Changes

   Over the past couple of months a few things have changed in our household.  In January,  I started making a menu calendar and buying groceries for a whole month at a time as well as house hold items (which I buy from amazon.com and have shipped here for FREE).  Changing those two things has really been a blessing to our family.  We now have food on hand all the time and by having a menu I can prepare ahead of time for the meals, so we eat out less.  I also don't have to worry about buying laundry soap, dish detergent, dishwasher detergent, paper towels, etc because I bought in bulk in Jan-Feb and they are on hand.  The GREATEST benefit is that I am saving money.  Since January, I've not spent more than $360 a month on groceries to feed our family and in Jan. and Feb it was less than $300.  Why do I think that is...because I DON"T have to go to Wal-Mart every week....  I have been doing most of my shopping at UGO then for the few things I can't get there I buy at Wal-Mart.
   Another change is that we have two goats .  An alpine named Mitsy and a saanen/nubain mix named Gloria.  Mitsy is due to kid in July.  Justin bought these goats with his money and hopes to be able to milk them to make soap and cheese as well as maybe have milk to drink.  I am looking forward to trying my hands at those three activities. 
We attended a home school conference in Memphis the first weekend in  March which really blessed our family.  We learned lots of good things that we are hoping to implement over the coming years.  One of the things we learned is how important it is to teach our children to love the Lord with all their heart and to lean on Him thru the good and thru the bad.  The rest is just details. 
   IF we want our children to get to heaven we must teach not only by words but by example.  We must be as Abraham was and have the faith to do what God tells us to even though we don't understand it at the time.  We must teach them to love others more than themselves as Jesus did.  We must teach them the importance of daily bible study.  We must teach them that our desire is to be that of God that ALL men shall be saved.  In 1 Peter 1:3-11  God has given us some things that we need to live by and to teach our children. In Psalms 128 it tells us what blessings we will have if we and our children fear the Lord and walk in His ways "Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.  The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life.Yes, may you see your children’s children."  In 3 John 1:4  we are told "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth"  WOW....that is powerful....I hope and pray that I can have that joy.  And it is our responsibility as parents to make sure that we teach our children the TRUTH so that we can have that joy. 
    While we were gone Matthew also got a call to change jobs.   Which has been a big change in our life.  He is now on day shift after working 2nd shift for about 9 months.  We have been used to going to bed at midnight'ish and getting up at 9:00 now we are going to bed by 10:30 pm and up by 6:30.... We are adjusting well. (I think)
   All the changes that have come about so far this year have been good changes. I pray that we have many more good changes this year.  But I know in this sinful world we will have changes that we don't like at the time or may not understand but God always knows best.  And we must accept change whether good or bad whether we like it or not.... 
    I challenge each of us to examine ourselves and see if we need to change our selves....Are we living in TRUTH??  Are we teaching our children to live in TRUTH??? or have we become like the people that were addressed in James 4:4 "You adulteress, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God?  Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."  We can't allow the world to creep in our lives and live the way the world does.  We can't accept the world's view on things.  We have to live according to God's word.  We have to stand up for the things God says is right and stand against the things that God says is wrong.....

Blessings

I am just taking a moment to count my blessings.  In counting them I have found that I serve an awesome God who knows far better what I need than even I do.  I am blessed in having a wonderful God, who created the world and everything in it, I need to stop and enjoy it more often than I do.  I am blessed that God was willing to send His only Son to live on this earth then die a horrible, cruel death so that I can be forgiven of my sins and shortcomings.  I am blessed that I have a wonderful Christian husband that loves me no matter what and does his best each day in encouraging me and helping me get to Heaven.  I am blessed to have four wonderful children that God has given me to raise for His kingdom.  Each of my children are individuals that have different ways of encouraging me in each step of the way.  I am blessed to have wonderful parents that encourage me and let me learn some things the "hard" way and were "strict" even when I didn't understand (I understand more now).  I am blessed with a wonderful sister (who I miss spending time with but we both have married lives and children to love and that's what comes first).  I am blessed with wonderful in-laws whom I am thankful for because they treat me like their own daughter.  I am blessed with a wonderful job with people I love to work with (makes each day that I leave my children with my hubby and mother in law a little easier). I am blessed with a great Christian family (some of whom I've never met in person but hope to some day but know if I don't we'll met the other side of Heaven).  I am blessed with wonderful friends. Some of who know almost as much about me as I know about myself and with whom I share most of the same beliefs, others who well we just have a good time together no matter what and others that are new friends that I am enjoying learning more about.  I am blessed to have a home to live in, clothes, to wear, and food to eat. I am blessed to be a woman because there are so many things that I as a woman will get to experience that a man never will (the first kicks of a baby inside you and breastfeeding while they look at you and smile that most precious smile).  I am blessed to live in America where I am free to write these things and share them and worship the Lord in Heaven without fear of harm.  I am blessed to have my health there are so many I see everyday that have diminished health and take so many medications.  I am blessed to be able to home school my children.  Some days and weeks it's an adventure but not one I'd ever want to give up. I enjoy watching them as they learn new things.  I enjoy knowing that they are learning things that don't give them the chance to question the Bible and it's authenticity. I love watching them grow in the Lord. I am blessed in knowing that God is in control and though sometimes I don't understand at that moment why He answers the way He does that He knows better than me.  I am blessed because I have the avenue of prayer to tell God my wants and needs but know that he already knows my every care.    Wow...the post is longer than I intended but yet I still have so many blessings left to count.  I hope this encourages someone to stop and count their blessing and see what God has done for them. 
In Christ Love,
Brandy