I am ashamed....

Utterly ashamed....we, as a whole, are never fully satisfied...we want more more more. More toys, newer toys, better cars, better clothes...we buy and buy and buy.  Only to do what, sell what was "last year" at a yard sale for a quarter when it probably cost WAY more than that.  

My Wednesday night girls, at church, are hosting a yard sale fundraiser for our family.  I'm so incredibly grateful for their willingness to donate items, bake goodies, work the sale, haul it off when it doesn't sell...I truly am.  On the flip side, as I go through my house, thinking I have nothing to contribute....well, I have tons to contribute and even more in garbage bags.  There is no telling how much money I've spent in ink and paper to print off half the crap that I "can't" throw away.  Well, today...I'm throwing it away.  I have4 garbage bags full of stuff and a whole bunch more that is stacked and ready to contribute to our fundraiser.

It is embarrassing how many things I have, that I don't use, but intend to keep because I "might need it" one day.  Why would one person need 3 sets of placemats?  I have 2 tables...these placemats have been put in the closet for the last 3 yrs.  Seriously, am I gonna use them, uh...no.  I'm not.  Who has time to put down placemats anyway.  I have good intentions of things looking pretty, but we also know that the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions.  

I cleaned off my Bible shelf (literally 2 shelves of Bibles)...WHO NEEDS THAT MANY BIBLES?  There are some that I will keep, the kids Bibles we bought when they were babies and ones that Bart and I had from growing up...but seriously....2 Life Application Study Bibles, 2 Chronological Study Bibles, an Archaelogical one, an Apologetics one, an Inspiring one, Jewish Bible, KJV, MANual, Couples, Rainbow....WHO NEEDS THIS MANY?  I was blowing the dust off of them :/  I have one I keep upstairs for my QT, one I take to church and one little one I keep in my purse to read on break.  The rest....would be considered shelf dressing.  "Look how good I am because I have so many Bibles."  Look a little closer and you'll notice that the binding hasn't even been broken in.  **no, these Bibles will not be sold, they will be given away for free**

There are about a dozen scarves, a dozen mismatched gloves and hats, flat sheets never used, pictures frames never touched...all of this is CRAP.  I want my home to reflect my heart.  When there is this much clutter in my home, that is a picture of my heart.  I need "crap" to fill my heart (so I think).  I don't need the crap, I  need the ONE TRUE GOD.  I need to learn what is important.  When I want to buy something else that is completely useless...fine...take the money you'd spend on that useless item, but it in a jar and send items or that money to orphanages.  Donate money to Dhera for pipes to bring those people clean water.  Take it to Nashville, to the Bridge Street Ministry and buy a homeless person some shoes.  Go to Marcella's Kitchen and donate that money for food to feed the homeless, right here in your own community.

I am ashamed.  I'm choosing, through the example of Christ to get the crap out of my house and my heart and putting it towards the kingdom that matters.

Fun Day

I decided that I would cook today.  I miss cooking.  Lately, I've struggled with depression, to the point of not being able to function.  I've done the things that I have to do (ie work, bathe, breathe) but as for anything else, it has been hard.  Very very hard.

It is a gorgeous day and by gorgeous I mean God really has outdone Himself.  Blue skies, gentle breeze, lovely temperatures, things are blooming, birds are chirping and the cardinal, who has unsuccessfully tried to entire our home for the last 2 yrs, is still there and wanting in.  

I feel at peace.  I haven't been at peace in so long that I've almost forgotten what that feeling is like.  Don't get me wrong, chaos is still swirling around me.  Abinet is still not home, work is busier than ever, kids are struggling, Catfish is still having a hard time with his speech and learning, G is just G and RAD sucks....and the list goes on an on.  

Anyway, this post has nothing to do with cooking LOL....I wanted to cook and cook I did!  I have made:

Breakfast Casserole
2 lbs. of bacon

French Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Corn on the cob
Rolls
Roasted vegetables

Hamburgers/Hotdogs
Fries

French Fry Casserole
Green beans
Roasted potatoes
Mac and cheese

Beef Stir Fry
Rice

Chicken Alfredo
Garlic Bread

Baked Chicken
Corn on the cob
Peas
Mac & Cheese


Alice's Chicken
Lima Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Rolls


Spaghetti
Garlic Bread


I still have a few things left to cook, but that is all I've done, so far.  I'm pretty tickled that the kids will have home cooked meals, by me, even when I'm not home.  Makes me happy.  I do enjoy being happy.

New Pics of my boy

Blurb

So one of my 101 things was to organize my pictures.  I have some pictures in a tub, which I will need to get books for (and time)...those can sit there for a bit because I have an OBSCENE amount of pictures on my computer and 3 (yes I said, 3) flashdrives :/

Through another blog that I frequent (http://bakersdozen.typepad.com) I read about a site called blurb.com  It is an online scrapbook that you can make into books.  It isn't that expensive to do and it would be nice to see our lives chronicled in books for the kids to look at.  Money is always an issue, but at least while I'm waiting on the money side to come through, I can certainly be placing my pics in the books.

Another thing I'm working on crossing off my list.

#75 Movies List

A - Ace of Hearts (good Christian movie)
B -
C - Cheaper by the Dozen (the original movie) NOTHING like the original!
D -Dear John (great movie)
E - Eye for Eye (bad bad movie)
F - Fantastic 4:  The Rise of the Silver Surfer (alright)
G - Gnomeo and Juliet (great family friendly movie)
H -
I - Modern Family
J - Last Man Standing
K - Kung Fu Panda 2 (cute kids movie)
L - Listen to Your Heart (excellent movie)
M - Madea Goes to Jail (slightly painful in the beginning)
N - New in Town (Great movie)
O - The Other Guys (funny because of its stupidity)
P - Person of Interest
Q - The Chicago Code
R - Robin Hood:  Men in Tights (quite stupid)
S - Shutter Island (great movie)
T - Tornado Valley (great family movie)
U - Undercover Blues (corny but funny)
V -  Unknown
W - What If...... (great Christian movie)
X -  Raising Hope
Y - Young Sherlock Holmes (painful to endure)
Z - The Spy Next Door (great great family movie) 

# 8 Dave Ramsey Baby Steps

Here's the process:

Baby Step 1

$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen. Learn more

Baby Step 2

Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first. Learn more

Baby Step 3

3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund. Learn more

Baby Step 4

Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth. Learn more

Baby Step 5

College funding for children

By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now. Learn more

Baby Step 6

Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments. Learn more

Baby Step 7

Build wealth and give!

It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It's really the only way to live! Learn more

101 things in 1001 Days

Starting date:  April 9, 2010 
Ending date:  January 4, 2013

1.  Bring home Abinet
2.  Begin an adoption ministry
3.  Read Bible daily
4.  Pray for those on prayer lists
5.  Do acts of kindness 
6.  Complete a Bible study
7.  Book 18 Thirty-One parties (I've booked 3)
8.  Begin the Dave Ramsey plan
9.  Drink only 1 coke per day
10. Read Radical
11.  Read Crazy Love
12.  Share my testimony
13.  Stop swearing
14.  No sweets for a month
15.  Fine a home for Paco :(
16.  Put my pictures in a scrapbook
17.  Fix my flowerbed
18.  Memorize Psalm 139
19.  Organize my files
20.  Do a household inventory with pictures
21.  See a broadway show
22.  Go to a play
23.  
24.  Take kids to Disney
25.  Take a photography class
26.  Get a proper camera
27.  Go to the Grand Canyon
28.  Go to New York
29.  Lose 50 lbs.
30.  
31.  Become fluent in sign language
32.  Put all my recipes together in a book
33.  Learn how to can
34.  Get Lasik surgery
35.  Paint the kitchen
36.  Fix the laundry room ceiling
37.  Finish the hall
38.  Finish the kids bathroom
39.  Ride the train
40.  Go to the drive in with the kids
41.  Play in the rain
42.  Make and keep dentist appt.
43.  Buy a new comforter
44.  Make handmade Christmas gifts for family members
45.  Go to the Garden of the Gods
46.  Take kids to see the Superman statute
47.  Go to Washington DC
48.  Be debt free
49.  Eat out 1 time per week for 3 mths.
50.  Hold coupon classes
51.  Forgive those who hurt me
52.  Say I love you first
53.  Adopt a sibling group
54.  Maintain my garden
55.  Date night once a month
56.  Get a fitted for a bra
57.  No fast food for a month
58.  Dinner by candlelight once a month
59.  Send flowers to someone
60.  Read the entire Bible
61.  List 5 blessings per day
62.  Maintain my girliness
63.  Take a shooting class
64.  Cook something different every night for a month
65.  Learn Spanish
66.  Go on a mission trip
67.  Support missionaries for a year
68.  Clean out woods
69.  Fence in side yard
70.  Get a horse
71.  Start riding said horse
72.  Graduate Victoria
73.  Hug G everyday and mean it
74.  Educate others about RAD
75.  Watch 26 movies I've never seen that start with each letter of the alphabet.
76.  Take the kids to the beach
77.  Ride in a limo
78.  Document my accomplishments through photos
79.  Visit a state that I haven't been too before (New Jersey)
80.  Go on an impromptu mini vacation
81.  Maintain a pedicure
82.  Learn how to quilt
83.  Pick a project that I haven't finished and finish it
84.  Learn how to sew
85.  Teach my girls how to sew
86.  Blog daily
87.  Adopt a soldier
88.  Get emergency supplies organized
89.  Go on a weekend away with Tera and Kim
90.  Convert my camcorder tapes to DVDs
91.  Go on walks with the kids, one at a time during the summer
92.  Start an herb garden
93.  Learn more about computers
94.  
95.  Find cell phone
96.  Home school my kids again
97.  Shadow drawings of my kids
98.  Have professional pictures made of my family
99.  Go golfing with Bart
100.  Get a recycling system going
101.  Start a new list of 101 things to do in 1001 days.