You are a Strong Woman!

I love proverbs 31. God is good to give us ladies a detailed list of what a woman of God should be. I love this woman! Isnt she lovely? OH how I long and strive to be her! I often hear how the Christian woman character is to be meek, gracious, forgiving..  BUT

if you are striving to be a proverbs 31 woman you are also

                                      S T R O N G!

It takes courage to stand up for Christ in this world. Our ways are not popular but often looked at as weak! Its easy to sin...to push away the truth of His word. The world has twisted what it means to be a woman..

Wives tend to nag and complain..lead over her husband..it takes strength to keep calm, to find the joy, forgive and to submit to our husbands. I also have to say that being obediant to God's voice is often hard. But God is faithful and brings you peace and strength each time you submit, even if its something we dont think we can do or want to do. Each time I say yes to Him, I gain confidence, strength! I also see his plan unfold and learn that His ways are always better even if we cannot see right away..each YES I say to Him, the easier it is the next time.

"Walk by faith and not by Sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

You are a strong woman when you make the step to walk by faith!

"Who can find a virtuous woman?" proverbs 31:10

The term "virtuous" is from a noun meaning strength, efficiency, ability.

Girls, never let other people on this earth make you feel weak in your journey to walk with Him. There can be wonderful people who build you up and encourage you..others who are not being serious about their faith do not understand yours. I have had friends in the past, sometimes family members looking down on my choices..sometimes getting down right mad with me! which lead me to doubt. I want to encourage you today to never doubt how wonderful you girls are who chose HIS ways over your own!

"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised." proverbs 31:30


I hope my thoughts today were a blessing and an encouragment! How have you gained strength in the Lord lately?

"The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything." ~author Unknown
 
Blessings, Sarah beth
 
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Children & TV

For the past year I have cut down on my childrens time infront of the tv. If we go a whole day without tv then I jump for joy! I know it doesnt sound like a huge goal but we use to spend alot of evenings watching tv. Especially when my children were younger and I felt incredibly tired after dinner and clean up. My husband also worked nights and it was easier for me to just flip the tv on.

God opened my eyes to the truth concerning the shows on today. Its funny for me to think back and ask myself why I didnt see things before..when Jesus shows you the truth, it really does set you free. What I do not like about tv: many of the shows are about dating and crushes. Why I do not like "crushes" is because I am teaching my children God's word which is to wait til marriage. Its not easy to wait so we will not be dating but waiting on the Lord for Him to show my children who is the one He created for them! Many reasons why my husband have chosen this, maybe another post! You also see alot of girls wearing indecent clothing such as short skirts, short shorts, low shirts, skimpy tank tops. The kids in the show often are always disrespecting their parents and siblings. Seem to focus on having things and the girls are always concerned with how they look. Some shows I find to be scary with the themes of magic. Even in my mind I thought it was harmless and my children knew better, but I should have. What we watch, we model. We start to believe this lie: its harmless. But the truth is that playing around with sin is not harmless at all. Jesus died for our sins!

I also want my children exploring, playing, learning.. when we sit infront of the tv we are not doing anything productive.

There is alot of other things children can be doing instead of tv. Playing outside, puzzles, board games, reading, coloring, help with cooking and baking, taking a walk, gardening, working in the garage alongside daddy, playing games like simon says, I spy {our popular games! lol} playdough, sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, shoveling snow, painting, the list goes on!!

One of my favorite things to say is watch nature, not tv! I love God's creation especially animals. I love to watch them..and hope to pass on the same passion to my children. We have been blessed with many chances to watch nature. One time we had a bunny have babies underneath our deck. We have had plenty of deer in our yard. It was alot easier when we lived in the country. But even now we are taking joy in seeing the animals in our new home state. Wild horses, lizards, bugs, birds, rabbits, groundhogs even snakes.

I bought my children a small bug keeper with a vent built all around, they love to catch different bugs and study them for a few hours..even caught a lizard once. We throw alot of old bread outside and wait to see all the different birds come to snack..sometimes bunnies will join too. Its so fun to watch thru the glass!

Ask the Lord today if there is any movies or shows that He doesnt want your child to watch. Pray that the tv is on less. we should always be giving our goals to Him. He wants to help us! Before clicking the tv on, ask yourself..is there something else the kids can do right now??

Much love,
Sarah beth

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Bow Ties with Sausage & Sweet Peppers

Hi ladies! I have been out of the loop of blogging..been busy with my family..spring seems to bring more activities to our life! No more laid back winter days! ;) I thought what better way to start blogging again then sharing a yummy recipe with all of you!

This dish is sure to please everyone in your family, its super simple with only a few ingrediants! I had never had sausage in a dish so I wasnt sure if I would like it at first but its really tasty simmered in the beef broth..enjoy!

                                          This is all you need!

Ingrediants:

4 cups{8oz} of bow ties

12 oz italian sausage links

2 medium sweet peppers, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 snipped parsley

Cook pasta, drain and set aside~

Cut sausage into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet cook sausage and sweet red peppers over medium heat until sausage is brown, then drain.

Add the broth and black pepper to skillet..bring to boiling...reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour over pasta, add parsley. Stir gently to coat. 

Mmmmmm!

We love a slice of corn bread to go with! Enjoy!

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Simple Ways to Start Couponing

I recently watched a show on TLC, "Extreme Couponing." I am not sure if this is a new show or not but I seen that there is another episode coming up in April. The title of this show says it all. Its very extreme! They walk away from the store not spending very much but with overflowing carts and sometimes multiple carts full. A few people have garages full which looks like a mini store itself. But there is alot of time taken from each day finding coupons, cutting and searching for deals to get the most savings on their groceries.

Here is a clip of one lady who is a retired nurse. She is the only one on the show with one cart lol




I could never spend that kind of time on coupons but this show did motivate me to start clipping coupons here and there. 

My job as a mother and wife is super important to me and I think of saving money as one of my dutys!

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil." Proverbs 31:11


I love any way I can save! One of the top reasons why is because my hubby works hard for his family, I want him to know that each hour he spends working is not being wasted/spoiled but saved and stretched further!Proverbs 31:12 "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

I first started with ordering the Sunday paper where you can find alot of coupons, ordered the paper with a discount paper service!


Our library has a table full of old magazines, we always stop and grab a few for certain school projects. The kids helped me search the pages and we found quite a few coupons there!


Lastly I called some companies and asked if they could send me coupons...which they did, one had a bonus and added recipes!

I then took all my coupons and made envelopes with catergories such as grocery, cleaning supplies, pet and other. I hope to figure a better system! lol


I gathered a few coupons for my trip today, I looked at what I had and created my menu around the specific items.


I know some stores have a double coupon day which means your coupon will double in savings...I have yet to call around and see!

My personal goal is to atleast save $10.00 with coupons. My first shopping trip I saved $6.00.

With a price of $1.08 and a coupon for $1 off, i bought this pasta box for .8!



With a price of .52 cents and a coupon to save .75 I paid zero!

Those are a few ways you can start couponing and saving for your family!

Do you coupon? What tips do you have? Would love to hear!!!

Blessings, sarah beth

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Simple Country Life Homemaking Link Up



 

Great Thrifty Finds!

If you know me, then you know that I am a girl that loves a good deal! Not just a great sale at a local store..I love to dig deep at garage sales and thrift stores. Its a thrill! I love to save my family money, work alittle harder and find beautiful things for less. I love nice things for my home but not the price. I rarely buy anything even clothes at normal prices. I refuse to! This part of me was not a trait I was born with, but lovingly taught by from my sweet husband. At first I would make fun of him but thank God I opened my eyes and seen how you can really save and what fun it is!!!

I thought I would share with you something I found today at Goodwill~

Its actually decor for a wall in your home but I found a better spot~

$1.99!

I placed this in my rock garden area near our front door!

I am thinking about hosting a link up once a month or twice a month to show off a great thrifty find... let me know if you would be intrested and remember to start taking a picture :}

I would love for woman to be proud to show how much they saved on something beautiful for their home! Also if you do not currently thrift shop to start! ebay counts! ;}

What are some great deals you have found?

Blessings, Sarah beth

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Homemaking Tip, Whiteboard is a Must!

In the past one of my biggest "stressers" was cleaning. I would let it get to me so much that at night I would do nothing but worry about the next day and ALL I had to do! Blah! I would also let the messes around me change my mood, I was cranky to my hubby and children. I am so glad that my heavenly father spoke to me about this area of my life. I am free from constantly worrying about my home! I have realized that my home is blessed with a mess! I still work hard to keep my home tidy and neat but without the stress. My home is an attempt to be clean and its not perfect.. which makes it perfect to me! :}

Number one is if you are stressing about your cleaning, dont! Give it to God, pray about how you feel.

If you are a homeschooling parent or not, a white board can be such a blessing!!!!

First I write a scripture on the top of the board, one that the children and I are memorizing. Next, I write all my goals for the day, all the cleaning I would like to see done. Such as, sweeping, cleaning out the fridge, mop, windex mirrors, fold laundry, wash laundry, ect.

{I will write the childrens lessons for the day as well}

Then I add my childrens chores: beds made, sweeping, pick up toys, clean table, organize entry way, ect.

When I write it all down it feels so great! As I accomplish my daily goals I cross them off. I do not erase because I want to look back at my day and see what we accomplished..also my hubby can take a glance and see what we did as well. ;}

I do not write a routine or schedule, just because we do not stick to it. I have a routine in mind but we like to let our day flow and pray that the Lord guides how HE wants our day spent. If goals do not get accomplished I leave them for the next day~ Its great to write it down because if you get off task, run errands, ect you can visually see what you had hoped to get done that day.

Its important to place your board in a room that you often are in alot of the day~ ours is in the dining/learning room.

If you do not have a white board, write down your goals for the day with just a plain ol peice of paper. Do try to get a board because it is such a great tool for your home! :}





What are your simple tips to providing a "pretty" home?? Would love to learn some other tips! I do hope you give this a try!

Blessings,
Sarah beth

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Always keep on Praying!

Prayer doesn't need proof, it needs PRACTICE!


"...be alert and always keep on praying." Ephesians 6:18


What a great subject to give attention to today~ praying! As I grow closer to God, He has taught me that prayer should be a top priorty in our daily lives. My eyes have opened: pray first, worry less. Pray first, do not try to fix a problem alone. Pray for everything GOOD in your life instead of only what is wrong in your life. Pray for the Lord to change you to be who He wants you to be rather then trying to get the Lord to grant a wish that will somehow in your mind make life better.


It would be perfect everyday if we could wake before your family, find a nice spot and have that time alone with God. If your like me, struggling each day to be that morning person, then it makes that time you need difficult. Although this goal of mine is something I will keep praying about it hasnt completely happened yet! Maybe theres a reason? Do not be discouraged, look for other ways to get that precious time in!


First, I have a prayer list.. its a guideline for things I want to pray about each day, prayers I want to say for others, my husband, my children, worries, goals, myself to grow in faith, homeschooling..our health, ect. Also blessings I want to praise God for! When my day gets busy, I often forget! what did i really want to pray about today? Prayer journals are a great guide. I love to look back and see all of the different ways God has answered!

Next, it may not be the quiet prayer time you desire..its serving and prayer time all at once! I pray when I am vacuuming.. as I clean my home, watch all the things on the carpet dissapear so does the worries I may have while I am praying.. I pray when I am loading the dishwasher..shampooing my hair, taking a walk, setting the plates for dinner or lunch, sweeping, mopping..always praying! Instead of viewing cleaning as such an annoying chore or never ending chore...it can become a very important part of your day. The time flies by too! My home is clean and so is my soul, amen!

I want my children to learn the importance of prayer! Having my kiddos create their own prayer list is a great guide for them as well. I helped my children create their prayer list and also had them cut out pictures from magazines. Works as a great lesson with learning to cut with scissors and being creative! They found pictures of plants to thank God for his creation..pictures of family, pets and even a picture of traveling, since one important prayer of theirs was to see family more. It was a really fun activity!

We set a timer for an alarm to ring on every hour so that we could stop what we are doing and pray! This creates the passion and excitement for prayer! I also explained to my children the different things I pray about, what daddy prays about and how I pray even while cleaning~ which they thought was super funny! Try to have stop, drop and pray day atleast once a week.


There is so many different prayers that can happen in one day that goes beyond just meal time prayer! Here is one for morning that I love~~ 

(author is unknown)
A Child's Prayer for Morning
Now, before I run to play,
Let me not forget to pray
To God who kept me through the night
And waked me with the morning light.
Help me, Lord, to love thee more
Than I ever loved before,
In my work and in my play
Be thou with me through the day. Amen.


Other ideas with your children is when daddy goes to work- pray he arrives safely to all his destinations. We like to pray when we are all buckled in the truck for a safe drive. If we hear someone is sick, I tell the children and ask them to pray. Its amazing how these things can give your children a passion for praying. Since we starting making prayer a big part of our lives my children have come up with their own prayers! Even when they see I am not my best, feeling down or impatient..they come up to me and say, I prayed for you momma. How that melted my heart, words cannot say!!!


As you start to add praying more to your childrens lives and your own, pray that He helps you with this new wonderful goal!


Bless Our Family
All praise to You, Lord Jesus,
Lover of children:
Bless our family,
And help us to lead our children to You.
Give us light and strength,
And courage when our task is difficult.
Let Your Spirit fill us with love and peace,
So that we may help our children to love You.


All glory and praise are Yours, Lord Jesus,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

Blessings, Sarah Beth

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