Homemaking On A Whim

Links I Love 5/14/11

2011-05-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Woman Duped by Feminism

Five Things That Are Worse Than Being In Debt

Links I Love 4/30/11

2011-04-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

Your Husband Is Your Spiritual Leader

This is RIGHT ON. Food You Like is Food that Feels Good.

How to Stand Firm In Your Convictions

Good Fats, Bad Fats, and Why I Eat Plenty of Butter

Encouragement for the Doers

Slacker Update

2011-04-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a big time slacker.

Now that we've established that, here's what been up.

*Warning: There are some somewhat gross details in here, so if you're squeamish, or a man, I recommend closing this post and coming back next week.

On Wednesday morning at 8:30, I was getting ready to clean the bath tub when I started bleeding. We have had a miscarriage before (right before Lady), so I immediately got very scared. Seeing blood is scary in pregnancy anyway, but when you have a history of miscarriage, the sight of blood brings back a flood of terrible emotions and reminds you of everything you felt and experienced before. I knew there was a possibility I had a low-lying placenta (even though having it twice is very rare, and I had it with Lady), so I was holding on to that, sobbing hysterically, and praying like crazy for the baby I'm carrying.

Of course, my husband was at work, and his lunch wasn't until 10. He can't check his phone while he's working, so I was considering calling him at work, but I knew he would worry himself sick and didn't want to call him right away (and not having his extension or anything made it a little more stressful and I was stressed out enough as it was), so I called my midwife. She asked if I had someone to take me to the hospital, and I didn't. Nic was at work and couldn't check his phone, and I have no family in the area and only a couple friends, so I wasn't sure how this would all unfold. My midwife (LOVE her!!) said she would come over and take me to the hospital, I just needed to find someone to watch the girls. I called my friend Morgan, and it turned out that that day the circumstances were just right and she was able to come and watch them.

My midwife got to my house first, with Morgan arriving shortly after. They came in and my midwife asked questions, took my vitals, and then asked if I wanted her to bring in her doppler in and try to hear the baby's heartbeat. I wasn't sure at first, because I knew I would worry myself sick if we weren't able to hear the baby's heartbeat. I was far enough along that if the baby was okay, we would hear the heartbeat (we had heard it a week before.... I'm 12 weeks now). After a very short mental debate, I decided that if we didn't at least try, I would STILL worry myself sick, so I said maybe it would be a good idea to try and listen. Marie (my midwife) was able to find the heartbeat almost immediately. The heartbeat was 170-180 bpm so a little on the fast side, but hey, there was a heartbeat! I breathed the biggest sigh of relief in my life. Morgan called Nic's work shortly after that to let him know what was going on (it was about 9:30 by this time). I talked to him and let him know I was okay, we got the baby's heartbeat so the baby was okay, but I was bleeding and we were thinking about going to the emergency room. He said he was going to try to get off at lunch.

We talked about not going to the ER and just scheduling an ultrasound in the next few days instead, since the bleeding was slowing and we got the baby's heartbeat. Marie asked me to check my pad and we'll go from there. As I was almost done in the bathroom, a decent amount of blood came out, so we decided to go ahead and go in.

We got to the ER around 9:45 or 9:50, and waited for a very short time (apparently early in the morning is the best time to go to the emergency room). They brought me into triage to get me all admitted and whatnot, and I was so thankful to have my midwife with me. She had my file and all my paperwork with her, including my labs from the week before, so they didn't even have to draw blood or start an IV (which they almost ALWAYS do when you go to the emergency room). That was great news for someone as afraid of needles as I am! I absolutely loved having my midwife there, and I love that she cared enough to stay with us, even after Nic got there. I have to say, I don't think I will ever go back to an OBGYN again! Midwifery care is so much more personal, and less assembly line-like.

So they got me in the room, and the ER doctor was not just a woman (which I'm much more comfortable with), but a nice one! She was so sweet and personable (although maybe it was just because it was early in the morning!). I got into my lovely hospital gown so she could do a pelvic exam to see if I was dilated. As she was getting started, I had a huge gush of blood..... it was running all over the floor, and I passed a HUGE clot, and the poor doctor was not prepared for any of it. She was trying to find those pad things and towels and whatnot when Nic came in (he called when he got off work and didn't know we decided to go to the hospital until he called and I said we were AT the hospital, and he started panicking... so he was already not doing very well when he got there, and seeing the blood stressed him out more). She got a specimen cup to put the clot in, and Nic and I both almost started hyperventilating. That was a decent sized clot, and that's NEVER a good sign, ESPECIALLY in pregnancy. Upon further inspection, she said it wasn't anything to worry about. She said I was a little dilated, but not enough to be concerned.

I covered myself back up and she left just in time for the ultrasound tech to walk in with the machine. That helped me, and especially Nic, chill out a lot. Seeing the baby (it actually looked like a baby, too!) jumping around in there made us feel SO much better.

When the doctor came back with the ultrasound results and the results from my urine and all that, she said I had no infections or anything, and that my placenta is about a centimeter away from my cervix, which is causing the bleeding. Kind of odd that I have it again, but I'm glad it's something that minor and not something to worry about!

So now I'm taking it easy for a bit, my placenta will move up on its own as my uterus gets bigger, and this pregnancy should have a happy ending.

And hopefully I will stop slacking and neglecting my blog. :)

Links I Love 3/19/11

2011-03-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

Self-Parenting and Seeing Jesus in Our Kids

Secrets of a Former Credit Card Thief

Trying To Order From The Menu Of Me

If you only read one thing on the internet today, make it this: The Thief

Absense and Announcement

2011-03-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

I have been very silent recently. I'm very sorry for that. But I have a good reason--I'm 9 weeks pregnant with our third blessing! I'm still in the first trimester, so my posting will probably still be sporadic at best. The first trimester exhaustion has hit, along with the morning sickness. The morning sickness is different this time around--instead of throwing up a couple times (okay, constantly for the first half of the day) and being done with it, I only throw up sometimes.... and I'm nauseous for the entire rest of the day. Especially if my stomach is empty. I almost prefer the throwing up to this! There is no relief for the nausea.

We got a new camera finally--with a 3 year warranty! I've never had a camera last more than a year before I drop it, and the warranty we got covers accidental drops, so we will not have to buy a new camera for at least 3 years. I'm very happy about that. Of course, I sometimes forget that we have a camera again, so I'm not taking a whole lot of pictures. I'm used to not having that opportunity! But here are a few pictures I've taken since we got our camera at the end of February.

I will be back to blogging for a bit, possibly a little sporadically, at least for the next month or so, but I'll do my best to post regularly! Thanks for your patience!

Links I Love 2/12/11

2011-02-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

Thriving In A Spiritually Mismatched Marriage

I LOVE this!!! Blessed Discipline

Links I Love 2/5/11

2011-02-05T01:26:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely a type-B personality. And I will be homeschooling my children. I get discouraged somethings, thinking of all the things other people do that I will probably never do because I'm so laid-back and..... well, type-B! But this post encouraged me so much! Type-B Homies (Homeschooling Encouragement from a Friend who Gets You)

On Homeschooling: No Thank You, We Don't Believe In Socialization!

Scientists now saying carbs, not fat, are to blame for America's ills.

When Your Husband Isn't Godly

No More Sugar

2011-01-31T04:10:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

A little over a week ago, I decided to experiment a bit. I cut refined sugar out of my diet. I have not had sugar (or HFCS or artificial sweeteners or anything of that nature) since last Saturday. It has helped my energy levels a little, and it's helped my brain fog a lot! The last few weeks I've felt just....... blah. I have never knows what people mean when they say "brain fog" but I totally know now! But thankfully said brain fog is minimal, thanks to cutting sugar.

And going mostly sugar-free is a HUGE accomplishment for me, especially since there has been chocolate cake in my house every day since I went off sugar. :P

Why MOSTLY sugar-free? Because yesterday, there was a potluck after church. Of course, I didn't know that, as it was only our second time at that church, so I didn't bring something I could eat.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to eat sugar-free at a church potluck?!

Wow. I piled some stuff on my plate that was probably sugar-free, and avoided those that for sure had sugar in it, or I was pretty sure had sugar. This left very little to choose from! I had some seafood chowder, because I figured I make seafood chowder all the time, and there's no sugar in it. Well, when I tasted it, it was really sweet. That tipped me off, and after a few bites I started getting concerned and inspected all the pieces of food in that chowder, and there I spotted it...... imitation crab meat. Do you know what that is exactly? That is a small amount of fish, usually pollock, with lots of colorants and flavorings and..... you guessed it..... sugar. They must have put lots of imitation crab meat in this chowder (combined with my new found sensitivity to sugar, I'm sure), because that was the sweetest chowder I've ever tasted.

About half way into my meal (I had abandoned my chowder after 5 bites and moved on to other things.... finally landing on the veggies and fruit I had piled on my plate), I started feeling shaky and a little nauseous, and started to get a bit of a headache. I had already detoxed from the lack of sugar, so my body was reacting to the sugar. It wasn't terrible, I just knew that I couldn't just hope for the best again..... and it served as a reminder to introduce sugar back into my diet VERY slowly when I finally do allow myself sugar again.

Anyway, other than the church potluck incident, I've been allowing myself natural sweeteners, like honey, maple syrup, and sucanat. I've been trying to find a good coffee creamer substitute for my "coffee" that doesn't contain sugar or HFCS, and I'm still playing around with recipes for that..... hopefully I will perfect it soon and post it. When I'm in a dessert mood, I've been having an apple, a bowl of frozen berries, or chocolate soothers (YUM..... this is perfect because hot chocolate is my weakness. I usually add a little more milk than the recipe calls for because I like it to be a little thinner, but I've been considering making some just to put in the fridge and see if it sets up like pudding!). When I need snacks, I make popcorn or have some cheese. I put honey in my tea at night.

The only problem is that 99% of anything made with flour has sugar in it! So that eliminates a lot of grains from my diet..... some pastas, breads, cinnamon rolls (ha!), pancakes, etc. unless I can adapt them. We had pancakes for breakfast last Saturday, and I used sucanat instead of sugar. But not all recipes are as adaptable as pancakes! So this has cut my carb consumption a lot, which is probably a good thing! It's gearing me up to go gluten-free, which I may do very soon!

Overall, I'm feeling good. I'm still tired (then again, I haven't been getting enough sleep, so that's probably an easy and obvious fix), but my brain fog has cleared a lot. I don't find myself staring off into space as much, and I'm thinking a lot more clearly. I'm also experiencing a few detox symptoms (I was SO broken out all week, and no, it's not that time of the month!), but those will pass.

It's kind of hard, because EVERYTHING has sugar in it. From pancakes to ketchup to pickles to cereal (even cheerios)..... everything!! I pretty much have to make EVERYTHING myself and make adaptions. Which is fine, I make most things myself anyway, it just means I can't be lazy, and on days where I don't feel like cooking..... that's too bad!

I'll check back in again soon and let you all know how I'm doing with my sugar-free adventure!

Have you ever gone sugar-free? Could you do it? Do you have any ideas for me, or recommendations for "dessert" ideas?

**This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Homemaking On A Whim!

Links I Love 1/29/11

2011-01-29T03:46:00.000-08:00

If you're a facebook or twitter addict (*ahem*): Guarding Against Technology Timewasters

A great parenting tip: Rinse and Repeat: The Art of Practicing

Prayer for a Tired Mom

Hyper-Criticism: A Letter from a Senior Demon to a Junior Demon. SO scary and convicting, and SO true!!

My 2011 Reading List

2011-01-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

I put together a list of books that I want to read in 2011. These are in order, but I might change my mind later. I also might change my mind and read a few different books. Ha! I plan to read a book a month (but I have terrible follow-through, so we'll see). But anyway, here is my list.

1. The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. I got this for Christmas, and I LOVE it. I've cooked a lot from her site and everything is always a hit with the whole family, so I'm excited to have her cookbook! And it's not just a cookbook, it has little facts from her life in it too, so don't laugh at me because I put it on my reading list!

2. For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. I've read this twice before, but I want to re-read it. It's an easy read, I think it maybe took me 3 or 4 days to get through it the first time. Kristi over at Courageous Homekeeping is dissecting it at the moment, it's kind of fun to discuss!

3.Who Got Peanut Butter On My Daily Planner? by Cindy Sigler Dagnan. I don't remember who recommended this to me, but it's been sitting on my bookshelf (well.... technically it's been in the garage because my bookshelf broke and we just got a new one a couple weeks ago) for a year and I haven't read it yet.

4. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. This is another one I've had for about a year and EVERYONE always recommends it to me, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I will do it this year!

5. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I'm part way through this book, but it's SOOOO long, it's taking me forever to get through it. It's really interesting so far, but my goal is to finish it this year.

6. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. This is on my list for when I finish Nourishing Traditions.

7. Politically Incorrect Wife by Connie Grigsby and Nancy Cobb. I don't remember who recommended this either, but I'm hoping it's good!

8. A Piaget Primer by Dorothy G. Singer and Tracey A. Revenson. My sister recommended this to me and let me borrow it.

9. Facedown by Matt Redman. I started to read this a couple years ago but never finished it. I'm terrible about that.... do you have any clue how many books I've started and haven't finished?!

10. Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. This has been recommended to me before, although it's a little controversial. I have it sitting on my bookshelf and it's a little intimidating.... but I will read it!

11. Stupid Things Parents Do To Mess Up Their Kids by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I've read her books The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands and The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage, and they were both great, so this one probably will be too!

12. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. My sister recommended it to me. It's historical fiction, based on Biblical events, although it is fiction. I'm really excited for this one.

And here is a list of books I want to read if I get to them, but might wait until next year to read.

The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. I might actually squeeze this in soon, because I've been having a couple health issues recently that I think this would help with.

Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas. This book is SO good. I've read half of it..... and I have no idea what happened to it! The book went missing. So if I ever find it, I'll be re-reading it and finishing it!

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I've heard great things about this one, but have yet to read it!

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. I've been reading Ann's blog for a while, and she is a beautiful writer. And out of 60 amazon reviews, 59 rate it 5 stars and 1 rates it 4 stars.... I'd say it's probably a winner!

Life Management for Busy Women: Living Out God's Plan With Passion and Purpose by Elizabeth George. I really want to read this, but I don't even own it yet, so it's pretty far down on the list!

What books are you planning on reading this year?

**This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Homemaking On A Whim!**

Extended Holiday Season and Good Morning Girls

2011-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

My poor blog has been suffering lately! I took a break for the holidays, but my holiday season was extended by a few weeks. We've been out of town 5 out of the last 7 weekends, plus I just got back Sunday night from being out of town for a week, so it's been a little crazy around these parts, and my blog has been neglected! I have so many things to share, but I'm still trying to get my house in order from the holiday season, so I will still be posting sporadically until I get that under control.

Not to mention I dropped my camera on the concrete at the Christmas parade in our town and it no longer works..... and since I can't take pictures, I don't feel as inspired to post as often. I know blog posts are always better with pictures, but I just hate to spend all that time digging around for the perfect picture on flickr!

So this will have to do.

Photo credit

But I do want to tell you all that I have joined a Good Morning Girls group for the first time, and I'm doing the James Bible study with my group. It is so fun to share with a group of girls every morning about what God is revealing to me in the book of James.... and it's fun to read what other girls are learning! I'm definitely going to continue to be part of a Good Morning Girls group. This session has started already, but if you want to get involved, it's not too late to jump in! You will be a few days behind, but the session just started on Monday, so it's not so far into it that you would be lost! I highly encourage you to join a group if you haven't already!

Something God has dealt with me about today is doubting Him. James 1:5-6 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

I am HUGE on convictions.... but how many times have I, in my sin nature, doubted God? How many times have I asked God for wisdom, then He gave it to me, but then I just listened to what my friend or family member told me instead of what God told me? How many times have I, even if it was subconscious, doubted God and decided I knew better than He did? Ouch. I am so thankful that I serve a God who knows best!

The Destructive Nature of "Me Time"

2011-01-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have been praying for weeks over what to post in response to the question about "me time" that was left in the comments of my post titled Why It's So Important to Serve Your Husband. Basically, I wanted to explain my stance on it, but I was having a hard time writing about it without sounding very legalistic. Fortunately, I came across this AMAZING article, which explains my feelings on the subject better than I ever could! I HIGHLY recommend this!

The "Me Time" Myth (thanks, April @ My Abundant Life for sharing this!)

What are your thoughts on "me time"? Do you agree or disagree with this post? Why?

Links I Love 1/8/11

2011-01-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

I took a holiday break on posting links to articles I love, since Christmas and New Years Day both fell on Saturdays, which is the day I normally post the Links I Love posts. So instead of moving to to a different day, I'm making up for lost time today! I hope you enjoy the abundance of posts I have for you! ;)

Traditional ways of eating are becoming more mainstream, and the truth is getting out: Scientists now saying carbs, not fat, are to blame for America's ills.

2011 Is Here!

2011-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind the times. I always am. I work best under pressure. Actually I work best when it's too late!

Today I'm sitting down and writing out my New Years resolutions. I made one resolution already, and now I'm writing out more over the next day or two. Does "better late than never" apply here? Maybe I will just call them goals instead of resolutions. That way it's less like I failed at keeping my resolutions, and less like a new year thing, and more like a self-improvement thing.

So I will be spending the next few days praying over everything. Myself as a daughter of God, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend, and as a blogger, along with my goals for my household and my family, my marriage and my relationship with God. Things I want to accomplish, big and small. Little actions or attitudes I want to implement.

Am I the only one who is late to jump on the resolutions band wagon? Is anyone else out there scrambling to get some goals together before February? If you've already made resolutions or set goals for the upcoming year, what are they? I'm curious!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

2010-12-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

As we get ready to celebrate the birth of Christ, the day our Savior came into the world, the day a baby was born to a virgin, the day child came to save us all.....

I pray for love, that you would know the love of Christ. I pray for joy, that you would find joy in the coming of a King. I pray for peace, that His peace would wash over you in the midst of this season. And I pray for hope, that you would find hope in knowing that Jesus came to earth and died for your sins so you and I would be redeemed.

Merry Christmas to you and your family! Have a wonderful Christmas weekend!

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6

You Are Not Forgotten

2010-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Most of us feel, at some point, forgotten. Whether it's by family or by God, we feel like we're insignificant, and God got caught up in more important things, and just.... forgot about you. Do you ever feel that way? I have.

Photo Credit

Maybe you're waiting for God to lead you somewhere, or call you to do something. Maybe you're waiting for Him to reveal His specific plan. Or maybe He's already called you to do something, but you're waiting for Him to open the doors to carry out His plan. And waiting. And waiting. I don't like waiting.... I like knowing. And doing. I have a hard time waiting. Maybe you do too. Maybe you feel like God's forgotten you and you should take matters into your own hands. I know I've felt like that.

Did I ever tell you the story of our move? In April 2008, God put it in our hearts to move to a certain area after certain events took place. We talked about it jokingly, because although we would do it, we didn't think it would actually happen. 6 months later, in October, those events started to unfold, and we heard God's calling louder than ever to move to that area. We got confirmation after confirmation after confirmation..... we KNEW that God was calling us to this area. The flaw.... at least in my eyes it was a flaw.... was that God didn't give us a specific time. He kept saying "Soon." That was all.

When is soon? Next week? 5 years from now? When is soon?! We had no idea..... none at all! We just had to wait till God opened the doors for us to go.

In December 2008, 8 months after God put the move on our hearts, and 2 months after it was fully confirmed, we found out we were pregnant. Then in January 2009, we miscarried. That was the most devastating event of my life. My husband and I were both exhausted from being so devastated and angry. Thankfully, we had the support of our family and friends to help us make it through this difficult time. I am so thankful that we hadn't gone yet. I didn't even get out of bed much for a month after we lost our baby. If we had moved before this, we would have had to face this time alone. I was so thankful that God made us wait on Him.

In February, we found out we were pregnant again! How exciting! But then the questions came up again. We had only talked with a few select prayer partners about our move, but the majority of our family and friends didn't know yet, because we wanted to wait until we had a concrete time we would be moving. But I hated not knowing. I didn't want to get comfortable with a doctor in our town just to find out we were going to move soon and I'd have to change doctors. Of course, at around 24 weeks, I changed to a midwife anyway so I could have a VBAC. My midwife was 40 minutes south of our home town.... and the city we were called to move to was an hour and a half north! I felt like we were moving in the opposite direction, but this is what God had called us to do.

On October 22, 2009, I gave birth via VBAC to a beautiful baby girl. I had her in an in-hospital birthing center that was prepared to deal with natural births (most hospitals don't see many, if at all) and dealt with them often. I had a wonderful midwife that believed in me, which I needed. It was a beautiful experience that changed my life. God truly showed His face during the labor and birth, and I'm so thankful it happened the way it did. If we had moved before then, I'm not sure I could have found adequate support to have a VBAC. We would have been in a new area that I had only ever visited once or twice in my life, we didn't know the area, and a lot of the hospitals in the area have bans on VBACs. My husband was not comfortable with me having a home birth yet, so I would have had to fight tooth and nail to have a VBAC in an unfamiliar place. Thankfully, God knew all this, even though we did not! Once again, I was so thankful we waited on God.

One week later, we had to move out of our apartment.

Two weeks after that, my husband started his job up north, at a place that opened up a month before he started there. A job he loves.

A week after that, on November 14, we put everything from the storage unit into a u-haul and drove up to our new apartment in our new town.

It took a year and a half. A year and a half of knowing we were called, and of being frustrated when doors would blow open.... and then slam shut. A year and a half of having doors close in our home town, while still waiting for them to open in our new city. A year and a half of being in financial ruin, where my husband was in a dead-end job that maxed out at $9.50/hour, and during a good week, he would only get 30 hours. A year and a half of being in transition..... a year and a half of that in-between stage. There were so many times that I wanted to just GO. In the name of trusting God, I wanted to just go and trust that since He called us there, He will provide for our needs accordingly. I'm so thankful we waited until He opened the doors instead of trying to force them open and doing things my way.

As much as I hated waiting, I can say with certainty that it was worth it. We love the city we're in now. We love this area. We've grown closer as a family, as we've had to depend more on each other and less on friends and extended family. And while there are still some things we're waiting on (God has only very recently put us in a church steadily, but we're still waiting to get involved in ministry), that year and a half of priceless experiences made us trust God so much more.

If you're waiting for something, if you feel forgotten, I want to encourage you today. I want to encourage you to trust in the Lord and keep waiting. God is sovereign. You may feel like you're ready for the next step, but God knows what needs to be done before He can guide you through that next door. God knows what you need to do before you enter into the next phase of life. He knows you, and He knows what you need. He is paving the way for you, all you need to do is wait on Him, whose timing is flawless, instead of going in your own time, because you and I are fallible humans, and our timing is never better than God's.

For now, just be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

Psalm 37: 23-
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.

For more encouragement for those who are waiting on God, read all of Psalm 37.

Are you waiting for something? How can I pray for you today?

Links I Love 12/18/10

2010-12-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

I loved this beautiful post over at Keeper Of The Home: First Love-Let it Be First at Christmas

Did you read Lindsay's great post at Passionate Homemaking a while back called Can Natural Living Become an Idol? Well, she followed up with another fantastic post called Balancing Nutrition and Priorities. Part 1 and part 2.

I've recently discovered a blog called The Growing Stam Family. I love her blog and her heart! This post of hers encouraged me and confirmed what God has been showing me lately: How Can Doing Little Things Help You Do Big Things

An incredible, inspiring stories of a woman who had a VBA4C (Vaginal Birth After 4 Cesareans) at home: Mom Defies Doctor, Has Baby Her Way

This post made me laugh.... it's very insightful! Man vs. Mall

Kicking the Caffeine Habit

2010-12-14T04:46:00.000-08:00

Coffee is a big weakness of mine. The comfort of having a wonderfully delicious, hot drink in the morning is just too much for my self-control (or lack thereof) to handle! I'm salivating right now thinking about it! The taste, the smell.... mmmmmmmm....

*Ahem* Anyway...

I love coffee. I gave it up about 2 years ago. Not because of the caffeine, but because it was too acidic for me. Coffee makes me nauseous. Of course, it drastically cut down my caffeine consumption after I quit coffee. I still drink it though. I probably have a cup or two (or three) per week. I've been trying for a few months to get up at 5 am with my husband (and no, that's not going well, thanks for asking). On the mornings I do get up early, it means I am sleep-deprived. My body requires 9 hours of sleep per night (Outrageous, I know... my husband goes on 4-6 hours regularly and thrives), so on the mornings I get up with him, I have some coffee to help me wake up. It's comforting, delicious, and it sure does wake me up.... until about 2:00. Then I stop functioning and go into zombie mode.

There's a 30-day Caffeine-Free Challenge going on over at Food Renegade starting January 1st, and I'm trying it. No caffeine for the entire month of January. I'm gonna die!!!!!

Actually no I'm not. But I feel deprived already.

I have kicked my caffeine addiction, but you know how alcoholism is a life-long disease and even if you don't drink you still have to be very, very careful so you don't go off the deep-end again? My coffee addiction is kind of like that. And I've been straddling that fine line lately, heading back in the direction of coffee addiction.

I'll be stocking up on Teeccino this month to help me stay away from coffee. At least then I'll get the comfort of a hot drink that almost tastes like coffee, but without the nasty side-effects.

So 30 days with no caffeine whatsoever. Wish me luck!

Are you going caffeine-free in January too?

Links I Love 12/11/10

2010-12-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

Amanda over at Impress Your Kids is doing an awesome Advent series. She put together some really fun and simple activities to do with your kids over the Advent season. Go check it out!

I've been listening to a few Mark Driscoll sermons lately. I've listened to Women and Femininity and Women as Homebuilders, and they're very good. But the one I want to share is Women as Wives. Please listen to it! And if you're still in the mood after that, listen to the other two! He also has Women as Mothers on there, but I haven't listened to it yet. Let me know if you do listen!

Why Nighttime Breastfeeding Is So Important

A subject very close to my heart: Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?

Why It's So Important to Serve Your Husband

2010-12-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

I wrote a couple posts recently called "Should Husbands Help Around the House?" Click to read part 1 and part 2.

Photo Credit

In the comments section of part 1, I said that wanting "me" time is selfish. I truly believe it is! Honestly, wanting ANYTHING is selfish, since we are all unworthy sinners. But in the case of "me" time, I believe that wanting time for yourself just for the sake of getting away from your family and/or responsibilities for a bit is selfish.

Morgan asked this very good question: "Why does your husband deserve time to relax but if you were to desire "Me" time it's selfish?"

I thought I'd point out a few Scriptures that have convicted me over the years, and then discuss a bit.

Psalm 119:36 says "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."

James 3:13-15 says "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic."

James 3:16-17 says "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

Philippians 2:3 says "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

Galatians 5:24-26 says "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Romans 8:5-8 says "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Romans 6:11 says "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

Truth be told, my husband does not deserve time to relax, and neither do I. We do not even deserve to live, much less relax! We are all such vile sinners, selfishly living in the flesh and feeling we DESERVE things, like we have the RIGHT to relax and whatnot. We don't! We are terrible people and deserve nothing. BUT, by God's grace, we get to indulge in these privileges anyway! God loves us so much that, even though we are not worthy, He sent his Son to die on the cross and suffer for OUR sins so that we could be closer to Him. He did that for me, and in return, serving my family is the LEAST I could do to please God! John 3:30 says "He must increase, but I must decrease." It's not a matter of deserving to relax... it's a matter of serving God.

If I am walking in God's grace, I will want to serve my family no matter what, even if he never feels compelled to serve me back. I don't serve my husband so that I will be served in return. Serving him for my own personal gain will be fruitless. I serve him because I desire to please God, and serving my husband with no expectations of anything in return is pleasing to God.

It's not easy, but it is necessary as a follower of Christ!

Speaking of following Christ, we, as Christians, need to strive to be like God, right? Even when Jesus came to earth in the form of a man, he didn't have "me" time. He had disciples with him all the time. The times when He was alone were not times spent sitting on the couch watching TV, or staring at the trees, or taking a "night out" with other guys. The times He was alone were spent with God, crying out to His Father. If I get any time to myself with no husband or children with me, I want to spend it crying out to God and basking in His presence, not out somewhere for a "night out with the girls" to "get away from my family" for a while, or "watching TV with no responsibilities". I do not need time away from my family and responsibilities, I need Christ.

Matthew 16:24-27 says "Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

My Prayers For You

2010-12-08T00:27:00.000-08:00

I apologize if this post jumps around a lot, it's just what's on my heart!

As I pray for my children for the upcoming year, I ask God to help me to nurture the character qualities He wants them to have. In my search for ways to help encourage them to grow up to be godly young women, I came across this wonderful Character Qualities chart that has a character quality, the opposite of that character quality, and an accompanying Scripture in each box. I love this! As soon as we get a printer, I will be printing this out and sticking it to my fridge, not just to help my children grow, but to help myself grow into the kind of mother God wants me to be.

I also want to pray for you and your family. I pray that the Lord will show His face to you, and that He will help you grow and mature and learn and draw closer to Him so that he can mold you and shape you into what HE wants you to be. I pray that God will show you how to better serve your family as a wife, mother, and homemaker, and that He will teach you kindness, hospitality, and submission.

Isaiah 64:8 - " But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand."

I pray for your marriage, that God will unite you with your husband in such a way that illustrates the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33). That the Lord will heal any brokenness and wounds, and that He will teach you to forgive as Christ forgave you. That He will teach you humility and servant-heartedness, patience and gentleness. I pray that God will teach you how to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Proverbs 31:12 - "She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life."

I pray for your children, that the Lord will show His face to them and teach you to teach them to not only have faith like the children they are, but to keep that faith even as they grow into young men and women themselves. I pray that God will reveal to you the Father He is so that you can demonstrate this to your children in such a way that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Mark 10:15 - "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

May God bless you and your family in this upcoming year!

How to Get Your Husband to Help Out Around the House

2010-12-03T04:08:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read them yet, go read Is Working Outside the Home a Sin?, Should Wives Stay Home Before Children? part 1, part 2, and part 3, and Should Husbands Help Around the House? part 1 and part 2.

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So what about those days where you have too much to do and your list keeps getting longer, kids are exhausted (in other words: haven't behaved well all day), you're tired, and you still have 4 hours worth of work to do before bed, and it's already 9 or 10 at night?

I'm glad you asked.

If your husband is not too tired and you just have too much to do and would like some help, asking him politely is a good idea. But if he says no, do not force him, and do not get huffy and mad. Remember that he works hard to provide for you. He works hard so you can stay home and take care of the house and the children. Remind yourself this constantly.

One thing that is difficult (but very necessary) is to pray that God will change YOUR heart. Ask Him to help you not expect your husband to help you! Without expectations, you won't be disappointed, and you'll appreciate what your husband does do that much more. I'll be touching more on expectations in an upcoming post.

Make sure your husband knows how much you appreciate him and all that he does. The more respected and appreciated he feels, especially by his wife, the more willing he will be to help you with what you need to do. Browbeating him into doing things for you is NOT the way to go. Getting upset and demanding help is just going to make him resent you.

One thing to remember is that you can't fake your appreciation. Your husband probably knows you well enough to see right through you if you try it! This is why prayer is so important. Ask God to change your heart and help you to really, truly appreciate your husband without expecting anything in return. Doing this will slowly, but surely, make him more and more willing to help. Not only that, but it will improve more aspects of your marriage than just that!

Another thing to remember (that is actually very hard for women) is that our husbands are never going to WANT to do the dishes. They're never going to WANT to sweep the floor. If they do help, it's not going to be because they WANT to. It will be because they want to do something for their wives, who do so much for them in the way of making them feel appreciated! But they can't read our minds, so we have to be sure to let them know when we want something done (and what we want done).

Don't expect that after telling your husband once or twice "Hey, thanks for working," that he'll be jumping to help you with dinner. It's an ongoing process of telling him regularly "Hey honey, thank you so much for providing for us. You're such an amazing husband, and I appreciate that you work so hard so I can stay home and take care of you and the kids." After telling him honestly how much you appreciate him, then he will be more willing to help if you ask.

Just Admiring My Children

2010-12-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

My girls are growing up so fast. I love watching their personalities develop.

Princess is loud and loving and a people pleaser. She's always trying to make people laugh and thrives on verbal affirmation.

She often tells me "Mommy, say 'good job!'" when she does something good.

Lady is quiet and cautious and sensitive. She will cuddle with anyone who is willing.

She gives great kisses and hugs and has just the sweetest smile you will ever see!

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

I'm so proud of who my children are becoming. I can't wait to see what the future holds for them!

Should Husbands Help Around the House? part 2

2010-11-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read part 1, go read it now. And don't forget to read the interesting discussion in the comments as well!

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There's another passage in Genesis that I'm sure we've all heard a thousand times: "And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.' " If you notice, God made a helper for man. God did not make a helper for women. We are the helper. Our husbands need us to help them. They need us to do the dishes and laundry for them. They are not on earth to help us, we were put on earth to help them. We are made for the long-haul--women handle the constant ongoing housework and all that. I acknowledge that I'm going to eat last (in other words, cold food!), do laundry, and not have a day full of nothing, probably for the rest of my life, and I'm okay with that. That's what I'm made for. By expecting him to do the dishes after dinner, or put the laundry away, or any of that, I'm expecting to reverse our roles and make him my helper, and that is not fair, or Scriptural. If he wants to put the laundry away, I'm not going to argue, but expecting him to do it is not fair to him, to God, or to myself.

Since my husband and I are not together during the day, it's hard for him to see how hard I work. And I work hard. And constantly. Most wives probably feel the same way. Except we have to remind ourselves (constantly for me.... ahem....) that we don't see how hard our husbands work either. We're not at work with them all day. We have no idea what they do. When they come home, it is our job as wives to make sure they have time to relax! We need to show our love for our husbands by taking care of the housework ourselves (isn't that what we signed up for when we because homemakers anyway?) and not shoving it on them after a long day at work for them and a long day at home for us. Our husbands work hard so we can stay home. Instead of getting upset when our husbands don't help out around the house when we ask, let's remember how hard they work and show our appreciation for them while we do the laundry ourselves.

Ultimately, this is not a matter of fairness and division of labor. This is a matter of being Christ-like and servant-hearted, striving to please your husband, and therefore, God. Come back next week for more on husbands and housework.

For another post on this (one much better than mine, to be honest), go read The Contentions of a Wife on Chelsey's Journey blog. And another great post is this one: Your Marriage Problems Are All In Your Head.

8 Tips For Keeping Up With Clean

2010-11-24T03:56:00.000-08:00

The other day, Angela commented and asked:

"My husband helps me out a lot around the house. He actually helps me way more then I want him to have to. Any tips on how to get to the point you're at? I feel so overwhelmed by everything I have to get done that things get backed up big time. Eventually I want my husband to not have to worry about anything when he's home from work and to be able to just sit back and relax on his days off."

I had so many thoughts going, I decided to make it a whole post!

Now, keep in mind I've only been a homemaker for 4 years. I do NOT have it all figured out. But I am getting better and better at getting things done and caught up, and here is what I've learned.

1. Do things as soon as you notice they need done.

Remember that there's a load of clothes in the dryer that need put away? Do it right now! Did you spill something on the counter when you were getting yourself a glass of milk? Wipe it up right now! Don't put it off! There are days where I think to myself "I should pick up the living room.... later." or "Maybe when I'm done checking my email, I'll go put that load of laundry away." or "I think I want to relax for a while before I wash dishes." Don't!! In my experience, every time I say that, I get more and more behind and overwhelmed and then before I know it, I need an entire day to catch up. Not that I would know from experience or anything. Heh.

And if you have multiple things to do right now and only the ability to do one thing...

2. Keep a running to-do list.

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Look around your house and write down everything you need to do. Now order them by importance. Now do them! I know this goes against Flylady's rules of setting a timer for 5 minutes, but for some of us, 5 minutes just isn't enough! I like to get everything all done at once so I can't put it off any more than I already have. Procrastination breeds more procrastination!

3. Set a loose cleaning schedule.

Every morning, start a load of laundry (unless you don't have that much laundry... but try to do a load every day or 2 so you don't get overwhelmed when you have 5 loads to do all in one day). As soon as the dryer is done, put the clothes away while they're still warm. After dinner, clean the kitchen and keep it clean until you go to bed so that you can wake up to a clean kitchen in the morning. Before bed, clean the living room. Pick up the toys, wipe off the coffee table, fold any blankets that are out. Decide on a general time of day to do certain chores, and make sure to get them done. Just don't make it a strict schedule, because then any little disruption will throw your entire day off!

4. Keep your sink empty.

As soon as you have a dirty dish, put it in the dishwasher. Try to keep your sink empty, and scrub it down every night before bed so it's clean. Having a sink filled with dishes and water spots can make your kitchen seem so much cleaner and it can motivate you to clean even more.

5. Keep your flat surfaces cleared off and wiped down.

Try to do your best to keep things off the kitchen counters, dining room table, coffee table, dresser, and whatever other flat surfaces you have in your home. I'm really bad about this.... I tend to pile things onto tables and counters. But whenever I have nothing on my coffee table, my living room looks SO much cleaner. Clear off your flat surfaces and you'll feel better about your house!

6. Make your bed.

This literally takes 10 seconds for me! It's SO easy, and it's shocking how much cleaner my bedroom looks when I make my bed. It always motivates me to clean my bedroom even more!

See? I literally did this in 10 seconds, and I already feel better about my messy room. :D

7. Make "clean" a habit.

I know, old habits die hard.... but it's time to make some new ones. Work on one habit at a time, such as making your bed, keeping up with the laundry, or cleaning the living room every night. Focus on one task every few weeks and once you have that down, try to form a new habit.

8. Allow yourself some time to breathe and relax.

Do things as they need done, but set aside a block of time (whether it's each day or just once a week) to just sit and relax with your husband and not worry about the house work. Since I'm such a procrastinator, I usually clean and clean and clean and then once everything is all clean and caught up, THEN I allow myself time to relax. :)

For some great time management tips, Amy Lynn Andrews has an AWESOME e-book Called "Tell Your Time", and it has helped me SO much! The whole concept was revolutionizing for me. To get the e-book, Click here to visit AmyLynnAndrews.com.*

*Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Amy Lynn Andrews' e-book, so I will get a commission for every e-book sold. This does not, in any way, sway my opinion from one side to the other. In fact, I became an affiliate because I loved her e-book so much and want my readers to see for themselves how amazing it is! For my full disclosure, click here.