A Sweet Blessing

My friend, whom I will call Blessed, is expecting her first child! She and her husband have been through so much over the past few years trying to have a family. Then, out of the blue and completely unexpected, their dream has become a reality. There are no words to describe how ridiculously happy I am for them. Knowing all they have been through for this baby makes their pregnancy even more special.

I have committed to praying for them and their baby nightly. I am so happy and cannot wait until this sweet blessing arrives in November.

Our carpool will never be the same!

There you have it, the "Good News" I mentioned in my last post.

Good News on Good Friday

I was not looking forward to going to work on Good Friday. Plus, today was Fun Day. For those non-teachers out there, Fun Day in our language means a day of sun,sweat, and very energetic children. I had a blast playing with my kiddos and spending time with my co-workers. 

The best part of my day though, was hearing some really great news this afternoon. I can't share what it is right now, but let me tell you, it is such a blessing! Hopefully I'll be able to share this incredible story with you later next week.

God is so good.

¡Viva México!

One of my kiddos took a cruise to Mexico. While there he remembered his sweet teacher and brought me back a sombrero! How sweet!

Sabbath by Wayne Muller

 I rate this book 4/5

If you are anything like me- constantly feeling the need to 'do' something, always tackling several things at once, feeling like you can never really relax- then this is the book for you! One of my very favorite sites, Bloom, chose this book and it was a great read. I highly recommend this to anyone of any age. Oh, don't forget to check out the discussion videos at Bloom.

If only I had found this little jewel of a read 6 years ago.

Here are just a few of the passages that stuck to me like crazy glue.

And so we are given a commandment: Remember the Sabbath. Rest is an essential enzyme of life, as necessary as air. Without rest, we cannot sustain the energy needed to have life. We refuse to rest at our peril- and yet in a world where overwork is seen as a professional virtue, many of us feel we can legitimately be stopped only by physical illness or collapse.

We reward our captains of industry, our real estate tycoons and investment wizards with outrageous wealth and success. At the same time, people who work with those precious things that grow only in time- caring for children, making peace in troubled communities, harvesting the crops that feed us- these people are invisible, necessary but easily replaced, a dime a dozen.  This economic perversity slowly corrodes the fabric of the human family.

Jesus' most poignant prayer- prayed when he knew he was soon to die- was simply this: "Thy will be done." This is not defeat or resignation, but astonishing faith that there are spiritual forces that will bear him up, regardless of the outcome.  Often in our striving for a particular result, we are not willing to be surprised by a healing we cannot imagine, Paradoxically, it is often cowardice that makes us hold on to our own small solutions; it takes infinitely more courage to surrender.

Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy. Sabbath time is set apart for remembering the holiness of life. If we speed up and saturate ourselves with accomplishment and worry, we may define what is sacred with our mindlessness. Time is the key. Time, and attention. If we grab a sandwich as we run out the door, this is eating, If we take a small crust of bread and a sip of wine, in a mindful gathering of other beings, this is a sacrament. It is neither the food nor the eating but the time and the mindfulness that reveal what is holy.

Note: While this book focuses primarily on the Christian faith, it does have a few ideas that stem from buddha and other religions.

E-Mealz

Warning: This post is a tad lengthy and may only appeal to some.

A fellow teacher introduced me to this. I've always planned our meals out in order to save money and ensure that I buy everything I need for a few weeks at a time.

First, I would go through my recipes and pick out things we wanted to eat.

Then, I went through our picks and compiled my shopping list. I would also check for coupons to go along with the items I needed. I generally shopped for roughly two weeks worth of meals. This was always a time consuming process.

In comes E-Mealz to my rescue. It's extremely easy to use and takes the hastle out of meal planning and shopping. You simply select the store you normally shop at (Publix, Wal-Mart, etc..). Then you select the family size you are cooking for (couples, familes etc...) and then you select your diet (regular, vegetarian, low-fat, diabetic....). 

Click HERE to see sample menus and shopping lists.

Each week the people at E-Mealz browse through the sales lists and collect coupons, then they plan a five day menu for you. Thus, when you are doing your grocery shopping you know that you're buying sale items or can use coupons. I feel good knowing that I'm saving money!

Each Friday E-Mealz sends out your menu. I love their organization! Each day has a meal, a list of items you need, and the recipe. Plus, they give you a shopping list that is organized isle by isle- no more wandering around the store like a lost person. There is a list of staple items included at the bottom of your list. It also tells you the price of teach item you are buying and how much you should expect to spend overall. I've shopped for my weekly menu consisting of 5 recipes and spent less than $40! It's incredible! I simply print out my menu and shopping list and I'm ready to go! I keep the recipes we really like, then when one comes up on my plan that I'm not fond of, I can easily substitute.

In case you need a little more convincing, it's endorsed by Dave Ramsey himself.

If you're interested in joining, it's $15 for a 3 month subscription. When joining, enter the code word Dave to receive $3 off. Remember to enter my name as the person you heard it from- in doing so I also receive a discount.

Now, I'm off to Sunday evening service. Hope this was helpful.

Happy Meal Planning!

Friday Favorites

1. Spades

Last weekend we hung out with my dear friend T and her husband. I had never played before, but am hooked now!

2. Ice Cream Cakes

For the first time ever I did not make my husband's birthday cake (insert gasp...). Instead, I bought him an ice cream cake. My husband had one tiny slice but the rest somehow disappeared.....

3. The Kennedys

Can I just tell you how much I love this show!?! In case you've missed it, there will be a marathon showing  Saturday and Sunday. Sunday night is the finale. I read a great book on the family last year entitled Grace and Power.

4. Tiny Prints

5. I Love Lucy
I am a fanatic for all things I Love Lucy.

6. Upholstered Head Boards

I found a great DIY guide and plan to tackle this project during my summer break.

 Photo: Pottery Barn

7. E-Meals

Stay tuned for a detailed post on this.

8. Extreme Couponing

Has anyone else seen this?  This coincides with #7. It shows how shoppers can purchase hundreds of dollars worth of items for mere pennies. It airs on TLC.

9.Purex Linen and Lillies

I have always been a Gain or Arm and Hammer girl. That is, until a few weeks ago. I've been on the lookout for ways to save. While browsing the detergent isle I decided that my days of paying high prices for detergent were over. Smells great, works the same, and it's cheaper- that's what I'm talking about!

10. Avocados

 

As always, Happy Friday.

Old Post

I journaled about this on 1-2-11, but haven't been emotionally able to publish it until now. For the sake of my journal I back-dated it.

1-2-11

Claudere

The Latin word 'claudere' is a verb in its infinitive form. It may mean to close, to shut, to stop. It also may mean 'to make inaccessible, to conclude, to bring to an end'

This weekend has been marked by tears, sadness, and worry over my Brother. Saturday while browsing the news, I came across the riots in the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan- specifically Kabul.

My brother is in Kabul.

I immediately called my close friend Chickadee. I told her my heart was skipping beats and began reading to her what some of the news reports were saying. I even went so far as to watch a video of the riots- people were holding signs cursing Americans- specifically American soldiers in their city of Kabul. 

They're not just talking about some soldiers that I don't know anymore. It hits home.

They're talking about my brother. My brother.

During my panic, my dear friend said something that went through the phone and straight into my heart.

When I asked her what to do, she replied, "Turn it off."

I have to turn it off. Please don't misunderstand me. I want to know if there are riots and conflicts. I do not want to be stupidly oblivious. But I can no longer read in depth on the issues, hear the gory details, see the signs bashing our troops- my brother.

I'm going to close the door to panic. I'm going to shut out the details that will keep me up at night. I'm going to stop fear from gripping my heart. Instead, I will do as I have since Jan.2.....

 

I will pray. 

Because I know that he's safer in God's hands in Afghanistan than he would be in mine here at home.

Happy Birthday To You

I want to wish two of my dearest friends a very happy birthday. These are two of the most amazing women! I'm blessed to be able to call them my friends.

Chickadee

You are so much fun to be around. I love our shopping trips together and I miss our weekly lunch dates at "Cheese Dip". I love how you never take things too seriously and you are always there to bring me back to reality when things go crazy. I love our fishing adventures! You give the best advice and I'm so grateful to have someone like you to turn to when I need a friend! You're friendship is such a blessing to me and I'm so thankful to be able to call you friend!

T

The Lord knew just what I needed when he brought you into my life. Its funny how we went to church together for so long and never really realized just how close we would one day become. I love our long chats, Bible studies, and crafty trips to Mobile. You truly are my soul sister in Christ. Thank you for your many prayers, support, and encouragement throughout the years. I thank God for you daily. I pray the Lord blesses you just as much as you've blessed me.