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Wilson Borough, Pennsylvania, United States
My world consists of my boys and their women in their lives. My grandchildren, who bring such joy to my life. My pets, who I adore very much and love watching them interact with each other. My hubby, Chuck, and his passion, Stampede Band. Plus, any ramblings I want to do. So, I hope you enjoy your visit into "My World" through my eyes.

October 26, 2010

Soda Pop Cake

I was told about this mixture tonight a my choir practice. I have never heard of this, until I just read it on the Internet. When I was a Weight Watcher attendee we were told to make our cakes with applesauce, instead of adding the oil, to make them less fattening. Now, this is really quite amazing to me to know you can add one 12 oz. can of any flavor diet soda to a cake mix and nothing else, except the box cake mix. It just blows my mind. I'm definitely going to try this.

October 19, 2010

Elvis Presley Take My Hand, Precious Lord

We are singing this song in choir on Sunday. I just absolutely love this song. Oh how I love Elvis Presley, so it is a double hitter.


Do you Own A Bible?

As I have been doing my Blog today, I chose to blog about things pertaining to God. So, if my blog offends you today, I'm really sorry, but my Lord my God is my guidance and my assurance that he will look after me and not forsake me. So, while I was cleaning and dusting, I came upon my bookcase and saw all the Bibles I own. I own fifteen different versions of the Bible. The one I use the most is the New International Version because it is large print. Some date back to the 1970's when I got them for presents from becoming a member to, Bethel Memorial Baptist Church, and one I bought when my kids started going to Beaula Bible Fellowship Church, to the current Church I joined in 2003, Olivet United Presbyterian Church. This church is my calling to where I love to serve my Lord Jesus Christ. Since, my joining this congregation I have grown much closer to God. We may be a smaller congregation and we may be a struggling church in these hard times, but we are a mighty. I really think that everyone needs God and the only way you can grow is to go to church. I have tried many years ago to stay out of church because I wasn't happy with something (not God) and realized that the only way you can grow is to be taught, like going to school. School teaches us to learn about different things, just like church teaches us about Jesus, his disciples, The Ten Commandments, Bible stories and our father, God.

So, everyone should have at least own one Bible in their home or library.

The Ten Commandments

1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.
3) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5) Honour the father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
6) Thou shalt not kill.
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8) Thou shalt not steal.
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Exodus 20:3-17

We all need to live by these rules that our loving Lord our God has put before us. We all need to go back to the way it used to be, where we went to church every Sunday, prayed before every meal, and lived for his holiness and NOT for worldly possessions and desires.

ENOUGH, Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity

We are doing a Bible study at my church on living below and beyond your means. What does it mean to be content?

Except from Enough: We live in a time of excessive materialism. Many people today are on a treadmill of consumerism, and that treadmill just keeps going faster and faster. But the day will come when either we are going to break down or the treadmill is going to break down, because we cannot continue to go faster and faster in our passion to consume.

[Americans] are extremely eager in the pursuit of immediate pleasures and are always discontented with the position that they occupy....They think about nothing but ways of changing their lot and bettering it. For people in this frame of mind every new way of getting wealth more quickly, every machine which lessons work, every means of diminishing the cost of production, every invention which makes pleasures easier or greater, seems the most magnificent accomplishment of the human mind......One usually finds that the love of money is either the chief or secondary motive at the bottom of the likeness to all their passions and soon makes them wearisome to contemplate.

Here are some excerpts from the author Reverend Adam Hamilton: This is from our first week of the study: "God has a plan for your life, and part of [this plan] is that you are fruitful, that you have a chance to do his kingdom work, and that you live into his will for your life. But our spiritual lives remain immature and unfruitful as long as we're pursuing the American Dream as the culture tells us to."

This is from our second week of the study: "To be a Christian is to follow Jesus Christ and to seek to do his will in our lives. It is to say, 'Here I am, all of me! I'm yours. Put me to work, help me to serve, use me to accomplish your work' Now, if this is our life purpose, then our money and possessions should be devoted to helping us fulfill this calling...We are blessed to be a blessing.

This is from our third week of the study: "Contentment is found in our relationship with God and our relationship with others. This is why Jesus said the two most important things we must do are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, " and to "love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37). If you keep your focus on these two things, we will find satisfaction for our souls and lasting contentment."

The first week we were given a window cling-on that reads, SIX KEY FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES to Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity
1) Pay your tithe and offering first. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
2) Create a budget and track your expenses. (Proverbs 27:23-24)
3) Simplify your lifestyle (live below your means). (Matthew 6:19-33)
4) Establish an emergency fund. (1 Timothy 6:9-12)
5) Pay off your credit cards, use cash/debit cards for purchases, and use credit wisely. (Proverbs 22:7)
6) Practice long-term savings and investing habits. (Luke 14:28)

We were all given a small key tag prayer to put on our key chain, so when you are thinking you really need this or need that, or want this or want that, you read this tag and it is suppose to help in making that right decision; "Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity". On the reversed side it reads "Contentment."

So many of us feel we must keep up with the "Jones" and where does it get you? No where, only in more debt than you were before. Some people feel they need a BIGGER house (with more to a take care of), FANCY car (that is only used for special occasions), the latest FASHION (only to wear it once and then it sits in the closet to be donated to a rummage sale later), all because they aren't happy or contented in their life. They keep searching and searching for things to make them happy and all they have to do is "LOOK TO THE LORD" and he will supply all your needs and wants as he sees fit.

The book, "Enough" is an easy read to help us in these stressful times. Here are the title of the chapters; Introduction: Faith in the Midst of Financial Crisis, Chapter 1, WHEN DREAMS BECOME A NIGHTMARE, Chapter 2, WISDOM and FINANCE, Chapter 3, CULTIVATING CONTENTMENT, Chapter 4, DEFINED by GENEROSITY, Epilogue: OVERCOMING FEAR, And Finally, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT TOOLS

October 17, 2010

What a Beautiful Day Today

Today, while the weather was so beautiful, I took fair advantage with a bike ride on the bike trail from Stockertown to Pen Argyl. My riding partner, John Pelcheck, and I (it was his first time on this trail) put our bikes in the back of his Pilot and drove to Stockertown. I told him this trail is one of my favorites (from riding with my church group), that he has to at least do this trail once before we can't ride for the winter. He love this trail and we both thought it was a good workout for our legs and butt. It was a total of 12.8 miles, that is to and from.

This trail is very fun, because it is level, but it goes on a slight incline going towards Pen Argly. We traveled on a smooth terrain, then little pebbly terrain, then at the end it was a very rocky terrain, that we were bouncing all over the place. On the way back we were sure traveling a good speed of 18 mph and that sure felt good. John left me in the dust. But I had to turn around because I found a red plastic casing on the ground, and I thought maybe, it belonged to John's bike, so needless do I say, I lost John. When I finally reached John, I showed him what I found and sure enough, it was his. He was so thankful I stopped and picked it up. Even though I had to turn around and not catch up to him, it was a very worth while stop. It was part of his blinker light behind his seat, for when he is riding in the dark.

After we were done riding, boy our butts and legs hurt us both. We laughed as we were getting in the Pilot, because neither one of us could lift our legs to get in. It was so funny, you would have thought this was our first ride this year. He commented that this trail was GREAT, because even though it was level it still was a slight incline that really worked the legs and buttocks. He wore his padded cycling shorts and was still hurting. He said the pads didn't help where he really needed the padding, LOL. Me, I wore my new, size smaller, workout pants from my churches rummage sale. It just feels so awesome to know, between the biking and going to the Fitness Club of Easton how I'm tightening up my body. I may not be able to tighten up all my flabby loose skin, but at least it is lessening.

So, kuddos to me. I am finally feeling very proud of ME, again.

October 10, 2010

Happy Birthday, Timothy!

Here is Timmy at Easter decorating the eggs with his siblings. Today he is five years old. Wow, they sure grow up fast.

October 8, 2010

Think of Starting a Diet, $2.00 is All You Need

Back in my Weight Watchers days we had to keep a journal to keep track of what we are putting in our mouths and let me tell you, it works. I did experiments with my eating habits with writing it down to not writing it down and trying to remember because I forgot to write it down. So, I know full well, that a journal is wonderful in getting the weight to come off much faster than you can believe.

So, when I start to fall off track of my new eating regimen I will go back to journaling.

October 5, 2010

What Exercise To Choose To Burn More Calories

My friend from church and I have been biking together this summer, when I'm not baby-sitting. I have noticed that I am losing more inches than weight, because I have too much loose skin from me having weighloss surgery, that it is weighing me down. So, the scale still reads the same in weight, but I can see the difference in my clothes. Last summer, my friend, Cyndee, and I went biking a lot, instead of going to the gym we belong to. I really enjoy riding my bike. I really think that was my favorite toy as a kid. I would ride my bike all over Palmer Township. I like that more than walking.

Going to the gym has really helped me with toning up all this loose skin and without the help of my friend, Cyndee, I wouldn't be where I am with my success. Cyndee and I have very busy lives of lately, so I made the decision that when her and I can't go together, I push myself to go. Afterwards, I feel so good about going. I know I can do this. This is the gym we belong to http://www.eastonfitnessclub.com/

I like to thank, Cyndee, for all her help and love for me to get healthy again.

Dare to change your life here is a wonderful website, http://www.livestrong.com/

October 2, 2010

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

Got this from my sister-in-law, Jan, what a cute video. I hope you all enjoy.

Click on the title to see the video.