Another child. What could be better?

As I anxiously await the arrival of my seventh baby, my second little girl, I feel her quickly-growing body squirm and kick within mine. Waiting to meet her, to hold her in my arms and smell her sweet newborn-scent is almost too much--much harder than being a child waiting for Christmas.

I think about how rare a seventh child is, how blessed I am that I will have her in my life. I wonder, what could possibly replace the joy this child will bring? What could I possibly desire to have instead of her? What would I have if she had not come that would make her absence worth it?

More money?
More room in my house? A cleaner house? A quieter house?
More time for myself?
More freedom to go where I want, do what I want, or even do what I need to do with more ease?
A thinner body with less stretch marks?
Nine months of my life free of morning sickness, fatigue, and discomforts?
More sleep?
More acceptance from others?
More "peace" and less stress?
Less responsibility?

Of course, all of these things combined could never come close to even compare to my child. How could I ever choose these temporary pleasures over the eternal treasures that a baby would bring?

Another child does not take time away from the children I have. But she will indescribably enrich the time we all have together. And any time I have alone with each child is special, precious, and treasured--even if it must be carefully planned for.

Another child does not force me to divide my love into even smaller doses. The love in my heart is only multiplied--each child I have only increases the capacity of love my heart can hold. Each child is loved as if he were the only one, cherished to the point of tears, so much I would give my very life for any of them in a heartbeat. And the thought of losing even one is unbearable.

Another child does not take away from my ministry to others. My children expand my ministry--together we are more hands, more feet, more hearts, more love, more power. And besides that, they ARE my ministry.

Another child does not take me away from or hinder my relationship with Christ. Nothing has caused me to grow closer to Him, to depend on Him more, to see my need for Him more, to be more thankful to Him than my children. Nothing has forced me to lose my self to gain more of Him than my children. And nothing has shown me more about what true joy, true life, true blessing is all about more than His gift of my children.

Yes, I cannot wait to meet this new little blessing from the Lord. Neither can my husband and children. I know I will never regret her. I know she will bring us greater joy and happiness than we can even imagine right now. I know I would never trade her for anything else this world tells me I need to be happy. God is making her, God knew her before she was conceived, God has a plan for her. The world may stare in shock at her, may even say she should not be. But He calls her a blessing and I know that is what she is.

Getting into God's Word...and getting it into you

The Bible is one of my passions. I have been in love with it since I was 13 years old and it is truly something that gets more meaningful and amazing with time. It can never be exhausted and is always new! Another of my passions is encouraging people, including myself!, to read it every single day in some form. I thought I would share all the different ways I try to read the bible each day.

Bible Reading

My bible reading is just that--reading the bible. I usually use some sort of plan. Right now I am using the One Year Bible schedule and hope to be able to complete it this year. My only real goal is to just read it, get it into my mind and heart, get a good feel for the bible as a whole. But this is also when I journal or write notes on what I'm reading when something speaks to me or stands out in a new way. I keep a small notebook, pen, and my different colors for highlighting (I am using these!) with me as I read.

Bible Study

I love doing written studies to draw me deeper into certain passages, books, or topics. Right now I am doing a Beth Moore bible study with a group of women. But of course, bible study doesn't have to involve a written study. You can study deeper for yourself using the many resources available online, a study bible, commentaries, and so on. I love it.

Bible Memorization

This is something I started last year that has been life changing. I never knew how doable, or how beneficial, memorizing long passages was. First I heard this series on Revive Our Hearts, then I read the book His Word in my Heart by Janet Pope, and it really inspired me to memorize. Last year I memorized the book of Philippians. It took me about six months. Right now I am working on James. I keep the passage posted above my kitchen sink and really work on it while I'm working in the kitchen. Then I go over it in my head as I'm doing other tasks. One verse at a time. Verse upon verse, line upon line. This has really changed my thinking, my prayer habits, and my understanding.

Bible Copying

I have always loved having my children do copywork. I could see all the benefits of it, but never thought of doing it myself. Last year I discovered these lovely bible copying books. Of course you can use any notebook to write in, but these do have great features. I really enjoy copying the bible. I do just a few verses each day. It doesn't take long at all. I'm currently writing out James. It goes along with my memorization and bible study.

These are a few ways I enjoy getting into the Word and getting it into me. I'd love to hear what you do!

It's a...

This was me before I went for my 20 week ultrasound today.

And this is what I came home with...

We're having another girl! I am SO happy and thankful to God for this gift.

Just can't stop talking about the blessing of children!

The past few days I have been reading back through my old blogs--this one, the one before it on Xanga, and the one even before it I had forgotten about on Homeschool Blogger. It was so wonderful to look back and read about all the memories and thoughts I had forgotten. That really is the purpose of my blog--to keep a record of my life, my thoughts, my ideas--my online journal that I have chosen to let others read. I don't see it as a means of trying to teach others or convince them to agree with me. It's just an outlet for me and turns out to be a record of years past that I can look back on.

In recent times I have gotten a little weak about sharing things I know many people will disagree with. I have been confronted quite a bit and I do NOT like confrontation or debate! However, this is my blog, my journal, my thoughts, so I've decided that I shouldn't be afraid.

With that said, I want to share something I shared WAY back in 2006 when I had 3 tiny children. I haven't read these quotes in years so I totally forgot them, but I LOVE them!

First I shared this quote from Dr. B. H. Shadduck:

"If people want to limit the size of their families, they should wait until their child is two years old and then decide whether to kill the child. There would be very little limiting of families, you may be sure, on that basis.

Nearly every child is its own proof that it had a right to be born. The love and joy and pride that come from a child proves that God was giving an infinite blessing when the child was given, and that it would have been a foolish sin committed against their own happiness for the father and mother to have prevented the conception of that little one which later turns out to be so precious.

Every reason for one child is a reason for other children. If one child brings happiness, more children bring more happiness.”

After that I added my own thoughts:

"When I look at each of my precious boys I shudder to think of what if they had never been? If I followed the typical way of the world, none of them would be here! What a dreadful dreadful thought! And along that same line of thought–if and when God chooses to bless us again (or again and again!) I will one day look at that child and think the same thing. I will look into that precious face which is that of an eternal soul and say, “HOW did I ever live without you, my little treasure?” Oh, nothing causes me to praise God more than my children. They truly are the greatest blessings He gives. By far. By far."

Now I am expecting my seventh child and still wholeheartedly agree! Now I know 3 of those precious faces I talked about and KNOW that what I said was true! I will meet another precious face in May and I know I will also look at him or her (we find out tomorrow!) and once again say, "HOW did I ever live without you, my little treausre???"

My advice for wives--that I wish I could always remember!

Last year a friend who was getting married asked me for marriage advice. I think if she knew everything about my marriage, she wouldn't have asked me ;) We have had a lot of ups and downs and rocky times. The past few months have been especially hard and I think a lot of it has been my own hardened heart. Praise the Lord, He is working in me and the past month or so has been the best time in my marriage in a very long time.

Anyway, these are the things I told her I wish I had known with my heart and not just my head the past ten years. They are the things I need to remind myself every day.

Expectations. Don't have any.

God and ONLY God can meet all your needs and totally fulfill you.

Forgive, forgive, forgive. None of us are perfect.

When you don't feel like you can't give another ounce or love another second, ask God to fill you with love for your husband. He always does!

Expect problems and see them as things to make you stronger and bring you closer.

Be drenched in God's Word--so full of it that there is no room for the world's thinking.

Never say or think "I hate him". That opens a door for the enemy that he always enters through!

Women want to be loved and cherished even when they don't deserve it--Men want to be respected, honored and trusted even when they don't deserve it.

1 Corinthians 13: Read it, memorize it, pray it, frame it in your bedroom.

Pray for your husband every day. Read the Power of a Praying Wife constantly.

Seek God first and He will take care of the rest!

Planning for the New Year

I LOVE the New Year! It just feels like a fresh clean start. And I love getting myself reorganized and setting goals for myself. I thought I'd share a few things I'm using to do that right now.

I still use a home management binder where I keep my routines, schedules, menus, important documents, and articles and printouts I want to keep. I base a lot of it on things I have gleaned from Flylady, Candy at Joyful Christian Homemaking and the book Large Family Logistics.

For my cleaning schedule I still use Motivated Moms. I have been using it for so many years I have lost count. Whenever I decide to try a new system, I always end up going back to MM. I just love it and have started incorporated the kids into it too.

Here is a great printable I recently found. It's where I keep my daily routines. I have it in a page protector and daily fill out the rest using a wet-erase marker. I love how it motivates me to drink my water. It's hard to do that!

I just found this the other day and it looks great! A small decluttering task for each day of the year.

For my other printables, I have gotten them from the Intentional Planner, an old Old Schoolhouse planner I got during a super duper sale (I never wanted to pay full price for it, but it's great. Mine is 2010, but most of the pages are reusable in any year.), and Donna Young.

For my bible reading schedule this year, I am using the One Year Bible schedule. I have the schedule both in my binder and in my bible. The printable schedule can be cut into monthly bookmarks. This year I am going to try to read through the KJV which will be a challenge for me.

For my calendar, on-the-go planner, AND journal this year, I have purchased a Moleskine daily planner. In the front it has your calendars and other forms you may need for keeping track of appointments and days, then it has a whole page for every day of the year. Here I can journal, jot down important notes and numbers, even keep track of things I need at the store, and can refer back to it and know exactly when I wrote it. I think it will turn out to be a great companion, as well a wonderful record of the year. It is very nice!

If I think of or come across any more great resources, I will add them.

The new translation of Psalm 127

Sometimes I wonder when the bible got changed to...

Children are a burden resulting from our own actions;
The fruit of the womb is the consequence of our own irresponsibility.
Like arrows in the hand of a fool are the children born in one's youth--
Overwhelmed and unfortunate is the man that has his quiver too full of them.
They should be ashamed, and will just look like idiots to their enemies at the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5 New Worldly Translation

Don't you?

I Love My Life!

I just read this post I wrote in 2009 and it reminded me of what a wonderful life I have! I forgot about it, but I sure needed to read it!


I am so in awe that God would see fit to give me a life that is everything I have ever dreamed of and that I get to do everything that I love and love everything that I do! If you are looking for someone to gripe with about being "stuck at home" with kids and cooking and cleaning and laundry or to whine about the agony of pregnancy or the toil of caring for babies, you have come to the wrong place! I LOVE my life!

I get to be pregnant, which is the most wonderful state for a woman to be in, not once or twice, but many times! I get to give birth naturally because I want to because it is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I get to breastfeed my babies as much as and as often as and as long as I want because I get to stay with my baby 24 hours a day!

I get to play with cute clothes and adorable cloth diapers and beautiful baby carriers and call it "taking care of the baby"! I get to snuggle with the most delicious fat rolls and inhale the most fragrant breath you can imagine all day and all night long.

I get to hang out with the people I love more than anything, having fun and loving and learning all day long and call it "mothering".

I get to snuggle on the couch with them and read books and learn amazing new things every day WITH them and call it "homeschooling"!

I get to blast music and sing at the top of my lungs and dance around the house with the children with our list of chores and call it "cleaning".

I get to do fun experiments in the kitchen, and sometimes my helper and I will pretend we're on the Food Network, and call it "cooking".

I get to pop my delicious baby in a sling, put 2 more gorgeous blondies in a stroller, and walk behind 2 other amazing kids on bikes, and breathe in the evening air and the company of my family and call it "exercise".

At night I get to sit in front of the TV and watch a few of my favorite shows I've DVRed and call it "folding laundry".

At the end of the day I get to curl up in bed with a huge stack of books and call it "research and higher learning".

I also get to curl up in that same bed and feel the warmth and comfort and security and happiness and joy of cuddling up to my husband's sleeping body and call it "marriage".

I cannot even imagine a better life! I can't wait till tomorrow to do it all again!

Seven from Heaven

I guess I somehow forgot to post here that we are having a baby! #7 is on it's way and due in May. I'm 13 weeks today and judging by my growth and having a very rough first trimester, everything seems to be well, but tomorrow is my first prenatal visit and it's always a relief to a mommy's mind to hear that little heartbeat. I'm so grateful to God and excited to have seven children. It seems so perfect. I jokingly say that we will be Jen and Kevin Plus Seven ;)

Seventh
by Jennifer Wilson

I know I'm number seven,
but the fact you can't deny
is that God, Almighty Giver,
is the Author of my life.

My soul is no less special,
and my spirit no less great
than those that came before me--
be they one, or six, or eight!

So many eyes are blinded
by the whispers of this world--
to them, there is no miracle
in a human life unfurled.

A baby's just a plaything,
a burden, or a chore,
and we must proceed with caution
to prevent too many more!

Only a fool would trust the Lord
to give as He desires
and live a life of trust in Him...
whatever that requires.

A new car may be exciting;
a new house may be a prize,
but my new life is better
than any thing that money buys.

So all the world may roll their eyes
when seven now they see--
But I can't wait until I meet
the "fools" who welcome me.

Mother's Prayer

MOTHER’S PRAYER
By Serene Allison

Oh, child of mine
The Giver of life has given you to me
And oh child of mine
The pages of your life we’re yet to read
There’s only so much
I can do in the time He gives a mother

Chorus:
Seek Him, and find Him
Fall fervently in love with Jesus
Trust Him, and serve Him
Live every breath for what He teaches
Then He’ll be close when I’m no longer there
That’s your mother’s prayer

Oh, child of mine
There are so many beautiful dreams I have for you
But oh, child of mine
My greatest desire is for you to know the truth
Whatever you’ll be, maybe a poet or a teacher or a king
Will all be in vain
Unless your friend is the one who died on the tree
(chorus)

Bridge:
Seek Him, and find Him
Seek Him, and find Him
Seek Him, won’t you seek Him and find Him

Family Bible Reading

One of the things about homeschooling that I hold most dear is the amount of bible reading we get to do. That's not to say you can't read the bible with your children if they go off to school, but the amount of time homeschooling allows us is precious to me. We read many times throughout the day: after breakfast, after lunch, during rest time, before bed, and any other time that's a good time. When the kids are getting extra rowdy (read: getting on my nerves!) or mommy needs some extra quiet time, I love to tell the children it's time for a break and then we all sit on the couch for some bible reading.

I'm a big believer in reading children the actual bible and not just bible story books. I also see great benefits in reading lots of it, especially after reading Ten P's in a Pod. When I read this book years ago, it really got me fired up about reading the bible with my children even more. Children will not retain and understand everything right off, but as they hear it over and over through the years they will retain more and more. And of course we talk about and explain things as we go along; and we also study things more in depth in our bible homeschool curriculum. (We use BJU Bible Truths, which I highly recommend!)

I thought I'd share how we go about reading the bible each day. I have a lot scheduled each day, but that doesn't mean we actually read it all every day. We read whatever we get to and have time for. Some busy days may allow for one chapter, while other days may give us hours.

First we read the Proverbs of the day, the chapter that corresponds with the day of the month.
Then we read the Psalms of the day, 5 Psalms that also correspond with the date.
If more time is allowed to us, we pick up where we are in the Gospels. We can never read too much about Jesus!
If we have more time after that, we pick up where we are in the chronological bible (We have the Daily Bible. I LOVE it!)

Here is a calendar showing our bible readings for each day of the month. Feel free to print it for your own use!

If you are not reading the bible to your children, I encourage you to start, no matter how young or old your children are. I started when my oldest was a baby! After all, these are not just words and stories your children are hearing. It is the Word of God and it is living and active! We can never underestimate the power of God's Word getting into our children's minds and eventually their hearts. I encourage you also to have them memorize it. They will likely never forget the verses they memorize as children! Here is a wonderful system for bible memory.

I wanted to add that when my children are old enough to read and follow along, they get a nice bible of their own so that they can follow along and also take a turn reading. Once they learn to read well, I get them a nice copy of the NIV thinline bible with their name inscribed on it. We all use this same bible so that we are all on the same page. The younger children get a practice bible till they can read well. This is also great for learning to navigate the bible. Even the little ones scramble to find the right spot :)

Homeschooling at its finest

Today was our first day back to school--a gentle start with a little bit of kindergarten. Our older ones will start their own thing next week. We ended up having a really good day when a bird's nest was discovered in our hanging flower pot. I forgot to water the flowers (oops!) and they died, but that was a good thing for our new friend. Justin noticed a bird perched inside, then later David discovered her two eggs.


Here is the proud mother, a mourning dove.


After we finally left the scene she returned to her nest and has been there all afternoon while little ones watch from the window.


Just a few feet away we also found an egg that had already hatched. It was a much bigger egg.


We ended up having some good unplanned nature study today. I love surprise lessons! And I'm especially glad we are home to find them :)

Staying connected to God through the day using perpetual calendars

I wanted to share about something I started doing a year or so ago that has really helped me. I use perpetual calendars, or "DayBrighteners" to keep me connected to God throughout the day. The prayers, bible verses, and inspirational quotes in them help keep me focused all through the day. I use ones that are inspired by books that I have loved.

Now I didn't go out and buy these all at once, so don't feel like you have to spend $100 today if you want to start this habit. I started with one and built my collection from there. I have found them on ebay, at thrift stores, on paperback swap, and ok, I splurged on a few as they came out. They are $7.99 on CBD.

In my bathroom I have the Power of a Praying Woman calendar. So it's the first thing I see in the morning. Every time I visit that bathroom I re-read it and meditate on the prayer or verse.

In my bedroom I have the Power of a Praying Wife. I read and pray about it as I'm making the bed, straightening my room, or putting away laundry each day.

In the kitchen I have Nancy Leigh DeMoss's A Heart at Rest calendar. I was dismayed to find that this is no longer available. It is my favorite. If you can find one, I highly recommend it!

On the computer desk I have the Love Dare calendar. I put it there so maybe my husband will read it too ;)

In the downstairs bathroom I have Ann Voskamp's God in the Moment daybrightener. If you read A Holy Experience or have read One Thousand Gifts, you know this is good! This is where I'm usually wiping the little ones' little bottoms, so it's good to have the perspective of God and beauty in everything while I'm in there ;)

In the children's bathroom I have the Power of a Praying Parent. While they are taking their bath at night, or as I'm brushing their teeth, I can pray for them using the prompts and scripture for each day.

Another good place to put one is in the laundry area. I don't have one there, but that is where I keep my copy of a Busy Mom's Guide to Prayer. This really helps me to pray for every area of my life as I'm folding laundry. It is a WONDERFUL book. It is spiral bound so it's easy to keep open to where you are currently.

This is just one of many ways we can stay in God's Word and prayer all throughout our busy days. Keeping little reminders up in every room I am living and working in is a good way to keep my mind focused on seeking Him first.

Titus 2 To-Do List

I have a lot to do each day, but does any of it matter at all if I haven't done my Titus 2 to-do list? I pray that I will concentrate on what really matters. Not all of it is easy, but I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength to do it. If I do, I have a feeling all that other stuff will fall into place.

Titus 2 To-Do List

1. Love God (seek Him, spend time with Him daily, focus on Him)
2. Love my husband (serve him, honor him, make time for him, cater to him)
3. Love my children (serve them, discipline them, teach them, spend time with them)
4. Be self-controlled (for me this means get up a reasonable time, don't waste time, don't yell at the children, etc.)
5. Be pure (for me this means being picky about what I put into my mind through tv, internet, music and books)
6. Be busy at home (no laziness!)
7. Be kind (to everyone....even when it's hard)
8. Be subject to my husband (probably the hardest one, but there it is in black and white)

Can I do all this every day? No. Absolutely not. Can God help me, empower me, strengthen me, give me wisdom, and enable me to do all these things? Yes, He can! God, make me a Titus 2 woman.

Frugal Menu Ideas

Last week I think I set a record on how much I spent on groceries, so this week I went searching for some menu ideas that will save some money. I Googled "frugal menus" and was surprised when I saw my own old blog post from 2007 come up on the first page of results. I thought I would repost it here for my own easy access and maybe to help others too. I don't know how accurate these prices will be in 2011. These are simple menus, but simply having a plan for every meal, including snacks, and cooking from scratch as much as possible saves a lot of money. My life has been crazy busy the past couple years and I've really gotten away from a lot of time in the kitchen. I hope to get back to that very soon. Maybe I can teach some little ones some cooking in the process.

Meals for Hard Times

How to Feed a Family of Four for less than $30 a week...with No Coupons!

$31 a Week Menu

$30 Weekly Grocery List and Menu Ideas

Five Week Menu and Shopping List

$45 Emergency Menu for 4-6

$70 Low Cost Menu

My own cheap and easy menu inspired by Created to be His Helpmeet

Embracing Life

Today I came across an old post of Beverly's and wanted to repost it here. In case you don't know, Beverly is my aunt who raised me. She passed away in 2007 from cancer much too soon, but her legacy still lives on in so many ways. She was an amazing woman of God.

She wrote this post right after I found out I was pregnant with my fourth child. She died only months after that fourth child was born. How I wish she could have seen all the beautiful blessings I have now, especially little Cara Grace Beverly, my little girl we used to dream about together. I know she would be so happy.

What do we say when we find out that some one is expecting a baby? Well, you might say, it depends? Well let me say right off that this someone is married. Does that help you? Now it seems that if the person is married, then we would be rejoicing in that new life. Right? Well, not necessarily. I am going to make some generalizations here, but I am only sharing what I have witnessed in my own life. If the couple has been married at least 2 years, preferably 3, and if this is their first child, then most everyone is excited. Well, if they are having financial problems then maybe some hold back from rejoicing. But for the most part, most people are glad to hear that a married couple who has waited a sufficient amount of time are starting a family.

How about the next child? Well, it seems again that if the couple has waited the right amount of time, maybe 3 years, then again most everyone is glad to hear that the next child is on the way. Now, I am truly going to get controversial. What about a 3rd child? Whew! Well that is different. But, if the first 2 children are the same sex, then most people will go along with trying for that 3rd in hopes that the couple finally has that boy (or girl). But, after three, then you are standing on shaky ground.

Have you ever thought about the message we are sending as Christians when we scorn life that God has created? Scorn life, you say. I would never do that. Well, I have heard it done over and over in my life, and sometimes I wonder whether Christians really think about what they are saying. For example, suppose the couple is expecting their first child only 10 months after marriage. What comment do we hear then? Well I can tell you what I heard (because that happened to us), and it was "Was this PLANNED??" The clear message is that no one would ever plan to have a child so soon after marriage. Or, how about this? Suppose the 2nd (or 3rd) child is due before the previous baby's first birthday. That is not really accepted now days either, unless of course you make it clear to everyone that this was an "oops" baby. Then people might forgive you and feel sorry for you. By the time you are expecting the 5th, or 6th, or scandalously the 10th, then many in the church either think that you are off your rocker, don't know what causes babies, are a saint, or are so rich that you can buy everything all these children want.

We need to be so careful about accepting the world's view of children. On one hand, we are taking a stand against abortion, as well we should. Then on the other hand, we are being critical of married couples who are having children, if they don't do it according to society's standard of 2, maybe 3 children, appropriately spaced of course.

I want to tell you about a 25 year old woman. This woman has been married for 5 years, and she just found out that she is expecting, her fourth. She already has a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and her youngest just turned 1 in September. Now tell me, would most Christians rejoice at the news of another life. Oh friends, I fear that they would not. But I know this woman, very well as a matter of fact. She is my beloved niece, who we raised as our own daughter. And let me tell you, she is rejoicing. The reality of another blessing from God, another life to embrace, another person to raise to love and serve God, another plate at their table, another baby to hold, more memories to treasure, all of these things and more cause Jennifer to behold the awesome blessing of being entrusted with another person to raise for Him. She is not thinking at all how she will buy designer jeans for all those kids, how she will be able to give them all their own room, how she will drive them to all of their lessons when they get older, or how they will pay for college. She knows that whatever God plans for each child, then He will provide. She doesn't have to be able to figure out all the details of this child's life right now; all she needs to do is know is that this child is from God.

I don't want to sound holier than thou because I have 6 children. Oh no, that is not my point at all. Your family size is a something that is between you and God. But, each one of us need to examine our attitude, and before God make sure that we are not accepting the world's view instead of God's. I can testify to you, there is great peace in looking around your table and knowing that exactly who God wanted is sitting there.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Psalms 127:3-5

Why would I turn down a blessing or a reward?

Beverly Daffron

Weekly update: God is So Good!

Remember the things I said I was praying for a couple posts ago? Well guess we got yesterday......

A 15 passenger van! And some good friends along the way! God just brought this whole thing about in an amazing way.

A few months ago I became friends with a lady on facebook through a cloth diapering group. I didn't even realize until a couple weeks ago that she lived near me. I saw this van on Craigslist and mentioned it to Kevin a few times but he was not interested in getting anything at the time. But I just kept going back to it and looking at it and finally emailed the seller to ask for pictures. When she got the email she realized it was me and that we were facebook friends!

I showed Kevin the pictures and asked him how we would go about buying from an owner and how we could sell our van ourselves. He was kind of joking when he said, "If you can sell our van on Craigslist, we can get it." Well, you know I went straight over to the computer and listed it!

I soon had several people interested in it and an offer on it, but my friends selling the other van had the best offer for us! They offered to do an even trade, our van for their van. I could hardly believe it. I was just standing back watching God do all this!

A couple days later we were meeting in a parking lot exchanging vans! I still cannot believe that it is ours. I just keep looking at it and thanking God for this amazing gift!

And what is even better is that through all this I have gained a wonderful friend. It's so amazing how God brought her into my life by "chance" through Facebook. She has been such an encouragement to me. God is so good.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11 This is the verse I read a couple weeks ago that led me to really lay my requests before God, and He really did prove Himself!

In other news, we will finally be moving into our house in a week. I am SO ready to be HOME. We've been here over a month and I am starting to feel so restless. We are all together and it's a great place, but it's just not home. I am looking so forward to settling in and making a new home for us.

Also, my husband made Tech Sgt. in the Air Force, which is great news for us! The odds of making it are not very high, but he worked so hard and he made it. I'm so proud of him. I am blessed to have such a good husband, so faithful and such a wonderful provider. God has used him to help make all my dreams come true. I'm feeling very undeservedly blessed today!

Living Like a Queen (and a giveaway!)

You all know I love Eternal Encouragement (formerly TEACH Magazine) and all of the amazing resources from Lorrie Flem. Lorrie has had such an impact on my life with her teachings on walking with God, being a wife, mother, and homemaker, organizing, homeschooling, and so much more. She has workshops on mp3 that are just fantastic. Normally I'm a reader and am not much of an auditory learner, but her talks are so powerful. It's like a good friend talking directly to me--encouraging me, challenging me, motivating me to see what an amazing calling I have. I have almost all of her mp3's and I love to listen to them at night as I'm tying up loose ends of the day. Then I like to listen to them again when I can take notes I can go back to to keep to fresh in my mind.

Today I want to tell you about 2 of those mp3's that really encouraged me. The first one is called "Keys to a Queenly Castle". In it, Lorrie lists 12 things, 12 habits of a queen in her castle. Don't you love that analogy? We are queens and our home is our castle and everything and everyone in it make up our kingdom. That means our husband is the king (ouch! Do you always treat your husband like a king? I know I fail to remember that!) and our children are future kings and queens that we need to be training for those future roles. Thinking this way revolutionizes the way we think about our calling as wives and mothers and homemakers. When you think of yourself as a QUEEN governing over the affairs of your home and overseeing your castle and our kingdom, it changes your whole outlook.

I think my favorite quote from this teaching came from #6 on Lorrie's list, "She nurtures". She encourages her children and nourishes them with good food--both physical and spiritual. She said, "Jesus is a name that should be spoken in our homes many times a day." That really spoke to me because as much as I love Jesus and as much as we pray and read His Word and teach about Him, how much do I proclaim His name in everyday life in everything? I really want to remember to keep Jesus in everything we do.

The other mp3 I want to tell you about will really get your attention because I know it is something we ALL need help with! It's called "Attitude Adjustments". The subtitle is "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Ain't that the truth?! As the lady of the home, we really have the power to set the tone and atmosphere of our homes. And contrary to popular belief, it really is up to us to control our attitudes and make sure the attitude we are spreading around is a good one. She says, "Do your children have bad attitudes?" Well, yes they do! "That's like looking in a mirror." GULP! The way to change your children's attitudes is to change your own.

Lorrie outlines 26 ways to attain and maintain a good attitude--one for each letter of the alphabet. You'll really want to have a pen in your hand while your listening to write all these down to come back to when you really need it. They are 26 practical things you can actually DO to change your attitude and they really work! And once you start doing these things they will become habits and will really change the attitude of your heart. You will think differently and feel differently and that good attitude will rub off on everyone around you.

Can you tell I love these teachings? I hope you will listen to them too! They are very affordable and can be purchased at Eternal Encouragement's shop. But guess what! Tomorrow Lorrie is giving away one free mp3! Here is how you can enter to win:

1. Go to the shop to decide which mp3 you would like to win (this is the hard part!)
2. Go to The Gabby Moms blog where June's review links are posted and comment
a. In the comment mention that you heard about the giveaway from Homekeeping Heart
b. mention which mp3 you want if chosen as winner
c. email contact info
3. Winner will be chosen on Saturday, June 18th via random.org.
4. Winner will be notified by email to contact info left in comments
5. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim prize or an alternate winner will be chosen.

I hope you win! You will be so blessed by these audios!

I already had these mp3's because I just can't get enough of them! But I also received this product for honest review from Eternal
Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All
opinions expressed are solely my own.

Finally Home

I thought I'd check in and give a little update on what is going on with us lately.

Kevin returned from his 15-month-long absence on May 14 and almost immediately after that things kicked into gear for us to relocate from Tennessee to Illinois. It is always so exciting moving to a whole new place. It feels like a fresh clean start.

We arrived at our new base in Illinois on May 25. Since then God has made His presence in our lives amazingly clear by answering one prayer after another. I prayed that He would lead us to the perfect house He had for us. We found the one the first day. I won't know what to do with all the space I will have! It is 3 times as big as the biggest house we've ever had! I'm just in awe of how God has blessed us. Our house has every single thing on my wish list (I NEVER thought I'd get EVERYTHING on it!): 4 big bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a large master suite with a walk-in closet and a big tub, a second living room which can be a school room, a large kitchen (which we bought new appliances and an island for), a gas fireplace, a basement, a big yard (which we will be fencing in almost right away), room for both sets of washers and dryers. If you know what I'm used to, you'll understand why I feel so overwhelmingly blessed! Our house is like a mansion to me! We don't get to move into it until next month. Until then we're very comfortable in temporary military housing, but still impatiently waiting to finally get to go home!

I prayed God would lead us to a great church. It was the first one we visited. We haven't even visited another one! It is an amazing wonderful church, better than I could have even imagined.

I prayed that I would at least like this area a little since we will likely be here a while. I more than like it--I LOVE it! It has everything I could want and more. It's perfect (ok, other than the lack of mountains and rolling hills) and I'm thrilled to be settling here for a good while. I also love the base. It has so much more to offer than our base in Montana and is so much nicer.

We are doing great adjusting to having a husband and daddy around again. Yes, it is a big adjustment and we've had our struggles, but we love having him home again. It's so comforting to have such a normal feel to our days, looking forward to daddy coming home every evening and spending the weekends with him. It feels like HOME again.

I'm still praying for a big van that we can all fit in, a great group of friends, and maybe a few more babies to fill the seats of that big van. But I have plenty of time to wait for those answers ;) God is in control and He is so GOOD!

My Favorite Getaway

My nightly bath is something I look forward to all day long. After the house is quiet I start filling up that tub with hot water and bubbles and end my day by relaxing and energizing my spirit. This is also the time I get a chance to savor my favorite magazines in total silence. I especially look forward to this time if one of my favorite magazines is waiting for me, Eternal Encouragement.

Eternal Encouragement??? What is that? Some new gem I've discovered? Nope. Something I have long loved and treasured, but now has a new name. Eternal Encouragement is the new name for TEACH Magazine! I have loved TEACH for a long time and I never would have thought it could be improved, but WOW! It definitely went through Extreme Makeover: TEACH Edition! And the results are amazing!!

Not only has the name changed to Eternal Encouragement (with a slogan of "Inspiring Women to Become More Like Jesus Every Day"), but the format has totally changed. The magazine is smaller now (the size is perfect!) and it's in COLOR! The many articles are organized into three "Departments": "Godly Women", "Godly Homemakers", and "Godly Mothers". This season's issue was a total of 63 pages--63 pages of nothing but meat! Rich, inspiring, challenging, encouraging article after article that make my heart soar with passion for my calling in life!

What hasn't changed about the quarterly magazine is the theme for each issue. This issue's theme was "Time Flies". I cannot begin to tell you how, well, timely this was for me. Using my time wisely, not wasting it, living in the moment, treasuring TODAY. And somehow tying in with all this there are articles on child training, recipes, controlling clutter, marriage, free homeschool resources, product reviews, healthy eating, and SO much more. One of my favorite articles was "10 Ways to Make Today Your Best Day Ever" by Lorrie Flem. It's my new to-do list.

Eternal Encouragement magazine is the absolute best magazine for all aspects of our lives as wives, mothers, homemakers, homeschoolers, and most of all, women of God. It is an investment I have never regretted making. You can subscribe to it at www.eternalencouragement.com.

I already subscribe to this magazine, but I also received this product for honest review from Eternal
Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All
opinions expressed are solely my own.