I Moved to a New Home This Weekend

This weekend we moved! I haven't blogged about it but if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you may have seen that I have been packing and counting down days! Last week was an exhausting week of packing and this coming week will be devoted to me turning our new home into a haven.

I'm blogging right now from Panera Bread because I do not have Internet access in the new home and we are not sure when we will have access. So my blogs may be sparse this week depending on when I can break away to come here to chat with you all!!!

I will not be able to respond to any emails until next week and if you sent one last week I apologize I did not email you back - but I will get to everyone of them as soon as I can. So please be patient with me this week. Beth Moore's newest book is released tomorrow and I have a copy I have been reading. I want to tell you all about it - so that will be my next post!

Have a great week! Dig into God's word for yourself and bask in it's glorious riches. If you need a suggestion on where to read in the Bible - I am studying the book of Esther right now. I sat this morning in my new kitchen with a hot cup of tea and my prayer journal. I thanked God for my many blessings including my new view of the sunrise out my window, my amazing family who worked so hard all day Saturday helping me clean and unpack in the new home (you guys made me cry with joy this morning - you are blessings!) and the book of Esther. If you have never read Esther you are missing out. The storyline is way better than any movie Hollywood could dream up! So turn to Esther and enjoy!

Walk with the King!

Mailbag Question: How Do You Do it All?

Recently I have received a lot of emails with the same question " How do you do it all?" For starters - I don't do it all. I do my best to do all I can - and though my heart has good intentions there are weeks my home is a disaster, the kids are out of sorts, my husband and I have disagreements (that's code for fights lol), I miss my workouts and I over sleep and miss a quiet time.

I am a real person with good and bad days. But my secret to bringing order to my chaotic life is...DISCIPLINE.

Today Melinda at Coming Clean: Confessions of an Imperfect Mom has featured me answering the above question. So stop by her blog to read my post. And while you are there - linger a while and read some of Melinda's posts. I know you will be encouraged by her honesty, wit and wisdom.

Walk with the King!

Raising Your Children to Change the World

The book One Million Arrows - Raising Your Children to Change the World has just been released.

Dennis Rainey says: "One Million Arrows...casts a God-sized vision for parents who long to see their children used by God in mighty ways."

This book is also endorsed by Franklin Graham and Josh McDowell says "One Million Arrows is a great wake-up call for parents of this generation."

I will review this book on a post March 1st - but I wanted to share this video created for the book. It's a quick 1 minute promo and they have included a picture of my family in the video! (We are after the word "Vision")

I love the final statement "Leave a mark for eternity." I pray on my knees that God would use my children and their children and their children's children to leave a mark for eternity!


Walk with the King!

What is Ministry?

I received this poem in an email yesterday right when I was sitting down to write my next blog post. The words rang with such truth that I thought - "this must be tomorrow's post". As you read this poem - apply this first to your ministry as a wife and mother and second to those inside and outside your church.

WHAT IS MINISTRY?

Ministry is....

Giving when you feel like keeping...

Praying for others when you need prayed for...

Feeding others when your own soul is still hungry...

Living truth before people when you cannot see results...

Hurting for others when your own hurts cannot be spoken...

Keeping your word when it is not convenient...

Being faithful when your own flesh wants to run away.

-Author Unknown


As a young girl my mom had me memorize Luke 9:23: "Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." As a follower of Christ, we must learn to deny ourselves and follow in the footsteps of our Savior - sacrificing all for him who is worthy. I pray today that you would be willing to minister to your loved ones even when life is not rosy and finding the strength is not easy.


Walk with the King!

A Woman Of Action

Word Filled Wednesday:

Proverbs 31:12 "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."

Today we continue our Wednesday series in Proverbs 31. Thus far we have seen that a Godly wife is rare and a treasure to her husband and he can fully trust her in all areas. Today we will look at her actions.

The Proverbs 31 woman "brings her husband good, not harm". Where does this goodness come from? It comes from her walk with God - it is a fruit of the Spirit. Doing good is a part of her character. And to whom does she do good? Her neighbors, PTA, or scrapbooking friends? Nope - first and foremost - she does good to her husband!

She does not talk about doing good to her husband - she DOES it! She willingly cooks, cleans, cares for the children and stretches a dollar. She willingly submits, respects and praises her husband. She willingly responds to his physical touch and seeks to satisfy him in the bedroom. (okay - I could go further on that one but that's a topic for another day lol!).

She does not criticize him over and over for the same flaws but loves him despite his flaws. She knows the power of her words and would not, in a moment of anger, use them to harm him.

In the very first marriage of the Bible, we see the glaring example of Eve harming Adam. She took the bite of the fruit and invited him to join her in her sin. He foolishly followed her lead! A wise woman understands her power of influence to persuade her husband to do things that without her nagging, begging, manipulating or crying he would not choose to do. We must not attempt to lead our husbands - but allow them to lead us (Eph. 5).

For how long does the Proverbs 31 woman bring her husband good? "All the days of her life." Are these words heavy to your heart? Is your marriage wavering? Let me suggest that a struggling marriage may mean that there are spiritual problems in your own life. If you are wondering how in the world you are going to love and respect this man you married FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE...let me give you the answer.

By fearing God.

Your walk with God is the key to having a successful marriage. You cannot control your husband's walk with God - only your own. But when you faithfully pray, read God's word and obey it, it will change the course of your marriage! So do you need a change of course today? Pursue God, pursue the Proverbs 31 woman and pursue bringing your husband good all the days of your life.

Let's inspire each other, share in the comments section one way that you go above and beyond to do good for you husband.

Walk with the King!

Tasty Tuesday: How To Make a Candy Land Cake

I regularly read Morgan's Blog titled "Adventures In Diapering". She is currently pregnant with her 5th child AND made this amazing cake that I feel compelled to show case! Is this picture not adorable of her and her masterpiece?

Here's how she made her Candy Land Cake:

The cake was fairly easy to make, but very time consuming. If you decide to make a cake like this, you will probably find it easiest to assemble the candy by looking at a Candy Land game board. Then just use whatever candies you want.

Candy Land Cake Supplies:
*Wax Paper

*13x9 in. sheet cake (the one I used was 2 cakes put together- half yellow, half chocolate)*Buttercream Frosting:

*Purple

*Pink

*Red

*Orange

*Yellow

*Green

*Blue

*Black

*Chocolate

Various Candies, such as:

*Gum Drops

*Mini-Candy Canes

*Itty Bitty Marshmallows

*Peanut Butter Brittle

*Gummy Bears

*Licorice strings

*Suckers

*Heath Candy Bits

*Small Ice Cream Cones

*Cotton Candy

Directions:
The day before my son's birthday, I made the cake and put a base coat of frosting over the entire outside of it. I then put the cake in the freezer for an hour or so to harden up a bit before decorating. After pulling the cake back out, I started to make the background colors (grass, sky, mountains, ect.) using frosting.I traced the outline of the cake pan onto wax paper. Inside of the cake shape I had just drawn, I sketched out the Candyland path making just a simple curvy line that copied the game board. Using scissors, I cut the wax paper along the line I had drawn. I placed the wax paper cutout on top of the cake and made tiny frosting dots to make the path outline onto the cake. After the frosting outline was on, I removed the wax paper.I touched up the background scene and started making the path and bridges using the buttercream frosting. I also placed some of the candies on that wouldn't go bad before the next day.

After everything seen in the picture below was completed, I stuck the cake in the fridge until the next day.FYI- The candy assembly the next day went MUCH quicker than the pre-assembly work day.

The Day of the Party
The next day I pulled the cake out of the fridge and started assembling all the candy details. Candy Canes in the bottom right corner, along with some tiny marshmallows for snow. I stuck suckers into some of the gum drops, made a castle using 2 ice cream cones, frosting (including red to make a cherry at the top), cotton candy, and 2 toothpicks stuck into the back for support. In the right corner I made Queen Frosting's place using pink cotton candy. A licorice bridge was made using pull and peel licorice twisted and stuck in place with frosting.I sprinkled Heath candy along the side of the peanut butter brittle house. To finish the cake off, I tore little pieces of cotton candy off stuck them all along the base of the cake. Voila'! The cake was finished and the kids were thrilled!

(Look at the birthday boy with his cake - what joy!!! Visit Morgan's website for more wonderful ideas and crafts for little ones. She is so very creative! If you are looking for meal ideas for little ones she just finished a series on this topic too.)

I am participating in Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday, Dining With Debbie , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Tuesdays at the Table recipe exchanges. For more blogger recipes go to these links.

Walk with the King!

My Marriage Looks Nothing Like Your Marriage

It's Marriage Monday!

So last week I had a woman approach me concerned because her husband loves to cook. She wanted to be sure that I understood that some men are different than my husband (I mentioned on the Rachael Ray Show - my husband has NEVER cooked a meal in 12 years of marriage.)

I have had similar comments in emails and on the blog, so I want to clarify, my marriage should look different from your marriage. Why? Because my husband is different than your husband!

God has given us clear direction in the Bible that the husband is to be the leader of our homes. Because each man is unique that means each of our homes will be unique. Our leaders are all going to lead differently. My husband runs 2 businesses, so he works long hours - when he comes in the door he is whipped. He needs a warm meal, a cold drink and some lovin'! I do not ask him to bathe the kids or do dishes because he needs to decompress from the stress of his work.

My husband is a detail guy - he is very clear about what he likes and does not like. He likes heavy starch on his shirts, an endless supply of granola and water bottles and he expects coats always to be hung on their hooks.

After 12 years of marriage, I have learned his likes and dislikes. Through conflicts (that's code for fighting lol) and long talks (sometimes tears) I have learned to keep the endless supply of things he loves, hang the coats right away and spray heavy starch on his shirts! As a result I am able to keep him quite happy and we rarely have conflicts over the small stuff anymore.

What are your husbands likes and dislikes? Maybe he likes meat and potatoes for dinner, cans of Coke in the fridge, and his sink clean. Maybe he could CARE LESS about any of that - and he happily makes his own meat and potatoes, cleans his own sink, and buys his own Coke! Wonderful!

The Biblical principles that we apply to our marriages should be the same but how this is carried out in our homes will look different. Your husband is not my husband but my God is your God, so our principles should match!

We must all respect our husbands. (Ephesians 5:33)

We must all submit to our husbands. (Ephesians 5:22, 24)

We must all be a helpmate to our husbands. (Genesis 2:18)

I hope this clarifies my views and if I have ever put an unnecessary burden on you - I apologize. Find out your husband's likes and dislikes (ask him if you don't know - most likely if you think back over the past fights you've had, you already know what he wants). Respect his opinions on small stuff. Submit to his leadership in your home and seek to please him. Overtime you will find your home is a more peaceful place for your children, a haven to your husband, and joy in your heart as you know you are in the center of God's will.

Walk with the King!

I am joining Julie over at Marriage Mondays - check out her post today on "Books to Bless". If you leave a comment on her site today, you will be entered into her giveaway for a marriage book.

My Mom - My Role Model

(4 Generations of women who love God: Top Row L toR: Mom, Sister Kristen, Me, Sister Jen. Bottom Row: Niece Julianna, Mom's Mom, Daughter Lexi)

Psalm 145:4,5 "One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

My mom does not like the spotlight, so I know this blog post will make her uncomfortable. She and I are similar in our love and passion for God's word but we are very different in personality. I've always been a sanguine and she has always been a little more reserved. But I want to honor her. I know you all probably wonder who is the woman behind this woman who blogs. So if you are looking for a role model in parenting - here's my mom in a nutshell to me!

The best thing my mom ever did for me was equip me for life by teaching me to fall in love with God and his word. Through her example and love of scriptures - I too fell in love with her Savior. She taught me how to read the word and apply it and how to always go to the scriptures first for answers in times of trouble. She taught me how to share my faith and not be ashamed. She taught me how to go against the flow in a public school and be secure in my faith.


Mom always had her colored pencils on the kitchen table where she worked hard preparing to lead her precept Bible studies. If we had a problem - mom had the solution with a verse attached and if mom said she was praying - we knew - something was going to happen - because mom's prayers were powerful!


One of my favorite memories growing up were after school snack time - not just for the snack - but the time mom spent listening to all my boring stories! Mom listened and listened and listened as my two older sisters and I told many many stories. We are a chatty bunch! But I always knew I could talk to my mom about ANYTHING!


Mom introduced me to one of my all time favorite authors - Elizabeth Elliot through the book "Through Gates of Splendor." It changed my view on life for forever. It gave me a passion to live for God and a hunger to live life to its fullest for God’s glory and it planted the seed in my heart to go to Bible college.


Mom MADE me practice piano even when I hated it and now I'm so glad I have that skill!!! She taught us girls to never quit and to always do everything to the best of our abilities. Thanks mom!


Mom is so generous - and I know she would not be pleased if I gave details on her giving - but mom and dad were always supporting many ministries or sharing with others in need. She is a gift giver and loves to give in abundance. She taught me both in words and deed that everything she has came from God and belongs to God. And that we must be good stewards - she is a great deal finder!


Mom is a woman of conviction. I am thankful that she sees things as black and white and did not let us girls settle for lukewarmness in our lives. She pushed us to righteousness and to high standards. She had strict television and movie rules and I am so thankful now for how she protected my mind.


Mom protected my purity by not letting Keith and I stay out too late when we were dating and she always allowed us to hang at the house where she could keep an eye on us! She and dad also led Keith and I in a marriage Bible study to prepare us for having a Biblical marriage.

Mom taught me how to submit to authority. Although she raised me to be a strong girl with strong convictions – she taught me how to submit my will to authority. It has been a great benefit in my life - to know how to submit to my teachers, coaches, pastors and now husband.


And finally - mom (and dad!) gave me a childhood filled with joy, love and peace. I always knew I was unconditionally loved by them and by my heavenly Father. I cannot thank my mother enough for leading me to my rock - Jesus Christ my Savior. Thank you mom. I love you!

Walk with the King!

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Crayons

For those of us surviving cabin fever in the northern chill, this is a cheap and easy craft for your little ones to do!

Take all the crayons you have that are worn out and have your children peel the paper off of the crayons. (This is great because it should keep your children busy for a long time while you get work done or read a good book - like your Bible!)


Once the crayons are all peeled, get out your metal cookie cutters (if you don't have these on hand you will need to purchase them - but they are usually quite cheap).


Break the crayons into pieces (the children should enjoy this part!) and pile them according to color (again another time consumer!)


Then put wax paper on a cookie sheet and foil around the cookie cutters (if you don't use the foil the crayons won't stay in the cookie cutters.)



Place the cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until melted, and then place them in a freezer to cool (or in our case, out on the back porch!). The crayons should separate from the cookie cutter just enough that you can pop them out easily!

Now give the children time to color with their brand new homemade crayons and enjoy their new works of art!

Though I have very few crafty bones in my body, Genesis 1:26 says God made man in his own image. We see in God's creation the ultimate artistic display. I believe that this is why we find such joy as women when we create a beautiful scrapbook page, a sweet smelling dessert, a new set of curtains, or a bouquet of flowers. God has placed in our hearts a desire to be like him and create. As your children create with their hands, remind them of who the ultimate creator is. Remind them to create for God's glory.

Walk with the King!


*I found this fun craft over at : Me and Lu

Does Your Husband Trust You?

Word Filled Wednesday: Proverbs 31:11 "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value."

3 years ago, my husband had a year where he traveled for business extensively. I remember reassuring him that I could handle our then, 3 and 1 year old, just fine while he was gone. Though I was tempted to cry to him on the phone because of my longing for him, I wanted to support his business dreams. I freed him by giving him full confidence that I could manage the home and make wise decisions with the children while he was gone. It was not an easy time for me but this verse was my inspiration.

Proverbs says when a man has full confidence in his wife he lacks nothing of value. That means this character quality is of supreme importance. A husband who has a wife who is solid emotionally and spiritually can rest on his wife's steady support.

Can your husband trust you in these areas?

1. Money - Can he depend on you to spend it wisely?

2. Children - Can he trust you to train your children wisely?

3. Home - Can he trust you to run an orderly home?

4. Reputation - Can he trust you to not speak poorly of him behind his back?

5. Faithfulness - Can your husband trust you to not build emotional connections with other men?

6. Emotions - Can your husband trust you to be self-controlled when under pressure?

7. Choices - Can your husband trust you to make wise choices when urgent situations arise?

No one is perfect, we all make mistakes and I certainly have not always made the wisest choices. But I am striving to be a Proverbs 31 woman and the Proverbs 31 woman is a woman whose husband has full confidence in her. Does your husband have full confidence in you? If not, what areas can you change in your own life so you can gain this character quality?

Commit these areas to prayer and Walk with the King!

Book Review: The Busy Couple's Guide

America's Family Manager guru, Kathy Peel, has just published a brand new book titled "The Busy Couple's Guide to Sharing the Work and the Joy."

If you saw the Rachael Ray Segment with my husband and I, you saw that I do most of the home chores. So I decided to review this book for Tyndale Publishing because it'd give me a better understanding of what women go through who are sharing chores with their husbands.

The Bible clearly states that it is the woman's role to be the manager of her home. Titus 2 says women are to be "busy at home." I Timothy 5:14 says "So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander." And the Proverbs 31 woman is clearly the picture of a woman who has accepted her assignment to manage her home with joy!

So as I opened this book, I wasn't sure if I would agree with the premise. I gladly accept help from my husband, but never expect or demand it. I thought wow - it takes 220 pages to figure out who's managing the chores? If I wrote a book with this title, it'd be one page - the wife does it! I know that some of my thinking is faulty when applied to a working woman though. I think that it is necessary for the husband to help a working mom and to my great pleasure this book had excellent information that was less about who does what and more about communication in marriage.

Peel gives excellent insight on the many many tasks that must be accomplished in order for a family to run smoothly including: deciding priorities, time management, housekeeping, managing clutter, meals, finances, family relationships, intimacy (this lady scheduled intimate moments into her week! I like a scheduled gal!) celebrations and holidays.

Peel's main goal of the book is to see marriages communicating openly about each task rather than arguing. Though nearly everything on the list is in my domain and not "shared", I realized that my husband and I have talked about every single item in the book and have decided our priorities in each area together. We work together to have a smooth running household. And it confirmed to me that our communication is strong even if we are not "sharing" all the duties. I found this book encouraging and filled with rich tidbits that I can apply as the manager of my household. So in the end, I give it a thumbs up! If you are struggling with communication over household tasks, I think this book is a beneficial read!

Walk with the King!

*Thank you Tyndale Publishing for providing this complimentary book for me to review!

Do You Like Being a Wife?

I am joining Julie over at Come, Have a Peace for Marriage Mondays!

Last Wednesday, Oprah's topic was "Marriage Around the World", so I DVR'd it with interest. When Elizabeth Gilbert (Author of Eat, Pray, Love) came on, she shared her "insightful" view on marriage which Oprah endorsed. "She predicts the dawn of a new kind of American marriage that she dubbed the "wifeless marriage." "All my best friends want to be married," she said, "But none of them wants to be a wife. "That's because being a wife is a sucky job."(please excuse the foul word *The Washington Scene Website.)

Is this what we have come to in America? No one wants to be a wife? We now want "wifeless marriages"? This cultural lie is the underlying root of many of our marital troubles and will cause our daughters to fall into the pit of despair if we do not teach them this is false and from the enemy. This lie that a "wifeless marriage" is better than doing the job of a wife encourages our daughters to:

1. Cohabitate with the man they love, rather than marry him, thus breaking God's commands to not have relations outside of marriage.

2. If our daughters do marry, it discourages them from taking on the traditional role of a wife - remember it's a sucky job!

3. If our daughters do take on the traditional role of being a wife... there's a stigma. You have the job that nobody wants!

A "wifeless marriage" is a perverted view of the glorious role God has ordained women to hold in marriage! And it's a sad trend we face today as there are less wives now than there have ever been, due to cohabitation and divorce.

Do you like being a wife? Is it a precious title you hold? If you are married and you do not like this title, you WILL face marital troubles. Because your husband needs a wife, not another husband in the marriage.

According to Proverbs 31:10 - A good wife is of exceptional worth. We hold a vital role in the life of our husbands. God said in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good for a man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." There is nothing on earth more fulfilling than the intimacy I share with my husband and the day our wedding bells rang - I was thrilled to be receiving the title "wife".

I refuse to be scorned by this culture. The idea of a "wifeless marriage" causes social confusion, discontentment and dissatisfaction in women and I will not surrender to this fallacy! God created the woman with her heart rooted in helping her husband. He has given us the innate abilities to be caretakers and home builders and when a woman builds her house in wisdom and has a husband who like the Proverbs 31 woman, rises and calls her blessed she has achieved the finest accomplishment on earth for God's glory.

So wives, embrace your noble and holy role and do not surrender to the enemy's lies!

Walk with the King!

Check out other Marriage Monday posts here and Fresh Year Fresh Start posts here.

Hope for Haiti

Did you wake up today in a warm bed? Many Haitians slept on the streets last night.

Did you head to your fridge and find a cold drink there? Did you turn on your faucet and water come out? Many Haitians are thirsty.

Do you have food in your pantry? Many Haitians are hungry.

Do you have band aids in your medicine closet? Many Haitians are bleeding without bandages.

Do these pictures bother you? They bother me too. Many of my troubles seem to fade away when I look at the magnitude of troubles these people are facing right this very moment. It seems that we are so far from the country of Haiti. What can we do?


1. Offer a prayer today for those who are suffering.


2. Go to the Hope for Haiti Website. I have joined a group of mommy bloggers there. I have donated 2 books for one winner: "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper and "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. To enter the giveaway donate just $1! If these do not interest you - check out the other giveaways and do what you can for those who are suffering right this minute!


Jesus said in Matthew 25..."For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me...Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Walk with the King!

Is Anybody Listening To Me?

Have you ever stood in your house and wondered - knock knock knock "Hello - is anybody listening to me?" The other day I sat the children down to give daddy a call at work on our speaker phone. As we began to talk to daddy, the one child could hardly wait to talk and was butting in. I told the child to be quiet and listen to the conversation. Finally, it was this child's turn to talk to daddy. While this child talked - the other one got up and began to spin in circles. I quickly sat that child back down and said "listen to the conversation". Then I started to talk to daddy and there was silence on the other end - "are you there?" I said. "Yes, I'm listening." He answered. And right there I had an epiphany!

Everyone in the world just wants to be heard. We want someone to listen to us when we talk and if we are going to have peace in our home, we need to fine tune our listening skills!

Last Friday I shared My Personal Word of the Year. This week, I have chosen a theme "word of the year" for my family and the word is "Listen".

We need to practice Listening to God. The children need to work on listening to mommy and daddy. My husband and I need to work on listening to the children (we are not exempt from the family goal - the children need to know we are humbly working on this too!) and we all need to work on showing Christ's love to the world by listening to others outside of our family more.

Psalm 5: 3 it says, "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice (God is listening); in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Every morning my children come to me in my office and they give me a morning stale kiss and messy haired hug. I love my morning kiss and hugs and can't imagine what it would be like if they woke and didn't care to come see me. If they just carried on with the day as if I didn't exist. I'm afraid that all to often we do this to God. We wake and carry on with our day before we sit down and listen to God in his word. And talk with him in prayer. God is there, ready to listen to us and we must strive to emulate our Savior who is always listening to us. Take time today to listen - first to God, then your family and then to others outside of your family.

Walk with the King!

How To Be a Treasure To Your Husband

Word Filled Wednesday:
Proverbs 31: 10 - "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."

A noble wife is rare and extraordinary - just like a ruby! A noble wife is a treasure to her husband - just like a ruby! Do you want to be extraordinary and a treasure to your husband? Then we need to learn to possess a NOBLE character!

Last week we began our walk through Proverbs 31 together. For the next 20 weeks on Wednesdays, we will look at the characteristics of a noble woman. So let me tell you what a wife of noble character does not look like!

1. She does not rival her husband.

2. She does not mope around and complain about her housework.

3. She does not overspend and put her family into debt.

4. She is not bored, discontent, greedy or selfish.

5. She does not gossip and slander others.

6. She does not spend her days doing leisurely shopping, texting, emailing, web browsing, watching late night movies, and sleeping in.

7. She does not criticize, mock, or disrespect her husband.

8. She does not have children and a husband who embarrass her.

9. She does not let her outer beauty takes precedence over her inner beauty.

10. She does not take God's word lightly.

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is rare! And when she is found - her value is priceless! She is a treasure to her husband! I want to be that ruby! In order to become like the Proverbs 31 woman, we must humble ourselves and see our flaws. We must be willing to change some things - our attitudes, our thought patterns, our work ethic, our words, and what we spend our time on. But by God's grace, you can become a woman of noble character! So for today, begin by evaluating yourself against the list above. Which character quality are you weak in? Pray and ask God for the strength to change in 2010!

Walk with the King!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

This is a fun recipe to take to a social!!! This cheeseball is NOT an appetizer - it's a dessert! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball Recipe:
8 oz. Cream cheese
1/2 c. butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. confectioners sugar
1 pkg. mini chocolate chips, divided



Beat the first 3 ingredients together. Then add the sugar and 3/4 of the chocolate chips. Form the mixture into a ball and chill.



Once chilled, roll the ball in the remaining chocolate chips. Serve with Wheat Thins or Graham Cracker Sticks. Delicious!


I am participating in Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday, Dining With Debbie , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Tuesdays at the Table recipe exchanges. For more blogger recipes go to these links.


Walk with the King!

I am SO Tired!

"I am so tired." Are those words that you think quite commonly? Me too!

I read a crazy statistic that said "In 1850 Americans crawled into bed at a reasonable hour and slept an average of 9.5 hours a night. By 1910, half the country had electricity, but our recent ancestors were still breathing evenly with their eyes closed, on average, nine hours a night. By 1950 an average night's sleep decreased to 8 hours. And by 2008, Americans, on average, go 6.5 hours of sleep a night." - Kathy Peel - America's Family Manager

We are a sleep deprived nation. How do you think that is affecting our marriages, our parenting and our homemaking? I would go out on a limb and say that it is effecting them negatively. It is much more difficult to be patient when we feel tired. It is much more difficult to be consistent in training our children when we feel tired. It is much more difficult to be "joyful in all circumstances" when we are tired.

So what do we do? We must make sleep a priority. We must learn to manage ourselves more wisely! Ephesians 5:15,16 says "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

Evaluate your hours in the day and consider:

1. Do I often stay up late watching television or reading on the computer? Technology is stealing our sleep.

2. Have I set up routines in my life that save time. Do you waste time trying to figure out what is for dinner or trying to find a lost piece of paper. Do you procrastinate and do all your housework in one day? Read my weekly routine here.

3. Do you view your time as precious? Just as we spend money - we spend time. We have a limited amount of time in the day - just 24 hours. Are you budgeting your time like you budget your money - wisely?

4. We've got to disconnect. When evening falls and it is nearing your bedtime - we need to disconnect from facebook, message boards, texting and any other technology that will steal your sleep. If this is hard for you - set a timer (I've been using my cell phone alarm) and when it goes off - disconnect! Here's a great blog post that I read today - titled "Taming Technology"

5. Choose a bedtime goal and strive to be there every night. It is best for your body if you attempt to go to bed around the same time 7 nights a week.

Start the new year out right by letting yourself have an early bedtime tonight. Put the kids to bed and then you go to bed too! If you wake too early enjoy the quiet morning with a cup of coffee and your Bible. Your family will be blessed by receiving the gift of a well rested wife and mommy.

Walk with the King!