Company Girl Coffee 4.24.09

This week at Home Sanctuary we were challenged to try a new recipe. Usually I jump at the chance, but I already had my menu set for the week, groceries bought and all! So I decided to take something on my menu and try a new version of it. That's a sneaky way to get my points, but it's still new to me. The great part is that if it works out, I've just found an easier, less messy way to cook my meatballs...in the crock pot! I love my crock pot. Any meal that I can start in the morning and have very little to no fuss at night is just perfect in my book! :)

Meatball Hero Sandwiches:
Makes 4 Servings * 10 Minutes Prep Time
1 lb lean ground beef (I am using seasoned ground turkey)
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 jar Ragu
4 Italian rolls (6inch) halved lengthwise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4oz)

1. Combine ground beef, egg and bread crumbs in medium bowl. Shape mixture into 12 meatballs.

2. Arrange meatballs in crock pot. Pour pasta sauce over meatballs.

3. Cook on LOW 8-10 hours or on HIGH 4-6 hours or until meatballs are done. Serve meatballs and sauce in rolls, topped with cheese.

Voila! No-fuss Meatball Hero Sandwiches. Yum!

Have a great weekend all! I look forward to meeting with you for coffee! :)

Bad Hair Day

This morning I woke up feeling like this:

But then I realized that "bad hair day" doesn't have to mean bad day!

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful!" -Psalm 68:3

10 Things Tuesday

It's Tuesday! Time for another 10 thankful list. :) This week I actually get to link up with the hostess of 10 Things Tuesday, XBOX WIFE. She's been having internet issues so when I saw her post today I was ever so happy! Without further delay, here's my list...

1. It's been very nice here! Spring has finally arrived. We're supposed to get rain at the end of this week, but for now, I'm just thankful for the sunshine.
2. I had a wonderful weekend with my mom, sister, and niece. We went to the park to watch my DH play softball, and let the kids play on the playground. It was a perfect day for a picnic! (Even if I did forget to bring my DH some lunch!)
3. I am keeping on track with my food budget this month. A little planning can go a very long way!
4. Yesterday I picked up a pair of prescription sunglasses that I thought had been lost forever. I ordered them 2 years ago (our insurance covered them after I had CD) and they said the order had been lost and they could submit the order again but I'd have to pay for them. Then I got a mystery call a little while ago saying I could come pick up my sunglasses that were paid for. Go figure! I sure am glad they found them...even if it took two years! :)
5. I'm thankful that even though I haven't really had a lot of quiet time with Jesus lately, I can still feel Him by my side encouraging me.
6. I'm tired today but I'm not grumpy. Actually, I'm in a rather cheerful mood. I'm thankful for the joy that God has put in my heart that goes beyond the amount of sleep I get at night!
7. I am thankful that my laundry room light is finally fixed! The light on either end of the laundry room was working, but the one right over my washer dryer was not. Now I can treat stains without having to move to the other end of the room!
8. I'm thankful for time that even though my house isn't perfect and I don't have the most glamorous furniture (like this couch), I am blessed with a home large enough for our needs and we don't have to sit or sleep on the floor!
9. I'm thankful for large, open windows that let the sunshine in when I can't be outside because I have work to do inside.
10. I am thankful that although there is work to be done this morning, I will be able to play with my kids in the sun this afternoon!

Now, I'm off to chip away at the day's chores. Blessings to all of you! May your day be full of sunshine, even if the clouds bring on the rain! :)

-Melissa

Creating Sanctuary on a Shoestring

Hi there! Two Company Girl posts in one weekend! Yay! I already had a story in mind for coffee on Friday, so of course, I just had to get another post in about Home Sanctuary on a shoestring!

I was blessed to spend this weekend with my mom, sister, and niece. They drove over the mountains to visit after a very LONG winter of not seeing each other. When it comes to living frugally, my mom taught me just about everything I know.

When I was growing up, my parents owned a hardware store. It was there that I had my first job. They taught me the value of working hard for your money, saving it up, and spending it wisely. My mom started a savings account with me at a very young age and taught me how to keep track of the funds in my ledger. I still have that savings account today.

My first tip is to always know your balance in your checking/savings account. This may sound simple, but a lot of people don't keep track. I keep my receipts, enter my withdrawals and deposits into my computer, and then balance it both on-line and against my statements when they come. That way, I always know how much money we have in the bank. It keeps me from making "impulse buys."

That leads me to tip #2. Never buy on impulse if you can help it. When you want/need something, write it down. Consider how great of a need it really is and how much money it will cost. Think about whether or not you can fit it into your budget at the moment. Comparison shop. Watch for the best deal so that you can make an informed decision. That way you won't regret it later.

Tip #3 for living on a shoestring: Plan a budget, and follow it. Ours is the simplest of budgets. I started by writing down all our bills and the days that they are due. Then I added food, household items, personal, (clothes, haircuts, etc.) and entertainment. Our budget for entertainment may be small, but it's important to include it or you're spending money that's not there. I re-evaluate our personal budget twice a year. This year, we had to add a school category for supplies, snacks, backpacks, etc. because three of our children are now in school. Savings is a separate category for us and we put money aside when we can. It is our goal to some day be to the point where we can put something aside every month, however small it may be.

Tip #4, but actually the most important one in our household is that we faithfully tithe 10% off the top of my husband's paycheck. We firmly believe that God honors that, and 100 percent of what we own is His anyway. Over the years, He has always provided for us. Time and again He has met our needs, and we gladly give back to Him in return.

Now that I've shared a little about my budget and money management, let me briefly give you a few of my practical tips for saving money.

• Clip coupons. From what I've been reading, a lot of you already do. Great! I recently became a fan of printing coupons from my computer. If you don't get the paper, then that's a great way to still get savings.
• Combine coupons with promotions. Find out what weekly promotions your local grocery store is running. I recently saved 50% on my weekly shopping trip because I planned out my strategy beforehand.
• Keep a running list of what you need, take it with you to the store, and STICK TO IT.
• Want to take that one step farther? Meal plan. Start with one week (I plan six days at a time and then one day of left-overs). It's not hard to come up with six meals. Make a grocery list of what you need for that week's meals and attach it to your menu. File it and create a "menu planner" of your own.
• Stock pile when items are on sale if you have extra money in your budget to do so. I have a pantry full of staple foods that I use all the time. Then if we are really strapped one week (tighten up the shoestring!), I can get creative with what we have in our pantry. That doesn't just go for food. You can stockpile soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cleaning solutions, etc. Even if you think you don't have room, there are creative ways to store extras. (But that's a different post!)
• I mentioned an entertainment budget. To be honest, most of the time our budget in that area is non-existent. We have to be pretty creative. We LOVE board games. So when we do have a little extra, we tend to spend it on a game that we can play over and over again. When the weather is nice, we get outdoors as much as possible. Yesterday we went to the park to watch the kids' dad play softball. We brought a picnic lunch and played on the playground there. It was an incredibly fun time and we spent no money at all.
• When it comes to clothing, I don't buy unless it's on sale. We also accept hand-me-downs. If I have something that doesn't work for me anymore but is still in good shape, I offer it up to a friend. I've heard of friends doing entire wardrobe exchanges when they get desperate!

Well, I think I've taken enough of your time! I could talk about this stuff all day long. I also love reading your tips. Sorry this post came late in the weekend. I was busy "bargain shopping" with my mom and sister! :)

Have a great week everyone! I look forward to coffee next week.

-Melissa

Company Girl coffee 4.17.09

Welcome to Company Girl Coffee! Grab a cup and stick around for a bit. I have a pretty funny story to share with you today! There are just some moments in parenting that are too good to keep to yourself. We'll call this story "Coloring Outside the Lines."

It all starts with a little innocent coloring with markers on giant calendars. When I left to take my three older kids to school, my two younger ones were laying on the floor, decorating their new calendars that dad brought home for them. I had a little extra time and I was kid-free so I decided to be productive and run a few errands before returning home.

I got home and the first words out of my husband's mouth were "Hey, take a look at your dog." Hmm...that can't be good. He's never my dog unless he's in trouble. Kind of like when we use the phrase "your kid." I looked down at Max, and to my surprise, there was a nice green and blue patch on his back! Oh dear.

"LR's doing?" I asked. "Yep," he answered, "and her little brother partner in crime."

This is where I had to restrain myself from laughing. I never thought I'd have to create the house rule "Don't color on the dog." Poor Max. It's a good thing he's tolerant of our very small, very creative children. That's not the end of my story, though.

Their Uncle was cleaning them up in the bathroom (because they drew on themselves too) when I heard him ask "LR, where's the green marker?" She must have tried to hide the evidence. Well, after a few minutes of giving her the third degree for four year olds, she confessed. It was behind the couch. What we discovered when we found it though, made my jaw drop.

There was marker on the window, the window sill, the CURTAINS, and the back of the couch. Since I wasn't there when it happened, I left the hard part to my DH. I cleaned up the mess (thank goodness for washable markers) while he doled out the punishment. You know it's a doozie when they march into the bedroom and the door closes behind them.

Bless their little hearts. I think they learned their lesson. Sometimes it's tough being a parent. But if you let them get away with coloring on the dog, then what else will they think they can get away with? Let's just leave that to the imagination.

What are some of the funniest "lessons" (or maybe they weren't so funny at the time) that you've experienced as a parent? Or perhaps from your own childhood? Please share! I've got my cup of coffee, and I am all ears.

Enjoy your weekend,

Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 4.15.09

"Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." -Acts 3:19 (NIV)

This is my chosen verse for the second half of April. Beth Moore used it in one of her lessons in "Esther: It's tough being a woman." When I read it, I knew it would be my next verse. I am living in times of refreshing right now! I love how the Lord is showering me with encouragement in His Word and in prayer times with Him. God is so good!

May you be refreshed also as you seek Him!

-Melissa

10 Things Tuesday

Here's a quick, 10 Things Tuesday post! I've got to make dinner, but there's always time to give thanks!

1. Even though we woke up to 4 inches of snow this morning, the sun decided to come out and melt it all away. :)


2. It's Mariner's opening day at Safeco today! Ken Griffy Jr. is BACK! :)


3. My sister, mom, and niece are coming to visit on Friday! :)


4. I am finally caught up on laundry for a change! :)


5. I spent $88 on groceries today...I saved $86. Yep! That's almost 50% off one grocery trip! Coupons and promotions rock!


6. We had such a fun Easter. The kids looked so cute in their outfits and we hunted eggs, played games, and spent time with friends and family.


7. CD peed on the potty today! It won't be long before we're a diaper-free household! :)


8. My DH is picking up a surprise visitor at the airport tonight! The kids will be so excited!


9. Our second vehicle is working again. It didn't cost us as much as we thought because our friend figured out what was wrong, went to the junkyard to get the parts, and did all the labor for free. Thanks Tim!


10. Everyone seems to be feeling better and I finally got a full night's sleep last night. :)

Well, I'm off to make dinner! Have a wonderful week!

Esther Study

I've really been enjoying the Beth Moore study "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman." I need to dig in and get my homework done for this week but before I do, there's a part of last week's study that's been on my mind all week. I wanted to write out some of my thoughts as I try to get a grasp on what Beth was trying to say. Here's the portion of the study I'm talking about.

"Most critical to today's lesson, Esther had also detached from the common man's need. We tend to detach from sights and situations that make us feel badly about ourselves-especially when we feel powerless. If we think we can't do anything about a bad situation, we'd just as soon not have to see it.

Here's the trap, however: If we distance ourselves long enough from real needs, we replace them with those that aren't. Pretense becomes the new real and suddenly a delay in the delivery of our new couch becomes a terrible upset. We are wise to force ourselves to keep differentiating between simple inconveniences and authentic tribulations. The more detached and self-absorbed we become, the more we mistake annoyances for agonies."

This portion of the study has really made me stop and think every time I get upset about something. Whenever I start to feel out of control, I ask myself "What is this about? Is it worth getting all worked up? Is there a greater underlying issue here that I have been ignoring?" Life is full of inconveniences. The trick is not to let them get to you.

A while back I had a talk with a friend of mine about trials and tribulations and what the difference was between the two. Her definitions were very helpful for me. She also included her own definition of tests from the Lord...

Trials are things that come our way that we did NOT cause. God uses trials in our lives to build character.

Tests come from the Lord and are usually for a specific purpose. Such as when you learn something good from a sermon or God's Word and then you are tested on it in your life. Testing is for the purpose of growth and maturity.

Tribulations come from the enemy and they are for...well, it's just what the enemy does! God allows tribulations in our lives for the purpose of building faith and trust in Him.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around all of this. I don't want to be someone who always "makes a mountain out of a molehill," to use a popular quote.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear from you. :)

Easter Blessings!

Last night before I went to bed and this morning this song was resonating through my head. Then we sang it in church this morning! Happy Easter! JESUS IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Company Girl Coffee 4.10

Welcome to my blog! Grab a cup of Company Girl Coffee and stay for a spell. I'm already on my second cup. I know it's only been two weeks since I met you for coffee, but it seems like ages. I could gab for hours about life, family, and all kinds of things! I'll try not to talk your ear off though. :) It is, after all, Good Friday and I know there are many preparations to be made for Easter Sunday.

Let me begin by asking you this: What are the first thoughts on your brain when you wake up in the morning? Do you immediately start to go over your to-do list for the day? Or perhaps you groan, because you are not a morning person. Do you hit the snooze button on the alarm, hoping for just a few minutes more shut-eye? Maybe you begin to recount the previous day's events, or think about your calendar and what's coming soon.

I have experienced all of these thoughts and more, but my favorite is when I wake up in the morning with a song, verse, or prayer on my heart. That's what happened this morning. Thus, the cheerful music to have coffee to today. :) I wish I could say that happened more often. It puts me in such a cheerful mood to start my day with thoughts of Jesus. When I begin my day focused on Him, I know that I can face just about anything that comes my way!

Now that I've given you something to ponder, let me catch you up a bit on life at our house these past couple of weeks.

Last week was Spring Break. We had a lot of sickies around here so we kept our plans to visit my in-laws, but laid low while we were there and just enjoyed the company. It was actually nice to be somewhere away from the snow for a few days. The highlight of that trip was that we took our 5 kiddos bowling for the first time! So much fun! (I won't tell you my embarrassing score!)

Before we left for our trip, I got to have real life coffee with another Company Girl here in Spokane! You probably read about it on her blog last week. Kerri is such a delight! I tried to post a picture, but I can't figure it out from my laptop. We actually went to the same church here in Spokane for I don't know how long, and never met. I loved visiting with her and hearing more about her life in person. :)

This week, it's been business as usual around here. The great thing is that Spring has finally decided to arrive. I have been so thankful for the nice weather. It really puts me in great spirits to look out the window and see the sunshine! It's motivated me to pick up the pace with my Spring cleaning.

Speaking of cleaning, I'm off to get some things done. As usual, I look forward to visiting with you throughout the weekend.

May your thoughts drift towards Him this weekend as we celebrate our Risen Lord!

Luke 24:6 "He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.'"

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 4.1.09

I am a little late in choosing my scripture memory verse again. To be honest, it was hard for me to pick a verse this time. I was praying and reading this morning trying to find something that really stuck out to me. There are so many good verses out there! I really want the 24 verses that I memorize this year to be ones that the Spirit directs me to. I was a little discouraged that I couldn't find one right away. You know that goose-bump feeling that you get when you open your bible and the Word just "pops" off the page to you?

Well, I started to scroll through some of the verses that other Siestas are memorizing and landed on a verse that is pretty familiar to me. I couldn't quote it to you without looking it up and reading it off the page, so I decided it's a good one to commit to memory.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Until today I never really thought about what "jars of clay" really means. The Amplified version says "However, we posses this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves."

Frail, human vessels of earth. That's a pretty good description of what we are. I looked up the word "frail" in Webster's dictionary. One definition said "easily broken, or fragile." I'd say that describes this earthen vessel to a tee. How many times have I felt broken and useless; worn out and ready to give up hope? Luckily, there is a "but" here...

Paul goes on to say "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4:8) Thank goodness for the "buts" in this verse! No matter how broken I feel, THERE IS HOPE!

The good news is that the Divine Potter has chosen to use us as His vessels to shine His light into the world! Back up a bit to verse 4:1. "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart."

God's Word is a treasure, isn't it? In my daughter's study bible it says that archaeologists have found treasures of silver in cheap clay pots. Clay pots were common back in Bible times and thousands were made. Apparently sometimes they were used to store valuable and precious things. Who would have suspected?

This is one earthen vessel that will continue to hide the treasure of God's Word in my heart as I meditate on it daily. :)

Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."