End of the Month Tally

Well this month I kept all my receipts from all my Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens. I also threw a Kmart stop in when they had their super doubles deal going last week....no Meijer stops this whole month!!!
This is where I ended up, keep in mind I budget $200 a month for groceries, cleaning stuff, toiletries, ect.....So just for the fun of it here is how I came out for April!



HERE ARE MY TOTALS #of items
Kroger: $138.41 144
Walgreens $ 27.83 24
CVS $ 32.15 28
Kmart $ 6.34 20

GRAND TOTAL $ 204.73 216

I know I was a little over...I can deal with that...also I kept my receipt because Unilever (seller of Skippy, Smucker jelly, Dove products, ect.) is having a deal that if you buy $40 worth of their products from April 1 to April 30th 2009 and you then go buy a Ham or Turkey of your choice......you send them your receipts from buying their products and the ham/turkey, they will give you $20 back. I knew I was going to be doing some Unilever deals at Walgreens this month, so I am going tonight to buy a $20 Ham so I can get is free after they mail me my $20 Rebate........It worked out that I am only $2.41 away from my $40 (this was without even trying...just buying things I needed to get anyway). I am pretty excited about this deal and glad that I should be able to go to Walgreens and easily find one product costing at least $2.41 and then use a coupon and possibly a Register Reward and score it free or almost free to reach my $40!!!!!!!! I will take FREE HAM whenever anyone wants to dish it out!!!!

Seeking Financial Freesom Part 3

If this is your first time checking in on Wednesdays, WELCOME! Each week we are talking about MONEY and how to handle it using the Bible as our blueprint. You will hear me discuss the book YOUR MONEY COUNTS by Howard Dayton. When I read this book it changed my whole mindset on how I viewed finances and really gave "us" a boost on our journey to DEBT FREE living! If you would like to check out this series from the beginning scroll down and on the left hand side of your screen you will see a Label titled "Seeking Financial Freedom" click on that and you can start with Part ONE and work your way through......Also feel free to let other people you know about this series and encourage them to join us each week as we talk more in depth about our journey!

Last week we touched the surface of talking about our perspective on money, and this week let's go a bit deeper. Hubby and I both grew up in financially responsible homes. We we taught the value of a dollar, taught how to save, and taught great work ethic in order to get the things we desired. Even with that, we were never taught to view money from the Bible's perspective which makes all the difference in the world!

The Bible teaches us two very distinct parts of handling money: 1. God's part 2. Our part.
(Here are a few thoughts from the book: taken from pg. 16-18.)

God's part is the foundation of contentment. In scripture God calls Himself by more than 250 names. The name that best describes God's part in the area of money is Master. How we view God determines how we live.

OWNERSHIP:
The Bible clearly states that God is the sole owner of everything. "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains." (Psalm 24:1) Recognizing God's ownership is critical in allowing Jesus Christ to become the Lord of our money and possessions.

OWNERSHIP OR LORDSHIP?: If we are going to be genuine followers of Christ, we must transfer the ownership of our possessions to the Lord. "No one....can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possession" (Luke 14:33)

Okay, so God may not be calling you to sell all your worldly things and give everything to the poor and needy. What He is asking you to do is be willing to give all them up.

Author Larry Burkett said, "When we acknowledge God's ownership, every spending decision becomes a spiritual decision. No longer do we ask, 'Lord, what do You want me to do with my money?' The question is restated, 'Lord, what do you want me to do with Your money?' When we have this perspective, spending and saving decisions are equally as spiritual as giving decisions.

Think abut that for a minute.....Wouldn't you be more careful on how you spent money if the money you were spending was someone else's??? When you think about it this way it makes so much sense....

The First Step Towards Contentment: (pgs.17-18) This is not easy to maintain this perspective consistently. It is far to easy to think that the possessions we have and the money we earn are entirely the result of our skills and achievements. We find it difficult not to believe we have earned the right to ownership. I am the master of my fate, people say. I alone own my possessions, is another one you hear. Obviously this view dominates our culture today. Point being, giving up ownership is not easy, nor is it a once-and-for-all thing. We constantly need to be reminded that God owns everything!

CONTROL: The Lord is in control of even difficult circumstances. "I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity: I am the Lord who does all these" (Isaiah 45: 6-7) The book states that it is important for a child of God to realize that his heavenly Father orchestrates even the seemingly devastating circumstances for the ultimate good in the lives of the godly. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) So God is in charge of Control to accomplish His intentions, develop our character, and to teach us. ( pgs. 18-20)

I totally agree with this, I can testify that in my own life that the Lord has taught me the most during "devastating times". I think because of the hard-headed society we are that the Lord knows the best way to grab a hold of us and get our attention is by bringing us to our knees. It is when we are in pain and troubles that our hearts seem to cry out to Him. Through my personal experience the Lord has taught me to solely delight in Him...nothing else...solely trust in Him...nothing else...To be at His feet daily in fellowship so that I can seek His will in my life, not my own. It is never an easy process, but defiantely a needed one. I do thank God for the hard times I have went through in my life (though I am not always throwing a party to thank Him while I am going through situation). The Lord has taught me and continues to teach me to praise Him even "In the mist of the storm." Looking back on anything that has happened in my life I thank God that He is in control and not me...I just seem to mess things us when I do them my way!

PROVISION: He has promised to provide for our needs. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (food and clothing) shall be added unto ou"
(Matthew 6:33) The book (pg 20 &21) says God is both predictable and unpredictable. He is absolutely predictable in His faithfulness to provide for our needs. What we can not predict is how the Lord will provide. He uses all sorts of different way to meet our needs. (Income increase, provide gifts, stretches our limited resources through money-saving purchases) Regardless of how He chooses to provide for our needs, He is always reliable! It is important to remember that God's part in helping us reach contentment is that He has obligated Himself to provide our needs......However he does not promise to provide for our wants. He promises to provide us our needs, and He tells us to be content when these needs are met. (1 Timothy 6:8)

I wanted to share this last thought with you that the book write on pg.22. I know I am sometimes guilty of doing this, but when I am faithful to stay in God's word daily it help keep me in check......

The basic reason we fail to recognize God's part is that we do not understand who God is. We often have no genuine awe for the Lord "who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth" (Isaiah 51:13). We tend to shrink God down and fit Him into a mold with human abilities and limitations. However, we can expand our vision to capture the true perspective of God by studying what the Bible tells us about Him.

Well, are you ready to make a commitment to turn over everything you have to God??? I would love to hear from any of you who want to chime in!!

Giveaway!!!

OHHH MY! Megan is having yet another giveaway!! This time it's for some yummy sounding BBQ sauce from a company called "Country Bob's"......it sounds like this is a Christian company we should get behind...I am hoping to win some and and make their Country Bob Meatloaf recipe!! Head over here to check out all the details of how you can enter to win as well!!!

Early Midweek Funny??

So this is what happened at our house this morning....It has been a bit of a stressful time around here this am...it started with the missing kitty drama..(no worries they have now been found..and are now in a safer place!) Then onto some bad attitudes and poor work ethic when it came to chore time...Then the kiddos were given permission for a little break time to play in the boys room (upstairs) while I finished folding some laundry (downstairs). Julia went along to get in on some of the fun too..which is fine usually....I hollered upstairs to remind Lance to shut the door to My and Hubby's bedroom to make sure Julia didn't go in (which is a normal thing they do as soon as they go upstairs.) Then after just a few minutes...couldn't have been more than 5 minutes I walked part way up the stairs to check in and make sure everyone was doing okay..no Julia to be found...After questioning the boys on her whereabouts I went first thing to my room.....the door was locked???? HMMMM...I said "Julia are in you in mommy's room and she promptly said "Yes mommy!" with excitement in her voice.....Grrrrr...After a big sign and probably a dirty look to the boys....I tried to explain to Julia (remember she will 2yr in June) how to unlock mommy's door....so after what seemed like endless explaining I came to the conclusion that she didn't have a clue what I was saying....I was wondering what to do....Naturally I called Hubby!.... Okay so that didn't help me out much because he was an hour away.....So I took the door knob off the side facing me and tried to figure out how to unlock from my side...NO luck...So again I am wondering what to do...by now Julia realizes she can't get out and she keeps saying "Mommy out!!" "Open door!" In the middle of all this the boys are trying to tell me they know what to do so they are trying to "help mommy" which is making mommy quite crazy to say the least! So now I am thinking to myself if I have to call the fire department or something like that to get my daughter out of this room I am going to just DIE!!!! Okay so I call Hubby again and he says call someone close and see if they can help or just knowck down the door (I thought "Well I have always hated those hollow doors anyway and I seriously thought about taking him up on that offer so I could score a new one, but then I thought better of it!" I didn't want to tramatize Julia)...So a call to Uncle Jim was in order...He was home on lunch break, and he agreed to come over and SAVE US!!...While I am waiting on him to arrive of course I keep fiddling with the door thinking to myself what an idiot I must be because I can't for the life of me figure out what I need to do in order to flip the lock.....In all my frustration I did something right or wrong maybe and the lock clicked!!! WHEW!!! I rescued my Julia and probably gave the boys the "Your lucky I got that open and did have to call the fire department look......" In the mean time I called Hubby once again to tell him I now have the situation under control and to call uncle Jim and tell him his assistance is no longer needed...I heard uncle Jim pull in the driveway..then stop..then heard him pull out again.
Thanks uncle Jim for coming all the way over here and then leaving...we probably owe you some cookies or something :)
Thanks Hubby for you unending patience that was needed when mommy was in here "What in the world am I gonna do panic mode!"
I am not ready to laugh about all this yet but maybe it's all funny to someone....I am telling you this story in the hopes that I will soon be able to look back and think "Oh ya, I remember when......" But I am definitely not there today!!

Practical Tip Tuesday!

Well it's Tuesday again, so here is my little tidbit for the day....Around here the Gaertegang has been very busy with "Spring Projects". Here are a few things we are up: Changing oil in the van, truck, and lawn mower, mowing for the first time, hanging out at soccor games, remodeling the bathroom, tilling up our new spot for our garden (!), taking care of our two new kittens (more on that in another post), weeding the flower beds, transplanting perennials, planting annuals, and planting my potted flowers for the season, fixing edging in my flower beds....okay you get the point we've been busy!!!!!
So my tip today is "STOP TO SMELL THE FLOWERS....AND HAVE SOME FUN!!!!!"

Here is a shot of my creeping phlox....This tree/ bush blooms these wonderful flowers each year...does anyone know what it is??? I just have never taken the time to figure it out...Here is an up close shot of my magnolia tree..I just love the hot pink color of these flowers!!!!

Here is my sweet Julia having some FUN with her mama!!! I just love this little dress she has on.

Here is my lovable Caleb getting a smooch from Midnight..I just love seeing Caleb smile!

Here is another shot of Julia giggling so hard she can't hardly stand it!!! I just love her belly laugh...it's makes me laugh too.

Family Fun Magazine Deal

I signed up for a FREE subscription of Family Fun Magazine and I received my first one this last week. Last Friday I got a chance to look through it, and let me tell you I was so impressed!!! I couldn't believe how many things I really liked about the magazine..lots kid friendly ideas! The one thing that really impressed me was that these ideas were actually doable for my family. I sometimes struggle with finding things that all of us can do together and enjoy...Lance my oldest is almost 8yrs. old and Julia my youngest is almost 2yrs old. As you can imagine finding things we could all do together is so exciting for me. I am looking forward to trying out several of the little craft ideas...which let me tell you in something in and of itself because "crafting" is not really my thing when I have to do it and manage all the kids at the same time...it gets a bit crazy sometimes...but these ideas seem doable....WHew Hoo!
Another fun thing I came across as I was checking out my new magazine is that they are running a Mother's Day special. LISTEN UP this is good!!
Buy a (10 issue) subscription for 4 special women and it cost you only $5 per gift ($20 total)!! If interested in this deal you could bless 4 women with a gift....I think that is really cool and really reasonable..you could easily spend $20 on one magazine for 1 person.....Good Deal I think!
I am considering surprising a few women with this gift...HMMMM I might just smell a giveaway in the air????? Stay tuned just in case.......
Do any of you already get this magazine??? How do you like it?? Do you get any magazines in the mail that you just LOVE??? Please leave a comment and let us all know what you get and what you like about the magazine!

Loving my Husband Friday!

Shannon has been doing this Friday feature for several weeks and I think I got in on the first one then fell off the wagon....so I am back on again...go here to check out more of women sharing.
I appreciate the fact that I have such an incredible husband...really I truly feel honored to be his wife. I love when he is so willing to help me on a project that is totally something I would like to do, but not something he really has interest in.....Example: Bathroom remodeling!! With the garage sale money I earned last week I decided to give our bathroom a MUCH NEEDED update!!! I have been wanting to do it for a long time but just hadn't made it that far yet. The other night he joyfully put up my new light fixture and installed the new faucet. Thanks honey for being such a blessing to my heart in so many ways!
Here are some pics to show you a before look at the bathroom....it's our ONLY bathroom in the house.....it's small.....but hey at least we aren't in the days of using an outhouse.....

Well these are the before's and I plan to update you on the after's when I finish!!

Things I Love Thursday!

It's Thursday already...Whew I can harldy believe it!!! I love sharing with you things I love each week, I hope you enjoy it and feel like you get to know me a little more each week as I share!
This week the thing I chose to share might come as a little shock to you all...it did me at first. Well first you should know that when I was newly married (age 20) I thought I would never be once of those mom who drove a mini van...I was way to cool for that. I would always have some great looking SUV of some sort to haul around my crew...Well after our first son was born, maybe even before that I can't remember exactly, I got my SUV a pretty blue Expedition!!!! LOVED IT...loved everything about it..so did hubby for that matter. So a few years passed and then kid son number two came and when he was about 6 months old we started to think maybe a different vehicle would work better for us. Also we knew we wanted more kids and a third car seat in the back seat wouldn't work..plus we liked the idea of being able to haul more people along with us. So we bought a MINI VAN much to my demise....but I ended up loving it much to my surprise :) So we drove that van until it had nothing left in it....so two weeks ago yesterday we found our new vehicle. We had been looking for this certain vehicle for 6 months because we knew time was running out for the poor mini van. Sooooo here it is the feature thing I LOVE this week.

Okay so catch your breath a little bit...Yes it is a 15 passenger van....Yes it is HUGE!!..Yes it has more seating than we need.....Yes it is crazy to think of me driving a passenger van when I thought I wouldn't be caught dead driving a mini van........It's pretty though isn't it????......Ya know I love everything about it!!! I LOVE that I sit up so high when I drive it...I LOVE all the windows I can see great when I drive it...I LOVE that I have a radio that actually works and PLUS a CD player (I'm high timing it I know!!)....I LOVE the fact that now I will be able to go pick up friends to come play with the boys...or pick up my mil and sil and hit some garage sales together!!!.....I LOVE the red color!!!....Lastly I LOVE that it's paid for!!!! So call me crazy, I realize not everyone will share my endearing enthusiasm about my van, but I thank the Lord for providing us with a safe vehicle that was in our budget..... Enjoy your Thursday!

Go here to see more things other women love this Thursday

Kroger Jackpot!!

Last night I went to Kroger and got 57 items for $47..I only have two pics because I found two bags of stuff on the floor after I had already taken the first one and put most of it away...I did do two transactions so that I could get two General Mills deals!!!! I think I will be stocked up on Pasta Roni for while with 16 boxes!! I got free Hussies wipes ( I had a $1.00 of any Huggies product from the mail), also birds eye veggies were free, diapers were only $2.47 each (I think that is what they figured up at anyway)...free milk (8 of them), free Quaker Rice snacks too!!!

Overall a good stop I think....How did you do this week shopping???

Leave a comment and let me know...I am feeling comment deprived lately...help me out!!!!!

Seeking Financial Freedom Part 2

I have a question for you....How do you view your money? What do you spend your money on each month?? Did you know that your checkbook tells more about you and what your priorities are more than any other thing we have???



Before we start talking about the fine details of Seeking Financial Freedom we need to have the proper perspective of who's money we are actually talking about. As Christians we know that everything we have is a gift from God, the same is true of our money...which really is not our money at all! Everything we have is God's not ours down to the very last penny.

In the book Your Money Counts they make a few points about handling "our" money.

1. How we handle our money affects our fellowship with the Lord.

Luke 16:11 "If therefore you have not been faithful int he use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the riches to you?" The book makes the point that when we handle our money properly according to the principles of Scripture, our fellowship with Christ will grow stronger.

2. Possession compete with the Lord.

Mathew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both money and God." The book explains we can't say "God, You can be the Lord of my entire life except for my money."

3. Much of life revolves around the use of money.

On page 11 &12 the book explains during the normal week, how much time do you spend earning money in your job, making decisions on how to spend money, thinking about where to save and invest money or praying about your giving? Fortunately, God prepared us adequately for those tasks by giving us the Bible as His blueprint for handling money.



I just love these verses that talk about contentment... Philippians 4:11-13

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whatever well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

A fantastic point the book made was that we are not born with the instinct for contentment; it is learned. I also think I will leave you with this thought that is on page 13 of the book.

SOCIETY SAYS: God plays no role in handling money, and my happiness is based on being able to afford my desired standard of living.

SCRIPTURE SAYS: As you learn and follow the scriptural principles of how to handle money, you will draw close to Christ and learn to be content in every circumstance.

So what do you say?? Society or Scripture? Feel free to leave me comment or question!

If you missed Part One go here.

Kmart Double Dollar Days!!!

Okay so this is what I found at Kmart during their fun DOUBLE dollar days....first here are a few rules to follow: you can use 4 like coupons per transaction, and you are limited to 25 coupons per transaction, they are doubling up to and including $2.00 coupons.
I got two Beggin' strips dog treats for our puppies for .79 each, Flawless Secret deodorant for .49 each (I got 4 of them), on clearance I found two St. Ives elements scrubs..(I made money on those: because they each cost $3.49 and my coupon was a $2.00 coupon which doubled to $4.00....so free plus overage!) Then I got threesALL detergents free plus some overage as well. They were $4.79 each and I had two $2 coupons which doubled for $4 making two detergents .79 each but then I had a $6.50 coupon in the mail from All so then my 3rd one was totally free and the overage paid for my other two as well!!! What a beautiful thing I know!!! My gum was free ( I got two Tridents, and 6 Stride)..plus I had some overage on the Stride gum. I also got some Nivea hand cream I found on clearance as well and paid .49 for that. Lastly I scored a Glade carpet freshener for free as well.
So when all was said my total before coupons was $60.00 and then after all my coupons and I paid $6.34!!!!! That was for 20 items...three of those being detergent, and $2.44 of that total was tax!!!!!!! I just love a good BARGAIN run don't you???? So check out your local Kmart and see what deals you can find... Happy Tuesday!!!

Practical Tip Tuesday

This week's tip is pass the kindness forward!!

Julia is so happy to pass on her clothes to another little girl!!

In our family of 3 boys and 1 girly girl we have been so incredibly blessed by others who have passed on their gently used clothes to us when they are done with them!!!! I just can't tell you how that has warmed my heart as thoughtful people have just given us their things with no money exchanged or accepted, no strings attached, nothing expected in return...(Thank you God for these wonderful, selfless families!!!) Now I am having a fantastic time doing the same to others I know...passing on my little boys stuff when my Zach had out grown them, and now Julia's little girly clothes as well.. This photo was taken a few months ago when we passed on 0-3 month through 18 months clothes onto another mommy expecting to have a girl after two boys. What is crazy is that these are not even all her clothes....we still have more to pass to my sil who found out she is also having a girl (she has a boy already). I can tell you I have bought my children hardly any clothes because of the generosity of so many.....maybe you should consider doing the same for someone you know.....Maybe having a garage sale just doesn't make sense for you and your use of time...maybe you'd rather give them to someone who can use them instead of making a little money from them????? You decide what is right for you and your family.....

Menu from Last Week!

Well I have been trying more cheap and easy recipes this past week and I thought I would share them with you!!!!



Easter Sunday: I took Corn Casserole to my mil's house, it was a hit and this was the first time I had the recipe to make it...I will definitely be making it again...so easy and everyone gobbled it up!

1 can of whole corn (drained)
1 can of cream corn
1 box jiffy corn bread mix
1 egg
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter


Mix together. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for about one hour.



Monday : Breakfast Pizza



1lb. Sausage (browned & drained)

1 package of crescent rolls (press seams together for crust) in 9 X 13 pan

1 -2 cups of frozen hash browns (thawed)

1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese



After you form the crust with the crescents layer sausage, hash browns, and cheese. Then just sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Then only thing was I thought this recipe was a bit dry....any suggestions on what I could add?? Other than that it tasted great!!


Tuesday: Sausage & Potatoes, with dinner rolls, green beans


8-10 potatoes

1 package of smoked sausage (you could also use ham)

8oz. cream cheese

1 can of celery soup

1 ranch mix pouch



Cut and thinly slice potatoes and the smoked sausage. Place in crock pot. Mix the cream cheese, celery soup, and ranch mix and put on top of the potatoes and sausage. Cook in crock pot for 6-8 hours on low.



Wednesday: Herb baked Tilapia, mash potatoes, corn

I absolutely love making this, it is sooooo yummy I could eat it several times a week!! I bought Tilapia when it was on sale for $2.99 I think at Kroger a few weeks back...you can get it anywhere from 2.99-3.99 a bag most weeks.

4-6 Tilapia fillets

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mayo (I use miracle whip)

1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (I use cracker crumbs)

1 tsp basil

1tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper


Spray your 9 x 13 with spray. put in fish fillets. Combine cheese & mayo spread over fish. Combine all other ingredients, sprinkle over fish. lightly coat with Pam cooking spray. Bake for about 10 minutes at 400.



Thursday: Spaghetti, and Garlic bread



Friday: OUT!!



Saturday: Sloppy joes, chips

Have you tried any of the recipes I have passed along to you yet??? Any look interesting and your thinking about trying??? Leave a comment and let me know...I LOVE hearing from you all!

Fun Things for Friday!!

Each Saturday for the last month and a half we have had to be at the YMCS at 8:30am...yes your right UGH!!!! The boys have chosen soccor as their sport they love to play! Here is a shot of Julia hang out ont he mats watching her big brothers kick the ball around!

Here is a shot of Caleb with his team...she the cheesy one giving a thumbs up by the coach!

Here is Lance with his team...he's all the way on the right!

Here is Julia again..this time doing as big brother does watching on her belly :)

Are you catching any theme with Caleb....He thinks he can't take a photo without putting those thumbs in the upright position...Funny thing also he does this everytime he scores a goal to....looks over at us with a big smile, shakes his head yes, and gives us the thumbs up...He's so cute!

Things I Love Thursday!

Well I just could pick one thing that I LOVE for this Thursday so I will share both of them!! If you would like to hear some more things people love check out Sarah's blog!!

I LOVE the first blooming flower in my landscaping!!! Of course this flower was picked one day last week...before it got FREEZING cold again and started raining for days again......I just love the vibrant yellow...the first of many flowers to come :)

This is my crew on Easter Sunday!!! Julia isn't in her pretty dress like she was earlier in the morning, but they look cute anyway!! They are showcasing their latest finds at Grandma Gaerte's house...We had a fantastic Easter weekend I hope you all did as well.

Oh yes here is the dolled up Julia....I just found this pic...isn't she cute......of course she is!!!

Seeking Financial Freedom Part One

Over six years ago I became a full time stay at home mom (after kiddo number two was born), and during that time we had just purchased our first home. When I began to stay to at home, I was able to start listening to Christian radio and I discovered a show called "Money Matters". From the very first time I heard this program I was hooked!!! The show was hosted by Howard Dayton, and did such a fantastic job of hosting the show and answering all the questions from the listeners. I loved how they would discuss such practical issues and apply them to everyday life in small workable steps.

I need to make something very clear to you before we embark on this series. I want to be sure that you understand my reason for doing this series on finances and my motive behind it....that way there can be no mistakes or misunderstandings as we go through this process.

My reason is pretty simple I desire for others to learn from our misunderstanding of dealing with money. I think we all should have the proper view of money and understand how our stewardship (how we earn, spend, save, invest, give, and get out of debt) really affects our marriages, family around us, and our children.

My motive is to inspire you to think really hard about your own financial situation. I want to make you think about some things that maybe you haven't thought of before...or maybe tell you things you already know but line them up with scripture to affirm them or discredit those ways of thinking by finding out they don't line up with scripture.

Finally did you realize that money is the most talked about subject in the Bible???? Yep it's true....16 of the 38 parables were about money....there are 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, but MORE than 2,350 verses on money and possessions!!! (Information taken from p.8 of Your Money Counts)

So my final motive is to motivate all of us to take a hard look at this series with open hearts and minds about what we need to do to line up our stewardship with scripture. If money was that important to Jesus that he said more about that subject than any other then I feel we need to pay attention!!

In closing for today, don't ever take anything that I have to say as boastful, prideful, or any other negative -ful word you can think of....I simply want to be real with you about our journey that has been far from perfect but a priceless learning experience for me personally and in our marriage. I am thankful for a God who blesses us with the things we need moment by moment, day by day, month by month, and year after year.

I would love for you to become a follower of this blog if you haven't already....also you can subscribe to this blog, which means you would get automatic updates every time I post something new! Be sure to let loved ones, friends, and fellow bloggers know that this series is going on so they can tune in also...I would love for all of us to be an encouragement to each other.

Time is running out!!

I still haven't been notified by my giveaway winner!!! One6ylady you have till midnight tonight Tuesday April14th to get in contact with me at: jdgaerte@hotmail.com

If I don't hear from her I am willing to generate another winner on Random.org......I will keep the rest of you posted!!!!

Practical Tip Tuesday

Happy Tuesday everyone!!! My tip this week is fun and yet soooo practical! About three years ago I asked for a laminater for Christmas. I was getting all geared up to embark on the homeschooling adventure and thought a laminater would be a great tool to have on hand....BOY WAS I RIGHT!!!! I love mine and have used it for so many things. I laminate all my flashcards, game cards, my new cookbook, and a host of other fun things. It makes these things last so much longer and I don't have to worry about one of my "little ones" getting a hold of the flashcards and ripping them (or when they where littler chewing on them).

Here it is in action....you should able to pick one up for about $20.00....you might be able to get one cheaper. The laminate pages you buy to run through the machine are about $8 a pack. I think it is well worth my time, effort and money....maybe you would too???After I laminate my flashcards I usually wrap a rubber band around them to keep them together...they don't fit back in the box. Laminating them makes them nice for traveling too..they are more durable and the kids can even use dry erase markers to write the answers on each one and then I can go through and check them if for some reason I am not doing the cards with them......Maybe something you should consider....Maybe not.....