A Cozy Home of Peace and Rest

The sun is setting and you are snuggled on the couch with your family. You are reading from the Bible and sipping hot chocolate as the fire flickers and bounces shadows on the wall. It’s been a hectic day but a fulfilling one. You have accomplished most of what you wanted for the day, so now it’s time to relax together as a family.
Is this what the normal end to your day looks like? Or are you rushing around after finally getting the kids in bed and cleaning the house, only to fall into bed exhausted?
I want my home to be a place my family gathers at the end of a hard day for peace and rest. But how can your home be a place of peace and rest when you are not rested or you don’t feel at peace? Grab a cup of coffee and head over to Come Fill Your Cup to find out. 

62 Day Bible and Cleaning Challenge

Join me HERE for the 62 day challenge. 

Are You Mary or Martha?

*The following post contains affiliate links.

Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 

31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul. 

Luke 10:38-42 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with ^[a]all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

I have always loved the story of Mary and Martha. There is almost a bit of comedy in Martha tattling on Mary to Jesus, “No fair! I am working and she is doing nothing!!!” And I will admit that I used to be very much like Martha. I would put aside prayer and Bible study because I needed a clean house in order for my brain to rest and for me to function. But what if I could be like both sisters? Maintain a clean orderly home and be able to spend time with God?

This book helps me do both.

The author makes the point that the ultimate goal is not for you to be a perfect homemaker, but to have an inviting home filled with love. And she does it in a very gentle way.

The book contains daily challenges. One challenge is called a “Mary challenge” which is a Bible challenge for the day.

Then there are Martha challenges. An example of these challenges would be to clean and organize your bookshelves. Some of the challenges tell you how you can get your children involved, and some even tell you to go eat a cookie! J

These are all very doable things—things that you can do even if you have small children, homeschool your children, and/or work.

I am going to be doing the challenge along with my friends starting on April 4^th. We are going to make it a 62 Day Challenge so that we have extra time.

This book will be a great way to help motivate you to get things done that you have been meaning to do. Watch my blog and Facebook page for more information on The Mary/Martha Challenge.

While it is not essential to get the book in order to join the challenge, I recommend that you do because it is a great book that will encourage you!!!

Find the books in these locations:

Sarahmae

Amazon

Christianbook.com

Learn With Play - A New Book to Encourage Family Memories

Learn With Play: 150 Activities for Year-Round Fun & Learning

I continue to be amazed at all the wonderful memories we can make with our children through play.

*This post contains affiliate links.

This great new book provides hours of ideas to use so you can play and make wonderful memories with your child.

Take a peek inside the book.

I am so excited to be able to bring you this book filled with over 100 fun, hands on activities for kids from birth to kindergarten. It has been tested by kids so you can be assured these activities are fun and they work. 

The book is divided into various categories:

General Play/ Arts & Crafts Activities

 Early Childhood Education

 Life Skills

Organization

Seasonal/Holidays.

It has been written by over 90 of the greatest bloggers from The Kid Blogger Network and I am honored to be one of the authors!

You can buy the eBook which is available for a special launch discounted price of  $9.95 for July 7-14 only!

The printed book is available on Amazon for $29.95.

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon for US$14.95.

It would make a great gift for baby showers, birthdays, preschool teachers, and moms. 

Book Review: Motivate Your Child

Book Review: Motivate Your Child by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

                                               *I received the book free and also received compensation but the opinions are my own.

** A great bonus offer at the end of the post!

When I read the following words on the back of the book I knew this book would be perfect for my family. “God's Word gives us a better way to parent, one that builds strong internal motivation in children. When parents change the way they parent, kids change the way they live. This practical book explores a theology of internal motivation and then gives parents real-life solutions to equip their kids for life.”

I have noticed that yelling, taking privileges away, or even using rewards does not help my children become motivated to do things on their own. I have tried to figure out different methods to get them to do things without being told.  

I am so glad I found this book. It is a practical guide that I can use along with the Bible. Instead of having to use some type of reward or punishment to externally motivate my children, they can learn to be internally motivated. There are many ideas in this book that one can easily implement. The book also uses examples of many different types of families.

I have read and discussed parts of this book with my children. So far, I have been shocked at how implementing just a few of these ideas has already made such a big difference in my children’s behavior. For example, instead of telling my children that they had to clean their room now, I asked, “What is your plan to clean your room?” They came up with their own plan. I trusted them with it and the room was cleaned at the time they told me it would be.

This book points out that we need to get kids on “level two” and even “level three” thinking. According to the authors, level one thinking is what kids engage in everyday, thinking about themselves and their own activities. Level two thinking focuses on responsibility and other people. Level three thinking considers God. The book even goes further by helping you teach your children to do more than what is expected.

 A great benefit to this book is that you can start using it on children of any age. They are not too old or too young to benefit from the teaching in this book.

This book gives me the tools to train my children to motivate themselves to do what they are supposed to do in all situations. It will stay in my list of references to share with other parents.

 

 

 

Bonus! Anyone who purchases the book at any retail outlet by February 28, 2015 will receive a Bonus Parenting Strategy Package full of parenting resources worth $150. 

The Bonus Parenting Strategy Pack includes:

• Toolbox of Consequences Video and Study Guide • Kids and Conscience Video and Study Guide • Children’s Activity Lessons for Conscience Development • Children’s Activity Lessons on Correction • Strong Willed Child Teaching Points • Make Devotions Fun MP3 • How to Develop Gracious Speech MP3

Learn more about all of these resources http://www.biblicalparenting.org/motivateyourchildpreorder.asp

INSTRUCTIONS: Purchase the book. Send an email with MYC150 Promo in the subject line with a receipt of purchase to gift@biblicalparenting.org. Biblical Parenting will send you the link and a special code to access these downloadable video, audio and written products!

 

 

Blessings in Unexpected Places.

 Sometimes we can find blessings in places were we least expect it. This is one of my favorite posts about one of those times. 
The Blessing of Being Without a Dryer.

Kids Using Chore Money to Serve Others

                                   

                                   
                                         Using Chore Money to Serve Others

One Sunday a missionary visited our church to speak about the work he was doing in another country. At the end of his lesson, my children looked at me and said, "Mom, would you give us some money to give the missionary?"

On another Sunday, an announcement was made that a children's home needed food and household supplies. My children looked at me and said, "Mom, can you give us some money so we can buy something at the store to help?"

Their questions got me thinking. What are some ways that they could earn their own money to help others?

I decided to print chore cards.

 

I cut the cards out and separated them between their normal daily chores and extra chores they could do to earn donation money. I covered the cards with contact paper, punched a hole in them, and put them on a ring. I printed the tickets that can be found on the page linked above. Then I bought colored pocket pouches. The left pouch contains all of their tickets.

 

Every time they complete an extra chore they move a ticket from the left pouch to the right pouch. At the end of the week they get 10 cents for every ticket they have in the right pouch. 

                                

          They put their money in special jars that they decorated for the donation money.

Every week when they get the church bulletin, they see if there is a need at church or in the community. They write down what they would like to buy or give for that need .

Sometimes they put their money together and sometimes they donate to different things individually.

 The amount of money they get is not a lot; but, it is enough for them to know they are working for their own money in order to help others.

*They were getting $1 a week prior to this. But they had already designated that money to church contribution, savings, a charity, and spending money. Their $1 a week is now used to teach about money management.