Recommendations

  • Song: “I Refuse” by Josh Wilson

    The title of this song caught me off guard but after hearing it several times it is really fitting.  The song talks about being aware of the people around you and what they are going through.  Many times you have a quick conversation with a friend or acquaintance or even a stranger and you realize that there is more going on then they are  telling you.  You can sense the pain or hurt in their voice or eyes yet often it is easier to act like everything is okay instead of finding a way to help them.  This song talks about stepping up, reaching out and refusing to ignore an opportunity to help, pray, listen, minister, share the gospel, and be a friend to others when they are going through a rough time in their lives or just need someone to listen.  Here are a couple verses of the song that popped out to me, hope you enjoy them as well:

    Sometimes I
    I just want to close my eyes
    And act like everyone’s alright
    When I know they’re not

    This world needs God
    But it’s easier to stand and watch
    I could say a prayer and just move on
    Like nothing’s wrong

    But I refuse
    ‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
    I don’t want to say another empty prayer

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family had a blast spending some time together for Thanksgiving last week.  I was beginning to wonder what kind of week it would be when we started the week tired and with a little one throwing up.  Thankfully we didn’t have any big travel plans and have gotten past that little spurt of sickness now everyone seems to be on the mend.    Over the Thanksgiving week together we laughed, snuggled, read books, worked on projects, ate delicious food, went shopping, put up the Christmas tree, and just had fun relaxing as well as doing stuff around the house.    I am thankful for a wonderful family and an opportunity to spend some extra time together.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – didn’t make do it 5 days
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – not quite every night
    5. Spend extra time with my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – the first half of the week went well
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Wednesday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Put up the Christmas Tree

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – my desk was buried by the end of the weekend, time with the family took priority
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – ahem….this one didn’t happen with birthday and Holidays, my sweet husband did a trip for me which brought it up as well. 
    2. Pay off remaining debt – working on it
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until the debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Get the girls passport pictures taken

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday
    3. Finish reading  The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!)
    4. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. File the receipts and coupons for the last couple of months.

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
    4. Deliver a meal to a new Mom.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Book: “One Month to Live” by Kerry & Chris Shook

    I recently finished reading “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” by Kerry and Chris Shook.  All of us only have a certain number of days to live yet what if you recently found out that you only have 30 days left?  Would you live life differently?  What areas would you change in your life?  The authors suggest that even though we may have more then 30 days left we need to consider what truly is important to us and live our lives like we would if we only had a short time of life left on this earth.  We have the opportunity to make an positive impact on the people in our lives everyday.

    The four principles they covered in the book were:

    1. Live Passionately
    2. Love Completely
    3. Learn Humbly
    4. Leave Boldly

    This was a great book for reading during devotions because the chapters where only a handful of pages long and were broken out into 4 life principles.  Instead of chapters they go by days (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and so forth up to 30 days).  Each day begins with a couple quotes on the topic they are covering followed by a story to illustrate the point they are trying to drive home.  Some of the stories painted powerful visual pictures in my mind of areas I have been struggling with and would continue to think about for several days after reading them.  The authors discussed a variety of key topics such as health, relationship with God, forgiveness, integrity and relationships with family, friends and more.  Each day includes:

    • Make It Count Moments
    • Make It Last for Life

    The Make It Count Moments and Make It Last for life sections contain a series of questions regarding the topic they are discussing to help you take a closer look at your life.  You may see areas that you need to shape up, take action to correct, or areas you need healing.  For example, on the chapter of Forgiveness one of the Make It Count Moments is “If you only had one month to live, what would you ask forgiveness for?  From whom?  Whom would you need to forgive?” 

    I was pleased with this book and look forward to sharing it with others.  It helped open my eyes to some heart issues that I need to work on and maybe it will do the same for you as well.  Life is short and we each have the opportunity to live a life to our fullest potential; a life of passion and purpose with no regrets.

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

    Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Song: “Life of Praise” by Casting Crowns

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgZEgr9yHds&feature=related

    We are blessed.  There is so much to be thankful for in our lives, however, how often do I stop to really praise the one who holds the world in his hands.  Do I “live a life of praise”?  During this Thanksgiving season take some extra time to think about the multitude of blessings you have in your life and give Him praise.  Hopefully we continue to sing His praises throughout the year as we see the countless gifts of love we have been given.  Here are a few lines of the song that were a great reminder to me:

    I will love You, Lord always
    Not just for the things You’ve done for me
    And I will praise You all my days
    Not just for the change You’ve made in me
    But I’ll praise You for You are holy, Lord
    And I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more

    For You are awesome, God of the Nations,
    Lion of Judah, Rock of the Ages, Alpha, Omega
    You’re worthy of all praise
    More than these hands I’ll raise
    I’ll live a life of praise
    I’ll live a life of praise

  • Book: “The Five Love Languages of Children” by Gary Chapman

    When Jake and I went to marriage counseling over 11 years ago we were encouraged to read “The Five Love Languages” for married couples by Gary Chapman.  Several years ago I read The Five Love Languages of Children and decided to read it again recently.  I tend to read several books at once so I started this one again a couple weeks ago as a refresher.  As the girls get older I want to continue finding ways to both encourage them and show them that I love them.  The Five Love Languages are the same ones that are discussed in Chapman’s other book but he applies it to raising children.   The following are the five languages with examples (some examples are from the book, others are ones I came up with).

    1. Quality Time – Spend one on one time with each child, go on Mother Daughter Date Night, work together on a project
    2. Words of Affirmation – encourage them through words, praise them for a job well done, put a “love you” note in their lunch box
    3. Gifts – give gifts as an act of love, cherish the gifts or pieces of artwork they give you, buy a box of their favorite cereal and give it to them as a “I was thinking of you” gift
    4. Acts of Service – doing something for them, making them lunch, picking up their room
    5. Physical Touch – a hug, pat on the back, walking and holding their hands

    One thing that I like about the book is it encourages parents to not only focus on their child’s primary love language (which can change throughout life) but to make sure to show love through all five love languages so their emotional love tank is full.  After reading through most of the book again I went to a parent event at the girls school and the speaker talked about the principles taught in this book.  I was thrilled to hear such an amazing message was being presented to the parents of students in the public school.  I hope and pray the girls know how much a truly love them.  I am willing to go the extra mile to find ways to be a better Mom to them.  If you are looking for a book to read on raising children this one would be a great one to check out.

  • Amazon.com: 4-for-3 Book Promotion includes Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station Books

    Amazon is running a 4-for-3 Promotion!  This is a great sale to stock up on some items for your family or purchase a few gifts for the Holidays!   Buy Three Books, Get the Fourth Free on any four eligible books under $10 in our 4-for-3 Books Store and we’ll give you the lowest-price book free at checkout. Stock up and save on the titles you love.

    Amazon has the Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station Books are included in their 4-for-3 Promotion!  When you buy four different books, you only pay for the price of three.  They have a lot of books included in this deal so not all of them need to be the Imagination Station books.  If you do buy 4 Imagination Station books the total will be $14.97 (or $3.74 each).  Shipping is free with an Amazon Mom account or when you spend $25 on qualified items.   To bring your total down even more use your Swagbucks Amazon Gift Cards to get gifts for the kids on your list for the upcoming Holidays!

    Our family loves reading.  Anyone that has been to our house knows we enjoy books from the kids on up.  One of the girls favorite activities is to have Dad or Mom read them a story.  A lot of times during the day we will read picture or smaller books and at night we read from a chapter book.  These books are great and it gives us an opportunity to get a couple for Christmas at a great price especially once you apply those Swagbuck Amazon Gift Cards if you haven’t already done so you can sign up today and start earning, for more information on how to get started go to Swagbucks: Earning a Little Extra!

    Thanks Money Saving Mom!

  • Free ebook: “Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking” by Crystal Paine

    You can get a FREE ebook of Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal Paine through tomorrow (11/17/11).  If you have been wanting to try your hand at freezer cooking, curious how it works, or you just want to learn more tips from another person who has implanted Freezer Cooking for her family this is a great eBook for you!  The Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking eBook contains 45 pages of step-by-step freezer cooking information from planning your freezer cooking session, what freezes well, the benefits of freezer cooking, favorite family recipes, and much more!

    There are 2 ways you can get the FREE eBook Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking:

    1.  Pre-Order Crystal Paine’s new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year online.

    OR

    2.  Promote her new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year on your Blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest..

    After you have pre-ordered, blogged, tweeted, Facebooked or pinned about The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget  send an email to support@moneysavingmom.com with your pre-order receipt # or a link to where you posted about my book. Within 24 hours, you will receive a free copy of  Money Saving Mom®’s Guide to Freezer Cooking.

    I have started reading a pre-release copy of Crystal’s new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget and I have to say so far I have been impressed.  It is practical, genuine, and in some ways convicting (in a good way because we all have areas we really could do better in). 🙂  Keep an eye out as I will be sharing more of my thoughts on her new book in a few days!

    You can head on over to Money Saving Mom for more information about this promotion, her blog, or to learn more about her new book.

  • Song: “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin

    This is a great song giving God the glory for creation. We serve an amazing God and the song names only a few ways of how truly awesome He is from the seasons, to knowing each star, the depths of the sea and so much more.  You cannot fit such an amazing God in a box.   He is the creator of miracles and He is with you always to help guide your life no matter where you may go.   Here is a piece of the song to encourage you:

    Indescribable, Uncontainable,
    You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
    You are amazing God.
    All powerful, Untameable,
    Awestruck we fall to our knees and we humbly proclaim,
    You are amazing God.

  • Book: “Remember Your Manners”

    When the girls were little we got the book called Remember Your Manners: A Story About Being Polite by Parragon Books.  It is a board book that they still like to read and it provides a simple reminder of the importance of using manners.  The story is about a young elephant named Elly who sometimes forgets her manners at the table.  She is learning to not use her fingers, waiting for everyone before starting to eat, eating her vegetables without complaining, and sharing.

    There are a three other titles in this series that the girls enjoy as well:

    • Excuse Me!
    • It’s Mine!
    • Remember the Magic Word

    This book and the other ones in the series provide a great reminder of using manners in several situations.  If you are looking for a good book that’s easy to read and for younger children you should check these out.  Since they are board books they are perfect for infant and toddlers but the older kids still enjoy them.

  • Song: “Something Heavenly” by Sanctus Real

    I heard this song again recently, the phrase that really stood out in my mind was “Whatever You’re doing inside of me it feels like chaos but somehow there’s peace.”    A few weeks ago I posted a series on Loosening My Grip one that had been on my heart and mind for over a year (the post was started back in September 2010) but I finally after several months of going back and forth with God about posting it I decided that he knows better and may encourage someone who is going through a similar situation even though I felt like “chaos” was going on inside of me.  The other phrase that caught my attention with this song was “You’re up to something bigger than me, Larger than life, something Heavenly”.  His plans are much bigger than me and sometimes I may miss out on an opportunity he has for me because I want to be in control even though my life is the most effective when he is in control and is working through my life.  Hope this song is a blessing to you as well, here’s a few lines of it:

    Whatever You’re doing inside of me
    It feels like chaos but somehow there’s peace
    It’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see
    But I’m giving in to something Heavenly

    Time for a milestone, time to begin again
    Re-evaluate who I really am
    Am I doing everything to follow Your will
    Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?
    So show me what it is You want from me
    I give everything, I surrender

    Whatever You’re doing inside of me
    It feels like chaos but I believe
    You’re up to something bigger than me
    Larger than life, something Heavenly