Hi all! Well, if there are any "all" out there!?!! It's been a while, but I am still here........and still paying down debt! I wish I could be as consistent as Tricia and Becks at Blogging Away Debt. However, this graduation of our oldest is "killing" me this year. I will definitely be better when our younger three all graduate! It's been fun, but definitely an EXPERIENCE! AND, I know now WAY BETTER ways to cut costs during their SENIOR YEAR! In the future, I will only spend about $100 on pictures and announcements, versus the over $400 spent this year due to this being my first time at this graduation mom thing! So I am still here and very soon will update on our credit card debt. Hopefully, this summer I will be more consistent with this! I truly am still aiming at August 2012 to pay off over $40,000.00 worth of credit card debt!

God Bless!
DEBT FREE JOURNEY

Gosh, April 10th was the last time I got on here!! I am letting "life" get in the way of my blogging, and this is where I get the most enjoyment! So, for 10 minutes before I get the kids up, even though I don't have my Scripture in front of me, or the Love Dare steps in front of me, I thought I would jot down a few thoughts.

Trent, at the Simple Dollar, gave me GREAT inspiration in one of his posts. He said that he, too, got a bit sluggish and almost let his blog go, however, he set his "new post" message as his homepage, which reminded him to blog every day! Check it out if you have a minute. It's a great blog site!!

So, with today's economy "being so bad" as the news reminds us, or if any of us are going through some tough times right now....let's make a personal decision that FOR TODAY, WE WILL NOT SPEND ANY MONEY!! Why spend money today?? Do you have food, clothing, shelter? Then you are fine! Can you eat something in your freezer, pantry....be creative! It is amazing how much LESS we can all do without!

Instead of heading to the mall today, or our to lunch, make a cup of soup (well, it will be hot, so make a sandwich or salad!), and sit outside on your back porch. BREATHE the fresh air and listen to the sounds of birds, trees rustling...that you are usually too busy to pay attention to. It is a "cup of tea for the soul"!

OR, take your pet for a walk! It will do you both good. And all of this is FREE!! Not to mention that you are taking NOTHING out of your checkbook or savings to enjoy this day!

Enjoy the warm weather!

Oh, and in case "life" gets in the way again today, Dinner tonight is STROMBOLI and MACARONI SALAD.

RECIPE for STROMBOLI:

Frozen Bread Dough
Pepperoni
Ham
Hard Salami
Mozerella Slices
Provolone Cheese
Parmesian Cheese
Can of Prego
Olive Oil

*Let frozen dough rise (about 2 hours)

*Spread some flour around dough so it is not sticky. Roll out dough. Spread lightly with olive
oil. Sprinkle parmesian cheese, oregano and garlic salt over dough. Layer the meats and cheeses
on the dough. Pour some Prego over meats and cheeses, then FOLD IN the dough and pinch in the middle. (It should look like a pizza pocket).

*Once dough is folded over, brush lightly again with olive oil. Sprinkle parmesian cheese, oregano,and garlic salt.

*Bake in the oven at 350 until golden brown.

YUM...slice and serve!

GOD BLESS! And REMEMBER, DO NOT SPEND ANY MONEY TODAY!! (Except if you have to go to grocery store to get above ingredients...remember the macaroni, celery, onion, mayo and egg for the macaroni salad!)

DEBT FREE JOURNEY

SPRING BREAK..........BE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH CREDIT CARD UPDATE!! LOOKING GOOD!! DID BUY SOME THINGS FOR SPRING BREAK AT THE BEACH....BUT PAID CASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(And also gave the kids a cash budget, instead of letting them shop with our credit card!)

God Bless!

DEBT FREE JOURNEY

Good Morning! I am SO SORRY it has taken me so long to pay attention to my blog! We have one going off to college this year and I am learning the hard way how to meet all the deadlines. Our oldest is doing great keeping up, but the paperwork for the parents is overwhelming. However, I am learning, and I am sure the other three won't be this bad!haha

SO, here I am and happy to say, still chipping away at the credit card debt! Our taxes are done...we are getting a little back from the state, but owe a good chunk to the IRS. With my husband's bonuses this year, it pushed us into a higher tax bracket. Some of you are thinking, well then, pay off credit card debt too. Well, I won't have it. I know it sounds silly, but this is a habit I am trying to break by myself. My husband is being extremely supportive. I need to go through this journey and learn along the way, so that I not only learn self-control in spending, but can also teach others to bless others and truly appreciate the blessings the Lord has already bestowed upon us. It makes me sad to think how my previous behavior continues to affect my family in indiscreet ways that they are not fully aware of...but when I think how I could be using that money to save for my children's colleges, or any number of more productive ways, it makes me even madder and more determined to not look back..........and press on toward my goal! I can't change the past, but I can sure as heck change the way my future and the financial future of my family is going.

1 KINGS 10:21 "ALL KING SOLOMON'S DRINKING VESSELS WERE GOLD, AND ALL THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON WERE PURE GOLD. NOT ONE WAS SILVER, FOR THIS WAS ACCOUNTED AS NOTHING IN THE DAYS OF SOLOMON.
Footnote taken from the Family Life Marriage Bible:
"THE FOLLY OF ACQUIRING STUFF"

"Our culture applauds driven men and women who excel in their chosen career paths. We subconsciously regard these people as having arrived. We tend to view them as significant individuals, when, in reality, many have trashed their marriages, their children, and their friendships, merely to juggle the inhuman pressures necessary for their success."

"IT'S NOT WORTH IT!"

"The wealthiest man of his era, Solomon, he had it all. He accumulated unimaginable riches - servants, forests, vineyards, and much more. Our culture would insist that Solomon has arrived. Big Time! Yet at the end of his life, he characterized his own success as utterly meaningless." This is so sad!!

"Over the years," the author goes on to say, "one of the more stimulating conversations with our teenagers regarded what we did with our royalties. Early in our ministry, we decided that we would donate 100% of the royalties from books to FamilyLife. As our children got older, they began to see what this meant," states the author. "Stating it another way, they began to estimate the numbers and decided that with each book that was written, we were giving away the possibility of better cars for them!"

The author continues, "While I do not think there is anything wrong with authors taking their royalties, for us it became one of the statements of what's important to our children. There is no question those royalties could have taken some pressure off of us financially, but our prayer was that our children got the picture of what is truly important."

"Bill Bright, founder and President of Campus Crusade for Christ, once challenged me 'wear the cloak of materialism loosely.' As I have gotten older, I now understand his exhortation and how many of those who attempt to follow Christ in America are weighed down by things and material wealth," states the author.

"Jesus taught us TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED, BECAUSE, 'IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE (Acts 20:35).' If you put acquiring STUFF at the top of your agenda, you will end up a FOOL. Lasting significance comes WHEN YOU ALIGN YOURSELF WITH THE HEART OF GOD AND MAKE HIS AGENDA YOUR AGENDA!"



7 DAY MENU:

MONDAY: Beef coctail sausages; velveeta cheese shells; peach slices

TUESDAY: Baked chicken (Take a whole chicken and season with Season-All; Lemon Pepper and Garlic Salt. Then place in oven at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is done...YUM!); rice, corn

WEDNESDAY: English Muffin Pizzas; caesar salad; chocolate chip cookies

THURSDAY: Tacos (the kids love these)!; Spanish Rice

FRIDAY: BLT Sandwiches; fries, applie pie ala mode

SATURDAY: Steaks (on sale) on the grill; baked potatoe, corn on the cob

SUNDAY: Hotdogs on the grill (with chili or saurkraut); big pickles; baked beans


HOME BLESSING FOR TODAY: Dust all on main floor of home


LOVE DARE: Day 6 (Remember, don't rush to do all this in 40 straight days, although that is the ideal! But here, we are at least thinking about our spouses and letting them know how much we value the relationship the Lord has blessed and brought together).

Taken from The Love Dare by Kendrick

PROVERBS 16:32 "HE WHO IS SLOW TO ANGER IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY, AND HE WHO RULES HIS SPIRIT, THAN HE WHO CAPTURES A CITY."

"Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. Then list any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life...."


God Bless! Have a wonderful DRY day!

DEBT FREE JOURNEY

Good Morning! It's been a couple of days since I have gotten on here...it's been crazy since Spring sports started for our four teens and this blogging thing is so addicting that I find myself on the computer for hours! I needed to concentrate on getting our taxes done and mailed, filling out some rebate forms for cel phones, computers, printers. I feel so much better knowing our home is up to date and organized!! And today is TENNIS DAY...YEAH ! Sometimes I feel like I wish I weren't playing tennis and could just stay home to "get stuff done." However, life is about BALANCE, and I need to make myself go out there, exercise, socialize with my friends, and breath the wonderful clean air God has blessed me with! It would be too easy to just stay at home, clean all day, putz around the house, and isolate myself from the world. No, balance is a good thing so I will blog this morning for about 20 more minutes, get the kids up and get ready for TENNIS!

LUKE 12:15 "THEN HE SAID TO THEM, 'WATCH OUT! BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST ALL KINDS OF GREED; A MAN'S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN THE ABUNDANCE OF HIS POSSESSIONS.'"
Footnote taken from LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE: "Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, so be on guard against greed (desire for what we don't have). This is the EXACT opposite of what society usually says. Advertisers spend millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, more comfortable. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE CONSTANT PRESSURE TO BUY? Learn to tune out expensive enticements and CONCENTRATE INSTEAD ON THE TRULY GOOD LIFE - LIVING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND DOING HIS WORK."


BUDGET UPDATE:
In catching up these past couple of dates, I have closed out February Budget and though we did not come in under budget, yes, we are still over (and working on this very hard to bring it to balance)....we were only over by $1469.77, as opposed to the overage of January which was $5674.90!! SOOOo, just by BEING AWARE of our spending, we have really reigned it in. I am so excited to keep perservering for March. My goal is for us to not only BALANCE, but come in UNDER BUDGET. For I have come to realize that the money my husband (and me - sometimes) brings in, is "THE LORD'S PORTION FOR US." If I charge or overspend, I am acting like an "obnoxious spoiled child" who doesn't appreciate the blessings already bestowed upon her. I do not want to be like that. I want to be a "good and faithful servant." I am learning to appreciate the FREE blessings of God already right in front of my face. And, so what, if the economy is bad and stores are closing (I mean, the store closings are bad for the people they employ)...but for me personally, on the "spending" side, I don't need STORES.....ALL THAT I HAVE IS ALL THAT I NEED. Just sitting in the backyard listening to the birds, breathing the fresh air....it sounds corny, but it truly does feel so good!!

As of right now - 3/5/09 - here is my credit card debt total:

BANK OF AMERICA: $34,425.93
DISCOVER: $7196.38
KOHLS: $655.41
VICTORIA SECRET: $500.08

TOTAL: $42,777.80

Embarrassing and making me angry: YES Stupid YES...but I have grown. I am not that same person and I WILL...I AM...paying this OFF by 8/2012 and enjoying life so much more now than when I would aimlessly seek to fill some kind of void, I guess, by "just looking" at the stores and end up buying "cute outfits, stuff for the house, and on and on...."

Oh well, NO LOOKING BACK....PERSERVERING TO THE FINISH LINE!!

PRAYER: MY SPOUSE IS FINANCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE (Taken from Emergency Prayers by Deborah SmithPegues)
"Lord, my spouse's irresponsible behavior is threatening the financial stability of our marriage. I do not want Satan to use our different attitudes about money to destroy our marriage. I ask that you fill the emptiness that drives his/her behavior. Give me the wisdom to pray for, encourage, and build him/her up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) rather than resorting to nagging, name-calling, or put-downs because of his/her apparent lack of good financial judgment. Cause him/her to see the error of his/her ways. Give him/her the desire to handle the money You provide according to biblical principles of good stewardship."

"Lord, search my heart and show me where my mindset regarding our finances may be too conservative and, thus, hindering us from experiencing the ABUNDANT LIFE Jesus came to give (John 10:10). Show us both how to strike a balance between spending for enjoyment today and saving for the future. Deliver us from the emotional baggage that has shaped our views about the purpose and priority of our finances. Let us forsake and forget these destructive attitudes and look forward to what lies ahead in our relationship (Phil. 3:13). Help us reach one accord in priorities for Your Word says two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement (Amos 3:3)."

"THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR RAISING US UP TO BE AN EXAMPLE AND TESTIMONY OF A COUPLE WALKING IN FINANCIAL INTIMACY AND VICTORY. IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I PRAY. AMEN."


LOVE DARE - DAY 4 Taken from The Love Dare by Kendrick

PROVERBS 27:14 "HE WHO BLESSES HIS FRIEND WITH A LOUD VOICE EARLY IN THE MORNING, IT WILL BE RECKONED A CURSE TO HIM."

"Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so WITHOUT ATTACKING THEM OR JUSTIFYING YOUR BEHAVIOR. This is from THEIR PERSPECTIVE ONLY."


TODAY'S HOME BLESSING: Make all beds in home. Light a nice smelling candle in kitchen.

DINNER TONIGHT: Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, peas

**Slice a pork tenderloin into 1" rounds. Fry bacon in pan until "limp" and then wrap each pork round with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Top each toothpick with a mushroom cap. Place the pork rounds in a baking dish. In a separate bowl mix beef broth and minced garlic. Pour garlic/broth mix over pork and bake for about 45 minutes at 350, basting pork every 15 - 20 minutes (to keep mushroom caps from drying out).

For the potatoes, slice or dice potatoes and place in a big plastic bag with some olive oil. Pour 1 - 2 bags of Lipton Onion Soup Garlic and Herb envelopes in the plastic bag and smush around to coat all potatoes. Spray a pan with cooking spray and pour potatoe mixture into pan. Bake at 350 until potatoes are soft.

I usually serve this meal with broccoli casserole instead of peas, but seeing as I am trying to BALANCE our budget, I decided to use the can of peas I had bought when Green Giant Vegetables were 10/$10!

GOD BLESS!

DEBT FREE JOURNEY

Good evening! Hope everyone is staying WARM!! Been busy this weekend with the family, but will be back in the morning with February's budget closing update! Everyone should have March's budget set up and ready to go! We can use January and February averages to get a better handle on March's numbers!

Good Night! Have a hot cup of tea and thank the Lord for the blessings that we already have right in front of our eyes!

DEBT FREE JOURNEY

Good Morning! Well, yesterday I PAID OFF MY ANN TAYLOR CARD!! ($301.55) yeahhhh!! I paid it off with some of the paycheck I received back from substitute teaching. The "old me" would have sent in a minimum or just above the minimum payment. However, I am DETERMINED to reach my goal by my goal date! However, I do have a confession....I paid $30 cash towards my Kohl's bill, but CHARGED $95.38 on two pairs of shoes!! I was so disappointed in myself for not walking away. However, one pair was black, the other white....low soled, and I had been previously looking for these and never did find just a "casual" white or black pair that weren't running shoes or some kind of athletic shoe. I guess I could have just ended this note with the "paid off Ann Taylor credit card" part, but that wouldn't be fair to myself or those of you who are following my JOURNEY towards "DEBT FREE." This is about the journey....good and bad....two steps forward, one step back as they say. No, I am not proud of it, but I am hoping to get better at "walking away" from buying stuff as time goes on. Yet, though I want to be DEBT FREE, I know I will never stop buying all together. However, I want to keep it under control and not have credit card balances. SO, yes, the Kohl's charge was a disappointment to myself; I am glad to have the white and black pair of sneakers; I am VERY EXCITED that one credit card it paid off. Hopefully that excitement can keep me going to WALK AWAY from any extra charges the next time I go to make a payment on my Kohl's or Victoria Secret Cards. I will defininetly keep you all posted. Also, because I don't want to embarrass myself on my blog, maybe that "accountability" factor will be enough to keep me on the right path! Just updated my budget for today, so I am heading for the grocery store so that I am not rushing out when the kids get off the bus. I want all groceries bought, put away and the house picked up, so we can start our weekend in a calm, peaceful manner!

DEUTERONOMY 17:1 "DO NOT SACRIFICE TO THE LORD YOUR GOD AN OX OR A SHEEP THAT HAS ANY DEFECT OR FLAW IN IT, FOR THAT WOULD BE DETESTABLE TO HIM."
Footnote taken from Life Application Study Bible: "The fact that this command was included probably indicates that some Israelites were sacrificing imperfect or deformed animals to God. Then, as now, it is difficult and expensive to offer God our best (THE FIRST PART OF WHAT WE EARN). It is always tempting to shortchange God because we think we won't get caught. BUT OUR GIVING SHOWS OUR REAL PRIORITIES. When we give God the leftovers, it is obvious that He is not at the center of our lives. GIVE GOD THE HONOR OF HAVING FIRST CLAIM ON YOUR MONEY, TIME, AND TALENTS."


THE LOVE DARE....DAY 4 (Taken from THE LOVE DARE by Stephen and Alex Kendrick
PSALM 139:17-18 "HOW PRECIOUS ALSO ARE YOUR THOUGHTS TO ME....HOW VAST IS THE SUM OF THEM! IF I SHOULD COUNT THEM, THEY WOULD OUTNUMBER THE SAND."

*Contact your spouse sometime during the business of the day. Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them." (Now, my hubby does not like to be interrupted by phone calls during his business day, so I sent him an online funny card.....)


HOME BLESSING:
Wipe down front windows of home and windows in kitchen.



God Bless! Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

DEBT FREE JOURNEY