March Wrap Up

One fourth of 2010 is now (almost) history! I know I've skipped a few Friday posts lately. Bear with me--I hope to get back on track in April.

Most of my links this month pertain to moms, so if you're not a mom, you may want to skip this post. I guess I've needed extra help and encouragement in the parenting department lately!

A Letter to My Children about Marriage @ Generation Cedar was insightful and exactly the message I hope our marriage conveys to our children.
 
10 Things I Didn't Learn in Homeschool @ Joyfulhelpmeet were the tongue-in-cheek but thought-provoking words of a homeschool graduate.

I Looked into the Eyes of My Children @ A High and Noble Calling was convicting and made me aware of how my own shortcomings affect my children.

I Just Wanna Say to all the Bystanders @ Savvy Little Women brought the "finally someone who understands!" tears to my eyes while leaving me howling with laughter and giving me new purpose to be the "right kind" of bystander someday.

Easter Story Cookies @ Women Living Well is a creative Easter tradition I hope to try this year that combines something the kids love (baking and eating together) with something my kids need (a better understanding of the Easter story).

If you like short ingredient lists like me, you might want to try these recipes I found for a snack, an entree, a dessert, 2 side dishes and a kid-friendly treat:


Homemade Granola Bars @ New Nostalgia
Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas and Easy Butterscotch Bars @ Heavenly Homemakers
Sweet Potato Fries and Oven Brown Rice @ Nourishing Heart and Home
Pudding Pops @ The Simple Wife

Books I Read:

I took a little break this month and did some lighter but still profitable reading.

I laughed out loud many times as I read Matthew Paul Turner's Churched. I grew up in a fundamental Baptist school and could relate to so much of his story on that level. Would I recommend this book to you? Not really. Turner ended the book sounding like he's still searching and like he's thrown out many of the conservative values just because some of them were "out there". Still, he simply shared his story in an engaging and hilarious way that was entertaining if not particularly helpful on a spiritual level.

Ted Dekker's Green completed the Circle series with characteristic surprise elements. Truthfully, most fiction bores me because I think there are so many more lessons to learn from real life. However, Ted Dekker, weird though some of his writing may be, relates the Truth to each story in a way that causes me to think long after I've laid down the book and to hunger after more of that Truth in God's Word. One disclaimer about Green: I don't subscribe to vampires and found that part of the story a little far-fetched. Yet, who can read a Ted Dekker book without the word far-fetched coming to mind at least once?

On the more serious side, I re-read Ted Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart and made a decision. This is the most Biblically-based book on parenting I have ever read, and I know if I follow it consistently that I will be on the right track with my children. Reading conflicting ideas from different books just confuses me and my children. If I need parenting help that clarifies the Word of God, I will continue to turn to this book.

I hope your March was beautiful and that you have a blessed Easter week celebrating our Lord's death and resurrection!

January Wrap Up

 Yes, I know, a week of February is already gone, but I still have some links and books to share with you from January. I've been asking a lot of questions lately, so I thought I'd let you all relax and do some reading elsewhere. :-)

For Wives:

• Jess at Making Home hits the highlights of Alistair Begg's thought-provoking sermon, How to Avoid Marital Failure
• Cindy Carrier's Stop to Get Gas When You Don't Feel Like It appears At the Well...In Pursuit of Titus 2

For Mothers: 

• Tiffany at Simply Modern Mom shares 6 At-Home Activities for Toddlers and Pre-School Kids
• Steady Mom gives us 5 Reasons Why You Need Steady Routines
• Amy at New Nostalgia gives us some tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids

For Women:

• Sarah Mae @ Like A Warm Cup of Coffee paints a beautiful, poetic portrait of A Woman Who Perseveres
• Melinda at Coming Clean: Confessions of An Imperfect Parent interviewed Courtney from Women Living Well in a post aptly named A Woman Living Well where Courtney shares some of her tips on living well.

Some Recipes:

• Brown Sugar Shortbread and Nutty Peach Crisp @ Taste of Home
• 1 Chicken = 3 Meals and Oatmeal Cream Pies @ Nourshing Heart & Home

Books I Read:

Holy Habits: A Woman's Guide to Intentional Living (Mimi Wilson, Shelly Cook Volkhardt)
This was an excellent book for my spiritual life. I learned things about God that I had never seen before! I was looking for a list of habits to follow but was pleasantly surprised instead to find myself drawn closer to God through the wisdom of Mimi and Shelly.

The Power of Less : The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in Life (Leo Babauta)

From Clutter to Clarity : Simplifying Life from the Inside Out (Nancy Twigg)
These two books were interesting in that they both were on simplifying life, but from two different perspectives. While Leo's book had some good tips to follow, he divorces success in life from the help and strength of God and rather points to one's self as supreme. Nancy did a beautiful job of showing how to simplify our lives, homes, and finances through Christ in Whom we can do all things.

Master Your Metabolism (Jillian Michaels)
Never Say Diet (Chantel Hobbs)
These two books on a similar subject, a healthy lifestyle, were also from two different points of view. Jillian counts her success by her own hard work and discipline while Chantel acknowledges God's help in her life of discipline while losing 200 pounds. Jillian's book was helpful from the standpoint of understanding our metabolism and I like her method but not her reason for health (see the rest of  the title if you want to know what I'm talking about!). Chantel's plan is very doable for those who want to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I enjoyed reading both of their stories which they candidly share in these books.


And that's about it! I met some of my goals in January and thank the Lord for His help and answered prayers. I'm looking forward to a great "rest-of-February"! Feel free to share your own wrap-ups in the comments or in an e-mail. I love to hear from you!