Encouragement

"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In his way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." Jude 20-23

Can you get through one day without complaining? I will be praying for you!!

Blessings!

Should Have Stayed Home Today

I had one of those days today to say the very least. Through it all though I am proud of myself for keeping a positive attitude and rolling with the challenges set before me.

So what happened today?

First it started with my 5 year old that had a sour attitude about school this morning. Worse than normal unfortunately, but we rolled with it and made it safely to lunch. After lunch I thought it would be nice to get the boys out of the house to take the dogs for a walk and enjoy our wonderful weather. 10 minutes into the walk my oldest son falls off of his scooter and scrapes up his arm pretty badly. Unable to ride his scooter we headed back home to clean up his scrape. Out again I go to take my youngest to the park. He wanted to race to the playground but on par for the day he falls right before getting there. Time to console and kiss more owies. After a nice hour at the park I took him to the grocery store to pick up a few things. What could possibly go wrong in a store right? Wrong. Tantrum time. I took it in stride though. We safely made it home then my husband asked if I wanted to go for a walk. Sure, why not? Just him, the dogs, and myself. What could go wrong? Nothing, that is until we were on the back side of the canyon open area that borders our house. When we walk this route we let our dogs off of their leash to run and play. We've never had an issue the hundreds of times we have taken them on this walk. I should have known though. Not only does my lab capture a squirrel (which I felt horrible for) but came close to dying for the second time in her life. Yes I said dying. My lovely lab put the icing on the cake by stumbling upon a rattlesnake in a bush just off to the side of the trail. As soon as she jumped in that bush I heard the distinctive rattle and immediately yelled at my dog as well as my husband to do something, anything. Keep in mind I was only 2 feet from her when she surprised this deadly snake. My husband thought it was a sprinkler but eventually my screaming and jumping up and down convinced him otherwise. Praise the Lord our dog is voice trained and after a few moments gave up on the pursuit of her hunt.

Tonight I will be thanking the Lord for keeping my family and my dogs safe and I will be praying for a better day tomorrow.

Blessings!

7 ways to connect with others

Being a loving friend or good neighbor is not always easy. Often times we let our pride, ego, self-centeredness, or lack of caring get in the way of true and meaningful relationships. Fortunately, God teaches us throughout the Bible how to be better friends and connect with our neighbors.

There are 7 characteristics that can help us connect with others;

1. Be thankful. Who are you thankful for? I would like to encourage you to be thankful for not only your friends but also your enemies. When is the last time you prayed for someone you do not particularly care for? Perhaps being truly thankful for that person will also help to strengthen your relationship together. Thankless people often spend their days alone. Tell Jesus you are thankful for Him. It is because of Him that we have a relationship with God.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1Thess. 5:18

2. Be affirming. Catch someone doing something good then praise them. People love to be around positive people. Positive personalities are uplifting, refreshing, and encouraging. On the other hand,  negative people are often times avoided. Praise is particularly important to implement in your own house with your children and your spouse. A positive maternal figure in a home is a beacon of light.

Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24
Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. Proverbs 12:18

3. Be sincere. To have genuine friends we have to be a genuine friend. Do not pretend to be something you are not. When you are talking to someone genuinely be engaged in the conversation, actively and intently listen to your friend. When your friendship encounters struggles or there are tough times in the lives of your friends, stick around do not run away when times get tough. Stay in the kitchen and help put out the fire, it will make your friendship stronger.

A friend is always loyal and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17

4. Be happy. Just as you should be genuinely engaged in your friendship or casual conversation be genuinely happy to be around that person. It is more enjoyable to be around someone that is happy and excited to see us then someone who seems to careless about us. Make a concerted effort to find a redeeming quality about everyone you meet, it will make being happy to be with them much easier.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. Proverbs 17:22

5. Be sharing. Givers strengthen and takers drain. If you want to make God happy then share with others. Give freely and from your heart. Next time a neighbor asks for milk or eggs, give freely and do not expect repayment.

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

6. Be encouraging. Encourage others each and every chance you get. Let your friends know that you are praying for them and lifting them up in their time of need. Ask how you can help your friends and happily follow through with anything they need that you are able to provide. Nobody likes a know-it-all. Do not boast or brag but rather lift up those in need.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today", so that non of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. Hebrews 3:13

7. Be spiritual. Share the Gospel with others. A significant connection with others comes from a common commitment to walk with God and share His good news with others.

For I am not ashamed of this Good news about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile. Romans 1:16

If you are looking for ways to connect with others consider a prayer ministry, missions trip, a greater involvement at your church, or volunteer work in your community. Your options are limitless. Seek your answer in prayer then act upon what God lays upon your heart.

Family Friendly Friday Tip #1

As mothers I think we always want to do better for our families. Be it keep a cleaner home, become more organized, stretch the family budget, or even just be a more Godly parent. To that end each Friday I will be posting a family friendly tip on a variety of topics. And if there is something you would like help with please do not hesitate to contact me because if you need help with something I can guarantee so do a lot of other women.


Family Friendly Friday Tip #1: Make your own laundry detergent. 

Help the environment and save a ton of money!! I have started making my own powdered laundry soap and I love it. Originally I had planned on making the liquid detergent but I found a very easy and quick powder recipe so I gave it a try. The liquid recipe will still save you a ton of money over store bought versions but the powder is quicker and easier which not only saves you money but also a TON of time (something we can all use more of in the day).
Just to give you an example of my cost savings, store bought detergent costs me anywhere from 0.15 to 0.20 cents per load. The powder homemade detergent costs me just over 0.1 cent per load. Praise the LORD!!

Here is the recipe for powder and liquid homemade laundry detergent.

I pray that you all have a blessed weekend!!

Silencing Homeschool Critics

The decision to homeschool is often times met with criticism, skepticism, and doubt from otherwise well meaning friends and family. Unfortunately, homeschool families rarely hear words of praise from people outside of the homeschool community. What do you do when someone questions you about your decision to homeschool? How do you answer the academic performance question? And the forbidden S-word question? (socialization)

Staying informed and educated about current homeschool information is important when talking to persistent skeptics. While I do not believe that as homeschoolers we should defend our decision to anyone but ourselves it is sometimes helpful to have factoid snipets to silence critics.

Rather than cite all the facts, reasonings, and rationale please read this article from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine about effectively dealing with pubic-school indoctrinated critics.

Personally, when someone asks me how homeschooling is "going" I reply with an honest answer of "It is going great. Some days are rough but we are all learning together. Homeschooling has become a wonderful blessing for my family. We are more relaxed than when we were in public school. No more rushing out the door in the morning or rushing home to get the kids. We are free to start our day whenever we want and do school wherever we want. God willing I won't ever have to deal with public school again." And yes, of course my kids get plenty of socialization. And guess what, they socialize with more than just their peer group everyday. Everyone from infants up to elderly people in our community and everything in between are in my kids socialization group now and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Doing God Right

Before going to bed last night I prayed for inspiration regarding this blog. I asked God to send me the topic he wanted me to post about because this blog was started from His request. Early this morning I woke from a dream with this title in my head along with a rough outline and a few sentences. After I awoke I made a simple request that He help me wake up early so I could do his work before my family woke up; just before 6am my eyes popped open. God is good!

Doing God right. What does that mean to you? It can be taken in one of two ways. 1.) Being the Christian that our Savior wants us to be, following the Bible and doing our best each day. Or 2.) In addition to all of that you also listen prayerfully with your heart and mind to what God is calling you to do. What do you do when that voice in your head speaks? What do you do when you feel called or experience a sign of what He wants you to do? It is my hearts prayer that you listen each and every time. So often we want to do our own thing, our own will. But friends if you feel called towards something you need to listen. No matter how big or small. It is His will and not our own that matters.

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege* and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5-6 (NLT) *or grace

Just as I could not ignore this calling or many others in my life I pray that you too follow your own calling. We are here to do His will and not our own. Without Jesus life here on earth would be bleak and hopeless. But thanks to God he sent his only Son to free us of our sins. He offered it all for us so that we would be free of sin and able to do His will and not our own.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power or the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power or sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT) 


So dear friends, what are you feeling called to do? What is His will for you?

Prayerfully,
Alexis

I do not do baby books

My cat doesn't do baby books either. :)

I have tried my hand at scrapbooking and at best I think I have made it through the first year for my 6 year old. Obviously, not a very good way to record your child's life. I have always enjoyed writing so a few months after my first biological child was born I bought a very nice leather journal to begin recording and journaling his life.

I plan on giving each of my children their respective journals on their 18th birthday. Until then though, I am writing about each of their lives from a Mother's perspective. I include all the same events that a baby book or scrapbook would include but because I've chosen to journal I am able to include so much more than just the basics. Some days I only write the basics but other times I pour my heart out to them telling them how much they mean to me and how proud of them I am. I also include major events that happen to our family which obviously play a role in who they are and what experiences they might remember from their childhood. I do not journal for them every day or even every week. I write as I feel led. Some entries are multiple pages while others are just a few sentences. Each little tid bit adds to the joy and memories that fill their pages.

The 3 journals that I am currently writing in for my children are pictured on the left. While the 2 that I recently purchased for the twins are on the right; I am eager to begin writing in them. For my boys I chose the traditional open book style. While for my girls I purchased magnetic closure books with decorative covers and inside pages.

Over the years I have grown to love the flexibility that journaling my children's lives allows. Not only can I write from my heart leaving them lasting memories but I can also include an unlimited amount of detail and emotion when I feel inclined which scrapbooks and baby books do not allow. I also include pictures from time to time which help to add more personality and sentimental value to the journals. I have also found that I love reading back through the entries. It helps this scattered brained Mom to better recall events in my children's younger years, something that I can never put a price on.

If you enjoy writing as much as I do, then perhaps this is an option you might want to consider for your own children. It is never too late to start a journal for them, they will appreciate it when they are older. A priceless gift!