…living, learning, and loving it!
Feb 25th, 2010 by Vanessa
Well, this should have been posted about three weeks ago when the groceries were purchased. But better late than never. Here are the groceries (and a few extras) that were purchased on my grocery shopping trip for February for about $180.
If you are following our year in groceries:
January
Feb 23rd, 2010 by Vanessa
This post is part of a series about remaining encouraged and optimistic while living in a negative world.
It’s easy to get discouraged. One thing that I do to keep myself from getting discouraged in a world that feels so negative and stressful is to remember the goals that Cole and I believe are part of God’s will and plan for our family. We have spent a great deal of time thinking, praying, and talking about our goals for our life as a family. They are big goals and in order to accomplish them, we are sacrificing some things for the time being. I love the goals and would love to see us accomplish them!
When I begin to grow discouraged because it seems like we are working so hard and sacrificing quite a bit right now in order to achieve those goals, I remember this quote:
Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.
– Vincent Van Gogh
Diligence and perseverance in the small things lead to great things. I see this principle at work all over scripture.
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
14″Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19″After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21″His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22″The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ 23″His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24″Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26″His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28″ ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30
It is also important for me to remember that others do not live by the same principles as those we have chosen. The choices they make are the choices that they have chosen based on the goals they have set for their lives (or they may be bad decisions based on their lack of goals). I cannot compare the dreams and principles that God has shown us for our lives to the lives of others. I can only focus on what we believe to be God’s will for our family.
We will see a reward from our hard work and our small diligence to working towards our goals at this time!
Feb 19th, 2010 by Vanessa
“Our shame was deeper than the sea, your grace is deeper still.”
“When our hearts were far away, your love goes further still.”
“To you alone belongs the highest praise!”
“We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes, you’re the giver of life!”
Feb 17th, 2010 by Vanessa
I purchased these foam letter and number puzzle sets at Walmart. It was a dollar for the letters and a dollar for the numbers. They are a fantastic and fun manipulative for my kiddos.
Mr. C works on an assessment – his task was to put the numbers zero-nine in order.
Some things we do:
– spell words (I have multiple sets)
– build numbers (eg. “Build 34.” and the child makes the number. This also requires two sets of numbers.)
– order the letters of the alphabet or the numbers
– match identical numbers/letters (using two sets)
– students point to a number that I say
Feb 16th, 2010 by Vanessa
Many people worry about those of us who get married young…we have very little experience with, well, life in general! When Cole and I got married, he had just graduated from college, started his first job, and I was still working on my four year college degree. We were babies. We still are babies!
When my little sister and her husband got married last December he was just starting his career in the military, she was getting ready to start nursing school, and they moved from home in Kansas to a new home in Florida. They are babies!
My parents were also babies when they were married – apparently it’s a family trend!
I understand why people worry about such babies getting married. They have very little/no experience living away from home. They do not have experience with managing their money. They are not experts in keeping a home. They have not “found themselves.” And they still possess their “childish dreams.”
That is why I love that I was married young!
Because we married so young, Cole and I have been developing our sense of ourselves as individuals together. We have developed together into a wonderful team! Together we compliment each other. We were married while we still had childish dreams, and together we are working to see them lived out. We were married while full of excitement and passionate about living. Sharing that passion, we are having a wonderful time!
We just celebrated our third Valentine’s day as husband and wife. My sister and her husband just celebrated their first. I am so thankful for the “craziness” of our young marriages and look forward to the day when we will celebrate our 53rd, 63rd, or 73rd Valentine’s day as husband and wife!