Friday Rewind!

• This week I fell in love with these craft rooms and they have given me motivation and inspiration to get my office/craft room painted and decorated!

Sweetheart Moments

Blog.craftzine.com

Heather Bailey

Pinkcakeplate.com

All Sorts

Deckthehalls-christmas.blogspot.com

• Found this cute website, Pretty Little Studio, to purchase vintage A,B,C flash-cards for children! I love these! 
• Got some ideas for how to decorate my baker's rack! 
• Signed-up and am so excited to attend the Hope For The World Conference Friday evening and Saturday morning! 
• Thought I Can Teach My Child's thematic unit on the days of creation was super cute and can't wait to try it out one day!
• Watched the movie Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith and was surprised with how great it was! 
• Was so stoked to find out that these guys have a store now!

 I'll leave you all with one of my favorite songs by 

Family Force 5!

Have a fabulous Friday!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

This is my first time linking up to Little Daisy May's What I'm Loving Wednesday and let me just say I am loving Wednesday!

Here's what I'm loving on this beautiful Wednesday...

I'm loving my new craft table! My hubby has known for sometime that I've been wanting a craft table, not just so I can scrapbook, sew, and craft on but to use for Bible studies as well. On Monday, after going out to dinner, Ray surprised me by taking me out to Lowe's to pick out a brand new table & chair! I love him! 

I'm loving this fabric I bought to make some summertime dresses! 

I'm loving these dresses:

Tasteful in Turmeric Dress

If You Pleats Dress

Teal Infinity and Beyond Dress

I'm loving my new nephew! While I still haven't met him yet, I can't get over all the cute pictures of him and sweet videos of him sleeping. He's so precious and I love him!  

I'm loving my niece Kaitlyn! I babysat her this morning and early afternoon, and we had a wonderful time. We played, sang songs, and went on a little walk. I love spending time with her and I can't get over how big and smart she's getting!

I'm loving my husband! He is such an amazing man and I'm so blessed to be his wife.

I'm loving God's never-ending, gracious, and all-consuming love for His children.

Link up and join the fun!

Top 2 Tuesday...Things I've Learned from My Parents & Grandparents!

Today I'm linking up with The Undomestic Momma's Top 2 Tuesday. The topic for this Tuesday is to list two things you've learned from your parents and grandparents.

What I've Learned...

May 30, 2008

1. From my parents, I've learned that all things are possible through Christ and to trust God with every facet in life, no matter how big or small it may be.  
2. From my grandparents, I've learned that marriage is one of the most special relationships shared between a man and a woman on earth. Marriage is not easy, but takes work. It's not always 50-50, sometimes the spouse may have to put in 100%. Marriage is not about the self, but serving, meeting the needs of, and loving the other person unconditionally. When I look at my grandma, I see someone with a servant's heart, faithfulness, and love for her husband. My grandpa has always been pretty stubborn, but my grandma always stood by him and loved him. She was there caring for him through his constant battle with cancer, surgeries, and lots and lots of chemo and radiation treatment. She was definitely there to be his support, when he couldn't. Now that my grandma has Alzheimer's, the tables have shifted a bit. My grandma can no longer care for herself nor for anyone else and grandpa now has to be her support. My grandparent's have been married for about 65 years and I admire their marriage and commitment to each other. 

Grandpa & Grandma Anderson Summer 2004

January Reading List Complete!

Last month I started a 2011 reading list month-by-month to help me schedule time for reading books that I've been wanting to read for awhile. I have so many books that I haven't read yet that are on my Goodreads account, but it seems like I never have time to read any of them. I think having a reading list for the whole year will help me stay on top of my reading. I decided to read two books a month - I think that's a fair amount of reading to accomplish in a month. With that said, I completed January's Reading List for this year!

January

Source

The first book on my reading list for January was "Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You" by John MacArthur. This book by far is one of the best books and studies that I've read - pretty much everything I've read by John MacArthur I've loved. In this study, we look at twelve different women from the Bible: Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, Mary mother of Jesus, Anna, The Samaritan Woman, Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia. Everything that made these women extraordinary was a result of what God did in their lives. God was the center of their lives, faith, strength, and heart. Their faith and hopes were Christ-centered and as Christians, our faith and hopes should be centered on Christ and Christ alone. These women also shared special feminine virtues and spiritual characteristics (humility, devotion, love, unwavering faith, motherhood, etc...) that also made these women admirable. Ultimately, God took these imperfect vessels, conformed them to His image, and used them for His glory. That is the overarching theme of this book. God is truly The Extraordinary One!

Source

The second book on my reading list for January was "Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer" by J. Oswald Sanders. I had started this book back in the spring of 2010, but once my student teaching began I never finished it. Sanders uses leaders from the Bible Paul and Peter as models to guide the reader in the development of becoming a leader. This book covers important qualities of leadership, responsibilities of leadership, and making/sending off disciples. I recommend this book for every leader in the church. This book helps the Christian reader to focus on what it truly means to be a leader and the importance and responsibility it holds.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." ~2 Corinthians 4:7~

" And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 

~ 2 Corinthians 3:18~

February Reading List

• The Book on Leadership by John MacArthur
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

What books have you been reading lately?

Friday Rewind! And Then Some...

Hey everyone, sorry I've been M.I.A for a looooong time! With Super Bowl parties, Valentine's Day - and all the planning involved, and events at church I've just been pretty busy these past few weeks. So for this week's Friday Rewind, not only will I be sharing with you all what I've been up to this week, but I will also share what I've been up to prior to that. 

* Found these two websites: A Beka Book and My Father's World and decided that when I have children I will use these websites' curriculum for my homeschooling program.

*Re-visited the HSLDA website...it has been a long time! This site is great for homeschooling support and to research the homeschooling critieria in your state.

*I started following ABC...123, Confessions of a Homeschooler, Totally Tots, and The Homeschool Chick blogs! They have great lessons plans, curriculum, and tips for other fellow homeschoolers! 

*Fell in love with this blog...again!

*Did some research of my own on Prenatal Vitamins

*Made garlic bread, pear and blue cheese salad, pasta with spring herbs, and chicken for Valentine's Day! The garlic bread was the best recipe I've found thus far and the quickest! The recipe for cooking chicken is also a great resource to always have in your recipe box! 

*For dessert I made chocolate covered strawberries and this simple dessert! Quick tip on chocolate covered strawberries...don't use baker's chocolate! Here's a picture! 

*Found this website for tips on how to select dry white wines for cooking. 

*I'm so pumped for ALIVE, a UNLV student outreach conducted by Calvary Chapel Spring Valley and their senior high youth group! Campus Pregnancy Resources will be tabling all three days! Woo hoo! If you're going to be at UNLV February 28-March 2 or know someone who will be, check this event out!

*I'm thinking about subscribing to Proverbs 31 Ministries Magazine

*Made these cupcakes for a Super Bowl party

*Started reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

*Now I know I'm already married, but that doesn't mean I have to stop looking at gowns...right? I came across BHLDN and love their wedding gowns! 

What have you been up to this week? 

Friday Rewind!

This week I...

*Read this awesome post at Frontier Kitchen on how to get the best deals using coupon doubling!

*Added these three websites to my "favorites" to help me plan my meals and save money! Springs Bargains, $5 Dinners, and becentsable. 

*Found these cute football cupcakes to make for The Super Bowl! 

*Watched this webcast, exposing Planned Parenthood.

*Contacted my congress representative to urge him to end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood here. And you should too!

*Read this letter to President Obama from the members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus. 

*Saw these Valentine's Day cookies and decided to make some for my hubby on the 14th!

*Read this article, and my heart broke for all the 8 lives lost, as well as the 50 million lost since Roe v. Wade. 

*Have been praying and thinking about going on a mission trip to Zambia this summer. Please pray for me in this area these next few weeks and months. I've been wanting to go on another mission trip for awhile, and this one to Zambia sounds awesome. Teachers are needed to go to teach, train, and equip to-be teachers/teachers in that area. However, I'm still not sure if I should go yet. It could just be nerves, because I've never been overseas before and just what's been going on in Egypt this past week and surrounding countries makes me a little uneasy. So, please pray for me. My best friend Brittney is also considering going, so please keep both of us in your prayers. Thanks so much!

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day!

It's beginning to look a lot like Valentine's Day over here at the Morgan household! 

{Valentine's Day Decor on my shelf}

{Valentine's Day Arrangement in kitchen}

*DIY Valentine's Day Mailbox*

I wanted to do something fun this year for my husband for Valentine's Day. Every year for Christmas I do the 12 Days of Christmas, giving my husband a little gift, love note, etc., each day for 12 days leading up to Christmas. So I thought, why not try this same idea for Valentine's Day? For 14 days this month, I will be giving my husband love notes, love coupons, and candy each day leading up to Valentine's Day.

I found mini-mailboxes in the $1 section at Target and decided that I would decorate it and have this be where Ray will find his love notes and treats each day. Ray's mailbox turned out so cute and was so easy to decorate. I used stickers (that I also found in the $1 bin), extra tissue paper, and ribbon that I had at home. 

{Side view of mailbox}

{I used stickers and ribbon to decorate.}

{Front view of mailbox}

Here are a few steps to create your own mailbox! 

1. Once you've selected your piece of paper, measure the length of 12x4 inches and cut out. This will be used to cover the entire mailbox.
2. Pop off the lid on the mailbox and trace the inside and outside of the lid onto the paper of your choice.
3. Modpodge the mailbox and lid and place your paper accordingly. Make sure to smooth out the paper to prevent air bubbles.
4. Modpodge the top of the paper as well so you get a glossy look.
5. Let dry and then decorate! 

This project is so easy and affordable! This is also a great idea to do with children if you kids of your own! 

What do you think? What projects have you been doing lately?