Diary of a Mom of Faith

2009-06-09T10:29:00.002-04:00

Christian Jewelry

I have been looking for a site that sells Christian Jewelry and found this great site that sells a very interesting type of jewelry…

They offer many items for sale...including; Rosary Necklace, Silver Cross Pendant, and even Christening Spoons!!

Beatitudes Cross handcrafts beautiful religious jewelry and keepsakes in the heart of the Holy Land. Each Beatitudes Cross is made using solid silver and glass.

Water from the River Jordan, in which Jesus was baptized, and sand from the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, are encased within each Beatitudes Cross. Every Cross is made on site in the Holy Land by skilled silversmiths.

The Church of the Beatitudes has provided a welcoming sanctuary for pilgrims from all over the world since its construction in 1939. The Beatitudes Cross brings its owner peace from the Holy Land.

The Beatitudes appear in the first section of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. Some are also retold in the Gospel of Luke and appear in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The characteristics described are not what people would normally consider to be blessed and therefore suggest that those who are not usually considered blessed on Earth will be so in Heaven.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10

If you are looking for original and beautiful Christian Jewelry you will love this place.

2007-06-02T15:23:00.000-04:00

Have a Fourth of July Party Without the Stress

Hot dogs, hamburgers, tender ribs dripping with sauce; a barbecue on the Fourth of July signals the beginning of summer. However, having an outdoor party can cause major stress.

Here are some tips, which will make your barbecue a success.

You can plan now by purchasing red, white, and blue paper napkins, paper plates, flatware, a tablecloth, and cups. You may wish to buy streamers, balloons, and party hats, as well. Pick up some decorative invitations and sparklers, if available. Check the barbecue to ensure it’s clean and ready for use. You’ll need charcoal, too. If it’s a gas barbecue, make sure the tank is full. See to it that your backyard is prepared as well, especially if you have a patio area. You may also want to clean the patio furniture.

Decide on the menu. Make a list of what you’ll need. Call friends and family you’ll be inviting to the party and ask them if they would like to bring a special dish. Write down everyone’s contribution. Once you have the menu set, you can then decide on the dessert. Perhaps a flag sheet cake, adorned with sparklers, would be ideal for the occasion. You can either bake the cake yourself or order it from a bakery.

Write out the invitations. Have them ready to send. You may want to include a little note asking everyone to wear red, white, and blue outfits. Add an RSVP, with a caveat, asking what dish they will bring. Since you’ve probably had a celebration the year before, you can estimate how many people will be coming. By the way, don’t forget the camera!

The day before the party, you can prepare all of the side dishes (at least those that people aren’t bringing) and have them ready. Have the hot dogs, hamburgers, and ribs ready to go. Have your family help to decorate your backyard with streamers and balloons. Set up a buffet table so you can utilize it for drinks, sodas, and all of the paper products.

On the Fourth of July, you wake up to find it’s a gorgeous day! You are feeling great, calm, and ready to celebrate! Have your spouse set up the barbecue so that as soon as the guests arrive, the coals are nice and hot. This is one stress-free Fourth of July party you’ll always remember.

Here are Some YUMMY Recipes for you to try!

Note: Recipes provided by http://therecipefinder.com

BBQ Burgers

1-1/2 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tblsp mustard
1 Tblsp grill/steak seasoning
8 hamburger buns
Favorite burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc)

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into 8 burgers. Grill or fry to desired doneness.

Picnic Potato Salad

7 medium-size baking potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tblsp mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 Tblsp onions, finely chopped
1 Tblsp fresh parsley, chopped
Pepper to taste

Garnish: 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (if desired)

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; drain and cool. Peel and slice. Combine all ingredients except potato, mix. Add potatoes and stir gently until well combined. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, if desired. Chill 2-3 hours...or serve warm.

Easy Peach Cobbler

1/4 c. butter
4 c. peeled and sliced peaches
2/3 c + 1 Tblsp cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp. milk

In 1-quart shallow casserole, combine peaches, sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and cinnamon. In medium bowl, mix remaining 2/3 cup cornstarch with brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is size of small peas. Stir in milk until moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto peaches. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into crust comes out clean and is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes.

2007-05-05T13:18:00.000-04:00

Attention all you MOF WAHMS!

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Offer Expires tonight (5/5/07) 11:59pm EST!

http://momsoffaith.com/advertising.html

NOTE: You MUST be a MOF forum, blog, or newsletter subscriber to take advatage of this special!

2007-05-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

How to have a FUN and Frugal Family Vacation to Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World in Orlando is one of the most kid-friendly travel destinations. They have Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Mini Golf, breakfast with Mickey and Other Disney characters, wonderful kid-friendly restaurants, and SO much more! You and your kids are sure to stay busy!

If you have decided to go to Walt Disney World, the first thing to do is to go online to the official Walt Disney World site at: >> home.disney.go.com/travel/index <<

Here, you can choose your hotel, accommodations, and number of nights. In addition, Walt Disney World offers a DVD with a free vacation planning guide for you to view before you book your trip.

You also have the option of forgetting the theme parks all together and bookiing a Walt Disney Cruise!!

Touted for being a fun-filled cruise complete with Disney characters, this is one vacation you will thoroughly enjoy. After all of the sightseeing and running around at Disney World, you will be pampered by the crew; as well as dining and dancing under the stars. The kids will love it too, especially with all of the activities the cruise line has planned for them.

When to Book Your Vacation

It is advisable to book your trip up to six months in advance. The reason for this is that you can derive the best accommodations, best airline prices and cruise rates, and lock into them early. If you choose to book your vacation online, read the terms and conditions for cancellation, and any fees incurred.

When is the Best Time to go to Walt Disney World

As a Florida girl and frequent Walt Disney World visitor, I can tell you that the best time to go so there will be less lines and you will not fry from the heat are the following months; October, Late January though the end of February, May, and June.

In addition, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best time to obtain cheaper air flights. Also, try to book non-stop flights. While their may be a reduction for connecting flights, consider you have small children and it may not be feasible to have to take them off the plane, wait, and then board another.

Check with Walt Disney World either online or via telephone to determine if there are any discounts offered, and when.

Note: Every Wednesday, the airlines post their new rates. This is the time to call and inquire with them or with your travel agent. In addition, it is advisable to purchase trip cancellation insurance just in case.

Things to Do

The list of things to do at Walt Disney World is endless. You can search Walt Disney World's official website on things to do and see on your vacation.

Note: Reservations for Cinderella’s castle is mandatory. For reservations up to 30 days in advance, call 407-939-3463. For reservations with the Disney characters, you can call the same number up to 90 days in advance.

Another idea which most families find affordable and convenient is to book a suite with kitchen facilities. You can stop by a nearby grocery store and pick up a few things, and prepare breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner in your room.

This will give you the opportunity to have funds for a character meal. The kids can interact with Disney characters, and although a bit expensive, is well worth the experience. Or, even eat at the very kid-friendly and fun Rainforest Cafe located in Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom (my favorite park!).

Speaking of Animal Kingdom, this is definitely worth seeing. You will see beautiful scenery and soome of the most beautiful animals in the world.

Whether this is your first or tenth visit to Walt Disney World, undoubtedly you have not seen it all. Use the online resources mentioned herein to help you in planning each day’s event. Don’t forget Epcot Center! It is a must see, and the kids will love it! Also, don’t forget to take them on the “It’s a Small World” ride! I must warn you though, you may never get that song out of your head afterwards! LOL!

Note: Ensure you bring bottles of water or juice each day, as well as snacks for the kids. You will be walking a great deal and if it’s hot, you want to avoid dehydration. Stop every once in a while (if you can pull your kids away from the next attraction), and sit for a few minutes. Check with the park employees if you need strollers for the kids, which they provide.

I HIGHLY recommend that you use sunscreen on you AND your kids...even if it is cloudy! Trust me, you do not want to spoil your vacation with a painful sunburn!

What to Pack for a Walt Disney World Trip

Since it will probably be quite warm, or even hot when you arrive here in Orlando, be sure that you pack light clothing and hats for the kids, and comfortable walking shoes. Bring sweaters or jackets for nighttime (depending upon the season). Make sure you bring enough underwear for the kids; bathing suits for all; and anything else the family may require.

Try to keep it down to two suitcases with wheels if you can; one for the kids and one for you and your hubby. This will make it easy on you, especially if you have to carry of the kids at some point.

Here are additional items you will need:

Itinerary
Airlines tickets, accommodation vouchers and theme park tickets
Camera
film
batteries
Identification with photo
Sunscreen (spf 30)
Sunglasses
Discount cards, if any
Traveler’s Checks
Credit Card
Cash
An extra bag for souveneers
EXTREMELY comfortable shoes! No heels ladies, TRUST me!

Since there are many restrictions at the airports being enforced now, be sure to check with your airline to be sure of all the rules and regulations on what you can take on board the flight and what you can’t. As you know, you will probably be asked to put all containers and personal items into a plastic bag and have it available for inspection. Since you cannot bring any food with you, once you arrive you can purchase water and snacks for the family.

Make sure that if you are taking travelers checks, you write down the numbers and place them where you can retrieve them easily if they become lost. Also give a copy of your itinerary to a family member or friend. Photo identification for your entire family is necessary. You can have photo ID pictures taken at a mall, of if you have passports, they will suffice. Make a copy of every piece of identification in your wallet and keep the copies home. This will aid you in case your wallet or purse is stolen.

If you have made reservations to any of the restaurants, bring along the name of the person you spoke to and confirmation number, if given.

Once your book your vacation, the Disney staff can send you information and where you will be able to check on each theme park; hours of operation, parades, fireworks displays, Walt Disney World special events, daily show times, backstage tours, rides, kids event, rainy day activities, strollers, tours, Disney dining for kids, tips on touring Epcot and Much More!

The more you know, the more enjoyable your trip will be. Once more, you too, will become a child again, and the twinkle in your eye will be akin to the star you’ve made your wish on.

Frugal Tips:

To have the most fun for your buck, do not buy extra batteries, film, sunscreen, and items that can be bought at the local grocery store from Walt Disney World. Stop by one of the local stores instead. You will save a TON of money!

When you buy a drink at Walt Disney, buy a souveneer cup. The refills are $2 or less. It's worth the extra few bucks in the long run.

Try and have a couple simple meals you can make in your room; sandwhiches, assorted fruits, simple things. YOu can also pack some snacks to eat while waiting in line. It will give you the extra money you need so you can splurge at a special restaurant...like one in Epcot's World Showcase.

You don't have to break the bank to have a wonderful vacation. Take the time to plan. You will allow yourself to have more money for the things that really matter.

Have a fantastic Joy-Filled Vacation!

God Bless!!!

http://momsoffaith.com

2007-04-12T18:05:00.000-04:00

Budgeting for Families
Tips and Suggestions on How to Save Money

With the rising costs of homes, oil, food, healthcare, and college; it’s a wonder how anyone can save enough money to ensure there is sufficient funds to cover all of the necessities in life. Even with moms and dads working full time; living from paycheck to paycheck seems to be the norm rather than the exception for many families.

This report will outline suggestions on how to set a budget and stick to it; teach children the value of money and how to save; and tips on how to invest for your children’s college education.

According to statistics, an average family of four in the US needs an income of $52,000 or more to live comfortably. In addition, college costs have risen to $40,000 to $100,000 or more, depending upon the college and state you live in and whether or not your child is boarding at the school. Health care is another issue which, unless you are covered by your employer, can literally break the bank if you become ill. Housing costs have risen at an alarming rate, and according to the Federal Housing Bureau, although home prices as of 2004 have hit the $264,000 mark, we know today they are more in the neighborhood of $500,000 and up. Rents have skyrocketed due to high fuel costs, and except for rent stabilized apartments, one has to wonder how anyone on a fixed income will survive.

However, with so much to think about, and in some cases; worry about, let’s move on to budgeting for families and try to come up with solutions that make sense.
The American dream for most families has always been to own a home. Today, however, it is more about survival. Whether you own a home or rent, the concerns are the same. Do I have enough to educate my child? Is my health insurance enough to cover my family in case of illness? Can I pay my bills each month, or do I have to ignore one to pay for another? Will I have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul?

Most of us have asked these questions over and over. Many sleepless nights have us contemplating the all too familiar question: How can I keep up, and still take care of my family?

Saving for College

Paramount in the minds of all parents who want their children to receive a college education is how to save for this eventuality. While some open CD accounts from their child’s birth, others invest in stocks or bonds; and still others haven’t even begun to figure out how to manage the cost.

College tuition today is exorbitant; not to mention the cost of books and other necessities associated with education our youth today. The good news is that most college students can apply for loans and seek Federal assistance, with the understanding the loans have to be paid back within a certain timeframe. In addition, college scholarships can make all the difference in alleviating the cost factor.

To keep college costs at a minimum, your child may have to attend a local college in your state. In this way, the cost to board would not be a consideration, and the savings derived would be within your family budget. However, if your child has his or her heart set on attending a specific college out of state, the cost will be considerable. One of the ways you can save for this eventuality is by setting up a college fund for your child from birth. Perhaps you can invest your tax refunds; and put away as much as you can afford. Investing in the stock market is taking a chance; but investing in a high yield CD account.

According to one source, howstuffworks.com, you can invest by utilizing an education IRA known as Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. It is explained in this way: “ESAs were improved significantly in 2002 because Congress increased the annual contribution limit from $500 to $2,000. Like 529 plans, ESA earnings are tax-free when used for education expenses, and they are considered the parents' asset so they don't adversely affect financial aid eligibility. They do have some advantages over 529 plans, including more control over your investments and the ability to use the money for private elementary or secondary school expenses.

Their disadvantages are the limitations on parents' income. For single tax payers, the eligibility phases out for incomes between $95,000 and $110,000. For married taxpayers filing jointly, eligibility phases out between $190,000 and $220,000. Another disadvantage is that the funds have to be used for education by the time the beneficiary turns 30. Like the 529, there is a 10-percent penalty if the money is used for anything other than education expenses.” For further information, you can check this website to determine if you can utilize this type of account, as well as checking into the 529 Plan.

Teaching Kids the Value of Money

The old saying, “A penny saved is a penny earned” is a wise tenet we were taught by our parents. Today, with computers and electronics; PC games and iPods; cell phones and Blackberrys; the latest fashions and footwear; one would need to save long and hard to afford any of these things. For kids, wearing the most up-to-date clothes and sneakers is foremost on their minds.

Teaching kids the value of money has to begin at an early age. So too, if kids see their parents constantly buying new things; most likely they will want larger allowances and become as frenetic in their buying habits as their parents. Thinking back to when we were kids, if our parents couldn’t afford something we wanted; we didn’t get it. End of story.
Some parents today indulge children way too much, thus the value of money seems insignificant. Moreover, these kids may think their parents are rich when, in fact, they are trying to make ends meet just like the rest of us.

The word “no” has to be placed back into the vocabulary when it comes to teaching children they can’t have anything they want. Moreover, instructing them how to save for their future is a method which has been lost in rearing some children today. Not any fault of their own, our children are exposed to young actresses or teens who have inherited great sums of money and they are pervasive on TV and in magazines.

When we were their age, and didn’t have any money, spending a day at the park or enjoying each other’s company in or outside our home were sufficient. Not so today. With malls incorporating hundreds of high end stores, this is where the kids like to “hang out,” and are thus engaged in looking at the expensive displays of clothes, jewelry and electronics. Just this Christmas, kids begged for the new Nintendo Wii. Those who were fortunate enough to receive them as presents should be thankful. Unfortunately, what they do not realize is their parents probably have to work overtime to pay for the cost of this expensive item.

How do we teach children the value of money and the importance of saving for their future? No doubt, this is one area parents are wrestling with every day. However, parents who incorporate an honest approach in explaining money to their children, do succeed in bring home the point – by example. Living with parents who were never considered rich by any means, we soon learned the true value of saving money, and the consequences of spending beyond our means. Kids cannot relate to the future; they deal with each day as it comes. If they were asked: “How will you support yourself when your dad and I are no longer here,” their likely response would be: “Why do I have to think about that now” or “I don’t want to discuss it now.”

It is a discussion parents must have with their children. There has to be an open dialogue where families can discuss financial matters with children (at an appropriate age, of course). Whether you buy a piggy bank for your infant; open a savings account; clip coupons out of the paper with your child present; discussing purchases and deciding as a family if it is affordable; these are the starting points at which your child will begin to understand the hows and whys of saving money and the ramifications involved when lack of money becomes a serious issue.

As parents, we all want to protect our children and ensure their future is better than ours. But by not disclosing money issues we are not protecting them, but allowing them to live in a world where they believe money will always be available to them. By not showing discipline in our own spending habits, we are denying them the basic fundamental truth that money doesn’t grow on trees; that saving for their future is vital; and that assuming they will always be taken care of is an erroneous one. Conversely, maintaining limits by budgeting; carefully keeping track of spending; and keeping the dialogue open by allowing children to participate in family discussions about money, will give them a keen sense of awareness as to the pitfalls derived by overspending and impart the importance of saving for their own future.

How to Set a Family Budget and Stick to It

There are many ways in which family budgeting can be utilized and maintained. Write down the family expenses and income. Decide where you can eliminate some of the more expensive items you buy. Here are some suggestions:

Buying groceries in bulk
Use coupons whenever possible
Buy grocery items on sale
Buy generic products in supermarkets and drug stores
Keep the lights off when not at home
Use energy saving appliances, such as air conditioners and refrigerators, etc.
Keep the room temp at your home at the minimum level
Cut up all credits cards, except one
Call credit card companies and ask for lower interest rate
Pay for cash as often as possible
Put money into a CD account
Buy savings bonds
Invest your tax refund in an educational IRA
Put all of the change you’ve accumulated at the end of the day into a large glass jar
Walk more often, rather than driving
Talk to a financial consultant to determine if your budget is appropriate to your income

Once you have set a budget, you have to stick to it religiously. Try not to borrow any money unless absolutely necessary. If you do take out a home equity loan, shop around for the best interest rate. Keep your home and furniture in good condition; the last thing you need when on a budget is to have to expend additional dollars for home improvement.

There are several online sites who offer savings deals with online merchants; offer coupons for different supermarket items; and certainly if you need to buy something always check eBay first. When shopping for clothes and footwear; choose clothing warehouses or inexpensive stores to save money. By the way, they do offer brand named items for less.

If these are not available in your area, the major stores always have sale days every week. For Christmas, begin shopping in February – when sales are aplenty. Start a new tradition by buying your kids one expensive gift, as opposed to many. You can also give them items they can use for school as well as accessories they can wear.

For college bound kids; shop online for books. Most college bookstores are very expensive. Save where you can by purchasing used books. Check out the many financial aid services being offered, as well as Federal loans. As mentioned above, utilizing the ESA or the 529 Plan may be to your advantage.

Go to dollar stores to buy incidental items for your home. They also have apparel which you can purchase for your younger kids, as well as school supplies. Or visit Costco or BJ’s wherein you can buy in bulk, and save. WalMart is another place where you can save money as well. Payless offers you unique savings on shoes and sneakers. Instead of buying the more expensive cell phones with unnecessary cameras and text messaging, look into family plans which offer phones for free.

Call your telephone company regularly to determine if there are special rates being offered. If you have cable or satellite; determine what you can cut down on in that area. Some cable companies, as well as telephone companies, are now offering a three-in-one service; cable TV, phone and internet service. Check to see if it is cost effective for you to use this service.

Remember too, as parents, we have to insure we have the best possible health and insurance coverage available. The last thing we ever want to do is burden our children with added expenses when we become old. Look into term and whole life insurance.

Research different companies and determine which coverage meets the needs of you and your family. The same holds true for auto insurance. Scout around; perhaps you can save on your current coverage by switching to another company. If you have an old car; you will no longer need to pay for collision damage.

Budgeting isn’t easy; but it is necessary in today’s economy. No matter how hard we work, we never seem to make ends meet. However, if we budget early on; set a realistic and reasonable goal for our families; it can make all the difference in the future of our children and ourselves.

http://momsoffaith.com

2007-03-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

Jehovah Shalom (our peace) Judges 6:24

The first thing I would just like to mention is that Jehovah is not actually a Hebrew word. It came later. The correct word is Yahweh. However, I will use Jehovah for familiarity.

Let's start with the meanings...

Jehovah Shalom means; God is Peace.

Shalom (shaw-lome') or (shaw-lam') means; safe, happy, health, prosperity, be safe in mind, body or estate, be at peace.

I also looked in the thesaurus for the opposite of peace and here is what I found; conflict, turmoil, disorder, and chaos. Yikes! I would much rather have the peace that God has for me!

Peace is something most people crave. We strive for it. We search for how to get it. We WANT to have peace.

What is the significance of Jehovah Shalom? And, How do we obtain peace?

To find this out, we must dig deeper into the Word and find the hidden treasure of Shalom. The first thing that we need to understand is that peace is a promise of God. And, like all of God's promises, we must understand the clauses. We must also understand that faith plays a major role in everything that involves God.

Below are a few of our promises for peace. I strongly encourage you to read and STUDY the Scripture references.

Peace comes through Faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
A thankful and unselfish heart brings peace (Philippians 4:4-7)
The Holy Spirit was the gift of peace (John 14:26-27)
Peace is a fruit of the Spirit given as we grow in obedience (Galatians 5:22)
Peace is an undeserved blessing from God (Psalm 29:11)
Peace came through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:20)

These Scriptures help us understand that peace is a free and promised gift from Daddy. Now, we must understand God's role for peace.

Jehovah Shalom

His peace is our protection. Our assurance. Our safety.

Be Merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter in You: Yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until destructive storms have passed. Psalm 57:1

David understood that God was Jehovah Shalom. He understood that he had God's peace in Him. He had faith in this. That is why he was confident living under the shadow of the Almighty God of Peace.

In closing; Jehovah Shalom, our God of Peace loves us all so very much. His desire is that ALL of His beloved children live in the peace and assurance of His unmerited favor and Grace. His peace is a gift. It is YOURS and mine for the taking.

We just need to believe what God's Word says, and be willing to walk in obedience. And, when we fail, we need to pick ourselves up, dust off, and get right back on the path God has for each of us. The path of peace. The path that Jehovah Shalom has already paved for us!

Let's Pray;

Daddy God, Jehovah Shalom, My Peace, My Love, You are Worthy of All the glory, honor, and praise. You are Holy and Mighty. You are My God and my Peace. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for creating a way for me to live a life of peace. Thank You for walking with me each and every day...and carrying me on those tough days. I love You, Lord. I love You with all of my heart. I want my life to shine for You. Thank You for choosing me to be Your very Own. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,

Lara ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible.

2007-03-08T18:58:00.000-05:00

Scrapbooking Ideas For Your Kids Artwork

If you can find a picture frame larges enough to accommodate the artwork, why not set up a collage and frame them proudly. You can also set up a portfolio of your child’s artwork by purchasing an artist’s book. In this way, the artwork will not become damaged over the years, and can be stored in a safe area in your home.

Another idea is to develop a theme scrapbook based upon your child’s artwork. You can organize the album alphabetically or by genre. Whichever you prefer, this will be a fun project for both you and your kids.

Perhaps you’d like to start scrapbooking your child’s artwork by incorporating his or her picture on the front of the scrapbook, and have your child write a few words about each piece of artwork. If you have a scanner, you can reduce the size of the artwork to fit the scrapbook as well. In any case, always use page protectors to ensure no damage will come to these special works of art.

If your child is much older, and you can’t find space for all of his artwork but nonetheless want to preserve it, how about buying those mailing tubes. You can label each one by year. This is another great way to keep this precious artwork from becoming stained or accumulating damage through the years.

Whatever scrapbooking ideas you come up with, you and your kids will have a lifetime of memories to look forward to. They, in turn, will be able to show their kids and start their own traditional scrapbooking ideas as well.

2007-01-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

Princess Mentality

Are you a princess? I was...and still am at times!

I don't know about you ladies, but marriage can be very hard! LOL
How do we love...How do we put on a happy face...How do we accept them the way they are...How do we respect them...

All...when they are selfish, disrespectful, and insensitive to us?

Good Question!

Answer: Because God did it for us!

Have you ever...

- neglected God?
- acted rude
- been selfish
- insensitive

uh...sinned?

LOL...we have a warped thought process...we think that others let us down...we think that others need to meet OUR needs...we think others are the ones with all the problems...and if we could just fix them...or if God would fix them for us...then all would be well in the world.

HA!

Been there...done that...and guess what?

It DOES NOT work! LOL!

We need to take the mirror...turn it around...and take a good long look at the face looking back. Then repent. And, finally, ask God to work in us...change us...help US!

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. - Proverbs 31:10-12

Does your husband shine because of you?

Or have you sinned like me...and been a princess on a power trip?

Remember, we ARE all princesses...HOWEVER, we are called to be princesses for the King...and that is a selfLESS postion...not a SELFish one!

Let's pray;

Daddy God, Thank You for Your love and forgiveness in my life. Help me to forgive and love others...especially my husband the way You have loved and forgiven me. Help me...show me how to be the wife You created me to be. Help me to help my husband shine! THANK YOU, Daddy. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

For Further Scripture Study:

- Matthew 12:25
- 1 Corinthians 11:11
- Proverbs 21:19
- Proverbs 29:11
- Ecclesiastes 5:2
- 1 Peter 3:1&2
- Ephesians 4:32
- Proverbs 24:3&4
- Galatians 6:9
- Matthew Mark 11:24&25

God Bless YOU!

Copyright © Lara Velez

About the Author: Lara Velez is the owner of Moms of Faith, a community of Christian Moms and wives who desire to be all that God created them to be. They pray for one another, support each other, and build lasting relationships with other Christian wives and Mothers. You can join by visiting the MOF Forums.

2006-12-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

I just added a whole new section to Moms of Faith. It's called Healthy Moms, and it is intended to be a resource to staying healthy and obtaining knowledge that will help us prevent the enemy from attacking our health.

A High Fiber Diet is Best for Better Health

A high fiber diet is crucial for many reasons. Good amounts of fiber are a must for good health. It keeps your digestive system working properly, helps elimination from the body, and is rich in vitamins and nutrients.

An increased amount of fiber can also help you feel fuller longer, which is very important if you are trying to lose weight.

A study conducted at the Harvard School of Medicine found that men who consumed 12 grams of fiber a day were twice as likely to develop precancerous colon changes as men whose daily fiber intake was 30 grams or higher.

Scientist are not exactly sure why fiber can help reduce the risks of colon cancer. However, it is thought that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stools, which helps speed their trip through the intestines, which leaves less time for carcinogenic changes.
Other studies have shown that healthy levels of fiber can also help prevent breast cancer, heart disease, digestive disorders, diabetes, and even obesity.

If you suffer from constipation, increasing your fiber content may help. Drinking adequate amounts of water daily will also help the fiber travel through your system.

On a side note: You should drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day for better health.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your fiber intake:

~ A simple way to start your day with an adequate amount of fiber is to have a fiber-rich breakfast cereal with fresh fruit. And...a nice glass of water.

~ Eat vegetables with as many meals as you can, preferably, RAW.

~ Limit processed carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta. And switch to whole grains instead. Most people tend to eat breads and cereals which are very low in fiber. Even some brown bread varieties only have a small amount so it is best to check labels and make sure you're getting a natural whole grain product with sufficient fiber. You should look for breads with whole wheat and at least 3 grams of fiber PER slice.

~ Add beans to casseroles, chili, or many other foods. Beans are a great source of fiber.

~ Snack on fruit with the skin on. Fruits like berries are very high in fiber. Also, apples and pears should always be eaten with the peel still in tact.

~ Eat dried fruits such as prunes, figs, and apricots. These are easy to sprinkle on cereal or add to homemade muffins. They are an easy and healthy snack on the go as well.

Source: http://momsoffaith.com

2006-11-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

Names of God (a series)

Jealous

For you shall worship no other god; for the Lord, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God. Exodus 34:14

I love my God...our God! I love that He is filled with real emotion. Our emotions came from Him. Unfortunately, we put sin in the mix and emotions can be ugly...VERY ugly! The coolest part of God's emotions is that they are felt and expressed without the sin equation. They are expressed in the purest form.

We serve a jealous God. He does not want to compete for our affections or time. The other "gods" in our lives can be many things we may not even realize have become gods.

Let me give you some examples of some of the gods you and I may be worshiping. There are MANY more that I can name...but...I believe this will be enough to get us thinking more, and our eyes will be opened to our own "personal gods."

The work god, the time god, and the activities god ~ Is the work you do inside or outside the home so time consuming, that you never seem to have enough time to spend with the Lord. Or, maybe there are so many activities filling your days. On most days, you may only get a quick prayer in at the end of the day...and silently think, "Oh, how I wish there was more time" or "I'll do better tomorrow."

The problem with these gods, is that we sometimes get so caught up in making money, being successful, trying to build our future, enriching our children's lives with activities, going to lunch, hair appointemtns, etc...that we completely cut God out of the picture. Unfortunately, the results of cutting God out will never get us what we are working so hard to gain. It will only leave us lost, tired, confused, searching, dissapointed, and defeated.

We serve a jealous God, Whose name is Jealous.

The children god ~ This is one that many of us Moms have been guilty of at one time or another...I'm sure ;) We are Moms. Life is busy. Some of us homeschool. Some of us work outside the home. It does not matter the scenerio. We are all Moms who love our kids and they mean the world to us. Many times, we put them before God. Note: This is not just one god...We even put our friends, families, and husbands before God.

The problem with this god, is that we tend to put the kids and their needs before everything else. We think that's the way to be a "good Mother." Wrong. The only way to be the kind of Mother that will raise up children who really love and serve the Lord, is to model it before them. If they never see us study the Word, pray, or spend time with our Daddy in Heaven...they will not do it either.

We serve a jealous God, Whose name is Jealous.

We DO have time. We just don't make time. We MUST make the time, and put forth the effort. We must, not only for us, but for the children we want to love the God that we "say" we do.

Let's Pray;

Daddy God, thank you for loving me with such passion. Please, forgive me for putting work, people, activities, and anything before You. I am so sorry for forgetting my First Love. Help me to organize my life better. Help me to take the time to find You, know You , and really love You. Help me to teach the beautiful children You gave me how to love you through the life they watch me live. Lord, show me where I have created gods in my life that I do not even see. Thank You, my Beloved. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

2006-11-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Well fall is here! Below you will find some great craft and activity ideas to do with your kids!

Note: Our next feature will have some wonderful ideas AND recipes for Thanksgiving!

Fun Fall Activities and Crafts for Kids

ACTIVITIES

Fall winds blow and leaves make their decent from tree limbs. It is the perfect time for fun autumn activities for kids. Here are some ways to have fun with your kids this fall:

Create a fall collage for the yard: This is a great way to get your kids involved in beautifying your front lawn for the fall season. Materials you will need to create your autumn yard collage include hay bales, pumpkins (all sizes), scarecrows, etc. Anything related to fall will look wonderful. Stack your hay bales to create a backdrop. Next, place a huge scarecrow on the center of the stack. Then add other complimentary fall accessories.

Happy Autumn or Fall Cards: Supply each child with markers, paper, glue, glitter, stickers, etc. Let them make several cards and write a special message on the inside of each one. After any wet appliqués are dried, gather the cards and take them to your local nursing home to distribute among patients.

CRAFTS

Fall is such a fun time. Leaves turn shades of golden orange and brown. Use this beautiful creation of nature to your advantage. Focus on leaves for inspiration with these fun autumn craft ideas.

Leaf Tracings: Fold 10 sheets of copy paper in half and crease in the center. Bind the booklet by punching two holes in the spine, threading yarn through the holes, and tying the ends. Take your kids to the park. Challenge them to find and trace as many unique leaves as possible.

Book of Fall Leaves: Make a booklet, as described above. This time, have your child search for odd-looking fall leaves to collect and place in their book. Then give them an encyclopedia and let them research their leaves. Have them write down the name of each leaf and three or four interesting facts about the leaf.

Leaf Characters: Draw and copy different types of leaves onto thick construction paper. Let your children cut out the leaves and apply glitter to add sparkle. Next, have them create leaf characters by gluing leaves together to create a face, body, and limbs. After the glue dries, they can draw faces on the leaves with markers. If time permits, instead of just drawing faces on them, you can have them add squiggly eyes, button noses, tc.

Leaf Collage: Gather as many types of fall leaves as you can find. Glue the leaves in any kind of arrangement onto a piece of construction paper or cardboard. Or, spread white school glue across an entire sheet of paper or piece of cardboard. Crumble leaves at random over the glue. When the glue dries, you will have an awesome leaf collage.

http://momsoffaith.com

2006-10-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

We just kicked off a new feature at our new Moms of Faith Forums, The Room of the Week Challenge. It is a way for us Moms to glorify Daddy by taking care of the home He gave us to live in...no matter what the type.

I hope you will come join our wonderful community...and grow with us into the woman that God created you to be!

De-cluttering Your Home - Tips and Ideas

Three words to keep in mind when it comes to de-cluttering your home, storage, storage and storage. De-cluttering simply comes down to finding a place for everything, making sure everything is in its proper place and getting rid of what you no longer need. It won’t happen overnight, so now is the time to being making a plan of attack.

First, get each bedroom area organized. Take a day and sort through clothes and toys in the kids’ rooms, and either sell, give away or throw away what isn’t needed anymore. Get age appropriate storage units, label things and help teach the kids to put their own things away.

Next, get a laundry basket for each family member and start with the least cluttered room of the house, so you’ll see success quicker and stay motivated. Put everything in the baskets that doesn’t belong in that room. Then each person has a deadline to find a home for everything in the basket, or you will (even if it’s file thirteen). Keep a big trash bag nearby for stuff you know needs to be gotten rid of immediately (like junk mail). Do this for each room of the house.

Once everything is in the correct room, evaluate each room and decide what kind of storage is needed to keep things organized. If there is very little clutter left in the room once the personal belongings are gone, then you’ve got less work to do. If the room still looks chaotic, decide if the items really need to be in that room or relocated, stored or sold/given away. If you use the basket trick daily, going from room to room, it should be easy to stay on top of things.

Different rooms have different storage needs, what works in the family room won’t necessarily work in the kitchen. Take your time and research the options out there and find a system that works best for your family.

http://momsoffaith.com

2006-08-31T20:53:00.000-04:00

With Labor Day a few days away, I though it would be a good idea to share some yummy recipes! If you try them post about it!

BBQ Burgers

1-1/2 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, finely chopped1 bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
2 tsp brown sugar1 Tblsp mustard1 Tblsp grill/steak seasoning
8 hamburger buns
Favorite burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc)

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into 8 burgers. Grill or fry to desired doneness

Homestyle Potato Salad

4 large potatoes
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups chopped celery
1 c. mayonnaise
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ c chopped coriander (optional)

Boil peeled potatoes and eggs together for 30 minutes. Let them cool. Take the shells off of the eggs. Cut the potatoes into cubes and the peeled eggs into small slices. Combine the potatoes and eggs with celery, mayo, salt and pepper, stirring well. Add the coriander, right before serving. Makes 6 servings

Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter (not margarine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure bourbon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheets. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. In a small bowl beat together the eggs and vanilla, then mix into the butter mixture. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, two teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir in the oats. Drop by the teaspoonful onto the prepared sheets. In a small bowl mix together the two teaspoons sugar with the teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the cookies. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in airtight containers or freeze.

Copyright © Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.momsoffaith.com

2006-08-25T00:40:00.000-04:00

PRODUCT REVIEW

Product Name: Zoo Tycoon
Name: Sandra Winn
State: FL
City: Pensacola
Rating: 10+++++
Where to buy: amazon.com, walmart.com

Description: Series of games put out by MicroSoft (tm). The child puts together zoos including the animals' habitat and also has to be responsible for making sure that the animals needs and needs of guests are met.

Review: Our daughter is 8 years old and she has learned so much from this wonderful series of games put out by MicroSoft (tm). The child puts together zoos including the animals' habitat and also has to be responsible for making sure that the animals needs and needs of guests are met. Graphics are awesome especially in Zoo Tycoon 2 where you can get up close and personal.

Not only does the child care for the animals but has to train zoo keepers, hire maintenance workers, add decor, put up stands (and make sure they are a profit and not a loss).

Zoopedia gives an in-depth look at each animal as well as their classifications; genus, species, family, etc. She even takes the time to make sure that the zoo guests are satisfied and if not, she finds out what they want and gets it.

When we went to our local zoo our daughter was naming animals before we even got to the signs telling what they were and on top of that pointed out what was wrong or right with each habitat!

The Zoo Tycoon series is an awesome experience for any child but especially those who love animals. It also brought attention to endangered species, led to our daughter wanting individual books about endangered species, tigers, pandas and more. She has also donated to a couple of places in order to help animals.

Criticism: I have no criticism of these products. In my opinion this series of games is a very well rounded and educational product that not only allows a child to have fun but gives "true" learning. As a home schooling family, that is important.

2006-08-16T23:19:00.000-04:00

Names of God (a series)

Almighty God

God first revealed this name to Abram, in Genesis 17:1. The original Hebrew name for Almighty God is El Shaday. And it means; almighty, powerful, and impregnable.

Impregnable is the word that excites me! The Webster's dictionary definition is; not able to be captured. Firm.

Our God is AWESOME! We are serving a God that NO FOE can capture, defeat, or overthrow. That little worm satan tried, and God kicked him to the curb! We have a God that can NOT be conquered. Period.

God has given us AUTHORITY over the enemy. The enemy can only defeat us if we let him. James 4:7 says, Be subject to God. Resist the devil, stand firm against him, and he will flee from you. It didn't say he might flee...it said he WILL FLEE! The enemy has no choice, because God's Word says so, and God's Word is the FINAL authority.

God cannot be defeated or outwitted. He is IMPREGNABLE! And He's our Daddy!! WHOO HOO! And through Him, we can overcome ANYTHING that worm throws at us!!

Let's Pray;

Daddy God, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I just love You and am completely and totally in awe of You. I am honored that You love me so much. You are My God. You are God Almighty, El Shaday. Praise, Glory, and Honor be to your Name, FOREVER! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible.

2006-08-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

Avoiding The Morning Rush

It’s stressful isn’t it? Having to get all those things ready, trying not to forget anything, not to mention bickering kids, tantrums about what to wear or the sleepy head who doesn’t want to wake up. No, the morning rush isn’t any fun but luckily there are a few things you can do to bring peace back into your family’s morning routine.

Prepare Ahead – Sounds simple enough but did you know you could actually leave just about everything ready for the next day? It might take a few extra minutes out of your evening but you’ll be much faster if you prepare everything once the kids are asleep rather than rushing in the morning.

Lay out the kids clothes for the next day - Include things like hair clips, socks and shoes. And don’t forget to lay out your clothes too.

Leave breakfast ready (or nearly ready) - Depending on what you have for breakfast you can often pre-prepare a lot of it. If you have pancakes make the batter the night before and stick it in the fridge. If you have cereal and toast, leave the cereal out, bowls, spoons and bread. You can even set the table to save time.

Pre-Pack Lunch Boxes - If your kids take a packed lunch to school prepare it the night before. Most things like sandwiches will be fine left in the fridge overnight.

Pack Their School Bags – Look through their bags and make sure there aren’t any last minute dates or events you’ve overlooked. Pack all their books and things in their bags and leave everything by the front door.

Get The Kids Involved – The responsibility of getting the kids to school shouldn’t completely lie on your shoulders. As soon as children are old enough to help out then they should. Even the youngest of kids can help.

Make a Chart – If your kids (like most kids) are forgetful, make a chart for each one which explains in order all the things they need to do in the morning. You can draw pictures for the really young ones and write a description for the older ones. For example, you can have a picture of a toothbrush, then the school clothes, hair brush, etc.

Talk to your kids about the list beforehand and explain it to them. Then stick it up in a prominent place in their rooms and the next time they ask you “mom, what do I do know?” tell them to go look at their list. This is a great way of getting kids a little more involved and to start teaching them responsibility.

By preparing ahead you can’t avoid all of your family’s morning stresses but it will certainly help a lot, and who knows you may even have time for that extra cup of coffee.

Source: http://www.momsoffaith.com

Copyright © Moms of Faith, all rights reserved

2006-08-10T00:03:00.000-04:00

Tips in Choosing the Right Kids Games for Your Developing Child
By: Dave Poon

Kids games play a major role on the development of every child. It is not only a leisure activity but also helps in the growth process of a child. It is important to choose the right kids game for your child. Kids games enhance the emotional, physical and intellectual development of children.

Here are some tips to remember when choosing the perfect kids games for your child.

1. Determine the games that are suited to the age of your child. Kids games that involve physical activities are perfect for toddlers. Children who are at their toddler age love to do physical activities.

2. Identify the interests of your child. When choosing games for your child, make sure that your child would enjoy and have a wonderful time learning. If your child has interests on puzzles, then you may let your child engage in trivia games, word puzzles and jigsaw. Identifying his interests will also help you choose games that will get your child off on the right foot.

3. Educational kids games are also perfect for children who love to discover things and ideas. They will surely learn many things and will develop their intellectual abilities. Educational kids games are also perfect for parents who would like to engage in their children's activities.

4. Make sure that the games that your child engages to are safe. Safety among children is the most important factor to consider. Kids games should help children grow and have fun. They should not cause harm to your child. Make sure that the games would not cause harm to your child even when elders are not around.

5. Also make sure that the games will help your child in developing his social skills. Make sure that the games are interactive. It is also better if parents and other members for the family can join. This will not only help your child develop his social skills but will also serve as a family bonding activity.

6. Observe your child with the games he is playing. Make sure that he is always excited about it. Once you see that he is already bored with the games, and then you may consider introducing a new one for your child.

7. Do not forget to set rules. Games should be played at the right time and the right place. Setting rules would make your child more responsible and disciplined. Do not forget to explain to your child the reason why he has to follow such rules. Make sure that he understands them so that he may follow even when you are not around.

Once you have chosen the perfect games for your child, you may be assured that your child would have a wonderful time and at the same time develop as an emotionally, intellectually and physically fit individual. Find time to join with your his activities to ensure his safety while playing and at the same time spend a quality time together.

Source: http://www.momsoffaith.com

About the Author: Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Home and Parenting. For more information regarding Kids Games please drop by at http://www.childrenspelling.com/

2006-08-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

Names of God (a series)

GOD MOST HIGH

Genesis 14:18-22 (feel free to read the whole chapter)

Melchizedek king of Salem [later called Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine for their nourishment; he was the priest of God Most High,

And he blessed him and said, Blessed (favored with blessings, made blissful, joyful) be Abram by God Most High, Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth,

And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all he had taken.

And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons and keep the goods for yourself.

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand and sworn to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth.

OK...let's get the technical stuff out of the way! In this text God Most High comes from the following two Hebrew words;

'el (ale) - strength, mighty, power, strong. And, 'ayil (ah'yil) - an oak.

Also, the word Posessor comes from the Hebrew word quanah (kah-naw') - to create, to own, to take care or, surely redeem and possess.

Look at verse 20...Who has given your foes into your hand! He has already won ALL of our battles. He has ALREADY giving us the victory. For Abram it was then and there. For us it was an all in one deal with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

God Most High is Mighty and Strong...He has ALL the power...and guess what? He's got your back!! And guess what else? THE BATTLE HAS ALREADY BEEN WON!!! We need to stop focusing on the immediate "issues," and start focusing on the knowledge given to us through God's Word. The knowledge that the victory is ours!

Trust me, I KNOW hard...I KNOW pain...I KNOW trials...and I know life can throw some MAJOR curve balls. However, when I read this...when I really open my eyes to see WHO my Daddy really is, and His Character...I KNOW it will all be OK. I KNOW that God Most High has me covered...even in the darkest of darkness!!

I also remember that ALL things work for the good to those who love the Lord and are called according to HIS purpose. Hold onto that when the enemy comes knocking with trials and struggles!

In closing, we must realize that the ball is in our court. God has made His strength, postition and authority clear. He has shown us who we are in Him. He has outlined the path for each of us in His Word. He has already given us the victory....now, all we have to do is RECEIVE it and WALK IN IT!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, My God Most High, You are an awesome and wonderful God. Thank You for caring for me. Thank You for giving me victory in every circumstance. Help me to remember this and walk in it. Help me to REALLY receive this Word from You. I love You, Lord. And I want to WALK in the victory that you have given to me. Thank You, my God Most High! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible.

2006-07-27T21:57:00.000-04:00

The Importance of Routines
By: Liza Asher

At 8:30 p.m. at the Osborne family house in Burlington, Vermont, an exemplary bedtime process is underway. The three children are upstairs changing into their pajamas, brushing their teeth, and settling into their beds to read. There is remarkably little protest or variation. "Bedtime is the one area where our routine has not wavered," says mom Eleanor. "Since the boys were toddlers, we've been doing the same thing, and now it's automatic. This is usually the calmest period our day."

Regular schedules provide the day with a framework that orders a young child's world. Although predictability can be tedious for adults, children thrive on sameness and repetition. "Knowing what to expect from relationships and activities helps children become more confident," says Dr. Peter Gorski, assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachussetts.

Routines begin from the first days of life, says Susan Newman, a social psychologist in New Jersey, affecting the relationship between parent and child, setting the stage for rocky or smooth sailing as your child gets older. Babies, especially, need regular sleep and meal schedules and even routines leading up to those activities (a story every day before nap- or bedtime, for example).

As she gets older, when a child knows what is going to happen and who is going to be there, it allows her to think and feel more boldly and freely, Gorski adds. When a child does not know what to expect, his internal alarms go off. Ultimately, parents benefit as well: "Knowing what is expected cuts down on parenting struggles," says Jodi Mindell, child psychologist and author of Sleeping through the Night (HarperCollins).

Tips for Implementing Routines

Plan regular mealtimes: "It is so valuable to the developing spirit of children to have one meal together each day as a family," Gorski says. Sitting together at the dinner table gives children the opportunity to share their day's experience and get support for whatever they're feeling. The emphasis is on togetherness, so if your children need to eat earlier, at least give them dessert while you eat your meal. This is also an ideal time to introduce routines that give children responsibility, such as setting or clearing the table. Older children can be pre-dinner helpers and washer-uppers.

Wind down before bed: Consistent nightly rituals are soothing and take the battle out of bedtime. But after an exhausting day, it's tempting to skip the preliminaries when bedtime finally approaches. Don't, stresses Mindell: "About 20 to 30 minutes of calm, soothing, and consistent activities get children ready." Find what works best for your child—some children are revved up
by a bath or fidgety when listening to a story. Yours may prefer doing a puzzle together or listening to music. For older children, bedtime is an ideal time for conversation. My 12-year-old son likes me to sit on his bed and talk for a few minutes before he goes to sleep.

In general, make the room conducive for sleep. Set aside a time each week for room cleanup (another important routine!), when your child puts away toys and books and you change the linens.

Be consistent but flexible: Routines are essential, but allow some room for flexibility. Although the Osborne family thought their bedtime routine was a blessing, there have been some problems recently. "I was completely rigid about my oldest son's bedtime, and he is now incapable of veering from that routine. If we are out later than his bedtime, he becomes upset," Eleanor says.

Unexpected events, like surprise guests or errands that cannot be postponed, may result in a nap in the car seat or a skipped meal. But if we react with frustration when this happens, our kids will, too. Try to prepare your child ahead of time for the change and reassure them that things will return to normal tomorrow.

Liza Asher is a mother of four and writes on parenting issues for national magazines. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

2006-07-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

Here's another devotional from my Names of God series...

OMNIPRESENT (EVER-PRESENT)

Psalm 139:7-12

Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be the only light about me,

Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

He is always here...He is always there. He is EVERYWHERE...AT ONCE! We are never alone. What other "god" can say that? No matter what we are going through...no matter how deep or dark the valley...HE IS WITH US!

Isn't that awesome?! He never leaves us! NEVER!

Hebrews 13:5b says; ...for God, Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake, nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!

It reminds me of that old footprints poem we all know and love...There are many times in life we do not think we can go another step...and yet we do...We do, because He carries us! Thank God, He carries me! Thank God!

So, the next time you think you have reached the end of your rope...LET GO AND LET GOD! He's already there waiting for you to give it to HIM!

Let's Pray;

Daddy God, Thank You for NEVER leaving or forsaking me! Thank You for Your CONSTANT presence. Thank You for all the times you have carried me through the darkness. Thank You for all the times You wrapped Your loving Arms around me. Thank You for loving me, even when I don't acknowledge or see. I love You, Daddy. I love YOU! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible.

2006-07-21T19:37:00.000-04:00

I just began remodeling The Recipe Finder. My plan is to integrate it with Moms of Faith. I strongly believe that we are called to bring glory to God in EVERYTHING we do...including COOKING! SO, here are some great summer salad recipes. Bon appetite!

Summer Salads

Green vegetables are the food most missing in modern diets. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium (120 -190 mg per cup!) They're also high in magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and they are a power house for Vitamin A, C, E and K. Believe it or not, they are also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals. You just can't get any better than this. Take a look at the following two recipes to help move you into a sensational summer!

Sensational Summer Salad
For a summer snack that will cleanse the kidneys and help the body to unload toxic wastes from the blood, use the following high powered recipe.

1/2 cup of watercress
1/2 cup of dandelion greens
1/2 cup of arugula
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated ginger
pinch of Sea Salt
Mix washed greentogether. Stirir lemon juice and ginger. Pour over greens. Season with salt.

Tomato Basil & Feta Salad
This is a simple salad that requires no salad dressing.

2 cups tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onions, finely chopped
2.25 ounces sliced black olives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss! Enjoy!

To your health and success,
Heather

Source: Heather Dominick - http://www.individual-health.net

2006-07-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

We just started a new devotional series, Names of God. Usually I post the devotions on my faith blog, the forums, and main site. However, I wanted to give everyone a sneak peek!

Names of God (a series)

OMNIPOTENT (ALL-POWERFUL): Jeremiah 32:17 says; Alas, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard for you.

Our God is ALL-Powerful. This is something that we need to get into our thick skulls! No matter what life throws at us, we have the assurance of knowing that our God...our Beloved Daddy in Heaven... is ALL-POWERFUL. Not a little powerful. ALL-Powerful!

We may not have the courage, power, or will to handle the obsticals or issues in our life, but our Omnipotent God does! And His power is available to us.

We need to learn to release EVERYthing to Him, and trust Him with it. He can handle it. He has All the power. Nothing is to hard or difficult for Him...NOTHING!
The devil has ALREADY been defeated. When we choose to focus on the "issue" and forget that the end has already been Written, we set ourselves up for failure, depression, and defeat. We need to remember that our God is All-Powerful and has ALREADY won the battle!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, You are All-Powerful and Mighty. Thank You for already putting the enemy under my feet by your Great Power. Help me to recognize that I have access to all of Your power. Help me to remember that the enemy has already been defeated and is UNDER my feet. Help me to be VICTORIOUS! Thank You , Daddy for giving me the strength to overcome anything. I submit all to you and receive the victory that you have already given to me! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara

2006-07-05T23:16:00.000-04:00

MOF Update!

I just added two new forums to our Message Board.

FORUM IN THE SPOTLIGHT ~ This is so that you can become familiar with all the great forums that MOF has to offer!

MOF BIBLE STUDIES ~ This is for those who would like to have mini Bible Studies. Simply post what you are studying and as others are led, they will join. MOF may also host some of these studies. BUT, feel free to post your own! We can NEVER get enough of God's Word!

2006-06-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

Proverbs 31:10-31

A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of honest gain, or need of dishonest spoil.

She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands to develop it.

She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far country.

She rises while it is yet night and gets spiritual food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks.

She considers a new field before she buys or accepts it; with her savings of time and strength she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

She girds herself with strength; spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task, and makes her arms strong and firm.

She tastes and sees that her gain from work with and for God is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night of trouble, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust.

She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy whether in body, mind, or spirit.

She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet.

She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made.

Her husband is known in the city's gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles.

Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it!

She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness giving counsel and instruction.

She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness, gossip, discontent, and self-pity she will not eat.

Her children rise up and call her blessed; and her husband boasts of and praises her, saying,

Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well, but you excel them all.

Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates of the city!

2006-06-16T16:59:00.000-04:00

MOF Update!

I have been remodeling Moms of Faith. I have also added some new content. I updated and re-did the Daily Devotional section and now I am working on a HUGE project for our Home Life section. I will be combining my recipe site with MOF. So soon MOF will have a large library of recipes, cooking tips, and food articles to help Christian Moms glorify Daddy in the Kitchen! I have completed the first of MANY recipe sections, Appetizer Recipes.

Please feel free to post ideas and suggestions for Moms of Faith. I am always open to new ideas and making Moms of Faith a place for ALL Christian Moms to come and learn, share, grow, and to become all that God created them to be!

2006-03-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

Tips for Promoting Your Newsletter:

Promoting your newsletter can be a daunting task...However, you can be successful if you do the work. Here are some things to do that will help get you started in the right direction...

~ Place a sign up form on the top of EVERY page of your site and/or forums.

~ Use your Sig's to promote!

~ Place a link on your blog

~ Have contests for subscribers

~ Have prizes for referrals

~ Be unique...originality goes a long way

~ Swap newsletter links

I'm sure that you will see a steady increase in subscribers if you put these tips into practice!

Happy Promoting!!

Copyright © Lara Velez

2006-02-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

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Lara Velez
ID# 60602

2006-02-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 10)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Be Prudent

Proverbs 4:20-27
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

R: Prudence is all about figuring out the right course of action [our guide ultimately being the Bible!], and doing it. Know the godly [often the hardest] path and take it! It can be as difficult as figuring out the solution to a complex problem and seeing it through despite difficulties, or as simple as putting effort in to what you do each and every day.

Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man acteth with knowledge;
but the foolish layeth open his folly.

Most everyone jumps the gun now and then in the life altering decisions they make, especially when young, lacking a great knowledge base or much prudence. Some of us are pretty stubborn when God's will isn't exactly matching our own desires, so we stall or act of our own will, even when we should know better.

I wouldn't be surprised if every person who reads this can think of one or more ways they've gotten ahead of themselves in online business. Surely all of us can recall times when we didn't show prudence, and made unwise choices in hopes of fast results. Even being adults! We've all probably said to ourselves, “You live, you learn!”

Proverbs 8:12
I wisdom dwell with prudence,
and find the knowledge which cometh of reflection.

Prudence develops as we grow in wisdom, submission to God, and patience. The former can't exist without the later. To grow in prudence, we must continue to learn how God wants us to live. In other words, we need to make reading the Bible and prayer top priorities. From there it is a matter of remaining faithful to the Lord and doing His will. “Commit thy works unto Jehovah” (16:3) and you'll see His blessing as your work is fruitful.

L: God's Word has everything that we need to live righteous lives, be good parents, have peace of mind, joy, and abundance, be content, and run a profitable and successful business. Everything we have learned so far shows us that. Now, we must put into practice all that we have learned on a daily basis.

When we come to a cross road, stumble upon a difficult situation, or lose our focus, we must turn to God and His Word. That is where we will find our answers. If we humble ourselves to Him and submit to His authority and direction, we will have it all. We will lack nothing. It will take our entire lives to accomplish this, and when we get to Heaven we will get the final adjustments made. However, if we let Him take the wheel now, we will enjoy the journey and finish the race in glory!

More References
Pr 8:5, 13:19, 14:8, 14:12,
14:15, 14:16, 14:18, 15:21,
15:28, 15:31-32, 16:17, 16:25,
19:2, 21:2-3, 21:5, 21:7, 22:3

2006-02-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 9)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Continually LEARN From Wise Mentors

Proverbs 13:18
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction;
but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

R: Only a fool thinks he knows everything. Believe me, I know- being a “know it all” runs in my family.

Even the wisest know that they simply don't know it all. The only exception to this rule is God Himself.

Those who continue to receive instruction throughout their lives will grow in ways that make them look back every year and say, “oh my, how far I've come! I can't wait to see where God takes me this year!”

Continual growth in all ways, including your work, is only possible with the help of others. We need others knowledge, advice, counsel, and encouragement.

Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel purposes are disappointed;
but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

A variety of learning actions exist: reading articles, reading professional publications, growing in Christ, staying in the Word, listening to interviews, observing others, learning prudence, finding help, going back to school, asking questions, and finding a mentor are some examples.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes;
but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.

Some people resist “being told what to do,” or considering that someone else may have a better, even workable, idea. That doesn't mean you have to take every suggestion ever given to you- not at all. It does mean you should kindly consider them.

If someone goes out of their way to correct a mistake, pride can construe it into a personal attack. It is often pride [and the resulting ignorance] that prevents some from even getting their businesses a hay pennies width off the ground.

Have you noticed? Most if not all of these devotions have mentioned pride as an underlying problem. Pride from within is what coaxed Satan to fall. I guess it should be no surprise that pride makes man fall to pieces as well.

L: We must always be willing to learn. If you are blessed enough to have found even one Christ loving business mentor, become a walking sponge.

While we are on this earth we will never “know it all.” We need to continually set our minds to learn all that there is about our craft. We need to ask questions and receive constructive criticism with a willing heart.

If we ever get to a place where we feel that we do not need advice, that is when we really need to do a self checkup. We may be running into pride. And only failure can result.

There is also a benefit to a humble heart and willingness to learn. We will be honoured. The original Hebrew word for honoured is kabad (kaw-bad') or kabed (kaw-bade') and it means abounding with, glorify, make glorious, very great, prevail, and be rich.

That sounds like a no-brainer to me.

God is such a wonderful Parent. He is always finding ways to reward us for obedient behavior. If we would just humble ourselves and be willing to learn and receive instruction in ALL areas of our lives, we would have not only a lot more peace, we would also have all that we are promised. We would prevail and God would bless us with His riches.

More References
Pr 6:23, 9:7-10, 10:8,
10:14, 10:17, 11:2, 11:14, 12:1,
13:1, 13:10, 13:20, 14:3, 14:6,
15:5, 15:10, 15:12, 15:25,
16:20-23, 17:10, 18:1, 19:8, 22:17-18, 23:12, 27:17, 29:1

2006-02-06T13:06:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 8)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)By the grace of God

Make Amends

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth all transgressions.

R: Being slow to anger and forgiving others (70x7 times or more if need be!) are both major Christian virtues. However, it is very easy to slip into defense mode when we feel our livliehood is under attack. Our tongue can take command. Everything can spiral out of control.

Proverbs 18:19
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city;
and contentions are as the bars of a palace.

2 Out of 3 people (my estimation) won't react kindly to a riled up reply, even if it seems to you like you didn't cut into them. If you wrote it out of anger, the anger probably noticably crept in. “A soft answer turneth away fury” (15:1) applies in most cases. You must carefully guard your tongue, or fingers in this age. Remember it is best to diffuse a situation out of love, not react out of emotional pain.

Sometimes no answer is best, when you're dealing with a stranger who is obviously unreasonable and just trying to cause trouble for you or discourage you. I learned that the hard way. There will probably be people along the way who just want to mess with your head with vile sayings and curses, especially if you wear your faith on your sleeve.

If you have any contact with customers or web site visitors, you are going to deal various stirrings now and then, in business. You'll probably need to remind yourself to stay cool and level headed, especially the first dozen or so times. Walk away. Cool down. Ask the Lord for guidance.

Remember:

Proverbs 11:8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble...

Lara makes a brilliant point below...

L: In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus compares hate to murder. He takes hatred that seriously and so should we. As Christians we should be striving to walk in love on a regular basis. Yes, there may be times when we fail. However, our lives should consistently be lived out in love and forgiveness.

Jesus set a higher standard while He was here. Even adultery was no longer committed only by an action. It only takes a lustful thought. Our minds and hearts are what God is watching. It's one thing to make a mistake. It's another to live in sin of the mind and heart.

Making amends can be very difficult. Especially when we think that “we” are in the right in the situation. If we choose to remember what Jesus has said we will have a better chance at success. We can always react out of the Spirit, of love.

(James also compares Hate to murder in James 4:1-2a)

I certainly do not want to commit murder. Do you?

More References
Pr 10:19,11:13, 12:16, 14:21, 14:29,
15:1, 15:18, 16:6, 17:9, 17:14,
17:17-19, 17:22, 18:18, 19:11,
20:22, 21:14, 25:21-22, 29:22

2006-01-31T17:55:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 7b)
Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Bad Attitude(s) - Part 2

R: Here is a simple list with verses showing attitudes to avoid or grow out of, in life and in business:

Paranoia and envy
Proverbs 24:19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of the wicked.
Rushing in
Proverbs 24:27 Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
Futuristic illusions of grandeur
Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth.
Tooting ones own horn
Proverbs 27:2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Flattery
Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be reckoned a curse to him.
Imitating infallibility
Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

This list could top 100, even 1,000 PAGES if I went on, so I'll simply urge you to keep in God's word and remember to consider how each verse applies to your entire life, including the business side. Stay in the Word, reading your Bible daily. Study Proverbs often. Oh, and did I mention “Read your Bible?”

Next we have some specifics from Lara:

Paranoia and envy
We have nothing to fear from those who hate us in this world. They have no authority or ability to permanently hurt us unless we ourselves allow them to.

Jesus did not leave us without a defense. He left us the Holy Spirit and His Word. When you are faced with evil and the trouble in this world, pick up your sword (the Word) and fight. The Word is not powerful unless it is spoken.

God Himself used words to create all things. Words are to be spoken. And the Word of God is a weapon that no foe can withstand if it is USED!

Rushing in
Before we make important decisions, we need to make sure that we are asking God for the plans. He knows what is best for us, much better than we do. When we jump in to something blindly, we are risking our peace of mind. However, when we ask God to be at the helm, we can be assured of keeping our peace. He will NEVER steer us wrong.
We need to keep God at the center of every area of our lives. He should be included in every task from grocery shopping to what we will be making for dinner. This may sound radical to some, but really it's not. We want to know God and have all the “fringe benefits” that come with being His heirs. Yet, we never take the time to know Him on a deep and personal level.

He wants our childlike love and friendship more than anything. He wants to be our All in All. And when we get to a place where we really delight in Him, all of the benefits are just a bonus!

Futuristic illusions of grandeur
It's always good to have a plan, goals, and a good attitude. The problems start when we get so full of our selves and all the “things” that we want. All we think about is more success, more stuff, more, more, more!

No one cannot predict tomorrow. Tomorrow is unknown to us and comes with no guarantees that our own plans will come to fruit. If we put all of our hopes and dreams into tomorrow, we will miss out on all of the glory of today!

Tooting ones own horn
Meekness goes a long way with God. He is unimpressed when we become full of ourselves. When we do this, we are forgetting Who gives us blessings and success. It does not come from what “we” can do. “We” can do nothing without the grace of our Beloved Father. Every good thing comes from God and God alone. Every talent, success, increase, and goodness, it all comes from God.

As soon as we get that into our hearts and minds, we will gain the fruit of meekness and lose that dreaded horn!

Flattery
It's one thing to compliment someone, it's quite another to flatter someone for our own gain.

Christians need to be authentic and sincere. If we are not, then we are giving our Savior a bad name. It is part of our calling to live lives that bring glory to the Name of Jesus- not shame!

Imitating infallibility
When you make a mistake, own it. Admit that you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. We are allowing pride to enter our hearts when we think or act like we are never wrong.

We are ALL imperfect and we ALL make mistakes. Admitting them makes us better. Denying them is sin and fills us with the deadly seed of pride.

2006-01-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 7a)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Bad Attitude(s) - Part 1

R: Here is a simple list with verses showing attitudes to avoid or grow out of, in life and in business:

Know it All - Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

All Talk and No Walk - Proverbs 14:23 In all labour there is profit; but the talk of the lips tendeth only to want.

More, more more! - Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

Going on half the story - Proverbs 18:13 He that giveth answer before he heareth, it is folly and shame unto him.

You wanna mess with me?! - Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool rusheth into it.

I want what they have! - Proverbs 23:17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day;

Discouragement at failure - Proverbs 24:16 For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.

Here are some specifics from Lara:

Know it All

Only God knows all. When we get filled with arrogance and think that we are the infallible experts at something, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We must NEVER forget Who has given us knowledge and Who should be given all of the glory.

As soon as we forget this and puff ourselves up, we are basically announcing that we do not need God. We can handle it and we know what's what; those are huge lies from the enemy. We know NOTHING. We are but dust. Without the grace and favor of God we would have nothing. Acknowledge God, and never put the spotlight on yourself.

All Talk and No Walk

Hypocrisy is one of the Church's biggest faults. We love to blame everything on the devil. Unfortunately, he is not our only threat. We are a threat to ourselves. “We” meaning our flesh.

We “talk” a good game. We tell others how to be a “good Christian,” and what is right and wrong. But when push comes to shove, many times we become the spitting image of the very things we speak so passionately against!

Jesus had more disgust for the hypocrites in His day then the prostitutes! Let us be careful and keep our flesh in its place. Let us not assume that we “have it all together.” Let us wear humility and represent our Savior properly and truthfully. Let us squash hypocrisy in the Church once and for all. And then, maybe we will see more of a desire for the lost to know our God!

More, more more!

If all we think about is money and material items we would like to own, we are becoming greedy and self centered people. We must learn to be thankful for what we have.

Paul mastered this character quality. Listen to what he said in Philippians 4:11b, 12, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

This is what we should be greedy for! Contentment. When we live this way it gives God the opportunity to bless us way more than we could EVER work for!

Going on half the story

We must take the time to hear the whole story. If we do not, then we will not have the wisdom to handle the situation. When we don't listen in fairness we are being prideful and wrongly thinking that we “know” offhand how to handle everything, or tale, that comes our way.

There will be times when we will have a quick answer through the Spirit. And there will also be times when we will need to give the effort to listen to all angles and then, prayerfully, make decisions.

You Wanna Mess With Me?!

I believe that strife is one of the most damaging problems in the Church. When we harbor anger and bitterness for others, we are crippling our effectiveness as a Body. We will never have any of the wonderful blessings that God has for us if we allow strife to sneak into our hearts.

When you are faced with a possible disagreement or a wrong has been done to you, it is an opportunity for growth. It is an opportunity to give up what you want for another's sake, forgive and forget, allow another to receive the honor, and die to self.

Think of it this way, Jesus humbly laid down His life. He was completely shamed and dishonored. He was spit on and ridiculed- willingly! And what did His Father, our Father, give Him? He gave Him a seat at His right hand, and the Name above all names.

Let go of strife, anger, and the need to be right. And when you do, God Himself will bless your socks off!

I want what they have

My husband calls this, “keeping up with the Jones's.” Contentment is the only way to overcome this. And the only way to gain true contentment is to have a thankful heart. Take the time every day to remember all of the reasons you have to be thankful. Then praise the Lord for them!

We ALL have things to be thankful for. Yes, even you! Be thankful that you have eyes to read this, ears to hear a bird singing, a mouth to speak, hands and feet, your child(ren), your spouse, a roof over your head, food to eat, you are a child of the King of Kings, and I could go on forever with all that we have to be thankful for.

When you start seeing all that you really have, you will realize that what God has blessed you with is more than enough. And then you will see the real treasures!

Discouragement at failure

God chose us before we were in our Mother's womb. He knew everything about us before we were a thought in our parents minds. We are His beloved children. And when we fail, we have the assurance of His Loving Hands to help lift us up. We cannot receive this wonderful help unless we get up. When we fall or fail, we must not give up. We must GET up!

We must remember Who's we are and the power that is given to us to succeed. We are the children of God. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We have the power of the Holy Spirit guiding us. So, the next time you fail, remember who you are in Christ, and GET UP!

Have a GREAT day!
Praying for your success,
Lara ;)
Healthy Living
Get Healthy and acquire financial FREEDOM!

2006-01-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

I would like to share a WONDERFUL business opportunity with you. Not only does it have the ability to FREE you financially, but it will make you healthier than you have EVER been. Please take a few minutes to find out more...

HEALTHY LIVING

2006-01-21T13:22:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 6)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Ants vs. Slugs

Proverbs 24:30-34
I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction: --A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest! So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.

R: Laziness. You'll get what you give in business. No work done, no pay.

A lazy businessman is called brother of the destroyer (18:9), perhaps because he destroys his spirit and any chance at success. No one can start a business without actually doing any work, even if many internet scams and MLM pyramids claim so. Real businesses always take an enormous effort in the beginning. Start ups can take a toll on the entire family. Eventually things settle down, but work is still an every week day matter. Sometimes it requires an entrepreneur to always be on call.

Proverbs 26:16
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.

Laziness is tied to various undesirable traits in Proverbs, such as vanity and foolishness. Perhaps foolishness begats laziness, and then vanity arises in an attempt to cover up the lack of results, i.e. “I can slack off as long as no one notices! Alas, I have my own business! I'm such an fab entrepreneur!”

Proverbs 12:9
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant,
than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

I recall reading a post on the CWBN on Ryze eons ago that warned about taking advice from just anyone, because you never know how successful someone online truly is. Success can be faked online, much more easily than in real life. You can't peer in an online stores window to see if they have any customers browsing the isles.

Be sure to put into action what you've envisioned for a business. Do your research, learn and learn some more, and ACT! Otherwise you may end up deluding others, and eventually yourself.

L: There is another verse that goes well with this one...

Proverbs 6:6-11 (Amplified Translation)
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!
Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep-- So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless].

It takes more than a positive attitude to have a successful business. It takes a lot of hard work and determination over a long period of time. If we do not put forth the effort, we cannot expect a good harvest. No amount of praying and believing will change that. Even the ant has to prepare for the winter, so that she will eat. We must also work hard and not grow weary in doing good. The Lord will bless our hard work with abundant success.

Ephesians 5:14-16 (Amplified Translation)
Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.
Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately,
not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),
Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity],
because the days are evil.

We must live our lives on purpose. We must make a choice to be steadfast and work hard. Not just in business, but in all areas of our lives. Then and only then will we have joy and peace and true prosperity. The kind that no amount of money can create!

More References Pr 6:6 (the famous ant proverb),
6:9-11, 10:5, 10:26, 12:24, 12:27,
13:4, 13:7, 13:11, 15:19, 19:15-16,
19:24, 20:4, 20:13, 21:17, 21:25-26, 28:19-20

2006-01-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 5)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Choosing Business Associates

Proverbs 14:7
Go from the presence of a foolish man,
in whom thou perceivest not the lips of knowledge.

R: You take on the attributes of the people you associate with. It's a Biblical fact and can be attested to by parents of teens everywhere. Mimicry is human nature. Obviousy if we associate with business people who lack integrity then we are setting ourselves up for disaster.

Another bad practice often overlooked is dealing exclusively with people in the “same boat,” just starting out or going nowhere fast. Doing so is like setting yourself up for ruin by proxy.

The mix of people just starting out can be caustic, no offense meant to them. We've all been in this mix. Certainly there will be people who will be successful among the newbies, but as of now not many of them have developed the tools that will get them there. The greater number of people just starting out can be a bad influence, especially if they come into it thinking they know it all and have got all the right stuff to be instant successes. Among the gems you'll find an even larger sour mix of the foolish, the proud, the vain, the flatterers, those that lack integrity, the angry, and the lazy. Those types probably make up the majority of beginners because the myth of the Internet gold rush attracts millions.

Proverbs 19:27
Cease,
my son,
to hear the instruction which causeth to stray from the words of knowledge.

You'll usually get bad advice from people just starting out, if any advice at all. After 4 years of steady progress, I've received bad “advice” on occasion from people who haven't been successful in the least. In my case, they were just trying to discourage me because the loss of my site would be their gain, at least they thought so.

Many fools think they know it all, even after years of failure, and boy, they want to tell you how to do the same! That is precisely why they haven't gotten off the ground! I wouldn't be surprised if those at the very “top” of internet business, like Google, get the occasional “this is what you should do” letter from a guy who hasn't learned anything, but thinks he knows everything. On the same note, those successful businesses never stop learning- from people who know what they are talking about!

This doesn't mean you must dump all of your current online buddies. Just add to them! It is better to include online friends and business partners from all stages of business development in your circle. If you can't find many who will personally associate with you, you can still learn from many of those that came before you through their articles, books, interviews, etc.

Fortunately for some, if not all business niches, this is easy. There are various forums for different businesses attended by a great mix of people. Some groups have even set up business related mentorship programs, like Mom Masterminds or the upcoming Our Christian Family Network.

L: We need to be smart in business. When we seek the council of others we need to make sure that they have done their homework, and that we do ours. You can take that “Berean” attitude to work! Just because someone seems to know what they are talking about does not make it so.

Another thing that we must always keep in mind when seeking advice is to make sure that the advice given does not compromise our Christian walk. We are called to represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must keep our business doings and lives upright. We must never even dip our toes into murky water.

If we are wise, and we honor God in our business, He will guide us into success. We will be fruitful. Proverbs 3:6 (amplified) says, In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Who better than God is there to lead us in life and business?

More Reference
Pr 17:4, 20:19, 22:24-25, 22:26, 24:1-2, 28:10, 29:9

2006-01-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 4)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

“A Master of Intrigues”

Proverbs 4:14-16
Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men:
avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not except they have done mischief,
and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused some to fall.

R: Whether done in an obvious campaign to ruin someone's reputation, or done behind closed doors with snide remarks meant to discourage someone until they give up, God hates (6:16-19) this kind of behavior.

Fortunately I have only seen a few minor examples when it comes to online businesses. The occasional talebearer, harassment, or technical attack.

Proverbs 17:20
He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good;
and he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.

If a Christian has the temptation to hurt someone in any way, obviously some serious self examination needs to take place. Destroying a lamb is to serving the devil as loving each other is to serving Christ. Seeking to do harm, or wishing for someone's ruin is a symptom of a “perverse heart.”

For anyone struggling with very negative emotions, such as rage or jealousy, that take you down the path to committing violent acts that hurt others (whether physical, verbal, or typed!), you must repent and seek God and any help He'll lead you to.

For those experiencing the abuse, remember that God will defend you and He is there for you. You will be blessed. You are always safe in His arms.

L: We will begin with a couple of the original Hebrew words and meanings:

Except - bad (bad): separation, apart, alone.

Taken - gazal (gaw-zal'): pluck off, strip, rob, consume, spoil, take away by force, tear.

Our business should bring glory to the Father. When we choose to take our business down a road that is filled with wickedness; i.e., cutting corners, not reporting all of our taxes, lying, cheating, taking business lunches in inappropriate places, etc.; when we do this we have stepped out of the Will of God [the narrow path] and into the wide “path of the wicked.”

This only brings separation from God. We drift away from what God has planned for our lives and business. We will lose our peace and even sleep. It will be taken away! That is a scary thought. I don't ever want to build a business that is not grounded on the Rock. The Rock of our Savior Jesus Christ! The peace that comes with that!

The next time you are tempted to do wrong in business, remember Who it is that has blessed you with talent and success in the first place. Do not turn from His righteous path. For if you walk strong in faith and do not grow weary, He WILL bless you more than you could ever imagine. You won't get far on your own.

More References
Pr 3:29, 4:14-19, 6:16-19, 11:9,
12:21, 12:26, 16:27, 16:27-30,
17:5, 17:13, 17:26, 19:5, 20:17,
21:10, 22:8, 25:9-10, 25:18, 26:18-29

2006-01-15T13:30:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 3)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Not Withholding Good

Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

R: Hoarding greedily, spending money carelessly, or just turning a blind eye to those in need are all frowned upon in the Bible. In fact, a selfish attitude disgusts God. Yet most of us turn away when we see a beggar on the corner, despite the wad of cash in our purse or wallet.

Sharing what God gives us is part of our faith. We should continually grow in fruitfulness throughout our lives, in what we share. That goes for our money, our time, our work, and even sharing our hope in Christ to those who will hear. There is no need to compartmentalize or limit what we give back to God. Our born again, spiritual giving nature should only grow as we grow in our relationship with God and in how we relate to others.

Yet there are Christians who won't give a penny or a hand if it doesn't benefit themselves in some way. There are Christians so scared of financial problems that they become common day Scrooges.

Proverbs 3:9-10
Honour Jehovah with thy substance,
and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

Believing God will take care of your needs is a matter of faith, and faith is something that grows. We aren't born again with a perfect faith. We work for it, He works in us. Our faith gets stronger and stronger. We know and trust more and more that He will provide for us, as he provides even for small animals and birds and even the lilies of the field. He will care for our needs, and bless us. We should share the blessings He gives us, whatever form they come in.

How sad would it be if a would be Christian never learned to be charitable to others in need? Others who could receive Gods blessings through a Christians selfless giving? Our giving is a testament not only to God's pure kingdom, but to Christ's own sacrifice.

Be ready to not only be blessed by God, but to bless others through Him, using you for some of His greatest work!

May your focus be on sharing, on relationships [your family in Christ] and spiritual things, which last forever, and not on wealth and material.

Worth repeating... Prayer of Proverbs 30:8
Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...

L: It is very easy to get caught up in all of our “stuff” and forget Who gave it to us. God does not give His children wealth so that we can have fancy cars and daily pedicures. He gives us wealth to further His Kingdom and His purposes.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having nice things. The problem arises when we begin to love those things and feel we can't live without them. We become so obsessed with making sure that we can maintain our material status, that we fail to see the person in worn second hand clothes sitting next to us at church every Sunday.

The bottom line…love God and His purposes more than your material possessions. Our material possessions should be of no value in comparison to our walk with God and the eternal treasures He'll give us if we ask. Love people and their needs more than a manicure or new tech toy. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see the needs of those with less than you. Give sacrificially. Give the way Jesus gave for you!

More References
Pr 3:28, 11:24, 11:25-26, 14:31,
15:8, 19:17, 21:13, 25:14, 28:27

2006-01-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible (part 2)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Wisdom Over Wealth

Proverbs 3:13-14
Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.
For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver,
and her revenue than fine gold.

R: It is mainstream to be obsessed with earthly riches. Many of us who go to work on our own do so simply to earn an income to meet our families needs, or to supplement a spouses income. For some, going into business is believed to be a means to immense wealth.

Proverbs 23:4a
Weary not thyself to become rich....

When we focus our business energies on God's will and priorities for our lives, offering a useful service, doing our job well, maintaining business relationships and being responsible with our resources, we can have a positive, successful career.

When we focus on money, money, money, the business may dwindle down to a “me want” show that no one will watch. Yes, some will get their money, but at what cost? Their families? Their soul? Will they use it to further God's kingdom like Abraham, spreading out their wealth selflessly? Or will they use it for their own “wants” agenda, like Solomon did for a time when he let go of prudence [ignored his better judgment and God's wisdom] and ended up having his heart turn away from God as a result?

If God means for anyone to be wealthy, then hard work and integrity will get them there, and they will spend it in His honor. When a righteous man has money, buying Bibles for those in foreign countries will not be beaten out by amassing collections of watches and jewelry. The focus should never be on getting rich and hoarding junk. The focus should be on pleasing God and serving others.

Does the idea of only having your simplest needs meet for the rest of your like, void of a second home or yacht, upset you? What about selling everything you own, if God asked you to? Does it make you feel ill? Then you're simply not focusing on Him. Instead, your heart is set on worldly things. Worthless things that won't last forever. Repent, and put your focus back on God and His Kingdom.

Remove far from me vanity and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the bread of my daily need...

L: In 1 Kings 3:1-15 Solomon had an opportunity to ask God for anything that he wished. God would give it to him. What's amazing this about this is that he didn’t ask for riches! He asked for wisdom, understanding, and a hearing heart.

God was so pleased by this that He didn’t just give Solomon wisdom, but He made him the wisest man who ever lived. That’s not all…God also gave Solomon honor and an incredible amount of wealth!

You see, if we would set our minds on God and gaining His wisdom to live an obedient and upright life, He will bless us with the rest. It may not be earthly blessings like thousands of horses or cars, but we will be blessed with very good things.

The Word tells us in Psalm 37:4 that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires and secret petitions of our hearts.

The reason He can do this is because, if we are wise and walking with Him, we will not ask for blessings out of greed and lust. We will ask for and with wisdom, and we will be close enough to God and wise enough to handle any type and volume of wealth that He blesses us with.

More References
Pr 3:13-26, 4:5-13, 8:10-11,
8:19, 11:4, 11:28, 15:16,
15:17, 16:8, 16:16, 20:15

2006-01-12T13:10:00.000-05:00

Business and the Bible

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Business Integrity

Proverbs 1:19
So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain:
it taketh away the life of its possessors.

R: Greed is bad. This certainly sounds like a given, even from the average Joe's ethical standpoint. However, we've all seen Christians taken over by greed. Even seeking it out!

For every famous Christian leader who has been revealed to have real issues with greed, there are probably hundreds if not thousands of us not so famous Christians struggling. Some of those famous Christian leaders have created followers after their own images, to go after “wealth” as an idol [putting more value on money than on God and Spiritual things.] Many followers of these men end up being even worse off in their idolatry than their teachers!

It appears worldliness and all it's vices have crept into Christians lives to a degree not seen in other recent generations. It is even preached at the pulpit in some churches.

Unfortunately, harboring such a vice can create a nasty black hole in a persons moral values, Christian or not. Greed leads to corruption, and everything else in business that is void of integrity. It is as if a person, fueled by greed, blinds themselves spiritually and morally. They start digging a pit for themselves. Maybe they think they'll be hiding their winnings in that pit? Instead they will fall into it and will be buried alive as the dirt walls crumble around them.

Enter in the world of online businesses: internet scams, spam, withholding information, sly MLM, junk products sold as massive prices, trying to destroy the competition, faking clicks, exaggerating about success to lure in new customers, and so on. The possibilities for ill-gotten gain are endless. The ways to corrupt your business dealings are endless. There are even plenty of people out there that'll tell you exactly how to go about these corrupt dealings.

A lot of people come online and commit Internet no-no's out of being uninformed, like something as simple as guestbook spam. However, most of the examples in the paragraph above are fairly easy to determine as wrong using simple ethics. For us, it is not so much a matter of ethics, but of sin. Sin may temporarily get a man what his flesh desires, like money, or a boost in ego, but in the end it will only lead to his destruction.

For a Christian, following Christ and having our work be under Gods authority can keep us from being dedicated to our own wants. In effect, It will keep us from being dedicated to our own spiritual, and likely our own businesses, destruction.

Our goal should be to work for and in honour of God, with Biblical integrity. Not in desperation to earn more and more money. Not fueled by greed. Not into corruption.

Proverbs 10:2
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing;
but righteousness delivereth from death.

Lately, the world had it's first spam related conviction. Eventually online business will be just as regulated as offline business. For non-Christians and the corrupted among us, temptation won't be as great when mans law rules the Internet, and jail time or great fines are being handed down. Most of mankind understand the law and punishment system of society, and most try to avoid getting caught up in that system.

For some reason men, even claiming to be Christians, fear the police and government while having no due fear and respect of God, the Ultimate Authority and Most Just Judge. So many Christians are stuck in the here and now, and making excuses and allowances for sin. It won't stand up in the Just court that is Gods, even if you get away with it here and now.

We SHOULD already be guided by the Greater Law: Gods! We shouldn't be making excuses for sin, using human reasoning to make it seem like no big deal, with no major consequences. We should be working with integrity now, even as many in the world think they can get away with so much online (even offline!)

Proverbs 10:9
He that walketh in integrity walketh securely;
but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

You can be sure that those who have used wicked means to make a profit online will have their dirty deeds catch up with them. If not now via mans law, later, when God judges mankind. That is if they haven't already pleaded forgiveness and grace through Christ.

If Christ is our focus, then we won't be slaves to money, and to corruption.

L: The original Hebrew text of many Biblical words is far more descriptive to what the writer was trying to tell us than what the translators decided to use.

Here are examples of Hebrew words that Solomon spoke throughout this study:

Greedy – batsa’ (baw-tsah’): covet, covetous, plunder, gain greedily.

Life – nephesh (new’-fesh): vitality

Gain in and of itself is not the problem. The problem arises when we covet and have a greedy attitude. My husband always uses the term “keeping up with the Jones's.” Meaning, when so and so gets a new whatever, we have to have one too.

Our whole focus then becomes getting a flesh driven fix. Instead, we should be finding ways to give to others. And when we really want something, we should take it to the Father and allow Him to decide. He loves us and knows what is best for us MUCH more than we do. When we lay our wants at His feet, we can be assured that He will only do what’s best for us- even if it is not what we may want.

Unfortunately, the consequence of allowing our flesh to rule lends to a life filled with lethargy, sluggishness, apathy, or lifelessness. You see, we will never find happiness with money or stuff. The only way to find the kind of joy and fulfillment that God has for us is to live a life submitted to Him. Although we may not always get what we want, we will definitely be more

spiritually fulfilled and content. More then we could ever have imagined! We will also have a peace that no amount of money could ever buy!

More References
Pr 1:11-19, 10:16, 11:1, 11:3,
11:5-6, 11:18, 12:3, 14:22, 15:3,
15:6, 16:11, 19:1, 20:10, 21:15,
24:20, 28:8

2005-12-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

I am so happy! I am almost finished with my new site. My partner, Heather and I have worked long and hard. We are not quite done yet. But we are VERY close.

The New Site is: The Home Business Resource Directory

and we have the: Home Business Forums

Our goal is to help people looking to start a home business succeed. I am sooooo excited!

2005-12-01T00:18:00.000-05:00

Whew...finished the templates and skeletons for my new Home Life section!!! I have 12 writers ligned up...so far. I need more!!! Now I need to fill the canvas with content content content!

Then I can move on to the remodeling sections.....

2005-11-29T23:42:00.000-05:00

I just entered a contest for a month free coaching services from a GREAT business coach. I really hope I win because I need all the help I can get!

I just finished the Message Board for the new website I am working on. I am a bit frustrated about the way it looks...everything is mini. I sent in a support ticket to find out what's wrong. Hopefully they will answer soon...

The remodeling is coming along nicely. I finished the tmplates for an entire section. Now all I have to do is add the content :)

I am still waiting for a response about publishing my books...

2005-11-26T23:08:00.000-05:00

God has blessed me with some great writers who are willing to donate their valuable time for Moms of Faith. I pray that God bless them abundantly!

The new site I am working on is coming along very nicely. I am very happy with how it is looking. Heather and I have a great thing going....

I am still waiting for responses from my query letters for the two books I have written...Hopefully I will hear something very soon!

Well, that's all for business. My Thanksgiving was nice. I ate way too much though...LOL. We are still eating leftovers. By the time we are finished I will not want to even look at another turkey! Well, at least until next year ;)

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too. Please keep me in your prayers...

2005-11-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about the direction that I am taking Moms of Faith. I just put out several requests for writers and I am trusting God with the rest. It is His vision in me, so I must trust Him to provide the resources to make it all that it will be.

My new partnership site is also coming along nicely. I am looking forward to the finished product. This will be a wonderful resource site for people. Heather and I are putting our hearts into it and feel that this is part of God's plan for us.

2005-11-15T22:31:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy that I have not had time to post....
I am very exited about all that is happening in my life...

First, God has blessed me with an incredible opportunity to write for a wonderful magazine. I am very excited and look forward to working with such incredible women!!!

Second, God has given me a fresh vision for Moms of Faith. I am going to be adding a whole new feel to it and a lot more content. I believe that God wants me to minister to all aspects of the Christian Wife and/or Mothers life. I am looking forward to how it all turns out....Stay tuned!!!

Last but definitely NOT least...My wonderful partner/Sister in Christ/friend and I have decided to go into business together. Heather has an incredible site (Moms Making a Difference) and she is a fantastic person. I believe that our new venture will not only help people but it will also help us to be able to finance our individual visions for our primary ministry sites. I will post more when we are ready to share...until then, please take the time to visit her site and see all that she has created and how you can make a difference in your life and your community!

Have a great day or evening!!!

2005-11-01T23:41:00.000-05:00

I just partnered with another great Christian site for Moms, This Christian WAHM. I think it's great how many Christian women I am meeting and networking with. We are building a powerhouse together for the Lord!

I also worked on my Homelife section and decided to change my site a bit...It will take time, of course. I'll do one page at a time...starting with Home Life. I should have the whole site updated in 3-6 months. Depending on the time factor. Being a Mom and wife must come first.

This week I will be joining more link exchanges and directories. I am also thinking of starting another Blog...Stay tuned...LOL

2005-10-29T20:43:00.000-04:00

I finally got my Moms of Faith Ryze Network page complete. I am so excited. I am looking forward to networking with other Christian women and helping each other grow.

I am currently working on my third issue of the Newsletter. It's going very well. I now have 42 subscribers. And my message board has 86 members now. I was shocked to see that the message board had 30,000 page views so far this month! WOW!

2005-10-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

I've done a lot over this past week...

I sent out a few query letters and I joined a Christian writers forum. It is filled with great writers and valuable information. I haven't sent out any book proposals yet...I need to do some research on my "competition" first. I feel so weird about that. I just don't think that Chrisitan's should be competing. We should be supporting....

I have done a lot with my message boards too. I added a ryze section, writers section, and a private section for hurting and struggling sisters in Christ. I am trying to make it a place for every aspect of the Christian wife and/or Mother.

My newsletter is doing well. I have 40 subscribers and two have gone out so far. I am very proud of it.

I think that's all...for now. I will be working on my new ryze network this week and adding more content to my site....

2005-10-20T23:50:00.000-04:00

What a day!

For the past several nights I have been hearing the Lord tell me to get my writing together and begin sending out queries. So, today I started finding out guidelines and tomorrow I will begin writing my query letter. Please pray.

Also, Moms of Faith became a 3/10 page rank today. I went from a 0 to a 3! YIPEEE! I hope this opens the door for me to reach more Christian Mothers...

I am very excited about what God has in store for me. Please keep me in your prayer. I feel extremely unqualified for the taks He has already given me...I hope that whatever He asks I am able to do with excellence.

2005-10-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

My first Newsletter went out on the 18th. I don't think there were any problems...thank God! I am already finished with my next one and my subscriber list is growing.

There are so many things that I want to do to the Moms of Faith site...I am currently working on a Home Life section and adding new content to sections that are already up and running.

I don't know if anyone actually reads these posts...But if there are some...Please pray that God help me finish a book that I am writing and write a professional query letter to send out to publishers and/or agents. I am also sending out letters for writing articles or a column for Christian women's magazines...

Thank you in advance. Til next time....

2005-10-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

I have officially finished my first newsletter and five more tmplates! I am so excited! The debut issue is Tuesday, October 18. I hope that it is a blessing to all of the ladies that read it.

2005-10-06T12:03:00.000-04:00

Things are progressing nicely with the creation of my Weekly Newsletter. I have completed two weeks. I want to have at least 4-6. That way I don't have to stress about deadlines. The only thing I will have to do is ad content that others have submitted and update advertising. I can't wait until the debut. I'm thinking November 1st. Tuesdays seem like a good day...

My devotional for today was pretty intense. It's about not being a closet Christian. It's about speaking up and not sitting back and letting the enemy wreak havoc in our society. God really spoke to my heart. I pray that I make a difference in this world...

2005-10-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

I just discovered Ryze...I think it's great. There are so many wonderful ladies there...I am thankful to God for helping me find other Christian Mothers to network with...

I have been working on my weekly Newsletter and I am almost done...I want to have at least four done ahead though...that way there is no pressure...

Today, I will be working on my site. I am redoing all of the article pages. I have finished the first three and today I am hoping to get at leats one whole page done...

2005-09-30T13:20:00.000-04:00

I just put a test ad from the Yahoo Beta Ad program. I am very frustrated though. The ads are not showing up. Just a white box where the ad should be. It isn't even the color it was supposed to be. It is supposed to have the same color as my back round...GRRRRR.

2005-09-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't even get to see my school room today. My little one is cutting her molars. She is CRANKY! LOL. I did get a header put on my Newsletter though...I am still not happy with the Newsletter as a whole though. It still needs some tweaking.

My devotional hit home. It is about being content...Financially. Whew, that can be tough. I'm working on it though...or should I say God's working in me.

Well, I am pooped. I'll be back tomorrow...

2005-09-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

Ok...she finally went to sleep. Now, I don't have as much time to work...So, I better get busy.

2005-09-29T12:41:00.000-04:00

I just put my little one down for a nap...she is fighting it...I hope she goes down soon so I can get to work on my Newsletter...I want to get the template done. Then it's off to the school room. I am NOT looking forward to that! LOL.

Gotta run, baby is having a fit...

2005-09-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

Today was a productive day. I got some of my website sections updated, I created a new section in my message boards, and I worked on my school room...

My schoolroom is like my nightmare...LOL. I have been working on it for a month now. I can honestly say that I see light at the end of the tunnel now. I may even have it done by this week end...

I also completed tomorrow's devotional early. God used it to remind me never to step away from Him again. The topic is Double Mindedness. It is part of a series I am calling "The Proverbs of the New Testament." It is a study of the Book of James...

If you read it, let me know your thoughts...

Well, that's all for tonight.

Lara ;)

2005-09-28T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, here I go into the world of Blogging....

I am currently working on improving my website, Moms of Faith. (Actually, I consider it more of a ministry) I am trying trying to create a newsletter. It can be very frustrating...However, God has given me a breakthrough. I have gotten around the HTML barrier...LOL. I think the template is cominig along nicely. The only thing I can't figure out is how to get my header in there at the right size...

Ok...I have to leave for now. My little one is getting fussy...