Muscle woman!

Oh my goodness!!!
I was playin' around with my hubby--actin' all macho-workout-woman-like--and I saw muscle!! I mean, you can see it!! The real thing! I'm not imagining to be there anymore! It is actually poking through my flab!! I flexed my arm as if saying to my hubby,"look at the progress" (as a joke, of course) and it was there!! I was so surprised my hubby was cracking up at me...so I had to remind him to not laugh too hard or the button off his pants might pop! **wink** (It's so nice to be able to laugh with your hubby)

Oh, and here's one for you all! My 7 yo son said yesterday after I came up from exercising in the basement, "Mom, you look thinner than you did this morning!" It's only so funny to me, becasue he was serious! lol If only it actually worked that way!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Ebay...

I don't know how many of you do Ebay, but I guess I am somewhat of an ebay hound- at least in comparison to my real-life pals...

I bought some *make your own grocery type books* a few months back.

Speaking of one in particular, the listing said it's page were clean and in good condition. This is the actual description from the listing:

FARM JOURNAL’S COUNTRY COOKBOOK - Revised, Enlarged Edition. Copyright 1972. 559
pgs. Edited by Nell B. Nichols. Book is in good to very good condition. Cover
shows edge wear - particularly light wear on corners and some scraping of color
along bottom of spine. Spine tight, pages intact, no rips or tears. Pages look
very good, clean. There is some light spotting on page edgings - which can be
seen when the book is closed.

I recieved the book and 6 pages had writing on them-no biggie.

So, I am not an overly picky sort of person and really didn't care, until I went to leave feedback and they have those stars now for rating the transaction more specifically. One of the new star ratings is the accuracy of the listing. I emailed the seller, because I wasn't exactly sure what to do. I mean, I wanted to leave her positive feedback, but I also didn't want to lie (before my God) in regards to the stars rating. (Probably seems odd to a "normal" person, now that I think about it)

Anyway, she said, "don't leave feedback, if it's a problem." I found out I could leave the feedback without answering the stars. So, I happily left positive feedback and just didn't fill out the one star.

A month passed and she hadn't left feedback for me, so I politely asked why she hadn't in an email. No response, so I waited another month or two and emailed her again-yesterday. I asked why she hadn't. Again. I was kind. Not rude at all. I merely asked why she hadn't left feedback and that I thought it wasn't very nice that she hadn't, seeing as I had paid immediately and left her feedback as well. My exact words:

Is there any reason you still have not left me feedback? Seeing as ebay
works around the feedback scores, it doesn't seem very nice for you not to. I
paid immediately and left your feedback as soon as I received the books.
Becca

This was the response I got:

"Feedback is a privilege not a requirement. I don't like being ordered to
leave feedback by anyone. And, feedback is not as meaningful as you may
think. Ebay is soon going to make changes to the Feedback system - that
will make it even more worthless than it is now. So, you shouldn't
place so much emphasis on it. Yes, I remember your transaction all too
well. You were the one who made such a big stink about one of the
cookbooks that had a little bit of writing in it. You stated that my
description was so very incorrect because I failed to mention that this book had
some writing in it - that I did not notice. You were so worried about how
you were going to fill out the stars. I recommended that if it was such a
problem - that you shouldn't leave me any feedback at all. Leaving feedback
was your choice to do. No one forced you to do that. On principle
alone - I decided that I did not want to leave feedback for someone who
practically accused me of lying. If I would have left feedback - it
wouldn't have been positive - because your transaction did not leave me in a
positive frame of mind. So, please do not communicate with me again.
I have nothing more to say to you. Any further communication from you -
will be treated as SPAM and reported as such. "

I am almost in shock.
I was nice.
I should've left negative for her misrepresenting her auction. But I figured it was an honest mistake--I never accused her of lying. Nor did I ever order her to leave me feedback. I was so concerned about *my* being honest. If I were to say her listing was accurate, I would be lying. That in no way says she lied!

So, here is my response, which will somehow be treated as SPAM:

I am so sorry. I did in no way accuse you of lying! Not even close. Again,
I apologize for even making you think that I thought that, because I never at
any point in time thought that. I was worried about *myself* being dishonest. I
thought the book was great, the seller was great, it was just those stupid
stars, which I did not have to fill out. As for a little writing, 6 pages is a
lot in a listing of which there is no mention of writing. It's not like it was
one little note. I don't know why you have to be so rude. I didn't order you to
give feedback, I merely asked why you hadn't. Twice. I wasn't mean or rude in
any of my communication and I never said you lied. I believe it was an honest
oversight. No big deal, except it made an accurate description inaccurate-but
not intentionally. Again, I am truly sorry for making you feel I was accusing
you of lying. Becca

I don't know what to say...
People are so crabby and mean...
Cold...
I guess maybe I did something wrong, but I'm not sure what it was yet. Any ideas?

I was reading last night...

I was reading last night in the book of Haggai and was set back by how unhappy God was with his people. Have you read it?
He said to them to Consider their ways TWICE!
And then asked them if doing something holy made everything they did holy...well, NO...and then He asked if touching something unclean made everything good unclean as well and then of course, the answer is yes.
Then He told them that's the way they are! That all their good is unclean and slimy before God... Think about that for a moment. I mean, you can be doing so well in so many different areas, but if you are living unclean in an area, in makes everything you do unclean.
Maybe like when the bathroom is completely spotless, but the mirror is dirty. You look at the bathroom and see it as so sparkly, but God looks at it through the reflection of the dirty mirror and He sees it as a big mess... Time for us to clean the mirror, I think...

A full week, I think...

I walked 2 miles today with the Walk Away the Pounds video. I like that they are easy enough, I don't give up. And yet, I can make the workout harder just by how hard I work. I mean, if I lift my legs higher, it's harder and therefore I sweat more! i feel really good! I also started taking some vitamins My hubby must not have thought I was really doing this until he got up, I was making a smoothie and on my way to the basement to exercise. When I told him I had exercised every day since Sunday, he looked shocked--but trust me, I've told him every day!

Homeschool Tracker

Wow, have I missed you guys! I've been so utterly busy in real life. Between burgalaries, business taxes, and my new Homeschool Tracker--my world is in a daze! lol
While the burglary stresses one out -with all the getting prices of comparable replacements of your stuff, and, not to mention, going to the PD 3 times to get the police report and it not being ready yet, even though they told me it would be each time--and well, Lord knows about taxes....*sigh* they are overwelming enough for a person who doesn't own a business!
So, this Homeschool Tracker software is supposed to somehow make my life easier.

I know I got the free version a couple years back and thought it was way too much work to download everything and type each individual lesson in, that I just deleted it off my computer and went back to pencil and lesson plan book. But this time I paid for the Plus version and it is awesome. You can download the plans that other people already filled in that match your curriculum books, leaving you with, like, no real work except to tweak their plans a bit to fit you! And if you DO have to do some yourself, you can copy a simple lesson plan for one day 170 times and just add/change the page numbers or whatever, making it so much easier and quicker! I know this probably doesn't make too much sense if you don't have the program--in fact I KNOW it doesn't make sense because when my friend Sue was telling me about it all, I thought she was from another planet or something! :)
But now, I think it's great! And I can't wait to put it into action. It is a little nerve wracking to take the plunge of a whole new schedule or whole new way fo doing things, but I know I can...I know I can... (I'm one of those people who always order the same thing at a restraunt for fear I won't like what I order if I try something new)

Oh, and last night, I accomplished the impossible with the Lord's help. Since I bought this new printer, I didn't have it hooked up to my wireless network, because I didn't know how to do it, but because I put the Homeschool Tracker on my laptop, I had to get the printer up and running. (I could only print off the desktop before). Right now, I can't afford to have my computer guy come out and do it, so I pulled out the manual and went to it.
Ahhh, but it didn't go smoothly. My computer kept saying I needed to insert the original MicroSoft XP disk (as though, any normal human would have it) because it was missing a file...The printer would print, but becasue this file was missing the install wizard deleted the printer and said the installation failed-removing the printer...I enev tried to turn off the computer without the install wizard deleting the printer... I searched and searched for this file...but it just wasn't in my computer. All the while, I said Lord lord, can't you help? It wasn't an on my knees sort of prayer, just a subconcious sort of prayer...(what I consider as praying without ceasing-my God always talking with me inside my head--don't worry, I don't hear Him talking back!) Ok, so somehow, I found this files in the depths of my computer, not even named as the one I was looking for and when I clicked OK, the install continued. I kept looking at my computer wondering what in the world it was doing because I still have no clue what I did...I think as I sat there waiting for it to finish installing, I thought it was going to blow up or something. I may even had shed a tear. Either way, I was absolutely amazed! I have no clue how it worked, I'm still a bit in shock! What an awesome God! To think He is even helping us with those little things like that! Amazing!

Absolutely Precious!

This is absolutely precious! And to think, we claim WE can't memorize scripture!

Flowers in the Attic

I was looking at Dawn's profile and saw that she liked the book Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews and I thought I'd share another of my unbelievable childhood memories!

My mom loved that series, read it over and over. (that's the background)

We got snacks every night before we went to bed. I remember apples, a couple cookies, or whatever. Usually my mom made popcorn in lunch bags in the microwave. She would put on some powder saying it was popcorn salt. There was popcorn salt in the cupboard and for a while I know it was popcorn salt, but one time it tasted weird. She'd sprinkle it on. Now maybe in her drunkeness she really was thinking it was popcorn salt, but it was MSG (at the time I didn't know what MSG was but I remember the letters on the bottle). I don't know why she used it. I just remember it tasted awful and when I didn't want it, she'd insist on putting it on. I remember arguing with her that it wasn't popcorn salt. SHe kept insisting it was. Yuck! Needless to say, with her insisting on MSG as a flavoring, I chose to go without the snack.

When I heard that MSG was so bad for you, I remembered that nasty popcorn...so in my mind I still wonder if my mom was trying to poison us kids...like the arsenic the old lady sprinkled on the kids cookies in Flowers in the Attic. Really, I wonder. You may think this is crazy but my mom is something else...

New Year's Award

After spending what seems like an hour trying to get this silly picture on my blog, I finally got it! Sharon gave it to me. I love Sharon. Her writing is so fresh, hard hitting, convicting and real. Because she gave it to me, I can't give it to her. But I still can pass it on....

This little award is called The Daily Dose.And here is all the important info. Because you know you want to know what it is about and where it came from. ;)

".. here's to all the blogs that you've discovered that you can't possibly live without. They make you laugh, cry, think and feel connected every time you read a post. They give you a thrill as you see them loading into your browser and you get an equally satisfying thrill when you see that they have commented on your blog".

From Xandra: creator, The Daily Dose Award.

There are some blogs I just can't keep away from.

First one is my friend Dawn. I met her online through a different website and she has a tender heart. Her soul is warm, her words and true, and to me, she is a dear friend. When I say something stupid, she's there to kindly correct me in that loving questioning way, that would only offend someone not open to correction, I guess. Her convictions are strong and biblical.

The unclutter blog is another blog I can't live without! I only found it a while ago and I have found some really good ideas on there. This goes a little with my title of my blog...I don't think it's the kind of blog that accepts rewards.

I would also give it to Jessi but Sharon gave it to her already so I can't give it to her too. But she now knows I would've!

Hmmm...who else...I love visiting a couple other blogs, but they don't post much. I suppose they are to busy with real life.

I also love this blog, but when I went to tell them so, I read a post that they were no longer posting...It was for us multi-taskers... *sigh*

I don't know who else...There are a couple blogs that I went to, but never had my comments published. I took it as I wasn't welcome. I enjoy reading their posts, but because of their unfriendliness, I choose not to name them...I wonder why people would be like that...

I guess the rule is, if you take the award, you have to pass it on.

Toodles!

Another quote

Adam was created…to have
dominion over all the life in the
air and earth and sea, but one
thing he was not to have dominion
over, and that was himself.

—Oswald Chambers

Pride

In all unbelief there are
these two things: a good opinion
of one’s self and a bad opinion of
God.
—Horatius Bonar

AKA- Pride
Unless a person knows what they are in comparison to the Almighty, they aren't saved. I always say if a person says they are good enough to go to heaven- I can promise if they die believing that, they won't be there. No one will ever be good enough. No matter how hard we try, we will never deserve to go there. But we get to. Because our debt has been paid in full, nailed to the cross. All we do is believe it's real. Awesome.

I just had an idea...for those shy about witnessing...You could tell someone you read a great quote, share the quote and head into a witness...

You see the neighbor...
"Hey, how's it going?"
"Oh, great and you?"
"Really really good...say, you believe in God and all that stuff?"
"Well...uh..yeah..."
"I read this great quote today, It was something like in unbelief, people in hell, there's always an awesome opinion of self and a poor opinion of God. Isn't that so true? I mean...."blah blah blah

and you just go on and on about how awesome God is and how yucky you are and how all means all and free is free.

Bam! A full fledged witness and brownie points in heaven!

Another quote...(someone who talks smarter than me!)

Beware in your prayers,
above everything else, of limiting
God, not only by unbelief, but by
fancying that you know what He
can do. Expect unexpected things,
“above all that we ask or think.”
Each time, before you intercede,
be quiet first and worship God in
His glory. Think of what He can
do and how He delights to hear
the prayers of His redeemed people.
Think of your place and privilege
in Christ and expect great
things!
—Andrew Murray