HI! :-)
This is Hunter, and I want to tell you about a special treat we got. We went to Costco, and were able to pick what we wanted to have for dinner. Also,it was great, because no matter the price, no matter what it was, (except some things mom mentioned earlier) we could choose-well,anything! (I said I wanted a flat-screen TV,but you can't eat that) When mom & dad told us at lunchtime,I already knew what I wanted. When I was sick about two weeks ago, mom got the mail and I saw a coupon magazine for Costco products. I saw a coupon that showed a big jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans, and I was like,"I want those," so today I took advantage of that, and got the Jelly beans I longed for. The whole family (even mom [cough,cough]) enjoyed them. It had 49 flavors, including: Dr.Pepper, A&W Root Beer & Cream Soda, and Sunkist flavors too, like orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, lemon, and lime. The yuckiest one is Cappuccino (Yucchy). I am just happy to have what I got this evening.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Sky's the Limit--Morgan's thoughts
Hello world!!!!! I feel famous being the daughter of someone with a blog, that numerous people read. I'm so excited 4 the world 2 meet meeeee!!!! (Morgan <3 ).
Anywayyys, (I try 2 stay focused but, it usually doesn't work. Oh, well....) my selection was quesadillas.or quesadillaaaaaas,as my dad calls them. My mom (Chanty) picked breaded tilapia but, at the last minute decided 2 get red velvet cake with cream cheese icing (there's only 1 thing left 2 do..... Reeeeed Robin,Yuuuuuuuum!!!) L8r, she's like,"Aaaaah, I'll stick with my fish."(I'm still mad at her 4 that "stunt" she pulled)
Weeeell, it was nice 2 have free realm 4 once. I luuuuuuuved it!!!!!!! (just like the night we could have any sweet we wanted, but that's a whoooole nother story)
I'll let Hunter post his experience next.
Stay tuned 4 the next episode of "The Sky's the Limit - Part 3" Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!!!!!
Anywayyys, (I try 2 stay focused but, it usually doesn't work. Oh, well....) my selection was quesadillas.or quesadillaaaaaas,as my dad calls them. My mom (Chanty) picked breaded tilapia but, at the last minute decided 2 get red velvet cake with cream cheese icing (there's only 1 thing left 2 do..... Reeeeed Robin,Yuuuuuuuum!!!) L8r, she's like,"Aaaaah, I'll stick with my fish."(I'm still mad at her 4 that "stunt" she pulled)
Weeeell, it was nice 2 have free realm 4 once. I luuuuuuuved it!!!!!!! (just like the night we could have any sweet we wanted, but that's a whoooole nother story)
I'll let Hunter post his experience next.
Stay tuned 4 the next episode of "The Sky's the Limit - Part 3" Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!!!!!
The Sky's the Limit
After getting our income tax refund, one of the things that Ross and I decided to do was to give the kids a "no limits" day at Costco. Usually when we shop at Costco, it is for a few choice things:
1. Soy milk (our youngest has a milk allergy)
2. Allergy medicine
3. Gas
4. Free samples :-)
Our desire was to show them a lesson in how generous God is with His children by being generous to them. Of course we had to set some rules, but a limit on how much they could spend was not one of them. We decided that they could pick whatever food item that they wanted in order to make a meal for this evening. They could not pick caffeinated beverages and each of them got to choose one item. If they knew ahead of time what they wanted to pick out, they could not tell each other what they were picking so as not to influence each other. We just wanted them to get what their hearts desired without having someone else's selection influence them.
I enjoyed the experience myself, in particular being able to browse through the high end foods and know that I could choose whatever I wanted to eat. I was even okay with the grand total, as it was actually under the budgeted amount that we had initially expected. However, my flesh did ache when I saw that we had a coupon for one of the items we purchased but didn't realize it until after we had bought it. I said something to Ross in the van. "I'm not even worried about it," he said. "We are under budget anyway." I really wanted to go and get my $1.50 back. Oh, well...
We ended up having a meal of breaded tilapia (my selection), italian sausage lasagna (Ross's choice), Dr. Pepper (Blaise our youngest's choice), and...for the older two, stay tuned as they will be blogging about their selections and thoughts.
1. Soy milk (our youngest has a milk allergy)
2. Allergy medicine
3. Gas
4. Free samples :-)
Our desire was to show them a lesson in how generous God is with His children by being generous to them. Of course we had to set some rules, but a limit on how much they could spend was not one of them. We decided that they could pick whatever food item that they wanted in order to make a meal for this evening. They could not pick caffeinated beverages and each of them got to choose one item. If they knew ahead of time what they wanted to pick out, they could not tell each other what they were picking so as not to influence each other. We just wanted them to get what their hearts desired without having someone else's selection influence them.
I enjoyed the experience myself, in particular being able to browse through the high end foods and know that I could choose whatever I wanted to eat. I was even okay with the grand total, as it was actually under the budgeted amount that we had initially expected. However, my flesh did ache when I saw that we had a coupon for one of the items we purchased but didn't realize it until after we had bought it. I said something to Ross in the van. "I'm not even worried about it," he said. "We are under budget anyway." I really wanted to go and get my $1.50 back. Oh, well...
We ended up having a meal of breaded tilapia (my selection), italian sausage lasagna (Ross's choice), Dr. Pepper (Blaise our youngest's choice), and...for the older two, stay tuned as they will be blogging about their selections and thoughts.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
I'm Expecting!!!
I thought that title would get you to read this entry :-) No, I'm not expecting a baby. I am expecting God to do a miracle. Let me explain.
Five years ago, I decided to start walking in my neighborhood for exercise. The path that I walk takes me past all of the houses in our development twice as I go in a loop down the hill, through a little plaza, and back up again. The end of the walk brings me back to the cul-de-sac in which we live. Instead of ending at my house, I felt that God wanted me to walk around the cul-de-sac seven times every time that I walk. In this way, I display the same faith that Joshua and the Israelites did when they trusted that marching around Jericho seven times on the seventh day would give them the city (Joshua 6:15).
So for the five years that I have been walking, I have ended my walk with circling the cul-de-sac seven times. Occasionally, I would pray for specific people in the neighborhood. But always I would do the seven circles. Not until recently have I thought about how God has been faithful to His promise to me. He has given me relationship after relationship in my neighborhood. Neighbors have entered my life without me even having to initiate. As we get to know each other, I have seen their attention and even their lives turned to the Lord because of what they see in me. One neighbor even remarked that he heard about me through his wife and regrets having lived in the neighborhood so long without getting to know me and my family.
The seven circles had become such a routine that I forgot what they were about. I forgot to expect God to keep His promise. No more. Every day I will make it a routine to expect God to do a miracle!
Five years ago, I decided to start walking in my neighborhood for exercise. The path that I walk takes me past all of the houses in our development twice as I go in a loop down the hill, through a little plaza, and back up again. The end of the walk brings me back to the cul-de-sac in which we live. Instead of ending at my house, I felt that God wanted me to walk around the cul-de-sac seven times every time that I walk. In this way, I display the same faith that Joshua and the Israelites did when they trusted that marching around Jericho seven times on the seventh day would give them the city (Joshua 6:15).
So for the five years that I have been walking, I have ended my walk with circling the cul-de-sac seven times. Occasionally, I would pray for specific people in the neighborhood. But always I would do the seven circles. Not until recently have I thought about how God has been faithful to His promise to me. He has given me relationship after relationship in my neighborhood. Neighbors have entered my life without me even having to initiate. As we get to know each other, I have seen their attention and even their lives turned to the Lord because of what they see in me. One neighbor even remarked that he heard about me through his wife and regrets having lived in the neighborhood so long without getting to know me and my family.
The seven circles had become such a routine that I forgot what they were about. I forgot to expect God to keep His promise. No more. Every day I will make it a routine to expect God to do a miracle!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Best Day Ever!
Today was a fabulous day--really! I turned 38 today. Many people would balk over this. But I am excited to have another year of life. I am still glowing over my birthday gifts. They included:
1. A sunny day with 74 degree weather in the middle of March
2. Breakfast with a friend
3. Answer to a prayer just prayed the day before
4. A bouquet of flowers
5. Spending time outside in our cul-de-sac with the neighbors
6. Playing frisbee with the neighborhood kids
7. Dinner with my family
Can't wait to see what 39 years has in store :-)
1. A sunny day with 74 degree weather in the middle of March
2. Breakfast with a friend
3. Answer to a prayer just prayed the day before
4. A bouquet of flowers
5. Spending time outside in our cul-de-sac with the neighbors
6. Playing frisbee with the neighborhood kids
7. Dinner with my family
Can't wait to see what 39 years has in store :-)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Good News!
The other day I heard about a really good sale. Clothes for $2.00 at Penny's! My friend told me at the bus stop and even brought out the evidence to show me all the deals she got. As I ran down my list aloud of who all I could tell about it, she checked each person off. "Nope, told them." "Already let them know." "Just sent her a text."
Our family went to the sale and loaded up on clothes for the boys and for my husband. Then, a couple days later, my sister called me. While we were talking she told me that she was at the store looking for clothes her son. The store she was at had a sale on pjs for $4.99.
"Oh, no," I told her, "you need to go to Penny's. They are running a $2.00 sale. We just went the other day and got a whole bunch of stuff for the boys."
"Really?!" she exclaimed. "What all did they have?"
I told her about the things that we purchased and what I saw for her son. At one point while I was speaking with her, she informed me that she was putting back the clothes that she had picked up in the store, walking to her car, and driving to Penny's. Then she asked a question that I myself still don't have the answer to:
"Why didn't you tell me about it before now?"
Funny, even while I was in Penny's shopping, I did think about calling her. I thought about my nephew and how cute he'd look in some of the clothes. But I didn't take the initiative to call my sister and tell her the good news. Can you feel where I'm going with this?...How many times have we seen someone that we care about in despair, suffering, making wrong choices, hanging with the wrong crowd, and not done anything about it? As a Christian, I carry the good news of Jesus Christ inside of me. My living is for no other reason than to lead people to Him. But instead I get absorbed in "shopping" for myself. Making my life a priority and calling anything that takes me away from my life a distraction.
The Bible calls a relationship with Jesus "Good News". It is "good" because He is the best gift that we will ever know. It is "news" because people need to be told. Who needs to tell them? You and me. It's up to us to use the the example of our own lives. My neighbor showed me what she got from the store. In the same way, our behavior shows people who don't know Jesus what He looks like. When they see our lives and hear our testimony ('I got 10 outfits for $8!' or 'I forgave my brother for what he did to me'), it moves them to drop what they are doing (like my sister who put her clothes back, like your best friend who curses) and follow us to Jesus.
Our family went to the sale and loaded up on clothes for the boys and for my husband. Then, a couple days later, my sister called me. While we were talking she told me that she was at the store looking for clothes her son. The store she was at had a sale on pjs for $4.99.
"Oh, no," I told her, "you need to go to Penny's. They are running a $2.00 sale. We just went the other day and got a whole bunch of stuff for the boys."
"Really?!" she exclaimed. "What all did they have?"
I told her about the things that we purchased and what I saw for her son. At one point while I was speaking with her, she informed me that she was putting back the clothes that she had picked up in the store, walking to her car, and driving to Penny's. Then she asked a question that I myself still don't have the answer to:
"Why didn't you tell me about it before now?"
Funny, even while I was in Penny's shopping, I did think about calling her. I thought about my nephew and how cute he'd look in some of the clothes. But I didn't take the initiative to call my sister and tell her the good news. Can you feel where I'm going with this?...How many times have we seen someone that we care about in despair, suffering, making wrong choices, hanging with the wrong crowd, and not done anything about it? As a Christian, I carry the good news of Jesus Christ inside of me. My living is for no other reason than to lead people to Him. But instead I get absorbed in "shopping" for myself. Making my life a priority and calling anything that takes me away from my life a distraction.
The Bible calls a relationship with Jesus "Good News". It is "good" because He is the best gift that we will ever know. It is "news" because people need to be told. Who needs to tell them? You and me. It's up to us to use the the example of our own lives. My neighbor showed me what she got from the store. In the same way, our behavior shows people who don't know Jesus what He looks like. When they see our lives and hear our testimony ('I got 10 outfits for $8!' or 'I forgave my brother for what he did to me'), it moves them to drop what they are doing (like my sister who put her clothes back, like your best friend who curses) and follow us to Jesus.
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