Love to read??

If you love to read then I've got THE perfect thing for you....read through the Bible in a year! Today in church our pastor kindly shared with us a number of great reading plans which can help you get through the entire Bible with ease. Here are the links he gave:

Want to improve your memorization of Bible Verses? Visit this site: Bible Memory

Bible Reading Plans - all by NavPress:

• Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
• The Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan
• The 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan

Walk Through the Bible:

• Tapestry
• Closer Walk
• Daily Walk
• Indeed
• Youthwalk

Other great websites for Reading Plans:

• Bible Plan - 12 different Bible reading plans from which you can choose
• Bible Stuph - In addition to Bible reading plans, there are riddles, trivia, devotions etc.
• Back to the Bible - They offer a Chronological plan; Historical plan; OT plan, NT plan; Beginning to End plan and Blended plan.
• Bible Gateway - Listen to the Scriptures in KJV, NIV or Contemp. English. Great concordance feature, topical index, etc. for personal Bible Studies.
• Dynamicapps - Use their plans or design your own plan choosing from 60 different versions of the Scripture.

Speaking of scripture versions (nice transition 'eh?), I got the BEST gift for my birthday back in November from my dear husband! The new ESV Version of the Bible!! I wanted to get ths version a while back, but they didn't have it out yet as a study Bible, so I opted to wait for it. Well, in October, the study Bible came out and I'm thrilled to own one!

ESV stands for English Standard Version. From the ESV website: "The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is a new, essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and depth of meaning." I grew up on the King James Version, then our church decided to change to the New American Standard version in the 70's, only to change to the New International Version back in the 80's. Now they are using the NIrV version in the kid's programs! Ugh! It's been most frustrating not knowing which translation to 'stick with' as far as memorization goes. All the verses I know by memory are from KJV but I honestly don't read the KJV much anymore, so it wouldn't really benefit me. The ESV is extremely close to the KJV but without all the words like thee, thou, and other words that put the th at the end...loveth, tilleth, goeth etc. You get the point!

I also love the fact that this study Bible has a TON of 'extras' added. Lots of great charts, drawings, lists, maps and other great information. I got my new Bible from CBD. Click on the link to read about all the details included in this Bible.

Click on the photos for a closer look at my new Bible...

Can't you just smell that new leather?!? My name is also on the front, but I deleted it for the photo.


If you're reading this...I added this photo for you Matt & Mark! Don't worry, Lionel doesn't study this version for quiz team! =)

Incredible drawings filled with details & information!

Devotionals are a great supplement to reading God's Word. Here are a few sites with great devotionals mentioned by our Pastor this morning...

• Moody - Today in the Word Devotional
• EBread - Daily Byte of God's Word
• CBH Ministries - Keys for Kids (we use these and they're AWESOME!)

I pray that you will start off this new year with Christ...open up Bible (after you dust if off) and really get into His Word!! Read just a little bit of it each day and as our pastor mentioned...remember to take the time out to listen to Him as you do so!

Family....

...is what makes Christmas so special!!!

Some highlights from Christmas morning:



I created a 100 page book for the kids this year with Shutterfly. Inside the book are photos and captions from our homeschool experience. Our classroom, all about the kids, field trips we've taken with our homeschool group and as a family, educational vacations, and a variety of photos of the kids working in school at their desks, with experiments, crafting and more! It took me quite a while to get all the photos together (over 600 of them!) but it was well worth the effort!!! This book will be a treasure for years to come. Here they are looking at it.


Lionel loves anything to do with World War 2, so what better gift than a pair of aviator goggles!?! He looked just like the flying ace...in pajamas! hee hee


Here he is with some of his WW2 prints. He got a few of these, some great vintage WW2 planes fabric for new curtains and an awesome balsa wood WW2 plane...the Messerschmitt. Believe me, he was one very happy camper!!


He also loves educational shows, so he got the Discovery Shark Week DVD set, and a few great DVD's from the History Channel!


Samantha finally made it into Sweet-Pea's American Girl doll collection (...and then there were 8!!!) Knowing that Samantha would be retiring this year, we had no choice but to purchase this one if we were going to help make Sweet-Pea's collection complete. We knew we were going to get her an American Girl doll for Christmas, but we weren't sure which one. Sweet-Pea simply loves Samantha, so it was the perfect choice anyhow!!


These are the priceless reactions we aim for on Christmas morning!!! Thanks for obliging me Sweet-Pea!!! There were several of these looks from both kids, but this was the best one captured on 'film'. (Is that politically correct to say now that our photos are all digital?? There IS no film!)


One of Sweet-Pea's favorite gifts were the American Girl skates. This was the first thing she wrote down on her Christmas list, so when she opened them she was thrilled!!!!


Two of my favorite photos, hands down!! (No, they were NOT staged either!)





Cody was not left out! He enjoyed a stocking full of fun gifts too! He got several different kind of treats, 2 stuffed toys, a chew toy and this big enormous bone! It didn't take him long to claim it as his, and his alone!!!


Dinner was great! We had Edward's family over, so it was a nice crowd. It really stinks that the kids have no cousins around, so they don't have other kids to play with, but I suppose they are used to it by now. They love their grandparents & aunts/uncles who live nearby, so they at least get to spend time with family.


I do hope your Christmas was wonderful, and that you were able to make memories with your family and friends that will last a lifetime!!

Merry Christmas!!

May you all have a wonderful day filled with many blessings and happy memories!! Remember to keep Christ in all you do...He is the reason we celebrate Christmas...He is the reason we live!!

Why we celebrate Christmas...

Luke 2:1-20



"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Christmas makes me cry

The quality isn't the best, but it's the song I want to share...along with the introduction by Matthew West - who wrote this song. Since losing my Dad recently, this song really touches my heart whenever I hear it! This Christmas I probably will shed a few tears, but I know that God is always with me and will give me the peace I need!!

A little Christmas dance for you

MMMmmmmmm Good!

OK, so that's Campbell's theme...but I still think it's an appropriate heading for my post. Since it's cold and snowy outside, it's the perfect day for homemade soup, don't 'cha think?

I'm making Potato Soup! It's more like a chowder and it's sooo good! The recipe is simple and I'm able to put it all in my crock pot and forget about it until it's almost ready...my kind of cooking.

It's cooking now...


...and it looks so yummy already, but it has several more hours to cook!


While I was making the soup, Sweet-Pea helped me out a lot. She's a fantastic helper in the kitchen - one day she'll make a great wife/mommy!!!! She was so inspired, that she got out some of her own things and began to 'cook' on the dining room table.



When asked what she was cooking she said "I'm making apple pie with cherries in it. The crust is made of fried bread and pear skins." OK, so maybe she's not the BEST cook...but she'll get there! ha ha She's a total trip sometimes. She has an entire kitchen set in the family room that she spends hours playing with. Maybe someday she'll have her own restaurant, who knows.

Before you all ask...I'll post the recipe for my potato soup here. It's not my personal recipe so I can't take credit for it, but it's just too good not to share!!!!

POTATO SOUP
(Yields approx. 3 quarts)

6 cups of cubed peeled potatoes
2 cups of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup of butter or margarine (I use butter!)
5 cups of water
4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules (I use the paste, sometimes the cubes)
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Combine all these ingredients in a slow cooker and put on high for 7 hours (it doesn't always take that long in mine) or until the vegetables are tender. Then add the following:

1 can (12 ounces) of evaporated milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook for 30-60 more minutes or until heated through. Use snipped chives as a garnish if you desire....and always...serve with love!!



Enjoy!

Photo Hunt #141 - Wide

In the spirit of Christmas...

This is a photo of a Christmas tree we had one year when I was very young...it certainly is WIDE! My mom always had to have a wide tree...not sure why...it looks so silly! Gotta love it though! Notice the lights sticking way out...boy have times changed!!

Snow!!

It snowed today...lots! Since it was so windy, cold and snowing hard, we didn't get outside until late afternoon when it was getting darker outside, but we still had fun. Personally I don't like to be out in the snow while it's coming down. Generally the next day is the best - the snow is still pretty fresh, and the sun is usually shining bright...but...tomorrow is supposed to snow more, so we figured we'd trudge out today anyhow!

I did take a bunch of pictures - and hoped that my camera wouldn't get ruined. It got wet while snapping photos. Then again, I do want a new camera, so this would be a good excuse to get one! (Hint hint honey!)

YEAH!!! It's snowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The big huge pine tree in our front yard. I always wanted to cover it with lights, but we'd need a very tall cherry picker to get the lights on it. Seeing that we don't have one...we never did it. This is our last Christmas in this house too, so now it'll never happen.


On our front porch we have a pretty tree with lights and ornaments. It always makes me smile when I look at it!


Sweet-Pea enjoying the snow! She doesn't fit into her noisy winter pants anymore....you know the kind...they make shwooshing sounds when you walk! ha ha We have to get her a new pair - kids grow WAY TOO FAST!


Lionel shoveling with Edward. Fortunately the snow wasn't too heavy. The only bummer is that after they came inside, the whole thing got covered with a few more inches. Ugh! It's also going to snow through the night, so there will be even more on top of that!


Posing beside the front of the house...notice our lit baby trees. The kids call this "The Runway"! We always put these trees up at Christmas time, and with snow on them they look so pretty.




Poor Cody was covered with snow that was freezing on his hair!! When he came inside he made a bee-line for his warm bed!! Goldendoodles don't have an undercoat so they can get cold quickly. I can't imagine how he survived being outside for 15 months before we got him - makes me so angry...and so sad!!! Anyhow, he enjoyed the snow a little since he was with us. In this photo, Lionel is trying to keep him from running away from the camera...he was so quick. The falling snow sort of creeped him out. = )


We'll see what tomorrow brings...maybe more snow...maybe more photos. We'll see.

OUCH!!

When I was a senior in college, we went on a class trip out of state. The ride was long, but it was so much fun! One of our ventures was across a very high bridge. You couldn't see the down side when you were going up, so it was pretty nerve wracking. Well...we didn't quite make it to the top. About 3/4 of the way up, the cars in front of us began slamming on their brakes. Apparently the cars on the down side had been stopped for whatever reason, but the cars going up didn't see them. So...the van we were in smashed into the car in front of us which caused them to smash into the car in front of them. To make matters worse, the van behind us (another of our college vans) smashed into us 2 times, once on their own and once because they were hit from behind. To make it easier to understand...we were in a 5 car pile-up and we were smack dab in the middle! I also was in the first bench of the 15 passenger van in the center, so I flew out of the seat and into the dashboard - no seat belts back then!

As a result from that accident, I ended up with a dislocated hip, horrible back pain and a neck that was severely whiplashed! I went to a chiropractor for over a year, and they told me that when I was older I'd probably feel the pain a bit more. Well...surprise...I'm older and guess what...the pain is back!!

I not only have horrible sciatica problems, but I may have a slipped disc somewhere and my shoulders, not wanting to feel left out, are now in pain. Oh joy! I feel like an old lady that can't walk each morning, and by the time evening comes, I'm worn out. Poor Edward has been constantly giving me massages which help, but only for a short while. I've done the back pain meds, and thought about going back to a chiropractor, but honestly, I don't want to deal with that every day/week/whatever! So, I looked online and found this:



It's a high density foam roller that are used to help with back pain and body conditioning. So, I ordered it and it arrived today. Already I'm loving it!!! I've used it a couple times today and wow does it feel good on my back! As I lay on it and roll, I can hear everything adjusting and can feel a deep tissue massage...seriously. I'm not sure how it will work over time, but for now I'm going to use it faithfully to see if it helps. (Watch me wake up in the morning and not be able to move at all now that I've said that! ha ha) Anyhow...here are a couple positions to use it in so you get the idea....

This is how I am using it right now. It hurts at first, but it does help!


No, I do not look like this, nor can I hold myself in this position, but maybe someday! For now I need to work on my back, then I'll deal with the rest of my body. = )


If anyone has been through back pain and can give me ideas, I'd love to hear them. It's just so debilitating! The worst part is that it's no better whether I sit or stand. I can do either for only about 10 min. at a time before the pain starts. I'll keep you posted...gotta roll! (pun intended!)

12 Days of Christmas???

Gotta love it!!

Silly photos...just for fun

After Sweet-Pea enjoyed her skating today, I had myself a bit of fun myself...

Lionel - featured in MotorMania Magazine...well...not really! He really was sitting in the PA Pocono Raceway pace car though. We got to ride in the pace car around the track and then walk right up to the start/finish line to look around.


Sweet-Pea certainly LOOKS like a model here, but she's not.


Maybe one day Lionel will make a ton of money and have a home like this...dare to dream?!? If he does...I'M moving in with HIM!






2 Cats staring at our dog, Cody...hoping he doesn't pop out of the screen!


Is Lionel really that old???


My absolute favorite...an artist doing a chalk drawing of Sweet-Pea!