Not the Mom I Want to Be

I recently read a blog post about a mom who admitted to yelling at her kids out of frustration and to get their attention. As I read this post, I was totally convicted of the way I treat my sons, especially my two year old. I then started listening to the way I interact with them on a daily basis. If they do something I don’t like, I yell or at least raise my voice. If the older one decides not to take a nap, I raise my voice and try to intimidate him into staying in his bed during nap time. If they make a huge mess in the room I have just cleaned and put all of the toys back into their “proper” place, I raise my voice and threaten with no snacks, no more playing, etc. This isn’t how I envisioned myself as a mom!

At church on Sunday, the pastor also talked about parenting and I had to take a look at myself. What I saw wasn’t what I wanted to see. Instead of disciplining my sons in love, I was usually angry and sinning in the process. Parents are given the job of teaching their children to obey and honor (Eph. 6:1-3). They learn this through how we treat our spouse and other people.

I often find myself telling others, “he’s only two and a half” or “he’s just a little boy”, but behind closed doors, those fly out the window and I expect them to follow the rules and honor their parents. What training have I done with them? Do I exasperate them (Eph. 6:4)? Do I bring them up in the instruction of the Lord? What am I passing on to my children?

So now, what do I do with these two parenting tidbits I have been given? I will spend more time playing with my boys and reading to them instead of telling them just one more minute while I'm on the computer. I will love them as I discipline them which might mean a little time out for both of us before being disciplined. I will pray that God will help me with the correct type of discipline and will help us as we raise our children in His love. I will not try to scare the boys into doing the right thing by yelling at them, but will calmly tell them that I love them but their attitude/actions have to change. I will remember that they are not perfect and neither am I. We will all slip up, but I will remember that God gave us these precious children for a short time!

The pastor said the best parenting book he has ever read was Shepherding a Child’s Heart. Have you read this or do you recommend other discipline and parenting books?

Kama is a SAHM to 2 very active boys--almost 3 and 1 1/2. Kama enjoys sewing and quilting in her "free" time (a.k.a. nap time). She also LOVES finding a good deal, freebies and couponing.

Photo used under Creative Commons by kandyjaxx.

Braided Headbands

If you are currently a part of the Pinterest craze, or if you watch fashion trends, you will know anything braided is all the rage right now.  I personally have over a dozen how-to's marked and pinned.  From bracelets, necklaces, fabric flowers, rings, and headbands, everyone seems to be wearing braids. Many are 4 and 5 strand braids, and all adorable. Today, I'll share with you a simple headband that you can make in 30 minutes.

Supplies:
Strips of fabric; all the same, or three coordinating colors
A piece of fabric 2"X6"
3" of 1/2 elastic
thread

I took my fabric, made a small cut on one side, and then ripped it the width of the fabric. It felt GOOD. It didn't rip even, the opposite ends aren't the same width. But that's okay; you won't notice when you braid it.  I sewed the ends of the three strips together near the end, then braided them together. However loose or tight is your choice.  And then sew the opposite ends together when you are finished with the braid.

Next you will want to sew your 3"X6" piece of fabric. Fold in half, right sides together, and sew down the long side. Don't worry about ironing the seam (shhhh, don't tell the sewing police), and turn right side out, making a tube.

Now take your elastic and sew it to one side of your braid. I used a skinny piece of elastic, and decided afterwards it needed a wider one. So stick with the half inch width.

Here's where it gets a little tricky.  Fold in one end of your tube and slide the elastic inside it as well as the end of your braid.  Sew about a 1/4 inch from the folded edge.

Then, scrunch the fabric up and get a hold of the end of the elastic.  Sew it to the other side of the braid, making sure the braid isn't twisted.  Pull the fabric tube over the end of the braid, and with the ends folded in, sew a 1/4 from the end. 

And now your headband is complete.

Wear it alone, or an accessory clipped in!

I just jumped in and ripped up some scraps of fabric I had laying around. The baby is the only head it will fit.  I would measure the head you want to fit and add about two inches since the braid will be shorter than just the strips.  And measure again before you sew all together. Remember the elastic will give you a little more room.

Beth

Afraid of the dark...

I was doing my “Mommy duties” (can’t remember exactly which one) when I tuned into what the kids were watching on PBS.  It was a show that was all about not being scared of the dark.  They had all the kids go around the classroom and observe what they saw.  The backpacks were on the shelf.  The fish was in his bowl.  The board was there, and the chalk.  All the usual things were in their usual places.  She then turned off the light and asked them what was now in the classroom.  The kids, of course, walked around and felt the backpacks, fish bowl, board, chalk…and you get the point.  Everything was the same.  Lights on or off…exactly the same.  So, there isn’t really anything to be afraid of, right?

It struck me immediately after hearing them talk about it…us adults are afraid of the “dark” too.  I know that this is something I am consistently telling myself to overcome.  My dark is the future…the unknown…what I am waiting for…the offer…the answer…the hope.  It is SO VERY EASY to get anxious about what we don’t know.  The “what if” can really overcome us.  We often think of the worst case scenario…though that isn’t often what really happens anyway. 

Why are we worried?  Don’t we have a God who lives in the light?  We don’t need the light to see what is happening…if we trust that God sees it and that He will take care of us.   Our awesome (I use that word intentionally AWEsome), all-knowing, powerful, thinks-of-it-all God…loves us more than we are able to comprehend.  And He tells us in His word that He will never forsake us.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  HE KNOWS.  He is bigger than darkness.  He overcomes the future, the present, even the past. 

So…if we can teach our children that things are the same whether we can see them on not…that we need not fear because it is OK…then shouldn’t we do the same?  Because it is truth.  We need not fear.

It's a Wrap!

We love wraps at our house so I rounded up eight wrap recipes that look too yummy not to try!

 Cucumber Ranch Lettuce Wraps from Kraft Food

 Salsa Chicken Wrap with Pineapple Pico de Gallo from Kraft Food

 P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps Remade from Iowa Girl Eats

 Chipotle Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad from Tasty Kitchen

 Mandarin Orange Chicken Wraps from Tasty Kitchen

 Black Bean and Corn Salad Wraps from Tasty Kitchen

 Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wrap from Kraft Foods

Lettuce Wraps from The Pioneer Woman

Our School Room

We're counting down the days until my oldest starts his first grade year at home. I tried to update his school room from last year and also have everything in one room, instead of spilling out into the basement family room. That way, we can keep little brother out of any projects that we don't need his help with!  

In this corner of the room is #1's table where he'll do most of his lessons. We'll do calendar time and I also have the pocket chart that shows our schedule for the day (since we use the work box system). I'd still like to make a sign to hang with the maps that says "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" and on the four rectangles above the calendar I'm going to put north, east, south, and west. The strip below the maps is where he can hang his work.

This side of the rooms has his work boxes, dry erase board, supplies, more maps, and book holders. Everything we need should be right here!

(Ikea Trofast frame if you're interested!)

 

Once we finish with a little hole in the ceiling issue we have on the other side of the room, I hope to create a reading corner with the bean bag chair I made. My biggest prayer for this year is that #1 will develop a love of reading!

Looking forward to a great year of discovering, creating, reading, writing, adding, subtracting, and having fun together!

Want to keep up with Sandra's homeschooling year? Check our her family blog!

Tip for Hanging Unusual Wall Groupings

      Here's a tip you may not know for hanging an unusual grouping on the wall.  I put everything out on the floor first to see if I like it and work on arranging it.  Then, I make a piece of paper the same size and shape of each item that I am hanging.  I took a picture on my phone, and then taped each piece of paper up on the wall in the same place.

This allows me to decide if anything needs to be shifted around and to get it all centered before I am using nails in the wall.  It certainly cuts down on extra holes in the wall.  I then replace each piece of paper with what it represented.

This is how it turned out and a note about what each thing is.  This is in my breakfast nook, and it is still a work in progress, but I am liking it for now.

1.  An embroidery hoop with canvas in it that has heart-shaped pasta from our Italy trip glued to it in the shape of a heart.  I think I may redo it.  I am still not quite loving it, but it is currently on the wall, which is better than wherever else it was.

2.  Family Rules Print by Jones Design Company put into a frame I found at a thrift shop and spray painted cream.

3.  Family pennant by Lisa Leonard Designs

4.  Random metal shell-ish plate purchased on one of my thrift trips a couple of weeks back

5.  Fantastic Arkansas basket that I spray painted cream colored - I may paint a little heart in the middle over Little Rock.  We shall see.

6.  Love Spoon wedding favors from a wedding several years back where the groom was Welsh.

7.  This was a framed cross stitch print that I painted over and stretched over a canvas block.  I wanted the colors to go a little more with our house.

Happy Hanging!

Carol is the wife of a small business-owner, mother to two little girls, crafter, very-amateur decorator, and occasional cooker.  She blogs at the John and Carol Show - wanna watch?

Opinion Outpost

I was recently introduced to Opinion Outpost by a friend. I was able to take a few surveys and trade in the points I received from taking them for a FREE amazon gift cards--so far I've gotten $15 worth!! (I also love getting my FREE $5 amazon gift cards from using swagbucks as my search engine.)

Here is some more information from their website: "Opinion Outpost needs your help. Organizations desire a better understanding of what their customers are thinking. Through conducting survey research with panelists like you, researchers are able to find the answers they need to make better decisions in serving their customers. Policy makers also use survey research to better understand public opinion and direct programs aimed at serving the public. As an Opinion Outpost member, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape and influence the policies, products and services of the world around you."

If you're interested in signing up, here is my referral code: http://OpinionOutpost.com/join​/9733508​. Have fun taking surveys and even possibly getting some free samples (I have some paper towels headed my way to try out)!

Kama is a SAHM to 2 very active boys--almost 3 and 1 1/2. Kama enjoys sewing and quilting in her "free" time (a.k.a. nap time). She also LOVES finding a good deal, freebies and couponing.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Mattastic!

Friends and Spinach Lasagna

Food really encompasses much of life. I do not like to see my time in the kitchen as a solo act, but one involving many people.

Take this featured recipe today for example:

The first time I had this recipe was my junior year of college. My Young Life and Youth Ministries professor and friend, Martha, made it for a bunch of us single girls for a Valentine's Dinner. It was amazing. I definitely asked for the recipe.

Since then, I've made it for countless dinners and new babies and housewarmings and girls' nights.

So, here is what I implore you to do: bring others into your cooking. Use it as a means of evangelism or discipleship, growing up your daughters in knowing how to cook, teaching your sons how to cook (if only to not let him starve in college, live off ramen noodles or tuna helper, or to help him impress that nice young girl that he meets). Use the kitchen as not only a means to fill your tummies, but also use it as a means to feed the souls of others.

Spinach Lasagna (healthy, vegetarian, overnight)

1 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

2 egg whites

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained really well (squeezing out with tons of paper towels)

1 16 oz container red-fat small curd cottage cheese

1/3 cup romano cheese

8 oz lasagna noodles

1 pkg 2% mozz cheese

Mix sauce and water. Set aside. Mix the eggs through the romano cheese. Set aside.

Layer in a 9x13 pan starting with sauce, then noodle (raw), then cheese mixture, repeat.

End with sauce and the mozz cheese.

Sit in the fridge over night (covered)

Bake at 375 for 1 hour (covered).

Serve with bread and a salad. Maybe some tiramisu for dessert or gelato.

Yum!

Don't Do List

Everyone makes resolutions that start January 1st. But since my family goes on the rhythm of the school year, I like to make resolutions this time of year too.

What I have found in looking forward to this school year is that I need to focus on what I shouldn't do.

So here's my don't-do list:

1. Don't volunteer to bake anything. (I'm not good at baking and it can stress me out!)
2. Don't compare yourself to every other homeschooling mom blog you read. Do what you are called to do.
3. Don't think you can do it all in your own power. Pray for wisdom, creativity, strength, energy, focus..... everything.
4. Don't miss an opportunity to make a memory.
5. Don't focus on what your kids can't do, focus on what they can do and encourage them in those areas. (This is especially true for my youngest son with autism.)
6. Don't cook dinner on Sunday nights. 
7. Don't stop the fun or the learning to take a picture. Just capture it as is happens. Fun and learning are more important than Instagram, sharing on Facebook & Twitter, and even blogging.
8. Don't let Lee leave the house without a kiss.
9. Don't let fear hold you back from trying something new.
10. Don't worry about the dishes in the sink. 

What's on your don't-do list as we start the 2011-2012 school year?

Baby Shower Favors

We recently threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law and it was so much fun! I had a great idea for a sweet favor for everyone to take home and got to use up my stash of baby food jars. I thought it would be fun for each guest to get to take home a little jar of sugar scrub.

It was super easy to do, didn't cost much and was a big hit! We just cleaned out the jars and got the goo off the outside from the labels. Then we spray painted the tops (black in this case) and mixed up some sugar scrub. I looked online for a couple of good recipes, but most of the ones I found smelled horrible (like EVOO) and were terribly runny. My sister-in-law came up with a recipe that was just a little brown sugar, a little regular sugar, just a tiny bit of EVOO, some extract and food coloring. We made three flavors--orange vanilla, almond and lavendar. The final touch was a little ribbon tied on the lid.

We put these by the door and encouraged everyone to take one as they were leaving. Everyone said they wanted to take all three of them!

What are some shower favors you've received or given that you thought were fun and creative?

Kama is a SAHM to 2 very active boys--almost 3 and 1 1/2. Kama enjoys sewing and quilting in her "free" time (a.k.a. nap time). She also LOVES finding a good deal, freebies and couponing.

Customizing Drapes

I'm not much of a seamstress. I'm going to go ahead and get that out there. I do try. But I tend to bite off more than I can chew and my vision tends to be much bigger and better than my actual skill set. But I'm determined to work within my budget to get a particular "look" for certain rooms of my house. I certainly can't afford to pay for completely custom draperies or to "redo" entire rooms so here are two solutions that were budget friendly for my kids' spaces.

Fabric Paint
I started out looking for a ribbon that would unify lots of different colors in the bathroom for the boys. The towels are olive and moved here with us. As did the shower curtain and a few cute submarine themed items.


I decided to embrace the sub theme since this bathroom won't need to double as a guest bathroom. But I needed to tie the lime, olive and khaki colors. After going to every craft store in the DC metro area (or at least a huge representation of them) I still had not found a single ribbon that had all those colors. So plan "B" became fabric paint. I decided to paint "ribbon" on my curtain. And it worked! I ended up painting some submarines on there so the curtain wouldn't be so plain.



Of course my measurements didn't work out like planned so my last sub is "diving". But I think it turned out pretty cute and it cost less than $10 in supplies. And took only one evening after the kids were in bed to complete.

Ribbon and Scraps

My second project was for Caroline's room. There were no blinds or shades on her window so we needed something quick when we moved in. We ended up buying "blackout" style drapes in white at the home improvement store. I figured we could just hang the valance from her old room on top of it. Nope. It was 3 inches too short. So I used scraps from making her bedding to add some length to the bottom of the panels and then glued a pink ribbon down the length of the panel to balance out the color.


Pay no attention to the right side being one inch longer than the left. I carefully measured and cut the extra fabric before sewing it to the panels that were apparently not *quite* exactly the same length.



I also added the same ribbon to her simple white lamp shade and am making a ribbon/bow holder to hang on the wall.

The curtains aren't perfect, but I think they turned out pretty cute! They look great in their respective spaces and didn't break the bank. I can't wait to show you how I saved money on my living room curtains in my next post!

Adoption Fundraiser Deal!

You have until tomorrow (Sunday) to enter to win a back to school bag from 31 Gifts (and Ashley Norris) filled with school supplies, a DVD from What's in the Bible?, a CD from Seeds Family Worship, the deluxe edition of the Jesus Storybook Bible, and Church History ABCs book! Just donate at least $2 to the Peoples' adoption fund! Check it out here: Celebrate Every Day! Good luck winning this awesome gift for such a small donation!

When We Feel Helpless

I originally began writing this post with the question, “Have you ever felt helpless in a situation or event?”

But, I imagine most of us can quickly answer, “Yes” to that question.

Instead, what situation first comes to mind when you think of feeling helpless?

Helplessness feels like forced surrender. Circumstances beyond our control leave us unable to take further action or change the current situation for a time.

I succumb to helplessness when wanting a situation to change. Or when restlessly waiting for someone’s response or a test result. I can even feel helpless when surrounded by negative influences or in an unwanted environment.

God continues to teach me about praising through all circumstances. Even in helplessness, I can be reminded of God’s everlasting presence.

If I never felt helpless and always felt able to control any and every situation, on whom would I rely? Likely myself. But this world is at unrest. Everything is not under our control or going to go the way we always want. Thankfully, we have a God who is over all and knows all.

“You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.” – Psalm 10:17-18

Through any troubles or helpless feelings we may have, we hold steady to a hope in what is to come through Christ.

So what can we do when we feel helpless in a situation?

Trust in Him. Converse with Him through prayer. Responsibly and lovingly act. Present our requests knowing that He hears and He sees. Remember the truth found in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

How do you deal with feeling helpless and trust in Him?

Above image from http://office.microsoft.com

Author bio: Caroline is a wife, mother of a beautiful and charming toddler son, avid reader, and writer.  She is honored to write with Today’s Housewife.  You can also find Caroline at her personal blog (Under God’s Mighty Hand) and on Twitter.

There's always something to read...

Every once in a while my crafting well runs dry. No material looks cute for a quilt. Nothing that goes through my sewing machine should actually be worn. And the hooks? Well, yarn has not touched these hands for months now. So, what is a girl to do with all the free time normally filled with crafting? Read.

Oh yes, my friends, you heard me right. I am quite the lover of books, and while even this is like the tide I always have at least one book within arms reach I can pick up. Even if the book I am reading falls flat I know that there is always another choice to pick up because there are so many different books. I thought it would be nice to share some titles and authors I have enjoyed over time.

Last book read:: The Help by Kathryn Sockett
From my childhood:

• Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

From my boys' childhoods:

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.

From the read alouds we did:

• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Authors I hardly ever pass by:

• Madeleine L'Engle
• Frank Peretti
• Dr. Seuss

Nonfiction books should be included too:

• A Trail Through Leaves by Hannah Hinchman
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey
• Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

Series my boys collected:

• Redwall by Brian Jacques
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
• The Great Tree of Avalon by T.A. Barron

Books/Authors my husband has enjoyed

• John Grisham
• The Enemy Within by Michael Savage
• Flyboys by James Bradley

Books read on my Kindle

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart
• Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel

Books on my bedside table

• Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman
• July and August by Nancy Clark
• Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

Books on my top shelf

• Common Sense Christian Living by Edith Schaffer
• A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God by Cynthia Heald
• A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study by Jen Hatmaker

I don't mean to bog you down with tons of books, but I love sharing such and thought that maybe you would be willing to share a book you can't forget or your latest thrill as well. I'm always looking for the next good read in case the ones on the nightstand don't work out. Happy reading!

About the author: Stacey loves lists, works hard to be organized, and spends her free time crafting, reading, and writing. Her greatest goal currently is learning to love like God does. You can read more about Stacey's days and crafts over at her blog, My Unfinished Daze. Random Fact: Stacey has not purchased a single book for her kindle yet thanks to all the free offers.  Friend her on facebook for more random facts.

Contentment

Are you addicted to Pinterest yet? I am. Completely. It's so easy to open my little app and start browsing what my friends are pinning. I've seen some amazing ideas and found a lot of inspiration there. The boys and I made slime last week and there are some great new recipes I've tried. But I've also found that it's been making me a little unhappy with my home lately. What started as a way to get some new ideas for decorating and organizing was causing my heart to be discontented with what I've been given.

I didn't need any Pinterest inspiration to know that the orange walls had to go!

I started finding myself wishing we had a bigger house and resenting the budget that my husband and I agree is best for our family. I wanted a bigger, cleaner, fancier laundry room, a new living room chair, bigger closets, and we won't even talk about how I was feeling about our master bathroom. (Really, it is SO tiny!) It was really affecting my attitude.

Then one morning the Lord brought me to Hebrews 13:5. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

I am incredibly blessed. I have a home without dirt floors, faucets that run clean, hot and cold water, a refrigerator full of food and a healthy place for my family to live. We have been blessed with material blessings beyond what most of this world can even imagine. And even more importantly, I'm saved by grace. Even if all those material blessings were stripped from my life tomorrow I would have more than I could ever deserve in Christ.

How's that for a reality check? It was tough for me to swallow but I'm so glad God is continuing to sanctify me. I'm still on Pinterest but when I'm struggling with contentment I pray and ask God to change my heart. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make my home beautiful and comfortable for my family. I can't wait to share some of the projects I've finished in our new house in the coming weeks, but I wanted to share this with you first.

Does anyone else struggle with contentment in their circumstances? What has God used to help you to trust in His faithfulness?

shopkick

I just recently got an iPhone and have been playing around with some cool apps out there! My current favorite is shopkick. The reason I love it is because you can "check" into stores and scan requested items in some stores and get points. You can then trade in the points to get FREE gift cards (to good stores like Target, Best Buy, Macy's, etc.). For example, you can get 60 points just for walking into Target and then get other points for scanning some items in the store that the app requests. Plus, if you sign up by Monday using my referral code, we both get 100 points (after Monday it is 50 points)! You're already well on your way to your first gift card. So search for "shopkick" in the app store and install it. Then go to the Me tab at the bottom and enter code shark8666 to get the referral points. Click on the nearby tab and it will show you the stores near you. Enjoy exploring and let me know what you think about the app!

Photo used under Creative Commons from Robert Scoble

Where's Your Fruit?

Back in 2008 I had the distinct pleasure of getting my first stitches.  Um, well, maybe "pleasure" isn't the word.  Long story short, I had a knife fight with a watermelon resulting in 2 stitches.  I still claim that I won because in the end, I ate that watermelon.

Picture from Wikipedia

Fast forward to this past Monday.  I received my second set of stitches.  (I won't make the mistake of using "pleasure" here.)  Long story short, I had a knife fight with an avocado resulting in 4 stitches.  As with the watermelon, I claim I won because I came home from urgent care and ate that avocado.

With all these thoughts of fruit bounding around in my head, my heart has me wondering where my fruit is.  Not the watermelon and avocado kind, but the kind that comes from our Lord. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galations 5:22-23.

As I sat in urgent care waiting for my stitches, I was reminded of my very recent trip to the ER with my mom.  Did I pray for everyone around me like she did?  No, I didn't.  But the entire time I was there, I was at peace knowing that God was in control.  Peace is not usually one of the fruits that I claim to have.  I could have been crazy upset to see my own blood, I could have been mad that they made me wait for an hour to see the doc,  I could have been mad when the power went out due to a storm leaving me in a pitch black little tiny room (we won't discuss my claustrophobia today).  Instead God gave me peace to know that He is in control and I would get my finger taken care of. 

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galations 5:16.  Sure I wanted it to be all about me, fix me, I'm bleeding!  In reality, I was able to laugh about the fact that I cut myself on an avocado of all things.  I was even able to joke with my doctor and nurses.

Picture from Wikipedia

With a husband who has served overseas in the military and another deployment looming ahead of us, peace is not something that I usually feel.  But as I continue to grow and mature in my relationship with Christ, the fruit that I have is multiplying.  I don't claim to be perfect, just growing.

Is there a fruit that God is working on in your life?

Elizabeth is an Army National Guard wife to Seth, mom to three wonderful kids, and maid to two cats and a hermit crab.  She's currently enjoying her summer break despite her stitches.