What I'm Reading

We are headed to the beach tomorrow, and I have my reading bag ready! Want to know what I'm planning to read? Of course you do! Right?

Anyways, I'm going to tell you either way :)
~Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell ~ This is a great book about scheduling for homeschool families. I've borrowed a book from another lady, but I will be ordering the book when my homeschool budget recovers from convention! The book includes a scheduling kit, and I know this is a book that I will re-read every year.

~Just Around the Corner by Steve and Teri Maxwell ~ This one is a devotion book by the same people who wrote Managers of Their Homes. She has written a series of devotions for moms and he has written them for dads. I am being encouraged and challenged by each one. This collection is from about five years (1996-2001 I think). They are still writing these monthly, and you can subscribe to them for free on their website.

Teri Maxwell has also written several other books including Managers of Their Chores, Managers of Their Schools, and Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit. You can read all about them on their website at www.titus2.com (They will be in my town this fall, and I can't wait!!).

The other two books in my bag are To Train Up a Child by Michael Pearl and Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Trip. I am about half way through Shepherding a Child's Heart and it has been wonderful so far.

What's on your reading list for this summer?

About Stay at Home Moms

Well, here is my passion. I could go on and on about the calling to be a stay at home mom. I don't want to make anyone think that I think of myself as any better than a mom who has to or is called to work outside of her home. I realize the circumstances are different in every home. My passion is encouraging moms whose heart desires to come home, but the world has made her believe that they can't survive on a single income.

Now, I will grant you that our family has never had two incomes. I was in college working part time to get myself there until we had Mary Helen. Joel's income has always pretty much been what we had to live on. But, one day, I realized that I had a choice. I could spend whatever money was in our account on clothes from the mall, convenience food, and new toys until the money ran out; OR I could learn how to make our money stretch so that we could have all the things we needed and Joel and I could have dates, we could go to the zoo, and we could do other fun things. The day Joel and I sat down to look at where our money was going (he had been keeping up all along), I literally cried. I realized I had no idea what it meant to manage money. So, we talked and planned out a budget. And I got a coupon organizer used it to split cash into categories. I had grocery money, clothing money, dining out money, and a few other categories.

So, I had choices to make. I could buy one shirt from the mall, or I could buy several things from consignment stores or clearance racks. I could buy lots of convenience easy foods, or I could plan my meals and shopping list, buy less and have some new candles or lotion. I could take the girls to McDonalds a couple times a week, or Joel and I could have a nice dinner a couple times a month. It became a game to see how much money I could save and what great deals I could get to make our money stretch.

We also did the snowball effect to get out of all of our debt. We are not rich by any means, but God blessed us for our efforts. We are now in a home that we thought would never be attainable. I am home and not trapped. We now manage our money rather than our money managing us.

Now, if only I could figure out how to keep my house clean and laundry caught up!

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On another note, the Duggars have announced that they are expecting their 18th child! Wow! 18! There is so much controversy surrounding their decision to have such a large family, but I am so happy for them. They seem to be very happy and grounded in the Word. I'm not sure God would trust me with 18, but I will take as many as He gives. Now, if she can run a smooth house with all those kids, why is it so hard for me with 2? hmmmm....

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Well, Happy Mothers Day to moms everywhere!!

Friday's Random Thoughts

I wanted to start this post off giving you something to smile about. Yesterday, I sent Mary Helen to her room to get dressed so we could go to Wal Mart. She went and after a few minutes came back ready to go. Now, we have gone out with her in her full princess attire, sweat suits and Sunday shoes, Sunday clothes and "work" (rubber) boots, and generally mis-matched. BUT today, I drew the line when she came out dressed like this.







Last night I was blessed to be able to have an amazing group of women in our home to celebrate a new baby. There is nothing more amazing than a new life growing inside of a woman. It is especially easy to celebrate when you know that the new baby will be raised in a loving, godly home. Joel was kind enough (as usual) to take Mary Helen and Anna to McDonalds to eat and play and then to the park to play while we "bunch of hens" enjoyed a bunch of girl talk!

I want to give one more plug for the devotion book I'm reading, Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God by Mary DeMuth (and I promise I don't get any money ~ this is a free advertisement!). I can't tell you how encouraging and challenging this book has been to me. If I write a summary here everytime I read something I'd like to pass along, I would probably be facing a lawsuit for plagarism!

Anyways, next time you're book shopping, be sure this one is on your list!So, what are you reading these days? Leave a comment so I'll know what to pick up the next time I hit the bookstore!

Well, I'm off to do some much needed laundry, and finish up a birthday present for a very special birthday boy (you can see him and his adorable little sister here)!

Have a great weekend!

Will I praise Him in the desert?

Why is it that even when we know how badly we need God's word every day, we let ourselves get out of the habit? This is the place the enemy gets me most often and most easily. I am in enough of a habit of my quiet time that Mary Helen knows that I fix her chocolate milk, fix myself coffee, she watches tv (or otherwise plays in the playroom), and mommy has quiet time with God. Well, Sunday I slept late and had 40 minutes to shower, dress, and get out of the door (thankfully Joel handled the girls). Then, Monday I got up just in time to get everything ready to get to the hospital for Anna's surgery. On Tuesday (this is the lamest of all) my Bible was in the other room still from church, and I went to get it and got distracted and never went back. Thankfully, we serve a forgiving Lord, who I believe is just happy to have me back this morning. How about you? How's your quiet time?

Today, I read again in my Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God by Mary Demuth (if you haven't gotten this book, I highly reccomend it!). She wrote about being in a desert. I have been raised in a Christian home, and truly surrendered my life to Christ about 5 years ago. I have been through dry spells, but nothing horrible. I sing "Jesus Bring the Rain" with gusto with the radio. Then, I read the what's going on with the lead singer of Selah (who sings Jesus Bring the Rain) at www.audreycaroline.com and it challenges me to think, what would I do if it rained like that in my life? Would I praise His name even when going through a trial such as this? Presently, I feel like I am the most blessed woman alive. . . and it's easy to give glory to God for all I have. Joel and I know we couldn't have the things we do without Him.

He has given us this amazing house (you won't be seeing it in Southern Living, but it's our dream house!), that we believe He allowed us to have it to bring glory to His name. I am learning about hospitality, and just this week alone I get to help a mom to be celebrate new life with a baby shower, and we get to grow our marriage and others as we host a couple's Bible study. I enjoy having drop in company for coffee (if you don't mind a mess ~ I am hospitable, but not June Cleaver!). I enjoy having a few teenage girls every other week for Bible study and game night.

I have two little girls who are healthy and loving. I have a husband who has a heart for the Lord, and who loves us so much I can hardly wrap my mind around it. I have 4 living grandparents who support us and are an amazing encouragement to me. We have a church family who prays for us, who loves on us, and who encourages us.

So, what will I do when God brings me to the desert or brings the rain? I hope I will claim the following verses:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."

2 Corinthians 7-12

A Quick Challenge

Today, during my quiet time, I read from my new devotion book, Ordindary Mom, Extraordinary God by Mary Demuth. I have only read a few, and they've all been great; but today's was particularly challenging to me. The author begins by telling us a question her daughter asked of her recently, "Do you want me to be Cinderella or wicked?" Of course, she answers as any of us would, she wants her daughter to be Cinderella: kind, grateful, selfless and hardworking. So, she was challenging us to see which one we were. A few things she asked that got me thinking:

-Do I envy what others have?
-Do I expect others to do everything for me?
-Am I mean?
-Do I treat strangers better than I treat my husband and kids?
-Would I be horrified if my life were filmed on hidden camera and played back for me?

I am praying God will search my life and show me what I need to change to better serve Him.

Well, I will write more soon, but for now I'm off for a fun day - I get to have a ladies only afternoon! 3 cheers for great babysitters and wonderful friends!!