Book I wrote- My Journey to Grace

http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Grace-Mrs-Tiffany-Ballard/dp/146090995X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337384152&sr8-1 Here it is on Amazon. I basically wrote this book for my children to have . It is just really a long testimony. Great for anyone to read but really great for teenage girls.

Menu Planning

Menu Planning is one of the great organization tips for any family but especially a large one. I have been trying to do this post for a while not. It has been crazy busy around here, kids not feeling , and just other things going on. But I am going to post our menu from the last week and the rest of the month. I will try and post some recipes but if you are interested in any that I do not post just leave a comment. I do mostly the same things for lunches so I do not really write them down in my menu plan or breakfast either. I know usually off the top of my head(or on my list- list are also a wonderful organization thing!) here goes: Wendsday May 16- Grilled Pork Chops , Green Beans, Yeast rolls Thursday May 17th- HOt Wings and oven potatoes Friday May 18th- HOt Dogs, Chips, and baked beans This is a freezer cooking day, made 2 chicken casseroles to put in the freezer. Also have some peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches in the freezer as well as muffins. Sat. May 19th- Salmon Patties for lunch Tacos for supper Sun. - plans were changed a bit, I was up all night with baby the night before so I stayed home from church and while they were at church I pulled out one of the chicken casseroles and cooked it. Nice things about freezer meals!! :) Monday May 21st- Homemade chicken and Dumplins( found a super recipe!!!) with crackers Tuesday May 22nd- Tenderloin , homemade applesauce, homemade cheese bread, beans Made a big crock pot of applesauce so I could freeze some. Wendsday May 23rd- Grilled Hamburgers and hotdogs, twiced back potato casserole, homemade jalpeno cheese bread Made some extra bread, put one in the freezer and gave one to my mom :) Thursday May 24th-Lasanga Casserole , rolls, and core Make extra casserole to put in freezer Friday 25th- Chicken Strips , green beans and sweet potato fries Saturday 26th- lunch fried bologna sandwhices supper- Crockpot lemon chicken, sweet potato casserole Sunday- lunch at church -taking homemade applesauce, hotdogs, and tea supper- pizza Monday May 28th- Breakfast Tuesday May 29th- Pulled Pork Sandwhiches, oven fries Wendsday May 30th-Subs with sun chips Freezer cooking day- Not sure yet what all I am making. Will make more bread and applesauce. Also know will make a breakfast casserole to put in freezer. Thursday May 31st-meat from freezer

Too Busy

In our society these days we are so busy! Sometimes what was suppose to help us speed things up(ex. technology) steals most of our time. I am trying to not let that happen but sometimes it even creeps in and I realize I have spent too much time on the comp. We get so caught up in the busyness of life that things have totally changed. Even in the christian community things have changed. We have let all this stuff in our lives and have forgotten the things the Lord has instructed us to do(ex. caring for the widowed and just being there for each other). Don't get me wrong I fall into this as well. All too many times I am wrapped up in the busyness of my life to reach out to others but I am really trying to change that. WE have got to start reaching out to each other, we have got to especially start reaching out to other brothers and sisters in Christ. How will we ever know their needs or what we need to pray for them about if we are so consumed with things of this world. Because really as christians this is not our home(thank you Jesus!). IT could be just a small letter to someone who is struggling, or checking on your elderly neighbor, or just asking someone what you can pray for them about. The Lord is really opening my eyes to this and has really pressed on my heart about slowing down and while still taking care of my husband and children to also start thinking about others and while doing this teaching my kids the important lesson of putting others first and showing hospitality. We have the young people over from our church every Tuesday to play volleyball. Yes, we have busy lives and yes we could be doing something else but we feel this is important to our children. These young people that come over here we WANT around our children, they are good influences. It is good for these young people to get together and while they are playing volleyball they are also learning many things. Like how to work together and also patience(because maybe they have a little one or someone not so good on their team). They learn kindness and how to not take things so seriously. Like when you fall on your backside like I did last night(lol, realizing now i am not so young anymore lol). Sometimes we need to take time out of our busy lives to just live. To be a light to others. To show hospitality. To show just plain LOVE! Speaking of busyness I really need to end this post and start school with one of my sweet children. But in short I just want to remind myself as well as anyone who reads this to slow down. Do something for someone else. Aren't we suppose to be christ like as christians. His whole life christ only thought of others, after all he did die for our sins.

Obeying your Husband

Now I know when many women read these words it stirs up all kinds of emotions inside of them. Hey, it used to do me the same way until I really started understanding what it really means. It does not mean the women who obey their husbands biblically are doormats like many may think because it also states in the bible that husband are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. If we truly honor our husband and let them lead our households the benefits farrrrrrrrrrr outweigh any of the negative things. For instance we were suppose to go to a church picnic today, while I really wanted to go my husband decided this morning that it would be better if we stayed home because since being sick we have fallen behind on some things. While I did not want to I did not argue and you know what. He was right!!! I am so glad he decided for us to stay home. I got some much needed stuff done that I needed to and he did too. God put my husband over me for a reason and sometimes while I might not like the decision I know that my husband is wise and really thinks things out and does not do anything in haste. Obeying your husband is not always easy but it is right and it shows him honor. If you have a unsaved husband you could bring him to Christ by submitting yourself to him. 1 Peter 3:1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, Another example while not a huge thing at the time was huge to me. A year or so ago I wanted to go get my hair cut and my husband did not want me to get it cut. I went anyway! YOu know what happened? I received the worst haircut I had ever had, I do not think the girl knew in the slightest what she was doing. I said, " Okay God, from now on I will listen." LOL! I have come to realize if I stay under the headship of my husband that the house just runs alot smoother. By this I am not saying that you can never ask for things you want, state your opinion, etc... I am just saying that things run alot better if I am under my husband and actually my husband treats me very well and I want for NOTHING! Those that know us,even his customers know that I am treated very well. So being a submissive wife in short means honoring and loving your husband. And most importantly taking the job that God gave you of wife to this beloved man and doing it to the fullest. I know there are so many times I fall short but we are all sinners. Also this all means not going behind your husband's back and talking about things that he may be struggling with or things you may be frustrated with him about. I hear even supposedly christian women these days even getting together and bashing their husbands. How sad is that!!! YOur husband is suppose to be sacred to you, it should be God, your husband, your children, extended family, and then friends, etc... Many have it so wrong and that is what is so wrong with our society,. We do not view marriage as it was intended. Uh-Oh kinda got off the subject a bit, I will get off my soapbox now lol. Anyway, in closing this as I need to go do laundry I just want to say I am speaking from total experience when I obey(submit) to my husband our household runs a lot smoother. I just want to say I am so thankful that my husband takes such good care of us that it is not too terribly hard to submit to him. ;)