Thoughts for Thursday

Remember the tea kettle.  Though up to its neck in hot water, it continues to sing.

graphics from art.com

quote from Dave Ramsey’s book Pricele$$   Straight-Shooting, No-Frills Financial Wisdom

Book Giveaway!

Edit:  This drawing is now closed.  To see the winners, click here.

Would you like to win these books?

If you would like to enter Challies April giveaway, click on the book icon at the top right of the page!

Happy Anniversary

Happy 18th anniversary! (So I posted this a day late, I was busy yesterday!)

graphics from art.com

Blogging Hiatus

There are several reasons I could list for my blogging hiatus . . .  home studies, home school conference, spring cleaning, lack of blogging material, the insurmountable mountains of laundry, yard work, basic laziness, etc. etc. etc.  I could go on for pages, but I believe the biggest reason would be my new job!  I know, gasp, a home schooling mom is working???  How can this be?  Well, my family and I are gazelle intense (thanks Dave Ramsey), due to our goals for Financial Shape in 2008, so I have taken a paper route.  This has been the boost our finances need to work on the “baby steps” Dave Ramsey suggests! 

Having said this, there are so many things I could blog about due to my paper route!  You wouldn’t believe the funny things that happen!  Let’s just say, God’s created animals never leave me with a boring route!  I’ve been startled by a bird in a newspaper delivery tube, almost run over by a fleeing deer, the savior of a cat running from a pursuing fox, and the witness of several million rabbits trying their best to make me careen into a tree in order to miss them.  (Visual:  has anyone seen that commercial of the squirrel in the road?) 

God’s creation is amazing, and sometimes it takes a total change in a schedule to recognize that.  How often do we see things over and over so many times that we cease to praise God for it?  Each morning I praise the Creator for the wildlife I am priveledged to see, as well as the beautiful sunrise each day! 

graphics by art.com

Free True Lemon Samples

Get your free samples of True Lemon here.

Plus, if you are a blogger, you’ll want to take note of this note from Tammy:

I read about this deal in the True Lemon e-newsletter. Anyone who blogs about True Lemon free samples and links to their free sample page can get 15 free packets of True Lemon/Lime/Orange for doing so! Just email them with the link to your blog post and give them your name and address. Oh, and you get to choose which flavors you want, too!

The free sample page to link to is: http://truelemon.com/gratitude-sample.html

And the email address to contact them is: customercare AT truelemon DOT com.

Flooding

Southwest Missouri has had record rainfall in the past few days causing mass amounts of flooding!  Here are a few pictures of our area.

Job 37:1-7 “At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.

Spring Fever!

We are having a tough time around here with SPRING FEVER!  We are all wishing we were here!

 

(or I guess this would be more like it!  Here I am with a buddy!)

I LOVE this picture!  It hangs in the bathroom of the house we stay in when we go to Florida!   Oh such memories!

 Graphics from AllPosters.com

DVD Giveaway

Edit:  The drawing is now over! 

Tim Challies from Challies.com is giving away DVDs!  This month’s sponsor is Franklin Springs Family Media. Franklin Springs exists “to provide families with top-quality DVDs that set forth a vision for the fullness of a God-honoring family life.” Their vision “is focused squarely on providing a picture of the exciting reformation that’s happening in families across the country. It’s a world of courageous servant/leader fathers, nurturing mothers who embrace the nobility of raising children, and children who embody the joyous adventure of being raised in a unified family.” If you have read this blog for any length of time you’ll know that I have reviewed most of the existing Franklin Springs titles and have found them well worth owning and well worth viewing.

The Prizes

• First prize: Five Films Gift Pack: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story, Inherit the Land: Adventures on the Agrarian Journey, The Eden String Quartet: A Bountiful Blessing, A Journey Home, The Peasall Sisters: Family Harmony.
• Second prize: New Films Pack: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story, Inherit the Land: Adventures on the Agrarian Journey.
• Third Prize: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story.

Financial Shape in 2008 Update

(To read my initial post click here.)  After reading Dave Ramsey’s book and listening to his daily talk show on the radio, my husband and I are hooked!  Thanks Crystal for recommending this!  We are working on our “Baby Steps” and learning to think differently about money (well life in general)!  Onward and Upward! 

I’ve Been Tagged

Christy tagged me, so you are about to learn four things about me in several categories.

Four jobs I’ve had

1. Cashier at a grocery store
2. Real Estate Loan Processor
3. Office work/medical assistant at Orthopaedic office
4. Office Manager at Real Estate Development Company

Four movies I would watch over and over

1. Fiddler on the Roof
2. The Sound of Music
3. Facing the Giants
4. It’s a Wonderful Life

Four of my favorite foods

1. Pizza
2. Peanut butter cookies
3. Ice cream
4. Dove chocolates

Four TV shows I love to watch

1. Iron Chef
2. Dinner Impossible
3. The Biggest Loser (maybe due to the first two?)
4. Leave it to Beaver

Four places I’ve lived

1. Illinois
2. Missouri
3. Missouri
4. Missouri (boring huh?)

Four places I’ve been on vacation

1. Hawaii
2. Florida
3. Arizona
4. Colorado

Four Websites (Blogs) I visit daily

1. My Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey)
2. Money Saving Mom
3. Challies.com
4. Yahoo mail

Four places I’d rather be right now

1. On the beach
2. Riding a horse
3. In the mountains (we could combine 2 & 3)
4. Asleep

5 people I’m tagging

1. Megan
2. Cheryl
3. Nichole
4. Lizzykristine
5. Ashlyn