Train Up Tuesday: Encouragement for Your Journey as “Mom”

Hey sisters,

I read a devotional the day I’m writing this (Monday) and thought of you, other moms striving to train in the right way.

I’m sure, if you are like me, you have those days (ahem...or weeks?) that you feel like you’ve blown it as a mom. Either you’ve lost it with the kiddos and have been to harsh on them, or you’ve been too slack for too long. Maybe you haven’t lived up to all the ideas that you are reading on blogs of those “perfect moms who seem to have it all together” (guess what, they aren’t living up to it all the time either...trust me!). Perhaps you feel like you aren’t quite modeling that “Proverbs 31” woman and wonder if you’ve not only let your family down but maybe God, too. (Or maybe I’m the only one that ever feels that way.)

In any case, I want to share the devotional I read from “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young:

"I LOVE YOU regardless of how well you are performing. Sometimes you feel uneasy, wondering if you are doing enough to be worthy of My Love. No matter how exemplary your behavior, the answer to that question will always be no. Your performance and My Love are totally different issues which you need to sort out. I love you with an everlasting Love that flows out from eternity without limits or conditions. I have clothed you in My robe of righteousness, and this is an eternal transaction: Nothing and no one can reverse it. Therefore, your accomplishment as a Christian has no bearing on My Love for you. Even your ability to assess how well you are doing on a given day is flawed. Your limited human perspective and the condition of your body, with its mercurial variations, distort evaluations.

"Bring your performance anxiety to Me, and receive in its place My unfailing Love. Try to stay conscious of My loving Presence with you in all that you do, and I will direct your steps."

Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 31:16; Psalm 107:8

Sister, remember He loves you even when you fall short of what we consider the standard of being a perfect, godly mother (and just a hunch, but I’ll bet your kids do to ;-)

Keep striving to reach for what is right and true, but remember to rely on Christ’s strength and remember His love is unconditional.

Much love,

Ashlie

Communication

Ladies:

The past several weeks I have seen an unhealthy trend in the marriages around me... miscommunication! She says one thing, he hears another. He says something, she hears another. Both are listening for what they want to hear and are formulating a defense without giving pause to think about what the other is really trying to say. Here are two simple examples:

Husband says,"You sure are grumpy lately."
She hears you are a failure as a mother and wife
He is trying to communicate I would like to be close with you, I desire your love

Wife says, "I won't live in a marriage like this"
He hears I want a divorce, I am through with you
She is trying to communicate I want to work on our marriage, I desire a full life with you

The problem is we are all selfish in our flesh and without a greater vision we cannot see beyond our limited vision. God is the great "I am". He is all knowing and can see everything in completion, beginning to end. If we yield our hearts to Him, He can guide in a way everlasting. His love is greater than any love we can offer one another and His ways are beyond anything we can ask or think.

I am not a mind reader and I bet you are not either. The only one capable of changing your spouse or you is God almighty himself. Instead of focusing on what we "think" we hear I would challenge you to start praying the simple prayer, "Lord change me." Either when trying to share your heart with your spouse or listening when he is trying to communicate with you, ask the Lord to help you discern what is true and what the heart of the matter really may be. God sees the big picture and in that I put my hope and trust.

Still growing up!
Annie

Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power (the Holy Spirit of God) that works within us,to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Train Up Tuesday: Something Worth Getting Stuck in Your Ear

Ah, interesting TUT title, eh? Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest putting anything in your kid’s ear that’s “smaller than your elbow.” (Did you ever hear that rule growing up? I know I heard something like that somewhere growing up. I always wondered... “who in the world figured THAT one out?” Anyway...) ;-)

No, I’m talking this week about “earworms”. Do you know that phrase? It’s one I’ve been using for years, but I never actually looked up the word until I was getting ready for this blog entry (you can check it out on wikipedia, if you like). You know what one is, even if you’ve never heard of this word. It’s that song (usually a most annoying one) that gets stuck in your head and usually decides to try to play itself out by repeating the tune over and over again in your head....usually at the most inconvenient times...say when you wake up at 2:00am (can you tell I speak from experience?). I find that it usually is one of those songs that is pretty simple and usually a very repetitive type melody. You know what type of songs are almost ALWAYS made up of those ingredients? KIDS’ SONGS!!! - whether it’s a VeggieTales song (I'm not hating on them...we love VT!), a song from a favorite program or video, or even the song that gets “stuck” on one of your children’s toys.

This is exactly why parents dread letting their kids pick out music when riding in the car! Classical music has worked wonders for me (as you may remember me mentioning last week). But, this week, I want to introduce you to something that would be okay to get stuck in your ear ;-) It’s Seeds Family Worship. I learned about them earlier this year and have been delighted to expand my Seeds library over the last few months. Each cd is a collection of verses with a common theme (Courage, Faith, Praise, Purpose, and Encouragement) set to music...good music...that you, as a parent will actually enjoy listening to regularly.


Hear a sample here from the Seeds of Courage. There is also a youtube channel. Check out this video to see where Seeds Family Worship got their start:



One of the great things about the “Seeds” packaging is that each cd comes with 2 copies - one for you and one to give away (as in, planting seeds in someone else’s life)! What a great idea! I gave my extra copies away to my siblings and their families. My brother-in-law and sister recently went on a road trip with two little ones, and they said
they actually liked this music better than much of what they hear on the radio (even Christian radio)! I think you will enjoy it, too. It is an especially invaluable tool for family worship.

You can also learn more about Seeds Family Worship by visiting their website - seedsfamilyworship.net, becoming a fan on Facebook, or following their Twitter account (@seedsworship). Also, if you sign up for their monthly newsletter, you will receive an opportunity to download a free song each month!

Are any of you familiar with this ministry? What other music ministries focused towards families or learning scripture do you like?

Enjoy the music!
Ashlie

Another "Jesus Storybook Bible" Giveaway...

If you entered our March giveaway and became a "Jesus Storybook Bible" fan on Facebook, then you may already know about this giveaway. However, I wanted to share it with "Roof" followers who may have missed out last month or who are not on Facebook.

The Sneaky Mommy is giving away a copy of this wonderful Bible on Friday (April 9). It is easy to enter. ;-) Go visit her site for a chance to win.



New to "Jesus Storybook Bible"? We love it here on the "Roof" (I think we've mentioned it half a dozen times already in the last year)! Check out our first mention of it here.

Hope this post makes your "Humpday" a happy one!

-Ashlie

Train Up Tuesday: Traveling with Little Ones

Two weeks ago, we hopefully exposed you to some new ideas for fun family bonding. This week, we talk about some ways to occupy little ones while traveling (while in the air, on the road, and upon arrival at a hotel).

There are a wealth of resources on this subject (especially personal blogs), I’m sure. Our own Angela from RWAV wrote on car travel kits about a year ago. Instead of repeating what is already out there, I’ll fill you in on what has worked for us so far (with 4 1/2 y.o. and almost 2 y.o.).

Similar to Angela’s travel kits, we ALWAYS travel with an activity box between the 2 carseats. In the bottom of the box, we put a towel for surprise messes or to use as a blanket. The box usually has some plastic toy figures, periodical style books like Highlights or Hi-Five (“I Spy” books are also GREAT), a toy train, and a few other small toys. For trips, though, we freshen up the supply with toys they aren’t used to seeing in the car. Maybe it is Mr. Potato Head (which they love...and the parts work great with sticking into playdough, too!), some new crayons and coloring pad, a small magna-doodle, a lovey (stuffed animal friend). You could also take a metal baking sheet with for magnet fun and the tray can also double as a “desk” for writing (try construction paper and chalk!) Having their own snacks is always a smile-maker, too. :)

Don't forget "electronic entertainment" in the way of a video iPod or the travel DVD players that many cars (not ours) come equipped with. And there is always the good standby of listening to music or audio books together. It's a good idea to set a limit on any of these alternatives for many reasons, but I think one reason is that children should spend time viewing their surroundings while driving (in the way of I spy games or just appreciating a different environment). When listening to music, begin introducing your children to genres that you as an adult can deal with on a long trip ;-). Classical music has become a family favorite, so much so that my oldest often asks to listen to it now. Next week, I plan to expose you to a wonderful family friendly music resource that our family recently came across - "Seeds Family Worship," a great compilation of Scriptures set to music that is also "adult friendly." ;-)


For this last recent flight we all took together, I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone (us or passengers) with a huge bag of “stuff”. I was already a little overwhelmed by one blog I read sometime ago that said a child needs something new every 5 minutes to preoccupy their time! PLEASE! Are you kidding me? That would have required a suitcase larger than a carry on!!! Well, obviously, I did not go that route. For big brother, it was a couple of thin books (picture finders, coloring books, and a Hooked on Phonics book), crayons, some plastic figures, a Leapster with 4 games (which surprisingly I don’t recall him ever playing with!), a small metal slinky, various character playing cards, and silly putty. Though he did look at a few of these items, he played with the silly putty for the longest period of time (seriously, I think he played with it for about an hour at one time...it was his first experience with the stuff). The rest of the time he held his “Teddy,” observed his surroundings, enjoyed the complimentary snacks, and (since we were in coach and the movies weren’t free) watched the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie trailer about 20 times! (Oh dear!)

Little brother had a smaller bag with a couple of books, small plastic figures, small metal slinky and his favorite item - a small plastic container filled with smooth rocks, shells, marbles, and colored wooden chips. He would go through the container, observing each item, rubbing it in his chubby little hands. Most of the time, however, he either napped, snacked, or would move from my lap to his daddy’s. But at least he was pretty calm. That’s all I ask.

I try to remember that when we are staying in a hotel or vacation home the boys won’t have toys available to them. I usually pack something that I know occupies them, such as playdough, a few blocks, and maybe a couple of DVDs. But, you’d be surprised at how easily a child can make ANYTHING into a toy or fun and games. Little brother loved hiding behind the sliding glass door’s curtains. The boys also liked playing with whatever they came across in the hotel, jumping on the bed (hey, it’s not our bed!), and whatever toys were already in their travel bag. Plus, if you are on a trip, chances are you already have activities planned to look forward to. Getting outside in a different environment, exploring the hotel, riding an elevator, getting ice in the ice bucket, eating on the balcony - all that alone can be stimulation and excitement for most kids.

Don’t forget about Letterboxing or Geocaching as a family activity on trips. Also, websites like familyfun.com often have great activities with simple items you can find on your trips (which may save the day if the weather isn’t accommodating to your wishes).

Finally, I’ve learned that although a “schedule” can be a good thing (especially if there are certain places/activities that you don’t want to miss), consider keeping a loose schedule. Be flexible...and maybe don’t plan to give your child a run-down of every little thing you plan to do. Sometimes, if you or they are worn out, it can be too much pressure to do it all or it can lead to huge let downs if it doesn’t all work out as you planned. Plus, “unplanned” chill time can be a great time for everyone.


Hope your spring and summer travels are happy ones!

-Ashlie

Stay at Home Saturday – Tackle Your Projects!

This past Monday morning was a blissfully dreary, rainy day. Bliss? Rain? Do they go together? Yes, sometimes they do! Some days we need nature to force us to stay home, quit running around town, and just BE HOME. I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom, but sometimes I think we stay-at-home moms forget to ever stay home!

I decided to tackle a few projects that have been, ahem, set aside for a little while. I am a terrible procrastinator! (Actually, I am a very good procrastinator because I do it so well!) So I decided to let the kids entertain themselves for a little while and jump on a few things. I:

- cleaned my coffee maker

- replaced the battery in my son’s monkey clock – dead for over a year! The battery, that is.

- put pictures in a picture frame that I got at my daughter’s baby shower – about 18 months ago. Yes, it has been decorating her room this whole time.

- cleaned my makeup brushes (you can do this cheaply with a few drops of baby shampoo and warm water). Yes, I do have way too many brushes.

- and, finally, the most embarrassing project – I vacuumed my stairs and upstairs, which had gone un-vacuumed for weeks. The dust in there? Pretty much all from that day. Oh my.

What projects are you putting off? Take it from me – it feels so good to get them done!

And finally, just to give you a good laugh, here is a picture of a dinner I made last weekend. This was my THIRD time attempting it, and I officially surrender. This went in the trash can and we ate frozen pizza. Again. It is supposed to be a pizza roll that you slice into pieces, like cinnamon rolls. Homemade pizza rolls! Yeah, right. Homemade pizza glop is more like it! I stomped my feet, cried, was ugly to my husband. I give up.

Happy Easter, everyone! Praise the Lord for His Redeeming Love!

Love,

Amy

Thrifty Thursday~ The Debt-Free Wallet

In January 2009 our family transitioned to a cash budget system. This has been especially helpful in sticking to our grocery and entertainment budget. If we don't have the cash, we don't spend! I have been using plain white envelopes and they get the job done. Then, I heard about the Savycents wallet and had to give it a try! I've used it for the last two weeks and wanted to give you an honest review. Overall, I LOVE IT!

Pro's:

• My friend and I got the red color and it's so easy to find in our big purses (there's also black and pink).
• There is plenty of room for all of my cards (insurance, AAA, prescription, debit, etc) plus room for my checks and stamps.
• You can't tell from the photo, but behind each tab there are two sections. The first, I put my rewards cards. The second, I put my cash. Ex. Under my "entertainment" tab I have my 2010 Entertainment Book card. Under my "personal" tab I have my Carolina Clipper business cards. Under my "grocery" tab I have my store reward cards. You know I love organization and things are so easy to find!
• Even with all of the above mentioned stuff the wallet is easy to zip and it doesn't feel tight. Great quality!

Cons:

• When I personalized the blank labels to say "Coupons" and "ECBs" my fonts don't match the labels that came with the wallet. Also, my labels print on white paper and the others are clear. They just don't match. I realize this would not bother most people and that my friends are smiling right now. But, it would be nice if you order the wallet online to have the option of custom labels. I've seen this sort of thing on the etsy website. Just a thought.

The wallets are $24.99 + tax/shipping. You can order it online here or if you're in the Charlotte area you can get it at Mud Pie in the Blakeney Shopping Center off Rea Road. I know you'd pay at least that for another wallet...and this one helps you save money!! Trust me, if you stop using your debit card and use only cash you will save the $24.99 in the first month. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Happy Saving!