Peacemakers

Oct 27, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, Family, Spain, What we're Reading

Our home church in California sent us and our Spanish church this wonderful gift for helping our little church be peacemakers. We have hopes for these materials to do their work in the body. I downloaded it on my KINDLE too (which I LOVE) and we’ve shown several of the DVD’s to our leadership at church.

This is ‘worth it!’

I got my KINDLE in hand!

Sep 15, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Bobbie's Store, What we're Reading

wow, I mean WOW. Yep, I love it. It’s like having a library at your finger tips! I have versions of the Scriptures, books I’m reading, dictionaries… love, love, LOVE it!!
It’s so comfortable to read, I sometimes reach up to turn the page! Crazy! Check it out!

Freedom of Simplicity~FREE~just ask for it

Aug 23, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: blessings, Kindle, saving money, What we're Reading

After re-reading this great book by Richard Foster; Freedom of Simplicity, I’m trying to see things in a new way. I never want to feel bogged down by stuff, and it overwhelms me to walk into one of our rooms and see trinkets and ‘too much stuff’.

I actually started thinking about this more seriously when I was looking up the KINDLE information. Last January our son John came for a visit with our grandson, John Caleb and he showed me his KINDLE. I thought is was ‘neat’ but not sold. Then I decided to read  up on it and realized that for people like us who travel often, this is a wonderful invention. I told John (hubby John…lots of John’s in our family) we should start saving for one and he could get it for me for Christmas…birthday … mothers day… all of them together! Then the most wonderful thing happened; my friend Judy bought me one! She bought me one!! Within just a couple of days, she ordered it and had it sent to one of our daughters. I can hardly wait to get it when our kids Jesseka and Greg come with 3 of our grandchildren, Abigail, Preston & William in September.

So how does this all tie into simplicity? This KINDLE holds 3,500 books! Isn’t that incredible? My ‘load’ is already lightened. I already feel less incumbered by stuff and I am delighted to take some of the great books I have and pass them on. Plus, the reading of this book helped me to think about simplifying my life. I’m doing that.

I’m working on simplifying my life by:

• emptying my panty and freezer
• giving away books I’ve already read or have read more than once (I like to read)
• cleaning out the garage
• cleaning out a drawer a day

If you would like my paperback copy of Richard Fosters book; Freedom of Simplicity, please email or comment on this blog and I will mail it to you… no charge at all. You have just read how I’ve been blessed and I hope you will allow me to bless you in this small way.

A Free Book!

Aug 13, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, saving money, What we're Reading

I recently read this Sara Palin book and then on the way driving to France and back I read it aloud in its entirety once again to John. We both enjoyed it very much. Now, it’s time to pass it along. If you would like to have it, FREE of charge, please let me know and I’ll send it to you. I only have 1 copy so hurry!

America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and FlagBy Sarah Palin / Harpercollins PublishingA compelling look inside the heart and mind of one of America’s most celebrated figures! Offering keen insights rooted in faith, family, and patriotism, Palin shares influences that have inspired her—from speeches, sermons, and letters to literature, biography, and film—to encourage you to live by the values that made this country great. 224 pages, hardcover from HarperCollins.

Kindle .99cent & FREE deals

Jul 27, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Kindle, What we're Reading

I don’t have my Kindle yet, but I’ll be able to get it in September.  It’s at my daughters house now and she has been kind enough to load some books on it for me and I can even do that from here and it takes less than 1 minute! It’s the most marvelous thing. This Kindle was given to me by my friend Judy and I am so humbled and delighted! If you like to read, but can’t always travel with so many books or you just want to de-clutter, the Kindle is for you!

Today I received an email with some .99¢ offers of books. I thought I would include that for any one who is interested. There are also free Kindle books available.

Boundaries~ a selection from the book

Jul 13, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    1 Comment     Posted under: Blogroll, saving money, What we're Reading

About a month ago, my sister Sue, sent me a book called, Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend. I first heard about this book listening to Dave Ramsey and it has some really good thoughts in it. In the chapter called Boundaries and Your Self, there are some really interesting a good Biblical thoughts. Here is what it says in part about the section on money:

Money

A now-famous bumper sticker reads, ” I can’t be withdrawn- I still have checks left!”  People have tremendous problems in many different areas dealing with money, including the following:

• impulse spending
• careless budgeting
• living beyond ones means
• credit problems
• chronically borrowing from friends
• ineffectual savings plans
• working more to pay all the bills
• enabling others

God intended for money to be a blessing to us and others: “Give and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38).  In fact, the Bible says that the problem isn’t money, it’s the love of money that is “a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Most of us would certainly agree that we need to be in control of our finances. Saving money, keeping costs down, and shopping for discounts are all good things. It’s tempting to see money problems as simply a need for income; however, the problem often isn’t the high cost of living- it’s the cost of high living.

The problem of our financial outgo exceeding our input is a self boundary issue. When we have difficulty saying no to spending more than we should, we run the risk of becoming someone else s servant: ” The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender”

(Proverbs 22:7). End quote.

These are important issues in these uncertain & even difficult days. I want to learn from the past, be thrifty  in the present and faithful in the future. The Bible is true all the time and we can count on it’s wisdom to direct our lives.

The Banking Dilemma continues

Apr 7, 2009 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, recipes, saving money, Spain, Videos, What we're Reading

Finally after one full month of waiting, we are able to access our funds. Imagine that you got paid today, April 7th but you were not able to cash your check until May 7th! Well, that is what we are now subject too in Spain… a one month holding of funds. Praise the Lord we now have our money available to us that we have been waiting for, for 1 month! We are seeing a real need for cash here. Dave Ramsey, the radio talk host and financial adviser says that ‘cash is king’. I believe it!

The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia M. Child

Mar 3, 2009 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Bobbie's Store, saving money, What we're Reading

What an interesting little book this is:

Originally published in 1832, this extraordinary manual for the homemaker of modest means is far more than a mere “cookbook.”

Here is a quote:

“The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money.”

What a blessing for me as a mom, to see my children, not only loving the Lord, but as wise ‘keepers at home’.

or how about this one:

“In the country, where grain is raised, it is a good plan to teach children to prepare and braid straw for their own bonnets, and their brothers’ hats.”

OOOOkay… I’ll get right on that!!

Here’s one that we all need to HEED!

“It is wise to keep an exact account of all you expend—even of a paper of pins. This answers two purposes; it makes you more careful in spending money, and it enables your husband to judge precisely whether his family live within his income. No false pride, or foolish ambition to appear as well as others, should ever induce a person to live one cent beyond the income of which he is certain. If you have two dollars a day, let nothing but sickness induce you to spend more than nine shillings; if you have one dollar a day, do not spend but seventy-five cents; if you have half a dollar a day, be satisfied to spend forty cents.”

Now, isn’t that the wisest advice? How can we encourage each other in this? Well, I will encourage YOU by sending this on.

You can find this book right here on my blog. Just follow these instructions:

At the top of this blog page.

• go to Bobbie’s Store
• then, on the right hand side, you will see  categories
• Click on: ‘cookbooks and canning’
• then… click on:page 2
• the book is available there for $3.16. A bargain!!

We all need this practical wisdom NOW.

Be blessed and encouraged! ~Bobbie

100 things about me…

Jan 12, 2009 by pearsonsprogress    5 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Family, What we're Reading

58 years old this week…

Our friend Ted, after reading my blog remarked that he was learning new things about me. That got me to thinking that I could tell y’all 100 things you may or may not know about me (and probably don’t care about… me either for that matter). Yep, this month is my birthday and I thought it would be fun ….So here goes!

1. I like to always have chapstick or lipstick on.
2. John and I will be married 41 years next month and he is the love of my life.
3. In Spain they call me Berta
4. I sincerely believe that when my kids marry, their spouses become my kids too.
5. I would love to have a house with a pool one day.
6. All my shoes are rated by how many minutes/hours I can wear them before my feet hurt.
7. I’m not comfortable speaking in large groups.
8. I liked Sarah Palins red shoes… a lot!
9. I stuck an opened bobby-pin in the wall socket when I was 5 years old and burned my hands (should have obeyed my mom and just taken my nap!).
10. One of my favorite things to do is buy large pieces of meat and cut them up and make plans for preparation.
11. I would rather eat pizza than cake.
12. John and I have 19 grands and we are expecting 3 more in 2009.
13. I’m a very practical person.
14. I love to read the Bible and I always wish I remembered everything I read.
15. I get hiccups when I eat soup that is very hot or spicy.
16. 2008 was a year that was a bit stressful for me.
17. I’m hoping 2009 will be better.
18. I admire my sister Sue for so many reasons. She learned to paint in her 50′s, she is a great business person, organized and “on top of things”, and leads Bible studies in her town.
19. I hate clutter.
20. I have been to: England, USA, France, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Colombia, Switzerland, Andorra, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco,  Portugal & St Lucia.
21. I color my hair so I won’t look so old.
22. We lived in Colombia 7 years.
23. I love to shop…. for groceries!
24. My kids inspire me.
25. I like to travel and see new places.
26. I wish every person in the world had the Bible in their own language and could read it.
27. When I’m tired, my legs “twitch”.
28. I’m working at speaking only one language at a time and try not to mix Spanish and English…hard!
29. I like to watch romantic comedies to relax.
30. I try to clean or organize one shelf in the fridge each day.
31. Nothing bothers me more than wastefulness.
32. I  hope to visit Israel one day.
33. I still need to loose 10 pounds!
34. I don’t have pets.
35. One of my grandmothers was born in Russia.
36. I like to read.
37. I love to plan parties and/or dinners for fun.
38. I feel encouraged when I get letters, email and packages in the mail.
39. This will be with 3rd year in a row that we have spent my birthday in the village of San Martin working and I love it!
40. I’m generally an optimist.
41. I love to go fishing, though I have not been for several years.
42. I love the simple homemade bed that John made us. Just plain wood but SIMPLE. I like simple.
43. I got my ears pierced when I was 54 years old.
44. I read cookbooks to relax.
45. I like to drink water all day long.
46. I love a challenge.
47. I may appear to be “out-going” but I am really shy.
48. I would rather save money than spend it.
49. I would do almost anything for my children.
50. I home-schooled our 6 children when it was uncommon to do so.
51. I really don’t like to talk on the telephone.
52. I believe that all Christians need to use their gifts in the local church because they are given for that purpose.
53. My citizenship is in Heaven and I know it.
54. I’m reading through the Bible.
55. I love to can food…John gave me a pressure canner for Christmas…love it!
56. I bought a pair of red shoes like Sarah Palins and they are waiting for me in the USA to pick up.
57. I was a tom-boy as a child.
58. John and I married young and we’re glad we did.
59. We rarely eat out in Spain but often have that treat in the USA.
60. I think garlic and onions are good for your heart.
61. I spend most of my day in the office working.
62. I don’t have any American friends in Spain.
63. I have a greenhouse and I like to go out there to plant new seeds and look at new growth.
64. Even though we are surrounded by neighbors who are not Christian, we have good friendships with them and have had opportunities to share the gospel with them.
65. I have all my wisdom teeth.
66. I’m a “night” person.
67. My cholesterol levels are in the 385 range… yikes!
68. When I get sick, it always seems to come at a time when I am too busy to rest and get well!
69. My dream “rest/vacation” is a book, & a cool drink by a pool or beach.
70. Before I go to bed, I pray for each of my children and grands. I usually start with our eldest children, John and Cheri + family and work down… sometimes I go the other way.
71. One of my favorite books is: Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
72. Chicken Kiev is one of my favorite things to eat.
73. It’s hard, if not impossible, for me to watch TV without a magazine or book also.
74. There are parts of my figure/physical appearance I don’t like.
75. I want to grow all the lettuce we eat- it’s a goal.
76. I’m a goal setter
77. I like to start our meals with a soup.
78. I love the people in my Spanish church.
79. I feel sometimes that I don’t speak English or Spanish well! Especially when I am tired or nervous.
80. I often wonder about Heaven
81. I appreciate quiet.
82. I’d choose a fruit dessert over a chocolate one.
83. I re-charge my “batteries” alone rather than in a group (making me an introvert by some studies)
84. I love order.
85. I’m reading a book called, The Shack, given to us by our kids John and Cheri this year.
86. I think money is a tool.
87. We have lived in Spain 11 years.
88. I wish I had more time to read for pleasure.
89. I drive a stick shift in Spain.
90. I wonder what our retirement will look like since the economy has taken a turn (I guess I’m not the only one wondering this).
91. After living living in a socialist country, I’ve realized that I really don’t like this form of government.
92. I love the verse: Romans 12:1&2
93. The older I get the more I desire Heaven.
94. I wish I could get the “cooking channel” here.
95. I think worshiping, reading about or undo focus on  “movie stars” is just more  than silly.
96. I love that the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, said to the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez “¡Porque no te callas!”
97. I can’t sleep unless I have a bath at night.
98. I prefer tailored clothes rather than frilly ones
99. I love clean sheets.
100. I realize that the second I am with the Lord, I’ll be glad that the foolishness of the world is past!