Live 4 Today

November 2011 Issue #003

Welcome to this month's issue.

1. End of a journey
2. Frugal Gift Ideas
3. Frugal Tip of the month
4. Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

Journeys end

"What appears to be the end may really be a new beginning." - Unknown

The end of the year is fast approaching and with it a new year with new challenges lie before us.
I'm grateful to once again be able to say that during this year God once again was faithful and He is Jehovah Jireh - my provider.

Whenever there were difficult times God has seen as through and made a way.

If you are finding yourself suddenly in a situation where your expenses are far more than your income, then take control of your finances now!

Work out a budget and learn how to cut costs in order to seriously reduce expenses.

You may find yourself in a desperate situation or at the end of a journey (retirement, job-loss, divorce, death of a loved one) and while everyone else are exchanging gifts, you may wonder if you'll have enough money to pay your bills - let alone for Christmas gifts!

But know this, it may look like the end but tomorrow the sun will come up and with it a new day....

It might not look like it now but things will get better.

Don't think I'm only saying this to you..... we're going through difficulty right now - so I'm saying this to myself also:

"God is greater than my situation".

NEED FRUGAL GIFT IDEAS?

In our home no Gammon or Turkey will be served this Christmas - it is simply too expensive!

But I plan to prepare a Scrumptious Christmas meal without these traditional meats for a fraction of the price and it will still be fabulous because we will be together as a family - hey we might even throw in some frugal fun ;-).

Christmas has become so commercialised and in general many folk are so bound by tradition that they forget all about the true meaning of Christmas

- let's not forget that we come together on this day to remember that Christ came to earth as a babe, so that He could ultimately die on a Cross to pay the penalty for our Sin and that He rose again triumphantly (John 1 verses 1 - 34 & Phillipians 2 verses 6 - 11).

TIP OF THE MONTH

Roasting times : 1, 12 - 1, 35kg or 2, 5 - 3lb = 1 - 1 1/4 hours at 190deg Celsius; 1. 5 - 1, 8kg or 3, 5 - 4lb = 1 1/4 - 2 hours at 190deg Celsius.

CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

• 2.5 cups of flour
• 1tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 a brick of butter / margarine
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups crunchy peanut butter

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Sift the flour and bicarb together, stir the peanut butter and egg into the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and combine well.
4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap (plastic wrap) and place it in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
5. Shape the dough into little balls (about twice the size of a small marble) and place them on a greased baking tray one finger space apart.
6. Use a fork to flatten them slightly and bake at 160deg Celsius for about 15 minutes.

Give these biscuits to your friends/family as a gift - place the biscuits in sandwich bags and close the bags with pretty ribbon or place them in decorated glass bottles , you can even design your own labels!

Makes approximately 50 cookies

" "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9 verse 6

Blessed 4 Today

Happy Frugal Living everyone and Merry Christmas!

Ray xx