“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9) Hospitality is not my forte. I love to plan parties, decorate cakes and daydream about giving my mantel a trendy makeover—but when it comes to executing these crafty ambitions, my klutzy side takes over. I’ve always considered this a shortcoming. Until recently, when a children’s Bible story shifted my thinking. It was the well-loved tale of Jesus feeding five thousand people with one boy’s lunch. “What’s special about this story?” I asked my five-year-old daughter. “Ummm. …
Getting It Together + & The TMI Monday Link Up!
Kayse Pratt is a wife, mommy, and writer whose brand new eBook Getting It Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System That Works releases on Monday, December 31. I’m delighted to talk with Kayse about how we can set realistic home management goals for the new year–without getting overwhelmed! How can we start the new year with reasonable get-myself-organized goals? Kayse: For me, having a system is key: a central place for all of my home management stuff! My goals themselves have to be organized: project lists, cleaning schedules, etc. I think it’s important to start small, creating manageable …
5 Simple Ways To Approach Home Organization
While every parent has different levels of comfort in regards to home organization, when the house is in continual disarray, hearts tend to experience the same. Prov. 28:2b “…a man of understanding and knowledge will obtain order.” Recently, a pastor friend described to me the homes that he visits, where the lack of organization affects the family heavily. They can’t find the items they need for daily functioning and this causes punctuality problems. The tardiness then causes extra phone calls for parents to answer or return. The cycle continues resulting in additional work. Many times the family wants to change, …
Scheduling: A Tool for Sanity
Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. I look at my watch. 6:30 PM. Sigh. I don’t have dinner started, L needs to do eye therapy, E needs to study spelling words, and J needs a bath. And bedtime is supposed to be 8 PM. I felt like my mind was spinning out of control. My shoulders tensed, my heart rate doubled, and the inner voice started. Why can’t you get yourself together? Other moms homeschool and have dinner on the table at 5:00 PM. You …
Listen. What does your home say?
Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. Every home talks. Above the din or kid tunes, toddler talk, tween laughter, and teenage tunes, homes speak. Despite all of the digital messages firing without pause, “home” still has the potential to resonate strong and true. Whether or not the sound is sweet or foul, our home will speak. What is your home saying? I was invited to a Christmas party at a house that could’ve swallowed 3 of our bungalow. Before I unbuckled my seat belt, …
It’s Not Often We’re Missed
Awhile back Facebook, in its infinite wisdom, recommended I reconnect with a friend I hadn’t heard from in quite some time. It turned out my friend’s family had experienced some tough times. When she thanked me for my prayers, her comment caught me off guard. She said, “It’s not often we’re missed.” My heart broke for my friend, not just because of her difficult circumstances, but because she seemed alone in her struggles. I was reminded of Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” How important that …
Stop. Breathe.
A misty drizzle spritzes the window while I relax in the recliner and listen to my children’s laughter. When what to my wandering eye should appear, but a miniature sleigh and…Oops! I guess I got too relaxed for a moment. It’s a rare occurrence these days to have time to daydream. I’m a freelance writer and editor, but I also homeschool my children. School’s in full session, as is all the busy-ness that accompanies this season of life. We have classes, gymnastics, Taekwondo, baseball games, church events and sleepovers. Not to mention deadlines, doctor appointments, Bible studies and holidays. Complicate …
What’s For Supper? Don’t Panic Mom, We’ve Got It Covered!
It’s 3:00 in the afternoon….do you know what you’re having for dinner? If fast food restaurants are currently flashing in your mind, let me introduce to you a new way of cooking. Freeze ahead meals. The Betty Crocker or June Clever era is over, gone are the days of spending hours over cook books, planning meals, and creating gourmet suppers that you have on your nicely dressed table, with neatly dressed and quiet little kids. Instead my days are filled with the frenzy of shuffling kids from one appointment, to the next activity, while stuffing laundry into some convenient closet, …