I posted a Verse of The Day below this post. After publishing the post, I could not get the verse or my thoughts on the verse out of my mind. I decided that I needed to expand on my thoughts.
Answered Prayers
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
This verse brought prayer to the forefront of my mind. My life is so very blessed by the Lord. He has given me so much and has answered all of my prayers. I know the Lord will provide for me, when it is His will that I truly seek.
When I was pregnant with my son, I prayed to our Father every day that He would give me a happy and healthy child. A simple request, yes, but it was my heart’s desire. The Lord answered my prayer and today my son is both happy and healthy. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for that answered prayer.
Are answered prayers always this easy? Of course not. Sometimes the Lord answers our prayers in ways that we certainly do not expect. Sometimes the answer to a prayer is so difficult that you can’t imagine why it is happening to you. At the beginning of the relationship with my husband, I prayed that the Lord would make our relationship work and make it strong. Less than one year into our relationship, my then boyfriend, an outwardly healthy 26 year old man, was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. The cancer was going to require one year of chemotherapy type treatments. A couple of months into his treatments, my boyfriend proposed to me. My answer was an immediate yes. It never occurred to me that I should consider anything other than yes. Why would cancer effect my decision?
A very dear friend once told me, “The Lord will never give you more than you can handle.” I made it my mission to live this message and make my fiancé live it as well. As a result, I went on to be the typical “bride to be.” My focus was on the having the perfect wedding (perfect dress, perfect flowers, perfect food, perfect cake, perfect music). Three weeks prior to our wedding day, my fiancé started having headaches, blurred vision and dizzy spells. His oncologist sent him for a brain scan to rule out a brain tumor. “WHAT? No, that’s not possible!,” were my reactions. What a wake up call! Somehow, I managed to forget how serious his condition really was. We went to the brain scan together, then waited for the results from his normally deadpan doctor together. As soon as his doctor entered the room, a huge smile spread across his face. It was then, that we knew there was no brain tumor. It was the treatments that were causing his symptoms.
It was at that moment, that I realized what the Lord was doing in our relationship. He was bringing us together on a level that so many, at our young age and stage in our relationship, never get to experience. At that point, I realized that the only thing that mattered was being married to that man. The perfect wedding no longer mattered to me. I gained the prospective I needed.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Be careful what you pray for?” Answered prayers aren’t always what we expect them to be. Sometimes they are straight and to the point. Other times, they are trials in our lives. Should these trials in our lives, keep us from asking?
Showing posts with label stay at home moms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stay at home moms. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Verse of the Day
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7 (Read all of Matthew 7)
New International Version
My Thoughts:
Our God is an Awesome God. He continually answers our prayers. Prayers may not be answered right away or in the way we think they should be answered, but they are answered never-the-less.
Prior to getting married, I asked the Lord to strengthen my relationship with my soon to be husband. Shortly after, my finance was diagnosed with cancer. I know what your thinking, that's not an answered prayer. Believe me, it was hard for me to see at the time. I had to take a step back from the situation and a particulary tough moment during the bout with cancer to see that it really was an answer to a prayer. Was this the way I wanted my prayer to be answered? Of course not. However, it made me see what was really important in life; our love for the Lord and our love for each other! I believe, in my heart of hearts, that the cancer brought us closer together and made us stronger. After dealing with cancer at such a young age and so early in our relationship, we realize that there is nothing that we can't handle together.
Matthew 7:7 (Read all of Matthew 7)
New International Version
My Thoughts:
Our God is an Awesome God. He continually answers our prayers. Prayers may not be answered right away or in the way we think they should be answered, but they are answered never-the-less.
Prior to getting married, I asked the Lord to strengthen my relationship with my soon to be husband. Shortly after, my finance was diagnosed with cancer. I know what your thinking, that's not an answered prayer. Believe me, it was hard for me to see at the time. I had to take a step back from the situation and a particulary tough moment during the bout with cancer to see that it really was an answer to a prayer. Was this the way I wanted my prayer to be answered? Of course not. However, it made me see what was really important in life; our love for the Lord and our love for each other! I believe, in my heart of hearts, that the cancer brought us closer together and made us stronger. After dealing with cancer at such a young age and so early in our relationship, we realize that there is nothing that we can't handle together.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Something to think About
My Mom likes to remind me, on a regular basis, that it is wonder that I acutally survived childhood - what with all the dangers around me. I posted an email below that struck me funny because it is, at its very core, what my Mom has been saying to me since I got pregnant over 2 years ago. It started with my research for the safest and best crib. When I say research, I truly mean I speant hours upon hours reading about all of the cribs. That's when my Mom knew I went over the deep end.
While I love and my child benefits from all these new things we have to protect our precious little ones, I do think we have gone a bit overboard. It makes me a little sad that my precious little one won't know what it's like to ride in the back of a truck on a warm summer day!
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, share it to your kids so they know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
Christian mom
Christian women
stay at home mom
stay home mom
While I love and my child benefits from all these new things we have to protect our precious little ones, I do think we have gone a bit overboard. It makes me a little sad that my precious little one won't know what it's like to ride in the back of a truck on a warm summer day!
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, share it to your kids so they know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
Christian mom
Christian women
stay at home mom
stay home mom
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
An Enemy Called Average by L.L. Gibson
Are you on the couch? Are your dreams and goals sitting there with you? You are in the fight of your life, and you must defeat the enemy, the enemy called average. What is average? Are you an average middle class woman? What exactly is that? Is your favorite pastime taking care of the kids or working eight to five Monday thru Friday, then plopping down on the sofa every night watching mindless sitcoms, or is watching CSI your thing? Is that average?
Let's face it, Moms are tired. Every day you take care of kids, do laundry, buy groceries, pick up dry cleaning, clean the house, make dinner, pay the bills, and on and on and on. Or, maybe you work full-time AND do all of the above. But, you love being a Mom. You enjoy every minute you spend with your kids but it is also important to take time out for yourself. You are overworked and underappreciated, but you are not average.
What are your dreams? What is important to you? Would achieving your dreams affect your life, your children's lives, and your grandchildren?
Every great achievement begins with a dream, or vision of something exciting or different, a feeling deep inside that inspires and motivates you to aim higher that you ever have before. What is your vision for your life?
Allow yourself to have big dreams, huge dreams, and gigantic dreams. What others have done before you can do as well. What others have never even thought about, you can do! You may be comfortable. You may plan on retiring in 10, 20, or 30 years, putting a little into a 401k, or IRA and with social security, you plan on being comfortable. Don't be comfortable. Do something great with your life.
Being a modern, 21st century mom is about attitude that is muted only slightly by 2 a.m. feedings. A Hot Mama is a woman who radiates confidence and a woman who loves herself and her family but isn't consumed by the madness of motherhood. She knows how to balance her needs as well as the needs of her family. A Hot Mama has big dreams and goals. A Hot Mama does not settle for average.
Ask yourself these 5 questions, the answers will change your life: 1. If you continue what you're doing now, will you have the kind of life you dream about? 2. What kind of life do you dream about? 3. If the way you are living today is OK, if you are comfortable, can you accept that is all you will ever have? 4. Do you want something so badly that not having it us unacceptable to you? 5. If something comes into your life that will enable you to get what you are looking for, are your ready to go right now?
You can make a difference. You can do something great with your life. You have the power in you, the power of ONE.
Andrew Jackson said, "One man with courage is a majority." One man or woman can stand up and make a difference. George Washington, at a critical point during the Revolutionary War, gathered his men; they were freezing, hungry, they were losing the war. They were not even Americans yet. They were Hampshire men, Virginians, Marylanders. What were they fighting for? Washington looked at his troops and said, "Let only Americans stand watch this night." He gave breath to our Declaration of Independence. The power of One man.
Think back to 1996. Are you where you wanted to be back then? A decade passes quickly. More importantly, you should ask yourself how you are going to live the next ten years of your life. What actions can you take today in order to create a tomorrow that matches your dreams? The year 2016 will surely arrive; the only important question is where you will be.
You don't have time. If you are eighteen do not wait until you are twenty-eight. If you are 60 do not wait until you are seventy, do not wait. There is not enough time to wait to do something great with your life.
Tonight, when you are home, sit down with the one's you love, look them in the eye, tell them you love them, tell them what keeps you up at night, tell them what moves you, tell them what you dream about, then the next day go out and do something great with your life.
Make today the first day of the rest of your life. Get up off the couch, and leave your old friends, dreams and goals. Make new friends like Achievement and Glory, Go for It! If you can dream it, you can do it. You can be anything you want. Do not be comfortable. Be great. Make a difference. There is power in the number One. There is power in You! Do not be average, defeat the enemy. Do something Great with your life.
Aude Aliquid Dignum "Dare Something Worthy" See www.HotMamaBeautyandStyle.com for more articles.
About the Author
L.L.Gibson is the Director of Marketing and Communications for HotMamaBeautyandStyle.com, a top web boutique destination for the active mom. This web site provides a wealth of motivational articles for the mom of today.
Are you on the couch? Are your dreams and goals sitting there with you? You are in the fight of your life, and you must defeat the enemy, the enemy called average. What is average? Are you an average middle class woman? What exactly is that? Is your favorite pastime taking care of the kids or working eight to five Monday thru Friday, then plopping down on the sofa every night watching mindless sitcoms, or is watching CSI your thing? Is that average?
Let's face it, Moms are tired. Every day you take care of kids, do laundry, buy groceries, pick up dry cleaning, clean the house, make dinner, pay the bills, and on and on and on. Or, maybe you work full-time AND do all of the above. But, you love being a Mom. You enjoy every minute you spend with your kids but it is also important to take time out for yourself. You are overworked and underappreciated, but you are not average.
What are your dreams? What is important to you? Would achieving your dreams affect your life, your children's lives, and your grandchildren?
Every great achievement begins with a dream, or vision of something exciting or different, a feeling deep inside that inspires and motivates you to aim higher that you ever have before. What is your vision for your life?
Allow yourself to have big dreams, huge dreams, and gigantic dreams. What others have done before you can do as well. What others have never even thought about, you can do! You may be comfortable. You may plan on retiring in 10, 20, or 30 years, putting a little into a 401k, or IRA and with social security, you plan on being comfortable. Don't be comfortable. Do something great with your life.
Being a modern, 21st century mom is about attitude that is muted only slightly by 2 a.m. feedings. A Hot Mama is a woman who radiates confidence and a woman who loves herself and her family but isn't consumed by the madness of motherhood. She knows how to balance her needs as well as the needs of her family. A Hot Mama has big dreams and goals. A Hot Mama does not settle for average.
Ask yourself these 5 questions, the answers will change your life: 1. If you continue what you're doing now, will you have the kind of life you dream about? 2. What kind of life do you dream about? 3. If the way you are living today is OK, if you are comfortable, can you accept that is all you will ever have? 4. Do you want something so badly that not having it us unacceptable to you? 5. If something comes into your life that will enable you to get what you are looking for, are your ready to go right now?
You can make a difference. You can do something great with your life. You have the power in you, the power of ONE.
Andrew Jackson said, "One man with courage is a majority." One man or woman can stand up and make a difference. George Washington, at a critical point during the Revolutionary War, gathered his men; they were freezing, hungry, they were losing the war. They were not even Americans yet. They were Hampshire men, Virginians, Marylanders. What were they fighting for? Washington looked at his troops and said, "Let only Americans stand watch this night." He gave breath to our Declaration of Independence. The power of One man.
Think back to 1996. Are you where you wanted to be back then? A decade passes quickly. More importantly, you should ask yourself how you are going to live the next ten years of your life. What actions can you take today in order to create a tomorrow that matches your dreams? The year 2016 will surely arrive; the only important question is where you will be.
You don't have time. If you are eighteen do not wait until you are twenty-eight. If you are 60 do not wait until you are seventy, do not wait. There is not enough time to wait to do something great with your life.
Tonight, when you are home, sit down with the one's you love, look them in the eye, tell them you love them, tell them what keeps you up at night, tell them what moves you, tell them what you dream about, then the next day go out and do something great with your life.
Make today the first day of the rest of your life. Get up off the couch, and leave your old friends, dreams and goals. Make new friends like Achievement and Glory, Go for It! If you can dream it, you can do it. You can be anything you want. Do not be comfortable. Be great. Make a difference. There is power in the number One. There is power in You! Do not be average, defeat the enemy. Do something Great with your life.
Aude Aliquid Dignum "Dare Something Worthy" See www.HotMamaBeautyandStyle.com for more articles.
About the Author
L.L.Gibson is the Director of Marketing and Communications for HotMamaBeautyandStyle.com, a top web boutique destination for the active mom. This web site provides a wealth of motivational articles for the mom of today.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Meditation
This article is a lesson for all of us. We could all use more time in meditation.
Is Christian Meditation a way to speak to God? by Jake Aubin
Christian meditation is a way of communicating with God. Christians can use this meditation to clear their minds of the busy thoughts of the day and concentrate solely on worshipping God and learning the truths of the Bible.
Centuries ago, monks began practicing Christian meditation by reading over verses in the Bible and then thinking about the truths in these verses. Often, they would say the verses to God as a prayer. In this way, the monks learned to speak to God in prayer, and learned how to tell God their own thoughts and concerns. By meditating on Bible verses and praying to God, the monks trained their minds to always think about God. They called this "contemplation", and it helped them to have a close, loving relationship with God.
By following this method of communicating with God, the monks created what is called the "ladder of prayer". The rungs of the ladder included reading Bible verses, thinking about the truths in the verses, praying to God, and learning to think about God always.
In the 1900s, two types of Christian meditation were used. Using a mantra, or word that is repeated to help the Christian focus on God, was one type of meditation. An example of a mantra would be the word Maranatha, which is an Aramaic word for "come, Lord". Christians would also use what is called a Centering Prayer, which uses a sacred word or words to bring the Christian into God's presence. These two types of Christian meditation helped the people using them to take their focus off their own problems and to turn to God to hear what He had to say to them.
A woman named St. Theresa of Avila created five steps to help Christians focus on God when praying. These five steps are known as the five R's.
- The first R is Ready: this is the step in which the Christian realizes that he/she is in the presence of God. To be ready to continue in prayer, the Christian thanks God for the many blessings He gives, and confesses any sins. - The second R is Read, and includes reading prayers, spiritual books, and the Bible. - The third R is Reflect. In this step, the Christian focuses on what he/she has just read in order to come closer to God. - The fourth R is Respond. It is at this step that the Christian speaks with God in an open and honest way about what he/she has been reading and thinking about. It is the most important step, as this is when God can share His wisdom and thoughts with the Christian. - The fifth and final R is Resolve. This is when the Christian thanks God for what he/she has learned, and closes the time of prayer.
These different types of Christian meditation can all be useful in helping Christians to meet with God, come close to Him, and learn His truths. Christian meditation does not save a person from their sins; it is a tool that can be used by people who are already saved to build a stronger relationship with God.
Is Christian Meditation a way to speak to God? by Jake Aubin
Christian meditation is a way of communicating with God. Christians can use this meditation to clear their minds of the busy thoughts of the day and concentrate solely on worshipping God and learning the truths of the Bible.
Centuries ago, monks began practicing Christian meditation by reading over verses in the Bible and then thinking about the truths in these verses. Often, they would say the verses to God as a prayer. In this way, the monks learned to speak to God in prayer, and learned how to tell God their own thoughts and concerns. By meditating on Bible verses and praying to God, the monks trained their minds to always think about God. They called this "contemplation", and it helped them to have a close, loving relationship with God.
By following this method of communicating with God, the monks created what is called the "ladder of prayer". The rungs of the ladder included reading Bible verses, thinking about the truths in the verses, praying to God, and learning to think about God always.
In the 1900s, two types of Christian meditation were used. Using a mantra, or word that is repeated to help the Christian focus on God, was one type of meditation. An example of a mantra would be the word Maranatha, which is an Aramaic word for "come, Lord". Christians would also use what is called a Centering Prayer, which uses a sacred word or words to bring the Christian into God's presence. These two types of Christian meditation helped the people using them to take their focus off their own problems and to turn to God to hear what He had to say to them.
A woman named St. Theresa of Avila created five steps to help Christians focus on God when praying. These five steps are known as the five R's.
- The first R is Ready: this is the step in which the Christian realizes that he/she is in the presence of God. To be ready to continue in prayer, the Christian thanks God for the many blessings He gives, and confesses any sins. - The second R is Read, and includes reading prayers, spiritual books, and the Bible. - The third R is Reflect. In this step, the Christian focuses on what he/she has just read in order to come closer to God. - The fourth R is Respond. It is at this step that the Christian speaks with God in an open and honest way about what he/she has been reading and thinking about. It is the most important step, as this is when God can share His wisdom and thoughts with the Christian. - The fifth and final R is Resolve. This is when the Christian thanks God for what he/she has learned, and closes the time of prayer.
These different types of Christian meditation can all be useful in helping Christians to meet with God, come close to Him, and learn His truths. Christian meditation does not save a person from their sins; it is a tool that can be used by people who are already saved to build a stronger relationship with God.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Top 5 Most Important Things I Have Learned as a New Mom
Top 5 Most Important Things I Learned as a New Mom
My son, who is now 21 months old, has already given me many life lessons. It's funny how someone so small can teach you so much.
5) I am the Adult
When my toddler throughs a tantrum or lashes out in a fit of emotion, I remind myself that I am the adult in the relationship. I know better than to get angry in response to his actions. It is my duty to remain calm and show him what to do with his feelings. It is also my job to teach him that tantrums, hitting, kicking, screaming, etc. are not acceptable at his young age or ever. I am not perfect and don't always have the ideal reaction to his actions, but I am working on it through deep breaths and prayer.
4) Naps are Best Kept in the Crib
I told myself over and over that my son was just a bad napper. Three 30 minute naps per day for a 3 month old certainly must prove that he was, in fact, a bad napper. Somewhere along the line, when he reached about 5 months, I realized that his nap routine was more learned than natural.
It started because he fell asleep easily in the comfy swing (you know the kind you, as an adult, want to crawl into and take a little nap). As a woman in desperate need of a break, the swing became where he would take most of his naps. The problem was, he would only sleep for 30 minutes. Then, I found the solution, I let him sleep on me. Any parent will tell you what a comfort having an infant sleep on you is! It was then that I learned he would sleep for 2 hours when he was on me. Not only did he sleep, but I got to sleep. Yikes! Mistake!
You can not go through the entire napping years with a child sleeping on you. At some point you will reach the phase where you are not an exhausted shell of your former self, but a mom that needs to take advantage of that precious nap time to get things done. Once that dawned on, we started what I called "Mommy Boot Camp." We quit the naps in the swings and the naps on Mommy all at once. It was a truly painful process (and I may have caved in a couple of times), but it was worth it. He never did, however, recover from his short naps. They remained at 30 minutes until he moved to one nap a day. Now he is at 1.5 hours, which is still not fantastic, but I have learned to deal with it.
3) You Can Never Have too Many Friends
Friends are a life line for new moms. Who better to keep you sane? As a new mom you will make many new friends; friends who have babies the same age as your precious little one or maybe a bit older. These are the women that give you the most helpful advice. They give you advise that they, themselves, have already tested. They tell you what mobile is best, which sling works like magic, which songs are the most stimulating. In addition to being a wealth of knowledge, these women know exactly what you are going through and can empathize with you at 3:00am.
Don't forget about your old friends too. They are your source to the outside world, your source for sanity. It is when you have watched Baby Mozart for the 30th time that you need to pick up the phone and engage in adult conversation that doesn't not revolve around your precious little one.
2) Buy a Blanket Made for Swaddling
It's been proven that newborns are comforted by the snugness of swaddling. After fussing with the many receiving blankets, I gave up the fight. My precious little one always found a way to wiggle out, which resulted in screaming wakefullness. Arghhh! There had to be a better way. A friend (see lesson 3) told me about the swaddle blankets on the market. These things have actual velcro fastners. Hey, why didn't someone tell me about this sooner???
1) Invest in a White Noise Machine
It has also been proven that infants like white noise. It makes sense when you think about it. Think of how loud in must be in your uterus. The constant noise of the organs working, you talking, laughing, coughing, sneezing.... It has been said that these sounds can be as loud as a vacuum. It must be a scary experience to come out and have complete slience! I tried the recommended loud shushing (from a book, not a friend), but it just didn't work for me or maybe it was too much work for me. Regardless, a friend (See lesson 3) told me about the white noise machines. Magic! It calmed my fitful little one in an instant.
It is also my vow to get any new mom I know a swaddle blanket and a white noise machine. A new mommy-to-be will most likely find these gifts dreadful and boring, but I will attach a note that says, "Trust me."
Christian mom
Christian women
stay at home mom
stay home mom
My son, who is now 21 months old, has already given me many life lessons. It's funny how someone so small can teach you so much.
5) I am the Adult
When my toddler throughs a tantrum or lashes out in a fit of emotion, I remind myself that I am the adult in the relationship. I know better than to get angry in response to his actions. It is my duty to remain calm and show him what to do with his feelings. It is also my job to teach him that tantrums, hitting, kicking, screaming, etc. are not acceptable at his young age or ever. I am not perfect and don't always have the ideal reaction to his actions, but I am working on it through deep breaths and prayer.
4) Naps are Best Kept in the Crib
I told myself over and over that my son was just a bad napper. Three 30 minute naps per day for a 3 month old certainly must prove that he was, in fact, a bad napper. Somewhere along the line, when he reached about 5 months, I realized that his nap routine was more learned than natural.
It started because he fell asleep easily in the comfy swing (you know the kind you, as an adult, want to crawl into and take a little nap). As a woman in desperate need of a break, the swing became where he would take most of his naps. The problem was, he would only sleep for 30 minutes. Then, I found the solution, I let him sleep on me. Any parent will tell you what a comfort having an infant sleep on you is! It was then that I learned he would sleep for 2 hours when he was on me. Not only did he sleep, but I got to sleep. Yikes! Mistake!
You can not go through the entire napping years with a child sleeping on you. At some point you will reach the phase where you are not an exhausted shell of your former self, but a mom that needs to take advantage of that precious nap time to get things done. Once that dawned on, we started what I called "Mommy Boot Camp." We quit the naps in the swings and the naps on Mommy all at once. It was a truly painful process (and I may have caved in a couple of times), but it was worth it. He never did, however, recover from his short naps. They remained at 30 minutes until he moved to one nap a day. Now he is at 1.5 hours, which is still not fantastic, but I have learned to deal with it.
3) You Can Never Have too Many Friends
Friends are a life line for new moms. Who better to keep you sane? As a new mom you will make many new friends; friends who have babies the same age as your precious little one or maybe a bit older. These are the women that give you the most helpful advice. They give you advise that they, themselves, have already tested. They tell you what mobile is best, which sling works like magic, which songs are the most stimulating. In addition to being a wealth of knowledge, these women know exactly what you are going through and can empathize with you at 3:00am.
Don't forget about your old friends too. They are your source to the outside world, your source for sanity. It is when you have watched Baby Mozart for the 30th time that you need to pick up the phone and engage in adult conversation that doesn't not revolve around your precious little one.
2) Buy a Blanket Made for Swaddling
It's been proven that newborns are comforted by the snugness of swaddling. After fussing with the many receiving blankets, I gave up the fight. My precious little one always found a way to wiggle out, which resulted in screaming wakefullness. Arghhh! There had to be a better way. A friend (see lesson 3) told me about the swaddle blankets on the market. These things have actual velcro fastners. Hey, why didn't someone tell me about this sooner???
1) Invest in a White Noise Machine
It has also been proven that infants like white noise. It makes sense when you think about it. Think of how loud in must be in your uterus. The constant noise of the organs working, you talking, laughing, coughing, sneezing.... It has been said that these sounds can be as loud as a vacuum. It must be a scary experience to come out and have complete slience! I tried the recommended loud shushing (from a book, not a friend), but it just didn't work for me or maybe it was too much work for me. Regardless, a friend (See lesson 3) told me about the white noise machines. Magic! It calmed my fitful little one in an instant.
It is also my vow to get any new mom I know a swaddle blanket and a white noise machine. A new mommy-to-be will most likely find these gifts dreadful and boring, but I will attach a note that says, "Trust me."
Christian mom
Christian women
stay at home mom
stay home mom
Friday, January 5, 2007
MOPS
Today was my MOPS day. MOPS, if you don't already know, stands for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. I found MOPS after moving to New Hampshire and feeling a bit isolated. I had just quit my job, which was a tough decision for me to make, and moved to a small town where I didn't know anyone. The women I did meet were other mothers at town mommy and child activites. These other women were not fast to warm up to the idea of a new mommy in town. With these feelings of isolation (and feeling like I was on the outside of a high school clique) made me reach out to friends out of town via email. Both friends were (and still are) stay at home moms. One was in California and the other in Florida. Both mentioned MOPS to me. After getting both of their emails, I decided it was time to Google MOPS. I learned that it is an organization for women with pre-school aged children to get together and learn about a variety of topics. In an effort to make it all about the moms, MOPS has a child care program that allows each mom to put their child(ren) in the care of responsible adults while the mom gets to enjoy herself with other women.
The only MOPS in my area is a 45 minute drive. I must say, however, that the 45 minute drive is so worth it for me. The group of women that I met the first year were wonderful. Each of them had their own individual thing to offer and inspire. I found it to be a wonderful time of fellowship with other Christian women. The bonus for me was this: most of the women were not originally from the area, so they understood what I was going through and were very supportive. In addition to these things, I have made some very dear and close friends.
Today's discussion was about communication. Communication with your children, spouse, and family. The guest speaker has a 15 year old, 18 year old and 20 year old. She was very effective and gave some helpful information. Communication with your children I found to be the most informative of all. As my son is growing in his verbal communication skills, I am looking forward to engaging him in meaningful conversation. The one point I found most impressive was that she started a routine with her kids at a very young age of debriefing them about their day each and every day. They sit around their kitchen table and have a snack after school and talk about interesting things that happened during their day. She has been doing it since they have all been in pre-school. What this set into motion was a routine, so that when she asks her kids the same questions now, in their teenage years, her kids do not view her as an interferring mom. It's a simple idea, but a very effective idea. It has built an open and honest household where the kids feel comfortable sharing information.
MOPS
Christian+Mom
Stay+Home+Mom
Stay+At+Home+Mom
The only MOPS in my area is a 45 minute drive. I must say, however, that the 45 minute drive is so worth it for me. The group of women that I met the first year were wonderful. Each of them had their own individual thing to offer and inspire. I found it to be a wonderful time of fellowship with other Christian women. The bonus for me was this: most of the women were not originally from the area, so they understood what I was going through and were very supportive. In addition to these things, I have made some very dear and close friends.
Today's discussion was about communication. Communication with your children, spouse, and family. The guest speaker has a 15 year old, 18 year old and 20 year old. She was very effective and gave some helpful information. Communication with your children I found to be the most informative of all. As my son is growing in his verbal communication skills, I am looking forward to engaging him in meaningful conversation. The one point I found most impressive was that she started a routine with her kids at a very young age of debriefing them about their day each and every day. They sit around their kitchen table and have a snack after school and talk about interesting things that happened during their day. She has been doing it since they have all been in pre-school. What this set into motion was a routine, so that when she asks her kids the same questions now, in their teenage years, her kids do not view her as an interferring mom. It's a simple idea, but a very effective idea. It has built an open and honest household where the kids feel comfortable sharing information.
MOPS
Christian+Mom
Stay+Home+Mom
Stay+At+Home+Mom
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Here's more great advice on getting started as a work at home mom. What I like most about this article is that the author, Kara Jankowski, is in New Hampshire. She will be a great contact for me.
7 Ways To Guarantee Success For WAHM (Work At Home Moms) by: Kara Jankowski
Are you a WAHM (work at home mom)? Or maybe you’d like to be one? You’ve made a great decision. As a work at home mom you get the best of both worlds. You are home with your kids so they are being raised by you instead of a daycare worker, and you also are making an income to support your family. Work at home moms have it all – the joy of their children, the mental stimulation of a career, and a stress-free, comfortable work environment. “Wait!” You say, “WAHM jobs are not stress-free!” Well ladies I’m here to tell you it can be done. Consider me your personal WAHM resource for solutions to your work at home problems. Follow these simple steps to create an organized and effective work at home environment. Key to Success #1: Create A Flexible Schedule Babies need to be on a schedule right away. In fact they thrive and actually cry less knowing that they can count on their needs being met regularly. For most babies you can follow a simple schedule of feeding time, followed by activity time, then sleep time. The length varies for each step depending on the age of your child. Activities also vary according to age. Your baby could be staring at a mobile turning above her, playing with brightly colored toys, reading a book with you, or banging away on a drum and singing. Here’s the key – your baby needs to learn how to play on their own as well. So during part of activity time you should allow your baby to enjoy playing alone. This will give you a little “you” time. You can keep a watchful eye on them from across the room, or depending on their age and if they are in a safe area, you can use a baby monitor. Be sure to watch for signs of your baby getting tired. If you delay putting them to bed you can actually miss the window of opportunity and you’ll have a very fussy baby who won’t go to sleep. At the first sign of a yawn or face and eye rubbing, it’s time to put them down for a nap. Then you can knuckle down and accomplish your work tasks. It’s very important for you to list your goals and action steps and do the most important tasks first. That way if baby wakes up early you have already done the most important thing for your day! Repeat this schedule throughout your day so you and your baby know what to expect and when. They won’t adapt to this overnight, be patient and keep at it. And remember that the length of each cycle will continually change as they grow. Stay flexible while still maintaining the cycle of feeding, activity then sleep. Key to Success #2: You Can Only Do What You Can Do This is so important for WAHM work at home moms. Think about it a second. You can only do what you can do. There is no sense in worrying that your day didn’t go as planned and you didn’t achieve this or that. Get used to it! You have an important job here, and that is taking care of your little one. Work is important and has its place but you have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy and sane. If your baby has a meltdown and you’re unable to get to your work for another hour, so be it. Don’t waste energy worrying or fretting about it. If you’re going to be successful you’ll have to work at odd times and make sacrifices here and there. Maybe you’ll do a little work after baby is in bed for the night, maybe you skip some TV time. Do what you can, when you can, and feel proud that you are taking steps every single day towards your goal – a happy baby and a successful mommy! Also, consider working for yourself in a home business instead of working an at-home “job”. You’ll have much less stress because you’ll answer to you, not your boss, and you won’t feel like you’re trying to compete with the others at the office. Plus, you’ll be earning money for yourself and growing your business instead of working to make your boss rich. Key to Success #3: Practice Good Self-Care During your baby’s alone activity time and his sleep time you can get a lot of work done. But don’t forget that you need to take care of YOU! Without you at your emotional best even the smallest thing can turn you into a walking time bomb. Take the time to relax in a hot bath, read an inspirational book, get a massage, take a walk alone, or whatever helps you to clear your mind and focus on you. You are the most important part of this equation! Key to Success #4: Ask For Help So often we think we’re alone, or that we’re weak if we ask for help. This is a time in our lives that we need help more than ever. We just can’t possibly do it all. So ask your family, friends and neighbors to assist your efforts. Whether it’s for babysitting (even if you’re there at your desk working) or buying groceries, enlist the support of others so you can have a break or accomplish a task. You deserve it! Key to Success #5: Exercise It doesn’t matter if you do yoga, go to the gym, walk the neighborhood, hike the trails or use a climbing wall. Be active every day. Exercise keeps you young, stimulates those “feel good” hormones in your body, refreshes you mentally, and helps get rid of those pregnancy pounds too. Don’t beat yourself up with an unrealistic exercise program. Just work it into your day. You can even space it out. Studies show that 10 minutes of exercise three times a day is just as beneficial as 30 minutes at one time. The important thing is to do it regularly, and preferably every day. Key to Success #6: Be Grateful Every Day This is so important. Do this in the morning while you brush your teeth, shower, or even while feeding baby. Run through in your mind everything you are grateful for. You can begin thinking “I am so happy and grateful that…my family is healthy, we have this roof over our head, we are warm and safe, my parents live close by, we have food in the pantry, I have the ability to work from home, I have the skills I need to succeed, I have access to the internet to maintain a business” etc… Don’t skip this step. It will put you in the right frame of mind to accomplish your goals every day. Key to Success #7: Maximize Your Work Time As a work at home mom your attention is constantly being pulled in many directions. It’s so important that the time you spend working is maximized. What do I mean by maximizing your time? I mean be sure that your efforts have a clear and substantial reward. It makes no sense to take time away from your children if you’re not well compensated. In my business I make at least $1000 per transaction, so I always know my time is well spent. You also want to utilize the concept of leverage in your business. There should be a system in place so that you do the work once, but keep benefiting from those initial efforts later on, without more time or input from you. Using these keys to success will create a happier and healthier you and baby, as well as a more productive business. As a work at home mom you need to be so careful to maintain balance in your life. Using a WAHM resource such as this, as well as other books or articles, can help you eliminate stress and accomplish more each day. For more information visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm Remember these keys to success to protect your sanity and live at your best, and your personal and business success will grow every day.
About The Author
Kara Jankowski is a WAHM who specializes in teaching others how to build a successful home business in their part time. If you would like to speak to Kara or learn more about her home business experience visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm or call her directly at 603-664-3553.
7 Ways To Guarantee Success For WAHM (Work At Home Moms) by: Kara Jankowski
Are you a WAHM (work at home mom)? Or maybe you’d like to be one? You’ve made a great decision. As a work at home mom you get the best of both worlds. You are home with your kids so they are being raised by you instead of a daycare worker, and you also are making an income to support your family. Work at home moms have it all – the joy of their children, the mental stimulation of a career, and a stress-free, comfortable work environment. “Wait!” You say, “WAHM jobs are not stress-free!” Well ladies I’m here to tell you it can be done. Consider me your personal WAHM resource for solutions to your work at home problems. Follow these simple steps to create an organized and effective work at home environment. Key to Success #1: Create A Flexible Schedule Babies need to be on a schedule right away. In fact they thrive and actually cry less knowing that they can count on their needs being met regularly. For most babies you can follow a simple schedule of feeding time, followed by activity time, then sleep time. The length varies for each step depending on the age of your child. Activities also vary according to age. Your baby could be staring at a mobile turning above her, playing with brightly colored toys, reading a book with you, or banging away on a drum and singing. Here’s the key – your baby needs to learn how to play on their own as well. So during part of activity time you should allow your baby to enjoy playing alone. This will give you a little “you” time. You can keep a watchful eye on them from across the room, or depending on their age and if they are in a safe area, you can use a baby monitor. Be sure to watch for signs of your baby getting tired. If you delay putting them to bed you can actually miss the window of opportunity and you’ll have a very fussy baby who won’t go to sleep. At the first sign of a yawn or face and eye rubbing, it’s time to put them down for a nap. Then you can knuckle down and accomplish your work tasks. It’s very important for you to list your goals and action steps and do the most important tasks first. That way if baby wakes up early you have already done the most important thing for your day! Repeat this schedule throughout your day so you and your baby know what to expect and when. They won’t adapt to this overnight, be patient and keep at it. And remember that the length of each cycle will continually change as they grow. Stay flexible while still maintaining the cycle of feeding, activity then sleep. Key to Success #2: You Can Only Do What You Can Do This is so important for WAHM work at home moms. Think about it a second. You can only do what you can do. There is no sense in worrying that your day didn’t go as planned and you didn’t achieve this or that. Get used to it! You have an important job here, and that is taking care of your little one. Work is important and has its place but you have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy and sane. If your baby has a meltdown and you’re unable to get to your work for another hour, so be it. Don’t waste energy worrying or fretting about it. If you’re going to be successful you’ll have to work at odd times and make sacrifices here and there. Maybe you’ll do a little work after baby is in bed for the night, maybe you skip some TV time. Do what you can, when you can, and feel proud that you are taking steps every single day towards your goal – a happy baby and a successful mommy! Also, consider working for yourself in a home business instead of working an at-home “job”. You’ll have much less stress because you’ll answer to you, not your boss, and you won’t feel like you’re trying to compete with the others at the office. Plus, you’ll be earning money for yourself and growing your business instead of working to make your boss rich. Key to Success #3: Practice Good Self-Care During your baby’s alone activity time and his sleep time you can get a lot of work done. But don’t forget that you need to take care of YOU! Without you at your emotional best even the smallest thing can turn you into a walking time bomb. Take the time to relax in a hot bath, read an inspirational book, get a massage, take a walk alone, or whatever helps you to clear your mind and focus on you. You are the most important part of this equation! Key to Success #4: Ask For Help So often we think we’re alone, or that we’re weak if we ask for help. This is a time in our lives that we need help more than ever. We just can’t possibly do it all. So ask your family, friends and neighbors to assist your efforts. Whether it’s for babysitting (even if you’re there at your desk working) or buying groceries, enlist the support of others so you can have a break or accomplish a task. You deserve it! Key to Success #5: Exercise It doesn’t matter if you do yoga, go to the gym, walk the neighborhood, hike the trails or use a climbing wall. Be active every day. Exercise keeps you young, stimulates those “feel good” hormones in your body, refreshes you mentally, and helps get rid of those pregnancy pounds too. Don’t beat yourself up with an unrealistic exercise program. Just work it into your day. You can even space it out. Studies show that 10 minutes of exercise three times a day is just as beneficial as 30 minutes at one time. The important thing is to do it regularly, and preferably every day. Key to Success #6: Be Grateful Every Day This is so important. Do this in the morning while you brush your teeth, shower, or even while feeding baby. Run through in your mind everything you are grateful for. You can begin thinking “I am so happy and grateful that…my family is healthy, we have this roof over our head, we are warm and safe, my parents live close by, we have food in the pantry, I have the ability to work from home, I have the skills I need to succeed, I have access to the internet to maintain a business” etc… Don’t skip this step. It will put you in the right frame of mind to accomplish your goals every day. Key to Success #7: Maximize Your Work Time As a work at home mom your attention is constantly being pulled in many directions. It’s so important that the time you spend working is maximized. What do I mean by maximizing your time? I mean be sure that your efforts have a clear and substantial reward. It makes no sense to take time away from your children if you’re not well compensated. In my business I make at least $1000 per transaction, so I always know my time is well spent. You also want to utilize the concept of leverage in your business. There should be a system in place so that you do the work once, but keep benefiting from those initial efforts later on, without more time or input from you. Using these keys to success will create a happier and healthier you and baby, as well as a more productive business. As a work at home mom you need to be so careful to maintain balance in your life. Using a WAHM resource such as this, as well as other books or articles, can help you eliminate stress and accomplish more each day. For more information visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm Remember these keys to success to protect your sanity and live at your best, and your personal and business success will grow every day.
About The Author
Kara Jankowski is a WAHM who specializes in teaching others how to build a successful home business in their part time. If you would like to speak to Kara or learn more about her home business experience visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm or call her directly at 603-664-3553.
Wooo Whoo - I am hitting a jackpot of information. All I needed to do was sit down and look for it. Of course, I did need to sort through all those phony/scam sites, but once I did....
Here's another article on working from home. The author, Judy Taylor, gives good information to know before you start.
Stay at Home Moms and Dads; Let's Make Money from Home! by: Judy Taylor
I am always advised by some of my friends and relatives that I'd better to find a job and spend some time out of home. I really don't know why they advise me to do that while they are not happy with their jobs, getting up early morning everyday, taking the kids to daycare or leaving them with the babysitter and ... . The worst part of their life is the money they make with their full time jobs. The luckiest one can have 10 bucks per hour after paying tax. They also have to pay for gas and other expenses that their cars have every month. So what advantages does working out of home have for them? Why do they encourage me to do something that they are not happy with it? The advice I always give them is much better. I advise them to stay at home and let their kids grow under their nose. They don't know how pleasant it is when you see your baby takes his first step or says his first word. Most of them are used to hear these news from their babysitters. You may be a mom or dad with the same issues and problems with your full time job. I don't want to ask you to quit your full time job right away, stay at home and think about working from home. I always try to teach people on my weblog and articles to be broad-minded and not to make any limitation for themselves. They can use their extra time they will have when their kids are slept or at the weekend to find some extra streams of income. Even if you don't need to make any more money and you are happy with your current income but sooner or later you will need some more money. Your children will grow up and there will be many new things that you will have to provide for them. So it does worth if you spend some of the time you are used to spend to take nap or watching TV on finding good ways to create some new streams of income. But how to get started? 1- First of all please keep in your mind that I do not want to tell you that you will become rich by working from home in a few weeks or even months. In fact you have to avoid all the get rich quick programs. I emphasized on this because I know as soon as people decide to try a working at home business, they turn on their computers, look for a easy work at home job that fits stay at home mothers or dads. It is the time that they can be cheated by scammers. So this is the first thing that you have to take into consideration if you want to work at home and make some extra money. 2- You need to get organized for spending some time on this business every week. This is like other businesses. Only serious and organized people can succeed. If you are a person who starts several businesses and becomes interested in different things but gives up at the first steps or if you become interested in different things just because one of your friends or relatives calls you and talk about it for a few minutes and then you lose your interest even before trying, just because one of your other friends calls you and says she doesn't like it because of this and that, then you have to change yourself before you start a work at home business and become a stay at home mom (or dad). I have been working from home online for many years. I could achieve to refer 22,000 people to one of the legitimate work at home programs and teach them everything that I knew but only few of them could make money. Not that it was hard to do. It was not hard because I could do it and a lot of other people could do it before me. Just because they were not serious and organized. They had not made a serious decision. This is the most important step. If you decide seriously and then take action and don't give up, you will be able to become a successful stay at home mom who not only enjoys being with her family and children - and of course her children enjoy her presence at home - but can make reasonable amount of money. 3- Improve some of your computer skills. You don't have to be a rocket scientists to work at home but you need to know the basics of computer and internet. When you want to work online and through the internet, you will be dealing with these terms very frequently: - website - weblog - web directory - email - link - search engine - search engine optimization - electronic newsletter or ezine - autoresponder - forums or discussion boards - internet marketing - advertising - email advertising - banner and banner advertising - pay per click advertising and pay per click search engines (PPC) - joint venture - link exchange - domain registration - web hosting - auction websites; e.g. eBay Do not scare if you have not heard about some of the above terms. They are very easy. Soon you will know that working from home and through the internet is much easier than what you thought. Just open one of the main search engines like Google and enter any of the above terms that you are not familiar with. You don't have to learn in detail. Just the basics is enough for getting started. 4- After improving your knowledge, decide what you want to do to make money. There are zillions of ways to make money from home by using your computer. You will have main options: - Sell your own products or services - Sell others' products or services Don't think that you have to have a factory for having a product which can be sold through the internet. Your product can be very simple things from candle, wooden cross and ... to your articles, cookie recipes and e-books. It is also as easy as 1, 2, 3 to promote others products and earn commissions. There are thousands of affiliate programs that you can join and become able to promote thousands of different products. Some affiliate programs pay as much as 75% commission to the affiliates. Good Luck! =============================== Copyright 2006 Judy Taylor. She is a stay at home mom who has been working from home since 2001. Visit her new weblog: Stay at home mom.
Here's another article on working from home. The author, Judy Taylor, gives good information to know before you start.
Stay at Home Moms and Dads; Let's Make Money from Home! by: Judy Taylor
I am always advised by some of my friends and relatives that I'd better to find a job and spend some time out of home. I really don't know why they advise me to do that while they are not happy with their jobs, getting up early morning everyday, taking the kids to daycare or leaving them with the babysitter and ... . The worst part of their life is the money they make with their full time jobs. The luckiest one can have 10 bucks per hour after paying tax. They also have to pay for gas and other expenses that their cars have every month. So what advantages does working out of home have for them? Why do they encourage me to do something that they are not happy with it? The advice I always give them is much better. I advise them to stay at home and let their kids grow under their nose. They don't know how pleasant it is when you see your baby takes his first step or says his first word. Most of them are used to hear these news from their babysitters. You may be a mom or dad with the same issues and problems with your full time job. I don't want to ask you to quit your full time job right away, stay at home and think about working from home. I always try to teach people on my weblog and articles to be broad-minded and not to make any limitation for themselves. They can use their extra time they will have when their kids are slept or at the weekend to find some extra streams of income. Even if you don't need to make any more money and you are happy with your current income but sooner or later you will need some more money. Your children will grow up and there will be many new things that you will have to provide for them. So it does worth if you spend some of the time you are used to spend to take nap or watching TV on finding good ways to create some new streams of income. But how to get started? 1- First of all please keep in your mind that I do not want to tell you that you will become rich by working from home in a few weeks or even months. In fact you have to avoid all the get rich quick programs. I emphasized on this because I know as soon as people decide to try a working at home business, they turn on their computers, look for a easy work at home job that fits stay at home mothers or dads. It is the time that they can be cheated by scammers. So this is the first thing that you have to take into consideration if you want to work at home and make some extra money. 2- You need to get organized for spending some time on this business every week. This is like other businesses. Only serious and organized people can succeed. If you are a person who starts several businesses and becomes interested in different things but gives up at the first steps or if you become interested in different things just because one of your friends or relatives calls you and talk about it for a few minutes and then you lose your interest even before trying, just because one of your other friends calls you and says she doesn't like it because of this and that, then you have to change yourself before you start a work at home business and become a stay at home mom (or dad). I have been working from home online for many years. I could achieve to refer 22,000 people to one of the legitimate work at home programs and teach them everything that I knew but only few of them could make money. Not that it was hard to do. It was not hard because I could do it and a lot of other people could do it before me. Just because they were not serious and organized. They had not made a serious decision. This is the most important step. If you decide seriously and then take action and don't give up, you will be able to become a successful stay at home mom who not only enjoys being with her family and children - and of course her children enjoy her presence at home - but can make reasonable amount of money. 3- Improve some of your computer skills. You don't have to be a rocket scientists to work at home but you need to know the basics of computer and internet. When you want to work online and through the internet, you will be dealing with these terms very frequently: - website - weblog - web directory - email - link - search engine - search engine optimization - electronic newsletter or ezine - autoresponder - forums or discussion boards - internet marketing - advertising - email advertising - banner and banner advertising - pay per click advertising and pay per click search engines (PPC) - joint venture - link exchange - domain registration - web hosting - auction websites; e.g. eBay Do not scare if you have not heard about some of the above terms. They are very easy. Soon you will know that working from home and through the internet is much easier than what you thought. Just open one of the main search engines like Google and enter any of the above terms that you are not familiar with. You don't have to learn in detail. Just the basics is enough for getting started. 4- After improving your knowledge, decide what you want to do to make money. There are zillions of ways to make money from home by using your computer. You will have main options: - Sell your own products or services - Sell others' products or services Don't think that you have to have a factory for having a product which can be sold through the internet. Your product can be very simple things from candle, wooden cross and ... to your articles, cookie recipes and e-books. It is also as easy as 1, 2, 3 to promote others products and earn commissions. There are thousands of affiliate programs that you can join and become able to promote thousands of different products. Some affiliate programs pay as much as 75% commission to the affiliates. Good Luck! =============================== Copyright 2006 Judy Taylor. She is a stay at home mom who has been working from home since 2001. Visit her new weblog: Stay at home mom.
Okay, so this article came to me at a perfect time. Just as I am starting to consider an at-home business. Knowing these steps and putting them into place before I begin will help me manage my time and help me remember the reason for doing it in the first place. Thank you Jill Hart! She also has a wesbite for me to look into - Visit www.CWAHM.com.
I am so excited! There is more information out there for Christian Stay At Home Moms than I thought.
Steps To Get Your Priorities Straight At Home And In Business by Jill Hart
Operating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we are responsible not only for the success of our business, but for our family as well. We must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain success in both areas.
When running a business from home, it's easy to let the phone calls, emails and paperwork keep you tied down, making you feel that you don't have time to take a break or to spend quality time with your family. Maybe you've noticed that you spend a little more time than you'd like in front of your computer or on the phone. Maybe you see your kids acting out, trying to gain your attention. Perhaps you are seeing that this isn't the work-at-home dream you envisioned. You started out with such noble intentions, but maybe the excitement of success in your business has caused you to lose sight of the REAL reason do what you do each day. It happens to so many of us, but don't worry, help is on the way.
Below are five ideas to prioritize your life and business:
1. Be honest - You probably didn't start your work-at-home career to climb the "corporate ladder" of your at-home business. Chances are that you started your business with the best of intentions - to be able to be at home with your children, to contribute financially to your family, or simply to have a little spending money of your own. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to show you the things that you need to change.
Take a moment and honestly ask yourself how you've been handling the time commitment of owning a business:
* Are you spending too much time on the phone, the computer, etc? * Are your kids spending more time than usual in front of the TV? * Do you snap at your children because of the stresses of your business? * Do you worry about your business - to the point that it distracts you when you are with your family?
2. Make a list - Sit down and write out a list of things that you see that you'd like to change. This can be a list of things you can do differently to limit the time you spend on your business; or a list of ways you can "de-stress" so that you can deal kindly with your family.
3. Log your time - Buy a notebook or create a spreadsheet that you can use to log the time you spend on your business each day. Make a column for each day across the top and a row of half an hour increments down the side. Every time you sit down at your desk, write "IN" in the box that corresponds to the time and day. Every time you leave your desk (or complete a task), fill the appropriate box with the word "OUT."
At the end of the week, total up the hours each day that you have spent on business tasks. Are you surprised or is it about where you thought you'd be? This can be a real eye-opener and show you in black and white if your priorities have gotten off track. Take special note for how much time you spend on e-mails and things that aren't billable.
Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com/ also recommends that you plan ahead and schedule your time. Prioritize things and have the work that will require the most effort and concentration scheduled for your peak time. Try and not get sidetracked and stay on task focusing on what you need to do. You'd be amazed how much more work you can get done by simply changing how you work e-mails. If you only answer them at set hours, you save yourself from being online all day and not accomplishing much.
4. Take a break - If you get to the end of the week and your time log has you in shock, it's time to take a break. If you normally work during the weekend, make it a point to take this weekend off. Shut down your email, turn off the ringer on your phone and shut the door to your office. You'll be surprised at how refreshing this will be.
Use this time off to re-evaluate how you need to be spending your time. Try to plan out when you can work on your business without losing out on time with your children. If your children are in school, make it a point to stop working when they get home. If your children are still small, maybe you can limit work hours to naptime or, if possible, have a grandparent watch them once or twice a week to allow you a bit more work time.
5. Plan an activity - Now that you're ready to make a change in your routine, why not plan an activity once a week? This can be an outing with your child or just something simple like setting aside time to make cookies together.
If possible, find another work-at-home mom and hold one another accountable to keep to your new schedules. Make a weekly play date where your children can spend time together - you can talk business if necessary or decide to make it a "no business talk allowed" discussion time.
The years that you have at home with your children are a gift as is your business. The time necessary for each will be different for every family and situation. Take the time to find what works for you and set your schedule accordingly. Make it a point to evaluate your priorities every few months to make sure that your time in spent properly. The rewards will be well worth it, when your family not only is proud of your accomplishments in your business, but also more importantly your accomplishments as their mom. Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated to providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote their businesses while at the same time providing them spiritual encouragement and articles. Visit CWAHM.com for additional information. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.
About the Author
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms. CWAHM is dedicated to work at home moms. Jill & her husband, Allen of Christian Work At Home Dads reside in NE with their 2 children.
I am so excited! There is more information out there for Christian Stay At Home Moms than I thought.
Steps To Get Your Priorities Straight At Home And In Business by Jill Hart
Operating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we are responsible not only for the success of our business, but for our family as well. We must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain success in both areas.
When running a business from home, it's easy to let the phone calls, emails and paperwork keep you tied down, making you feel that you don't have time to take a break or to spend quality time with your family. Maybe you've noticed that you spend a little more time than you'd like in front of your computer or on the phone. Maybe you see your kids acting out, trying to gain your attention. Perhaps you are seeing that this isn't the work-at-home dream you envisioned. You started out with such noble intentions, but maybe the excitement of success in your business has caused you to lose sight of the REAL reason do what you do each day. It happens to so many of us, but don't worry, help is on the way.
Below are five ideas to prioritize your life and business:
1. Be honest - You probably didn't start your work-at-home career to climb the "corporate ladder" of your at-home business. Chances are that you started your business with the best of intentions - to be able to be at home with your children, to contribute financially to your family, or simply to have a little spending money of your own. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to show you the things that you need to change.
Take a moment and honestly ask yourself how you've been handling the time commitment of owning a business:
* Are you spending too much time on the phone, the computer, etc? * Are your kids spending more time than usual in front of the TV? * Do you snap at your children because of the stresses of your business? * Do you worry about your business - to the point that it distracts you when you are with your family?
2. Make a list - Sit down and write out a list of things that you see that you'd like to change. This can be a list of things you can do differently to limit the time you spend on your business; or a list of ways you can "de-stress" so that you can deal kindly with your family.
3. Log your time - Buy a notebook or create a spreadsheet that you can use to log the time you spend on your business each day. Make a column for each day across the top and a row of half an hour increments down the side. Every time you sit down at your desk, write "IN" in the box that corresponds to the time and day. Every time you leave your desk (or complete a task), fill the appropriate box with the word "OUT."
At the end of the week, total up the hours each day that you have spent on business tasks. Are you surprised or is it about where you thought you'd be? This can be a real eye-opener and show you in black and white if your priorities have gotten off track. Take special note for how much time you spend on e-mails and things that aren't billable.
Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com/ also recommends that you plan ahead and schedule your time. Prioritize things and have the work that will require the most effort and concentration scheduled for your peak time. Try and not get sidetracked and stay on task focusing on what you need to do. You'd be amazed how much more work you can get done by simply changing how you work e-mails. If you only answer them at set hours, you save yourself from being online all day and not accomplishing much.
4. Take a break - If you get to the end of the week and your time log has you in shock, it's time to take a break. If you normally work during the weekend, make it a point to take this weekend off. Shut down your email, turn off the ringer on your phone and shut the door to your office. You'll be surprised at how refreshing this will be.
Use this time off to re-evaluate how you need to be spending your time. Try to plan out when you can work on your business without losing out on time with your children. If your children are in school, make it a point to stop working when they get home. If your children are still small, maybe you can limit work hours to naptime or, if possible, have a grandparent watch them once or twice a week to allow you a bit more work time.
5. Plan an activity - Now that you're ready to make a change in your routine, why not plan an activity once a week? This can be an outing with your child or just something simple like setting aside time to make cookies together.
If possible, find another work-at-home mom and hold one another accountable to keep to your new schedules. Make a weekly play date where your children can spend time together - you can talk business if necessary or decide to make it a "no business talk allowed" discussion time.
The years that you have at home with your children are a gift as is your business. The time necessary for each will be different for every family and situation. Take the time to find what works for you and set your schedule accordingly. Make it a point to evaluate your priorities every few months to make sure that your time in spent properly. The rewards will be well worth it, when your family not only is proud of your accomplishments in your business, but also more importantly your accomplishments as their mom. Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated to providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote their businesses while at the same time providing them spiritual encouragement and articles. Visit CWAHM.com for additional information. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.
About the Author
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms. CWAHM is dedicated to work at home moms. Jill & her husband, Allen of Christian Work At Home Dads reside in NE with their 2 children.
Home-Schooling???
Here is an article I came across in my search for Christian Stay at Home Moms. I was pretty sure I have already made my decision about home schooling. As a former public school teacher, I am pro public school. That being said, however, I have many friends and acquaintances that home school their children. In almost every instance, their children are the most well behaved and considerate children I have ever come across. The moms also seem very organized and peaceful with their decision.
So, this article scratched the surface of something that I didn't realize needed scratching. Do I need to reconsider my personal perference? Perhaps I should visit author's websites and do more research of my own. The websites are listed at the bottom, but I will list them here for quick reference: www.momtime.net & www.FamilySuccess.org
What am I doing? by Cheryl R. Carter
What Am I Doing? By Cheryl R. Carter
As we make educational decisions, I think most of us often forget just how vulnerable we are to criticism. Within our human psyche is the need for approval, acceptance and affirmation. This need has long been documented by counselors, psychologists, and clergy. In fact, great literature is ripe with humankind's struggle to be accepted by others. Shakespearean readers will recall Othello closing soliloquy. He goes on and on attempting to validate himself. Sadly, it is clear he longs for the validation of others. His own insecurity gave birth to his ravenous jealousy. Even though he had a prominent position he still felt unsettled; he had to prove something. Ultimately, this unsettling leads to his demise and unfortunately the death of others. So, how does this relate to us as Christian home-schoolers?
Most of us still look for approval, affirmation and acceptance for the different educational decisions we made. I see this so clearly in the home education movement. I call it a movement because everyday our numbers are increasing and "nontraditional" home educators are joining our ranks. I see the need for approval, affirmation and acceptance in the area of competence particularly we unconsciously compete with traditional schools. No one will say that but they will point to test scores and model curriculum and our schedules after typical schools.
It is said you can tell a lot about a person by looking at the way he spends his time and his check book. I think we home educators might do well to slow down our schedule a bit and assess what we believe and to become more solidified in our decisions. Many home educators run their children from activity to activity and because we too wrestle with the school question and how we measure up. Oh, we deny it. We laugh at those who ask us such a question, but in our quiet moments, we struggle. We, too, wonder about our educational decisions. We wonder if we are doing the best for our children. We wonder if we are good enough as teachers, as parents and even as people. How do we teach our children patience when we throw a fit because they do not get the distributive principle the first time we teach it?
You know what I'm talking about. Am I being too personal? I know I'm in your private closet -the solitary place where only you go. Sometimes even God, Himself cannot get in there! We wrestle with our decisions and wonder about our competence and depend on others to validate us. When they do not validate us, then, we set upon a journey to prove them wrong. It's a vicious cycle we have to validate ourselves and this can only happen when we are honest with ourselves. That is the hardest part. New home educators are particularly vulnerable to a rigid school schedule. This rapid flurry of activity brings with it many other problems including physical exhaustion and burn-out. The problem with being in bondage to others criticisms is that we keep working to prove them wrong. However the most insidious thing is in the process to prove others wrong often we may lose our own identity or convictions.
A few years ago, I did something very radical involving my convictions, for five months I did nothing. That's right I did nothing. Nothing. No hockey games. No ice skating lessons. No soccer, no karate, no swimming, no coop, no dancing, no nothing! This decision was not made in haste. It was preceded by a very active school year and an exhausting summer. It was great. We got lots of schoolwork done, took trips alone when we wanted and sometimes we just spent the afternoon doing nothing! The kids developed new hobbies and even started to do a bit of creative writing and drawing. We were happy and at peace. I had nothing to prove to anyone. It wasn't long before the telephone calls started. What surprised me were the telephone calls from other home educators. One day a friend called
"Cheryl, what are you doing?'
"Nothing"
"You're serious about this nothing thing, aren't you?' No response. I do not answer questions for which there is an obvious answer.
"Cheryl, the kids need to do things with other kids"
Obviously, she did not include the neighborhood kids, nor her kids who were just over two nights ago, or the kids at the park, or the kids at church, or...well you get the picture.
"Cheryl, doesn't it bother you that your kids are missing out I understand wanting to do nothing but sometimes we have to do things for our kids socially" she pleaded, attempting to evoke a response from me.
No response. I as I like to evoke thought.
"Are your kids really enjoying doing nothing...? Just what are they doing? Be honest"
Okay. She had played the honesty card. Now I could have answered literally that I did not know at that moment what my kids were doing. You moms know what I mean when the house is too quiet either your bedroom is being painted with peanut butter, or your son is trying to retrieve his lizard from your hand held vacuum cleaner. Instead I opted to ask her a question, have you ever asked your children if they would like to do nothing."
"Well they have to do play basketball and the piano if they stop them will lose their skills.... (long pause obviously she was trying to convince herself she was correct) I mean I wouldn't know what to do if I did nothing"
Therein was the real issue. She had revealed her own uneasiness on the issue of being good enough for her kids. Haven't we been there? She had filled their time with so many other things to fill in the gaps she thought they were missing. I do not want to suggest that everyone who runs their kids around from activity to activity is wrestling with the affirmation issues, some are keeping up with the Joneses' (those invisible children who might do better than our children), others are just caught in the web of activity and still others are still trying to find the ebb and flow of their home school schedule. I am just suggesting that we be real with ourselves about why we are doing something all the time.
We have to face our fears head on. So let me be the first to confess. I am finite in my ability to school my children. I must lean on God. It is in my dependency albeit my confession of weakness that I reach out to Him. And you know what? When I call Him, He is there! He takes my hand and provides for me and pours intangibles into my children. He graces me with patience when I cannot understand why 5x + 4y= 17 cannot be graphed until I put it in the y = mx + b form. I do not trust that I will always have the answer to every school question my children ask, but I do trust I will always be able to get them an answer.
In the book of James we are promised wisdom and we only have to ask for it. Moms, we only have to ask. Can it really be that easy? Yes, it almost seems too simple. We must learn to stand strong and realize that with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37) And if he can part the Red Sea, surely he can help me understand how to multiply binomials...augh...in four different ways. Home schooling is really a faith walk for us at times. The challenge is to embrace our struggles in such a way that God can redeem them. As my Pastor often says God's glory is released when we give ourselves totally to Him. For truly in our weakness God shows He is strong. Ultimately we have to let go for Him to take hold.
That's why I often stop and take the time to assess what I'm doing. I am neither in a race nor competition with any school. I want to be anchored in what I believe because true strength is breed in stillness. God's voice is not found in the flurry of activity but in quietness. May I offer you a challenge? Look at your beliefs and examine whether or not what you say you believe lines up with your daily activities. Can you close the science book and sit at the feet of Jesus without thinking about the missed lesson? Can you sit in stillness with your children and not just follow a regimented schedule? Ultimately, we have to learn to say no to something to say yes to God. Should that surprise you?
God always tells us to be something before we do something. We think we have to do but God tells us to be. Hard concept for us adults to grasp...right? May we help our children to understand who they are is more important than anything they do. May our children be so purposeful and powerful that the enemy trembles when their feet hit the floor each morning. May they pursue the enemy and preserve in their faith. May they take back this country for God! May we all see it in our lifetime! In Jesus' name! Amen.
Cheryl R. Carter is the "crown" of her husband and the joy of her children. She and her husband serve the New York State Christian Homeschool community as NYC and Long Island LEAH Regional Representative.. Visit her website www.momtime.net . and www.FamilySuccess.org She is also the author of Chasing God and the Kids Too, Balancing a Mom's Most Important Pursuits. She illustrates how to best spend our time in her new book keeping God and family a top priority.
About the Author
Cheryl R. Carter is the "crown" of her husband and the joy of her children. She and her husband serve the New York State Christian Homeschool community in NYC and Long Island.Visit her website www.momtime.net . and www.FamilySuccess.org She is also the author of Chasing God and the Kids Too, Balancing a Mom's Most Important Pursuits. She illustrates how to best spend our time in her new book keeping God and family a top priority.
So, this article scratched the surface of something that I didn't realize needed scratching. Do I need to reconsider my personal perference? Perhaps I should visit author's websites and do more research of my own. The websites are listed at the bottom, but I will list them here for quick reference: www.momtime.net & www.FamilySuccess.org
What am I doing? by Cheryl R. Carter
What Am I Doing? By Cheryl R. Carter
As we make educational decisions, I think most of us often forget just how vulnerable we are to criticism. Within our human psyche is the need for approval, acceptance and affirmation. This need has long been documented by counselors, psychologists, and clergy. In fact, great literature is ripe with humankind's struggle to be accepted by others. Shakespearean readers will recall Othello closing soliloquy. He goes on and on attempting to validate himself. Sadly, it is clear he longs for the validation of others. His own insecurity gave birth to his ravenous jealousy. Even though he had a prominent position he still felt unsettled; he had to prove something. Ultimately, this unsettling leads to his demise and unfortunately the death of others. So, how does this relate to us as Christian home-schoolers?
Most of us still look for approval, affirmation and acceptance for the different educational decisions we made. I see this so clearly in the home education movement. I call it a movement because everyday our numbers are increasing and "nontraditional" home educators are joining our ranks. I see the need for approval, affirmation and acceptance in the area of competence particularly we unconsciously compete with traditional schools. No one will say that but they will point to test scores and model curriculum and our schedules after typical schools.
It is said you can tell a lot about a person by looking at the way he spends his time and his check book. I think we home educators might do well to slow down our schedule a bit and assess what we believe and to become more solidified in our decisions. Many home educators run their children from activity to activity and because we too wrestle with the school question and how we measure up. Oh, we deny it. We laugh at those who ask us such a question, but in our quiet moments, we struggle. We, too, wonder about our educational decisions. We wonder if we are doing the best for our children. We wonder if we are good enough as teachers, as parents and even as people. How do we teach our children patience when we throw a fit because they do not get the distributive principle the first time we teach it?
You know what I'm talking about. Am I being too personal? I know I'm in your private closet -the solitary place where only you go. Sometimes even God, Himself cannot get in there! We wrestle with our decisions and wonder about our competence and depend on others to validate us. When they do not validate us, then, we set upon a journey to prove them wrong. It's a vicious cycle we have to validate ourselves and this can only happen when we are honest with ourselves. That is the hardest part. New home educators are particularly vulnerable to a rigid school schedule. This rapid flurry of activity brings with it many other problems including physical exhaustion and burn-out. The problem with being in bondage to others criticisms is that we keep working to prove them wrong. However the most insidious thing is in the process to prove others wrong often we may lose our own identity or convictions.
A few years ago, I did something very radical involving my convictions, for five months I did nothing. That's right I did nothing. Nothing. No hockey games. No ice skating lessons. No soccer, no karate, no swimming, no coop, no dancing, no nothing! This decision was not made in haste. It was preceded by a very active school year and an exhausting summer. It was great. We got lots of schoolwork done, took trips alone when we wanted and sometimes we just spent the afternoon doing nothing! The kids developed new hobbies and even started to do a bit of creative writing and drawing. We were happy and at peace. I had nothing to prove to anyone. It wasn't long before the telephone calls started. What surprised me were the telephone calls from other home educators. One day a friend called
"Cheryl, what are you doing?'
"Nothing"
"You're serious about this nothing thing, aren't you?' No response. I do not answer questions for which there is an obvious answer.
"Cheryl, the kids need to do things with other kids"
Obviously, she did not include the neighborhood kids, nor her kids who were just over two nights ago, or the kids at the park, or the kids at church, or...well you get the picture.
"Cheryl, doesn't it bother you that your kids are missing out I understand wanting to do nothing but sometimes we have to do things for our kids socially" she pleaded, attempting to evoke a response from me.
No response. I as I like to evoke thought.
"Are your kids really enjoying doing nothing...? Just what are they doing? Be honest"
Okay. She had played the honesty card. Now I could have answered literally that I did not know at that moment what my kids were doing. You moms know what I mean when the house is too quiet either your bedroom is being painted with peanut butter, or your son is trying to retrieve his lizard from your hand held vacuum cleaner. Instead I opted to ask her a question, have you ever asked your children if they would like to do nothing."
"Well they have to do play basketball and the piano if they stop them will lose their skills.... (long pause obviously she was trying to convince herself she was correct) I mean I wouldn't know what to do if I did nothing"
Therein was the real issue. She had revealed her own uneasiness on the issue of being good enough for her kids. Haven't we been there? She had filled their time with so many other things to fill in the gaps she thought they were missing. I do not want to suggest that everyone who runs their kids around from activity to activity is wrestling with the affirmation issues, some are keeping up with the Joneses' (those invisible children who might do better than our children), others are just caught in the web of activity and still others are still trying to find the ebb and flow of their home school schedule. I am just suggesting that we be real with ourselves about why we are doing something all the time.
We have to face our fears head on. So let me be the first to confess. I am finite in my ability to school my children. I must lean on God. It is in my dependency albeit my confession of weakness that I reach out to Him. And you know what? When I call Him, He is there! He takes my hand and provides for me and pours intangibles into my children. He graces me with patience when I cannot understand why 5x + 4y= 17 cannot be graphed until I put it in the y = mx + b form. I do not trust that I will always have the answer to every school question my children ask, but I do trust I will always be able to get them an answer.
In the book of James we are promised wisdom and we only have to ask for it. Moms, we only have to ask. Can it really be that easy? Yes, it almost seems too simple. We must learn to stand strong and realize that with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37) And if he can part the Red Sea, surely he can help me understand how to multiply binomials...augh...in four different ways. Home schooling is really a faith walk for us at times. The challenge is to embrace our struggles in such a way that God can redeem them. As my Pastor often says God's glory is released when we give ourselves totally to Him. For truly in our weakness God shows He is strong. Ultimately we have to let go for Him to take hold.
That's why I often stop and take the time to assess what I'm doing. I am neither in a race nor competition with any school. I want to be anchored in what I believe because true strength is breed in stillness. God's voice is not found in the flurry of activity but in quietness. May I offer you a challenge? Look at your beliefs and examine whether or not what you say you believe lines up with your daily activities. Can you close the science book and sit at the feet of Jesus without thinking about the missed lesson? Can you sit in stillness with your children and not just follow a regimented schedule? Ultimately, we have to learn to say no to something to say yes to God. Should that surprise you?
God always tells us to be something before we do something. We think we have to do but God tells us to be. Hard concept for us adults to grasp...right? May we help our children to understand who they are is more important than anything they do. May our children be so purposeful and powerful that the enemy trembles when their feet hit the floor each morning. May they pursue the enemy and preserve in their faith. May they take back this country for God! May we all see it in our lifetime! In Jesus' name! Amen.
Cheryl R. Carter is the "crown" of her husband and the joy of her children. She and her husband serve the New York State Christian Homeschool community as NYC and Long Island LEAH Regional Representative.. Visit her website www.momtime.net . and www.FamilySuccess.org She is also the author of Chasing God and the Kids Too, Balancing a Mom's Most Important Pursuits. She illustrates how to best spend our time in her new book keeping God and family a top priority.
About the Author
Cheryl R. Carter is the "crown" of her husband and the joy of her children. She and her husband serve the New York State Christian Homeschool community in NYC and Long Island.Visit her website www.momtime.net . and www.FamilySuccess.org She is also the author of Chasing God and the Kids Too, Balancing a Mom's Most Important Pursuits. She illustrates how to best spend our time in her new book keeping God and family a top priority.
Networking Tips for Moms At Home by Demetria Zinga
Plenty of christian moms today stay at home. After a year of battling the decision to quit my job, I finally "put my foot down", as they say, and returned home to raise my daughter. It wasn't the easiest decision, but, let me tell you, it sure wasn't the toughest! I enjoy every minute of being home to raise my child. Furthermore, being home has done wonders for my family as a unit, and drawn us closer together. When I was working my full time job I barely had time to prepare a decent meal. But today? I'm a health nut, and so is the whole family (ha)!But now, there's another dilemma. Being a stay at home mom has not affected my personality, of course, so I still have a lot of creative energy pent up inside! I thought to myself one day, "what better way to use this energy than to work towards a goal--perhaps start a business?" Not only would it bring in a nice supplementary income for my family, but having a business (or craft or hobby) would enhance my creative skills and strengthen my business expertise. I call it the project of my lifetime.The first thing I did was a little soul searching to seek God's direction for the type of business or project He would have me to embark on. I realized right away that although my personality was suited for several types of business ventures (selling crafts, designing websites, or providing secretarial services), I would soon either have to narrow it down to one choice, or start a business that combined all or most of my skills and interests. For me, choosing the right business was the hardest part. Once I settled on freelance web design and writing, it soon became my ultimate goal to find out as much as possible about these particular industries. In my thought, education and information is what separates the amateurs from the professionals. My goal was to be a professional in my field. This is where networking is highly important.If you're like me, the internet is probably one of the very best tools you can use for research. Not only is it a few feet away from me as I embark on my daily chores, but I keep my computer on at all times. Thankfully, we are using a broadband connection and can stay online 24/7 without having to worry about tying up the phone line. This, I should stress, is very important for moms who have businesses that require them to be online quite often, but who will need access to the phone as well. Once online, I begin my networking research by going to a search engine. My favorite one is Google (www.google.com) just because of its enormous searching capabilities. As a former library assistant, I can attest that Google is highly recommended in the academic and librarianship fields. I search for information in my fields using as many search terms and combination of terms as possible. With each result that I feel is important to me, I visit its webpage and bookmark it for future reference. Once I've bookmarked a bunch of pages, I go through each of these websites and study them, taking notes on what I feel is important to me in my field. I promise, you will find contacts this way, and it will be so much easier to network once you have a list of people whose companies and organizations you have researched online. In addition to an internet search, I feel that it is also important to find any books or other publications that are related to your industry. Study them and find out more about the authors. Find out if they have websites and how to reach them. Now that you have a compiled list of contact people, it's time to work the list! Before contacting these people individually (they are probably very busy), see if they offer newsletters, or other mailbits. You are looking for information on how they got where they are today. Remember, you are the amateur. They are the professionals. So, any information you receive from this contact list regarding their biographies and information on the field itself is important enough for your notes. Take plenty of notes, and keep them in a file folder. Every time you find a new piece of information on your subject matter, drop it in your file folder. And finally, if you absolutely need to contact your list of professionals for more information, I would recommend sending an email.But don't forget about networking with fellow amateurs! You can make some of your best friends and closest contacts online by joining mail lists such as Yahoo groups or MSN groups. These groups along with technologies such as Instant Messenger make it easier for you to find people with similar personal and professional interests and literally network with them on a regular basis. You will find out so much about your industry and probably learn more from each other regarding your profession than in any other way.Last but not least, be sure to network with the most important contact of all: your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember that it is He who gave you the passion and the calling, and it is He who will be with you each step of the way on your new journey.Happy networking!-- Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
About the Author
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
About the Author
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
