Monday

A Mother’s Hands

prov31.31

A Mother’s hands are…

Wiping tears

Washing dirty faces

Wiping dirt & blood off wounded knees

Preparing bottles

Changing diapers

Washing clothes

Driving to dance class, then to soccer practice, then to baseball camp

Washing dishes

Playing Candy Land with a preschooler

Folding clothes

Texting love messages with hubbie at work

Giving back rubs

Wiping little finger prints off of the windows

Holding babies tight

Picking up toys for the 10th time in a day

Emailing a friend an encouraging verse

Making beds

Mopping floors

Planning meals

Wiping marker off the walls

Grocery shopping

Marking promises to remember in her Bible

Making dinner for a sick friend

Writing her prayers for her children in her journal

Caressing the soft faces

Playing monopoly with a child

Swaddling a baby with utmost care

Bathing children

Washing unidentified sticky stuff off of door knobs

Organizing Legos

Preparing dinner

Hugging a tired husband home from work

Tucking children into bed

Pulling back her bed covers. Getting in bed & thanking the Lord for a busy but blessed life as a mom.

*Picture source ~ www.freegreatpicture.com

Wednesday

Product Review: My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software

I know I don’t normally post product reviews here, but I am getting more and more requests to review products, so here is the first of several.

MyMemories_Suite_4_cover

This review is of My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software.  I don’t scrapbook, so at first I was not interested in this product, but then I realized I could use it for much more.  I enjoy creating images for my blog or new headers.  This software makes it possible for me to create some really neat stuff.

I used it to create the header on my new site, Joy Moms.joymomheader

This software comes with a ton of various images, backgrounds, fonts, etc… but you can also go to the website and buy more and it is cheap! There is a “dollar store” where kits & pages are only a dollar, and there are a lot of scrapbook kits for free!

I have spent several weeks playing around with My Memories Suite and the more I play, the more I like.  Right now, I am making a photo book of Charlie’s faces.  I can’t wait to see how it prints out.

You can click the image below and get $10 off your purchase.

Tuesday

The Faith to Wait

My pastor has been working his way through the life of Abraham for quite a while now. I am always amazed at how much wisdom and truth he can pull out of Scripture. This past Sunday was no different. Isaac was born!  Finally!  We have been waiting for 15 sermons for that baby to finally come. Smile
The chunk of his sermon was on waiting for God to fulfill his promises, because we know he will…right?  Right???
The first verse of today’s passage caught my eye.  It was highlighted…not by a marker, but by the Holy Spirit.  I couldn’t stop reading it.
gen21.1
The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he has promised. Genesis 21:1
If you remember the story, when the Lord promised Abraham he would give him a son, Sarah didn’t believe it; in fact she laughed out loud. (Genesis 18:12)
This was an unconditional promise by God to Abraham and Sarah.  He didn’t say, “If you believe in me” or “If you obey me”.  He just said, “She will bear a child” PERIOD.  God didn’t need Sarah’s faith to keep that promise.  He didn’t need her permission or her obedience.  But, of course her faith and trust that he would indeed keep that promise was nothing more than a gift to her.
How many times do I miss out on God’s gifts to me because I doubt him?  Too many to count.
We are still waiting on God to provide adequate income so we can move to our own house.  He promises to provide for us and he IS.  We have a house, we have food, we have clothes. We even have enough money to pay the few bills we do have.  He is providing. But, yet there are still times I think God is not providing.  I wonder if he has forgotten about us.  I wonder if we will ever get to live in our own house.  Will I ever get to unpack all my books???
You know Sarah wondered if God would really do what he said he would do.  God promised her a baby 14 years before he gave her one!  14 years!!  And then…it happened!  We get nervous when God makes us wait a few months…she had to wait 14 years!
God is never late!  It will all happen in HIS time…not mine.  Whatever you are waiting for God to do that he promised he would do…it will happen in HIs time. 
I found this saying this week & loved it!!
Carving on Old Door
I hope that while God keeps you waiting, you are trusting him and looking for his gifts in the midst of waiting.

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I am linked up with Cornerstone Confessions today.  Check out other encouraging posts today linked up.


 
I'm also linked up on Woman Living Well blog

 

Friday

My Top 5 Uses for Page Protectors




I love page protectors!! 

 I have learned to use them for so many things. I always have plenty because I can reuse them.  Once someone gave me a sack full of unopened packages of page protectors. I  was so excited & I know they thought I was really weird.  Afterall, who in their right mind dances for joy over page proctectors?  I DO!!
Here is an example of a few things I use them for.

1.  Subject Dividers - I will print on the edge of a piece of cardstock what subject I need labeled. Then just slide it in and put in my notebook & I don't need the dividers that you have to buy separately.  My little ones will decorate theirs to add a little pizzaz to their notebooks.
2.  Preschool worksheets - I have workbooks that I have picked up from Wal-mart & such to use as busy work for my little ones.  I got tired of having to buy new ones since I always had little ones coming up.  I started putting them in page protectors & then giving them the little vis-a-vis marker (and being highly supervised) let them connect the dots or whatever it was.
3.  Math Drill Worksheets - My kids love math drills and racing against the clock, but I can't afford to keep up with the printer ink & paper, so I put the pages in page protectors, kept then in a notebook for easy access and we are set.  After grading their page I can record their score (if that is really important to you) in my record book.  So easy!! Fine tip dry erase markers work really great.
4.  Menu planner- I keep a menu of what we are eating for the week.  I put this in the page protector and keep it on the frig. with my little marker close by.
 5.  Art Portfolio - I have some budding artist and just don't have a frig big enough to show off all of their art so we started putting them in page protectors in notebooks after they have been displated for a day on the frig.

I could go on and on, but would rather you share any ideas with me that you may have about getting even more creative with page protectors than I have.





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Sunday

Free Stuff for Valentines Day

This is Valentines Week! 

That means for the kids we get to do some fun stuff for school.  At least I hope we do.   Now we are dealing with the flu.  We’ll see who is well enough to play this week.

In the past we have tried to a special dinner as a family for Valentines Day, but since my kids are scattered out & the ones who are here are sick that won’t happen this year.  So we will find other ways to celebrate the love of God this week.  The world uses Valentines Day to recognize our love for each other and that is great, but I tried to make Valentines Day about more than that.  I tried to make it about the amazing love God has for us.  Until you really understand this love, it won’t matter much to you or to your kids.

Past posts on LOVE

The Fruit of the Spirit is LOVE & Part 2

10 Ways to Love Your Man

I wanted to share with you a few things that I hope will make your week a little more fun.

Free Copy Work Download (Click picture)

copywork350px

Free Printable Valentines (click picture)

valentines

Everything you need for Valentines Day

Easy Heart Stamps…great for toddlers

Check out Pinterest for some great idea’s!

 

Enjoy your week!!!

Saturday

This is my doing…

I enjoy reading a devotional that is older than I am. Smile  I love and have used Streams in the Desert for many years.  No matter how many times I read through it, the Lord shows me something new. The writing on February 1st was especially good & I just had to share. 

You can get these devotionals as an email if you don’t have the actual book. Crosswalk.com offers many devo’s for you to subscribe to.  Click here to check that out.

This devotional touches on a subject that many would rather not discuss…the Father doesn’t just allow, but often causes our suffering.  There is purpose in it all, most times we will never know the purpose.  But it is His purpose and it is for His glory.

I encourage you to read the 11th & 12 chapter of 1 Kings to get the whole story or where this verse originated from.

This is my doing. (1 Kings 12:24)

The disappointments of life are simply the hidden appointments of love.
--C.A. Fox

My child, I have a message for you today. Let me whisper it in your ear so any storm clouds that may arise will shine with glory, and the rough places you may have to walk will be made smooth. It is only four words, but let them sink into your inner being, and use them as a pillow to rest your weary head. "This is my doing."

isaiah43.4

Have you ever realized that whatever concerns you concerns Me too? "For whoever touches you touches the apple of [my] eye" ( Zechariah 2:8 ). "You are precious and honored in my sight" ( Isaiah 43:4 ). Therefore it is My special delight to teach you.

 

I want you to learn when temptations attack you, and the enemy comes in "like a pent up flood" ( Isaiah 59:19 )., that"this is my doing" and that your weakness needs My strength, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, never ask your opinion, and always push you aside? "This is my doing." I am the God of circumstances. You did not come to this place by accident -- you are exactly where I meant for you to be.

Have you not asked Me to make you humble? Then see that I have placed you in the perfect school where this lesson is taught. Your circumstances and the people around you are only being used to accomplish My will.

Are you having problems with money, finding it hard to make ends meet? "This is my doing," for I am the One who keeps your finances, and I want you to learn to depend upon Me. My supply is limitless and I "will meet your needs" (Phil. 4:19). I want you to prove My promises so no one may say, "You did not trust in the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy. 1:32).

Are you experiencing a time of sorrow? "This is my doing." I am "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering" (Isaiah 53:3). I have allowed your earthly comforters to fail you, so that by turning to Me you may receive "eternal encouragement and good hope" (2 Thessalonians. 2:16). Have you longed to do some great work for Me but instead have been set aside on a bed of sickness and pain? "This is my doing." You were so busy I could not get your attention, and I wanted to teach you some of My deepest truths. "They also serve who only stand and wait." In fact, some of My greatest workers are those physically unable to serve, but who have learned to wield the powerful weapon of prayer.

Today I place a cup of holy oil in your hands. Use it freely, My child. Anoint with it every new circumstance, every word that hurts you, every interruption that makes you impatient, and every weakness you have. The pain will leave as you learn to see Me in all things.
--Laura A. Barter Snow

"This is from Me," the Savior said,
As bending low He kissed my brow,
"For One who loves you thus has led.
Just rest in Me, be patient now,
Your Father knows you have need of this,
Though, why perhaps you cannot see--
Grieve not for things you've seemed to miss.
The thing I send is best for thee."
Then, looking through my tears, I plead,
"Dear Lord, forgive, I did not know,
It will not be hard since You do tread,
Each path before me here below."
And for my good this thing must be,
His grace sufficient for each test.
So still I'll sing, "Whatever be
God's way for me is always best."