I am so excited to have finished the Crown Financial study course my husband and I joined 11 weeks ago! God has opened our eyes to more than just properly handing our finances. We’re experiencing a new type of contentment that comes from understanding His richness - the kind that doesn’t necessarily have dollar signs attached. While “financial freedom” is still ahead for us, our savings thermometer is rising slowly, and the burden feels lighter with the tools He has provided as well as the support of the new (and closer) relationships with our Crown group members, Bible study family, and church.

My husband has developed new work contacts and has picked up some extra handy work. He’s also glad to be exercising more patience, and he’s even reading and hugging more often!!! (He’s not a hugger…LOL!) As for me, my organizational “talents” have been put to work for both God’s plan to bless others as well as for my professional growth. I’m in the process of securing part-time work to keep skills sharp and help with household finances. My faith and desire to draw closer to God (and please Him - no longer man, nor myself!) has been increasing. Our kids are also reaping the benefits from Crown, as we have started them on a giving/saving/spending plan that will enable them to become faithful stewards, eliminating the need to experience the same hardships their parents have been going through.

I highly recommend this study for everyone, regardless of where you are financially and where you are in your walk with God. It is a teaching that will provide many lifetime tools! Visit www.crown.org for information and check out www.crownmoneymap.org. You’ll find valuable instruction on both sites, helpful links, including calculators, printouts, and much more…ENJOY!

Today’s Daysies quote says:

“LIFE IS A CONTINUED PROCESS OF REMAKING OURSELVES.”

Change is good! If you get overwhelmed by change, try taking baby steps and go at YOUR speed (not anyone else’s!!!)

Wow, I haven’t written in over 6 months - YIKES! When I started this blog, the goal was to write daily in order to:

• share ideas and information
• connect with others with similar likes, goals, and experiences
• become a better photographer
• learn new techniques and experiment with graphics and fonts
• give a reader or two a glimpse into my life so that (maybe) they could relate and realize they weren’t the only one thinking, feeling, experiencing the STUFF life throws at you - good and bad
• get things off my chest
• and to have something to read down the road

But after a while, it just took too much time to sit down and type. Plus, the frustration of “not achieving the goal I had created for myself” simply sucked all the FUN out of it.

Today, someone sent me a comment. It turned out to be spam so I deleted it, but it forced me to log back in and say a little something. I do believe this is God working out His plan because recently I’ve been more motivated to write a book. So, this must be His way of getting me moving in that direction. Nobody’s going to read a book that doesn’t get written, right? LOL

Writing a book has been a goal of mine for a very long time. I love to read, I’m organized, I enjoy proofing things, I’m creative, conscientious, and tend to build on thoughts in hopes of making the ideas better. That sounds like a good recipe for getting started. So, why haven’t I begun? I guess I’ve been intimidated by the whole process. There exists, too, that issue of procrastination. But, let’s NOT focus on the negative. I’ve already come up with a title so I’m making some progress. My book will be titled: “A minute late and a dollar short” (don’t you steal it, now!!!)

I’ve often visualized myself at book signings and speaking engagements and I don’t even enjoy being in front of crowds! I wonder if it’s wishful thinking? Daydreaming? Or a realization of what God’s dream is for me? We won’t know until we give it a try. If He is the driving force behind this desire, then He will equip me and open the right doors. In the meantime, I’ll blog every so often and do my best to maintain balance with Him at the center.

…’til the next time, here’s today’s Daysies quote:

“CHALLENGES MAKE YOU DISCOVER THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU NEVER REALLY KNEW.”

Go ahead! Face one of your challenges and see where it grows you!

My shower curtain - I love it!!!

‘Wordless Wednesday’

(Click above to see who else participates in WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!)

What do these things have in common? Not a whole lot by themselves. But, they’re things that are happening in my life today.

BOOKS:

1. I have several to return to the library today.
2. I started reading the book “Five Love Languages” by Dr. Gary Chapman with my Friday night bible study group.
3. I continue to read the Bible daily.
4. I WON A BOOK!!! The ‘Christian Work At Home Moms’ site had a contest a couple of weeks ago and the winner or winners (I can’t recall if it was one or many that could win) would get the book titled: “Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture” by Mary DeMuth. I don’t typically win anything I enter, so I’m excited about this!

CAMPING:

1. My boys went camping this week!
2. For most of the week, our home will be boyless. Well, there’s the BIG boy, but you know what I mean! Dad and I cannot wait to see them come home and hear about all the things they learned and experienced!!!

BUTTONS:

1. I love to create and so I love crafts! When I received my newletter from ‘Clean Home Journal‘ and saw “Button Boy”, I had to share! It looks like a very simple project! I hope you enjoy making him as much as I think I will!
2. Click ***HERE*** for instructions on how to create him.

*** 05.05.08:  Oh, oh!  I just realized this link is no longer active - sorry!  I’ll attempt to find that little ‘Button Boy’ wherever he’s hiding and post again.  Thanks for your patience!  ***

It was a great day today - very productive.  Let’s see, here’s what I did while Dad stayed home with the kids…

• took a load of paperwork to be shredded
• stopped at the bank
• visited a bookstore with a friend and her little boy
• had lunch with them (that was nice)
• bought some cleaning supplies and other stuff at the store
• finished some school supply shopping 

My plan was to workout after shopping with my girlfriend, but God must have wanted us to spend quality time together and I’m thankful we did.  So no workout today, but on Monday…it’s a MUST!!!  Oh, and Tuesday I may go swimming.  That burns a lot of calories.  WOOHOO!!!

Anyway, in the evening I picked up the rest of the gang and…

• went to a birthday party for a friend and her hubby
• washed and dried a load of laundry (1 down, a gagillion more to go! LOL)

I’ll say that was a beautiful start to the weekend!  THANK YOU, GOD, for blessing me today!!!