Exciting News! I'm a SAHW!

"Cottage Stream" by Sung Kim from Art.com

After long discussions and deep consideration my DH and I decided it was time for me to leave my job as a legal secretary. I have never made such a difficult decision in my life. I am glad I had the support of my husband and my family. It has been a long journey to this point but I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.

There have been several things I have already learned about coming home and I am anxious to share those things, as well as the many challenges I am sure will come in the days, weeks and months ahead.

I am thrilled with the changes going on around here and excited to share my journey with anyone who will listen.

Hold on folks, this is going to be a wild ride!

Purpose Driven Life - Day 3

DAY 3

Point to Ponder: Living on purpose is the path to peace.

Verse: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm
and put their trust in you." Isaiah 26:3 (TEV)

Question to Consider: What would my family and friends say is the driving
force of my life? What do I want it to be?

There are five common driving factors to life.

• Guilt
• Resentment and anger
• Fear
• Materialism
• Need for approval

It was amazing reading the descriptions of the driving factors. I am driven by all of these at different times. It is so humbling to see how far from the one true God my focus has become. There was a point in the book that I wanted to share.

"Without a clear purpose, you will keep changing directions, jobs,
relationships, churches, or other externals - hoping each change will settle the
confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think, Maybe this time
it will be different, but it doesn't solve your real problem - a lack of focus
and purpose."

Man oh man is this true. I feel like I have been spinning in circles for years now. I long to be a SAHW and eventually be a mother but I am fearful about leaving the workforce and falling into depression.

What's my driving factor for this job? FEAR! But, even if I change my job, my direction, I have to have a focus for where I want my life to be. A deeply rooted focus and purpose. I have not found that yet. I get really excited while I'm reading this book, I look forward to some help with my decision making and focus.

I get a little irritated with the different translations used in the book. I would prefer all KJV references, however, it has been fun figuring out which verse is being referred to and seeing if I can quote the KJV verse.

Don't forget. Enough said.

Purpose Driven Life - Day 2

DAY 2

Point to Ponder: I am not an
accident

Verse: "I am your Creator. You were in my care
even before you were born." Isaiah 44:2 (CEV) "Thus saith the Lord that made
thee and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my
servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen." KJV

Question to
Consider: I know that God uniquely created me. What areas of my
personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?

This chapter took a lot of thought. I know God formed, made and created me but I struggle with my weight and have since I was 9 years old. I tend to be very abrasive in conversation and try to focus conversations on me. I need to hold fast to Romans 12:1

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is you
reasonable (logical) service."

I am fearfully (awesomely) and wonderfully made. I can have no condemnation. I can also bring my body into subjection to my mind. It takes a decision to begin to make a change.

Purpose Driven Life - Day 1

I have been floundering a little with what my true purpose in life is, so I have decided to work through Purpose Driven Life for the next 40 days.

There are points to ponder and questions to answer every day so I decided instead of making notes in one of my many many journals I would document my progress on my neglected blog.

Although I do not expect to agree with everything Rick Warren teaches and the variety of versions of the bible he uses, I believe I have a deep enough knowledge of the Word of God to filter the good from the bad.

DAY 1

Point to Ponder: It's not about me.

Verse: "...all things were created by him, and for him." Colossians 1:16b

Question to Consider: In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?

This chapter was very eye opening. One section of this chapter that blessed me and made me think was the following:

Many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a
reversal of nature and it's doomed to failure. You were made for God, not
vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not your
using him for your own purpose. "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead
end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life."
Romans 8:6 Message Emphasis mine

Romans 8:6 in the KJV is much more powerful "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." The point is made, however, that I can not focus on myself if I am going to find my true purpose.

It is really difficult to keep myself spiritually minded. I find it hard to let go of certain areas of my life and let God rule. I have a feeling this journey will be very helpful to me.

On the question about reminding myself life isn't all about me, I have been thinking about the amount of things I focus on and the material things in life that derail my endeavors to be a better wife and woman of God.

Advertising suggests that you can buy happiness and health. The reality is that God allows us to steward the material things we have and the bodies we were given.

One area I find television influences me is with shows like "Clean House" and "Clean Sweep." They make it look so easy that when I try to declutter and give things away, I get frustrated with how long it takes and give up.

Hm, how can I fix that? I have the tools to make my life better. What does the Word say? "Let all things be done decently and in order" "Let all things be done in moderation" "I keep my body in subjection to my mind."

Practical application of these keys is where I struggle. Not even the application, it is the consistency of application where I struggle. What does the Word say? "Faithful in least, faithful in much" "Let all things be done in moderation" "I keep my body in subjection to my mind, and my mind in subjection to my spirit."

Well, I think that is enough pondering today. : )

Another Giveaway at Simple Mom

I think Simple Mom has become one of my favorite web sites. She always has great, practical information presented clearly and with beautiful photos. She is giving away a HUGE gift basket and I have put my name in the perverbial hat. The deadline is tonight (Monday, August 25) at midnight but I thought if anyone reads this abandoned thing they would be able to sign up too.

Have fun and enjoy her site, it is very informative.

Rean

Giveaway at Simplemom.net

Simple Mom has been doing a wonderful series on budgeting (an area DH and I are always trying to improve on) and today she has posted a giveaway!

The giveaway is for a LIFETIME membership to Pear Budgeting. Pear Budgeting is a very cool, hip interface for your budgeting. One thing I think would be wonderful is the accessibility from anywhere there is an internet connection. So, head on over to Simple Mom and check out the series as well as the giveaway, I'm really excited about it.

Rean

Final test

And now, a picture from my phone.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Test (2)

This is just another test to check to see if pictures will post if I attach them to the email.

 

Spring training means baseball is right around the corner.

 

Rean Day

Test Post

Just a test to see if I can use my new phone to post on my (badly abandoned) blog.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Thankful Thursday

Another wonderful Thursday. I am a very thankful woman today. I am thankful for:

• A sweet loving husband who sends flowers because he's "Thinking of me"
• A wonderful bible fellowship on Wednesdays that renews my strength for the rest of the week.
• A sweet family that opens their home every week for praising, teaching, singing and worshiping. That same family welcomed me to stick around after fellowship to laugh at some pictures and videos. It was so cozy crowding around the computer to giggle and chat.
• Blessings and prosperity God continually pours out on me and my family.
• Airplanes - so I don't have to wait longer for DH to get home.
• Dave Ramsey for his encouragement and directness to help us manage our finances better.
• A teaching that reminded me to focus on God and not bring Him down to my level but take my thinking up to His.
• All my blogging friends who encourage and entertain.

Thanks to Sting My Heart for hosting Thankful Thursday.

Works For Me Wednesday: Shower Clutter

So DH and I used to have the constant battle of all married couples where the wife (or husband) purchases every possible concoction to have in the shower. Not enough room on the little bitty ledges to hold all the bottles. (Curse you Bath and Body Works with your big sales!!)

So when I saw this in Home Depot while looking for...whatever it was DH wanted at the moment (curse you Home Depot and your many many aisles) I knew we had to buy it.

DH has the left two (one for shampoo/conditioner, one for body wash) and I have the other two (one for shampoo, one for body wash). I also use the little shelf for my conditioner and shave cream and we hang our scrubbies on the little hooks. I have a razor that came with a wall attachment and that is on the left side of the dispenser.

Having only one container for body wash limits my selection but now I can store my other scents in our linen closet and switch them out when my section is empty. This allows us to buy shampoo in larger containers because we are refilling and don't have to have the bulky bottles on the ledges.

We have had ours for 2 years and if something breaks which has happened twice now, we can order parts from the company.

It really works for us.

Tackle it Tuesday - Kitchen Reorganization

Ok, so now that DH and I are eating more at home I am seeing in glaring detail the inefficency of my kitchen. We have plans to renovate in the spring but April seems a long way away. I want to post some pictures but seeing as how I can't find my camera cord you will have to wait for an update later tonight. I am employed outside my home so blogging is determined by my work schedule. It would help if I had all of these necessary cords located in one central place but that will be for another Tuesday!

Currently the kitchen has two working counters. One on either side of the sink. However, I have loaded those up with appliances galore and dirty dishes prevail over clear counter space. I have a table which is used as another counter opposite the sink but that is loaded down with junk too. I will be working heartily on this project tonight and I can't wait to post pictures of my progress. I might be biting off more than I can chew here on a weekday night but I'll give it my best!

In lieu of kitchen pictures here is one I thought you might enjoy.

This is Spaz the cat cooling himself by the AC vent. TOO CUTE!! ;)

Here he is saying hi to all our blogging buddies. "Wait, is someone eating a Tuna sandwich while they blog? Gimmie some!"

Menu Plan Monday

Well, this week will be another simple meal week with some dinners out. DH is away on business all week and it's just lonely little me. I usually go out with friends on weeks like this so I'm not eating alone. DH and I are trying not to eat out as much so I think I'll work on eating small meals at home.

• Monday - Chicken Salad Sandwich from Jodi at Deputy Domain. I had some of this over at Mary's home last week and got some delicious apples from her so I will have a sandwich and have leftovers for a tossed salad for lunch tomorrow.
• Tuesday - Seafood night at the local bar and grille. I might head over there with a friend for all you can eat crab legs. So fun to have a girls' night out. If not, I will probably have some Vegetable soup my Mother gave to me and some hot biscuits. DH won't eat vegetable soup so if I want to have it I have to eat it while he's gone. :)
• Wednesday - Chicken Cheese Quesadillas with salsa. I have my bible fellowship tonight so I need something quick.
• Thursday - Beef stew with biscuits. I love walking into a yummy smelling home. I can throw that together in the morning and have it ready when I get home.
• Friday - DH gets home tonight but I'm not sure when. I will probably do a cheeseburger quiche because it's one of his favorites and it is easily reheated for when he arrives. Throw a salad with it and you have a well rounded meal.
• Saturday - DH and I are going to a minor league baseball game tonight so it will be grilled food that comes with our ticket price. I love going to the AAA games because these guys are playing with some real heart and you can get a great picnic package with all you can eat food and great seats for $17.00! We are meeting some people from our bible fellowship there and it should be a GREAT time.
• Sunday - We are having some manly men over to spend the night so I think we may do steak and potatos potatoes with broccoli. Of course some kind of chocolate dessert. I'm not sure yet.

Sure seems like a lot of dialog for a simple list of meals! LOL, I guess that's what blogging is all about. Last week's menus turned out great. We switched a couple of days around but I'm all about being flexible. DH was so proud of me for having dinner planned and not flailing around at the last minute until we ordered pizza! I was proud of me too!

YEA ME!!

For more wonderful menu plans (some with recipes) head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and check out the great ideas.

Thankful Thursday

Wow, this one is going to be tough. I had a rough day yesterday and it has been a difficult few months. I know that writing down those things I'm thankful for will help me handle life in the best way I know how.

I am thankful for:

• A minister with great insight who lets the love of God show through all he does. His sharing last night really hit home;
• A wonderful group of friends and fellow believers to fellowship with and learn with;
• A sweet and loving husband who is willing to hear my fears and address them with the Word, no matter how much I resist (I tend to want to mope);
• Scriptures that are deep inside my heart that only need a quick reminder (from DH or myself) "Romans 8:1, darling;"
• A mother who will take the time to pray with me when DH is in a meeting and God seems so far away;
• Fresh peaches, ripe for eating;
• A cat who, despite his faults, entertains and snuggles when he senses I need it;
• Lungs to take deep breaths;
• A reliable car with a radio that blasts when I need to stay alert and awake;
• Golden Oldies to sing really loud to;
• Thankful Thursday to remind me to breath with those lungs and pray with my understanding and leave the rest in His hands.

Wow, so much deeper than I thought it would be. I think it's just what I needed. Thanks to Sting My Heart for hosting Thankful Thursday.

Tackle It Tuesday

One way I thought I could get back in the swing of blogging was participating in the great "Days of the Week" challenges I see on others' blogs. Today is Tackle it Tuesday and that means I have to find something undone to finish. I think the only problem for me will be where to start!

Because I have many MANY chores to do at home, I thought I would tackle some run around errands throughout my day today.

1. Schedule doctors appointments;
2. Ask for time off for doctor appointments;
3. Return library books - library is downtown where I work; and
4. Pick up new contact lenses.

Whew, getting these things done during the day will allow me to focus on my home tonight.

To check out more Tuesday Tackles or to add your own, go to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Menu Plan Monday

I have been away from the blogsphere for a while, but now I'm back. Here's the Menu for this week. It will be a very busy week so some quick meals were in order. DH will be stopping at a very very delicious farmer's stand on Tuesday so many many fresh veggies and fruits are on the menu for the later part of the week. DH loves tomato sandwiches when the tomatoes are in season so he can have those on Wednesday. I'm not wild about them so I have given myself the hot dog option. It's all about what works for my family. :) Thursday we are having company for dinner so a dessert was in order.

I have also been preparing different sweets for DH to take to work with him. I was inspired to do more of this from Meredith over at Merchant Ships. DH has enjoyed taking a treat to the "guys" at the power plant where he works. The benefit of baking something sweet for him to take to work is I get to taste test before it goes out the door. I get to have something sweet without being tempted to eat the whole tray. :P

• Monday: Grilled Chicken Salad, Iced Tea


• Tuesday: Deer & Broccoli Stir-fry (with Mini Corn & Water Chestnuts; DH’s favorite), Rice, Iced Tea


• Wednesday: Hot Dogs (Me) or Tomato Sandwiches (DH), Potato Chips, Iced Tea


• Thursday: BBQ Grilled Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Baked Beans, Brownies or some other dessert, Iced Tea


• Friday: Shepherd’s Pie, Iced Tea


• Saturday: Grilled Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Iced Tea


• Sunday: Pizza, Salad, Iced Tea

For more wonderful menu plans (some with recipes) head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and check out the great ideas.

I've been tagged - Library meme

Molly over at Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa posted this meme.

Literary Meme

How it works:

1. grab the book closest to you

2. open it to page 161

3. find the 5th full sentence

4. post the text of the sentence to your blog

5. don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.

6. tag five people to do this meme

The book next to me is Paralegal Practice and Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Legal Assistant

The Sentence is "Moreover, to develop your skill requires constant practice, practie and more practice."

That is pretty cool. I have been struggling so much with developing my homekeeping skills. Who knew the answer to my problems was in a book I use for work! LOL

I guess I need to get back at my Amigurumi Chicken pattern I picked up from this site I will show pictures as I move along. I started it the other day but I was using pink yarn and no stitch markers. I'm stuck now because I can't remember where my rounds started and I don't know how to decrease. I will restart the pattern after a quick stop at Walmart. I will pick up some white yarn instead of pink.

An Evening of Game with DH

For Christmas last year my Mom and Dad got my DH a beautiful chess set. It had been languishing in a box for long enough, I decided to set it up on our coffee table in the living room so Dh and I could play "on a whim."





The chess pieces are soldiers and officials from the Revolutionary War. DH played as the United States and I was England. The most difficult thing about this chess set is the lack of a female "Queen." The box didn't come with labels so we just guessed. DH figured the officer with the bars on his shoulders was the king and made the other officer the "queen." I think on my end King George ended up being the "queen" simply because he was wearing a cloak dress. Poor King George.

I am not a chess master. I dont claim to be one and I really only know how the different pieces move (Even if they are "cloaked" as queens). I figured I could learn from DH how to play and we could have a great time. He was really helpful and showed me a lot. I know more now about chess than I ever did.

The chess match did not last long. I tried to win but...




I just couldn't alter history. America is still free and what remained of Great Britain has retreated. Poor King George.



I guess the Revolutionary War will have to be fought again another day.

Bacon makes anything taste great!

DH and I had some family and friends over for dinner last weekend. My father-in-love and his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s niece all came to the house on Saturday night for food and fellowship. My FIL loves oysters so my DH wanted to make some oysters wrapped in bacon for an appetizer.

I am not a big fan of oysters. I think they are slimy and gross looking. After confirming that DH would be making that appetizer I put “oysters” on my shopping list.



Don’t they look yummy? You can’t tell from the picture but that oyster on the top of the jar is spinning around uncontrollably! EEWWWW

After DH rinsed out the oysters thoroughly and got the grit out of them he got out the bacon and sliced it in half. Then he took one large oyster or two smallish oysters and placed it like so:


Then he wrapped the bacon around the oyster and put a toothpick through the middle.




The toothpick serves two purposes. One is to hold it all together and the other is to enable easy turning on the grill.



I am proud to say I did the last row of oysters on the cookie sheet! They aren’t so slimy…ok, they are, but I was able to get over it. : )

Then my grill master husband put them all on the grill. That’s a fish pan you see under the majority of the oysters. That comes in handy when we want to grill a nice flaky fish and the grates on the grill are too harsh for the tender fish.



Then when the bacon is fully cooked, the oysters are done too.

Drain them on a paper towel or two and then eat them while they are hot!


I have to admit it, I think I may have been converted! I don’t like them raw and they feel slimy, but they sure taste great wrapped in bacon and grilled!! Of course, everything tastes better with bacon.

Even Spaz the cat thinks so.