Blogs worth reading IMHO ( In My Humble Opinion)

Yes I read Blogs. I read mostly Mommy Blogs and a few Recipe and Gardening Blogs. I have made a list of the Blogs I try to read at least once a week. These Bloggers do not post daily so you will not be living on the computer reading blogs! Some of these Blogs I have listed are sad and I have gotten teary eyed, and some are just fun and intertaining. I have an easy way of keeping my Blogs all together. I put them on Google Reader.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPZ2Uu_X3Y 
This is the page, with a video, on Youtube that will help you set up Google Reader. If I can do it so can you!
Hope you give these a look. Most Blogs will have a Home Page or Our Story Page and that is where you should start.


Click on the Gray site Letters and it will take you to the Blog.....well I didn't know if you knew to do it or not...sorry :o(



http://thepioneerwoman.com/
This is a Fun Blog. She has Recipes, tips on saving money, great shopping Deals, tips and ideas on Home Decor and much more.


http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/04/color-to-market.html
This is a lovely Blog wrote by a very lovely Lady. She has 2 Daughters and the youngest has Down's Syndrome. The first she knew of the Baby having Down's was at birth. She tells a very heartfelt story of her emotions. This is a Pure Sweet Blog and I am sure you will enjoy it and the pictures are Wonderful!

http://sheldonandjulieo.blogspot.com/
This is a Blog written by a Young Woman. Her and her Husband waited 7 years to adopt a Son. On her 31st Birthday, March 17th, 2012,  her 33 month old Son and Husband drown in a Lake in Washington. It is sad, but she is so very full of faith that the Blog very worth reading.

http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/
This is a Happy Family Blog! wrote by a young married Mom with 2 Beautiful Girls. She lives in Arkansas and was the Daughter of a Southern Baptist Preacher. If you like Recipes. Cute Kids and Living with Faith..read this Blog.

http://averycan.blogspot.com/2012/04/take-me-out-to-ballgame.html
This is a NEW Blog and I just heard about it. It is about a 5 month old Baby Girl with a disease that will not allow her to live over the age of 18 months. Her Mommy &  Daddy have made her a Bucket List of things they want to do before she passes. She has aready gone to her first Baseball Game. A sad but Charming Blog.

http://nieniedialogues.com/
 This Blog is about a very couragous young Woman, Stephanie Nielson. In her blog she calls herself NieNie..the last 3 letters of her first name and the first 3 letters of her last name. She and her husband were in an airplane wreck and she survies with 80% of her face and body burned. She has a lifetime of surgeries and medical treatment ahead of her. She had 4 Children before the wreck and has just given birth to another. Believe ME after you read her blog for awhile you will not feel sorry for her at all. She is completely living her life!

http://addingtotheateam.blogspot.com/2012/04/six-months-home.html
This family with six Kiddos adopts a Little Boy with Downs Syndrome from Russia. Just everyday people with a Big Loving Heart.


http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/
This is MY FAVORITE Blog. A story wrote by a Mommy about her Little Boy "Tripp". He was born May of 2009, a perfect Baby...except,... he had a rare skin desease called Epidermolysis Bullosa..EB for short. It is a story of how dedicated this Mommy was to her child and how dedicated her Mom was to her. It is hard to watch at times but this Little Boy was amazing. Please try to read this blog. and watch videos.


http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/04/chores-for-may-2011/
If you like Gardening, Nature, Recipes...this is your Blog. I Love it!
 

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Surrounded By YOUR Beauty ♥

Some Folks think they must get in cars, trains or planes to see some of God's Beautiful Sights. In fact all you have to do is open your front or back door...and open your eyes and look! There they are! some of God's Beautiful Creations and it didn't cost a cent. Remember I am the Frugal Gal :o) ♥

This wonderful Fellow let ME get really close to get this picture. Believe Me when I tell you I took this picture of this Bunny on "Easter" morning. I named him Peter!

This is a Copper Pitcher I use to water my potted plants on my porch. It was a shiny Copper but after sitting on my porch for many years you-know-"Who" has given it a beautiful Patina. I feel this way some times....aged with a lovely patina.

I know as a fact Flowers are a gift from God.

"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

<< Matthew 6:27Matthew 6:28-30Matthew 6:31 >>

My Sweet Beautiful Daughter (another of God's Creations) gave ME this Miniature Rose Bush for Mother's Day about 10 years ago. Every year it still shows ME  her love.

I love God's Wild Birds and I try to help them along with their nest building.

Along with Birds..I love Ducks and Geese. Since I am a City Gal I have to make-do with the make believe kind. God puts you where you are needed and I guess HE didn't think I was needed on a farm ♥

Colors are also a Wonderful Gift from God. This Bush is green all summer and turns red all through fall and winter. You can still see a little of the winter red still on the leaves.

Toads, Frogs, Snakes and Bugs are also God's Little Critters. I have a little Peace Treaty going with these Creations....you leave ME alone and I'll leave you alone!

Our sky is just a little hint from God as to what His Kingdom will be like and the wind is a reminder that like God, even though we can not see it, we can feel it and it is a constant...sometimes soft and sometimes strong.

When I look out my back door to the left this is what I see. It is our neighbors yard. She is 86 years old and up to just this year, has done all her flower gardening herself. Her lawn is mowed by family,(and that is all they do in the yard) but the gardening was done by her. Alot of times AJ & ME would go over and prune some trees and bushes, when dead limbs from her trees fell we would drag them to the curb. I would dead-head her flowers so they would keep blooming. This is things we just did and do, without being asked and I don't know if she even knew we did them.

 "Love thy Neighbor"

Yes I love my Squirrels, and they love Crunchy Peanut Butter and bread.

See there are alot of Beautiful things right outside your doors.

Go Take a Peek!

NOW!

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One Cat just leads to another.....

April 19, 1995

It was April 19, 1995 a Wednesday morning around 8:30 am and I decided to take a long soaking bath. I laid in the tub about a half hour just enjoying. The water had cooled and the fingers and toes were pruney, so it was time to get out. I wraped myself in a large sheet towel Jen had gotten ME for Christmas and was drying off when at 9:01 I felt and heard at the same time a boom and rumble. It shook my windows, my Kitties and Puppies became nervous. I threw on my robe and ran out the front door thinking it was a earthquake and saw nothing at all unusual. Ran back in and called AJ at work and said to him right off, no hellos, "What just happened?" and of course he didn't know but said "turn on the TV", which I did. What I saw on TV changed my life forever.

On April 19, 1995 the Murrah Federal Building was targeted by Timothy McVeigh and a few others. They loaded up a 20 foot Ryder Rental Truck with 5000 pounds of explosives and parked it in front of the Murrah Building and at 9:01 am it exploded killing 168 innocent people, including children in a daycare center on the first floor. 19 children under the age of 6 were among the 168 people killed.

This is the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building before destruction.

This is the building right after the bombing. As you can see they had not even made people get back and away from the building at this point.

This is an image of a senseless act of terrosism.....

and this is an image that will stay with us forever.

We now have a Memorial at Ground Zero.

"We will never forget!"

This is the Field of Chairs at the Memorial. Each empty chair represents a life lost.

Rest in Peace Innocent Victims and Praying your Families have found Peace these past 17 years.

We will never forget ♥

Growing up right before my eyes!

When she was 3 months old her Mommy handed her to ME and went to work. I have had her at least Monday through Friday for almost 12 years. Hardly a day goes by without ME laying my eyes on her, cooking for her and loving on her. I am so blessed that I have been able to be so very close with her. I hope this Blessing continuse till I no longer breath. When did she grow up? When did the Pig Tails, Bangs, and Big Bows leave? Where did the Smocked Dresses and Ruffled Panties go? I can not remember the last time we had a Childrens Menu and Crayons brought to our table at a Restaurant and Grill Cheese & French Fries were replaced with Steak and Shrimp!
My Grandaughter is growing up right in front of my eyes. When did she change from a Little Girl to a Little Young Lady?
She loves unwinding from a long school day at the computer...playing games.

She is already taller then ME.

She asked ME if I thought she was "pretty" and I told her "no"....I think you are "Beautiful"! ♥

The clothes don't make the Girl.....

the Girl makes the clothes!

No more braces and no more Gap between the front teeth.

One thing her Mom is finding out is "that nothing belongs to only her anymore". I think these earrings were found in Mom's Jewelry Box!

Pay backs Hell, ain't it Jen? :o)

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What color is a Happy Cat?..........Purrrrrrrple!

Being Frugal....(Cheap!)

I would like to say I am FRUGAL, but the truth is I am CHEAP! I will squeeze a Nickle untill the Buffalo pees. One thing I hate to do is throw stuff away that still has some value to it. I give alot of donations to Our Town's No Kill Pound's Thrift Store, or to any organization that calls for a donation of clothing or housewares. AJ & ME eat left overs or if they are suitable mix them in with the Puppie's food. Dry bread, old crackers or pastries are given to our wild birds. I buy used Baby Stuffies for my Dog Toys. They are only a quarter or so at Yard Sales and they are safer then real Dog Toys....they are made for human babies! Below are a few things I do to save a penny and a few hints to maybe make your life a little easier. Somethings you may laugh at (AJ does!) and it will not hurt my feelings... and somethings you may say "ahhhhh good idea".

This is my Candle Warmer. I have found the candles last longer in a warmer then if you burn them. It is also safer.

This is my Battery Charger. Buying batteries can put you in the Poor House. Almost everything in my home that needs a battery has a chargeable one in it.

Okay I am Cheap but I am also "Green". I try to recycle any time I can. I ask for paper bags over plastic ones. I will take my Christmas cards that are sent to ME & AJ (and they are getting fewer ever year) and cut out the pretty picture on the front...punch a hole in the corner and thread a ribbon in the hole and use it as a Name Tag on Christmas Gifts. I regift...if I can get away with it and I save Christmas Boxes and Bags to use the next year. One thing I do all year long is ^ up there. When I go through my mail (mostly junk mail) if the back side is plain and not printed on I save that sheet of paper. I then have a little stash of scribble paper. I am always writing notes, making lists, and joting things down from the computer. This way I am recycling and saving a little by not buying writing pads.

This is a hint. First if you take pills always have them in a Pill Box with the days on it. I am always saying "did I take my pill?" This way you will know, just look at the box! I take my pills in the morning and at night, so to remind me to take them in the morning ...the first thing I do in the morning, is get coffee, so my Pill Box is sitting right on my coffee cups, can't miss the pills!

Where do you keep your Wastepaper Bags? I keep mine in the bottom of my Wastepaper Basket. Take the full bag out and no hunting for bags...there they are!

This will save you alot of Money. If you have ever had a grease fire flare up on your stove you might want one of these close by. Cheaper to buy a Fire Extinguisher then to remodel a kitchen.

Take-out condiments...we all get them. But do you use them or toss them out with the bag? In this House AJ & ME use them. They are great when you have cook-outs. Put out all the Catsups, Mustards, BBQ Sauces, Salt & Peppers, Mint Candies, napkins and what ever else you aquire in those Take-out Bags. Use them up!

This will save you money because once you have this you will never buy any more Plastic Containers. I have one and bought a set for Jen and my Mom. They cost about $20.00. You get 3 sizes and the lids fit all the sizes. They all stack together in the rack. The rack slides out of the cabinet so they are easy to get to. This set takes up little room, so now you are organized and have more cabinet space.

These will not save you money and they do take up space in the freezer....but I love them.

This could save you a penny. Ever open up a can and only drink 1/2 of it. Put it in the fridge and the next day dump it out because it has gone flat? This Little Can Topper fits on the can and has a screw top so your soda will not go flat and with the lid screwed on will not spill if turned over.

Now if you can not find this Handy Dandy Can Topper in your local stores...just get a 12 oz plastic Coke and save the bottle. Pour your can of soda into the bottle...drink...cap and store! This is Sam"s Cola in a Coke Bottle I hope I don't get sued :o(

Do not buy thoses cute little plastic bag closers that seem to always break! Good old wood Clothes Pins work the best. And when that Box of Cereal gets down to a bowl or two left in the bag...throw the box away, close the bag with a clothes pin. More space in the cabinet :o)

Buy in Bulk Sizes, saves you money. I buy Big sizes and refill small containers. Some I didn't show are, Oat Meal, Mayo, Mustard, Dry Dog & Cat Food, Salt & Pepper and Shout Stain Remover.

I love these containers for Bacon & Onions and ...........they stay fesher long and don't stink up the fridge.

I can't live without my "Debbie Meyer Green Bags". They do keep your Fruits and Veggies fresher longer. Really! and that saves you money.

How often do you go to make something and it says you need 1/2 cup of Green Pepper and Celery. and you do not have it. These do not keep long in the Crisper so usually we have to run out and buy a Green Pepper and a Big Bag of Celery when we only need a stalk. Then usually the rest of the pepper and celery go bad before we need them again and they are tossed out. Well I always have those 2 Veggies in my freezer. When I use the last of the Pepper or Celery I replace it in the freezer. It will last forever in the freezer.

When Oleo or Butter is on sale I stock up and freeze it also. When the Cookie recipe calls for one stick of butter or margerine-I got it! next to the Oleo you will also see a bag of Orange rind frozen. That "add 1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest" in the recipe is not going to catch ME off guard.

Toilet Paper cardboard rolls are a must. I use them for storing Plastic Bages (throw the boxes away and make more room in the drawer) and for keeping my Extension Cords untangled.

Do you remember I said earlier you may laugh at some of my suggertions? Well the next 3 AJ laughs at Me so just go ahead and chuckle. When our bars of soap gets down to a sliver I stick them together or stick the sliver onto the new bar I just opened.

Not pretty but it works. Hey I am trying to save you Pennies!!!!!

I told AJ to get all of the Tooth Paste out of his tube and when he was ready to toss it, give it to ME. Ya I bet you think this is ready for the Waste Basket...WRONG!!!!!!!

Cut the end off and there is enough Tooth Paste left for at least 2 regular brushings or one really big mouthful of toothpaste for 1 brushing.

Okay, when that Deodorant is clear down and you are ready to toss it. Did you know there is alot-alot left inside. You can pick a chunk out and hand rub it on your underarms. Hey back in the Mid-century and earlier, deodorant came in a cream form and you put it on with your fingers. Of course I do not remember that! But hey, if my Fore-mothers could use their pinkies to apply deordorant, so can I, in a pinch!

Now this is a very unique way of saving a Penny and not everone has access to this. Did you know that a raw egg every so often is good for your Dog or Cat? It is, and our Puppies and Kitties get raw eggs about once ever 2 weeks. I break them, add a touch of water and stir them up as though I were making scrambled eggs. Then seperate the eggs in seperate bowls and they all get their own bowl of eggs. Now the Unique thing is my eggs are free. Can you see the 3 small eggs atop of the regular size eggs? Well the small eggs are Pigeon Eggs. AJ will bring the Little Eggs in after feeding the Pigeons and when I finally have enough of these tiny eggs, the Pets have there Egg Treat.

Well that's it...take it or leave it! Hey I have more Hints and I know you just can't wait for ME to share!

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No amount of time can erase the memory of a Good Cat ♥

&

no amount of Masking Tape can ever remove his fur from your couch.

The Easter Story

By the New Living Translation of the Bible "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it" The Last Supper (Mark chapter 14)

So the two disciples went on ahead into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover supper there. In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. As they were sitting around the table eating, Jesus said,"The truth is, one of you will betray Me, one of you who is here eating with Me." Greatly distressed, one by one they began to ask Him, "I'm not the one, am I?" He replied, "It is one of you twelve, one who is eating with Me now. For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for My betrayer. Far better for him if he had never been born!"As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and asked God's blessing on it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it, for this is My body." And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood, poured out for many, sealing the covenant between God and His people. I solemnly declare that I will not drink wine again until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.Jesus Prays in GethsemaneAnd they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said,"Sit here while I go and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them,"My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with Me."He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting Him might pass him by."Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine."Then He returned and found the disciples asleep."Simon!" He said to Peter. "Are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake and watch with Me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak."Then Jesus left them again and prayed, repeating His pleadings. Again He returned to them and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. When He returned to them the third time, He said, "Still sleeping? Still resting? Enough! The time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See, My betrayer is here!"Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested.And immediately, as He said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent out by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law and the other leaders. Judas had given them a prearranged signal:"You will know which one to arrest when I go over and give Him the kiss of greeting. Then you can take Him away under guard."As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Teacher!" he exclaimed, and gave Him the kiss. Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But someone pulled out a sword and slashed off an ear of the high priest's servant. Jesus asked them,"Am I some dangerous criminal, that you come armed with swords and clubs to arrest Me? Why didn't you arrest Me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about Me."Meanwhile, all His disciples deserted Him and ran away. There was a young man following along behind, clothed only in a linen nightshirt. When the mob tried to grab him, they tore off his clothes, but he escaped and ran away naked.

Jesus is Crucified (Mark chapter 15 )

So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify Him. They dressed Him in a purple robe and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on His head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they beat Him on the head with a stick, spit on Him and dropped to their knees in mock worship. When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified.A man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the country just then, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Hill). They offered Him wine drugged with myrrh, but He refused it. Then they nailed Him to the cross. They gambled for His clothes, throwing dice to decide who would get them.It was nine o'clock in the morning when the crucifixion took place. A signboard was fastened to the cross above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against Him. It read: "The King of the Jews." Two criminals were crucified with Him, their crosses on either side of His. And the people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at Him. "You can destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, can you? Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!" The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but He can't save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe Him!" Even the two criminals who were being crucified with Jesus ridiculed Him. The Death of JesusAt noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. Then, at that time Jesus called out with a loud voice,"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought He was calling for the prophet Elijah . One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to Him on a stick so he could drink. "Leave Him alone. Let's see whether Elijah will come and take Him down!" he said. Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing Him saw how He had died, he exclaimed, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph) and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for Him while He was in Galilee. Then they and many other women had come with Him to Jerusalem.The Burial of JesusThis all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, an honored member of the high council, Joseph from Arimathea (who was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come), gathered his courage and went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman military officer in charge and asked him. The officer confirmed the fact, and Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth, and taking Jesus' body down from the cross, he wrapped it in the cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid.The Resurrection -

Jesus Is Risen! (Mark chapter 16 )

The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone - a very large one - had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body. Now go and give this message to His disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there, just as He told you before He died!" The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk.It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw Him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they didn't believe her. Afterward He appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country, but they didn't recognize Him at first because He had changed His appearance. When they realized who He was, they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later He appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief - their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And then He told them,"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.




Easter Christian Stories, Jokes, Facts, Saying, Poems, Prayers, Traditions, Quotes, Songs, Celebrations, Ideashttp://www.christianstories.com/