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A part of marriage is learning to deal with each others' problems and being an encouragement along the way, sparking new growth. Abi has been there for me in this respect in tremendous ways. Her patience is amazing, and I love her all the more for it.

This past weekend is a prime example. For reasons I don't even know, I was in a terrible funk Saturday and Sunday. Saturday didn't start out that way, but by the time we got to Target to do our grocery shopping, it was settling in. We were going to the movies with friends of ours afterward, and I wasn't sure I wanted to when we left the store. We met them at the theater anyway, and ended up having to wait an hour because the show we were going to see was sold out. During that time, the four of us had some fun conversation, and my mood was much improved.

Sunday, though, I woke up in a foul mood and I couldn't seem to shake it. We skipped church because I knew it would have been hypocritical for me to sing praises to God while in such an awful state of mind, even though I realized that going there might have helped lift the mood. I probably won't know if I made the right call or not on that point. I ended up taking a long nap and woke up feeling somewhat better, but it didn't last long. Abi very patiently came to me after I sat for a while by myself, trying to figure out what was wrong, which was frustrating for me, and must have been for her, because I couldn't even explain what was the matter. As she sat by me, she must have been praying her heart out because eventually the mood broke. We prayed together, then, and I've been feeling good ever since.

I'm sure at least some of my problem was spiritual in nature, an effort to keep me from doing what God has brought me to Des Moines to do. Spending time in Scripture and prayer are the two weapons I am trying to rely on to keep my mind focused where it should be in order to serve Him and love my wife the way I should.

God is so good!

Book review: The Money Saving Mom's Budget

When I was given an opportunity to review a free copy of Crystal Paine's new book, The Money Saving Mom's Budget, I quickly accepted. I've known Crystal as a personal friend since we both were teenagers, and can vouch for the fact that she truly does practice what she preaches about frugal, simple living. I've been following her blog for years, and was eager to see what her book is like.

I definitely wasn't disappointed! The solid financial and lifestyle principles set forth in Crystal's blog posts are carried over into the book, but it is much more than a lazy re-hashing of blog posts! She managed to find a lot of great new ideas to include, and everything is laid out in a organized, logical way. Appendixes and worksheets are included - and to my delight the audio version doesn't have to miss out on these (a PDF of the files is included).

One point that really stood out to me is Crystal's assertion that a cluttered, disorganized life will also struggle financially. I have found this to be so true in my own life, and in observing others! Taking even a little time to remain at least moderately organized, and fighting against the clutter takeover, can go a LONG way in saving money. If I can find items I already own (and they aren't ruined from being thrown around in a pile of junk), I don't have to go out and buy duplicates. If I keep track of when bills are due and when library books or rental movies need to be returned, I won't have to pay out extra in late fees. If I know what food I have in my pantry and fridge and use it (including leftovers) before it spoils, my grocery budget can be much lower. And the list goes on!

The Money Saving Mom's Budget is full of simple, practical wisdom just like this. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, including young people who aren't living on their own yet. These principles of financial and lifestyle responsibility are something we all need to learn and implement into our lives!

More info about the book:

Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels

With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can:

• Achieve a complete financial makeover
• Set up a realistic budget
• Never pay retail
• Slash your grocery bill
• Organize your time & your home
• Use coupons wisely
• Pay with cash only
• Live simply
• Become debt free
• Choose contentment
• Make every dollar count

About Crystal Paine:

Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years—and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend, and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations. MoneySavingMom.com

Info about an online event Crystal is doing tomorrow:

Celebrate with Crystal by entering her iPad2 Giveaway (a GREAT tool to keep track of your budget!) and RSVPing to the Live Webcast Event on 4/5!

One savvy winner will receive:

• A Brand new iPad2
• The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine, audio edition

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 4/4/12. Winner will be announced at The Money Saving Mom's Live Webcast Event on 4/5. Crystal will be hosting an evening of chat, laughter and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll share tips and advice and her husband will be joining her to share how the
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Blog Post:principles Crystal outlines in her book have dramatically impacted their family life. She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and much more!


So grab your copy of The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget and join Crystal and friends on the evening of April 5th for an evening of fun of learning, sharing and encouragement.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!

Want more info about the MSM?

Click here!

Book Review: Every Woman's Battle

EVERY WOMAN'S BATTLE
"Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment"
By Shannon Ethridge

I picked up this book thinking it would have little application in my life. This area is not one in which I have struggled all that much - not that I am stronger than others, but I've been blessed with an extra-sheltered upbringing. However, I was surprised at how much really hit home for me, and I found many helpful reminders and warnings within the pages. The author states clearly that "naivete is not a virtue" - yet she deals with the subject in a way that is both discrete and straightforward, always practical and hitting home.

Using stories from her own life as well as testimonies from other women, Ethridge does a masterful job accurately outlining the areas where women tend to struggle with their sexuality and purity. Clearly stating it's "not just a man's battle," she goes on to debunk "seven myths that intensify our struggle" and then calls us to "design a new defense" in the areas of our thoughts, emotions, words, and boundaries. Solid, Biblical truths are coupled with practical applications, and I found myself challenged to be aware of my own areas of vulnerability, taking God-honoring steps to remain pure and not allow the enemy any foothold in my life.

Also included in the edition I read is a lengthy "workbook" in the back, making this book a perfect companion for personal reflection as well as group studies. I would highly recommend it to any woman, married or single, and it would also be appropriate for teenagers to read along with a parent or mentor.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange this honest review.

Capturing memories in a digital age

One of the drawbacks of homeschooling is that I don't have any highschool "yearbook" to commemorate those years. Yes, we do have some pictures, and I have my journals...but I wasn't into scrapbooking then and I know many memories and events from that time have been lost. My mom did a good job keeping her photo prints in sequential albums, but she didn't do any scrapbooking or journalling.

This is one reason I'm really excited about the yearbook photo books that Shutterfly is offering now. They look like a perfect alternative to scrapbooking, especially for busy families with lots of children, plenty of pictures, and no time to actually put photo pages together the old-fashioned way. These yearbooks would also be perfect for commemorating any other close-knit group - like a homeschool club, a church class, or an extended family reunion. Apparently they offer books for as little as $5 each, though I'm not sure how many you have to order to get this pricing.

From simple to elaborate, colorful to simple, there's a huge variety of design templates to choose from. With so much already done for you, no one is able to use the excuse that "I'm just not creative". ;) Just look at all these options: http://www.shutterfly.com/yearbook . Another advantage is that your book design is stored permanently on Shutterfly's site - so if your printed copy ever gets damaged it'll be easy to order a replacement.

Prices are reasonable, too, especially when you consider the time and expense that would be involved in a regular scrapbook or even in just an ordinary, plain photo album. Even though I thoroughly enjoy scrapbooking, I'm planning on out trying a photo book this year. I don't have time for scrapbooking these days, yet I want to get the memories recorded before they are all lost.

Check out the options here, and also follow Shutterfly on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. They have some really great deals from time to time, and new customers also get 50 FREE prints with your first order. Quality is great IMO - better than most cheap/free prints I've received elsewhere. We actually got most of our wedding pictures printed through Shutterfly and have been very happy with the quality.

Full disclosure: Shutterfly offered to give me a free photo book in exchange for posting about their new yearbooks. But I assure you that my opinions are honest and I really am excited about trying it out. :D

The Adventures of Joe and Abi: How Joe became a vegetarian

One of the things Joe and I enjoyed doing together during our long-distance courtship was playing Scrabble on Facebook - it's so much fun that we still play frequently that way, more often than playing a "real" game of Scrabble.

We both enjoy reading, writing, and word games...so it was a natural progression for us to combine all these things in our Scrabble games. We decided to write a story along with the Scrabble game: every word we played had to be worked into the story somehow, as we went along. The resulting stories have often been both goofy and downright hilarious. :D An obvious side benefit is that we have to look up the meaning of each word and use it properly - so we're learning lots of fun new words also (another thing we both enjoy).

I've saved the text from these stories, calling them "The Adventures of Joe and Abi." Would you like a peek at a chapter? :) The words in CAPS are the words played in the game.

The Adventures of Joe and Abi: How Joe Became a Vegetarian

One day Joe was feeling oddly hungry and decided to grill himself a nice piece of BEEF.

Unfortunately there was no beef to be found in his fridge, so he went out and bought some BICORN instead.

"No bicorns were HARMED in the making of this steak," Joe read from the label. He raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

He decided he'd better HURL the steak as far from himself as possible for the packaging's shameful lies.

Joe stepped out his door and, with a loud BELLOW, let the bicorn steak fly with a fast overhand throw to the east.

"I wonder if I can join that CLIQUE of meat connoisseurs that Abi belongs to?" he thought to himself.

"Or, maybe if I can't join, I can snag her LOGINS to the CLIQUE'S website and see what they say about bicorn steaks."

"Until then, perhaps I can be content with some GUAVA."

Grabbing his bottle of guava and a bag of GRATED cheese to munch on, Joe sat down at the computer to see if he could catch Abi on chat and convince her to tell him the passwords to the meat clique website.

While he waited for Abi to sign on, he decided to look for a sale on TOWELS.

Quickly becoming bored, Joe's eyes became heavy and he spent the next hour in a DOZE at his desk.

While sleeping, he dreamed of several CANTOS that he might use to win Abi's affection (as well as access to her logins).

Unfortunately his dreams then turned to scenes of being trapped in a ZEK, and he jolted awake with a groan.

He went to find some coffee, which always PACIFIED his waking fears.

"Why can't I ever find a clean mug when I need one?" Joe GRIPEd.

Suddenly it clicked in his mind. "I must be paying for all those times I skipped out on PE."

"Oy, GUV," he said to the butler. "Would you mind pouring me a cup o' coffee?"

"ER..." the butler hesitated. "I thought you were an EX-coffee drinker? Something about it having too much XI baryon and all that...?"

"Of course, that's IT," Joe agreed. He looked out the window. "Hey, look, that chicken is OVIPOSITing!"

Realizing he was getting distracted, Joe went back to the computer, turned it ON, and signed IN to see if NAN (his new nickname for Abi) was on yet. "Just so I don't end up chatting with her PA again..." Joe murmured.

Nan popped onto the video instant messaging program and was, for some strange reason, wearing a JIJAB.

"Oh, JO," she said sweetly, her voice muffled under the fabric of her headdress. "See this lovely URN I just painted?"

"It looks like an ordinary JAR with bruises," Joe thought to himself. This was not what he wanted to talk to Nan about.

"Do you know how to DARN socks?" he asked, hoping to ease into getting her logins.

"Oh, yes," she answered impatiently. "EM taught me how years ago. But I want you to look at the beautiful MATT finish on my urn. It was very difficult to get it just right."

"Wow, that's BEEFY!" Joe exclaimed, using the current slang of the youth.

Glad that she finally had Joe's ATT., Abi continued to talk about her urn and her hijab, and all her latest projects. Joe eventually gave up on the idea of trying to get her logins, and decided to become a vegetarian. And they both lived happily ever after.

The End.

Want to read more of Joe and Abi's adventures? Leave a comment and tell us if you think painted urns look like jars with bruises. And if you've ever dreamed of being trapped in a zek, we want to hear about it!

Decidedly Indecisive

One of the things Joe and I have had to learn about each other, especially since getting married, is that we both have very different approaches to decision-making. Joe can usually make up his mind pretty quickly, unless it's a situation where he doesn't really care one way or another (quite frequent). I, on the other hand, prefer to check out the options at least a bit, to be sure I am making a choice I will be completely happy with - and in the end I do usually have a pretty distinct preference. Thankfully this hasn't been a real source of conflict, but we've both definitely had a chance to learn patience with each other. :)

The funny thing is, before I got married I thought I was decisive and able to make up my mind quickly. Ha! I'm realizing now that I was comparing myself to my family and...well, let's just say that they tend to take a while to decide on pretty much anything. ;) Guess that's what happens when two second-borns get married, hehe. Growing up in that environment definitely taught a lot of patience to this naturally go-to, decisive firstborn - God knew I needed it to become more balanced. :)

This familial indecisiveness has resulted in some hilarious experiences over the years, as I recorded in a journal entry from 2004 (a few of you may remember seeing this on LJ back then). Names have been changed to protect the innocent. ;)

Scene: A vanful of 10 people, three generations. Characters are tired from a 4-day trade show; most have head colds in various stages. Time is 7:00 p.m. on a dark winter evening.

The trailer is finally packed with booth remnants and characters load into the van. Amid noisy protests from Tired People, Hungry People cautiously bring up the idea of getting something to eat before heading home. Head Of The Family is favorable to the idea, especially when a sub sandwich coupon is found. Hungry People's hopes rise.

Driver finds Subway in the maze of the unknown city and parks vehicle. An observant Tired Person points out that the coupon in hand is not actually for Subway. Head Of The Family suddenly remembers that "gobs and gobs" of crackers and granola bars are already somewhere in the van, and suggests that Hungry People eat them.

Hungry People want something besides crackers and granola bars, but resign themselves to such if that is what the Head Of The Family wants. They don't have to have more food. They will survive.

Head Of The Family reconsiders, saying that maybe Subway will accept the coupon anyway and asks who will go in and find out. Finally two Hungry People and one impatient Tired Person go in to Subway with the Head Of The Family. After ten minutes of reading the shockingly high priced menu, they come back out and announce that Subway does not accept the coupon. Hungry people sigh and resign themselves to starvation.

Confused Driver starts van and heads for the highway. Head Of The Family sees a grocery store and tells Confused Driver to stop. Do the Hungry People want to see if the deli has something reasonably priced? Do the Hungry People want to buy bread to make sandwiches? No, even crackers and granola bars sound better than deli food. Tired People's hopes rise.

Confused Driver again turns van towards the highway. Head Of The Family sees a pizza shop and realizes he has a coupon for it. Do the Hungry People want pizza? One Very Hungry Person replies with a definite affirmative. Head Of The Family tells Confused Driver to stop, but it is too late. They must go all the way to the end of the busy block and turn the awkward rig around in a small parking lot.

Finally back at the pizza shop, Head Of The Family goes in and orders a pizza. The next ten minutes are spent deciding if the Hungry People, the Tired People, or the Head Of The Family should pay for the pizza. The Tired People end up paying for it, even though they have no plans to eat any themselves. Hungry People feel bad for bringing up the idea of food in the first place.

Head Of The Family goes in and fetches the solitary pizza. It smells good, but the crust is literally cracker-thin, the cheese is sparse and runny, and the hamburger is represented by distantly-spaced lumps. Even the Hungry People vehemently agree that it wasn't worth $10.

Confused Driver quickly consumes a flimsy piece of pizza and then finally turns the van homeward, much to the relief of Tired People and Hungry People alike.

...and now you all know why we usually end up taking all our own food with us on trips. ;)

So, tell me: are you decisive? Do you think it has anything to do with birth order or upbringing, or just the way God made our personalities all a bit different?