Discipline for Myself

I don't know about you, but I sure spoiled myself this Christmas! I slept in instead of getting up to exercise. I ate way more food than I care to admit. I lounged in my pjs and showered late. My kids were spoiled too. They got to watch all their favorite shows over and over and sneak in some Christmas cookies at times I would normally never allow. But I don't regret it - not one bit! We all needed a break from the daily grind to celebrate the season.

But now the tree is down. (I have a toddler, so I couldn't wait to get Christmas decorations put away!) I had a protein shake for breakfast instead of biscuits and gravy and diet coke. I staggered to my gym shoes at 5 am and headed out for a workout. We're still celebrating with pjs though. I must say that it felt good to do all of those regular routine things this morning. A little bit of indulgence feels good, but so does a little discipline. Thankfully, God is calling us to a life with both!

Deuteronomy 8:5 says, "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."

If you have a kid of any age, you know how crazy they can get without a routine and a little discipline from mom and dad. Just imagine what would happen if you let them do whatever they wanted all the time without consequence! The same is true with us. God molds us with his discipline because He knows we need it and that it's good for us. As the season for non-discipline and indulgence comes to a close, try to view the daily grind as a loving gift from the Father.

CHRISTmas Traditions

(originally from Sandy Theile)

Gifts to Jesus

Jesus gets a Christmas stocking, too! His hangs in the center of the four for each member of our family. Each family member is responsible for writing out their gift to Jesus and placing it in the stocking. On Christmas Eve we get together and each share our gift to Jesus with the other members of the family. We follow with prayer and singing traditional Christmas hymns.

We wrap a present for Jesus with an opening in the top. Then we write down gifts to Jesus on a slip of paper and put them in the box. On Christmas morning, we open Jesus' gift first, and share with each other what they have given to Him.

On Christmas day each family member writes, individually and privately, on a piece of paper an area of their life that they wish to give to the Lord. We place the papers in an envelope and seal it until the next Christmas. Then, when the next Christmas arrives, open the envelope and share what it was that we had given Him, what had happened during the year, and how we had grown in that area.

Read the Christmas Story

After the Christmas Eve service we gather family around the fireplace, and read the Christmas story, passing the book around to each person to read a page. After we finish the story, we go around the room giving each person an opportunity to give thanks to the Lord in prayer.

Birthday Party for Jesus

The first thing Christmas morning we have a birthday party for Jesus complete with birthday cake and song, this year we will add balloons, decorations and presents (the presents will be given to less-fortunate children), reminding everyone, the birth of Jesus is the REAL reason for the season. We have a birthday cake for Jesus. The cake is chocolate, representing sin. It's filled with cherry pie filling, representing the blood of Jesus, and it's covered with white frosting which represents our new life in Christ."

Christmas Chain 

A chain made with 25 red and green paper loops is a visual way to count down the days until Christmas.  Each day a child can tear off a loop.  Making the chain—on the green links, write things for which you thank God (pets, food, laughter, etc) on the red links, write the names of friends/family members.  Use the link each day for a time of family prayer.  On green days, give God thanks for each item, and on red days, ask His blessing on a loved on.

Only Three Gifts

We give only three gifts to each child to represent what the wise men gave to the Christ child. It cuts down on the amount of presents and sounds really "spiritual."

Nativity Scenes      

One of the things we do in the days before Christmas is place our nativity figures all over the house. The empty manger is placed under the Christmas tree. As the days get closer to Christmas, the figures are moved closer to the manger. The first thing my kids open on Christmas morning is a wrapped Baby Jesus to remind them that Jesus is the best gift we can ever receive!"

Our family sets up the manger scene on December 1st, but we place the wise men on the other side of the house. Every day as Christmas approaches, our children move the wise men closer to the manger. It's fun to see where the wise men appear each day as Christmas draws closer. I've found them staring back at me in the shower, on the way down the stairs, and in the flour canister!

Collect 24 nativity pieces—Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, angels, sheep, goats, donkeys, cows, etc. Keep all the figures in a basket and on each day of Advent, have children take turns adding another figure to a nativity scene displayed in a central place.  Some days, read an appropriate passage of Scripture.  As they place each figure day by day, the story of Jesus’ birth unfolds before their eyes.

Yule Log  

If you have a fireplace, make a fire using a hardwood log.  Have family members write on slips of paper the things they are sorry for that happened during the past year—they can either share them with the rest of the family or choose to keep them private.  Then, one by one, drop them in the Yule flames to symbolize the freedom in Christ we have from sin.  When the log finally burns out, save a piece of it to start next year’s Yule log.

Alternate Sleeping Arrangements

We realized that Mary, Joseph and Jesus did not have it easy that first Christmas, and we wanted to remember that. Each Christmas Eve we give up our beds and sleep on the floor together to remember what they must have endured. Our children are young enough at this point that they think it is fun and different, while we often feel it in our older backs. Each year they understand a little more the sacrifice that Mary and Joseph made, and at the same time we do enjoy the cozy family time.

Baby shower for Jesus 

Host a baby shower and invite attendees to bring baby gifts to be donated to a local charity. Play the usual shower games and celebrate the chance to show love to a poor child whose family lacked even a bed in which to lay Him.

Making the Baby’s Bed 

Put the names of all family members in a bowl and on each weekend of Advent, have each family member draw a name.  Throughout the week, do kind deeds for the person whose name they selected, without revealing their identity.  For each kind act, put a piece of straw in a make-shift manger (shoe box?)  Each weekend, draw a new name.  The goal is to see how full and soft you can make your manger.  This activity helps kids focus more on others than themselves.

At the dinner table 

At special holiday meals, set one extra place—for the Christ child.  This is a concrete reminder to children that Christ is always present with us.

Place a different figure of the nativity in front of each family member’s place at the table.  Ask each person to share what the character might have felt at the birth of Christ.  Ask what each character gave out of love for Jesus.  Encourage conversation about ways each can show love at Christmas because of Jesus’ great love for us.

Focusing on Others

Just as shepherds and wise men visited Jesus and his family, make Christmas a time of visiting friends and family members, especially those not often seen.  Involve children in making some small gift or greeting card to take as you visit.

Don’t forget this old-fashioned activity of Christmas caroling.  Be sure to sing at the homes of shut-ins who may be especially lonely this time of year.  Children can learn the names of elderly church or community members whom them rarely see, and they can experience the joy and thankfulness these people feel.  It can be a marvelous giving experience.

For one week during December, have a simple meal of soup and bread.  Then send the money saved on food to a food shelter or other charity.  What a good way to help children share their hearts with a needy world!

Treasure Hunt 

Type up the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and then cut it into strips, verse by verse.  Hide the strips of paper around the house.  Then draw a treasure map, with a star to indicate where each piece of the story is.  Once the kids find all the verses, have them put them in the correct order to read out loud. 

A Jar Full of Blessings 

Throughout the year, as God answers a prayer, have kids write it down on a slip of paper and put it into a jar.  During Advent, let the children take turns reading all the blessings God has provided.

Christmas Pantomime

On slips of paper write down activities from the Biblical narrative of the nativity that can be mimed, such as:  Joseph and Mary on their way to Bethlehem, the innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary, the wisemen following the star, etc.  Then take turns pulling a slip of paper and acting out the activity while others guess what he/she is doing.

Manger instead of a tree

Instead of having a Christmas tree be the focus of your holiday decorations, use a manger instead.  Use a large doll in a box or a cradle.  Consider using evergreen branches instead of straw and put lights around the manger.  Then put your gifts around the manger.  This helps even the youngest child understand that Jesus is the real center of Christmas.

Holiday Placemats

Using a 12 x 18 construction paper, help children design and make place mats for the family. Use old Christmas cards to cut out pictures and verses to be pasted on the place mats. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper when done.

Advent Pledge

 At the beginning of Advent, give older kids a chance to sign this pledge:

This advent I commit myself…

To remember those people who truly need my gifts,

To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways,

To look for chances to share what I have—whether time, talent, or concrete objects—with those who have less than I

To examine each of my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas

To initiate acts of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends

To keep Christ at the center of each day as I prepare my heart to welcome His coming.

Holiday Memories (not really Christ-focused, but create great memories)

Don’t let the Christmas season go by without taking pictures of your family.  Each Christmas, take photos in the same location, such as in front of the Christmas tree or sitting around the table ready for Christmas dinner.  A yearly set of photos focused on the same events and locations provides many opportunities to build happy memories and recall Christmas celebrations year by year.

Throughout the holiday season, use a video recorder to periodically have kids tell about the day’s happenings and also to reflect on the past year.  On Christmas Day, watch the tape as a family.  You might also want to make copies to send to relatives who are far away.  Next year at Christmas, listen to the previous year’s tape to remind children of past memories and show them how they’ve grown.  Continue to use the same tape each year.

After Christmas is over, but before you put your decorations away, compose a letter to each of your children.  Write about what you remember about them and the progress they've made during the past year and place in their stockings.  On the day you put away Christmas decorations, ask your children to look in their stocking again.  The older kids can read their letter, but you may need to read it to younger ones.  Or if your child is an infant, keep the letter until he/she is older.  Make sure to pack these letters away and send them back to your child when he/she is in college or on their own!    

What ideas do you have about keeping Christ at the heart of Christmas?

Why Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole... Jesus is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh... Jesus rides on the wind and walks on water.

Santa comes but once a year... Jesus is an ever-present help.

Santa fills up your stocking with goodies... Jesus supplies all your needs.

You have to wait in line to see Santa... Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa says, "You'd better not cry" ... Jesus says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa lets you sit on his lap... Jesus lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name. All he can say is "Hi little boy/girl, what's your name?" ... Not only did Jesus know your name before you did, He knows your address too. He knows your history and your future, and He even knows how many hairs are on your head.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly... Jesus has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is Ho, Ho, Ho... Jesus offers health, help and hope.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree, Jesus became our gift and died on the tree.

Why I Love Black Friday

I know - I'm crazy. You either love it or you hate it. Here are some great reasons to love it:

1. A great deal. I'm not out the week before camping in the parking lot or anything, but we live on a single-income budget and doing some Black Friday shopping sure does help us cut the Christmas costs down.

2. Decorations and Music. Walking through the mall and drinking a holiday coffee while listening to a little Bing Crosby would put anyone in the holiday spirit.

3. People Watching. As long as your not pushing your way through the crowds to get that one last toy or electronic item, it's so fun to sit back and watch the craziness.

4. Lines. No really! Do I really love standing in line for an hour at the Jo-Ann Fabrics cutting line every year? Well, not for the reason you might think. I love that once people are stuck in line it forces them into conversation with those around them, and who knows if that person in front or behind you needs to feel Jesus this Christmas!

So the next time you are out holiday shopping, don't forget to slow down, enjoy the atmosphere and put your cell phone down for a minute to talk to those around you. Let's bring Christ along to the mall this year, and, of course, leave the kids at home with dad. :)

Teaching Your Children About Prayer

While this exercise is geared toward younger children, it is a good for ALL of us to remember.

1.      Let your child trace his/her hand on a sheet of paper.
2.      Tell your child that he/she can use his/her fingers to remember how to pray.
3.      Over the thumb, write PRAISE--start your prayer by praising God and telling Him how great He is
4.      Over the first finger, write THANK--thank God for something He has done.
5.      Over the middle findger, write CONFESS--it's good to tell God the things your child has done wrong.
6.      Over the ring finger, ASK--ask God for the things you need
7.      Over the pinkie, write OTHERS--ask God to help others who need Him
Put the picture up where it can be seen and remembered. When your child has it memorized, he/she will have the steps in prayer with him/her all the time.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and know that the Mom2Mom leadership team is thanking God for you this week!

Heartwarming on a Cold Day

 I saw this on Pinterest and could not resist:

A little boy asked his mother, “Why are you crying?” “Because I’m a woman,” she told him. “I don’t understand,” he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, “And you never will.” Later the little boy asked his father, “Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?” “All women cry for no reason,” was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, “God, why do women cry so easily?” God said, “When I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.” “You see my son,” said God, “the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides.” Author: Unknown

God we thank you...

Every preschool has their own little prayer song, and my daughter's goes like this: "God we thank you. God we thank you for this day, for this day. And for all our good food and for all our good friends. Thank you God. Thank you God."

When I really pause and think about what I am truly thankful for, my mind is flooded with options. This time of year makes us more mindful of thanking God. If I have too many things to list, however, why can I not pause and thank God daily for all these things? Despite the difficulties of life, love and loss, hurt and heartbreak - I will choose to be thankful. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Let's join up this Thanksgiving, and sing the Lord's praises for the good things he gives us and for the good He can bring from the things that aren't so good-feeling.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

When you just gotta dance.

I was raised in what I consider to be a decently musical family. Mom sings. My two sisters and I all played piano and one other instrument through high school, and we all sang in choir at one point or another. Even one of my sisters even became a music teacher! Dad does none of the above but has a real love for music. I'm only 28, and I am already getting more disappointed with music as decades go by. Granted, my parents listened to music from the 60s and 70s, my sisters listened to music from the 80s, and I listened to stuff from the 90s. Beyond about 2005, it gets a little fuzzy for me on what's popular. I just feel like the message, musicality, and emotion is getting lost in fashion and technology. When was the last time we heard someone great just get up with a guitar and a microphone?

No matter what kind of tunes you listen to, whether or not you can sing, or if you were born 80 years ago or 8 months ago - music is important. Just look at how many times singing to the Lord is mentioned in the Bible! Old music takes us back to another time. Slow ballads can make us cry. Listen to a drum beat and tell me you aren't moving your feet!

But what about music and mothering? Maybe you are in the stage when all you hear is Old MacDonald and the B-I-B-L-E. For all of you out there - stick with it! Singing to your kids and playing instruments (even the homemade kind) encourages coordination, rhythm and even confidence with your kids. For those of you with older kids, listen to some of your old favorites with them. Talk about what was going on in the world when it was popular. If they have grandparents, get them involved and have them do the same. Where were you when John Lennon was shot? What music did grandpa listen to when he was in the war? Do mom and dad have a song?

Unfortunately for us, moms, the door swings both ways. You may not like or understand Lady Gaga or Jay-Z, but you can bet the kids at your child's school do. Talk about what they like and listen to it. Look at what the fashion is all about (and talk about that too - especially if you have girls - YIKES!) and keep up with the technology.

I want to make sure my kids know who Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole, The Bee Gees, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson are so that in some way the gifts God has given these people can touch hearts for all eternity. And perhaps my children will be able to teach me a thing or two in the process.

Jesus is my Airbag

Everywhere I turn lately I'm hearing about friends with job losses, marriage struggles, grief, depression... the list goes on and on. Life is full of unforeseen circumstances, isn't it?

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.'"

A few years back I lost a friend due to some very tragic circumstances, and the feeling reminded me of being in a car accident. We were just going along in life, cruising at a comfortable speed. She was climbing in her nursing career, and I had just given birth to my first child. Life was hard, but it was good. Then the day we got the call that she was killed was like an oncoming car smashing head-on into my nice cruise. I felt like if I had seen it coming, I could have braced my hands on the wheel, closed my eyes, slowed down, or taken an entirely different path to avoid the hurt. Nope. When unexpected things happen, the only place we have to fall is on Jesus. He's the airbag of our life. No matter how big the crash, He reaches out to us and holds us, protects us, as we fall. I can't imagine how I could drive through life without knowing He's there to protect me. It doesn't mean that crashes don't hurt us, and it doesn't mean that we will avoid them. It DOES mean that we will always have a safe place to fall and the knowledge that we will not be consumed when a cruise comes to a halt.

We're praying for you, moms. We pray that you invite the Lord into your life daily and that He will protect you in your journeys.

Mommy Reboot

Sometimes moms just need a break. I stepped back from routine life this weekend and went out of town with my family. It was mostly to visit some friends but also to get a mommy reboot. Since the family came along, I can't say it was a total break, but I had the chance to get away from cooking and cleaning, emails and phone calls, texts and facebook. I needed to turn myself off for a while and get back to the basics. We took walks, went to parks, and talked face to face. When we left on Friday, I was in sad condition. I felt like nothing was ever going to get done, and I was overwhelmed. Now that we're back and rebooted, I realized that cutting myself off for a while is just what I needed to get going again.

Perhaps you are feeling frazzled and overwhelmed like I was last week. Even if you can't go away, what can you give up for a day or a few days to allow you the chance to reboot?

Time for a change.

My mom and I had a long conversation the other day about my frustration about the toys in my house. We are blessed with our home, but I don't have a toy room. It's called my living room. :) My daughter is a little bit older so most of her toys are in her room, but my son is smaller so he's not quite happy to play in his room just yet. Mom and Dad started in a trailer when my oldest sister was born and then spent many years with all three of us kids in a VERY small house. In fact, when my oldest sister was having friends over and wanted privacy in the living room, my parents would go sit on the washer/dryer to talk because there wasn't really another place to be! (My room was attached to their room.) To put it this way, my mom totally gets it. My couches have been "loved on" by my kids and are smooshed and stained. The carpet has a trampled path and toys are creeping up on me in all directions. Mom gave me some very helpful advice that I thought I'd share with you:

1. If you can't change it, clean it. Just because we can't afford new furniture or carpet right now doesn't mean it can't be cleaned. There is a lesson to be learned in taking care of the things you've been blessed with instead of just running out and getting a new one when you're tired of the old one.

2.  Change it up. Move your stuff around so that everything has a new place. Rearranging is free and can make a whole new room. If you have some spare money that you are willing to put into your home, even changing the paint color can make a difference.

3. Dream a little. Walk into every room and allow yourself to think of all the things you would do if time and money were not issues. Write it all down. Look for inspiration online and in magazines. Sit down with a book and some coffee at Barnes and Noble and dream a little. Dreaming is free too. :)

4. Prioritize. Take your dream list and prioritize it. What needs to be done first? What things are less important to you and can fall to the bottom of the list? Once your list is prioritized, you can cross items off one at a time or work toward a financial goal to make them happen.

Organizational Tips

I'm feeling rather uninspired this week, and I'm growing totally frustrated with the toys in my house. So I figured I could put the two together! Instead of posting a blog this week, I'm simply asking:

What is your favorite organizational tip around your household? (It doesn't have to be about toys, but I could sure use a few!)

The Speed Limit

I learned to drive mostly from my dad. To say that my dad is laid back is an understatement, but when it comes to being behind the wheel he's all about control. I can probably count on one hand the times I have been in the car with my mom driving and my dad as the passenger. He was an excellent teacher, but I could tell it made him nervous not to be in the driver's seat. Another thing you should know about my dad is that he ALWAYS goes the speed limit. Most people I know go at least 5 over to "keep up with the flow of traffic." Not my dad. When I was learning, he always used to say:

Just because it says 65 doesn't mean you have to go that fast.

I got to thinking about that this week as I was making my to do list. The world tells us that our speed limit is 65, but do we really have to go that fast to keep up? And who are we keeping up with - ourselves, our neighbors, other moms? I started to weed out those things that I didn't really "need" to do this week and some white space started to appear on my calendar. Hmm... that looked pretty good. Then the week started and life got hectic again. I started thinking about the world's speed limit and how I was just keeping up witht he flow of traffic. Then my Gram's words popped into my head:

Jesus never hurried, and He got everything done that God needed Him to do.

Well, that was it. I just needed to slow down and take it one thing at a time. I needed to prioritize and set goals for myself instead of speeding up, saying yes to everything, and cramming at the last minute. Things started to fall into place, and God started opening doors for me to do some special ministry work. Hey, I even had time to enjoy a date with my husband and some alone time too.

How do you keep yourself from putting the pedal to the metal?

A True Mom to Mom Experience

Matthew 25:40 "...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

My husband and I recently took a trip to Las Vegas. He had been there before on business, but it was my first Vegas experience. Frankly, I was a little bit nervous. Neither of us drink. Neither of us gamble. So really, what's left? A LOT! I think it's something everyone should see once in a lifetime. The lights, the shows, the beautiful hotels, the breathtaking Bellagio fountain... and the people watching. After just one day there I told Adam that I think Vegas is such an interesting representation of the American people. At 28, I couldn't quite figure out if I was too old for the place or too young. College kids were there doing things their parents would never approve of, and the senior citizens were burning their hard-earned money left and right. But somewhere in the middle, there were people just like us. 

I could have spent my entire vacation praying over Sin City, and deep down I think I did. Regardless of what people were doing, I couldn't help but look at them and wonder what their circumstances were, if they knew Jesus, if the Church was holding them up or letting them down, if one smile or kind word from me was all the Jesus they had seen that day. As we passed by the many homeless people outside Caesar's Palace, I saw a pregnant woman sitting with a sign asking for food. I had just left my 9 month old baby home in very capable grandparent hands for the first time, and my soul just ached. We were on our way to dinner, and I just couldn't get her out of my mind. Adam and I decided we would bring her something to eat on the way back. With food in hand, we walked back to where she was sitting. My heart sank deep into my toes and a lump went into my throat. She was already gone. We decided to just keep walking and ask God to lead us to the person who really needed that food. After all, there were countless people on the street who needed it.

Just from a tug in my heart, we decided to walk a different way back to our hotel that night. We turned a corner, and there was Brandi. This woman was sitting all alone by the street with her five month old son and an Enfamil can. I wanted to shout, "Hallelujah!!!" Clearly, she was the right person. I stooped down to her level and asked if she wanted the food. She turned to her son and said, "Look, we have dinner from the nice lady." She told me their names. I said how beautiful her son was, even though he looked as though he hadn't seen a bath for a while. I told her that we would be praying for her, and she thanked us and said she needed it. As we walked away, I just lost it and wept the whole way back to our room.

As a mom, I am blessed to have what I need to care for my children. As a Christian, I am blessed to give to others what God has graciously given to me. As a child of God, I am blessed to be cradled in the arms of the Father when I am most needy. Tonight, I hope Brandi feels the same.

Finding Something for Myself

When I first started staying at home, finding time to do things that I loved was a lot easier. Sure, I had a baby, but she could go anywhere I went and sit in one of her millions of seats while I did what I wanted to do. I'll never forget the day that last seat (the jumperoo) went in basement storage. I thought, "what am I going to do now?" That lovely time of doing the things I wanted to do when I wanted to do them went right out the window. And when I had my second child, well you can just forget it! I am robot-mom. I am wife. I clean. I change diapers. I feed people.

At some point, I realized that EVERYTHING I did revolved around my husband or children. I didn't have any hobbies and rarely took time for myself. While I had Mom2Mom (hooray!) that encouraged me in my role as a mom, I still ended up talking about my husband and kids all the time. What I needed was something just for myself, someplace where people would actually use my name, Ashley, instead of calling me Natalie's mom. Now I want to say that I am so proud to be a mom and that I would have it no other way than to be at home with my kids. When they are your daytime, nighttime, every time job, however, it's so easy to sacrifice yourself and the things you love. I didn't even know I was doing it!!! If I continued on this path for too long, I knew that I would be lost as soon as my kids hit school. Simply said, God called me to be Ashley. When my parents named me, they didn't name me Mom. I am a person with passions, interests and God calls me to use those things for His glory.

Okay, so I needed something in my life just for myself. Maybe I could take a class? No, that sounded like a lot of money. Maybe I could join a club? I really need a hobby first if I'm going to join a club. Maybe I'm just not cut out for staying at home, and I should go back to work? No, God called me to this, and I'm committed to it. I prayed through it and decided to start a small business at home selling cosmetics. I gave it my absolute all for a year and then knew it would be too much once my son was born. At the time, it was just what I needed. Time out. A chance to dress up. A chance to make some goals for myself and be rewarded for meeting them. But when all those things became hindrances more than rewards, I knew it was no longer meeting my needs. (Side note: I did this because I wanted the fun - not the money. If you have a small business and are doing it because you need the money - DON'T QUIT.) It was time for me to move on. I ended on learning to sew, and it has been a great blessing. It has been a great chance for me to connect with my mom since she spends much of her retirement in her sewing room. Also, God has opened up many doors for me to make things for people in need. Yes, sometimes I still sew things for my kids, but mainly I just sew. It's my own little place to be creative, and finishing something is just the reward I need.

What do you have in your life that is just for you? If you see yourself in this, what can you do today to help you find "that thing" you need? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. Did God give me a special talent that I enjoy and that can be used for His glory?
2. How does our family schedule look and where can I carve out the time to do this?
3. Is there an activity or group that speaks to my heart and that I can find a way to serve?  (In blessing others, we also receive blessing and satisfaction!)
4. What is it that I crave - more time alone? more time in God's Word? more time with people? a creative outlet?

Monday Can Be Rough

(Not so good Monday)

After a long weekend, I sometimes find it difficult to pull myself together on Monday morning. I drag myself out of bed and think "Oh Lord, I just want to curl up in my bed and add another day to my weekend." The truth is, however, that God created rest (aka Sunday) not only so that we could reflect on Him but also to rejuvenate us for the work to come. So now we can say with joy, "Thank you, Lord, for giving me the rest I need. What do you have for me to do today that will help others and glorify Your name?" If I find myself craving more and more and MORE rest, I have to ask myself - am I doing too much and not honoring God with my rest so He can rejuvenate me? More times than not, the answer is yes. This week think about the work that needs to be done and how you can schedule your Sunday Sabbath rest in so that next Monday you can wake with joy and thanksgiving in your heart!

(Joy in the morning!)

Back to School...

It's about that time again! So bittersweet when Summer turns to Fall. We wait all year for the warm weather, for our kids to be home and for a chance to start knocking things off our "to do" list. But all good things must come to an end. August rolls around and the kids start fighting more, you are ready for some personal space and that warm weather you prayed so desperately for is starting to feel just a little bit too hot right about now! So it's back to school...

Since this is my daughter's first year in preschool, we are just starting this whole experience. I am starting to realize that this is also time to get back to "mommy school." Don't we all just let things go a little bit more in the summer? I know I do. The dishes aren't done? Eh, I'd rather take a walk. No plans for dinner? No problem - we'll just grab something on our way to the park tonight. And when you have older kids, I'm guessing you also have your full-time summer job as a professional driver and cheerleader that trumps all other items on your list. Schedules just seem to bend easier in the summer. But when we bend too much, we break.

So now it's time to get your school supplies together, mom. I'm hoping to get my schedule back together, get a good devotional started, organize my meal plans better, and do a little Fall cleaning so my house is in tip-top shape.

What are you doing to get ready for this Fall?

Finally Electronic

We finally have a blog!

What do you get when you put a bunch of moms together? Tons and TONS of conversation! We think it's important to give us a chance to be encouraged and share with one another whenever we need it, not just on Wednesday mornings. That's why we made this space. We hope you will come and receive what you need. Maybe that's encouragement during a tough day. Maybe that's a chance to let your voice be heard. Maybe you need help solving one of those mom issues that come up, oh say, everyday! Maybe you need an idea for dinner tonight. Whatever the case may be, welcome to our blog! We hope you are blessed by it.