PARENTING TWINS

Funny Fridays – Funny Rapping Teens Family Video

2012-01-14T03:55:00Z

This is what chores time in the kitchen looked like at our home during the Christmas Break ! Did you notice the dishes still in the sink??? =)

Repost: Breast Feeding Myths from Breast Feeding-Magazine.com

2012-01-03T21:05:00Z

I am reposting this from last year=)

Seems like yesterday! But its been a while=)

I was just on twitter for SOME reason….as if I don’t have enough to do! I tripped over this article that is very helpful in my opinion.

The twins have weaned already @ 18mos =( so my breast-feeding weight loss plan backfired…LOL. They drank bottles from the beginning as I usually do to train them to take BOTH but Biddles really gave me a run for the money!

Nursing twins over 40 was a challenge to me with the other 4 kids running around expecting me to homeschool them=) We made it over the 15 month mark but then things fizzled as Biddles lost interest….sniff. This was new considering how old my last one who was about 2+ and not at all interested in slowing down.

Breast Feeding vs. Bottles… My 2 cents

Nursing babies is MUCH easier in the long run than those bottles if you ask me!

I CAN say that the early days of nursing ARE the toughest. BUT if you press thru it is soooooooooooooooooo worth it. Nursing saves so much time, energy and effort in the long run.

Plus, the bond I had with my babes is priceless. There is nothing baby wanting mommy’s comfort and mommy needing relief from mega milk=) LOL After a few solid weeks things usually cruised with the baby’s breast-feeding UNTIL a growth spurt. THEN it would take a bit of extra feeding to “catch up” to their new demand. BUT then we were ok again.

I thank God for HIS awesome wisdom….our bodies and baby know what to do, quantity and quality of milk adjusts to baby needs, no major costs except time and built in weight loss for mommy’s pregnancy gain… who could ask for more=)

I have done both over the years and that bottle cleaning and mixing and dropping in throwing away-ing was a pain! Especially in the wee hours of the night…

BUT… I always tried to include 1-3 bottles each WEEK to keep the kids WILLING to take a bottle from someone when I need to be away. That worked for all but 1 who would much rather scream and holler for hours than take a bottle no matter how hard I tried to entice him with corn syrup and juice and water and pleading….

My oldest had 1-2 bottles per DAY while I worked and then we played catch up when I came home from work. We did well except when I came home late…OUCH!!!

Anyway, this article seems helpful….I like what I see from scanning some of the rest of the website…. this is part of the article.

Please go to their site Breast Feeding-Magazine.com for the full article….

Breast Feeding Myths from Breast Feeding- Magazine.com

Top 3 Myths about Breastfeeding

Baby Slings

With so many myths about breastfeeding floating around, it is easy for expecting and new mothers to get confused about the truth. These many myths are passed on from mothers, grandmothers, and friends who are trusted by the new mother.

If you want the truth and nothing about the truth about breastfeeding, you have to bust the myths. Get started right here with the truth about three of the top breastfeeding myths.

Breastfeeding Myth #1: Formula is now every bit as beneficial to a baby as breast milk.

While a lot of changes have been made in the way baby formula is created, it is still not an equal to breast milk when it comes to the benefits for the baby. Breast milk has enzymes and other ingredients that simply cannot be replicated in a powdered formula. After all, it is created inside your body specifically for your baby. It’s nutritional content actually changes as your baby grows, which is something formula cannot do.

Breastfeeding Myth #2: Breastfeeding is messy and difficult, especially if you have multiple babies.

It is true that learning to breastfeed takes some time for mother and baby. The baby has to learn how to latch properly, and the mother has to learn the best positions for her comfort. There may be some messes made and some struggles for some women, but they go away within a few months of regular feeding.

With time, breastfeeding is actually much easier than bottle feeding. When it is time to feed, you simply put the baby to the breast and it is done. You do not have to mix up bottles, and there are no dirty bottles to clean in the end. Even mothers with twins are able to comfortably and easily feed their babies in very little time, and with little to no mess.

Breastfeeding Myth #3: It is normal for mothers to experience pain while breastfeeding.

This is one myth that convinces far too many expectant mothers to go with a bottle rather than the breast. Many believe that it must hurt to have a baby feeding their own nipple, and they do not want to go through that pain. The truth is that it doesn’t hurt at all to properly breastfeed a baby. The key word there is “properly.” When the baby latches properly, there should be no pain whatsoever.

There are many other myths out there confusing expectant and new mothers about breastfeeding. Keep busting the myths, and you may find that breastfeeding is the healthiest option for your baby and the easiest option for you.

Want to know the truth about some other myths about breastfeeding? Visit the Breastfeeding Magazine.com’s article “Breastfeeding Myths Vs. Real Facts.”
* * * * *
Return from Breastfeeding Myths Page to
Breastfeeding Magazine Home Page “

This is just a segment of this great website…. to read more go to Breastfeeding-Magazine.com

Tip #1 For an Organized New Year -The Well Planned Day

2011-12-29T13:09:00Z

It is the New Year and we all plan to be more organized… RIGHT???

I have a quick tip idea for you and your students. START PLANNING!!! Great tip?

I am embracing this plan fully…. to firm up our family life for the 8 of us=)

Home Educating Family Publishing has several options this year to help you…the planners are on sale now so it’s a good deal. You can try it out at a lower rate=) Love it!!

Organization For Parents

There is a multi-purpose version for busy parents who want to get organized called On the Go

Over 200 Spiral Bound Full Color Pages

Versatile purse size planner for home, work, family, and school organization in one convenient book.

Track each day by the hour.

Weekly Schedule: Organize your week with around town errands, weekly priorities, prayer requests, dinner menu, and notes.

Month at a Glance: Plan field trips, activities and events

Monthly Budgeting for planning and recording.

Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.

Jonathan Edwards 70 resolutions

The Well Planned Day

The Well Planned Day is a great parent version of planners. I personally purchased this version because it is especially geared for our homeschooling family…

I’m not sure however, if I purchased it because of NORMAL reasons.

I personally was tired of retro-fitting planners for our family. PLUS the pages are gorgeous. So pretty that I dare say that is possibly the #1 reason for my purchase=) Then it had everything I needed….

I am quite critical when it comes to planners. If the paper isn’t right… the ink to light…the layout is awkward…. it doesn’t work. All these factors are important to me. So I was impressed with these planners.

I also noticed other moms at homeschool co-op carrying The Well Planned Day as well=) They said were pleased as well. One mom went to great lengths to personalize it because she also ran a side-business as well.

I have quite a fetish for paper planners despite the iPhones and Google calendars and Hotmail…etc. I know the company offers an electronic PDF version of their planner as well but that was not an option for me.

The paper planners are well laid out with enough space for me to record each of my older 4 kids learning progress. This is great for my required homeschooling record-keeping.

I also color code what I WANT the kids to achieve so I can remember where they SHOULD be=) Sometimes I forget for a minute.

BUT then I can look back and say, “Ahh -haaa…we discussed this 2 weeks ago and agreed that you would finish_____”

I LOVE it…. I DID give the Colorful Binder the planner set came with to my daughter. She was drooling over it! She put her planner in the binder. Her eyes lit up!

In exchange for a review... I received a free version of the well planned day for my 2 highschoolers. 1 electronic PDF and 1 paper version. I will mention them below.

3 Hole Drilled Spiral Bound - Over 230 Full Color Pages OR (electronic PDF version available)

Home Management with weekly cleaning schedule, monthly projects, greeting card registry, and monthly budgeting.

NEW in 2011, Holiday Organization Section: Greeting card registry, activities and event schedules, gift giving, around town shopping, and internet shopping.

Organize and plan for up to 4 children in one convenient book.

Four Student Class Plans & Times: Schedule each student's class assignments.

Weekly Schedule: Organize your week

Month at a Glance

Semester Attendance & Progress Reports

Perforated Report Cards

Menu Planning

Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.

Insightful homeschool articles and tips

Organization for Students

Home Educating Family Publishing also has help for your students. They can start the new year with these options.

High School - 4 Year Plan - Review

This 4-year product is working out great for our family. It is soooo important for kids to know the college prep deadlines and career planning. These items are speckled throughout. Tips and wisdom and WONDERFUL Worksheets they can fill in for transcript planning, and other tasks are highlights of this version.

We acquired a PDF version for my tech-savvy son. I do NOT give him PAPER when possible. At first, he drooled over his sister’s paper version for a few days…mostly because it looks attractive and it is set up so well. I simply printed out a trial month for him to use on paper. After weeks of picking up random sheets of paper around the house I told him the trial was over. He seems quite content to simply log his work in his electronic PDF version on his laptop. He uses it for recording his homework assignments and class deadlines as well.

My daughter on the other hand was quite disturbed by a PDF version. She is the hands-on crafty type so it didn’t work for her. She now happily carries her paper High School 4-year Plan planner around for school. In past years most planners fell by the waist side by 3 weeks. She has used this planner for months now! I am very thankful for the opportunity to review this product! It is working for our family.

The Home Educating Family Publishing website also has planners for younger students. They have a variety of options… both for 1-yr. or 4-yr. planners.

See their site for more details:

Home Educating Family Publishing

Merry Christmas Everyone! Pics and Video=)

2011-12-25T14:04:00Z

I pray you all have a Very Blessed Merry Christmas!!!

and a Happy New Year!!

We had a fun Christmas Program at church to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday =) Bellie did NOT hesitate to get dressed up…her twin was NOT interested=)

My teen girls did the choreography crash all day just before the annual Christmas Program… flustered my nerves…. God blessed them in the end. Jr. joined them for color guard flagging.

The dance was a blessing and a sweet fragrance to the Lord….

The Nativity Scene was too cute. Except the babes ran off before I could get a shot =)

Our songbird sang The Revelation Song. It was beautiful and anointed.

Parenting Tip #1 Encouragement Vlog for Parents

2011-12-24T15:54:00Z

Here is the FULL POST of this vlog entry….

It includes the charts and details not mentioned in the video=)

http://parentingtwinsandmore.com/2011/12/22/how-can-marys-life-as-a-mom-before-and-after-the-first-christmas-help-us-today.aspx

Funny Fridays: Funny Christmas Décor Photo

2011-12-23T17:20:00Z

This one I had to share again….you may have seen it on the email loops last yr.

A friend of mine sent it and this one really tickled my funny bone. The email had a message from the homeowner about his unusual Christmas Décor!

“Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations.

The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year. The bad news is that I had to take them down after only two days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

I think I made him too real this time . But it was fun while it lasted. “

How can Mary's Life as a MOM before and after the First Christmas HELP US TODAY?

2011-12-22T19:09:00Z

I am very thankful for the Christmas Story. We can look into Mary's life as a model mom to really help us find encouragement. Quite simply, God helped her and carried her through alot.

1. Mary was inexperienced

… a virgin and initially was a betrothed bride = she didn't have it all together….

She had never been a mom AND had never been a wife before. She was not wealthy.

God LOVES to choose those of us who are human and do NOT have it all together. He also LOVES to use those who may seem insignificant and unworthy. (1 Cor. 1:27)

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/1-27.htm>

The point was that she was chosen by God. The Creator of the world was entering thru inexperienced Mary...the Sovereign of the whole universe was about to be born thru her womb. She had no clue and was ill equipped but God was STILL able to use her life, give her the skills she needed as she PARTNERED with Him. (Luke 2)

For me personally….

When I was a new mom I realized that the full extent to my training for parenting was a year of nursery duty at church. Most weeks I wanted to cry with the kids and I counted the 60 minutes down in 7 minute clips. Wishing wishing church would end quickly...

Thankfully my hubby loved playing with the kids while I changed diapers. It was a good deal. I still remember those cloth diapers of the Stuarts baby….I WON'T gross you out with details.

The great thing about family living is that you get on-the-job training. As the LEAST likely…. God has sent us 6 kids now.

We as moms go up a HUGE learning curve…..It is STEEP.

BUT is that God can PARTNER with us moms….as He did Mary.

WE DON’T HAVE TO _have it all together_______ TO BE EFFECTIVE MOMS!

So we can say HELLLLLLLPPPPP when we need to or PLEASE HELP THIS CHILD LORD….when u feel like u r about to LOOSE IT.

God loves to help us...there is a song I sing to the kids based on

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble

2. Mary submitted and trusted….

Mary was quick to agree with God's plan for her life. In Luke 1:38 she said

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/luke/1-38.htm>

This continues to amaze me. She said YES LORD….

By doing so she lived a life with Jesus, the Son of the Living God. This role did come at a cost, she had to continually trust God for Jesus' life.

Then she stood there watching Him fulfill His calling on His life up there dying on the cross .I can't imagine the pain she went thru. She didn't not fully understand…its not like he never shared ahead of time some elements of what was going to happen...but how could she fully understand?

….but all the while she acted on her trust in God and submitted to God's will for her Son.

My Mom had to submit MY life to God…

and thru the years when I was rebellious and dating guys who were not part of God's plan for my life. I was constantly in trouble in school for cutting classes. I had truants as many of my friends and adapted their ways.

Funny part is... I never fully enjoyed it as I did it. It felt like it wasn't me.

One guy I dated pawned my mother's jewelry and took drugs...unbeknownst to me. He eventually went to jail and is now dead. I also didn’t realize he was dealing drugs as well.

…. My low self esteem constantly caused me to make foolish decisions.

I can't begin to tell you the needless pain I caused my parents….my mom still doesn't like to drive by my old High School where she visited the deans office so often for my antics….

Yet my mom continued to pray…. And pray and pray….. God's will for my life. Despite my behavior. I stand here today because God broke into my foolishness and is doing His thing now.

There is hope for any praying mom who has a rebellious child….

…ask God to send help when there is trouble. Keep believing God for them and trusting God to help them if trouble comes.

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble.

God promises to teach OUR CHILDREN…

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-13.htm>

3. Mary depended on God's Grace ...

Mary didn't stop to say...Hey God, I could be killed you know. She didn't tell God how inconvenient it was since she wanted to live her own life. She DEPENDED on God's Grace to carry them. As a teen….I would image she didn't FULLY know what she would go thru when saying YES. But I would guess as a young betrothed virgin...she KNEW she'd have trouble ahead. She could have been stoned to death.

THEN, she had this BABY to care for. While she and Joseph were on the run for Jesus' life from King Herod. Luke 2:13-18

Grace is =

Grace is an undeserved free gift, undeserved favor, and undeserved love.

Pasted from <http://www.swagbucks.com/?t=w&p=1&b=1&f=0&q=God%27s+grace>

All mom's of babies and preschoolers need GRACE. RIGHT?

Grace is needed for physical stamina and wisdom to teach the kids basic things like how to eat, sleep….ALL NIGHT and eventually "go potty". A lot of patience is needed. I didn't realize how much I was being carried by grace until I looked back at the pregnancy and first year after the twins finally turned 2 and said "whew". Fatigue, discomfort, crying, long hours and hormones.

Grace WAS key when I was pregnant and so deliriously tired that I put a frozen chicken pot pie (yuck, that was dinner) in the oven because I was starving. Only problem was I left it in the sealed BOX , turned on the oven, when I did it AND went to bed and went to sleep. Something I never do.

Fortunately my husband was able to put out the FIRE in the oven. When they excitedly woke me up to tell me "Mom, the Chicken pot pie started a fire in the oven"...my only question was, "Did the Chicken Pot Pie Burn?"

When they told me it did I was sad and went back to sleep.

It wasn't until the next day when I realized God's Grace protected us….

God's Grace is My # 1 Parenting Strategy….

Yes in the early days I studied parenting diligently…

Shepherding A Child’s Heart

Parenting magazine,

Baby Wise,

What to Expect The First Year,

Growing Kids God's Way

and for the twins http://BreastfeedingMagazine.com

….you name it. But what I quickly realized was that they gave me knowledge...but I also need wisdom. And wisdom comes from God.

From experience I gain wisdom thru the years...but it seems issues grow with the kids=)

Then when you think you have it all together...another child appears and the learning curve begins again…new responsibility plus the older kids hit the teen years=)

God's grace is especially needed when moms have young babies and need sanity. So many times as a mom I quote to myself….

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

"… I literally tell myself and pray, “I am NOT CRACKING UP. I'm NOT cracking up”

I truly believe in my heart that God's Grace carries Moms past their experience, knowledge and wisdom. It helps them figure out things JUST when its needed. It fixes issues. Helps us stay sane. By God's grace HE teaches our kids. Which I remind Him all the time.

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-13.htm>

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER:

Mary's life as a MOM was phenomenal. She really modeled a lot for us.. Her inexperience gives us hope, her submission and trust in God inspires us. Plus her ability to walk in grace can encourage us to be the moms our hearts so want to be.

Funny Fridays – Funny Videos: The Twelve Days of Homeschool

2011-12-16T15:43:00Z

As a homeschool mom, my interest was peaked when I saw the title of this…

They did a good job….and made me crack up at the end. So funny!

I added these funny homeschool videos from TIM HAWKINS…just for kicks.

Tim Hawkins stand up routine on life at home as a homeschooler. I LOVED when he said his son plays, "Duck, Duck Goose" all by himself!

Is Halloween BAD?? What Should I Say From A Christian Perspective?

2011-10-30T02:17:01Z

This week, I am actually reposting a version of an article I wrote last year…

It amazes me how interested kids are in spiritual darkness these days=0 They are curious about things…

I had a kid ask me “IS HALLOWEEN BAD?”

We discussed the history of Halloween briefly and I attempted to explain why it is so popular now AND how it is indeed a holiday on a different level for many….

Below you will find my excerpt from last year:

Today I read a blog post concerning a topic I have been brewing on…. Halloween….funny part is I was JUST sitting down to write/ pray about it….I have alot of kids in my life from lots of genres and I need a way to teach…but NOT condemn….

Excerpt From Family Matters Blog

“As we round the corner to Halloween, one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States, many Christian parents are unsure what they should allow their kids to do. By many, this holiday is seen as a chance to have some good old fashion fun dressing up and getting way too many treats. But for others, this holiday represents a dark side of life that intimidates them.”

Halloween = The Great Divide among Christians

Halloween is one of THOSE TOPICS…………..

I have know God fearing, God loving Christians on BOTH sides of the fence….especially in groups where a final decision had to made about what holidays to celebrate. More times than not the groups I was involved in chose to skip Halloween and either do a Huge Harvest Fest instead….to keep it fun for the kids or do a Halleluiah Nite or Brunch….or nothing at all.

The Soberness of Halloween for Believers = Prayer

The soberness of the situation came recently a few days ago when 2 different believers reminded me to PRAY during this season of “increased spiritual activity”. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY… I was told….

This encouragement was just based on discernment of the times….I learned alot in the past about Halloween but I need some Facts on Halloween and its History AND what should I say to the kiddos….to TEACH the CHILDREN about Halloween ALL the facts and NOT CONDEMN them at the same time if we all have DIFFERENT VIEWS….

Halloween Information from A Christian Perspective

The first excerpt is from a website that digged a bit into the history roots of Halloween…for the full article please visit the website….as a warning…it IS an Anti-Satanism site so that is where they are coming from…

The cool thing is that the site also reviews the origins of minor items like the jack-o-lanterns, black cats, brooms, skulls and some of the other familiar icons from Halloween tradition:

Where did Halloween begin?

It began over 2000 yrs. ago with people known as the Celtics. They lived in what is today England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This was also the beginning of the Celtic new year, a time to give thanks to the sun god for the harvest.

What is Halloween all about? Trick-or-treating?

Halloween, All saints day, All hallows eve or All souls day is a festival. It was held to honor the Samhain the so called "lord of death". It was a Druidical belief that on the eve of this festival Samhain, lord of death, called together the wicked spirits that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals.

It was a pagan belief that on one night of the year the souls of the dead return to their original homes, there to be entertained with food. If food and shelter were not provided, these evil spirits would cast spells and cause havoc toward those failing to fulfill their requests.

Sacrifices were offered on this night to the dead spirits because it was thought they visited their earthly dwellings and former friends.

There was a prevailing belief among all nations that at death the souls of the good men were taken possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise; but the souls of the wicked men were left to wonder in the space between the earth and the moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living...But there were means by which ghosts might be exorcised.

To exorcise these ghosts, that is to free yourself from their evil sway, you would have to set out food and provide shelter for them during the night. If they were satisfied with your offerings, they would leave you in peace. If not, they were believed to cast an evil spell on you….

In modern day Satanism and Witchcraft covens, this is the day when Satan himself comes to "fellowship" with his followers. Many changes have occurred over the centuries, but one thing ha stayed the same, the practice of giving an "offering" has stayed the same.

Jeremiah Project says: …When America and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified.

Halloween & Christianity Link History from About.com

During the 8th century in the diocese of Rome, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1, officially making October 31 "All Hallows Eve," some say, as a way of claiming the celebration for Christians…. Pope Gregory IV broadened the feast to include the entire Church.

Inevitably, some of the pagan practices associated with the season persisted and have been mixed into modern celebrations of Halloween.

They also include this excerpt which I thought was interesting:

Ephesians 5:7-12

Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
(NLT)

What Should I Say and Teach as a Christian About Halloween? 3 Approaches

Well, first of all I LIKE Missionaries Rob and Millie’s Approach…to evangelize in season…..that is one approach of many Christians

….My son says…”I like Rob and Millie…because they tell other people about Jesus….G-O-D”

Evangelizing for Halloween probably the BEST way of approaching Halloween……. Presidents’ Day…Grandparents Day……… or ANY HOLIDAY for that matter!!!!!!!!!!!

In years past we have taken this approach to Halloween. We used to give out pencils and other trinkets from Oriental Trading with a message…

Ignoring, denying and/or or being against Halloween is another Christian Perspective:

Many Christians strongly oppose Halloween and don’t even mention it as a day of significance. The danger of this of course is that it is a very real holiday for not just stores who start the Halloween season late summer…but for many Christians and non Christians who celebrate in offices, schools, churches, and the like. To pretend Halloween did not exist would be a challenge for kids…..We teach the kids about the History of Halloween…and how it is being celebrated today…

It is also important to help the kids NOT BE JUDGMENTAL against Christians who celebrate….this is not a salvation issue. It is a RELATIONSHIP with God issue….it is God who communicates…so I will NOT tell the kids outside of my home NOT to celebrate BUT I will try to teach them about the TRUTHS of Halloween. It is up to them to decide.

As a family, we have left home some Halloweens to avoid the door scene when our oldest crop of kids were still little…..especially at the times when their harvest party was scheduled on a different day….we didn’t want them to feel confused or BAD about not trick-or-treating… They had TONS of candy already…so we’d go to the mall…(still getting candy – can’t avoid it, ha ha) or to an event our church had planned at the Play Plaza or just go hang out somewhere……

A Final Christian Approach to Halloween: Some Christians Celebrate Halloween

I have heard of some who try to take the darkest parts OUT for their kids sake….like my fellow blogger who says:

“Then there is a middle ground approach that includes the fun but excludes the dark influences.”

I have many God fearing family members who go to Halloween parties and such.

As a kid I was allowed to dress up and go on my city block to trick-or-treat…

I must admit is was a SCARY CAT cat at times because of the PROJECTILE EGGS COMING DOWN from the roofs of the 4 story apt buildings. LOL

Kids would sneak on the rooftops and bombard passer-bys. Those EGGS HURT if they hit you… SOME kids would use umbrellas as they trick-or-treated.

One author I read felt

…Vandalism and wanton disregard for the property of others is common on Halloween night.

Even normally well-behaved children are driven by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Police officials everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween

.… it can get very destructive..

In fact at some schools’ administration have instituted a curfew to cut down on the mischief…

As a college student we kids actually called Halloween MISCHIEF NIGHT….

The administration had to implement this policy after my freshman year when some kids damaged light fixtures and other expensive items to repair…My immediate friends and I were surprised considering we had powder filled sock fights BUT that became the new policy. Some students had gone too far…

the author’s thoughts I just mentioned about destructive behavior on Halloween make me wonder as I reflect…..

Finally, some parents ONLY let their kids do a limited amount of involvement with the Halloween Holiday…only visiting family or close neighbors…etc.

The Conclusion of the Matter on Halloween from a Christian Perspective

I believe God’s heart is for us to seek HIS FACE…about everything.

God is fully capable of touching a speaking to US on a regular basis.

Out of that INTIMACY with the Father God we will each receive direction concerning Halloween so we can in turn teach the children in our paths.

Following tradition blindly either way….to celebrate or not….to me is the biggest mistake that can be made by any …

GOD CARES ABOUT the details in our lives…and has an encouragement and direction to speak to individuals….

He LOVES US….

The Invisible Woman at the Women of Faith Conference

2011-09-11T05:04:45Z

This Saturday, at the Woman of Faith Conference I heard Nicole Johnson dramatize a poem about “The Invisible Woman” she amazingly wrote BEFORE she had kids. In it, she captured my feelings within a matter of moments and stopped me in my tracks.

The Invisible Woman was presented as one of the last pieces in the conferences. I must say it HIT me HARD!

One of the tricky things about being a stay at home mom is the invisibleness of it all. Like many others…I find it to be a heart issue I deal with…

The piece Nicole dramatized spoke so well of this aspect of motherhood…so well I could feel the sting of tears welling up every time she said those dreadful words “being invisible”

But I held in the tears….after all, I was standing amongst strangers at a World Vision booth where I was volunteering.

At first she explained invisibleness in many funny ways….she even makes matching socks appear in her children’s drawers. Imagine that…kids socks that still match! Nicole is all that!

BUT THEN…Nicole continued on to describe how she came to terms with her invisibleness.

She got to the point where she asked God to make her even MORE invisible. THAT is when I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore….

I began to wonder….

How DID she do THAT?

Then I wondered the even harder question

Could I do that too? Stay invisible and desire to be even MORE invisible?

As many stay at home moms will tell you….it can seem to be a thankless job. The days of noses, diapers and lessons seem to melt one day into another into another and another. Many stay at home moms will ALSO tell you they wouldn’t TRADE it for anything.

The idea is….many moms WANT to stay home with our kids but….at the same time we struggle with feeling INVISIBLE.

Like it or not, in the traditional work world there are built in reward systems to evaluate performance if you jump thru the hoops of the year. I used to have sales goals like…”Lois, you need to bring $67,000 in this month for you to get your commissioned paycheck….no pressure” While it was stressful…there was a visible short term goal in sight with a reward if I accomplished it…like eating this month.

Last I heard, my kids have not developed a reward or penalty method to evaluate me. I BET the WISH they could!

My teens also don’t spend a whole lot of time thanking me for scolding them about their room when I can’t see the floor for days on end…. OR when I break up wrestling matches that will lead to tears or make them clean up the “minis” mess in the family room….

My 2yo twins probably thank me in their own way when I change their 3” sagging diapers…or feed them even more “block” cheese and Craisins for snack but for some reason that doesn’t chase the invisibleness feelings away.

What do we do with those feelings?

While I’d love to continue today….I will have to pause to read construction vehicles to the “minis” . Over and over….they are begging me to read this book and my mommy guilt is kicking in….they shouldn’t have to ask me more than once =)

We Remember 9/11…To Pray for America

2011-09-11T05:04:18Z

As I watch my many hours of 9/11 programming I pray for America. Mostly that we will not depend on ourselves. I pray that we as a nation will together humble ourselves before God so he can HEAL our land and its economy. It hurts to see all the pain we went thru just 10 years ago. It seems like yesterday to me.

9/11 Hit Home For Our Family

We were homeschooling and someone called to tell me to stop everything and turn on the news…the world trade center went down….My oldest dd and I turned and the news and watched the horror as my other kids napped. We prayed for our family’s safety. Then we started calling NYC to see about our cousins. Nothing…just some recording saying the circuits are still full.

Then, around snack time I left the room for a few minutes to get some grapes for snack time. As I stood in the kitchen, I heard my daughter call downstairs, “Mom, the other building fell down too!” I was in disbelief…hoping she…being so young was mistaken. I ran upstairs hoping she misunderstood what she saw on the news but when they re-ran it…I was in shock.

Our cousins worked in the building near by and walked home over the Brooklyn bridge covered in that white stuff. Traumatized.

What was it soot?

I remember trying to call to see if everyone was safe and could NOT get thru because the phone lines were jammed. We kept praying. I tried to explain to my young children why someone would run a plane into a building to hurt people. It made no sense to me so……I did the best I could.

While I am glad is 10 years later. I remember….

America Prays

Fortunately there is a prayer movement to help us get our country back.To join in this prayer movement on 9/11 and otherwise…go to Cry Out America – Awakening America Alliance http://www.awakeningamerica.us/index.php/church-signup-page

Figuring out The Invisible Woman – Women of Faith Conference CON’T

2011-09-11T04:09:16Z

Last Saturday, I attended the Women of Faith Conference….as I mentioned before…it was quite an experience. I was very impacted by a segment by Nicole Johnson and my World Vision volunteer experience…

I think the World Vision experience primed the pump for me to get sockered by the Holy Spirit during Nicole’s dramatization where God really touched my heart….and started challenging me.

For World Vision, we volunteers helped conference attendees select and sign up for their sponsored children. I was privileged to hear so many stories from women who were already sponsors…I admired their generosity. Looking at all those pictures of cute but needy kids all day was very emotional.

I looked at the vacant look in some of their eyes. I noticed the dusty dirt some of them had on their face. There were so many children pictured from all over the world. You just wanted to sponsor ALL of them..twice!

I tried to take pictures but it was sooo dark! Here is my cool bright orange smock the volunteers wore.

Luci Swindoll spoke at the Women of Faith conference about her a great idea…she sponsored 14 kids from World Vision.

At the World Vision booth, I also saw one of the ladies Mary Mary walk by our booth and waved before I realized she didn’t know me. I knew her since their music is in our cd player at home….however, I was to her…another fan. I laughed at the whole scene=) I am NOT a fan stalker!

In Saturday’s blog post I mentioned Nicole Johnson’s impactful skit on the Invisible Women…

I defined it as the Webster’s dictionary definition:

The Invisible Woman = Stay at home mom (me)

Tee hee

No seriously, I mentioned that some of us moms struggle with feeling like the invisible one.

Maybe YOU are not like me and you ALWAYS wanted to find your suave bola prince charming….

have a family so you can bake, sew, can, remodel, garden, and maintain a spotless home with a smile at all times and a hot healthy meal for hubby when he gets home. To live happily ever after in contented bliss.

I actually GREATLY admire my friends who God cut from that mold. They don’t seem to trip over this invisibleness issue….

Some of us however are in need of some guidance…and are CUT differently.

Personally,I love to bake….sometimes. Sewing…well lets not talk about that too much. But I DO have a lovely sewing machine my dh bought for me a one birthday. I do love crocheting and BABIES…Gardening WAS my passion a few kids back…..you get the picture? I believe…for some of us God was trying to show the world how His GRACE works. That is how raising and homeschooling 6 kids happens in out house.

Now to the initial point…getting rid of “The Invisible Woman” syndrome….

The ANSWER the Lord showed Nicole Johnson was simple actually….

Her answer is helping me to understand that its actually impossible to be The Invisible Woman.

WHY?

God sees every diaper change, every mess to be cleaned and each homework assignment we help with. We are NOT invisible to Him.

Her conclusion reminded me of a time when I was crying on the floor….you know…the bawling, gut wrenching…I can’t take no more….cry. God told me that there is power there…right there on the floor. When we cry out to Him for answers, He sees and hears…He is ready and willing to help us. We are not powerless nor forgotten.

I had forgotten He told me that.

Her conclusion also reminded me of Mary Mary’s song “Sitting With Me” where they sing they don’t care about not measuring up or being left out as long as God is sitting with them.

OH MY….I found the dramatization online. Nicole added to this rendition of her skit quite perfectly when I saw it….just for me =)

Here is a clip of The Invisible Woman….

Oh how I related to the cathedral thing. Awesome! I relate that the our children….

I can’t say I’m 100% yet…but I am edging there. Since God is the author and finisher of my faith…

I am not “sweating” it. He added to my heart on Sat so I will hold on for the ride until

so I too can say with confidence I want to become “even more invisible” like Nicole.

“Lord please help us find balance and comfort in YOU…

Lord please align our goals to the center of Your will

Please help us to trust you with our lives

As we surrender them to You”

Funny Fridays: I love Comedy…

2011-08-05T13:09:00Z

Last weekend we had the privilege of enjoying ourselves at a Prophetic Conference by Global Awakening….

We THOUGHT we’d just learn more and have for with God and watch the Holy Spirit move all weekend BUT…..

the kids and I were caught unawares by the hilarious speakers. Steve Swanson and Doug Addison had me in tears I was laughing so hard. I get home and discovered that Doug Addison IS a comedian in addition to everything else he does….

I wish you were there last weekend… even Doug’s testimony had us cracking up...I told the kids the speakers SHOULD do comedy…well Doug does….I found some of his material on You Tube to share this week...

DOUG ADDISON’S FUNNY VIDEOS!

This is another funny one on Braille tattoos???

This one is funny for the OVER 40 crowd….bittersweet comedy!

Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference Includes – “Teens Write”

2011-08-04T17:25:57Z

There is a great writer’s conference for teens AND adults coming up next week. The group is in its 28th year. Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Fellowship is very successful ministry with a good track record of producing authors.....

Teens Write!

This conference is a fabulous opportunity for any kid from 12 and up to meet real published authors and publishers to be encouraged and trained in the craft of writing. Samples of student's work is encouraged. Some publishers are looking for young people to write for them.

Writing is essential to ANY kid who goes to school really. They plan to make it fun. They even have a Pizza Party...

From their site:

The GINORMOUS Candy Story of Writing

"Do you love to write? Do you dream of writing a book or movie or a blog read by millions?"

The Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s

Teens Write Conference

The TEEN conference runs from 10am - 6pm on August 11th. If you have a group please call them for group rates...registration is important!

Details are on the flyer...please click on the link below

http://www.writehisanswer.com/philadelphia/2011_Expanded_Teens_Write.htm

ADULTS WRITE TOO! August 10th - 13th

PS: There is a full 4 day conference for adults too if you want to participate as well...daily rates are available as well...

FROM THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE BROCHURE:

For such a time as this God is raising up an army of Christians to “write His
answer” to the critical needs facing our nation and world.

In the midst of growing hostility to Christ we must not be silent.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction,
for children or adults, GPCWC will equip you to write about a God who is real,
who is reachable, and who changes lives.

Be inspired in our general sessions to “write His answer.”
Sharpen your writing and marketing skills from your choice of eight continuing
sessions, 60 workshops, and two clinics.
Explore critical issues with other concerned Christians in our new daily seminars.
Learn from 68 faculty members – many new to GPCWC!
Show your manuscript(s) to prospective publishers and magazine editors.
Form deep friendships with others who share your passion for words and
for the Lord.
See the website for details: http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia ~ mbagnull@aol.com

Thanks & Blessings

Lois Ridley

http://Christian-Children.com
http://facebook.com/ParentingTwinsandMore
http://facebook.com/SuperNaturalKids

Is Our Money Safe On PayPal?

2011-07-27T17:20:49Z

My son just told me about PayPal’s stock dropping at an alarming rate….

https://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:EBAY

he saw some buzz about Paypal on Twitter. Evidently PayPal dropped handling donations to WikiLeaks and suspended their account.

I look at the stock chart and I see a drop but what should we do?

Homeschoolers Need Online Purchases – What Should We Do?

Homeschoolers and eBay folks really depend on PayPal so what does this mean to the average user? What should we do?

I decided to investigate because I heard about some hacking involved. Here is what I found…or I should say my son found:

This article claims that the groups mentioned in the article are launching a campaign to encourage their million-strong follower base to ditch PayPal. They have a whole campaign against them because they are mad at them.

Hackers Call For PayPal BoyCott

This blog suggest you ditch PayPal as well and even suggests other options of services who provide the same services.

http://lifehacker.com/5821634/why-you-should-ditch-paypal-and-use-these-other-services-to-send-people-money

What if you really like PayPal and you are not sure if you should switch?

I read that there are more than 100 million people who use PayPal for online payments.

As homeschoolers and eBay users….at the very least I believe we should follow this issue.

Website Pick: Tamar’s Redemption: Protecting Our Kids From Sexual Abuse

2011-07-25T02:18:28Z

Today’s website recommendation is close to my heart. As an almost victim of sexual abuse myself…twice….. I consider myself quite fortunate. I escaped the situations both times unharmed. Not without some emotional scars however….that God has faithfully bring healing to over the years.

We are all born with a sin nature so I understand how abuse happens. It still, grieves me when children who just want to grow up and be loved become victims due to their trusting nature. Thank God for His healing power to help those who like Carolyn Byers Ruch, author of this blog pick and myself and many, many, many others who have been affected by this issue.. Thank God even more for His tremendous abilities to bring redemption, healing and testimony into lives that have been hurt by other. Jesus is Lord over sexual abuse victims AND those that inflicted hurt over them.

Joyce Meyer: Another Inspiring Survivor

I LOVE to hear Joyce Meyer’s testimony of healing and wholeness from her childhood of sexual abuse by her father. In the end, God brought her to forgive her Dad who eventually repented, was saved…not only that she ended up caring for him in his final years. This was not an easy journey as she described it but she was freed from bondage to shame, guilt, fear and forgiveness. God uses her story to set so many free today. Her site also has information and healing stories to help victims of sexual abuse.

Tamar’s Redemption: A Useful Blog to Help Us Protect our Children From Sexual Abuse

Tamar’s Redemption: Protecting Our Kids From Sexual Abuse is a useful blog for ANYONE who has contact with children. My favorite part of her blog is Carolyn’s 4 part series with specific tips to help protect our kids…I get nervous about the body parts lesson…I must admit….I never implemented that with my young kids…but I will try. She makes a good point.

Here is the link to the first part in the series:

http://tamarsredemption.blogspot.com/2010/10/protecting-our-kids-part-one-definition.html

I look forward to her new series on the lies victims believe….the truth will set us free…

Technorati Tags: sexual abuse,protecting children from sexual abuse,teaching children,protecting children,children

Podcasts for your TWEENS and TEENS – A Li’l Bit About US

2011-07-08T03:12:00Z

As I was poking around on http://Ministrytochildren.com I tripped over what looks like a GOLDMINE!

Christian Podcasts geared to tweens and teens???

No I’m NOT kidding!

Please go to A Li'l Bit About Us to hear their MANY selections of podcasts. I posted a few here to get us started!!!

These podcasts actually tie into our ministry’s online Bible Study: 30 DAYS WITH JESUS

From Jonathan McKee’s Website:

A Li'l Bit

A Li'l Bit was created by some youth workers that are all about authenticity and truth. These guys wanted to provide a weekly podcast where kids could simply hear God's word presented in a real and relevant way. Nothing crazy, nothing too hard to understand... just pure truth shared in 10 minute "easy to understand" segments. PLEASE GO TO: http://www.alilbit.com/podcasts/ for more podcast details.

*Jonathan’s BLOGS are also helpful for tweens and teens http://blog.thesource4ym.com/

EPISODE #95
David R. Smith: Mark 16: 9-20
Published: 06/18/2011
In this podcast, David concludes the Gospel of Mark with a challenge to do the exact same thing the disciples of Jesus did 2,000 years ago: share our faith in the Son of God. We must be courageous, even if others aren't. Check out this episode for some encouragement in the task.

EPISODE #94
David R. Smith: Mark 16: 1-8
Published: 05/26/2011
Ahhh...the final chapter of Mark's wonderful story! Here comes the good news that we so desperately need to hear. Listen closely as David gives us a VERY specific challenge based on Mark's 2,000 year old letter. It could change lives...yours and others!

EPISODE #93
Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith: Mark 15: 42-47
Published: 04/17/2011
Jesus is dead. The disciples of Jesus have been scattered. Fear has completely overtaken the followers of Jesus. What will happen now? Join Jonathan and David as they discuss a man who risked everything to ensure Jesus had a proper burial.

SPECIAL EPISODE
Jonathan McKee and Alec Address Bullying
Published: 2/12/2011
Last weekend Jonathan and his 17-year-old son Alec got an opportunity to share with a group of 450 students about the effects of bullying. Enjoy a little bit of humor and "heart" as they share steps teenagers can take to truly make a difference in the lives of others.

EPISODE #92
Matt Furby: Mark 15: 33-41
Published: 01/30/2011
In the weightiest episode of the Book of Mark, Furby takes us through the death of God's Son, Jesus Christ. He also explains why Jesus had to die for us. This is one of THE MOST important podcast from Mark's Gospel! Don't miss it!

Fun Preschool and Kindergarden Kids CD: Big Green Alligator

2011-06-26T04:40:00Z

Today I want to chat a bit about a CD I plan to use to bless a little girl! I never met her but my friend says that she has a sweet spirit and we just wanted to bless her!

Since the CD is targeted to children from preschool age all the way up to kindergarten I think it would be perfect for any kid. The CD has upbeat silly song lyrics with a message to bless kids everywhere!

La La Lisa started singing when she was 16 at youth camps, and the name “La La Lisa” has stuck with her ever since then. She is a folk singer with a passion for music, and an obvious talent to entertain kids. She wrote every single song on the album, except for the song “My Little Brother.” that her oldest SON actually wrote when he was in the fifth grade. That is awesome…who says kids can’t do really good things like big people?

La La Lisa has done a good job reaching out to the heart of kids! Lisa has even dedicated a portion of the sales to Teen Mother Choices International, a unique program that utilizes volunteers from local area churches to help provide teen mothers with a support system.

Concerning this CD La La Lisa says, “Jesus invited us all to come to Him ‘as a little child’ because a child trusts God wholeheartedly, without doubt. I hope these songs offer kids the freedom to express themselves and do what they do naturally – believe.” LOVE IT!!!

I think this CD will bless our new friend and any child who loves silly songs=)

Thankful Thursday: The Beaches of Maine and My daughter’s photography video

2011-06-23T21:26:25Z

This week I have a lot to be thankful for…we are wrapping up a school year that God has blessed. I am actually surprised we survived. It is only HIS GRACE that carried us literally. There were times I was so tired I just sat and cried. BUT to God be the GLORY…

I am excited about my daughter’s photo video….I LOVE it. Especially the kids and the BEACHES OF MAINE. I ALWAYS love to see my kids in photo…but in this video if you look at the backdrop it is priceless. I miss the sand we used to enjoy regularly…but that is ok. I am thankful to all live together in ONE STATE as a family!

Concerned about Christian Children LEAVING the Church in DROVES! TIPS TO HELP!

2011-06-20T18:29:57Z

I am a concerned homeschooling mom and Children's Pastor…I am very concerned about our kids...

I have seen some alarming statistics about kids LEAVING THE CHURCH at 18 or they can. That breaks my heart!

Barna research studies say that about 80% of Christian children LEAVE the church and do not return! WHY? This doesn't need to be near the truth! God and HIS Presence and His LOVE is soooo much fun and so exciting that IF they really will walk with Him if they are introduced to an intimate RELATIONSHIP with Him. Also, when they learn how to strategically use the Bible for everyday life, they are better connected, glued and grafted into His body of Christ.

We want to see a huge success rate for our kids right?! We want our kids to WALK with the Lord ALL the days of their lives!

I just created a YouTube that is really directed to Children's Pastors and I'm thinking of creating one for Parents with TIPS for Parents to DO at home...to train kids to be passionate for Jesus. We can lead them to the water at least...then I know its up to the children and youth to actually DRINK.

This YouTube clip has a few tips that can help….

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Any good resource ideas?

If you have ideas you want to see posted here to share with others….just send me the info and I will spread the word. We really NEED TO WORK TOGETHER!

Thanks