FAMILY & FRIENDS: Labor Day

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Not much time to blog today except to say that it's going to be a fun family day for us. Our older son will be home for the whole day with another family coming later in the afternoon for dinner. Hamburgers on the grill, watermelon, corn on the cob...Mmmm...Enjoy your holiday with family and friends, too!

FAITH: Love of the Brethren

1Peter 1:22-23

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

My favorite cellist and I played this together at church this morning while a trio of men sang. We love because He first loved us. (I John 4: 19)

O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

Words: S. Trevor Francis, 1875/ Music: Ebenezer, Thomas J. Williams, in Llaw lyfr Moliant, 1890

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!

’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;

And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

FINANCES: Paying Large Monthly Bills; FUN: College Football Games

Tonight my husband and I are attending the first UCF game of the year complete with a "Southern Theme" tailgating party. We'll sit with many of my old college friends in the alumni section who have offered us free tickets for the game tonight. I hope we don't get rained out. I played flag football in college intramurals with my sorority so I know all the rules and enjoy cheering for our team, but I still mainly attend these games for the social aspect of them. I love seeing old friends and reminiscing when we were all young kids in college as well and seeing how our lives and kids are doing. All the husbands and mine get along well together and share some common interests. We've all grown up and are in our 50's and then some but the memories we share from our youth are some of the sweetest. It's good to have "old" friends.

FRIDAY, September 4, 2009

FINANCES: Paying Large Monthly Bills

Who hasn't been shell-shocked when you open up one of your bills to find that it's way more than you expected? Bills that fall into this category can be your electric bill (a personal pet peeve of mine), the phone/internet/cable bill or the mortgage. These are three that come regularly to our home and I know generally what to expect. Two are always the same amount but the electric is one that can be more, and occasionally less, than expected. So that we can eat every week rather than pay one of these in full when it arrives, I accrue the amount over a 4-week period each month.

For example, let's say our electric is generally about $300 per month in the summer. I divide that by 4 and subtract $75 from our checkbook for week #1 and mark it as such in the checkbook. I keep an index card with my bills with post-its attached as a second recording of this. When the actual bill arrives in the mail I paper clip the index card to the bill. I keep doing this until the week of the due date (if it's a bill I can pay online). When the bill is due, I should have four $75 deductions in my checkbook. If the bill should be more than the $300 then I would just subtract more for the difference. I then go back and add up all the accrued amounts and pay the bill in full. This is a much less painful way to take care of the larger bills we pay and keep our cash flow on a steadier stream each week.

Try it and see if you like it. I will warn you that it takes a little longer to balance the checkbook each month but the peace of mind it brings is SO worth the extra time.

FAMILY & FRIENDS: Making Your Family Feel Special #1

Psalm 139:13

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.

Does your family know how special they are to you? Do you tell them so regularly? Are there any special touches that family members like so they know you value them as individuals? There are so many little things that we can do, most of which are so small you might think "who cares?" but are really noticed by the one the touch is for. I'll use my family of four to illustrate.

My husband likes to have a cup of ice water by the side of the bed before going to sleep at night. I actually just started doing this recently (I like ice water, too). He has commented and even thanked me many times for doing this. It was such a small thing, but he noticed I did something just for him and no one else. One of our sons prefers that the ice in his beverages be in cubes rather than crushed and really appreciates it when I make his glass different from everyone else's with cubes rather than crushed ice (the other is starting to mimic this lately). Our other son really likes it when I go shopping and pick up oranges at the store. Hardly anyone else eats them in our house. Three very small details that some may look at as spoiling the family; I look at it as having studied them and showing them that I noticed that although we are in the same family, we are each different from one another and like different things.

What do they notice about me? I love old sappy TV shows like Touched by an Angel and Little House on the Prairie, and yes, they do occasionally sit and watch an episode with me. That makes me feel special, too. :)

How are you showing your love and valuing the uniqueness in each of your family members? It takes being a student of those you care most about--watching and learning all the time. Moms are in the best position of all to be able to do this. Trust me, they will respond in many positive ways by your being a servant and doing these little acts of love.

FAITH: Contentment with Stuff

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Are you content with what you have? Particularly in the area of your "stuff"? How much is "enough"? If you were to look into your closet right now, how many pairs of shoes, suits, pants and shirts do you have in there? If you look into your garage, how many tools? If you go into your child's room, how many toys? If you look around the house, how many books and magazines? I'll save an article on clutter for another time.

Today the topic is Contentment. I was thinking about this last night and considering buying a new dress for a wedding I'm going to on Friday night. I really don't need another dress as I already have a few plus multiple tops and skirts that I could wear. Everything in my closet fits. There is no need to impress anyone, so where does this "want more" attitude come from? I love this quote from a Crown Ministries article: Christians get trapped into a discontented life by adopting worldly goals: more, bigger, and best. The Bible identifies these as indulgence, greed, and pride. It is what it is although people make jokes about shopping till you drop or when the going gets tough the tough go shopping, etc. The sad thing is that our culture encourages these attitudes regularly. Just go into any mall, watch TV for 30 minutes and notice the commercials or pick up a magazine and skim through the ads. Many are aimed specifically at children and teens and are very enticing.

We all need to be mindful of not just our excessive spending but also on being satisfied with what God has already provided, be thankful for it and to live within our means. Of course there are times when a new purchase is warranted but for some, it's an obsession to have the most current, trendiest, tech-iest, fastest thing on the market today. Think and pray before spending your (or your husband's) hard-earned income and be more generous with what you already have. He really does provide all of our needs and in reality, often graciously gives us many of our wants, too.

This Crown Broadcast is excellent as well.

FINANCES: Buying Books for Homeschool or College

Proverbs 6:6

Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.

Have you priced school books lately? No wonder the public schools don't make their budgets. We have needed lots of books for various subjects in homeschooling over the years. Our local library has a large bookstore with a huge assortment of books and magazines for sale. Many are new but most have been read and donated; some were former library books. I have purchased many of our books there for just a couple of dollars as opposed to $50+ per book. I like buying paperback literature there to be highlighted or written in.

High school and college textbooks are outrageously expensive. If we can't find a book we need to purchase at the library bookstore, we try Bright Light Books, Amazon or eBay. There is another searching site for price comparisons of books called AddALL which is very helpful. Another friend told me about a book rental site that she has used called Chegg. I didn't know you could rent books.

After we finish with a book I resell (or re-donate) it if it is in good condition. I do this every year with school textbooks we use. Our Geometry teacher this year chose a Chalk Dust Geometry book that cost $200+. Ugh! I had an earlier edition of it in my shelves which I sold on eBay for $150 and a Spanish text for $75. My older son also does this to help pay for his college texts. He sometimes sells books for his friends and they split the sales price. I often purchase used textbooks with the intention of selling them to pay for new books that I know we will be needing. By doing this I at least break even in these school expenditures. Homeschooling is wonderful for the family but it is certainly not without costs (literally and figuratively).

FAMILY & FRIENDS: Wedding Costs

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

We will be attending a wedding on Friday evening. Each wedding I attend brings back memories of my own 22+ years ago. It was a wonderful celebration. It had the look of a very expensive wedding and reception but in reality was quite economical. My husband and I paid for it ourselves and had a 2-week honeymoon afterwards in addition. As all brides do, I kept a book with ideas, shower gifts, wedding gifts, notes, etc. In the front of the book I also have a special list of Thank You, God... items. It is two pages long of all the things beyond what I would ask or think that occurred either in preparation for our wedding, related to the expenses, or other special joys so that I would always remember them.

One of the items listed is the purchase of my wedding dress. I had a very limited budget--$500 for the entire wedding ensemble (dress, shoes, slip, veil, undergarments, etc.) Try not to laugh out loud. A friend who had been dress shopping with me suggested we go to Park Avenue--every city has one--where the bridal salons have dresses that cost $1,000+. I did laugh at the time. We went and I tried on several dresses, all of which were in the $1,000 - $2,000 price range. The whole time we had been in the dressing room there was a lovely dress hanging on the hook on the door. My friend looked it over carefully and saw the price tag--$100! I tried it on and except for the length, it was a perfect fit. It was sized incorrectly and was on sale. $100 for a beautiful wedding dress with a long train, embroidered bodice and overlay. Unbelievable! Dress $100; Veil $100; Shoes $30; Accessories $50; Alterations $50. The whole ensemble was less than $400. Needless to say we were both thrilled.

If you or someone you love is in the midst of planning a wedding, by all means try to not go into debt for it but rather look for beautiful yet inexpensive ways to enhance everything and be resourceful. Ask the Lord to help you with this in making it a special celebration that will have many happy memories rather than a huge credit card bill when you return from your honeymoon.

FAITH: Song--Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

This morning at church our worship band and a trio of women singers sang this beautiful song. They sounded better than this YouTube version, but this is all I could find. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgpKYWENgNQ

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

by Keith Getty, Margaret Becker

Chorus 1

May this journey bring a blessing

May I rise on wings of faith

And at the end of my heart's testing

With Your likeness let me wake

Verse

Jesus draw me ever nearer

As I labor thro' the storm

You have called me to this passage

And I'll follow tho' I'm worn

Verse 2

Jesus guide me thro' the tempest

Keep my spirit staid and sure

When the midnight meets the morning

Let me love You even more

Chorus 2

May this journey be a blessing

May I rise on wings of faith

And at the end of my heart's testing

With Your likeness let me wake

Verse 3

Let the treasures of the trial

Form within me as I go

And at the end of this long passage

Let me leave them at Your throne

Ending

Jesus draw me ever nearer

Jesus draw me ever nearer

Jesus draw me ever nearer to You

To You

2002 Modern M. Music (Admin. by Music Services)

Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

SATURDAY, August 29, 2009

No posting today. My husband was using the computer all day and night for a church presentation on Sunday.

FINANCES: Car Insurance

Proverbs 31:27

She looks well to the ways of her household...

In mid-July I spent about 2 weeks researching car insurance companies. Not my favorite activity and I had really put it off much later than I had planned. I am on a continuing mission to save $$ in our household so this was part of that mission. Our car insurance was coming up for renewal in mid-August so I wanted to be ready when they sent us the renewal notice. I had not done a cost comparison previously and I wanted to make sure we were getting the best value for our money.

Some of the companies I called: AAA, Geico, Liberty Mutual, Allstate, State Farm, AARP, UCF, Disney, USAA, Travelers...about a dozen in all since some firms handle several. USAA would have been excellent if we had qualified--an immediate family member must have been in the military. So if you have been in the service, you can get your whole family covered, even grown children who do not live with you. Travelers Insurance (in Florida) who has carried our car insurance for the last 5 years won hands down as the least expensive even with a younger driver in the household. We definitely renewed our policy with them. The other insurance companies did not even come close in comparison. In fact, since our older son has been driving, our rates that initially went up to add him, have gone down each year. He is now 20 years old, has a good student record (GPA) and thankfully, has had no car accidents. We require that he pay half of his portion which is $36 per month, very economical for a college student. We'll be teaching our younger son who will be fifteen in October to drive this year but you don't have to add a driver to your policy until he actually receives his driver's license at age 16 or older.

Don't believe everything you hear on TV about ____ having the best insurance rates. They probably don't. Saving money on the big items that are necessities, particularly those that have monthly payments really adds up. Take some time and do a little homework. We saved several hundred dollars this year by shopping around.

FAMILY & FRIENDS: Storing Your Photos

How many shoeboxes of photos do you have in your closets and shelves? I actually just have 3 shoeboxes of photos as most of mine are either in albums, on CDs or our computer. Generally every year I go through the photos on the computer and choose maybe 100 or so to be converted to prints. I upload them to our Sam's Club Digital Photo Center and pick them up the next day. Then some evening while we're watching TV or just relaxing I'll put them into albums. I was blessed to receive one of my all-time favorite gifts from one of my nephews two Christmases ago--a digital photo frame. I update this every 4-6 months with new (and old) photos of our family. In fact, it's about time to update it this weekend.

Some people who are crafty love making scrapbook photo albums. Creative Memories is probably the most popular. I have put together 2 pages for friends who moved away and that's about all of that I could handle. I currently have a book checked out from the library titled Digital Family Album Basics and am looking into the process to digitally scrapbook now. If I were to do it at all, it would have to be this way. We'll see how this goes. I do love handcrafts but they need to be convenient, fairly inexpensive and easy for me to stick with them.