Work and Play

I am reading both Tom Sawyer and Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, and I found a passage in each book regarding work and play--both similar in a way, and both worth pondering.

From Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, p.19:

"…..he would have now comprehended that work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do."

From Better Than Before, p. 193:

"But it turns out that extrinsic motivation undermines intrinsic motivation, so rewards can turn enthusiastic participants into reluctant paid workers, and transform fun into drudge work."

Now think about those two quotes for a minute.

Also remember that what is fun for one person may not be fun for another, and the same is true about work. 

Play is what we do because we enjoy doing it.  Work is something that we perceive (and usually rightly so) we have to do. Play can become work if we are doing it for the wrong reasons, and this usually affects our attitude toward the activity in a negative way. Work can be perceived as play if our attitude toward the task at hand is a positive one.

Most of it is in our mind.

Before this all gets too confusing, just remember that whatever you are facing--play or work--thanksgiving produces joy. Find something to be thankful for. Enjoy your work, and enjoy your play, but in all things give thanks to God who makes it all possible. 

Sunday's Hymn

Here is a hymn to hopefully set the tone for your upcoming week.

Take Time to Be Holy

W.D. Longstaff, Geo. C. Stebbins

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide with Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak, 

Forgetting in nothing His blessings to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.

Abiding in Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;

Each thought and each motive beneath His control.

Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,

Thou soon shall be fitted for service above.

Encouraging Words

Earlier this morning as I was looking through my Bible for verses to share with someone who is going through a difficult time--words of encouragement--I realized that I should share these on this blog.  Some of you may have friends or family members that could use some encouragement.  Maybe even you need encouragement yourself.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…"Psalms 46:1

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

Psalm 55:22

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Galatians 6:9

"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Psalm 61:1

"In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62:7-8

"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Hebrews 13:15

"But I will hope continually, and will praise you more and more. My mouth shall tell of your righteousness and your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits."

Psalm 71:14-15

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."

Psalm 94:19

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

James 1:2-4

"But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge."

Psalm 141:8

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them."

Psalm 145:18-19

10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly

Almost four years ago I wrote a post for Real Life at Home (formerly known as The Homeschool Classroom) entitled, 10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly.

The points I made in this article still hold true for me.  I was reminded of #1 as I slept later than usual this morning.  I still awoke before any of my children, but not early enough to get all of the things done that I needed to before the start of our school day.  So, I have skipped my shower (for now), and will begin our Bible lesson in 12 minutes.  I am reminded again of why my day runs so much more smoothly when I get up at 5:00.  That may not be the magic number for you, but for me, it is.

I'm setting my alarm for 5:00 AM tomorrow!

Enjoy reading this post, and I hope it encourages you!

Happy New Year 2015

I love January 1st and its promise of new plans, goals, habits, and resolutions. (Really, all of those things are the same).

I am still planning my goals for 2015, but here are my categories:

• Bible study
• books to read
• fitness
• healthy eating
• homemaking
• homeschool
• service
• parenting

Three books I am reading and/or rereading to help me lay out my goals for 2015 are:

• Climb Happiness Hill by Alan Bryan
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

I like to have a plan.  I also like to make attainable goals.  For instance, I will not be joining some of the running community in planning to run 2015 miles in 2015.  That is way too ambitious for me!  However, since I do not plan on running a marathon this year, running 1000 miles in 2015 is a reasonable goal for me.

But also……I need to consider pushing myself a little bit.  I need to make sure that my goals are not too easily reached, then I want give myself an opportunity to grow.

Like most things in this life, it's all about balance.

"The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her own hands."

Proverbs 14:1

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps."

Proverbs 16:9

2,672

I filled up my most recent Gratitude Journal yesterday.  I began it on March 18, 2012, and I wrote on the last line yesterday, November 18, 2014.  2 years and 8 months.  I aim to record 5 things each day that I am thankful for, but if you do the math, you will see that I missed some days here and there.  But still.  2,672 blessings are a lot. I wish I numbered my entries from the beginning…..I started listing five things I am thankful for each day over 18 years ago. These blessings are recorded in plain spiral bound notebooks, pretty journals, and also on loose leaf paper in various binders.

I just started a book called Climb Happiness Hill by Alan Bryan.  My friend, Joe, lent it to me, saying that he was pretty sure it was out of print.  I did a little bit of googling, and I found it!  I am taking good care of his copy, but I plan to order my own in the next couple of days.  I am not even through the first chapter, but I can already tell that this will be a book that I read and reread.  The author presents "Rules for Happy Living", and there are 15 in all.  The first rule is one that we all know:

Count your blessings, not your troubles.

Keeping a gratitude journal is one way to do that.  Also, as you go about your day, whenever stress, doubts, complaints, etc., creep into your thinking (and will eventually come out of your mouth!), purpose to count some of your blessings instead.  I began trying this yesterday.  What a challenge.  I was surprised at how many negative thoughts and internal murmurings ran through my brain.  As much as I remembered to, I would stop myself and quickly think of a positive spin on that negative thought.

I plan to continue this challenge today.  Wouldn't that be a good habit to develop?  To purpose to replace all negative thinking with positive instead.  To express thankfulness in each and every situation.  We are commanded to do that, you know.

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

That pretty much sums it up…..in everything give thanks.

I began a new gratitude journal today.  It is a pretty one that my girls gave me for my birthday.  I had been saving it for this purpose.

So what about you?  Can you purpose to count your blessings, not your troubles today?  Can you recored your blessings in a notebook?

Some Random Things

1. It's October and that means Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Here is your friendly reminder to schedule or at least think about when you need to schedule your mammogram (if you are of the age or heath history that warrants a mammogram).  Also please consider cleaning up your diet and adding or increasing your exercise if applicable.
2. For the last two years, in honor of this month, I (with the help of friends and family) have sewn comfort pillows and drain bag holders for mastectomy patients.  This year I have not even bought the supplies to do so!  I am regretful about this, but it is what it is.  This is a project that is very dear to my heart, and even as I type this I am inspired to go to Hobby Lobby today or another day this week and buy what I need and get to sewing.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I can…..
3. Also in honor of this month, my friend John is holding another WOD for the Cure.  His first one was two years ago when I was recovering from my 3rd and final breast cancer-related surgery, and so I could not participate.  Sadly, I cannot participate this year either because of a previous commitment!  I am still buying a t-shirt to show my support.  Thank you John for doing this.  All proceeds will go to the Women First Resource Center here in Tupelo.  This is one of the organizations where I donate my pillows and bags.
4. While I was running on my treadmill yesterday morning I watched some of the last of the Love Comes Softly DVD series.  I think there are eight movies in all, and I have watched all of them while running on the treadmill over the last few months.  Anyway, in yesterday's movie (I can't remember the name…..they all have the word LOVE in the titles), Clark had every single thing that you could think of going wrong in his life.  His wife had just died, his daughter almost burned down their house, he was about to lose his home and land because he was so behind on his mortgage payments, and the area was suffering from a lengthy and severe drought (which is why he was behind financially).  He and his father were trying, unsuccessfully, to dig a well to use for irrigation, and Clark just lost it.  He. Had. Had. Enough. Adversity.  His father offered this sage advice. (And I paraphrase.)

When you are overwhelmed, just do the next thing.  The next thing, the one that is right in front of you.  Just do it.  And then do the next thing.  And so on.

So that is something for us all to ponder today.  Whatever is overwhelming YOU today, just do the new thing.  Make a list if you have to, and maybe the first thing on your list needs to be PRAY.  Whatever it is, just do the next thing.  And then the next.  And so on. And remember...

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:17

My Newest Nephew

It is with great joy and happiness that I share with you the arrival of my newest nephew!  Russ, Megan, and Millie Janalee have a new baby boy in their family.  You can read all about him by clicking here.

We are going to meet Smith this afternoon, and I cannot wait to hold this precious bundle of joy!
But before that fun event, I have to do some Saturday chores. What about you?  What plans do you have for this beautiful day?  (The weather is so nice here where I live….slightly cool--fall is in the air.)

I encourage you to look around you today and make a mental (or literal) list of things that you are thankful for today.  Choose to express joy today.  Pray for someone in need.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good

I like that quote.

I first heard it this summer when I was reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and then again just a few weeks ago when my friend John shared a short lesson at our Wednesday night Bible study.
You can apply this quote to a variety of situations. It is great to set goals.  In fact, failure to dream and plan can prevent you from accomplishing anything.  But, sometimes, in striving to attain the goal (whatever that goal may be, whether large or small), we may lose sight of the joy and growth during the process, or we may give up the goal altogether if the work of attaining it is too difficult.  Or too messy.  Or too whatever.
In a small way, I am applying that quote to my day today.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

I began my day "behind" because I stayed up till after midnight trying to catch up on paperwork, etc., after begin away from home for so long.  I got up just in time to make Jimmy's lunch before he left for work, and by the time I had finished my Bible study and making my plan of attack for the day, it was just minutes until 8:00, my time for everyone to start school time.

I am still in my pajamas.  It is 4:04 PM.

I have not run.

I did not read Leah's Sonlight books before she left for piano lessons with her older siblings.

I still have a load of laundry to fold.

I did not get Clay's essay lesson prepared in time to teach it to him today. 

I have not done any housework today.

But, I am not going to let this define my day.  The day is not over.  But even if it was, I can choose to dwell on what I did do today. The day has not been perfect, but the day has been good.

There is always something to be thankful for, in every day, in every situation.  Sometimes you have to look a little bit harder, but it's there.

I have good health.

I read books to my sweet 8 year old.

I am listening to this same sweet little boy chatter away about his stuffed animals riding his lego creation as I type this.  (He chatters ALL DAY LONG). 

I studied a difficult algebra lesson today and I actually understood it!  I just hope I can remember it Wednesday when I have to teach it to Clay.

I almost have supper ready to put in the oven, and I may, just may get my run in after all--while the supper is cooking--if we don't lose power because we are having storms here right now, and our power goes out every time we have bad weather…..

I got all of my other schoolwork done with my children.

I made two phone calls on my list today.

So, even though today has not been a perfect day (when is a day perfect?), it can still be good.  I am preaching to myself here!

Send A Card

Yesterday I spent over five hours deep cleaning my bathroom and bedroom.  What I mean by deep cleaning is wiping down/washing the baseboards, doors, cabinets, shelves, light fixtures, windows, door and window facings, and ceiling fans.  I also scrubbed my shower.  I cleaned out, vacuumed, and reorganized every drawer and shelf.  What a job!  In between one hour work sessions I fixed and served lunch, wrote my blog post about RYC, and began cutting out a dress to sew for Leah.

In one corner of my bedroom, on a bottom shelf, was a medium sized basket full of cards, letters, and notes that were given to me when I underwent my diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent surgeries, over two years ago.  I have not gone through that basket since that time--simply because I have put that part of my life behind me, and I never seem ready to "go through that basket". Yesterday, I emptied out the basket, scanning each card, note, or letter……part of me wanted to just sit down and reread them all slowly, but the practical part of me won out--knowing that if I started that, I would probably lose steam on my cleaning project!  So I scanned them as I packed them in a plastic storage box along with some special items and cards given to me by my husband and children.

I was reminded of how good people can be.  As I briefly looked at each card, I found that some of the cards were from people I have never met (friends of friends), and some of them I have no remembrance of receiving (brain fog from pain medicine).  It did my heart good to be reminded of the outpouring of love, support, and encouragement so many people gave me during a time when I really, really needed it.  It was bittersweet to find cards of get well wishes from two special people who have since passed on from this life--my grandmother and an elderly man from our congregation.

Sending a card or writing a short note of encouragement and promise of prayer means so much to a person who is undergoing trials.  I am sure that most people, like me, keep these special cards and draw encouragement and support every time they get the cards out and reread them--like I did yesterday. Not only will they be lifted up when they receive the card, but they also will be motivated to share the blessing that they received by encouraging someone else.

So today I want to encourage you.  Send a card.  Write a short letter.  Mail it to someone that you know is suffering from a sickness, or enduring a lengthy illness, or recovering from a surgery, or awaiting test results, or is having a difficult time with a spouse or children, or has an important decision to make…..if you can think of anyone who needs your encouragement, send a card.

Where I Am

I have neglected my blog so much since May.  At times I even think about retiring from blogging!  Every week I plan to share our happenings and so forth and maybe even a homemaking or homeschooling tip or two, and then living my daily life happens and it seems like I am so busy actually living life that I can't seem to make the time to blog about it!

For the past few years I have said that the current school year was the hardest ever.  I am saying that again about this year!  I think I see a recurring theme--homeschooling is difficult.  And I think that the more older children you have the harder it is.  I know I used to think that homeschooling with a newborn and a two year old was hard, but I actually think my last few years have been even more challenging.  The physical workload has lessened, but the mental/organization/coordination of events workload has definitely increased.  I can only offer these few words of wisdom for fellow mothers deep in the trenches of homeschooling multiple children, some of which include high-schoolers:

• Seek the Lord and His wisdom for you and your family--daily.  Reading and studying God's Word and praying must be your top daily priority.
• Get your homeschooling materials as organized as you possibly can before you begin your school year.
• Create a workable schedule or at least a routine of your days--and stick to it.
• Be realistic with your personal goals in all areas--housework, meal preparation, projects, laundry, errands, marathon training, etc.  
• In addition to beginning each day with Bible reading and prayer (and get up however early you need to in order for this to happen), make a list of what you need to do/places to go/food to prepare/copies to make/phone calls to make/etc. each and every morning.  
• Meet with your children together each morning for a time for general announcements and telling them the plan for the day.  I'm pretty sure I have shared this before, but I think it is important for children to know what is expected of them each day--especially things that deviate from their normal routine.  We have this discussion each day as we begin our daily Bible time sitting aroudn our kitchen table.
• Smile at your children and your husband, tell them you love them, and enjoy your life--warts and all!
• Be thankful.  Remember, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for!

About this week--I am almost through with Week 2 of my current marathon training.  Leanna and I ran 15 miles this morning, and I was home by 8:20 to begin school.  I have felt pretty much wiped out all day, but except for one 5 mile run (that I plan to do Saturday), I am done with this week's running.  Sadly, Lynn is running the St. Jude Half Marathon instead of the full, so I am missing training with her.  We hope that she will join us for her long runs which will be the same distance as our medium runs some weeks.  Running, either with friends or alone, is excellent therapy.  

I am due a new pair of running shoes (I have about 400 miles on these), and I am so happy that the shoe I wear, Brooks Glycerin, comes in pink this year!  I am wishing for a new pair of pink running shoes for my upcoming birthday.

I miss Olivia.   I am so happy for her and she is adjusting so well, but I miss her.  She is spending a great deal of time studying each day, but we are talking and/or texting her each and every day.  I am also sending her mail of some sort 3-5 times a week.  We mailed her some homemade granola bars (lovingly made by Julie) today.

Leah and Sam are really enjoying our Apologia science book about the ocean animals (I can't think of the official title right now).  They spent over an hour yesterday painting a box (one each) inside and out with two shades of blue paint.  It is an "ocean".  Each week they will make sea creatures out of paper, clay, pipe cleaners, etc., to place in their ocean box.  I can't wait to see the finished product at the end of our school year.  We have been studying whales for the last two weeks, and as usual, I am learning so much myself!  We visited Winter (from the movie Dolphin Tale) this summer, and that has made learning about whales--and dolphins--so much more fun!

Clay is participating in a biology co op this year.  None of my children have done anything like this before, but I really like it.  They are doing experiments, writing lab reports, and hearing a teacher (homeschool mother) lecture about and explain the contents of each module.  The science class meets weekly for 1.5 hours on Thursdays.  And then we run a few errands and head to cross country practice.  Julie, Leah, Sam, and I go to the library while Clay is at his science class.  I do school with them while we are there, but they also have some free time to browse the library.  And of course they are bringing books home to read and for me to read to them--as if we don't have enough books (especially for me to read aloud) in our Sonlight cores!  But who can deny a child books?

That's pretty much what's been going on around here.  Oh, and Monday night Leah and I attended our monthly Keepers at Home meeting.  Lynn, Leanna, and I are teaching the class for the months of September, October, and November.  Our skill--macrame'!  By the end of the 3rd meeting, we hope that all of the girls will complete their plant hanger and earn the macrame' pin.

My Homeschool Classroom Post

I wrote a post for The Homeschool Classroom a few weeks ago that was published yesterday.  I was so busy doing my last long run before the marathon---yay!!!, making my weekly grocery list and shopping at Sam's and Kroger, cleaning our our linen closet (that really needed to be done), and then taking Leah to her Keepers At Home Meeting, that I never even used my laptop yesterday.

So this morning, I am sharing the link.  11 Ways to Help A Sick Homeschool Mom.  While I shared my personal experience of receiving compassion last year, these same ideas could be used for any mother or friend going through some hard times.  We need to look for ways to be compassionate.  We are all so busy with our hectic daily lives (myself included), that I think that we sometimes feel like we don't have the time or resources to help someone in need.  But we do.  And, as the person extending the helping hand, you will be blessed too!

I am reading a book called Margin right now.  Well, I am trying to read it.....I am so tired when I get in bed at night that I usually just want to play spider solitaire on my iPad until I fall asleep instead of reading something intellectually stimulating!  In this book the author (I can't think of his name right now) has spent over a hundred pages telling the reader why we need margin, why our society experiences so much stress because we don't have margin in our lives, how people who lived 100 years ago did not have many of the modern conveniences that we enjoy, yet they had overall less stress in their lives, because they had margin.  I understand my lack of margin.  I need margin.  If anything out of ordinary comes up in my day, I sometimes panic!  Where will I fit it in??  So, I am telling this book that I am reading.....I get your point about the detriments of living a life without margin---I am living that life!  Please tell me how to create margin in my life.  I am hoping that the author will answer my questions soon.  Have any of you read this book?  Do I need to continue reading it?  Did it help you create margin in your life?

Have a good Tuesday!

Just Do the Next Thing

My list grows longer by the minute.  I keep thinking of one more task, one more phone call, one more project.  There are Christmas decorations to take down, children's rooms to clean, gifts to put away, errands to run, plans for the upcoming year to make, and of course in the midst of it all the normal cooking and cleaning and laundry must continue.  Additionally,  I want to enjoy these next several days with my family while we are taking a break from school.

Where do we begin?  In God's Word.  That is always the place to begin, and it's the best way to begin each day, no matter how busy your day is.  Quiet time alone (or with a small child or baby beside you or in your lap when necessary--I still have days like that!) to read your Bible, copy Scripture into a journal, list items on your thankful list, and pray; that is the way to jumpstart your day.  In the busyness of daily life we may be tempted to skip this time, but it is so important!  We really cannot afford to begin our day without time in God's Word.

One little hint:  when you are reading your Bible, praying, writing in a journal, etc., you may find that your head is full of your plans for the day.  Keep a notebook with you, and jot down each distraction as it pops into your mind.  Then you don't have to focus on that in fear of forgetting to do it later.  It will be on the list.  After writing it down, you can quickly get back to focusing on God's Word.

Next, make your list.  Keep your notebook nearby as you go throughout your day.  Write down things as you think of them.  Some items on my list I assign to a particular day, and some items are all listed on one page.

Then,  just do the next thing.  And do the next thing again, and again.  Stop periodically to play with your children or read them a book.  Some times I set my timer on days like this--30 minutes of work followed by 30 minutes of play.  My kids call this a pleaning day--a little bit of playing, a little bit of cleaning.  It may seem like taking breaks during your work will waste time, but I find that I am actually more productive and the day is more enjoyable when I schedule breaks into my day.

My goal for today is to take down all of our Christmas decorations.  I would love to accomplish more than that today, but I am being realistic.  I also have 6 or 7 miles to run, a couple of phone calls to make, and two errands to run.

So for today, just do the next thing!

Gratitude Journal

For several years now.....well I think for 17 or 18 years, I have kept a gratitude journal.  Or sometimes I just call it a thankfulness list.  Anyway, it is just a list of things I am thankful for.  I simply write down five things each day that I am thankful for.  Over the years I have kept most of my lists in the front or back of spiral bound notebooks, notebooks that I am using for my current Bible study.  Currently I am using a really pretty gratitude journal that I bought for myself last March.  For the first time, I am numbering my lists, and I am on about five hundred or more.

For me, the lists serve as a journal of sorts.  The things that I list that I am thankful for each day reflect my current stage of life.  I do have gaps in my lists.....when I was pregnant with each of my five children and suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum (the fancy word for throwing up all day every day), I failed to keep up the gratitude lists.   But I can tell when I began to feel better, that's when I started listing things I was grateful for again (five things each day---and the first several days' list always included how thankful I was that I was not throwing up anymore!  From time to time I enjoy reading my gratitude lists from the past.  The lists bring back so many fond memories.  Of course my lists have recurring themes--my hope of salvation, my husband, my children, my family, my church family, my friends, my health, etc., but I try to list very specific things in these areas.  I also list simple things that I am thankful for too, like hot coffee first thing in the morning, a new book, a clean closet, etc.

Thanksgiving produces joy.

The more we think about and write on paper the blessings in our lives--the things that we are thankful for each day--the better our attitude is.

There is always, always something to be thankful for.

We are commanded in God's Word to be thankful, and there are no qualifiers or exceptions whenever Scripture mentions thankfulness.  We are to find things to be thankful for, and give thanks for our blessings to God.

I encourage you to begin your own gratitude journal on this day, Thanksgiving Day.  You don't need a fancy notebook, anything you have on hand is fine.  Just begin listing your blessings.  Thank God for your blessings.  Writing them down is therapeutic, and looking back on your lists to remind you of past blessings is beneficial too.  Five things you are thankful for each day.

Today I am thankful for spending the day with my family (parents, grandmothers, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews).  I am sad that Jimmy had to work today and could not be with us, but I am thankful that he has a job, and that he works so tirelessly to provide for our family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joyfulness

Since yesterday's blog post was titled, Grumbling, I decided to have a more positive title today!

In keeping with my theme yesterday of looking for things to be thankful for in difficult situations instead of whining and complaining about everything, our visiting preacher at our church service last night preached a sermon directly to me. Really. I felt like he was preaching to me!

He had 4 main points about Home Remedies. The first two points were very, very timely and applicable. In fact, numbers 3 and 4 are a little fuzzy in my memory right now....they both dealt with anger.....being slow to anger, the anger of man not bringing about the righteousness of God....but points number 1 and 2--those I remember vividly!

1. Be Joyful. Smile at those you love in your home. This seems like a simple thing, but it can completely change the mood in your home. Try it today. Smile!

2. Use Gentle Words. Why do we use a kinder tone of voice and kinder words to those outside our family? Why do we feel like we can just say whatever we want in whatever tone we want to those most precious to us? This is a simple concept too. Remember Proverbs says that a gentle answer turns away wrath. Who wants to be fussed at all day about every little thing? Try this today too. Use gentle, kind words with your husband and children today.

One more thing! Today is my wonderful husband's birthday! Happy Birthday Jimmy! We have a super fun surprise gift for him today. I'll blog all about it soon.

Grumbling

Yesterday I received the October issue of Mom's Corners, written by Teri Maxwell of Titus2.com. I eagerly anticipate Mrs. Maxwell's articles each month, because she usually writes exactly what I need to hear! This month was no exception. I will admit it. I have been grumbling. But after reading Mrs. Maxwell's article, I am convicted. I am choosing today to turn my grumbles about my workload, my schedule, my "behindness in my to do list", my mountain of laundry that needs folding, my dirty, dirty kitchen, and anything else that my robs me of my meek and quiet spirit, and instead find things to be thankful about. I know that is the key. I know that God commands us in His Word to be joyful always and to give thanks in all circumstances. It is nice to have a timely reminder! Here is the link to the article. Grumbling, by Teri Maxwell. I hope you are inspired to be thankful today too!

Small Victories

Here is a link to a great post about celebrating the small victories in your life. It is a very timely article for me, because I have been so behind in everything recently! I am going to take Hope's advice, and celebrate each little thing I accomplish today. And if it really motivates me, I will celebrate tomorrow too! I am reminding myself after reading her article that I not only need to be thankful for each small victory in my day, but also be thankful for each and every trial that comes my way. That is God's will for all of us--to be thankful in all circumstances, to count it all joy when we experience trials.

My favorite little saying still applies---thanksgiving produces joy.

Being a YES Mom

As mothers, most of us are really good at saying, "No". I say it frequently myself.

No, you can't jump all over the furniture.

No, you can't climb the door facing with those filthy feet.

No, you can't eat another cookie five minutes before supper.

No, you can't carve wood inside the house.

No, you can't watch Little Bear with your younger siblings before you complete your morning chores.

No, you can't ride your brother on the back of your 4 Wheeler.

No, you can't use the stove while I am not here.

Saying no is a good thing. Telling our children, "No" to some of their requests is actually protecting them or teaching them delayed gratification or simply good character. However, I suspect that sometimes we tell our children, "No" not because their desires are harmful or selfish, but simply because they are inconvenient for us.

So, as much as I can, I try to be a Yes Mom. Even when it means that the children will make a huge mess in my freshly mopped kitchen. Even when it means that I have to use my discretionary time (sometimes I actually have that--you know time to blog, check Facebook, email, etc.) to play a game or activity with them. Even when it means I have to rearrange my schedule to accommodate a reasonable (and usually fun) request.

Yes, you can bake homemade cookies.

Yes, you can cook supper tonight.

Yes, I can help you figure out what is wrong with the sewing machine.

Yes, you can drag all of the kitchen chairs into the den, get out a million blankets and make a fort.

Yes, you can paint.

Yes, I will play Play-Doh with you.

Yes, I will play a game with you.

Yes, I will just sit down and hold you for a little while.

Saying yes to requests like the ones listed above are sometimes hard for me. I have my list, my agenda for the day. But children don't always fit into our neat little to-do lists. I can see the days flying by with my children, and I truly want to have no regrets. I want to look back and remember that although I worked really hard at running my home, I also worked equally as hard loving and nurturing my children.

So, I am going to say Yes today. I hope you will too.