Making Our Home a Haven Challenge Week 3

With the music on and the candle lit...(I have been very faithful each day in doing this) it's now onto the week #3 challenge which is looking for the clutter that takes up our lives and to fix it. I seriously have no clutter in my house..thanks to a wonderful husband who helped me fall-clean and me being a neat-freak.  But there are other areas in my life where I need to clean up the clutter. The first thing is my physical health..I used to be very faithful in working out most days of the week, but I have failed in this area the last few weeks. I make excuses and I say 'I'm too busy or tired'. You know, all of those reasons not to work out. But as of this past Saturday I blew the dust off the treadmill and got on and I feel so much better. We have to take good care of our bodies so we can be the best we can be for our family. The next place I need to clean up the clutter is in my spiritual life...I used to get up every morning at 6am and spend time in God's word and prayer. As of late, I have been hitting that snooze button. We need to be in the Word and in constant prayer for our family to function in the way God wants it too. So this week clear that clutter in your home or your spiritual life and let it sparkle to the glory of God! Enjoy God's Blessings Today, Tina

Making Our Home a Haven challenge-week 2

So last week it was the candle, this week it's music. That's right, our challenge this week is to play soft music in our homes. So this past weekend I did it. I am not a fan of classical music but I did play soft worship music over the weekend and boy did I see a difference. In my demeanor that is. I grew up with the T.V on all the time and I find myself doing that too in  my home now. I tell myself that it's just background noise. But with the music playing softly and the T.V. not on , I noticed that things ran a little smoother in the home. There wasn't shouting over the T.V. noise. The kids actually behaved a little better too. I noticed that with myself when I took the time to listen to the music, I remembered Who is in control and Who was with me throughout the day. The peace that surpasses all understanding. Our home needs to be a haven to the ones we love and to our neighbors. Wouldn't it be awesome to think that when our neighbors drive by our house they notice something different, something good about us and our home.

Making Our Home a Haven challenge- week 1

This week's challenge is to buy a big candle, once you light it, every time you pass by it say a prayer for your home, husband and kids. We as wives and mothers need to keep our home a place of prayer and comfort. A place where our children and our husbands are welcomed to be themselves. Where they are not judged. But they are encouraged and lifted up. This week Courtney challenges us to be the wife and mother we need to be to make our home a haven http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/10/are-you-distracted-and-distant-or.html So above is a pic of my candle on my dining room table...I would love to see a pic of yours. Enjoy God's Blessings Today, Tina

Making Our Home a Haven Challenge

Making home a haven....what does that mean exactly? We as wives and mothers should make sure our home is inviting, comfortable and a safe haven to those who enter our doors..especially the ones who live in it everyday. We should make sure our home is a place where our children want to be and our husband can't wait to come home to. Join me as I start the challenge next week...Oct 4th along with Courtney. Here is her blog and challenge  http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-your-home-haven-fall-challenge.html                                                                                       Enjoy God's Blessings Today,
                                                                                                                    Tina

Saving Time in the Kitchen

If you are anything like me, you are a busy mom, who doesn't always have the time to slave over the stove. Here are a few tips I use that might help you cut some time in the kitchen in half.

1. I buy my ground meat in bulk. So when I get home from the grocery store and everything is put away. I fry my whole entire 5 lbs of meat at once. Then put them in 1-2lb freezer containers, so when ever I need to make spaghetti,tacos or chili, just defrost the cooked meat and throw it in your dish.
2. Cut your vegetables when you get home from the store. If you buy onions or peppers and you are going to use them in a casserole or dish that week. Go ahead and chop them up and put them in a freezer bag and toss in your freezer , just defrost the morning of your dish.
3. Clean while you cook. As my dishes get dirty while I cook, I go ahead and throw them in the dishwasher. If your dish is in the oven , go ahead and clean your stove top.

These are a few of the things I do...if you have any other ideas please comment ...I would love to hear from you!                                                                    Enjoy God's Blessings today,
                                                                               Tina

Fall!!!!

I have to say that Fall is my favorite season!! The crisp air, the beautiful colors of changing leaves. Pumpkin and apple picking. Cool enough to wear a hoodie but still kinda warm to wear flip-flops...okay I wear my flip-flops until Halloween and even then it's hard to pry them off my feet until Thanksgiving. God's creation is so beautiful in any season, so bask in His Goodness!!

Young Love

So something has been bothering me lately. I have a few teenage relatives and friends that have facebook accounts. I am so tired of seeing 15, 13 and 10 year old "children" saying that they are in a 'relationship' and how much they love 'so and so'. Okay I've been there, I have a the 'crush or crushes'. I know what it is like to have "puppy love". But where are the parents? The parents especially the mothers of these girls/boys should be telling them that they do not need a boyfriend/girlfriend to make them happy or popular. In our house we will not date, but practice courtship. I just wish the parents of these children would step in and rescue the spiritual, emotional, and physical damage that these kids are going through. The more they give their heart away to others the less that will be there for their future spouse. Whew...I'm so happy I got that off my mind:)

God Bless, Tina