Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Ways to fight the January blahs...

Been wanting to post this for several days... hope it is still useful now, since January is almost over!

Last week, I had a case of the January blahs. The doldrums. The feeling of something has to change. The weather was bad every day-- icy and snowy. My husband had taken our mini-van to work each day since his VW bug is not too good in the snow. I felt a little trapped. I guess I could have taken my daughter's car out, but the roads were still bad.

I asked my friends on Facebook for ideas to beat the January blahs. Here are some of their ideas, and a few of my own added in...

-Start a new puzzle, preferably with cheery colors!
HERE IS A PUZZLE WE MADE...
-Buy a new nail polish color and paint your nails.
-Start a new craft, sewing project or cross stitch project (or finish an old one.)
-Read, read and read some more!
-Go out to coffee with a friend.
-Use a full spectrum light for more sunlight-type light, in case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which comes with the changing of the seasons, and less sunlight. I have a light like this, and it does help sometimes.
-Exercise--ideas were walking (walking the dog, but we don't have one!), yoga, skiing and cross-country skiing.
-Buy flowers on clearance at the grocery store. Let the sunshine in!
-Clean and declutter! Do spring cleaning early!
-Nerf wars with the kids!
-Wear bright colors and get outside!
-Wear silly socks (which I usually do.)
-Look through art books, like Van Gogh or Vermeer.
-Look at cookbooks and try new recipes.
-Play lots of games since you are indoors so much. We do this a lot!
-Wear an essential oil that is uplifting. (lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit-- any citrus oil or a blend!)
-Start planning your garden. Try something new like loofah sponges or peanuts!
-Go to the pool.
-Watch funny movies!
-Be thankful for that snow that is good for our state!
-Remember that January gives us a great appreciation for other months!
-Listen to upbeat music-- lately my favorite has been FFH!
-Update my blog more!

I hope these help someone, as they helped me with my blahs. If you are really depressed, or having suicidal thoughts, please see a Doctor soon. That is more serious than just a case of blahs, especially if it last more than a few days!


Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Word of the year 2017

This year I had a hard time choosing a word for the year. Nothing came to me easily in the end of December and early January. I prayed about it. I looked online at some word lists. I wrote a list of words. I wrote down words that I have had the past few years. Last year my word was prayer. I wanted something that would encourage me this year. I finally ended up choosing the word ABIDE. 
 The verses that I found for ABIDE are from John 15:4-7. I really liked verse 9, which says,
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now abide in my love."

What does Abide mean?

Here are some dictionary definitions:
to remain, continue, stay, to have one's abode, dwell, reside, to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, attitude; to wait for, await, to await the coming of the Lord.

I looked in the thesaurus, and this is what I found:
to submit to, put up with, accept, acknowledge, be big about, bear, bear with, concede, consent to, defer, endure, hang in, hang tough, live with, put up with, receive, sit tight, stand, stomach, swallow take, tolerate, withstand. Also: continue, endure, keep on, last, persevere, persist, remain, survive. Also: exist, act, be alive, have being, have place, hold, inhabit, last, live, move, obtain, subsist.
I looked in my Strong's concordance and found other uses of ABIDE in the Bible. Many of the instances in the NIV when it is used say Remain instead of ABIDE. I like the word abide better. Here is one verse that I like... "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." (NASB) The NIV says rest instead of abide.

The word abide is used many times in John 15. I like verse 5 which says, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Christ goes on to say that the one who does not abide with Him is like a branch thrown away, withered up and cast into the fire to be burned. He says that if we keep His commandments, we will abide in His love.  To me, this sounds like a contrast of heaven and hell. I don't want to be cast away from him, especially into the fire of hell! I want to remain in Him, abide with Him and His love. I want to obey His commandments in my life.

Another place in the Bible that mentions abide often is in 1 John 2, toward the end. John talks about how God's anointing abides in us, and teaches us. Verse 28 says, "Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." I have thought a lot about abiding with Him, and I know that I don't want to shrink away when Jesus returns. I want to know Him, remain in Him, know His face, and look forward to seeing His face soon.
How can I abide in Him? By reading His Word, studying, meditating, confessing and acting on His Word, and by loving others.

It is a great goal for me this year. I always desire to grow closer to God. I pray often that He will draw me closer to Himself day by day. I hope that you will desire to abide with God this year too.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

New appliances!

We had some new and exciting things going on at our home after Christmas. We got a really great deal on used, matching appliances on Craigslist at the end of December. The lady had moved into a new home and she already had her appliances, so she sold us the ones that came with the house. Our refrigerator was over 20 years old, had a cracked handle, the ice maker never worked, and a few other minor problems. My hubby worked very hard moving the appliances out, getting the new ones in, and I cleaned them all. 
Our old stove/ oven-- it was a nice one, but the wrong color. We liked the convection fan in it, and miss that already.
Our old dishwasher was terrible, we really put up with it for too many years! We no longer have to rinse every dish perfectly before running the dishwasher! I didn't get a picture of our old fridge, but it was white, with a big door that ran into the counter.
So the dishwasher made a bad sound and didn't start washing when we first got it in. We took it out, Joshua got 3 or 4 screws and a plastic piece of pipe out of the bottom of it. It still didn't run well! So on Saturday morning, we took the whole dishwasher apart. I learned more about the inner workings of a dishwasher than I ever thought I would! My hubby was my hero that day. We never found anything else inside of it, other than a kinked hose in the back. When we put it in the next time, it finally worked and washes the dishes really well! They come out so sparkly clean!
So pretty! (if you notice carefully, we accidentally chipped the countertop putting in the dishwasher the first time...)
Our new oven has some new features, such as a simmer select, an inner and outer burner on one burner, a warming drawer underneath (no more storage!) and a warming spot on the stovetop. I'm excited because my big baking sheet fits into it, and it never fit into the old oven.
Last but not least, here is a our big, fancy side-by-side refrigerator with ice and water in the door. That has been getting lots of use, and we are happy to not be emptying ice cube trays anymore. They have all been a worthwhile investment, even though they are not new. They are newer than what we had! My kitchen is so much brighter now! They match our microwave and toaster oven too. :-D

Now we are working on selling the old ones, and have gotten a few interested people already. Happy new year to us! (And a belated Merry Christmas!)



Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Genesis 6:21
You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Christmas 2016 highlights

We had another wonderful Christmas at home this year. We enjoyed seeing Christmas lights with my parents and hanging out at their home for Christmas afternoon. We visited my Joshua's family a few days after Christmas. It was fun to play new games and visit with them. The whole Christmas break went by way too quickly! 
 A pretty lit Nativity we saw...
 The beautiful Nativity scene at our church for Christmas...
 The kids opened their pajamas on Christmas Eve. Bethany got 2 pair of Avengers pj's, Captain America and Iron Man!
 Mallory got new Star Wars pajamas, with Rey on them (She was Rey for Halloween!)
 Caleb got cool sporty pj's...
 and Rebekah got owl pj's, similar to Harry Potter style.
 3 of the kids showing off their new pajamas!
 Bethany got a new Captain America from her "Secret Santa" Caleb, and it matched her pj's so well!
 My pretty girls at church on Christmas morning. We were waiting for the service...
 After church, the kids opened their "big" gifts... Bethany got a Wonder Woman invisible plane...
 Mallory got an American Girl (imitation) horse... she was so surprised!
 Caleb got a new baseball gear bag!
 Rebekah got a gift certificate so that she could pick out her own prescription sunglasses!
 We went to my parents' house and I only took 2 pictures! Caleb was working on his new lego set from his grandparents... he's remade it several times!
 I was so happy to get this book, and enjoyed reading it in 5 days!
Playing Joshua's new game Dominion with his mom and sister. It was a quick day trip, but we loved being there!

How did you spend your Christmas? Did you leave town? I'd love to hear about it!

We pray that God will bless you with a joyful and peace-filled 2017! Our Rebekah graduates high school this spring...?!?


1 Corinthians 12:31
Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. [ Love Is Indispensable ] And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

1 Peter 4:10
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
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