Christian Family Movie: What If ...

A friend sent this to me yesterday.  Thanks, Peggy.   If you're looking for a good family movie...

The world premiere of the movie What If... was recently held at Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, IL. The premier was attended by over 4,000 people along with producer Jerry Jenkins, director Dallas Jenkins and stars Kevin Sorbo,  Debby Ryan, and John Ratzenberger. The film received an enthusiastic standing ovation as the end credits rolled.

The plot of the Christian film centers around Ben (played by Sorbo) and a series of events and decisions he makes in his life. It was shot at seventeen different locations around the city of Manistee, plus several locations in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

What If... is a faith-based film that has the potential to reach millions with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inspire a longing for faith in Him. This is a message that Walk in the Word wants to promote—and you will, too!  James MacDonald has this to say about the film: “What If... makes a profound impact. The story is powerful, the acting compelling, and the ending gripping. Entertaining? Yes, but more than that, it’s thought provoking in an easy and believable way.”

So enjoy a night out and see What If...  It opened August 20.  You will have a great time AND send Hollywood a message.  Remember, If you want change in government, vote at the polls; if you want change in Hollywood, vote at the box office.

MORE INFO: TheWhatIfMovie.com   

PRODUCTION BLOG

To find a theater near you, go to THIS LINK

(Unfortunately, I do not see it showing in the Orlando area--Jacksonville and Tampa are the nearest)

Early Voting It's a Good Thing

Beat the rush to the polls.  Vote early.  I just did.  I voted at our local library which is usually closed on Fridays.  No lines, no long waiting, no hassle.  Prepare your sample ballot ahead of time and it takes 10 minutes.

Mint.com / Keeping Track of Your Spending Budgeting Family Finances

I've been using mint.com for years to keep track of our spending.  It was very easy to set up an account and I like it for the most part, even better than Quicken online.  You must input your passwords and user names for the various accounts you own (bank, credit cards, loans, investments, etc.) but I've been told by a financial planner that it is as safe as your bank codes.  Everything is then in one place.   I've customized the categories for our family with my husband's regular job, a rental house and  three home businesses.  Did I mention that this online program is FREE?  And that it is Mac compatible?

I love the colorful graphs.  You can tell at a glance where the largest expenditures have been for a week, a month or a year or more.  Sometimes you just don't realize how much you are wasting.

Once a week when I do our finance paperwork, I double-check the transactions for the week to make sure they are in the correct categories.  If this is done properly, tax preparation is a breeze.

Every homemaker should know how to prepare and maintain a budget and keep track of the family's  expenditures.  Even if your husband prefers to take care of the finances for your household, you need to be able to do it as well.  it goes without saying for singles, too.  I have known and heard of too many wives whose husbands passed away  or became sick and/or disabled and they had no idea where they stood financially. In today's economy, this is really a necessity, for you and for your children. Teach your children how to maintain a budget from the time they get their first allowance, mow their first yard for $$ or babysit for pay.  They'll appreciate it more when they are older and out on their own. Mine already do.  :)

Proverbs 31:27 

She looks well to the ways of her household, 

And does not eat the bread of idleness. 

Groupon Deal of the Day / $25 Worth of Apparel at Gap for $50

This has shown up on Facebook quite a bit today.  I received the email as well since I recently joined GROUPON.  Haven't actually bought and/or used any of the coupons or discounts  yet but they sound like great deals and I have been told they REALLY do work and that stores honor them as the site states.  Here's today's deal at Gap which carries uniforms for many schools in our area and probably yours, too.

Groupon means Group Coupons.  You can sign up for your city (or the closest one to you) at THIS LINK.


Note: The site is extremely busy today due to this great offer. Keep trying!

Today's Deal:$25 for $50 Worth of Apparel at Gap

Today Only: purchase a $50 Gap Gift Card (valid in stores only, on ANY purchase) for only $25.00!  Valid on sale merchandise and reg. price in Gap, Gap Kids, Baby Gap and Gap Body in US or Canada.  Expires November 19.

The Fine Print

• Expires Nov 19, 2010
• Limit 1/person. Valid in-store at US and Canada Gap stores only. Not valid @ Gap Outlet, Factory, Generation, online. Not valid for GiftCards, tax, or w/other offers. $50 minimum purchase. View complete terms.
• See the rules that apply to all deals.

Highlights

• For use on any item in-store, including sale items
• New line of women's pants
• Many locations

Weekly Household Chores Ironing

Everyone has a chore list. Some things around the home are done daily or every other day like wiping down the bathroom and kitchen sinks or emptying the kitchen trash can or laundry; some chores are done weekly such as mopping, changing the sheets or this one that many don't do anymore--IRONING.

Ironing is one chore that I generally don't mind plus it's an easy way to make my husband happy.  :) (We won't talk about cleaning the bathrooms here. :)   ) The time goes quickly when I set a kitchen  timer for one hour, put on a favorite radio or TV program that I want to listen to  (that's the spoonful of sugar in the job) and blitz.  

Once the timer goes off, that's all the ironing for the week.  If I don't dilly dally around, I can get quite a bit done in one hour.  I set up everything before the timer goes on.  For me, that's setting up the  ironing board (always have a pretty cover on it), a red spray bottle full of water, and filling the steam iron with water.  I have a Shark steam iron that is lightweight and puts out a LOT of steam.

Then I gather everything that I might like ironed and lay it on the back of our family room sofa.  I can either face the back yard/pool or the TV or the kitchen window from my kitchen.   Every piece that's ironed is hung up right away to dry.  I use the door frame between the kitchen and the dining room.  In one hour last week I ironed all this...

That's one sleeveless blouse, two pairs of shorts, one pair of pants for me plus six short-sleeved shirts for my husband. So that's about 5 minutes per item.  Then everything is put away until next week.  

I went to this method with the timer because it puts parameters around a job that needs to be done and helps me to work faster.   I had gotten out of an ironing routine for awhile because I didn't need to iron for three years a few seasons ago.  One of my high school piano students bartered for her lessons with ironing, sewing and baking.  Thanks, Amanda, you were such a gift!  

Proverbs 31:27 

She looks well to the ways of her household, 

And does not eat the bread of idleness. 

Gift from a Friend Georgia Peaches

Just a quick photo blog about a special gift.  My favorite fruit is the peach. I was raised in Georgia from about age 4 through age 13.  There was never a shortage of fresh peaches and pecans in our home growing up. We had pecan trees and many nearby had peach trees.  SO delicious!   

A friend of mine was visiting here from Georgia recently.  When we got together I mentioned that I had not found a decent peach here all summer and that I should have asked her to bring me some peaches (she drove down this time).  A day or so after she went back home I received a Fed Ex package. What a surprise to open it up and find a bag of fresh Georgia peaches!  Now THESE are the right size, the right color and smell and definitely the best taste I'd had all summer...

I started grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter near us recently and I must say that they have good tasting peaches, too.  I think the ones above tasted best because they were sent with love from a dear friend who thought of me.  :)  Thank you, Jacque.

Sometimes it's the little things that mean so much...

Galatians 6:10 

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, 

and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. 

Exercise Routine 21 Days to Form a Habit / Thankful for our Home

No, I'm not 21 years old.  FAR from it.  :)

This represents today being the 21st day of my daily 30-minute swim routine.  They say that doing something for 21 days makes it a habit and I hope this is true.   I missed one day in three weeks or the 21st day would have been yesterday.  Mostly I've stuck to swimming in the mornings, although on the weekends swimming in the afternoons sometimes is more convenient.  Clothes fit better, I feel better...  :)

On another note, today is the 12th anniversary that we have lived in our current home.  We bought this house on August 16, 1998 when  our sons were nine and almost 4.   It survived (and had some updates) after Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan in 2004.  We added an office when my 96-year-old mother-in-law lived with us for two years.   It's the perfect size for our family of four with plenty of extra room to spread out.  Close to most everything we do (except my husband's job), cozy, comfortable, and so importantly, affordable for us.  I would be perfectly content to live here the rest of my life.   Thank You, Lord.  :)

1 Timothy 6:7-8 

For we have brought nothing into the world, 

so we cannot take anything out of it either.  

If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 

Printing Your Own FREE Shipping Postage Labels with PayPal / Home Business Shipping

We have Macintosh computers in our home.  As you know, I sell items regularly on Ebay and Amazon.com and am usually stopping by the post office 2-3x each week.  Thankfully, the post office closest to us is literally less than 5 minutes away.  Unfortunately, that office may be closing soon.  I realized that I needed to start checking into Stamps.com which sounds like a fabulous service.  Unfortunately, the software does NOT work with Macintosh computers.

I tried the USPS Click-N-Ship website and discovered that you can only print Priority Mail and Express Mail as well as international shipping postage.  I called USPS and Technical Support directed me to Endicia for Mac. That is a fee-paid service (starting at $9.95/month)  although they offer a 30-day free trial.  

They also directed me to PayPal.  Score!!!

I can now print postage mailing labels for FREE online and will not need to be running to the post office as I have been doing.  As far as I can tell, there is NO free for this service. I did notice that there is a 19 cent additional charge for tracking which is very useful but I don't usually buy it.  I tried to delete it from the form so I assume it is a standard item.  I'm fine with that.   You can print the labels for items sold on Ebay  by clicking on the link on the details page when you sell.  There is also an option not visible on the site that you can access by signing in (you have to set up a PayPal account which is free). After signing up, the link you need is www.paypal.com/shipnow.  Believe me, I have this site bookmarked in my browser to not lose it.

What a timesaver this will be.    The labels look like this when printed. Just affix them to your package and let your mailman pick up the packages.  No more trips to the post office, or at least fewer of them.  I left a note for our mailman on Saturday asking how much he could pick up from our home.  He responded no more than 70 lbs. each day!

Make sure that your scale for weighing packages is accurate.  Mine looks like this and I have verified weights on a couple of packages already.

I hope to purchase a digital scale at some point and will be looking for the best prices for that.  The Stamps.com site trial period includes a free digital  scale  if you have  a PC and can use the service.  

Sunday Worship

If you can't make it to church today, check out one of our pastor's sermons at THIS LINK.

Another one of my favorite radio and television pastors is Dr. Charles Stanley.  Click on THIS LINK to hear his radio broadcast or THIS LINK for his television program.  

Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, demonstrates a keen awareness of people’s needs by providing practical Biblical truths for everyday life. 

Math Quiz for You Just for Fun

You may have seen this email circulating. I had never seen it until yesterday when my husband's cousin sent it to me. Thanks, Judy.  

Directions:

Scroll down VERY SLOWLY.   Read through this - and finish each mathematical calculation before moving on to the next question - then post in the comments if it worked for you, and someone please explain why. 

At the end of this message, you are asked a question. Answer it immediately. Don't stop and think about it. Just say the first thing that pops into your mind. This is a fun "test"... AND kind of spooky at the same time! 

Give it a try, then have your friends try it and you'll see how many people you know fall into the same percentage as you. Be sure to indicate if you are among the 98% or the 2%. You'll understand what that means after you finish taking the "test".

It didn't work for me, but how about you?Now... just follow the instructions as quickly as possible. Do not go to the next calculation before you have finished the previous one

You do not need to write or remember the answers, just do it using your mind.

You'll be surprised.

Start: How much is:

15 + 6

21

3 + 56

59

89 + 2

91

12 + 53

65

75 + 26

101

25 + 52

77

63 + 32

95

I know! Calculations are hard work, but it's nearly over. Come on, one more...

123 + 5

128

QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!

Scroll further to the bottom...

A bit more...

You just thought about a red hammer, didn't you?

If this is not your answer, you are among 2% of people who have a different, if not abnormal, mind. 98% of the folks would answer a red hammer while doing this exercise.

Note:  My answer was a red saw so I'm in the 98% .  Or should it be 49%?   How about you?  :)