Getting hit from all sides

Whenever God wants me to learn something, He tends to double or triple team me. :-) In other words, He uses several different situations, mediums, or people to hit me with the particular truth.

You see, I have a child ( I won't mention any names, lest she read this someday and feel bad that I told the blogging world about her sin problems....) who really gets under my skin. She is very strong-willed, and will sin at any time if she thinks it will accomplish what she is desiring to accomplish. I have a VERY hard time maintaining patience with her. In fact, I most often sin in response to her sin. :-(

Over the last few weeks, God has been trying to get it through my thick head that I am not alone in this situation, nor do I have a real reason to despair about it. But every time she acts up and I lose my temper, I throw a pity party and tell myself that I "don't deserve a child like this" and "she will never learn" and "there is no other way I can deal with her". All false statements, but they seem so true when I am muttering them to myself in the heat of the moment. lol

As I was reading through my Bible study book the other day, the author was talking about how we do not always view our lives in light of eternity. If we did, we would not get so bogged down with all of the hardships we perceive ourselves to be bearing. In other words, nothing this world throws at us is ANYTHING in comparison to what Christ endured for us on the cross.

And as if that was not enough to think about, God spoke to me again through His Word and our small group lesson. We are studying 2 Corinthians right now, and verse 17 of chapter 4 stuck out at me.

"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison..."

These trials that I endure here on earth are NOTHING compared to what they will produce in my life, counting for eternity and glorifying God!

Well, I guess God thought I needed to really solidify this thought in my mind and life. I needed to make it so real to myself, that I would live it out! Sooooo...... as I was reading another book this week (Everyday Talk by John Younts), the chapter described how God wants us to show His holiness to our children. The author talked about how Moses reacted to the Israelites in the wilderness, first properly and God was glorified, and then improperly and God was shown to be ordinary. He pointed out that our responses when we have been wronged need to reflect God's holiness, not ordinary actions. It challenged me to remember that God is "wronged" by us sinful creatures on a regular basis. Yet, His reaction is always holy. As a Christian, striving to clothe myself with His holiness, my reactions to my child's sinfulness need to be holy, not ordinary.

I think we all, as mothers, struggle with proper responses to our children and their behavior. I hope that this has been as thought-provoking for you as it has been for me. You would think I could learn God's lessons a little faster though, so He doesn't have to bring a gang of wisdom after me. :-)

Working on my bibliography......

Here at Toddler World, we are trying to rustle us up some good books to read.

Well, THEY aren't.

But I am.....

I have been trying to comprise a bibliography of good parenting books, to have as part of my own personal library and to recommend as resources to other moms.

My friend just lent me two that I can hardly wait to dig into--
Grace-Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel and Everyday Talk by John A. Younts.

So what books have touched your heart and mind as a parent?
Please share your favorites, and why they are important for parents to read.


(Meanwhile, we will be on the lookout for some also.....)

Me, a minister of grace?!

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment,
so that it will give grace to those who hear."
~Ephesians 4:29~

God has been convicting me about the sin of gossip and mean speech this week. As Christian women, I think we many, many times overlook the characteristics of gossip. We explain away our conversations as "updates" or "prayer requests" or even "concerns" for someone's problems.

What all of that boils down to is GOSSIP....."unwholesome words."

The wrongs that you feel someone has done to you.....do you really need to share them with your neighbor or church friend?

The problems that your sister or your best friend has in her family life......do you need to discuss them with your husband or mom?

The way a problem at work or your child's school was handled.....do you need to call up your fellow co-worker or school parent and "talk it over"?

I am guilty in every one of these scenarios. But I have allowed myself to be so blinded to the sin of gossip for so many years that I am able to explain my words away--or worse yet, not even notice when I do it.

The above verse from Ephesians came to my mind this morning, so I sat down and studied it a little more. I have read it hundreds of times, posted it on my walls, and underlined it in several of my Bibles. But the phrase "give grace" stuck out at me today.

As I looked in my study notes, I read that the grace spoken of is the same grace that Christ shows to us when He offers us salvation. As followers of Christ, we ought to--in a small, less perfect way--be outpouring that kind of grace on our fellow believers. A major way to do that is through our words. Christ lovingly poured out His grace on me--a sinful, undeserving hater--and continues to show me grace on a daily basis. Why cannot I reflect and spill over that grace onto those around me?

I tried to wrap my mind around God's grace, so that I could get a picture of how my words should affect others. This song came to mind, and I think accurately describes the position I was in before I met Christ. It also describes the ways that His grace touched me--ways that my words ought to be touching others.

So today, and hopefully for many days after, I am focusing on my words.
May they be pleasing to The One Who is the ultimate giver of grace!

L*O*V*E

I forgot to post this on Saturday. They all warm my heart, and keep me laughing!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with the ones that you love.

A kid at heart is GOOD, right?

So I was just wondering......

It is bad that I am just as excited about Olivia being on t.v. as my kids are and that I watched the whole show today, after DVRing it?

It means I am a thoughtful, caring mother, in tune with the lives and interests of my children, right? Right???!!!!
(Or does it mean I have been stuck in the house with children under the age of 7 way too long ?)


Also, do I appear childish to others if I mention how I can hardly wait to get these new books in my next Usborne shipment?




I just needed some reassurance.

From some adults.......

(.....not from my 4 year old who thinks that I would "look cute in piggytails". )

Not gonna do it!

I hate making resolutions.

For me, personally, they don't work.

Because I never resolve them. I never seem to follow through on those big, lofty, well-meaning resolutions that I make for myself concerning the coming year.

Resolutions to exercise for 2 hours every day......
Resolutions to eliminate every ounce of sugar in my family's life.....
Resolutions to create an elaborate and perfectly-working organizational system for my papers....
Resolutions to send out my Christmas cards by November 1st......
Resolutions to build my Usborne business into a booming Fortune 500-level venture.....
Resolutions to read 50 Bible study books and journal about them all.....
Resolutions to never yell at my family members again....

So--lest I feel like a complete and utter failure--I have given up on making them every New Years' Day.

But before you shake your head in disgust and click to the next blog (written by an organized, industrious entrepreneur of a mom, with perfect hair and a Donna Reed approach),
bear with me!

Instead, I have chosen to set a few "guidelines" for my life each year. I guess you could also call them goals. But I try not to focus solely on the act of SETTING and CHECKING OFF, as on the idea of growing toward them. As I set a few goals this year, I prayed over them, desiring that God would grow me in these areas. I focus on specific areas in my spiritual life that I know need to be deeper and richer. I desire, at the end of 2009, to have glorified Him with my life. No matter if I have reached "goals" or not. Goals are good, but growth is more important. Sometimes the goals we set for ourselves are unrealistic. Sometimes they are not what God desires us to achieve. As a wife and a mother, I have many areas that I desperately need to "grow up" in. But I don't always know EXACTLY how to do that! I pray that I can develop my character this year, and if some goals happen to be reached along the way, all the better!

As my pastor put it on Sunday,
"Personal goals are temporary......God's purposes are forever."

What areas do you want to grow in this year? (I will state mine later this week, so you can all check up on me once in awhile.) :-)

***EDIT: After I read this post again this morning, I realized that it sounds like I don't believe in setting goals for yourself. That is not the case at all. :-) I think I just needed to remind myself that my perspective needs to be heavenly, rather than earthly. Most times when I set goals, my focus is on how I can make myself a better person. My motivation is often selfish, desiring to look better to others or gain approval from those around me. I want my desire for self-improvement to be God-honoring.
So, before you think that I am downplaying goal-setting, realize that my encouragement in this post is to have a godly motivation for accomplishing goals, always desiring to ultimately glorify our Father.

Teaching the ~TRUE~ meaning in a (sometimes) meaningless world

As we head into December and all of our preparations for Christmas, I always take a deep breath before "taking the plunge". As much as I love Christmas time, I also dread it. Between all of the gift giving, decorating, partying, card writing, program practicing, wrapping, traveling, baking, listening, and shopping.......I always end up feeling drained and unprepared to focus on Christmas Day.

To focus on Christ's coming to earth, being born as a human and yet still God,
and to dwell on the miraculous events surrounding His birth.

And I wonder if my children can focus on that either, amidst all of noise and clamor of our Christmas "preparations".

Don't get me wrong--I think all of the preparations are wonderful, and help exemplify the true spirit of Christmas to my family and friends. But am I taking time amidst all of the chaos (for lack of a better term) to remind my children of the quiet event that happened 2000+years ago, the TRUE REASON why we even celebrate Christmas?

As I was thinking about all of this over the weekend, I decided to do some investigating. Here are a list of resources I found, to help those parents who desire to instill the true knowledge of Christ's birth in their childrens' hearts and minds. If you have others that you use, please leave a comment and let me know what they are.

***Some activities to help focus your heart on the meaning of Christmas: here and here
(I also like the idea from "Being Frugal" about buying 24 Christmas books--scroll down to pg.8.....I buy my kids a new Christmas story book about Jesus' birth every year.)

***Some advent calendars that I really like: this one and this one and this one and this one.
(We personally use this one.....it is simple and easy to use with small children.)

***Some great resources for guiding your thoughts towards Christ's birth: here, here, here, and here.
(You should also check out my friend Gretchen's blog--she has some good thoughts for this season.

And as you prepare for this Christmas 2008, I pray that the real reason why we celebrate will be alive in your mind, and that you will daily be affected by it. Jesus came for me and you.......

Nothin' says Thanksgiving like cranberries!

Yes, yes.....I forgot to post a recipe for Saturday again. This blog is free entertainment, so you can't expect too much, ok?!

I haven't finished my chapter in my Bible study for the week, thus nothing for Mommy Monday so I will post my Saturday recipe instead. How is that for covering all of my bases? Or rather covering up my procrastinations....... :-)

I adore cranberries.....this time of year gets me so excited, as I wander through the grocery store and spot sales left and right on cranberry sauce and fresh cranberries and various other cranberry items.

As I was searching for a muffin recipe the other day, I came across one that called for dried apricots. I did not have any apricots at the time, so I substituted...what else but...... .....CRANBERRIES! They were wonderful! I have tried the recipe several more times, and it is one of the best muffin recipes I have ever found. Why? Because I have had to substitute ingredients on several occasions but the muffins have still turned out perfect. (And that doesn't usually happen for me......let me tell you!)

So, enjoy these muffins on Thanksgiving morning--they will satisfy your family until
the big meal!

Dried Fruit-Oatmeal Muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped dried fruit
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup boiling water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 t. grated orange peel, optional

1) In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. In another bowl, combine the oats, dried fruit, butter and boiling water; stir until butter is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

2) Stir in eggs, milk, and orange peel if desired. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen.

Just be quiet and GO TO YOUR ROOM!

I am telling ya.....God never leaves me wondering what He is trying to teach me each day. I never come away from a time of Bible study and meditation thinking, "That was nice but I am already good in that area.....".

Nope.
It always hits me on the head and overwhelms my heart.

As I studied the next chapter in my Bible study book, I was once again floored by God's direct control over my life, as well as His desire to mold me into what He specifically wants me to be.

Not all of you know me personally....but if you do, you probably are aware that I like to talk. And that I kind of enjoy being the comedian. And that I am also slightly high-strung at times. These qualities combined create a monster. Seriously. It is something that I am aware of, but seldom address.

Who wants to admit that they have a problem? Well, obviously the Lord would like ME to. :-)

Today's chapter is entitled "Did I Really Just Say That?". I find myself expressing that sentiment often...... I will fly off the handle and say something horrible and then immediately feel remorseful for my comment. How about any of you?

Lysa often shares personal stories as she begins her chapters. This one began that way--with a story that I could have sworn was written by me. (Except with a much better writing style....hence why she is an author and I am just a personal blogger!) She described an evening filled with chaos, upheaval and unplanned events. And she described her attitude during it all.....bad reaction after bad reaction, mixed with words that should never have been said. (Oh, how I can relate, lady!)

But then she quoted two verses that she read after all of this had occurred.....

Lamentations 3:22-24~"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'"

Psalm 73:2~"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

She then described the children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness, being fed by manna from Heaven. She recalled how they were given just enough for each day.

"He didn't allow them to gather storehouses full of manna because He wanted to be their daily portion. He wanted them to come to Him each day and recognize their need for Him. He delighted in them asking, and He delighted in providing for them every time they asked.
That's how they grew from seeing God as a religious being to having a real relationship with Him." (pg. 56) (emphasis added)

Lysa then talked about how we must ask God to be our portion daily. We, in our own strength, cannot be in a good mood or act in a godly way; this can only be accomplished by filling ourselves up with God's Word and the wisdom from it.

Our words are very powerful....they can rip a person apart, leaving them with the memory of our words for days or years to come. Or they can lift a person up, circling them with God's love and grace. We must be feeding on God's "manna" for us daily, or our words will be used for wrong.

I am so guilty of using my tongue for evil...... I thank God for this admonition to let Him be my portion for each new day!

Mother knows best

It's time to hear from all of you.....you listen to me drone on every week, often with nothing profitable to say. So, now--I need you to talk.

A friend and I are thinking of starting a mom's group at our church. I was part of a WONDERFUL one in Wisconsin (which I miss very much!). I came away from that group with many fond memories and many good ideas for a mom's group of my own making. (Plus a whole lotta more sanity in my crazy life.....!) :-)But I would like to gather a plethora of ideas (good word, eh?!) before we present our idea to the pastors. I would like to pick other mom's brains and compile a list of ideas before we begin our plan.

So......start talking! Let me know if you have been in a mom's group before, and what things "worked" for your group. And if you have not had the privilege of attending one, let me know any things you would want to see done in a group if you were able to attend.

Thanks in advance for your help! I know you will all share some wonderful hints!

Thanks Steve......or maybe I should thank Barry

The Steve & Barry stores in my state seem to be closing. I am not sure if this is permanent, or just until they redo their merchandise.....

Nonetheless--everything in the store is $4.98 or 2/$9!!! You have to sort through alot of junk--most of it is not organized in categories anymore--but if you have the time, it is worth it!

Hooded sweatshirts, baby gifts, t-shirts, some pants.....even a few pairs of shoes. I only bought one item--a beautiful black velvet Christmas dress, with a red velvet bow. My oldest daughter needed one for the holidays--I was so thrilled to get one for $5!!!

So, check it out if you have a Steve & Barry's in your area--you might score some cheap Christmas gifts. :-)

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches ME!!!

I finally got back to my book study of "The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained".

You would think I was busy or something....... :-)

I am on Chapter 6 now; and as I move my way through the book, it is neat to see how God puts each chapter (and its message) in my life at just the right time. This week was no different!

Chapter 6 is entitled: "Does God Care About Me?". As I often do, I kind of mentally rolled my eyes when I read this title. Of course God cares about me.....do I really need to read this "feel-good" chapter about God loving us and how I don't need to feel down about myself?

But the chapter was about so much more than that! She talked about all of the obligations we have as moms, and how that can drain you as a person. But she pointed out that we can only fulfill these obligations if we are completely dependent on God.
Because He cares about us, we are able to trust in Him and His work in our children's lives.

She made the point that so often we as mothers imagine that we are necessary for our children's lives to turn out o.k. We think that we should leave the big things to God, and take care of the rest on our own.

But we do not need to carry that burden. God cares about us as mothers--He cares about ME--and He wants us to do the best we can. But He also wants us to rest in Him and allow Him to work through us. We are not on our own here! That is what is so exciting--God is near, we need not be anxious.

She closed with some of my favorite verses.....I will leave you with those. This week, look to God in every motherly duty!

Ephesians 3:17-19

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Mommy's Day Out

One day, a tired mommy decided that she needed a break. She felt a little disheveled and frumpy--not to mention devoid of quiet time--so she planned a trip to the salon.

Now, this wasn't just any salon, but a very nice one that happened to be very cheap. Mommy was so excited because she was finally able to get her hair cut and save money. (Mommy knew Daddy would be excited too!)

So--right during naptime, Mommy took off by herself. She had never been to this salon before, but she had Mapquest so she knew everything would turn out o.k.

Sure enough, the directions led her straight downtown, to a street filled with fun and exciting stores! But Mommy had to stay on task.....she needed to find the salon where she would be pampered for an hour.

After driving around one-way streets looking for a metered parking space, Mommy parked her van and headed to the salon. She waited with the other customers, and then was led back to get her long (hideous) hair chopped off.

Oh, did it feel nice! Mommy gazed admiringly at herself in the mirror, feeling like a new woman. After paying for her cut, Mommy headed back into the downtown streets.

It was the perfect fall day outside, and Mommy was feeling very fine. Mommy remembered that all of her children were resting peacefully at home, and Daddy didn't have anywhere to go for several hours.

So, do you know what Mommy did?! She walked along the streets downtown, until she came upon a wonderful restaurant, filled with delicious desserts and coffees. She walked right in, all alone, and ordered one of her favorite things on the menu.

Then Mommy sat in peace and solitude and enjoyed her wonderful dessert. All alone, Mommy sat, not caring that everyone around her was looking at her. She was enjoying her quiet time without crumbs and sippy cups and spills. The best thing was--she had a gift card for this restaurant, so her little treat did not cost a cent! (Daddy would be very happy about this also.....)

When her food was gone and she was beyond full, she walked back in the beautiful sunshine to her van. She drove the van home, where her adorable children were waiting anxiously for her (not to mention Daddy, who was also glad to have her home.)

Mommy felt like a new person! She decided that every mommy should enjoy a day like this, at least once a month. And she was so happy to have had a day out, that the rest of the evening she was not one bit grumpy.....

....well, at least until bathtime. :-)

The end.

Is Momma scared or happy?

I just finished reading Chapter 5 in my Bible study book, The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained. I saved my review of chapter 4 for this week also, because they are similar in message.

We as mothers are a fiercely protective bunch. We guide and watch and manipulate situations at times, to ensure our children are taken care of. But if you are like me, Satan uses our feelings of guardianship for the negative many times. We become fearful and anxious and overly protective.
On the other hand, we also focus on the spiritual watch care of our little ones. We desire for them to love Jesus as we do. But again, this can become a negative when we put all of the responsibility on our shoulders.

In both of these areas, we need to keep God's will in perspective. That is what these two chapters dwelt on.....

Chapter 4: A Mom's Greatest Fear

Lysa talks in this chapter about a conversation she had with her husband. She was trying to figure out if he worried about the children as much as she did. She finally came to the conclusion that, while he was concerned for their childrens' welfare, she was consumed by it--afraid even at times.
She points out that it is o.k. for us moms to be protective and care about our children's well-being; but we cannot allow our fears to paralyze us and stifle our children. She says, "The reality is that God has assigned a certain number of days to our children, and nothing we do or don't do will add to that number." (pg 35) How true, but how hard to tell our hearts!

She gives several examples from her own life of terrible things that had happened to family members. At one point, she had to mentally lift her child up to the Lord, telling Him that she did trust and she would love Him no matter what He did in the situation. She then mentioned the complete peace that washed over her soul.

While this is an area that I feel I am trusting in right now, I constantly need to be reminded not to fear. I have family members who are daily paralyzed by fear, often hindering their relationships with others and with God. I do not want Satan to gain a stronghold in my life through fear for my children's safety.

Psalm 27:1 says it so well: "The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?"

Chapter 5: A Mom's Greatest Joy

In this chapter, Lysa focuses on the importance of teaching our children about Jesus. She points out that there are many important areas that we want our children to grow in--manners, emergency skills, education, nutrition, etc.--but we must place their relationship with Jesus at the top of the list.

I love how she described our part in this process.

"They cannot really know Him as Healer unless He has healed them in some way.....They cannot really know Him as Savior unless I help them understand what Jesus saves us from.....They cannot really know Him as Comforter if He has not comforted them in some way.....I must prayerfully help to a point and then step back and teach them how to turn to Jesus themselves."

As I read through the verses that she listed from Deuteronomy, I was again reminded of the great responsibility we have as parents to pass on our faith. This requires me to live a purposeful Christian life--one that is not worshipping other "gods", one that constantly looking for God's hand in my daily living. I must be teaching my children about Jesus and His love, so that they will know the story (His story) that pervades every part of our existence. But ultimately always knowing that it is He Who reaches into their hearts and makes all of that teaching a reality to them!

She listed several ways that we can bring God into our everyday lives. I will leave you with these ideas, in hopes that you will expand on them and be constantly aware of the greatest joy we can have as mothers......knowing that our children are walking in The Truth.

1) Play Bible verses put to music.
2) Make up your own songs using Scripture verses.
3) Read books about missionaries and others who have lived radically for God.
4) Give them a vision for who God created them to be and help them develop their talents for God's glory.
5) Talk constantly about the big and small ways that He is active in our lives.

Feeling yucky? I know the cure....

This week, I am reviewing Chapter 3 of Lysa's book, "The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained". The title of this chapter confused me slightly....I thought perhaps I was reading a preschooler's book. "No More Yuckies".....I did not know how she was going to draw anything spiritual out of this.
But she used a common incident in life--a sick child--and drew a godly application from it. One that I definitely need to take to heart!

Chapter 3: No More Yuckies

Lysa points out that we (most) often allow our circumstances to get us down, wallowing in the emotions that we feel. Building off of her sweet child's proper response to sickness, she discusses the truths found in Philippians 4:4-7.

In times of unpleasant circumstances, we CAN walk in God's peace. In order to have His peace, we need to take these steps:

1) We must rejoice. (When we verbalize our pleasure during hard times, we invite God's peace to "invade that moment".)
2) We need to show gentleness. (Gentleness in our reactions is evidence that God is real in our lives.)
3) We must remember that God is near. (When bad times come, we should "press into Him", knowing that He can handle anything.)
4) We must pray. (Thankful prayer allows us to tap into His peace.)

On page 27, Lysa writes something that really hit home for me:

"People meet the reality of God in us when our spirit reflects His character rather than our natural reactions."

I cannot expect to be an example to my neighbors, my husband, my children, or my friends unless I am striving to deal with my circumstances in a godly fashion. Circumstances are everything from a death in my family to my child drawing on my favorite comforter....

She focuses on Psalm 139, pointing out that we need to voice our fears and troubling thoughts to God because He loves us and wants to help us. But He also wants to see us grow--therefore He allows these hard times to mold us into His image, if we are willing to be molded.

I am very guilty of falling into self-pity whenever hard times come in my life. This chapter redirected my thoughts toward the remedy for my pity--God's peace. When I am focusing on Him, seeking to exhibit His character, and resting in His sovereignty, then I can face my "yuckies" and not be overwhelmed by them.

Psalm 139:5-6~ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

I know I'm a mom....now am I the worst one?

I told you I have been reading through the book, "The Bathtub Is Overflowing but I Feel Drained" by Lysa TerKeurst. As I mentioned before, it is nothing mind-blowing--just good truths that I really need to be reminded of. I am thankful for the way God reinforces principles in my life, principles that He wants me to apply and live by daily.

I am going to highlight Chapters 1 & 2 today.....I want to share a few of the truths that impacted my mind as I went through this section.

Chapter 1: Who Are These People Calling Me Mom?

Sometimes I feel like this.....how did I become a mother? It is overwhelming and unfulfilling at times (unless you have the proper perspective--a heavenly one!) Lisa pointed out that we have to change our perspective.

I have discovered that if I change the way I think about something, I can change the way I react to it. If I change the way I react, I can change the way I define myself as a mother. (pg.11)

That made me realize that when my day is going terrible and my children are misbehaving and my house is a disaster, I do not have allow those circumstances to define my motherhood. My focus needs to be eternal and then my reactions will be godly. Easier said than done, but I am committing each day to God before I start it.

She focused on 2 Peter 1:5-7, where Peter paints a word picture of our actions and choices building on each other. What a tremendous passage!!

Chapter 2: I'm the Worst Mom Ever

In this chapter, the author shares a (somewhat) humorous story about a "bad mom" moment in her life. Her emphasis is on the fact that God forgives us for our times of failing, if we are repentant. As moms, we cannot sit around focusing on our failing and using them as excuses for bad parenting. In Scripture, God mentions time and time again His unfailing love and forgiveness for those who fear Him. (Read Psalm 103!)

She points out our reason for failing: our lack of immersion into the Bible and our neglect for personal time with our God.

I needed to read that. I try and try and try (and fail and fail and fail) most days; then fall into bed at night, feeling frustrated and angry with myself as a mother. The reason? I have neglected to have my time with God, in His Word that day! Lisa puts it so well:

We're a slave to the tyranny of the urgent. But how can we continue to pour out if we aren't being filled back up on a daily basis? The flood of demands will consume us if we don't take the time to let God right our perspective, reduce our stress level, and whisper His tender truths of love in our ear. (pg. 20)

I will share thoughts from the next two chapters next Monday. I hope the wisdom in this book will encourage you moms today. And I would recommend reading this book--it has some good thoughts for busy moms!

(Speaking of moms, I think this one is wonderful. I will be keeping her in prayer as she tries to juggle much more than I ever will!)

Mommy Mondays: Do I look stressed???!!!!!

(Sorry this is posted on Tuesday......I had a picture to add again, and once again---it didn't work. Grrrr......)

My sister sent me a great book for my birthday. At first I wondered what she was trying to tell me (the book is entitled "The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained: How to Defeat Mommy Stress"). Do I seem like a frazzled maniac? I asked her if I appeared a bit tense. She claimed that I am composed and low-key and that she only bought the book because she "thought I might like it". I am not sure whether to believe her or not.....

Regardless, I am reading the book and am enjoying my study so far. The book is written by Lysa TerKeurst, who has written several other titles and is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book is a light Bible study, so if you are looking for something deeply theological, this is not the book. :-) She writes from a mom's perspective, having 5 kids of her own. The book is filled with humorous stories and ancedotes, but she also draws from her own times of spiritual learning and applies those principles to the laughable (but frustrating) times of "failure" that we all experience as mothers.

Over the next few Mondays, I am going to share short reviews of the chapters that I have already studied. I hope that the thoughts I have drawn out of the pages of this book will be an encouragement to all of you mothers out there who experience "mommy stress" every once in awhile. :-)

Mommy Mondays: The high price of romance

My husband and I do not go out much. Between having 3 children under the age of six and having no money, there is not much room for variety in the dating department.

But on Saturday, my sweet husband decided that we needed to go on a date. I, being increasingly aware of frugality and its benefits for life, tried to come up with some cheap options for the evening. My husband is very wise with our money and also concerned with frugality....but when it comes to going out for the evening, he likes to spend the money and enjoy it. We came to a compromise of sorts....

-We ended up going to see "Get Smart" (which is very funny, if you have not seen it yet):

$20 down the tubes.

-We split a 3 entree meal at Panda Express in the food court: $8 also down the tubes.

-We then completed our evening with an ice cream treat from Dairy Queen and a walk around the mall: $6 and $free :-)

-Add on the babysitting: and you still have a $50+ evening!!!!

It was fun, but the amount of money spent just kills me.

So the rest of the weekend I contemplated cheap date ideas. I know there are numerous options, but I had never sat down and planned them out. In hopes of helping others in the same "financial boat" as us, I decided to type them all up and share them here for Mommy Monday. What better way to help out my fellow mothers than to provide them with some fun (and cheap) date ideas! Enjoy time with your best guy...and let me know if you do any of them.

(And please--add to the list if you have cheap dates of your own!

"Heavy on Romance, Light on the Pocketbook":-)

1) Find a free movie or concert in your area. Take a picnic dinner, and enjoy a free but relaxing evening with your sweetie.

2) Look for B1G1 coupons for local restaurants in the mail or newspaper. Enjoy dinner for half the cost, and then take a walk around a park afterward.

3) See if your area has a dollar movie theater. Go see a film (that may have been out for awhile) and splurge on an extra-large popcorn since you saved money on the movie. :-)

4) Find a free weekend festival in your area. Eat before you go, and just buy dessert or a drink as you walk around and take in the sights.

5) If you have bikes, take a long ride on a local trail. (Or hike if you don't have bikes.)End the ride with lunch at a sandwich shop.

6) Take in a "Parade of Homes". Go out for coffee beforehand, complete with a scone or muffin for breakfast.

7) Send the kids to a friend's house and make a nice dinner for the two of you. Curl up on the couch and watch a movie before they return.

8) Spend a few hours at a bookstore. Find several titles that you are both interested in, and look through them together. (We like to look at home improvement books.) Enjoy a coffee and cookie afterward in the cafe.

9) Go bowling or mini golfing together. Pack a picnic and eat at a park afterwards.

10) Walk around the mall, window shopping--then eat in the food court.

11) Take a scenic drive (many areas even offer maps with key spots on them)--stop at a small cafe on your route and eat lunch.

12) Go to a local sporting event (sometimes you can find tickets for 1/2 price), and eat hotdogs at the game.

13) Finish up a home improvement project together (or clean the house) without the kids, and go out for pizza afterward.

14) Go grocery shopping together once a week, and pick up fast food on your way to the store(s).

A few extra tips :

~Find another family to swap babysitting with. This will save greatly on babysitting costs, and thus leave more money for your date!

~Look on http://www.restaurant.com/ for restaurant certificates. You can search for local places, and save tons of money! We usually buy the $25 certificates for $10. But make sure you buy it through Ebates.....if you don't have an Ebates account, sign up here through my referral link--we will both make $5 and you will save money for buying stuff you would normally buy anyways!

~ Plan ahead! This saves you money because you can research free events and pick up coupons, etc.

Mommy Mondays: Top Ten Summer List

As soon as the weather permits, my children are sent outside. No reason to be in the house, yelling and wrestling, when you could be outside in the fresh air, annoying the neighbors. :-) But I have come to realize that keeping my kids entertained while they are outside requires some planning and a few necessary items.

So here it is......
Toddler World's Top Ten Summertime Must-haves:

1) Coppertone's Water Babies sunblock stick
2) small inflatable wading pool
3) Nalgene Grip-n-Gulp cup
4) bubbles
5) sidewalk chalk
6) a wagon
7) sand toys (for the park!)
8) Way-Cool fruit pops
9) kid-size garden gloves and tools
10) old paint brushes (weird sounding, I know, but there is a purpose: kids love to pretend like they are "painting"....use water, even add bubbles, and they can go to town! My kids love it!)

And if I had LOTS of extra money, this would be at the top of my must-have list! :-)

What items help you get through the summer months?

Mommy Mondays: But for grace.....

Our pastor is doing a series on family, and this week he spoke on "Proactive Parenting". Since I do not feel that I have arrived at all in the parenting category, I was thrilled as he laid out some practical--and very convicting--guidelines for training children.

One book that he referenced much during his sermon was Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel. He emphasized how impressed he was by the book, so I decided to check it out. I found a great review of it here, and was glad to see that it is highly endorsed by one of the ministry leaders at John Piper's church.

So....I think I will be heading on over to Amazon this week (using my Ebates account, of course!) and buying a summer read. It looks like Tim has written many good books--I may have to buy a whole bundle of reading....

Have any of you read this book? Thoughts......?