Hi there!
As I skip and hop around the world wide web I like to share with you the treasures I find. This video about a couple’s marriage is one of those special treasures. I hope you will click here and watch a casual interview of a very sweet couple who have been married almost 41 years.
Then run back here and tell me what you though!
I am so excited to tell you about some of my summer plans! I’m joining up with some dear blogging friends and some new blog friends to work my way through the 90-Day Budget Boot Camp hosted by Beth and Clair.
I consider myself to be pretty good about living on my grocery budget of $100 a week – especially since we are a family of 5 - but I do have my struggles.
My specific frustrations are sticking to my menu plan and coming in under my budget on a regular basis. I’m not a big coupon clipper since I shop mainly at Aldi’s which saves me more than what I usually save clipping coupons. I am excited about being challenged to grow in this area of my life and would love to have you join me!
Stay tuned for more details or visit the Budget Boot Camp Facebook page for more details.
Welcome to yet another vlog review of the book Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley. This vlog is about children and beneficial even if you don’t have one.
To view all the vlogs in this series, please click here on Chapter By Chapter. And I would also encourage you to visit Carolyn McCulley.
Welcome to my vlog series as I review the book Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley chapter-by-chapter. Please forgive my crazy hair once again…we’ve been having such warm weather that I have just been clipping it up rather than trying to do anything with it!
Thanks for joining me for chapter 4 of Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley. I hope you will be intrigued so much that you will run right out – or click over – to buy and then read your own copy!
Thanks for joining me for this series of vlogs as I review each chapter of Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley.
Click here to watch the previous chapter review, or click here to watch the following chapter review!
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This review copy was provided by Moody Publishers, but in no way was my opinion influenced.
Welcome to my 2nd vlog in a series of vlogs to review – chapter by chapter – the book Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley. You can click here to view the first vlog.
This review copy was provided by Moody Publishing and my opinions of this book were in no way influenced by anyone.
Welcome to my first post in a series of vlogs that will review the book Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley.
Sanctification is a fancy word that you hear a lot in the Christian circles. It sounds pretty deep and challenging – but really the meaning is rather simple.
According to the dictionary.com the word sanctification means:
To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.
To make holy; purify.
To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow: sanctify a marriage.
To give social or moral sanction to.
To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.
Simply explained, the word sanctification is the official title for the process of becoming like Christ. I am NOT saying that it makes us BE Christ, but that we can grow more and more LIKE Him.
Just like you or I could become a lot like our favorite movie star by living like they live, eating what food they like, dressing in the same styles they dress in…and on it goes. Before you know it, we would be thinking like they think, too!
I love this quote by Jim Berg:
“The result of the sanctification process is that the believer looks increasingly like Christ – he becomes a “grown-up Christian” – Changed Into His Image
Next time you hear the word sanctification, don’t be scared or overwhelmed by it, but rather remind yourself that it is the process of growing-up as a Christian. It is to become more and more like the Father…just as a son grows up to look like his Daddy…just like Micah is growing up to be so much like Justin.
Now that I have a webcam on my laptop I have enjoyed learning how to vlog. It’s pretty overwhelming at first, but watch this short vlog to see how I have learned and how I continue to learn.
To learn more about vlogging click on the links below to see all the tips and resources Danielle has to offer!
Danielle on YouTube.
DanielleSmithTV on Twitter
Danielle on Facebook
Danielle’s blog ExtraordinaryMommy.com.
Oh, and Danielle did talk about viewing the camera as your friend in THIS vlog. Thanks Danielle for your vlog mentoring!
When you talk about womanhood you can raise a variety of emotions from people.
Some get excited. Some get angry. Some have mixed emotions.
I would say that I fall into the “excited” group. I love to talk about what it means to be a woman…especially a Biblical woman.
I am currently reading a book titled Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley and starting on Wednesday I am going to review it chapter by chapter through vlogging.
I am so excited about this and I hope you will come back each day – for 8 days – to join me!
It is probably the first of many vlog series to come…
Hey…notice in this vlog how I’m getting better at holding up books for the camera!!! Hip, hip, hooray for better vlogging!
Abby wanted to vlog, too! So here it is…
Dear Abby,
Today you turned 7 years old. Where did the time go?
Seven years ago I gave birth to the sweetest baby ever. You were so content and happy all the time.
For the most part, nothing has changed. You are a bubbly little girl with an extremely tender heart towards others and toward God. You love unconditionally, share passionately, and live with contagious joy.
Today you are 7. Half way to 14, a third of the way to 21. It’s a big milestone and Daddy and I are so proud of you.
I love how you love to sing…even though you can’t carry a tune. It’s fun to watch you “eat up” anything to do with horses – including acting like one! It’s tear-jerking to watch you care for people and talk to them about them when you mingle at church or go with Daddy to the nursing home. We enjoy hearing you read now or figure out things on your own and then get so excited that you did it on your own!
Abby Joy, we love you SO much and pray that you keep a tender heart toward God.
Love,
Mommy & Daddy
I was reading this book the other day and was very touched by the story that it told of a daughter who received a charm bracelet from her parents. It was in place of a purity ring and each charm represented an action such as “first date”, “first time holding hands”, “first kiss”, “first engagement”, “first time saying I do”…etc.
The parents told their daughter that she had to give the appropriate charm to the young man with whom she did each of these “firsts”. The story goes on, but the point was that she thought very hard about each action she took. In the end, the entire charm bracelet was given to her husband.
What a precious way to approach the tradition of purity rings and symbols. I also think that it must have been wonderful for her to give all her “firsts” to her husband.
Recently my brother got married and he and my new sister have the incredible gift of being the only one they each have ever dated and so on. They have been each other’s firsts and now each other’s only. How precious that is?!
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Are you someone’s “one and only” or do you wish you could have that experience?
What about the incredible gift of a charm bracelet with a purpose? Is that something you would consider doing with your girls?
Grab a cup of tea or coffee and join me in my community forum to share your heart’s thoughts on these matters.
It was on March 30th of 2001 when I first met my now husband. At that time I had no desire for a relationship and was at first a little frustrated with the attention he gave me.
But as we talked, and as he shared his family background – which was the same as mine – I felt drawn to him. He drove tractor trailers for his family lumber company and I grew up riding with my Dad who owns a lumber company, too. I know it sounds funny, but the fact that he drove an 18-wheeler was the first thing that attracted me to him!
Because he lived 3 hours away from me, we spent the summer getting to know each other by spending weekends with our families. We got to know each other in real life settings without “living together”. *ahem* If you know what I mean.
Our story is pretty much a whirlwind. We were engaged 5 months and 1 day after we met and then married 11 months later. I can’t imagine my life without him now!
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This summer I am joining up with Courtney from Women Living Well in a series meant to encourage our husbands. I hope you will join me and the many other women, too!
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If you are a wife and a mom, you will enjoy this great little devotional/encouragement book…you can win it this week! Click here to enter the drawing…(all you have to do is leave a comment!)
Yesterday as I got the kids ready to go to church Abby had question for me.
“Mommy”, she began, “when did God make me a twin?”
She was asking me this because she and Emmy were dressed like this…
“God didn’t make you a twin.” I responded. “I did!”
I enjoy having the girls look alike and all three kids coordinate as often as I can. I know I am not the only Mom out there who likes to have everyone matching.
Are you with me or do you dislike the “twin” look?
Join me in my community forum to share your thoughts about dressing your kids alike. What is it that makes some of us Moms so enjoy the matching look?!
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You can visit my book review blog this week to enter the giveaway for a copy of Out Of The Spin Cycle – a book of devotions for Moms.
Welcome to a Feed Me Books Friday post! Please join up over at The Adventure of Motherhood.
Here’s my review, and here is where you can buy them!
We all enjoy moments of relaxing.
You know…those moments when you put your mind on “auto pilot” and just “veg” after a long day. Or maybe it was a short day but packed with stress! Whatever the reason, we all need time to simply “chill”.
In our home, our favorite way ,to “destressitize” is by watching a movie. (Do you like my new fancy word…“destressitize”?!) However, you can easily drop a lot of money in a few hours of relaxation and around here that is something we are trying to avoid. According to WikiAnswers, the average cost for an adult to go to the movies is $10.50. You can drastically lower the cost by enjoying Netflix* or Blockbuster online rental plans.
(*Personally, I suggest Netflix because you can watch instantly online as well as receive in the mail.)
However, I think it’s easy to forget another resource that cost either nothing at all, or possibly just a small fee depending on your location. What is this cheap relaxation flick?
It’s called…
The Library.
I know, not as exciting as you wanted, but it may be worth the drive and the few dollars you’ll spend in gas. At our local library they have a wide range of movies that can be taken out for up to a week at no cost at all. If you combine this with the ability to borrow books you have just created a very cheap resource for both watching and reading to your relaxation!
We just canceled our Netflix account for the warmer months and instead we will be using our local library to keep us reading and watching at the cost of what it takes to drive there. Considering the fact that the kids and I need an “out” on some days, I don’t even count the cost toward watching a movie! I consider it to be an expense under my sanity fund!
Also, be sure to check into your library policy. Some libraries allow you to put holds on movies so that they will save them for you when they become available. And just because one library in your city/town has a policy, does not mean it’s the same at the library across town! A little time in searching their websites or calling them with some questions can save you some big change!
I hope you can watch your savings grow as you make the most of the resources around you!
And enjoy your cheap relaxation!
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
I’m a cheapskate.
Well, maybe not in every sense of the word, but I do shop at Aldi’s and I know some people who just won’t “bend that low”. So over all I consider myself a cheapskate since I’m always on the lookout for a way to save a buck.
Or two.
As long as you mean a green, paper buck and not an nice brown, fuzzy one with antlers. Especially one with 8 points. I wouldn’t be saving that one…except to shoot myself!
Okay. In attempt to shoot.
*ahem*
Oh, yes! Where was I?
Saving money?
Yes!
I like to save money. And one way I have been saving money is by buying the cheaper brand of dishwasher detergent.
Well, it may be better phrased that I thought I was saving money. However, I was having to re-wash all the cups by hand and sometimes half of the other dishes, too. So technically I wasn’t really saving since I was using regular dish detergent along with taking up more of my precious time.
Today I finally broke down and bought these – Finish All In 1 Powerball Tabs. I was quite excited to run home and try them out on my dishwasher full of dirty dishes. Which included bowls from eating oatmeal for breakfast.
I am happy to announce that they worked! Not just well, but super! For the first time in a very long time I had a dishwasher full of clean dishes that did not need to be re-washed by hand.
Can I just say how wonderful that is???
Oh, and by the way, I am not getting paid to write this post. They don’t even know I’m posting. As if they would care…I mean, I’m just little ole’ me blogging in my corner of the blogosphere!
My whole point was to say that sometimes you pay for what you get.
Sometimes.
There are times that I make out well by being cheap. And there are times when I just simply need to spend the extra buck to get what works best.
What do you buy that you refuse to cut corner on?
Do you have a favorite product that you buy name brand only?
Share your thoughts in my community forum! I’ll be waiting to chat with you there!
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Yesterday I posted this picture -
- today I’m telling you the story behind the picture!
Read these posts for more humor from the trenches of motherhood!
I just stumbled (literally!) upon this blog and now I think I have a new BFF! I’m going to join Courtney in this challenge and I would love to have you join me, too!
Watch this short video clip for details and click on the button above to link up and see more about this wonderful challenge!
Can anyone guess at what Emmy is wearing all over her?
I’ll post tomorrow with the answer. And the story!
Oh, this is one you won’t want to miss!
I recorded this vlog last night when I was tired. But other than that, and my tweetdeck sounding off in the background…it’s not the worst of my vlogs!
Two hundred points, to be exact.
Let me start from the beginning…
Yesterday afternoon I was finishing up a display board that I put together for my Dad’s business when I ran out of tacks. So last night I picked up a pack of 200 tacks and set them on my bed where the whole project was laid out.
Justin was not able to come home until late last night. So after tucking the kids into bed I warmed up the leftovers and sat on the back porch while he ate.
Meanwhile…back in Micah’s room, he decided to get out of bed and instead of coming to where he knew we were, he went to our bedroom.
Yep…are you seeing the point yet?
He took the whole box of tacks back down the hall and just in front of his bedroom door and the girl’s bedroom door he managed to pry the plastic package open.
You know, the kind of package that takes an adult 4 years, 2 pairs of scissors, and 1 engineering degree to open!
Anyways, they did not stay in the package but rather flew all over the floor making an almost solid land mind of tacks for anyone trying to get in or out of the girl’s bedroom.
However, some how and some way, Abby was able to make her way out of her bedroom and come get us. She didn’t say what the problem was, just that we needed to come “NOW!”.
When Justin & I rounded the corner we couldn’t believe our eyes. He grabbed the flashlight for extra help and went about picking up all 200 tacks. The whole time we were praising God that neither Micah nor Abby got hurt which is simply amazing.
So the point of this story is we are thankful for God’s protection in the small things.
And we repeat that thought for about 199 more times!
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This would be a Thankful Thursday post…if only I knew someone who was currently doing a link-up for such posts. Anyone know someone who hosts this?
Good morning!
It feels like a Monday, but really it’s Tuesday and I have some good news for YOU!
Over at my book review blog I am giving away a big prize pack worth over $90 this week.
Yes, $90+ worth of resources to help your family road trip go faster as you entertain with this great packages of goodies!
Here’s a look at what’s in this package…
It includes: 2 kids books (ages 4-7), 2 youth books (ages 9 & up), 1 book for Mom, and 3 audio books for various ages, too!
You can easily be the winner of this set. All you have to do is comment on any of my Resources For The Road posts this week – May 31st – June 5th – and then the winner will be drawn this weekend. You can leave up to 1 comment per post giving you 5 entries, plus you can get 2 extra entries by following my book review blog through google friends or facebook. Just leave another comment saying you did that! So, all together you have a total of earning 9 entries!
Now join me HERE right now to get started!
