Yes They're All Ours

From My Front Porch - May 17, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:21:00 +0000

Welcome back to my new blog series, From my Front Porch, where I share weekly updates from my home and family. My hope is that you'll fix yourself a cup of coffee or tea, or perhaps even a glass of lemonade, and imagine us sitting together on my front porch, chatting about life and catching up on the latest news! I hope you'll join me each Friday on My Front Porch!

Around the House

I am continuing to make progress around the house. With my hubby and three of my sons on a trip this past week, I redeemed the time by conquering the boxes and piles in my bedroom and closet! I'm not totally done in there . . . but it actually looks like a bedroom now, instead of a war zone, and the closet looks pretty neat and organized, which was a fantastic surprise for my husband! :)

I still have a Huge Mess to tackle in the Bonus Room - but let's just dwell on my victories for right now! ;)

Last week, I took you in the front door and showed you my foyer and my family photo wall going up the stairs. Today I want you to look to the right when you walk in the front door and you will see the "music room."

This narrow room is a little too small to really be called a living room. A parlour perhaps?? It served the former owners well as a home office, and is serving us well as a music room. My oldest daughter, Tiffany, is a serious pianist who practices several hours a day as she prepares for her grad school auditions. The best thing about this room is that it is somewhat separated from the rest of the house and has a door!! ;)

It also contains a sleeper sofa, so we could tuck in a guest or two in this cozy little room (as long as they don't mind waking up to four-octave scales and finger-strengthening exercises at 5 am)! ;)

Family News

Did you get the exciting news I shared last week?!? If you missed that announcement, maybe this picture of Kristi will give you a subtle hint! ;)

What a perfect Christmas present for us all to enjoy this year! :) I'm looking forward to being a Grandmother! I hear it is so much fun! The kids are all excited about becoming aunts and uncles, too! Everyone is happy about the news, except for Bethany!! She has told me more than once, "Mommy, I don't want you to be a Grandma, because Grandmas are old! I don't want my Mommy to be old!" I'm guessing that in her mind, I will look something like this as soon as I become a grandma . . .

photo credit

Ha ha! ;)

Thankfully, I'm not that old yet! :) Actually, the new "Grandpa" did get a year older this week! ;) His birthday was Saturday, which he celebrated with three of the boys in an Amish restaurant in Pennsylvania! :)

Here at home, Saturday was a beautiful day! First thing that morning I opened the door to the front porch and found this magnificent miniature rose:

Isn't it beautiful?? At first, it was a mystery!! I really had no idea who it was from! Then, Tiffany discovered a message that I had missed -- it was from Tyler!! The note was so sweet and it really touched my heart that Tyler got me a gift for Mother's Day! What an incredibly thoughtful thing to do!!! :) It has definitely been a blessing having him live with us the past year! This picture is from his birthday celebration back in April.

The pressure was on for my kids! :) They couldn't be outdone by Tyler! ;) Don't worry - they surprised me with a pretty shirt, some cute earrings, and these lovely plants for my front porch sanctuary.

Saturday afternoon, Hannah and Bethany and I attended a lovely Ladies Luncheon at our church.

I even won one of the door prizes -- this beautiful planter!

Sunday was Mother's Day, and the kids that were in town treated me to a nice lunch at Outback Steakhouse after church. We had a fabulous time of fellowship and feasting! After dinner, we gathered at the beach and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. It was really a fabulous day!!! Here is a picture of me with my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter, which was taken while we waited outside for a table. I love this picture!

Sunday was also Josh and Kristi's very first wedding anniversary! So exciting to see them reach this first milestone!

That wasn't the only milestone celebrated this week, however! Alan and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on Tuesday! It's a little tricky being the "new 30" and also celebrating our 30th anniversary, but we managed to pull it off! ;) I spent the day cleaning house, making a blueberry pound cake, and just putzing around in the house trying to make it look inviting for my hubby's return from a week-long trip to Pennsylvania.

That evening, he took me out for a very nice dinner at Bonefish Grill, and then we walked along the shore and sat on a bench where we could chat to the backdrop of crashing ocean waves. Then we finished off the evening with a cup of coffee at our favorite coffee shop. We had a fabulous evening together, and I think it was even more special since I was so glad to see him after a week of being apart! :)

So, that was my week! A busy week full of blessings! How was your week??

Please join me again next Friday on my front porch!!

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Happy Anniversary!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:51:00 +0000

Happy Anniversary to . . .

ME and my amazing husband of 30 Years!!!

{I can't believe it has been thirty years since we said, "I do!" No one warned us the years would speed by as quickly as they have!}

These pictures were taken on May 14, 1983 ~ one of the happiest days of my life! I had no idea at that time what a real treasure I was getting ~ a man of integrity and honor who would be hard working and faithful through times of joy and celebration, times of intense testing and tears, and all the many routine, "real life" days in between. This man has loved me through ten pregnancies and births (including two home births), plus a couple miscarriages along the way! :) He has continued to love me and tell me I'm beautiful, even though my body will never be the same! ;)

God has been so gracious to us, giving us so much more than we ever imagined or deserved! {We certainly never imagined having ten children!}

Have our lives been perfect?? Of course not! We've made many mistakes through the years, and have endured many challenges and heartaches, just like any other couple. Most of our friends who got married back in those days have long since parted ways. What is our secret?? Love. Commitment. Forgiveness. Choosing to follow God's ways.

Forgiveness is huge. Consider this verse:

Proverbs 17:9 says, "He {she} who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he {she} who repeats and harps on a matter separates even close friends."

We have chosen to forgive and forget any offenses and to just keep loving and living life together, seeking to always glorify God in our home and family.

The result?

A happy marriage and a beautiful family that loves God and each other! That is more than I could have ever dreamed of thirty years ago!! I am truly blessed! :)

"And to think it all began when two people fell in love . . ."

The entire family on Josh and Kristi's wedding day, May 12, 2012.
Yes, we aren't the only ones celebrating an anniversary! :)

Marriage Monday: When Your Prince Acts Like a Frog! {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:11:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! Did you catch my post last week on Avoiding Unrealistic Expectations in Marriage? It is so easy to enter into marriage with starry-eyed notions. Let's face it, we all have unrealistic expectations about life in general! For example, I expected my Internet to be working this weekend, which it wasn't. I also expected the Marriage Monday post for today that I started last week to still be waiting for me in my Drafts folder for me to quickly finish this morning. Of course, it wasn't there! I also expected my blog button to be working, which you may have already discovered wasn't the case! Yes, daily life is full of many unexpected trials, delays, disappointments and difficulties, so of course, we shouldn't expect the marriage of two imperfect individuals to be any different. But somehow we do!

As young brides we often expect our handsome, young husbands to be our "knights in shining armor," saving us from all of our problems! Even if we notice a few "warts" during our dating or courtship, we expect those to all disappear when we say, "I do," because we fully expect that frog to become our Prince Charming! In real life, our Prince may continue to exhibit a few frog-like characteristics for the rest of his life! The real test of our commitment and love is whether we are willing to treat him like a Prince even if he sometimes acts like a frog!

photo credit

Many of the disappointments that women (and men) face in marriage are a result of not understanding the differences between men and women. I love the way Virginia Fugate explains this in her excellent book, On the Other Side of the Garden:

Courtship days are probably one of the happiest times of a woman's life, because she and her future husband spend a great deal of time together. During this time a woman's future husband becomes the center of her life. She usually assumes that her fiancee wants to make her the center of her life as well. Therefore, when after the wedding her husband's pursuit ceases somewhat, or even altogether, she may become confused and hurt. Because he no longer does the things he did while they dated, she may begin to feel that her husband doesn't love her anymore. A wife can overcome many of her disappointments when she accepts that her husband's drives in their relationship are not, nor ever will be, identical to her own.
In contrast to a woman's desire to make her man the center of her life, a man's major drive is to lead, protect and provide for his family. However, such responsibility is an extremely difficult, lonely and discouraging task. Therefore, a man's goal during courtship is to identify and to secure a supportive helpmate and companion. He feels a strong need for a wife to ease his loneliness and to support his responsibility. A man is attracted to the woman who supports his dreams for the future and the one who encourages him during the times he feels like giving up. Once a man has married, the objective of winning the woman of his choice is completed and the husband is ready to move on to conquer his main pursuits -- that of protecting and providing for his family. Furthermore, he expects his wife to move on to become his helpmate -- that is to help make his task less lonely and difficult. He too, may feel puzzled when he discovers that his wife wants to continue the activities of courtship, rather than to move on to other goals of living. This fact may not be very flattering to a woman's romantic, feminine soul, but men are motivated more by goals than by their emotions. It isn't that a man is totally void of any emotional desire for intimacy; however, developing close relationships is not usually a goal a man actively works to achieve."

I'm curious what you think of this quote? Did you find this to be true in your marriage? Did your husband change his focus from pursuing you and winning your heart to providing for and protecting you after you got married?? With so much role confusion these days, I wonder if this changes the way men interact with their wives and what their expectations are. I know that many men enter marriage expecting their wives to help provide for the family. Many women may enter marriage with that expectation as well. I think that women still like being protected by their man. Is that true? I realize that young men are being trained to be more sensitive and relationship-oriented than in the past. However, the basic nature of men and women has not changed, and the roles that God designed are still the pattern for success.

Your Turn to Share:

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Did you find married life to be different from what you expected? Did your husband treat you differently after you were married? Did you sense him turning his focus away from "winning you" and towards his career? or other goals? How have you adjusted your expectations to fit reality? What do you do when your Prince acts like a Frog?? I'd love your feedback on any of these topics! Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment here or over on my Facebook page, so we might all be encouraged and built up as wives!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

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From My Front Porch

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:12:00 +0000

After mentioning the idea several weeks ago and receiving some encouragement to "go for it," I've decided to add a new weekly series to my blog called, "From my Front Porch." I will use this series to share updates from my home and family each week. I hope you'll like it! My hope is that you'll fix yourself a cup of coffee or tea, or perhaps even a glass of lemonade, and imagine us sitting together on my front porch, chatting about life and catching up! I hope you'll join me each Friday on My Front Porch!

Around the House

I am continuing to unpack boxes, hang pictures, and get organized and settled into our new house. It is definitely a process! Some areas are looking pretty good . . . and some still need lots of work! The two biggest messes are in my bedroom and closet, where everything I don't know what to do with ends up, and in the bonus room, where books, papers, puzzles, science supplies, and other school stuff from more than two decades of homeschooling need to be sorted through, gotten rid of, and/or organized and put away. It's a Big Job and one that I may not get to until our schedule slows down a bit this summer!

I've been promising pictures! Should I just start at the front door and start giving you a tour, room by room?? Do you want to see the whole house or just the highlights?? Let me know, OK? :)

You've already seen one of my favorite places -- my front porch! I love my front porch and look forward to adding some plants and making it really cozy and inviting! When you walk in the front door you come face to face with the stairs.

I've been working on my family photo wall -- something I've always wanted to have! It will always be a work in progress, I imagine, as I add pictures all through the years! I like creating uniformity by only using black frames, and creating variety by using different sizes, shapes and styles of frames. So, I have been looking for inexpensive black frames wherever I go, and have picked up frames at Target, Ross, T.J. Maxx, Dollar General, and Family Dollar to create the look you see below. I really love my picture wall and will enjoy watching it grow and change through the years!

I also really like the way this table looks in my foyer! The table was my mother-in-law's, as was the beautiful floral arrangement. I love the colors in that! I've added a buffet lamp I had, a doily crocheted by my Mom, my guest book, and a little glass dish from my Mom's china cabinet that I've filled with some shells I found during our recent trip to Cumberland Island. I think it looks pretty, and it makes me feel happy! :)

That's my secret to home decorating -- forget the "rules," and use what makes me feel happy when I see it! :)

Family News

I've received some exciting news in the past couple weeks! See if you can guess what it is . . .

What do you think of the name, "Marmee?" :)

That's not all of the exciting news! Last Saturday, my oldest son, Taylor, graduated from college magna cum laude! :)

Here he is with his proud Mom and Dad!

Yes, I know -- I look like a midget! :)

Here's the whole family -- except for our second oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Kristi, who both had to work that day.

Ashlyn let Hannah take control of the shutter, so she could pose with the handsome graduate! :)

Graduation photos courtesy of my beautiful and talented daughter, Ashlyn. To see more of her pictures
or to read about her upcoming mission trip to Ecuador, check out her blog - Captured by Beauty.

Please join me again next Friday on my front porch!!

This post is linked up with:

Marriage Monday: Avoiding Unrealistic Expectations {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! Did you catch my post last week on entering into marriage with a Fairy Tale Mentality? It is so easy to enter into marriage with unrealistic expectations of "riding off into the sunset and living happily everafter," especially for those who are dreamy or romantic, or have grown up on a diet of Disney movies and romance novels.

Here's the problem: After the wedding, men tend to think to themselves, "Whew, so glad all that wedding junk is over! I've won the heart of the girl of my dreams, made it through the wedding, and now it's time to get down to business!" He begins to turn his attention away from "wooing" his bride to succeeding at his career and being the provider and protector of his little family. Meanwhile, his new bride is thinking, "Finally, I have him to myself! He's Mine! Now we can spend all of our time together, sharing our dreams and making them come true. We are going to be so happy!"

Do you see an immediate cause of conflict for the newlyweds??

Their focus may be different in many areas. What the husband expects from married life and what the wife expects may be entirely different. The wife may enjoy evenings spent cuddling together and watching a movie, while the husband may look at cuddling as a means to an end, and prefer cheering for his favorite sports team.

Also, as soon as the honeymoon is over (if not before!), real life begins! Money must be earned, pennies pinched, meals made (and cleaned up), toilets cleaned, problems solved, etc. As my son and his new wife have discoverd this past year, basic living is expensive and cars break down at the worst times!

As I look back, I struggled with many unrealistic expectations when I was a brand new wife! One of my unrealistic expectations was thinking my marriage would look exactly like my parents; however, I soon discovered I did not marry my Dad! :) My husband liked things done in a different way. Probably my biggest disappointment was realizing we actually had more time to spend together as college sweethearts than we did as a married couple, with full-time jobs and responsibilities. I had to adjust my expectations.

Your Turn to Share:

What unrealistic expectations did you have when you got married? What adjustments did you have to make? How did you and your husband adapt to each other and adjust your expectations? Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

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Exploring Cumberland Island

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:46:00 +0000

I've been looking forward to sharing about our fantastic field trip last Friday with our homeschool group to Cumberland Island, GA. It was such an amazing place, full of fascinating history and unspoiled beauty, and God blessed us with a picture-perfect day to enjoy this national treasure!

Our adventure started when we boarded the ferry! It was a relaxing 45 minute ride out to Cumberland Island, which proved to be lots of fun for the children and provided many photo-ops for our photography-loving teen girls!

When we reached the island, we disembarked, full of anticipation for the day ahead!

One of our many blessings of the day was having Ranger Renee to lead our tour. With 32 years of experience under her belt, she was very knowledgeable and a gifted storyteller, and her animated accounts drew us into the colorful history of the island.

One of the highlights of the day was watching the wild horses! The stallions put on quite a show for us, as they fought throughout the day for the affections of a particular mare! ;)

Although not as exciting as horses, I was really fascinated by this tree -- a palm tree with a live oak tree engrafted! Very interesting combination!

The ruins of Dungeness, the 19th century mansion of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie. The history of the island is intertwined with the history of this wealthy family.

Our Co-op kids in front of the ruins!

After completing our ranger-led tour, we ate a picnic lunch and then walked through the sand dunes to the beach.

Adults and kids alike enjoyed shedding our socks and shoes and feeling the warm sand on our feet, as we scoured the beach for interesting shells and shark's teeth.

After walking a mile up the beach, we turned westward and made our way through the "enchanted" live oak forest!

I loved this dense forest with its tangled web of live oak branches.

After a watching a short film about the history of Cumberland Island, we boarded the ferry, exhausted (after walking 5 miles that day!) sunburned, and more than ready to go home, but eager to come back and spend another day exploring Cumberland Island!

A big thank you to my daughter, Hannah, for taking this picture of the Avenue for me, as well as many of the other pictures above, including all those amazing horse pictures!

Marriage Monday: Happily Ever After {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! I'm back home again after spending a week with my Mom and Dad, and trying hard to resume a normal routine, while continuing to unpack boxes, hang pictures and settle into our new house! (Pictures coming soon!)

My mind is definitely on marriage these days! Unbelievably, Alan and I are just a couple weeks away from celebrating our 30th anniversary, while Josh and Kristi are almost to the one-year mark, and Joe and Abby are counting down the days until June 29th!! :)

Yesterday at the close of our church service, a couple renewed their wedding vows. It was a very moving ceremony! Our pastor pointed out that when they first made their vows to one another 25 years earlier, promising before God and witnesses to: {forsake all others and to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live} that they really weren't thinking much about the sick and poor parts. Like any other couple in love, they were only thinking that their dreams had come true and they were looking forward to living "happily ever after." They had no idea that cancer would crash their dreams, forever altering the course of their lives together. (Of course, this reminded me of my parent's marriage and my post from last week!)

That whole part about "in sickness and in health" and "for richer or poorer" - well, those are just words that nervous brides and grooms repeat after the minister. Most couples don't think they will really be called to suffer through sickness, poverty, and heart-wrenching times when they stand at the marriage altar. We've all watched plenty of Disney movies and we know how it's supposed to work -- when the prince finally gets the beautiful maiden, they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after in wedded bliss!

Because we go into marriage with a "happily ever after" mentality, we expect our mate to make us happy. Women especially tend to fantasize that all of our problems are solved, now that our Prince Charming has rescued us from a Cinderella life of drudgery and difficulty. However, it doesn't take long for our fairy tale bubble to burst, and our Prince Charming to fall off his white horse! When we discover that he is a mere mortal after all, and perhaps one that we don't know as well as we thought we did, and that married life involves hard work and still contains its share of difficulty and drudgery, we may find ourselves turning into a "wicked witch!" ;) The fairy tale is over.

For many modern couples, this is where they bail out. Others stick it out, but many never recover from seeds of bitterness caused by unfulfilled expectations in the early years of marriage.

Perhaps, we would be better served if we understood that God didn't create marriage for our happiness. Although we may certainly experience much happiness in marriage, God ultimately created marriage to display His glory and to illustrate the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church.

The most ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. That is, it exists to display God. Now we see how: Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to the church. And therefore the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married.

Staying married, therefore, is not about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part,” or, “As long as we both shall live” is sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her. Therefore, what makes divorce and remarriage so horrific in God’s eyes is not merely that it involves covenant breaking to the spouse, but that it involves misrepresenting Christ and his covenant. Christ will never leave his wife. Ever. There may be times of painful distance and tragic backsliding on our part. But Christ keeps his covenant forever. Marriage is a display of that! ~ from John Piper in Marriage, Christ and Covenant: One Flesh for the Glory of God

Understanding this truth helps couples, whether newlyweds or silver-haired veterans, realize that marriage is not about self-actualization, but about dying to self. It is actually a part of our sanctification, whereby we become more like Jesus. As we learn to lose our lives for Jesus' sake, we actually find our lives (Matthew 10:39), and may discover that joy and happiness are within our reach after all.

Your Turn to Share:

Did you enter into marriage with a biblical view of marriage or a fairy tale view? How did this affect your relationship with your husband? How does embracing a biblical view of marriage make a difference? Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

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Marriage Monday: The Secrets to a Life Long Marriage {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! I'm writing today from my parent's home in South Carolina! It has been nice to escape from the hard work of moving and be here with them for a few days! ;)

If you missed last week's post, I talked about Loving Our Husbands during Stressful Times, such as a move!! If you missed that post, you might want to check it out! Let's face it, we will all endure trials and times of testing in this life, so it's good to be prepared for how to respond to one another when a crisis hits!

Today, I decided to share some insights on marriage from being here with my parents, who have been married for 52 1/2 years! They have had their share of difficult times, including a period of separation in their early years together (when they were advised to divorce!), times of intense suffering and debilitating illness, and many years of living together "unequally yoked." (To learn move about that, check out the series of posts that my Mom wrote for me on Living with an Unsaved Mate. I know you will be blessed by her testimony and words of encouragement!!)

May 2010

As I think about my parents and their marriage, I've been pondering what it was that kept them together through the years. When I asked my Dad that question he quipped, "Lots of sugar!" ;) Then he added, "If you marry a sweet woman, you've got it made!!" :) Ha ha! :)

Thinking about his off-the-cuff comment, I'm sure that lots of "sugar" is definitely one secret to a happy marriage! ;) I also think that having a sense of humor is key! Learning to laugh at ourselves, at life, at the antics of our mates -- that must be one of the secrets to surviving many years together! Even the Bible says that laughter is good medicine! And believe me, you'd have to have a sense of humor to live with my Dad!!! :)

The main word that comes to my mind as I observe my parents, however, is commitment. Being committed to each other and to their marriage vows, regardless of circumstances - that's huge! Commitment is something that seems to have gone out of style along with poodle skirts and penny loafers. Many of the people I observe lack commitment in their marriages, in child training, in their jobs, in the church and in their relationship with Christ. When the going gets tough, they always look for greener pastures.

An offspring of commitment is choice. When it comes right down to it, love is a choice. My parents made the decision to love one another regardless of how they felt at any given moment. Marriage is not always fun. Living with another person day after day is not always easy. Life is not always "happily ever after." But my parents made the choice to love through the good times and the bad!

My Dad has demonstrated his commitment to my Mom during years of illness, both in their early years when she had reoccurring bouts of rheumatic fever that kept her bed-ridden for months at a time, and in her later years when she was diagnosed with MS, and even now as she struggles with severe stenosis of the aortic valve and lives out her last days with much pain and weakness. It is a blessing to watch him care for her so tenderly!

Likewise, my Mom demonstrated her commitment to my Dad by loving him and honoring him when he did not know or desire to serve the Lord for the first 20 years of marriage. It was heart-wrenching for her to endure years of a divided home where they served two different masters, but her commitment to God and to her marriage vows enabled her to love my Dad and pray for him as she awaited that day when God would save him!

My parents have overcome many obstacles because they both chose a life of love and commitment to each other and to God. In the process, they have grown closer to each other and have become more like Christ, and their lives are a blessing and testimony to all who know them!

I'm praising God today for my precious Mom and Dad and the godly heritage they have given me! I'm also reminiscing about the fun we had at their 50th anniversary celebration two years ago! Click here to watch the slide show I made for them and see glimpses of their fifty years together!

http://www.yestheyareallours.com/2010/07/celebrating-50-years.html

Your Turn to Share:

What do you think the secrets are to a long and lasting marriage? What have you learned about marriage from the successes or failures of your parent's marriage(s)? What are you teaching your own children about marriage as they observe the relationship that you and your husband live out before them? Will they want to emulate what they see? Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

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A Biblical View of Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:57:00 +0000

A repost of a popular post from the archives:

Monday is Earth Day. What does that mean to you? Do you celebrate Earth Day with your family or just generally ignore it, as I usually do?

photo taken by my niece, Anna

There is nothing wrong with celebrating the bountiful beauty and blessings of our earthly home, as long as we give all honor and glory for this earth to Jehovah God, its Creator and Sustainer. However, what we see today is a sinful elevation of the earth as being more significant than its Creator and more important than mankind, which God created to rule over the earth and subdue it.

While I believe that greedily abusing the earth is wrong, I believe that using its resources for the benefit of mankind is good and right. God gave man jurisdiction over the earth from the beginning. People have a tendency to get out of balance, going overboard in one direction or another. Promoting things like sustainable farming is a good thing, yet we need not be overcome with fear about using up all of the earth's resources or "saving the earth," because God created the earth to last exactly as long as He pre-ordained.

The earth will not last forever, no matter how hard man tries to "save it." The earth will perish according to God's perfect plan. Man will also perish, unless He accepts God's provision for eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -- John 3:16.

photo taken by my daughter, Ashlyn

Do you really know what God's plan for the earth is? Let's take a journey through the Bible to see what God said in His Word about the earth, because Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." -- Mark 13:31.

This journey begins in the book of Genesis and ends in the book of Revelation:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. -- Genesis 1:1

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. -- Genesis 1:26

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. -- Genesis 1:28

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. . . And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life, from under heaven; [and] every thing that [is] in the earth shall die. -- Genesis 6:12, 13, 17

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. -- Genesis 8:22

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. -- Genesis 9:2

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. Genesis 9:7

And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. Genesis 9:11

The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. -- Psalm 24:1

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. -- Psalm 37:9

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; Psalm 104:14

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? -- Isaiah 40:12

I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. . . For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I [am] the LORD; and [there is] none else. Isaiah 45:12, 18

But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, [even] they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. Jeremiah 10:10-13

For the earth [is] the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. -- 1 Corinthians 10:26

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: -- Colossians 1:16

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:5-7

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. -- Revelation 9:4

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

Moving Update #2 - Counting my Blessings!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:03:00 +0000

We have been blessed so abundantly with this new house and with the generosity and kindness of our family and friends! Here are a few random things that I'm thankful for . . .

An Amazing lunch on Moving Day prepared and served by a friend from our church!! I'm talking fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, sweet tea and chocolate-peanut butter brownies to feed the entire crowd!! Wow!

So many people willing to pitch in and help wherever needed! It was a mammoth job -- but many hands make light work! Look at Kristi manhandling that huge box!!! ;)

Some Amazing Teamwork! ;)

Friends willing to bless us with their expertise!!

Sister Love!

A Delicious BBQ supper provided by ladies from our church on the night of our move!

Our new chalkboard wall -- painted by Hannah and her friend, Kendra!

Another fabulous meal from the ladies of our church! This one was delivered Monday evening! Delicious roasted chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, squash casserole and you won't believe the cake!!!

I told you that you wouldn't believe the cake!! A lady from our church made this masterpiece for us!! Is this not AMAZING??? Unbelievably, it was just as delicious as it was beautiful! :)

The beginnings of my new family photo gallery:

A brand new washer and dryer delivered on Sunday!

My Surprise Blessing -- on Sunday afternoon, all of the kids (plus Tyler, Kristi and Abby) snuck over to our old house and cleaned the entire house from top to bottom!!!! That was a Huge Job and I can't believe they tackled it!!!! Realizing that I was exhausted and overwhelmed with so much needing to be done at both houses, Abby and Joe came up with this amazing idea and recruited some helpers to make it happen! What a Wonderful Surprise and Blessing!!!! :)

Yes, I am a very blessed woman!!! :)

Marriage Monday: Loving Your Husband During Stressful Times {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:11:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! As you know, I am in the midst of a move, but determined to jump back into my series on Loving our Husbands. A move . . . like any stressful event . . . can really strain our relationships, especially the husband/wife relationship. So, I've decided to tackle that topic head on in today's post!

Have you ever thought about how we can demonstrate love to our husbands during life's most stressful times, such as a move, a terminal illness, the death of a parent or child, or other family crisis?

My husband and I have a good relationship, and we rarely argue or are at odds with one another. However, I've discovered that stressful times, such as a move, can create unexpected tension in even a very close relationship. Furthermore, it can hammer the final nail into the coffin of a dying marriage. Is it possible to navigate the storms of life without sinking our ships? I think it is, if God is the Captain!

Here are 4 Practical Ways to Love Your Husband during a Trial:

1. Speak softly.

The more tense we feel, the more we tend to be snappy, sarcastic, and "snippety" in our responses to one another. Remember that a soft answer turns away wrath, while a harsh response stirs up anger! (Proverbs 15:1) When your husband speaks harshly to you, force yourself to answer in a soft and gentle tone! You will be amazed how quickly that can diffuse an explosive situation!

2. Take Time to Communicate.

I've found that it is easy to stop communicating during a stressful time. My husband and I both tend to retreat inward when we are feeling majorly overwhelmed, discouraged, or distressed. (I realize that other personalities like to talk through every little thing!)

During stressful, busy times, it is so easy to forget to communicate both important information (such as which location you are getting the U-Haul truck from!) as well as a range of emotions. Just letting each other know that you are experiencing a lot of stress and feeling overwhelmed or on the verge of tears will help you both to be more understanding when one of you "loses it!"

3. Forbear and Forgive.

When stressful times occur, we must choose to forbear, or patiently endure the trial, and forgive those who offend us. If our husbands are impatient or harsh or demanding, we have no license to respond in like manner. We are commanded to be longsuffering, forbearing and loving anyway.

"Forbearing one another, forgiving one another . . . " ~ Colossians 3:13

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." ~ Ephesians 4:2

Naturally, this is not easy! However, the Holy Spirit will enable us! I always remind myself that it is my glory to overlook a transgression! (Proverbs 19:11) It is also helpful to remind myself that my husband has the same challenge before him -- to choose to overlook my transgressions! Perhaps the only reason I am taking offense at something he says or does is because I am being shorter-tempered, more emotional, and more easily offended than normal!

4. Put Yourself in His Shoes.

Whenever someone offends you or hurts your feelings, it is always helpful to put yourself in that person's shoes. This is a principle I try hard to teach my children, as it helps immensely with sibling or friend relationships! If we stop and think about the stress the other person is under, how tired they are, how overwhelmed they must feel, etc., it helps us to be more understanding when they are irritable or cross or do or say something hurtful.

When we look at the weight that is on our husband's shoulders when walking through a crisis or stressful time, it takes our focus off of ourselves and helps us feel compassion for him. Then, instead of demanding that we get to rest or that our needs are met, we can choose to prefer our husbands in love!

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." ~ Romans 12:10 NKJV

"Let each of you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others." ~ Philippians 2:4 NKJV

This is the essence of the Christian life and where "the rubber meets the road." Hopefully, we learn to yield our rights graciously, so that our homes don't smell like burnt rubber! ;)

Your Turn to Share:

These are the practical exhortations that the Lord has shown me. Do you have other ideas for how to maintain a kind, loving relationship with your husband even when you are walking through a trial together? Most all of us will have to endure both short times of intense stress as well as extended times of deep suffering during our lifetimes. I believe it is crucial to learn how to weather these trials in a God-honoring way and in such a way that strengthens our marriages rather than destroying them. Do you agree? Please share your thoughts on this subject, as well as any practical ideas that you have. Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

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Moving Update #1

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:39:00 +0000

One week ago today was our big moving day! Thanks to those of you who prayed for us or sent words of encouragement! I really appreciated it! The weather was perfect and everything went so smoothly! I was really blessed by how well everything turned out!

Would you like to see some photos of the big day??

Unfortunately, Joe was sick with a sore throat, headache and fever on moving day. :( Nevertheless, he worked like a trooper, which is a good thing, because we couldn't have made it without his muscle! :)

Chris has been working hard for me for the past three weeks! I would not have made it without him!! No exaggeration! He has really gone above and beyond! Even when too tired to take another load, if he saw me or one of his sisters struggling to carry loads of stuff out to the car or into the new house, he was right there lending a hand!

The old washer and dryer -- ready to be loaded onto the truck. Unfortunately, a couple days after we moved in, the washer decided to quit!! You may remember my excitement over having two laundry rooms?? Well, the washer that was already here started leaking water everywhere. :( So, I currently have two laundry rooms and no washing machine! :(

Alan was right at home driving the moving truck! You should have seen him back that thing down our looooong driveway! Piece of cake! :)

Boxes, boxes everywhere!

My little ragamuffin! :)

Ever think about how many mattresses we have to move?? ;)

Part of our great moving crew! I don't know what we would have done without our own strong sons, their friends from college, and our friends from church!!!

One of many bookcases that came off that truck!

That awkward moment when Tyler wondered if he should have chosen a different family to live with while attending college!! ;)

Empty truck! (for the second time!) What a great sight! :)

The difference between what young guys and not-quite-as-young guys do after a long day of moving . . . ;)

Photo credits: All pictures were taken by my amazing daughter, Hannah, with the Nikon camera that Ashlyn passed on to her for her 16th birthday! :) Thank you, Hannah, for capturing our move!

An Opportunity to Bless a Widow and an Orphan {and a Giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:59:00 +0000

I have a special situation to tell you about today . . . one in which you have the opportunity and privilege to help bless a widow and her young son. I have come to know this dear woman over the last year through Lilla Rose. She has always been eager to encourage and help others, and now I have the opportunity to be a part of encouraging and helping her!

Have you read about all the harmful ingredients in store-bought soap yet the thought of making your own is too intimidating? Would you like to wash with a gentle lather safe enough for a baby's skin? Then let me introduce you to Mae’s Handcrafted Natural Soaps.

These natural soaps made with real tallow will delight your senses! Mae lovingly makes all her soaps in small batches to ensure the highest quality. She uses the best of the best ingredients: real tallow is gentle on your skin while at the same time is used for the bar's hardness, which means it doesn't get mushy in the shower. Olive oil is added for further gentleness along with a touch of coconut oil for a fluffy lather.

Only high quality soap scents or essential oils are used, and even then they are added with a light hand. Mae's bars give you an absolutely delicious scent you can enjoy in the shower, without becoming obtrusive during the day. Even her coloring agents are of a natural origin. These unique combinations make long-lasting, gentle bars that your whole family will love.

You Can Win Natural Handcrafted Soap!

Would you like to win some of Mae's Natural Handcrafted Soap for yourself? Well, here's your chance! Enter below and be one of SIX winners for a $25 credit that you can use to chose your favorite soaps from Mae's delicious selections.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review and giveaway is on behalf of a dear friend and sister in Christ who unexpectedly lost her beloved husband in February of this year. He left Mae and a young son behind, reeling from their loss.

Mae’s husband had been out of work for a year, living off of a small military pension. The family, understandably, had to cut back on expenses - one of which was their life insurance policies. His sudden death now leaves Mae and their son with very little income (less than a couple hundred dollars a month). Because of different personal situations, she is currently ineligible for benefits like Social Security. Mae homeschools their son, and thanks to The Home School Foundation, she will receive a grant to cover homeschooling supplies and curriculum. She is asking the Lord to provide for her son and herself through her small businesses, one of which is making soaps and other body products.

As you can see, the situation is dire for this sweet widow and her son, but we know that God is able to do more than we could ever think, or ask (Eph. 3:20), and we hope that you will consider joining up with us to help our dear friend by supporting her business.

We're asking you, dear readers, to seriously consider the call of James 1:27—to care for widows and orphans and consider Mae's Handcrafted Natural Soaps for your next soap purchase.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1: 27

Anyone who knows Mae is touched by her. She is an incredibly godly woman, who acts as a Titus 2 mentor to those who know her. She is loved so dearly and we want to do all we can to support her during this incredibly difficult time! Please pass this on by sharing this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter.

If you'd like to give a donation, you can send via Paypal to RaymondBenevolentFund@gmail.com. Please remember to choose "Personal" giving so the Raymond family doesn't incur fees with your donation. If you need more details on how to do this, please contact sarahevan5@aol.com and she'd be happy to send you directions.

A big thank you to all the bloggers participating:

Ann @ DuctTapeandDenim.com

Anne @ Authentic Simplicity

Tara @ Everyday Ramblings of My Life

Jill @ Jill's Home Remedies

Sara Elizabeth @ A Mama's Story

Gail @ The Imperfect Housewife

Renee @ I Am The Clay

Del @ Devote & Seek

Jill @ Blessed Beyond a Doubt

Rebecca @ Rebecca's Ramblings

Hilary @ Accidentally Green

Marci @ Amazing Graze Farm

Susan @ Learning and Yearning

Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker

Justyn @ Creative Christian Mama

Chelsea Rebecca @ For Unmarried Christian Women

Chelsea Rebecca @ Hearts for Home

Paula @ Whole Intentions

Amy @ A Heart Surrendered Blog

Bambi @ In the Nursery of the Nation

Dana @ Clan Chris Dean

Kristen @ Smithspirations

Caroline @ The Modest Mom Blog

Alicia @ Walking In Faith

Stephani @ The Cheapskate Cook

Amber @ Homemaker by Choice

Marci @ Thankful Homemaker

Katie Sullivan @ Brighton Park Blog

Anjanette @ Raising the Barrs

Pam @ Mom Does Reviews

Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage

Stacy @ Something Whimsical

Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood

Paula @ Beautiful Life of Joy

Rachel @ Of Love and Beauty

Reagan @ The Arsenal

Kelly @ Generation Cedar

Kelly @ Practical Savings

Stacy Karen @ A Delightful Home

Kristen @ Five in Tow

Diana @ A Little Bit of Spain

Elizabeth @ Yes They Are All Ours

Jacque @ Deep Roots at Home

Karrilee @ Abiding Love, Abounding Grace

Karrilee@ Blessed Memories Scrapbooks by Karrilee

Shawnee @ The Apronista

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Janine @ True Aim Education

Kathryn @ Singing Through the Rain

Alicia @ Fun Reviews and Giveaways

Deborah @ A Delightful Glow

Stephanie @ The King's Bookworm

Christy @ The Simple Homemaker

June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Shadedlily @ With Them

Joy @ Artful Homemaking

Marriage Monday {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Lord willing, Marriage Monday will return next week! I am inundated with boxes to unpack, decisions to make, and many, many items to find places for. It's a big job finding a place for everything and putting everything in its place!

Please feel free to link up your marriage related posts! I can't promise that I'll find time to read them . . . but I'm sure some of my readers will! :)

See you here next Monday!

~Elizabeth

Moving is Exhausting!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

I love this picture of Luke laying on the floor of our new Bonus Room -- because it illustrates exactly how I'm feeling about now! :) No matter how you go about it, moving is Exhausting!

We must have every little thing packed up and out of the way by 9:00 am Saturday morning, so my fellas (thank you God for big, strong sons!) and their friends can move all of the big, heavy furniture into the new house.

Simultaneously, we must have all the boxes cleared out of the way at the new house so that floor space is available to accomodate the furniture that goes there.

Right now that seems to be an impossible undertaking -- to have both houses completely ready!! (Especially knowing that we have homeschool co-op today!) I think I'm in "transition" -- I've hit the "i can't do this anymore stage!" And yet, there's no turning back!

Prayers needed for strength for the final push!!

Also, would you please pray for clear weather and safety and protection for both those who are moving heavy pieces of furniture and the items being moved on Saturday?? I'm a little worried about these beautiful (but slippery?) stone steps!! Thank you! :)

Hannah's Sweet Sixteen!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:07:00 +0000

Just like babies, birthdays don't wait for convenient times to arrive.

Interestingly, the moving company arrived and started packing up our house in Albany on my birthday 2 1/2 years ago. Then, we moved into our current house a few days later on Chris's birthday! So, I really shouldn't be surprised that we were in the middle of moving boxes and van loads of smaller items to our new house when Hannah's birthday arrived! :)

How do you make someone feel special on her birthday when your life is topsy turvy? It's not easy! I just tried to focus on the little things and spread the celebration out over a few days!

The morning of her birthday, Tiffany woke Hannah up early and took her out for a latte at Starbucks. While they were gone, I went on a mission to buy Hannah some Sweet Sixteen doughnuts. Apparently, that brand is no longer available. :( So, I bought Krispy Kreme and improvised (with the help of a Sharpie)! ;)

Then, I put the birthday girl to work helping us move and spray painting our white wicker rockers brown to match our new front porch. ;) However there was more fun in store!

The next morning Hannah and I left the guys to load up the U-Haul with furniture, and we headed to Tifton to pick up this:

This is Hannah's friend, Kendra! This is their first time to meet face-to-face after being blogging buddies and email friends for the past 2 years! Kendra lives in Kentucky and was able to ride down with her grandparents, who were headed to Florida. All we had to do was meet them at I-75 in Tifton and take Kendra home with us to spend a week with Hannah! What better birthday present could there be??

Despite warnings from friends that Kendra was "not a real person" ;) and despite their own fears that they might feel awkward around each other at first or not even like each other IRL, they connected immediately and it was like they had been friends forever! :)

It is unfortunate that this event, which was planned a long way out, happened right when we were in the thick of moving, but Kendra is being a good sport and helping Hannah pack up and move the contents of her room! Working on a project together is a great way to really get to know someone! :)

Saturday night, after a long day of work for the fellas and a very long day in the van for Kendra, we enjoyed Hannah's requested birthday meal -- Domino's Pizza!

Sunday was Easter and the day that we officially celebrated Hannah's Sweet Sixteen with the family. The local bakery came through with a beautiful and delicious cake! Hannah had no problem blowing out 16 imaginary candles after being sung Happy Birthday in both English, Arabic (by Kendra), and Chinese! :)

After a beautiful afternoon at the beach, Hannah came home and opened her presents. Her gift from Alan and me was a ruby ring. This was a tradition we started with Tiffany and Ashlyn -- giving them a ruby ring to remind them to aspire to become beautiful Proverbs 31 women!

Who can find a virtuous woman; for her worth is far above rubies. ~ Proverbs 31:10

Happy Birthday Hannah! :)

Celebrating Easter at Our New House!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:54:00 +0000

I trust you had a glorious Easter/Resurrection Day! We sure did! After an amazing worship service at our church, we headed to our new house for a fabulous Easter Dinner! What a blessing to enjoy our first meal together in our beautiful new house on the same day that we were celebrating our new life in Christ, which was made possible through Jesus' death and resurrection!! (John 14:6 - " . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.")

Here is the family all gathered together on the front steps for our first family picture at our new house!

Want to know who's who??

Top row: Alan, Taylor (22), Tyler (20 - our "adopted" son, living with us while he attends college here), Luke (14)
Middle row: Me, Josh (21), Joe (19), Chris (17)
Front row: Tiffany (27), Bethany (8), Matt (10), Kristi (Josh's wife), Hannah (16)
Missing: Ashlyn (25) :(

Here is another picture, with Tyler behind the camera and Hannah's friend, Kendra (who is visiting this week from Kentucky), in the line up.

And of course, you know how our family likes the "crazy pose!"

Photo sessions always increase the appetite, so it wasn't long until everyone was gathering for the prayer and filling their plates with yummy food!

In case you're wondering how I managed to pull this off when we are only half moved, I bought the Spiral Ham and Potato Salad, then we made Deviled Eggs at our old house, and I prepped the carrots, asparagus and mushrooms at our old house and brought them over in ziplock bags to cook! The planning and prep paid off, as our Easter Dinner was definitely a success! :)

Check back tomorrow where I share about another big event in our family!

Marriage Monday: Loving Your Husband {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:21:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! I've been blogging for awhile now about Loving our Husbands. Last week, I shared a fabulous post by my pastor's wife on Loving your Husband through a Time of Depression. If you missed that post, you might want to click on the link and read it, as it was full of wisdom and grace, as well as practical tips for walking through such a valley together.

As you know, if you've been keeping up with my Christmas Miracle posts, I'm right in the middle of moving at the moment. Moving a family our size is no small undertaking! In fact, it can be pretty overwhelming! So, I'm counting on you to help me share the message of Loving our Husbands by linking up your posts and sharing in the comments how you've demonstrated love to your husband lately!

With being in the middle of a move, my mind is consumed with thoughts about how to effectively organize, arrange, and decorate my new home to make it efficient, warm and inviting. Pinterest has an abundance of inspirational ideas! If only there were more hours in a day . . .

I really want to use some of the new Wall Art that is so popular. I love the idea of having inspirational quotes and/or scriptures on the walls of our home! What do you think of this one? I love it! If I can find a place to use it, I'm definitely going to!

Photo from: www.agreatimpression.com/weddings/

Your Turn to Share:

How have you demonstrated love to your husband this week? What are your favorite tips for home organization and decorating? Have you ever used inspirational wall quotes as part of your decor? Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

Our Christmas Miracle: The Exciting Conclusion!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:29:00 +0000

If you've been following my story of Our Christmas Miracle, this is the exciting conclusion and the part where the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset and live happily every after! {I really wanted to say that, because I liked how it sounded! ;) But the reality of our story is that the only Hero is God!}

If you've just stumbled upon this post and have no idea what I'm talking about or what the Lord has done for us or why it's a miracle, I invite you to read our amazing story of God's miraculous provision here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

And now for the conclusion:

Yesterday our dreams came true! There was no last minute crisis or drama (except for waking up to a sick child!)! We actually closed as scheduled on the house that the Lord has provided for us!!!

I had planned to get someone to take a picture of Alan and me with our amazing realtor, Marcia, but I forgot until the last minute. At that point, Alan was in a hurry to get to a meeting and it was SO COLD and the wicked wind was chilling our spoiled-by-south-Georgia-winter bodies, which meant I just quickly snapped this photo of Alan with Marcia. I'm glad it turned out!

Marcia has been Awesome! She really accepted a challenge when she agreed to try to find a house for us and she has become way more than our realtor, she is a dear friend to our family and a witness to all that God has done for us!! Thank you Marcia for really going the extra mile for us!! :)

Several of you have asked me for pictures, so here are a few! As you will see, the house is beautiful and we are beyond excited! :)

This is the dining room, looking from the kitchen and towards the front door.

This is the family room also looking from the kitchen. The hall on the back left leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. The rest of the bedrooms are upstairs.

I love how I can stand in the kitchen and see into both the family room and the dining room and even see who walks in the front door! :)

The kitchen is truly the heart of this home! It is both beautiful and functional. It also contains a double blessing, with 2 ovens and 2 dishwashers! :)

Speaking of a double blessing, now would be as good a time as any to break the news to you gently -- this house has not just one, but two laundry rooms!!! One upstairs and one downstairs! :)

If anyone is still reading here after I've admitted to that blessing, I'll be back soon with more pictures and a moving update, but for now, I better get back to Work! ;)

Marriage Monday: Loving Your Husband Through Depression {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:17:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! I am in the midst of a series on Loving our Husbands. Last week, I talked about Loving our Husbands by Encouraging Them. If you missed that post, you might want to click on the link and read about 10 ways you can encourage your husband.

These tips are helpful if your husband is simply discouraged or mildly depressed. But what do you do if your husband is deeply depressed? How can you love your husband during a time of depression? The following thoughts are from a woman that I love and admire and who had to walk down this difficult path for a time -- my Pastor's wife, Susan.

As a woman, I depend on my husband for so much. I need his love and support, his listening ear and his strong arms. He is called upon to fix the leaky faucet, change the oil in the car and to destroy any creepy-crawler that might invade the privacy of our home or yard. He is my provider, protector, and my partner for life. I think you would agree with me that every woman is proud to have a strong, stable and dependable man at her side, one that she can admire and respect. As wives, we breathe easier knowing that we can securely rest in our husband’s ability to handle whatever life brings our way. He’s the man and he’s got this!

But what happens if you wake up one day to find that your husband has no joy, no smile, and no strength? Your better half is hard to find because he has drifted into a world of deep sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. In these current days of financial insecurity, a troublesome job market and the overwhelming pressures of daily life, more and more of our husbands are finding themselves in this dark place know as depression. What’s a godly wife to do when faced with a spouse’s depression? How should she respond?

After years of ministering and serving the Lord, deep trials and affliction caused my cheerful, happy-go-lucky and funny husband to lose his spark and become filled with so much sadness and despondency that he struggled getting out of bed and facing the day. Darkness and despair became his daily companion. What I share with you I learned from our walk together through times of depression.

Although you may want to run and hide and give into the fear and frustration you are feeling, DON’T. Now is the time to be the virtuous woman God has called you to be. The actual word for virtuous is valor and now more than ever you will need to be a woman of great valor and courage.

Here are 7 Suggestions for Loving Your Husband through Time of Depression:

1. See it as an opportunity to live out your marriage vows.

Remember those words, “For better or worse, ...in sickness and in health….to love and to cherish”? Now you will be able to prove to your husband that you really meant it. You must make a concentrated effort to focus on his emotional, mental and spiritual healing. You will be partnering with the Lord to bring healing into your husband’s life. “Love never fails.” I Cor. 13:8

2. Seek out opportunities to courageously love your husband.

Depression can cause your husband to act in unappealing ways. When he is harsh, angry, and despondent, be gentle with your words and kind with your actions. Let love be behind your every motive. The love of Christ and His example must be your guiding force as you respond to your husband’s depression. “Love suffers long and is kind.“ I Cor. 13:4

3. Speak blessing over him, when he can hear you and when he can’t.

When he is hopeless, speak of the hope we have in the Lord. When he is anxious, speak of the peace Jesus gives. When he is feeling worthless, speak of his worth in Christ and to you. In his presence tell him how thankful you are for him, affirm him, praise him. When speaking of him to others be respectful and uplifting. It is important to remember you must do this even if you do not feel like it. “She opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Proverbs 31:26

4. Submerge yourself in prayer for your husband.

Pray for him silently as he sleeps. Pray for him openly in his presence. Ask him if you can pray over him during the day and then speak the words of blessing and healing that can only come from the hand of God. I learned this from my own husband’s example of praying over me in my own personal times of affliction. “Pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16

5. Silently listen when he is ready to talk.

Don’t nag. Don’t belittle. It is important for him to express how he feels which is not always easy for our men. He will need to know that his feelings are safe with you. “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” James 1:19

6. Speak the truth in love.

The time may come to confront his depression with a Christian counselor. If your husband knows he can trust your good heart he will be more likely to listen to your words of advice and know that you are seeking his well-being. Use the wisdom of Esther to know how and when to speak to your husband about the difficult place he is in and how it is affecting you and others. Pretending like it doesn’t exist will not bring healing and peace into your husband’s life.

7. Finally, while focusing on your husbands’ spiritual, emotional and mental well-being, don’t neglect your own.

It is crucial at this time that you die to self and be a Spirit-filled wife. Now is the time to draw ever closer to the Lord God who can meet the needs your husband cannot. Isaiah 54: 5 says “ For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name.” Depend completely on Him who is able to work this dark and lonely time into a powerful, beautiful season of blessing and healing.

Depression need not be the end of stability and strength for your husband or your marriage. You as his wife, can work alongside our Almighty God to bring beauty for ashes and to turn mourning into dancing. Claim Jeremiah 33: 6 as your own, “Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.” He is able, and He will do it!

Your Turn to Share:

Has your husband ever gone through a time of depression? Please share some of the ways that you helped him walk this dark valley. What sustained you the most during his depression? What seemed to encourage him the most? Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!

Meet Ashlyn!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:53:00 +0000

I'd like you to meet my beautiful (inside and out!) second-oldest daughter, Ashlyn:

Ashlyn is an energetic and compassionate person who has a passion for children's ministry, missions, discipleship, photography and photojournalism. At first glance these interests seem totally unrelated; however, God has directed her to an amazing ministry that combines her love for all of these things and uses them in a unique way to share His love. Introducing -- Global Encounters.

Ashlyn is super excited about going to Ecuador this summer, where she will be ministering to teens and pre-teens through the medium of photography. She loves trying to reach the hearts of these hurting kids and loving them, while introducing them to the One who loves them even more! You can read about this exciting opportunity on Ashlyn's blog.

Want to know more about Ashlyn and what makes her tick? Read her bio here.

Interested in helping her raise the needed funds to make it to Ecuador?? Click here to donate to her trip:

Just click on team members and then choose her name, Ashlyn Ours, from the drop-down menu, and follow the instructions to make a donation.

Or

You can help her make it to Ecuador by purchasing a Lilla Rose hair accessory from her fund-raising party. I am donating all profits from her party to her Ecuador fund. If you order before Saturday night at midnight (Pacific time), you will get FREE shipping. That's what I call a win/win situation! :) To order from Ashlyn's Lilla Rose party click here. If you order directly from my Lilla Rose website, it will bless me! ;) But, it will not help Ashlyn get to Ecuador! So, make sure you use her party link to order! :)

Thank you for your support and encouragement! :)

A Peek into Our Home

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:17:00 +0000

I thought you might enjoy a little peek into our home to see how we're spending our days!

Routine schoolwork in the morning and early afternoon followed by Packing 101! :) One of the blessings of homeschooling is that our children are not tucked away at school where they miss out on Real Life. They are here with us from day to day learning how to navigate the ups and downs of life and learning practical life skills such as how to pack a box for moving! One of the first lessons I taught them was that books go into small, book boxes -- not larger boxes that are soon too heavy to lift!! ;)

We probably have more books than any other family in the entire world! And as you can see, our bookshelves are emptying out. My husband really wants me to prioritize what we keep with this move and try to reduce the number of books we own, as we won't have as much space for bookcases in our new house. Do you know how hard that is to do? Especially when I've been collecting quality books for the last 23 years of homeschooling, plus my Mom has been blessing me with treasured books from her extensive library in recent weeks! So, I will be facing some tough decisions in the days ahead . . . and looking for creative storage options! (I wonder how many boxes of books I can store under my bed or in my closet??) ;)

Did you know that children need meaningful work and that working hard and contributing to the family actually makes them feel important, needed and enhances their "self-esteem?" Maybe that is one of the problems with the young people today -- due to the characteristics of modern culture, overly zealous child-labor laws, and an abundance of academics and extra-curricular activities, most children and teens of today don't really seem to do much physical labor.

Let me give you an example that illustrates what I'm saying. A few days ago Matt said this to me: "Mom, I just feel so achieved because I packed four boxes all by myself, plus I cleaned out the bottom of the pantry for you!" Isn't that cute?? It just proves that he felt good about himself because he had worked hard and accomplished something of real importance to the family.

Sometimes a big job can be overwhelming for kids and adults alike. That is why we should always break a mammoth task down into smaller jobs. I realized that if we all pack just a couple boxes a day, we will get it all done without feeling overwhelmed!

Working also builds character! So, I'd say that we will be doing a good bit of character building in the days ahead! ;)

Seriously God? Winner Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Thank you to all those who entered and shared my recent giveaway of Jenny Smith's book, Seriously God?

I have a winner! The free book will go to Christi! :) I trust it will be a blessing to her!

If you did not win and would like to grab your own copy of this edifying book, Click here.

What's Cooking? Zuppa Toscana

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:53:00 +0000

I made this recipe last night for our Homeschool Co-op's Couples' Night Out. It turned out really well and was enjoyed by those who tried it! Some were scared off by the Kale! :) I do think I would chop the kale into smaller pieces next time, but believe me, there will be a next time for this delicious soup!!! :)

Zuppa Toscana (Inspired by The Olive Garden)

Ingredients:

2 pounds Italian sausage
1/2 pound bacon
4 large Russet potatoes, cubed
1 to 2 large onions, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups kale, chopped
4 to 6 cups chicken stock/broth
2 cups water
2 cups heavy whipping cream or half and half
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in large dutch oven. Remove and crumble; save drippings.
2. Remove Italian sausage from casings. Brown in bacon drippings, crumbling as it cooks.
3. When sausage is almost done, add chopped onions and minced garlic; sauteing in the drippings. (Drain excess grease if need be.)
4. Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil.
5. Add chopped potatoes.
6. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.
7. Stir in bacon, chopped kale and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Simmer on low heat until ready to serve. Then add cream or half and half and heat gently for about 5 minutes.
9. Serve with parmesan cheese, a big salad and some crusty bread!

This recipe was a big hit with my family! They are already begging me to make more!

Marriage Monday: Loving Your Husband by Encouraging Him {Link up}

noreply@blogger.com (busymomof10) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:23:00 +0000

Welcome back to Marriage Monday! I am in the midst of a series on Loving our Husbands. Last week, I talked about Loving our Husbands by Spending Time with Them. If you missed that post, you might want to click on the link and check it out. It's not too late to add your ideas for spending time together!

This week I want to talk about how we can love our husbands by encouraging them!

My husband tends to be naturally more melancholy and pessimistic than I am. I'm definitely more of an optimist. However, at times I can be unrealistically optimistic, so he brings me back to earth! ;) And when he is sounding too much like Eeyore, I encourage him to look at things from a brighter perspective. As you can see, we balance each other out perfectly! ;) (Which, by the way, is exactly how God intended marriage to work!)

Regardless of whether we are naturally optimistic or not, one aspect of loving our husbands is to encourage them when they need it. Whether they are uncertain of their abilities, feeling beaten down and trampled on by the world, overcome by their failures, or just generally discouraged by the trials of life, it is both our responsibility and privilege to come along side of them and encourage them! Here are some simple ways to do just that.

photo credit

Ten Ways to Encourage Your Husband:

1. Write an encouraging note and put it in his lunchbag, briefcase or car where he will find it. Or send him an encouraging email or text.

2. Listen attentively to his problems and offer sympathy or perhaps a few gentle suggestions, if he seems receptive to that.

3. Encourage him to look for the good in every situation, reminding him to trust God to redeem even the worst situation and to bring good out of it. (Romans 8:28)

4. Affirm him and make sure he knows that you believe in him!

5. Remind of him of his positive attributes, strengths and abilities and express confidence in his ability to handle a difficult situation or to make a wise decision.

6. If he is discouraged because he is overwhelmed, stressed, or has too many demands on his time and energy, look for ways you or the children might be able to lighten his load by helping him with some of his chores, such as doing the yard work or running some errands, perhaps. (Yes, even if you are overwhelmed by your own work load!)

7. If he is discouraged about finances or a job loss, refrain from complaining about a lack of resources. Instead look for creative ways to make do.

8. Pray for him and with him.

9. Share encouraging Scripture verses or devotionals (like ones from my favorite devotional - Jesus Calling!!) with him. Encourage him to keep his eyes on Jesus!

10. Smile and stay upbeat and positive in his presence, even if you are struggling with discouragement yourself! (Let that be your little secret!) :)

These are a few of the ways I've encouraged my husband through the years. I'd love to hear other strategies that you have used to encourage and build up your husband!

While I know that the above ideas are helpful for encouraging your husband if he is struggling with discouragement, I also know that some of you may be facing a more serious situation. Perhaps your husband is beyond discouraged; he is drowning in a deep depression that is affecting your family life and his ability to work. What then? How do you help your husband when he is seriously depressed? Make sure you come back next week, as I share some insigts from someone very dear to me on how to love your husband through depression.

Your Turn to Share:

Please share some of the ways that you encourage your husband when he is discouraged. Or perhaps you are the one who has struggled most with discouragement and he has encouraged you. Feel free to share practical ways that your husband has encouraged you! Please share so we might all be encouraged!

If you were blessed or encouraged by this post, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook or other social media sites. Thank you!

Link up:

I'd love to have you link up your blog to mine! Please link up any past or present posts related to Christian marriage. Don't forget to link back to my blog! Thanks!