A Gift to Jesus, A Vow To Jesus

With the New Year comes many, many, and many New Year's Resolutions. We all vow to eat healthy, workout more, maybe be a little nicer. These things are definitely worth an effort, of course, but what if we did something a little bit different this year, something I feel a little bit more bold, a little bit more worth our efforts, a little bit more meaningful. I know this year my New Year's Resolution took a bit of a turn, and I know for the better.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. --
James 1:17

 
Before Christmas, our pastor had set up a manger for the children's Christmas program. He stated to the congregation and to the children that it was to be used for the children to come and present a gift to Jesus, it was His birthday after all, in hopes to make it more apparent to the children that Christmas is not about all the gifts WE receive, but that it is Jesus' birthday, and the gifts should be given to Him. But, of course, Jesus didn't need another pair of socks. So really, what would be a worthy gift to give such a worthy gift, since Jesus was a gift to us from God.

                        A vow, our gift to Jesus.

 “The man who would truly know God must give time to Him.” -- A.W. Tozer

The ending of a year usually finds us reflecting on the year, the choices we made, the good, the bad, and with that a certain gratefulness to God for what He has given us. With this, it makes it a perfect time for us to considering making a vow to Jesus. It is a perfect time to consider a vow from us, that in addition to our many New Year's Resolutions that we know most of them will we break within a week or two, a vow that will last the whole year, a vow that will help us fill in any gaps that exist between what we are and what we should be, a vow for us to commit to something that will help us grow spiritually, closer to God, closer to being more like Him, Jesus. God wants a relationship with us. He doesn't care if you lose those 15 pounds you resolved to lose, or if you ran that 1/2 marathon, He wants us, our heart, our time. Let it be something that inspires you to a greater godliness.

Depending where you are in your walk with God, take a minute to think about what your want to vow to Jesus. Maybe you want to continue something good, stop something bad, or change something for the better. Maybe it is to spend more time in the word, maybe to help others, to go to church regularly on Sundays. It can be anything, big or small. Nothing is worthless, no matter how small, if it brings you closer to Him.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. -- Romans 8:1-2

Peace out folks. What are going to vow?

Cookie Dough Dip

Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

I found this wonderful recipe a few years ago and when I get together with friends, this is my go to. I love it. I found it at Add A Pinch.Check her site out for more wonderful recipes.

Cookie Dough Dip Recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 8-oz cream cheese
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1 c. toffee bits

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combines. Serve with graham crackers or apple.

Of note, do not use reduced fat cream cheese as it may cause your dip to have the wrong consistency.

I ate it all before I took a picture of it. It was oh soooo good. 

All Natural Face Wash

I have slowly been getting rid of all things toxic - if that is possible. Between all the processed food and chemically laden items we use in our lives, no wonder this world is in the state it is in. Yes, I am blaming all of that to how ugly this world is now a days - I can blame something can't I - so I will believe it is this, and not the fact that people choose to be ugly.

I have made my own shampoo, which I love, but combined with Ava Conditioner (which I also love) it makes my hair extremely weighed down and oily looking. So, I have to use one or the other. This is a work in progress. I have made my own body soap, which needs improvement but good enough to use up what I have (the scent is blah). I have also made my own deodorant, which does the trick. So, the next one on my list was face wash. Unfortunately, I have been blessed with acne prone skin at the age of 40... something, so I have not wanted to stray too far from the store bought acne wash for fear of looking more like a 15 year old (yeah right). As if the wrinkles and sagging skin weren't enough, pile on the pimples to make a woman feel beautiful.

Because of this lovely skin condition I have, I have never wanted to try the oil wash that is out there. How can oil clean skin? But, after searching the web I could not find something worth making and so I broke down, hoped for the best, and lathered up my face with oil.

All I can say - OH MY GOSH!!!! I have been using it now for a couple of weeks and you know what - it works. The acne that has been infesting my neck and jaw line for a long time now are almost, not completely, but almost gone. My face feels great. Hallelujah!!!!

So how could I not share this with the other 40 something women out there trying to find something to make their skin - better. And what better way than to eliminate all chemicals and use all natural oils. YUP - try it. Let me know how it works for you.

All Natural Oil Face Wash:
1/3 Cup Castor Oil
2/3 Olive or Sunflower Oil (I used sunflower oil)

I also added in Vitamin E, Tee Tree (good for acne), and lavender - a few drops of each.

Directions: Rub onto face, place hot wash cloth over face for a few seconds, and then clean off oil. That's it!!! Easy.

God Bless and Peace Out!!!

Tortellini Soup

I love anything Italian - well, the food to be precise. I can eat pizza, spaghetti, lasagna just about every night of the week. One reason in particular, it's just so easy to whip up. Throw some pasta in boiling water, drain, mix with sauce, and wahla. Make yourself some garlic bread and you got yourself a great meal.

I know my family loves pasta as well, just not to the extreme that I do. Unfortunately, having to work late 3 nights a week, I need a quick meal for those nights and usually all I have time to make quick is pasta. I hate trying to figure out what to have for dinner and if I don't plan in advance, pasta is one thing you don't have to thaw out.

So I have been experimenting with other types of pasta meals and one in particular is this tortellini soup. Super easy to make as well, made from stuff I usually have around the house, and is different enough that I can keep my family happy. So here it is, a new staple in my house for those need to fix something quick so I can continue to finish my work meal. My next endeavor, try to get my husband to cook on those nights, but I won't hold my breath. I will have to say though, he does cook pretty good - when he wants to (and I know he would if I asked him too, but I would definitely want it to be something he does voluntarily - and he just might now if he reads this - he's good like that).

I have never been a big soup person, but every time (most of the time anyway) I make soup, I say to myself - wow, that was good. Something about soup I seem to get right, and it was such a big hit with the husband that he suggested we have it for leftovers, and if you knew him, that's a big deal.

TORTELLINI SOUP

Ingredients:  

1 onion cut

3 garlic or more if you like

1 Polish sausage - or any sausage of your choosing

1-3/4 C chicken stock

1 C water

1 can, 14.5 oz, diced tomatoes

1 package of tortellini  

6-9 oz of spinach 

not all ingredients in picture

Saute onion and garlic in a little bit of butter. Cut up sausage in pieces and throw in the mix. I used Polish sausage as I had that in my fridge.

Add chicken stock, water, and tomatoes and bring to boil.

Add tortellini and cook for 5 minutes. Lower temperature, throw in spinach until softens.

I top my off with Parmesan cheese and accompany with garlic bread.  

Yummy right?

That's right, and enough left over for tomorrow night. Simple, quick, and tasty.

Enjoy my friends.

What ever happened to being a nice human being?

This is my vicious dog:

My dog unfortunately bit the mail lady a couple of weeks ago. We were not home to witness the event thank the Lord, but ambulance arrived, dog officer on scene, and state police were called.

I can't tell you how bad I felt about the whole situation. I called her, I talked to her, I sent her flowers, and I told her that I would pay for anything that insurance, etc. does not pay. She had to have her rings cut off her finger and I told her to send me the bill so we can take care of it.

A week after the incident and talking to her multiple times, the letter came. You know the one from the attorney stating that the "victim" is now going after us for compensation.

Well today, the insurance company came and "assessed" the dog situation. I am happy to say that Digger made a very good impression, but unfortunately I was told that the "victim" usually will get the money and that they tend to "milk" the situation. The good news, they are aware of this scenario and take that into consideration.

I really feel so bad that my dog hurt someone, and was willing to do whatever I needed to do. Why does everyone have to resort in suing? - and yes, I do know the answer to that question - (because they can) Love society. To me (not to minimize the situation)- a mail person not getting bit by a dog is like saying a chef will never get burned. It comes with the territory.

I still hope she does well and that no lasting effects of the dog bite come of it, but it just makes me really question the human race. She seemed like such a "nice" lady, not one that would possibly put another family in financial ruin. But like they say, you can't judge a book by its cover.

So people, really, when you see a BEWARE OF DOG sign in the yard - don't go in the yard - or then again go - you can sue, and get lots of money.

Over and out and I am so trying to do it in peace!!! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming

Try, Try Again

Here it is March 6, 2014, and school (homeschooling that is) is halfway over. I am sure I wouldn't call our first year a failure - yet, NO - not a failure, but a learning experience, a work in progress.

I don't know about you, but I think I have changed curriculums at least 3 times. I had a mishmash of curriculum from the homeschool curriculum sale, Ebay, etc. I started using the books, decided I didn't like them, tried something else, decided I didn't like them, and finally I picked up what I originally started with, and maybe not really liking it, but going to stick with it for the rest of the year. Probably more to say that I actually did it. The bad part, is that it is March, and I am only 1/3of the way through history and science. Science I do actually like, Apologia - wish I stuck with it from the beginning. I just thought it was a little over my little 6 year old's head, but .... onward march we go with it. I am in search of a new program for next year, something that is a little more structured. Being new to this, I really need to follow a schedule, or will go off in tangents that really don't end up anywhere. See, I am a book fanatic, and believe becoming what I know a lot of you are too (yes, I read your blogs) curriculum junkies. :) So, I see something, especially through the homeschool sales on FB, or on Ebay, and I just buy. I need to stop because I probably won't use most of it as I haven't quite decided on what to do for next year.

I have decided that I like the Charlotte Mason/Classical approach and many have said My Father's World which is a combination of both. I was hoping to find one program that would work best for both, unfortunately with my daughter going into 1st and my son going into 4th - it really isn't going to work until the following year with many of them the "all-in-one curriculums" I have been looking at. I am sure I can tweak it to fit, but this year I feel most of what I am teaching is over her head, I really want to be at her level next year. It is hard to keep her focused and engaged, and again, just like all of us, we really want to instill the "love" of learning and not just the "learning".

Another issue this year has posed is the eyeballs from people you see from "the school", or from family members. and them all inquisitively asking, "How is it going? - Do you like it?" At first, I would hesitate for a minute and just smile and say yes, trying to find our groove that is all. I guess it was really too early to answer that questions. Well, truth be told, I have not found our groove yet. I know my kids like being homeschooled, and YES - I do like it. We are having our struggles, trying to find that "groove", but overall, yes, I like it. Now to just get my kids to "love" to learn is the next part.

God be with all you new homeschooling moms out there. They say it does get easier. I guess we can say it does, or doesn't after the years go by, but for now - keep on keeping on moms.

Peace Out YO

Stuck In Love

Stuck In Love

A Movie Review

 

It was given 4-1/2 stars. That is about right. 

A great story about a man who just won't let go of his ex-wife who left him for another man, who in turns contemplates whether she made the right decision. Love it. I love when people realize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. 

Definitely a tear jerker, I cried - A LOT. 

But this was definitely my kind of movie - happy ending!!!!!! That's all I will say as I don't want to give too much away. Highly recommended by me. 

I could hear my heart beating
I could hear everyone's heart
I could hear the human noise we are making
not one of us moving
not even when the room went dark.
- Bill

Peace Out Yo and Happy Watching

I Don't Feel Like Being Nice To You

Negativity:

From The Free Dictionary

1.   a. Expressing, containing, or consisting of a negation, refusal, or denial:

      b. Indicating opposition or resistance:

2.   Lacking positive or constructive features, especially:

          a. Unpleasant; disagreeable:

          b. Gloomy; pessimistic:

          c. Unfavorable or detrimental:

         d. Hostile or disparaging; malicious:

 “The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it the most.” ~Peaceful Warrior

     First off, who in their right mind would want to go through life this way. I feel sorry for them. I really do. It must be a sad place to be if everything you do, you feel, you see, you hear, you eat, you whatever - for lack of a better word - sucks.

     But for that particular person I am sure it is easier said then done (being nice that is). On the other hand, which I don't think these negative people understand, is that us not so negative people have to deal with you. Really. What do you see in the mirror when and if you even look at yourself? Do you even consider or care the way you treat people? If you ask them I am sure they will say they do. I have also had excuses such as, "I am not that bad," or, "I am not negative." REALLY!!!! Do you not hear what comes out of your mouth. I will even ask them to tell me something positive, or ask when was the last time you said anything positive. Now if they can't come up with either of these answers - they, again for a lack of a better word, suck.

    Now don't get me wrong. I have enough experience to know that most of these people do not mean to be negative. And to further clarify myself, I am not talking depression. I am not talking about the people who look at a glass half full as half empty. I have been through depression. I remember at one point in my life when something made me smile and it felt so foreign on my face that I realized at that moment, I had not smiled for a very, very long time. Now that sucks. And I will pray for anyone who is in that situation. So please, I am not talking about that kind of negativity.

    What I am talking about, are those people who just like to be negative. Again, don't get me wrong. I know no one wants to go through life negative. But when you get cut off you start yelling obscenities and flip them off, or when you got to the drive thru window and the person accidentally dropped a dime on the ground and you then proceed to throw the rest of the coins at them as well as the receipt on the ground, and the person when their dog accidentally gets in their way they proceed to kick it across the room followed by every obscene word that they can find at the moment. That is what I am talking about. I do have to say, and you may or may not agree, that this is a choice. You can choose to be sad and depressed without making everyone else around you sad and depressed, and for that matter so sorry they ever came across your path.

   Negativity really can rob a room of joy in an instant. I know everyone has a bad day once in a while, but some just seem to thrive on complaining and being generally grumpy. I again know that sometimes they do not even realize how negative they really are, or the consequences of that negativity. But, you don’t have to allow a negative person to pull you down into their sad, grumpy world. 

    For the most part though, you can avoid these people, you can write them off. But what do you do when that is not the case. What do you do if this person is a colleague, a family member, or even a spouse. I mean do you quit your job, do you not attend family functions, do you get divorced? That would be the easy way out, and definitely not the godly thing to do. Again, those that are the hardest to love are usually the ones that most need it. Jesus didn't just associate with the "happy people". No, He too had to deal with those grumpy people.

     To deal with these "grumpy" people, the best thing to do is just ignore them. Really, don't get into it with them. You can set off a time bomb that will explode at any moment, and there may be no return. But, what if you really need to say something to them. I know I get a little tense and would really just like to smack them in the face. But again, that wouldn't accomplish much, other than proving to them that you are now as miserable as they are - which I think is their goal.

    But, this is the fun part and the part which I plan to put to good use. A very simple no nonsense approach. This is really good:  Are you ready:  

"You are right".

   Say this person expresses to you that your face looks totally retarded. You can simply way, without sarcasm, "You are totally right. My face looks retarded... well, there's not much I can do about it". Maybe you are trying to start a business, and this person tells you that you are just wasting your time. Answer back without yelling "Yes, you are right. I'm just wasting time... well, what can I do".

 

     Now, this doesn't means that you should throw your self-esteem in the toilet and actually acknowledge that what they are saying is true. Truly, you will only just be telling the other person what they want to hear, without believing it yourself. Is this being hypocrite? Yes; but ponder it for a moment... do you believe that negative people that care crap about you truly deserve your truth? Do they deserve to know what you truly believe and feel? Do they even care? Think about what the answer is...

 

    Nobody has power over your mind. A person can only make your emotional life miserable only if you give importance to the words they use, and let them affect you. It really doesn't matter what they think or say about you. I really believe that they do not care too much about you and are probably only making themselves feel better. Just make them happy by acknowledging what they say is true, and then keep going on with your life. That way you save yourself from tons of totally useless discussions and insults galore with just 3 simple words - "You are right."

    Peace Out and Be HAPPY!!!!! No one likes to be around someone so negative. If you really have to be negative, go hide, far away, in the woods somewhere, or outer space for that matter, just GO!!!!!

Homemade Deodorant

Homemade Deodorant

So my family thinks I have really lost it. First I start homeschooling - they think I am psycho, but I love it. Best decision I have made in a while. Then, I make my own shampoo. I hate chemicals, unless they are used to clean my bathroom toilet, then chemical away, but to put on my skin, hair, etc. Not very comforting to me. I gave you my shampoo recipe in my last post. As an update, it has been about a week, and my hair looks awful. I really want to love this stuff. I know that it takes a week or so for your head/hair to adjust. I did put coconut oil in it today as an extra softener, moisturizer for my hair and it looks really stringy. I know not to use that anymore. But, I am going to stick with it. If it kills me, I will learn to love this. I might have to come up with another formula, but I am determined to rid my daily routine of as much chemical based products as possible. If you do make that shampoo, which again I am going to stick with, DO NOT get it into your eyes. Oh my gosh - pain is all I have to say. I couldn't open my eye for about 10 minutes, not even to wash it out. So please, be careful.

Deodorant:

• 1/2 C coconut oil
• 1/2 C shea butter or cocoa butter (I used shea)
• 1/2 C beeswax 
• 1 tsp. Vitamin E oil (Optional)
• 3 tbsp. baking soda (Omit if you have sensitive skin)
• 1/2 C arrowroot powder
• 2-3 capsules of high quality probiotics (not the kind you have to refrigerate)
• Essential oils of choice (optional) 

How to make:  

Combine coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a smaller saucepan with 1" of water in it. I used an old mason jar which I will reuse and placed in a pot with water. No need to wash (Yah)  

Turn the burner on and bring water to boil. Stir ingredients constantly unit they are melted and smooth. 

Remove from heat and add the vitamin E, baking soda, arrowroot powder, probiotics, and essential oils. Make sure the mixture is not hot to the touch (warm is OK) so that the head doesn't kill the probiotics. 

Gently stir by hand until all ingredients are incorporated. 

I poured into cupcake liners. I tried to find the plastic reusable cupcake molds but didn't find any. You can also pour into an old stick deodorant, but let it harden 15-20 minutes before you pour into that. Just spoon it in and pack it down. Leave the cap off overnight so it can completely harden before use. 

Today is the first day I used it. Feels a little waxy, but doable. And, as of yet, I do not stink. 

I got most ingredients at the local health food store, Back to Basics, but I found them a little pricey. Next time, I will buy from an online source like Mountain Rose Herb. They seem reasonably priced and they deliver quickly.  

Next on my agenda - homemade lotion. I use tons of lotion. I lotion every inch of me every day, so I am hoping this will be cost effective, but it might be worth a little extra. 

So here is to a healthy, all-natural living. 

Peace out YO!!!!

All Natural

I have been slowly weaning myself from store bought, over processed food, over chemically products to a more natural approach to living. A few months ago I made my own laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Both of these were powder, but my husband informed me that powder formula was not good for the septic. So my next approach will be for a homemade liquid dishwasher and laundry soap. (recipe at another time)

I had recently bought some homemade soap that my friend had made. I fell in love. My skin feels so much better, much smoother, and just overall healthier. I will be making my own in the future when I am need, but for now I have 5 bars that will last me a little while.

This, however, got me thinking of trying to make my own shampoo and conditioner. I tried the "no poo" thing before, but I couldn't get myself to like it, and now as I am trying to grow my hair out, I knew this just wasn't going to work for me. So I went in search of a "recipe" for homemade shampoo. I came across one that I will be trying first and if I like it, I will stick with it. I am hoping that my hair will become more healthy as I have very dry, flyaway hair that looks awful unless I straighten it or make it go all curly which usually doesn't come out to my liking. So my search for a good all natural shampoo is in the works.

For my first attempt:

Natural Homemade Coconut Shampoo

• 1/4 cup coconut milk. I made this myself. Instructions at the bottom.
• 1/3 cup Liquid Castille Soap. I ordered this from The Common Scents, Inc. I found them to be reasonable. I also got a few different essential oils. 
• 1/2 teaspoon (or several capsules) of vitamin E oil (optional) I didn't have any so I did not add this. 
• 20 drops of essential oils of your choice. I used lavender. 
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil or almond oil. I used olive oil as I have dry hair. If you have oily hair, I would omit this.

How to make: 

1. Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind. I used an old hand soap pump bottle. 
2. Shake well to mix.
3. Keep in shower for up to 1 month.
4. Shake before each use. 
5. Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo. 

With my hair, I definitely need a conditioner, so for the meantime, until I can find a good "recipe", I am going to use the apple cider vinegar as this is an all natural conditioner. 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup of water

Lemon essential oil (optional)

Homemade coconut milk  

4 cups water

1/5-2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut 

1. Heat water but do not boil. It should be hot, but not scalding. 
2. Put coconut in blender and add water. 
3. Blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy.
4. Pour through mesh colander first and then cheesecloth. Squeeze all the milk out of the cheesecloth. 

I made extra so I could make coconut oil. 

So after I see how this works, I may just venture into a homemade face cream. If anyone has a recipe for such, please share. 

Happy shampooing.

Peace out!!!! Happy New Year y'all

Busy Busy

Well, it is the Saturday before Christmas and I am glad to say that I am almost done. I have a few gift certificates to pick up and a bird feeder to make, so I am happy to say that for the second year in a row, if all goes well, I will not be shopping Christmas Eve. Hurray!!!!. In keeping with the holiday season, I thought I would share my Christmas list with you. I got the idea from Kara Anderson over at Simple Homeschool who shared her awesome list with us, and I will take 1 of everything she had on her list  and this one simple and cheap gift

Yup, that's it. Love. I just want to be loved. I want the world to be filled with love. I just want everyone to love on each other ALL THE TIME. This world is filled with such hate and unkindness, we need to teach others to love one another. To treat people with respect. To treat others the way you in return would want to be treated. That is what I want for Christmas.

And, a blender.

UPDATE:  Well I had written this in hopes of finishing it the same day, but here it is now December 30, 2013, and I didn't get around to finishing it. Sorry for that - but here it is.

Christmas was good. Went by without a hitch. Of course the kiddos were not exactly happy with what they got. Really need to teach them how to be grateful for what they did get and not dwell on the things they didn't get. I should say however that Kylie and Jake were pretty much happy, my oldest not that much. The husband I didn't think liked his new clothes. :) Clothes are good right?

I wanted to show you the gift I made my mom - well Dave and I made it - came out pretty good

Its a bird feeder if you couldn't guess. I did all the cutting out of the face and he put it all together.

I had a fairly good week off. The first week I have taken off in over 2 years. I of course didn't really get to do what I wanted to do, which was nothing, but I did enjoy it nonetheless.

I all hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I hope the new year is better than last year. I don't know what this year has in store for me. I am not going to get my hopes up as I am always disappointed. If I am alive on December 31, 2014, I will consider it a good year, or should I say if I haven't killed anyone :)

P.S. I did get the blender.

LOVE EVERYONE!!!! ALL THE TIME!!!! EVERY DAY!!!!!!

To Help or Not to Help

Good evening, 

I had recently posted a questions on Facebook, How would you respond if someone told you that you waste too much of your time helping others and you shouldn't do it, that you should be more selfish and think only of yourself?  

What would you do? How would you respond? 

I didn't really respond to that question because I really didn't know what to say. I truthfully thought it was a crummy statement to make, but I kept that thought to myself. 

The way I think of it is - if everyone did things for other people, how better would the world we live in be? I think that is a main reason why this world is like it is today, because we are all way too selfish. Even me!!!! You can even look at it this way (somewhat selfish)  - if everyone helps out other people, then hopefully in that mix you would be a recipient of that "help" in some way. So you get back as much as you give. As they say, what comes around, goes around, right? Wouldn't that be an incentive enough to help. 

However, that is not why I help out other people. For one, I like to help out, I feel like I have a purpose. It is said that we are all given a "talent" from God. I believe this and I know many people who know what that special gift is. Some have a wonderful voice and can sing like angels, some teach in Sunday school or are in children ministry, some have a gift of preaching. I, however, have not really found my gift yet, or at least I haven't identified "helping" as my gift, but then again, if I had to say what God gave me, I would have to say it is gift of service, the gift of helping others, the gift of giving. It is something I am good at, AND, I do not expect anything in return. I think that point is very important as nothing good will come of it if I did expect something. I used too expect things in return, and I think a lot of people live that way, but I know from experience that you are only setting yourself up for failure. That is one lesson I learned very early on.

I got a mix of responses to that question from my friends on Facebook,  but I believe the overall consensus is that helping out is good. What stood out was responses that stated to find the "happy medium", to not let it interfere with your family, home, or health, and to make sure that you are not taken advantage of by the selfish. I believe all these to be true. One must be careful as not to fall pray from one feigning neediness or one that is just out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately for me, and I am sure others, that this doesn't come to fruition until after the act of giving has already been done. I am one who learns the hard way. I am not a good judge of character. 

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” 
― Charles Dickens

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind; let each esteem others better than himself." Philippians 2:3

This is the best one - “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” 
― John Bunyan

Way to Go John Bunyan!!!!

It is also said that helping others actually may help you live longer and healthier. It is good for your mental state to give to others. So the saying has some merit to it - "it is better to receive than to give," and for more than one reason. 

So, I will continue to give unselfishly of my services to those who need it, but I will also make sure that it doesn't interfere with what is important to me, my family, home, and health. And when it comes to them, I am giving to them as well just as much in hopes of nothing in return (well, most of the time). It is nice to be the recipient of such "help, care, giving," but I don't expect it when I give of myself, and I wouldn't have it any other way. One day, it may be my time to get what has come around full circle, but until then, I will carry on as I have been. 

Philippians 2:4 - do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Luke 6:38 - "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

John 15:12 - "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Hebrews 13:16 - And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Galatians 6:2 - Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

There is certainly enough evidence that says helping out is what God wants us to do, that is is important, and it is what can and will make this world a better place. I feel through my small tokens of help, that I am making this world a better place. 

Good Bless. 

Freebies

I love books. I could build a house out of all the books I have. The bad part is that I don't really have the time to read them all, but I continue to buy them. I figured that one day my kids will be grown, and I will be bored, and it is then that I can read all the books I have accumulated throughout the years.

I, however, love FREE books. I don't feel so guilty, and my husband won't get mad at me for spending money on something that I have tons already that I haven't yet read. So it makes for a peaceful house, and I get my book fix.

So I have to share. I come across these all too often. I just hope my kindle can store all of them :)

All About Jesus - get it free here

Who was Jesus? What did he say? What did he do? This book is all about Jesus. It puts together the story of Jesus’ life and message told by the people who knew him best–his disciples and friends–as recorded in the four Gospels of the Bible. Although the words were written over 2000 years ago, his message of peace, hope, love, and forgiveness still resonates with people of all races, nationalities, educational, and economic backgrounds. Some like what he said, while others disagree, but almost everyone finds him compelling. The story of Jesus comes to us from four different authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, written over a period of nearly seventy years. The message and uniqueness of Jesus remain the same, but each author tells the story from his perspective and for his purpose. Some writers wrote more; others wrote less. But what if we could read it as one single story from beginning to end? This book does just that by combining the four reports of Jesus’ life into a single chronological story, using the easy-to-read text of the NIRV Bible. Take a new look at Jesus– his life, his miracles, and his teachings–and to come to your own conclusions about the carpenter from Nazareth.
This book was produced in collaboration with Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society).


How about a free Prayer Journal to go along with that:  Moms Mustard Seeds

One more thing. I love Bible Based Homeschooling. It has a wealth of great resources, and most of them - you guessed it - FREE. 

You can get all 3 of these books (PDF format) for free. Offer ends today - so act fast

Free eBooks

So that is the end of my free stuff offers for today. I hope you take advantage and enjoy. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Psalms 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2Worship the Lordwith gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3Know that the Lordis God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lordis good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Peace Out Yo!!! Which reminds me, the final season of Breaking Bad is now out. I cannot wait to watch it.