Good Morning Everyone!

So, I know I haven’t shared on the website for a while, and honestly there has been A LOT going on. Just to recap on the 21 Day Fix that I did with my BeachBody Coach Crystal Stine, I would definitely like to do a “take 2” on that one! I got to Day 14 and threw in the towel, literally! There was an issue of pride here because I felt like I was working SO hard making sure to only eat my container servings and did the daily exercises, but I wasn’t losing any weight. Now I get it, that muscle supposedly weighs more than fat and that is probably the reason, but I would have liked to see even a FEW pounds down in two weeks. Crystal told me that I should wait until the end to check all my measurements, as well as weight, but of course I couldn’t. Who has patience for that? Um, I guess I need to work on patience? 🙂

I wanted to share some of my favorite places to go to on the internet:

Proverbs 31 Ministries (daily devotions for woman, first 5 app)

Seeds Family Worship (I love this site for songs to help the kiddos memorize scripture)

It Starts at Home (I love this site for activities to do with youngsters at home)

I should also include our own Sound4One Ministries website as well!

More to come!

This past October I was blessed to attend a Women’s Conference a few hours from home. One of the speakers whose workshop I attended was Stacy Thacker. She also is the author of the book “Hope for the Weary Mom.” I received a copy of her new book at the conference and couldn’t put it down! Stacey and her co-author Brooke McGlothin are doing a free 40-day devotional. If you don’t have the book, you can still join, as even the devotional is extremely useful. Click here to join:#HopeDevo

Here is a great way to grow your own non-GMO (non-genetically modified) and pesticide free plants for at no cost! The only things you will need are water, maybe some soil and a few containers. Also, a lot of patience! Enjoy!

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/17-plants-grow-kitchen-scraps.html

Almost every morning I when I walk into work, I have the same routine. I walk into my classroom, set my coat down, turn on my computer, check to see what I have scheduled for the lesson, and then go check my mailbox. Sometimes we will have an inspirational quote in our mailbox printed on a tiny piece of computer paper. Our principal puts them in our mailboxes about once a week. Today’s quote said “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.” During this time of year, it can come easy for some of us to have a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness as we spend time with our families. For others it is much harder. I almost lost my little (not really little, he’s 26!) brother this past summer to a severe head injury. I am thankful beyond words that he is still alive and has very minimal long term effects from the accident. I can’t stop being thankful that I am gifted with more time with him on this earth. However, last year around this same time, I had just lost my cousin when he took his own life a couple months before, and couldn’t understand how God could “let that happen.” My spirit of gratitude was not as easy to come by. I had to apply this verse in my life, day by day, whether it was easy or not. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In the end, it is our CHOICE to have a spirit of gratefulness or griping, and remember there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. Which one will you choose today, griping or gratefulness?

I would like to share a quick message today to all of the “outside of the home” working moms. I like that term because we all know that just because a mom isn’t considered a “working mom,” mothers have a full time job regardless. I don’t know if you have ever felt a guilt or a longing to stay at home, or whether you are running (literally) out the door in the morning to head to work because you enjoy your career so much, but whatever the reason you have chosen a job outside the home, let me encourage you, if you are feeling overwhelmed, you CAN do it. The bible says “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13) It’s okay if your laundry pile is sky high, it’s okay if your dishes aren’t nicely stacked and put away in the cupboard, and it’s okay if you had to add a second junk drawer because you didn’t have time to organize the first one. Focus on the things that matter, because there will always be a house to clean or laundry to do, but there won’t always be little footprints to scrub off the floor, or grass stains to remove from those brand new jeans. Don’t focus on the footprints or the grass stains, focus on the little ones that left them for you…

Thanks for visiting my new website! Enjoy!