Bible Reading Schedule - January

There are so many ways that you can read through the Bible in one year.  Don't think that there is no way that you can do it, because it is possible.  If I can do this .. you can too.  Trust me .. you can.  This will make 3 years that I have read through and I can't wait to do it again next year.  Each year I get something different out of it -- can't wait to see what I will pull out next year.

The way that I do it is by reading Change Your life Daily Bible by Becky Tirabass.  It has it broken down for you what you are to read each day. 

Here is another way ... I will give you what to read for each 365 days ... I will post each month - so you don't have to keep scrolling down through each month.  I thought this would make it easier. 

January
1.    Genesis 1-3
2.    Genesis 4:1-6:8
3.    Genesis 6:9-9:29
4.    Genesis 10-11
5.    Genesis 12-14
6.    Genesis 15-17
7.    Genesis 18-19
8.    Genesis 20-22
9.    Genesis 23-24
10.  Genesis 25-26
11.  Genesis 27-28
12.  Genesis 29-30
13.  Genesis 31-32
14.  Genesis 33-35
15.  Genesis 36-37
16.  Genesis 38-40
17.  Genesis 41-42
18.  Genesis 43-45
19.  Genesis 46-47
20.  Genesis 48-50
21.  Job 1-3
22.  Job 4-7
23.  Job 8-11
24.  Job 12-15
25.  Job 16-19
26.  Job 20-22
27.  Job 23-28
28.  Job 29-31
29.  Job 32-34
30.  Job 35-37
31.  Job 38-42

Christmas aftermath ...

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.  Have you taken down your decorations yet?  Mine are still up ... not sure when I will take mine down .. one day this week. 

I thought I was going to have a nice, quiet and peaceful week, but not this time.  I have had two long time friends of the family to pass away.  Tomorrow will be one funeral and the other one will be the next day.  I don't do well at funerals .. I wish I could avoid them all together .. but it isnt' the right thing to do.  Please pray for the Stephens and Thornton family, this week.  Thank you!!

My family had the best Christmas.  The kids got things they had asked for and my husband and I got the best presents anyone could ever ask for.  My kids wrote a poem and put the words on one of my favorite pictures of them.  I couldn't even read it when I opened it ... my sister had to read it aloud to me.  I just can't express what those words on the paper meant to me.  I honestly do have the BEST kids!!!  I don't think I could love them anymore than I do right now ....

Mary, Thomas, Mark

It snowed here on Christmas day .. I think the last snow we had on Christmas day was 1968 -- I think that is what they said on the news.  It was gorgeous!!!  The kids got out and made a snowman before I got breakfast done.  (We dont' get many snows around here and not like this one.)  It was another great present to have a White Christmas.  Thank you Jesus!!

Thomas & Mary - Christmas Day - 2010

What do you have planned for New Year's?  Do you and your family go to parties?  I would love to hear how other people bring in the New Year!!

Wishing you Merry Christmas ...

Not sure how much I will be on for the next couple of days.  I have more baking to do today - then family time for the rest of the weekend. 

I just love this time of year and all this time with family.  I am so grateful for the family that I do have ... I am totally Blessed!!

Let's take a moment out of our busy schedule and remember those that dont' have family around them.  Those that are depressed, lonely and missing loved ones that have passed on.  This is a very exciting time of year for many of us, but a very sad time for others.  I had forgotten about this until I read another blog, who was so wonderful to remind me that there are people in this world that are hurting this time of year.  Check out her post at Mel's Coffee Break - really great article.

Also, remember to Thank God for what you do have - especially your loved ones around you.  For this being the celebration of the birth of His Son - Jesus.  We all talk about Jesus being the reason for the season but do we really walk in Love?  That is one thing I am going to work on from this moment on - to walk each day in God's Love!!

Now - to get busy baking those sugar cookies.   Here is wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!  May God Bless you!!!

Christmas is in the Air ....

Well, shopping is DONE!!!  Yea ... it is a good thing too .. no more money.  I still have some wrapping to do ... just got to get the kids out of the house so that I can finish up the wrapping.  They love it when I wrap and they are still at home -- they try to pick open the bedroom door or they have even tried putting a mirror underneath the door to see if they can see anything.  I wonder where they get their sneaking around ... I dont' have a clue.  hehehe

So now that the shopping is done ... it is time to get the baking done.  This I  really love to do and enjoy it.  I love making things to give away to neighbors and friends as gifts.  Nothing warms my heart more than a gift from the heart.

Things to get baked -- chocolate covered pretzels, sausage balls, fudge, swirl cakes (in loaf pans) and some Martha Washington balls.  I am sure that we can think up something else.  I know my son would love some cupcakes and I have to bake another pound cake for Christmas at my sisters. 

I promise to take pictures and post them on my blog.  So off to baking I go ...

Are you finished with your shopping?  What about your baking?  Do you have people over during the holidays?   

Still spinning ....

Couldn't sleep this morning ... too much on my mind.  Today is my dad's birthday, for one, and he would have been 68.  It has been 1-1/2 since he past and I still miss him.  I will see him one day ....

Something else that I thinking about is a continuation to yesterday's post.  I have been thinking in more detail on my goals for 2011 and how to break them down.  And I am adding one more to my list - to get my house and my life, De-cluttered!!

So here, is what I have come up with - for starters:

Money Monday - I will be posting how my getting out of debt is coming along.

Weight Loss Wednesday - Of course, here is where I will be sharing my exercise routine and how I am doing losing weight.

De-clutter Friday - This is my day to de-clutter something in my house or in my life.  Whether it be a big space or small small - it will be cleaned!!!

I am so excited about the break down to my week.  I will still be posting recipes and something spiritual.  Just not sure when I will throw those in - you never know.

I hope that you will follow along on this year long journey.  Help me out along the way!!  Hold me accountable!!  And please, please ... share your journey with me. 

My Wheels are spinning ...

I know this may sound crazy with Christmas next week, and so much on my plate, BUT I have already been thinking about changes that I want to make in 2011.   How long should one's list be?  Can you have a list that is too long?   There are several areas that I really want to work on for next year, big areas, but I have decided to just make small changes. 

I don't know if any of you have heard of Becky Tirabass, but I love getting her e-mails.  The ones she is sending out lately is about making small changes in whatever areas you need too.  Her website is http://www.changeyourlifedaily.com/ - check it out sometime - she is really good. 

So I thought about including my list on here and you can help keep me accountable.  I am not usually good with having people keep me accountable, but I am hoping that you will help me change that too.  Here is my list so far:

* Keep working on getting out of DEBT - I really want to be debt free and so mad that we are in the mess that we are in, but I know that the Lord will help us get rid of this burden.   One change I am working on, in this area, is cutting my grocery bill - I bought myself a book for Christmas - and I am already reading it.  I just can't put it down.  It is "Cut Your Grocery Bill in HALF" by Steve & Annette Economides - It has some really good ideas so far.  I will blog about the ones that I use and how they are help me cut my grocery bill.  Hopefully I can help one of you.

* To finally lose WEIGHT -   With having "no" thyroid, I know it isn't going to be easy, but I know that if I work at it, I can finally get this weight off. 

* To keep growing spiritually - I want to keep getting closer to God - to have that personal relationship that He wants us to have with Him.  I want to take this year a step further than my reading through the Bible in a year.  I want to spend more time with God.  So, one change I am going to make in the new year is to spend 20 - 30 minutes in quiet, with Him.  I am so looking forward to it. 

So, here are a few of the changes that I am wanting to make in 2011.  With these main ones, will come a lot of smaller ones.   I know that each day becomes a new step to take.  I also know that I can't take one step without God helping me.  I know for sure that I can't do it on my own ... I wouldn't be in this situation .. if I could have. 

What are some changes that you would like to make?  Join me and let's make them together. 

What a Week ...

This has been a crazy and kind of odd week.  It is the last week of school before our Christmas break and we are off for 3 weeks.  I am so going to enjoy the break.  (I drive a school bus for those of you who might not know.)

The weather has been a little weird this week - esp. for this time of year.  We have had snow and missed Monday and got to go in one hour later on Tuesday - then we had sleet/ freezing rain yesterday - got out of school early - then went in 2 hours late this morning.  I live in the south - what is going on with this weather?  It has been so cold too.  It isn't this cold until January/February. 

I got 6 of my 7 pound cakes baked.  I have went through 5 lb bag of sugar, 3 dozen eggs and 12 sticks of butter and then there is the flour.   Gosh that is alot .... We did eat one of the cakes - and it is GONE!!  Not sure about your house, but sweets don't last long around here. 

My kids will be gone this weekend.  They are going with my mom to visit my aunt in South Georgia.  This will give me time to finish my Christmas shopping.  I am going to get done this weekend!!!  Dont' have much more to buy - thank goodness!! I want to have next week to do more baking and just to spend time enjoying my kids. 

How is your week gone?  Have you got all your Christmas shopping done???

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

As promised - the best Pound Cake you have ever eaten.  I searched for months to find a really good pound cake recipe and finally found one.  A friend of my mom's sent it to me.  It really is good and not that hard to make ... just takes a little time.  But well worth it.  I hope you enjoy!!

Cream: 3 cups sugar

            1-1/2 cups margarine (3 sticks)

             8 oz cream cheese

Add:   2 eggs

           1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:   2 more eggs
           1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:  2 more eggs
          1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:  1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into a large tube pan or bundt pan sprayed with non stick spray and sprinkled with sugar.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
DO NOT open oven first hour of baking.  Take out of oven and let cool on baking rack.

by: Lila Chancellor

         

Snow Day

It is hard to believe that we are out of school today due to "Snow".  Ok, where I live, we don't get snow very often, and especially during December.  I just love Snow - I think it is so gorgeous!!!

With there being Snow on the ground, kids home and fridget temperatures outside - I have had to change my plans for today.  I had intented on going shopping today and getting some more presents bought.  Oh well .. life as a mom ... you have to go with the flow sometimes.

So, instead of shopping today, I am doing some baking.  My sister is buying four of my pound cakes to give as presents, my husband wants one for his office party this Wednesday and of course, my family wants one to eat and then there is one for Christmas day.  So, in total, I have '7' pound cakes to bake this week.  Guess what I am doing since I will be indoors today?  Baking - pound cakes!! 

I promise I will post the recipe this week - I promise.  You will love it!!  It makes the most amazing pound cake.  I have looked everywhere for a really good recipe and a friend of my mom's sent me hers.  I just don't think you can top this one.  So, in between baking them, I will get the recipe posted. 

Hope you all are having a fabulous day - no matter what the weather is outside!!!

Million Dollar Pie

This is one of the easiest and best tasting pies.  This is an old favorite of mine.  I use to make this all the time before I got married and as newlyweds.  It didn't require any baking.  So, this is a no fuss, no bake pie - you can't lose. 

1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 large cool whip
1 can coconut
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 ready made pie crusts

Mix first six ingredients together and pour into pie shells and chill.  Makes 2 pies.

Cheese Wreath

This recipe is from my mom.  She is famous for her cheese ball/wreath at Christmas time.   Dad's office couldn't have a party without mom's cheese wreath.  I hope that you will enjoy this recipe as much as my family has and those my mom has shared it with.


16 oz. medium cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup of pecans, chopped
1 small jar of strawberry preserves

Mix first six ingredients together.  Spread saran wrap in the bottom of a bundt pan, then spread the cheese mixture evenly onto saran wrap.  Fold saran wrap over the cheese and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Un-mold cheese wreath on a serving tray and pour strawberry preserves over top.  Serve with crackers of your choice.

Christmas Traditions

Ok, I promised to tell you some of my families Christmas traditions.  As I think of, which ones I want to post, I have to tell you that I have sat here and just laughed, until I have cried.  It has brought back a lot of funny memories. 

One of my favorite, when I was younger, traditions was seeing how early we could wake up on Christmas morning.  It was a competition we had going on, with our neighbors.  To see who could get up before the other one.  The last that I remember, we were getting up at 4:30 in the morning.  Shoot, by the time, others were getting up to open presents, we were going to bed for a nap.  My husband, couldn't believe we were getting up that early to open presents.  That is one tradition that I am so glad we dont' do anymore. 

One of my dad's traditions, was hiding my mom's presents.  He would hid them at one of our neighbor's houses.  She would usually go through the morning, not knowing if she had a present or not.  Or he would send her on a scavenger hunt.  Another thing he would do would be to wrap a hugh box, of course with no name on it, and then there would be about 5 to 10 boxes on the inside - all wrapped within one another. And the last small one, would have a note it in of where her present could be found.  We never knew from year to year what he had up his sleeve.  He loved playing jokes on us.

One of my favorite traditions, as a kid, we trying to find out what we got as presents.  My sister and I would find ways to peek and we were really good at it.  Mom never knew we had been into the packages.  We would slice the tape on the presents and take it out or if we tore the paper we would just re-wrap the present.  My mom never knew that we had re-wrapped them.  One time, I need to borrow the car, (I didn't have my own car) and mom had presents in the trunk.  She told us "Girls don't look in the trunk".  Now, what do you think the first thing we did?  We not only looked in the trunk we took everything out and checked them all out, one by one.

My mom was a night owl, and she still is today.  Well, my sister and I couldn't wait until she went to bed to see what we had gotten from Santa. So, we snuck up to the living room, crawling on our hands and knees, and got some of the board games that we had gotten.  We took them back to our rooms and played.  As we were sneaking back up to the living room to put them back, we got to giggling and got caught.  She didnt' know that we were putting them back - she thought we had just come up there.  We finally told her a couple of years ago. 

One more tradition that I would love to share with you, involves my grandparents.  My grandparents would take my sisters, myself, and my cousins to look at Christmas lights.  We would go downtown Chattanooga to look in the windows.  Back then, the business would decorate their windows with different Christmas scenes.  They were great and they are getting back to this today.  Then we would go and eat supper at Krystal's that was downtown.  We would sing Christmas songs and have such a good time.  This was something that I always looked forward to and is something that I miss today. 

Needless to say, since I was so sneaky as a kid, I make sure that my kids can't find presents or open them after they have been wrapped.  At least, I think they haven't done that ...  I guess I will find out when they are adults and start spilling the beans. 

What are some of your family traditions?  Did you do anything funny as kids? 

Christmas Lists

Can you believe it is less than 20 days until Christmas?  Have you gotten your shopping done yet?  Well, I haven't gotten mine all done.  I have about half - I hope. 

I am working on my list today.  I am making a list of those I have to buy for and what gifts I have already bought.  I am usually already on top of this, but I have been slacking.  I have found that if you don't make some type of list then you will over spend.  I have done this for too many years.  I would spend Christmas eve panicking because I haven't bought a gift for someone or I haven't bought enough for one of my kids.  So, I decided then I wouldn't do that anymore. 

Oh - if you do make a list - take it from me and make sure that you keep that list well hidden.  My oldest son, found my list, that I had thrown away, after Christmas and that was when he found out about Santa Clause.  So, now, they try to find my list.  I keep it well hid and I make sure that I tear it up in little bitty pieces when I am done. 

Do you have a lot to buy for?  Do you make a list?  I would love to hear how some of you keep up with buying gifts for those on your list. 

Christmas

I just can't tell you how much I love this time of year.  I am the biggest kid when it comes to Christmas.  It is hard to put into words just how excited I get this time of year. 

Here are a few things that I like about the holidays -

1.  As crazy as it sounds, but I love the smell of Christmas.  With all the baking that goes on in my kitchen, from cookies, sausage balls to all kinds of different candies. 

2. I love Christmas movies.  I drive my family crazy because I love ALL the movies this time of year.  I love the ones on Hallmark and Lifetime channels.  Oh and then there are my all time favorites - Home Alone, Christmas with the Krank's, Jingle All the way and Deck the Halls.  I cant' tell you how many times I have seen these movies, but I just can't get enough.  These are a MUST for the holiday season.

3.  I love the traditions that are made during the holidays.  I am not sure about your family, but we have had some crazy traditions when I was growing up.  I will have to do a separate post on those.  One of our favorites now is, we go to eat at Waffle House Christmas eve and then ride around looking at lights.  I am the one that likes looking at lights but my kids always start gripping  ... of well. 

4.  I love to give to others.  I do try to do this all year long, but there is something about this time of year that brings out the best in people.  If I was rich, I would make a great Santa Clause.  Even though, I am not rich, I still try to do my part in helping out the needy, especially the kids.  I don't like to see kids doing without.  It breaks my heart.  (Like I said, I do try to do this all year long)

These are a few of the reasons I love this time of year.  So, you will have to excuse me if I just seem to be bursting at the seams - I really am. 

Let me not forget to mention that one of the main reasons is the birth of Jesus.  What a precious gift that was? 

I would love to hear some of your favorite things about Christmas?

Also, look for my post on some of our crazy family traditions.  What are some of your family traditions? I would love to hear some.  I will include them in my post.

White Chocolate Bark

This is a candy that we make every year.  It is a family favorite.  

2 lbs. white chocolate almond bark
2 Tbsp crisco

Melt in microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted, stir well.

2 cups Rice Crispies, oven toasted at 250 degrees
2 cups Captain Crunch peanut butter cereal
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
2 cups marshmallows (mini)

Add to melted chocolate.  Stir until well coated.  Drop by spoon full onto wax paper.
Set until harden.