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Frugal Friday: The cost of disorganization
 You know how I always strongly encourage you to buy things when they are on sale and to buy enough to last you until the next sale? Well, that's usually what I do--especially when it comes to medicine since I am often able to pick them up for free with the deals at CVS. And I usually have more than enough to go around. However, I recently cleaned out our supply and gave a bunch of medicine and household products away to a church who has a ministry to the homeless. I thought I had saved enough back to last us for two months or so but apparently I didn't inventory things well and in my haste, I got rid of all of our new children's medicines. You know where this is going, don't you? Kaitlynn has been struggling with teething this week and the only thing we've found to help her is Children's Tylenol. We used up the last of the bottle before bed last night but I was sure I had at least a bottle or two unopened in the cupboard so I didn't think twice about it. Two hours later, Kaitlynn woke up feverish and crying and writhing in pain. We tried our usual remedies but when those didn't relieve her pain, we went to get her some more Tylenol. And then it was that we both discovered there wasn't any Tylenol. None. Nada. In fact, we turned the medicine cabinet upside down looking for some and there was none to be found. After an hour of searching and attempting to calm Kaitlynn, we both realized that the only way any of us were going to get sleep was with some Tylenol. So, at 2 am, Jesse made a trip to Walgreens to buy a bottle of Tylenol and a bottle of Motrin (just in case the Tylenol didn't work). I wasn't even thinking clearly enough to send coupons with him so he paid the full price for both bottles--to the tune of $17 dollars total! Folks, that's a whole lotta money to spend on medicine when you are used to buying it for free or more-than-free. However, at that point, I didn't care; I just wanted Kaitlynn to have some relief. Gratefully, the Tylenol did the trick and she settled down somewhat and we were able to get a semi-restful few more hours of sleep. But in the morning, it dawned on me that my lack of organization to realize we didn't have any Tylenol left--or to not donate our last unopened bottle in the first place!--would have saved us a lot of trouble, missed sleep, and $17! And Kaitlynn could have gotten relief much sooner. Moral of this long story? Being organized really does save you money and frustration. Maybe next time I'll remember that when I'm handing out the last dose of medicine in a bottle or taking inventory of what we have in our medicine cabinet. And maybe my sad little tale can serve as a reminder to you to do the same so you don't have to make a medicine run and pay full price for it at 2 in the morning! ------------------------ Join in the fun! Have a frugal tip or deal to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
This week in books: Week 17
 Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss - I've had this book sitting on my shelf for almost two years and hadn't even so much as cracked it open until the other day. And once I'd cracked it open, I could hardly put it down. While there were many lies in the book I didn't believe, there were many that I realized I have believed or am believing. And these have reared their ugliness in doubts, worries, fears, frustrations, and stress in my life. God does not want me to live in bondage to these things but it is only through the Truths in His Word and through understanding who I am in Christ, that I can have freedom and walk in joy and victory. I do have to mention (you knew it was coming, didn't you?) that the only thing which bothered me about this book was the fictionalized journal entries from Eve. I thought they subtracted from the book rather than added to it and could have been omitted without the book losing any of its strength. However, that said, this little minor bothersome part is not enough to deter me from heartily recommending this book. No matter what age you are or what season of life you are in, I would highly, highly recommend this book. It is a must-read for every woman; the Truths from God's Word which it contains could truly change your life.  The Spotless Bride: The Beauty of a Holy Church Dwelling in a Pagan Culture - As Christians, we are called to walk in holiness, to be "in the world, but not of the world." As such, there should be a marked difference in us because we are to be the spotless Bride of Christ. This CD challenged and inspired me to truly desire holiness and purity in my life--that I might be a testimony to the world and bring glory to the Lord! I would highly recommend this CD.
Read With The Girls:
 Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop - During the German occupation of France, twenty French children are sent to a refuge in the mountains. When 10 Jewish children are brought to the school, hiding them seems like a game--until the Nazis arrive, and ten lived depend on the cunning and courage of twenty. This book was an easy read and kept Kathrynne and I quite captivated. A few of the parts were cheesy or unrealistic, the writing wasn't the greatest (it was meant to be written from the viewpoint of a young child, though, so I think that is the reason), and I edited some of the parts to be more appropriate for a three-year-old (some of the children were rather unkind and selfish in parts so we either read it and discussed their lack of God-honoring behavior or I just omitted some of it as I was reading it). Despite these few things, overall, it was a good read. Bible Reading:Finished 2 Kings and am almost finished with 1 Chronicles. I'm hoping to make it to Psalms by July. We'll see! What have you been reading this week? Any excellent recommendations?Labels: Reviews
Review and Giveaway from More Than Alive
Last year, I stumbled across a new company called More Than Alive. When I dug around their website, I was thoroughly impressed. Not only did they carry my favorite vitamins, they also had a large selection of other products, helpful articles, and delicious healthful recipes. The owners, Vlad and Joy, contacted me a few months ago about possibly reviewing some of their products and you better believe I said "yes"! I had been eyeing this Berkey water filter for some time so was thrilled to have an opportunity to try it out. After a few months of using this water filtration system, we are sold. Not only does the Berkey do an incredible job of filtering, but it is so easy to take care of and refill. Since we only have a small family right now, the Berkey Light is perfect as it holds 2.75 gallons--we only have to refill it once every other day as opposed to multiple times per day like we had been doing with the Brita pitchers. Best of all, for the price, this is an excellent deal--you no longer have to pay for bottled water and you don't have to worry about replacing filters! Plus, this system is much less expensive than water distillation systems or Reverse Osmosis systems: With respect to cost per gallon of water, calculated upon the cost per gallon for replacement filters and energy costs, Distillation systems and RO systems properly maintained typically cost between 35-65 cents per gallon. A Berkey system typically costs about 1.6 cents per gallon. (Read more here.)
Water is so good for you, but water that contains harmful chemicals is not going to do you any good. Knowing that our water has been filtered through such a high-quality filter has brought great relief to me; I don't have to worry about nasty contaminants in our water anymore! Berkeys come in a variety of sizes, the largest of which holds up to six gallons of water so no matter your family size, there is a Berkey for you!  More Than Alive also sent me a bunch of their organic herbal teas to try out. As a tea aficionado, was I ever excited! And I have loved their teas--especially the Peppermint Leaf. I've never been much for peppermint tea, but there's something about this tea that I've become addicted to; in fact, I normally drink one to two cups of it everyday and have almost polished off the huge bag they sent me! Once again, their tea prices are extremely reasonable--and they always give you a little extra just because they are generous like that. They just added some new flavors and, I must say, I think I'm going to have to buy some of this tea to drink the next time I'm having a "blah" day. Doesn't it just look like the perfect remedy? ---------------
For those who are interested in placing an order, More Than Alive has graciously offered to give a 10% discount on any order placed through Saturday from my blog readers if you use coupon code k2c9w at checkout. I would heartily encourage you to check out their website--they have many, many wonderful products to choose from and their customer service is also excellent. You will not be disappointed in this company.
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And now for the giveaway... Who wants to win some delicious organic tea? Two winners will have the opportunity to choose two pounds of tea from More Than Alive. Here's how to enter to win:
::Visit More Than Alive and choose which two flavors of tea sound most tantalizing to you.
::Come back here and leave a comment with your top two tea picks (please include your name and email address or blog address so I can contact you if you win!).
:: I will randomly choose two winners on Monday and will announce them next Tuesday.
::This giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S. Labels: Giveaways, Reviews
Guest Post: A Simple Reminder
 Guest Post from Mrs. Theresa GouldA few years ago a friend shared in a letter to me something the Lord had showing in her about the comparison trap from II Corinthians 10:12, "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves, are not wise."I've realized through the years how it is far too easy to fall into the temptation to compare ourselves and all it ends up accomplishing is robbing us of our joy, as well as our enjoyment of our home and children we have been blessed with. At the same time, it is all too easy to judge one another about how we look, or how our homes look or our children look or act. Each of us come from various backgrounds, work ethics and training. Therefore, each of us will be at different places in our homemaking journeys. While it is fun to learn and glean from others, it is easy to fall prey to the temptation to compare. All of us should not only accept where we are at personally in making our houses homes--be it total organized or semi-organized or learning to become organized. We should also accept where our sisters in Christ are in their journeys, valuing the diversity the Lord has given us in the Body of Christ, no matter what that might look like. Most of us are also learning our homemaking skills with a baby, toddler(s), and other children under foot--which is challenging in itself without adding the comparison trap to it. So let's avoid comparing, all the while learning to glean the gold nuggets as we sift through so many sources of helps and advice along the way. -Mrs.Theresa Gould is Robert's wife of 14 years, homeschooling mother to seven children. She enjoys spending time with her family reading, going for walks, or doing household projects. In spare moments she can be found reading or writing. She and her family also enjoy working on their home business Faith and Family Books.
Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Home Management and Organization
I think she's been listening in to our rousing dinner table discussions
Out-of-the-blue while we were cleaning the bathroom today Kathrynne asks: "Mommy, what's wrong with the government?"
While we're answering that big question, we might as well talk about being epistemologically self-conscious.
Successful Homemaking with Toddlers: Is it Possible? Part 5
 Now that we've covered some basic groundwork as it relates to successful homemaking with toddlers, I want to share some practical things which have helped me tremendously to cultivate more organization in our lives.
I've already covered some of these in detail in the time management series, so I'll just be posting links to those and encourage you to go read them:1) Get up early - This is the number one thing which has helped me to keep some semblance of organization in our lives. Read more here.
2) Create a morning routine - Choose five things to do in the same order every morning. Read more here. 3) Develop a workable, full-fledged schedule - After I developed and implemented a workable morning routine and had seen how much of an impact this had made in my day, I moved on to establishing more organization in my life by creating and implementing a full-fledged daily schedule. Read more here. Just as a written budget allows our money to work so much harder and go so much farther each month, so a written game plan for each day enables us to use the time much more wisely. What I have found most helpful about a written routine for our day is that I know what I'm supposed to be doing and when I'm supposed to be doing it. If I don't plan for it, it often doesn't get done. With this in mind, here are just a few ideas of things I'd encourage you to plan into your day if you have toddlers:First off, plan time in your schedule to enjoy your children and invest in them.When the weather is nice, take your children out for walks and let them run around outside and get fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. It will not only be good for them, but it will be healthy for you as a mom, too. Read wholesome, character-building books to your children on a variety of levels. When I read picture books to the girls, they sit next to me, look at the pictures, and follow along with the words. When I read books a bit above their level with few or no pictures, the girls usually just listen in while playing in the same room quietly. We've also found a great time to read at our home is when we're sitting at the table eating. Breakfast time couples as Bible time at our home and tea time in the afternoon is also reading time. Be a cheerful, joyful, fun mama who gets down right at your children's level and just has a blast with them! Play games, sing together, pray together, work together, laugh together, talk with your children not just to them, love on them and shower them with hugs, kisses, and encouraging words. Who says mothering has to be a boring, dreary, burdensome task? Sure, it's a lot of hard work and responsibility, but you can also have the grandest time in your life nurturing and caring for these precious souls God has given to you! Pro-actively planning time in your schedule to enjoy your children, play with them, and invest in them will be one of the most valuable things you can include in your day. And having a written framework for you day that you follow allows you to make sure and include this important time in your day. Next time, we'll talk about a few more things I'd encourage you to plan into your day. Stay tuned!How have you been enjoying your children recently? What fun activities have you been doing together? What helps you to be a joyful mother? I'd love to be inspired from you all!
Labels: Home Management and Organization
Making Your Home a Haven Monday: Showing Christ's love
The sermon at church yesterday was on Titus 2 and encouragement specifically for moms and women in honor of Mother's Day. One thing which really stood out to me was the point that while being a keeper of our home does include striving for organization and cleanliness in our homes, what is most important is that we are showing Christ's love through our homes--to our families and all those who would enter our homes. I don't know about you, but for me, I sometimes find myself focusing more on crossing things off my to-do list than on enjoying my children, loving my husband, and delighting in my calling as a wife, mother, and homemaker. What's the point of clean floors and toilets, if I don't have love towards my family or I'm too busy cleaning and organizing to take time for them? So today, instead of some encouraging you to accomplish some project related to organizing or cleaning for Making Your Home a Haven Monday, I want to challenge everyone (myself included!)to take some time today to enjoy your children, show practical love to your husband, open your home up for ministry to someone in need, or refresh your own spirit in the Lord so that you might be a more joyful wife, mother, and/or homemaker.
I can't wait to hear what creative ideas you all come up with! Post about it on your blog and leave your link below. Thanks for joining us!Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
A family outing at the farmstead
After church yesterday, we went with some friends to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead--a fun and free petting zoo/botanical gardens/children's park of sorts. The girls had a blast and it made for a very special Mother's Day for me!  Kathrynne loves her shades! (And check out those boots! She asked for some black boots "like mama's" recently and so, armed with her clothes envelope cash, Daddy took her on a special shoe-shopping trip!)  Daddy excitedly telling the girls about one of the animals or birds in the cages. He and Kathrynne love to go around and read all the signs and descriptions together; they always find some new fascinating tidbit of information!  Kaitlynn says, "Please can I get out of here and go play with everyone else?!" Feeding the chickens with the FishBoys. Labels: Family fun, Pictures
Guest Post: Mother's Day: An opportunity to minister
 Guest Post from my real-life friend and wonderful example, Jessica Fisher from Life As MOMBetween my first and second children, I miscarried three times in the course of eleven months. While it's true that I was already a mom, I desperately yearned to have more children. To become pregnant and to have it end abruptly was heartbreaking, over and over and over again.
Another sad but true fact about that time is that the very sight of pregnant women, friends or not, often had the power to prompt anger or resentment in me. I am sure I am not the only one who has felt that. There are probably women you know who struggle with that today. Perhaps you are one of them. I am thankful that God has worked that out, at least over that issue. Though it is a powerful reminder to me of the danger of envy.
There are all sorts of platitudes that we can share with a woman struggling with issues of infertility or miscarriage. Believe me, I heard a lot of them. I'm not sure that there is a universal "great-way-to-respond." But, as we approach Mother's Day, there may be a woman in your midst for whom Sunday will be very difficult.
Here are some thoughts about how to think about her situation:
- Ask if she wants to talk about it. I was really helped by the opportunity to share what happened to me. So if you're not squeamish, offer to listen.
- Take a surprise meal. There were days when my motivation was at an all-time low. Since I love to eat, food was a great comforter to me--as long as I didn't need to fix it. It's a great way to show someone you care, provided that it doesn't feel like a charity donation, but rather a joyful surprise.
- Invite her (and her husband and children) for a fun activity. Being stuck at home can leave us focused on our sadness of state. Distractions and looking outside ourselves can be really helpful.
- Pray for her. I'm sure there were more friends praying for me than I knew at the time. God has brought great healing since then--and five more children!
- Don't be embarassed that you have children or are pregnant when she is not. Children are a blessing! That said, try not to complain about how hard your life is. It may be really hard at times, but I would bet she'd give anything to have the trials you have. If she seems receptive, invite her to be a part of your day-to-day lives. This may be a little difficult to feel out. Everyone is different.
- Love her. Call her. Just talk to her. Be her friend.
 --Jessica Fisher is a wife, mother, and home educator, making her home in Kansas City. She and Bryan have been married for fourteen years and are parents to the five FishKids: Nile, 10; Jordan, 7; Calvary, 5; Judah, 3; Cana,1. They are expecting their sixth child in late summer. While the Fisher mini-van is now bursting at the seams, this was not always the case. One of Jessica's passions is to enjoy this journey called motherhood and to help other moms do the same. Visit her at her new blog beginning Sunday, Life as MOM.
Labels: Service and ministry
Frugal Friday: The Total Money Makeover Live Event
 What could be more frugal than attending The Total Money Makeover Live Event last Saturday? Okay, well, it does cost around $33 to get in, but it's likely one of the best $33 investments you'll ever make! At least we certainly think so. This was our second year to attend a Live Event and I have to say that there's nothing quite like being in the same room for five hours with over 11,000 people who are all ecstatic about "living like no one else". In a world where being debt-free, taking personal responsibility, exercising self-discipline, and wisely stewarding your money is practically unheard of, this was quite the breath of fresh air!  We know by heart many of the things Dave shares since we are practically Dave Ramsey "groupies", but we can always use a refresher course to give us new and revived motivation for why we're doing what we're doing. It's easy to lose focus or get off track without constant reminders to prod us on to continue making sacrifices now which will, Lord-willing, allow us to bless many others in the years to come and also to, as Dave says, "change our family tree". The biggest blessing of attending the Live Event was the realization of how much traction we've made in the last year towards our financial goals. It was especially exciting seeing as we've had a number of setbacks this past year: my hospital stay and health issues, Kaitlynn's birth, needing to buy a new-to-us vehicle, and Jesse being unemployed for a few months. God has been so faithful to us in providing for us and I also must say that this frugal living stuff really does pay off, even if sometimes it seems like we're making a lot of sacrifices and seeing very little light at the end of the tunnel. We were able to step back and look at the bigger picture at the Live Event and it was so thrilling to clearly see the difference that a year of "living like no one else" has made!  The girls and myself at the Live Event--nevermind how tired we look. (This was after three days of having a garage sale, four days of having colds, and five or more days of too little sleep. Needless to say, by the end of the weekend, we were completely wiped out! But it was worth it!)---------------- Join in the fun! Have a frugal tip or deal to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
This week in books: Weeks 13, 14, 15, and 16
After a rather long and unplanned sabbatical from much reading, I'm finally able to post another This Week in Books feature. Here's what I read the last few weeks: The Growing Homeschool: Integrating Babies and Toddlers into Your Already Busy Schedule While the layout and organization of this book could use some improvement, there were many helpful and encouraging thoughts and ideas shared. If you are a mom who is trying to juggle homeschooling with toddlers, you'll especially find this book insightful. The Strenuous Life - As some of you know, Teddy Roosevelt is a man I greatly admire. At the homeschool conference, my husband found this little reprinted book of a speech Roosevelt gave when he was still alive. Jesse quickly snatched it up for me knowing I would be thoroughly excited. And I certainly was! Since then, read it once and then he read it aloud to me as well. What an inspiring man and message! Here's the closing paragraph: "I preach to you, then, my countrymen, that our country calls not for the life of ease but for the life of strenuous endeavor. The twentieth century looms before us big with the fate of many nations. If we stand idly by, if we seek merely swollen, slothful ease and ignoble peace, if we shrink from the hard contests where men must win at hazard of their lives and at the risk of all they hold dear, then the bolder and stronger peoples will pass us by, and will win for themselves the domination of the world.
Let us therefore boldly face the life of strife, resolute to do our duty well and manfully; resolute to uphold righteousness by deed and by word; resolute to be both honest and brave, to serve high ideals, yet to use practical methods. Above all, let us shrink from no strife, moral or physical, within or without the nation, provided we are certain that the strife is justified, for it is only through strife, through hard and dangerous endeavor, that we shall ultimately win the goal of true national greatness."
You can read the full speech in its entirety here. That's it for the book reviews today. Hopefully, I'll be able to carve out more time for reading over the next few months so that I can be more faithful about posting this weekly feature. And maybe it will even go back to being a weekly feature! Bible Reading:Finished 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and am working my way through 2 Kings; I need to pick up the pace as I've been moving rather slowly through this recently and only getting in 1-3 chapters per day as opposed to my goal of four chapters. What have you been reading recently? Any terrific book recommendations for me? (Not that I need to add to my already-huge stack of books waiting to be read, but I'd still love to hear!) Labels: Reviews
Win a dozen roses and a copy of Passionate Housewives!
 What mom wouldn't love this great giveaway? Enter here by May 10, 2008, to receive a dozen roses and a copy of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. Labels: Giveaways
This is why you should never blog about something unless you are sure it really and truly works
I've been lax in participating in Works-For-Me-Wednesday recently because, ahem, I haven't really felt like I have many new ideas. However, Shannon's hosting a What-Didn't-Work-For-Me Day in lieu of her usual fare so this should be easy! There's a whole list of things I could talk about that don't work for me: trying to survive on less than six hours of sleep at night, cutting out chocolate, not drinking enough water, overloading my schedule, grocery shopping with two little children when everyone is tired and hungry... Instead of elaborating on those, I'll 'fess up and tell you one of the biggest flops I've had in my short mothering tenure--my grand idea of doing the infant potty training thing. Kudos to those of you who have successfully potty trained your six-month-olds but it didn't work for us.
There, I admitted it.Kathrynne would faithfully go every time we put on her the toilet from the time she was a wee little thing but it all hinged on us actually remembering to take her. Which meant that in order for said girl to stay dry I had to dutifully take her every 30 minutes. How is this scatter-brained momma who often can't even remember to brush her own teeth supposed to remember details like that? Yeah, I guess the books on the whole Elimination Communication phenomenon skipped over the simple part of how you're supposed to teach your six-month-old to tell you they have to go. I was embarrassed to admit this for awhile seeing as I'd blogged about it and all. (Note to self: forgo blogging about anything in the future until you are completely, absolutely, 100-percent-without-a-doubt sure that it actually works.) But I guess now is as good a time as ever to admit my over-achieving, first-time mom flop. The good news is that after working at it for two and a half years, I am happy to report that aforementioned girl is now completely potty-trained and rarely needs a reminder from me. Our second-born, Kaitlynn, is almost eleven months old and hasn't a clue what the toilet exists for. And I think we'll be keeping it that way for at least a little while longer. Two and a half years of potty-training one child just seems a little much to me. Gulp.Labels: Mothering
Successful Homemaking with Toddlers: Is it Possible? Part 4
 In this series so far, we've talked about redefining "successful homemaking", learning to rely totally upon the Lord, and seeking your husband's counsel and direction. Today, I want to share with you something which is near and dear to my heart: 3) Successful homemaking with toddlers can only happen when we have our priorities in the right place. (Some of the below is taken from the Finding Time series, in case it sounds familiar to some of you!)
When we say "yes" to one thing, we are also saying "no" to something else. I purposed when I was 12 years old to wrap my life around things which would count for Eternity. Though sadly I sometimes lose sight of this goal, the Lord often reminds me of it and I, once again, re-evaluate what I am doing in light of Eternity.
Two questions which help eliminate much of the stuff that can clutter up life are:
1) Does this glorify the Lord and honor my husband?
2) Will this matter in Eternity?
If the answer is "yes" to both of those questions, then I need to evaluate it in light of the order of importance.
My priorities at this season of my life as a child of God, wife, mother, and homemaker, are, in order:
1) My relationship to the Lord.
2) My relationship with my husband.
3) My responsibility to train, raise, and nurture the children the Lord has blessed us with.
4) My role as keeper and guardian of our home.
5) Everything else: Fellowship with and ministry to other Christians in our local area, reaching out to the lost, blogging, and so forth.
I highly encourage you to take time today to list your priorities for the season of life you are in order of importance and then evaluate every opportunity in light of those. You will probably quickly find there are a whole lot of things you can eliminate--things which might be good things, things which might be great things for others to do, but things which, for you, will only distract you from the best things.
I'm slowly learning that while it is great to be inspired by others and it is wonderful to learn new skills, it's okay to do less.
Really, it's okay.
In fact, it is probably more than okay; it might be the best thing for your home and family if you learn to say "no," slow down, and savor life right now.
We can't all do everything and we would do well to realize this. Instead, we should stop comparing ourselves to others and start focusing on what God has called us to do.
This will mean different things for different people as we are all in different seasons with different husbands and different families. Do what God has called you to do and seek to do that well. Don't spend your life trying to do more than you can do, be more than you should be, and run yourself ragged trying to impress or outdo other people.
I'm learning that it's okay in this season of our lives for me to keep dinner very simple (and sometimes do my dinner dishes in the morning!), to be a minimalist in decorating, to downsize my online activities, to limit my outside activities, to stay home most days, and to say "no" more often.
It's okay that we've cleared out a lot of excess commitments and stuff so that we can focus on what is most important--pleasing the Lord, having a strong marriage, raising up our children for the glory of God. We're focusing on basic, simple, fundamental things here--things which will matter in Eternity.
And so, I encourage you to also be free to do less and focus your time and energies on what really matters.
Next in this series, we'll be talking about some practical ideas for cultivating organization in your homes when you have toddlers. Stay tuned! I'd love to hear from other moms and women out there on how you keep your priorities in place and what helps you to eliminate the "good" things in order to focus on the best things. Labels: Home Management and Organization
Guest Post: Mothering and Ministry
Guest Post by Joy Fourney from Joy in the JourneyAs a missionary, many people ask me what I see as my role in ministry. I'd like to share from Scripture and my experience concerning what I believe a married wife and mother's place in ministry should be. First and foremost, I believe that, as wives, our primary role is one of support. As a wife, it is my primary focus to make sure that my home is an oasis for my hardworking husband, making sure he has good meals, clean clothes, and lots of encouragement. There is much more I'd like to say about this, but for this post I want to focus on the role of mothering. As a mother, my role is to train my children in "the way they should go". The home should be a "training ground" in which I impart wisdom to my little ones by teaching them about God, His Word, and life. "She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26. Where did we get the idea that to be a godly woman we must participate in all church activities, as well as lead as many of them as we possibly can? There's this idea that doing "ministry" can only take place outside the home, and that only "real" ministry can be done when the husband and kids are out of the way. Mothering these days is looked at as something to get through, or get away from so that we can do "real ministry". Dear ladies, what are our children doing while we are out "doing" ministry, and who is watching them? God has given us such an important ministry! He's entrusted us with little souls who are searching for truth. What could be more important than that? Yes, there is lots of ministry that we could be doing outside the home. But then, where would our precious children be? The only One we should be concerned with pleasing is the Lord. What is His plan for our lives in ministry? He is so clear: our first, our primary, our most important ministry, is right in our homes, training our little ones. "...so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands that the Word of God will not be dishonored." Titus 2:3-5. This, as women, is our primary ministry and this is exactly what God has called us to. More than anything, I want this verse to be true in my life: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4 So, if our primary role is mainly in the home, what can ministry to others look like? Let me just clarify that I am speaking mainly towards women with young children. Since that is the stage of life I am in, I could never speak to women older than I am or outside my stage of life. First, before you think of expanding your realm of ministry in any capacity, you need to look around and ask yourself honestly, "Is my family cared for to the very best of my ability?" and "Is there something that I could be doing for them, that I'm not doing now?"Whatever ideas you have about ministry need to be discussed with your husband first, and then prayed about to seek God's leading. So, what kind of ministry am I talking about? First and foremost, wherever you go, whether it is to Wal-Mart or McDonald's, always seek to share the love of Christ. Make sure that you are the "sweet aroma of Christ" anywhere and everywhere you go! Here are some simple ideas to get you started: -Hospitality is a great area for the whole family to get involved. Invite your unsaved neighbors over for a meal. Here in Indonesia, I enjoy walking around with the kids and getting to know our neighbors. This has produced many wonderful friendships. -Make sure friends and family know that they are welcome to drop in anytime, for a meal or for a night. -Invite a single girl from church over to your home. She will feel honored and blessed by your invitation. Your house doesn't need to be spotless, you don't need to serve the best meal, just making your guests feel welcome and wanted is enough. Find something that you and your children can do together to reach out to the community. Some simple ideas might include: -Prepare a meal as a family, and take it to a sick friend, a new mom, or an elderly member of your church. The kids will think it's great fun to help mommy cook, and then to share their creation with others. -If you are baking for your family, make extra. Then get the kids and all go together to deliver it to a friend. Why? Just for fun--the recipient is surprised and the kids think that it is great fun. -Have your kids write special notes to elderly members of your church or local rest home and then deliver them. Notes from little ones will melt any heart. Any of these things can greatly enhance your life, as well as the lives of your children. However, you need to make sure you keep it all in perspective. If you're making a casserole for the family down the road, but have nothing to feed your family, perhaps it's time to rethink your priorities.  -Joy is the proud wife of a missionary pilot, as well as the blessed mommy to five. She and her family live on the island of Tarakan in Indonesia, where they serve as missionaries. Joy has a passion to encourage women to find contentment in the "mission field" right inside their home--their family. You can visit Joy at her personal blog, Joy in the Journey.Labels: Mothering
Letting go of perfectionism
 This was an excellent article (a big hat-tip to Ladies Against Feminism) and I'd encourage all you perfectionists, recovering perfectionists, or wanna-be perfectionists to go read it. Here's a snippet: Under the best of circumstances, of course I would want to have my home in order with a homemade bread bowl filled with steaming dip made from artichokes I grew in my own organic garden. Who wouldn't? There is nothing wrong with trying my best and taking care of my home. However, when my idea of perfection becomes more important than people it has moved past its proper place in my list of priorities.
Believing I must be perfect before I reach out to others leads to misery of my own making. I've even shied away from friendships because other women seem to "have it all together" while I can’t remember to put on lipstick. It seems this sort of comparison is one of the most difficult things for women to overcome. I do it without realizing it, and in doing so, heap trouble on myself. When I compare my situation to others, I live by the extreme standards of the world and lose sight of what is most important--people. I can't take stuff with me when I leave this earth. Why then should I spend time worrying over things that are not eternal?
Read full article.
This article speaks exactly about what I've been learning the past few months as a recovering perfectionist. I like having a clean, clutter-free and organized home and striving for order as opposed to chaos is a good thing. However, when it means that I am so stressed out about having everything as perfect as possible to the detriment of relationships, I have my priorities way out of order. But I must admit that still struggle a great deal with this. I'm s-l-o-w-l-y learning, but I still have a long way to go. I'd love to hear from those of you who can relate to where I'm at--those who have also struggled with perfectionism and worrying about what other people think more than about how you can minister to other and glorify the Lord: --What has helped you get over perfectionism so you can more-readily minister to others?
--What advice would you have for someone like me who struggles with perfectionism?
--How does one find a God-glorifying balance between having an orderly home and yet letting go of perfectionism?
Graphic from AllPosters.com
Labels: Homemaking
Frugal Friday: Two quick deals and a link
 Thanks for your patience with my lack of posting this week--I had to shelf blogging for other things this week. However, I hope to be back in the saddle early next week as my brain is brimming with posts.
Two quick deals of note for Frugal Friday today:
 Sign up here to receive a coupon for a free Stonyfield Farms YoMommy 4-pack. Yay! Just my kind of freebie--we love the YoBaby yogurt so I'm excited to try out the YoMommy yogurt, too!
 Wal-Mart has their Kashi cereals on sale for $2 box. Use this coupon and get them free! Yummy! Also, for those who didn't have a chance to read it, I posted on saving money and simplifying your life from the clamor of "activity clutter" here. ---------------- Join in the fun! Have a frugal tip or deal to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
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You know how I always strongly encourage you to buy things when they are on sale and to buy enough to last you until the next sale?
