So, I’m a little bit excited to share some news with you today…

The 31 Days to Pray for Your Spouse Challenge starts JUNE 4!!!!

Do you have about 5 minutes a day to spend praying for your spouse? Did you know that doing so each day over the course of 31 days can improve your marriage?!? Join us as we access the power of prayer to build up our spouses and change our marriages for the glory of God!

Sign up TODAY:

1. Get a copy of the eBook: 31 Days to Build a Better Spouse

2. Fill out the registration form:

3. Tell your friends!!

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What are you waiting for?? Sign up TODAY!!

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Join me in Finding Freedom this summer – freedom from perfection, control issues, and the tendency to listen to talking snakes {i.e. believe the lies of the devil}.

Each Thursday we’ll be looking at three chapters from I Blame Eve, discussing what God is teaching us through what we’ve read and looking for ways to apply our learning to our lives.

Chapter 7: I Would Rather Not Take Responsibility for My Actions

“Blaming other people for things I’ve done seems much easier than owning up to the fat that I slipped up. I really don’t enjoy taking responsibility for my actions… We don’t want to own up to our sins because we don’t want to deal with the punishment afterward.” {p. 62, 64}

When is the last time you had to own up to your sins?

I admitted on Monday that I’ve been living in sin – I haven’t been submitting to my husband in a biblical manner. God was gracious to point it out to me, and I had to come clean of my sinful state.

“Even if we don’t own up to our wrongdoing, we will still have to deal with the consequences of our actions. One way or another our souls bend and twist under the weight of what we’ve done. We may be able to keep our mouths shut, but our lives will shout out the results of the choices we have made.” {p. 65}

Have you found what Paul says, that you reap what you sow, to be true in your life?

Nothing is worse than living with guilt. When you confess, you find freedom and forgiveness!

“Our confession allows God to do what he does best. Forgive us.” {p. 66}

When John says that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, does it change the way you view God?

Chapter 8: I Have at Least One Enemy

“In the presence of God, the devil has no power. You have just given him more power in your minds than he deserves.” {p. 70}

On a scale of one to ten, how much power have you given him in your life?

This is an area I’ve never really considered before… intellectually, I know that Satan’s only source of power is that which God allows him to have. Practically, though, I’m not sure if I live that way.

“If we stand on our own against the enemy of our soul, like Eve did in the garden, we can expect shaky results at best. But if we invite God into those weak and sin-darkened areas of our lives where the enemy does his dirty work, all the enemy can do is run.” {p. 70}

We’re not supposed to turn and run from the devil – we’re supposed to stand firm, covered by the blood of Jesus and dressed with the armor of God.

“No matter what the battle or struggle you are facing, fast and furious, slow and monotonous, he’s got you and he always wins.” {p. 71}

How does your thinking shift when you realize that the battle against the snake has already been fought and won?

Chapter 9: I Feel Really Sad That There Is Pain in Childbirth

“When we realize there are no easy solutions to real living, we try to anesthetize ourselves. We try to fashion a life with the least amount of pain… With all the pain and brokenness of this life, we have the audacity to think we can fix ourselves. We turn ourselves inside out looking for peace, for deliverance, for clarity, when as far as I can tell, we don’t have a whole lot of peace, deliverance, or clarity on hand.” {p. 75, 76}

What do you use to try and “fix” yourself?

“There is only one person who can fix the brokenness in us, and the at is the One who knit us together in our mother’s belly in the first place, the One who knows our every thought and calls us his own. He can bring peace into our lives and clarity into our minds. We have to rely on the Healer to mend our brokenness.” {p. 76}

Have you invited the One who formed you to heal those broken places in your life?

Your Turn

What stood out to you this week as you read? What light did God illumine your heart with, challenging you to grow in your knowledge of Him?

Share your thoughts with us – you can blog about it {and share the link in the comments} or simply commentbelow.

Life is not meant to be done on your own – when we do LIFE together, we grow together as we encourage and challenge one another on the journey!
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When you think about today, are you thinking about your plan for the day? Or do you have the bigger picture of God’s plan in mind?

Today is Your Best Day: Because of God’s Plan

Roy Lessin reminded me in Today is Your Best Day that God has a plan for me – each and every day.

“It is a plan that will bring Him the greatest glory and make you into all He desires you to be. Today is your best day because God is working out that plan.”

Though Jeremiah 29.11 is often the first verse to come to mind when discussing the plans that God has for us, I find myself recalling Philippians 1.6:

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it untilthe day of Christ Jesus.”

You see, it is because God is working out His plan of salvation in my life each and every day through the power of His Holy Spirit that today is my best day.

I might not agree with God’s plan for today, but when I choose to follow Him by faith, I can be sure that His plan is the best plan for my life.

And looking back over the past 28 years of my life, I can see the bigger picture of my life – His plan played out through it all!

Are you trusting God’s plan for your life today?

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Read all the post in this series: Today is Your Best Day on LIFE by Ashley Pichea.

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I’ve mentioned before that we are semi-unschoolers at our house.

What does that mean? That means that while we enjoy worksheets and some structure, we believe that life offers incredible learning opportunities {or “teachable moments”} that often missed when the focus of schooling is on the academics.

So we look for opportunities to apply academic knowledge {or gain it} as we are busy doing life.

Though our yard does not welcome a tree house {we have no trees}, I’m always on the lookout for ideas of ways to turn doing life into learning, so Lessons from the Tree House caught my eye.

Lessons from the Tree House

Author Carol Alexander says,

I’ve been a mom for 24 years, homeschooling for 18, and trying to raise most of our family’s food on our modest acreage for the last 10. In my spare time, I’m a freelance journalist whose credits include regional parenting magazines, national homeschooling and homesteading magazines, our local paper, and several blogs. Currently, I am working on a series of ebooklets for homeschoolers (or involved parents) called Lessons from the Homestead. These booklets each contain at least 50 lessons for math, language, science, and more for all ages using areas of the homestead for study.

Lessons from the Tree House is the third booklet in the Lessons from the Homestead series.

I love the way Carol’s mind works – seeing the learning opportunities that can be found in “play.”

Lessons from the Tree House is a collection of more than 50 learning opportunities (including math, science, language, and more) that can occur when you children take on the challenge of building a tree house.

For example, the Design Phase includes lessons in: math, computer skills, drawing, writing, public speaking, research, and science.

Even as Carol shares the practical lessons of math and science, she points out spiritual applications as well and gives you Scripture references to share with your kids.

What a great little booklet to take summer time fun and turn it into a learning experience!

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Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of Lessons from the Tree House in exchange for my honest review.

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This March, we had the opportunity to travel to Florida for nine days.

Part of our trip was spent in Sebring, FL, where my grandparent winter each year. Before heading to Florida, I looked for kid-friendly outings we could go on {so as not to drive my grandparents crazy with two active kids in a quiet retirement community}, and I found a website for the Children’s Museum of the Highlands – right in downtown Sebring.

We decided to check it out on Saturday afternoon, and we were definitely glad we did!

I took over 200 pictures while we were at the Children’s Museum of the Highlands in Sebring, FL.

It was an incredible kid-friendly place with unlimited opportunities for learning and fun!

Throughout the museum, there were different “stations” set up with props for the kids to be able to pretend to perform different jobs or life skills.

Our top ten favorite “learning stations” from the Children’s Museum of the Highlands.

1. The Mail Truck

2. J and I {as well as the kids} enjoyed the human bubble station

3. The grocery store area was a big hit

4. David found a computer to play on {any surprise?!?}

5. Jenny enjoyed pretending to be a doctor

6. David loved the train

7. Jenny got to watch herself “on TV” as she gave the weather forecast in the “TV Studio’

8. The water table kept David busy

9. Jenny enjoyed checking out the “Forest Service” area

10. Both kids enjoyed the dress-up/puppet stage area

If you’re planning to visit the Sebring, FL, area, be sure to schedule a few hours to spend at the Children’s Museum of the Highlands.

We’re definitely going back on our next visit!

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See all the posts from our Florida Field Trip series.

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Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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It’s the prayer of every Christian parent to raise kids who love the Lord, but how do we go about doing it? Dave Stone’s new book, Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord is a great resource helping parents to seek Christ first and model life with Him for their children to follow.

About the Book:

No matter how perfect the family pictures look, every family struggles and is dependent upon God’s grace and mercy. As a father of three, Dave shows parents that they have more influence on their kids than any other factor in their lives. Brimming with warmth and humor, Stone gives parents creative examples of how to help kids develop their own faith with ideas such as praying at significant times, encouraging kids to display Scripture in special places around the home, and serving others alongside their parents.

About the Author:

Dave Stone is Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, where he preaches to more than 22,000 people each weekend. He and his wife Beth have three children. Dave believes the most practical way to teach the gospel is through moms and dads who model a genuine faith for their children.

Quotes from the Book:

“Only perfect parents raise perfect children.”

“Christian homes don’t just happen; neither do kids who love the Lord. There’s a lot we can do to help determine the outcome of our children’s spiritual lives. We can become intentional in our efforts. We can pave the way for them. We can model true faith and continually pray that God will transform their hearts.”

“If we want to grow a family that loves and honors the Lord, that process begins with our authenticity; with the kind of faith that makes a difference in the ways we live and love every single day.”

“When parents are fleshing out their faith and living out their days with joy and honesty, their children will be attracted to it. Children want something that is real; they want to follow someone who is genuine.”

The Giveaway:

{If you cannot see the giveaway form below, please visit the blog to enter.}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord in exchange for this post.

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Miscellaneous Musings

Yesterday was Jenny’s Spring Piano Recital

Both sets of grandparents traveled down from Michigan to watch her perform her two songs: The B-I-B-L-E and Oh, How I Love Jesus.

She did a great job and loved showing off what she’s learned in piano lessons this winter/spring!

{If you can’t see the video below, please visit the blog to watch it.}

Jenny no longer needs training wheels on her bike

Last week, I noticed that Jenny really wasn’t using her training wheels to keep her bike balanced anymore, so I asked J to take them off last Sunday. She was excited to have her training wheels taken off, but she lacked the confidence to just keep pedaling once they were off.

I let her practice without them all week, and today when I went outside to watch them, I noticed that she was riding confidently without any issues!

{If you can’t see the video below, please visit the blog to watch it.}

Submission in Marriage

J and I have been having a disagreement lately. I want to create a change, but I can’t do so on my own. And he has no desire to create a change.

And it requires both of our participation to create the change I want.

I’ve been incredibly frustrated with feeling like my opinion doesn’t count, since if he says “no” the answer is “no.” And “that’s not fair!”

I’d started praying that God would change his heart regarding the issue while expressing my growing frustration. This morning while I was praying about it, God opened my eyes.

It is fair. J is the head of our marriage – I am called to submit to him. If he says “no,” I have zero right to complain or argue or nag about the issue {which I’ve been doing and thus causing tension}.

God has declared that J’s opinion on the matter is the one that counts. Sure, it’d be nice if he considered my side of it, too, but in the end, he has the final decision.

I’m going to be OK with that. I’m going to intentionally submit my will to his leadership, trusting that he will make the decision that is best for our family as he submits to the will of God as the Holy Spirit reveals it to his heart.

Teaching from the Word

David’s been “forgetting” who is in charge fairly frequently lately.

Last night, after such an episode, I asked him, “Who did God put in charge? Parents? Or children?”

He answered, “Children!” knowing that his answer was wrong.

Since he happened to have his New Testament in his hand, I said, “Let’s see what the Bible says…”

We opened to Ephesians 6.1 and read, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.”

What a great opportunity to take him directly to the Word of Truth and be able to apply it instantly to his life!

{P.S. Watch for a review of the Child Training Bible coming next month for more on this topic!}

Counting My Gifts: #276-290

276. a beautiful day for a beautiful wedding
277. coming home to a clean house after a long weekend
278. spending time with each of my siblings and their families
279. a weekend at “home”
280. flowers “from Jenny” for Mother’s Day
281. family that are willing to drive 2.5 hours one way to listen to Jenny play piano for less than 2 minutes total
282. a full weekend unplugged
283. a chance to share my “expertise” with my mom
284. a visit with my best friend
285. a big win for our men’s softball team
286. motivation and inspiration for blogging and social media
287. a new blogging “class” to inspire me to productivity
288. putting together a summer blogging schedule
289. a forecast of sunshine and warm weather
290. a non-manic Monday

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The Messenger is FREE for Kindle app users TODAY ONLY {05.14.12}!!

From the Publisher:

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith… until her twin brother joined the Colonial cause and ended up in jail. She longs to bring some measure of comfort to him in the squalid prison, but her faith forbids it. The Friends believe that they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. She is not allowed to visit him, even if she were able to secure a pass.

Jeremiah Jones, a Colonial spy, needs access to the jail to help rescue men important to the cause. Upon meeting Hannah, a plan begins to develop. Who would suspect a pious Quaker visiting a loved one?

But Jeremiah is unprepared for Hannah, for her determination to do right, to not lie. How can one be a spy and not lie? Hannah, in turn, is surprised by Jeremiah… for the way he forces her to confront her own beliefs, for the sensitivity and concern that he shows her despite the wounds he still carries.

In a time of war, can two unlikely heroes find the courage to act?

My Thoughts:

I have always thoroughly enjoyed Revolutionary War period historical fiction, and The Messenger was another well-researched and exciting read!

Written in a two-character first-person narrative style, The Messenger tells the story of a Quaker girl and a former British soldier turned Colonial spy as they team up together to reach an unseemly common goal. Throughout the story, Hannah is forced to face discrepancies in her Quaker lifestyle and religion as she decides what’s most important in her life and figures out what she truly believes about God.

Though I would not categorize The Messenger as a “Christian” fiction title, there are definitely aspects of faith woven throughout the story as both Hannah and Jeremiah seek out God in their own ways.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Messenger and will be on the lookout for more great titles by Siri Messenger.

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Messenger from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

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From the Publisher:

She has a secret to keep. But will she give her heart away?

Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago’s rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money redecorating.

When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World’s Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family’s expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is?

Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago’s high society as Olivia Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she believes.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book, but at times I felt like pieces of the story were missing. {I feel like that’s been a recurring theme in a number of books I’ve read lately.} While I was able to easily follow the storyline and become engaged in with the characters, I felt as if relationships were happening that weren’t as fully developed and explained as I would have liked {i.e. Daniel’s melt-down, Lucy and Will’s romance, etc.}.

That being said, I fell in love with the time period, the setting, and the characters, and I’m so glad that this is only book one in the Avenue of Dreams series. I cannot wait for book two!

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning in exchange for my honest review.

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In lieu of a vlog this week, I thought I’d join the Homeschool Mother’s Journal link-up at iHomeschoolNetwork.com.

In my life this week…

I’ve got way too many irons in the fire right now, and in my attempt to be “rid” of all the chaos in my life before summer, I’m working like crazy. The few times I’ve been able to focus on one task at a time {which is rare with two kids running around}, I’ve been quite productive. The rest of the week, I’ve felt less than productive, though I actually have managed to get more accomplished than I’ve realized.

In our homeschool this week…

Monday and Wednesday were both quite productive in our homeschool. We started out the week about 3 weeks “behind schedule” from where we’d hoped to be at this point in the home stretch, and we finished only 2 weeks behind. It’s amazing how much we can get accomplished when we both sit down and work through the curriculum together!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

I keep seeing and hearing it, so I guess I’ll share it, too:

What works for one family probably won’t work {or at least not in the same way} for another family. Stop comparing and do what works for you!

I am inspired by…

I’ve been so full of inspiration this week – part of the reason I’ve gotten less done on my to-do list than I’d hoped. I’m looking forward to starting the Content Brew class on Monday, and just signing up for it has already formed a burst of creative content and push to get more organized!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We’re headed for Michigan today, as my sister’s best friend is getting married tonight. We’re looking forward to the weekend with family!

AND, on Sunday, we’ll be hoofing it back home in time for Jenny’s spring piano recital {watch for the video of it next week}.

My favorite thing this week was…

God woke me up early on Monday morning, and I was able to spend some time in the Word and get some work done before the kids woke up. It was wonderful!

Things I’m working on…

My next eBook is set to be released on June 1… I’m frantically trying to finish writing it while creating the graphics and setting up the website and Facebook page for it!

{P.S. If you’d like to be on my “review” team, send me an email – review copies are going out May 21st!}

I’m reading…

Last weekend, I read Loving by Karen Kingsbury and The Messenger by Siri Mitchell.

This weekend, I’m reading The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport.

I’m cooking…

Hahaha… we all know that’s not happening! Although, there is a new cookbook out {in ebook form} that might just change all that.

Check it out: Simplified Dinners {and there’s a giveaway!}…

I’m grateful for…

I am grateful for so many things. Check out my weekly list of thankfulness.

What’s been happening in YOUR life this week??

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