Thirty Devotions for Mothers

Friendships with Other Mothers
Read Luke 1:39-45
Sharing the childhood and adolescent years of our children's lives bonds women as friends for the rest of our lives. There is something about those consultations (often over the phone) about sleep patterns, temper tantrums, school activities, discipline issues, and teenage trauma that builds a kind of special trust. Perhaps sometimes it's simply not knowing--together. 

Mothers need good friends. We need the connection, the sense of being part of a web that is the world of other women who understand what it is like to live in the years of maintaining a personal identity and personal interests when most hours of our days are devoted to others. A primary characteristic of those friendships is mutuality. Much of the time, what we need is not solutions but a listening ear and empathy.

Help me, O God, to be an encouraging friend to another mother, Amen.

Blessing this Sunday,
Jenna

10 Days of Financial Wisdom: DAY 10

Integrity Matters
In his book The Millionaire Mind, Dr. Thomas J. Stanley studied the habits of several hundred individuals with a net worth of at least $10 million. He really wanted to find out what makes the typical millionaire tick and uncover any common characteristics that contributed to their wealth.
As he examined the results of his interviews and surveys, Stanley found a definite connection between personal integrity and financial success. In fact, he ranked integrity as a prime predictor of wealth potential - even higher than an individual's chosen business or industry.
In other words, integrity matters!
The reason so many people struggle with building wealth is that they also struggle with integrity. They lack a basic commitment to honesty. That's a strong statement. In fact, it may be so strong that you think it doesn't apply to you. But if you're breathing and if your heart is beating, you have wrestled with being completely truthful at one time or another - and some of those struggles probably had something to do with money.
Simply put, there are two ways to make money and build wealth. You can rely on dishonesty, or you can stay completely committed to integrity. In Proverbs 13:11, Solomon drew a sharp contrast between the two.
Dishonest money may seem to come more easily, but it never lasts. It dwindles away like sand running through our fingers. But honest money, gained through hard work and investment over time, grows. It provides security - not to mention a clear conscience.
Integrity matters - in your finances and in every other part of your life - because a moral breakdown is not a victimless crime. Dishonesty will deeply wound you and those around you. Unless you hold yourself to an ultra-high standard, you will walk through life with an emotional and spiritual limp.
Fortunately, it's not too late to correct course. If you've skimped on integrity in the past, now's the time to come clean - to yourself, to others and to God. Repair that chink in your armor today.
Remember, integrity matters!
By: Dave Ramsey

Initially when I read this I thought, "well this doesn't apply to me because I've never really been dishonest with money." But when I really examine myself I find that it's really not true. I have been dishonest at times, with my husband, about what I bought and how I paid for it (with a credit card).

Just because I wasn't directly conning somebody doesn't mean I was still being honest about money and how I was handling it. Everything we have is from Him and to use it so deliberately with dishonesty is horrible. And what's even more shocking is that I wasn't being frugal with God's money or taking care of my marriage. My sin in spending against my husband, when he worked so hard for that money, is a direct insult to God because God gave my husband to me- as the perfect companion. We were created for each other. To go out and spend recklessly then to be dishonest when my husband ask 'how much did you spend?' is truly appalling and when I finally was able to say to myself, "You were not truthful and this does apply to you" can I then really repent of my sin toward God for ask for forgiveness from my husband.

Ladies, reckless spending of the money God entrusted to you is dishonest. He has so much stored up for us with all the riches and glory this world cannot offer. Spending to fill a hole that only God can fill is purposeless. Spending because you're bored, that also, is unwise. Holding on to stuff around your house that contributes to all the clutter in our lives because at some point we spent money on it, it not being frugal. Be careful.  Are you tempted to lie (sin) to your husband about how much you spent? Does your spending cause dissension in your marriage? Speaking from a gal who's already been there, if you feel the need to 'exaggerate' about what your spending so it doesn't seem so bad' is dishonest.

Sorry if I'm coming down. A lot of what I say is to preach to myself and my blog is just a way to vent my own learning. Some of this may not apply to you but for those of you whom it does apply-take steps starting tomorrow to implement all we've learned in this study. I truly believe that when we ask we are given. Sometimes not in the way we planned but ultimately God knows where he's leading us and if we have the faith to believe that our financial situations are not permanent (given we make changes today) then He will lead us in the path of righteousness.

Please know that I am not a righteous person. I just desperatly want to know Him more, be changed and renewed, and follow the plan he has for my life in Jesus name.

Jenna

St. Patrick's Day Preschool Ideas

Need some cute ideas for your preschoolers for St. Patrick's Day? Well look no further. Here is a great list of some of my favorite packs, activities, and games for your preschoolers to keep occupied and celebrate this St. Patty's Day-ALL FREE.






My simple unit pack: feel free to download and print via pdf!

Inside you'll find activities such as:

• lacing card
• color-by-number
• size sorting
• Do-A-Dot page
• Handwriting practice
• poke page
• pattern practice
• puzzle
• Uppercase/Lowercase sorting
• Spelling/Vocab practice
• Counting practice
• Number Order puzzle

More great ideas from my favorite websites!

Pre-K Leprechaun pack- From Our Little Monkey's Page at Teachers Notebook with a lot of great activities! 

Rainbow Lapbook-A cute way to teach color from Carisa at 1+1+1+1.
 
Little Lapkins- A link to show how to use the rainbow lapbook and other cute lapbooks for learning.
 
Activities for Kids-from Activity Village come with a lot of fun things to do with you kids.

pot of gold collage

A paper plate shamrock

clover wreath

 
A few more ideas to celebrate the holiday! 

Lucky Charm Graphing-from Homeschool Creations, sort and graph a box of Lucky Charms.

Make a few traditional Irish meals for the St. Patrick's Day: Here's my favorites from Allrecipes.com

Corned Beef and Cabbage 1

Reuben Sanwich II

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Check out some cute books from the Library about St. Patrick's Day. (Note: because a lot of this is folk stuff- make sure you first approve of the book. I found some really interesting ones that I didn't really want my kids reading;) 

And if all else fails look to Pinterest!

 Always enjoy and get a kick out of what other people come up with for their boards on pinterest!
 

     

which is an Irish toast for 'good health'

10 Days of Financial Wisdom: DAY 9

The Tortoise Wins!
Welcome to day 9 of our 10 days of financial wisdom. So far we've learned about leaving a legacy for our kids, working together with your spouse to build confidence with money, paying attention to how the already financially successful use money, being really focused on getting out of debt, why we should not live as slaves to debt, saving today for tomorrow and planning ahead. All of which have been very helpful and each using a key verse from Proverbs to teach us about money. 

Today's message is for people like me who work now and expect results NOW.
   
"I've been blessed to learn from some wildly successful individuals. I love those opportunities, and I always try to make the most of them. I even take a pen and a notepad so I can write down important insights.
The way I see it, you stop growing the moment you stop learning.
One day, I was spending time with a really successful guy. I mean, this guy was a billionaire! Over lunch, I asked him a question I've asked many wealthy folks: "What can I do today that will get me closer to where you are financially and in business?"
Now this was a godly man who had been walking with the Lord for a long time, so his first answer wasn't really a surprise - give generously. Almost every wealthy person I've ever talked to has emphasized generosity, and giving is already one of my favorite things to do. So, that was pretty much a given.
His second suggestion was to read a book that he guaranteed would change my life. I'm a huge reader, so I was really excited about this idea. I had my pen to the paper, ready to write down the name of this transformational book.
"Dave, have you ever read The Tortoise and the Hare?" he asked.
Huh? A fairy tale? What's that got to do with wealth?
Seeing the weird look on my face, my friend said, "Dave, we live in a world full of rabbits. Everybody is running around, hopping here and there without paying attention to where they're going. If you want to succeed, you've got to stay focused and move slow and steady."
Then he leaned in and hit me with the clincher: "Every time I read that book, the tortoise wins."
I think Solomon was making a similar point in Proverbs 21:5. Diligence requires patience and perseverance. It's much more tortoise than hare. It also leads to plenty, while haste and hurry lead to poverty.
Reliable wealth building is really pretty simple - maybe even a little boring. It just takes doing the right things consistently over time. It may be tempting to sprint ahead like a rabbit, but don't fall for that myth. The truth is, building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint. And in this race, the tortoise always wins."
By: Dave Ramsey

I truly believe that for whatever reason I'm part of a generation of get-rich-quick people. I look at my grandparents and wonder how they can afford such nice things for ALL of their family members at Christmas. Or how they can randomly bless us with money when we have a baby. But then I realize these people don't live lavishly. They have nice things but have had them for yearssssss. Consider this how many people do you know with grandparents that live in the same house they bought 35plus years ago? They've spent their entire lives being frugile, patient, and smart with money. They've invested and watched their investments grow over time. This man, Dave Ramsey is talking about, is probably one of those people. Now are my grandparents billionaires? NO, but they are patient and have kept their eye on the target.

I think maybe I need to read this advice at least once a week to remind myself that it doesn't happen all at once. I really like that the verse says Good planning AND hard work lead to prosperity. I feel like my generation wants and thinks everything should be handed to them on a silver platter. Sorry guys that's not how life works. It didn't work like that for my grandparents, so it's not going to work like that for me. If Dave, my Dave, and I are married for 25 years and still have the same sofas we bought with our engagement money but we are completely debt free, then I'll truly be a happy, happy, happy ;)

Grace to You,
Jenna

10 Days of Financial Wisdom: DAY 8

Leaving a Legacy

When my children were teenagers, one of them came to me complaining about how "hard" it was to be a Ramsey kid. She whined about having to buy her own car and learn to manage her own checkbook when her friends didn't have to.
"You cut us no slack," she said.
She was right. Sharon and I did expect a lot from our kids, and we worked hard to make sure they understood the biblical principles of giving, saving and spending. But we didn't do it to be mean. We did it because we want wealth to be a blessing to our children - not a curse.
See, I've checked the statistics, and I know that 100% of humans die. We all have an expiration date in terms of our time on earth, and Sharon and I are no exception. And one day our three children will inherit everything we've built and saved.
I reminded my daughter that the inheritance we pass to her and her siblings will either bless their lives beyond belief or ruin their lives beyond repair. And the difference rests in our ability to teach them how to handle money right now.
I see that truth spelled out in Proverbs 13:22. As a believer, I should be using my wealth to make a difference in the world. But I'm also called to leave a legacy for generations to come. Leaving a legacy doesn't just mean leaving them some money; it means leaving them with the character to manage that money from a biblical perspective.
If you have children, you have legacy responsibilities as well. Make sure you have a will that is current and appropriate for your state laws. It should explain how your assets should be distributed, but it also needs to answer questions that could be asked when you pass - like custody of minor children, your feelings about life support, and your organ donor wishes.
And if you aren't teaching your children how to handle money, you need to start, regardless of their age. After all, the best financial legacy you can leave is a generation of wise and competent stewards.
By: Dave Ramsey

Teaching my kids about money seems like such a far off topic because they are so young but also because what can I teach them when I don't know the answers. After reading this I feel a great sense of haste in that we need to take care of our finances now so we can begin to build for our kids' future. BUT money is not what's it's all about, yes we want to leave our kids an inheritance but more importantly its just one of the things that encompasses overall parenting. I'm constantly reminded that God entrusted me with my children and it's my privilege to decide how I will train them up with hope. If I'm trusting on God to guide me on how to teach me kids about money then that's all I need, Faith! One of my favorite books, Premeditated Parenting the authors explain Parent in a way that teaches your kids how to follow God wholeheartedly, and expect that to bear good and lasting fruit in the lives of your kids. I think this applies to all aspects of parenting, not just money. But

Grace to You,

Jenna