Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Provide and Protect ~ a Prayer For My Children

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Provide and Protect - a Prayer For My Children

It used to be me. Or so I thought.

When they were little, I was the one who provided everything they needed and protected them from anything that might hurt them. I set up their routines and walked them away from situations that were too much for their young hearts to handle. I set the boundaries, set the stage, set out the activities. I said yes, said no, said too much, said too little, said things wrong, said things right, and said it will all be okay. I was in charge. I was in control. I was the one.

Or so I thought.

They’re big now. They are amazing and skilled and smart and fun, and one by one, they are launching. Their steps are becoming their own; their thoughts and behaviors are less and less a result of my commands and instruction and more and more a brave leap of their own long-legged independence.

My prayer is no longer crafted out of the ideas on my own heart. Recognition of truth has left me with very few words. I know little about tomorrow. You are the One who knows your Kingdom plans for my kids. I’m simply the one whose heart longs for their good and for their walk to be on the path you’ve carved for them.

I’m not who I once thought I was.

I’m not their provider. I’m not their protector. I’m a huge part of their life on this earth, but I’m only their mother. I’m the one God gave them to show them love and guidance. But you, God. You are the One who knows what they need and how to provide.

This is what I ask of you:

Protect

Protect them, Lord. Protect them from people who do not have their best interests in mind, from people who are self-seeking and heartless, from people who will hurt them.

Protect them from apathy. Protect them from becoming self-centered, self-seeking, self-deprecating, and self-motivated. Provide them the heart to lay aside self in order to seek You.

Provide

Provide for them, Lord. Provide people to encourage and hold them accountable, to build them up and make them stronger, to inspire and challenge them to be more like Christ. It takes a village. Build it strong and high and full.

Provide my children with confidence and skill, tools and words to get themselves out of any situation that would be harmful to them in any way. Provide them with the confidence to do right and strength to flee from wrong.

Provide everything they need, because You are the One who knows precisely what that means.

Do what I cannot do. I trust you with my children.

Thank you for the blessing and honor of being Mom to my sons. How cool of you to give me my four favorites. How wise of you to grow me along with them. How gentle of you to hold us so gracefully. How perfect of you to love us so consistently.

To my boys:

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

 

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That One Time I Handed Out Knives to All My Kids

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It is a real thing that once your kids know how to cook, you can holler at them at meal prep time and say, “Hey, I need you to go cook dinner for us tonight please.” Then you can go about your business of running other household tasks while your children efficiently cook a meal.

It’s one of the coolest things ever, and I’m not just talking about handing them boxes of mac-and-cheese.

As the mom of four sons currently ages 11, almost 14, almost 16, and 18 – all of whom can cook at various skill levels – I can’t say enough about the importance of teaching your kids to cook. Is it easier to just go into the kitchen and do it yourself? When the kids are younger, absolutely. There were many times I banned all my little boys from the room so I could just get it done. But allow me to remind you about sentence number one up there. Our kids need to know how to cook! It is worth taking the effort to teach them to cook when they are young so that when they are older they can wait on you hand and foot (and also feed themselves well and all that).

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Boy #2 always walked around on the counter-top (close to the stove) while cooking.
He has grown out of this habit. We are grateful.

It’s been fun to revisit some pictures of my little cooking angels from back in the day. For some teenage reason, they don’t like me to take pictures of them cooking now. I mean, I think they’re still cute when they’re slicing and scrambling, but they usually say something about “hair not fixed” and “really, Mom?” so I put the camera away and let them go about their boiling and chopping. But cooking with these little guys has led to being cooked for by big guys, so I’ll just treasure it in my heart and leave my camera in my office.

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My children with knives…

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Walking on the counter-top by the stove aside, let’s talk about kitchen safety. Knives are almost always involved in cooking. There are so many questions about this! At what age is it safe to give kids a knife? What is the best way to teach them to cut safely? What should they be allowed to cut?

At this point in the mind of a parent, we get too scared to risk it and banish the kids from the kitchen (to play in the street). It seems safer.

Don’t give way to fear, and don’t hide the knives! You simply need to teach your kids how to use a knife safely. Just released today, here’s a fantastic, inexpensive tool for us!

Katie from Kitchen Stewardship put together a Knife Skills Training for Kids Video Series. In fact, she has put together an entire, incredible eCourse on teaching kids to cook because she is nothing short of amazing. Through January 18, Katie is kicking off her eCourse by offering this Knife Skills Training course for FREE!

Malachi (my 11-year old) and I just signed up and watched Video #1 from start to finish. It is super! I love how Katie put catchy names to the different knife safety rules and methods to help kids remember the safe way to hold and use knives. (My favs are Top Chop and Up and Over Soldier – you have to watch the video to know what these are and to see how her methods make so much sense!) She created free downloadable flashcards to use along with the lesson too.

Malachi ended up taking the entire Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. It has been a game changer at our house! I can’t say enough good about it.

Want a freebie?

Sign up here to get a great little booklet filled with great (healthy!) snacks kids can make themselves!

This is how we work ourselves out of a job, help our kids appreciate the hard work it takes to prepare a meal, and keep all their fingers intact. Join me?

What have been your experiences with your kids in the kitchen?

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Cute Clothes and Encouragement. Hey, Moms! This is For You!!

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You know those days when you’ve been up-and-at-em for hours – but you still haven’t made it back to your room to actually get dressed? And then how on that very day someone drops by and gets to see you in your jammies? And then later that same morning someone else stops by and you’re still in your jammies, but by then you’re like, Whatever. At least I brushed my teeth.

Yeah, that happened to me this morning. It actually happens often around here. I know the whole “get dressed down to the shoes when you first get up in the morning” advice works well for many and would help me avoid meeting people at the door in my fleece polka-dot pants – but that method simply doesn’t work for me. I roll out of bed early and seek quiet time in my chair with God right away (necessary so that I won’t commit murder later in the day or otherwise think that the success of my day is up to me alone). Then I make breakfast. Then we start school. Then I work out. I really don’t want to get dressed for the day until after I’ve had my workout.

For some reason I thought maybe you needed to know all of this.

Anyway, the two people who stopped by today both happen to be dear friends who think I’m adorable in my pj’s, and by that I mean that they love me no matter how silly I look. So now let’s talk about clothes and how hard moms work (because this segue it just makes sense).

Fun and Encouragement For You!

I feel no guilt about jammie pants at 10:30am, and if I wanted, most days could be yoga pant days or the like because we school from home and I work from home. Clothing is optional (well not that kind of optional – oh, you know what I mean). But I’ve noticed a big difference in yoga pants days vs. cute jeans days – in my mood, in my productivity, in how I interact with my husband – everything. I like dressing in actual clothes (after my morning routine, workout, blah blah blah). Cute clothes are fun. 

Ladies – I’m not going to go completely “do this because you’re worth it” on you. But I am going to suggest that there is a lot to be said about taking care of ourselves in all kinds of ways. Eat well, drink water, exercise, spend time with Jesus, and most days – try to put on a cute outfit.

Cute is relative. Your cute is your cute – so you rock that cute outfit, girlfriend! Be comfy (oh my goodness, be comfy), but go for the cuteness. It can be a game changer in your day!

Agree? Disagree? What have you noticed about your day depending on what you’ve chosen to wear?

Free Clothes For You!

Guess what? I just learned of a way you can get something cute and fun and just for you – for free (plus shipping, which is a flat $5.99 no matter how much you order).

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I’ve been shopping at ThredUp for two or three years now for gently used kids clothes. A year or so ago, they added women’s clothes!! You guys, I’ve gotten two pairs of my very favorite jeans (which would normally be about $80 – are you kidding me?) for a huge discount!!

Finding jeans that fit well is hard (can I get an amen?) so I actually tried on a pair of the pricey ones at the store, and wouldn’t you know it? They fit amazingly well. I waited until they went on sale before I got them, plus I had a coupon, but I still paid more than I wanted. But did I mention that they fit??

Well anyway, after I knew what brand I liked, I started scoping out ThredUp for that brand in my size. Not only have I found two pairs at an enormous discount – they were brand new with tags!!! Oh yeah, by the way – not everything is used at ThredUp. You can search through all the brand new items and score big-time!

Now that you’ve all suffered through hearing about my polka-dot pj’s and my discounted jeans, would you like to hear about what you can get for free? (Thank you for your patience.)

ThredUp is offering new referrals $10 off your first and second purchases!! (That’s a total of $20 worth of free clothing for you, just in case you’re still in your pj’s and can’t do math yet.) You can absolutely use this credit for your kids, but just know that there is a lovely selection of women’s clothing, maternity, and even accessories for you to pick from for yourself.

So here’s my referral link – go get your free credit! Come back here and tell me what you picked out – even if it’s yoga pants. :)

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The Only Thing I Know About Parenting

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The only thing I know about parenting….

The Only Thing I Know About Parenting

What do you do when your kids disobey? When they are picky eaters? When they aren’t sleeping well? When they are defiant? When they aren’t getting along with one another? When their attitudes are ugly? When they make poor decisions? When they talk back? When they don’t talk enough? When they ask hard questions?

You know what I thought when I was a kid? I thought my parents knew all the answers. They were the grown-ups. Grown-ups knew all of everything.

Now that I have been a parent for 18 years and have had to answer too many hard questions while raising four uniquely amazing individuals, I know the truth. I won’t speak for every parent, but here’s what I know about myself: I’m winging it here. I mostly don’t know what I’m doing. There are too many decisions and too many difficult questions. My answer all too often is a solid I…don’t…know.

I felt this when each of my kids were babies, when they were toddlers, when they were preschoolers, when they were elementary age, in middle school, turning teenager, becoming more independent, and now I’m excited to begin learning what it means to be a mom of a kid adult in college. Throw into the mix that what works for one does not necessarily work for the others because of that blessed thing we call individuality. This leads me to share what I do know about parenting – the only thing I know.

God has to do this for me. Not with me. For me. Thinking that God is merely by my side on my parenting journey leads me to believe the lie that I must be more than I was created to be. Instead, I can confidently embrace the fullness of who He is as sovereign Lord of my children. God, be for my sons all that I cannot. Protect them, lead them, teach them. They are yours. I trust you.

I am very willing to be God’s tool in this process because these babes are my very heart beat. My love for them is fierce, which matches my insatiable desire to see them grow humbly into Christlike servants, leaders, spouses, and parents.

As with everything else I do in life, as I walk this parenting road, my confidence cannot be in my self. When I find myself at a loss with how to wisely and consistently parent my sons, wondering where I am and how in the world I got here, this is when I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

It is this place that I recognize that God has a plan for each of my children and He will carry it out. This is where I remember that my job is to love them, care for them, and train them – but not save them or attempt to be God to them. This is when I realize that I am to point my children to the One who saves – to the God who has good works prepared in advance for them – to the Savior who already won the victory for them.

I parent best when I’m on my knees. I say the right words when I’m letting the Spirit speak. I love my children fully when I embrace the Truth of the One who loved us first.

When we ask for wisdom, He provides. When we surrender, He reigns. When we let God, He is.

That is what I know.

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Some Of Our Favorite Books

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This post was originally posted in October, 2013. Our kids are older now but this list of books is still our favorite!

Books, books, the magical fruit. The more you read, the more you…

Oh wait. Wrong poem.  Sometimes I get confused. Although I’m sure if I threw that poem starter out to my boys, they’d be sure to finish it with something creative. And by creative, I mean gross.

I am excited to share that all four of our boys are now all independent readers. It was a little slow in coming for our youngest, who is now a 3rd grader. But late this summer, it all clicked for him. He now loves reading! Last week he said, “I can’t believe math used to be my favorite. Now reading is so much fun!” Awesome – just what I love to hear. (Although you still have to do your math, Buddy.)

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Our Family’s Favorite Books

Boxcar Children Books
These books were some of my favorites when I was little. (You know I had my very own boxcar, right? Okay, it wasn’t my very own. I shared it with my cousins.)  All of our boys have loved the Boxcar Children books, and now I am reading them to Malachi (age 8). Elias (age 11) has already read most of these books, but sits in to listen when he can, because who can resist?

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Ralph Moody Books

We read through most of the books in this series (as a family) a year ago, and now I’m having my two older boys read the last few on their own. What I love most about these books is that they show how important it is to be a hard worker, how much fun it can be to work together as a family, and how if you put your mind to it – you can always find a way to provide. I am so inspired by these books, and my boys love the adventure aspect they include.

Books by Clyde Robert Bulla

These are the first chapter books our boys have read. We have about eight of them on Malachi’s shelf this year – and he’s made his way through two of them already. I love that Clyde Robert Bulla keeps his vocabulary simple and easy to read – all while teaching history and making his books fun and intriguing. When I pulled these books out for Malachi, all three of his brothers said, “Oh, he gets to read those this year? Malachi, you will love them.” I love hearing the boys talk together about books they’ve all read.

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Ramona the Pest Series

Malachi pulled his first Ramona book off the shelf this year, too. So far he’s loving it, just like his brothers did. I read this series several times when I was younger. It’s so much fun re-reading these books with my kids.

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Christian Heroes Books

I can’t say enough good about all of the Christian Heroes: Then and Now books by Janet and Geoff Benge. We’ve actually decided to use about 15 of these books this year to go along with our History/Geography studies with Justus, Elias, and Malachi. What better way to study the culture and history of a country than to learn about missionaries who worked there? These books are so well written and inspiring!

I also have to share that as we reach the end of each book, Justus (age 13) likes to point out, “You know Mom, this is the chapter when the missionary dies and you cry.” Pshaw.  Okay, fine. So I cry at the end of all of these (and the Ralph Moody Books, and just about every other book I read aloud to the boys). I can’t help it.

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In addition to these sets of books, our three older boys are all reading lots of books from the Sonlight reading lists for their grade level. Asa (a junior in high school) is reading some Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, The Hiding Place (you MUST read this!), and quite a few others Sonlight recommends.

What books are you and your kids reading these days?  I know I’m not the only mom who cries at the end of a good book. Help me out here – do you get choked up when you’re reading books to your kids?

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How I Plan To Keep My Kids Reading This Summer

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All four of our boys enjoy reading. However, we often find that summertime lends itself to a more flexible or on-the-go schedule which sometimes makes us forget about important activities like reading books (and combing hair).

Last summer we tried offering a fun reading challenge that worked amazingly well. Why wouldn’t it? There were rewards involved.

How did it work? We kept it simple. For every five hours each child read, they received a reward. These were inexpensive and sometimes even free. But they are rare treats for our kids – so they picked up a book frequently.

Keep The Kids Reading This Summer

This summer, our three older boys will be gone more than they are home (mission trip, church camp, church camp, and church camp). During the few weeks they are home, they will be more than welcome to take part in this. However, it is our 10 year-old that is really diving in and taking the challenge. Summer Reading Challenge

I created a fun chart for Malachi – which he promptly put on the fridge. (Again, the other boys will take part too – they just don’t have enough weeks during the summer to warrant a chart.)

Here are some of the rewards we’re offering for 5 hours of reading time:

  • Pick a movie from Redbox.
  • Get an ice cream cone from Runza (89¢ – yes, I can handle that
  • Pick something from the dollar store
  • Go to Captain Red Beard’s with Mom (this is our local coffee shop)
  • Lego surprise ($4.00 mini-figure) You wouldn’t believe how much this motivates Malachi to get to the 5th week of reading 5 hours (25 hours total).
  • Choose a meal for Mom or Dad to make
  • Choose a dessert for Mom or Dad to make
  • Choose a board game (from our stash) for a family game night

If by chance Malachi reads more than five hours in a week, he will be allowed to move on to “the next week.” This chart is flexible because our summer is flexible.

I created two “open” charts for you to download, print, and fill in with rewards that will motivate your own kids if you like.

Summer Reading Challenge Printable Download and Print Summer Reading Challenge Printable 1

Summer Reading Challenge Printable 2

Download and Print Summer Reading Challenge Printable 2

Below is a chart without the “weeks” filled in so that you can make it work to meet your needs:

Summer Reading Challenge Blank 2

Download and Print Summer Reading Challenge Blank Printable

How do your kids do with reading in the summertime? Do they need extra motivation or do they naturally pick up a book and go for it?

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6 (Dozen) Ways I’m Going to Keep My Kids Busy This Summer

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We usually begin our school year the first week of August and finish the final week of April. Do you know what this means? This means our family has only one week of school left for this year! Summer break, here we come!

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Raise your hand if you feel like I do: Summer break is really for mothers and teachers. The kids think it’s for them. They have no idea. #lovehomeschooling #needabreather

Our older boys have big plans for several weeks this summer to go on a state-side mission trip and then to attend several weeks of church camp. We’ll go swimming as much as possible (hello, sunshine, I love you so much ~ xoxoxo). We have a family reunion around the 4th of July. We have friends visiting from out of state part of June/July. How is there any time free to do anything other than be on the run (and in the sun ~ xoxoxo)?

Oh trust me. There’s time. See, it’s my 10 year old and my 13 year old that have more downtime than the others. They spend time with friends and help out around the house, but I find it beneficial to…shall we say…put a little routine and creativity into their downtime. Otherwise my 13 year old who shall remain nameless would either:

  • find ways to torture his 10 year old brother which will thus torture me or
  • try to get away with sitting in a chair with his iPod playing games all the live long day.

The summer break rule is: No electronics until after 3pm and then there is a time limit (which varies depending on the day). What’s to keep the boys from getting on each other’s nerves? Oh just look at the ways…

6 Dozen Ways I Plan to Keep My Kids Busy This Summer

1. Summer Reading Challenge

We did this last summer and the boys loved it. Prizes for reading? What’s not to love? I’m working on another blog post to share all the (very inexpensive) details of this fun challenge. Stay tuned.

2. Service Challenge

With school work set aside, there are more opportunities to look outward. The boys will be serving at church camp with us later this summer, but while we’re home I plan to have them jot ideas and be on the look-out for ways they can help others. Will there be prizes for this like in our Reading Challenge? No. But sometimes “coming up with and executing as many ideas as we can” is incentive enough for my competitive boys. Hey, whatever helps them learn to see other people’s needs.

3. Host Friends

I love that the boys are old enough to make plans with friends and execute the plans without much help from me. They can come up with activities like Movie Nights, Cook Outs, Flag Football, Watermelon Feed, Blow Up a Bunch of Money in our Yard (otherwise known as come over after church on Wednesday night during 4th of July week and bring whatever fireworks you want to shoot off) – the ideas are endless. We love it when the boys invite their friends over. The more, the merrier. Just keep the door closed so the mosquitoes won’t come in.

4. Get Creative in the Kitchen

I have found that summer break is the perfect time to let my boys tinker around with fun recipe ideas. It’s not always food, either. Sometimes they make non-edibles like homemade modeling clay or flubber. Or they make funky popsicles. Or they do something weird with chocolate bars or cheese sticks. Whatever gets them creative and keeps them busy.

5. Board Games

Our family loves games and has shelves full of them. During the school year, it’s hard to find time to play. I cannot wait to pull out our favorites and make up for lost time.

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As you can see, the ideas within each of the ideas are limitless. And if boredom still creeps in, there are always windows to wash and gardens to hoe.

How are you planning to keep your kids busy and productive this summer?

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What I’m Learning About Natural Home Remedies

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I’m currently taking the Parent’s Guide to Natural Remedies online course. You guys. I can’t tell you how good this is. I really don’t have time right now to get wrapped up in this course (because hello graduation party, speaking engagement, end of the school year, everyday life, and many summer plans staring me right in the face). But every day or so, I pull up the course and click on another module to listen to – and I can’t stop listening. This information is incredibly helpful to me.

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I’ve been trying to take some notes as I go. This is a crack up because I can’t write and listen at the same time because I’m afraid I’m going to miss more good information. Thankfully, I can go back and listen to and read the info over and over in this course.

I love being empowered to try home remedies first – before heading straight to the doctor. As the creators of Natural Home Remedies say, we know our kids better than any doctor. BUT, I also love that these ladies share information about when we DO need to take our kids in for doctor’s help. That’s always one of my biggest question marks. How much to treat at home…when to take them in. This course answers that. I’m loving this.

Here are some of the notes I’ve been scratching down. (But I can’t share all the specifics because the information in the Online Course isn’t mine to give out freely.)

~ Fever is Your Friend

I knew some of this already, but I didn’t know how much a fever kicks those healing white blood cells into gear. We should watch our kids’ energy level more than their temperature. Caution flags should go up with babies and when kids get dehydrated. Many more details are given in the course about what to watch for and how to treat.

~ There Are Many Reasons to Avoid Tylenol

Throw out the tylenol. Throw it out, throw it out, throw it out. I knew it wasn’t good, but I had no idea how bad it was. Wow. I’m so glad to know all this information from someone so studied and knowledgeable. Tylenol keeps the body from doing what it needs to do. It’s too easy to overdose, which really hurts the liver.

~ Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream.

It’s just like eating food. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. What a great way to help determine the safety of skin products and treatments. (Although I think an exception to this is essential oils. I don’t take them orally, but they are wonderful to put on the skin so they can absorb and get to work.)

~ A Urinary Tract Infection does not automatically mean you need an antibiotic.

There are natural ways to treat these at home first like unsweetened cranberry juice and chamomile tea, plus essential oils and more.

~ Be empowered to know the right questions to ask if/when you take your children to the pediatrician. 

Yes. Thank you. The information shared in these modules helps so much with this.

~ There are many, many options for helping treat ear infections that do not involve antibiotics.

But you might begin with these two ideas before trying anything else: chiropractic care and cutting out dairy. If your child continues to have trouble, then try the many homeopathic remedies mentioned or treatments from a natural doctor.

~ Homeopathy is treatment that works with the body to help the body do what it is already trying to do to heal itself.

I guess I never heard a definition before. I know our bodies were made to heal themselves, and that sometimes when we’re sick we need a little help. I love knowing that homeopathic treatments simply give the body a boost of what it needs so that healing can occur when our bodies are weak.

What I'm Learning About Natural Home Remedies

This Course is incredibly professional, completely thorough, and wonderfully helpful for parents. I am so grateful to have all this information available. The cost for A Parent Guide to Natural Home Remedies is regularly $99, and is well worth that price because of all it includes. I can’t imagine how much money we can all save by practicing all of these home remedies and avoiding doctor bills. Plus, having all this information at our fingertips?? Priceless.

What are your favorite home remedies to use? 

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Dear Parents, You Are Awesome!

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curriculum story 14

The messages can play over and over in our heads like a broken record. (If you don’t know what a broken record is, just…never mind. They came before 8-Track Tapes. Which came before Cassette Tapes. Which came before CDs. I actually remember them. I played my Partidge Family record over and over until it broke.)  #childofthe70s

So, broken records. In our heads, they can sound something like this as we parent our children:

  • I’m not doing enough…doing enough…doing enough…doing enough…
  • I’m inconsistent…inconsistent…inconsistent…inconsistent…
  • Other parents do it so much better…better…better…better…
  • Why can’t I get it right…right…right…right….

Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. What you are right about is this:  You will never be a perfect parent. You are human. You have weaknesses. <— Welcome to the Land of Normal. I’ve been living here a long time. At first, I though it was the Land of Crazy. Then, God reminded me that He is my strength, and that in my weakness, I am never alone. It’s the Land of Normal – also known as the land of I Desperately Need Jesus.

Why you are a beautiful parent is because of this:  You work hard. You pray. You ask God to help you raise your children. You strive to be better. You love your kids so much you can’t see straight. You are intentional. You seek wisdom. You recognize your need to let others help. You are a wonderful, beautiful parent.

Truly, you are awesome. Every one of you.

Allow your mind to see some snap-shots of your day. Not the ones where you didn’t measure up to your perfect parenting standards. Ain’t nobody got time to focus on regrets.  See the snap-shots of your beautiful moments. The moments you poured a glass of milk and she slurped it up. The moments you read him a favorite book for the 56th time. The moments you did something mundane like shake out the rug and put it back on the floor. The moments you kissed a cheek, wiped snot off a nose, and enjoyed listening to a belly laugh. The moments you listened to a song with your teenager. The moments you got the laundry to the dryer before it got sour. The moments you said, “Good job.”

Your days are full of beautiful moments. How do I know this? Because I know that is how God works. Because He is in our lives, there is goodness. He is all things goodness. He works and lives through you. This is how I know you’re awesome. This is how I know of the beauty that pours out of your home.

I applaud you, Parents. I give you a high five and a fist bump. I cheer you on, knowing that you are cheering me on, too. We parent confidently, because the secret is out: We have Superpowers. We’re strongest when we’re on our knees.

Praise God for the way He works through you as you raise your kids! He is good, He brings all things good, He works all things together for good.

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I’m excited to share with you some snap-shots sent in from beautiful parents like you:

Renee emailed to say, “Thank you for the wonderful Learn your Letters, Learn to Serve curriculum! Today we had so much fun making church, cross, and our own creativity cutout cookies! Can you guess the letter? Your time, effort, and ideas are wonderful! 

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We are truly loving the flow and approach to this curriculum. It’s been fun to use it as a foundation and then adapt to our family. We ended up giving a handful of cookies to the church workers then as our service. The little learner is Liliana, our oldest of two, and she is three. On to D….”

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Natasha shared, “I did ‘A’ with my little two year old and decided it was way too much work for ME at this point for his retention level, so I’ll have a go at it next year. BUT we had already been memorizing verses, so for MY retention we are doing the alphabet sequence [from Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve].

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He’s got down through “C” already plus the ones we had already done. It’s so precious to hear his little voice try to say, “anxiety” (1 peter 5:7) and then “Because he cares for YOU!” And then he ALWAYS adds, “cares for ME. Me and you.”

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I love hearing testimonies about how Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve is blessing your family. I love hearing that you’re getting your kids in the kitchen to teach them how to cook. I love, love, love hearing how you’re teaching them Jesus and teaching them to serve others!!!

We want to bless all of you with this super low price on our parenting resources! Regularly $78, we are excited to offer this package for just $49.00:

~ Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve 183 page complete downloadable curriculum kit for early learners, $45.00 value
~ Teaching Your Kids to Cook 111 page downloadable guide and cookbook, $12.00 value
~ What to Do With the Kids in Your Kitchen recipe eBook, $5.95 value
~ Heavenly Homemakers Guide to Holiday Hospitality for Kids eBook, $6.95 value
~ Fill ‘em Up Bible Lessons and eCookbook, $5.95 value
~ “Be Imitators” Kid Character Chart, $2.95 value

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Bless Your Parenting Packet 2

$78.80
$49.00

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Be blessed! Be empowered! Be encouraged! You are an awesome parent. Continue to let God do His work through you for your children!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Raising Thoughtful, Hardworking, Servant-Hearted Kids

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You know those kids who don’t think about others, who pout when they don’t get their way, and who sometimes are not even a little bit aware that the world does not revolve around them?

Yeah, those are my kids.

But kids nothin’. That’s me too (all 41 years of me) when I forget what I know to be true. Indeed, God made us in His image, then Satan swooped in and works to destroy all that is good. We are, our kids are, all of us are in a battle. Jesus already won the victory (shout hallelujah!) but Satan works all the harder to win anyway (ever heard the definition of crazy?).

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You know those kids who speak politely when spoken to, who aren’t afraid to visit with the older folks at church, who run up ahead to get the door for the lady carrying a box, who happily join the leave-raking crew with the youth group, who sit by the one no one else seems to notice, who remember that their mama likes purple wild flowers and grabs a handful for her whenever possible?

Yeah, those are my kids.

Our boys don’t always get along (see first paragraph). They are not always excited to clean out the dishwasher (see first paragraph). They sometimes do things that make me wonder who in the world raised them and what in the world they could possibly be thinking when they did such a thing (Lord, help us).

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But after lunch today, as Asa left for his college class he hollered back, “Thanks for lunch, Mom! It was really good.” After church last week, Malachi ran up and hugged one of our ministers and told him he loved him. While we picked apples recently, Justus grabbed the ladder and climbed up so his brothers and I could have the easier job. When the compost bucket overflowed this morning, spilling tomato guts all over the floor, Matt asked Elias to please clean it up before starting school – and he did it…without a complaint, even though he hates tomatoes and their guts.

Oh my dear fellow parents. Our jobs are not easy. In fact, let us, in unison, throw ourselves down onto the carpet as we sprawl out in full surrender. Raising kids is hard – harder than I ever thought, imagined, or read about in books. But we are not alone.  We have each other, and more importantly, we serve a God who loves our children like none other. God wants our kids’ hearts, and we can be sure that He is fighting for them. Isn’t that the best parenting news you’ve heard…ever? (Remember this truth the next time your child disobeys you for the 82nd time in one hour. Keep on it, Mama. God’s on your side.)

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I have something for you.

See, my kids are mostly big now. Two out of four of them have man voices, and the third is working on his with an occasional crack. Our car insurance rate is growing in scary ways as more drivers of the teen boy variety are being added to our policy. This is where we are now. Car insurance rates aside, I love this place.

It’s easy for me to reflect back on when our boys were little and have regrets about what I wish I would have done differently and better. This is a wonderful way to waste time and be miserable, but do feel free to join me in this activity if you enjoy unproductive awfulness.

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I have not parented perfectly, mostly because I’m clueless most of the time and because of that Satan swooping in thing I mentioned above. Welcome to being human, Laura (and everyone else). God is ever gracious and my kids are very forgiving. Here’s how I know this about my kids. While I’ve been busy crying over all my parenting imperfections, here are some recent conversations my boys have started around our dinner table:

  • “Remember those charts we used to have on the fridge? The ones with the stars or fruit? That was a good idea, Mom. I used to love those.”
  • “Oh I remember the girl you’re talking about. We took a toy to her on ‘Tt Week‘ when I was little. That was really fun.”
  • “I used to love it when we made Monkey Bread. I always wanted to be the one to punch the dough.”
  • “My favorite Blue’s Clues episode was the one where they made the banana bread, and I don’t even like bananas. I just like food. Good thing you like cooking with us, Mom.”

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True story. And here I thought they’d surely be offering statements like:

  • “Mom, remember those times you yelled at me and it wasn’t even my fault?”
  • “Mom, remember how busy you were those times I wanted you to sit down and play a game with me?”
  • “Mom, remember how many times you’ve failed me and why I’m going to need counseling and be bitter toward you forever??!!?”

God is so much bigger than you and I!!! Not only that…our kids are amazing! Remember these truths as you parent your babes. You focus on loving them and being Christ-like. The rest will all fall into place. I wish I would have understood this earlier.

So here’s what I have for you. Most of these resources have been available on my site for a very long time. They’ve blessed our family so much – more than I ever realized based on our boys’ teenage hearts looking back at their little boy days. (Thank you, God, for making those convos happen over the past few weeks. You knew my heart needed to hear it.)

I’ve heard from many of you that our Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve curriculum has been a blessing as you’re teaching your kids academic basics and more importantly, the heart of service. I’ve heard how much you’ve enjoyed our Character Charts. I’ve heard how much you’ve loved time in the kitchen with your kids as you teach them cooking skills.

I also know that for some of you, money is holding you back from enjoying these ready-made resources. This week, we’re putting together a package we pray will be a great big blessing to your family – financially, spiritually, and parentingly (don’t forget, I make up words). Check it out…

Bless Your Parenting Packet 2

$78.80
$49.00

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The “Bless Your Parenting” Packet includes:

~ Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve 183 page complete downloadable curriculum kit for early learners, $45.00 value
~ Teaching Your Kids to Cook 111 page downloadable guide and cookbook, $12.00 value
~ What to Do With the Kids in Your Kitchen recipe eBook, $5.95 value
~ Heavenly Homemakers Guide to Holiday Hospitality for Kids eBook, $6.95 value
~ Fill ’em Up Bible Lessons and eCookbook, $5.95 value
~ “Be Imitators” Kid Character Chart, $2.95 value

Total value of this package:  $78.80
“Bless Your Parenting” Package Price:  $49.00
Time teaching and enjoying your kids:  priceless  :)

Here’s what we’ve done:  We took the price of our Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve down to just $49, then we threw in five other products for just $5 more.

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May God bless each of us as we teach, train, and love these children He gave us!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!