FREE KINDLE CHILDREN'S BOOK: SUMMER WITH THE MOODYS BY SARAH MAXWELL

ANOTHER FREEBIE!!! Download it now because it's only available for free until May 9th!

Sarah Maxwell, (the daughter of Steven and Teri Maxwell from Titus2.com) is graciously offering her book Summer With the Moody's (Book 1 of the Moody Family Series) for FREE for the next couple of days!  My family owns the hard copy of this book and we love it!

This book is about the Moody family and the events of their everyday life.  This is a Christian, conservative, homeschooling family who make decisions based upon what is glorifying to God.

One of the biggest issues our family finds with Christian entertainment is that often bad attitudes and actions have to occur in order for you to get to the moral of the story.  The problem?  The bad attitudes and actions are often throughout the book and the moral of the story is simply a short insert at the end of the book/movie.  I noticed that my own children will copy and mimic whatever they see the most.  So even though I was trying to show these actions were bad, they still focused upon the things I was TRYING to steer them away from!

What I love about this book is that this family is encouraged to follow God.  The children do not fight and bicker, but they are encouraged to be each other's best friends!  This book is an encouragement to my family because it glorifies HOW to behave instead of glorifying foul actions and a short correction at the end.

You can click here and download your free Kindle version (also works on all computers, tablets, and phones that have downloaded the free Kindle app) of this book!  Make sure you share this with your family and friends and download it before it's no longer free!  You can share this post via social media by clicking on the social media links below this post!

Also, I'm sure the family would be encouraged by your review on Amazon.  I think when someone offers something free, it is always a good way to tell them "thank you."  I hope you are as blessed by this encouraging series as we are!

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WATCH CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING FOR FREE ONLINE NOW THROUGH MONDAY ONLY!

If you have never watched the documentary, Children are a Blessing, by the Moore family, now is the time to do it because you can watch if for FREE from now through the end of this weekend!

I will admit that some of my favorite parts from this movie are NOT from the video, but from the bonus features, so I would encourage you to get the DVD which is on sale right now for just $10!  You can get the DVD by clicking HERE! (affiliate link)

This is a really good documentary and it is encouraging in viewing children as a blessing!

You can watch this documentary from now until Monday at 10pm ET.  Click on the link below to watch the video and please remember to share by clicking on the Social Media options below this post.  This is an encouraging movie that all of your friends and family need to see.  Remember though, after Monday, you will no longer be able to watch it for FREE!


https://vimeo.com/39167938

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Where is God? Where Are You?

Something that has really been upon my heart lately that has broken me away from my silence.  I realize I have not written in close to a year, but much has happened this year.  Maybe I'll get into all of that in another post.


But right now, my heart is heavy.  I am so discouraged lately...not by homosexuals or abortionists or even atheists.  I'm greatly discouraged by the "Church."


I guess I expect the world to act like the world, but I expect the Church to act like Christians.  I guess we all have our own convictions and views of what "Christianity" is, and while I see room for slight variances, there is just too much division between us when there really shouldn't be.

1)  Take for example modesty.  Now, we all have different ideas of what is modest, probably based upon our experiences.  However, if we look at a person's wardrobe, you can often tell if they are trying to 1) Please themselves, 2) Please the opposite sex, or 3) Please the Lord.

I am probably slightly stricter than many on modesty, but even when someone does not have as strict as a conviction as I do, I can still tell when they are trying to please the Lord with their modesty.  They do not have to have my convictions to do this.  However, when a Sister in Christ is exposing her breasts, thighs, and figure, it's also very clear to me whom she is trying to please:  the world.  Sometimes it's done subconsciously (for I used to do this), but the effects are still the same.

If anyone preaches on modesty, they are being legalistic.  This is one example of how Christians are out to please themselves instead of God first.

2)  Look at the movies, music, and television shows that are popular among Christians.  I know what is popular amongst Christians because I hear it being spoken about to one another and even broadcasted on Christian radio.  Often, these movies and shows have mostly good endings, but may have cursing, immodesty, sexual scenes or innuendos, and often the characters display the flesh, and not fruits of the Spirit.

I remember as a teen purchasing a DVD player that would remove cursing from the movies.  I was not about to sacrifice my movies, and obviously I knew there were things in the movies that didn't please the Lord, or I wouldn't have purchased the DVD player.  But I just could not imagine giving up my entertainment.  I convinced myself that God wanted me to be "happy."

Another example of when Christians put their own desires above the Lord's.

3)  That brings me to my third example.  God only wants us to be happy if it is in His Will, for His glory.  He doesn't want us to be happy in sin.....even if it's only a small, quick, seemingly meaningless sin.  If our happiness is just a feeling, it's not joy.  It's worldly.  You see, the Apostle Paul encourages us to be content no matter the state we are in.  We are not to change our circumstances to fit how we want to feel, we are to change our feelings around our circumstances.  The problem is, that takes work.  Growing in character means we will be unhappy at times.  Christ did not have emotional happiness dying upon the Cross, but He had JOY knowing He was suffering as a covering of our transgressions.

How can we expect our Savior to live the life He did?  Did He really walk this sinless life so we could have our conveniences, or did He do it so we could have eternal life?  If your answer is the latter, than why are we not following His example?  Shouldn't we be taking up our Cross daily and following His example?!


It is so easy for us to get caught up in what everyone else is doing.  Sister so and so did this and Bro. so and so went there.  We fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others instead of God's Word and to Jesus Christ Himself.  We will not be judged based upon how much less sin we did than everyone else, but we will be judged upon every single opportunity we did not take to preach the Gospel.

Often, when someone shares a personal conviction that someone disagrees with, instead of pointing out Scripture of why they have a different viewpoint, I too often hear a defense justifying something of their opinion (which will clearly not be based off of the Word of God).  Now I'm speaking of Christians.  As Christians, our decisions SHOULD be based off of Scripture, NOT of how we think God should act or would do.  We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, we shouldn't have to justify anything!

I hear the "Church" spending more time defending going to watch a movie, wear an outfit, participating in certain activities, even LYING and DRINKING more than I hear them defending the Word of God.  I used to be apart of this "Church."  Don't get me wrong, I genuinely wanted to please the Lord, but I didn't realize that I wanted to please myself more.  God had to wake me up from my blindness and get me back into reading the Word (which I was not doing regularly, another sign that I was not putting God first in my life).

This is what God used to wake me up, and if you're struggling with putting God above all worldly things (which by the way, I still have this struggle with the flesh), maybe this will help you as well:


God showed me that I was looking for the line of sin.  I wanted a Bible that was written like the Ten Commandments, "Can I do this or not?"  Almost like the magic 8 ball that used to be popular.  I didn't want to take the time to study the Word of God or get in my closet and pray and wait for His answer (patience has never been a virtue of mine).  I simply wanted to know, "God, can I go see this movie?, Can I wear this outfit?, etc."  If God told me "No", I would be a "good little Christian" and not do it.  But my heart was not doing it only because I didn't want to do wrong.  I wasn't being obedient out of my love for God to please Him.


I would want to dress as close to the world as I could without sinning.  I wanted to be fashionable and look nice, but I didn't want to sin.  I wanted to be entertained by books, movies, and music...you know, the same type that the world produced, but without sinning.  I wanted to be involved in all of the fun things the world did, as long as it didn't involve sin.  In my mind, I saw nothing wrong with this type of mentality.  I genuinely thought I was "good."  My pride from comparing myself to others blinded me from how God saw me.

God has now impressed upon my heart to not look for the line of sin, but to be as far from it as possible!  You see, God is nowhere near that line of sin.  So when I stand near the line, I may not be crossing it, but I'm still far from God.  When I'm far from God, my judgment is cloudy.  

I live between two towns.  My address is in one town, but I actually live closer to the other one.  No matter what my address says, in my life, I have been more heavily influenced by the town I live the closest to.

You see, I may not have crossed that line of sin, but when I'm closer to the world than I am to God, I'm not glorifying Him.  In fact, sin is not just a direct violation of God's Word, sin is doing anything out of the will of God, and I can promise you, God does not want us anywhere near that line.

So now, instead of asking myself of how close to the line of sin I can get, I try to remember to ask myself "Is this edifying to God?"  When I screen videos for my children to watch, I no longer just try to make sure there is nothing "bad" in it.  I now try to make sure that what they are watching will benefit them in their life.

I find my 2 and 3 (almost 4) year olds quoting Scripture and trying to determine who has to be Pharaoh and who gets to be Moses when they are pretend playing.  Sure, my kids could have spent time learning things in a book or on video that "wasn't bad", but what value would it have for their eternity?

My husband and I both grew up in Christian homes and we are so thankful for that.  But neither one of us were encouraged to read our Bibles everyday.  We spend our times doing things we wanted to do (not "bad" things).  We chose to spend that time primarily for ourselves (convincing ourselves we deserve "me" time, which ended up being most all of our time).  Most of what we learned biblically was within the church.  And unfortunately, the "Church" has gotten away from the New Testament Church that was for the Believer and has now transitioned into an entertainment center to try and convince non-believers to come and see that Christians can have just as much fun.  The problem is, those from the world are coming for the fun, not the Word.  We hope they would get saved in the few minutes we squeeze the Word of God in, but the reality is, these people are changing our churches, we are not changing them.

The Church was set up for believers to encourage, equip, and exhort one another.  If an unbeliever came along, they would welcome them with open arms, but they would not welcome the sin.  They would not tiptoe around the sin.  The purpose of the Church is to equip, encourage, and exhort one another together, so we can go INTO the World and preach the Gospel.  The sinner would be welcome into the Church, and they would either change and stay, or feel so uncomfortable and out of their element from the Holy Spirit working in their heart, they would leave and run from God.  The number one priority of the Church is not actually to win souls (though that is amazing if that happens), but to train the Saints so when the Saints go into their parts of the World, they are taking the Gospel to those people.

The problem is, we want the witnessing to be done in the church.  When we do this, it's a controlled environment, positive peer pressure, and the preacher does most of the work (for that's why we pay him, so we don't have to do our job as much).  If we do more witnessing in world than in the church, we'd have to talk to people (and even though I like to talk, I still get nervous speaking with strangers).  Many Christians are convinced to win others by their life, and while that is VERY important, that is not the only example Christ gave us.  If we truly want to please the Lord, we will GO into the world and PREACH the Gospel with our lips, not just our lives.

I believe if God has truly transformed our hearts and lives, we won't be able to keep IT in.  We will be so excited to tell....just like a little kid who heard a good secret.  Man, if sharing the Good News of Jesus was as important to us as it was about learning new, juicy gossip, our entire World would be in revival and our Country would be in a different state.  Our Country is not fallen because of the homosexuals, and abortionists, and evolutionists out there.  Our Country is in a dire state because it no longer looks to God as its Master, but He's more of a God who saved us, so we are thankful and give Him our Sundays as our appreciation.



So to sum it up, the "Church" has me concerned for many reasons:

1)  The Church justifies their sins as opposed to defending their beliefs with Scripture.

2)  The Church looks just like the world, but with designer clothes on.

3)  The Church doesn't agree with the government, but has enjoyed the benefits and freebies it gives them, so it doesn't throw too big of a fit.

4)  The Church has made itself a god over God Himself.

5)  The Church has changed God's Word to align with its new beliefs.



I know this is not every Christian.  However, this is a sad trend that is growing more and more popular as time goes on.  This has happened in the past, and God has always responded with wrath.  God has amazing mercy, but He HATES sin, and sin will be destroyed.


The whole point of this post is for you to ask yourself this question, "Am I trying to please God 100% above all else?", or "Am I trying to please myself and still working within God's standards?"

I never want to go back to asking myself the latter question.  As Christians, we have liberty in Christ.  We are no longer bound to the Law of Moses.  But that doesn't mean that we should take that liberty and do as we please....we should still only want to do things that are pleasing to the Lord.


There are many Christians out there that have stricter convictions than I do myself.  I'm okay with that.  I may not agree with them, but I am so thankful they have convictions and are trying to discern and live for the Lord over themselves and what they believe they have a "right" to do.

1 Corinthians 10:23

" All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."


These conversations are not always comfortable, but true friends encourage us to walk closer to the Lord, even if it points out our own sins.  True friends care more about our eternity and what God will say to us on Judgment Day than what we want to hear today.  What kind of friend are you?

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What to do When Your Husband says NO to Homeschooling or Anything Else

After writing an article a couple of weeks ago, Should I Public, Private, or Homeschool my Children, and What does the Bible Have to Say About it?, I had a HUGE reaction to the post.  I had a lot of moms feeling the conviction and the desire to homeschool, but they found themselves in situations where their husband may object.

I want to write this post for these women.  For those who have already determined that home educating their children is Biblical and holds a deep desire in their heart.

First of all, let me say this:  We are to honor our husbands.  He is to be the spiritual leader of the household.  He is to make these decisions, not us.  This does not matter if he is saved, actively attending church, etc.  Unless he is asking you to do something that is morally wrong, you need to honor his decisions.  He is responsible for determining your children's education and training your children at home.  He is responsible for whether you are a keeper at home or not.

If your husband is not making wise decisions for the family (financially, spiritually, etc), he will answer for those decisions.  YOU will answer for how you honor the Word of God.  First thing is first.  We have to understand what man's God-given roles are and what roles God has given to the women.  Do not skip over these Scriptures.  Read them, and let them soak in.

1 Corinthians 11:3

King James Version (KJV)

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:23

King James Version (KJV)

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Ephesians 5:28-29

King James Version (KJV)

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

1 Peter 3:7

King James Version (KJV)

7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Okay, so we all understand that the husband is the head of the wife?  This does NOT mean that you are not as equally important, but God has given us specific roles in marriage to play.  It's the same concept as this:

1 Corinthians 12:14-22

King James Version (KJV)

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

Now this verse is speaking about spiritual gifts, but it certainly applies to how God views our roles within the family.  If both parents do the same duties, there are certainly some duties lacking.

Furthermore, a husband is supposed to provide for his household (necessities ladies...not a car, not a cell phone, and not getting your hair done every month).  Otherwise, he is worse than someone who is not even saved:

1 Timothy 5:8

King James Version (KJV)

8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Don't worry, I'm not going to leave out the famous verses that wives like to use AGAINST their husbands:

Ephesians 5:25-26

King James Version (KJV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Wives are so quick to say things like, "If my husband were the Spiritual Leader he was called to be, I'd be a better wife to him."  I've been guilty of saying this myself.  Or maybe something like, "How can I follow a man who is not following God?  Wouldn't that mean I'm not following God?!"

Understand, this command is to husbands.  Wives are not to use it against their husbands when they are not being obedient to God's Word.  You cannot do ANYTHING about how your husband responds to God's Word.  All you can do is:

1 Peter 3:1

King James Version (KJV)

3 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

 Even if our husbands need to be saved, this verse tells us we are to be in subjection to them.  Furthermore, we need to try to win them by our conversation.  There is an excellent online 6-part article about this very subject!  Click here to read "When a Wife Disagrees with her Husband- Part 1."

I'm not going to dwell on this too much, since the link above gives really great references to our duty in submitting to our husbands.    If you're not to the point to where you feel you can submit to your husband, stop reading and read the article now.  You can always come back and finish this post later.


Okay, so you realize the husband's roles, and you realize that you can't control whether he is obedient to God's Word or not and that he must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling.  You can only control you.  You can influence a situation, and that's it.  So let's look at the roles of wives, and then delve directly into what to do to help your husband see biblical principles when he may not be seeking them.

Colossians 3:18

King James Version (KJV)

18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

1 Peter 3:1

King James Version (KJV)

3 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

We are to submit to our husbands, regardless of  whether he is following God's Word or not.  Certainly we are not to commit a sin in order to honor our husbands.  However, how we even handle rejecting our husbands immoral requests should be handled with care.  If we are not careful with our "conversation" with our husband in all matters, it will be difficult to "win him."

If you are in this situation, I highly, highly recommend this book:  Created to Be His Help Meet.  Even if you don't have any major disagreements with your spouse, this book is very encouraging in how we should handle the little, day to day disagreements.  (WARNING:  This book will likely offend you greatly.  It did me at first, but keep reading.  You'll soon realize it's your own sin you have to deal with).  I read this book and after two days of implementing its biblical strategies, my husband commented on such a change in me (my husband NEVER does this).  He was so thankful, he decided to read Created to Need a Help Meet.  I wish we had found these books when we first married.  Your husband may or may not have the same response, but I guarantee you he will be thinking it!  I recommend Created to Be His Help Meet to ALL Christian Wives who are SERIOUS about following God's Word in the biblical roles of the wife!  This is not for the average woman sitting in a church pew.  This is only for women who want to steer the direction of their marriage toward God, without nagging or controlling.

Okay, now that I've given you some resources that dig a little deeper into the matter and that have encouraged me, on with this post.

What do you do, say, when your husband is against homeschooling your children?  Or maybe he wants you to work and you feel that these requests would go against Titus 2:

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Wow!  Certainly we don't want to be in danger of blaspheming the Word of God!!  I can understand why women are discouraged because their husbands are not taking heed to the Word of God!  Certainly, being a keeper at home and homeschooling (Deuteronomy 6, Proverbs 22) are derived from the Word of God.  However, by not homeschooling, or having you work outside the home (although a woman could work at home as long as it doesn't interfere with her duties as a mother and wife.  Just read Proverbs 31) you are not blaspheming the Word of God as Titus 2 puts it.  HE IS.

Understand that God loves your husband more than anything...even when He is not walking with Him.  God knows that the person who has the greatest opportunity for influence over him will be his wife.  That's you.  You will not win him over by nagging, or getting him to comply to keep the peace (shamefully: been there, done that).

In fact, you may not win him over by being the wife God has called you to be, but it's your best shot.  Furthermore, do you really want to spend the rest of your life nagging at your husband?  Your kids are watching their mother (even if it is for a worthy cause) put down her husband and nag at him.  Although it may seem you have a reason to complain, your children are learning to be miserable with you.  They are learning this is just how marriage is supposed to be.  When everything isn't perfect...just complain and nag until you get your way.

God told us to subject to our husbands, even when they are not following Him, for a reason.  He knows best.  We need to stick to the Word of God and stop listening to friends, family, and even preachers who tell us differently...no matter "how good of a Christian they are."  We cannot deny the Word of God.


In this post, we are using the example of wanting to homeschool while your husband disapproves.  The first thing you need to do is to show you support his decision.  Do NOT undermine him.  Don't encourage him or agree with him.  However, let him know you will honor the decisions he makes for the family because you believe he does want to do what is best for your family, and most likely, your husband does.  The real problem is not that he doesn't want what is best for your children.  The real problem is that he doesn't see homeschooling as a better option for your children.

There could be a million reasons why:

*  He could be worried they won't receive the socialization they need.
*  He could be worried that you can't educate the children as well as the educated professionals.
*  He likely could be concerned that you can't live off of one income.
*  Maybe He believes you can't afford the cost of curriculum and such.


You need to make sure you understand WHY he is against homeschooling.  You can show him all of the verses on homeschooling, all day long, but if he has a strong feeling against homeschooling, he will likely not listen.  Then you will feel he is nonspiritual and a darker line will be drawn between the two of you.

Your goal should be to have a genuine understanding of why your husband objects to homeschooling.  Don't judge him.  View his concerns as valid, even if you can't understand them, for they are obviously important to him.  Don't make him feel dumb for his viewpoint.  Just focus on getting an understanding of his objections.

Very, very few men are against homeschooling in and of themselves.  Most of them have only been around a few homeschooled children and are concerned their children will look and act as they.  They think, "I went to public school and turned out alright", so they don't want to take a risk on something that might scar their children versus something that worked out okay.  These concerns are valid and can be addressed, but must be done lovingly and with caution.

Next, you must address the situation with care.  If your husband is not walking daily with God, you can read him Bible verses until he is blue in the face.  All he will gather from your conversation is that you think he is wrong, he is not spiritual enough, and he doesn't know how to lead his family.

You have to find how to address this issue with your husband.  The easiest way to do so, is not with conversation alone, but by example.  This is where it can be difficult, but if you're on your knees seeking God in this matter, I do believe He will supply your desires to honor Him.

Maybe you know a homeschooling family where the dad loves to hunt, just like your husband.  With your husband's permission, maybe you could invite them over to dinner.  Do NOT invite them over to talk about homeschooling.  Do NOT make your husband feel like you're only inviting them over because they are a homeschooling family.  But IF your husband is on board with them coming over, invite them over.  Allow a friendship to grow.  Homeschooling will come up naturally because it is such a big part of their lives.  Your husband will begin to see that not everyone who home educates is socially awkward and that it doesn't mean you have to spend any money on curriculum.

That is one option, but it may be that you don't know another homeschooling family locally, and if you do, they may not be the example you want your husband to see!

So what do you do?  Well, depending upon your husband's objection, maybe you can begin to tutor your children at home.  Let your husband see that you are capable of teaching your children (without bringing up a word about homeschooling).

Maybe if you work and your husband is worried about one salary, you could cut back on some expenses.  Remember, his role is to provide for his household, and even though you may be helping, he doesn't want to feel responsible for his family not having the same as everyone else.  Typically, this concern is out of love, not selfishness.  Follow the link in this paragraph for some tips on how to cut back your expenses.  You have to show your husband that you're serious.  It may take some SERIOUS sacrifice on your part.  In fact, you may be the only one doing the sacrificing, but you ultimately have to determine how important is it for you to follow God's Word and teach your children at home.

Maybe your husband is one that holds a popular belief:  he's concerned your children won't receive enough social skills and could be really weird.  Homeschooling is still a relatively new concept in America.  Some of the early people who homeschooled were somewhat socially awkward.  They didn't have the opportunity to visit other families (for having one vehicle used to be the norm) TO socialize.  Certainly there were no homeschooling groups, extracurricular activities, or even youth groups.

I can't tell you how far you should take the social aspect of your children.  We like to shelter our children from many of the "social" activities.  We don't believe we'll have any trouble getting them socialized, but each family has to work that out amongst themselves.  However, you and your husband must determine the convictions for your family.  Even if you feel like you don't want to send your child to play "softball" for fear it may undo what you do at home, if socialization is that important to your husband, you may have to accept it and move on.  Would it not be better to allow your children to be involved in a few wordly activities that you at least would be welcome to attend rather than to send them away from your care all day long, everyday?

Within the realm of your convictions, maybe you could consider getting your children involved in social activities that have NOTHING to do with school.  That way, your husband can see they can still socialize with others without being connected to public school, whatsoever.

I can't list every single situation.  Every family is different.  I can only encourage you to get on your face before God and ask Him to change your heart.  Ask Him to take your bitterness away.  Don't focus on your husband's failures.  Focus on yours.  Are you your husband's help meet or are you his mom, constantly correcting him?

You should desire to please God and to honor His Word MORE than homeschooling.  After trying everything, if your husband still doesn't agree, let it go.  If he knows where you stand on the issue, but sees you honoring him, your marriage will be far better than you disagreeing with him all day long.

I hope others will share encouraging stories of how God is working in their marriages right now.  Not just in the area of homeschooling, but in the area of honoring their husband and all it entails.

Let us find joy in doing what God has called us to be, and when we become discontent with the decisions others are making, fall to our knees praying for them.

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Family Bible Time

Below, I want to show you a video of how my family has Family Bible Time.  This is in no way the only way to do it, nor is it a typical day for us.  We just hope that it will encourage you and your family to begin reading the Word of God together as a family.  Individual time in the Word is very important, but we believe that we will not regret having this time together as a family. 

We did forget to say our Weekly Bible Verse together as a family.  I guess with all of the hustle and bustle and transferring everything outside on the spur of the moment threw us off.  But I love that my husband found a beautiful day and decided to take Bible Time outside today!  :)  And no, I haven't had a shower yet...but honestly, I don't most days before Bible Time.  But that's life.  We do not always accomplish the goals we want to every Bible Time.  We forget things, make mistakes, and sometimes have fussy children.  The point is that we do it consistently, regardless.  What are some ways your family reads God's Word and prays together as a family?  Any tips or tricks that have proven to be effective for your family?

 

Since we began Bible Time as a family, we have noticed an even greater closeness amongst one another.  A big benefit is that my children are learning to sit still when needed (although there is still quite a way to go).  This helps when we're at church, at an event, or anywhere where I need 30 minutes or so of being "relatively" still (we had a short Bible Time today). We also include the children in the Bible Time (Hence, the name FAMILY Bible Time).  Araylah is in charge of keeping all of our Bibles and getting them out and putting them away.  Each child gets to pick a song that we sing during worship time (Brea always wants to sing "This Little Light of Mine.")  There are days when we have long discussions about what we read, and there are days when there is little discussion.  Right now, the children are young, so we don't have many questions from them.  Usually it's just a discussion between Mark and I, and we include the children when possible.  However, this will change over the years....so we'll adjust to our family's needs.  No two family's Bible time will look the same. 

I just hope this video encourages you in what you're already doing or if not, to BEGIN having that time together as a family.  If you don't know where to start, I highly recommend Feed My Sheep by Steve Maxwell (it's for Dads/Husbands and is only $10.00).  I receive no monetary benefit from recommending it, but we think it has been really good for your family and may be for yours as well.

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You Know You're a Mom to a Newborn when...

Araylah Grace-2 weeks Old

Whether this is your first child or you're giving Michelle Duggar a run for her money,
Caring for a newborn can be demanding.  Here are 10 ways to know for sure you're a mommy to a precious little bundle of joy:


*You consider showering, but then realize in 30 minutes you'll be covered in spit up again, so a nap sounds like a better use of your time.

*Sleep is actually all you can think about.  If you're reading this now, you're likely nodding off as we speak!

*Even when your husband has the baby, your arm is cradled as if you were still holding the baby.  It's almost as if it is stuck in that position.

*When people come to visit, you're glad to see them, but wonder why they can't see your heavy eyes and why they feel the need to stay for an hour (and when the baby is sleeping).

*When you DO finally take a shower, you jump out of the bathroom in your towel every few seconds to make sure you didn't hear the baby cry.

Brea Faith-2 weeks old

 

*Laundry is always used right out of the dryer.  Who has time for putting it away?

*Paper plates have become popular since all of your washing of dishes now consist of baby bottles.

*You could change a diaper in your sleep...oh wait....YOU DO!

*When the topic of every big conversation consists of poop.

and the #1 way you know you're a mom to a newborn is...

*That despite no sleep, showers, or free time, that little grin makes it all worth it (even if it's just gas).


The first six months always seem to be the hardest.  It's hard to look at the long-term when you're sleep-deprived.  Even though your time is precious, make sure you're spending daily time with the Lord.  That 30 minutes or so will be the only thing that gets you through your day in one piece. 

Remember, God has entrusted this little one to YOU!  He could have given His child to another, but He saw YOU to be the perfect fit.  Even if you're just running on auto-pilot, remember to thank Him for this time.  Not only are you learning patience, but you are serving someone who can't help themselves.  That's what being a mom is all about!

Please share this article with a mom to a little one in hopes it might encourage her today!


Did I leave any out?  Let me know by commenting below!

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Coupon Codes and a Giveaway!

I have some great discounts to offer you as well as a link for a great giveaway!  Are you ready?

The first discount is for 10% off your entire purchase at Simply Modest Swimwear and the second is for 25% off either ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses, or off your entire purchase at Crowe's Nest Media.

The giveaway is for a copy of ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses AND a copy of For His Own Glory!  I have both DVDS and love them so much!

So let me give you all the info:

Simply Modest Swimwear Coupon Code

 

Simply Modest and Conservative Christian Mom are teaming up to offer you a 10% discount off your entire purchase for the entire month of March.  They offer swimsuits for girls, women, and maternity suits.  You can even purchase patterns to make your own swimsuit!  You can also purchase a ready-made swimsuit or have one to custom fit YOU.  They can make virtually any style to fit your modesty and style standards!  Spring and Summer time is upon us, so let's be honorable to our husbands, fathers, and brothers in Christ and make sure our modesty standards do not change when entering the water.

All you have to do is go to Simply Modest's website and enter this promo code at checkout: CCMBLOG10%

Moore Family Films and Crowe's Nest Media Coupon Codes

1)  ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses- Use promo code "abc25" to get 25% off of your purchase of this DVD.  You can read my full review of this video here.  You can also view the trailer below:

2)  Crowe's Nest Media- Use Coupon Code "moore25" to receive 25% off of your entire shopping cart purchase at Crowe's Nest Media!  I have the video For His Own Glory and I really like it!  It has lots of animals and encourages counting, spelling, and glorifying God!  My two year old loves it!  You can watch their trailer (but check out their website for all of their products) below:

Both Coupon Codes expire March 6th, so hurry! 

ABC Say It With Me and For His Own Glory Giveaway

Now for the giveaway!  Go to Moore Family Films and enter their giveaway through the Rafflecopter!  The giveaway ends in just 6 days, so make sure you go over there to enter!  These would make great gifts for others even if you don't have young children.  I like them myself!

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Ever just had one of those days?

https://www.facebook.com/RandyHowellFishing

I know it has been forever since I have written, but it has been an EXTREMELY busy month!  This year alone, our oven, dishwasher, and dryer have all went out (only the oven has been fixed).  What's worse, I think the oldest appliance is only two years old.  The dryer went out just outside of the one year warranty!  Our last dishwasher, yeah we had it for over 20 years.  The only reason we replaced it was because the inside was rusting, but it worked great and we never had to fix anything on it.  They just DO NOT make things like they used to (yes, I am aware that by making this statement, I just gained a few more gray hairs).

My first reaction is to complain.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to cook without an oven, or how long it takes to wash dishes by hand, or to keep up with the weather to make sure you can hang your clothes up in all of this weather we've been having?!  My husband and I just went to a couples retreat this past weekend and although my clothes were clean, they were definitely those clothes that you hope you never have to wear (and that's saying a lot for me because I am not fashionable at all)!

All of those thoughts raced through my head, but immediately, the sweet Spirit reminded me of how wonderful it is to have been blessed with these items for so long.  Actually, taking a break from them, made me more grateful for the blessings God has given our family, that I take for granted every, single day. 

What's even better?  I haven't been pinning much on Pinterest because I'm living the natural life (thankfully we still have running water for showers)!

I actually enjoy the simple life.  I've always wanted to go and visit an Amish Community.  You know it's very difficult to live simply when everyone around you has an Iphone, but when you're surrounded by people who don't have anything either, it somehow seems easier to live without all of this technology. 

You want to know a secret?  I've actually ENJOYED this little break (and by break, I mean doing extra work that takes longer)....but don't tell my husband, because I eventually do want my dishwasher back (dishes just don't feel as clean without it)! 

Certainly this could all be a coincidence.  However, it could very well be God reminding me of my blessings.  I often complain about not having enough storage.  Mark and I were talking the other day how we should just be grateful to have more things than we have storage space!  What a blessing!  How can I really complain about that?!

So today, I just want to encourage you to think about those little inconveniences in your life.  Maybe your car keeps breaking down and you don't know how you'll get to work.  Maybe your babysitter just quit and you have to find someone before tomorrow.  Maybe you just feel inadequate.  If that's the case, let me share this story with you:

This past Sunday, something great happened.  Randy Howell won the Bassmaster Classic.  Now, for many of you, you could care less about bass fishing, but for Randy, this is one of the greatest achievements he could attain in his professional fishing career.  Randy has never won a ton of big name tournaments.  In fact, he was pretty far behind at the beginning of the Classic tournament.  Yet, he still won. 

When Randy accepted his trophy, he continued to praise God (which I have often heard him do even when he has a terrible day on the lake).  He even noted that by him coming from so far behind, it proves that God is the only one who can get the glory....that it wasn't his amazing fishing abilities, but that it was God's work.  What a great testimony!


So remember, if something in your life seems impossible...when nothing seems to be going right....if you seem to be far behind in the game.....Remember, that's when God gets His glory!

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I am a Gomer

I have been trying to write this post for a couple of weeks now!  But it seems something always happens!  I had some other things that I had felt were priority.  Yet, after things calmed down and things began returning to normal, this post was right back on my heart.

Recently, I had polled my readers and asked the following question:

"If your spouse was unfaithful to you more than once, would you take them back? Could you love someone who didn't show you love?"

8% of you said that you were not bound to a marriage of infidelity and therefore would not take them back.

25% of you said you most definitely would because your vows called "For Better or Worse."

16% of you said "as long as their spouse was remorseful."

50% of you stated that there would be no way to know until you're in that situation.


I didn't ask this poll question to talk about adultery.  Not in the sense that you're probably thinking anyways.  I wanted us to see where our hearts were.  You see, it's easy for us to say that we would take back a spouse when things are going well.  Maybe we would.  I hope we would, but as 8% of you pointed out, we are not forced to do so as Christians.

Some of you said you would, but it would be conditional.  It would be based upon if your spouse was remorseful or not.  A whopping 50% of you claimed you don't know what you would do unless you were in that situation.

We will come back to this poll, but first, I want to bring in the story of Hosea. 
It's only 14 Chapters, and if you don't pay close attention, you might miss the love story in the beginning of the book.

I hope you'll read it for yourself, but here's a little bit of the gist of it for you:

Israel was divided up into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.  While the Southern Kingdom continued to serve God, Northern Israel chose to forsake their one, true God. 

The Northern Kingdom was experiencing good times.  As in most cases of prosperity, as the wealth increased, they began to turn from God.   Sin was running rampant in Israel:  prostitution, idolatry, drunkenness, etc.  God was hurt by Israel.  You see, Israel is special.  In the same sense that the church is the bride of Christ, Israel was like God's wife as well.  However, His bride had turned their backs on Him, despite His blessings upon their land. 

In comes Hosea.  Now Hosea (whose name means 'salvation') was a prophet of God, and one of the first things we see God tell Hosea to do is to marry a harlot!  What?  Aren't we supposed to be equally yoked?  But God had a purpose.  (There are many who believe harlotry was in her heart, and she would not act upon adultery until marriage, but that debate is not relevant here).

So Hosea went out and married a prostitute named Gomer.  Now God instructed Hosea to have children by her and to name them according to His purpose.  The first child was to be named Jezreel, meaning "God will sow."  God was sending a message to Israel.
Gomer's second child was a girl and God told Hosea to name her Loruhamah (unpitied or unloved).  Since Loruhamah was likely not Hosea's child, her name shows a representation of not being loved by her true father.

As soon as Gomer had weaned Loruhamah, she became pregnant again.  This time, she was pregnant with another boy.  Lo-ammi's name meant, "Not my People."  Do you see why God is having Hosea name his children in such a way?  It is a direct message to the people of Israel.  It is also a representation of Lo-ammi not being Hosea's child.

The book of Hosea speaks about Gomer's repeated adultery and then returning to her husband.   Chapter 2 and verse 7 gives me the impression she would only go back to Hosea as a last resort.  Can you imagine?!  Not only was she not remorseful, but she did not want to be with Hosea, at least not for love.

Think about how Hosea must of felt?  He knew what she was doing.  He knew his children were not his own.  Yet, he took her back...every single time.  He bought her back, out of slavery, at such a high price, despite what she had done to him.


I am so glad that God is not like us.  I'm glad that when we are unfaithful to Him, He doesn't say, "I'm perfect, and they are sinful.  I am not 'bound' to love them."  I'm also glad He didn't base His love for us on whether we're sorry or not.  God still pursues us even when we have not repented yet.  He loves us and is waiting for us to turn back to Him.
Thankfully, He already knows what He will do in the situation when we sin.  He doesn't make a decision based upon the moment, or His current feelings.  He has ultimate love and it's UNCONDTIONAL.  God loves us even when He knows His love will not be returned.  Much like Hosea's love toward Gomer.

We may think we're nothing like Gomer.  But are we faithful to God above all else in our lives?  Do we look to other gods for self-pleasure?  Maybe we just look to ourselves.  It's almost as though we have made ourselves to be a god.  We consult no one with our decisions in life, but ourselves (because who knows better than me?).  We purchase things to please ourselves.  We don't even want to lay it at another god's feet.  We are the god in our minds and we want to worship ourselves.  Every decision we make is about "what is best for me."

Oh this may sound like a stretch, but it is not.  Think about your thought life.  The part of your life that no one but you and God know about.  Answer these questions to yourself honestly.

1)  Do you love God, and Him alone, above EVERYTHING else?  That includes your children, your spouse, your job, your money, your health, your happiness....
2)  Do you feel like since you give your 10 or 15% to the church, that the rest is for you to spend on your "needs?"  Do you just give the minimum requirement or do you give all you can?
3)  Do we justify a fancy home because it's not as nice as most others you know?  At least we are not wasting our money like some.  Therefore, we must be spending our money modestly.  Do you compare your goodness to others as opposed to God's righteousness?
4)  What is the #1 thing your mind thinks about?  Is it REALLY about God?  Or is it about shopping, your kid's softball games, hunting and fishing, impressing others?
5)  Do you give God a little and keep the rest?  Do you go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, but keep the rest of the week mostly to your doing (even if you're not doing anything "bad")? 

I ask that you really answer these questions honestly.  I find that when I'm honest with myself, I am shameful at my honest responses.  I haven't loved God above all else.  I am a Gomer.

I may not be exactly like her.  I may have remorse, but I am still hurting God when I love other things above Him.  He is the One who breathed LIFE into my lungs.  He is the One who sent His Son to give me an example and to die for my every last sin.  He is the One who has given me His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me while I am on my mission to serve Him.

If someone were to put a gun to your head and claim that they would kill you, but I came in and said I would take the bullet , but I ask if you would just go to my house every single day and read a book for 30 minutes to my children.  Now, I'm sure you would gladly let me take that bullet and be so grateful to me.  I'm sure you would gladly lose a half hour everyday to meet the wishes of the one to saved your life....at least at first.

Despite your gratefulness, years go by and you've been faithful adhering to my request.  You've forgotten how it felt to have the gun to your head.  You're tired.  You have your own life and keeping your commitment to me has proposed its challenges.  Not only can you never be sick, but you can never leave for vacation.  You can't even get away for a two-day trip.  Suddenly, you feel as though your commitment is keeping you from doing the things you really want to do.

You begin to miss reading time here or there.  It's not like I'm going to know!  It's only for really important things in the beginning, but over time, you begin to miss more and more, until eventually, you stop going at all. 

Do you see what I'm getting at?  Jesus DIED in YOURS and MY place!  Furthermore, He has promised us an eternity in Heaven!  A place of perfection.  His promise is not based upon our works or goodness, but out of His love for us.  Yet, He does ask us, if we love Him, to serve Him with our daily lives. 

Do we?  Maybe "we said a prayer" a long time ago and really had a desire to please Him.  We wanted to share with others the Gospel.  But over time, we have to admit, our desire to evangelize and show love to those who are undeserving in our eyes, well, it becomes more difficult.  As our hearts are ever so gradually slipping away, we find our thoughts more focused on what we will wear tomorrow or what we will do this weekend.

Sure, some of you may think, "I'm saved.  I don't have to try and be perfect.  I'm going to Heaven."  If you're thinking that, I sure would re-evaluate your Salvation.  A genuine Christian will not try and do the minimum requirement.  A genuine Christian will strive for the path that Jesus set before us (despite knowing we will never come close). 

If you are certain of your Salvation, but you find that you are not daily seeking Him...reading His Word and praying to Him, I encourage you to change your path.  Do you find that you love God, but you have to admit, you love pleasing the world (as long as you don't have to sin to do it)?  If that's so, click here.

When I evaluate my own life, I find that even though I am saved, the world sometimes has a strong pull upon my heart.  You may not be able to tell it from the outside, but God sees it.  God sees my "wandering eye."  He sees my Gomer-like qualities.  As a Christian, it breaks my heart to know that I am not sometimes committed to Him 100%.  Even 99% should break our hearts. 

I'm not saying we never sin.  I'm saying, that when we do fall, when we do make mistakes, we are quit to repent.  Furthermore, we need to take steps to prevent from going down that road again.

I don't want to be a Gomer.  Gomer committed the same sin over and over again.  I may be flesh and imperfect, but if I must sin, may it never be the same sin.  I want to learn from my mistakes.  As I grown in the Lord, it's quite possible I will realize I have been committing some sins that I never realized before.  But as they are brought from my attention, I forsake all of my unrighteousness.

So, think about your life.  Think about your struggles.  Are you actively striving to turn from your sins: watching inappropriate television shows (maybe even though shows that only take God's name in vain once), gluttony (regardless of your waist size), gossip (even if it's true), telling white lies (even for a 'good' reason), a prideful heart (one of my major struggles), and just loving your life more than pleasing God (you can tell this if you're spending your time doing things you want to do rather than what He would have you do).

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  Luke 9:23

Oh I am not writing this post to depress us.  I just feel like if I'm living a comfortable life, I'm probably not living like Jesus did.  If we look at our sins honestly, it can be very depressing.  My point is for us to stop the busyness of our lives and realize how great God's love really is for us. 
Will you just stop and pray with God right now?  I'm doing it too.  Confess your sins (even the little ones and the ones no one else knows about), but more importantly, FORSAKE your sins.  Leave them.  Take important steps to never go back there.  Find a Christian mentor and confess your sins.  It helps to have encouragement.  I don't want someone patting me on the back telling me what a "good" Christian I am.  I want a friend who is encouraging me to be like Christ and who is humbling me.  If you don't have someone like that, comment here and let others be an encouragment to you.  You can always comment as "anonymous." 

If you're ready to take the next step, I hope you will see my heart in my trying to learn to not just to try and "not sin."  I don't want to say, "God, can I listen to this song?  It has nothing bad in it."  I want to start asking "God, is this song edifying to you?  I don't just want to avoid upsetting You with my sin, but I want to only do things that PLEASE you."

If you have a desire to begin to pray this statement, I hope that you'll click here.  I am looking for others who are wanting to take this stand.  This is so deeply on my heart, but I think we all need encouragement in this area.  This is not about just making a profession of Jesus, this is about each of us learning to only do things that are "edifying" to Him.  Boy, it's a tough road, but it's the road I want to take.  How about you?  Will you join me?

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you want to comment below!  You can also share this post by Email, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and Google by simply clicking one of the icons below this post.  You can also share via Pinterest by hovering your mouse over the picture above and clicking "pin it."  The pin will link back to this post.

You can also subscribe to my free monthly newsletter by entering your e-mail address in the box at the top right-hand side of this post.  I try to only send one e-mail a month (informing you of posts you may have missed, giveaways, and such).

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my heart!  I look forward to hearing from you!

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Motherhood: Don't Overthink It.

 

 

Today I want to introduce to you our first guest blogger!  She is a sweet friend of mine who loves the Lord and tries to serve Him with her life.  I asked her to write a post of encouragement to Christian moms, and BE READY...she is quite the encourager!  So if you feel overworked and/or unworthy as your calling as a mom, this post is for you!  I hope you'll hop on over at her website by clicking here.


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Hi, my name is Bethany. I am 24, married to a wonderful man named Eric and we are missionaries to Haiti. And, can I tell you a secret? I am not a mother.

That’s right, it’s a girl with no children writing to mothers on a mothering blog.

Whew, glad that is out in the open!

With us both understanding that my experience with motherhood being very much on the outside looking in.. Can I share a thought on motherhood with you today? Can I speak for non-mothers everywhere? For all of the rest of us out in this big world who haven’t carried an actual human inside their body? (Which, if you think about it, might be the most amazing thing ever.)

First of all, three things…

You are amazing.

Stop being so hard on yourself.

Stop overthinking it.

I am convinced that America is a tough place to rear a child. Far more difficult than people might think. Maybe not tough in a physical way, but in a spiritual way. Our country is rich in blessings, and we should be grateful for those, but it is also filled with overwhelming expectations for women and mothers alike.

The pressures of the American lifestyle, different cultural expectations, mainstream social media and who’s who of Pinterest crafts are heavy upon my heart... and I’m not even a mom. The decisions you are forced to make each day flood my Facebook feed. Opinions from newspapers and articles, the CDC and FDA, writers and bloggers about various issues. Issues that you, as a mom, must have a stance.

To illustrate, here’s a sampling from my current Facebook feed….

Vaccinations - Yes or no?

Schooling - Homeschooling, private schooling, public schooling?

Teen dress code - Can your young one wear leggings?

Media limitations - Too much TV for your kid? Do they play on an iPad?

Baby body wraps - Are you ruining your child's hip placement?

Baby food -  Best brands? Allergies? Organic?

Oh, goodness.. the list seems to go on forever. I can only imagine it has to get heavy for you some days, right? The societal pressures to measure up to? All the issues to have an opinion on?

My friend Rachel at findingjoy.net writes to mothers everyday. If you are a mother, her blog is a must follow.  I love her platform of “being real in motherhood.” And with Christmas here and gone, culminating in the biggest gift-giving holiday of the year, I think of all of you moms out there. Rachel wrote a recent letter to moms everywhere about the Christmas season:

“A dear friend told me yesterday “don’t dwell on all the big things just choose one thing to do and find joy in that.” So, yesterday I took my boys out for a bit – just because – and that was a moment that mattered. We talked about presents, family, and how much I loved them in all things. We didn’t do anything crazy. In fact, I spent $9 at Starbucks, wandered the toy aisles, and their highlight was the whole clementine orange sample at Target.  It was time given. Not stuff, not presents, not perfect trees, not twinkling lights, not gluten free cookies with royal icing, not any of that – it was me and them doing life together.  You know what? While we drove home through the snow they told me they had a great day. And my Elijah throughout the day kept saying best mom ever even though earlier in the day I was feeling like the worst. He didn’t see the undone stuff, the imperfect stuff, the stuff I wish was different. He saw his mom.”

The rest of us non-moms can see you without the blinders of this pressure filled and opinionated society. So can your kids.

We see you, tired and needing to sleep for an hour, but instead taking time to clean the dishes. We see you washing perfectly clean clothes for the third time because your children keep putting them back in the hamper. We see you teaching your child every moment of the day, repeating one word over and over, sounding like a crazy woman, and finally rejoicing when it’s finally repeated back to you. Your children see you hold open doors, say please and thank you, and put their blocks away at the end of the day. Your husband sees you clean and clean and wonder if there are sock-stealing elves that live in your dryer.

We see you giving your all. We see you loving beyond the barriers of your heart, and you are amazing.

One of the multitude of lessons that Haiti teaches is the beauty found in the small things. Beautiful is the mother who kisses her child’s forehead and prays for their future. Beautiful is the mom who disciplines, even when it has to be in public. Beautiful and precious is the mother whose heart is big enough to serve every day.

In America it’s easy to get caught up in the opinions and blog posts. It’s easy to be distracted from what really matters. With that in mind, here’s my final thought:

Don’t over think this whole motherhood thing.

Sure, think and pray and research and have opinions and platforms and passions and fight for your children and spouse and family and friends. But don’t over think whether you are good enough.

Don’t be distracted from the simple moments. Don’t over think those little moments. The moments that count. The moments that aren’t 27 presents on Christmas morning or the biggest dress in homecoming court.

The moments that are real. Moments that are burning eggs on a Sunday morning and, with a laugh, grabbing a sugar-filled pop-tart instead. Moments that are holding hands across the street and praying before bed. Moments of giving medicine for a cold and crawling in bed at night. Moments of soothing nightmares and peaceful walks at the park.

Those are the moments you’ll remember. Those are the moments when you find yourself resting in your calling as a mother. Those are the moments when we non-moms see you. Those are the moments your kids will hold dearly in their hearts as they grow older.

So today, as you begin the journey that awaits in 2014, remember these words:

You are amazing.

You are real.

Real isn’t perfect.  

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

We see you.

You are beautiful.

Don’t overthink it.

Just be real, have real moments.

Give love, be light.

Be you.

And everything else will work out just fine.

 

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I hope you'll check out Bethany's website here.  You can help support Bethany most importantly with your prayers!  Head on over to her website and let her know you are praying for her!  If you would like to support her financially, you may do so on her website or you can purchase products to support her and their mission in Haiti by clicking here.  If you think you might be interested in going to Haiti or helping out with her mission, what are you waiting for?!  Find out more information about mission trips here!  You can also get information about adoption in Haiti by clicking here.  I hope that you'll help her efforts in Haiti! 
 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Bethany is a wife, missionary, writer and book collector. Living and working alongside her husband as missionaries between two separate worlds – small town America and the Caribbean nation of Haiti, she works hard to daily bridge the culture gap between the two. When not in Haiti, she enjoys drinking iced chai and relaxing with a good book. But her heart is most content when she is in Haiti, working to build relationships with children in orphanages and people in communities around the country.

http://ericandbeth.us/

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