A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.               

                                                                   PROVERBS 15:1 NASB

   Arguements often start over minor issues - someone forgot to do what he promised, or someone forgot to say she'd be late, or someone did or didn't do something else - but these issues can escalate from the inconsequential into accusations, put-downs, and painful words that both parties remember long and regret at their leisure. There is a way to break that spiral and to keep an arguement from becoming nasty.

   Proverbs 15:1 ranks high among the all-time great solutions for women who can't seem to end the quarrel spiral. The solution is to answer gently, even if it is easier to speak defensively. A gentle answer can bring an arguement to an abrupt halt. Instead of a shooting comeback that stings, say something gentle; perhaps even agree with the other person. "I'm sorry." "I'll try to do better." "Please forgive me." Such mild answers defuse an arguement and bring it to a halt. Even if your antagonist responds with something like "you always say that," keep speaking those easygoing sentences. Stifle a mean comeback. Eventually this tactic will work.

   The gentle response can cool off a hot situation and turn it into a time to learn, to grow, and to better understand others. A peacemaker always wins God's blessing!

Do all things without complaining and disputing.

                                                               PHILLIPPIANS 2:14 NKJV

   Someone once said, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." Maybe a variation will help : "If you don't have anything good to say, say something good anyway."

   Fill your mind with good thoughts, healthy thinking, and words that refresh. Mmemorize Scriptures that can drive out the grumbling. Turn yourself into the one who always has something good to say, rather than be someone who always grumbles or makes snide comments. God will help you. Ask God to get involved with your attitude, and you'll find him reminding you when such words try to get out of your mouth.

   I have not been a good mother  lately. I have not been a good wife lately. I have not been good to myself lately. And I haven't given my heart and thoughts completely to the Lord lately.

   I have been nudged off my path and have just realized I was heading into a direction I didn't want to go in. I have slipped but have picked myself back up and am ready to go along my path again. I misguided myself and I have no one to blame but myself.

   My thoughts have been lacking. My stress has been elevated. My priorities slipped my mind. How could I do that?

   The good news is that I caught myself now before I went too far and lost my way all together. I tend to sometimes let alittle "bump" in my road turn into a huge mountain. I don't know why I do it, I just do. I know it is stupid but I can't help myself.

   My mind has been working overtime trying to figure out our move and how to get extra income for the holidays. I even considered going to work myself but DH doesn't want that. besides with what I would have to pay for a babysitter I guess it wouldn't make much sense.

   So, how do I fix myself? Good question, huh? I let it all go... just let it go. There isn't anything I can do that can make the situation go any faster or come any faster. I just let it go and leave it all to the Lord.

   For someone like me, it is hard to just let it go, but in order to get myself back to a good place I am going to have to do it. I need to be a good mother, a good wife, and I need to get back to giving myself 100% to the Lord!

   I am going to have to find the good in our tight situation. I am going to have to realize that if something doesn't go as planned then it just wasn't meant to be. I need to free myself from the stress I have put in my mind and heart.

   I have heard so many times that buying a house is one of the most stressful times in your life. I see that now. I see how it can actually cause damage to a relationship of the family. I see how it causes damage to yourself.  I will be glad when it is all over. I will be glad when I don't have to worry about money and who we have to pay and how much this and that costs. I will be glad to just breathe when it is all over with.

   I was bored tonight so I decided to go through my recipes and make my christmas cookie list. Typically I start baking my christmas cookies in the beginning of November and freeze them as I make them. Typically I make about 15-20 different types of cookies for christmas. Typically I make so many because I give them out to DH's employees and our neighbors. However, this year I will not be doing that and I'm sure I will probably disappoint some, but our saving money comes first and as y'all know baking cookies can get expensive when you make so many. So this year I have scaled it back just alittle, not much but still alittle. I will only be making for my family and no one else. So here's the list. If a recipe catches your eye then let me know and I'll post it for ya.

1.) Raisin Cookies

2.) Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

3.) Snowballs

4.) Chocolate Snowballs

5.) Thumbprints

6.) Dipped Gingersanps

7.) Raspberry Nut Pinwheels

8.) Chocolate Chip

9.)Peanut Butter Cookies

10.) Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

11.) Amish Sugar Cake Cookies

12.)Molasses Cookies

13.) Coconut Macaroons

   Some of you have asked which chicken catalogs I ordered well, here are the website where I ordered from.

Murray McMurray

Stromberg's