The Big Ten ~1 and 2~

Last week I started a short series on the Ten Commandments. I'll be covering a few of them each week. This week are numbers 1 and 2.

#1 There is one God
We worship one God. God made our world and each one of us. He wants us to know He loves us and He will always be with us. There's really not a whole lot to say on this one...ONE GOD, that's all you need to remember.

#2 No false idols
Should we worship more than one God? No, two is too many, one of them must be an idol because there is only ONE GOD. It's ok if you have a cross, that's a reminder. It's a symbol. It's NOT ok if you worship that cross.

I'm gonna show my age here a little and let you know that back in the day, I was a huge Hulk Hogan fan. (You can't see it, but I'm flexing my ripped muscles right now) I was glued to the TV every Sunday night to watch wrestling...'cause we all know how real it is. I lived and breathed Hulk-o-mania. I was definately a Hulk-o-maniac! I think my obsession was on the side of idol worship. Could the Hulkster help me in my time of need? Could he comfort me, heal me, teach me? (Well, he did teach me how to do some great poses in the mirror, but you know what I mean)

Anything we put more importance on in our life then the Lord, is most likely an idol. It is all too easy to find ourselves busy busy busy going and doing in our everyday life. Are these things keeping us going and doing pushing time with the Lord out of the way? At the end of the day, are you able to look back and know you spent time with HIM? If not, then you may be placing more importance on the 'stuff' of life than you are with God. Remember, there is only ONE GOD, things that get in the way of your relationship with Him may be false idols.

My friend, the author!

I look forward to the mail lady each day. Her arrival in front of my house means there is the chance of excitement when I open my mailbox. Who knows what it might be; a seed catalog, a Boy Scout magazine, the latest from LTD, maybe a letter from a friend or family member far away. The possibilities are endless. I even have a friend who raises chickens and each spring brings a whole lot of chirp chirp chirping to the Post Office as her little chicks arrive.

Yesterday was one such day of excitement. Yesterday, my autographed copy of Earth's End arrived! My dear friend, Kim Curley, is a published author and I am so very happy for her. Kim's story, Faith: An Apocalyptic Story, is one of eight stories in this book.

I'll be honest with you, this type of book would not be something I would normally read. That said, I sat down with my book and a glass of water and started to read Kim's story. Wow! I couldn't put it down! It isn't a real long read, I was able to do it during nap time. The problem I ran into was not wanting to put it down, and at the same time drinking a HUGE glass of water. I thought I was going to tinkle my pants by the time I read the last line. I am anxiously looking forward to reading the other seven stories.




Shameless plug

You can click right here and you will be linked to Earth's End on Amazon. Don't let the picture on the cover fool you, this is a wonderful read.

You might even be able to go to your local library and request a copy.

Frugal Tips

As I searched around the internet this morning, with my cup of fake coffee in hand, I came across some tips on being frugal from wikihow.com.

Use what you already have. Not buying something is always cheaper than buying something. Look around your house. Do you have another item that will accomplish the same purpose? Can you engineer a solution out of materials you already own?

Borrow items from friends and neighbors. In many situations, you do not need to own an item, you simply need to use it occasionally. If you have a reputation as a good borrower (i.e. returning items on time and in good repair), you will be able to borrow many items from your less frugal neighbors and friends. For example, unless you are an avid camper, you will only use a tent a few times a year. Don't buy one, borrow one from the boy scout leader in your Church.

Use public transportation. You will save gasoline and wear on your vehicle. If it is possible, eliminating your vehicle entirely is an excellent cost saving measure. Or, if you live in Podunk like I do, car pool.

Cook your own food. Restaurants are expensive because you pay for service, ambiance, and space to eat. Cooking your own food also allows you to customize recipes for maximum savings. If you have the space, gardening provides even greater cost savings when combined with cooking your own food.

Avoid name brands. Famous brands are usually more expensive. There are often cheaper, store-brand alternatives that may be of the same or superior quality.

Fix broken items. Often repairs are as simple as a paperclip or some glue or a coat of paint. Even if repairs require tools, it may be cheaper to invest in the tools for future repairs.

Replace only what you need to replace. You can buy a kit to refill your ink cartridge instead of buying a new ink cartridge every time yours runs out. You can buy a new wheel instead of replacing your stroller.

Buy items that are reusable. In the long run, throwing something away and repurchasing it many times will usually be more expensive than buying one durable item. A good example is disposable vs. cloth diapers.

Comparison shop. Compare different brands and packaging sizes of the same product. Sometimes a larger container will be cheaper per ounce. Compare prices between stores. Rarely will one supermarket have the best price on everything. With large purchases such as cars, savings can be even more substantial by comparison shopping.

The Big Ten

I will be doing a Wednesday series on The Ten Commandments, or as I like to call them, The Big Ten. I hope you enjoy.

When I was growing up, my folks had tons of rules, and most of them didn't make sense to me.

"Stop and look both ways before crossing the road."
My friends were on the other side having run..like I had time to stop and look BOTH ways. Besides, we live in Podunk, it's not like a lot of cars are on our street.

"Eat everything on your plate."
Even the the carrots? Are you serious??

"Make your bed."
I'm just going to mess it up again.

"Clean your room, don't smoke, be home by curfew..."

At the time, I didn't see a need for their rules other then they were a pain in my rear. Now that I'm older, I see they were there to keep me safe, healthy and learning to be responsible.

Just about anywhere we go in life, there's gonna be rules: home, work, school, even in play. Anyone play basketball? You have rules. Same with soccer, baseball, NASCAR and even Go Fish. I take care of children and we're pretty big into Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. Even my little 3 and 4 year olds understand there are rules.

The Sky is blue, the grass is green and rules exist. It's just a part of life.

What I'm going to tell you about The Big Ten isn't exactly word for word what the bible says. I'm going to tell it a little more simple, but hopefully it will be easier to remember.

The Big Ten

1. There is one God
2. No false idols
3. Watch your words
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor your mom and dad
6. Don't kill
7. Don't commit adultery
8. Don't steal
9. Don't talk about others
10. Don't get the 'gimmies'

Next Wednesday I will start discussing these more in depth with you. I hope you are able to stop by and join me on this journey.

Blue and Gold Banquet

One of the many hats I wear is temporary Cub Master for our local Cub Scouts. I say temporary as I am already Scout Master for the Boy Scouts. I only stepped in to help fill the position and help the Pack out for a few months. While serving as Cub Master, I was given the opportunity to host the Blue and Gold Banquet yesterday...what a great time!

The Pack has some wonderful leaders in place who stepped up and helped get the setting up and decorating done.

Like any good function, it started with a potluck meal...MmmMmmm...I sure love a potluck meal! Somehow, the table I was sitting at went first (golly, I wonder how that happened).

Each Den performed a skit before receiving their awards. Is there anything more cute then nervous little boys talking in front of a crowd of people?

All in all, it was a great day. I think everyone walked away having a good time and encouraged in their Scouting path.

Sparky for Cancer!

I would like to introduce all of you to an incredible young man. Dan Knapp is the kind of man we would all love to have as a son...or son-in-law.

I met Dan many many years ago at Ingersoll Scout Reservation while camping there with my Boy Scouts. He went by Sparky then, and believe me, he lived up to his name! Dan was only 12 (I think) at the time but already serving in a leadership role. I've had the honor of watching him grow up over the years, grow into a caring young man who isn't afraid to step way outside the box. Because of this, he relates well with young people, helping to spread a positive message to them.

You may be wondering why I am singing the praises of Dan today, well, let me tell you. He is once again stepping outside that box to help others. He is raising money for childhood cancer by agreeing to have his head shaved.
Here are a few pictures of Dan (Sparky) and some of his wild hair-do's.

In case you are wondering, no, he isn't some kind of weirdo. Well, not in a bad way anyway.

Dan in unselfishly giving each and every one of us an opportunity to help others. Please click on this link to help children with cancer.

http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/77638/2012

Thank you so much for not only taking the time to read this blog post, but for also helping those who are unable to help themselves.

Busy Pinning

Man oh man oh man! I have discovered the world of Pinterest!

I must admit it did take me a little bit to get the hang of it...actually, I asked a few people who set me on the right path to understanding. Once this happened, I find I can't get enough of it. I was warned this would happen but I didn't listen. Listen to me people, if you are not already on Pinterest, be warned, you WILL get addicted!

Here is my shameless plug to join me http://www.pinterest.com/domesticdebi/pins/

Good Friday

It's Maundy Thursday!

Today is Maundy Thursday. I am looking forward to going to church this evening and taking part in Communion. It's a sacrament I always enjoy, but Maundy Thursday and Easter Communion seem to hold a special place in my heart. Here is the link to my Maundy Thursday post from last year.

Milk and Eggs

Here’s proof that husbands do listen to their wives.

This is a story which is perfectly logical to all males:

A wife asks her husband, "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk, and if they have eggs, get 6".

A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk.
The wife asks him, "Why did you buy 6 cartons of milk?"

He replied, "They had eggs."

**This is an email I received from my dad that made me giggle right out loud!**

April Declutter

I had mentioned earlier about a declutter calendar I have been following. I just can't hardly believe how much I've gotten done just by following it daily.

In case you are interested in starting along, you can click here for April's calendar. Honestly, doing one chore each day will soon have your home almost decluttering itself!

On another note, I must once again hang my head in shame as I admit to homemaker failure. Papa Bear was gone for two weeks and in his absence, my kitchen was spotless! Dishes done after every meal...AND put away. Table kept cleaned off. Floors mopped every day.

And then Papa came home...and the day he came home my counter and table looked like they belonged in a hoarder house! What's up with that? I so wish I was one of those women who keep a spotless home at all times. I would love to not cringe when someone stops by for a visit un-announced. I'd also love to be rich and never have to work again, but I don't see that happening either.

Beginning of Holy Week

Today, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, a most important time for Christians.

This week, I will be linking back to my Holy Week posts from last year. If you were a reader last year, it's always good to have a reminder. If you are a newer reader, I hope you will enjoy.

Palm Sunday

DIY for Spring Gardeners

I was cruising around the internet this morning and found this great idea for watering plants at A journey to a Dream blog.

Not only is it pretty cool, it also practises something I'm a big fan of~~recycling!

Hop on over and take a look.

MmMmMm...yummy banana bread

My kitchen is smelling all kinds of scrumptious this morning. As I sit here and type, there are exactly 34 minutes left on the timer until the yummy banana bread can be taken out of the convection oven. After that, I will force myself to wait the required 5 minutes for the bread to start cooling.

Watch out though, once that time is done, the bread will be sliced and butter slathered on it. I will then sit down with said buttery bread and a nice hot cup of my fake coffee and enjoy a little bit of me time.



*Sigh*

How can 34 minutes move so slow??

Betty Crocker's Banana Bread

1 C. sugar
1/3 C. margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. mashed bananas
1/3 C. water
1 2/3 C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
I do not add nuts but I do add 1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350*. Grease bottom only of loaf pan.
Mix sugar and margarine in 2 1/2 quart bowl.
Stir in eggs until blended.
Add bananas and water (beat 30 seconds)
Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened.
Pour into pan.
Bake 55-60 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes (this is SO hard for me!)
Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing (as you read above, I skip this part).

Fridge Addiction

I think I may have an addiction to cleaning out my fridge. I have it scheduled for Monday morning, and it seems I'm just itching to get in there and do it. Even throughout the week I *have* to keep it organized. Each shelf is designated to certain items. Heaven help the poor soul who puts a condiment on the left over shelf!

What I'm wondering is how I can get this clean/organized fridge addiction to spill over into the rest of my house?

Great Blog Find

As I was doing my morning cruise through Prairie Homemaker, I came across a link to a blog which sounded a bit interesting to me. Much much time later, I finally pulled myself away from it. The Legacy of Home is dedicated primarily to homemaking and the joy of it.

It's so easy to find ourself going through the motions of keeping house only because it needs to be done. I have been guilty more than once of this. This blog is a wonderful reminder to me that I actually do enjoy taking care of my home.

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and go over to The Legacy of Home for a visit.

A long, cool drink

Jesus cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:37-38

Each year the local FFA grows plants and flowers to be sold in the spring. I look forward to the plant sale as soon as it starts getting a bit warmer out. Each year I go way over-board, coming home with my trunk stuffed full of my purchases. Before long, planters are placed around the patio and yard filled with their beautiful flowers. I take the time to water and care for them daily. It brings me joy to simply walk around the yard and look.

Then I get distracted.

Before long, my beautiful flowers are dry and droopy. I run for the hose to provide them with a much needed long drink, hoping they will be able to revive.

We need the water of God's Word as much as my flowers need the water of my hose. When I get distracted by life and neglect my time in prayer and with my Bible, I get dry and droopy. The great thing is, by believing in Christ, I can tap into an endless supply of life giving water. When I stay in the Word, I feel stronger, able to survive the day.

My question to you: Have you turned to Christ lately for a cool drink of the water of life?

Wanna Comment?

It has come to my attention there are some of you dear readers who would like to leave comments on Bear Necessities, you just don't know how. Well, we can fix that right now, it really is an easy thing to do. In fact, I explain how to do it in any earlier post right here.

As a blogger, it is always nice to hear some feedback...it lets me know I'm not here just talking to myself! LOL

Beer Bread

When Little Bear was just a cub, he loved my beer bread. Of course, we called it 'dense bread' as I didn't want him running around saying he got to have beer. In the summer, we would make a tray up with sliced cheese, deer salami, fresh fruit and veggies and slices of dense bread w/butter. This was a regular summer supper for us.

The bread itself is very simple to make. It takes a couple of minutes to make and an hour to cook...presto!

Beer bread

3 C. self rising flour**
3 T. sugar
1 12oz. can of beer @ room temperature

Mix all ingredients. Put into greased loaf pan. With wet fingers, smooth out top.

Pre-heat oven (very important) to 325*. Bake 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly then remove from pan.

**Self rising flour**
1 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk together well. Be sure to adjust for 3 cups needed in recipe

Sprite or 7UP can be used instead of the beer, it just isn't quite as good in my opinion.

This bread is best eaten the same day. It's also a perfect bread for adding flavorings too. I like to do a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar to the top and make toast. Italian spices can be mixed in for eating with spaghetti or lasagna. Horseradish and ground black pepper is tasty for eating with cheese. Use your imagination!

Since this is a very dense bread, it is great to also eat with soups and stews in the cold weather time.

Don't be a party jumper

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For my Illinois readers, tomorrow is a very important day for us. Tomorrow are the Illinois Primaries. Some don't get out and vote at this time thinking it's not a 'real' election. Boy oh boy are they ever wrong! It's a chance to choose the best candidate for your party.

There is one part of the primary process that gets on my nerves and that is party jumpers. Those people who jump party lines to vote for who they feel to be the weaker candidate to go up against their own candidate. To me, this says they don't have faith in their own party. I think party jumping is just a shame.

Please take the time tomorrow to get out and exercise your right to vote. Every vote counts.

The corner station

When I was a little girl, my little town had a corner full service filling station. Full service meant not only filling up the gas tank, but also cleaning the windows, checking under the hood, putting air in the tires and asking about your day~and waiting for the answer. They also did repairs in the garage.

As kids, it was a great treat to take 3 dimes in and get a bottle of soda. It was also fun to jump on the hose run across the drive to make the bell ding.

When I was in 8th grade I had a huge crush on the high school boy working there. I would get lots of sodas each day just to see him. *sigh*

I understand progress is needed in order for small towns to thrive and grow. That old corner filling station has been gone for many many years. In fact, only the garage part of it is still standing and it is now used for private storage. I just wish progress didn't have to mean getting rid of the very things that make a small town quaint and homey.

In my own little world, my town would still have the filling station, and the barber shop for all the men to sit and tell their stories. There would be a grocery store with a butcher to cut your meat and bag boys to not only bag up your items, but to also carry them out and put them in your car.

The bank would be locally owned. Main Street would be a bustle of activity on Saturday mornings. Kids would be out riding their bikes and playing ball on the diamond and using their imaginations to keep busy all day.

Parents would sit on the front porch to watch the children play in the evening. Neighbors would visit with neighbors.

You all might as well go on with the rest of your day, I think I'm gonna stay here in my own little world in my own little town with a bottle of soda from the filling station where that cute high school boy works.

Bike Time

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START SEEING MOTORCYCLES

With the mild winter we have had here in Illinois and the above average temperatures we are experiencing, motorcycles are are out and about already. Please look and double-look when crossing intersections.

That said, I had my first ride of the season last night. Papa Bear was a sweetheart and did all the maintenance on my bike this year to get it running before July! Unfortunately, his wasn't quite ready to go so I took my first ride of the season by myself *sigh*

Looking forward to an evening here soon where neither one of us have anything going on so we can get out and ride.

Couch to 5K

Today I am starting on a nine week journey. Don't know how much fun this journey is going to be in the beginning, I'm sure though I will be loving it by the end. You see, today I start the Couch to 5K program. The idea is to take me from a couch potato to running a 5K in just eight weeks.

Even though the program is for eight weeks, I'm starting it by first doing a week of conditioning my body. Drinking lots of water, eating pretty healthy, and doing some basic exercising so my body doesn't go into shock.

I'll be keeping a journal during this journey. Tracking my eating, my sleeping, my water and my program progress.

I tried to do this about a year ago and failed miserably at it. I don't think my heart was in the right place. I think I might be ready now...uummmm...I HOPE I am ready this time.

If all goes well, I will be able to run in my little towns 5K race during the summer festival~that is my goal.

Well dear reader, that's what I have going on, feel free to keep me accountable!

Fake Coffee

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I stand before you this morning to say, "My name is Mama Bear and I am a fake almost every day". Judge me if you will, but it's not going to change.

You'll remember a few weeks ago I shared with you about EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, my friend Lori turned me on to. This technique has made a huge difference in my life. Lori also helped me in another area I was having much struggle with, coffee.

I like coffee, I really really like coffee. Not to the point of being a coffee snob or anything like that, I just really really enjoy drinking coffee throughout my day. Due to health issues, I am no longer able to do that.

*sigh*

Lori came to my rescue once again and turned me onto a product I can drink in place of my decaf pots of coffee each day.



Cafix is an all natural drink that is naturally caffeine free. I can drink as much of it as I want and it doesn't cause me any pain. I like that it is instant so I can enjoy a cup anytime I want.

The flavor is just a bit different than coffee, however, it definitely takes care of my coffee fix.

I do want to caution you, even though I can drink Cafix all day without it causing me health problems, I don't. Well, let me clarify that I won't do it again. You see, it is all natural...ALL NATURAL...it gets you moving (if you know what I mean). Nope, won't make that mistake again.

If you are interested in trying this wonderful hot drink of happiness and you are local, visit Lori at Optimal Health in Princeton, IL. If you are not local, I'm sure you can do a Google search and find it in a health store near you.




I'm going to take a small break and enjoy a cup of my fake coffee, I do hope you all have a day filled with friendships, happiness and blessings.

Start of Spring Cleaning!

It's time! It's time!

With Spring right around the corner, I find myself in the Spring Cleaning mood. I have been doing a bit here and a bit there and this morning I am pleased to announce my kitchen has been purged, decluttered, organized and spring cleaned!

So, two rooms down (bathroom was the first I did), five areas left. I think the next will be the laundryroom. Once it is done, Papa Bear is going to build two more sets of cabinets for me. After that, the whole room is getting a fresh coat of paint and some new curtains.

I love this time of the year when it is barely warm enough to crack a window just a bit to let in some fresh air, yet not warm enough to really get out and do anything. Once it's warm enough to be out, I find I have to literally force myself to get anything done inside.