Back to Basics

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Ah... such a lovely weekend!

Yesterday, the ladies in my family made the journey to bless our relative who is expecting her first baby in March! Great times but I can't share them with you because I forgot my camera. (Gasp!)

Then today I went to my sister's house to enjoy Afternoon Tea - Manor House style! We watched several episodes of the PBS production and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. If you have never seen it, go to the PBS.org website to read about the 2001 production or Netflix even has several episodes you can rent. But again I can't share that with you either because...

(wait for it)...

I forgot my camera AGAIN! That's two days in a row! I need to go lay down with a cold compress on my forehead.

Okay, now to what this post is REALLY about... Back to Basics!

On the way home I stopped at the store to get a few items for the week and when I got to the bread isle, I walked up and down the isle, then up and down again and again and again.

Why?

Because I could not find a loaf of bread for less than $4.75 a loaf! Ridiculous and I refused to pay it! I'm not in poverty but it dismays me to see those who are struggling financially to see those prices and have to make choices in their groceries. So I came home and made home-made bread in my bread machine. Basic ingredients come together to make a loaf that will taste better than what was on the shelf anyway!

What at the grocery store has made you shake your head and walk away?

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Whew, what a week! Recap for week 1 of Breaking Free

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Whew, what a week this has been ~ My Girl is nearly done with her 2 month long nation research notebook and that means I am too! Hence, what she needs researched, I end up doing and condensing it in a format for her to study and put in her project. (My kids don't have open access to our computer) Why do they give projects like this to a 10 year old? I never studied like that when I was her age. The flip side... if she was in public school, she probably wouldn't learn about it until she was 17 ~ too late to be interested in world history. I wonder if homeschool children have similar curriculum? Hmmm, moving on...

~ Crazy busy at work! Every December I take my longest vacation of the year but I dearly pay for it when I return as it really sets the stage for back-log! And it keeps growing! I'm NOT complaining as I wouldn't trade my holiday break for nothing but I'm ready to be caught up again. ha ha

For my Breaking Free Ladies & Followers... let's recap our first week!

Yahoo to 39 women coming to class! I'm so proud of you all! No one wants to stay in the pit by themselves, so continue to bring your friends because if they aren't learning what you are learning... the idea of breaking free from the bondage of our stuff... they are likely to tune you out because they may feel judgement coming on. Isn't it true we often band together with our garbage so that they can't judge us because we're doing it together? If ya just cringed at that, please consider joining us!

I am so proud of you all for doing your homework and finishing the first week! For so many years I just read my bible. In fact it was kind of boring how it repeated itself so often. It wasn't until a bible study that I learned to STUDY & ENJOY my bible. HUGE difference! Now I understand WHY different books (Luke, John, Matthew, etc) have similar verses (the repeating) and all the discoveries I continue to learn about, still fall fresh on me. My favorite thing is to flip a page and see where I have penciled in something and I remember exactly when I learned about that!

This week through our homework we learned about four kings and how unbelief, pride, idolatry, prayerlessness and legalism affected their rein.

The biggest impact for me was the day on Pride. The scriptures warn us about the temptation of pride when we meet with success. As young girls, we get that first feeling of success when we please our parents, get awards from schools or even when we got attention from a boy. 20 years later, we grow up and as women, we often define our own success through our relationships, our career and by what we own.

I could relate to that because Pride (to me) is when I put myself up on the pedestal (or any high place really) so everyone can see me with my princess crown on. With that attitude though, I'm gonna get knocked right off there AND OFTEN I DO, that's why it's relatable to me. And it isn't that I don't often give God the credit for getting me up there, it's just that I think I can stay up there on my own. Hence why I need my crown knocked off yet again! Can you relate?

Today we start a new week of study. Wow, Beth was on FI-YAH last night in her session! Can you see why this is her life message? I want some of that! I want that passion!

Remember go at your own pace, it's okay to fall behind - JUST DON'T QUIT! I've got to be creative with my study time this week too ~ Baby Shower on Saturday and Tea Par-Tay on Sunday. Let's go!

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It's finally here! REVISED & UPDATED

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Please scroll down to see my updated message.

Yeah, it's finally here!

Breaking Free - Updated Edition!

For the past 2 months, I've been preparing to lead my church's Women's Bible Study evening class and all the promotion and research has paid off! Nearly 40 women are coming to the evening class, while another 20 will attend the morning class! Yahoo! Each week I would check the sign up board watching the names being added and my excitement would build! It's been awhile since I've led that large of a group, so I was a little rusty that first night remembering everything to say but after the class was over, I felt a rush of thankfulness that I get to be a part of this. And of course, that the first session is over. ha ha

Thankfully, Beth teaches the material, I just facilitate it for our ladies. It's all on DVD's and then each of the women has her own workbook to write in. It looks like this below. As a whole, it's a couple hundred dollars but when 60 + women sign up, it quickly pays for itself.

If you've ever heard Beth Moore teach, you've probably heard her say that Breaking Free is her life message. And this is the Updated Edition study (10 years later) where Beth returns to the original Baptist church in New Orleans where it was first taped and she also shares letters of testimonies from women who have broken free of strongholds in their lives. And the first session was not a disappointment! My favorite quote from the night.... "What your holding on to isn't worth keeping." Isn't that soooooo relatable? Often we are afraid of what will happen if we let our "thing/issue/sin" go, yet it's the very thing that is holding us back to living in freedom.

So for the next 11 weeks, I'll be posting highlights and different things from this study for the ladies who miss a week so they can catch up with it and me here.

UPDATED MESSAGE FROM JANEEN TO ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS!

To see a free sample video of what this DVD video teaching looks like, click on the link below

http://www.emedialink.com/video/8410/Breaking-Free-Updated-Promo

You can even order a workbook for $14.95 and do it at your own pace,

even download some video sessions for $4.99 each,

or order the AUDIO CD's for $39.95 to listen to all the teachings....

OR simply call around to churches in your area and find out what bible studies the Womens Ministry's are doing, you might be pleasantly surprised to find one right in your own community since this particular study just came out and due to Beth Moore's popularity, her studies are often used.

You DON'T have to watch the DVD's to complete the workbook part but watching them does greatly enhance the experience to hear Beth teach it. Normally when we watch the DVD, there is a small fill-in-the-blank section but again it is not necessary to have.

I would be more than happy to join you on your journey with encouragement and share in discussing it with you. It's like I told the ladies in my class, work at your own pace and it's okay to fall behind in your workbook BUT DON'T QUIT! There's nothing more the Enemy would lurve to see you do and that's quit. And Girlfriend ~ trust me, when your working towards freedom, the Enemy is going to bring it on! Remember anytime your feeling like your doubting yourself in this or ANY BIBLE STUDY, those thoughts and words come from a liar and thief - the Enemy himself ~ so tell him to knock it off! God doesn't talk that way!

TO MY LADIES ~

Lord prepare our hearts for freedom from captivity as we walk through our homework each week through the pages of scripture. Release us from captivity, bind our broken hearts and open our eyes to see that what we are holding on to isn't worth keeping. AMEN!

TO MY BLOGGY FRIENDS ~

Did any of you ever do the original Breaking Free bible study?

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Sunshine before the Rain

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It's been an exciting week here! My Girl lost 2 teeth just days apart from each other (you can see the gap on left there) and I got to go along on a field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

Our first stop was to one of the discovery labs! I was excited myself because I've always wondered what was behind those "Personnel Only" doors. ha ha

Because I was a Chaperone, I was put to work manning the Hermit Crab station.

After our lab time, we were free to roam in our groups. We immediately headed for the Outer Bay Exhibit - my favorite are the Jelly Fish!

Do you see what I see?

Kissing the Penguins!

Do you see the Sea Horse on the corral?

It's on the right side, covering the words on my Girls shirt.

This is mission control for kids!

There are 4 different mini-movies that are interactive as well. The kids were mapping the ocean floor on this one.

We had such great weather too!

Luckily our field trip fell between two storm systems that week.

Splash down!

We made it for the last feeding show of the Kelp Forest, another favorite of mine.

Here we are feeding chunks of squid (I think) to the Sting Rays. In all of our years going to the aquarium, this was the first time we got to participate in feeding them and they gave us a TON of food!

Here's my Girl telling the sting ray, "Nice job!" and was patting it on the head.

Incredible!

I drove my car so when it was time for the school to leave hours earlier, we stayed behind and went through the exhibits again spending more time at our favorites! This is definitely the off-season for Monterey as the streets of Cannery Row were EMPTY! We easily found a restaurant for dinner with a window seat and watched the sunset over bubbly cheesy pizza!

I forgot to take a final picture of that but trust me, it was a beautiful sunset with a great dinner talking and sharing about our fun day in Monterey!

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Football and Afternoon Tea

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Recently, it was C-O-L-D and raining outside ...

 

My Girl... So what were WE going to do today Mom?

Me... Well we could watch football with them?

My Girl... Naaah, I'm bored of that.

Me... Hmmm, well it's lunch time, how about we have Mini Afternoon Tea?

My Girl... We're going out to tea?

Me... No, I'm making it.

My Girl... That's better!

I had recently made another turkey dinner, so I used up the last of it for tea sandwiches and they were scrumptious!

My "Cream" is a mixture of heavy cream, Mascarpone cheese, a little sugar and vanilla extract. Mmmm - Delicious!

Cream Scones

Lemon Curd and Strawberry Jam

Me... Well honey, was this better than football?

My Girl... Absolutely better!

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Heard from the Boys watching football... Are there any leftovers?

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B-I-N-G-O!

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B - 4! BINGO!

On New Year's Eve, our small group from church got together to ring in the new year with games, GREAT food and prayer!

I brought our Bingo game for the kids to play with, but it turned out to be a big hit for the adults instead. I think it's the ball cage!

The cage is like a magnet for the guys who like gadgets!

Our first winner! Yea! We even did prizes!

I even won a round during the 2-card tournament!

Look at MY prize! A beautiful set of earrings and matching pendant!

Our host also had a few Wii Games and bowling was the most popular. Here's my boy cheering for his victory win!

This was my first time playing a Wii system as well and I won a few games of bowling too ~ only on a Wii will that ever happen again! ha ha ha

I am coveting this kitchen! That BIG island in the middle and

seriously, look at all those cabinets and storage space. Sigh...

Here's what two sleep deprived children look like after midnight! ha ha

Here's what a growing little kitty looks like sleeping after playing with a box lid. ha ha

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Winter Cravings

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Why is it when it's cold, raining and just as winter as could be outside,

I crave an Ice Cream Sundae!

What are you craving?

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Happy New Year and Humor too!

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Happy New Year 2010!

Got on the scale today to see where my starting number is and remembered reading a blog about Jane Mansfield. She had 5 children before her early death and well... this pic says it all! She knew how to keep her body in shape!

~*~ And now for a little humor ~*~

'Twas the week after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste,
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.

I said to myself, as I only can,
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
'Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick,
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot,
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

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