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Category Archives: Parenting
Making Memories (Donuts with Dad)
“When is Donuts with Dad,” asked Kayla on the first day of school. She had heard her older sisters tell her all about Donuts with Dad and she couldn’t wait! For the past six months she has been patiently waiting for this day and it is finally here!
Some of our strongest memories come from our childhood. Remember that when you are investing into your own child’s memories. Make today special, because we aren’t promised tomorrow.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” ~Psalm 127:3-5
Daughter Quotes…
She is more precious than jewels. -Proverbs 3:15
A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give. -Laurel Atherton
I believe in love at first sight…because I’m a mom. -Unknown
A daughter is someone you laugh with, dream with, and love with all your heart. -Author Unknown
If I had a flower for every time you made me smile and laugh, I’d have a garden to walk in forever. -Author Unknown
The more a daughter knows the details of her mother’s life…the stronger the daughter. -Anita Diamant
You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself. -Glinda- Wizard of Oz
Angels are often disguised as daughters. -Author Unknown
A daughter may outgrow your lap…but she will never outgrow your heart. -Author Unknown
The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother. -Elaine S. Dalton
To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. -Psalm 127:3
I am…
You might say, “Bethany I’m not all these things!” Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well.” Friend, you are wonderful! God has designed you to have these qualities and so much more.
There are often days we can have feelings of failure…crumbs are scattered all over the kitchen floor, there’s an avalanche on Mount Everest in your laundry room, and you burned the dinner again for the second time this week. Other times doubt comes in…am I doing a good job, does my husband know I love him, are my children learning anything? These are all thoughts from the enemy. We must take these thoughts captive, then stand strong and speak truth into our life.
When negative thoughts come in, I want you to stand in front of a mirror, pick your head up, bring your shoulders back, look into your eyes and speak the words from the poem “I am”…then believe it.
Power Scriptures:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” -Ephesians 3:20
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:13
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:14
Planning for Today
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty” Proverbs 21:5
Each day is special and unique, but do we view it that way? Probably not, we are guilty of being sucked into the hustle and bustle of life. In this new year, I desire to make the most out of each day…for no one is promised tomorrow. So, how do we cherish each day in itself? We have to plan intentionally for that day.
Preparing a successful day takes preparation, right before you shut your eyes for the night, plan out the next day. Take your journal, planner, or I personally use my iPad. First, schedule your quiet/devotion time with God. Second, write your husband’s name and list his needs (make his lunch, iron clothes, pick up dry cleaning, etc.). Then, write down your children’s names and the things you need to do for them (pack lunches, sign papers, schedule doctor appointments, etc.). Next, write down house, list the things that need to be cleaned that day or taken care of. Last, write down your personal “to do” list, which could consist of ministry, personal growth, fitness, etc. Make sure your list is prioritized: God first, husband second, children third, house next, and all other activities follow. Now, for the fun part, think of ways you can make that day special, lunch at the park, Mickey mouse pancakes, a little note in their lunch box, the list is endless.
By scheduling out your day the night before bed, you are able to get the things of tomorrow off your mind. You are able to write them down and let them worry about themselves, as you drift off into a peaceful sleep, so when morning comes, you are set up for success. Look over your list again, make sure you wrote down everything you wanted from the night before and then enjoy your day to the fullest!
Remember “this is the day” not tomorrow, not next week, but today, “which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). I hope you all have an amazing TODAY, every day!
“…who gives us richly all things to enjoy” 1 Timothy 6:17
You Are Special
One of the ways we are counting down the days until Christmas, is with a book reading each night. Tonight was Alayna’s turn to choose a book that was wrapped under the tree. She picked one of my favorite books, “You Are Special” by Max Lucado.
This books gives a beautiful parallel story of how God views us. It begins with a village of wooden people called, the Wemmicks. All of the wooden people were carved by a woodworker name, Eli. The Wemmicks would give out stickers all day to one another, to the talented ones they would give stars and to the not so talented ones they would give gray dots. All day long they would walk around handing out these stars and dots. In this same village lives a Wemmick named, Punchinello, he doesn’t jump very high like the others, his wood is scratched and faded, so he would get lots of gray dots from all the other Wemmicks. He got so many that he doesn’t want to leave his house. Then one day he meets a Wemmick with no stickers at, Lucia. Lucia explains that she goes to see Eli, the woodcarver, everyday. She recommends Punchinello to go see him, so Punchinello goes the next day. This is where I choke up every time. As Eli and Punchinello begin their conversation, Punchinello starts defending himself. When Eli says, “you don’t have to defend yourself to me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think. Who are they to give stars or dots? They’re Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.” Eli continues to speak to him, but I want you to get the book and read the rest for yourself.
Lucia didn’t have any stickers because she went to visit Eli everyday. There are voices in your mind telling you, “you can’t do that, you don’t fit in here, and you will never make it.” The only way to drown out those opinions is to spend time with the only voice that matters, the only opinion that matters, your Maker.
Let me encourage you today, don’t let the world label you. Don’t let your friend or even your family discourage you. They don’t have the right to do so. They are just like you. Go to your Heavenly Father daily and allow him to speak into your heart. He loves you, He made you special, and you are valuable!
Christmas Countdown (25 books)
I saw a great idea online a few days ago, so I thought, why don’t we try it this year. Basically, you pick out 25 Christmas books and you wrap them up. We are wrapping a mixture of books because we don’t have 25 Christmas books. Each night, one of your kids will choose a book to unwrap for the family to read. If the child is old enough, and they would like, they can read it out loud, instead of the parents. We are also going to switch up the times we read our book. Most of the family readings will be at night, around bed time, but other days we will read at breakfast time, around the table. Last but not least, you can make your collection of books, all Christ centered for the Christmas season (which is great), but again we have chosen a mixture, between Jesus’s birth, one or two Santa books, a Mickey Mouse Carol and old favorites.
Below is our book list, some are new that I just purchased this year and others I pulled off our bookshelves.
The Christmas Countdown Book List:
1. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Bergren
2. The King’s Christmas by Eldon Johnson
3. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
4. The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
5. Isty Bitsy Christmas: You’re Never Too Little for His Love! by Max Lucado
6. Living Lights: The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain
7. The Beginner’s Bible: The Very First Christmas
8. Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story by Sally Lloyd-Jones
9. Who’s Hiding?: A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book by Vicki Howie, Krisztina Kallai Nagy
10. Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer
11. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
12. Every Which Way to Pray by Joyce Meyer
13. Mickey’s Christmas Carol
14. The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop
15. Dance Me, Daddy by Cindy Morgan
16. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
17. Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado
18. You Are Special by Max Lucado
19.Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
20. A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert and Anita Lobel
21. My Sister and I by P.K. Hallinan
22. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
23. The Christmas Story by Patricia Pingry
24. Christmas is Here! Flap Book
25. The Christmas Story by Nick Page
So go pop some popcorn, grab a couple of blankets, snuggle up close with the family on the couch, and start a new family Christmas tradition!
30 Acts of Thanksgiving (Day11)
Day 11: Thankful for neighbors
Tonight Victoria and I made Oreo Truffles and they are so yummy if I do say so myself! We made these delicious treats for our new neighbors, that just moved into the neighborhood last week. Below is the recipe.
Oreo Truffles (Oreo Cream Cheese Balls)
Ingredients:
-16 oz Oreo Package
-8 oz Cream Cheese
-16 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Finely crush the cookies in a blender or food processor.
3. If using a food processor, add the cream cheese in large chunks and pulse a few times to until the candy consistency is that of dough. If you don’t have a food processor, stir together the softened cream cheese and crumbs until the candy is well-mixed.
4.Place the candy in the refrigerator to firm up for about 1 hour.
5. Form 1-inch balls and roll between your hands until they are round. Place the candies on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate them while you prepare the dipping chocolate.
6. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, stirring after every 15 to 30 seconds. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, but do not let it harden.
7. Dip the candy balls in the melted chocolate and place on the parchment sheet.
8. Refrigerate them for another hour before devouring them!
Forgetting the Order
Around eight o’clock, in the morning, my husband comes home from the gym. I’m usually making breakfast for the kids, packing Kayla’s lunch for pre-school, and attending to our one year old, all while eating my breakfast standing up. This is my norm, but there is something missing in the equation…my husband! There were times he asked me to make him breakfast and I would smart off something like, “can’t you see how busy I am?” He has also asked me, to make his lunch and I would say, “I don’t have time this morning”. He had heard these answers for so long that he stop asking and it broke my heart, once I realized what I had been doing.
I was so use to juggling everything for our four young children that I had placed him last after their needs. This is not the order God has planned for marriage. Your husband must be your number two, right after God, not your number three, four, or five. You are here to serve him, help him, and support him!
Women can develop blurred vision when they become a mother. They take on this responsibility of caring and nurturing for a child and lose sight of dad, their mate, their husband. I want to help you today get your vision corrected. Here are some ways to strengthen your focus.
1. Get up earlier than normal, so you have enough time to take care of your husband’s needs as well as your children’s.
2. Go to bed early or at least a decent hour so you are able to remain strong throughout the day. The last thing your husband wants, is to see an exhausted wife laying on the couch, after he has been working all day.
3. Practice telling your kids to wait instead of your husband. Unless it is a life threatening matter, they can wait.
4. Make it a habit to say yes or sure when your husband asks for something.
5. Pray for him, everyday, all day. When you are continually praying and thinking about someone how could you push their needs aside.
In Matthew 6:21 it says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”…in this case, I want you to think where is all your time and effort going. Over investing in your children and under investing in your husband can cause problems that can lead to horrific conclusions. It’s not too late. Evaluate your vision. Once you do, I guarantee your husband will look better than you have ever seen him before!
Elizabeth George says it best in her book A Woman After God’s Own Heart, “Nothing just happens, including great marriages! As much as you and I might desire to be a wife who lovingly supports her husband, such loving support comes only with planning.” So plan alone times, plan dates, plan special dinners and plan special deeds of kindness, then reap a happy husband and a healthy marriage.
Dear God, help us to correct our order of priorities. Give us wisdom on how to organize our time and our day. Thank you for blessing each of us with a man that leads and supports our family. May we honor our husband by placing him second after You, therefore obeying Your Word. In Jesus Name, Amen
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
~Ephesians 5:22-24
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
~Ephesians 5:31-33
30 Acts of Thanksgiving (Day 7)
Day 7: Our Home/House
Whether you live in a one bedroom shack or a 15 bedroom mansion, it’s important to be thankful for what you have. My husband and I started with a 1200 square foot house. We loved this house and it was perfect for us, it was just what we needed when we got married. Fast forward ten years later and we have just closed on a house that has a bedroom for each of our kids, a large enough family room for our family plus large enough for our guests and my favorite, a school room!
It is important to teach your kids to be thankful for what they have and by doing that, you show them how to take care of the things they are blessed with. Today we are going through each of the bedrooms, from top to bottom, straightening and cleaning everything! It’s easy to take your blessings for granite, which shows God your lack of gratitude.
I know as a parent, my heart would be hurt and upset if the kids took a brand new toy we gave them for Christmas and left it outside in the dirt. Why would we want to bless them with another one when they couldn’t take care of the first toy we gave them! When we are thankful we see the value in our blessings, we cherish them, and take care of them. Today we are very thankful for our home (house).
“..always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~Ephesians 5:20
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much;” ~Luke 16:10
From The Committed Heart 