Five Things We Learned This Month

The beginning of January, I wrote This blog about starting our 31 Days of Zero Spending without any expectations. Though our month is almost over, we will continue to do this randomly throughout the year and there are many lessons we will carry with us as a forever change. Here is my take on this month.

Five Big Things We Learned in the 31 Days of Zero Spending (some we knew, but had light shed on them in a new way):

1. When we take away convenience, we find something much better! We made beef jerky in the dehydrator last week and made a yummy marinade. It called for a lot of worcesterchire sauce, we ran out, so I made my own. It was so much better than the store bought stuff. We truly loved it so much that I made more to fill the bottle back up. I also made chili powder as we ran out of that, too. So good!!!

My daughter had a birthday party she attended, so she made lots of cards, gave her own toys and made a bracelet for her friend. She planned this gift for over a week and it was much deeper and far more heart felt than anything we would've went and bought.

2. We learned the true power of preparedness. We learned that at any given moment in time, we can well survive for months - even with our slew of kids! We love canning, freezing, and keeping our pantry stocked and it paid off! We had very balanced meals every single night. We had lots of sandwiches for lunch, but breakfast and dinner was always well done! Prior to this month, our canning and such was more for the yummy factor, but we learned how needed it could be.

3. We learned the love of a community. Dan and I are blessed financially, so this 31 Days was not a form of getting on track in that area, but it didn't matter to our dearest friends! From friends offering to buy dinner, to waiting to pay for something until February, to buying a coffee and getting us gift cards to take a night off of cooking. Seriously, so blessed to see that we have friends who understand and love us enough to support our decisions - as crazy as they are! :) To those of you who supported us full fledged, we appreciate you. To those who will be doing this, please tell me so I can pass on that support and love!

4. We learned that we live in an amazing area with a lot to offer for FREE! When we go places for fun, we usually spend LOTS of money for our family to get in places. We had our very first weekend with Dan last week where he wasn't working or we weren't traveling, so we HAD to do something. Getting online and looking at the QC Events Page we realized there is really so much to do for FREE! We wen't to the John Deere Pavilion, the Icestravaganza, we did a craft at the Figge Art Museum and we walked the Sky bridge. So simple and so fun and so free!!! :)

5. We learned the love of contentment. We learned the power of not getting what we want, but taking joy in it anyways. The first few weeks were the hardest for the kiddos as they "needed" clasps for their rubber band bracelets, one "needed" batteries for her Furby, etc, etc. There were many nights I "needed" a bowl of cereal and a few mornings where I "needed" a coffee. There were many days where we "needed" a certain ingredient because we wanted to have this certain meal. We learned a lot in the terms of pointing out how blessed we are even when we don't get what we "need". Everything we truly needed was here all along, it just took a few weeks for us let go of our wants.

So, what our hopes were when we began, God provided every single one of them and then some. During this month we also learned the power of divorcing our phones. We have a basket that sits on the kitchen counter and our phones do not leave that basket. We learned that living simply is overly satisfying and just enough. Not a single day going through this have we complained about anything. Not a single day did we want to take the easy way out. Satan tried, but God defeated!

Another fun advantage was the fact that we saved extra than normal and that savings is more than enough to pay for our son's braces that he's getting in a couple weeks. That's awesome, huh?!

This month was challenging at various times, but I assure you, the blessings have far outweighed the temptations. Plus, those temptations have taught all of us self control on a whole new level. They have taught us another form of gratefulness. We make desserts often and we didn't have much this month, but when we did, it was much more loved and appreciated from everyone.

The most important thing in the way we live is that we have contentment by focusing on the eternal, not the temporal. Whether we have money to save or not, whether we are able to keep our pantry stocked, whether we live in a circle of giving believers, whether we live in a huge home or small one, whether we never have a financial concern or we battle one every week, we are to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that."


We all will be taking what we learned and carrying it through as a daily walk of life. I'm so grateful that God laid this on our hearts and I'm so glad we came out far happier about these "little things" than when we started. I would truly encourage everyone to go through a period of Living Simple so we can Simply Live. Go ahead, give it a go!

Why I'm Proud of an F...

As my sweet daughter walked into the house after school, I asked the normal questions: How are you?, How was your day?... Her reply, "Good, I got my report card, mommy!" Nervous and anxious I replied, "How'd you do?" A little shaky she replied, "Well, (smiling and putting her head down) I got a couple A's, a B, and a C." "Oh that's great!" I said. She continued, "Well, I also got an F, too. Am I grounded?"

During report card time, I always see parents bragging about their child's grades and it reminded me of my child's grade. Don't get me wrong, I would totally brag, too - and I am - right here! I think it is wonderful to see children thriving in school and love hearing parents speak so highly of their children. I am celebrating with each of you :)

Our daughter arrived to our home the beginning of November, she was pretty chipper right away. It took a few days, but then she asked to call us mommy and daddy. It wouldn't be until January that we really started to find more out about her life.

I will not share details, but I will say that we have spent many nights up late crying with her. We have spent evenings with therapists and afternoons speaking with teachers. This lack of knowledge in academics was stolen from her. She did not have a choice to thrive. From being in more schools than one could count to learning survival skills that elude me. Her survival skills included lying, dramatizing situations, acting dumb, never showing emotion, whining and complaining.

In the two months she has been home we have grown together so much. Our family has strengthened and I know some may wonder how, but I couldn't give you an answer if I tried. My best guess would be because we have someone showing us true thankfulness, true humbleness, true neediness, true passion for family. Seeing the family pull together with each other is beautiful. Seeing our kids grow compassion and love makes me speechless.

In the two months she has been home, she has learned SO MUCH. From not knowing what a state was to learning what all four hemispheres, countries, and continents are. From never doing an event at night to participating in concerts and basketball games. From nibbling food to make it last to learning when she is full. This love bug has learned so much.

She has been through a ton. If I shared (which I wouldn't even outside of this blog because it is her story) what she has gone through in the past ten years, she would have a medal. How she has grown in the past two months is immeasurable. We don't handicap our children and we don't let them handicap themselves. Seeing how she has learned who God is, asks multiple questions about Him, and volunteers to pray after devotions, before dinner and at bed time is simply beautiful.

So, when she said she got an F, then asked if she would be grounded. Our response? Our response was, "That'll happen sometimes. What we're going to do is try harder - all of us. We are proud of you!"

Sometimes an F means so much more! So thankful that God has given us opportunities to see deeper and I pray you do, too!

How I Study God's Word

I get questions all the time that include: what commentary do I use, when do I find time to study, what do I define as study, do I read only what I'm studying...

I would like to share just how I spend my time with the Lord in case anyone out there is wondering where to begin, what you can add, etc. I learned a lot of this in a session at a youth group summer camp for TEENAGERS :) We are never too old to learn :) This study style works for me and may not work for you! That is okay!

I always, always, always end with praying for my husband in our marriage journal! I blogged about that HERE if you would like to start that with your spouse or for your future spouse!

I sometimes study in the morning, sometimes late morning and other times after lunch. Honestly, I don't have a set time to study. I am a mom who homeschools and fosters, and my mornings are not always the same. So many people think you have to study first thing in the morning, well, you don't! We need our daily time with God, yes, but it does not have to be before a certain time in order to be a good Christian. It does need to be a time when we can truly focus and our hearts are with God. Pray before starting. Ask God to open your heart and eyes to what He is wanting you to see. Pray that He quiets your actions and stills your thoughts.

Secondly, when I study I get my tote with my pens, highlighters, notebook, and commentary out. Do you need all this? Absolutely not! I am a writer. I love pens. I love to write things in my Bible. When I pray for someone, I write their name, date, and short description of prayer for them in the margins. When I learn something, I write it in the margins. I underline, I highlight. I underline notes, and things in the introductions.


There are a few reasons why I do this. One is because I love the reminders! I love turning to a passage and seeing why God put it in my heart before and what new thing I learned from it today. Another is because it is my legacy to my children one day.

The notebook is for my notes from the commentary. This notebook is strictly for my study time. I write out every verse that I am studying. So, say today I was studying Ephesians 1:1-3, then I will write that passage out to start my study time. Secondly, I read through the commentary while cross checking along in my Bible. If something catches my attention, then I take note of it in my notebook and may write something in my Bible. For instance, when I found out Saints in the Bible means the same thing as Christians, I wrote that down in both places.

My commentary is written by James Montgomery Boice, I get them from Amazon. He is a wonderful writer, easy to understand, and very descriptive. The chapters are set based on how much is packed into each passage. Sometimes the passage is one to three verses and other times it could be six verses. I line up doctrinally with this pastor spot on (SUPER IMPORTANT). I use Logos as a study tool as well. It is more on the expensive side. Biblia is a free version sponsored by Logos. It doesn't have as much that you can do, but still good.

My Bible - well it is an ESV Study Bible.  This version is very as closely translated as possible. Other versions like NIV or NLT is translated a passage or sentence as a whole. ESV is translated word for word. NASB and KJV also translates word for word. KJV is much harder to understand so find one that works for you. All of these are great and we each have a preference - and that is OKAY!

These tabs on my Bible - well, these are my questions. Areas I have come to in my Chronological reading and haven't found an answer that has felt complete to me yet. God has spoken through people and I have removed a few this past year, then I add another, lol. Never ending - like when you're cleaning your house with kids - pick up one thing to turn around and see two more in its place :) It's good!

I am also reading the Bible chronologically! This is the second time I have done this and love it! Every time I finish, I start over again. Every time, I read something, I see something I didn't see before! This is my reading when my mind needs a break. Sometimes I start with my chronological reading and other times I end with it or do it in the evenings. My ten year old just said his goal this year is to read through the Bible, so he is starting at the Beginning :) <--- INTENTIONAL LIVING RIGHT THERE!!! :)

Most importantly, do what you do! Find your style, find what works. What time of the day works best. For my husband, his time is at work. He takes his to work every day and does it there. Sometimes he can't fit it in his lunch hour or he works through lunch so he sits in his truck in the driveway when he comes home. Find your time that you can solely be with God! Maybe a digital Bible or commentary is better for you to listen to while in the bath or driving home from work. WHATEVER IS PRIORITY, WILL BE PRIORITY! Don't fall into the trap where we say, "I don't have time". We all have time for what we want to do.

So, there you have it! Find a comfy chair and dig in...it's good :)

Joy

I am a very optimistic person (sometimes to a fault)! Yes, someone you probably want to punch on occasion :) You would be surprised by the amount of people who think of it as a rude way to feel and actually tell me, "I don't want to hear that it will be okay." So in those times, I just sit and pray. It is hard for me to put it aside. Don't get me wrong, I am sad and weep for them and their family, but I fully trust that God knows exactly what needs to be done. Moments of sorrow and pain make my heart ache. It is hard regardless of our faith and joy in the Lord!

How do we get this joy? When we have faith in God! I find happiness in my family, spending time alone with my husband, laughing with my children, being goofy with friends. I find happiness in cheesecake and the smell of a farmhouse basement. God gave us these things for our enjoyment, yes, but true joy is absent when we don't have a relationship with him. "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing." ~Proverbs 10:28

Our faith in Him is our salvation with Him! "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." `~1Peter 1:8-9

I find great joy in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When a "bad" thing is happening, I can see good! I know that our "bad" things are not intended to bring us harm or hurt us in any way, but to teach us something. Our trials teach others around us about God's glory and point them to Him. God sees the good in our trials and so should we. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." ~James 1:2-3

No one can take away our joy! It is from God and Him alone! I see so many amazing people going through cancer, adopting children, caring for the elderly, sick parents and friends, have a slew of children, whom all have joy! This is not something they can do alone. This joy is from God! It is indescribably beautiful to witness! I am not saying we should not be sad or grieve. Jesus wept and so should we. In our moments of sorrow cling to Jesus and He WILL give us rest! (Matthew 11:28)

My prayer for you is that you see this goodness from God! You see the JOY in the difficult times, in the moments when a friend hurts you, when your children are screaming, when a friend is struggling. When we see with this perspective, we will see His good, we will see God's hand at work, we will forgive, and we will shine His joy for all to see.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." ~Hebrews 12:2

How I Intentionally Pray For My Husband

Prayer is one of the single most important things in a marriage. When you pray for your spouse, you are inviting God to join your marriage. If you don't pray for your spouse, I urge you to start NOW! This is vital! If you are not praying for your husband's heart, character, relationships, who is? The relief is knowing that it is not our job to change our spouse (only God can do that), but we are called to pray for him on a daily basis.

I spend time every single day praying for my children, their spouses, and their present and future. I pray for their husbands and wives as they are living their lives as we speak and God is preparing them for my children. I love journalling my prayers, sermons, studies, etc. I want to be a prayer warrior for my family and all of you! I love seeing how God works through our prayers by changing others hearts and myself.

One thing that God laid on my heart this past year was to pray for my husband with intentionality and purpose. God laid a different form of prayer on my heart this year. You see, Dan gets up to go to work at 5:15 and I like to sleep a bit longer, so our mornings haven't been spent praying for each other's day. We would pray in the evening, but there is just something about starting your day off with your spouse's heart open before God and praying for you!












We started a prayer journal! Everyday we write a prayer for each other. Dan starts off every morning, then I read his prayer for me and I write one for him. This journal is just between him and me, nothing else makes its way into it. Of course, his work, being the light to his coworkers, etc enter because that is how his day is spent. For me, the kids, homeschooling, etc makes its way in because this is what my day consists of. There are no notes from sermons, friends, or Bible Studies - simply a journal between husband and wife.

The cool thing to see this past year is how our prayers have began to visibly change. We went from thanking God for each other (which we still do write, because we are) to thanking God for calling each other to Him so we can spend eternity together.

Not only is this something we will always have that shows our CONTINUAL thanksgiving and love for each other, but a HUGE testimony to our children. These prayers aren't made up or assumed, they are tangibly there, written in our handwriting, to the one person that God has gifted us to love more than anyone else on this earth.

I urge you to consider starting a prayer journal for you and your spouse. If your spouse is an unbeliever, then journal all the more. Satan will make you feel like you should give up, but fight harder. If you are not married, then start one anyways. God already sees you with that person and what a gift to give them on your wedding day. My husband and I have always had a strong marriage. We really are best friends and I know, without a doubt, he would claim this victory in Christ as well. Invite God into your marriage!

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ~Ephesian 5:31