The Family Daughter: Becoming Pillars of Strength In Our Father's House Giveaway!

I feel so honored and blessed to share this wonderful book with you--The Family Daughter: Becoming Pillars of Strength in our Father's House that I received from the author Miss Sarah Bryant. It is sooooo hard to find books that inspire girls, both young and old, in godliness nowadays and this is exactly the kind of book that I would look for and buy for my daughters.

Sharing from her own struggles and triumphs, Miss Bryant, who is the oldest daughter of eight, encourages young ladies to become vital cornerstones in their father's home while preparing for godly womanhood. Filled with encouragement and personal testimonies, The Family Daughter is a book that will help Christian daughters begin the journey of being their family's pillar of strength and virtue.

What I so enjoyed about the book was that she shares real life struggles with biblical solutions, so that everyone girl can relate. Not only that, but there are also other daughters that share little bits of nuggets of wisdom, I think this is vitally important so that our daughters can learn from multiple daughters who have much to offer in experience. There is valuable teaching on godly character--from contentment, encouraging their brothers and sisters, gentleness, how to take correction...truly a treasure trove of wisdom!

Here is what Mrs. Jennie Chancey, author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, had to say about this book:

"...In this utterly transparent book, Sarah Bryant speaks from her heart about the daily walk of the daughter at home. Sharing her own struggles and triumphs, Sarah demonstrates that it is grace that animates our calling as godly women and that God is faithful to equip us as we joyfully submit to His sanctifying power... I was not only refreshed by Sarah's honest words; I was convicted anew of areas I need to work on as a wife and mother! If you are a daughter at home, this book will encourage you to pursue the Lord's work with new vision..."

I couldn't have put it more beautifully myself! Here is an excerpt  from the section Encouraging Manly Brothers:

"Do you realize what a great influence you are in your brother's life? My life is helping mold my brothers into the kind of men they will become. It humbles me to think that the traits my brothers see in me also is chiefly  how they will think of womanhood, and also what they someday will look for in a wife. I deeply regret the opportunities I have allowed to slip past, when I could have positively influenced my brother's lives. I have so much precious time, and I am now learning from my mistakes. I want to encourage you to redeem the days you have with your brothers now; the way you use this time may influence generations. Our lives are impacting the kind of husband, father, and leader they will be as they become men. We have an opportunity today to encourage these future fathers to live in a way which will honor the Lord--we can influence potentially hundreds of descendants."

This vision is what is missing from today's culture---daughter's need to see the influence they can have for Jesus Christ in the bigger picture and not just be focused upon themselves. This is what I love about this book and why I will encourage my own daughters to read it as well!

 

Miss Sarah Bryant is also the founder of The King's Blooming Rose Ministry and editor of The King's Blooming Rose, a magazine that encourages young ladies to the grow of their Christian walk. The magazine is filled with  wonderful things such as poems, yummy recipes, craft projects, book reviews, homemaking tips, herbal and nutrition information, beautiful photography, pen-pal requests, and annual contests, that you also might be interested in. If you are looking for great resources for your daughter or granddaughters--you've found it! These would also make a great gift for Christmas:

Through each issue, you will meet hundreds of other young ladies who are seeking the Lord and serving their families. Their prayer is that readers would be inspired to live a closer daily walk with Jesus through the fellowship and encouragement of other believers.

Now I am happy to announce that we are having a giveaway of this wonderful book---all you have to do is leave a comment with your email if you do not have a blog!

(U.S. residents only, please!)

If you would like extra entries:

• Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or blog about it. (2 entries each, leave 2 comments)
• Like their King's Blooming Rose Facebook page.
• Add their one of their beautiful banner's to your blog/site. 
• Subscribe to "The King's Blooming Rose Magazine" published by KBR Ministries. 
• Buy something from KBR Ministries. (10 entries each, leave 10 comments) 

Thank you King's Blooming Rose Ministries!

Hope you win!

(This giveaway ends on 12/6/10)

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Dying to Self

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility-and endure it as Jesus endured.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.

~THAT IS DYING TO SELF~





Are you dead yet?





In these last days, the Spirit would bring us to the cross.

~Author Unknown~

~oOo~

"That I may know Him,
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death."
~Philippians 3:10~

Thank you, Michelle at A Quiet, Gracious Life for sharing these valuable words of wisdom! 
This post really ministered to me and I hope it will bless you, my dear readers, if you are going through any difficult circumstances as well!

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The Domest Artist--A Homemade Christmas

This post was written by Robin Brookshire of Resolved to Be, last year when she handmade these beautiful ornaments for her daughters, Emily Rose and Breezy. I always loved them and thought it would be great to share them with you in case you were looking for an idea for a beautiful Christmas gift or craft:


My last homemade Christmas post will be about the little embroidered ornaments that I made for our tree this year. I was inspired by Natalie at Cinderberry Stitches to create something a little different than a framed embroidery piece. I think her work is simply adorable.
 


I asked Breezy to write out a few words for me and then to draw some simple little swirls and flowers for me on an index card. I went over the designs with a darker pen and then picked some of the designs and transferred them onto a piece of muslin. I used a light box to transfer the design to the material, but I have used a window before with equal success.  I wrote directly on the muslin with a fine-tip Zig pen.  With it being fine-tip you can stitch right over the top of it and it won’t be seen.

I put a second layer of muslin behind the piece with the design so that there would be a double layer.  This helps hide the threads that might show through from the back. The stitches I used were a straight stitch, daisy stitch, french knot and blanket stitch. You can find a nice stitch directory here.

After I stitched the front pieces, I cut out the square along with muslin for the back. I did a blanket stitch along the outside edge of all the layers, stuffing a small amount of fiber-fill inside before I completely closed it.  A long piece of embroidery floss was used to make the hanging loop. 



One of the funnest things about this homemade gift was that I was able to actually surprise Breezy and Emily Rose with them.  As I worked on them they thought I was just working on the ones for our tree, ha, but I was faster than they thought.
 
I think that we are planning on putting the designs up on Emily Rose’s blog so that if anyone wants to use the patterns they can.  When we do I will put the link there.

Thank you, Robyn for sharing this wonderful craft/gift idea with us,  you can find more ideas from her family from their 'A Homemade Christmas' series..

Now I would love to hear what your great ideas are for homemade crafts, decor or gifts for Christmas--- or even something you have made in the past!

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All Hearts Come Home for Christmas

It is so important for us to have our loved ones around us during the Christmas season.

The Simple Stencil understands this and provides this beautiful stencil that would look spectacular in any room of your home.

The gorgeous and timely reminder pictured above starts only at $17.95!!!

They are having a great holiday sale and customers save 20% off their entire order using discount code HOLIDAY2010 and get a FREE "Believe" Simple Stencil with every order this month! So be sure to visit their store and make your celebration decorating simple and easy!

Be sure to check out their lovely holiday stencils that are perfect for decking out the halls!

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18 Ways to Have a Meaningful Christmas

Black Friday marks the official start of the holiday season! Aren't you so excited? I am---today we are going to have a special breakfast complete with cinnamon rolls and cocoa and decorate our home. I am having my older daughter head up the decorating along with her siblings so she can have some practice and sharpen her decorating skills

This year I want to challenge everyone to  give your family the priceless and valuable gift of the memories of learning to SERVE and BLESS others at this special time.

There are only a few weeks until Christmas....if we plan accordingly there are many things we can think of doing to give our children a special legacy that they will remember for their entire life and teach your grandchildren as well.

Here are some ideas:

1. Give your children less gifts. Less materialism, less clutter, less money spent, less self-centeredness, more appreciation for what they do receive. What is not great about this idea?The gift of your love and time is way more valuable.

2. Serve at a homeless shelter. One of my favorite memories is going to a radio broadcasting center in Chicagoand with my family to help pass out a meal to needy people and giving gifts to their children. I felt so blessed being able to be on the giving end instead of the receiving.

3. Touch lives at a nursing home. We like to go with a homeschool group and go caroling while walking through the halls. The elderly there enjoy it and we are allowed to give them cards. My children LOVE this  and have are glowing after we do this.

4. Donate to Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse has an entire catalog/website of how to send money for food, water, homes, Bibles, medical care,etc. SP is headed by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. Have your children pore over the catalog and select something you could contribute to.This is highly educational as they learn that families around the world do not have the basic necessities that they need.

5. Toys for Tots--these boxes are available in many stores. You can have your children 'earn' some money by doing jobs around the house and then take them shopping to pick something special to give away.

6. Care for a widow.Is there a widow that you know that could use some company, a warm meal, leaves raked, snow shoveled or help putting up their tree?

7. Make a meal for someone in need.

8. Help a needy family. Times are tough now and many people have lost jobs, homes and are barely getting by. Single moms are another good source of families to give a loving hand to as well.

9. Christmas tree mitten--start a Christmas tree at your church of mittens and scarves so people can hang them on when they donate. When full, collect them and donate.

10. Work with a women's shelter to help provide gifts to them and their children.

11. Work with Salvation army to distribute goods to needy families.

12. Bake cookies for unsaved neighbors/friends and attach the message of Christ's birth and gospel.

13. Visit those in the hospital and bring them a special gift or a tree to brighten up their room.

14. Bring the gospel to others who haven't heard it. Our church likes to go caroling at Wal-Mart. Our pastor works with the manager and our children dressup like the nativity scene in the middle of the store. We sing songs about Christ's birth and pass out candy canes with the gospel attached and our church information to pass out.

15. Start a new tradition--read a  Christmas devotional every night leading up to Christmas Day. There are many books out there to help. You can light a candle at night and snuggle by the fire and read a short story to keep everyone's heart reflecting on what the true season is about.

16. Pray for more ways to decorate keeping Christ the focus. I know many people who instead of putting up a tree invest in a nice or large nativity scene instead. I have seen people use Christmas decorations that exalt God and bring more meaning to their celebration. I am not saying you have to do this entirely but it helps the children and ourselves to remember the real meaning. Our family likes to do a mix of both.

17. Visit a live nativity event. There is a church near us that does a Journey to Bethlehem every other year and it is  an amazing thing to be a part of. They have a live market place, and scenes acted out from the Bible. At the end they give the gospel--what a great way for a church to reach out to the lost!

18.  Open your home and heart. If you are in a season where you need to stay home more and/or just want to be anchored there instead of rushing around--open your doors and show some love to people who are in need. Remember, one of the most valuable gifts we can give others is our time and love.

The holidays don't have to be only filled with parties, cookie exchanges and shopping. We can make the holidays a meaningful time by emphasizing helping others and remembering those that are needy.

The list above are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing,-- but don't feel pressured or feel bad if you can't do them, just pray for the Lord to show you what He want you to do and then listen to Him.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."

-----1 Timothy 6:17-8

And most importantly, remember to serve with your family all the time---not just once a year!

**What acts of service or traditions do you do or are thinking about doing during the holiday season?**





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Purpose to Fight Hard and Hold Fast

"History is not made by majorities, but by dedicated minorities of like-minded friends who have joined together in common cause. 

This was the Pilgrim legacy, and it must be ours as well.

To change the world, courageous men and women must “fight hard and hold fast” to the things they know to be true. Most people will not fight hard and hold fast (which is why most people are spectators instead of world-changers). If you are grateful, purpose to be engaged.

Purpose to be part of an important work for the Lord. 

Purpose to stand with those who are fighting hard and holding fast.

Purpose to be a twenty-first-century pilgrim for Jesus Christ."

-Doug Phillips, President of Vision Forum
(emphasis mine) 

Read the rest of it here:

Seven Things to Do With Your Family This Thanksgiving

Putting God Back in the Holidays

It is so easy to get distracted during the holidays and lose focus of what counts. How many times have you sat in the aftermath of the holidays and a part of you felt it was shallow or even empty? Holidays can often times be characterized as stress-filled, money-draining and joyless time where we just "want to get through it." That is  exactly why I enjoyed this timely book sent to me by Moody Publishers for review--Putting God Back in the Holidays by Bill and Penny Thrasher--Bill Thrasher is professor of Bible and Theology at the Moody Graduate School of Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute and has much to say and help us to getting our focus back on the Lord during this special time.

Just in time for the onslaught of holidays festivities, this book provides an indepth look at how to celebrate the holidays and other special occasions with purposeful meaning. The spirit of the book helps us focus on the Lord and what really matters while the author's having done all the footwork of planning out purposeful activities to make our celebrations more meaningful and special--something I really appreciate since half the work of celebrating is planning--or sometimes agonizing, if you will--on  how to make it special!

As a busy mom of eight children, I appreciate that the book is chock full of ideas fun activities providing a way for my family  to be able to discuss, pray and actively do things together that will make a difference during these holidays enriching our lives and those around us.

"So much has been written about how to celebrate Christmas that it can be overwhelming! They key in my life has been to play way ahead in gift purchasing and to stay as rested as possible during this busy season. Rest has been key in helping me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading in reaching out to thers and encouraging a joyful, peaceful, worshipful atmosphere in our home. Believe me, I've not always been successful; the full calendar can easily become a heavy burden instead of a joyous celebration of Christ's emptying Himself to live a perfect life among us. May this not be true of our homes! May God grant us His wisdom and grace to walk in the preordained good works He has for us."-Penny Thrasher

This book does not just cover Christmas, it also covers other holidays as well such as:

Thanksgiving

Easter and Good Friday

Birthdays

New Year's

Valentine's Day

President's Day

Mothers and Father's Day and much more...

...so it is the perfect book to have year around. Now Moody Publishers has generously given me two extra books to giveaway to two of my special readers---all you have to do is leave a comment with your email to enter!

(U.S. participants only please!)

I also have another post coming up to share with you some things you can do during Christmas to bring more meaning into it AND teach your children servanthood that you will  not want to miss later this week...

Contentment in Our Homes

There are many ways a homemaker can learn to be content in her home. Awhile back my husband and I decided to redo our  kitchen and replace the cabinets (by the way, you can click here if you are looking to find great bathroom wall cabinets). It was an incredible task, my husband pretty much tackled it all on his own in between his hours of working full time with practically only my young sons as helpers.  You moms can imagine what it was like to have 10 people to feed, without a  stove hooked up or sink and just an average size microwave to make it through! It was quite a challenge to figure out the logistics of it all (especially with baby twins) and I don't think I  ever wanted to see another paper plate or piece of plastic silverware ever at that point--but somehow the good Lord brought us through it all! We lived that way for three months.

The entire time I asked the Lord for patience. I knew it would be easy to grumble, complain or have a pity party (yes, even for something that was going to bless us in the long run)---but how would that have helped the situation? Instead I tried my best to make it fun--a journey if you will, and be creative eating healthfully without cooking (which, by the way can be a pretty healthy way to go for many!). I knew I must be thankful and look at the situation with new eyes.

 "Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

Do I always choose this in a situation? No, I am human just like you and make wrong decisions sometimes--but the point is to definitely learn from our bad choices.


But June, you say, your story is nothing compared to what I am going through, you had it easy! I chose this story because sometimes as women we tend to focus in on the small details of things in our home or life that we don't like, or when things don't go our way we get discontented and distracted by it.

Believe me, I have many stories like this one--many  even worse! (Now this is a very mild story compared to some that I have  --but at this time I am only sharing this one to spare you! ;)) You are not alone in your struggles, as many women have gone through many hardships, poverty, illness, abuse and neglect and such and have found ways to make it through with a grateful and contented heart. I am thankful, now that I look back and see that with EACH difficult  instance in my own life the Lord was carefully chiseling away at my sinful heart and helping me become more like His Son.

I would like to share this new clip on Choosing Contentment to encourage you by Joy over at The Stay at Home Missionary:

(Remember to turn the music off in the sidebar!)

What challenging situation does the Lord have you in today?

Does He want you to look at your situation with new eyes?

Many times He places these situations in our lives to further refine us. 

How can you choose contentment today?

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Beautiful Scentsy Silent Night Warmer Giveaway!

They're back and they're beautiful!
Scentsy wickless candles are the perfect holiday gift for the homemaker!
Their selection is lovely--

From sophisticated...

to simple and sleek...

to giving life and hope..

Scentsy wickless candles use a light bulb to melt wax cubes in a small plate, making it much safer than an open flame.  Safety is one of the major benefits of this product. No burning means no smoke in the air. The fragrant wax is chosen because it melts at a lower temperature and won't burn a child if they were to stick their hand in it. The warmer itself feels like a coffee mug when it is hot.They also have 80 incredible scents from which to choose that makes a better selection than an air fresheners from the store!

And now they have a  beautiful holiday line...

Scentsy products just can't be beat! I love their gorgeous and elegant plug-in warmers----

They even have some wonderfully cuddly and soft Scentsy Buddies (with a Scentsy fragrant packet on the inside) that are great for decorating or for those times you just need a hug...

The warmers have small openings on the sides where the light can shine out of and reflect beautifully on the walls. Our family likes to dim the light of the room to experience and enjoy the natural, calming ambiance that Scentsy creates. These products make excellent Christmas gifts!


Also if you are looking for a 'stay-at-home' job Scentsy is a great way to make money at home and has the potential to grow.

Now, Toni Swayze, who is an Independent Consultant for Scentsy, has generously offered another free warmer system to one of my special readers! This time it is the beautiful and timely Silent Night Warmer (pictured above) and not only is it gorgeous but it is a reminder about what the holiday season is all about--CHRIST! The winner will also get 3 scented candle bars: Silver Bells, Home Sweet Home, and Christmas Cottage that can be reused until the fragrance is gone!

Now to enter this giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment and email (if you don't have a blog) and tell me what you like at Toni's Scentsy store. It's that simple!

(U.S participants only please)

(a glimpse of the Scentsy bars)

For extra entries:

-Share this fantastic giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. (2 entries each, leave 2 comments each)
-Sign up for the Scentsy newsletter. (3 entries, leave 3 comments)
-Like Scentsy on Facebook. (4 entries, leave 4 comments)
-Buy something from Toni's Scentsy store. (10 entries, leave 10 comments)

Hope you win!

Thank you, Toni, for introducing us to Scentsy!

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Ask Your Husband

Many times, as women, we will have a 'problem' and then look everywhere to find a solution.

We will search high....

and low.

We will ask our girlfriends.

We will write complete strangers in magazines and newspapers.

We will even ask on other people's blogs.

or sometimes even on Facebook.

We might even do a google search...:)

And we forget to ask our husbands!

The very man that God has placed in our lives to give us wisdom and direction!

When I was a young Christian I was fortunate to have a mentor always ask me "have you asked your husband?" ...

At first, I thought it to be strange. Ask my husband? What does he have to do with it???

But she was right by always pointing me to him. And the great thing was that she would always tell me her stories about asking her husband--(yes, there are women that actually do this!) What an example!

So what did I do? Well, I started to ask my husband. And something special started to happen---I could tell that he felt more respected since I wanted his opinion. I didn't have to go to the Pastor, the pastor's wife or my Bible study leader...no, just Him. And the Lord used him mightily to give me the answers that I needed AND to teach me a thing or two about humility and deferring to him. The more questions I asked, the better he got at answering them too. He knew I valued his opinion and would try to answer the best that he could.


So next time---ask your husband!

And see what the Lord will do through him...





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Note: I am not referring to those who occasionally ask for advice, as it is good to get wise counsel-- but to those that might always ask others or valuing their opinion more, never thinking twice of asking their husbands first.

The Wise Woman Shop Grand Opening and Giveaway Winners!

I recently opened a shop for all of my readers, called The Wise Woman Shop! There are some lovely, special and unique items there for the Proverbs 31 woman. 

Here are some pictures:

The Lovely Wise Woman Ceramic Mug

The Wise Woman Homemaker Apron

The Wise Woman Mousepad

For the Proverbs 31 mom who likes the reminder when she on the computer!

There is also much more---click here to visit The Wise Woman Shop and view more custom gifts.

also the winner for the The Cozy Tea Treasures giveaway is Grace from Graces Garden Walk

and for The Modest Mom giveaway is Sigalat Chana

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are giving away more exciting gifts this week--so stay tuned!

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Motherly Affections

This should be one of the motherly affections

that echoes in all our hearts:

---------

Do not give away to others

what you have not

first given away at home.

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The Destructive Influence of the Foolish Woman

The destructive influence of foolish women is readily apparent in the secular world. In recent years we have seen the power of foolish women to tear down and destroy the moral sensitivities and fiber of an entire nation. We can all think of high profile women, entertainers, politicians, wives of public figures--whose philosophies and lifestyles have wielded an enormous, negative influence on our entire culture.

However, what should trouble us even more is the extent to which foolishness among women has permeated the evangelical church. We have followed the world in redefining what it means to be a woman, as well as what is means to be a man. We have blurred, if not eradicated, the distinctions between feminine and masculine character, behavior and roles.

We have lost our moorings, our sense of what is pure and good, true and right. We have little comprehension of the meaning or importance of such old-fashioned words such as wholesome, modest, discreet and chaste.

Nancy Leigh Demoss, Biblical Womanhood in the Home


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The Domest Artist: Large Family Budgeting

One of the biggest responsibilities of the homemaker is learning how to make a dollar stretch for her household. There are many ways you can save when you have a large family and we can ALL be good home economists if we study and keep trying to apply what we learn. The trick is not to give up and to keep at it. We must think smarter about how we do things. A little here, a little there and it all adds up! Here are some great clips for inspiration:

(Remember to turn off the music in the sidebar before watching!)

America's Cheapest Family  Saves 50% on their food budget:

Clothes are also a big issue for large families. But what if we simplified?

Watch Money Saving Mom's minimalist approach to her wardrobe:

The Duggars teach us how to make homemade laundry soap and take us on a food shopping trip:

My friend, Lori, shares her decorating tips:

Decorating for Christmas on a Tight Budget of $0

And for menu ideas and thrifty inspiration check out:

$5 Dollar Dinners

From the first video above, America's Cheapest Family, now have two books out, one that is a bestseller--

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half & America's Cheapest Family: Gets You Right On the Money

This thrifty set of 2 books are on SALE for 20% off, now only $24-- you save $6!
 
Now what are some ways you save money with a large family?

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Simplify Christmas--Celebrate Christ

 Having difficulty keeping Christ the center of your celebration during the Christmas season?

The Simple Stencil helps us to keep the focus on Christ and make your home beautiful for the holidays!

The gorgeous and timely reminder pictured above starts only at $19!!!

They are having a new holiday sale and customers save 20% off their entire order using discount code HOLIDAY2010 and get a FREE "Believe" Simple Stencil with every order this month! So be sure to visit their store and make your celebration decorating simply perfect!

Be sure to check out their lovely holiday stencils that are perfect for decking out the halls!

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When Life Gets Tough

There are those days...

and then there are THOSE days...

You know, when everything seems to be going wrong.

There's not enough money.

The children are not listening.

The housework never seems caught up.

You get more bad news.

You might be swimming in bills and debt.

Your husband, bless his heart, is trying his best and you can only find room to criticize.

You are faaaaaarrrrrr from the Lord.

You might not think you are, but you are.

You might think that because you are talking to Him all the time that you are close---but are you really? 

Where is your heart?

Your heart, my dear sister?

Because I want  you to know that you are not alone.

And there are many of you out there that are sharing the same hurt and pain.

The same struggles and the same fears.

 If I could just reach out through this screen and give you a big hug.

And tell you that everything is going to be okay.

And that it will be.

He has you covered.

Fully covered.

Magnificiently covered.

And He loves you, even when you don't love yourself.

When you are at your ugliest and at your worst.

So 'fight hard and hold fast'.

Don't give up.

Put your faith in the Great Provider.

You are in the Father's arms.

And though you might not realize it....

It is a wonderful place to be.

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Duggar Family--Praise the Lord!

(Don't forget to turn the music off in the sidebar before viewing!)

How refreshing it is to see a godly family growing-
and to hear Anna's sharing her miscarriage with the world.

I had a miscarriage before and it is not an easy thing.

May the Lord continue to bless the Duggar family as they minister to others with their lives. 

And may we all be as happy as Jim Bob and Michelle to hear the arrival of new grandchildren.

Be sure to keep them in your prayers for a healthy pregnancy this time around!

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The Modest Mom: Lovely Skirts and Maternity Plus Giveaway!

Do you desire to dress in fashionable, feminine, yet modest clothing?

Consider your search over!

The Modest Mom, has provided the solution for a woman's changing wardrobe throughout the seasons of life. Sometimes for us women it can be a challenge finding modest clothes in the mall or stores and just can't seem to find just what we are looking for or the exact size we need. Don't you agree?

And--if the good Lord has blessed you with a pregnancy, it can be even tougher! But The Modest Mom has a wonderful solution for us by offering long custom made maternity skirts in a variety of stylish and attractive fabrics-- and the great thing is that they also carry gently used modest maternity tops at very affordable prices!

I love the fabric pattern above...perfect for the holidays!

Isn't she cute in this  Flowing Long Maternity Skirt?

Ruched Ruffle Skirt

The Modest Mom, a family business having all their products made in the USA,  has a heart to provide us with affordable, quality maternity clothes for that special time in our lives while encouraging us to  wear lovely clothes that are still an option for moms and moms to be!

What a great gift these would make for a special woman in your life or even yourself during the holidays! And now--

They are having a special sale with FREE shipping from now until December 18th on orders $50 or more when you use the code 50FREESHIP at checkout! So be sure not to miss it!!!

They also carry these delightful nursing covers! Aren't they pretty? I wish I had one of these when nursing my twins-- and not only that but they come with a velcro neck strap so that the baby can't pull or kick it off like it would with a regular blanket. It's a wonderful thing when a mom can nurse her baby in style!

Peek-a-boo!

Now let the fun begin---!!!! The Modest Mom is generously giving away to one of my special readers-- a ruffled denim skirt-either maternity OR woman's skirt and you get to pick your choice of length!!! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with your email (if you don't have a blog).

For extra entries:

• Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or blog about it. (2 points each, leave two comments each)
• Visit The Modest Mom and tell me what you like. (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
• Like The Modest Mom on Facebook or Twitter. (3 entries each, leave 3 comments each)
• Become a follower to the The Modest Mom's blog. (4 entries, leave 4 comments)
• Buy something from The Modest Mom. (10 entries, leave 10 comments)

***This giveaway is now closed!***

Hope you win!

Many thanks to The Modest Mom!

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Raising Sons Series

So many of you, my dear readers, let me know that you would like to hear more about raising boys!

We have been blessed with five boys ourselves that we are in the process of learning to raise--it has been quite a journey.:)

I thought that I would let you know that my husband, Steve, is starting a series called

"Raising Sons"

that you might be interested in.
His most recent post on the topic is:

Raising Sons: Shaping Their Masculine Identity


and speaking of godly sons, see that beautiful wreath above?

A 17 year old young man would like to become a missionary pilot for the Lord and sells these beauties in an effort to do so~


click here for a chance to win it!

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Homeschool Encouragement

Need some homeschool encouragement?

We have some great new posts on

The Homeschool Corner

that you might want to check out about discipling your children, scheduling and a super fun way to teach your children to be like Michelangelo (you have to see this!) by our fabulous guest posters

--Mrs. Brenda and Mrs. Rhonda!

See you over there!

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Preparing Our Sons

"We must prepare our sons to go out into the world, face obstacles, work hard, and provide for a household with integrity. Mothers can unwittingly undermine this preparation by mollycoddling their sons.

If mothers are protecting and pampering their sons, they will grow up to be milksops (also known as sissies),  and obviously, this is not honoring to God.

Our aim for our sons is maturity. 

We want them to be able to stand with their father against his enemies in the city gate (Psalm 127). We want them to be tough, not fragile. Mothers cannot fight their son's battles and they should not shelter them from consequences of their actions....Mothers must be hard-headed when it comes to sons and not rush in to protect them from the hard consequences of the world."

-Nancy Wilson,
Praise Her in the Gates: The Calling of Christian Motherhood

While my five sons are young right now, I am encouraged by this thought because it helps me to have a vision of how I would like them to be and where I would like them to go in life. I know that I definitely need to be reminded to let my sons learn what the world is really like without rushing to their defense.

What are your thoughts about raising sons?

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Enchanting Cozy Tea Treasures Giveaway!

Now you know that I love tea.

Not only that but my children will even tell you that I drink my morning coffee from my favorite teacup!

That is why I am so excited to share this beautiful shop that I have found with you called Cozy Tea Treasures...take a look...you are going to LOVE these:

Dress your teapot in style while keeping your tea, cider or coffee nice and hot with a delightful tea cozy by COZY TEA TREASURES! Each reversible cozy fits a 6-8 cup teapot and is handcrafted of cotton fabrics, polyester lining for insulation and coordinating ribbon which provides a look that is sure to be the perfect addition to your table for any occasion:

* Afternoon Teas

* Girl's Tea Parties

* Christmas Parties

* Victorian High Tea Parties

* Baby Showers

* Bridal Showers

* Wedding Receptions

* Anniversary Parties

* Birthday Parties

Each cozy is a wrap-around style with an elasticized bottom for a secure fit. Both ends are tied with ribbon which makes it easy to slip on and off when changing to another cozy for a different occasion.

They also make great gifts for the special women in your life AND add a decorative touch to your home! Christmas is around the corner and these cozies are perfect for the winter season so-- Cozy Tea Treasures is sweetly giving Wise Woman readers 10% off any order! All you need to do is contact her through her store or through email and let her know what you would like.

Now to the fun!--Cozy Tea Treasures is generously giveaway one beautiful cozy of your choice to one of my dear readers! All you have to do is leave a comment and your email (if you don't have a blog) to enter! How easy is that?

For extra entries:

-Share about this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. (2 entries each, leave 2 comments each)

-Visit Cozy Tea Treasures and tell me what you love. (2 entries, leave 2 comments)

-Follow Cozy Tea Treasures on Facebook. (3 entries, leave 3 comments)

-Buy something from the Cozy Tea Treasures store. (10 entries, leave 10 comments)

***This giveaway is now closed!***

Hope you win!

Thank you Cozy Tea Treasures!

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-Would you like to advertise on a Wise Woman Builds Her Home for the holiday season? You can email me at wisewomanads@gmail.com or click here to learn more.