Let me just start off by saying, this is not going to be my typical Book of the Week article. I really just feel like doing a little sharing from my heart this week in regards to this book.

When I started preparing for this week, I wanted to make it all about moms since Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday. Therefore, I thought it fitting to do a book review of a mommy book.

However, honestly, I don’t generally read a lot of books that are considered advice or help books. When I need encouragement or help, I usually go straight to the Bible. I felt though that I should find something different for this week, so I began to research books for encouraging moms on their journeys through motherhood.

Since I’m not really used to looking for this type of book, I felt a little overwhelmed and had trouble picking one amongst all the choices available. Finally after prayer, (yes, I prayed for the Lord to lead me to the right book) I found Mom…and loving it! After reading the book description and a couple of the reviews, I knew at that moment it was the right choice.

What does this book have to offer?

Mom…and loving it! is all about finding contentment in REAL life. Even as I write this article, I still have not quite finished the book because I find myself wanting and needing to take my time with each chapter to let the encouraging words and suggestions sink in.

The authors of this book are two sisters who have six kids between them. They start out by each one telling her story of what she thought motherhood was going to be like, before actually becoming a mother, and then how that fantasy ended with sleepless nights, discouragements and even guilt - things all of us moms go through at times.

I have cried and laughed while reading this book. It is very easy to read and yet has already enormously impacted my life and how I see myself as a mom and wife. What I think is great about this book is how these women share their own real life experiences and provide input from other mothers who have all dealt with some of these same issues.

Sometimes we just need to know we’re not alone in our feelings and circumstances.

Here are just a few of the topics that are covered in this book:

• Why Do I Feel So Guilty? (Three Guilt Grenades Common to Moms)
• Angry…and Hating It! (Dealing With Angry Outbursts)
• Being Content With Who You Are (Comparing: The Seed of Discontentment)
• Married…and Loving It? (Finding Real Contentment in Marriage)
• Being Content With Your Kids (Just the Way They Are!)
• Being Content With Life (When It Doesn’t Make Sense)
• The Gray-Haired Angels (Their Secret to Becoming a Mom and Loving It!)

I have, as a mom, struggled with some of these issues myself. Like so many other moms, I want to be Supermom with a spotless house, a well-fed family and plenty of time to spend with my family also. Unfortunately, I’m not all that. I’m still just learning to be the best that I can be for my family and myself. This is one reason Mom…and loving it! really hit home with me.

Along with very practical, as well as Biblical, advice and encouragement, the authors have included questions at the end of each section that really help you consider the information you’ve read and plans of action to help you apply it to your everyday life.

I think every mom should get a copy of this book and read it. It is written from a Biblical standpoint; however, it’s not at all preachy. It’s just full of plain ole’ mom to mom helpful advice and inspiration. I definitely suggest this book for any mother. We can all use a little help and encouragement from time to time on this journey we call motherhood.

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2. Sophie’s Heart by Lori Wick Sophie's Heart is a touching story about the life of a young lady who leaves her only living relative, her...
3. Simple Solutions: Keeping Track of Your Books Have you ever loaned a book to someone, never got it back, and couldn't remember who last borrowed it? Well,...

Posted on May 4th, 2009 in Book Reviews | 4 Comments

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

When I was a teenager, my Sunday School teacher gave each student in class an index card that contained a picture of a nice house and car, and she had written in a yearly income figure. Some of the houses and cars were really big and fancy while others were smaller but still nice. Of course, this was all just for illustration purposes.

She then told us that we could trade cards with others in the class if we didn’t like the card the we had received. As you can probably imagine, almost everyone in the class thought that something on one of their classmates cards was better than what was on their own card.

One girl, however, did not even try to trade. When the teacher asked her why she didn’t trade with the other students, her remark was, “I’m happy with what I have.” Now, she didn’t have the nicest house, greatest car or the largest income, but what she did have was contentment.

In this world, it is sometimes very hard to be content with what we have because everywhere we look, we see ads and television programs that tell us we need more things and better things. Many of these things are nice, but we should remember that all the wealth in the world cannot bring happiness, nor can it be taken with us when we leave this world.

We must find our riches in Christ and the eternal gifts that only He can provide. If we seek God first in our lives and make Him number one, we will be able to find contentment in not only materialistic aspects of our lives, but more importantly the spiritual aspects.

I’m not saying that we should not work to better ourselves or that having nice things is wrong. God blesses us with many of these things. The key is to always remember to be thankful and never let anything come before God. Only in contentment can we find perfect peace and true happiness.

Prayer Time: Ask God to help you find contentment with what you have and to always remember to put Him first in your life.

Related posts:

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Posted on May 3rd, 2009 in Mom's Corner | 3 Comments

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Welcome to the final part of our vacation planning series. In case you missed the first three parts, I’ve provided the links to those posts for your convenience.

• Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 1: Deciding Where to Go
• Tips for Family Vacation Planning Part 2: Budgeting
• Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 3: Don’t forget to take…

It’s almost time to take that long awaited trip, so let’s make sure you don’t forget some very important safety precautions you should take to ensure a safe and uneventful trip. (By uneventful, of course, I mean without the bad stuff.)

Before You Leave

• Have Your Car Checked - If you are taking a road trip, be sure to have your car serviced and be sure to check the air in your tires, including the spare. After all, breaking down beside the road was not in the vacation plans.
• Tell a Neighbor - Be sure to let a neighbor know you will be out of town so they can keep an eye out for anything suspicious or out of place at your house.
• Have Mail/Newspaper Picked Up - Either have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up your mail for you each day, or have the post office hold your mail for you. You don’t want mail, such as credit card statements, bank account statements and other personal documents, sitting in your mailbox for an extended period of time.
• Unplug Electronics - You never know when a lighting storm may develop while you are away, and you don’t want to come back home only to find that your electronics are fried because of a lightening strike.
• Leave a Light On - Leave a small inside light on that can be seen from the front of your home. This gives the appearance that someone may be inside, possibly deterring anyone considering breaking into your home.

Here is my Vacation Planning: Before Leaving checklist for making sure the above things are done before embarking on a trip. It  also includes a few other things I didn’t mentioned in this post.

(I keep all my worksheets and checklists in a folder to take with me on the trip for reference.)

During Your Vacation

• Stashing Cash - Be sure to divide your cash between yourself and your spouse. Then each of you should divide your portion and stash each portion in different places. For example, you may put half in your purse and half in your pants pocket. This way if you lose part of your cash for whatever reason, you still have some stashed away.
• Hide Valuables - Don’t leave valuables, or even a small amount of money, in plain site in your car. People who are desperate will break into your car if they see only the smallest thing that interests them.
• Take Valuables Out of Your Room - Never leave valuables in your hotel room. Just hiding items in drawers in the room will not deter someone who is looking to take your stuff. They know where to look. Also if you leave your computer in the room, they may be able to gain personal information about you off the computer without you even knowing.
• Don’t Leave the Key Card - There is some debate over what types of information is recorded on the key card you receive for your hotel room. Some say that credit card, address and other personal information may be compromised if you turn in your key card at the hotel desk during check-out. For this reason, it is best to just keep the card, take it home and shred it. This is what I do, and no one has ever asked me for it when I’ve checked out.
• Ask about the Town - Ask the hotel clerk if there are any areas of town that should be avoided. If you’re not familiar with the town, you could wind up in a questionable area if you’re not careful.

These are just a few safety tips I feel make for a more secure family trip. I am sure you probably have a few more that I missed, but I hope I’ve provided you with some extra security for your next big vacation.

Wow! We have finally come to an end in the vacation planning series. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go on a big one! Hope your next trip is a happy, fun-filled and safe one!!

Please feel free to comment or make any suggestions as to how you plan your family trips.

Related posts:

1. Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 2: Budgeting Welcome back to my vacation planning series. Yesterday in Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 1: Deciding Where to Go,...
2. Tips for Family Vacation Planning: Introduction Are you ready for that super fun great vacation with your family? I mean, are your really ready? Well, I’m...
3. Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 3: Don’t forget to take… On Wednesday, we took a look at budgeting for a vacation in Tips for Vacation Planning, Part 2: Budgeting, so...

Posted on May 2nd, 2009 in Kids and Family | 2 Comments

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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