Emergency Budget

Just last week a family friend was notified that his work hours and income was being cut by 20%. It was taking effect immediately.

I learned last night that a good friend of my sister's was laid off this last week. Even at my own place of employment things are changing to accommodate the current economy and state of our nation.

Do you have an emergency budget in place for events such as these? If you don't I would recommend putting one into place.

Last week I shared how we created a budget with our current take home income. Today I want to share how we created our emergency budget.

Start with Your Basic Budget
Take your current budget and begin to cut. Take out every single thing you could possibly do without. What is the absolute minimum you need?

Get serious here. Assume that your income has cut to such a place that you are fighting to put food on your table. Get rid of all the fluff. Categories for clothes, gifts, vacations, internet, extracurricular activities, entertainment, etc. It could all go if it meant survival.

Don't forget to look at some of the more fixed categories. Our emergency budget shows a decreased dollar amount in our food category. If we needed to I could cut back on the amount and type of food we eat. It would also mean absolutely no eating out at any time.

What categories could you completely remove from your budget? What categories could you drastically cut?

Create an Emergency Budget
Once you know exactly what you would need to have to survive, create your new budget. Write it out. Put it on paper in black and white. Add it all together and figure out what the bare minimum is you need to make to maintain this budget before needing to consider selling a house, a car, or other items to survive. File it away for future use if necessary.
Be Prepared
Having an emergency budget has allowed for us to relax a bit more when it comes to the economy and our jobs. We have our emergency budget filed. We know where it is if we need to grab it.

It allows us to be more prepared for an unknown future. It takes away the decision making and cutting in a moment of potential crisis and sense of initial panic. We have made the decision ahead of time as to what exactly will need to happen when and if we ever have to face that situation.

We know exactly the minimum amount of money we will need to make each month before we would have to begin talking about selling our car or our house.

Many of you have already created a basic budget. If not, I hope you have started on one. If you missed my post last week it will walk you through the steps we used to create ours.

What about an emergency budget? Do you have one? Do you know exactly how much your income can potentially get cut before drastic changes would have to be made in your life? If you were needing to look for a new job, do you know the minimum you could hire on for and still survive with your emergency budget? Have you planned ahead so that decisions of what can and can't go don't have to be made in crisis mode?

If you do not have an emergency budget, I highly recommend creating one. It has helped put my mind at ease and not be so anxious as I watch the economy around me. I know what our plan is and that it can be put into place in a moment's notice if needed.

In Need of a Read

We've been talking and thinking. We've been praying and searching. We are wanting to do something, but not sure exactly just what.

We (myself and some friends) have contact with a young mom who we believe is obviously searching for truth. When she speaks of where and how she is searching, we are concerned. They are not paths of truth.

We have been praying about how to reach out to her. How to help her understand the words of truth that we have tried to convey to her.

She doesn't seem to be turned off by our words, but doesn't seem to be connecting with them either. We would like to recommend a book to her to read in hopes that it might put accepting Christ and living Him out on a day to day basis in yet another format for it to penetrate her level of understanding it all.

We completely know, understand and believe that the Holy Spirit alone is going to be the one to ultimately make it all clear to her. You'd better believe we are desperately praying to that end!

However, we thought if we could also give a book suggestion as part of the process, we would gladly do it. We are thinking a story format with truths throughout as part of the life process might be the preferred reading style for her.

Here' s our dilemma. We can't think of one. It needs to be a book that allows for basically no knowledge of salvation or the things of God, yet points directly to Him, His saving grace and working in our lives.

So we come to you for suggestions and recommendations... any ideas??

It's Official

As of today, we have a teenager in the house. Need I say more?

Happy 13th Birthday to our 5' 10" tall and continuing to grow son! What a blessing you are in our lives!

I've Been Interviewed

Linds started her interview with these words:

This is how it works.....if you would like me to interview you, leave me a comment saying you would like to take part, and I will email you 5 specific questions for you to answer. This is a great way to get to know people, and I am all about getting to know you all better.

It was fun to read her interview answers to the questions she had been given. It was a great way to get to know her better.

I didn't think this could be that difficult and might even be fun. I offered to be interviewed by Linds. I had no idea what type of questions I would get. Maybe simple ones like "What's your favorite color?" or "How many sisters do you have?".

Instead, I received these. The type that make my brain wake up and think... hard....

1. Who, outside your immediate family, has been the greatest influence on your life, and why?

My great Aunt Esther was a nurse who decided to go to India as a missionary. When she was sixty years old she had still never married.

I was drawn to her because of my own desire to be a nurse. As I would hear her stories and meet her at various family gatherings, I was always challenged by the fact that she gave up personal dreams to fulfill dreams for God. The fact that she chose her work in India instead of staying here in the states to meet a man, fall in love and have a family always stood out to me. She always chose a very financially simple (some might call poor) life to be able to continue her work.

Her life and story continued in the impact it had on me when she retired from nursing and mission work in India. She returned to the states and .... married. The godly man that she married was an inventor for John Deere tractors.

Though she had nothing when she returned to retire or live on for the final days of her life, money was not an issue for her in those final days. She had given all she had in her mission work, and God took care of her in the end.

Her story impressed on me that by giving all to God, we really get it all and then more. God does not forsake His own. He will look out for them each and every day of their lives... even in their last ones. She personified for me an active faith and complete dependence on God in all circumstances.

She has since gone to meet the Lord face to face.

2. What is your favourite month and why?

I am looking forward to Spring coming. I chose May as a month of Spring: The things I look forward to in the month of May:

*warm enough to head outside once again for my quiet times; cool morning... warm coffee
*cool evenings bundled in sweatshirts, roasting hot dogs and sipping hot chocolate around a bonfire... often with friends
* days warm enough to start getting my hands in the dirt, I'm not much of a gardener but I do like to get out there and pretend I am.
* the smells... How does one even begin to describe those warm, sweet inviting smells of spring?


3. If you could meet 3 other bloggers, who would they be and what would you want to talk about?

ALL of them! Oh wait, did you say just 3?? Of course I would love to reconnect with all my IWU friends. However, I assume you meant someone that I have not actually ever met in person.

My answer to this question would change at different moments in my life. This moment in my life I would most like to meet:

Mrs. Pear: This dear girl has been through so much in the past few months. From having a baby and then learning of physical issues with both of her young children. Her life recently has been filled with numerous doctor appointments, navigating treatment for her new baby and a handful of other things.

I would most like to meet her at her home. I would like to spend as much time as it took filling her freezer with meals, love on her babies, put my arms around her to encourage her, and tell her to take off for some time for herself (even if that meant a nap every day I was there!)

I would like to meet her to do whatever I could in my power to relieve her from just a small amount of the stress, energy and strength that daily life has demanded of her lately.

Next I would head to meet Sandy. We would talk about all things regarding family, soccer, dialysis (we both work in this field), the Pacific NW, teenagers, entertaining, writing, blogging and whatever other topic we found we had in common.

Finally I would head to CJoy's. She also has had a rough few months. She has a child with one of the same diagnosis as my daughter.

I would like to put my arms around this dear lady. I would like to have the time to encourage her, to hear her, to affirm her experiences and to just love on her and her little ones. I would like to take over for her also for just a short time so she could rejuvenate her own spirit and soul.

And then there would be... oh wait. I could only choose 3. Seriously, I would so enjoy meeting each and every one of you!! You are each one a special blessing in my life.

4. What is your favourite hobby,( apart from blogging!) and where did you learn to do it?
Music. All styles. I love me some good music! I enjoy taking the time to just sit at the piano and play. I enjoy music in the background of whatever I'm doing. Music is therapeutic for me and I take full advantage of the variety available to provide just that!

I started piano lessons when I was five years old. The family rule was that we had to continue lessons until we could pick up a hymnal and play any song on the spot. Needless to say I spent most of my childhood years in lessons.

Much as I did not care for it then, I am so very grateful now!! Thanks Dad and Mom!

5. What is the most important life lesson you have learned?

That it's not about me. You might be laughing but I am serious. I am constantly reminded that this life I live has nothing to do with me and everything to do with a much bigger picture. It has everything to do with God and what He chooses to do in and through me. It is all about Him and I am just a small player in the bigger picture of His story!

So there you have it. My interview from Linds. Since she sent these questions she has become a grandma for the first time. Why don't you head on over and congratulate her! (plus see pictures of the adorable little one she is now immersing herself in.)

Creating a Budget

When creating a budget, there are some guidelines that I have found helpful.

Brainstorm Category Ideas

When deciding what categories to include in your budget, you will want to include the entire family. Find out what each member feels is important. Learn what each person may want to spend money on. The more the members of the family feel heard, the more likely each one will be to try to work within the budget.

Categorize fixed vs. flexible

Once you have your budget categories listed, determine which ones are fixed. What expenses remain the same every month and are not changeable? These would be things such as your house payment, other debt payments, utilities, etc.

Prioritize Flexible Expenses

Once you have separated your categories into fixed and flexible expenses, you will want to look at your flexible categories. You may find it helpful to prioritize these. Which one does the family feel is most important to have in the budget verses what could they do without if they had to?

Assign Fixed Expenses

At this point you should know your monthly take home income. First focus on your fixed expenses. Write in next to the house payment exactly how much you need to pay out for that on a monthly basis. Do the same with all of your other fixed expenses.

Assign Flexible Expenses

Once your fixed category expenses have been assigned a dollar amount, determine how much money you have left each month to assign to the flexible categories. Again, together as a family, determine how much money to assign to each category every month.

Take the one you assigned as top priority and decide how much to put towards that on a monthly basis. As you work through these categories you may find you need to adjust the amounts put into first flexible categories to make more money for additional categories.

You may find that you do not have enough monthly income to meet the desires of what you are wanting to purchase. This is where you have to decide that a category may not be funded in your budget at this time.

During the times of not being able to fund a category, we have left it in our budget to remind us that it was a category we wanted to have money for someday. We just left the dollar value at zero until we could fund it without spending more than was coming in.

You may find that there is no extra money for any flexible accounts. Your income may be just enough to cover the fixed expenses. We have lived like this in months past. This does not make it easy.

Determine to not live beyond your means. Determine to get debts paid off. Once you pay off debts you have that money that is now freed to begin to put into your flexible expense categories.

When creating a budget...

* involve the entire family
* focus on fixed expenses first
* do not fund your budget for more money than is coming in
* determine to stick to your budget

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If you have never done a budget, here are the categories that in our budget to give you a starting point of what items you may want to include in yours.

tithe, savings, electric, water, sewer, heat, trash pickup, vet, gas, clothes, mortgage

Cell phone/ Internet: (We do not have a home phone line.)

Food & Household/ personal: (This includes all of our groceries and eating out. It also includes all personal hygiene items, toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies.)

Pets: (We fund the food and all needs for our pets, except fixed vet bills, from this category)

Car Expenses: (This money is saved and used towards car repairs and the purchase of a future car when needed. We buy our cars on a cash only basis so it is important to not dip into this category as it needs to build up quite large in the preparation of needing another car.)

Insurance (not health)

Health: (We only have major medical for insurance. This category funds that fixed monthly expense. It also covers the more flexible expenses such as all routine doctor visits, dentist visits, prescriptions, etc.)

School: (Our children are enrolled in private school. This funds the fixed tuition in addition to all school supplies and other needs related to school. It also covers all of our expenses related to homeschooling our daughter.)

The following categories are in our budget but are not able to be fully funded at this time. What we have chosen, as a family, to do instead is to create a misc. category that gets funded minimally on a monthly basis. We then determine which of these categories will spend that money at any given time...

Vacation, Gifts, Home Improvement, Adult Allowance
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Notice that we have made our tithe and savings a line item in our budget. To us, these categories are considered fixed expenses. They are not optional.

We have spent years defining and refining our budget. We still re-evaluate it every few months to keep it the most current it can be.

What I have shared here is just the personal way budgeting has worked for us.

Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial Ministries provide many tools, resources and budgeting information. You can learn what percent of your income certain expenses should be. You can find other sample budgets. They have a wealth of information available when it comes to budgeting.

If you have created a budget, stick to it. If you do not have a budget, it's not too late to create one!

Where are you when it comes to living on a budget? Is there anything you'd like to add or mention about creating a budget?

Lost Week

Excuse Me... could you please tell me where this last week went? I seem to have misplaced it.

If you happen to see it, would you please tell it that I'm looking for it. I could sure use some of it back...

Thank you!

Home

My children each had a friend spend the night. At about 10:30 pm my daughter's friend became a little teary. She missed her mommy. She longed for home.

I had her bring her blanket and come sit with me on the couch. The rest of the house was quiet. She and I talked about a variety of things. For almost an hour we sat, talked, laughed, and kept each other company. She was then ready for bed. I tucked her back in and began to settle down myself.

As I was lying awake for a time (to make sure she was truly settling it) I began to realize there are times I also long for home. Not my home of this world, but my eternal home.

There are times my routine changes enough to have me a bit concerned. There are moments of the quiet where my mind drifts to home, and I long for it. There are times I dream about the moment I am home.

In those times I find Jesus taking me by His side. During those moments I sit beside Him, snuggle in close and find, regardless of the time, I am kept company by my Lord. We sit, we talk, we laugh and we even sometimes cry. Regardless of my emotional state, I remember I am not alone in my wait.

It is good for me to be here now! There is a reason I am here. There are moments of fun and pleasure to be had here! For now, this is where I am to be.

But when the "morning" comes, when it is time to go home, these moments of "homesickness" will be gone.... forever! I will be home to stay.

John 14: 1-3 (Amplified)

"DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.

In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.

And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also."

The Cost of a Child

A few years ago the government calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,10 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock!? That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year
* $741.38 a month
* $171.08 a week
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be rich. Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last
* Glimpses of God every day
* Giggles under the covers every night
* More love than your heart can hold
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint
* carve pumpkins
* play hide-and-seek
* catch lightning bugs
* never stop believing in Santa Claus

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh
* watch cartoons
* go to Disney movies
* wish on stars

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof
* taking the training wheels off a bike
* removing a splinter
* filling a wading pool
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step
* first word
* first day of school
* first date
* first time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in home economics, teaching, shop, psychology, nursing, criminal justice and communications that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits,

So...one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!


--Sent to me from a friend

Life as a Delivery Driver

For a short time in our married lives my husband was employed as a police officer. It seemed he always had an interesting story. An amazing story. An unbelievable story. Life and work were not boring.

Now he is a self employed delivery driver. The exciting stories from his daily work have decreased drastically. Other than our recent snowstorms and his being out in in, the intensity and drama is not near what it used to be.

Neither of us mind this more boring way of life and work. Somehow it seems to fit us better. We find ways to generate other stories but they do not seem to come from his line of work... until recently.

If it wasn't my husband telling me the account, I would have been tempted to think it was being exaggerated. If I didn't trust his accurate repetition of things, I would be tempted to discount it.

One of the delivery's he was making couldn't just be left on the doorstep. It required a signature. He rang the bell. No different than many other stops in any given week. However, the response to the doorbell was quite unique.

The man answered.... without anything on his body... not even a sock. Let me just reiterate... he had nothing on!

Apparently he had the decency to apologize by saying, "Sorry, you caught me at a bad time."

UH? Ya think??

When he was telling me about this encounter, I had no response except to laugh, uncontrollably, as I pictured my husband standing on the porch in uniform... face to face... with that. UGH...

It appears life as a delivery driver is not as boring as one might think. I’m guessing that he is of the opinion that if this is the type of story it brings... boring is good!

My Valentine Heart Break

In case you hadn't noticed, today is Valentine's Day.

I am mindful that for some, many perhaps, today does not seem to be a day worth celebrating. I am conscious of the fact that today some people may find themselves feeling downright miserable.

Of course this is probably not uttered as much as it is experienced. When others are basking in flowers, chocolates and teddy bears, how could one possibly share of their own disappointments, rejections and loneliness?

A day focused on love and significance to another person somehow so easily gets distorted into meaning one must have a significant other to be celebrated.

You may be a reader today that is feeling lonely. You may feel rejected, wondering what's wrong with you. You may find yourself disappointed... yet again.

Just this week my 11 year old daughter said, "Mom, sometimes girls think they need a boyfriend to feel special."

My Heart Breaks This Valentine's Day!


I am saddened as I realize my daughter has already learned of this ugly lie that struggles to be passed off as truth. How is it that we so easily find ourselves looking to others to affirm our need for value?

It angers me to think of the energy that it takes to fight this lie. But I will do it. With everything in my being I will stand... and fight.

I know the personal fight within myself that this lie has generated. I know the battle that rages in the depths of my soul as I continue the war to sort truth from deception.

I refuse to let her be swept away in this horrible torrent of looking for and hoping in people to gain her value when that is a great lie.

I invite you to eavesdrop on some of the words we exchanged as we rode in the car together that evening... my beautiful daughter created in the image of God... and I.

You are significant.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

You are loved.
Jer. 31:3 (Message) "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!"

You matter.
John 3:16 (Amp) "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."

You are never forgotten.
Is. 49:16 (Amp) "Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands."

You are never alone.
Ps. 139: 11(Message)"Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!"


To each and every reader today... whether you classify yourself as having a significant other or not... may I have the honor and privilege of wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day...


all because of HIM!

Budget Defined

Time to do the budget…

Income this month: $200
Bills this month: $180
Left to spend: $20

Done with the monthly budget!
Let's Go Shopping!!

I used to think I had a budget. In college I would take all of my money that came in for a month, figure out all of the expenses or bills I would have to pay out that month, and then the rest (if anything was left) I considered spending money. I have learned.... this was not a working budget.

In fact, that method was more of living paycheck to paycheck. That is also not a budget.

There are a couple of things I found helpful to know before sitting down to create a budget.

Know the Bottom Line

This allows you to know your current spending habits and practices. These values do not necessarily dictate what the dollar value will be in any particular category in your budget. It lets you know where you have been. It also gives a picture of what areas you may be able to cut or manipulate to accommodate for other areas.
Know Your Take Home Income

This is a must when creating a budget. A budget should allow you to live within your means. Knowing how much money you have to distribute to various budget categories allows you to know what you have to work with. You do not want to plan and overspend what you have coming in verses what you will be paying out.

If you are like us and find yourself self employed and/or are commission salary based only, this is a bit more complicated. What we have done is to take the income over a given period of time and average it. This will mean that your budget will not use near all the money in a high paying month, but you need to leave it set aside to compensate for the month without as much income.

Have a Managing System in Place

You will need some type of system to manage your budget. It could be as simple as ledger paper. It could be an electronic spreadsheet or even a specific budget program. Regardless of the system that you choose, you will want it to be something you can follow month to month and that is not too time consuming for you.

The more time you have to spend organizing and re-acquainting yourself to your budget system every time, the more likely you will be not to stick to your budget.

Recognize There Should be Money Left in the Budget

A budget should be proactive. There should be categories allowing for future expenses coming. Are you putting money aside for car repairs and even the next car when it is needed? A budget should allow you to do just that.

It should also help prepare for future taxes, home repairs, birthdays, Christmas, vacations and other expected expenses you know will be coming but aren’t routine. Putting a little money aside each month alleviates having to put larger amounts of money into something when you are least expecting it.

Create a budget.

Have a budget.

Use a budget.

Stick to your budget.

It seems we hear these phrases so often when it comes to money. However, we don't often hear or see the working definition of a budget. Somehow, everyone is supposed to know what one is, be able to create it, and then use it.

The budget plan I opened this post with from my college days is no longer the plan we have in place. Next Friday I will give you a glimpse into our personal working budget.

Maybe you don't even have a budget. Maybe you do but it could use a bit more defining. Maybe it's time to re-look at your current budget.

Whatever state you find yourself in, this is going to get fun!

Jump... Participate

I was supposed to leave. I had received my cue. I had reached my goal. It was time to move on. But I just couldn't...

There were people everywhere. People continued running from all directions. The crowds were pressing in. The voices were growing louder.

They had seized him and were trying to kill him. They were beating him. It was so out of control soldiers were called in. The entire city was in an uproar.

When the soldiers arrived the crowd stopped beating him. Still he was arrested and bound with chains. The shouting from the crowd continued so much that truth could not be sorted out. It was ordered that my friend be taken to away to jail.

While being led away the violence of the mob was so great the soldiers had to carry him. The crowd continued their shouting. When they reached the steps of the building, my friend then asked permission to speak. He was granted permission.

In that moment, I noticed the time had come for me to leave. But how could I?

As bodies crushed together in anger and hungry for blood and violence, how could I leave my friend? As shouting and accusations flew, how could I turn and walk away? In the middle of all of this, he had requested to speak. He had received permission. He had silenced the crowd.

My heart was beating quickly. My curiosity intensified. I wanted to hear what he had to say as much as anyone in that crowd. In the moment of that permission granted, how could I now leave only to come back later??

I couldn't! I stayed. I drank in every word he spoke. What would one say to a crowd that was eager for his very life to be ended? What words would be shared with those only moments earlier who had been beating him?

Was that blood on their clothes from the beating? Was that blood still dripping from him due to the beating? As he stood in chains what would be his message?

I continued on. I listened. I heard. I became part of the very crowd that day. I felt the bodies pressing in around me. I heard the shouting ringing in my ears. I saw the bloody, bruised and beaten man standing on the steps sharing his message. I participated. I jumped in.


When was the last time you participated? When was the last time you jumped right into the pages and took part? When were you last part of the crowd? When did you last allow yourself the ability to take on the sights, smells, sounds and surroundings of that moment?

The story recounted above was part of my Bible reading in Acts. The plan for the day was to stop at chapter 22, but when I arrived, I just couldn't.

Paul was about to speak just moments after being beaten by a crowd with a goal of ending his very life. It was so bad the soldiers and commander himself arrived on the scene.

I found myself in the middle of the events that day. I heard the crowd. I felt their bodies in violent anger pressing around me. My heart was beating a bit faster. I was on the edge of my seat.

I made myself forget the end of the story and became part of that very moment. Jerusalem became real. The people became real. The shouting and rioting became real. The beating became real. The soldiers became real. Paul became real. God became real.

If it has been awhile since you have remembered yourself that the accounts in the Bible are just as real as the accounts of today, let yourself be reminded. They are not just stories in a book. They are not fairy tales or make believe.

They happened in the same span of seconds, minutes, hours, days and years that we now experience. We have the outcomes. They didn't in those moments just as we don't in ours.

I'm sure some of their moments seemed to last forever. I'm sure some of their days seemed they would never end. I believe that some of their moments flew by while other's required much waiting, perseverance and determination.

Do you want a bit of excitement for today? Do you want a bit of a challenge to your own heart? Do you want to meet a new friend or two? Do you want the pages to come alive? Do you want God's Word to be real?

Head to the Bible and jump in. Become part of that moment. You won't be sorry. It may just be one of the greatest adventures you ever have!

Are you the least bit curious as to what Paul's words were that day? Do you wonder what he said as he stood before a violent, restless, shouting mob of people wanting to end his life with their bare hands? Are you interested to know what a bleeding, beaten man would want to share with a group eager for his death?

Open a Bible to Acts chapter 22 and find out. But first... don't forget to jump in and be part of the crowd! Participate!!

Making Strawberry Freezer Jam

When you peer into my freezer, pre-made meals are not the only thing you will find.

In fact, my freezer has been stocked with jam long before it was ever introduced to pre-made meals.

If truth be told... I married into freezer jam. It was the main type of jam my husband grew up eating. Once I tried it I was a convert. YUM!!

I have since learned how to make strawberry freezer jam. If I can do this...

You Can Do This!

I used to think freezer jam couldn't be made without fresh berries. How does one keep the family stocked in the off season?

I learned I could buy and use frozen whole berries. I put them in the freezer taking them out to thaw when I am ready to make jam.

The other benefit to using frozen berries is that there is no need to wash or prep the berries. Of course fresh would probably taste the very best, but these are a close second and require much less time.

I have even been known to use frozen when fresh are in season due to the time it saves!


Ingredients Needed


Two 4 pound bags of strawberries will make 3 batches of jam.

In addition to your berries and sugar, the only other ingredient you need to make strawberry freezer jam is pectin.

Do not fear. I had no idea what pectin was or how to use it until I found myself attempting to fill the request for homemade strawberry freezer jam.

The pectin comes in a box that looks quite similar to jello. (Shh... don't tell my family I switched to the low sugar recipe with my last batch. They didn't seem to notice.)

The pectin is found with the canning supplies at my store. You will need one box of pectin for every batch of jam you plan to make.


The Recipe

You don't need to worry about obtaining a recipe or wonder where to file it for future use. Every box of pectin comes with the recipe every single time. It has the recipe for a variety of berries.

It will tell you exactly how much fruit you need to how much sugar. It also gives exact step by step instructions for making the jam itself.


Supplies Needed

The only supplies needed are basic ones. Did you notice the plastic container in the lower right hand corner? You might have guessed it.

That is a ziploc/glad style storage container (4 cup size) that I put the jam into once mixed. I put the lid on and then put it straight into the freezer. No special containers required.


Time to get started.


I put my berries in the blender. This is where your family's individual preferences will come in.

The pectin recipe instructs to leave chunks of berry in the jam, but my family prefers smooth jam with no chunks. That makes it easy for me. I just blend it to a thick consistency but not completely liquefied. (Note: Blending the berries with no chunks will lead to a much softer consistency (set) of the jam.)

You could use a food processor for this as well.
Follow the pectin instructions exactly. Do not add or take away from the amount of berries, sugar or pectin used. It could affect the final set (consistency) of the jam.

The Time it Takes

Once your berries are ready it does not take much time at all. You bring the pectin (with water) to a boil stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Mix into your berries for approximately one minute. Pour into your containers.

Done!


8 pounds of frozen whole strawberries made these 6 containers (2 batches) of strawberry freezer jam...


Plus This...

I ran out of containers so I prepped the last of the fruit. It was enough for another batch of strawberry jam. I put it into a quart sized ziploc freezer bag. It is now in my freezer for the next time I am ready to make jam.

I can now do an entire batch of jam without the need to dirty my blender! That will be a quick process indeed. No complaining here...


In the summer we use the fresh raspberries from our raspberry bushes and make raspberry jam using the same process and pectin recipe for raspberries. I have even given some of the fresh raspberry jam to neighbors and friends.

Have you ever made jam? What type of berries did you use? Do you use a cook method or the freezer method?

Making homemade strawberry freezer jam works for me! Head over to Shannon's for other great ideas.

Our Third Child

I have only ever spoken here at My Quiet Corner of our two children. However, there has been a third child in our hearts for the past 4 years.

We have pictures of our boy hanging on the fridge. We have written to our boy. He has written to us. We have sent cards, stickers and balloons. We have sent money for his birthday and for Christmas. That is what they asked us to do instead of gifts. Adults then helped him shop for things he needed. One year at Christmas, he bought tennis shoes as his prized possession.

His letter after that oozed of excitement and appreciation as he told us about his tennis shoes. Our children get shoes on a regular basis. He considered his a great gift worth treasuring.

We have never met our third child, but we pray for him. It is a blessing to hear his name flowing from the mouths of my children. They speak of him as naturally as any other family member.

We have found his location on our globe. My children know that as they are going to bed ending their day, he is waking and beginning his day.

When we decided to sponsor a child, we opted to not choose one. We let one be given to us with the greatest need. We were assigned our special boy.

When we first learned of him, we thought he was the same age as our son. We later learned he is actually a bit older. We now had a teenager! :-)

Having him in our lives has blessed us beyond measure. To know that our hearts and prayers span the globe across the many miles connecting with him is almost too much to comprehend.


Some time ago we received notice that our child had left the school where he was staying and attending. He was offered work from an outside source and decided to take it rather than to remain at the school.

This meant we would no longer be sending our money for him. This meant there would be no further correspondence with him. However, this did not mean that our prayers would stop for him.

His picture still hangs on our fridge. His name is still uttered in our prayers. His place in our hearts remains a special one. He became our third child for what seems like such a brief moment in our lives... and we will not forget him.

In Need of New Reads

I confess. It has been awhile since I have added a new blog to my feed reader. I have settled into my routine and left it at that.

I'd like to remedy this situation. I know there are wonderful reads out there that I am missing out on. My bloglines needs to work a bit more.

Tell me, who have you found that I should check out? What blog/s do you know of that I might be missing?

If you are a blogger that has been coming to My Quiet Corner but has never left a comment so I can stop by and visit your place, please do not be shy in doing so. I would enjoy heading over to "meet" you.

I'm in need of some new reads. I'm counting on you to help me!

Did You Go or Did You Stay?

Today is the day. Many of our blogging friends are descending upon Nashville and gathering together, live and in person, spending the entire weekend together at the Blissdom Conference.

I have never met a blogging friend face to face. E-mails, yes. Phone calls, yes. But to actually see them face to face, not yet.

As much as I would have loved to attend this event and do just that, I was not able to go. I had to stay.

Have you ever met a blogging friend face to face? What about a phone call?

And finally... I'm wondering who is spending their weekend in Nashville with so many blogging buddies?

Did you go or did you stay?

Conversations of the Wii

As a family, we saved our money and bought a Wii. First let me explain for those not familiar with the Wii. You create little people called Mii's that are then you when playing the games. During play, there are other created Mii's in the background to give the feeling of a crowd.

With having a Wii in our home, a whole new conversation style has emerged.

I heard, "There goes daddy!" and I came into the room looking out of the window eagerly expecting my husband had arrived home early from work. No such luck. His Mii was just on the Wii in the background of a game that was being played.

My in-laws came over and created their Mii's one evening for a family bowling tournament. Because they now exist in the system, they are players in baseball even when they aren't physically present. Comments such as, "I wonder how quick Gram is?" and "Oh yeah, Grandpa is pretty good!" broke forth during a recent baseball game.

"Look at Mom run!" was excitedly proclaimed during another baseball game while I was in the kitchen. The first thoughts into my head were, "No, please don't. "

Then the most unusual of all. Hubby created his Mii with the name of Daddio. My son created a Mii that is completely backward of what any human would or should look like. He named him weirdo. Thus, the conversation recently heard among my children.

Daughter: "What's the difference between Weirdo and Daddio?

Son: Weirdo has his eyes above his eyebrows."

With having a Wii in our home, a whole new conversation style has emerged.

Do you have a Wii? Have you also encountered this new conversation style? What have been some of the Wii conversations in your home?

From a Closet to a Chair

I was gifted with a keepsake I will forever treasure. It is one of those keepsakes that I want to pass down to my children. I treasure the gift so greatly that I didn't want to use it for fear of ruining it.

It sat in my dark closet, safe and protected, being hidden. Every now and then I would go to that closet, pull it out, admire it, and then return it for safekeeping. Until I came up with an idea...

My grandmother embroidered me a set of pillow cases. I treasured them so much I couldn't stand the thought of using them.


Now I see them everyday. I am able to treasure them and be reminded of the love that went into them without digging into a dark closet only to return them moments later.

The pillowcases themselves were not what held the treasure for me. It was the handiwork done instead. I took my treasured embroidered pillow cases and made throw pillows out of them.
The embroidered part remained completely intact. I even used part of the finished pillowcase end to close the top of the pillow. One of them has buttons, one does not. I allowed a bit of creativity take over.

I cut a strip of the checked material I had selected for the back to put across the front and fringed it just a bit to add texture.

These now sit on a chair in my bedroom. They are in full view daily to remind me of this special person in my life and the time she took to give me such a treasured gift of herself. The careful detail never seems to lose its beauty.


Now if I could just find something to do with the set of 7 dishtowels for each day of the week that she also embroidered to give to me.

As you might have guessed, they remain tucked in the back of my kitchen drawer. Fear of ruining them keeps them tucked away except for the times I pull them out to admire them, only to once again tuck them deep into safekeeping.


Any ideas of what I could do to visibly treasure them daily and still be able to pass down someday?

Turning embroidered pillowcases into throw pillows worked for me. Be sure to head over to Shannon's for other great ideas.

Offering Hope

With tears filling my eyes I sat thinking to myself, "Now this is what living is all about."

I saw this clip here. The first viewing brought tears to my eyes. The second time I watched it tears were streaming down my face.

I encourage you to watch it. You won't be sorry!

(It may take a few seconds to load.)

What one thing could I do today to offer hope to another, if even in a small way? I'll be watching for an opportunity...

The Common Thread

Critical Spirit

Pride

Anger

Frustration

Judgment

Gossip

Impatience

Laziness

Perfectionism

Greed

Jealousy



The Common Thread...

Selfishness



An area of my heart focus. An area for personal improvement.

Psalms 94: 18-19

(AMP) "When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! "

(Message) "The minute I said, 'I'm slipping, I'm falling,' your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up."


You can read more about "Precious Promises" HERE.