Calling all new and old Shack-Attackers…
The next round of The Shack book discussion will be held on Thursday, 11 June 2009, from 730pm – 900pm at the South Riding Panera Bread long table! Whether you liked it, loved it, hated it or weren’t sure, please come and feel free to invite a friend too! 
Panera Bread is located at 25042 Riding Plaza Drive South Riding, VA 20152, the phone number is: 703-542-2408.
Let’s talk about saving money when it comes to utilities. Utilities keep going up and up and I don’t believe we are going to get a reprieve any time soon.
For your gas and electric bills, consider doing some (or all) of the following tips:
Look for cracks in the caulk around your windows both in your home and outside of your home. If you find cracks, re-caulking is a really cheap way to save some moolah.
Check any exposed air ducting for leaks. The most likely leak culprits are exposed air ducting is in your attic or unfinished basement. If you feel any leaks, repair them by placing duct tape over the leaks. Yes, that is the main purpose of duct tape, despite its many uses. Thank you MacGyver!
Install a programmable thermostat. You can program your thermostat to adjust the temperature while you’re asleep or away from your home. By raising the temperature by a few degrees is another sure money saver in the summer. Do just the opposite in the winter, and lower you thermostat by a few degrees during those same away times.
Change your air filter every month. This will help your furnace work more efficiently. It will also cut down on allergies and dust in your house.
Lastly, you can always replace your windows with higher quality ones. If you choose this route, I recommend you make sure the new windows qualify for the tax credit that is in effect now as part of the stimulus package. If the windows qualify, the credit is 30% of the product cost up to a maximum of $1500. Now if you have ever bought windows, they aren’t cheap. You would have to purchase $5000 worth of windows in order to maximize the tax credit, but if you plan to stay in your home a long time, it will be worth the investment.
What energy saving tips do you have that help your rope in your spending?
When my accountability partner, Nancy, and I come across a powerful book, we mail it to each other (she lives in Florida now). Nancy recently mailed me The Secret Things of God by Dr. Henry Cloud.
So many nuggets in this book! If you want to dig deeper on spiritual truths about God, happiness, relationships and your purpose, check this book out! You won’t regret it!
“While God alone is all-powerful, we do have a certain amount of power in our lives-the ability to exert control over the things that affect us. One of the marks of mental health is the degree to which people realize that they have control over their own lives and exercise that power to choose…you are not a helpless victim…you have choices and can exert some control over your life.”
So back to list making I went:
Things I don’t have control over:
The non-mutated thick calf gene (thanks Dad!).
The fool who cuts me off on the road.
The food selections at a restaurant.
A friend mistreating me.
My kids interrupting me.
My family getting along with one another.
Negative people.
Edgy receptionist.
The phone ringing.
Things I have control over:
The quantity of exercise I provide my calf muscles.
How I respond to the fool who cuts me off on the road.
The food I select to eat at a restaurant.
Whether that friend remains in my life or not.
The consequences my kids will face if they interrupt me.
Will I get along with my family members individually.
Quantity of time I will be around the negative person.
The words I return to the edgy receptionist.
The amount of times I answer the phone and duration of call.
The easiest way I understand this was when Jake and Cal’s PRESCHOOL teachers, Mrs. Bozek and Mrs. Angilletta, simply put it, “thumbs up and thumbs down choices”.
Figure out which one is the thumbs up and the thumbs down and make your choice…hopefully at the end of the choice brainstorming session your hands, (and not hair) will mirror that of a Mr. Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli….
Do you see today, that you have a choice? Good, bad or maybe somewhere in the middle…bountiful choices surround! What will you choose to control or allow to control you?
…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…(excerpt from Joshua 24:15, NIV)
