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How Great Is Our God.....

Ok,

So I have noticed something missing for a little while now. I stopped going to church. It's been way too long. I work my home business alot on Sundays and try and keep up with my blog and website, plus make time for my kids.

Again I am having to re-prioritize. But this is something I need to do.....Church is tugging at me. God is tugging at me. And I am listening.

I wanted to throw out a couple songs that WILL move you. If you are able to find these songs and listen to them, you will be moved. I have not figured out how to add audio to my blog... Bare with me, If I can, I will....So the first song is by: Chris Tomlin - How Great Is Our God. And if you want the lyrics, here you go..

After listening, tell me you don't feel the tears welling up in your eyes. How can you not ? I blubber throughout the whole song (LOL). And my kids remember these songs from church. They will get up and start dancing around. If you are looking for a catchy, uplifting song that can't help but get you up and moving around... Try: Newsboys - He Reigns. And you can get the lyrics here.

And the last song of the evening is by: Brian Doerksen and Wendy Whitehead... The song is called: Come, Now is the time to worship. And here are the lyrics.

What Is In Your Household ?

Health Hazard Warnings!!!

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have shown that indoor air pollutants are 3 to 70 times higher than outdoors!

The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [Source USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]
Out of 2,435 pesticide poisonings in a one-year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home. [Source: State of California Study]

Household bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Inadvertently mixing bleach with other cleaners that contain ammonia produces a toxic chloramines gas. These toxic gases can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death. [Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home, Household Hazardous Waste Project, 1989]

Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance. (also used to embalm dead people). It is a known cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause: skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, asthma, joint pain, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, disorientation, phlebitis, fatigue, vomiting, sleep disturbances, and laryngitis.

One in five people are sensitive to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is commonly found in:

drugs, mouthwash, hairspray, cosmetics, cleaning products, perfumes, waxes, shampoo, hair setting lotions, air fresheners, fungicides, floor polishes, dry cleaning solvents, fingernail polish, laundry spray starch, toothpaste and antiperspirants.


Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.

The Afghan Hound....

The sophisticated Afghan Hound. A very intelligent dog.

I was searching on the net for some pics so you can at least see the kind of dog that I am referring to.


OMG, it's been so long.... LOL... I can't even remember the colors they they refer to. I know there is brindle, cream, black and tan....



This color of the afghan is called Black and Tan. This was exactly like the last afghan I had.


I have always loved the Afghan Hound. Maybe because I grew up with them and that is the only kind of dog we ever had.





My mom was really into showing and breeding. Before I knew it, I found myself out there as a young girl showing them as well. I'm really having to think back a few years (more like 25 years) and remember some of the terms they used. (Stack).... I believe that is when you place the dog in a certain stance. I wish I had the photo album of all the ribbons that I received from showing. Alot of 1st and 2nd places plus others. Iit's been sooo long.





I would love to get another afghan. They are great with kids. Great personality, temperment, very loyal. Just beautiful dogs.

Maybe I will have my afghan sitting next to me in my Mustang (mach1 ) in the near future.

When I Was Married...

Back in the day... (way back) when I was married, I was so different than I am today. Everything was different.

Let's see.... I was about 22 when I got married. We lived together about 1 year before we took the plunge. We saved for a down payment on our first house. We worked together and then would go home together. I let the title Wife and Step Mother define who I was.

I fit the wife role pretty good, I thought. We would come home and I would make dinner, clean up after dinner and straighten up the house. I was the ruler of the house. I was definitely too picky. I did not realize it then. The towels had to be stacked a certain way, the silverware had to be a certain way... Everything had to be a certain way... (my way). And my husband allowed me to take on this role and everything that had to do with it. I would wash floors on my hands and knees (that was the correct way to do it) (so I thought) and if there was one speck of dirt anywhere, that meant that I would have to start all over and clean from top to bottom again.

My husband had a 8 year old son and I would leave the parenting up to my husband. I was only 22 which is probably why I was not crazy about the idea of him having a child. In the beginning there was resentment on both of our parts. Now looking back, I can say that he felt as thought I was taking time away from him and his dad. And I guess I was since I was in the family as well. it used to be just him and his dad. Now his dad remarried me and his son had to deal with new adjustments, rules and yes, ME.... Back then, I was difficult. LOL.. Well, more than I am now.

So, I began resenting the son because he took time away from my husband and myself. The son began resenting me because I took time away from him and his dad. Also, I used my wife/step mom role to my advantage. If there was something I did not like or agree with, I would go and tell the father and he would discipline the son. At first, I felt it was working. Until I realized that the son began resenting me even more. Which eventually led to my husband feeling worn down.... Tired of being in this feud between myself and his son. All my husband wanted was for us to all get along. But there was a deeper resentment building deep inside both myself and the son.

Years had passed and I was taking on more responsibility with my step son. At this point and time he had come to us and told us that he had been taking drugs for along time and felt that he needed help. So we enrolled him in a program and since my husband was working longer hours, I would be the one to take my step son to his meetings and then pick him up.

I think this was a transformation period. It was needed for myself and my step son. The drives to his meetings and back gave us alot of time to talk and really open up with each other. Then he said he wanted to start going to AA (alcoholics anonymous) but since he was a minor and his father did not want to go, I stepped up and began going with him to support him. His dad did come a couple times but that was it. After months of these meetings, I found that we were getting really close. And I began to really care about my step son. About his well-being and his life.

More time passed and my strictness of how the household should be ran did not stop. Everything was ran a certain way. I was very active in my step sons life. His football and schooling. Yes, he was with us 90 % of the time. Running a household as if it is your household is a silent killer. We begin thinking that our spouse and the child could not get along without us. That they need us. But the reality is they were managing fine before we came into the picture and TOOK OVER.

Eventually we got divorced. However, my step son would still come by and visit me even after his dad and I split. I was able to make things right between us. Are you?

Today I can say that I am not that same military style, dictator, house ruler that I used to be. And it's because I have children of my own. You really don't get it until you have kids of your own. Kids allow you to priortize what is really important verses what is just annoying. For some reason, it no longer matters which way the towels are stacked. What really matters is if there are clean towels to grab.... LOL. If one of my kids break a knick knack of mine, it is more important to show them that it is ok and life will go on instead of showing them that it's the end of the world. It's replaceable. It's a thing. They are more important.

*** Tip*** If you run your household like this... Military style....The results may be the results you don't want. Can people pick up a knick knack and hold it or will you snap and panick inside before you blurt "put it down" ! If someone steps on the unforbidden carpet, do you immediately yell at them ? Alternative: (jokingly) " hey there buddy, back up and get those shoes off". How we react to situations is what lays the foundation.

Some very common mistakes that step parents make..... By the way, the definition of a step mom is: the wife of one's father, who is not the mother of the person spoken of.

Common Mistakes Made By Step Parents

1) Do not go tattle tailing to the parent on the child. (this is over petty things, such as not taking your shoes off right away, not picking a towel up right away... anything that was not fast enough for you). Pick your battles. Some things are not worth it. If it's petty, let it be. If you continue tattle tailing on the child to the parent, each time you do that, you are leaving a question, a form of doubt in that parents head. Eventually, the real parent is going to get fed up with all the crap... And hopefully, if the parent is a good parent, will explain that the child is that..... A child! And remind the step parent that they are the adult. So act like it and stop tattle tailing.

Remember, the child came first..... Way before the step parent did. And could possibly be arranged that way again.

2) Do not step in and assume the parent role. You are not the parent. You are the significant other. The child already has parents that are hopefully living up to their role.

3) Trust.... Trust goes both ways. The child needs to feel as though they can trust you. If you continue to pull the step parent rank over the child (dictating rules, tattle tailing, talking negatively about the child to the parent when you think the child can't hear...the child will resent you. Which will lead to more problems... And eventually, problems in the relationship. Trust is something truly earned. Not just given. The step parent needs to prove to the child that they can be trusted and are worthy of that trust.

4) Be a friend to the child. Just because this person is younger, they do have feelings. Children have great perception. They can see things that adults don't see. How do you treat your friends? Are you courteous? Polite? Funny? Can your friends come to you with a problem? Now think of the child. Do you just dictate? Tattle tail? Ignore the child? Walk past the child as if they are nothing? Do you lay the foundation for the child so he or she knows that they can come to you and that you REALLY care about them? Or does the child feel like an outsider in their own home?

Imagine being in love with your partner... You can see no wrong in this person. yet, every time you leave the room, this person is giving your child dirty looks. The child knows very well what's going on. But, of course the parent does not. They are way up on cloud 9 thinking everything is beautiful. The child tried to go the parent and explain how they feel, but after several attempts of failure, the child begins to feel unimportant and that they are no longer the apple in their parents eye. You will be setting up this child to have resentments towards you and the step parent. The child should be able to go to the parent with a concern without having the step parent right there.

5) Don't be sooo picky. If you find a sock in your silverware drawer, don't go off the deep end. Think to yourself how lucky you are that there is a child in your life in which that sock belongs to. And that you have an already made family to enjoy. You did not have to do the hard work of giving birth. Yet, you can sit back and reap the rewards. Besides, if you can go off the deep end over shoes not being taken off, or clothes not being picked up, then you are missing the big picture.

Some Common Mistakes By Parents

1) Take the blinders off. Well first, you have to realize that you have them on. Then make a conscious effort to pay attention to your partner.... How they treat their friends and behave... then compare it to how they treat and behave with your child. Is there a difference in behavior? Do they open the door for a friend and let the door shut on the child?

2) Keep that one on one time with your child. If you did special things together alone previously, and now you are ALWAYS including the step parent, then the child has no sense of the ways things used to be. That quality time you shared before someone came in and messed it all up (in their eyes) and took you away from them.

3) Allow your child to speak. Even though they are children, being able to come to the parent with something that bothers them is the foundation for a great long term relationship.

4) Don't prove yourself . If the step parent is always coming to you about something that the child did..... Don't feel the need to jump on the child in order to prove to the step parent that they matter. If it is something petty, tell the step parent that it's just that.... Petty. You don't need to say something to the child every time the significant other comes to you with a gripe.

Some food for thought:

If your step child had to be the one to talk about you at your funeral, what do you think they would say about you?

Don't sweat the small stuff. Kids are kids. Try and remember, we were kids as well. And ask yourself, does this child really do terrible things? Or is what the child is doing just annoying you? There is a difference.

If you ever need priortizing in your life, just have a couple of kids... They show you what is really important. LOL

Treat children the way you want to be treated. SIMPLE!

Just some perosnal experience along with my feelings on this issue.

Single Parents Day...March 21st

Single Parents' Day takes place each year on March 21. Simply put, it's a day set aside to honor and applaud the hard work single parents do each and every day in raising their children.

According to Mary Anne Britton, the International Vice President of Membership for Parents Without Partners, Single Parents' Day is a day for "honoring the single parent who is basically doing double duty" and "giving them some respect."

When Did Single Parents' Day Begin?: The idea for Single Parents' Day began back in 1984 with an article written by Janice Moglen, a single mother of two who hoped that Single Parents' Day might one day gain the recognition many associate with both Mother's Day and Father's Day. In collaboration with the organization Parents Without Partners, Moglen began to petition individual states to declare their own recognition of Single Parents' Day.It is believed that the day, March 21, was chosen to coincide with the inception of Parents Without Partners, which began 50 years ago, on March 21, 1957.

Why Set Aside a Separate Day?: While some may conclude that Single Parents' Day is just a variation of Mother's Day and Father's Day, it is actually much more than that. Single Parents' Day is an opportunity for the children of single parent families to recognize the sacrifices both of their parents make to provide for their needs, collaborate with one another, and maintain a stable home environment where the children can thrive. It is also an opportunity for single parents themselves to celebrate their efforts and achievements.

Increased Awareness: Single Parents' Day is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the determination and strength shown by the more than 14 million single parents who are raising children in the U.S. today. Britton notes that "Many single parents aren't even putting themselves in 2nd or 3rd place" as they work to raise their kids, "making sure they have the same opportunities as dual family units." While there is tremendous joy in the task, it is also a lot to bear all on your own, and it's time that we applaud the individuals who are up to the task, instead of tearing them down with negative propaganda.

Support Single Parents' Day: Since its inception, both national and state proclamations in support of Single Parents' Day have been sporadic. You can play a role in changing that trend by requesting that both local and national leaders issue a proclamation in support of Single Parents' Day this March 21.

Please visit : http://singleparents.about.com/od/holidays/p/single_21_march.htm for more info

Source: Jennifer Wolf @ http://singleparents.about.com/od/holidays/p/single_21_march.htm

Attracting And Creating Success

6 WAYS TO ATTRACT AND CREATE MORE SUCCESS

Spend an hour this week journaling to the following questions.

1. Journal about your beliefs on what success means for you and the role that attaining your goals has on your feeling of success. Consider any limiting beliefs and resistances you may have on how successful you can be.

2. In your journal, write 3 changes you need to make to create more prosperity and 3 things you need to let go of to open space for success to enter your life.

3. How do you give in your life? Is your giving conditional or do you do itsimply as a result of your principles and vision for other human being?

4. How do you balance spiritual and practical success?

5. What are 5 things that you are tolerating in your life right now that arereducing your potential as a human being?

6. What are you willing to die for?

Go on and celebrate your life and make a commitment to be awake even when yourbody is asleep!

5 Steps To Get Your Priorities Straight At Home And In Business

Operating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we are responsible not only for the success of our business, but for our family as well. We must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain success in both areas.

When running a business from home, it's easy to let the phone calls, emails and paperwork keep you tied down, making you feel that you don't have time to take a break or to spend quality time with your family. Maybe you've noticed that you spend a little more time than you'd like in front of your computer or on the phone. Maybe you see your kids acting out, trying to gain your attention. Perhaps you are seeing that this isn't the work-at-home dream you envisioned. You started out with such noble intentions, but maybe the excitement of success in your business has caused you to lose sight of the REAL reason why you do what you do each day. It happens to so many of us, but don't worry, help is on the way.

Below are five ideas to prioritize your life and business:

1. Be honest - You probably didn't start your work-at-home career to climb the "corporate ladder" of your at-home business. Chances are that you started your business with the best of intentions - to be able to be at home with your children, to contribute financially to your family, or simply to have a little spending money of your own. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to show you the things that you need to change.
Take a moment and honestly ask yourself how you've been handling the time commitment of owning a business:
* Are you spending too much time on the phone, the computer, etc? * Are your kids spending more time than usual in front of the TV? * Do you snap at your children because of the stresses of your business? * Do you worry about your business - to the point that it distracts you when you are with your family?

2. Make a list - Sit down and write out a list of things that you see that you'd like to change. This can be a list of things you can do differently to limit the time you spend on your business; or a list of ways you can "de-stress" so that you can deal kindly with your family.

3. Log your time - Buy a notebook or create a spreadsheet that you can use to log the time you spend on your business each day. Make a column for each day across the top and a row of half an hour increments down the side. Every time you sit down at your desk, write "IN" in the box that corresponds to the time and day. Every time you leave your desk (or complete a task), fill the appropriate box with the word "OUT."

At the end of the week, total up the hours each day that you have spent on business tasks. Are you surprised or is it about where you thought you'd be? This can be a real eye-opener and show you in black and white if your priorities have gotten off track. Take special note for how much time you spend on e-mails and things that aren't billable.

Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com also recommends that you plan ahead and schedule your time. Prioritize things and have the work that will require the most effort and concentration scheduled for your peak time. Try and not get sidetracked and stay on task focusing on what you need to do. You'd be amazed how much more work you can get done by simply changing how you work e-mails. If you only answer them at set hours, you save yourself from being online all day and not accomplishing much.

4. Take a break - If you get to the end of the week and your time log has you in shock, it's time to take a break. If you normally work during the weekend, make it a point to take this weekend off. Shut down your email, turn off the ringer on your phone and shut the door to your office. You'll be surprised at how refreshing this will be.

Use this time off to re-evaluate how you need to be spending your time. Try to plan out when you can work on your business without losing out on time with your children. If your children are in school, make it a point to stop working when they get home. If your children are still small, maybe you can limit work hours to naptime or, if possible, have a grandparent watch them once or twice a week to allow you a bit more work time.

5. Plan an activity - Now that you're ready to make a change in your routine, why not plan an activity once a week? This can be an outing with your child or just something simple like setting aside time to make cookies together.

If possible, find another work-at-home mom and hold one another accountable to keep to your new schedules. Make a weekly play date where your children can spend time together - you can talk business if necessary or decide to make it a "no business talk allowed" discussion time.

The years that you have at home with your children are a gift as is your business. The time necessary for each will be different for every family and situation. Take the time to find what works for you and set your schedule accordingly. Make it a point to evaluate your priorities every few months to make sure that your time in spent properly. The rewards will be well worth it, when your family not only is proud of your accomplishments in your business, but also more importantly your accomplishments as their mom.

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated to providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote their businesses while at the same time providing them spiritual encouragement and articles. Visit CWAHM.com for additional information. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children (by Jill Hart).

To my kids, Happy Valentines Day!!!

For my son and my daughter. You are both the sunrise and the sunset. And everything beautiful in between.

On a typical day we are waking up, scurrying around in the mornings to get ready and make it out of here on time. Not to be late for school or work. With the craziness of our fast paced lives, I NEVER forget what I get to go home to in the evennings or wake up to in the mornings.

Racing to get dinner done and homework checked and bathes done.... It is a fast paced life we live, but it's our love for each other that that gets us through.

I love you both so much. Sometimes I wonder if you both even realize how much I love you. And it's when I ask myself that question, I realize that I need to show you both, more.... Just how special you are to me and that I am who I am and who I strive to be, because of you both.

While my kids play rough and fight alot

I find myself forgetting

That I was once just like them

A handful, I'm admitting

They throw and kick and scream

Calling each other names

Antagonizing each other

And being ever so mean

But then there are moments

When their love is so strong

They become inseperable

And nothing is wrong

If not for my kids

I would not know what it's like

To be a mom on the edge

And break up their fights

My kids have really shown me

What it's like to truely love

If only for their kisses

And their great big hugs

I am a mom who may not have

All the answers in the book

But all I really need to do

Is take one good look

My kids, they may not know

That they are my heart and soul

For I have found out what it's like

To love, unconditional

My hand will always be there

If you should ever need me

My shoulder soft, yet, strong

For any tears of weeping

Yes, I am your mom

And I love you both so much

I will ALWAYS be here for you

No matter what may come

To my son and daughter!!!!!! I love you both so much. Happy Valentines Day.

Love,

Mom