Dear Aaron,...

I had a post written which was basically a rant about the evils of Pokeman cards and afterschool care. After sleeping on it, I decided to forego the rant and just share the humor in the situation instead.

Enjoy.

When I picked Aaron up this afternoon, I found an envelope, a note and a dollar in his basket.


It says on the outside: "To Aaron: You are a good friend."



On the inside: "Dear Aaron, I want to give you this card and doller sence you have kind of suckish cards."

Yes, you read that right. Some sweet? little kid feels sorry for my son's shabby Pokeman collection so he gave him a dollar to, I don't know...buy some cards that aren't suckish?

Well, I should probably just look at the bright side: at least that kid has compassion, right? :-)

I'm copying again.

OK, so I saw this link over at BooMama's. She said she read it, and then she cried.

So I read it.

And I cried too. (But because it's good. REAL good.)

So go read it: I'll wait.
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See? Wasn't that awesome? Tell me what you thought about it.

Because I seem to do all the talking around here. Now it's your turn! :-)

When I'm Five...

A recent conversation between me and my four-year-old while playing Yahtzee Jr:

Wow, Eli! You are so smart! How did you know that?

Because I can count.

Oh? How high can you count?

Um, sixty.

Can you count for me now?

No. I can count for you when I'm five.

When you're five?

Yes. Then I can count to 209 when I'm five.
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Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

So, I was trying to be all good and prepared and frugal on my budget, right? I had scoured the sales papers, clipped my coupons, and planned my menu. I set a goal to finish my grocery shopping at three different stores and return home in under two hours.

First store: the deal I really wanted was nowhere to be found. Dang. Well, that's OK, because overall I got what I was after and saved around twenty bucks.

Second store: I was excited to go here because I love getting a good deal and they are having TRIPLE COUPONS this week! I was trying to hurry, because at this point it was snowing and I was expecting the "We're closing early" call from daycare at any minute. (Which came an hour after I got home.)

I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. As I reached the sidewalk, some shady character to my left says, "Ma'am, you can't go in there. They're not lettin' anyone in."

What? I can't go in the GROCERY STORE?

Before I have a chance to answer him, a cashier says, "He's right. You can't come in." I turn to my right to see her standing guard, with her face stuck between the glass double doors. "Our whole system is down and we have a store full of people. You can't come in. But, you can go sit in your car and watch the door until you see activity."

Was she serious? Did she really think that I had nothing better to do than to sit in my car IN THE SNOW and watch for the grocery store to be up and running again?

I laughed and told her no thank you, then walked back to my car. Crazy!

It's almost as bad as the time I went to Taco Bell and they told me they were out of beef. Which pretty much left a menu option of "Pintos and Cheese" as the only thing you could order, and they could actually prepare.

Dude. How can you be the manager of a Taco Bell and let it run out of BEEF?

Anyway, as I left the grocery store I thought to myself: if they are barring the door to keep people from coming IN, were they letting anyone OUT, or were they hostages? Obviously, you can't leave with your groceries if you can't check out but if you decided to abandon your cart and come back later, would they let you out?

Hmm. Like I said, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction...

List Number Two: The "B" Word

The next area I think needs some improvement in 2009 is one that Jeff and I are working on together. We actually started thinking about it before 2009 rolled in, but we didn't make any changes until the calendar page flipped over. It involves one of the most dreaded words of all:

BUDGET.

I know many of you just shrieked in fear at the mere sight of the word, but stick with me for a minute. For most of our marriage, Jeff and I have been incredibly blessed. God gave us times of great abundance, but He also gave us times that I can simply explain as "the fish and the loaves." God took what we had and made it stretch until our needs were met. God has been so faithful to care for us, and now we simply want to be sure that we are being the best stewards of that provision as we can.

I remembered that some friends of ours had gone through some kind of money management program, so I asked them what it was. Turns out it was "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey, and Susan went so far as to call it "life-changing." He was running a special on his website at the time, so I ordered the book for $10.

I couldn't read it fast enough! I so desperately wanted to be like one of the many families profiled in that book: debt-free, big savings account, and financially fit! Not that our own situation was dire or anything. We aren't buried under credit card debt. We're not losing our house to foreclosure. We just want to do better. We're pretty frugal most of the time, but we still had room for improvement: lots of it!

At first, Jeff was a little bit skeptical. Once I convinced him to read the book though, we were on the same page. Whew! Sometimes agreeing with your spouse about money is pretty tough, right?

The first step of Dave's plan (and most any good financial plan) is to establish a budget. Let me tell you, that is no simple task. It opens your eyes to where your money is going, but it does even more. It empowers you to tell your money where to go, instead of wondering where it all went.

Establishing a zero budget isn't easy, and living on it isn't either. I'm a by-the-book kind of girl, and I like it when things go according to plan.

So when we had a very cold December and our electricity bill was WAY more than we budgeted (and way more than it has ever been), I was discouraged. There will be setbacks like that, but if we're diligent, one day they won't seem nearly as daunting as they do now.

So, List Number Two is our Budget.

What about you? Do you live on a budget? Have any "tricks" to share? I'd love to hear about it!

List Number One

OK, so I hinted around that I may have a few lists here and there. In this notebook, and that journal, on that computer, a scrap of paper in my purse and...

Seriously! As 2008 faded, I started evaluating my life and what exactly I was doing with it. Jeff and I discussed some things too, and all these lists are a result of those discussions.

Mostly. Except for the first one. Which isn't really a list. At least, not yet. At the end of this year it will be a list numbering 1 to 24.

What's it a list of?

Scripture.

This one came after having a few discussions with my Father - my Heavenly Father.

After reading the Bible in a year, I knew that I needed to continue working on my relationship with God. I decided to dig deeper into the Bible in 2009, and as a result my Christmas list (there's another one!) reflected that plan: a concordance, a Bible dictionary, a Bible commentary, and a study Bible. (I should just be a career student!)

I can happily report that I got those books, and I am especially loving my NLT Study Bible. It rocks!!

Anyway, in conjunction with digging deeper, I need to apply what I learn more as well. My word for the year is "surrender," and I'm trying very hard to get out of the way and let God do with me what He has planned, instead of what I had planned.

Application is sometimes where I hit a stumbling block. Application is easier when God's word is internalized. When you know what God wants you to do, it's easier to actually do.

Then along comes this great idea from one of my faves, Beth Moore: scripture memorization.

Perfect.

So, I will be memorizing two verses a month for the year with her and 3000 or so of her closest Siestas : 24 verses in all. You can unofficially "sign-up" on the LPM Blog.

The first verse on my list is this, which coincidentally goes ALL YEAR:

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30 (NLT)

New verses are chosen on the first and fifteenth of each month. Don't feel bad if you're just now hearing of this plan. Just jump in and start memorizing where you are right now!

Sweet little Beth has even made a video tutorial about scripture memorization techniques using the acrostic "RENEW." The video is here.

Verse number two? I haven't officially decided yet. I'll post it when I decide. It's below:

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Then I'll tell you about List Number Two...

Say it ain't so!

I'm afraid it is: I am now officially the mother of a teen aged driver.

How in the heck did that happen?!?!?!?!?

I am NOT old enough to say that!!!

But, as my loving husband likes to point out.......

APPARENTLY I AM. (sigh.)

Well, I'll just bet I get some good blog fodder out of this! :-)

Ow!

If you ever see me making a really bad face, it's probably because I have a migraine, which is happening more frequently these days. Like as soon as I got to church Sunday. :-(

Anyway, if you ever wondered what one felt like, it's pretty much like this:



Oh, don't forget to add in the blurry vision and the feeling like you're about to toss your cookies.

You're welcome for the visual.

The Post that Finally Is

The beginning of a new year is always a time of reflection. We think back over the experiences of the last twelve months, and think ahead to the next. Something about changing the calendar gives us hope.

I told my husband that 2008 really wasn't all that. Nothing spectacular happened. No new house, promotions, or new babies (Thank the Lord for THAT one!) Nothing earth shattering. No big milestones. It was just an average year.

Or was it?

I almost felt convicted over making such a statement, and that got me thinking. What I discovered is that

• we had no major injuries or illnesses requiring medication, surgery or hospitalization
• we still have our home, and can still make the mortgage payment
• all of our cars are still running smoothly and are almost all paid off
• we still have three healthy boys
• I am still married, and still madly in love with my husband after almost nine years of marriage
• I still have a good-paying job
• we didn't lose any close family or friends
• and the list could continue if I really wanted to think about it...

So why did I think last year was just so-so?

Well, one was perspective. Now I realize how abundantly I was blessed in 2008. But at the same time, I still feel like 2008 could have been more.

What did I do for the kingdom of God? Did I make a difference? Did I grow spiritually? Did I do anything to make sure one day I hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant?"

Oh. That's where I feel kinda flat. I didn't lead a small group. I didn't write nearly as often (or as deeply) as I would have liked. I didn't share the gospel enough. Didn't teach my children enough. Was selfish often. Was negative alot. THAT list could go on and on, too!

Is it possible that God used me in ways that I don't even realize? Yes, and He probably did. But that doesn't change the fact that my nature likes to see tangible, measurable results. Like when you make a list, and can mark things off as they're completed.

Wait. Did I say list?

Why yes, yes I did. And I'll be seeing lots of them this year! Pretty soon I'm going to need a list to keep up with all my lists.

Over the next few days, I'll be sharing the areas I want to improve this year. I don't call them resolutions. Plans? Goals? Maybe. Or something cheesy like "How to Shine in 2009!"

(Ugh. Somebody stop me!)

Anyway, in the meantime, now that we're 11 days into 2009, what kinds of things are you striving for this year?

Note to Future Self: Be Quiet.

While driving around your teenage son and a friend, don't comment out loud about the driving habits of others, specifically griping about the inability of them to properly operate a turn signal. Your fresh-out-of-Drivers-Ed son will not hesitate to point out that you haven't used your turn signal once while he's been in the car with you.

Oh. (Blink. Blink.)

At least I know he was listening in class...

I'm such a copycat.

Well, all I can say is that I saw this post today at Compassion International's blog, and so should you. It's a quick read...




Well? Why are you still here?

GO! Read it, already!!! :-)

Back by Popular Demand

Or not! One of you asked me when I was posting again because (sniff) she missed my posts! (I love you, too Susan!)

So, hi. I may need to re-introduce myself since I've been away so long.

I'm Beth. :-)

I really had not intended for the blog to be quiet this long. Life just kinda happens, doesn't it? (Seriously. I started writing this post about five hours ago. FIVE HOURS, people!) I had a nice 2008 review post in my head, but it obviously never materialized. Then I had a Welcome 2009 Post that didn't show up, either.

So here I am at January 4th already. Now what?

Well, whatever I want. Because it's my blog.

So, I'm going to start with a list of resolutions that I didn't write.

Because they're better than mine would be. And it gives you an idea of what that "Welcome 2009" post might have looked like. If I had time to write it.

Check out "5 Resolutions to Keep..."