Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

A Surrendered Heart: Do To Others…

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Welcome to A Surrendered Heart: A Wife’s Journey to Love the Jesus Way. Click on the “Leave a Comment” button on each post to add your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions to the discussion. If you are a newsletter subscriber, please click through to this post on my website to add your comments to the discussion to be read by everyone. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! God be praised for the gift of marriage and for allowing us to grow in Him.

Read Lesson 1:  Why I Married This Guy
Read Lesson 2: So, What Does Your Husband Do?
Read Lesson 3: How Selfish is Your Prayer?

Surrendered Heart Lesson 4

Let’s begin with today’s scripture focus right away. It’s a verse we’ve all likely heard since we were little, yet I find that it’s one of the most difficult to obey.

Luke 631

Download “Do to Others” Printable Here

I love this simple admonition. But more often, I live this out instead: “Here’s the deal. If you treat me nicely, then if I’m having a good day, I’ll be sure and be nice back. However, you should know that sometimes I’m just not feeling it. Sometimes I’m frustrated with you, so I don’t really feel like being nice. You’d better be nice to me, though.”

My thinking is so backward and messed up sometimes.

Do you know how many times I have said something to Matt that if the tables were turned and he had been the one to have said it to me, I would have been all indignant and thought, “Well. I didn’t deserve that.” It’s ridiculous. Why do I think I am justified at a “roll my eyes” comment but would feel incredibly hurt if Matt responded this way to me?

He called me on this one day a few months ago. I was pretty much in a state of frequent annoyance with him, so when he said something about who knows what, and I didn’t understand what he meant, I acted like he was an idiot and yuck, I really just hate even talking about how I responded to him. It was ugly. He (sweetly, somehow) told me as much. I needed to hear it.

I can feel justified all over the place with how I respond to Matt when I’m frustrated. But if he were to treat me like that? Well, I’d think he was acting like all kinds of a jerk.

The good news is, he is better at “doing to others as he would have them to do him” or however that should be written since I switched out the “you’s” with “he’s and him’s.” I’m the one who has been struggling with this recently. That’s why I need this scripture focus.

So now that we have been reminded that our hearts need to surrender to treat our husband the way we would love to be treated – how can we put this into practice?

Considering this verse (Luke 6:31) changes how I serve Matt. Service comes in all forms. It’s barely about folding his laundry and mostly about showing him love with my words, face, and actions. I am finding that taking time to reflect on how I can serve my husband better – while focusing on “doing for him as I would have him do for me” is humbling and rather lovely if I truly give up my self. It makes me want to serve. It brings me joy to serve.

Imagine that. When I take the focus off myself, and instead serve in God’s way – it works. I should stop being shocked by this.

Take time to consider Luke 6:31. Listen to what God has to say to you about how you are treating your husband, how you should be treating your husband, and how you can serve him with a surrendered heart, loving your husband the Jesus way.

How I Can Serve Him Better

Download “How I Can Serve Him Better” Printable Here

I found that it was beneficial to write down what I want from Matt (such as, I want him to really listen to me and hear my heart), and then flip it around to truly understand the “Do to others…” passage (I need to really listen to him and hear his heart). Some of his needs are different from mine, but I found that this was a great start in recognizing ways my heart needed to change.

Now here’s the truth: If Matt doesn’t live up to my expectations of what I want/need from him? It can’t change the way I treat him. My response, my service, and my care for Matt is not based on his performance. They are based on my obedience of scripture. I choose to love Christ, therefore I choose to love and serve my husband the Jesus way.

This takes surrender of self. Surrender of my heart. There is no way to do this unless we are each choosing to let the Spirit of God work in us to be holy. Let’s let Christ do His work in us! Then, serving our husbands? Well it will be surprisingly delightful.

Up For Discussion…Share With Us!

  • What are some things you do for your husband that you know he loves?
  • How have you found that spending time with Jesus and reading the Word makes it easier to love and serve your husband?
  • What other scriptures come to mind as you consider serving your husband and loving him the Jesus way?
  • How can you serve your husband better this week (and next week)?
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Getting Food Ready For Asa’s Graduation and What We Plan to Eat This Weekend

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Here we go! After weeks (months really) of planning and working toward this weekend – we are here. Our oldest son, Asa, will be graduating on Saturday and will have a big reception on Sunday afternoon.

How does a home-schooler graduate, you ask? I don’t know how others do it, but our plan is to have a simple “Time of Blessing” for Asa in our living room in which family members who have been able to join us will share a blessing, a memory, a scripture, a piece of advice – whatever each person would like to share. We’ll pray over him. I’ll use kleenexes. He’ll open gifts. We’ll have a meal and dessert together. We’ll give him his diploma. (And then we’ll go to a soccer game for our third son – because yes, we still have soccer games even on graduation day) :)

Then on Sunday, it will be “Senior Sunday” at church. That is always such a blessed event, and I’ll be sure to use more kleenexes. That afternoon, we’ll have a joint reception with some fellow graduates in our church fellowship hall. It’s going to be so much fun!! We’re planning on a lot of people coming through that day!

Asa bball 2

Before and after these events, we’ll be having about 18 people at our house (not all staying here, but all eating here) from Friday night to Monday morning. We are looking forward to this so much! I let Asa pick most of the meals we’ll be eating, with the suggestion to “please keep it simple so that I don’t die that weekend.” He obliged. :)

I’ve been making and putting some food in the freezer as I’ve been able. Beyond the homemade food, we’re going with some “less than healthy but who cares because it’s celebration time” options. This is what splurges are for, right?

Here are a few pictures of what I’ve been working on in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, I made three lasagnas, three pounds of taco meat, and three pounds of sloppy joe meat. They are in the freezer waiting for the weekend.

freezer cooking graduation 1

Yesterday I baked a loaf of banana bread and two loaves of blueberry bread (using my muffin recipe). Then I mixed up  a double batch of both chocolate chip muffins and pumpkin muffins. I didn’t bake them, but froze the batter for fresh-baked muffins this weekend. Read here to learn how that awesome little method rocks my world.

asa grad food 2

You have to know how many times I pulled out my trusty Oh, For Real Cookbook for all this food prep. I know many of you have told me how much you use yours. Let me tell you, I use mine like crazy too. It is a kitchen must-have. :)

Today I made a bowl of Black Bean Salsa to go with our lunch. I made enough to serve over the weekend too. Such a great taste of summer in that bowl!

asa grad food 1

Below is a little breakdown of what we’ll be eating with our house full of guests this weekend. Some of the notes are really for me, but now you get to read them too. :)

You’ll notice that I asked a few people to help out with the food. ALWAYS say yes to help during a busy time like this. If someone offers, say yes. It’s as simple as that. There’s too much to do during an event like this to try and get it all done by yourself. Plus, it is really important to enjoy these moments. I look forward to being hostess this weekend, but I really, really look forward to being MOM.

Friday, May 15

Dinner ~ Grilled Italian Chicken, corn on the cob, asparagus, tossed salad, cantaloupe

Saturday, May 16

Breakfast ~ Muffins, fruit, yogurt, bacon cheesy eggs – grab and go before Elias’ soccer game

Lunch ~ Family Time of Blessing for Asa and Presentation of Diploma

  • Hamburgers and hotdogs
  • Salads from Sharon
  • Chips
  • Veggies and dip
  • Dessert following Time of Blessing – Brownie Sundae Bar

Dinner after soccer game ~ Lasagna, salad, green beans, Michele’s Italian bread, fruit

Sunday, May 17

Breakfast ~ Muffins, fruit, yogurt – grab and go before church

Lunch after church before reception ~ Sub sandwich bar with leftover sides from cook-out (Michele is in charge of setting this up for me at our house while I set up for the reception.)

Reception ~ (help in keeping up with food and drinks on serving tables, popping corn, etc – Tim, Mayra, Morgan, Asher, Robin, Andrae)

  • Meatballs with dipping sauces (Teriyaki, BBQ, Marinara, Honey Mustard, Sweet and Sour)
  • Italian Artisan Breads
  • Cold Cuts and Cheeses
  • Spreads for Bread (Nutella, Mayo, Butter, Mustard)
  • Fruit Salad
  • Popcorn Machine with variety of salts and seasonings
  • Cake/Cupcakes
  • Variety of Drinks

Late Dinner after the reception (IF we need food) ~ Nacho Bar (Tacy is in charge of setting this up for me while I clean up after the reception.)

Other meal choices I plan to feed additional family and friends who have come into town before and after the weekend events:

Well friends, those are my scattered thoughts for the day as I type with paint on my hands. (The sun finally came out so I’ve been out painting our porch all day!) I’ll try to pop on from time to time with other posts this week because I do have a few in the works.

senior pic 19sm

You know what I’d love? If any of YOU have a word of blessing to share with Asa, would you leave a comment for me to share with him? While many of you have not met my boys, you’ve heard a lot about them and watched them grow through the years. Your prayers for him and words of wisdom would mean so much. :)

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

Pictures of Last Week’s Food – and Why We Had Ice Cream Cones For Breakfast

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Before we talk about ice cream for breakfast, we should probably talk about lettuce. Spoiler alert: the ice cream we ate is the same color as the lettuce, which means that one of them has food coloring in it and the other doesn’t, yet I still let my family eat both.

Hahaha, I let them eat lettuce. As if they had to beg me for it. “Please Mom can’t we just have more salad?!” said none of my children ever.

I mean, they don’t dislike salad. They just like other parts of the meal better. But whatever. They are good eaters and they eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies and so what if they ate green ice cream for breakfast last Wednesday?

So lettuce. Let-us talk about that already. (get it? lettuce=let-us. that is so amazingly funny) Look what came out of our garden last week!

food week may 92

We’ll be enjoying meal after meal of this lettuce from our garden as the rain has made our lettuce go crazy. (I won’t even tell you that none of the rest of our garden is even planted yet. Hello graduation preparation and bathroom remodel. You are cramping our gardening style.)

See what a pretty lunch we had the first day we picked lettuce? Creamy Mac and Cheese with peas and salad is the easiest lunch ever, by the way. (Can you actually call it a salad if you don’t add anything but Ranch Dressing? We were out of other salad veggies that day.)

food week may 96

Now, about that green ice cream. First the back story:

About four years ago I surprised the boys by making Homemade Ice Cream for breakfast on our very last day of school. The following year, they declared that we had always had ice cream on the last day of school and that it was a tradition and that we simply must do it again. I believe they told me this at bedtime the night before our last day of school, which of course meant that while I loved the idea, I did not love the idea making homemade ice cream at midnight or 6:00 am. So I told them no, and then I decided on a splurge of all splurges and surprised them the next morning with not only store-bought ice cream – but a box of ice cream cones too.

(The “Best Mom Ever” Award went to me that day. But then I made them do their living room and bathroom chores so I immediately went back to “Best Mom Ever” status after breakfast.)

Anyway, the Last Day of School Ice Cream tradition has continued (which I only do because we home school because it would truly be wrong of me to feed my kids sugar cones filled with drippy sugar and then send them to be instructed by other adults). The three younger boys finished their school work last Friday, but patiently waited for Asa to finish his last college final on Tuesday (he’s been getting dual credits for high school/college this year – woot!) so that we could celebrate by having ice cream for breakfast.

food week may 9 5

food week may 94

It was grand. But now we should probably talk about vegetables again.

I hit some great price matching deals on berries this week. 99¢ for blackberries? Yes, please. Plus I got great prices on strawberries and raspberries. We’ve been eating these delicious fruits with just about every meal, so these are already almost gone. (We put the food away at our house, I’m telling you.)

food week may 93

Don’t ask me why I bought mixed greens this week. Hello, Laura. Your garden is kicking out lettuce right now, remember??

Have any of you ever tried that Hormel Natural Choice Bacon? I was excited to see it at the store since it is a “better for you” brand. It was quite tasty!

Friday night I experimented with another new recipe we all loved: Sloppy Salsa Chicken. Don’t tell, but I’m almost finished with a project I’ve been working on for several months in an effort to simplify our (yours and mine!) evening meal time. Later this week, I plan to reveal some packets I’ve been putting together which include recipes, complete grocery lists, and instructions for creating five meals that can be made ahead all at once, then frozen for fast real-food meals for your family. Details coming!!

sloppy salsa chicken 1

Here’s a little sneak peek at one of the packet cover pages:

Eat Right Away Beef Edition 50

There’s also a Chicken Edition, and then I’ll be working on several additional editions (I couldn’t resist) for the future like breakfast, lunch box, ground turkey, and others!

So back to last week’s food details. It was a Bountiful Basket week for me, and I almost bought the whole truck. Man, we get some good deals from BB!

food week may 91

Along with all you see here, I also got a huge box of sweet corn. Which leads me to Mother’s Day.

I wanted grilled burgers with watermelon and sweet corn. So that is what my men made me. As you can see, I worked on my corn and melon before my burger. Ooh, and Matt put some fresh asparagus from our garden on the grill too. So yum.

food week may 99

After we digested, we played our traditional game of three-on-three Mother’s Day soccer. I so stink at soccer. But it sure was fun.

One final bit about last week…

Some sweet friends gave me a basket full of thank-you gifts and look what was included!

food week may 98

Yes, it is a coffee mug that is almost as big as my head. Almost. As you see here, I filled it just about to the top. This meant that after I finished drinking it on Saturday morning, I absolutely did conquer the world and solve all of earth’s biggest challenges (it’s a caffeine miracle).

So there you have it. Berries, vegetables, ice cream, and a huge mug of coffee. That about sums up last week for me. (I also did laundry and cleaned, but who wants the boring details on that? No one.)

Tell me about your week in food! Find great deals? Make yummy meals? Drink giant-sized mugs of coffee? Splurge on ice cream? Share, share, share!!!

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

To My Mom On What Would Have Been Her 66th Birthday

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Hey, Mom.

I woke up thinking about you today. It’s funny that even though you’ve been gone for almost 11 years, I still have to stop myself from picking up the phone to call you on your birthday. I smiled knowing that you would have chuckled at the thought of that, but then reality and irony hit about the whole situation so I got teary-eyed. Then I teared up again later on the soccer field watching Elias play (tears and timing rarely make sense, right?). So now I’m writing you, not because you’ll ever read this, but because I need to write it.

mom2

I remember loving that your birthday and Mother’s Day were so close together – kind of like May was your month. Now I sort of hate it because it almost seems cruel to be hit so hard all at once with missing you on all of your special days all at the same time. But shoot. If I’m going to get weepy out on the soccer field anyway, maybe it’s better to just knock it all out at once instead of dragging it all out.

If you were here, I would have bought you a new blue shirt – because I always got you a new blue shirt for your birthday and you always loved it. Matt and the boys will be grilling burgers for me tomorrow; then we’ll play some Mother’s Day soccer. It’s our tradition. Who knew, right? Yep. That’s my life. Boys, boys, boys…and sports. And also food, of course.

You would be so amazed at these boys, Mom. Every day we see God working in them to grow them into Christ-like leaders. They are getting crazy tall, too. You knew that would happen though, right?

boys at wedding

And Asa. Your oldest grandchild. Well, he’s graduating from high school next week. (With a 4.0 I might add, which truly is neither here nor there, but I know you’d be proud because he has worked so hard, and also – scholarships!) Lots of people are coming into town to celebrate. We’ll miss you. I’m making your dip for Sunday night.

mom1

Grammy and Asa, June 1997

I’ve pretty well got the kitchen thing figured out, but sometimes I wish I could ask you stuff, and I still can’t turn out a Sunday roast like you could. What in the world was your secret?

You would love seeing how many ladies God has used to bless me at times I miss you the most. So many ladies – because God always knows. My aunts are the best, and so are many others from church, our community, and even online (that’s a thing now). Dad’s wife, Tacy, loves us so sweetly (is it weird to talk to you about that?). Truly, the two of you would have been friends. Well, anyway. Just know that, while of course no one will ever replace you, I am well cared for.

Uncle Richard and Uncle Wayland joined you this year – a rough few weeks for the Hamm family. This summer’s Hamm Bash won’t be the same, but we’ll just love on each other and appreciate each other all the more.

One last thing. I love coffee now! I knew you’d be tickled about that. Had I learned to love it earlier, we could have enjoyed it together. But hey, since I never learned to like quilting like you did, at least I learned to like coffee. It’s a close second, right?

So Happy Birthday and Happy Mother’s Day all right here two days in a row. I’ll smile now as I celebrate your life and the gift of motherhood. And if I ever take up quilting (don’t count on it), I’ll be sure to let you know.

All my love,
Laura

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Low Sugar Carrot Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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This Carrot Cake might be my family’s favorite low sugar treat so far!

I cut the sugar from the original recipe from 5 1/2 cups to just under 3/4 cups total. Not too shabby, eh? And just look at this plate of deliciousness!

Low Sugar Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I personally like the Stevia Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting recipe you’ll find with this Super Moist Chocolate Cake recipe. But my boys were asking if maybe I could make the frosting just a little bit sweeter this time. Why not? I simply added 3 Tablespoons of real maple syrup to the frosting and they LOVED it. How’s that for a healthier alternative to 4 cups of powdered sugar? Oh yes.

Low Sugar Carrot CakeYum

Low Sugar Carrot Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
 
Save Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup sucanat
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 cups finely shredded carrot (about 6 carrots)
  • 1 cup melted coconut oil
  • 4 eggs
Instructions
  1. Stir together flour, sucanat, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
  2. Mix in shredded carrots, melted oil, and eggs.
  3. Pour batter into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.
  4. Bake in a 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Allow cake to cool completely before spreading on frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces softened cream cheese
¼ cup softened butter
3-4 Tablespoons real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a hand mixer (or in your blender), whip together all ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

Go forth and pin this recipe. Or print it and pin it to your shirt so you can make it this weekend. This is an order, or at the very least, it is a very sweet suggestion.

Looking for more Low Sugar Recipes?

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Want To Win a You-Pin? Wait. What is a You-Pin?

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Well here’s something fun and new. Or at least it’s new to me. From the maker of my very favorite Flexi-Clip is the very pretty You-Pin.

you pins

 

How do you use these, you ask? Watch this video. (Or click on this link to watch the instructional video.) These are so cool!

Isn’t that pretty?! Paula (our very own Lilla Rose consultant) makes it look easy. But from my experience with other Lilla Rose products, it likely is very easy. That’s the beauty of these products! They make pretty hair-dos simple!

Today, Paula is giving away three surprise pairs of You-Pins (one pair each to three winners). Leave a comment on this post to be entered in a random drawing (newsletter subscribers – please click through to comment). For additional entries, follow Paula’s Lilla Rose board on Pinterest, subscribe to her personal monthly newsletter, and/or join her brand new exclusive Facebook group, Paula’s Super-Awesome Lilla Rose Fan Club! Get hairstyle ideas, see newly-released products, and get members-only special deals and giveaways!

I’ll draw three random winners on…well, next week sometime. (I’m blogging more flexibly now, remember?!)  ;) Be watching for a post stating the winners as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

One more thing!

Paula is offering all of us a Buy 3 Get 1 Free Special:

Special offer for Heavenly Homemakers readers only! Get a FREE SURPRISE FLEXI when you place an order for three or more items!*

*Place an order for three or more items through Paula’s website, then message her to redeem your free surprise flexi! Offer valid for U.S. customers only and expires May 16, 2015. This is for both new and Paula’s returning customers, but if you already have another Lilla Rose consultant, please stay with her; I’m sure she will appreciate it! Thank you!

Also,
Help support LIFE! All proceeds from purchases made through Paula’s website through this promotional period will be donated to pro-life and adoption ministries. Read more about this fantastic opportunity to bless others HERE.

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

A Surrendered Heart: How Selfish is Your Prayer?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Welcome to A Surrendered Heart: A Wife’s Journey to Love the Jesus Way. Click on the “Leave a Comment” button on each post to add your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions to the discussion. If you are a newsletter subscriber, please click through to this post on my website to add your comments to the discussion to be read by everyone. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! God be praised for the gift of marriage and for allowing us to grow in Him.

Read Lesson 1:  Why I Married This Guy
Read Lesson 2: So, What Does Your Husband Do?

Surrendered Heart Lesson 3

Straight up: It’s too easy to pray for God to change our husband to be what we want him to be instead of surrendering our  heart to seek God’s will in our marriage.

What do I mean by this? I mean that we wives often think we know what’s best. We may even be right every once in a while. The problem comes when we believe we’re right every time -when we think we have our husbands, our kids, our marriage, our schedules, our do’s and don’ts, our everything figured out. Then those are the requests that come through in our prayers. They are selfish, self-seeking, self-motivated. They are not a prayer whispered from a surrendered heart. (I know this. I’ve done this. I do this.)

This is what I’m learning: I don’t know what is best for myself and for my family much of the time. When I find myself in a state of “I’m not sure how to handle this,” I can begin to worry. When I begin to worry – well, do I even need to describe this? We all know the mind blowing chaos that occurs in the heart of a woman who is trying to find answers without the help of the Holy Spirit.

What if I recognized that letting God work out His plan in my husband will be absolutely for his good as well as mine? What if I surrendered my heart to the Spirit, recognizing my lack of power, my lack of wisdom, my lack of ability to make changes in the heart of my beloved?

Do you know the lightness one feels when one stops trying to figure things out and fix all the problems? Do you know the beauty of a woman who surrenders her heart to the One who truly has all power?

This changes everything. When we, as wives, stop trying to be God and accept that God alone is God? Incredible. My prayer focus shifts quickly when I find myself heading down a path of fretfulness – then let it go absolutely, surrendering my anxt to the Holy Spirit.

Today’s scripture focus is Luke 11:9-10. We’ve all heard it before, but consider this: if we ask, seek, knock, beg, plead, cry, and whine about anything that is not from a surrendered heart – we will continue to experience lack of peace.

If instead we confidently approach the Father in the name of Jesus, recognizing that He has the power to work all things for good in our lives and in the life of our husband –  we will be amazed at what we find, at what we receive, and at what might be behind that open door.

That’s because God knows best. He loves our surrendered heart so that He can finally reveal His goodness and wisdom to us. Then He hands us His perfect gift of peace – the frosting on top of the cake of blessing.

Luke 11910

Download Ask, Seek, Knock Printable Here.

As you fill out the following “My Prayer for Him” printable, be continually reminded that your prayer is to have a kingdom focus, not an earthly focus. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you in check as you surrender your heart in prayer for your husband. Pray confidently, because as the above passage promises: everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door WILL BE OPENED. Learn to let the desires of your heart be in sync with God’s will for you and for your marriage.

My Prayer For Him

Download My Prayer for Him Printable Here.

Your open heart will bring you joy as you lay your concerns and desires down, allowing Jesus to take over in your marriage. Recognize that this is a continual process! We have to give ourselves up constantly, so don’t feel as though you failed when you find yourself in the midst of yet another struggle. God is there for each one, so as frequently as you must, simply take a deep breath and surrender.

Up For Discussion…Share With Us

  • Share your thoughts on this statement: “We all know the mind blowing chaos that occurs in the heart of a woman who is trying to find answers without the help of the Holy Spirit.” Been there, done that? Ugh, me tooooooo.
  • Describe what it looks like to surrender a struggle or concern to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
  • What are some phrases you might try praying for your husband on a regular basis? What needs does he have that only the Father can meet?
  • When do you find that it is easiest to pray for your husband?
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Everyone Gets a FREE BeeSilk Stick (My Fav!)

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Once upon a time (4.5 years ago), Renee from MadeOn sent me a BeeSilk Lotion Bar. At the time, my hands were red, dry, and cracking. I was skeptical of all lotions as most of them made my hands worse, not better – but I tried it anyway because the ingredients were pure and I thought maybe, just maybe this would help me.

I held the lotion bar in my hands to soften it, then rubbed it over my dry hands. Immediately my hands felt better. I was amazed that for the rest of the day – my hands felt great. I re-applied the lotion before bed. The next day they were as smooth as a baby’s…forehead. ;)

I use BeeSilk Lotion every day now, my family uses it every day, we never go without it, and our skin lives happily ever after. The end.

hands

Great story, huh? A true one, too. I super love BeeSilk Lotion.

Since the first time we tried MadeOn, we’ve also starting using their Bug Block and Lip Balm – loving those too. Beyond the fact that these products are super effective, they are also completely pure and healthy for the skin. (As in, the ingredients are safe enough to eat.) Plus, they are reasonably priced. So this is a win-win-win.

And now the best news of all. Through Saturday, we can all get a free BeeSilk Stick ($7.65 value)!

Free Bee Silk Stick!

Since I’ve been working with Renee from MadeOn for so many years now, I asked if she’d want to swing us a deal. She came back with a freebie because she loves Heavenly Homemakers readers almost as much as I do. Almost. ;)

Now through Saturday, May 9 we can each get a free BeeSilk Lotion Stick. These are just like the lotion bars, only they are in stick form – like a glue stick, only bigger. You can throw them in your purse to easily rub onto your skin or your child’s skin.

How To Get a Free BeeSilk Lotion Stick:

  1. Click here to get to the special “Free BeeSilk Lotion Stick for Heavenly Homemakers Readers” page.
  2. Enter your email address and then click the yellow button. (Yes, then you’ll be on the MadeOn mailing list which I find very beneficial – but if you prefer, you can unsubscribe from her newsletter at any time.)
  3. Place your order for a free BeeSilk Stick. You’ll need to pay a small shipping fee OR you can do what I did when I took advantage of this: I ordered enough products to get free shipping. We use these products constantly, and I really needed to stock up on Bug Block Sticks for my kids to take to camp this summer.

Don’t forget -this fun freebie deal ends May 9. Enjoy! You’ll find that these Lotion Sticks are great for dry, cracked heels too. I recommend stocking up on Bug Block while you’re there. It works VERY WELL and it absolutely safe. I love this!

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Gratituesday ~ Today and Every Day (Plus come see my pretty bathroom!)

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gratituesday[2]

Why yes. I did just invite you to go to the bathroom with me. That’s what girls do, right? They go to the bathroom in pairs?

I’m ever so grateful for your input and thoughts about my blogging schedule (or lack thereof). Gratituesday will remain. But if sometimes I post something else on Tuesdays instead, so be it. And if sometimes I post what I’m grateful for on a Friday, so be it. And if we can all focus on giving thanks to God every single day, especially when we are tempted to grumble – well then God be praised!

So back to my bathroom.

You guys!!!!!! My husband has worked so hard and has done a beautiful job transforming this room. It is finally almost completed. Just a few small-ish details (hang the mirror, etc.) left to call it “finished.”

Before I show you what it looks like, first let me remind you of the before pictures. It may not look “so bad” but trust me – this bathroom was 40,000 years old (or so) and had some – shall we say… issues. Issues, I’m telling you.

bathroom 1

So Matt gutted it and started from ground zero.

bathroom 2

Then he managed to get the shower installed before we had a houseful (and I do mean house FULL) of teenage boys for an entire weekend.

bathroom 3

Then slowly but surely, Matt continued to work for hours over the past months replacing the toilet, installing a fan, installing a light fixture, putting up drywall, tiling the walls and the floor, grouting, painting, and installing a new sink (with silly plumbing issues).

bathroom 8

And now LOOOOOOK!!!!!!

bathroom finished 1

I cannot tell you how fun it is to go pee in there, and that’s just the truth.

bathroom finished 2

The room is so pretty, and I just love it! I’m so thankful for my husband’s hard work, and I’m very grateful that it’s ready before we have a houseful of out-of-towners coming for graduation. Phew!

Here’s to one more house renovation (almost) in the books.

Now your turn! Leave a comment to share what you are thankful for this Gratituesday!

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What if I don’t want to blog on a schedule anymore?

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After a very full, very wonderful weekend – I’m finally finding a minute to sit down and type out a weekly menu to share with you. But here’s what I can’t stop thinking:

I don’t want to type out a menu to share.

It’s not because I don’t love menu plans and find them really helpful. It’s just that it takes quite a bit of time each week to type it all out and find the links for all the recipes. What if I just want to take a few minutes to scratch down my menu plan in my Menu Planning Notebook and throw it on my fridge?

And what if sometimes I have something on my heart to share for Gratituesday, but sometimes I think of something that fits this but it’s (believe it or not) a Friday? Do I save it for Gratituesday or share it on Friday and give you a recipe on Tuesday instead?

I don’t know, you guys. It’s weird and maybe it even seems silly, but even though I’m thankful for a million and a half things – sometimes “coming up with” a Gratituesday post each week feels like pressure to me. Just like typing out a menu plan has begun to feel like “work.”

Don’t misunderstand. I love what I do here. {insert lots of exclamation marks all over the place} I just wonder if I would maybe love it more if I stopped blogging so much on a schedule and simply…blogged.

You know what my best posts have been? They’ve been the posts God has put on my heart to write, then I’ve listened and obeyed. But keeping to a schedule has sometimes meant that I don’t have time to write some of what God has put on my heart. I can’t even tell you how many great lessons God has been teaching me lately. I want to fill books and posts and newsletters about it all! But then I too often run out of time because I’m taking the time to write a menu or whatever.

(All great writers end sentences with “or whatever.” It’s a great way to add meaning to a thought and all that stuff.)

I know many of you love reading my menu plans. The good news is that I’ve got two eBooks filled with them and about 1,000 menu plans for free in my archives that you can access at any time for inspiration. I will welcome the time this frees up for me to focus on other writing, so I won’t grieve this change much.

But not writing a Gratituesday post each week? Well that makes me tear up a little. That has been a weekly part of Heavenly Homemakers since this site was a newborn. I really want to hear from you on this! Stop Gratituesday as a feature or keep it? I promise that if it’s no longer a weekly feature, I will absolutely still share what I’m grateful for as I have something special to share. It just might not be on a Tuesday. Shoot. I don’t know. There’s something really special about Gratituesday. It’s hard to think about letting that go.

I would really appreciate your input. What do you love about HeavenlyHomemakers.com? What blesses you the most?

It takes hours each week to keep up with this site. These are hours I love, but I’m always behind on keeping up and I want my time to be spent in a way that is a blessing to you – my very dear and precious readers. Plus I want my content to be Spirit led, not schedule led.

So will you please share your thoughts with me? I’m praying over this and will pray over your comments as I consider them.

God has done amazing things with HeavenlyHomemakers.com. I can’t help but wonder what He has in mind next.

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