Teachable {MOM}ents

Blessed is the mom who is so overwhelmed and ready to pull her hair out, that she surrenders her life to God. She knows that she cannot rely upon her own strength.  The Holy Spirit will fill her, she will decrease - allowing God to increase which will bring Glory to His Kingdom.   Blessed is the mom who is grieving for her loved one. The mom who has lost a sweet baby in her womb. The mom who mourns for a child she once held in her arms. The mom who is a widow. The mom who is an orphan. The mom who has said goodbye to a dear friend.  This time of grieving will allow the Great Comforter to wrap her up in His arms and give her rest.   Blessed is the mom who is comfortable in her own skin, confident in her choices and satisfied with her life. She does not compare herself to the supermodel mom or cast judgement on different parenting styles. She does not boast about herself or her children, she does not seek fortune or fame.  For she is a daughter of the

It seems like everyone I know is pregnant. Okay, maybe that is an overstatement...but seriously - my sister, my sister-in-law (brother's wife), my husband's step-sister and multiple friends. So, in the spirit of 'babies babies babies", I am going to share some of my favorite baby items! They are must haves in my book! 1. Nursing Cover from Udder Covers . I have used a few other nursing covers but these are by far my favorite. I do not always cover, and certainly do not believe that women have to cover (and sometimes baby just will not cooperate!)...but there are times when I am personally more comfortable covering - and I turn to the udder cover. If you hop over to their site and use the promo code "FREE", all you have to pay is $12 for shipping. (excuse the wrinkled-ness - oops!) 2. Woven Wrap from Li'l Peeper Keepers . I love baby-wearing, and these wraps are absolutely wonderful. I also love supporting other mamas! There are so many w

This is the first post in my new series, "Music Memoirs". These will be some of the most personal posts I will ever share. They are my most intimate writings...my songs. *Shudder* I am a little nervous, but God has been speaking to my heart about sharing them. Each week I will share a song that I have written. Most of them have been written during times of personal worship with our sweet Jesus. It is a little rough around the edges, but I hope that you enjoy listening and that it will bless you.  {Captivating} {Verse One} I yearn for you, every moment of my life I bare open all my wounds to be made whole You pursued me, since the day that time began And you gently whispered love songs to my soul {Pre-Chorus} My eyes can't contain your glory My heart can't contain your love {Chorus} You're captivating, you captivate me With love that runs deeper and wider and farther and stronger still

I praise your name, Jesus! Thank You for Your unending, never failing Grace. I have fallen short so many times this week.  Moments of frustration.  Moments of guilt.  Moments of inadequacy.   And yet even in all our failures, Your love never fails.  You wrap us up in Your merciful arms and remind us....  We are beloved daughters.  We are heirs of the most high King!  We are beautiful and cherished.  We were created by the hands that formed the sun and the stars. We have a purpose. We are new again.  And so we lay this week down. Whatever failures and trials, we leave them at the foot of the cross. He makes all things new!! Let's step into this day claiming who we are, set free from those failures. Strap on your tiara, princess - and bask in the glorious grace of your Daddy!  Thank you for stopping by for Friday Fill Up! Please leave a comment & share? What burdens are on your heart today? Do you have plans to rest/relax

Sharing a  blog  from a couple of years ago today :) I have had a week full of family situations & deadlines (more info coming soon!), so I hope you wont mind. Since it is Spring Cleaning time (my house desperately needs it!) and the theme this month is  The Servant Mom  - I just had to read this again! I love  Sara Mae's book  and have used it each year. Diving in today, will you join me? I have been reading  "31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way " and it is blessing me more than I would have thought. I began one week ago today, and I will admit that I am now only on day 6 because I did not do it over the weekend. I made a decision in starting it, that it was going to take more than 31 days. The weekends are so precious to me and at the same time, so busy for our family that I don't want to add anything else to them. I also generally use the weekends to catch up on chores like laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, and general pick-

{Wordless Wednesday} Okay, so this will have a few words! My Sister & her husband are expecting a baby! We are all thrilled and I wanted to share the recent "Pregnancy Reveal" photo shoot I did for them :) $ Thanks for stopping by on Wordless Wednesday! Please leave a comment & share :) Also, be sure to check out their Gender Reveal Party ! Did you do a "pregnancy reveal"? How? What is your favorite picture? Please come like our new Facebook Page !!

I am an avid reader, and I knew that I wanted reading to be a vital part of our homeschool. I tried and failed miserably in the fall to implement a read-aloud time with my children. I picked up some books from Target's dollar bins and was excited to read them to my littles. But after multiple days of trying to read, while my children talked and played and ran around and knocked things over and hung upside down from the curtain rod (okay, maybe not that last one!)....I gave up. Fast forward a little and I sought wisdom from a few more experienced homeschool mamas. They told me to relax, allow the children to do quiet activities while reading and not worry so much about forcing them to listen - they will retain more than I realize.  I was feeling refreshed and excited to start our read-aloud time anew. And an idea was born. We needed a reading time basket! I decided to create a basket full of quiet time activities that I would bring out ONLY during read aloud time, and

The Apron Memoirs Cherishing the Simple Beauty of Womanhood & God’s Design for Us White swirls of lace adorn the rounded neckline. Two long sashes join together in the back, tied in a crooked bow, strings hanging loosely. Flour handprints and chocolate smudge designs blend into the vintage floral pattern. A pocket hiding loose buttons, coins, sprinkles & crayon bits are the grand finale to this work of art. It has been a witness to a life well lived, a culture of joy and a home woven and spun with beauty and simplicity. It has worn the tears of a little heart broken by an uncaring world, it has been enveloped by laughter in the joy of young souls creating masterpieces, it has been covered by the drool of a rosy cheeked babe nestled close to her mother’s heart, it has been worn in preparation of a blessed visit from a kindred spirit garnished with tea and sweet delicacies, it has been wrapped in the arms of a beloved husband under a moonlit sky as a long day draws to an

Some encouragement for your weekend... I will end with a little something I shared over on facebook & twitter yesterday > This is what a 3 year old boy does during his sister's reading lesson...Teachable {MOM}ent for mama - just laugh and snap a picture :) Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment & share :) Have a blessed weekend!

This is my FAVORITE tool to inspire positive behavior in my children. I am a strong believer in Conscious Discipline , which teaches that what you focus on you get more of . So if you focus on the negative, they will associate negative behavior with attention from you. So let's focus on the positive! Create a Noticing Jar Use a mason jar or any other large jar. Decorate the outside of the jar with the child's name. When you notice the child making a good choice, having positive behavior, being helpful, kind, etc. you tell them that you noticed their behavior, that you are proud of them and have them place a ball (pom pom from the dollar store) in their jar. The point here is that they are not receiving an immediate reward, only praise from you. We want children to learn to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. The exciting part for them comes in the final result - Once they have filled their jar, they will get to have a Celebration of their