10 million miles

It seems to me, that when a young woman knows the correct answer to this pivotal question, she uses her time more wisely, and she gives more generously. She enjoys godliness with contentment, which is great gain! A young woman who understands the secret of true beauty will build her home with supreme wisdom and fruitfulness.

In anticipation of this universal question of femininity…(read the rest – and catch a glimpse of the girls! – at Raising Homemakers)

1. Smile at your children today. That’s right: look ‘em right in the eye and smile your best and fullest smile.

2. Repeat #1 again, and again, and again.

I recently received an email from Ryan that simply said, “I want to interview you…”

So today, we sat across from one another in a sound-proof booth, in a mobile recording studio, parked on a street downtown.

Ryan asked about my childhood, my education, our relationship, our daughters, our memories – both good and bad. And, together, we told a story.

A story about a couple of our sweetest moments; a few words recorded about God’s faithfulness and His gift of life to us.

StoryCorps then gave us a CD of the interview and filed our conversation with 60,000 other stories at the Library of Congress.

Perhaps you would like to interview someone to preserve a story? They’ll be in Trenton, NJ next! I highly recommend this sweet experience.

…and I have one thing to say:

I’m Peppermint Patty! Thanks for believing in me.

Well, I did it!

And it went well.

I read for Peppermint Patty and sang, “I Know Now”…

I felt the energy… and the love… and the mintiness.

And the director said, “Very nice!”

So now the big question is, “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??”

I’ll let you know when they call sometime over the next few days…

(Can’t wait to find out if I get a part? Me either!  Subscribe today!)

When a Mommy is home with her children all day, whining can truly be a deal-breaker! Even young children can learn how to think better about expressing their needs.

The next time your two-year-old (or twenty-two year old) comments only about a problem, let her know THAT is whining and ask her to come up the solution to her problem instead. A young child’s solution will usually require your help and attention, but you’ll be happy to grant his sweet request. An older child will realize that – (what-dya-know) – he can take care his own problem by himself. Presto-chango! No more whining!  We discovered this transformative concept from the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes in You… and Your Kids.

Here’s what I mean:

(Oh, you never know the tidbit of inspiration that may come your way at 10 Million Miles… Subscribe today!)

I’m just five years into this parenting thing, but I can tell already that holding a consistent expectation of obedience creates a peaceful home full of healthy people! Though we really try to prioritize obedience here, we go through seasons where we aren’t vigilant about it and things quickly spiral out of control: without it, we all become selfish, distracted, unhappy whiners. With it, we learn how to love sacrificially, obey God himself, and study the peace of our family. I’ve grown to love obedience and am happy to continually return to it, so that it is a crowning jewel in our home.

Resources to check out:

Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes…in You and Your Kids! – Scott Turansky

Subscribe to the National Center for Biblical Parenting encouraging email updates (materials by Turansky and Miller)

Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Ted Tripp

To Train up a Child – Michael and Debi Pearl

(Oh, you never know the tidbit of inspiration that may come your way at 10 Million Miles… Subscribe today!)

I’ve said it a million times: nothing – nothing – has inspired my prayer life like having a husband and children.

I don’t know about you, but these days, I’m prayin’ all day long: from the constant whispers of, “Thank you, Father! She is adorable! You are a genius!” to the panicky, “Oh-yikes-oh-yikes-oh-yikes! She’s JUST. LIKE. ME. Help, Father!!”

A household of precious people and animals keeps a woman’s heart busy!

How quickly I have learned… (read the rest at Raising Homemakers!)

(Tomorrow, my daughters will share our “obedience song” at 10 Million Miles… Subscribe today so you can start humming it, too!)

That we have arms and eyes and hearts with which to hold love!

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This post links up with Heart of the Matter’s Student Photo Week.

(Oh, you never know the tidbit of inspiration that may come your way at 10 Million Miles… Subscribe today!)