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Frugal Friday: I'm drawing a blank
 Has anyone noticed I've been a little quiet here this week? Between the ebook sale that is going absolutely gangbusters, a minor car accident I was in (no one was hurt and it wasn't my fault, but the car was damaged and I've spent a lot of time on the phone with the insurance company, etc. as a result), coupled with some other possibilities looming on the horizon which could mean some big changes (and really good changes!) for our family in the next few weeks, I've not been in a state of mind to blog much this week. Thank you for being patient with me as I take care of things here on the homefront and process all that's going on. I hope to be able to share more soon of how God is working in our lives and directing and providing for us--it's been an exciting week! In the mean time, I'm afraid I have no frugal thoughts to share with you today. Well wait, I sort of have one: Have you gotten your ebook package yet? So help me out here, make up for my lack of wise words with your frugal links below! ------------------- Have a frugal tip 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. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
Christian Family Entrepreneurship Seminar--win two tickets!
People sometimes ask me if I do public speaking. Why, of course, I speak in public all the time. Oh, you mean in front of crowds? Not on your life. I have always adamantly avoided anything to do with standing on a stage in front of crowds. By the grace of God, though, I'm working on doing hard things and stepping out of my comfort zone, so when my husband and I were asked to speak at the Christian Family Entrepreneurship Seminar, I completely surprised my husband by saying I was willing to do it. 
I suppose it was the fact that I was asked to speak with my husband gave me a bit more courage; he's a pro at public speaking and I figured he could cover for my grave inexperience. More than that, though, I am really passionate about encouraging families to dream big, work together, and glorify Christ through entrepreneurial pursuits so I couldn't turn down this opportunity--in spite of my fear of public speaking. The Christian Family Entrepeneurship seminar will be held in Wichita, KS, on Saturday, August 16, 2008. My husband and I will be on a Q&A panel and also doing a mini-session on a practical glimpse into melding family-life and entrepreneurialism and how it works out on a day-to-day basis for us. We'll likely be sharing a lot of what hasn't worked for us and how you can learn from our mistakes, which have been plentiful! For those who live within driving distance of Wichita, KS, I'd heartily encourage you to consider attending this seminar as I think it will be very beneficial to you and your family (not, for the life of me, because I'm stammering and stuttering speaking, though. You can use that mini-session time for a restroom break!). Jesse and I were privileged to meet the keynote speaker, Wade Myers, at a conference last year. His love for the Lord and desire to glorify God, as well as his immense knowledge and wealth of practical experience in the business world has been incredibly inspiring to us. I am excited to learn more from him and glean from his wisdom and insight. Best of all, this seminar is designed to allow lots of time for networking among like-minded Christian families; I'm thoroughly looking forward to that! PSST! I have two tickets for two seats to give away randomly to one blog reader who lives in the Wichita, KS area or who would be able to make the drive to attend the conference on August 16, 2008. In order to enter to win these, drop me an email (biblicalwomanhood @ sbcglobal . net --remove spaces) by Friday, August 1, 2008. I'll randomly choose a winner and will get in touch with all the entrants to let them know who won. Labels: Do Hard Things, Giveaways
Summer Blowout Sale!
Today is the big day! It's been so long since we've ran any sale of any kind around here so we just decided to do a crazily huge Summer Blowout Sale. It's our biggest sale ever and likely to be the only of this magnitude. ALL of our ebooks, downloadables, and audio workshops--including our best-selling Supermarket Savings 101 eCourse--are on sale in one package deal for $5.97. Yes, you read that right--you get over $100 worth of money-saving products, homemaking helps, and more for only $5.97! How's that for a great deal?! Go here to read all about everything you'll get for this low, low price. Hurry, though, as the $5.97 price is only good for the next 24 hours. Thursday, the price will go up by $3. Friday, it will go up another $3. And Friday night at midnight, the sale is officially over with. We've done great sales before, but nothing quite like this. So don't delay, head right over here and order this incredible deal while you can! Labels: Special Offers
I'm skipping posting our usual Making Your Home a Haven feature as the girls and I have a delightful day planned with Monica and Carrie and their children. These lovely ladies--whom I've long admired from reading their blogs--are in town visiting relatives and were kind enough to carve out some time for us. I'll be back with pictures and more details on our time together later!
 The words of this song have been really meaningful to me recently. May they encourage you as well today: O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; O'er us sin no more hath dominion-- For more than conquerors we are! His Word shall not fail you--He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell! Refrain: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. -Helen H. Lemmel Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Encouragement, Faith
Frugal Friday: A simple, healthful, and frugal breakfast recipe
 With blueberries in season right now and ripe for the picking, it's pretty easy to find them on great sales. Better yet, you might be able to pick your own at a local farm and get them incredibly reasonable. Here's a good recipe we just made for the first time this week which is simple, healthful, delicious, and uses basic pantry ingredients: Blueberry Rise 'n' Shine BiscuitsMix together in a mixing bowl:2 cups whole wheat flour (can use white flour or half and half, if your family prefers) 1/2 tsp. salt 3 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda Cut in with a pastry blender until crumbly:4 Tbsp. butter (may use shortening, if you prefer) Add in:1 cup milk or buttermilk Stir lightly until combined. Then fold in:1 cup fresh (or partially-thawed frozen) blueberries Pat out carefully in a heavily-floured surface to 3/4 inches thick. With a biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place them on a buttered baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. While biscuits are baking, stir together the following ingredients to make a glaze:1 cup confectioner's sugar 2-4 Tbsp. milk 1/4 tsp. vanilla Drizzle glaze over biscuits as soon as you pull them out from the oven. Serve piping hot with butter--yum!  Recipe adapted from Martha's Family Cookery Book available from Marmee's Kitchen.
What are some of your favorite simple, healthful, and frugal breakfast ideas? I'd love to hear.
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Have a frugal tip 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. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating! As always, in keeping with the spirit of encouraging true frugality, business solicitations or posts solely advertising your business or product are not allowed.
Labels: Frugal Friday, Recipes
A missionary in my own home
 Yesterday Kathrynne intently looked up and asked me, "Do you know why Jesus died on the cross?"
Curious to see what she'd answer I said, "Why?"Her eager reply: "For our sins. To be the pro-pi-ti-a-tion for our sins."
While I doubt she completely understands the meaning of " propitiation" (and don't even ask me where she picked up that word!), it so warms my heart to see her delight and interest in God and His Word. At breakfast this morning she asked, "What does it mean to be a Christian?"I may not be ministering to multitudes of heathens in third-world countries, but I have opportunities every day to share the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ with my children. O Lord, may I be faithful to shine as an example before my children. May they see Jesus reflected in and through my life!
 A special mother-daughter outing at Social Suppers (I was asked to write a review for them for MoneySavingMom, so we got to do a complimentary cooking session!)Labels: Mothering, Service and ministry
From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation: Overcoming the Worn-Out Woman Syndrome - Part 2
 "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) Once I had admitted how overwhelmed and weary I was feeling and poured out my struggles to the Lord, I began slowly examining everything in my life with my husband. What specific problem areas in my life could be contributing to my exhaustion? One very obvious area needing attention was my relationship with the Lord. Most days, I was spending time in God's Word and prayer, but it felt very dry and lifeless. It was as if I was "going through the motions", without any heartfelt effects. Oh yes, some days a verse or two would really speak to me, but by and large I didn't find myself hungering and thirsting after God. Upon further reflection, I realized that, in a sense, I'd become "too busy for God". No, I would never have told you that, but my actions and attitudes were speaking loudly concerning my priorities. If I had a choice between God's Word and getting on the computer or reading an interesting book, sadly, I would have chosen the latter. Rarely was I spending deep times of fellowship and communication with the Lord and often I'd rush through my Bible reading in order to get on with the next thing. Yes, this was a serious problem and it takes me a great deal of courage to even admit where I was. My heart's desire was still to glorify God, but I'd become so involved in so many different other things in life that I had lost sight of my First Love. The solution for me was not a quick fix, but a slow process. I began making myself stop and linger in God's Word. I started journaling again in order to help me focus and dig deeper into the Scriptures for nuggets of Truth. I asked God to encourage me through His Word, to deepen my relationship with Him, and to restore my hunger and thirst for Him. Jesse and I felt the need to discontinue certain things in our life which we felt might be pulling me towards the world and away from God. I took a media fast and cut back on my computer time replacing these things with listening to sermons and hymns. I started reading through some of our many inspiring and deep books by great men and women of faith of old (C.H. Spurgeon, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray, etc.). And Jesse spent a lot of time praying for me and praying with me that God would renew my heart and my desire for Him. You know what I found? The more time I spent fellowshipping with the Lord, turning my heart towards the things of God, and asking the Lord that His desires might be my desires and that I would love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, the more I wanted to fellowship with Him. The more I seek to know Him, the more I want to know Him. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from perfected in this regard. I'd like to tell you that I'm never tempted to skip quickly through my quiet time in order to get on with more "important things", but I still struggle plenty with this. However, I am thrilled that almost daily I am having rich times of sweet fellowship in God's Word. I've learned that if you are too busy for God or too busy to pray, you are just plain too busy. Make whatever necessary changes you need to make in order to nurture a vibrant relationship with the Lord. Be ruthless; it's for your soul. Resources:Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry RoomPassionate Housewives Desperate for GodMy All-Time Favorite Devotional BookArticles:Starting Your Day Off RightMy Number One Time Management TipMoms and Devotional Life (specifically for young mommies who can barely find time to brush their teeth!) ******************* What helps you to nurture a vibrant relationship with the Lord? What areas of your life do you need to change or adjust in order to make God preeminent in your life? Remember that different things will work for different people in different seasons of life-- do what works for you! God bless you as you seek Him first! Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation
From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation: Overcoming the Worn-Out Woman Syndrome - Part 1
 At the beginning of this year, I found myself struggling with a tremendous amount of exhaustion. Spiritually, emotionally, and physically, I was just plain worn out. The events of 2007 (job loss, three months' unemployment, our planned move back "home" falling through, my health crisis and pregnancy difficulties, and adjusting to being the parents of two) had left me feeling like I was wrung out, tapped out, and zapped out. And yet, as a wife and mom of two, I couldn't just wave a white flag of surrender. I had to keep going... but how? Surely God didn't desire for me to live at the brink of collapse, did He? I've spent the last six months really praying and seeking the Lord with my husband concerning this, reading books on burn-out, talking with wise women, and implementing the things I was learning. By God's grace, I am no longer feeling completely wiped out; instead, I wake up most days with my old vigor and excitement for life renewed. I feel so much more at peace, so much more relaxed, have so much more energy, and am enthusiastic about what life holds! I am far from cured from The Worn-Out Woman Syndrome (and I think true and complete freedom from this struggle will only be found in Heaven!) but I am slowly learning to detect early warning signs of exhaustion and am taking preventative measures to keep me from lapsing back into a state of extreme weariness again. Ever since God began restoring my strength and rejuvenation, I've wanted to chronicle my journey out of exhaustion in a series on my blog. I am quite positive I'm not the only woman who has experienced this or is experiencing this and I hope that sharing my struggles and solutions might be of help to others. And so I embark on this series, From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation, a series God is still writing and I am still learning. *********************
How many of you are struggling with similar feelings of weariness? I believe the first step to overcoming exhaustion is to admit you are feeling it in the first place. I encourage you to truly dig deep and pour your heart and your struggles out to the Lord. Then, talk to your husband (if you are married) or a trusted Godly woman. Don't stuff your feelings of exhaustion--reach out and ask for help! That's what the Body of Christ is here for. (By the way, if you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, please feel free to email me requesting prayer. I can't promise to have a chance to write back but I will promise to spend time praying for you and asking the Lord to minister to your heart as He has to mine.) Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation
Newsflash: She can walk!
 After a few weeks of doing the prolonged standing and walking-while-holding-onto-your-hand thing, Kaitlynn worked up the courage to take those first few steps on Sunday night. Only one day shy of 13 months--yay, Kaitlynn! She has also mastered the art of climbing all the way up and down the stairs, flushing things down the toilet, taking everything out of almost all the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen in less than three minutes, and removing the books from the bottom two bookshelves in what seems like less than a blink of the eye. She's a bundle of energy, a bundle of joy, and a bundle of giggles. And we're soaking it up!  Labels: Pictures
Beauty in our home
In light of today's Making Your Home a Haven challenge, I took a little extra time to look for beauty and create beauty in the everyday things. Sometimes it's the little touches that matter the most!  Breakfast: Blueberry biscuits (quite healthy and delicious!) and strawberries--yum! Fresh veggies (most from our garden!) for morning snacking. Homemade peach pie for dinner--ready to go into the oven. Just for fun, I added hearts and stars to the top instead the usual top crust. Freshly-cut flower arrangements from our flower gardens--beautiful, so easy to do, and free (well, unless you count the initial cost of the little flower starters or seeds)!  Instead of the usual flower vase, I like to use my tea pots , tea cups, or cream and sugar servers to hold fresh flowers. It adds a unique and beautiful touch, and eliminates the need for extra vases while allowing my tea collection to serve a dual purpose! Lunch: Heart cut-out PB&J, carrots and grapes with a pretty napkin and flowers to garnish the table.As an aside, did you notice that most of the pictures were of food? One of the major changes I've made in the last few months in order to help combat "the worn-out woman syndrome" I had been experiencing is to spend close to an hour exercising (walking, elliptical, weight gym, running) six days per week. This has made a significant difference in the way I feel and I have so much more energy and stamina throughout the day as a result; however, I am almost always hungry now. So I'm trying to fuel my body with lots of healthful, wholesome foods every few hours throughout the day. I'll be sharing more on this in our upcoming series which starts tomorrow. Stay tuned! Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Making Your Home a Haven: Take time to beautify!
 In an effort to make your home a haven and bless and refresh all those who would enter its doors, I want to encourage you to take a few moments to beautify at least one area of your home. Maybe it's picking some fresh flowers and making a simple arrangement for the kitchen table, or rearranging some furniture, or hanging a picture. Think about something simple you can do to make your home a more welcoming haven and then do it! I'll share pictures of what I do later on today! Graphic from AllPosters.com----------------------- Would you like to join us in the "Making Your Home a Haven" Challenge? Just do something to beautify an area of your home or do something else to "make your home a haven" and post about it on your blog. Come back here and leave your link below so that we can be inspired! Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Frugal Friday: Taking a break from bargain shopping--it's okay!
 Here's my simple and frugal tip for today: It's okay to take a break from bargain shopping. Really, it's okay. No, I'm not condoning the going out and blowing lots of money on overpriced foods and household items, but I am encouraging you to take a break every once in a while. Or maybe even more than every once in awhile. I know how easy it is to get caught up in saving money, using coupons, and scoring great deals. Believe, I know. And so long as you are buying things you need, using money you have budgeted, and not neglecting your more important priorities in life, using coupons can be a great way to stretch your hard-earned dollars farther and feed your family well in the process. However, it's also okay to step back for a week or two or longer. In fact, I think it is good to take a break or a breather from couponing now and then. Whenever I start to feel like I am getting overwhelmed with the deals or coupons or just plain burnt out, that is usually my signal to step back from it for a week or two and focus on other things. Since I use coupons and shop the sales and deals 40 weeks or more out of the year, I usually have a pretty good stockpile of extras built up, so I can take a few weeks off here and there without it affecting our food supply or household product supply much at all. When I take a break from using coupons and bargain shopping, I'll often still make a quick trip to the store for milk, fresh produce, and a handful of any other items we are out of, but I won't worry about checking the deals or planning to use any coupons ahead of time. I just zip in the store and zip out and I'm done for the week! You know what I've found? When I take a break from bargain shopping for a week or two, I find that I enjoy it more when I come back to it. And I usually also come up with new ways to save or streamline or just plain new inspiration during my breather from it! So, for those of you who are more "hardcore" couponers, do you take a break from time to time? What works best for you?
Related: To read more of my thoughts on keeping it simple and manageable when it comes to frugality, go here. ------------------- Have a frugal tip 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. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
This Week in Books--long overdue edition
I've been reading a lot recently, I've just not taken the time to share all the great books I've been reading in a weekly post in the last few weeks. Instead of listing all the books I've read, I just wanted to highlight my two favorites:  From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life From the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg
If you are looking for some motivation to organize your life and find more peace and clarity, you'll definitely want to read this simple book. I expected the content to be primarily about organization and de-cluttering, instead this book goes much deeper and investigates the root problems and causes for many of our stresses and struggles in life. I appreciated the author constantly bringing you back to Christ. Without Him, we can have no clarity in our lives. A good, thought-provoking read.
 The Worn-Out Woman: When Your Life is Full and Your Spirit is Empty by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray Oh how I needed this book (a huge thanks to a commentor who first recommended it)! I didn't realize how over-booked my life has been and how much of a worn-out woman I was until I cracked it open and read the first few chapters... it totally changed my life and my focus! I so thoroughly benefited from what I learned in this excellent volume and feel like many of you might be where I was, that I've decided to dedicate the next few weeks to posts on what I've been learning. So go get yourself a copy of this book if you can and then come back here next week to join us in the series as I share what God has been teaching me and what has been enabling me to rise above the exhaustion I was experiencing and find passion and rejuvenation again! Labels: Reviews
Home Education at Our House: D is for Delighting in the Lord
Here's this week's lesson plan:
Week #4: The Letter "D"Bible Time: Read one story from the Bible and review ABC Bible verse bookMemory Verse: "Delight thyself also in the LORD and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4) Character Theme: Joy--seeking first the kingdom of God, others first using story/poem from Teach Them To Your ChildrenSong: "Joy, Joy, Joy!" Letter Review: DEF letter-readings from Alpha-Phonics (at the back of the book for those who have this book--I just have her read half a page per day and plan to review these at least a few times per week while we're studying D, E, and F. We'll continue on like this with each letter so that in 26 weeks, she should be very familiar with all the letters and their sounds). Nature Study: Dogs (We checked out books from the library on dogs and are also making a trip to the pet store.) Books to Read (1-3 per day, all somehow related to joy/serving others): My Thank You Book*
Two Surprises*
Birthday Friend*
God's Happy Family*
Because I Love You--we just got this book and I love it! What a powerful message!
*These are Little Jewel books (highly recommended!) available from Rod and Staff Publishers. Lengthier Book to Finish (read a chapter or so per day): The Family Under the Bridge
What fun educational things are you doing at your house right now? Labels: Home Education at Our House
Giveaway: Reclaiming the Culture 7-DVD Set from Vision Forum
We recently had the opportunity to watch through all of these DVDs and I highly recommend them. My two favorites of the set were the DVDs by Ray Comfort, Guerilla Apologetics for the Glory of God and We Cannot But Speak: How to Gain a Passion for Evangelism:  If you can't afford to buy the whole set, you must, you must, you must get yourself a copy of these two DVDs. They are powerful; they are convicting; they are life-changing. As Christians, we cannot be silent as millions of people live in sin, sickness, and despair. We must boldly proclaim the truth. In an engaging way, these DVDs will cause you to thoroughly re-examine your heart and motivate you to move beyond your fear of man to witness to others of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also included in this set are the following DVDs: What is Biblical Femininity? by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin  Training Dominion-Oriented Daughters by Geoff Botkin  The Promise: The Beauty and Power of the Fifth Commandment by Doug Phillips  Foundational Elements of a Godly Estate by Geoff Botkin  The Providential Nexus of Jamestown and Plymouth by Dr. Paul Jehle To enter to win this entire set of seven DVDs from Vision Forum: ::Visit Vision Forum and pick out one or two (or ten!) items your family especially likes or would like (if you own some of the items, we'd love to hear about your top two favorites!).
::Leave a comment sharing about your favorite product from Vision Forum or, if you've never ordered from them before, tell us what item(s) you'd love to order. Be sure to include your name and email address or blog address so I can get in touch with you if you win.
::This contest will be open until next Tuesday evening and a winner will be randomly drawn and posted on Wednesday (or thereabouts!). Labels: Giveaways
Lovin' That Man of Mine: Cheerfulness
 Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." and how right that is! I can't you tell what a tonic my cheerfulness is to my husband after a long and tiring day at work. The reverse is also true, though. If my husband comes home to a complaining, grumpy wife it can be a real discouragement to him. I've found that when I struggle the most with being cheerful it's when my eyes are not focused on the Lord, when I'm tired, and when I'm trying to do too much. And oftentimes, it's a combination of all three things. If I'm especially having trouble with a grouchy attitude, it helps to step back and examine my heart: Am I trying to do things in my own strength? Am I resting in the Lord and looking to Him for my fulfillment and joy? Am I meditation on God's Word and taking time to encourage myself in the Lord? Am I trying to do too much? Have I been getting enough rest? Are my priorities in order? I don't know about you, but I've found my husband would much rather have a messy house and a cheerful wife, than a well-organized and squeaky clean home and a high-strung, grumpy wife. We can't do it all, but we can look to the Lord to give us grace to accomplish what is most important. So let some unimportant things go, say "no" more often, take time every day to refresh yourself in the Lord, rest in His love, and exude the joy of the Lord to your family and especially to your husband! A few practical ideas that help me:::Take five minutes today to just look into your husband's eyes, smile, and tell him how thankful you are for him, how thankful you are for what God is doing in your life, or any other cheery words you'd like to express. ::Purpose to not say one negative or complaining word all day. Tell your family to remind you if you forget. ::Spend some time reading the Psalms or look up 15 verses in the Bible on joy and write them out on cards and tape them in various conspicuous locations all over your house. ::Feeling especially discouraged? Turn on some uplifting music and just start singing! Or vacuum your whole house and sing all your favorite songs while you do so. There's something about singing that just cheers you up and melts away stress and anxiety! I find old hymns to be incredibly comforting and sometimes when it seems like life is spinning out of control and I'm ready to pull my hair out, I'll just sit down with a hymn book and rock Kaitlynn and sing through 10 or 15 hymns. It's so soothing! What helps you to have and keep a cheerful, joyful spirit? Share with us in the comments section and let's encourage each other to purposefully cultivate this important character quality.Labels: Lovin' That Man of Mine
Blessing others through hospitality
Guest Post: Keeping Your Sanity
 Guest Post from Laura at HeavenlyHomemakers.comI just received an email from a close friend of mine who has three little ones, ages six, three and one. All the kids had been sick for about a week. Here's part of what she wrote: So, tell me something… do you get regular time to yourself? Like once or twice a week do you get an hour or two with no responsibility? Or even once or twice a month? If you don't, how do you manage to stay sane?
Please tell me, because I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle with sanity right now. I feel like I must be super weak, because I just can't cope like I should. It's taking everything I have to not yell and scream and throw things. (It's not always this bad, I know… it's just B.A.D. right now). Please tell me what I'm doing wrong?! I replied with this:
You need to remember that you are not alone. Many other moms out there feel this way and I think that it feels worse when you think, "All the other moms must be handling this better than I am so what's wrong with me?"
But every mom feels this way at one time or other. None of us handle everything smoothly and calmly all of the time. If you're home all day working hard with your kids, it's tough. And then you feel guilty for thinking it's tough because they're your kids and you shouldn't feel this way about them. The guilt is enough to make you feel insane as it is.
So you're normal. Normal. Normal. And you're also very normal, too.
Mothering is always harder when all the kids are sick and whiny. It's hard to listen to whining all day. Just relax and hold them and let everything else go by the wayside for now. They just need you to hold them for now, that's it.
As far as getting alone time, I don't usually get much. That's okay with me although getting out on my own here and there is refreshing! I just try not to focus on thinking that "getting out" will solve all of my frustration. Otherwise "getting out" is all I'd ever want to do! I promise that it does get easier but all of your kids are itty-bitties right now and at the same time! I mean, I do still feel all of this stuff sometimes, but not nearly as often as I did when my kids were all little like yours are. Yes, that's when I did feel like I could go insane. Now that the boys are able to do more for themselves (and more for me), it's a little easier. It will not be this hard for you forever.
Just a few suggestions off the top of my head:
*Focus on eating well. Get yourself a bunch of delicious fruits and veggies and focus on eating it. You will physically feel better, you really will. And you will feel better emotionally because you'll know you're taking good care of yourself. And it is all so yummy.
*Pile up in the stroller with everyone and just go around the block a couple of times. The kids will love the outing and the fresh air will be good for them! (And I'm guessing they won't whine during the ride!) Plus, you'll be getting that fresh air, you'll be out of the house, and you'll have a nice walk.
*Last, check into getting the book, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. I've heard great things about it and it sounds like it may help empower you with what you need right now as a wife and mom. God knows where you are right now, and He knows what you're doing. What you are doing has such great value... you are doing just what He wants you to do! -Laura Coppinger has been married to Matt for 13 years and is mom of four boys ages 3-10. Visit her blog for more encouragement and practical homemaking ideas.
I'd love to hear from other older moms out there: If you received the email Laura received, how would you respond? What encouragement do you have for young moms who are feeling especially beaten down and worn out?
Graphic from AllPosters.com
Labels: Mothering
Making my home a haven: A peek into our Monday
 I had high hopes of getting up around 5 am this morning since I'm really trying to get back into the swing of getting up early again. But alas, the alarm clock went off and I got up to nurse Kaitlynn and promptly went back to sleep as soon as I was finished and didn't wake up until 7 am. Instead of feeling frustrated, I just decided to get up and get with it! I turned on some music jumped on the elliptical--our new and very first piece of exercise equipment secured for a great deal off of Craigslist--and tried to outdo my time and calories burned from yesterday. I've found that the first 10 minutes are the hardest and after that, it's a lot easier. (As an aside, Jesse and I have been having a blast trying to beat the other person each day in time and calories burned. It's a fun little competition we have going and it's very motivational!) After exercising, I felt quite energized and ready to begin the day--even if I was two hours behind! The girls were still sleeping so I spent a leisurely time reading a devotional book and finishing up the last four chapters of Job and the first chapter of Psalms. I'm so excited to have finally made it to Psalms this year in my plan to read through the Bible in a year! Yay! I spent some time meditating on Psalms 1:2, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law doth he meditate day and night." This verse has been going through my mind today at random intervals and I've been contemplating whether I'm truly delighting in God's Word. That is my heart's desire but so often I can get distracted by the cares of this world. I hopped up from my time of refreshment in God's Word to make Jesse's lunch and get him out the door. The girls were still sleeping, so once Jesse had left for work, I flipped on my computer and checked my email, moderated blog comments, and wrote up a few blog posts for my other blog, MoneySavingMom. Kathrynne finally sauntered downstairs after an hour or so and I turned the computer off until naptime. (I've been trying really hard to keep the "black box" in it's proper place in our home so for me, that means it's only on in the early morning or during naptime. This makes such a major difference in our home!) We woke Kaitlynn up and went downstairs to make strawberry/banana/flaxseed smoothies and English muffins for breakfast. While the girls ate, I read the Bible to them, introduced our new verse for the week, read from Teach Them To Your Children, reviewed the ABC memory verses, and read two library books to them. Kathrynne has been begging me to read, read, read to her and since I figure lots of great books will certainly not hurt her (!), I've been trying to fit in as much reading as possible. After breakfast, we were supposed to do baths and clean-up, but my highly-side-tracked self instead got motivated to clean out the dressers and closets, thanks to the inspiration from Handprints on the Wall. We try to keep things very simple and uncluttered here, and I routinely go through the whole house to get rid of excess stuff. I'm always amazed, however, at how much we can accumulate even with me being pretty ruthless!  The girls' Summer/Fall closet--after the pruning. (I shoot for 2-3 Sunday dresses and a few play dresses per season. They also have around 3-4 tops and bottoms that are mix and match for everyday wear.)
I put away a bunch of clothes that no longer fit the girls, put a number of items that were stained or we just didn't like or use in the garage sale box, and organized what was left. Wow! I can't describe how much better it feels to have pruned things back down to the basics or almost-basics again.  My Summer closet--after the pruning. As you can see, I keep it really simple and definitely fit the title of "minimalist" when it comes to clothing. :) (Half the closet is my business attire that I keep handy for wearing to political/legal events. The other half is my Sunday and everyday stuff. I have 2 Sunday/nicer tops that I mix and match with skirts. I usually buy 2-3 new tops per season, plus some nice T-shirts for everyday wear and maybe one or two new skirts per year.)
After the closet-cleaning-out was finished, I cleaned up the kitchen, tackled the mountain of laundry on my bed, and did some picking up and dusting. While doing this, I talked with Jesse on the phone and found out he was coming home early so we could go pick up the van from the repair shop (again!). We had a quick lunch and I put the girls down for their rest time/naptime. (Kathrynne doesn't really nap anymore, she just usually lies down for awhile and watches Mr. Fixit or reads stories in her bed.) While the girls were resting, I finished up some of the morning chores and got dinner ready and the kitchen cleaned up (we kept it simple and used a lasagna from the freezer along with green beans and grapefruit for dinner). When the girls got up, I gave the quick baths and got them dressed in their matching outfits to go out with Daddy. They just looked so cute that I had to take pictures...    There's nothing Jesse loves more than to come home to a relatively clean home, a cheerful wife, and his girlies all dressed up cute. I think it makes it a very welcoming haven for him! Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Making Your Home a Haven - Refresher Series
 I hope you all enjoyed a restful and refreshing weekend as a family. We certainly did, though our house is a bit more the messier for it! And that's why I'm glad for another Monday and another Making Your Home a Haven Challenge!
If you've not had a chance to join us yet, feel free to jump right in wherever you and do whatever you can do. Remember that doing something and starting somewhere is better than nothing at all! I've added in a few extra items this week since hopefully some of us have established some basic routines now. If it feels too overwhelming or too much, just pick one or two of the following items and do those. Don't bite off more than you can chew! 1) Refresh Your SpiritBegin your day with the Lord. Fix yourself a delicious hot drink or cold drink and spend at least a few minutes praying, reading God's Word, and meditating on Scripture. Ask God to bless your day and to love through you. Find your joy and hope and strength in Him. Did the Lord give you a special word of encouragement this morning? Share it with us!2) Do Your Morning RoutineIf you don't have a morning routine, take a moment to write down five things you'd like to accomplish in the same order every morning. And then get busy tackling them! Remember to keep it simple. It's better to plan a few things and get them done, than to write out an elaborate list and not do it. 3) Take Time to PlanAfter your morning routine is finished, write out a short to-do for today (five items or less). Number the items in order of importance and start on number 1. Don't move on to number 2 until you've completed number 1. What's on your to-do list today?4) What's on the Menu for Dinner?Take a moment to plan what you'll be having for dinner and then do as much of the prep work as possible before noon. Fix up a pot of soup, throw something in the crock pot, whip up a casserole, or pull something out of the freezer. I recommend you have this dinner prep work as part of your morning routine or scheduled into your morning somewhere. Then you'll save yourself realizing it's five o'clock and you haven't a clue what to fix! What are you serving for dinner?5) Project of the DayTurn some uplifting music on, light some candles, put an apron on, roll up your sleeves, and let's get busy! Set your timer for five minutes and start at your front door again and quickly walk through the main living areas of your house straightening and picking up and putting away anything that's out of place. When the timer beeps, you're done, so work fast and don't get distracted. Then, go to your kitchen (you knew we'd get there soon, didn't you?) and wash, dry, and put away any dirty dishes there are (or use the dishwasher) and then quickly straighten anything else that's out of place, wipe down your counters and cupboards, and replace your dish towels. If you have a chance, take before and after pictures of your main living areas and kitchens and share them with us.I'll post my challenge update in the early afternoon or evening. Have a wonderful day, ladies, and I can't wait to see and hear how God blesses you as you seek to be a blessing to your families. Let's pray for one another while we work! Graphic from Art.com----------- Would you like to join us in this "Making Your Home a Haven" Challenge? Just do one or more of the items listed above or something else to "make your home a haven" and post about it on your blog. Come back here and leave your link below so that we can be inspired! Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Frugal Friday: Foraging for food
We recently discovered a nearby park has lots of mulberry trees. We've been having a blast going once a week and picking those beautiful dark berries as a family. What more frugal and fun family activity is there than picking fresh berries for free?
 Anyone have any great mulberry recipes? My attempt substituting mulberries for blueberries in muffins was a bit of a flop. They burned badly, but I'm not sure if it was the mulberries or the fact that I substituted yogurt for sour cream. Have you foraged for any food this Summer? If so, tell us about it!---------------- Have a frugal tip 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. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating! Labels: Frugal Friday
Home Education at Our House: C is for Caterpillars
 (Don't pay attention to the fact that this is actually the lesson for last week's "B is for Butterflies"! I meant to post this picture along with it and forgot to! I use the planner pages from GraceWorks to write up our weekly lesson plans and then keep all of the books we'll be using that week in a big basket in our living room.)
Week #3: The Letter "C"Bible Time: Read one story from the Bible and review ABC Bible verse bookMemory Verse: "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right." Character Theme: Obedience using story/poem from Teach Them To Your ChildrenSong: "Children Obey Your Parents" Letter Review: ABC letter-readings from Alpha-Phonics (at the back of the book for those who have this book--I just have her read half a page per day and plan to review these at least a few times per week while we're studying A, B, and C. We'll continue on like this with each letter so that in 26 weeks, she should be very familiar with all the letters and their sounds). Nature Study: Caterpillars (We checked out books from the library on butterflies/caterpillars and are also raising our own butterflies using this kit, thanks to Jesse's family. It's been incredibly fascinating for the whole family to watch the caterpillars turn into chrysalises!) Books to Read (1-3 per day, all somehow related to obedience): Keep The Lights Burning, Abbie--we love this book and would highly recommend it!
Make Way for DucklingsJust Four*
Molly Helps Mother*
Happy Helpers*
Helping Mother*
*These are Little Jewel books (highly recommended!) available from Rod and Staff Publishers. Also Read:
Ox-Cart Man--we really enjoyed this book, too. Thanks to those who recommended it.
Lengthier Book to Finish (read a chapter or so per day): The Family Under the Bridge
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Related: I loved Monica's post here on teaching the ABC's to her young daughter in a fun way--very inspiring!
And just for fun, here are a few pictures I took during the parade in our community on the Fourth of July:
Labels: Home Education at Our House, Pictures
"You're wasting your life!"
Wise words from GirlTalk: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). Our culture is constantly telling us to find our life; that we're the center of our world, and as such, we need to take care of "me" first. We need to find what fulfills us and not let anyone or anything (especially a husband or children) get in the way. But when I'm the center of my world, my world becomes very small--because I'm the only person in it. When I try to find fulfillment in anything besides loving Christ and serving Him, I will only end up more frustrated and completely unfulfilled. Now, don't misunderstand. I think we as women should express our creativity, and even more importantly get sufficient rest. But the purpose of creativity should be to glorify God with our gifts, not to find "personal fulfillment," and the goal of rest should be to strengthen us for service, not to carve out "time for ourselves." If we want "personal fulfillment" as women, we must not follow our culture's prescription of selfishness. Rather, we must lose our life for Christ's sake. Then, amazingly, we'll find that our world expands. We'll know the thrill of seeing the fruit of our sacrificial service in the lives of those around us. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the sentiment from well-meaning folks, "you're wasting your life!" I suppose to the world, the fact that I've given up a career path in favor of changing diapers, wiping noses, and cleaning toilets might seem like a really poor trade-off.
In God's eyes, however, loving and serving my precious family is more important than anything else I could be doing. This is my calling, my ministry, my mission field. Yes, it's mostly unglamorous, repetitive work. Yes, there are days when it is overwhelming, days when I'm exhausted, days when I struggle to be content and cheerful. But it's in giving and sacrifice that I find true fulfillment.
When I stand behind my man and invest time and effort towards bringing him honor and success, I receive much more fulfillment than I ever would by seeking after my own honor and success. When I see the fruits of my labors in training up our children and I look into their precious eyes and hear them express their love for me, I know it is worth it.
Truly, there is no greater work I could be doing. Labels: Service and ministry
From frustration to gratitude
Last night, my husband called me on his way home from work to tell me that our van was acting up again. It was overheating and showing warning signs that something was really wrong so he thought it best to pull over and let it cool down while he determined what to do next. I had been out grocery shopping with the girls all afternoon and they had both been exceptionally cranky. It was hot, I was tired, and I was in no mood to be bothered by a phone call about car problems-- especially since this was literally the tenth or more time that our van has had problems in the last month and we've poured a lot of money and effort into getting it fixed in recent weeks and it was supposed to be "good as new". (And for all the parts we've replaced on it in the last four weeks, you'd think it would be!) I'd like to tell you that I sweetly responded to my husband, breathed a prayer of thanks to God, and offered to bring him cookies and ice-cold lemonade. Instead, I was anything but kind and courteous on the phone; I was frustrated, irritated, and upset--as if he deserved to be blamed for the car problems! My fuming continued as I drove home; I was upset at my husband, upset at the girls, and yes, ultimately I was upset at God for allowing us to have so many car problems recently. As we drove into the driveway and I began unloading all the groceries feeling agitated and sorry for myself that I would probably have to cancel my plans for the week because I'd be stranded at home without a vehicle for a few days yet again, I noticed the recently-abandoned single mom who lives across the street unloading her car and three little children. All of a sudden it hit me: how would I like to be in her shoes? My seemingly-overwhelming problems looked microscopic when held up to what she is dealing with. Not only is she having to pay all the bills and take care of all the vehicle and house problems that arise by herself, but she's also single-handedly raising three young children with no husband in the picture. To think I was complaining and frustrated over having to spend a little more time and money to get the van fixed and stewing over the possibility of missing out on some planned activities for a few days? Needless to say, I immediately realized how selfish and ungrateful I was being and quickly went and confessed my wrong attitude towards my husband and the Lord and asked their forgiveness. Next time I find myself facing some easily-frustrating situation, I hope I instead remember to focus on how much I have to be thankful for. In light of the burdens others are bearing, my little problems are truly petty and insignificant. Labels: Gratitude
It was a good day...
So, it took me a little longer than two hours to complete everything on this list--more like 3 1/2 hours--but, by God's grace, I finished it!Here's what the house looked like at the beginning of the day:   And here are the post-cleaning pictures:   Do you know how nice it feels to have the whole house picked up, the carpets vacuumed, the bathrooms cleaned, and all the laundry done? All at the same time? This is definitely a historical day. And tomorrow you may not even be able to tell that any of it was done (!), but at least for tonight, Jesse walked into a welcoming haven. Labels: Making Your Home a Haven
Making Your Home a Haven Monday: The Two-Hour Quick Clean Up!
 With the busy holiday weekend behind us, our home could definitely use some basic all-purpose picking up and cleaning today. So instead of tackling our Refresher Series like we've been doing for the last few weeks, I'm devoting two hours today to getting things back in order around here--want to join me? Two-Hour Quick Clean Up*Before starting, spend time at least a short time in God's Word and prayer. Refresh your spirit with the promises and encouragement found in Scripture so that you will be well-prepared for the day and whatever challenges it holds. I also encourage you to be showered and dressed to your shoes. There's something about being fresh and dressed for the day which helps me work so much faster and stay on track so much better. Don't ask me what it is, but it really works for me! And now you're ready to roll...
1. Put on an apron, turn on some uplifting music, light a candle, and start a load of laundry.2. Go to the kitchen sink and wash, dry, and put away the dishes. Then, shine the sink (ala FlyLady!) and wipe down the counter tops. Try to get this completely finished in 30 minutes or less. 3. Set the timer for 15 minutes and briskly go through the house and pick up as many items as you can which are out of place and return them to their proper places (and if it's trash, throw it out!). 4. Switch the laundry in your washer to your dryer or clothesline and start another load of laundry.5. Take some all-purpose cleaner and a few rags and go quickly spray and wipe down all the bathrooms. Remember, this is just a simple spray and wipe of your bathrooms which should only take five minutes maximum per bathroom. Save the heavy-duty cleaning for later! 6. Do a quick sweep and mop of your kitchen and bathroom floors if they need this (and if your home is anything like our home, they will need this!). 7. Vacuum the main living areas of your home--don't worry about moving furniture or going over every inch of carpet, just make sure and hit the main traffic areas. 8. P | | |
Has anyone noticed I've been a little quiet here this week?
