Frugal Friday Tip

This may seem trivial, but why spend any more money than you have to? Thanks to the Internet, we no longer buy newspapers which is where I usually got my supply of rubber bands from. I have come across something else I can use as rubber bands while recycling at the same time. I like to use rubber gloves when I wash my dishes. Of course, over time the gloves get holes in them. Rather than just pitching them in the trash, I cut them into to rubber bands. Just start at the bottom of each glove and cut across. You can get several rubber bands from each glove.

Another trivial thing I do is use the ball of cotton that comes in medicine containers. I normally pull each of my cotton balls in half and just use one half every time I put toner on my face. This makes the bag last twice as long. You can get about three cotton balls out of the cotton that comes in medicine containers.

These things may seem silly, but they save money and help cut down on waste!

Frugal Friday is hosted by Crystal at http://biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm.

Poetry by Me

(scroll down for my Frugal Friday post)

My Little Light

My little light is sleeping,
Extinguished for the night.
Sucking on his blanket,
His "Chipper" gathered tight.

My little light has faded,
Though in dreamland he may play.
Running, jumping, shouting,
As he does throughout his day.

My little light is dim now,
His breathing slow and deep.
If I had a camera,
His tranquility I would keep.

My little light just flickered,
He gave a quiet sigh,
I smile in my contentment,
Oh, too soon our days go by!


I wrote the first two stanzas while watching my oldest son sleep one night in our bed; March 20, 2000.
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I wrote this next poem after the Columbine massacre. It was published in two local publications in my area. One of them paid me $50 for it!

days of long ago

breeze blowing on my face
lifting me to lifetimes past

bluer skies
lullabies

days of long ago

kind neighbors met daily
expressions of only truth

taller trees
skinned knees

days of long ago

children selling lemonade
baseball's just a game

porch swings
friendship rings

days of long ago

television still a dream
friendship is for life

less population
no x generation

days of long ago

material goods have no hold
stress is out to lunch

no pollution
simple solution

days of long ago

babies born to loving arms
multitudes flock to church

murder none
caring spun

days too long ago

It's Frugal Friday!!

This may seem gross to some of you hard core coffee drinkers. And......I wouldn't subject a guest in my home to this, but it's okay for my husband and I. We drink a pot of coffee until it's gone, even if it's 24 hours old. We just reheat it in our microwave. (I'm drinking some right now....mmmmm!) With coffee as expensive as it is, I can't see wasting it. I've tried using the grounds twice to extend our coffee supply, but it tastes really weak. (So I just add them to our compost instead!) I heard recently that the reason the coffee at Starbuck's, Dunkin' Donuts, and McDonald's tastes so good is because they will throw a pot out after a certain amount of time......like if it's more than 17 minutes old! I guess my coffee will never stand up to theirs!!!

Godlessness in the Last Days

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3: 1-5

No, I am not suggesting that we are in the last days even though all of the above seems to have come about. God's timing is only known by Him. What caught my eye was the last part of this --having a form of godliness but denying its power. I see this in myself and am sure others see it in themselves.

What I believe this scripture is saying is that many people are Christians (or proclaim themselves as Christians), but they don't fully live their lives as a Christian should. I'm not pointing the finger here because I'm just as guilty!

One of my biggest downfalls as a follower of Jesus is my lack of time spent in the Word. I have done many Bible studies through MOPS, church, and work, but my own daily time spent reading the Bible is pitiful! I try to walk the walk and talk the talk, but how can I if I'm not studying His Word?! I can't be godly if I don't spend time getting to know Him!

I am about to begin my fifth year as a teacher at a Christian preschool, and it will be my second year serving as its Director. Needless to say, this work and my family keep me very busy. My prayers are said on the run, and my Bible time is next to nil. I've been lying to myself by thinking, "Oh, but I'm doing God's work. I'm running a ministry for His glory." Thus far, the Lord has blessed me in this ministry, but I keep thinking, "How many blessings have I missed because I'm not consistently spending time with Him?" I'm denying God's power in my life by not following Him completely. This saddens me greatly.

I challenge myself and all of you to choose to have more than "a form of godliness". Take a good look at what is missing from your Christian walk, pray about it and then act upon it according to God's will. If we do this, I'm sure we will begin to experience even more of God's power in our lives. Amen!

Frugal Friday Tip

First let me say that I have a huge black thumb.......with that said, my Frugal Friday tip is grow your own lettuce. I tried it this summer and can't believe how easy it is! My family has been enjoying tasty salads this summer thanks to my homegrown lettuce. My rabbit, Daffy, has been reaping the benefits, too! I should be able to sow several crops of lettuce this summer. Eventually, our tomatoes will come in and our salads will be even better! Another easy crop is radishes. If I can do this, anyone can! (Seriously, whenever I shop for a new plant, my kids will pretend they're the plants and will speak in little voices saying, "Don't pick me! Don't pick me!")

Click on Biblical Womanhood under my Favorite Blogs and Sites for more Frugal Friday tips!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I have a secret........although it's not a secret to my husband and kids. I struggle a great deal with hospitality. I can't stand to entertain in my own home. As our Lord's daughter, I feel like a great disappointment to Him in this area of my life! Privately, I'm just not a social person. This is kind of funny considering that I head up an entire Christian nursery school and seem to run into people I know wherever I go. I think God put me in this ministry on purpose. (Well, of course He did....to fulfill His plan for me!)

Today we are preparing to have a cookout at our house with some friends. Because of our central location in town, we have always been the gathering place for the 4th of July. We can walk from our house over to the park to view the fireworks. My husband loves this because he enjoys entertaining! It started out that today was just going to be us and one other family of four. Now six other people are coming! With only the one family coming, I had planned on only doing a little cleaning up.......they know my house isn't always perfect. Since six more are coming, one whom I've never met, I felt like I needed to go into major overhaul! Part of the problem is that we've been cleaning out our attic and garage in order to have a yard sale in a few weeks. There were things all over our dining room! We had to move everything out to the garage. Unfortunately, our weather isn't too great today, so we may all be indoors. Hopefully, the fireworks won't be postponed. Then everyone will be hanging out at our house even longer! Aren't I terrible?! I'm so ashamed of myself! I am very aware that God calls us to be hospitable to one another.

It has taken me years to not feel put out when my kids have their friends over. Once again, the funny thing is that we seem to be the hang out house. I never know who is going to be here for lunch or dinner. I realize this is a good thing though. At least I know where my kids are, what they're doing, and I can minister to them and their friends.

So, am I the only one with this "secret", or are there others of you out there just like me? I would love to hear from those of you who have trouble with this like I do and from those of you who are naturally, beautifully hospitable. (Any tips, words of wisdom?)

Blessings to you all as you celebrate this Independence Day!

Coffee......My Daily Nectar

I began drinking coffee when I was 28. Even though my mom and all her siblings are coffee-holics, I could never get into the brew. Then my husband and I moved to Erie, PA for a short time. We were there for 8 months, and I swear it was an 8 month winter. That's when my coffee addiction started (because I was freezing!). We didn't even own a coffee maker until then. I only drank it black until just a few years ago. Now I like cream but no sugar.

Anyway, I feel as if God has been trying to get my attention regarding my eating habits. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,......You are not your own;......Therefore, honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) The other night I was watching a show that I believe is called Natural Living (on Discovery Health). They were talking about Yerba Mate which is a beverage made from the leaves and stems of a rainforest tree. They said it's a good coffee/tea substitution. It's a nutritious, natural stimulant. I went online and ordered some just to try it. The website is guayaki.com. I'll let you all know how I like it once it arrives!

Ponderings

Yesterday, we had a big fire in our town. The Senior Center burned down. This is a place where our local senior citizens go for social activities. Praise God that everyone who was there yesterday afternoon got out safely. The fire began around 3:00 p.m. and was still burning last night.

Since the Senior Center is only two blocks from my home, my family went over after dinner to watch the mayhem. Now why did we do that? We weren't the only ones by any means, but why are people so fascinated by destruction? Why is it so exciting?
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The July issue of our church newsletter arrived by email today. On the first page, our Pastor shared several things to ponder. Here are a few:

If “con” is the opposite of “pro,” is “congress” the opposite of “progress?”

If 7-11 Stores are open year-around, 24 hours a day, why do they have locks on the doors?

Why does Hawaii have interstate highways?

Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

Why is it when you’re driving alone looking for an address, you turn the radio down?

Our pastor has a pretty good sense of humor! You never know what his sermons may contain.
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Hey, if any of you have a special prayer that you say before meals, would you mind sharing them with me? Also, please don't forget to share your favorite Bible verse as well. Thanks!

What is.........

.....your favorite Bible verse and why?

Mine is "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

This is something I've had to learn, especially since I've been a parent. When my children were smaller, I really wanted to spend time writing but constantly got aggravated because I didn't have time. They needed me to mother them. I finally realized this and knew that it just wasn't the "season" for me to spend writing. In recent months, I have felt the Lord nudging me to start writing again. I believe He wants me to write to His glory and to be a blessing to others. I pray that this is what I can do!