Simple Living: Part Twelve

Lord,
May I continue to put my family first.
May I remember that my children are only young once.
May I think to grab my husband's hand or shoot him a smile.
May I connect in the small moments of life.
Keep my motto "I only deal with today's problems."
Keep my eyes fixed on you.
Keep my heart trusting in your sovernty.
Show me the joy in everyday moments.
Show me how I can be a blessing to my family this week.

For more Simple Living Saturdays, check out Keeper of the Home.

Real Resolutions for Moms: Part Four

In continuing with our Real Resolutions for Moms (part 2, part 3), we're continuing to delve into the idea of prayer.

"When times of crisis, conflict or confusion arise, I will hit my knees before I hit the phone knowing that by my example my children will discover that although friends are important, God alone is the one who holds the solution to life's every problem."

As relational creatures, God has designed us to grow and learn from each other. Friends are a true blessing and community is the model of who God is. I am continually blessed by the friends that God has brought into my life.

However, friendship crosses the line when we come to rely on our friends to fill a place that was only designed to be filled by God.

Did you hear that? There is a place in our lives specifically orientated to only be filled by God. Only God.

So when problems arise, where do you turn first? To those friends who are a great blessing, or to the only one who has all the answers?

This was recently illustrated for us on our trip to my mom's over New Years. As we were traveling and having car trouble, I spoke up and asked Big Boy to pray with me. We prayed that our car would hold up, that we would be safe, and that we would find a mechanic to help us out. As we were in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service, we had no one to call on, but the Lord. The further I drove, the more I knew we'd have to stop. But all the more sure I became that the Lord was truly with us. Best thing, I was able to demonstrate to my kids that our only true and ultimate hope could be found in God.

"Lord, remind me that you are our ultimate hope. Bring me to my knees before you in every moment. May I demonstrate community to my children, but only after I've brought my requests to you in prayer. May this be something that I don't do only on the occasions that my children are watching, but on every occasion."

Menu Monday 1/26-1/31

Yum, yum! Late, but here you go. I'm hungry!


Monday:
Breakfast: Blueberry Crumb Cake
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, apple, jello
Dinner: Spaghetti

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit
Lunch: Quesadillas, Super Easy Bean Dip
Dinner: Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Toast and fruit
Lunch: sandwiches and salad
Dinner: Pea soup and homemade bread

Thursday:
Breakfast: Toast and eggs
Lunch: Potato Soup and Salad
Dinner: Pad Thai with Shrimp? and veggies

Friday:
Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, fruited jello, carrots and dip
Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday:
Breakfast: Gingerbread Waffles
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Vietnamese Fried Rice, Steamed Veggies, Wontons

Sunday:
Breakfast: Leftover Waffles
Lunch: Baked Potato Bar
Dinner: Super Bowl Party at the Church/ Dinner on the run

Extras:

Link Love

This is a great resource for Homeschooling Supplies (@ Glimpse of Sonshine.)

These Chewy Rocky Road Bars look delicious (@Chocolate on my Cranium).

Here's some yummy Freezer Meal Ideas (@ Proverbs 31 Living).

Simple Living: Part Eleven

This morning, Stephanie, at Keeper of the Home, is talking about how busy moms can spend time in devotion to God. I must admit this has, and continues to be, a huge change for me. Since Big Boy was born three years ago, I've struggled with how to spend time with the Lord and balance the demands of being a mother and a wife. While knowing that this is a season in my life, there are a few things I've learned:

1. Post Scripture everywhere in your home. No, it's not the same as having a concentrated amount of time in the Word, I find that those quick nuggets of truth give me something to meditate on as I'm making another peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And often times, they just happen to be the exact words I need to hear in that moment.

2. Memorize Scripture with your children. Big Boy turned 3 this year and we've been memorizing small chunks of Scripture here and there. At first, it was motivated by my desire to instill small bits of foundational truth in him from a young age. However, I've come to find that it's just as important for my own spiritual growth. So we memorize together and if I'm ready to move on before he is, I add an additional Scripture for my own memorization.

3. Prayer with your kids in the evening. I climb in bed with Big Boy every evening and we say our prayers together. I love to hear about his day in his own words and model for him what prayer looks like. Recently we were able to thank God for an answered prayer and I'm so glad to model that for him as well. That testimony can be found here .

4. Enjoy Sunday morning fellowship and small groups. I often hear moms talk about how they can't make the time during the week to truly engage in a small group. However, I wonder how they could possibly NOT make time. We've found our small group time to be invaluable. They encourage us, support us, and grow us as parents and human beings. Plugging into a small group has transformed all of us in ways we never thought possible.

5. Pray without ceasing. My challenge this year has been to learn to Pray without ceasing. Pray when my kids' volume level exceeds my threshold. Pray with the kids as we're leaving town and traveling. Our last adventure can be found here. Praying without ceasing has provided me with more patience, more love, and more community.

These are just a few ways I've found to spend time with the Lord through out my day in the land of "littles." I'm thankful for this season in my mothering as it has brought me many joys and challenges. And grown me in ways I never though possible, including this are of my spiritual growth. I continue to embrace where I am and hope to one day look back on it as a time of great revelation. Hope this challenges and enlightens you in this season of your life as well.