Menu Plan Monday

I have been reading a few blogs lately, and they have inspired me!

For more plans click here. And I hope I do this correctly!


Monday: Crock-Pot Jambalaya

Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup. {another crock pot recipe -- really yummy!)

Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup and sandwiches (Bible Study night)

Thursday: Pasta, salad and garlic bread.

Friday: Homemade Pizza. Found the recipe on one of the blogs recently -- will you share your blog again if you read this? I"ll link it.

It is such a relief to know what I am making so I don't have to come home and figure something out!!

And after checking my post links and such, I saw who inspired me to clean out my spice drawer!
Yup. I'm an Organizing Junkie. True inspiration. I now wish I had a before photo. It was bad!

Things I've Learned.

I've had a million thoughts run through my mind the last few days. I have a list of things that I've learned from Joel's Journey -- Joel's life that I know about and his family's.

Its amazing how much this little guy has made an impact on peoples lives. I honestly believe the Lord has used him in a mighty way.

I'm not sure if I'll post all my list online to share ... I'm praying that others in my family will get the same revelations that I have from Joel. I'm scrapbooking it to preserve it for a life time.

I do not EVER want to forget Joel, his journey, or what he's taught me.

Joel with the Lord Jesus...

The Lord decided to take Joel to be with Him today ... their family was scheduled to take him home today, but the Lord wanted him home with Him.

Please pray for Joel's family as they go on without him. Please remember them during their journeys now without Joel by their sides.

Joel's Journey.

More later. =(

7 in '07

My 7 Goals for 2007

It does sound better than resolutions, doesn't it? (these are not in any particular order!)

This year has been off to an "interesting" start ...

1. Have a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Lose weight and eat healthier: I lost 12 pounds the last part of 2006 and really would like to do that the first part of 2007!

3. Learn Photoshop: I know if I can just get the time to sit and work with it, I can actually learn something on there!

4. Learn to use my camera; The first thing I need to do is Read the Manual!!

5. Spend more quality time with family. I usually am "going, going, going"

6. Curb purchases. Period.

7. Keep better contact with far away friends and family.

2

That's what the temperature was! Brrrr!

We were enjoying the nice winter we were having with temperatures in the 50s and even 60s occasionally. Well winter is here with a frenzy! One of the hardest things about having animals is keeping them watered. Their water is rock solid.

Not alot going on at the home front ... trying to organize and purge ... and stay warm!!

I had a medical procedure done on my eye yesterday ... {why, is beyond me?} I'm still struggling with it today and am not feeling the best. I really need the Lord to touch me today.

On another note ... Stephen's poem was selected to be published! He's pretty excited. I didn't realize how much he missed his grandma till I saw it yesterday. He also mentions his little friend - Joanna in it. Cute. I'll share it soon.

Happy Wednesday!!

Urgent for Joel ... pray!

Please pray for this little lamb ... his oxygen level has dropped and they are thinking pneumonia. Please, please touch the throne of God and continue to pray for strength for this family.

The sanctity of life is a TRUE BATTLE in our world today.

God is the author of our lives ... people are NOT.

Doctors are NOT.

Medical science is NOT.

Someone's opinion is NOT.

If you read Joel's blog, read the entry for this morning.

What is life? I believe as long as Joel's heart is beating, he is very much ... ALIVE ... a living human being. As are we all.

The Unveiling ....

Here's some peeks of the bathroom -- we still have to paint the shelves in the cabinet the baskets are on. My dh wants to get "real" doors -- he just painted the old ones that were on there. The middle area will stay open.

Remember this ia our Acme 101 bathroom -- trying and succeeding in cutting costs and getting items on clearance. We did have to dish out for the floor tile and the new sheet rock -- but figured if we did it - it needed to be done right. It took a while to save it all up!!

The shower curtain was found at Wal-Mart. Love the colors in there. Makes me anxious to add some color to the rest of the house. We need to find a shelf or cabinet to put on the wall opposite the toilet and vanity. We have seen ones we like but they don't come in that dark - walnut type color. Thinking about buying one bare and painting it ourselves. (well, dh will paint it!!) LOL!

Here's some of the blessing ... the vanity, sink and mirror were $18.00. Total.

The surround shower thingy was $10.00
New toilet -- $10.00
Heater/exhaust fan/light -- on ebay ... not sure how much but cheap!

They have been collecting in our barn for about a year ...

This house is not our retirement house but rather one where we will make a profit on and use it on the house we most likely will stay in for the rest of our lives. It was a great deal -- but also needs a lot of remodeling. Mainly -- eye sores. Ugly stuff -- and sheet-rock.





Need to find some type of towel holder for the sink ... short on space and ditch the pink soap for a matching color! The pink does smell good. Guess who picked that one out? Also something for the toilet paper ... Sarai and I like the one that sits on the floor but her dad thinks it will constantly tip over. Like this.


That tan basket on the toilet is finding its way to a new home ... need a darker one.

The Ugly Bathroom

I don't have a great photo of the bathroom BEFORE the budget remodeling project has happened ... let's just say it was beyond ugly. LOL! Hated it. I guess I should have taken one. Josh took all the ones of the "construction". I need to scrap it.

You can see the old "vanity" {if you want to call it that?} Circa 1970.

I have this photo of Josh when he first put a razor to his face and maybe you can see some of the ugly bathroom in the back ground .... like the window curtain in the shower area? Blucky.

When we go over who does what chores periodically -- no one EVER wanted the bathroom. Sarai had it before she went to college, and then when she was back -- she volunteered for ANYTHING but that! LOL! Dad had it while she was gone and then Stephen ended up with it. It's time to change the chores again ... I might pick it, but we'll probably argue over it. It's not too bad to clean now.

'Peace in the midst of the storm...'

Just finished checking on Joel this morning, and this precious child is truly a miracle from the Lord. Please continue to pray for his COMPLETE healing. God is MORE than able.

Joel.

Please continue to pray

for Joel. He is still hanging on to life. I am just waiting to see what the Lord is going to do with this child for His glory.

The doctor has taken legal action against this family regarding their son. Please, please pray!

You can view the updates here: Joel

Thank you so much!


P.S. It seems like this year has been full of prayer requests ... now you can take that 2 ways.

1. That it's going to be a year of trials.

OR

2. We are going to see the great things the Lord CAN and STILL DOES today.

Magnify the Lord and see ...

Prayer

I like to read blogs ... scrapbooking, Christian families, photo blogs and homeschooling ones and there are two people's blogs I found in the last few weeks and they have been a burden on my heart. Honestly, I can't remember how I ended up reading theirs, but the Lord must have lead me to them.

Please pray for Joel. He has cancer and the last update was that he was in a coma. He's 3 years old. You can check his updates here.

Also please pray for Karen. She has 3 little people that she is a mom too. Updates are here.
She just finished her chemo treatments but have more treatments to go through.

Prayer is a very powerful thing. I believe that with all my heart. I'm been the recipient of answered prayers that only God could have done, and have been a witness to ones that He could have only taken are of.

Thanks so much.

2007

My first post of 2007 ... I'm excited about the beginning of a new year.

It signifies to me a new start ... I guess every day is considered a new beginning, or even the next moment -- but for me ... a new year is a definite new beginning.

We spent the last day in church for the morning and evening service -- and our evening service was awesome! I think the Lord gave us a taste of what 2007 will be like for the church.

Awesome!

P.S. I just somehow "knew" that my bathroom would not be completed in 2006. Husband is out at Home Depot getting more paint rollers ... {sigh}

Its 3:59 pm on 2 Jan 07 ... shall we wager how much longer before the room is actually done? LOL!

Stephen would say 2008 ... LOL!

It is coming along ... albeit a tad slowly!

Back to organizing ... and purging~!