I wish so much I could remember details of the past better.  They say the short-term memory is the first to go, so what is this saying about me?  I think I’m in trouble!  =)  I’m so thankful that I kept a journal during the years our girls were home, because it is serving as my memory.  It wasn’t written in daily, but I have highlights of things through the years.
Recently I picked up one of the journals and was reminded about how much our family read together.  My mom instilled a love for books in me and my sisters, and I longed for my girls to love to read too.  I began very early taking them to the library to check out books and attend the story time for their age groups.  We read at the dinner table after our meal was finished.  We read in the car.  We read at bedtime.  We read out in the yard on a blanket.  We read while on vacation.  We read while waiting for appointments.

We read a variety of books.  Some were just for fun books –  Mr. Popper’s Penguins, The Wizard of Oz, many of the Boxcar Children books, as well as Laura Ingles Wilder and Mandy series.  We read the Henry and Ribsy series by Beverly Cleary that were favorites of mine when I was a little girl.  Who wouldn’t love reading about the mischievous boy, Henry and his dog, Ribsy?  What fun we had imagining all the scenes in those stories!

We also read some books of missionaries, such  the story of the five American missionaries who ministered to the Auca Indians and were martyred.  The book telling their story is called, Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot.  We read The Hiding Place; the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her imprisonment in the Concentration Camp during World War II.  We also read other missionary’s biographies, and also read of some evangelists. 

What a blessing reading together as a family is!  If you aren’t doing this, start small and work up to reading bigger books as your children get older.  Even if, like me, you don’t remember all the titles you read, the blessing of spending that time together and the impact of godly people that loved the Lord will impact your children the rest of their lives.

Above all books is the Book – God’s Word.  Does your family love it and read it together?  It’s the only Book that will hold your lives, your very world together when everything comes unglued. 
Love it. 
Read it. 
Memorize it.
It is the Mind of Christ.  Don’t neglect it…make it the first thing you read each day!

I’m trying, by God’s grace, to read a book a month right now.  So far I’ve read:
Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman 
Disciplines of the Home
(Re-read) The Hiding Place
His Word in My Heart – one more chapter to go!

What are you reading – either for yourself or with your family?  Do you have any recommendations of books to read that would strengthen our walk with God, our marriage or our home?  Why not share the title with us?

With love,

It was a Monday afternoon, and my husband and I were running a bunch of errands.  I made a quick run into the jewelers to have some links removed from my new watch.  It was sliding around on my wrist like my feet would slide around in my husband’s shoes!  While I was there I asked them to clean my rings.  It was during our wait that we began browsing at the men’s rings.  My husband’s wedding band is the original ring I gave him nearly 30 years ago. 

“We really should replace your ring with a new one,” I said, pointing at the case of wedding bands.  The jeweler slid the glass case open and we explained to him that his ring was dulled and not even round anymore.

 “Would you like me to fix that?” he asked, reaching for the used-to-be round ring.

 “Sure.  Do what you can,” my husband answered.  Ten minutes later, the jeweler produced the ring.  Not only was it round again, it was polished and looked brand new due to a spin in the cleaner! 

“I think I just talked you out of a sale, but I’d hate for you to buy a new one.  This is a good ring and is in great shape.  It’s gold and it’s more valuable than what you were looking at.”  We left the store with a watch that now fit and two wedding rings (his and mine) that were both sparkling.

What we did with our wedding rings that day was what every couple must do with their marriage:

• We had to take the time to stop at the jewelers.  If you simply “wear your marriage” every day and never stop to give it attention – never check to see if there’s any damage or things that need work, like our rings, it won’t be what it should be!  We have to stop – go to a retreat, go away for a night, or take time to communicate so we can take a good look at how things are really going.  The stopping also involves daily being in God’s Word so your marriage will look exactly like God intended it to!
• Our rings needed polishing.  Every couple has to take time work on the relationship.  Make the necessary changes as life shifts so you can spend quality time together.  Without this rings – and marriages  get dull!
• Oblong rings need to be straightened out – so do marriages.  Is there a misunderstanding?  Get it straightened out.  Were angry words hurled at your spouse?  Confess your sin to the Lord and to your husband.  Keep things right.  Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.
• After the cleaning was done, we put our rings back on and have enjoyed the new look!  Wear your marriage with a happy heart.  Enjoy being married.  Laugh together.  Do fun things.  Say and do things for your spouse to build him up.  You’re a wife!  Let your husband rejoice with you! 

Like the jeweler told us about my husband’s ring –  marriage is valuable – to us and the Lord.  Treasure it. Don’t throw it out because it’s looking ugly right now.   Stop to care for it.   Shine it up!  Straighten it out!  Wear it proudly!  Take it to the fix-it shop and guard it carefully; it’s a rare treasure!

With love,

P.S. Someone asked the jeweler we used – let me give an unsolicited plug because they are truly the best in the area.  We use  Fine’s Jewelers.  Go.  You’ll be glad you did!

Old friends are wonderful guests with whom to share Sunday dinner!  We were privileged to have former church members/ dear friends here for the morning service yesterday.  What sweet fellowship we’ve had with this couple in the past years.  It was wonderful to have them at church, and then at our dinner table! Their sweet little 9-month old was in our home for the first time, and we loved having her sweet smile at our table!  We also invited a dear couple who have had us in their home many times.  My spread was nothing like she has put out!

 Since Sunday was The first day of spring, I pulled out my spring linens and table decor. In the words of my daughter, they just make me happy!

Thank you, Lord for dear friends and for allowing us to fellowship with them; to share our simple meal together.  Thank you for the bond that we share that enables us to open our hearts so easily to bear their burdens, and share our own with them.  

Thank you for the provisions to feed not only our family, but also open our home to others.  It’s a blessing, and I am so grateful for your abundance.

Save money!  We’re all trying to do just that these days, aren’t we?  One of my readers asked me to share couponing tips and strategies.  I’m no pro at this, but I have learned my way around the coupon world to an extent, and have really seen a decrease in my grocery bill as a result.  Here are the few tips that I could give:

1. Buy a Sunday paper.  I don’t mean the little local paper – I mean the big-city one that carries LOTS of coupons.  We buy a Knoxville paper on our way to church each Sunday.  If you don’t get it early, you’ll miss out!  It’s worth the $2!
2. Use your .50 and less coupons at a store that will double their value.  Ingles and Krogers will both do just that. I wait until the items are on sale too, then I really get the value from the coupon.
3. Use sites like Southern Savers or Money Saving Mom to simplify your shopping and coupon use.  These sites will tell you what’s on sale at each local grocery store and will also let you know if there’s a coupon that goes with that item.  They are a huge blessing!  You can even make up a grocery shopping list for each store where you shop.  It will include the price of the items, and the coupon needed (if necessary), then will tell you the final cost!
4. You can even check the site above on Saturday night to see what coupons are in the Sunday paper.  If you see there will be some really good coupons, you’ll know to buy more than one paper.  I have kind friends that don’t coupon that share their coupon booklets with me.  Ask around; someone might be throwing the coupons you could use in the trash!
5. Cut out the coupons out and get them organized weekly.  I have found the best way to store them is in baseball card protectors that I’ve placed in a three-ring binder.  I put labels on the pages so I can quickly find “baking items” or “dairy products”. I get stopped in the grocery store all the time when people see my binder on my grocery cart.  It’s so much easier than the accordion folders!  They stay all bunched up and you have to flip through them all when they’re in one of those folders.  The baseball card sleeves allow you to see the whole page of coupons at a glance.

I think that hits the highlights of getting the most out of your coupons.  If this has created a question, please leave a comment and I’ll answer it for you.  Happy shopping!

See you in church Sunday!

With love,

If an earthly father loves his child, we must remember that God’s love for us is even greater.  We can trust Him with our lives.  Has your life stopped suddenly?  Realize that you are not in control after all – He is.  Feel the security of sitting in His lap and His arms around you gripping the steering wheel of your life.  He is a good God with good planned for you.  Trust Him and be thankful that He’s the One that’s really driving!

With love,