown.

• This morning, all I had to do is drain the potatoes and dump them into the crockpot.  Then I added the chopped onion, seasoning, garlic, and chicken stock.  I have a ton of seasonings, and I need to get rid use them up.  So instead of using real garlic, I used garlic salt (I also have garlic powder in the cabinet).  I googled the substitution and it came out to be 1 clove of garlic is equal to 1/2 tsp of garlic salt.

• Then I put the lid on the crockpot and turned it on.  You can either cook on high for 6 hours or cook on low for 10 hours.  Since I work all day, I put mine on low.  {I have a 7 quart crockpot and it was FULL!}

• If you are home during this, you can set the cream cheese out to soften.  If not, you can nuke it in the micro for a few seconds, like I did. :]
• Add the cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cream cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended.
• If you don't have an immersion blender {like me!}, you can blend the soup and the cream cheese in an upright blender, then reincorporate with the rest.

{as Tyler said, "It's soup in a blender!"}

• Stir well, and top with you choice of garnishes.

Well, not too bad!  It's pretty simple, really.  I should mention that this is more of a "mashed potato soup," but it's fine to leave potato chunks in the soup, too.  

**If I were to make this again, I think I would add less garlic. I'm not a huge garlic person to begin with.  But if you like garlic, then you will love this recipe.

**Also, this recipe makes a LOT!!!!!  It would be great if you're having a get together with some friends!

Servings:  approx. 15 {I'm totally guessing...it's a LOT}

Weight Watchers Points Plus:  6 per serving

224 calories

35 g carbs

6 g fat

8 g protein

5 g fiber

Happy cooking, friends!
Have a blessed weekend!

Linking up for Crocktober!!

Thankful

Okay, so when I said that I was going to share recipes all week, 
I think I only meant I was going to share three. :]
We have to eat the leftovers sometime because there are only two of us.
Tomorrow evening, I'll be back with Friday's Fabulous Foods,
but for now I'm joining in on what I'm thankful for this week.

After a terrible tragedy in my hometown this week that left everyone
completely shocked {and I think that may even be an understatement},
it made me even more thankful for my life and the blessings God has given me.
I'm not going to go into details about what happened, but if you're one of those types
that just has to know, you can read about it here.
Just awful.
If you think about it, please pray for the families affected as well as our small town.

So now, for the happy part of the post!
This week has just been kind of "blah" for me.
Nothing spectacular happened, but I'm still thankful.

I am so thankful for the family that God has blessed me with.  They are incredible people who love Jesus and who make me want to love Jesus even more than I already do.  I wish I could go back 10 years and have the relationship with them that I have now...but all teenagers are bratty, so it probably wouldn't have worked.

I am thankful for the opportunity to meet 4 wonderful ladies who've been my Instagram friends for a long while.  I'm thankful for the time we had eating cupcakes last Saturday while we talked about weddings, families, life, and everything in between.  {One of the four ladies was unable to come to the cupcake eating event, but I met her at the Cardinals game last Tuesday and is equally as amazing as the other 3.}

I am thankful for the ability to create for my little shop.  If you haven't visited it, you can find it here.  I love sitting down and being able to craft in my spare time, and praying for the person who will purchase the item as I create it.

I am so excited {and thankful} that the Cards are in the playoffs!! :]  It's so fun watching them play {via my ESPN app that I ONLY use for baseball, but it might also get used for Missouri State basketball} because we don't get the channels the games are played on and because they play during the work day. GO CARDS!

This week, I'm also thankful for my small town.  I hated it growing up.  There wasn't anything to do.  We had to drive to Joplin to do all the fun things.  But this week, I'm so grateful for the sense of community.  I'm thankful that it's still the same conservative, small town in which all the people gather to pray for the ones in need.  I'm thankful that the people invested time in my life and supported all of my activities.  I'm thankful that the current students are still getting to feel that sense of support.  I hope it will never change.

I'm most importantly thankful for my Savior.  There are a lot of bad things going on in this world.  But to know that I have Hope when all is said and done brings me more joy than anything.  I have something way better than this world could ever offer.  And I pray that same Hope for you.

Today I'm linking up with Carina.