A Child’s Story of the Bible was given to us as a gift when the children first came to stay with us. I LOVE this book! We read from it just about every day and the kids love it too!!! I plan to buy each of my children one for their first baby shower!
Here is a great book with excellent pictures and details about how to gut, cut and cook deer.
This is a must have for your library.
The QBQ!!! I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a fast read with short chapters that stress the importance of personal accountability. Although the book is focused on personal accountability at work it bleeds into EVERY area of life!
I think this a great book to use at your dinner table or during family time to ignite some great conversation about giving your all, even in the simplest of task. Do you want to equip your children with a great work ethic? This book drives it home! It is an easy to understand, straight to the point book that even children as young as 10-12 could understand but most definitely written for adults that want to make a difference in the world!
The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life
Being a wife and mom is a full time job, so trying to build a business or even just trying to bring a few extra dollars into the home can be a major stress. If you are trying to figure out how in the world you are going to add one more thing to your schedule, but you know you need to do something to help build your family economy there are a couple things to remember.
Don’t Compromise on Priorities
Know You Can NOT Do It All
Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives
This is also posted over at The Legacy of the Home.
The best way to learn how to be successful is to watch, listen and learn from those who have succeeded. If at all possible spending one on one time is best, but in most cases we need to read from and about them.
Choose carefully who you spend time with, whether that be in person or through books. Be sure that their world view is Biblical. Many successful people may have some great ideas that work, but all of their ideas may not be wise for you, so glean what you can and leave the rest.
I admit, I personally am not an avid reader, but I am trying to change that. One way to absorb good reading is through audio books, this is a great help to me.
I also LOVE good talk radio. Whether it be politics, current events, matters of faith or even car issues I LOVE talk radio! Dave Ramsey’s show is excellent to listen to.
The following are books I’ve read or are on my list to read. These books are to help transform your way you view business and money. Feel free to leave other recommendations in the comment section.
48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal
Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition:
Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business
Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
This is also posted at The Legacy of the Home.
Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens
Here is an excellent resource for parenting teens.
You can get it for under $3 (plus shipping) at Amazon.
This one is great if you are trying to win the heart of a younger child.
Last week our girls were at the Student World View Conference. The speakers were fantastic and the girls came home with so many nuggets of truth! After dealing with rebellion from our older two I do not take for granted that any of our children have a desire to grow spiritually, it is a beautiful thing!!! I know this desire only comes from our Heavenly Father, HE has given them eyes to see, and for that I am truly thankful!
It’s a pretty cool thing when your kids go on trip and they bring you home presents! 
Emma bought us a Micheal Card CD. He sang and spoke there. They REALLY liked him. Olivia brought home a stack of books. One book was, A Word in Season, by R.J. Rushdoony. This book is EXCELLENT! The following are a few passages that really stuck out to me; it’s all so simple, yet so rich.
Chapter 2 Self-Righteousness
“The self-righteous man sees everything wrong with God, the world, his family and nothing wrong with himself. The self-righteousness man has a revolutionary answer for all problems: everything around him must change, and he himself must stay the same. By definition, he himself is the ultimate standard and judge. The social order must be overturned, his parents despised, and all authority flouted, and he insist on remaining the same: he is very pleased with his own perfection.”
“The saved man seeks to conform himself to the Word of God; the self-righteous man seeks to conform God and the world to his word and will. “
“The world of self-righteousness is a world of anarchy.”
“The destiny of such people is to be washed out of history by God’s judgement.” (Proverbs 30:12)
Self-righteousness is something we all deal with in ourselves and in our children.
A friend and I were talking the other day about her son (and we all have encountered this). He rolled his eyes at her. He claimed he only “looked up”. The heart of the matter is that he was arguing with her and he rolled his eyes. HE was defining what a “roll” was. It’s the same thing as when you tell a child “do not touch this”, and they slowly, gently, bump it. They are defining the ‘touch’.
Here is the deal, YOU as the parent have to be clear to define what a ‘roll’ is, or a ‘touch’ is; just as God defines what is right and wrong. We cannot make up our own rules! We can not put our own twist on what is meant.
He laid out rules for a reason, but more important than the rules, is the heart attitude. He demands first place in our heart, and that we follow the rules (love/obey Him and love/serve others) from a pure heart. He hates pride! He hates self-righteousness. It’s not the roll of the eyes that causes the problem, it’s the heart attitude, we want our child’s heart, just as Christ wants our heart. Once the heart is there obedience comes more easily.
“The world of self-righteousness is a world of anarchy.” Oh so true! When we make up our own rules, stand on our own pride then we have chaos. The reason why there was strife between the mom and son was because with a prideful heart the son was defining the ‘roll of the eyes’. He did not have a heart of love, honor and obedience towards his mother. He was filled with self-righteousness, seeking to overthrow his mother’s authority. We have got to help our children make the connection between their everyday relationships and their relationship with Christ, just as we need to.
This book is definitely worth the read. The chapters are supper short and easy to understand. The book could even be used as a devotional. Give your kids some meat to chew on this year and let them read this…as you read it, talk about it together. It would make great after dinner conversation! Rushdoony does not mix words and gets right to the point!
One of my FAVORITE books, although it is a hard read emotionally,
The Hiding Place, is FREE this month at Christian Audio.
This is a good audio to load, don’t miss it!
This is a MUST read (listen).
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
The girls and I are reading One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, I don’t even know the words to explain how this book has touched me to the core and has awaken such beauty and gratitude in EVERY situation.
One of my daughters that is not a lover of books as her sister is, has spent hours glued to this book this week. She will stroll out of her room and I can see that she too is being awaken, awaken to gratitude.
If I could, I would buy a copy for everyone I know, especially for the women in my life. Besides the Bible this has become my favorite book.!
If you have suffered heartache, suffered great loss, or ever shaken your fist at God and wondered ‘WHY’, I believe with all my heart the experiences and words of Ann Vomkamp will point you to the Answer. If you struggle to see any good in this sin stained world, I urge you to get this book. You can buy the audio version, or downloadable version. We are reading the hardcover book, having to hunt it down when it is our turn, because the last reader left it at her bedside or out on the hammock.
Yesterday, I bought the girls and I each our own Eucharisteo Journals to begin.
If you have already read it I’d love to know how it really spoke to you.
One of my New Years Resolutions was to read all the way through the Bible this year, which I resolve to do every year but have never done it, usually because I get bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers and skip through that stuff. This year I am reading and listening at the same time online which has helped a LOT. Reading along as I listen helps with the pronunciation of the harder words too. This has helped me so much to stay on track.
The other thing that has helped a lot is to be working through a sermon or teaching series of what I am reading. One of our favorite preachers has all his sermons online and he teaches through whole books. We have been working through the Genesis series and it has helped so much with my reading plan.
I am reading chronologically this year so in the mornings I get my glass of water (part of my get healthier resolution), with my quilt and laptop in the recliner and pull up my daily reading/listening. It takes about 20 minutes. Then at other times I read Psalms or Proverbs from my Bible because those need to be feasted on more often.
From this morning’s reading:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
How are you doing with your 2011 resolutions?
If only we had been taught this stuff when our family was younger. We were not even taught Biblical principles for the family after we were saved and in church EVERY Sunday and Wednesday! Yes, we did have the Bible, but good, solid teaching is also important!
Say what you will about the evils of technology, but I am so ever grateful for the opportunities like this one, and the zillions of others that come across my screen on a regular basis.
Until we reclaim our culture and raise up Biblically healthy families within our churches and communities we can seek to learn from those who have wisdom! THEN, we can disciple our children, grandchildren and our neighbors.
Just for the record, I know God gave us the wisdom we had for that time. I cannot dwell on the past, BUT I can live today, asking for more wisdom and be passionate about persevering towards tomorrow in Truth taking as many as I can with me!
Fellowship is important!
No matter how old you are, who you choose for friends makes a difference in your life. Who you choose to get advice from not only affects you, but it affects your marriage and your children.
Ladies, if you choose friends that are critical and contentious, if they gossip and neglect their husband and children to ‘find themselves’, then I can almost promise you that you too will be tempted to do the same.
If bad company corrupts good morals,
then we have to believe that good company encourages virtue!
The ladies I am closest to, the ones I can trust to be honest enough to push me closer to Christ, are the ones I attend church with. These ladies will not quote Dr. Phil to me or tell me to check out Oprah’s reading list.
I am so thankful that my daughters have so many Godly women who pour into their lives, women who will encourage them to live lives to serve God and reject cultural lies, women that will help teach them to love.
I am so thankful that the younger girls are welcomed and encouraged to sit along side the older women and learn. I love that they are learning from women who love God and embrace family life.
Hopefully my daughters will stand firmly on my shoulders and be way ahead as they start their adult lives, especially if/when they marry. I started my married life ‘knowing’ my husband would make me fulfilled…HA! I had so much to learn about marriage… about love… 
I am so thankful that my daughters have girls that will encourage them in righteousness…they are all learning this together, each having their own strengths and weaknesses, holding each other accountable.
Today our ladies met for brunch and to discuss the book, Loving the Little Years. Although I am past this stage as a parent, I want to be able to encourage others, especially my children and grandchildren one day. I sat in this fellowship, looking at our young girls and admiring their eagerness to learn how to love little ones. My heart was overjoyed on the drive home as I listened to both of my girls discuss how convicted they were over certain topics. We should always be learning how to love better.
I highly recommend this book, it is a fast, humorous read with lots of wisdom tucked in it’s pages.
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches
I challenge you to find friends that will encourage you in righteousness, friends that will not only be a friend to you, but to your family also. I am so thankful my friends in their 40′s, love my kids enough to tell them how it is when they need it! If you live in an area that is void to good fellowship (and there is no perfect situation), then read good books and good blogs. Listen to sermons and lectures online. Ask God to lead you to friends and fellowship that will glorify Him.
Part of my 2011 list of goals is to grow in wisdom. The best way to do this is to know God’s word. This year I want to read through the Bible chronologically. I found this neat site that offers different translations and plans.
5 Bible Reading Plans in Over 50 Translations . . .
Start Reading on the 1st or 15th of Any Month
I will be using the English Standard Version.
I don’t need Dr. Phil or Oprah to tell me what is good or how to solve a problem. I don’t need Real Housewives to show me what a wife should be, or The Nanny to tell me how to parent. The more I learn from God’s word and actually practice the things I know, then will I grow in wisdom.
“The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…”
1 Corth. 3
If I do not accomplish any of my other goals this year, I want to accomplish this one!
There is no easy time to raise children ( or be married, or grow up, etc…). Every era has it’s struggles; there in nothing new under the sun.
I’ve been on a big Waltons (yes, the old TV series) kick lately. I have all the seasons lined up in our Netflix box; each disc has 3 episodes on it. I started watching these because I thought I’d enjoy watching family life during a simpler time, but the truth is, they had the same struggles we do. Almost every episode I laugh because I have heard the same words uttered in MY house!
Yes, a lot of it is corny, but I LOVE the fact that they ALWAYS stress family loyalty; if there is disrespect towards the parents (or grandparents) there is always guilt and an apology! The adults in the show are wiser than the kids, which is something you won’t find in a TV show, movie or song today. I also appreciate that the characters are clothed modestly and that the show is not filled with sexual comments.
The Waltons drive home a strong work ethic and taking care of each other, that’s another thing you won’t see on modern TV.
The down sides of the show are a hint of feminism, the mother and grandmother are the spiritual leaders and the idea that college will ensure a better life. The show takes place during the depression so it is neat to see and hear a little of what life was like, and how (and why) they hung on FDR’s every word! 
( Although these are frequent themes in the show (and we address them in conversation) the other lessons taught outweigh the negative ones. I also have older children, so that is a factor too.
Overall, I love The Waltons, their big family, their good work ethic and their family loyalty. The DVDs would make a great Christmas gift.
What kind of shows are your kids watching? Are they shows that are encouraging parental respect and family loyalty? Do you stop and talk about your world view as a family when you watch a show/movie?
I’m already planning on having all the seasons in my DVD collection and watching them with my grandchildren, as I teach them world view, Lord willing!
I love the first part of this clip. May Ellen is a whinny, discontented person and it is always obvious.
In this clip John Boy reminds her where her loyalty should be.
In the second half of the clip it shows the FOOLISHNESS that discontentment will bring
The most neglected mission field is the home.
With such a fast paced, BUSY culture the experience of a peaceful home is almost nonexistent.
I had the privilege of hearing Devi Titus at the True Woman Conference a couple months ago. She was such a source of wisdom and encouragement.
I bought her book as a gift to give someone, but after looking at it I HAD to buy one for myself. I sat down with a highlighter to be sure to mark my favorite parts and…oh my! It’s ALL marked up now!!!
This book is not only chucked full of reasons WHY we need to restore the dignitary and sanctity of the home, but also page after page of practical ways to do this. The Home Experience should be required reading for every woman. It should also be part of everyone’s Home Ec. course.
I cannot recommend this book enough; it is a little costly, but you can buy it on Amazon cheaper and it is worth every penny! I’m hoping to start a book study in my home next month with this book.
From the Introduction:
(Concerning the home.)
“What God has intended to be a heaven of peace and a sanctuary of love has been reduced to a breeding ground of havoc and despair. Families are stressed because of disrespectful and angry children. Healthy meals are substituted with processed or fast food. Schedules are too busy to include a tidy and clean environment and fatigue has replaced intimacy with our spouses. We know that our families are important yet when it comes to finding a solution to these ever-increasing problems in our lives, we often feel unequipped and overwhelmed.”
Ladies, if we want to impact our family, if we want to change the world, it begins in our homes! It begins around our tables. The question is, are we willing to make the sacrifices to impact our family? Managing a home that is filled with love, industry, intimacy, intelligence and hospitality is a lot of work, but that work can and will pay off in eternal rewards.
