A Penny Saved

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I take my profession very seriously. My career is my family. I was handpicked for this job by the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth. He gave me the title of help meet and mother. My pay is in blessings and eternal rewards. I have complete job security. I never have to worry about a cutback. I don’t have to worry about my paycheck being spent. Office politics is a nonissue. And, I look forward to Monday mornings. I love my job! Part of my job responsibility is to make sure that I am a good steward of all that God has given me. One way I am trying to do this is to work on the principle that a penny saved is a penny earned. Therefore, if I can save my husband money by how I manage our home, I am earning him money.

Of course, as Christians when it comes to “earning money” we must be careful to have the right motives and a biblical attitude.

• If we have clothing and food we should be content (I Timothy 6:8).

• It is God that gives the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

• When He gives us riches we are not to set our heart upon them (Psalm 62:10).

• If he takes our wealth away we should still bless His name (Job 1:21).

• God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith (James 2:5).

These are just a few of the principles the Bible speaks on about finances. There are many more. God’s Word is sufficient. We’ve always believed it, now we’re trying to live it. Here are a few things I have done away with this year to help save a penny, thus earning one.

Household cleaning items – Like, rinse aid for dishwasher, Windex, room deodorizers, fabric softeners, bathroom and kitchen cleaners, etc. All of these have been replaced with vinegar. Vinegar is one of the most frugal, all purpose, natural clean items you have on hand. It can be used effectively for many things. Do some research on the subject. You’ll be glad you did and so will your pocket book!

Disposable razors and shaving cream – We were spending a small fortune at the store for disposable razor blades each month. My husband looked into getting an old time safety razor from his barber. He now pays around 3 dollars for 10 blades. Each blade last a lot longer than the average disposable razor blade plus it is double sided; therefore it is like buying 20 blades. He also purchased the old time shaving soap. It cost less than one bottle of shaving cream and will last 4 times longer. Instead of purchasing shaving items weekly we make one or two small purchases a year.

Pool chemicals – When we lived on the coast we were spending close to $100 a month on pool chemicals. Last year my husband invested in a salt water filter. It was the best investment we could have made for the pool. This summer we have spent $30 on salt. Plus, not to mention all the benefits of how much healthier the salt is than the chemicals. We love it!

Packaged foods – One meal that I fix consistently every day is breakfast. As a result I was spending a lot of money on Bisquick. I now make biscuits and pancakes from scratch. It is easy, better for you, and a lot less expensive. I also no longer buy Sloppy Joe mix in a can (around $1.50) and use instead equal amounts of ketchup and BBQ sauce. It taste good and is very easy. I make my own sweet and sour sauce and many other items. With a few strokes on the keyboard you can find all sorts of recipes. It is worth the extra effort and your family will appreciate the better quality of the food. Your husband will appreciate the reduction of your grocery bill.

Laundry soap – This is my all-time favorite money saving tip of the year! I first read about making my own laundry soap in the Duggar’s book. (I just love this family!) My mother convinced me to try it and Lord willing, I will never buy laundry soap again. It is so easy to do. In fact, my 11 year old daughter made it last week. We use to buy Tide at between 15 – 20 dollars for 110 loads. We can now make the same amount for about 10% of the cost. Go to the Duggar’s website to find the recipe.

I still have a lot to learn about being a good steward of my home. So, if you have some money saving tips, share them with me.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

(Pro 31:27)

Contentment, Godliness, and Great Gain

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 Last night I was sitting in a revival service listening to the evangelist preach from 1 Corinthians about the unrighteous who will not inherit the kingdom of God. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1Co 6:9-10) As he is going through this list in my heart I am thinking about all the wickedness in our land.

Fornicators – This has become widely accepted even among Christian people today. How do I know this? Because it is flaunted around in the churches; there is no shame anymore. No one bothers to teach against fornication and its consequences. We sweep it under the rug and think that God does not see or care. But Scripture warns; be not deceived.

Idolaters – How easy it is to think in our mind that we are not idolaters. After all, we have never carved a graven image and bowed down to it. But, an idolater is one who puts ANYTHING above God. It can be the god of humanism. This god is based in evolution. It is what our American children are daily indoctrinated in. We see the fruit of this when people slaughter their unborn babies on the altar of convenience. It can be the god of riches. This happens all the time when people bow down to their job and place it above God. We see the effects of this god when parents neglect their church, the home, and their children in a pursuit of wealth. It can be the god of entertainment. How many families miss church due to sports or hunting? How many people place the TV above their prayer time? How many people care more about what Hollywood thinks than what the preacher says from the Word of God? One of the biggest forms of idolatry is when people make up a god in their own mind. They might claim they are serving the God of the Bible but the god they have created in their mind is nothing like the True Jehovah God of Scripture.

Adulterers – I’m always amazed at how many parents openly accept those who are committing adultery into their home to influence their children. It is done every week in Christian homes via the television and internet. Think about this honestly. As believers in Christ we might say how wrong adultery is to our children. But, if we let them watch movies or TV shows that make light of this sin, then we are justifying it to our children. What we are saying by our actions is that adultery is not really that big of deal.

Homosexuals – This is big in today’s society. We are told to accept this “lifestyle”, our children our indoctrinated in it via the government schools, and it is forced upon us in every avenue of society. Why? It is because the children of God will not take a stand. They will not speak out against it. They continue to watch the programs that have them in it. They continue to vote for politicians who are for it. They continue to buy products from companies that support it. They continue to go to places like Disney World who parade it around. And it is all because we love other things more than we love God. We do not hate the things that God hates.

Thieves – There is more thievery going on today than I have ever seen. Our society EXPECTS something for nothing and they do not care where it comes from. We are fine with the government stealing from one class and giving to other. Then often the ones who do work steal from their employers by being lazy. People will steal spouses from one another. Boys steal the innocence of girls. Children steal from their parents. Thieves are everywhere.

Does it sound like I’m being hard on these people? Probably. I should be. God hates these things. But, as the evangelist went through the list last night he did not stop there. The next on the list was covetous.

Ouch!

Why did God place being covetous between thieves and drunkards? It really is simple. It is because God hates this sin as well. After all, it made the top ten. In fact, covetousness is the cause of a lot of the other sins. I believe that the sin of covetousness is killing the testimony of many Christian people. It is also hindering their Christian growth tremendously, including mine. When I have my eyes on “things of this world” my eyes are off God. When I focus on my “wants” I am not content with my needs. When I store up “treasures for myself” here on earth I neglect to store up heavenly treasures. In doing it all, I become worldly minded not spiritually minded. In I Timothy 6:8 we are told that if we have food and clothing we should be content. In Matthew 6, Jesus told us to seek the kingdom of God and all of our needs will be added to us. And Paul tells Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1Ti 6:6) In the words of the evangelist last night…

“Christians today are saying, I’m content with my godliness; now give me the great gain!”

Does this describe many Christians today? Does it describe the mindset in our churches? Does this describe the average materialistic American family? I’m afraid it does! I’m afraid it even describes me at times.

God help me to strive to be godly, for you tell me to be holy for You are holy. Lord, help me to make every effort to live a pure life in this world. Father, help me to be content with the things that You give me. I realize that every perfect gift comes from above. Help me to give you honor and glory in my life and live as a light set on a hill in this dark world. Help me to take to heart that godliness with contentment IS great gain and help me live accordingly.

Expedition Expectations!

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Fourteen, thirteen, twelve days…the countdown continues.  In less than two weeks, with our passports in hand, my husband, children, and I will be flying out of New Orleans to meet the rest of our family in Cozumel.  There we will spend 7 days at the beautiful Hotel Melia’ Cozumel All Inclusive Golf and Beach Resort.   We are all anxiously waiting for the day we leave.  I don’t know, maybe it’s the expectation of a week of relaxation on the sandy beaches. Maybe it’s the thrill of fine dining, shows, and fun excursions. Or perhaps it is the thought of spending a week fellowshipping with my parents, siblings, and their children, whom I see so very little.  Regardless, can you tell that I am excited?  My family is certainly looking forward to some traveling and maybe a little sightseeing.  (We will be staying just a few miles from the archaeological ruins of San Gervasio.)

To add to our excitement, the children and I pulled out the Old Schoolhouse Travel the World E-Book this week.  I received the ebook as part of the TOS Crew to review.  We had fun hopping around the globe and experiencing fun activities along the way.  Andrew especially enjoyed tracing our travel route (with a layover in Houston) on the map handout included in the book.  This ebook is a great source for a generic geography overview. Yet, it is filled with so many online resources that you could spend weeks plunging into all the various geographical fields.  What I love about TOS ebooks is that they make great unit studies.  All my children (2nd grade, 6th grade, and 8th grade) gleaned from this study.  While there was a lot of review in it for my oldest son, it gave him an occasion to teach what he knew to the other children, thus reinforcing his proficiency in the subject.  

We also used the handwriting sheets to polish up on some much needed (we lost some over the summer) penmanship skills!  Andrew enjoyed the word search and Aaron did the high school word search right along with him.  Abigail opted to do the word scramble, getting stuck on “mthussi”.  (Leave a comment if you can figure it out.)  We even took advantage of one of the great recipes listed at the end of the study. 

Here you see Abigail and Andrew (who just came in from the pool) preparing Greek Stew.  My only contribution was to remind them to wash their hands and take the finished product out of the oven.  We had a wonderfully delicious meal! 

Of course, as you all know, it doesn’t matter to me how great a curriculum is or how many resources it has if it is not biblically based.    Therefore, I was not disappointed with Travel the World E-Book.  The first page begins with Isaiah 45:18  “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”  Various Scriptures are beautifully woven throughout the study and even included in the handwriting pages.

 With all of that said, I would recommend Travel the World E-Book for anyone who is looking for a simple, easy to follow, geography study this year.  It can be purchased at the Old Schoolhouse Store and instantly downloaded for $7.95.  And while you are there be sure and look at the scores of other ebooks as well.

 If you are interested, click here to download a free 10 page sample of this product.

 And click here to see what others are saying about Travel the World.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Crew, I have received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest product review.  You have received my true experience and sincere opinion about the product.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Rejoice! Women’s Bible Study on Philippians Give-a-way

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If you have followed my blog for anytime you know how I feel about studying the Word of God.  I believe that the best way to study is verse by verse, line by line, precept upon precept. (Isaiah 28:9-10)  This method insures that we learn the whole counsel of God and keeps the scripture in context.  (For more information on this read here.)

It is because of this that I have written two expository Bible studies for Women called Living Out the Word.  One is through the book of James called Faith.  And the other is through the book of Philippians called Rejoice.  I am currently working on a book through the Epistles of John called Love.

I am going to give away one of my Philippians books in two weeks to one of my readers.  Mandatory to Enter: Leave a comment with your favorite verse from Philippians.  Additional entries:  TOS Crew members, Subcribe to this blog (rss or email), spread the word about this giveaway (blog, facebook, etc) and leave link in comments.

 I will choose a winner (US Residents only) and mail it out on Friday, July 3oth.

You can take a look inside the book here at amazon.com.

Standards? Socialization?

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Summer will be over before we know it. It’s time to start planning for the upcoming year, order curriculum, clean out book shelves, and organize supplies. There is an excitement in the air as we make preparations for a new school year. Many of you know exactly what I mean. When it comes to being a homeschooling parent there are two questions that get asked frequently. The first is, “Why are you doing this?” And the second is, “What about socialization?”

I believe that the why is the most important question. It is imperative that we as homeschooling parents have a firm grasp on why we homeschool. I addressed this question in an article titled, Whose Standards Do We Follow? It can be found in Homeschool Enrichment’s March/April 2010 Issue. If you would like to read it, you can do so here. The second question of socialization, in my mind, is easily answered. The Bible says, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (Pro 13:20) Simply put, if children are companions of fools they will become as one. Therefore, one of my duties as a Christian parent is to protect my child from foolishness and to make sure they are socialized with godly people in a godly environment. But this question of socialization is not always relevant to just the children. Mothers socialize too. This is addressed in the July/August 2010 issue of Homeschool Enrichment in an article I wrote called, What About Socialization? A New Twist on an Old Question. Home School Enrichment offers a free digital subscription to their magazine. If you are not signed up, do so today.

As home educators, we are blessed with many valuable resources. Listed below you will find a few of my all-time favorite homeschool magazines.

Home School Enrichment http://homeschoolenrichment.com

Homeschooling Today http://www.homeschooltoday.com/

Teach Magazine http://www.homemakingwithteach.com

The Teaching Home http://teachinghome.com

The Old Schoolhouse http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com

The Utmost Way Magazine http://www.utmostway.com/

Feminism – The weakening of a society

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I just finished reading an article on OneNewsNow about the Rev. Robert Schuller stepping down as lead pastor of Southern California’s Crystal Cathedral megachurch.  It wasn’t his stepping down that caught my attention but the statement that his daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, has taken over the lead role in the church.

God has ordained three institutions upon this Earth and because they are ordained by Him, He establishes how they will operate.  Fortunately, God has not left us uninformed about the roles of men and women in any of these institutions.  Unfortunately, that leaves many men and women without excuse for their behavior.  And because they are without excuse and they continue to blatantly disregard God’s Word, they will sadly be judged accordingly.

 The first institution God established was the family.  We see this in the first few chapters of Genesis.  In Ephesians 5:22-33 and I Peter 3:1-6, we see clearly the hierarchy of the family.  The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.  It is a beautiful picture.   It is a shame when believers distort that picture.  This is done by the wife ruling the family, being unsubmissive, taking on man’s role (to lead, provide, and protect) and rejecting her own role found in Scripture.  It is also done by the husband weakly and passively allowing it.

Secondly, God ordained the institution of the government.  Romans 13 tell us that it is God that ordains the higher powers.  Two years ago, in the middle of our Presidential Election I wrote an article called, His Will Done and My Conscience Clear, which partially addresses women leading in the political arena.  You can read it here.

The third institution that God ordained is the church.  Again, God is very clear in His Word that women are not to lead in this area.  Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.  (1Ti 2:11-14)  This is not an archaic issue or even a cultural one.  The reason Paul gives that women are to not usurp the authority of a man in the church goes all the way back to the order of creation.  God established it this way from the beginning.

 The story of Deborah from Judges Chapter 4 is often cited as rationale for women stepping out from under the hierarchy that God has established.  Women love to ignore the majority of Scripture that is clear on the issue and focus on one story from the Old Testament.  Ironically, in their search to justify their own rebellion they will take the story of Deborah out of context.  Text without context is pretext, pure and simple.  Contextually, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.  God raised up Deborah, not to set the standard, but to bring shame upon the men.

“Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Isaiah 3:11,12.

 We are witnessing our society deteriorate more and more each year.  Those that are leading us are causing us to err.  They are destroying the way of the paths.  What is the solution?  It’s really simple.  We need to get back to God’s Holy Word.  We need to relinquish our pragmatism and start being biblical.  Men need follow the advice of the Apostle Paul from I Corinthians 16:13 and “stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”  And we women need to simply move out of the way and let them lead and watch God once again bless our nation.

That’s All I Want

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As a child one of the first Psalms I memorized was the beloved 23rd Psalm.  I remember standing, nearly 30 years ago, in front of my Sunday School class reciting the Psalm to my teacher.  The story is told of one little girl, who when reciting the Psalm said, “The Lord is my shepherd and that’s all I want!”  It’s not quite KJV but still very well said.

Throughout my Christian life this psalm has brought great comfort.  A few days ago, at the funeral of a dear friend, the 23rd Psalm was read.  It is just six short verses but so much more than mere poetry.  By no accident, the Shepherd’s Psalm is enclosed between the Psalm of the Cross and the Psalm of the King of Glory.  The psalm is so simple that a young child could read it and grasp its superb meaning.  Yet, it is profound enough that theologians could spend years trying to truly understand it.  Too often I skim over the all too familiar verses.  I’m afraid many of us do.  But have you ever stopped and just meditated on the psalm?  Better yet, have you taken the time to dwell on the first verse or even just the first few words? 

The Lord…

He is my Saviour.  He is the One who died and gave His life.  He is the Son of God.  Jesus Christ, the name above all names.   He is my Master.  I owe Him everything!

The Lord is…

He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Bright and Morning Star, the Chief Cornerstone, the Daystar, the Deliverer, The Faithful and True, the Holy One, the King of Kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace, the Righteous Judge, the Word of Life.

The Lord is my…

He is my strength, my fortress, my rock, my salvation, my God, my buckler, my high tower, my redeemer, my shield, my refuge.

The Lord is my shepherd…

As a helpless lamb He gathers me in His arms.  He carries me in His bosom.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside the still, calm waters.  He gently leads me in paths of righteousness.  I do not fear when He is near.  His rod and staff comforts me.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I shall not want.  When I think about that statement I am overwhelmed.  The Good Shepherd provides for all my needs.  I will never lack for anything.  Of course, there are times when I do “want”.  It is almost always material things that will not last.  But I have never wanted for the things I needed.  I am learning to be content (I Timothy 6:6-8) and trusting my Lord.  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mat 6:31-33) 

 I thank the Lord for the 23 Psalm.  Even though my God is the Almighty Jehovah who spoke the world into existence, who reigns on high, whose earth is His footstool, and who turns the hearts of kings I am reminded that He is also the Good Shepherd, loving and kind.  He cares for me as a tender lamb.  He rejoices over one lost sheep.  He lovingly guides me all the days of my life.  Yes, the Lord is my shepherd and that’s all I want.

SpellQuizzer Winner!

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The number has been drawn!    Angela Houston is the winner of the SpellQuizzer license.  I will submit your name and email to Dan at TedCo Software.  Congratulations and happy spelling!

A Bat in My Skimmer

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My husband had an exhausting weekend.  Due to a wake, funeral and church function, he spent 26 hours at the church house between Friday and Saturday.  Around 8 p.m. Saturday evening, as we were walking back over to the house, my husband said, “All I want to do is go to bed.”  But trying to be a thoughtful wife I said, “Why don’t you take a swim with me.  You’ll feel refreshed.  Then you can go to bed.”  There really is nothing like an evening swim where we live.   With the Desoto National Forest behind us, it is quiet peaceful.  So, the children put on a movie and we went for a swim.  All was well for about 5 minutes; that is until my husband went to clean out the skimmer and found a dead bat.  I won’t go into the details, just let me say that it was not pleasant!   We are logical people and we know in our minds that the 18,000 gallons of water could not possible be contaminate by one dead bat.  But that did not change the fact that my husband was not happy.  In fact, he was rather disgusted.  He got rid of the bat and tried really hard to enjoy the water.  He just couldn’t.  We got out.  He went to bed.

You know, there is a biblical principle that applies here.  It is found in Ecclesiastes 10:1.  “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”   How true it is that it just takes a little folly to wreck a person’s reputation.  A person can work their whole life on building a reputation of wisdom and honor and one act of foolishness ruins it.  This is how sin works.  It just takes a little.  It is true with the individual person but also with the family.  I try to teach my children that when one person in the family sins the whole family is affected.  It is especially important that my boys learn this truth.  They will one day be the head of their homes.  The responsibility of being a leader is extremely weighty.   The decisions they will make as husbands and fathers will affect their whole family.  But not only is it true for the individual and families, it is also true for the church.  This is because the church is a family of families.  Galatians 5:9 says, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”  I realize that we live in a society that says, “Don’t judge me.  What I do is none of your business.  How I live is my personal decision.”  But, according to Scriptures, when it comes to the church we are our brother’s keeper.  Why?  Because a little leaven  leaveneth the whole lump.          

So, I will try to remember that it just takes a little sin and that little sin doesn’t just affect me, but also those around me.  I’ll also try to remember that a dead fly can spoil all the perfume, that folly can wreck a reputation, and that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  Oh, and that one dead flying rodent ruins the whole swim.

2 Days Left

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There are 2 days left until I pick a winner for the SpellQuizzer license.  Be sure and send me an email, www.kimberlyw1@wildblue.net to get put in the drawing! Also, be sure and let your friends know.  We will all be hitting the books soon and SpellQuizzer is a great resource for parents who are teaching their children how to spell.  See my review here.