Must See- Don't Stop Believing

This video is definitely a MUST SEE in my book.  Listen closely to the words…as it shares the message of a savior’s birth!

Wasn’t it awesome?  I loved it!

Halloween Candy Love

Ok, so I have a major sweet tooth.  If you don’t believe me, feel free to catch up by reading A Confession of an Addict and Break & Bake. And it hasn’t helped that we purchased our Halloween candy earlier this year than normal. 

Needless to say, I’ve been eating it.

Good news though.  We went trunk or treating this past weekend and passed out 4 large (3lbs) bags in 90 minutes.

Bad news.  I was greedy and kept some for myself.  [smacking my hand]

Even worst news.  My son came home with a bucket full.  Even after I passed out all the candy I didn’t want him to eat. 

Needless to say again, I’ve been eating it.

I just can’t say no, especially to the chocolate stuff. 

Fortunately, I only have one child…one small child…who only carried a small bucket.

It could be worst, he could have had a pillow case.  And I could have been facing this…

So, do your kids come home with more than they can eat?  Do you end up helping them devour it? 

I just need to hear it. Those two little words.  So, I know that I’m not alone.

Can I please get a ME TOO!

Well, fret not I found our solution.

Just get rid of it.

No not in the trash!  Use it to support our troops overseas.

Here is what I just learn from Hip 2 Save:

…if you want to do something different with all that Halloween candy this year, consider participating in the Halloween Candy Buy Back.

Here’s how it works…

• Participating dentists buy back kids’ unopened Halloween candy for $1 per pound at a scheduled event (click here to find an event near you)
• Dentists send the candy to Operation Gratitude or other Military support groups
• Operation Gratitude sends the candy to U.S. Military deployed in harm’s way

Talk about an awesome way to give back. 

Live Deeply

A couple of weeks ago was the official start to my women’s bible study for the Fall.  I have to confess that I was really excited!  I took the summer off and I was counting down the days when the Fall session would start.  In this session we are using the book Live Deeply to help us focus in on the Parables.

The first parable we discussed was the Parable of the Sower.    (Follow the link to read its entirety for yourself.)

It's always fun for me to look back at something I’ve read many times before and discover something new.  I never realized how easily I can relate to each seed in this story.  In fact, my “new discovery” was that at one point or another in my life I have been each and every one of those seeds. 

I have been the seed that was sown along the path.  I heard the message, but I didn’t get it.

I was the seed that fell on the rocky places.  I heard the word and it filled me with excitement for a short time, but I quickly lost faith and was easily swayed in my beliefs because I had no root. 

I was and sometimes I still am the seed that fell among the thorns. Life’s distractions and worries can often cause me to focus on me, instead of doing what I am called to do.  To share the good news.  Many times the thorns prevent me from reaching out to the ones I love the most, for fear of rejection.  I worry that if I share my Hope, I will lose them.  My heart aches for them.  I love them so.

I have had moments and hope to one day remain the seed that fell on good soil.  I understand the message, I know what it says. I know the truth.  I know my future.  What I don’t know, is how much fruit am I bearing.  Not much yet, but there is still time. 

I pray that I am a seed that produces a crop that yields a hundred times what was sown.  I pray that I don’t just see and hear, but that I understand and I perceive always.

Check out what others have been learning at:

Ahh...September

Labor Day weekend, so far has been full of many things. For me, it is the beginning of the Fall season. This of course means that I get to change the decor in the house. Yesterday, I pulled out all my fall decorations and added splashes of orange, purple and red to the living room and kitchen. I love having neutral couches! It makes it feel like a whole new room.

   

Now if only the temperature outside would cooperate. 

 

A Look into My Day

Outside my window...the sun is brightly beaming, blinding me as I type.  Closing curtains now. 

I am thinking...about couponing.  I have to get my list made and coupons clipped.  It is a lot of work, but so much fun to get free things.

I am thankful for...many things, but here are a few at the forefront:

 

• 4 years of marriage to a wonderful husband, who got me beautiful roses and makes the best personalize cards
• a husband that allows me to drag him to go shopping with me…I like company
• for a son who loves to be read to
• for a job that allows me to have extended leave to raise my child

From the learning rooms...we are learning to cooperate and get along with others, as we enjoy our many summer play dates.    

From the kitchen...we enjoyed yummy taco salad last night!  So simple, yet so fulfilling. 

I am wearing... my school colors...even though I don’t work there any more.  Go Lions!

I am creating...a to do list for the things I need to get done today before our family day adventure.

I am going...over my favorite blog post and looking for coupon match-ups.

I am reading...Cowboy books…lots and lots of cowboy books! Over and over again. 

I am hoping...we have beautiful weather Wednesday for our family trip to the amusement/water park.

I am hearing...my cell phone buzzing, alerting me of a new message...which I will get to later.  

Around the house...there are newspaper ads scattered everywhere and coupons that need to be put away…

One of my favorite things...is saving money!  Look at what I got for a few $$.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

• family trip to the amusement park.
• shopping
• folding laundry
• 4th of July fun/birthday celebration
• and I still need to switch out the living room decor for the summer season

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing…I’ve never seen this bird before and I’ve been seeing it a lot lately.  Any guesses on what you think it is? 

Find more Daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook

Saving Money Feels So Good

I brought $27.22 worth of products and only paid $3.21 on all of this at Walgreens!

And to think it would have only been $2.21, if one of my coupons would have scanned. Then they gave me $15.50 worth of Register Rewards.  Can you tell that I am just a little excited about couponing now?  Some of the products will be donated, others will be hidden from me until July.

I wouldn’t have scored these great deals if it wasn’t for Amber from The  Belly of a Whale, who introduced to me to Collin’s blog, Hip 2 Save.   So, Thank You  ladies.

Daybook- A look into my day

I was inspired to participate in this weekly linky by Kara at Rockin’ Granola.   

Outside my window...(smudged finger printed window) I see the leaves are rustling in the hot wind. If it were cooler, I would let the breeze in because I love to hear its whispers.

I am thinking...I should wash the window, but why bother in a few short hours when Lil’man wakes up he will press his nose and fingers to the window as he watches for his Daddy to come home from work.

I am thankful for...many things, but here are a few at the forefront:

• going fishing on Father’s Day with my two boys
• a husband that can come home at a moments notice
• a friend who called because she heard I wasn’t feeling well
• a quick recovery from what ever bug I had
• a son that puts up with all his mama’s

From the learning rooms...we are taking a break and enjoying the slowness of summer. Although, Lil’man did enjoy learning all about fishing this past weekend.    

   From the kitchen...Not food related, but when I was sick my husband cleaned the whole kitchen for me. He is such a good man!

I am wearing... a sea foam empire waist top that brings out my eyes, but makes me look pregnant and some cotton navy knee length shorts. It is all about comfort today.

I am creating...printables for our first unit for Tot School next “school year.” I think they’ve turned out cute and hope the boy enjoys them.

I am going...crazy over trying to find a blog post I stumbled upon that had a great felt template. I thought I saved it or bookmarked it, but I didn’t. I am so ANNOYED with myself.

I am reading...Winning By Losing by Jillian Michaels. I had to know what all the hype was about her and the 30 Day Shed program. It seems to be all the rage.

I am hoping...I re-stumble upon that blog post!

I am hearing...the air conditioner working hard to keep my house cool with these crazy hot days.

Around the house...their are toys scattered everywhere, dishes that need to be put away and stillness.

One of my favorite things...is naptime, where I get to enjoy some me time. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:

• hopefully get to the splash park if the weather cooperates
• hanging out with the niece and nephews
• visiting with my workout buddy
• celebrating my wedding anniversary
• switching out the living room decor for the summer season

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing…Self Portrait 

Find more Daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook

A Confession of an Addict

My name is Madonna and I am a dessert-a-holic.  Yep, I am addicted.  I can’t stop.  Every evening I must eat something sweet and delicious that has chocolate on it some where, anywhere.   Mmm.  Chocolate.  That sounds really good right now.  Gooey, melty, oozy chocolate like these:Brownies are so de·li·cious! Seriously, I am so addicted to desserts that this picture is actually giving off a wonderful aroma.  Can you smell the warm, chocolate goodness of these freshly baked treats?  Arggg!  My mouth is watering.

Do you see my dilemma?  It isn’t just brownies, either.  No, there’s Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, even though my stomach doesn’t care for the diary.  And how could I forget my love of chocolate chip cookies.  Our love affair goes way back!

  Now I realize some of you may be nodding your heads in agreement, while your stomach growls and you think to yourself…“Do I have ingredients to whip me up a batch?”  But, what I am about to tell you will make some of you ask, as my friend Molly would say, “Are you smokin’ crack?”
As of June 1st, I have been 5 evenings sober.  This sweet addiction has turned into a nasty habit. So, after reading Changing the Failure Habit (which has nothing to do with desserts) I decided to kick this obsession to the curb and start a new habit.  Well, a habit of not eating a dessert every night.  So, since it takes about 30 days to create a new habit, I figured June would be the perfect month to do it.  If all goes well, I will have a new habit established by July!  Follow me on Twitter to get my daily evening updates.  I can use all the support I can get.  The last 5 days have been killer!

All About Me

I know that I don’t go into a lot of details about my life on this blog…you know the deep stuff.  There are lots of reason…fear of identify theft, crazy stockers, you know who wouldn’t want to be me or want me.  Just kiddin’  And then I’m not.  You see, my identity was taken from me, but it wasn’t stolen it was replaced.  Then I did have a stocker, but he wasn’t hiding from me, I was running from him.  His name was Jesus.  I could go into a lot more details about how I could refer to Him in those terms, but I am going to save those stories for another day.  This video pretty much sums up my life in 4 minutes, so I thought I would share it. So, you could get to know me a little better.

This animation is built on 1 John 3:1, and a song by Sovereign Grace Music entitled Prodigal (http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/).

Lately…

Lately I have been slacking.
Lately I have been a lost for words.
Lately I have felt dull and unexciting.
Lately can turn into tomorrow.
Lately could be my future.

But lately, I don’t want to be lately anymore.

Today I will be diligent.
Today I will sing praises from my tongue.
Today I will be filled with joy and dancing.
Today will be my tomorrow,

Thanks to my one and only audience of One.

A Goal of this Housewife

I love these pictures.   I mean seriously, aren’t they just perfect.  They completely depict everything….I am NOT! 

I hate these pictures.  (Ok, hate may be a little strong, but you get my point.)  What’s with the little smirk on her face? Doesn’t she realize that she is going to be doing the same thing tomorrow.  Seriously, who smiles about having to constantly do dishes and laundry…every single day?  Surely, not this housewife. 

And yet, I am strongly convicted to change my attitude. To understand, where her joy comes from.  To plug into that same power source that energizes her and gives her the desire to complete these mundane tasks. 

I need to start pulling out those “weeds” I have in my life that prevent me from being the best possible blessing I can be to my husband, child and others.   I know that I can’t change myself, but I know God CAN.  Praying for a transformation.

Theater

I love theater.  I love being in silly shows and entertaining kids.  So, I am so grateful that the Lord has given me an opportunity to volunteer and use this love of mine to share His message with kids.
My church starting using the KidStuf program 3 or 4 years ago.    I can’t believe we have been doing it for that long!  Where has the time gone?  Anyway, KidStuf originated and is still going strong at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, GA.  My church describes the program this way,

KidStuf  “is where elementary kids bring their parents to church. It's a fast, fun, noisy, zany, multimedia, kid-focused, parent-centered, virtue-driven 45-minute extravaganza. When families attend, they learn about the same virtues and lessons that we'll be teaching all month long in the Elementary Ministry.”

I am so grateful to be apart of this ministry.

Workout Buddy

Today I am grateful for having a workout buddy.  Twice a week I meet a friend at the gym to workout for an hour.  This particular friend is in much better shape than me, which by the way she has a seven month old baby…and my son is 2!  Oh, and she is trying to run the mini…or marathon…I don’t know it is just a l_o_n_g, very l__o__n__g run!  She did 15 miles this weekend!!  Yep, she is pretty awesome. Back to why I am grateful.  If it wasn’t for Amanda I probably wouldn’t drag myself to the gym.  When I started staying home one thing I wanted to do more of was exercise.  I knew if I didn’t have a partner to do it with me, I wouldn’t stick with it.  Amanda keeps me accountable and is always encouraging.  Plus, we both get a break from the kids to enjoy some girl chat.   So, I am definitely thankful to have such a wonderful workout buddy.

LOST

Today I am thankful that the final season of LOST will be starting.  I may not be too thankful when it ends, especially if it stills leaves me with unanswered questions, but I am happy that it is "the beginning of the end."  I love trying to predict what is happening and rediscovering clues that were dropped along the way.  

I don't know how many of you are LOST fans, but you can be sure that I will be tuned in tonight.  If you are in my boat, I would love to hear your predictions & reactions to the episode.   Just leave a comment and we can all partake in some fun theory developments.

A Love for Jane Austen

I love Jane Austen!!  I got addicted to her books the summer before my sophomore year in high school.  My future English teacher actually assigned us summer homework.  I couldn't believe it.  Seriously, she was for real.  We had to choose a book from a list she provided...a list of classics {insert annoyed sigh here}.  My summer was officially ruined...it would take me forever to read ONE book!  I contemplated how I could get out of her class, but at last she was who I was stuck with next year.  There was nothing I could do about it.  I HAD to READ a classic.  {snore}

At the time, I had never heard of Jane Austen or her book Pride & Prejudice, so you might say our encounter was FATE.  Little did I know that my "whole summer" of reading, would turn into 2 days and 4 hours of can't put it down...must keep reading...tape eyelids open...BLISS!  From that day forward I was hooked from her books to movies about them.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that PBS Masterpiece Classic was airing a 3 part Emma.  I missed the first hour, but thanks to Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments, I learned that I could catch up by watching it online.  Yesterday, I informed my husband that I would be taking over the television that evening to watch the second episode.  Yes, I love Jane Austen.  I love her characters, I love the era, I love the stories, I love it all...{sigh}!

I can't wait to see the final episode this Sunday.  If you are a Jane Austen freak like me and you missed Emma, then you can get caught up online.

Break & Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh my goodness, I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in a week.  I write a lot of posts on the weekends and this weekend it was crazy in my house.  We started...and yes, we didn't finish it...going through my sons clothes, packing up the small stuff and pulling out hand-me-downs.  We were trying to consolidate some of them so we didn't have to buy another rubbermaid container.  Unfortunately, we were still working on the task when nap time rolled around.  I would have to finish it another day. So, it was at that point that I decided to try to tackle...(duh, duh, duhhh) the budget. {Insert shrill scream here}

More about that in a future post. Anyway...

Lately, I have been craving warm chocolate chip cookies.  They are by far one of my favorite desserts.  I have many!  Annnyway...I don't know about you, but if I have sugary treats hiding in my cupboards I will D.E.V.O.U.R them!  To help you better understand me, when I say DEVOUR...think of this guy:

Yes, I am a cookie monster.  Unfortunately, I am not as bless as the blue furry man above.  He can eat cookies day and night and his body never changes.  Like most human beings, if I ate like cookie monster my body would show it.  So, to help out in this situation I buy break and bakes.  All the warm, yummy gooey-ness, without a dozen cookies left to tempt me.  My craving gets satisfied and I don't have to go run a marathon to work off the calories.  Yep...today I am thankful for those sweet, delicious, already to pop in the oven, break & bake chocolate chip cookies.  Mmmm.  Now I am off to the kitchen to make me some!

Good Morning Girls

I am so thankful for my Good Morning Girls group.  It is a group of women who use email to keep each other accountable for their quiet times.  Good Morning Girls was created by Courtney from Women Living Well.  To learn more about it or to start a group of your own, check out Courtney's blog.

We started our group last fall and most of us committed to doing it again during the winter.  We actually just started on Monday.  It is so nice to be back into this rhythm.  I learn so much from them as they share what they have learned.  It is even more amazing on days like today, when we all seem to have learned the same thing, but in different ways.  If it wasn't for these ladies holding me accountable I know I wouldn't be getting my quiet time with the Lord on a daily basis.  So, I am truly thankful for them and their encouragement.  I thank God that He place us in each others lives.

MORE of HIM, less of me

Happy New Year! Don't you just love new beginnings.  I always feel more energize and excited about the possibilities.  Plans and resolutions are made in hopes to make this year better than before, to make yourself into a better you.  It is a new year with a new slate, as I always told me kiddos the first day of school.  What happened last year, doesn't have to be what defines you this year.  But then the months pass and the newness wears off and it seems that those things you didn't like about yourself last year are rearing their ugly heads.  And as much as you try to wrangle them in, it gets tiring and then before you know it you've slipped up.  Unfortunately, sooner or later, you just give up all together because it just seems to hard.  You just decided to settle...this is who I am and there is nothing I can do about it.  And you're right.

So, this year, I am not making any resolutions because the truth is, I always fail.  I want to be a better wife and mother, but no matter how hard I try to improve myself I fall short.  No, this year I am not making a resolution, this year I am going to make a REVOLUTION.  I know I can't change myself, but there is ONE greater than me.  HE CAN CHANGE ME from the inside out.  So this year, I want MORE of HIM and less of me.  After all, JESUS is my number 1 Must Have.

If you have time, check out this sermon which inspired my blog post.