Have you ever felt alone as a mom? Lost in your chosen field of mothering?

There is an organization that was created to encourage, educate and equip women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home helps thousands of moms love their lives through their many resources including conferences, website, and books.

Recently I partnered up with this organization as a blogger. Over time I hope to share with you the many resources this ministry has to offer (old ones and new). To learn more about the Hearts at Home Blogging team go here.

In the meantime I would like to encourage you to explore their website and blog for an immediate dose of mothering encouragement.

The Stand

Hubby and I have been re-watching Stephen King's miniseries "The Stand." It is quite an interesting movie. It definitely isn't a cinematic masterpiece. It is not a work of theological excellence. It does, however, make me think. One scene in particular sticks out in my mind.

The character, Nadine Cross, has made her pact with the Satan-figure, Randall Flagg. He has sent her on missions before taking her as his bride. After completing her mission, she is walking through the desert and hears him call to her. "Come here, Nadine." "Right over here." She follows the voice for quite awhile and finds Flagg after dark.

Why does this scene stand out in my head? I was struck with how clearly Nadine hears Flagg's voice. I want to hear God's voice like that. I was struck by how quickly she obeyed. I want to be as quick to obey God's will. I am sad to say I drag my feet too often. I close my ears to His soft, still voice.

God, open my ears to your Word. Incline my heart to Your will.

In My Weakness, He is Strong

"He said to me,

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'

"Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I am an excitable person. I am nearly 32 years old and I still do not sleep Christmas eve .... or Easter eve .... or Thanksgiving eve .... or Flag day eve ..... You get the picture. I often am quite impulsive and speak before I should. I act before I think things through and often fall on my face.

I was thinking about my menu after shopping today. I spent more than I should have. I got excited about sales and didn't stick to my list. I decided today, on my second trip to Kroger (more on that later), that Kroger is my shopping weak spot. At Target, Rite Aid, and CVS, I can shop and use Gift Cards and Extra Care Bucks rather than spending out of pocket money. At Kroger, I go into hoard mode and buy anything we will eat that I have a coupon for. I get a tingle of excitement down my spine as I walk the aisles. I need to keep my tushie OUT of Kroger if I am going to be intentional about sticking to my super low budget for the month.

What is your weakness in regards to money? Daily living? Do you struggle with saying the little word "no?" Do you give in to the "tyranny of the urgent?" I know I do. I struggle to follow advice from a very wise woman. She told me I need to sit down before the Lord each morning to see what HE has for me to do that day. I get caught up in daily life and don't do that. Today, I did not have the TV on until late afternoon. I did not get on the computer for any leisure activities until around 9pm. I got so much done today. What about tomorrow? The rest of the week? The rest of the summer?

I know I am weak. I know I have a lot of growing to do (those of you who know me are probably chuckling and thinking of witty comments on my short stature - I am not even 5 feet tall). I need to harness some excitability and put it to good use. I have a plan for tomorrow. I have laid out a few small goals. Thank you for letting me share them as it helps me stay on track.

• shower (I realized just now that it has been 3 days since my last one - ick!)
• pray/have a quite time for more than 5 minutes
• put laundry away
• craft next blog post
• work on baby napping in crib rather than on me (fell into this habit again recently since we removed the bassinet insert from the pack n play - the transition hasn't gone well)
• start working on dinner earlier so I am not tempted to change my plan and make something quick and super easy and not very healthy
• watch my Penguins win!

Now for a quick story about my two Kroger trips today. I realized when I got home that I had purchased an open pack of hot dogs and that the cashier had shorted me on a coupon. After stewing for awhile, I decided to go back. Within minutes, I had a new pack of hot dogs and a full $1.67 in cash for the coupon (it was for a free ketchup - the cashier only took $.20 off!) and I went home happy.

I hope and pray that in all of my weaknesses, God is using me. Sometimes He gives me a glimpse of how. Other times, I just don't see it. I'm human, fragile, fallible. We all are. In our weakness, He is strong.

Living with Intention

in⋅ten⋅tion⋅al

 /ɪnˈtɛnʃənl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [in-ten-shuh-nl] –adjective

1. done with intention or on purpose; intended
2. of or pertaining to intention or purpose
   

Related forms:

in⋅ten⋅tion⋅al⋅i⋅ty, noun

in⋅ten⋅tion⋅al⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. designed, planned. See deliberate.

Antonyms:
1. accidental.

A few months ago, I was horrified at how time was sand slipping through my fingers. It hit me all of a sudden that my son wasn't going to remain a baby forever. He will grow. He will do. He will learn. He will leave. The time I have with this sweet boy in my care in this house is but a breath. I have been sitting back just waiting for something to happen, feeling as if I am on summer break. My "summer break" has lasted nearly a year now since I finished teaching. I'm not going back. It is up to me to structure my life and to live intentionally.

This series is preaching to the choir. God put this area of my life on my heart. I have succumbed to laziness. I have been a victim of the law of inertia - as in "an object at rest will stay at rest..." although I haven't felt like I have been resting. I spend a lot of time being busy but not getting much done. Organization has been out the window. The house has been a mess.

I need to be intentional - to be diligent in my role as a wife and mother. My first goal - be intentional with our menu. This month starts our car payments so money will be extra tight for awhile. It is time to stretch that dollar like never before. My goals in this area are:

• plan a menu for all meals - 3 meals a day
• incorporate more healthy and less processed elements into the menu
• grocery shop no more than once per week (deal hunting is different as it normally does not use out of pocket money once you get started - I am using gift cards/ECB's from previous promotions and deals at CVS, Rite Aid, and Target)
  
• spend $200 or less on groceries for the month (including paper goods and health/beauty items)
• pay for groceries with CASH from an ENVELOPE

I am excited about one aspect of eating less processed food. I plan to try making bread again. I made our own bread for an entire summer once and LOVED doing it. The bread was so yummy and fresh and healthy. I no longer have a working mixer with bread hook, so until I get the food processor I want that does bread dough, I plan to try making artisan breads. Check HERE for recipes and instructions for super simple artisan breads!

I want to start getting to know those of you who read my ramblings. Let me know what areas you need to work towards being more intentional.

To Stockpile or Not to Stockpile

Stockpiling. An interesting concept. When I first talked to someone who stockpiled, I thought they were living in a time warp afraid they would need to live in a bomb shelter. As I learned more, I realized that stockpiling is a very wise thing to do! Now, I have always been a hoarder, but stockpiling is different. Hoarding is just gathering as much stuff as possible without an intention to use it. Stockpiling, in the sense I am discussing, is an intentional gathering and storing of supplies for the future and for the care of your family in a way that enables you to save money on these items.

Why stockpile? I'll combine what I learned in a message at church plus my own ideas.

• To be prepared for disasters - natural or otherwise. In the event of a disaster, even a minor one, basic services may take a few days to be restored. Grocery stores only carry a couple days worth of food. It is just wise to have some things on hand to get by for a few days.
• By creating a stockpile, you are prepared for your own little emergencies. Let's say a car dies and you are unable to go shopping. The stockpile is there to get you through. Or, money is extra tight one month (like when we were surprised by a nearly $400 heating bill this winter), the need for grocery spending is minimal.
• By creating a stockpile, you can actually save your family money. You will be able to shop for things when they are at their lowest price rather than when you need them and they may not be on sale.

How is a stockpile set up or started? Starting a stockpile for me was difficult. We had just moved across the country and had our first baby. Money was tight. I was able to piece together a little stockpile and now have a better idea of how to make the most of it. Every family's stockpile will be a bit different.

• Use your favorite meals to help you build your stockpile. Write down the non-perishables you use regularly in these meals. List the paper goods you use as well (we all need lots of toilet paper!). As you shop, try picking up one extra of a few things if you find a good deal.
• Figure out where you will store your goods and how you will keep it organized. I have a small cabinet in the basement that fits most of my stockpile. I have seen pictures of some stockpiles that fill entire rooms that have been outfitted with special shelving.
• Each time you plan meals for the week, list what items you could buy and store. As you begin to build up a small stockpile, you will begin to see what will work best for you.
• Stay organized - keep track of what you have and what you need. I love the printables from this site to keep on top of things.
• About once a month, pick up a gallon of water. It is just a good idea to have a few gallons on hand in case you need clean drinking water.
  

To help with ideas, I'll list the basic things I currently have in my pantry plus what I am seeking. We tend to eat a lot of packaged side dishes/hamburger helper type things. I know that I am not good at storing produce (potatoes/carrots) long term so I don't even try. This is what works for us.

Currently have (not a complete list):

• case of chicken soup plus some broth and other random soups I found on sale
• a few boxed dinners and side dishes
• 5 gallons water
• 2 cases toilet paper
• 6 boxes tissues
• 5 bottles bbq sauce, extra ketchup and mustard and marinades
• extra cleaners
• 3 tubes toothpaste, 2 cans shaving cream, 1 pack razors, 2 extra shampoos and conditioners
• 3 huge packs of huggies wipes (scored those for 99 cents each!)
  

Searching for deals on:

• Potato buds
• Jif peanut butter
• Splenda (generic)
• Coffee
• Diapers
• bags - ziplock and garbage bags
• paper plates
  

I'd love to hear about your stockpiles and what works for you!

Blog Goals

I want to do a quick post to explain some of the abrupt transitions in topics in this blog. I do not want this blog to be completely about money. I want it to be about things that are close to my heart. My desire is to grow in my walk with the Lord and strive to be more like the Proverbs 31 woman:

The Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I don't want this blog to focus just on getting money for worldly concerns but various topics that are extensions of this passage: character, frugality, hard work, mothering, inner beauty, wisdom, strength, patience, organization. I just wanted to be clear!