I'm an avid reader and always have been. That said, I don't make book recommendations lightly. It is rare for me to make blanket statements like "Everyone will love this book!" It does occasionally happen and so I'm here to boldly state that fact with not one but two books that I firmly believe every mom needs to read - especially new moms. Being a mom is hard. Oh, it's wonderfully rewarding and a rich blessing but it's also a day to day challenge. For that reason, I appreciate sharing the journey with Christian moms who attest to the challenges and joys of motherhood. I've read a lot of … Read More...
When Your Income is Cut in Half
This is me being openly honest about real life. I've written and rewritten these words countless times. I'm sharing it now with the prayer that God uses these words of mine, particularly to those of you struggling on limited budget and / or a church worker’s salary. May you be encouraged to look for examples of how God is providing in your life! My husband and I filed our taxes last week. Since Andy is a Lutheran school teacher (as I once was), we use an accountant who specializes in ministry taxes. You see, Lutheran school teachers and Pastors are classified to the IRS as Ministers of … Read More...
A Practical Pregnancy To Do List with 17 Ways to Get Ready for Baby
When I was pregnant the first time, I read all sorts blogs, books and advice for the best pregnancy to do list. There was a lot of good advice out there but planner that I am, I appreciated most the practical lists. Goodness knows expecting mothers are already tired by the third trimester when we're ready to nest, so practical is good! Now that I'm pregnant the second time and preparing for baby's arrival in just a few weeks, I focused on a much more practical pregnancy to do list. (Here's what my before-baby checklist when I was pregnant with Nathan, our first, looked like if you want to … Read More...
20 Books for Women to Read
It's no secret that I love to read. I believe books have the power to challenge us and change us. I also believe the best books are ones that can - and should - be reread! As I grow older, my reading style continues to evolve. I find myself branching out to different genres instead of reading only fiction (my first love). I've also discovered some gems along the way that I want to share. Over 4 years ago, my brother-in-law challenged me to track the books I read. He basically said that if he read as much as I did - and as quickly as I did - he'd be reading lots of different things! I … Read More...
Reason 14 I’m Thankful to Be a SAHM
I'm continuing the personal reflection and taking a moment to share another reason I'm thankful to be a stay-at-home Mom. I think all Moms will relate to this. (You can read reason 84 and reason 112 too.) Reason 14 is a simple reason but a very honest one. I'm thankful to be a SAHM because of naps. Yes, it's funny but it's oh so true! It's really near the top of my list. I don't know a single Mom who doesn't look forward to nap time. No matter how smoothly your day is going, the break that comes with a nap is much needed. If you are having a rough day, nap time is appreciated all … Read More...
Reason 112 I’m Thankful to Be a SAHM
As I shared before (reason 84 here), there are so many reasons I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. This season of life continues to surprise me with the challenges and opportunities, so I think it's appropriate to remind myself - and others - of the blessings of being a stay-at-home mom. I have recently been reminded of how thankful I am for the flexibility I have with my schedule. Oh, we have our routines! Grocery shopping tends to happen on Monday. MOPS is most Thursdays. We try to have at least one monthly play date on a Friday morning. Even with that, I can … Read More...