The Blessing That Comes From a Grateful Heart

Charles Stanley says it best, "When we thank [God] . . . our gaze moves away from self-centered anxiety to genuine contentment."Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be Thankful!

Even though you're so tired that you can't keep your eyes open,
Be thankful.

I couldn't keep my eyes open today, but I could hear my kids laughing and it made me smile.
I was reminded to be more thankful than tired.

I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for the good times during these holiday seasons.
I am thankful for my most trusted friend and co-writer.
And I am thankful for you -loyal readers of Fearless Mama!

Consider This.

Consider This.

And really take the time to think about it.
You are unique.
There will never be anyone else who can fit into your mold.

And that was on purpose.

Reflect on the detail put into creating your physical body.
Think about the one-of-a-kind way you taste food,
make and grow babies
and see color
and all the complex processes your body carries out every day.

Examine the way your mind works.
Ponder the individual way you experience emotions,
think about complex ideas,
enjoy others and love deeply.

Contemplate what makes you- you.
The combination of your genetics,
life experiences and choices
are exclusive only to you.

And consider that it was all on purpose.
You are uniquely you!
And you are loved for exactly who you are.

-Jackie Alvarez
(MomSense Nov/Dec 2010)

Things to do.. during the holidays..

Here is a great list of things to do with your little ones during the holidays (by Joyce Warman):


· Enjoy how each unique child celebrates

· Have activities ready

· Limit television

· Watch annual Christmas specials (we watched Charlie Brown on Thanksgiving)

· Make or buy an advent calendar

· Play holiday music

· Decorate your child’s room

· Shop with each child

· Have nativity sets for little hands

· Build in margins for health

· Keep up your special times and rituals (naps,story time, library, family night)

· Plan surprises ( seeing lights in nightgowns)

· Live your priorities by giving to others

Good For Your Health

Rick Warren wrote a devotional about good health. A healthy life is balanced with good eating and strong faith. Here's an excerpt from his devotional:

Trusting God is good for your health. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). Why is trusting in God good for your health? When you trust Him then you don't worry.
Psalm 116:7 says, "I said to myself, 'Relax, the Lord is going to take care of you'" (NCV). If you really trust in God, you're going to be less stressed.
You have a choice -
You can either worry or worship
You can either pray or panic
The more you'll pray the less you'll panic. Relax, because God will take care of you! The Bible says in Proverbs 14:30, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (NIV). It's not just what you eat that matters, it's what eats you. You can have all the right macrobiotics and organic food, but if your body is filled with resentment, worry, fear, lust, guilt, anger bitterness, or any other emotional disease, it's going to shorten your life.

God is sovereign. Replace fear and worry with thoughts of the greatness of God and how much He loves you and wants to take care of you.

Traditions. Meals. Travels.

FAMILY TRADITIONS

MEALS TOGETHER

&

TRAVELS

is what keeps a family connected....

-Joyce Warman

Childproofing

This is a great childproofing tool to protect your little toddlers from possible harm. It's removable, reusable putty that strongly secures your valuables. You don't need to live in earthquake territory to use this because shaking can happen in any geography if you have little ones -especially if they decide to climb a showcase with a vase on top, or if they accidentally throw the ball in the wrong direction toward the dresser displaying your framed wedding photos!

For $4.25 at Home Depot, you can reduce a lot of anxiety about your fragile decor.

Brilliant.

Ashely Ann is a mommy of 4 kids (3 boys and a girl), and on her recent blog post on Under the Sycamore she wrote about how she is not a fan of cooking... so her and her friends started ONE MONTH COOKING.

She writes:

"How do I get a lot done in a day…I don’t cook everyday. We eat dinner as a family every night, but very rarely am I in the kitchen preparing it that day. A few of my friends and I have started cooking once a month. It is wonderful! We each pick 4 recipes and prepare them to go in the freezer. Then we trade. So we each end up with about 16 different meals and a few sides that are all great in the freezer. In the evenings I just have to pull something out of the freezer, let it thaw overnight and throw it in the oven or crockpot the next day. It makes my afternoons and evenings so much smoother and the amount of money we save is crazy.

There are all kinds of Once a Month cooking websites, recipes, tools online. You can get menus and schedules and be very Type A about it. For my friends, we have similar sized families, and kids that are the same ages…so our recipe choices and sizes are the same. We just pick stuff that will freeze well, make it and pick a week to trade. It makes me happy.

I usually pick one day to do my shopping and cooking. This month I finished all 16 meals (4 recipes x 4) in about 2.5 hours….and after I trade with friends I will have 16 great meals and will have saved a ton of money."

It's actually pretty brilliant. I think I'm going to start praying for mommies to do this with.. :)

You can read more about it here.