Debt Free Plan - Update

Dennis and I started this journey 14 months ago.  We weren't sure how it was going to go.  We were making great progress until January of this year when we added a significant amount of medical bills to the mix.  So, now we are doing Dave Ramsey for both medical and credit card debt.  2 separate snowballs.  We are hoping to have the medical paid off by the end of the year.  The cool thing is we have paid off over $20,000 in debt in the last year.  It is awesome to see it shrinking.  Keeps us motivated. 

Date: 4/21/2012 (Update from February 2011)


Need #1: We have too much debt - medical and; credit card (but getting less and less every month)

Short-term Goal #1: We will be debt free by 6/2014

Action Steps Completed:

1. We will have $1,000 in an emergency fund
a. We will put $150 into the fund every payday until we have $1,000 (We have over $1,000)

2. We will add $150 to minimum payment on CC #1 until paid off (We are on card #3)

3. We will take our lunch to work every day

4. We will only go out to eat on payday and then only drink water with our meal. (Doing pretty good with this one.  Always drink water.  Some months something comes up that causes us to eat out more often tho)

5. We will have a garage sale as soon as the weather is nicer (Had one)

6. We will brainstorm ways to make extra money, and do them  (Dennis is working overtime - what a blessing)

Action Steps to be Completed:

1. I will cook budget meals 2 nights a week and blog about them

2. I will explore ways to save money and blog about them

3. We will use debt snowball for medical as well as credit cards

Additional Action Steps Needed:

1. I will read at least 2 books on ways to save money in the next 6 months.(before 10/20/2012)
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________

Until Next Time - Here's to Snowballing,
Charyl

Grandma Hann's Cream Cheese Pie

This is a recipe my mom made all my life.  My kids ate it every holiday we were at her house and most visits.  I have loved it all my life.

Cream – 12 oz cream cheese

Add – 2 slightly beaten eggs  

Mix well

Add – ½ c. sugar

-         1 t vanilla

Mix well

Bake in graham cracker crust – 30 minutes at 375

Cool slightly – 15 min in refrigerator

Mix and spread on top

1 c. sour cream

½ c. sugar

1 t vanilla

Bake 10 minutes at 350

Graham Cracker Crust

Melt ¾ cube margarine

Stir in 8 – 10 crushed graham crackers

Press in pie tin

Happy Eating,
Charyl

Hawaiian Ham Bake

"There is no future in the past, so make the future and live the present."

Author Unknown

Easter is just around the corner.  A lot of people have ham for Easter dinner.  Thought I would give you a good recipe for that left over ham.  I made this recipe last week and Dennis and I both loved it.  Only made a small batch and wished we had made a bigger one.  It was pretty easy to make.  The one thing I thought might of made it better was putting chopped peanuts or almonds on the top.  Enjoy!!!

 

Hawaiian Ham Bake

3 c cooked ham, cubed

1 onion thinly sliced

1 sm green pepper, cut in rings

2/3 c raisins

¾ c pineapple tidbits, drained

¾ c packed brown sugar

3 T cornstarch

3 t ground mustard

¼ t salt

1 ½ c pineapple juice

½ c cider vinegar

4 ½ t soy sauce

Hot cooked rice

In 2 qt greased baking dish, layer ham, onion, green pepper, raisins and pineapple. 

In large sauce pan combine brown sugar, cornstarch, mustard and salt.  Stir in pineapple juice and vinegar until smooth.  Bring to boil, cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened.

Remove from heat, stir in soy sauce.  Pour over pineapple.

Cover and bake at 350 for 30 – 35 min or until heated through.

Serve over rice.

Until Next time. 
Chow

Redbuds in the Spring

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold; but so does a hard-boiled egg.

- Unknown

I really liked that quote.  People hear your words but if your actions don't say the same story - well then the actions will speak for themselves.  I work with a variety of people every day at work.  I try hard for my actions to match my words.  I would hate for it all to be for naught.  Same as when I had kids still at home.  If I had the philosophy "do as I say not as I do" - well that just would not have worked.  Kids are the greatest of copy cats.  You are their parent - they think you are awesome - hence they will copy.  Just the way it is.  If I want anyone to see Jesus in me - I really have to have Godly actions day in and day out.  How else will I have any kind of a testimony.  I want people to know Jesus, not turn away from him because of me!

AND I LOVE redbuds in the Spring.  Never saw one until I lived in the Midwest.  If they had them in CA I sure didn't notice.  But with Spring comes the beautiful redbuds.  I look forward to them every year.  They are beautiful.
 

Campfire Hash

Lately I have been trying new recipes.  This one we had last week.  Definitely loved it and will make it again in the near future.  The recipe originally called for uncooked potatoes and kielbasa.  Well, that just took way to long for me so I changed the recipe to have them already cooked and it went a whole lot quicker.  Just boil the potatoes a head of time and make sure the kielbasa is cooked and ready to eat.  My hubby, Dennis who isn't a fan of corn even like this and asked for it again.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

CAMPFIRE HASH

1 onion chipped

2 T Canola oil

2 cloves garlic minced

4 large potatoes, peeled, cooked and cubed

1 lb smoked kielbasa or polish sausage, cooked, halved & sliced

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (15 ¼ oz) whole corn, drained

Cook onion in oil until tender, add garlic, cook 1 min longer.  Add potatoes.  Cook uncovered until potatoes are warmed up.  Stir occasionally.  Add kielbasa, cook until meat & potatoes are browned about 10 – 15 min.  Stir in chilies & corn.  Heat through.  Serve.  6 servings

Put on the Full Armor of God

Put on the Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6

Eph 6:11: Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

I am involved in a Bible Study at church “Lord, Heal my Hurts” by Kay Arthur. I came to the part about the Armor of God – I know about the armor of God – probably even taught about it at some time in my life. But I really don’t “KNOW” the armor of God. Not deep down where it can really help. So today I have been reading and studying about the Armor of God. Now that I have learned and been reminded – it’s like wow, now I understand how Satan has been using my past to discourage me and keep me down. If I had only put on the full armor of God I would have been in such a better place emotionally. Satan truly does attack us with fiery darts and we never even know until it is too late.

6:14 – Stand firm, having girded your loins with truth…..

Roman soldiers wore a heavy belt over their tunics – it held up the tunic so they could fight plus it was where their sword, dagger and metal apron were attached.

The belt is a reminder that Jesus is the foundation for spiritual battle. He is the truth that stands against the lies and deception of Satan. To win your battle you must be wearing the belt that keeps you anchored to the truth that is found only in Jesus. We must test everything that comes at us by the truth. We find strength and protection in that truth.

6:14b – Having put on the breastplate of righteousness

The breastplate had one simple function – to protect the soldier’s vital organs. In battle the breastplate was essential for survival.

When we are in battle, which is a daily occurrence, we need to get our eyes off of ourselves and back on the cross. Only the cross provides the righteousness that is found in a relationship with Jesus. Our righteousness, effort or good works is useless, and Satan will use it to the max. If our conscience is void of offense toward God and man, the devil has nothing to shoot at.

6:15 – Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace

Without his shoes a soldier would not be prepared to fight and could easily be defeated.

The work of Jesus here on earth brought us peace with God. It is only because of what Jesus did on the cross that allows us to fight with boldness, confidence, perseverance and peace. Our preparation for the battle is the good news, the gospel of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We are to be ready always to go out with the good news of peace, even into the enemy territory.

6:16 – taking up the shield of faith

The shields that the soldiers used were mainly for self protection. The only protection against the flaming arrows that rained down from the sky in ancient times was the shield.

We need to trust in Jesus alone as our shield. We can NOT rely on our own abilities in battle. Faith, here, is the firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. No matter what comes at us as fiery darts, faith looks up and says, “I believe God.”

6:17 – take the helmet of salvation

The helmet was essential for the survival of a soldier in battle. It was the part that protected his head, brain, mind.

We need to protect our thinking. In Jesus, we can find deliverance for any and every situation, spiritual, emotional and physical. Only HE can deliver. We cannot deliver ourselves. No matter how hot and heavy the battle, Christians know that the ultimate victory is sure. Assurance of eventual deliverance protects us from retreat or surrender.

6:17b – and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God

Every soldier carried a small dagger and a large double-edged sword used for thrusting. When used at close range by a skilled soldier, the sword was a deadly weapon.

The sword represents the Word of God. God’s Word is a powerful weapon against our enemy when it’s used under the spirit’s power and direction. The word of God here does not mean the whole Bible, but the particular verses that best address the situation. Scripture memory is essential – how else can you pull up the verse you need.

David Watson says:

God gives us all the protection that we need. We must see that there is a “ring of truth” about our walk with the Lord, that our lives are right (“righteous”) with God and with one another, that we seek to make peace wherever we go, that we lift up that shield of faith together to quench the flaming darts of the evil one, that we protect our minds from fears and anxieties that easily assail, and that we use God’s word to good effect in the power of the Spirit. Remember it was by the repeated sword thrusts of God’s word that Jesus overcame his adversary in the wilderness.