You must read this article

I read these articles last night, and it challenged me right to the core of my being. I think as a parent you MUST read these articles!

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/index.php?id=57&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=268&tx_ttnews[backPID]=7&cHash=0dc37b5988

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/index.php?id=57&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=271&tx_ttnews[backPID]=7&cHash=ec4a94aa47 One of the many things said in this second article that hit me over the head was: "There is a twofold secret to making boundaries (absolutes) work. First, you have to stick to your word. You cannot have a “sometimes I am a good mama and sometimes I lie on the couch and just don’t care” attitude. The second rule, which is just as important, is to have some things that are totally exciting to play with that are always available to the child. They need to be given a tape dispenser if you are working with tape. They need to feel like they are doing something that in some way reflects what you are doing. Gracie needs her pots and pans drawer in the kitchen, so when I get my pans out and start cooking, she can go to her work drawer and start to play cooking. When I go into my office to open envelopes, she goes to her box and opens junk mail. When I write notes, she writes in her little notebook. Her life is not made up of plastic toys that have no meaning. Her life is made up of things that she can do that relate to what I am doing."
I have my good days where I would consider myself a "good mama", but it is not constant, and unfortunately not a week goes by where I don't have a day or two or three, where I am that "lie on the couch and just don't care" mama. Also, it occurred to me, how much of my day is spent trying to push my children off to go play away from me in their playroom (with those "plastic toys that have no meaning"), so I can get my things done, when all the while they just want to be with me. I CAN STILL GET MY THINGS DONE WITH THEM BY MY SIDE. I SIMPLY MUST INCLUDE THEM IN MY ROUTINE. This isn't easy, it takes longer, and it will not get done in my "perfect" way (which by the way is so NOT perfect), but the life lessons they will learn from helping me work, and the precious time being spent together is what matters. It breaks my heart to think how often I push my kids away. Sigh. I must meditate on this for a while. Amazing information.....

Blessings,
Jen

Managing Home

managing home

Stock-it-up Saturdays

I just decided that if my house was a public facility, I would write a letter of complaint to the manager. So often I go to wash my hands and have no soap. I reach under the sink to replace the toilet paper, and I'm out. I go to butter my toast, only to realize I didn't take one out and the butter in the fridge is as hard as a rock. I have no one to blame but myself because I would say 9.5 times out of 10, I was the one to use the last of something. In my mind I say, "oh, I'll refill that in a minute after I do such and such." Well such and such leads to this and that, and it doesn't happen until I'm in a bind! This has led to much frustration for me. So, I've decided that Saturday mornings will now by my day of the week where I enlist the help of my sons (and daughter when she's old enough) and go around to stock things up. The only reason I decided on Saturdays was because of a catchy phrase I just made up - Stock-it-up Saturdays. "Come on boys, its Stock-it-up Saturday!" I just hope they are as excited as I :)

Blessings!

Jen - 3/28/07

Recipes

recipe

I just tried this recipe the other night and it was so good and so easy to make!

Taco Crescent Ring

2 packages crescent rolls

1 lb. ground beef (I use ground turkey)

taco seasoning (see recipe below for your own taco seasoning)

1 cup shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

green onions

1 cup sour cream

salsa

Brown meat and drain off grease. Add seasoning. Unroll crescent rolls and make into a circle (it looks like a sun when you are finished unrolling; the wide end of the crescent roll will be in the center of the circle). Add cheese to meat and stir. Place meat/cheese mixture on crescent rolls and wrap pointed edges around the meat mixture so it forms a ring. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. After baked, remove from cookie sheet unto a platter. On inside of ring place lettuce, tomato and green onions. Serve sour cream and salsa on side. Cut into wedges and serve.

Taco Seasoning

Combine the following:

2 teaspoons instant minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers (I omit this)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

My First Blog!

Remember that feeling when you were a child, and you were bursting from the inside out wanting to tell your mom or dad the present you got for them? It was all you could do to be quiet about it. Well for quite some time I have felt that way about what God has been teaching me about marriage, motherhood and homemaking. God's Word says repeatedly to ask Him and He has led me to principles from His Word that are priceless and have helped me in so many ways! I have so much information stored in my mind and heart, that it is literally hurting to keep it to myself anymore! At this point, the information in my mind feels disorganized and I thought by organizing my thoughts this way, I can also offer some hope and encouragement for the burned out homemaker.

I haven't nor will I ever arrive and get it all perfect, and that is where I need God's grace. For some of us it is easier to accept God's forgiveness than our own. But when it comes to homemaking, we must extend that same grace to ourselves. To clarify, when I talk about homemaking, I mean nurturing your relationships with your husband, children and others so they can feel the love of God. I believe this comes through making your home and your life warm and welcoming. But BEWARE: charm is deceptive (Prov. 31), and having a charming home doesn't mean that your life is happy and fulfilled. A good place to start is by prioritizing. The Bible commands us to make loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind as our first priority. There you go - #1 on your to-do list :)

As a brief description of what my blog will be, I plan to give links to or even do my own Bible studies to help in your daily devotions. Check out oneplace.com where you can listen to wonderful godly teachings! I also plan to write articles about all aspects of homemaking - family activities, cleaning, organizing, cooking, gardening, etc. As I said, I have not arrived, so I will not only write about things I've learned that work for me, but I will write about things as I learn them! Unless it comes right out of Scripture, nothing I write about is the sole way. I also plan on having others contribute - so please post your helpful tips! The fact is, there is nothing new under the sun, so nothing I write about will be original, but hopefully things I write about will be encouraging to you, and who knows - although it might not be new to some, it might be new to you and just what you need to make something in your home run better!

Blessings!

Jen