Is Your Fridge Running {Efficiently}?

...or is it overrun with papers, magnets and the like?

For most families the fridge becomes the stop place for all of the memos, spelling tests, invitations, pictures, appointment reminders...you name it!

In a household our size, and I believe in most households, it can get a bit out of hand! When Isabelle was in kindergarten {before we home schooled}, her teacher Ms. Bowker, had the children do a genius first week project ~ the personal clip magnet! 

 Today I'm sharing some refrigerator renewal with a tutorial of that cute magnet to hold each child's personal paperwork.

Here is what you will need:

Little People Cutouts

 {Mine are for calendars ~ purchased at Lakeshore Learning}

Clothes Pin

Magnet Strip

Hot Glue Gun

After having your child decorate their person cutout to look like themselves, place a strip of hot glue onto one side of your clothes pin.

Then add the the cutout to the glue strip - pressing firmly!

Next, add about 1" of the magnet strip to the back of the clothes pin using the same hot glue method.

We created one for each of our Littles that are home schooled because they are the most likely to put items on the refrigerator!  {The girl second to the left is the original one Isabelle made 3 years ago!}

Voila!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed!

I'm Drivin' In My Car...

OK!  I totally have to laugh!  Do you know that, next to "Are they all yours?", the most frequently asked question I hear is, "What kind of car do you drive?" {Said with jaw dropping, eyes popping, wonder.}

Honestly, we have driven a number of cars over the years and loved our Chevy Astro Van for most of those years.  Then blessing number 6 was due to arrive, and we no longer could fit our whole family into an 8 passenger vehicle.  So, we moved up to a full size, 12 passenger van.  It is equipped with a "lovely" back up beeper and everything! {Seriously, the warning sound on this thing is louder than most construction vehicles!}

To say it was easy to move into such a vehicle would not be completely forthright!  Besides the obvious challenge of learning how to drive such a large vehicle without rolling the backend over every curb, there was a small amount of pride to overcome!  Many of us know friends who don't want to move to the "mini van" because of their image...it was sort of like that...sort of...

Once I fully embraced my new "look", I learned to have fun with it!  The kiddos affectionately nicknamed our van "Great White!" We began adding fish to represent each arrival of a new baby. {I even had a gentleman at a gas station mention to me that I was driving a "school bus".  Cute!}  I actually find that my negative pride has changed from a focus about my image to pride in my children and the blessing that they are to our family!  And bonus...I don't fit in the parking garage at the mall, so I have to park in the space reserved only for oversized vehicles...a huge benefit at Christmas time!

I often hear, "We'd like to have more children, but we just can't afford a bigger car."   To that I say, "Are you sure?"  "Are there other areas where you could sacrifice?" "Is it a bigger vehicle you can't afford, or can you just not afford a newer, bigger vehicle?"  "Could you sell both of the vehicles you now own and purchase one large capacity vehicle?" Actually, I know a beautiful family that drives two cars when they need to go somewhere...  No, it's not practical or even "green", but it is making due with what they have - trusting that God has a plan for their future. 

In a poignant article by Above Rubies editress Nancy Campbell, she speaks about God's provision for another baby.  In it she points to different aspects of God's provision, but I especially love how she points to the promises God makes with those who will follow his commands in Dueteronomy 7 and 28.  The reminder is on how God provides the blessing in the fruit of the womb in these verses before he blesses the land, crops,  and livestock!  If we truly believe God's word about children, then we believe that He will provide for them!

Oh sure, I dream of the day that Nana drives a cute, little, easy to drive, car...but seriously, by then I'll have so many grandbabies to tote around, I'll need the van to get us all there!  It's a burden I'm happy to carry!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed!

Bring Me A Higher Love! {Day 4 ~ Final Lesson of Love Series!}

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day!  I love the colors, the hearts, the message!  In our home, Papa takes care of the girls and Mama takes care of the boys.  Traditionally, Papa buys all the girls a single rose and a box of chocolates…as they grow, so does the size of the box!  Our oldest daughter is married and has two children of her own, but Papa still buys her a rose and candy…his way of saying, “You’ll always be my Valentine!”

For dinner, we always have homemade Heart Shaped Pizza! {I was inspired by our local pizza shop one year, when they were selling pizza in a heart shape ~ only it cost $1 more!  That was the year I said, “No way! I can make that myself!”}

Another reason I love Valentine’s Day is that it is fairly easy to lavish a little love on others without breaking the budget!  Just a sweet mid-winter pick me up!

If nothing else, teach your kiddos how to cut out paper hearts {you could add a lesson on symmetry}, give them great big hugs and love, love, love! 

For our final lesson in love, I’m going to touch on the topic of Eros Love

Eros love is physical love…where our word erotic comes from! 

I believe it is a natural part of the beginnings of a relationship between a man and woman.  God designed us this way!  But where would I find a scripture reference?  Read the whole book of Song of Solomon ~ one of the greatest love stories ever written, and it is full of Eros Love!

Unfortunately, this is the foundation that many couples build their relationships on!  While it is a good magnet of attraction to draw two people together, we must use caution to discern between our feelings and true love!

Eros love will fade if the foundation of a relationship is not based on the other two loves I’ve already spoken about!  In fact, my experience has been that as the Agape and Philos love grows between Ken and I, then the Eros love tends to stay intact…maybe because it morphs into the others…

A few final words… 

By now, you have discovered that only True Love can come from The One who is love!  Whether you are married or single, your quest to fill that void in your heart will never come from a worldly relationship!  Yes, you may feel temporarily fulfilled, but eventually it will fade… 

That void in your heart was created by The One who created you…so that you would yearn to fill it with Him! {Ecclesiastes 3:11}

The problem is that we are a selfish people, filled with sin.  Not one of us is good enough to be in the presence of a Most High God!  {Romans 3:23}  

The good news is that He sent His Son to take on the punishment for that sin, so that we may be in His presence. {Romans 5:8}

We don’t have to get our acts together or clean ourselves up before we can go to this God who promises us fulfillment in Him.  We simply have to confess that we are sinners, we’re not perfect, but we desire to turn from that “old way” and want to “put on the new” ~ which, through Christ, becomes our righteousness! {Acts 3:19}

Then we seek to grow in our knowledge of who He is!  He will do the transforming work…we just have to obey!

This Valentine’s Day, love on the people whom God has given you…but, Choose Him to be your Forever Valentine!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed!

PS ~ If you’re finding your heart yearning to be eternally filled, but don’t know where to start, please feel free to email me, and I will give you some resources to get you started on your journey! If you simply have questions...I'll do my best to answer, and get you going in the right direction!