Giveaway at marie-madeline studio

Marie-madeline studio is giving away a fat quarter bundle of their Flower Sugar 2! Go to their website to enter. I would love to win this, but wanted to share such a great opportunity with everyone as well!

Teaching Letters and Serving

One of my blogs I follow is giving away a Curriculum Kit that she has put together. It sounds absolutely amazing! Each week they focused on one letter of the alphabet. They thought about people they knew whose names started with that letter and then blessed those people with something that started with the same letter. The example she gave was making mini muffins for Mrs. Moses, the Millers, and Mark.

Head over the Heavenly Homemakers if you want to enter to win this kit! You don't have to be a homeschooler to use it. I think it would be beneficial to every family with small children. Even if your children know the alphabet, you can still use this as a starting point to instill the love of serving!

Hospitality

First, I need to apologize that I haven't posted in over a month. I can't believe how fast June went. I'm going to try to be more deliberate about posting things again.

Secondly, I've talked to a lot of women lately about the lost art of hospitality. The Amish women don't understand how the "English" can be so inhospitable and the "English" women wish we were more like the Amish in that regard. When someone in the Amish community has a need, there are several other families willing to help out. However, it seems that when others of us have a need (whether it be financial, emotional, physical), there are often times no one willing to help or if there is, not many people step up to the plate. I find it sad that we seem to have lost the art of hospitality. I was pleased to see a few entries on hospitality on a blog I follow. I thought I would share them here.

Hospitality: What, Why, When and How

Hospitality or Humility: Practical Tips for Practicing Hospitality

Television in the Home

I have been reconsidering my television choices for quite some time. We don't watch TV during the day anymore with the exception of the occasional cooking/craft show on Create (PBS). There are some shows that I have enjoyed watching in the evenings after the girls are in bed (although nothing where I have to be home and watching it. I only watch if I do happen to be home and have nothing else to do.), but I've been wondering about whether or not I should be watching them. Although I "know" the things people do on them are wrong (adulterous relationships, violence, etc.) I figured that since I knew they were wrong, that it was okay. The Holy Spirit, however, has been convicting of watching them.

A great article about the onslaught of sin that we allow into our homes through the television can be found at Kids Faith. Although I'm not sure I would go as far as to say that television can be viewed as the anti-christ, she does make some good points about television viewing affecting our lives.

Broken Hearts

A fellow blogger posted something that I have been thinking about and feeling for the past week. Marriages (even Christian marriages) are falling apart all around us. Why?! This doesn't have to be. In just the past 1 1/2 weeks, I've heard of two Christian marriages that are ending in divorce. This breaks my heart and, just like Laura says on her blog, makes me mad! If your heart is also breaking from broken marriages, please read her post at Heavenly Homemakers.

Natural Alternatives

As many of you know, we avoid the use of chemicals in our home as much as possible. The Modest Mom is giving away a book that will greatly help us in that quest. You can head over there and enter to win the book for yourself as well if you would like to remove chemicals from your home.

Radical Winner!

I need to apologize for not posting the winner sooner. I was sick on Thursday and have been playing catch-up since.

The winner of Radical is Lauren!

Lauren, please message me with your mailing address. I know you are overseas, but I would like to send the book anyway. I'm not sure when I will get to the post office next, but I will mail it out as soon as I can!

Quick Fix Healthy Mix Giveaway

As I've talked about before, I highly suggest eating healthier and avoiding prepared food from the store. Another blog I follow is having a giveaway for a book that I think would be a great addition to any kitchen! Check it out at The Modest Mom.

Reclaiming the Lost Vision of Motherhood

O' for mothers to hold in their hands a child who's soul is eternal and to grasp the vision of changing the world through her mothering as she purposes toward multigenerational faithfulness.

To look into the eyes of her child and know that God has put a purpose for that child here on earth--to advance the kingdom of heaven-- which is glorifying the Father he serve's above. Mothers also put on earth for royal purposes, to raise children for the King. Shaping and molding them to become one day warriors for the Lord. Who will not just feed the poor in secret but also help direct and change the course of a nation. History has proven time and time again, that one person can change the course of history. You never know who you might be raising. Susannah Wesley never knew the child she rocked in the cradle would take England by storm. John Wesley started a movement and said, "If I can find ten men who hate nothing but sin, love nothing but God, and seek nothing but the souls of men, we can turn England upside down for God." This man, did indeed with the help from God, turned England upside down for God. . . .

Read the rest of this post, here.

The Dailyness

""Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34 (NIV)

Life wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't so daily. As I sit here surrounded by laundry and dishes piled high in the sink, I see more than ever how life wears us down one day at a time."

Read the rest of this devotion, here.