Pray Without Ceasing

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Hey, y'all, thanks for joining me again! 

I want you to think about your favorite place to pray. Is it your bedroom? Your kitchen table? Driving in your car? I wanted to share with you about my favorite place to pray and encourage you to exercise your prayer life more. 

So, daily I pray at the table, obviously, over meals and with the family. I also pray wherever I am reading my Bible, which lately has also been my kitchen table. However, the past couple of years I have found myself praying while I wash dishes. Some of you are really consistent at washing dishes throughout the day. I am going to be honest with you. By the time I have homeschooled my kids, fed them breakfast and lunch, worked on my small business, it is generally between 4-4:30 before I get to the kitchen to wash up the day's dishes. At this point, my children are either working on their own afternoon chores, or they are off playing and enjoying their free time. This means that I am usually able to wash dishes in quiet. If you've been in our home, you know quiet time is extremely (EXTREMELY) rare!

The time I spend washing dishes in prayer is always special. God will lay people on my heart to pray for. He may bring to mind people that I haven't spoken to or seen in years. He will convict me of unrepented sin and call me to confess. He will give me wisdom in regards to situations in which I've been struggling. He restores to me the joy of my salvation. 

As we tend to our homes, it's easy to be discouraged by the never ending stack of dishes, the constant piles of laundry, picking up all those shoes, folding the mounds of clothes, or cooking meals every day. However, what if we decided to use that time to spend with the Lord? What if we thanked God for the clothes He has blessed us with, or the food He has provided, or the shoes that our kids can wear outside? We can choose to dwell in a spirit of pity. Or, we can choose to 'be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication.'  

I believe as we begin to exercise our prayer lives and pray more, God will grow us. As we spend more time with Him, we will also desire more time with Him. 

Pray in all things. Bring all your requests to Him because He cares for His children. Ask for wisdom in those tough parenting trials. You can even ask Him to reveal those hidden sins...which isn't always fun, but greatly needed. 

Thanks for reading again! May the Lord bless you!

Love your husband? Pray for him!

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known for God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Welcome back, y'all! I'm glad you came back! 

My husband and I have been married for 13 wonderful years, and I honestly can't imagine life without him. He is the calm to my crazy...because I got some crazy.

If there is one thing that bothers me, it's to hear a wife talk negative about her husband to others. Not only does this spread slander against her husband, but it also feeds the negative feelings welling up inside the wife. In a world where divorce and adultery thrive, if we are confessing Christian wives, we should be following Christ in our marriage and as a wife. 

Many years ago, God showed me how much of a nagger I actually was. 

"Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman." Proverbs 21:9

I can imagine the life of a husband living with a nagging wife is pretty miserable. The verse above tells us that it's better for our husbands to go to the roof of our house and live in a corner of it, than to live with us when we are nagging and contentious. That sounds like a sad life for any husband. I would never want my husband to feel like getting out. 

Now, ladies, obviously when we married our husbands, we didn't marry perfect human beings. We didn't marry sinless and perfect men because there are none. So, what do we do when the temptation to nag your husband is so strong?  Or when the temptation to play the self-pity game is overwhelming you? Or, ...ahem..., when we think that maybe we know better than our husband? The opening verse gives us the wisdom we need in these circumstances. PRAY! Not only pray, but pray with thanksgiving! Thank God for giving you your husband. Then pray for him! Lift him up to the Lord. Name the specifics. Instead of listing them to your husband, go to the Lord with those concerns. Pray for your husband to grow in wisdom of the Lord, to strengthen him as he leads the family, to give him strength as he works daily for your family, to protect him physically and emotionally.

Trust me on this one, because it's happened many times throughout our marriage...God can change the situation without you saying a word to your husband. Without nagging, fussing, or aggravating, God can answer your prayers. We really shouldn't stand in awe of this. Surely the Creator of the universe, the Creator of all life, the Giver of every breath we take, can do something as small as strengthen our marriages. He cares for us and our marriages.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

So, pray faithfully, then wait on the Lord to answer your prayer.

In answering your prayer,  be prepared. He may mold and teach you as well. Along with our husbands not being perfect, we, as wives, are not perfect as well. We have imperfections right along with our husband. Sometimes, God has to show us our own sin before He changes the sin in our husband. 

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3-4

In praying for our husbands, also remember the Lord Jesus prayed for us in John 17:20-26. Jesus Christ prayed for His children back when He walked the earth! That is quite humbling to me. Just as Christ prayed for us, let us as wives plead for our husbands before the Lord. Let us bring our husbands before the Lord, then wait on Him to answer prayers.

If you question your own salvation in the Lord, be encouraged. I have heard my father in law say on many occasions, " As long as you have breath, there is still forgiveness." Come to Jesus in prayer. Beg for mercy, beg for salvation. Seek Him in His Word. Pray for wisdom.  As I pray for my husband, I pray the Lord will grow me and reveal my hidden sins as well.

Love in Christ ❤

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Welcome back, friends!

So...It's been a long time since I've blogged. It's only been five years since my last post...(insert awkward smile and nervous laugh). My oldest girls are 11 and 9, and they heard Mama used to have a blog.  They were 6 and 4 the last time I blogged, so this was news to them. They have been begging me to blog again, mainly because they think it's super cool 😉, but also because they enjoy reading my older posts. So, it got me thinking about it again. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 really spurred me on to get back to writing. Not only as mothers/homemakers, but also as Christians, we should be encouraging and building up each other.

Blogging was a hobby for me. I never enjoyed writing in school. Maybe because I was told what to write, or I didn't particularly enjoy doing research. Whatever the reason, it wasn't until I was older in age that I begin to enjoy writing.

For me, blogging is also a release of emotions. For those of you that also enjoy blogging, or even journaling, poetry, or another form of writing, I'm sure you understand. Even the simple form of letter writing can be a release of emotions. Through stories of humor, embarrassment, sorrow, and excitement, I hope to encourage you to keep on pressing on.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

None of us have arrived yet. We all make mistakes. Through the encouragement and building up described in 1 Thessalonians, we can press toward the prize of the upward call as we mother and tend to our homes.

I also find that blogging is a great way for me to keep up with our family's memories. My family and I love scrolling through later and rereading the posts. My children love to see themselves and read the stories from their childhood. It's a beautiful and fun way to record life.

One of my main reasons for blogging is ministry. I am a stay-at-home mom of five children. Ministry opportunities outside of the home happen less frequently than ministry inside the home. I find that blogging allows me to reach women from various locations in which I may never be able to share the gospel with. My prayer is the Lord allows my blog to minister to others and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ while allowing you to see a glimpse inside our lives.

Not only do I hope to encourage and build you up with stories and "mom-hacks", but I also hope to glean from others. It's very uplifting to talk to other moms and learn how they manage their homes, discipline their children, and train their tiny disciples (that's what our children are, aren't they?). So, please, leave comments sharing your stories, tips, and suggestions!

Look for my next post coming soon!

Love in Christ, MamaOfFive

Shopping & Planning Meals - Part 6

A Week in the Life (Of a Couponer)

As I was preparing for my weekly shopping trip earlier today, I thought it would be helpful to write a post explaining what a week in the life of a couponer looks like, or at least the way I coupon.

If you haven't read my blog from the beginning, I wrote several posts about shopping smart in the beginning (click each to read previous posts):

• Shopping & Planning Meals - What's For Supper?
• Shopping & Planning Meals - Making a Meal Rotation
• Shopping & Planning Meals - Making a "Check Off" Grocery List
• Shopping & Planning Meals - Monthly Menus
• Shopping & Planning Meals - Shopping Smart!

I thought it would be helpful to explain how my week looks for those of you wanting to begin couponing or just feeling unmotivated.

Please keep in mind that this is what works for me.  You may have to practice to find out what works for you.  Yes, couponing takes practice.  I am still practicing!  Once you get the hang of couponing, you may develop your own system.

So...I start by printing my "check-off" grocery list.

Once I have this printed, I refer to my monthly meal menu (which has been previously written, see link above for help).  I use this to remind me what I will be cooking on the following week.  Remember, on my monthly menu, I go ahead and plan for breakfast, lunch, and supper for every day of the month.

Now that I know what I'm cooking the next week (I say 'next week' because I will be shopping for the following week), I need to find out what ingredients are needed, so I can check it off on my grocery list.  To do this, I refer to my meal rotation.  This is also included in the links above.

Since this is a constant rotation, only changing when I add new meals, I keep this in sheet protectors in my binder.  Since I have set this up in the beginning, it TOTALLY minimizes my planning time!  Without getting out recipes, I can easily look and see what items are needed for next week.  Keep in mind that my meal rotation is only for supper.  For breakfast and lunch, I keep it the same month to month, so my menu calendar stays the same for those meals.

I look over each of these ingredients.  I check to see if I have them on hand, or if I need to check it off on my list.  

Once I have completed my grocery list, I feel confident that I can go into the grocery store and stay focused without straying for my list.

But...I'm not done yet.  Next, I will flip through my coupon binder looking for any coupons that I may use with my list.

Once I have pulled any necessary coupons, I check my ads.  I ALWAYS keep my newspaper ads.  I even get out on Wednesday and drive out to get any that weren't in my paper.  The reason I do this is I shop at Wal-Mart.  And we all know that Wal-Mart ad matches competitors ads. 

I am looking through my ads for any needed items that I can ad match prices. I make note of these ads on my grocery list and stick my ads back in my binder for proof.  Even though you technically don't have to have the ads to ad match, I always do.  

You'd be surprised at how much you can actually save by watching the weekly ads!  

Lastly, I rely on Facebook.

Yes, Facebook.

I follow two main couponing pages, ones that I have mentioned in previous posts.  These two are constantly posting deals throughout the day.  Even if it's an item not on my list, but I need it in the future, will use it, and can get it free...why not??

If you 'like' them on Facebook, you will also see these deals and know what I am talking about.  They are The Krazy Coupon Lady and Grocery Coupon Divas.  If the deal has a printable coupon, they will also provide the link for you.  If not, they will tell you which date it was in the newspaper.

I really enjoy finding a deal where the coupon is more than the price of the item.  By shopping at Wal-Mart, that means the extra money goes to the rest of my bill.  Pretty awesome!

I check these pages on Facebook throughout the week, printing any coupons and writing down deals whenever I see them.  I buy most of my groceries at Wal-Mart, but I usually make weekly stops at The Dollar Tree and Walgreens, too. 

So, to sum it up:

1. Use Monthly Meal Menu AND Meal Rotation to check off needed items on Grocery List
2. Flip through coupons to check for any coupons that can be used
3. Study those weekly ads for any ad-matching 
4. Throughout the week, check for any additional deals on Facebook

That's it!  I am doing my weekly shopping tomorrow and I am expecting to be under budget!  

I pray that this has helped you to understand another way to save money.  It takes time and practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will be amazed at how fun it is!

May the Lord bless you and your family!

Psalm 65

Good morning, everyone!  

I wanted to share a Bible reading with you today that the Lord showed me.  It can stand alone without any stories from me, it is that wonderful.  However, I do have a little something to share : )

My father-in-law begins each morning reading Psalm and Proverbs.  He speaks of this frequently, letting us know what a wonderful time it is.  He reads it aloud to my mother-in-law as well.  He explained that there are 31 Psalms, so you could read through it every month.  He also reads through Psalm each month.  When we are visiting, he reads to us as well.  

I love hearing it, so we decided a while back when I began staying home, to do the same with our children.  Each morning we read a Proverb and a Psalm.  Only reading one Psalm a morning means we do not finish it in a month, being that there are 150 Psalms, and with little ones it's hard to fit much more than one in.  

So, this morning, our Psalm was Psalm 65, and I thought it was completely beautiful.

Psalm 65

To the Chief Musician.  A Psalm of David.  A song.

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed.

O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions,

You will provide atonement for them.

Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You,

That he may dwell in Your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Of Your holy temple.

By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,

O God of our salvation.

You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,

And of the far-off seas;

Who established the mountains by His strength,

Being clothed with power;

You who still the noise of the seas,

The noise of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; 

You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water; 

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it.

You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance.

They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,

And the little hills rejoice on every side.

The pastures are clothed with flocks;

The valleys also are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, they also sing.

May the Lord bless you by His words as He did me.

Faith Of a Child

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  Luke 18:17

My husband has been out of state this week on a business trip.  We have missed him dearly, and are so excited to welcome him back with open arms today.  Last night, the older two girls and I had a camp-out in the living room.  

Little baby wasn't invited.  I love her, but I didn't imagine little baby would sleep well piled up on the living room floor : )  Nor would I...

The girls wanted to watch a movie and eat popcorn.  So, that's what we did.  After the movie, I turned out the lights and soaked up the sight of seeing them through the dimness of the nightlight laying there in the same room with me.  It's really a joy to all sleep in the same room (every now and then!!)  They had their Pillow Pets, fleece blankets, and night time dolls.  What a sweet sight!

It didn't take either of them long to fall asleep.  Within a couple of minutes, I could hear heavy breathing.

Somewhere between 4:15 and 4:30, my four year old woke up moaning and complaining of a tummy-ache.  I asked her if she needed to use the potty, and she said no.  My motherly-instincts told me to put a bucket beside her. She quickly fell back to sleep.

At 5:30, she woke up vomiting.  I cleaned her up afterwards and she went back to sleep again. 

Again, at 6:00, she woke up vomiting.  Again, I cleaned her up and settled her back down, so thankful that I was sleeping in the same room with her.  As I tucked her back in, she looked at me and said, "Momma, will you pray and ask God to not let me throw up again?"

In my foolishness, I told her that I would pray that God would heal her, but she may still continue to throw up a little more.  I doubted that she would completely stop vomiting then, but knew she would eventually get better.

So, I prayed.  I asked God to heal her and cause her to feel better.

I climbed back on the couch and the verse above came to my mind.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  Luke 18:17

She had faith.  She completely believed that if we asked God to not let her throw up again, He would answer that prayer.  

Since she asked, we have had no more sickness.  She went back to sleep, slept until 8:30, ate breakfast, and is playing excitedly down the hall.

I was convicted this morning.  How much faith do I have in the Lord our God?  When I pray, do I really believe He will answer those prayers?  Or even worse, do I really believe He has the power to?  My four-year-old does.  All she knew was, she was sick and had a tummy-ache, and if she prayed and asked God to take it away, He would and could immediately.

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."  James 1:6-8

I pray the Lord increases my faith.  I pray He has mercy on my unbelief.  I have to have faith that He will answer that prayer (Ironic, huh?)

A man brought his son to the disciples.  His son was an epileptic and suffered severely (Matthew 17:15).  He asked the disciples to heal him, but they could not.  So the man brought his son to Jesus.  Jesus' response?

"O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  Matthew 17:17

Immediately, of course, Jesus rebuked the demon and the child was cured. (Matthew 17:18)

The disciples wanted to know why they couldn't cast the demon out.  

"So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief: for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ' "Move from here to there' ", and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'"  

Matthew 17:20-21

I have to have faith in my prayers.  I pray the Lord will give me faith, and I pray I receive the kingdom of God as a child.

What would I do without my thumb-sucking 4 year old??

Tell of His Excellent Greatness!

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

And to sing praises to Your Name,

O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

And Your faithfulness every night"

Psalm 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord.  I wanted to share with all my readers that the Lord blessed us YET again.  Our house sold!  We closed a couple of weeks ago, and we have continued to thank Him for the relief of that burden.

Once again, the Father has shown us lovingkindness and faithfulness and we will declare it! 

He has continually blessed us, and we have no choice but to follow Him and seek Him.  He takes care of His children.  He promises to.  

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"  Matthew 6:26

I'm so thankful that I am one of His children.  I am commanded to give glory to Him!  He has been so faithful and I must declare it!

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous run to it and are safe."

Proverbs 18:10