Life Lessons

  • Heart Reflections: Finding Contentment

    Linda Dillow in her book Calm My Anxious Heart speaks of a missionary woman that lives in a mud hut in Africa.  When she asked the missionary how she was so content this is what she said:

    • Never allow yourself to complain about anything (not even the weather).
    • Never picture yourself in a different circumstance or someplace else.
    • Never compare your lot with the lot of another.
    • Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
    • Never dwell on tomorrow.  Remember it is God’s and not ours.

    A few months ago I had the opportunity to travel to India.  It was an amazing trip and I had a great time exploring several different areas.  I saw things while traveling that just broke my heart…people living on the street or under tarps, children who didn’t have their basic needs met, poverty, and much more.  On the flip side while in India I experienced the wonderful hospitality and generosity from the people we encountered (many who didn’t have a lot yet graciously shared).

    Traveling to India revealed a lot of things in my heart – one of them being how selfish and discontent I am even though I have been abundantly blessed.  I have food, family, clothes, shelter and even more yet some days I still complain.   I plan to use this list as a reminder to focus on the many blessings in my life so my heart will rejoice  and break the shackles of discontent that sometimes holds my heart captive.

    At times it can be difficult to be thankful for the many blessings we have in life.  Life doesn’t always go the way we expect.  I have a tendency to not only be discontent but to worry about the future or things out of my control.

    I could fill my house and heart with all kinds of stuff, worry, fear, or anything else yet by doing this it only grabs hold of my heart and hampers my effectiveness in ministering to the people around me.  Besides life here on earth is temporary and I cannot take stuff with me when its my time to go.  Let’s take some time today to think, pray, and count our blessings in our lives and find contentment in what really matters.

  • Love It – You Version (Free Bible App)

     

    A friend of mine shared this free app with me back in September.  While in a conversation with a group of friends we started discussing how much time we actually spend reading and/or listening to Scriptures. We decided as a group to encourage each other to read through the Bible completely.

    Each of person has chosen various plans, versions, etc…. Since I didn’t start this until the middle of September I decided to do the whole Bible in 90 days so I can listen to the entire Bible before the end of the 2012 calendar year.   Here’s the 90 Day Plan I chose.

    At the beginning of the New Year I plan to switch to another plan. I have a few that I am excited about doing but haven’t completely decided which one yet.  Even though I have grown up in a godly family and church and probably have read all the Bible verses at various times I honestly cannot say that I have not faithfully followed a “read / listen the whole bible plan” until this one (I know it is really sad and embarrassing to admit).

    I have been thinking and praying a lot about my life, parenting, etc…. if my heart isn’t right and I am not gaining wisdom from the best source available how am I suppose to raise children who love God? How can I make an eternal positive impact on the lives around me if I am living life in the flesh or doing what “I” think is best?

    So after gathering with a few friends (for accountability) who want to do the same thing we started using this awesome free app. I LOVE that I can listen to Bible with this app. Everyone learns a different way. I have found that if I get up earlier and listen to it while I walk on the treadmill I actually retain more. The girls have come down a few times and heard me listening to it as well and have asked to listen to the last half with me while they eat breakfast for school. It warms my heart to see them eager to hear the Bible.

    When I miss a day I have it set to remind me which helps me stay on track. I find the weekends harder to keep up with it since our schedule is always different so I listen to more chapters on Mondays to catch up. Doing the 90 day plan has a lot more reading / listening then some of the other plans but it has been wonderful, insightful, and encouraging listening to it.

    There are 100’s of plans to chose from (whole bible plans, topical plans, devotional, and more). I chose to do the whole bible because I have never done it before.   You can read it, listen to it on your phone, or on your computer. I typically listen to it on my phone (if I do it on the computer I tend to get too distracted) where I can take my phone downstairs where it is quiet and listen without interruptions or distractions.

    I am so EXCITED to say that I have actually stuck with this plan!  Tomorrow is my last day – Day 90!!!!!  YAY!!!!  I am already looking forward to narrowing down the next plan that I want to go through.

    While I did listen to the Whole Bible in the past 90 days I still have A LOT to learn!  There were days that I didn’t listen very well or got distracted.  I am so thrilled to finally find an app that works really well for me that I want to share it with you.  Since starting I have shared this app with many family and friends too.  Jake is working through one as well.

    I hope as we quickly approach Christmas Day and the New Year that you would consider challenging yourself to read or listen to the Bible, whether it is with this app or another.  We have so much that we can gleam from the Scriptures that can help encourage us throughout our days as well as point us to the One who truly has all the answers!

    Download The Bible App Now

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

    Yesterday, we wrapped up our November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days, which was a great experience for the whole family. It was a blast finding different ways to say thanks and showing appreciation to many people over the entire month of November.  I think in a lot of ways we felt even more appreciative of the little things in life while we were doing this activity.

    Now we’re gearing to start our December activity, 25 Days of Christmas Blessings.  Last year was the first year we did it and I really think it will become a family tradition because it was such a big hit with our family.  I am super excited to start our Holiday B.L.E.S.S. activity and to find new ways we can be a blessing to others throughout this Christmas season.

    It is easy to get caught up with the shopping, parties, celebrations, and everything else that we lose sight of what’s really important.  I want the girls to experience the joy of giving and helping those around us so we are delivering special surprises over the next 25 days.  I came up with the acronym B.L.E.S.S. to help remind us why we are sharing these little blessings.

    • Blessing
    • Lives
    • Everyday with
    • Special
    • Surprises

    The plan is to deliver a small special surprise to at least one person every day from December 1st to December 25th.  Each bag contains an activity to spread cheer and a scripture verse to discuss.  At dinner we will discuss our current days activity, pray for the people that received our gift, and get our bag for the next day.   The girls and I have came up with a lot of great ideas of ways we can share blessings with people around us (some will go for people we know and others to complete strangers or people we will never meet).

    Here’s how we put our B.L.E.S.S. activity together

    Stack of B.L.E.S.S activities with scripture verses

    B.L.E.S.S. Cards to give out during our activities

    Getting ready to put the daily activities and cards into the bags

    All B.L.E.S.S. items are in the bags and ready to be hung up (Days 1 to 25)

    All the bags are up (all the way to Day 25) and ready for the activity to start!

    Here’s all the weekly update posts of the activities we did last year:

    It is our plan to do these (or similar items) again this year.  We are starting off with the list from last year and hope to continue adding to it by finding other creative ways we can be a blessing to the people we encounter.

    The girls are very excited about doing this fun 25 Days of Christmas Blessings activity.  I hope to share some of the stories, what we did, experiences, pictures and lessons learned as we go throughout the the 25 days.  It is my intention to update you at least once a week.  I will share as much as I can but the real reason for doing this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving to others.

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

    • 25 Days of Christmas Blessings – Acts of Service (we came up with more than 25 activities, around 40, then narrowed them down and decided as a family which ones to do together.  I decided to give you all the activities we had listed so you can choose which ones work well for your family from the list.  Just print these out on colorful paper, cut out, and place into your B.L.E.S.S. activity bags!)
    • 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S handout sheets to leave on an item or to give to the person you are blessing.

  • Giveaway & Review: “21 Days to a More Disciplined Life” ebook by Crystal Paine (5 WINNERS – Today Only)

    21-days-3d1-200x308

    Do you have ideas, hopes, goals, and dreams for what you want to accomplish in your life, but you feel like you’re being held back by a lack of personal discipline?  I am excited to introduce you to Crystal Paine’s new ebook 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life!   Crystal is the author of the popular Money Saving Mom blog.  This is a positive, practical, and motivating ebook that will encourage you to make progress, in the right direction, on those areas of your life that need extra attention! 

    TODAY ONLY 5 lucky readers will win a FREE copy of the 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook by Crystal Paine!  ENTER NOW for a chance to win a copy of this great ebook (it only takes a couple seconds to leave a comment and be entered into the giveaway, please see all the giveaway details below)! 

    You can get started reading 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook by Crystal Paine or through Amazon for only $0.99 for the next 3 days only (October 23-25, 2012)!

    Who is This Book For?

    21 Days to a More Disciplined Life (or through Amazon) is for you if:

    • You have trouble following through.
    • You get overwhelmed by huge projects.
    • You start strong, but your passion fizzles out.
    • You are super-disciplined in a few areas of your life, but you have one or two pet areas that you just can’t get under control.
    • You check out 10 different books on discipline and organization from the library, but return all of them late.

    Why I love this book:

    There are specific areas in my life (physically, spiritually, and more) that I need to focus on because I haven’t given them the extra attention they need and it is mainly due to a lack of discipline on my part.  I am looking forward to implementing several of the great ideas Crystal shared in this book.  She has help inspire me to get “back on track” and tackle those many goals / projects that I keep putting on the back burner for several weeks, months, and yes (although it’s embarrassing to admit) even some goals that I have been delaying for several years now. 

    After reading 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life I think it will help inspire you to make positive steps in the right direction as well.  I know many of you will enjoy this ebook and find it to be a wonderful resource!  It is a great time of year to re-evaluate our lives, goals, and priorities.

    • Are you easily overwhelmed by your big ideas or projects, and you just don’t know where to start and how to make real progress?
    • Do you find yourself making “all-or-nothing” plans for transforming your life, and then three days later you crash and burn under the weight of your plan?

    Giveaway Details

    As a way to say thank you to my readers and to share Crystal Paine’s ebook I am hosting a giveaway!  5 WINNERS will receive a free copy of 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook by Crystal Paine!

    How to Enter:

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  You can sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email or like on Facebook.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing your best tip that helps you stay on track with your projects and goals!

    All comments must be made by Tuesday, October 23, 2012 11:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.

    I encourage you to check out more information on 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine if you are interested in finding ways to help you to tackle all those projects and goals you have been putting on hold for days, weeks, months, maybe even years!  This ebook book may give you the just right dose of motivation to get you on the road to a more disciplined life!  What are you waiting for…….get a copy and start reading today!

    More information about  21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine can be found:

    The 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook by Crystal Paine is currently available for $0.99 for the next 3 days ONLY (Tuesday, October 23 to Thursday, October 25, 2012) after that it will go up to $4.99.  You can also order it through Amazon for the same great price!

    I was given this ebook for free to write an informed review.  The ebook, specific product information, and pictures were provided by Crystal Paine, however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own.   I was not paid to write this post.  A special thanks to Crystal Paine for providing me a copy of her 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook to review as well as five to giveaway to my readers!
     

  • Heart Reflections: 1 Corthinians 13 Heart Assessment

    Beautiful purple flowers with white spots from our last trip to Charleston.  Sometimes I feel like my heart is spotted much like these pretty flowers.

    There are days when I feel like I mess up more than get it right.  I say things that aren’t sweet and nice, over react to the little stuff, or have a bad attitude.  Does anyone else have these types of days?  The people who probably know me the best are those who get the “privilege” of living with me everyday (my husband and kids).  They have seen many of my mistakes, bad days, and over reactions. As Jake and I approach our 12th anniversary I am reminded while the most important relationship I have is with my heavenly Father another one that impacts our entire family is my relationship with my husband.  While I was thinking about our upcoming celebration the passage in scripture that came to mind is the one from 1 Corinthians.

    1 Corinthians 13:4-8

    4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5. or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6. it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  8. Love never ends. As f or prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

    The verse was brought to my attention again as I was reading Lysa TerKeurst’s book Am I Messing Up My Kids when I got to the section on spouses.  While most days go smoothly (thanks to the large doses of grace Jake extends to me) I could really benefit by working on many of these characteristics.  When my relationship with Christ is open and consistent it ripples across to all other relationships I have, including my spouse and children.  Lysa gave an amazing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Assessment that I want to share with you.  It was really good and included scripture passages to reference and / or memorize.  Many of these attributes and characteristics can be applied to other relationships as well.  As I read through the list it made me realize how far from perfect I am and how wonderfully gracious the Lord is to me. Yes, some of them I do much better than others but I could improve in many areas as well.   What better place to start implementing some of these characteristics than with your spouse….let’s give it a try!

    Whether you are having a tough time or things are going well at home I think we all can benefit from applying the principles outlined below (insights from Lysa’s book Am I Messing Up My Kids):

    • Am I patient with my spouse  (I am flexible and understanding)?  Ephesians 4:2-3
    • Am I kind to my spouse (I am kind in thought, words, and actions toward my spouse). Ephesians 4:31-32
    • Am I supportive (not envious) with my spouse? (I do not keep score when I feel I do more) James 3:16-18
    • Am I encouraging (not boastful) to my spouse?  (I do not brag about my accomplishments while downplaying my spouse’s)? Hebrews 3:13
    • Am I humble (not proud) with my spouse? (I do not think my agenda is more important than my spouse’s agenda.) 1 Peter 5:6
    • Am I gracious (not rude) to my spouse?  (I build up my spouse with my words spoken in private and public.) Ephesians 4:29
    • Am I selfless (not self-seeking) with my spouse? (I focus on my spouse’s needs and wants and balance them with my own.) Philippians 2:3-4
    • Am I self-controlled (not easily angered) with my spouse? (I do not have a short fuse or quick temper) Proverbs 15:1
    • Am I able to forgive and let go (keeping no record of wrong) with my spouse’s shortcomings? (I do not use my spouse’s past shortcomings as ammunition in today’s disagreements or allow these things to taint our communication today.) Colossians 3:12-14
    • Do I delight in being faithful to God (not delighting in evil)? (I seek to live a pure life and choose not to flirt with sin.) Ephesians 4:1
    • Do I rejoice with the truth? (I actively pursue God’s truth over Satan’s lies.) John 8:31-32
    • Do I seek to protect my spouse? (I fill in the gaps where my spouse feels weak and vulnerable.) I Thessalonians 5:11
    • Do I trust my spouse? (I give my spouse the benefit of the doubt.) – I Peter 3:8
    • Do I keep hope alive in my marriage? (I trust God with “our” future, not “my” future.) – Jeremiah 29:11
    • Do I persevere in my marriage? (I look for solutions to problems rather than look for a way out.) Matthew 5:33
    • Am I committed to the permanence of our marriage? (I believe that divorce is not an option for us.) Malachi 2:16