My day begins at exactly 5am each day.

I wake already wearing a smile and ready to face my day! My hair is perfect with no gray stragglers in sight and I barely need to run a brush through it before I splash a little water on my wrinkle free face. No make up needed, of course.

After I iron a blouse and skirt to wear, I put on nylons and heels and make my way to my Bible and read uninterrupted for at least 30 minutes.

I go downstairs at 6am to find my joyful children up, dressed and reading the Bibles or praying. We exchange good morning kisses and I go to get the little ones up and change diapers. I throw a load of laundry in and starch my husband's shirt before packing his lunch.

My cheerful husband enters the kitchen as I am just finishing cooking him a heart healthy and tasty breakfast. He sits at the table with the children discussing today's Proverb and asking about yesterday's history lessons. After breakfast, everyone waits at the door with Daddy's coat and briefcase to kiss him before he leaves for work.

The rest of us gather our school books promptly and sit at the table to pray before beginning our homeschool portion of the day, which is sure to be peaceful, godly, interesting, motivating and memorable.  

Yeah right. :)

We are far from anything like that!

Hold onto your socks!

Now Spam fans can get their fix in single serve 3oz packets in Classic or Lite versions! (LOL!)

The package of Spam Single Classic reads along the tear-to-open-here line: "This dotted line is like a freeway, the freeway to a delicious explosion in your mouth."

Spam Lite Single packet: "It's time to enjoy. Take another bite and throw your head back and think wonderful thoughts of faraway places while you chew. Like a magical Spam Lite castle in the sky ..."

What more do we need? Toss away those Twinkies and Easy Cheeses. Now your world is complete. Order has been restored to the universe!

David Burn answers the questions that are first and foremost on everyone's mind that is giddy with delight and quivering with excitement...

Q. Where can I keep my SPAM Singles when I'm not eating them?

A. There is no right answer here. SPAM Singles are like snowflakes, and each will have it's own special place in our hearts. Try a bookshelf, or in your pocket, or behind the TV, or even under your pillow. If you are not sure, stare intently at your SPAM Single. Eventually, through positive mind actualization properties, you will know where to put it.

Q. I didn't know that SPAM came in single slices. What should I do now?

A. Remain calm. That's the most important thing. Secondly, use the power of your brain and imagine how your life will be changed. Go easy at first, because this is a delicate matter that could easily blow your mind. If you need to relax, make a sandwich. A SPAM sandwich!

It seems that everyone loves this time of year. The songs, the decorations, the food, the fellowship. I always imagine a family around a fireplace next to a decorated tree when I think of Christmas time. In our household, the whole time from Thanksgiving to the end of December is a wonderful period of celebration of Jesus and focus on family. A joyful time, where we enjoy the company of each other a bit more and our family traditions. Traditions, in moderation, can be a joy to look forward to each year and treasured for years to come as we look back at days gone by. A tradition can be as simple as decorating your tree the second Saturday of every December or as elaborate as an entire succession of events. Whatever you decide is right for your family will be perfect.

Every year, I try to do some baking with my children. I will make one or two of my husband’s childhood favorites and then some others. These recipes are the same ones I use every year. It has become a tradition and my children associate these treats with Christmas. When they grow and leave home some day, these treats will be etched in their memories. Here is a recipe that I bake every year for my family.

Christmas Streusel Bars

Crumb Mixture:

2 c Flour

1 c Sugar

¾ c Pecans (coarsely chopped)

1 c (two sticks) butter or margarine softened

1 egg

Filling:

            1 jar (10 oz) apricot or currant preserves

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. For crumb mixture, in large bowl combine all crumb mixture ingredients. Beat at low speed scraping bowl often, 2-3 minutes or until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 c of crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of greased 9 in square baking pan. For filling, spread preserves to within half inch of edge. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over preserves. Bake 42-50 min or until lightly browned. Cool Completely. Cut into bars.

In Hebrew each letter is a word picture.

Shalom means so much more than peace.

 Sheen teeth, destroy

 Lamed staff, authority Vav hook, nail, establish

Mem water, chaos

 Put it all together: Destroy the authority that establishes chaos!

This is why I often say Shalom instead of OR in additon to saying the word PEACE!