Encourage those around you!

 I am working on a hurricane/other disaster prep post and should have it ready soon! There is so much out there. It's been kind of fun getting all this information together and starting to implement it a little at a time!

 Right now I just have to share something I am very excited about. God has truly done a good work in me! I have had the most productive couple of days. Remember when I reformatted this blog and was looking for my passion for homemaking and mothering again?? Well, it's back! I am just enjoying puttering around in the kitchen. I even made bread!! I have not done that since before Lily was born. She will be two next week. Yes, it's been that long. I have a ton of meals in my freezer. My room is not just getting cleaned (it's been clean since I wrote about it last!) but now I am reorganizing and decluttering. It's really looking better than clean. It's looking beautiful.

Today on a whim I invited some friends over. I was not running around like crazy trying to clean. The house was fairly clean just a little swiping here and there. I lit a pretty smelling candle and it was a great time with friends. I'm getting ready to rearrange the house again. Yeah, it's about a quarterly thing now. LOL Much of my inspiration has come from a wonderful older lady lately. Not much older though, her youngest daughter is the same age as my Kelsie. She has just been so encouraging to me lately. She also brought me a whole bunch of her old Keeper At Home magazines! WOW! Just WOW! The wisdom in those pages has brought me a whole new level of excitement. I am excited to try to share some of the lessons I am learning that are bringing me back to the heart of my mission. My home and family. Blogging is sporadic right now, because I am busy at home, but I am hoping to get the prep. post up and at least one other this week.

Be blessed and look for a young woman to encourage in her role as homemaker this week!

Passion For God's Word

Here we are, Day 2, dressed to the shoes! Today was not nearly as productive as yesterday. I was gone most of the day taking my mom on some errands. She just had knee replacement surgery and come home from rehab yesterday. She is doing FANTASTIC! I am so impressed with how well she handled the surgery.

I did have an answer to a prayer request today. It was one of those small I really don't need it type things, but God heard my prayer and decided that I did need it! I will share it with you one day this week.

Today I read through Chapter 2 of the Elizabeth George book I am reading that I talked about yesterday. I have not gotten through more than one chapter a day so it might take a little more than a week. :)

Today's chapter was on developing a passion for God's word. She listed ten disciplines for developing this passion. I thought I would share them with you.

1. Refuse to miss a day. (reading God's word)

2. Pray as you approach God's word.
Psalm 119:18-19 Open my eyes, that I may see wonderous things from your law. Do not hide your commandments from me.

3. Consume God's word in various ways
Teaching/preaching tapes and videos, Memorize scripture, place scripture verses throughout your home, hum or sing hymns and praise and worship music throughout your day
Saturate your heart soul and mind with scripture

4. Find a rhythm or pattern that fits your lifestyle

5. Be a woman of one book - The Book
Make Bible reading a priority before you read other books

6. Be accountable

7. Beat the family
Aim to be the first one up every morning

8. Teach Your Children
Be as diligent about getting the Word into them as you are about getting it into your own heart.

9. Purpose to get up
This is my own personal struggle, especially with still getting up once or twice a night with the baby. It's so easy to just roll over and fall back asleep instead of getting up.

10. Aim for more time
Always try to fit more of the Word into your day!

This really blessed me this morning. I have missed that passion for seeking after God the last few months. I am so excited to be heading down the right path again.
It is so important as a wife, mom, homemaker, and homeschooler to be saturating our lives with God's word. This not only benefits us but it benefits our whole family. If I am filled with God's word everyday I can then fill my home and family with God's word. It can't help but flow right out of you.
Mom's of young ones, I know how hard it is to get that time. One thing I have done from the beginning is train my littles to play quietly in their rooms until I get them up. Even my big kids still do this.
If you can't do this, another suggestion I heard once was to place an open Bible in the kitchen (or whatever room you frequent most during the day) then grab snippets as you wander through the day. Writing scriptures on index cards and placing them all over the house would help as well.
Ok, so there is my exciting morning. The rest of the day, not so much. I am blessed to be able to care for my family throughout the days.
What exciting thing happened in your spiritual walk today?

Feminism vs Biblical Womanhood

This is a snippet from the Mother's Day sermon at the church we are currently visiting.
If you are interested in the whole sermon listen here.
So refreshing to here it from the pulpit!