Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
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Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

This was originally written as a guest post on my friend Holly’s site. It’s been over 5 years now, and her site no longer exists.  I’m sure you all know that song from childhood, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above…

But They Look So NORMAL!
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But They Look So NORMAL!

I don’t often hear people say this about my boys, but I can tell they’re thinking it. The disapproving looks. The not-so-subtle eye rolls. The exasperation and frustration. They wonder how we could possibly let them get away with that. After all, all they need is a good whipping. You know, when they were younger,…

Putting on the Spirit: Ten-Minute Devotions for Busy Moms {Book Review}
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Putting on the Spirit: Ten-Minute Devotions for Busy Moms {Book Review}

Busy Being…Busy I don’t begin to know what your days are like. You could spend three hours with the Lord each day, in praise, worship, prayer, and Bible study. If so, you’re my hero! As for me, I always have the best of intentions, but much of the time, devotions go to the wayside. My…

9 Tips to Foster Obedience in Children

9 Tips to Foster Obedience in Children

Note: This post was originally published here: http://thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.com/2015/09/teaching-children-to-obey.html [biblegateway passage=” [biblegateway passage=”Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother” display=”Ephesians 6:1″];”] I don’t know about your children, but my son hadn’t yet received the memo on that verse. Now that he’s almost six, he’s a bit tamer…

Fostering Parent-Child Relationships
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Fostering Parent-Child Relationships

(Note: This post was originally a guest post, which can still be seen here.) “Mama, this is great. Just you and me. Nobody else. I like it.” My newly turned six-year-old looked at me over his ketchup-covered plate. He was wearing his Steak-n-Shake hat and a tiny, cute mustache sticker, and sporting a bit of…

Israel Biblical Studies {Product Review}
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Israel Biblical Studies {Product Review}

I’m Jerry, and I love the Bible. I’ve always had the desire to learn Biblical Hebrew, but never exercised the discipline necessary to do so. I visited various websites that provided tutorials for learning the letters and a few basic words. I watched several YouTube lessons and even purchased Pimsleur Hebrew Learning CDs. Eventually, in…

You Carried Me {Book Review}
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You Carried Me {Book Review}

My Review of You Carried Me I’d planned to be finished reviewing when I saw the opportunity to review You Carried Me. It was right up my alley and really spoke to me. Melissa Ohden wrote a beautiful, heartbreaking and redemptive autobiography. She always knew she’d been adopted, but when she was a teenager, she…

The Life We Never Expected {Book Review}
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The Life We Never Expected {Book Review}

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): The following is a review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. As a mom to…

{Book Review} 8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids
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{Book Review} 8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): The following is a review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. My son saw me…

How to Have an Imperfectly Perfect Marriage
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How to Have an Imperfectly Perfect Marriage

    Several years ago, my neighbor was having a difficult time in her marriage. Her husband was leaving her and she could not stop crying. I remember finding her scrunched up in the corner of her sofa. My heart broke for her. I sat with her and I cried alongside her. I tried to…

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How to Be a Good (Second) Wife

Marriage is wonderful. Marriage is also hard. When getting married, we all bring some things from our pasts into the marriage. But what if some of those “things” are remnants and products of a previous marriage? I’m a second wife to a second husband. I never thought I’d marry twice. When I married the first…

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Worthy of Love: A Perfect Groom and His Imperfect Bride

    My imperfections were glaring when I met my husband. At 19, I had already been divorced from an abusive man and endured indescribable difficulties. My young son had just turned one year old, and I assumed no one would ever truly love me. There was too much in my life that made me unworthy of love….

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Living With Expectations

The expectations we carry into marriage influence us in many ways. If those ideas and assumptions are met, the relationship is happy and peaceful. If expectations are not met, disappointment with the other spouse and disillusionment in the marriage sets in. Early in our marriage, I wondered why my husband wasn’t doing things I thought…

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The Perfectly Unstable Wife

The beginning of my relationship with my husband was built on a shaky foundation. The relationships that were to serve as healthy models during our childhood had instead given light to what we didn’t want. Barely adults, we stood upon a threshold littered with tiny shards of hope. Taking a leap of faith, at the…

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Recipe for a Healthy In-Law Relationship

There we were, young college students living far from our families, clueless about this institution we’d just signed onto called marriage. After the honeymoon, it didn’t take long for us to realize we were polar opposites. I was from the North; he was from the South. I liked to talk; he liked it quiet. I…

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Relying on My Husband…Instead of Jesus

Unfortunately, it’s possible to sabotage your marriage while living as an otherwise happily married Christian woman. I know this from experience. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was guilty of relying on my husband for the comfort and peace that can only come from Jesus Christ. That’s an impossible expectation and when my…

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The Golden Braid {Book Review}

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review. Opinions are my own. No compensation was received for this review. About the book: The Golden Braid (Thomas Nelson, November 2015) The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower… Rapunzel can throw a…

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker {Event Review}
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Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker {Event Review}

I had the privilege of attending the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker this weekend. My mom was my guest and the tickets were provided by US Family Guide in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own. I hadn’t been to a ballet performance since I was a child, so I…

How Imperfect Motherhood is the GREATEST THING EVER! {Imperfect Moms Day 51}
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How Imperfect Motherhood is the GREATEST THING EVER! {Imperfect Moms Day 51}

    That whole thing about the apple and the tree? Yeah, it’s kinda true. This isn’t breaking news, mind you. It’s just that four times in the last week, I’ve had conversations with different people about Luke’s various idiosyncrasies. These discussions inevitably resulted in some form of, “Where does he get that?” At which…