Take the family on a factory tour!

Summer is here!

And I'm sure that you want to do something fun with kids this summer. One of the things that I'll be doing is taking them to different factories. Summer is the perfect time to hop in the car and visit America's most popular factories! If you have boys and they love anything that is on wheels take them to Boeing, Mercedes or Harley Davidson factory. Going to a Dairy Factory should be fun for all. Just finish the visit with a tasting ice cream!!!

You can find a lot of information on all tours and find those closest to you if you visit FactoryToursUSA.com or pick up the book Watch it Made in the USA.

Wishing you and your family a summer filled with fun and unforgettable memories!

Good day to all of you!

It's been busy around our place in the last few weeks. We are just about done with the school year and I'm getting ready for the next year starting September!

FUN!FUN!FUN!

Today I enrolled my kids in Creative Classes through our School District. So we will be doing out Home School and Alternative Classes they picked themselves.
This year will be so much fun! We signed up for some fun classes.

CYT - Christian Youth Theater
Mystery Solvers
Computer Basics
YMCA
Vocal Ensemble
Gymnastics
Martial Arts - Tac Kwen Doe

So in the next few weeks I'll be working on my new Calendar. Please pray for me that the Lord will give me the wisdom to plan my days, so I can bring glory to Him in everything I do.

Thank you, to all of you for your support and prayers!

God bless,
Oksana

Free School Calendar Templates - Download a collection of free school calendar templates for Excel, or quickly print a ready-made academic year calendar.

Feathers Plucked for a Nest

Read this amazing article!

"Mother ducks pick feathers from their chests to line their nests

BY Ann Voskamp,


Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed. But homes can only be made, and that with ourselves. Or so the ducks told me..."

©2008, Ann Voskamp
Related resources: May the Children Eat First
The original Koester painting, "Moulting Ducks," is part of the collection at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle http://www.fryemuseum.org/

Book Report

A new project for the weekend is to finish reading a book that my mom gave me as a gift. The book is called "Don't Make Me Count to Three!" by Ginger Plowman. I've read this book a few years ago, but I would like to refresh my memory and possibly change a few things in my discipline approach.





So far I'm on chapter 2, but I'm amazed on how this lady looks at discipline, it's very nice and refreshing to read a heart-oriented discipline book. Most book that are out there today focus to much on the outward of our kids and not their heart.





Ginger Plowman is the founder of Preparing the Way Ministries, for which she speaks at women's events, parenting conferences, and home school conventions across the country.
http://www.gingerplowman.com/index.html

Family Fun for Everyone

Arts & CraftsFinger-paint.
Draw pictures on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.
Get out the coloring books and crayons, and color.
Build a model car or airplane.
Design a family calendar; record birthdays, anniversaries, and family events.
Make Christmas cards or ornaments.

Family Growth
Have family devotions.
Plan a guy/girl night. Dad: Teach your son how to change the oil. Mom: Teach your daughter how to sew.
Decorate a can and fill it with ideas of fun things to do. Take turns pulling out something new each day.

Food & Meals
Have an ice cream sundae night with special toppings, whipped cream, and candy.
Bake cookies together and take some to your neighbors.
Plan a potluck dinner with friends.
Have a barbeque.
Pack a picnic.
Go to an ice cream shop.
Build a bonfire, roast marshmallows, and make S’mores.

Getting Out of the House
Visit the zoo or a local museum.Pick fruit at a U-Pick.
Take a road trip down a road you’ve never explored.
Plan and go on a scavenger hunt with your kids.
Attend a free community concert.

Hospitality
Adopt a “grandpa” or “grandma” from your church and do something special with that person.
Host a “Cousins Camp” if cousins live nearby.

If It’s Raining
Build a fort with blankets, tables, and chairs.
Make a “home movie.” Let the kids use the camcorder, dress up, and use whatever resources you have on hand to set the scene.
Design a personal collage of “Things I Love” or “The Story of My Life.” Give everyone a large poster board and a stack of magazines. When finished, take turns talking about what the pictures mean.
Give your girls a “makeover.”
Play dress-up or “Cowboys and Indians.”
Play musical chairs.
Sing around the piano.
Write a “progressive story”—each family member adds one sentence—and then illustrate it.
Write encouraging notes to relatives, people in the military, friends, and pastors.
Play board games.
Put together a jigsaw puzzle.

Neighborhood Fun
Host a bike-decorating contest, and let the kids have a parade to show off their bikes.
Plan an art show. Display the neighborhood children’s artwork, and invite their families to attend. Serve refreshments, and elect a judge to award ribbons.
Organize a community cleanup day.
Make sock puppets, write a script, and invite the neighborhood kids to the puppet show.

Sports & Exercise
Play soccer or kickball.
Go on a bike ride.
Play Putt-Putt Golf or visit to the driving range.
Go roller skating or ice skating.
Visit the playground.
Shoot hoops or play H-O-R-S-E with a basketball.
Take a hike and collect rocks and leaves.
Jump rope.
Play “Kick the Can” or “Capture the Flag.”
Have a water fight with the hose, buckets, balloons, or squirt guns.
Fly a kite.
Teach the kids how to play hopscotch or croquet.

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/ Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Being a Mom that Matters

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
Proverbs 22:6 Train children how to live right, and when they are old, they will not change. (NCV)

Friend to Friend
So much of who we are as women is rooted in the parent/child relationship. I believe that my role as a mother will greatly affect the kind of woman my daughter will become. I also believe that moms are the primary teachers in a child’s life. Here are a few familiar truths taught by mothers:

Cleanliness: "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside - I just finished cleaning!"
Religion: "You had better pray that will come out of the carpet."
Logic: "Because I said so, that's why."
Planning: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
The circle of life: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

We live in a world that many times denies the importance of being a mom. I don’t come to you as an expert. I simply want to be a successful mom! Well, actually, my credentials are impressive! I am the mother of two beautiful, brilliant children! I want to be the mom they need and deserve and the good news is that God wants the same thing. Being a parent is a holy calling from God and God never calls us to do a job without providing the power and the plan to do that job successfully. How can we be the moms that really matter?

1. Be a mom who loves God!
1 John 4:19 “We love, because God first loved us.” (NCV)

We are incapable of loving our children like they were meant to be loved until we first love God! Motherhood at its best demands a thriving partnership with God! We cannot give unconditional love until we have experienced unconditional love! And God is the only source of that kind of love! We can do everything else right as a parent but if we don’t begin with loving God - we will fail!

2. Be a mom who prays continually.
I Thessalonians 5:17 should every mother’s commitment to her children. “Never stop praying.” (ICB)

It is never too late to start praying and it is always too early to stop!

Pray for God’s plan – not yours – when praying for your children.
Pray that you will see your child like God sees your child.
Pray specifically for your child:

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Lord, I pray that Jered would trust in you with all his heart and will lean not unto his own understanding. I pray that in all his ways Jered will acknowledge you and that you will direct his paths.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Lord, I pray that Danna would cast all her care upon you, because you care for her.”

Prayer is an eternal gift we can give to our children, teaching them the importance of prayer and teaching them how to pray. I recently heard the story of a mother who had invited several people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" “I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," she answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

We began early to pray with our kids at bedtime. One night, out of the blue, our son, Jered, began to pray that his grandfather and his uncle would stop smoking. Since both had smoked for many years and neither was trying to quit, I didn’t expect much. But our son did. Within the next year, both men suddenly quit smoking. I was totally amazed, but Jered acted like it was no big deal. When I questioned his response, he simply said, “Mom, you told me God answers prayer.” I am convinced that if we pray for our children and with our children, it will change their lives and ours and give us insight that we can gain no other way.

3. Be a mom who gives time!
Proverbs 22:6 Train children how to live right, and when they are old, they will not change. (NCV)

It takes time to be a mom, to know and to train your children. Every child comes with a set of characteristics already established by God. Our job is to identify those characteristics and then steer the child toward them. The original root word for “train” is the term for “the palate, the roof of the mouth, the gums”. In the days of Solomon, a midwife would deliver the baby, dip her finger into the juice of crushed dates, reach into the mouth of the baby and massage the gums and palate to create a sense of taste and thirst. She would then give the child to the mother so the baby could nurse. Our job as mothers is to develop a thirst in our children for the right things. And that takes time.

There is a popular philosophy today that it doesn’t matter the quantity of time that we spend with our kids as long as it is quality time. It does matter! Can a woman have it all - a home, a family, a career? I think she can. I’m just not sure she can have them all at the same time. There are seasons of life to which we must yield in order to be the mother God wants us to be. Time spent with children is never wasted! Every minute invested in your child is an eternal investment! Give your children the best of your time – not the leftovers.

· Make weekly dates with your kids.
· Pull them out of school occasionally for a fun day.
· Have a meal together every day.
· Be involved in the things they enjoy.

In other words, be available! And just your physical presence is not enough! Our normal bedtime routine was to spend a few minutes with each child, talking about the day, praying together and then I would tuck them in. When our daughter, Danna, was six-years-old, Dan was out of town and I was behind in studying for an upcoming retreat. I went in to Jered’s room, completed the routine and he was asleep in minutes. But when I went into Danna’s room, trying to speed things up, Danna refused to talk. When I asked her why, she cried out, “Mama, you’re not here!” Confused and a little irritated, I responded, “Yes, I am! I am right here!” Her big brown eyes filled with tears as she drove the truth home, “But you’re not really here on the inside.” Be a mom who gives your children time.

Being a mom is the hardest job on earth! It brings out the best and the worst in you! I know that it requires great sacrifice and limitless energy, but to invest your time and best efforts into a child, to watch that child grow and develop, is to be part of the creative majesty of life itself! We’re half the way there! Tomorrow, we will explore four more ways to be a mom that matters.

Let’s pray
Lord, thank You for giving me children. Help me be the mom they deserve. I commit to constantly pray for each child and invest the best part of my time and life in them. Forgive me for allowing lesser things to take the place of my role as a mother and guide me to be a mom that really matters. Amen.

Now it’s your turn
Are you growing in your life as a Christian? How?
Evaluate your schedule in light of the truth that the best part of your time goes to being a mom. What changes do you need to make in your schedule?
What do you need to give up so you can spend more time with your children?
What specific needs are you praying for your children? Make a list and pray through that list daily.

More from the Girls
Whew! This is a tough one! When we start looking at the minutes and hours of each day to see how much time we really spend – being a mom – the authenticity of our role as a mom shines through. We are in this together. Gwen, Sharon and I are all mothers with children at all stages of life. Know that we are praying with you and walking with you. Need more? Connect with over 7,000 women from across the world by enrolling my online Bible study, Light for the Journey. Still need a gift for Mom? Look at this! And be sure to check out my two brand new CDs, How to Get Past Your Past and Escaping the Stress Trap.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

G.I.G.
Girlfriends in God, Inc.
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, North Carolina 28106
Web site: http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/
Email: info@girlfriendsingod.com


Click here to learn more about hosting a Girlfriends in God conference in your area.

A homeschooling mom’s day is not all about teaching children their ABC’s and 123’s. She has to be a chief cook and bottle washer, the medic for bumps and bruises, the domestic help who cleans, the trainer of her children, encourager of her husband, occasional gardener...the list goes on.

Where do you find yourself right now on a scale of 1 – 10 with regards to your home and schooling organization?

Do you have any sort of vision of where you want to be 2, 5 or even 10 years down the line?

Have you thought about the highschool year?

What about your day to day living – how are your children progressing in their learning disciplines?

What are you doing to shape and mould their Godly characters?

And your housekeeping? Does your family work together as a team, do your children do their chores – in fact – do you do your chores?

Are you able to eat healthy wholesome meals each day?

Can you fit in a little time each day for yourself?

Would you believe that planning is the first step to help you move forward in each of these areas? Whether you are a textbook homeschooler or unschooler or follow any pattern in between, planning will set you free to live more victoriously.


But how do you start planning?
The answer is here Click Here! in the form of the Ultimate Homeschooling Mom’s Planner. This e-book offers you over 130 templates to use to plan your homeschooling mom’s lifestyle.


What you’ll get from this e-book:

Daily, weekly, monthly and annual planners

Family vision planner

Family fitness ideas

Personal Goals

Homemaking help

Cooking and meal planning

Housekeeping including cleaning tips

Children’s Chore Charts

School planning – from preschool to highschool

And more!

Click Here!

You can begin planning in just one area with this planner, starting where you feel there is the greatest need. As you get that one habit underway, you can add the next planning sheet! This is the beauty of planning – it is moldable in your hands to suit your family.
This e-book gives you templates which you print off and adapt for your family’s specific needs as and when you need it. But more than this, on most pages you will find inspirational poems, quotes and scriptures to inspire you to never grow weary in doing good for your family and in your home.

Throughout the e-book you also have Tips for Success which come from my many years of parenting and homeschooling. The tips are to encourage you but also to give you practical planning advice so that you are mentored through the planning process.

A homeschooling mom cannot afford to let things happen as and when they may, we need to be diligent about strategizing for our families, seeking the Lord for His will in our lives and living this out before Him.
Click Here!

Fighting Fear

One more post that I came a cross today. It touched me deeply, I have to say that I've been through the fear of unknown and I've learned the hard way to trust the Lord and let Him take care of the end result.

Blessings to all of you today!

On Saturday, I had breakfast with two of my close friends. While sipping our hot drinks and eating our bagels, the conversation turned to the struggles we have at times with fear—fear about our children, fear about our blindness to sin, fear about our future….

But that is not how the conversation ended.
We went from confessing our fears to talking about our need to trust God more. Our need to exercise faith. We reminded each other of God’s great faithfulness toward us.

Because fear is not neutral. Fear is sin. And we must fight our fears with faith in God’s character and His precious promises—promises that flow from Christ’s work on the cross.

Here are Biblical promises that impart faith for my fears (along with commentary by Charles Spurgeon):

My children: "The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you." Psalm 102:28

“[This verse] is full of good cheer to us; we may plead for the Lord’s favor to our offspring…. God does not neglect the children of his servants…Grace is not hereditary, yet God loves to be served by the same family time out of mind…. We may, therefore, not only for our own sakes but also out of love to the church of God, daily pray that our sons and daughters may be saved, and kept by divine grace even unto the end—established before the Lord.”

Charles Spurgeon, Psalms Volume II, Series editors, Alister McGrath and J.I. Packer (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), p. 70.

My blindness to sin:"Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart." Psalm 51:6

“God is teaching [the repentant Christian] truth concerning his nature, which he had not before perceived. The love of the heart, the mystery of its fall, and the way of its purification – this hidden wisdom we must all attain; and it is a great blessing to be able to believe that the Lord will ‘make us know it.’”

My future:"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Psalm 23:6

“These twin guardian angels will always be with me. Just as when great princes go abroad and must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy follow him always – the black days as well as the bright days. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins.”

Are you tempted to fear today? God has provided numerous promises in His Word. Find a specific promise from which you can derive faith and banish fear.
Here is a promise to get you started:"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

“God makes a perfect work of it. He clears away both our fears and their causes, all of them without exception.”

Previous three quotes taken from Charles Spurgeon, Psalms Volume I, Series editors, Alister McGrath and J.I. Packer (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), p. 211-212, 91, 132.

Twenty-three Great Questions to Ask Your Kids

I found these questions a few years back and in the last three years on every birthday of my child I ask them these questions. It's fun to see how much their answers change in one year. I hope that this can be of help to you.

Blessings,



By Sharon Jaynes
1. What do you think heaven looks like?
2. What does Dad do at work?
3. Who is a person you know that seems the most Christ-like?
4. What do you think your wife (husband) will be like?
5. If you were going to spend one year on a desert island and could only take three things with you, what would they be?
6. Who is your favorite aunt or uncle and why do you like him or her so much?
7. What sounds and smells do you think Joseph and Mary experienced in the stable on Christmas night?
8. What is the nicest thing I ever did for you?
9. When is a time that I hurt your feelings?
10. When is a time that you were really mad at me?
11. If people followed the Golden Rule, think of all the things we wouldn’t need. Can you make a list?
12. If you could be in a movie that you’ve already seen, which one would it be? Would you be a character that is already in the movie, or would you be one that you would add?
13. How is love different for a Christian couple than it is in the movies?
14. What is the difference between being smart and being wise?
15. What is your favorite outfit?
16. What is the hardest part about being (fill in your child’s age)?
17. What has been your favorite childhood memory?
18. When you pray, how do you picture God?
19. What is your favorite Bible verse? Why do you like it?
20. If you could be an animal for a day, which one would you be?
21. If you could go in a time machine, what era in history would you like to visit?
22. What person in history would you like to visit?
23. What is the most important decision you will ever make?

Easter Cookies: A Memorable Way to Teach Kids the Resurrection

Sandy Coughlin

Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

The Easter baskets, gifts, candy, and games have dwindled now as my kids have gotten older. And that is a good thing. Because this means my kids are expecting less hubbub and hoopla as they increasingly understand the true meaning of this holy holiday. It’s all a part of growing up.

But no matter the age, I love to give “hands-on” lessons that kids can relate to, reinforcing the true meaning of Easter. The “Easter Cookie Story” is one particular lesson I shared with my children when they were younger.

Easter Cookie Story

To be made the evening before Easter, or whenever you want to give this lesson. I’ve actually had to open the oven early because of a limited time frame, but over-night gives best results.

You will need:

1c. whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg

whitesa

pinch salt

1c. sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon

tape

Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300

2. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.

3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

6. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

8. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt.27:65-66.

10. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

I’ve not only tried this with my own kids, but I’ve also pulled this out for one of my “Balcony Girls” lessons.

Not only does this lesson walk you through the Easter story, it focuses on the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and how it gives us hope for the future.
As Easter nears, if you are looking for a fun idea to do with your younger kids -- or even grandkids or neighborhood kids -- give this “recipe” a try. Sharing hospitality means reaching out to those around you!

Sandy Coughlin is a wife and mother of 3. She loves her family and loves blessing other people's lives by entertaining in her home. Sandy’s husband, Paul, (who used to be the reluctant entertainer) has come on board, and they often offer hospitality together. Sandy and Paul co-authored a book called Married but Not Engaged (Bethany House, Aug. 2006). It's written to women who are married to "checked out" or emotionally absent men and who want to create a more satisfying, intimate relationship. This article was adapted from Sandy’s regularly updated blog “4 Reluctant Entertainers,” which you can visit at www.reluctantentertainer.com. Get more information on Married but Not Engaged by clicking here.

Fear Not, Mother ... Fear God

I started reading this book "A Mother's Heart" by Jean Fleming and I found a lot of good practical things inti. Today I came across this and I just want to share it with all of you.
Blessings be onto you today and allways,

by Jean Fleming

God never tells us to be afraid. He tells us to hate evil, flee evil, and to be alert and wise about evil, but not to fear evil. God does not tell us to fear the times. In fact, He commands us not to be alarmed (Matthew 24:6). God sometimes stirs fear in our enemies to accomplish His purposes, but He does not give the spirit of fear to His people (2 Timothy 1:7).

Throughout Scripture God both chides and comforts His people with the phrase "Fear not" or "Do not be afraid." From the first "Fear not" recorded in the Bible in Genesis to the last in Revelation, God unites those words to some statement about Himself. In Genesis He tells Abram, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward" (Genesis 15:1). In the last book of the Bible God speaks to the apostle John, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Revelation 1:17-18). When God says, "Do not be afraid," He means to lift our eyes off the circumstance and focus our gaze on Him.

"Fear not" were the very words the angel spoke to Mary, our Lord's mother (Luke 1:30), and He has been speaking those same words to mothers ever since. He knows our tendency to succumb to fear and the debilitating results on us and our children. He does not say that dangers don't exist. They do. Sometimes our worst fears do come upon us. Even then, it is who God is, what God says, and that God is with us that really matters.

We are, unfortunately, given to fearing the wrong things and the wrong people. God tells us to fear Him. This phrase is frequently repeated in the Bible. Fearing God means we are to take God seriously, to regard Him as holy, to worship, trust, and obey Him.

I used to cling to Psalm 34:7 in my times of terror: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." But the promise for deliverance is not for those who are afraid, but for those who fear the Lord.

What Does this Mean for Us As Mothers?

Fear Does More Harm Than Good
Recognize that your fears do your family more harm than good. Fears make us controlling. Fears make us tense. Fears show us, at that moment, not to be people of faith. Fears show us, at that moment, not to be people of hope. And unfortunately, fears often show us, at that moment, not to be people of love. Just as love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), it seems fears cast out love. Parents often drive their children from them and from faith by their fears.

Our fears may press us either to frenzied decision or paralyzed indecision, to rash and regrettable words or a petrified silence, to unwarranted suspicions or unwise denial. For certain, our fears do our families more harm than good.

God Is in Control
Acknowledge that God has chosen you and your family to live exactly where you are at exactly this time in history. If we charted history on a graph to determine the best time to rear children, we would be hard-pressed to find a good time. After Adam and Eve sinned it was all downhill. In fact, if we were drawing our graph I believe we would have a hard time deciding whether times were good times or bad times. Would we want to rear children during the golden age of the Old Testament, when David was king? Adultery, rape, and murder were part of the royal family's story. Would the years when Jesus walked this earth be a good time? No other period was graced with the physical presence of God come in flesh, but hundreds of babies were slaughtered in Bethlehem within two years of His birth (Matthew 2:13-18). The land where Jesus was born was under enemy occupation, the religious establishment was cold and corrupt, and God had been silent for roughly 400 years prior to His coming. Was the first century of Christianity a good time or a bad time? The church was afire, the good news was spreading, but believers were being torn apart by lions.

Are we in a good time or a bad time? Obviously, we see many grievous things in our culture. But, perhaps more mothers gather to pray for their children and their schools today than any other time in history. Around the United States high school students meet at the flagpole before class to pray. Whenever God moves His people to gather together to pray, He hears and does something extraordinary.

But suppose this really is one of the worst times. God assures us that He has chosen us to live at this specific time of history for a purpose: "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27).

The parable of the weeds provides us with a helpful picture of life on earth (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43). The servants of the landowner are distressed because an enemy has sown weeds among the good seed. The landowner tells his servants to wait until harvest to separate the two crops. For us as well, the bad and the good must grow up together.

God Calls Us to Faith, Hope, and Love
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith and hope are intertwined. Both are tied to believing that what God says is true. Both have to do with unseen realities. Faith says, "I believe what God says about the invisible." Hope says, "I believe what God says about the future."

In heaven we will have no need for faith or hope; all will be visible, tangible reality. But love has a place for eternity. Perhaps this is why it is said: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

As mothers, we exercise our faith when we look beyond what is visible. Although Saint Augustine (354-430) had a believing, praying mother, he was involved in immoral living and dabbled in strange philosophies and sects. Augustine was thirty before he became a follower of Christ. William Wilberforce (1759-1833) grew up in a home where Christ was honored, but was absorbed in the sporting and social life. Wilberforce came to true faith through a tutor at Queens College where the two of them read aloud to each other literary classics and the Bible and discussed what they read. After his conversion to Christ, Wilberforce was discipled by John Newton, the converted former slave ship captain who wrote the great hymn "Amazing Grace." Newton encouraged Wilberforce to memorize Scripture, do Bible study, and be Christ's man in the British Parliament where Wilberforce spent most of his public life passing legislation against slavery.

My point? Just because your children are not where you would like to see them at this point in time does not mean all hope is lost. Keep praying and trusting God to work. Pray specifically for the people that God might bring into their lives to influence them. We have all heard dramatic stories of conversion where God touched people who did not have the privilege of learning of Christ in their homes. Our hearts beat faster as we hear their stories. We exalt in the fact that God can reach down and redeem in amazing ways. But often when it comes to our own children we need the challenge to have faith.

Excerpted from A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming copyright 1982, 1996. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. NAVPRESS.

Kids in Church

I got these in my e-mail this morning and wanted to share it with all of you!

3-year-old Reese:

"Our Father, Who does art in heaven,

Harold is His name.

Amen."

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A little boy was overheard praying:

"Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.

I'm having a real good time like I am."

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After the christening of his baby brother in church,

Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.

His father asked him three times what was wrong.

Finally, the boy replied,

"That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,

and I wanted to stay with you guys."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One particular four-year-old prayed,

"And forgive us our trash baskets

as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

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A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service,

"And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

One bright little girl replied,

"Because people are sleeping."

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A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.

The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.

Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.

"If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,

'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,

"Ryan, you be Jesus!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A father was at the beach with his children

when the four-year-old son ran up to him,

grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore

where a seagull lay dead in the sand.

"Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked.

"He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied.

The boy thought a moment and then asked,

"Why did God throw him back down?"



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A wife invited some people to dinner.

At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,

"Would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said,

"Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will be taking a break from posting on Sunday, so I'm wishing all of you a Blessed Sunday! I will see you back on Monday morning.

Blessings to all!

How to Get your Kids to Help Around the House

Ok, so we have talked about cleaning our homes, and if you have kids you have to start teaching them how to do it. Today we will talk about, how to get your kids to help around the house. By teaching them this simple trade you will be able to help them in their lifes.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

Let's get back to the book by Emily Barnes

"As a mother of five children under five years of age, at one time in my life it was easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated at trying to be Supermom. I needed help, and the help came from my family. I found a way to get my husband and children to help with the housework cheerfully. Even the toddlers helped.

Your children will benefit by one day becoming independent, responsible adults who are pleased with their accomplishments. So make the housework fun, give clearly defined directions, keep the jobs realistic, and avoid criticism. Above all, praise,prase, prase!

I wrote the jobs that they could do on individual pieces of paper and put them in a basket. Then they got to choose two ot three jobs from that basket once a week. These jobs went onto a Daily Work Planner Chart (we will talk about that later), which was posted. When hobs each day were completed they were marked with an"X" and a happy face of a sticker. By the end of the week the chart was full of marks; each child used a different-colored marking pen, and each loved to see his or her color appear often. Rewards came at the end of the week, with lots of praise!

Toddlers respond well to marks on a chart, and teens like to work on a point system. (So many poits per job; add them up on Saturday and reward accordingly.) When our children got into junior high school, even their friends wanted their names on our Work Planner Chart. Why? Because we had a well-defined plan, we made it fun, and they were rewarded.

If you want your children to grow up believing that the mess belongs to the person who made it, don't teach them that they are helping mommy. Instead, applaud them for making their bedm dressing themselves, and putting their clothes away. Praise your children for keeping their room neat and putting their toys away. Thank them for doing a good job because they are such good workers. Help them to feel good about being a part of a family effort. Then they will learn that they are part of a family team in which each person contributes and each person appreciates the other.

Have the mindset that the child's room belongs to the child. Teach your children from an early age (one, two, three years old) to be responsible for their own clothes, bed, laundry, and toys. This way they will find out early that if they wish to live in a neat and clean room they will have to do the work themselves.

You ask, "What if they like to live in a mess?" You are still the winner because you are spered the time, energy, stress, and aggrabation of doing it all.

At an early age, when they make their bed praise them for it! Praise will get you everywhere, and they'll want to do it again and again.

When they're ready to put away their toys, have boxes, bins, or low shelves available for them to use. Let them do it their own way, arranged by them and not you. Provide low hooks so they can hang their own sweaters, hammies, and jackets. Whenever possible, make a game of putting these things away.

One mom installed a wooden pole that went from the gloor to the ceiling. Then she screwed cup hooks into the pole and sewed a plastic curtain ting onto each of the children's stuffed animals so the children could easily hang up their animals when were finished with them. This arrangement also provided a creative decorator item, and the cildren loved hooking their teddy bears to the pole.

Make the chores fun and games. The children will want to work if you make it a happy time!

A toddler can set the table. Make a placemat out of paper and draw the shapes of the fork, plate, spoon and glass. The child gets to put each item in its place. Soon Susie or Timmy will want to set the talbe for everyone.

Let them play policeman or trashman. Give them a pillowcase to pick up toys, trash, and papers around the house and even in the yard.

Toddlers can feel important this way and can learn to like the feeling of work. congratulations are in order for a job well done!

Help your child dress independently. Keep solid bottoms in a low drawer with printed tops. If you buy coordinates, any top will go with any bottom. Even a young child can choose what to wear withing reason and limitations.

Avoid uncomfortable or difficult clothing. If you want to have children who can dress themselves, they certainly can't cple with tight collars or fancy buttons. Snaps and loose tops help them not to feel frustrated. The Velcro used on shoes today is great for little fingers and make the children feel proud of themselves as they put on their own shoes.

Yes, children can learn to love to do their fair share around the house!"

By Emily Barnes

This was chapetr #19 in the book.

Helping kids to learn how to clean in the house could be the big deal for you. You will have more time for other things. One of the things that I did for kids is I arranged the toy room and took pictures of it. Then we play a game "Match the Picture" they get to race to see who will finish first with their picture. It's fun and game for us to clean the house. We race to get our rooms cleaned faster and better, we have fast music on and have fun!

I hope that this will help you and your kids get closer with each other as well. By doing this together you are spending more time with them and teaching them things at the same time. I'm all for praise, but I make corrections as well. I tell them when they have to correct thing and do them better next time around. They srtive to profection and they want the rewards!

Blessings to all of you and your kids,

I Corinthians 13

Valentine's Day is a day of love,

For showing that we care,

And if we read the Bible,

God describes love there:

If we speak like celestial angels

From heaven up above,

All our words mean nothing

If we don’t have Christian love.

Love is patient, love is kind;

It doesn’t brag or boast;

Love conquers pride and envy;

It is never self-engrossed.

Love is not rude or angry;

Forgiveness counters wrong;

Love stays away from evil;

It sings a truthful song.

Love is full of trust and hope;

It always perseveres;

Love never fails; It’s faithful;

To the Bible it adheres.

And if you give this kind of love

To your special Valentine,

You’ll be loving right in harmony

With God’s own sweet design.

By Joanna Fuchs

How to Get Housework Done in Record Time

This is my baby! He cannot just look at how we clean the house he has to help! I thank God for my kids, they are a joy to have, I'm so blessed!

"Teach is to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should"
Psalm 90:12

Well, how did you do yesterday on your 90-day goals? I will give you one more day to get that done, so today we will be talking about our homes. How to get all the housework don in no time! I know that some of you are asking how is that possible, it is! You just have to remember Psalm 90:12 and spend your time wisely!

Here we go, back to the book!

"For the busy woman today, housework is a nuisance and not necessarily her real concern. Today's woman does not have time to devote her full time to cleaning, as did her grandmother or great-grandmother. However, dirt doesn't just blow away and seven dwarfs don't appear at night while we sleep to clean up our messes. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have time to do things with family and church instead of spending all day Saturday cleaning, cleaning, cleaning? Here are some speedy tips to get the job done and feel great about doing it.

Start with collecting the tight supplies.

• Pail or bucket and mop.


• Broom and dustpan.


• Squeegee. Professionals use these exclusively. Never use newspaper or paper towels, since they contain fibers that leave the windows messy. A good squeegee works fast and easy: Use a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol: spray on window and squeegee off.


• Billy's old football knee pads. These are great protectors which can be purchased at sporting goods stores (or similar work pads at hardware stores) for cleaning floors and tubs. soft pads keep knee work less painful.


• Clean dustcloths. Diapers are great, and so are 100% cotton dishcloths (wll-washed and dried)


• Carry-all tray. A must for storing cleaning items such as wax, window spray, etc.


• Feather duster. A super item for moving small amounts of dust from a higher level to a lower level, where most of it can be vacuumed up. I have lots of cobwebs and knickknack items, and this is my quick lifesaver of dusting each item every time. Invest in a good ostrich duster. You can purchase one at a hardware or janitor supply store.


• Pumice stone. It gets that ugly ring out of the toilet bowl caused by rust and mineral deposits. It's amazing how fast a pumice stone will remove the scale; just rub it on the ring gently and it's gone. It also cleans ovens and removes the carbon buildup on grills and iron cookware, as well as removing paint from concrete and masonry walls and scale from swimming pools. Pumice stomes can be purchased in hardware stores, janitor supply stores, and beauty supply stores.


• Toothbrush. Great for cleaning the hard corners of floors and showers and around faucets at the sink.


• Vacuum cleaner. An absolute must!


• Ammonia. An excellent cleaner (not the sudsy type) for floors


• Powdered cleanser. For sinks and bathtubs


• Oven cleaner


• Rubber gloves. To protect your hands from the chemicals in household cleaners and detergents


• Scraper. Use the razor-blade type to remove paint from tile or glass and decals or sickers from the sower door. Also, remove dried-on food after it gets hard, such as pancake batter or eggs. But be careful not to scratch the surface.

Fill your carry-all tray with mnany of the above items. It's ready to work when you are!

When you work, be sure to use the speedy easy method:

1. Put on some music with a very fast beat. This will help your cleaning go faster plus take your mind off the drudgery.


2. Go in one direction. Work around your room from top to bottom and from right to left or left to right - whatever feels good to you. Also start at one end of your home and work toward the other end. Do not get sidetracked with this mess and that mess.


3. Before cleaning windowpanes, wipe or vacuum sills and wood cross frames. Use your spray bottle with alcohol and squeegee and cotton cloth. Use a horizontal stroke on the outside and a vertical stroke on the inside. That way you'll know if you missed a spot because you can tell whick side the streak is on.


4. Use your hair dryer to blow off the dust from silk flowers. Your feather duster will work well to dust off soft fabric items, plants, icture frames, and lapshades. Remember, we're working from top to bottom in each room, so you'll be vacuuming up this dust soon.


5. After wiping clean your wastebaskets, give the inside bottom a quick coat of floor wax. This will prevent trash from sticking to the bottom of the wastebasket in the future.


6. Change your air conditioner and heater filters every six months for best performance. This will keep the dust and dirt from circulating through your rooms.


7. Wipe off the blades of your window and/or room fans quarterly to keep dirt and dust from flying around.


8. Try to aboid interruprions; take the phone message and call back when it is convenient.

Having the proper tools helps. Don't feel that everything has to be done in one work session. Set your timer and then work in 15-minute time slots. Work fast, but after each time and/or progect, treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate or iced tea, or put a mask on your face and enjoy a hot bath.

Then go to the garden and pick a fresh bouquet of flowers for your beautiful clean house."

This is chapter eight in Emilie's book.

It helped me not only in my home, but when I had a janitorial business I knew how to clean things and with what. A great idea to have a carru-all tray. I have one for the upstairs of my hose and one for the downstairs. My husband has one for the garage and car. It's a very hand thing to have, when your kids are old enough to clean all they have to know is all the supplies are in that tray.

I can't stess enough the importance of the clean house. It'll teach your kids a lot as well. I used to tell them that our house has to be clean, because we can have people over at any given time. And when we are having people over it's live having God over. The house has to be nice and clean. When you tell your kids that from day one, it becomes their favoraite thing to do. Now my kids love cleaning the house, they can't wait to get the trays and get to work with thier choice of music.

Blessings to all of you!

Russian Cartoon.

I loved this one when I was little.

My kids love it now!