Coupons, Deals, & More... OH MY!

Okay,in today's earlier post I promised that I'd return with some ideas and deals for ya, for saving money. Take warning, though, this is not for the faint of heart. It takes time to learn the lingo, to search the websites, to clip coupons, and to shop with various ways and means to get the best deals. But, take heart.... in a short time you will have it down and be a money-saving-pro!

Let's begin...

* If you go HERE, you can sign up for Del Tacos' Raving Fam eClub. After signing up, they send you an email for two free chicken tacos. Then, I guess more coupons and deals are to come throughout the months. I just signed up, so will find out soon enough! Anything free like this is fun.

Also, on their site they show all kinds of deals and specials, and even a coupon for a FREE chicken soft taco when you buy any other item, if you're a Facebook Fan, which means you just have to click the "I like" thumbs-up icon and then print your coupon. Now, if you buy anything from their dollar menu, you and a friend can have lunch out and stay on budget. Your wallet will barely miss that $1!

Or... another special is Tuesday night Tacos - 3 regular tacos for $1.09 & Thursday night Tacos - 3 chicken soft tacos for $2.09. Bargain Central; you can't hardly make 'em at home for that! Ole!

* Right now, through May 10th, as long as the supply lasts (hope they had more than three!), LaneBryant is giving away a FREE CAMI, valued at $19.99. I'm going to get mine later today. Just click on the "Free Cami" box on the upper right and follow instructions and print your coupon.

*If you often purchase supplies from Office Depot, then you might want to go HERE and sign up for their Work Rewards Card. It's totally FREE to sign up (but they will send you emails with coupons and specials, unless you opt out of that part), and what happens is this: Every time you purchase from them, in store or online, you swipe your card (or if you're like me - forgetful - they'll get it from your phone number), and each dollar spent earns you a 'reward'. Every quarter (I think) if you have purchased enough to earn at least a $10 gift card, then they'll send you what you've earned. My biggest reward was $75 and smallest was $10.04. This, just for purchasing supplies and office equipment from them!

Also, if you have a Work Reward Card, then they will add $3 for each and every empty ink cartridge you bring in (no, not ink pen cartridges lol), up to 10 a month. I've already taken in four this month, so my next rewards card will be at least $12. Beats throwing them away!!!

*Swagbucks.com.  It's a newish search engine (2+ years-old, maybe) and to lure Googlers to join them, they offer you rewards called Swag Bucks (sb). It's all random, but as you search, sometimes a picture of SwagBucks will appear and you'll see how many bucks you got. All of these add up for prizes you can buy. For 140 sb I purchased a $5 gift card to Red Envelope, and a $5 Amazon gift card. There are tons of prizes to choose, some cost in the thousands, though, and I am much too impatient to gather that many. Yep, instant gratifications...ya know? You can also earn sb by finding codes on their blog, twitter, etc., or by taking their one-second polls, etc. To sign up for this (and you can still have Google as your homepage and have their toolbar), scroll allllllllllll the way down to the bottom of my posts (fastest if you hold your left-click on scroll bar and take it to the bottom; I had to put it on bottom because the SwagBucks icon was too huge),  and  click on the SwagBucks box, where it says "sign up". Easy peasy.

*Movie rewards. If you watch movies at any Regal Theater (like Edwards, etc), then sign up for their FREE card HERE. Every time you go to the movies, purcahse gift cards or concession stand items, hand them your card and they will swipe it, earning you free movies, sodas, popcorn, or discounts on concession stand items. I think I've heard about 4 free movie tickets, and tons of sodas and popcorn. Every little bit helps!

*Your local library!!! Did you know that you can request any book they have - online, using your library card and pin number (initially, you have to go in person and let them put that info into their system), and they will haul it in to a library of your choice??? I have had one brand new book on request for @4 months. I was #86. I am now #5. I'm not always this patient, but with our new budget, waiting is an important thing to learn! Most books take only 1-5 days to get. At @ $25 per book these days, it's sooooo worth it! And, if you didn't like the book, yay, no money down the drain!!!

*Your local stores! CVS pharmacy has a card for you, FREE. In certain towns, like mine, you take this card in, scan it in their little machine, and poof - a coupon... usually for $5 if you spend $20 (which I do). Also, they have in-store CVS bucks they give you instantly for certain items of the week (in their ads). So, for instance. Today I am going there armed with $10 CVS I earned a couple of weeks ago for buying whitening strips (which I haven't yet used........). I have manufacturers coupons for many of the items on sale, like Listerine, that my husband loves. It's on sale for $3.99. Buy it, and they instantly give you $2 for your next purchase. I have a $1 manufacturers coupon. So... that will end up being .99c. Then, with that $2- just-earned CVS bucks I will buy their on-sale Colgate toothpast for 2.99 + a manufacturer's coupon for .75c, so the total deal costs me .24c...and when I buy that, I get another $2 instant CVS coupon. Is this making any sense at all???? Then, with my new $2 CVS bucks + my old $10 gift bucks + more manufacturer's coupons, I will get the following totally FREE - wisk detergent, dawn dish soap, 2 bottle Pace picante salsa, 5 Betty Crocker Warm Delights bowls. all total, everything I purchased today cost me out of pocket $3.23 + taxes.

Walgreens and Rite-Aid stores do this similar rewards system. Rite-Aid now makes the rewards come in checks in the mail. They are kind of a pain, but still, it's money!

*IfVons Grocery Store has a deal where you can get electronic coupons sent right to your Vons card. When you swipe the card, the coupons are automatically deducted (if you buy those products). The beauty of this right now (till they change it) is that you can also still use manufacturer's coupons on those same products, often getting them FREE. On some products, Vons offers Vons bucks to use on next purchase. Check those ads! To get the e-coupons on your card, sign up HERE and click "select" under the products you want coupons for, then click "get selected coupons", which will pull up a little box where you can register and then print your coupons. Also go HERE, or HERE, HERE.

*IfRight now, and I don't know how long this is going to last, you can get Taste of Home magazine (1 year subscription), normally 17.99, for 3.99. Go HERE and click on "buy now". Fill in what needs to be filled in, BUT BE SURE TO TYPE TASTE IN THE COUPON CODE BOX. If you skip this part, the price will not be reduced to $3.99.

*Now... There are tons of money-saving/coupon-giving blogs and website. I strongly suggest you visit HERE first. This gal is from my hometown, she has tabs at the top with everything you need to know about couponing. She walks you through step-by-step, links you to the most important sites, and even has a tab for different stores, so you can look up the best deals and she even tells you what to do! She is amazing. If you have questions, ask her in her comment box and she'll answer you!!!

 Feeling completely overwhelmed? Overjoyed? Ready to dip your toe into this vast ocean of savings? All of this will give you a start. Then, as you learn, send your info over and teach me!!!

PS. Someday, maybe soon, I'll list a lot of the sites I visit. C ya then!

Life Is a Vapor!

Our church as been going through the book of James, and James 4:14 says, "...you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

Even Job remembered that his "life is a breath" (Job 7:7a).

The Pastor of our church quoted Jonathon Edwards (I think that's who he said) as saying, upon awakening each morning, "It was God's will that I live."

God knows the plans He has for us... we do not. We don't even know what the very next second holds, whether the breath we just inhaled will become our final exhale. 

Not to be morbid or anything, but for me, it gave me that fresh perspective that God is in control, that we are to live our days in wisdom, making the most of them, living with an eternal mindset, and set our hearts steadfastly on eternal things.

As a visual aid, Pastor pointed a spray bottle at us, and with one push of the trigger sent a spray of fine mist in the air - it vaporized in a mere second!

"So teach us to number our days, that we might present to you a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

A bit later today, I hope to tell you about some deals here and there... so, see ya then!

Cotton Candy Schnibbles

Okay, that's not the name of this month's pattern, but that's what kept coming to mind as I was sewing this quilt. The pattern calls for an outer border of the same fabrics, but mine was so busy, I decided to keep it small and sweet and keep it the size for resting a tiny cherub cheek upon...

Somewhere in Time....

Sometimes it's just nice to travel back somewhere in time... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgW2gAGwB_w

I found this to be a noteworthy quotation under the above video:

"This little sparrow and her beautiful voice just fills my heart and soul with joy....
Such a little woman, vulnerable... and still so strong...
Edith Piaf was a remarkable, amazing woman."

Since a portion of Proverbs 31:27 greeted me upon awakening, I thought how very

fitting the song, that comment, and Edith were! 

~ She looks well over the ways of her household ~

Darling little Edith made me smile as I listened to her beautiful song,

but that smile of hers, 

which seemed to emanate from deep within and float out with her music,

reminded me that one of the ways of looking well to the ways of our household is also taking care of our countenance - which means, our heart - 

the residence of joy in the Lord, contentment, and thankfulness.

Sour attitudes and discontentment can settle upon us as surely as dust lands on our furniture.

We do not allow dust to remain (unless we've chosen idleness); nor should we ignore anything

that covers the gleam of joy in our hearts.

Years ago, I learned that one of the ways to a man's heart is a happy wife

(well, and a fine cooked meal and a peaceful respite from the world's din).

We wives have such power to bless! I don't know about you, but I caught the joy contagion

and became happy as a lark just watching Edith's face.

Happiness is like that.

Can you imagine, then, how a husband would get through his 8- 12-hour workday 

and rush home to a happy, smiling wife?!

Not only that, but in a happy wife's smile, beaming at her beloved when he arrives safely home,

he sees hope, assurance, acceptance, and a heart that is happy with him!

Our smiles are like attaboys -  "You are the best husband!"

The beautiful wife greeting her husband with a sincere smile just might fill his heart and soul with joy.

Anyhoo, in the YouTube comment that writer mentioned Edith's vulnerability and strength. 

The Proverbs 31 woman has both... 

We may not be fully courageous or strong, but we trust the Lord to help us to daily be so.

Listen to what we read about that virtuous woman - 

* She does 

*She seeks

*She is

*She brings

*She rises

*She considers

*She girds

*She perceives

*She stretches

*She extends (uh... pretty sure this isn't talking about girth)

*She reaches

*She is not afraid

*She makes

*She opens

That woman is active in her pursuit of serving God, husband, family, others!!!

No wonder she has strength!

She is not sitting around gorging herself on the bread of idleness, 

but is working out those muscles of virtue!

She "does not eat the bread of idleness."

Wikipedia says that Édith Piaf was "universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life.."

This morning, travel back somewhere in time to the ancient paths of Proverbs 31,

and by the grace of God and the power of His Holy Spirit

may her character be reflected in our lives.

Amen and Yahoo!

Wedding Fever

Ok, it's a whole year away, May 7, 2011, but stilll.... wedding fever has taken me over. So... come on... been the mother-of-the-bride recently? Send me tips, quips, stories, decoration ideas, etc. This will be a fabulous wedding held in our very own backyard (God blessed us with us nice one, and we've already had one here, yay).

I'm waaaaiiiiting.....  :)

A 'Free' Day!

No calls came in to sub today and nothing pressing is on my calendar.

Yesterday, I moved madly around my house, cleaning and making it merry, I whipped up two batches or orange jam (which totally DID NOT set), and finished a very overdue newsletter. So, with all that scurrying, today is almost like a day of summer vacation! 

HOOOORAYYYYY! 

I love 'free' days!!!

Does this mean I will sit and eat bon-bons and watch TV with my extra hours?

Nope. 

She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.  

She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

Proverbs 31: 13, 17

Today I will sew April's projects and ponder what I could sew during the summer to sell on Etsy (I'll also have to learn how to do that...). Next, I'll juice the last of our lemons and freeze them in one-cup portions (summer's coming... homemade lemonade can't be beat: 1 cup lemon juice + 1 cup sugar (bet you could substitute Splenda) + 3 cups water + long spoon to stir it + thin slices of lemon to float in pitcher and glasses.)

And then, there are errands to run. This economy has me bustling over coupons again. It's time consuming, but money-saving! Still, you cannot believe how much I've saved by coupling store ads with clipped coupons - many items end up freeeeee.... like my day today!!!!  Yipppeee! 

After kissing Superman goodbye at 4:15a.m., I stayed awake at the computer, learning about e-coupons. These babies are coupons loaded from the net, right onto your market's card, like my Vons card. Then, when I purchase a couponed item, it comes right off my card (after I've swiped the card, of course). Can't wait to sign up and then go try it!

Just in case you have a 'free' day, too, here are a few links to get you started with coupons, deals, and freebies ... oh my!

SaveatHomeMommyhttp://www.saveathomemommy.com/getting-started/ points you weekly deals and coupons and tips and mommy advice and all kinds of things. When you subscribe to her free newsletter, you'll get emails with lots of great coupon deals, and at what stores. search her site, she has tons of wonderful stuff!

Click on this for her info about ecoupons...

DealSeekingMom

Coupons.comhttp://print.coupons.com/CouponWeb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10

CouponSavingGame

Have fun saving money! (Oh, for example... two weeks ago, I purchased $83 dollars of groceries for $30. That means that for my hour spent clipping coupons and figuring out the deals, I 'got paid' almost $53. Not a bad wage!)

OOOOOO-laaaaaaa-WEEEEEEeeeee

Yesterday, my friend Shannon and I drove into the little town of Exeter, California, and strolled into Monet's. Rustic like a cafe, elegant like a four-star restaurant, with a background serande that was perfect for relaxing the soul and making it happy. The food, I have been craving ever since we walked out the doors and stepped back into reality. This restaurant treasure was the perfect place to spill our guts and be refreshed and revived!

Truly, for me, the two hours of fellowshipping (and eating the most delicious salad and pannini ever) were the equivalent of an entire weekend retreat. 

God is good like that!

Right when you need encouragement the most, He chauffers you to the perfect spot where that need can be met. Talking and heart-to-heart sharing with my trusted BFF of 28.75 years was what the Lord knew I needed.

When King David and his men came to the city of Ziklag, the very spirit of their hearts dropped as they discovered the city burned and every inhabitant carried away by the evil-thinking Amalekites. David's own men, in their distressing grief, talked of stoning David. But David, but he "strengthened himself in the LORD his God" (1 Samuel 30).

No matter what you are facing today, turn to the Word and seek the face of God. In Him there is mercy and compassion, strength and grace, help and provision. Strengthen yourself in the Lord by believing in His promises - they are the only foundation on which to stand - in joyous times or sorrowful ones.

Ask Him to encourage your heart in the midst of the trial. God's faithfulness is great, and though He might tarry with the answer you seek, His grace and comfort are immediate. 

And who knows? Maybe, His answer will come through wisdom shared from your Best Pal, in a small, remote town, in a cozy corner of some fabulous cafe!

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:13-14

Exciting News This Morning!!!!!

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, Tom (Amy's boyfriend), rose up and told Mike and I 

he wanted to marry our only daughter!!!!!!!

The above pic is a re-enactment because it all happened so fast that I missed snapping the actual asking.  Hmmmm.... thus, the silliness factor! 

They thought I was the silly one taking pictures of the moment, but PULEEEZZZEEE! They just can't say the word 'SCRAPBOOK'!

(On the far right is my dad; he got to be there, too.)

And then.....

there's me!

(I couldn't stand I wasn't in the picture, so I took one of myself. LOL)

All the relatives were in our backyard celebrating with Easter games, 

and word quickly spread...

on the DL (down-low), as cousin Jayme said.

(Tim, youngest son, and I celebrating the secret. The first picture we took looked great but fuzzy, so this silly one had to do.) 

And then..... Tom popped the question this morning!

(He is a very smart man for choosing our daughter!!!!

She is a very smart woman to choose him right back!!!!) 

 

She said, "YES, oh, YES!"

We couldn't be happier!

Here's how it went down....

On Friday, April 2nd, Tom snuck into Amy's office on her day off.... 

and looky what he did....

                                                                                                   

When she walked into her office this morning, there it was...

and when she looked up...

there Tom was...

with the entire second floor coworkers...

and...

THE RIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGG!

BLiNG BLiNG!

A BFF and I drove down there after the hoopla and took pictures and gave her engagement gifts, cuz that's the kinda gals we are!  :)

First, was Amy's engagement gift I made, sitting at my machine, sewing like a maniac. I forgot to take a picture of it before giving it to her, so the pic of the fabrics will have to work....

The Brighton charm bracelet and charms...

Our beautiful daughter; her Prince Charming!

 

Schnibbles # ???.... I've lost count!

Taaaaa-Daaaaaa!!!  

One more Schnibbles adorning someone's room! 

This one, this precious pink cutie, will be dragged along the carpeted floors by little Charlee. My friend Erin will be cradling this new baby any day now, so I stitched lots of love into this wee quilt, just for her --- daughter #6!

It was a mad rush to get it finished on time, but, YAY, it happened and is in Charlee's nursery, waiting for its new little owner to snuggle up close!

In case you want to see a huge variety of this month's Schnibbles, on April 1st go visit HERE or HERE and see a whole parade of them!  :)

~ Children are a gift from the Lord ~

  (part of Psalm 127:3)

300th Post! A Tribute to Aprons and the Sweet Past

OK, I shared this very picture with you in the last post, but I had to share it again because of what was in this morning's e-mails...


Today, don't look at us -- look at that darling green polka-dot apron that is dangling from my neck!


On a wonderful blog, where the Blogger links us to her money-making Amazon links (more about this in a minute), she modeled the apron for us. My BFF and I had to have it! (We adore polka-dots, and like to buy the same things, so that we can think of each other and remember our fun memories. Shannon lives an hour away, but we take an annual trip to the coast. It was on our last trip, where, for the first time, we brought along our laptops. At the same time, we oooood and ahhhhed over her blog, saw that apron, and clicked on her link...)

Amazon was out, unfortunately, but after lots of minutes searchin, we found a gal on Ebay that had two available. Click... and they were ours!

Everyone RAVES about my apron. My daughter saw it and begged me to make her one. So, carefully tracing the apron onto newspaper, I made her a frolicking hot pink one with white polka dots!!!  CUUuU-UuUU-UUuuTE!!!


Anyhoooo, before I copy and paste the sweet email about aprons, let me just say that the Proverbs 31 woman is wise and industrious. Lots of times I will link my bloggerinas to Amazon for books and such. One day my friend saw that and said, "You know, Liz, why don't you just sign up with Amazon and use the link to earn a little money." So, I did. (P.S. I do not know how much you make, or how you can sign up. But... my friend walks me through it, and I am sure if you run over to her blog, leave a comment asking her how, she will reply when she can {she has four kids that keep her busy}. Tell her Liz sent you.).


The one drawback to that is this: My posts could sound more like sales pitches than the truth of what I think about something. Like the Busy Mom's Bible post. What really bummed me out,was that some wondered if it was all hype so that they would buy the Bible and I'd get paid. Kerplunk went my heart when I read that... and I removed the Amazon link. But, I'm hoping I get brave enough to do it again, because I think it's a help to you and a help to me.

I am not going to link you to Amazon or Ebay because I already looked, and neither had this great apron anymore. So sad!!! So, my next suggestion is to go buy a pattern or a book. A good friend gave me an apron book for my birthday, and it is loads of fun. There are lots of apron books out there! Hey, nevermind!! While proofreading  this post, it came to me to simply Google "basil polka dot apron". I had to scroll through quite a few, till I came to the gal who invented it (strange that she was not listed first...). Anyhoo.... Though I didn't see the green one, here she is with other colors - 

http://www.mainstreet-store.com/kd_women.shtml

So.... on to the email I got today.....

I don't think our kids 

know what an apron is.

 (Amazon's picture)

 

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for  removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. 

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. 

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
 When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the menfolks knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about Grandma's aprons.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw..

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. 
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

 (Me neither!)

Party On!

It was our dad's 80th birthday, so we threw him a party! We rented the beautiful Junior League building, which used to be an old house with many stairs and bedrooms. I could move right in! The backyard, below the staired patio deck, is wedding-ready. Beautiful!

This picture was taken in the kitchen, where it was a zoo with all of us coming and going, getting the food ready.

In it are (front row, left to right), my sister Linda, one of my all-time favorite aunts - Aunt Dessa (she is a kick!!!), moi, my sister Theresa, behind me to the left is my younger sister Karen and next to her is my wonderful sis-in-law, Debbie. In the background, working as he should (LOL) is Karen's husband, Randy.  

The Meyer clan loves a good party, and it was a fun night!

Happy 80th, DAD!

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he,

I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you; 

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

Reassuring!!!

OH!!! And this just in..... A bloggerina over at Pokeydotquilting mentioned in today's post about a fabulous pattern & fabric giveaway. Look below and see what you could win, if chosen, on March 22..... 

This is a treat for anybody who has a needle and thread!!!! Jump over HERE, to Karensquilting and enter!  She's doing this giveaway for a friend who does not blog. Kinda cool, eh?  :)

Hope you win!!!!!! XO

 

Busy Mom's Bible

Lately, I have been feeling like my hours and minutes are not my own. I mean, it's nice to have loved ones who need you, a job that calls you in to work so that we can have money, the whir of my sewing machine that means something brilliant is being created (which has been awfully quiet, lately; I went in and patted it the other day), lots of homemaking chores, an 80th birthday party to cook for and plan, and all the other things on our elongated to-do lists. But, in the past few weeks, though my hands and brain have been endlessly engaged, I have yet to experience that restful, caught-up yumminess.



Do you know what I am talking about???



It's a good thing to work like Martha, but a totally needful thing to choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn and get refreshed.

"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered,

'you are worried and upset about many things,

but only one thing is needed.

Mary has chosen what is better,

and it will not be taken away from her.'"

 --- Luke 10:38-41.

I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to plop down and sit still when I have a looming list following me like a dark shadow. My brain rebels at the very thought of sitting still. How does this happen?!



These thoughts had been on my mind all week; there just wasn't time to type them out to you. Sad!



Anyhoo, right before Superman and I took off for the night, I got a box in the mail from Zondervan. You know I love surprises, so I figured they grabbed my name from the Thomas Nelson list of book reviewers (I could tell by the size of the package that it had to be a book), perhaps wanting to entice me to join their list (if they even have one).


Ripping it open with my bare hands (and scissors... hey, hands hold the scissors!) I gasped when I saw the leatherish (they call it "Italian Duo-Tone", whatever that means. It feels like soft leather to me, so that's good enough!) pink-and-hot pink cover. Yay! I love pink, don't you!?



At my desk, I stood there debating which Bible to take along - this new one or my beloved one I use, with all my notes and underlinings in it? The final choice came down to weight. Since I would be lugging a bag around with magazines, books, pen, stationary, and Bible, I opted for the new, lighter one. Good choice!



Blogging about it in conjunction with the "minutes are not my own" post was not in my thinking. And then, as I turned the pages of this Busy Mom's Bible, I saw how perfect it was for this time in my life -- and my kids are grown!

You know what it reminds me of? Two things: When I was nursing Noah, my firstborn, I had the same not enough minutes thing going on. I loved nursing him, but, boy, my mind would race... until, he and I sat in the rocker, gently swaying back and forth, and relaxation swept over both of us. Then, I wouldn't want to get out of the chair and get moving again! This Bible has the same effect.



The other thing it reminds me of is exercising. Don't wanna do it. Put it off. But when I tell myself, just do 10 measley minutes, it's more likely I'll lug myself to the gym. Once moving, I usually do more than ten. This Bible reminds me of an igniter, once it lights you up to read, you get a burning passion to read more!



So, here are some things I love about this Bible...

1. The color and feel of it. They might have other color schemes, but not sure. Rather or not it's leather, it just feels soft and yummy!
2. There are no cross references. Normally, these are a must-have for me; I use them and like them. So, at first, I was disappointed not to find any. But then, as I read, I felt myself relaxing into the simplicity of just reading what was on the page. My shoulders eased away from my ears as tensions took a nap.It was freeing, since they weren't distracting me from the plain and powerful verses I was reading. I'm surprised at this discovery!
3. The colorful pages like this, that give you subjects, like "STILLNESS" and offers you 1-minute, 5-minutes, or 10-minute readings or questions to ponder (with Scripture references and the page you will find them on in this Bible. Handy!)
4. A list (not a to-do) with different 5-minute readings you can do, about Jesus or the Women of the Bible.
5. The 10-Minutes Study Guide, with the additional 5-minutes "Reflect & Pray". (Hey, it's better than none!)

    6.   For me, an alphabetical word concordance is a must! Theirs is very nice.

    7.   One thing I really like, and am thinking about going through one at a time, from beginning to end, is the wonderful 10-minutes Study Index. Had I snapped a picture of the first ones, you would have seen that I will be starting with "God is..."; taking me through 29 truths about God; such as: Coming Again, In Control, Good, Water... and more! Can't wait! (See what I mean about it being an ignitor!!!)

   8.   Maps are important!

   9.   I just like how it has me gung-ho for spending time in the Word; this Bible is God's answer to my prayer to fall in love with the Word all over again! Yay & thank You, Lord (and Zondervan, His vessel to deliver His answer)! "God loves to give good gifts in response to prayer...Matthew 7:7-11" --- from the Study Guide under 'prayer'. And some just happen to be PINK!!!

Crazy Week of Work!

Tonight I walked into my sewing room, my poor neglected sewing room, walked slowly by my unused Bernina, patted it lovingly, and wished for many hours to do nothing but sew. Doesn't that sound fun? What is it that you are longing to do but have no time for?

All week (except today) I dragged myself out of bed when the sun hadn't even begun to have thoughts of stretching it's arms up into the horizon, and zipped off to work. It just doesn't seem right to get up in the dark!  :)  Do you have to leave your home for work when it's still dark out?

But, duty called and I subbed for my favorite library. 

Life is like that!

This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.... even if it doesn't get to include sewing... or your beloved hobby!  

(Psalm 118:24)