From Frazzled to Fun

I want to share with you a podcast that came out this week. 

I had the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Lowman of Journey of Ruth podcast on the topics of:

• questions to ask yourself when home organizing
• teamwork tactics and how the benefits can continue to bless you for years
• encouragement for mamas of newborns
• fun ways to get your kids to want to behave
• boundaries and screen time for kids
• gettin' 'er done as a mama but keeping it fun

If you want to feel encouraged, be more equipped to be intentional, and be inspired to return to the fun mom you know you really are, Courtney and I invite you to listen in (also includes a link to watch on YouTube).

It was baking day. Dillon and Derek, ages five and six, put on their favorite baking aprons, and we were ready to begin our bread making.

The boys meticulously measured the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt into two bread makers with dreams of sweet rolls we would enjoy.

I was disappointed when I went to get the oil from the pantry and remembered I was almost out. As I tilted the container, it looked like we had a tablespoon of oil at the most. We needed two-thirds of a cup.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, guys! I forgot we were out of oil," I said. "We're not going to be able to finish these recipes today."

Their eyes cast downward. Then my six-year-old looked at me and said, "Remember that story about the woman who needed the oil to bake with?"

I took a deep breath and hesitantly said, "In the Bible?" By this time, both boys were excitedly nodding their heads with anticipation. The ball was in my court. "So what you are saying is that we should pray, and the Lord will multiply our oil like He...

Here's a good word for the times, from Alex Cravens. I agree with him and want to spread this faith-filled word! I hope we will all, no matter how difficult, take it to heart:

More than two hundred hours of creative fun. That was what Elisha Scarborough, one of the Coach Mom Tribe kids, pulled off last month during the Unplug & Create Challenge.

But he wasn't the only one. Coach Mom Tribe kids earned a total of more than 5,000 stars, with each star equating 15 minutes of non-screen creative play. That's more than 1,000 hours documented of creative fun in the month of July.

With a goal to help moms get kids off screens this summer and into more enriching activities, last month the focus of the Coach Mom Tribe was a challenge designed just for the kids!

The Challenge was to do as many creative activities as they could in the month of July.  The object:

• greatly reduce brain-numbing screen time spent on things like iPads, phones, video games & TV
• exercise their brains 
• have fun

While I gave them an extensive list of almost thirty fun and creative things they could do, they put my ideas in the dust with the fun things they found to do...

We are in the midst of an "Unplug From Screens & Create" Challenge in the Coach Mom Tribe this month, complete with a grand prize incentive.

I'm so excited about the great non-screen things that the kids are doing! Cooking/baking, climbing trees, walking dogs, making homemade "hurdles" to practice with, harvesting garden veggies, creating robot costumes out of extra boxes, making edible slime, even inventing some homemade mouse traps to serve the family!

Would you like to get your kids off screens and on to beneficial activities?

Here are 12 of the many ideas I had for my Coach Mom Tribe kids:

1. Play outside in sprinkler
2. Write a letter to your grandparents
3. Speed stack cups (can buy online)
4. Make inventions out of recyclable materials such as buttons, bottle caps, yarn, leather strips, wire, boxes, etc. 
5. Write a poem
6. Collect insects, leaves, grass, etc. and study them under a microscope or magnifying glass
7. Cut...

It's shameful. 

 

America's local and state law enforcement officers have suffered so much negativity and hate by a small but powerful minority this last year.

 

Though this group is small, with the voice of media, they have campaigned to try to turn America against the ones who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.

 

How ludicrous is that?

 

Not only do our law enforcement officers deserve our honor and respect, we need to be intentional to teach our children the importance of  honoring and respecting those who uphold the law in our communities.

 

The American Family Association has initiated a Day of Prayer and Appreciation For Law Enforcement, slated for Sunday, June 13. 

 

Let's get behind this!

 

This is a great way for us to let them know we appreciate their work.

These are some ways we can get involved: 

PRAY
As you gather for your main family meal on Sunday, pray for law...

Do you have teens?

Would you like to build a stronger relationship with them?

Get some powerful ideas in this interview Brenna did with family coach Dr. Cam.

Click here to watch the interview on YouTube

Click here to listen to the Apple podcast

Happy Memorial Day!  Some interesting things about today...

Your child is gifted.

 We all know Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In translating from the original Hebrew language, which is more precise than our English, the Amplified Bible reads:

“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Prov. 22:6, TAB

From the original Hebrew we see each child has a gift or bent -- a direction he should go that fits with his God-given passion -- that he will never abandon once trained in it.

Discovering this is one of the most important things we can help our children do.

God might even use it to reform that sector of society for His glory.

George Washington Carver is a great example of using his gifts.

Though he was from a humble background, he did great things that had an impact worldwide and , revolutionized the farming industry.

In Carver's day peanuts...

The Lord bless you
    and keep you, 
the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

God bless you, mama!

The Lord sees and knows the many ways you serve your family each day.

Comment below one thing you are thankful for this Mother's Day.