Everyone loves a good investment…especially one that comes with a big bonus! This is one of those investments that you don’t want to miss! Purchase Jill Savage’s new book No More Perfect Moms anytime between February 3-9 (online or at a store…and yes, electronic versions such as Kindle and Nook count too!) Send a copy of your receipt to NoMorePerfectMoms@moody.edu. Scan it, take a picture of it - just be sure to send it to the email! You'll be given access to well over $100 worth of resources that will help you on your mothering journey - absolutely free! What will you receive?   6 Sixty Minute Audio Workshops (MP3 format) from Hearts at Home

• Desperate for Wisdom - Dr. Juli Slattery
• How to Fight for Your Marriage - Dr. Juli Slattery
• It is Well with Your Soul - Jennifer Rothschild
• Multiple Intelligences - Dr. Kathy Koch
• Ten Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs - Jill Savage
• The God Who Sees You- Tammy Maltby

4 Printables from Hearts at Home

• 10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs
• “Love Is”--I Corinthians 13 for Parents
• Mom Rules
• How to Fight Fair In Marriage

3 Free E-book’s (including PDF, Kindle, iPad, and Nook editions!) from Moody Publishers

• Live Free by Kendra Smiley
• Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larsen
• Real Moms Real Jesus by Jill Savage

1 Contest Entry You will be entered in a drawing to win hotel accommodations and two Hearts at Home Mom Conference registrations for you and a friend at a conference of your choice! (If unable to attend a conference, a Hearts at Home Conference To-Go will be substituted for the winner and a friend.) This offer is available for this week only (Feb 3-9)! Grab a copy of No More Perfect Moms, scan your receipt, email it, and start enjoying your new book PLUS all of the extra bonuses you’ll receive! It’s “mom university” delivered right to your computer!

   If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been reading-and sharing about- Jill Savage's new book, No More Perfect Moms.  I hope that you will buy her book! It is a great book which helped me to embrace all the imperfect things in my life by not lowering my expectations but adjusting them to match up with the reality of me, my family, our home, and so very much more! Her book is available for purchase now BUT I want to encourage you to WAIT to purchase it...Yes, that's right! WAIT to purchase it until February 3-9th! If you do, you will receive over $100 in FREE resources! If you like a good deal as much as I do, you will want to wait! I have had a sneak peek at the list of freebies and, girls, let me tell you, they are some GREAT freebies!
 Now, I know you are wondering if you will really get anything useful if you wait to buy No More Perfect Moms. Well, here is the list of what you will get when you order the book between February 3-9:
                     

6 Sixty Minute Audio Workshops (MP3 format) from Hearts at Home

• Desperate for Wisdom - Dr. Juli Slattery
• How to Fight for Your Marriage - Dr. Juli Slattery
• It is Well with Your Soul - Jennifer Rothschild
• Multiple Intelligences - Dr. Kathy Koch
• Ten Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs - Jill Savage
• The God Who Sees You - Tammy Maltby

4 Printables from Hearts at Home

• 10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs
• “Love Is”—I Corinthians 13 for Parents
• Mom Rules
• How to Fight Fair In Marriage

3 Free E-book’s (including PDF, Kindle, iPad, and Nook editions!) from Moody Publishers

• Live Free by Kendra Smiley
• Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larsen
• Real Moms Real Jesus by Jill Savage

1 Contest Entry

You will be entered in a drawing to win hotel accommodations and two Hearts at Home Mom Conference registrations for you and a friend at a conference of your choice! (If unable to attend a conference, a Hearts at Home Conference To-Go will be substituted for the winner and a friend.)

  Now that's a deal well worth the wait!

        Have a blessed day!

                            Love ya, 

                                            Susan  

 

 

     When January rolls around every year, people start evaluating themselves and their lives to make "New Year's Resolutions." They ask themselves what they want to change in areas of their daily lives such as health, physical fitness, metal and spiritual fitness, and on and on the list can go. I myself started a journey last January to eat right and exercise with the goal of losing 50 pounds. Well, I made it half way to that goal. Then summer break for the kids came, real life happened, etc. etc. and I quit going to the gym for work outs and quit tracking my eating habits and calorie intake...which led to me gaining those pounds back. My focus changed from my "get fit" goal to my "get us through the summer with my sanity intact" goal. 
    This year, I have one main goal-not a resolution. That main goal is to put my focus, as child of God, on God. I desire a closer walk the my Father God. In order to achieve that goal, I have a plan. It is consists of:

• A Bible reading plan to read the Bible in a year, which I am pleased to say I am sticking to!
• Joining Bible study groups online and off line; currently I am doing the Living Like Jesus Luke Bible study with a Facebook group via Good Morning Girls 
• Reading books that will encourage me as a Christian wife and Momma; currently, I am in the last chapters of No More Perfect Moms: Learn to Love Your Real Life
• Seeking godly council on issues I might deal with and Seeking God through prayer when things are good and when things are bad

    Basically, I want to 'feed' my mind with "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy." (Philipians 4:8) I need to train myself to replace any negative self-talk and thoughts with the Truth found in God's word, the Bible. It really comes down to this- "Garbage In, Garbage Out; Good Stuff In, Good Stuff Out." What I 'feed' my mind will be evident in the way I talk, spend my time, spend my money, and how I act towards others. As a child of God, I should be reflecting the character of God.    
    What do you think?
                      Love ya, 
                                    Susan 

I just received my copy of Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect Progress by Lysa TerKeurst. Be looking for future blog posts related to the book as I read it.
I enjoy reading of almost any genre but any book that draws me closer to my Savior is a must read!
Disclosure: Zondervan has provided this book to me free of charge through Booksneeze.  All comments, opinions, etc. are my own. I am not being paid for my opinion and review of this book. 

             But as for me and my household,
                              we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15


   Being a Mom is a full time job by itself~even if you a working Mom. I have the privelage of being able to be a SAHM. In the beginning, I was feeling really confident of being able to the 'job' of being a SAHM. I was homeschooling the children (3 of them when we began that journey) and we were all four enjoying learning to love being home together all day. I was also patting myself on the back for our ablility to have an almost spotless house during those years.
   Well, fast forward some years. My mother passed away in October of 2009. I was a rock during the weeks leading up to her passing. I never shed a tear. I held in my emotions as I always did in our family as the middle child of the three daughters. I also had to make hard decisions during those weeks. Forward past the funeral and family members returning to there homes, I thought things were returning to normal for us. It wasn't really. I had internalized my emotions which led to my bout with depression. Evidently you can have depression and not know it. Deep depression triggered Fibromyalgia in my body.
  Forward to the next school year. Over the summer my husband felt strongly that our children should begin attending public school. This was a hard thing for me to submit to. But I did. I gave the issue up to God. In the bigger picture, I had to give up my will for what was best for all of us. This is our third year with the children in public schools and while I still have my concerns I have learned to leave those concerns in God's more than capable hands. Through the public school system my older ones have developed talents that they can now and eventually will use to bring glory to God. My thirteen year old is a magnificent flutist. She picked up playing the flute instantly in her fourth grade year even though she had never read sheet music before. That can only be a God thing!
 The 'job' of being a Mom is challenging and rewarding, stressful and fulfilling, and it is 'job' given to us to refine our character to be more like Jesus and less self-centered. I often think that God must think a lot of me by allowing me the privelage of having six children to raise. Raising children is very high calling. We are bringing up the future generations. Let us bring them up to be servants of the Lord.
  I still have struggles daily as I grow as a Mom (Sunday I allowed my 15 year old to drive us to and from church in the morning-I got to attempt to not be overly corrective but to guide her without making her (and myself even more) nervous.) Being a Mom is a job that is always evolving and is never really done.
 I have committed to remember that "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." I will trust Him will everything!
 How about you? Any Mom 'job' things you would like to share? Leave a comment!
                              Love ya,
                                           Susan

Cuckoo for Coupon Deals has teamed up with other bloggers to for HUGE coupon giveaway! 720 total coupon inserts will be given away to 12 lucky winners! Go here to enter. And good luck!






 

 This week seems to be just flying by! Wednesdays always seem to appear out of nowhere! This morning, I am enjoying the solitude of my home while my husband is at work, my 5 girls are at school and my son is at preschool for the morning. I used to homeschool my children and we enjoyed it for most of the six years that we were all home together. It was what was right for that season of our lives. In this season of life, however, sending them to school is what is right for our family. 
 While the children are at school and my husband is as work, I try to utilize my time alone to have my quite time with Father God by spending time in the Bible, praying over my family, myself, my church, and so many other things. Right now I am working on a 'Read Your Bible in a Year' chronological plan. (Bible Gateway is a great resource and free for you to utilize for Bible reading and study.) 
 I am also doing a study on Living Like Jesus via Good Morning Girls. I am on day 3 of the eight week study and am learning so much as I utilize their materials (free also when you sign up and free to sign up). This study is done using the book of Luke.
 Everyday is not what I expect but I know it is full of what God has planned for me as I continue to grow in my relationship with Him. It so invigorating to be filled with His truths each day and to allow Him to show me where I need to make improvements in myself and in my relationships with others. 
 When we allow God to use us and stop trying to "use" Him, we will then be able to know the true JOY of being called His child!
  I pray for you, reader, that my blog would be help to you and encouragement to you.  I pray that you will thirst after God and seek His righteousness above all else in this world. 
               Love ya,
                        Susan  

                                   

 Lots of imperfect Mommas have been busy reading their advance copy of No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage, CEO of Hearts at Home. Her newest book is set to release on February 1st BUT you will most definitely want to wait to order until February 4-9. If you do, you will buy the book for about $14 and get an additional $100 in free e-resources!!! Now that is quite a deal! You will also help Jill's book make the NY Times Best Seller list! It's a win-win!
 Susan (not as uncommon a name as I once believed ;) over at A Powerful Moment has composed a link-list of Momma bloggers and their sites and posts related to No More Perfect Moms. I made the list, too!!  
 So hop on over to A Powerful Moment for more encouragement!
                 Love ya,
                           Susan

                                  

  Are you the parent of a teen or tween? Do you struggle with knowing how to get through to the heart of your teen or tween? Well, let me tell you, you are not alone in this! I currently have a 15 year old (and driver's permit carrying as of today) daughter, a 13 year old (high strung and strong willed) daughter and a 10 year old (emotional-as-puberty-is-setting-in) daughter. I have three more children who will follow them in 3, 4, 6 years respectively and girl, girl, boy respectively. I pray daily that my mind and hair will all be intact when the teenage years are behind us in 16 years!

 Teenage girls are very, very emotional people. They are constantly testing boundaries as they try to gain more freedom in their lives in regards to friends, time away from home and other life decisions. Like all the other growth stages of life, we were not given a "How to Guide on the Teen and Tween Years" when we left the hospital with the sweet, innocent and wonderful new addition to our family. Oh, how sweet would it be if there were such a thing! But alas, we must find our way through this stage in the growth and development of our emerging young adult as with the other stages of their delicate lives-trial and error and LOTS of prayer. It also doesn't hurt to seek out godly advice from others who have walked this path before you.

 I just read this article on What Doesn't Work to Change a Teenager's Behavior. It may be helpful to you as well, dear reader. 
   
 I hope I have been able to encourage you in some way!

                           Love ya, 
                                         Susan
 

 This week I am going to continue working on setting goals. Basically, a list of what I hope to accomplish daily and for the week. My main goal is to be in God's Word daily and to really study and apply it in my life. I also want to try to get housework caught up.

My Goals for the week of January 14:

• Continue reading through the Bible Chronological plan
• Begin the Living Like Jesus Luke Study via Good Morning Girls 
•  Work on laundry daily
• Sweep & vacuum the floors daily
• Clean kitchen and bathroom counters daily
• Plan dinner menu for the week
• Read No More Perfect Moms  

  Thanks for stopping by, 
                            Love ya, Susan     

 If you are looking for a reliable paid survey site to sign up for, I highly reccomend Vindale Research! Go here to sign up.
             Love ya,
                          Susan 


 

I recently started using Ibotta. It is so easy to use! All you do is purchase items that are on there "offers," upload a picture of your receipt, select offers to redeem and submit. Within 24 hours you will receive a cash deposit to your PayPal account. Easy-peasy! Why not sign up? They have $5 sign up bonus good through tomorrow when you make your first transaction! Oh, and the best part? No clipping coupons :-)
                           Love ya,
                                        Susan

  "Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard news of it with our ears.' But God understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location. For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When God fixed the weight of the wind and limited the water by measure, when He established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightening, He considered wisdom and evaluated it; He established and examined it. He said to mankind, 'The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.'" Job 28:20-28 (HCSB)

    Our society puts a lot of emphasis on getting a "good education." We are constantly trying to improve upon our knowledge in areas of academics, technology and the like. We hinge a lot of our lives on our knowledge, on our own wisdom in these areas. But are we really putting those things in perspective? Why are seeking to gain so much knowledge and wisdom? What are we striving for?
   Now I am not saying by any means that a good education is wrong in itself. I believe it is necessary in today's world to have a good educational background. I also believe, however, that sometimes we allow that pursuit of a good education to overshadow our pursuit of a strong relationship with our Creator God. In essence, our 'good education' has become our god by allowing it to be our main focus and priority.
  Scripture tells us, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
  In our pursuit of wisdom, we should not forget that God wants us to include in the whole process. He also wants us to use whatever wisdom we gain while on this earth to bring Him glory. Yes, we will do things that we get credit and recognition for. We need to make sure that we are giving God the glory for what He has allowed-and allows-us to accomplish.
 I thank God that He gives me the wisdom to understand His Word. 

Bible Gateway is a great online source for Bible reading, study, and additional resources. 

              Love ya, 
                           Susan

   

 Today I am thinking about my week so far. I am so thankful to God for how our week is going so far. I have accomplished a couple of my goals on my list and am working on the ones that are daily. I have been more positive in my family interactions as well as in my relationships outside the home. I can only attribute it to God as I stay in His Word, the Bible, and in communication through prayer. I am also reading No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage this month. Her book is also helping me to make changes and embrace the imperfects of life, move past them and accentuate the positive in the midst of the negative.

  My 15 year old daughter started ::sigh:: Driver's Ed on Monday and takes the test to get her permit on ::bracing myself:: Friday this week. She is excited! Dad and Mom, well, let's just say we haven't decided if she 'practice' in the 15 passenger family van or the F-150 extended cab, 4x4 truck! 

 My 10 year old daughter started playing trumpet this school year. She was very excited to be chosen as one of the fourth graders to go to Solo and Ensemble competition this year. My 13 year old daughter plays flute (3rd year) and is going as well.

 My 7 year old daughter, my 6 year old daughter and my 4 year old son were very happy on Monday evening when I took some time to look up on YouTube how to make paper airplanes (my 7 year old's science homework this week). They all had to have one-or two- airplanes to fly and I learned a new skill! It was also heart warming to watch them enjoy what we worked on together and we made memories to boot!

 Do you have any proud parent moments to share? I would love to hear about them! 
        
  Thanks for stopping by! Love ya,
                                                   Susan    

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