Weekend to Remember Promo Code

This comes from the FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Facebook page:

"IT IS HERE! Starting today, anyone who registers for a Weekend to Remember (using the promo code BOB) gets 50 % off the regular WTR rate...plus a free gift that will put sizzle in your date nights! This offer ends Jan 31st, so register today! www.familylife.com/weekend"

I really think all married couples should at least check into this.  My husband and I did this a year ago, and if it weren't for health reasons right now I'd be signing us up again.  The whole weekend was such a blessing.  A real true blessing.

It is one "vacation" that I will never forget.  I became more closer to my husband than I even knew I could.  Our love grew deeper and became much more meaningful.  Our views of marriage and family transformed that weekend.  As a result we've lived this past year in a really great way.  I am so thankful that the time, effort and money that we put into it the weekend resulted in an abundance of blessings we, our children and our future generations will benefit from greatly. 

 

 

Godly-Givers

"If a child sees his parents day in and day out

 living without self-restraint or self-discipline

then he will come in the deepest fibers of his being

 to believe that that is the way to live"

-M. Scott Peck

Well isn't that just the truth?

Let me start with telling you that I am a purger (On a whim I decide to throw or donate tons of things, all at once, it's usually a big production).  I've always kind of known this, but a good friend pointed it out recently (because good friends can do that).  I didn't think much of it at the time, but the next time I was in a purging mood I sat down and thought hard about why I was doing what I what I was doing.

Here's what I came up with:
I wasn't doing it to provide for the needy or to give to others with a kind heart.  I was doing it as a way to cleanse the space around me, to get rid of the STUFF that was occupying my eyes.  I did it so it was easier to clean, and less to mess with.

I'm not certain, but all I can think is maybe I was doing this because I have pretty much ALWAYS had more than what I needed.  Growing up in a home that was certainly not high class, and sometimes not quite middle class, I only a few times really remember experiencing a sacrifice or struggling. 
But when we did, those times although hard, passed quickly, and without a thanks to God or a lesson from my parents about the things we did have.  (You'll know from past posts though, I have great parents, but God was not usually pointed out as being the center of our home when I was growing up).

So recently I decided to go through my home and give, when I wasn't in a mood.  I took the kids along with me and we went through each closet, drawer, cupboard and shelf.  We decided that the dining room table was our GIVE space.  We talked about the types of things we wanted to give and that we weren't giving just because it was things that we didn't need, but because we wanted to be Godly givers. 

When my children went through their toys and clothes to give, it shocked me.  When going through my daughters hair bows I stepped back, and let her decide what to keep and give.  I didn't influence one way or another.  Once she was finished I just asked her, "Are you sure your piles are right, this looks like you're giving more bows than you're keeping?".  Thinking that she'd quickly switch the piles, she instead just said "That's right, and guess what mom? I still have A LOT!"

My daughter realized that she still had more than enough.  We said several thankful prayers to God.  This was much harder with the 3 year old because everything was "This is mine" "I want to keep everything!".  But by the end of the two day event it turned into "I don't NEED this" or "Someone else can love this".  He would willingly run his un-needed items to the giving table and proudly yell out "I'm giving!". 

This experience was great for all of us. 

I was certain not to guilt the kids into giving, I wanted them to realize each of their blessings and only give what they felt comfortable giving. 

The princess and I took a car FULL to the second hand store and on the way down she said "Mommy, I really don't think I'm ready to give my Hannah Montana pillow".  We talked about it, and I told her how I had also put something in the give pile that I thought I wanted to keep.  I told her I was going to go ahead and give my item because I knew I was only thinking of keeping it because it was new, not because I had a use for it, or an attachment to it.  If she wasn't ready though, she could keep the pillow until she felt ready.  So she kept it, hasn't touched it since, BUT that's okay. :)  She recognized her feelings and expressed them to me, that made me pretty happy :)

What can you give freely and with an open heart?  If not something you possess, when and where can you give your time? 

50th Post! Not even a great one :-( Sorry!

So this is my 50th blog post!  I had thought it would be great to do something fun for this one.  But instead, I'm going to get my feelings out.  Which is really what this blog is all about anyway, saying what's on my mind, so I can think about other things, more important things.

Speaking of important things... My faith, husband, and children are all really important to me.  I think it was about 2 years ago I made a decision to cancel our cable TV.  It wasn't a financial decision, but one that I thought was a good  move to get the awful horrible media out of our home (the grown up shows my husband and I were watching, thinking the kids weren't paying attention, but they were).  At the time, it was a decent idea. 

About 3 days in, we all missed TV and, to be honest, we were BORED!  So, we got a little antenna for the top of the entertainment center, to pick up the news, which was important to m husband.  After that he discovered that if we bought a big one for the roof we could pick up several more channels.

Then 10 months ago I reactivated our Netflix subscription (we used it 4 years ago and liked it). 

For about $10 a month we could watch movies/TV episodes instantly on our TV (through our Wii)  and set up my laptop in the bedroom for the kids to watch a movie.  Cheap entertainment.

CHEAP!  Not inexpensive, but CHEAP (which to me, is kind of the same as saying crap).

I just figured out that in 10 months we've had 45 DVD's mailed to us, and watched OVER 350 TITLES INSTANTLY!

#$%$#%#$^

So, yes, it is inexpensive.  $100 in fees / 400+ movies = A quarter (or less) for each show.

What a disaster this has been.  We're watching more TV than ever, even though we're getting it at a good price.

I feel so stupid that I let it get this out of control.  And stupid that I didn't really FIX the bad habit, I just CHANGED it. 

I've begged my husband to let me take the TV out of the living room.  I know this is very 'unamerican'.  But it's something I so deeply desire. 

It's my wish that by the end of 2011 (but really, sooner would be better), we'll have our basement completed enough that we can put our entertainment center, TV, and all video games down there.

It's not that we watch anything that is really terrible, is just that there is so many other things we could be doing with our lives than watching shows we aren't really interested in, just because it's available.

Just like a cookie-  Just because it's there, doesn't mean we should eat it.  Just because the shows are available, doesn't mean we should watch it. 

I know this is so unfair to my husband, I really am very thankful for his support through this.  I'm the one who has the problem limiting my TV time, and because of this, he is missing out on so many sports and late night TV shows.  He has been great about all of this, he is so encouraging. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those of you who are thinking of cancelling cable to save money, here is our financial break down-
Cable was $40 a month, so if we had paid that for 2 years it would've been $960
We spent $50 on a little antenna, and $200 on a great one. 

$960-$250=$710 in savings

Minus say, 1 year of Netflix, $120
Means in 2 years, we've still saved $590.. which is a great savings.  It just didn't accomplish what I had first set my sights on, which was controlling the media in our home.

I Swear.

Last night my husband was working late, so the kids and I decided to make homemade brownies and serve a candlelit dinner to daddy to show him our appreciation when he came home. 

I had the radio on, and my daughter started doing dishes, without being asked (if you knew how much food she left on the dishes, you'd know why she wasn't asked.  Oh well, the dishwasher finished what she couldn't). 

Anyway, John Michael Montgomery's "I Swear" came on.

In case you need a refresher on the lyrics, it goes like this:
"I see the questions in your eyes
I know what's weighing on your mind
That you can be sure I know my heart

`Coz I'll stand beside you through the years
You'll only cry those happy tears
And though I make mistakes
I'll never break your heart

I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear like a shadow that's by your side
I'll be there

For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I swear

I'll give you everything I can
I'll build your dreams with these two hands
We'll hang some memories on the walls

And when just the two of us are there
You won't have to ask if I still care
`Coz as the time turns the page, my love won't age at all

I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there

For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I swear

I swear by the moon and stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there

For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I swear, I swear "
My sweet princess, who had only heard this song for the first time, but is excellent at all things musical, started humming along.  Just after the second "For better or worse, till death do us part I'll love you with every beat of my heart, I swear".  She says with the biggest smile on her face,

" I'm so excited to be a wife......someday"

Ahhh, finally, I feel like I'm doing something right!  She makes me so proud! 


Side note: It was Mac N' Cheese Monday, the noodles were mushy, the cheese wasn't stirred enough, and I served garlic toast that a certain little girl put WAY to much butter on, but it really wasn't about the food at all.  The time our little family spent at the table last night was just wonderful!

& I'm excited to be a wife too.

First off, I know this is way too forward- But I'm just going to put this out there-  I'm hearing WAY too often of couples getting divorced.  We've been close too,  we're all human and make mistakes.  Have grace for your spouse. My advice to you is something I read in a book tonight "We did WHAT WE COULD with WHAT WE HAD and THEN GOD TOOK IT from there". Think (when you're not upset) about the long term picture, is this what's best, is whatever you're upset about something that is really worth shaking your precious children's lives over.  We all know we can't change our spouses, but if YOU change, would it help the situation.  If so, do it.  You're worth it, your kids are worth it, and so is your spouse.