The following is a guest post from Karen Ehman, author of LET. IT. GO.

Do you find it hard to follow God? I do. My self-reliant personality would much rather do things myself; make my own plans; forge my own path. And being a mom, where many decisions have to be made and actions taken, only worsens the problem. After all, “mother knows best” right?

Not always. But God does.

It has been a long hard road for me to learn that God knows best and that sometimes other people’s ways are smarter than mine.

Which includes my husband. YIKES!

You see I am also a card-carrying member of “control freaks anonymous”. I want to control all of the decisions in my home and marriage too.

Can you relate?

What has helped me is to study the lives of biblical characters who went their own way; who didn’t consult their Father. The results were disastrous, at best. Sometimes downright deadly.

So I read about the lives of Sarah and Abraham, who lied to try to change circumstances. Or Joshua, who was tricked by an entire Gibeonite army, who seemed like they were from afar with their moldy bread and old wineskins, but who were actually from nearby and dangerous. No one bothered to inquire of the Lord whether or not to believe them. The result was not pretty.

There are others–Ananias and Sapphira. They met an awful fate for going their own way. Or even those biblical characters who did hear from God and knew what they should do, but refused to do it. Ahem…Jonah? Anyone up for riding around in the belly of a whale for a three day trip?

I pray that all of us learn to pause. In the small things and the monumental. To consult God before answering a child or responding to our husbands. And to seek Him out before making a major decision.

As a result, we will spend much less time wandering and more time walking in step with our Creator.

How about you? How do you practically follow God in your daily life?

Giveaway

Karen has generously offered two Kingdom First Mom readers a copy of her book!

Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Let. It. Go. (email subscribers need to click through to the post to enter)

To enter, simply leave a comment. That’s it! The giveaway will end on Thursday, 12/6 at 5 pm, CST.

About Let.It.Go.:

Women are wired to control. We make sure the house is clean, the meals are prepared, the beds are made, the children are dressed, and everyone gets to where they’re going on time. But sometimes our strength of being conscientious can morph into the weakness of being a slight—or all out—control freak! This humorous, yet spiritually practical book will help you learn how to control what you should, trust God with what you can’t, and more importantly, decide which one is which! Join Karen Ehman, a recovering control freak, as she enables you to:

• Draw the line between mothering and micromanaging
• Influence your husband instead of manipulating him
• Take control of your schedule yet welcome interruptions from God
• Learn to control your emotions when you can’t control the circumstances
• Stop pursuing the appearance of perfection and start pursuing the person of God

Purchase the book:

Let. It. Go. via Proverbs31.org

Let. It. Go. via Amazon.com

About Author:

Karen Ehman is the Director of Speakers for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ national speaking team. A five-time author, her books include A Life That Says Welcome, The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized and the popular ebook Untangling Christmas: Your Go-to Guide for a Hassle-free Holiday. She is a favorite presenter at Hearts at Home moms’ conferences and a sought-after speaker for women’s events. She has been a guest on national television and radio programs, including The 700 Club, Engaging Women, The Harvest Show, Moody Midday Connection and Focus on the Family. Karen also is a contributor to Focus on the family’s magazine Thriving Family. She lives with her family in central Michigan.

I received a copy of Let. It. Go. for the purpose of review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are mine!

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The following is a guest post from my dear friend, Rachel.

Wow! I can’t believe it’s already fall again! After this crazy heat and the drought conditions here in Texas this past summer, I can say wholeheartedly that I am MORE than ready for fall!

I love watching the leaves turn, going on hayrides, being outside, and being able to go to the park with the kids without sweat pouring down! All around it’s just a wonderful time of year!

Another one of my favorite things to do in the fall is go to Fall Festivals! We don’t celebrate Halloween and do the Trick or Treating thing, but we LOVE Fall Festivals! And go to about as many as we can fit into our schedule!

So I thought it would be fun to share a few ways that you can survive the fall festivals without breaking your wallet, your sanity, or your immune system!

Do Your Research

You will likely want to go to the fall festival of your local church if they are sponsoring one, but what about beyond that? If you live in a large city, there are a plethora of options to choose from, and a limited amount of time, so how do you pick the best ones?

Think Big

The larger churches in the area are usually (but not always) the best places to go for the best activites. You’ll want to call around to different churches ahead of time and ask lots of questions like… “Will you have rides and activities for the older kids?” “Do you have a policy against scary costumes” and…

“Is There A Fee?”

Now, I do not think this is the norm, but we have shown up at fall festivals before and been asked to pay $5 per person to get in! I sure wish I would’ve called ahead of time to check. Not that I’m against paying something for an awesome carnival-like fall festival setup, but I want to know in advance so that we can budget for it.

Plan To Get There Early

Or at least right when the doors open. Scope out the scene and head to the rides that will likely end up with a very long line. For example, our kids LOVE the high-jump trampoline (is there an official name for this?) where you get strapped in and have 5 whole minutes to jump as high as you possibly can! The problem with that 5 minutes of jumping, though, is that, well, each kid jumps for five minutes… which equals an extremely long line for most of the night. Getting there right as the doors open means that your kids can be first in line so that they can enjoy the other games too!

Buying Costumes

Probably by far the most expensive part of these fall festivals is buying the costumes. Especially as your family grows (we are up to 4 now), the costs just seem to skyrocket! Here are a few ways to keep your pocketbook happy when planning for costumes.

Pinterest

Pinterest is my new addiction. I could (and do!) look through different photos and ideas for hours at a time! I have seen a bunch of super cute & CHEAP kids costumes comes through my Pinterest stream that you can make yourself! One idea that looked super cute is a homemade jet pack using just a couple of coke bottles, spray paint, and some tissue paper! What little boy wouldn’t love his very own jet pack?!? What fun DIY costume ideas have you seen on Pinterest?

Swapping

You can do this through an official costume swapping organization, or just get together with your local moms group and organize a costume swap yourselves! Goodness, I must have about 10 costumes in random places around the house, and I’m sure other moms are the same. And the kids only wear it for ONE DAY!! Why in the world should we be buying a new one each year?

Get Clearance for Next Year

Even if you can’t get a great deal this year, you can always plan ahead for next year! The costumes that were $49.99 on October 30th, will be on sale for $6 the first week in November.

I Want Candy (or not!)

This is the part of everything that makes me want to hit my head up against the wall. Seriously, I really think that this fall sugar rush at the end of October is one of the factors that makes us more susceptible to diseases like the flu during the winter (in addition to a lack of Vitamin D). So what can we do with all of this candy that’s thrown at us every year? Here are a few options:

Just throw it away

Yes, I said it. And yes, I could’ve said “donate it.” Why didn’t I? Because if something is going to hurt US, why would we donate it to hurt someone else? We went to the fall festival to have fun, NOT to load up on candy, and our goal was accomplished! And sure, I would let the kids pick a couple of their favorites to keep (and I might grab the bag of M&Ms and a couple of Heath Bars too), but the rest would just go in the trash.

Candy Trading

Now this DOES cost a little bit of money. But the money paid now might be MUCH less than the money spent at the dentist later. We’ve done this with our kids before and it’s worked out really well! You have the kids count up all of their candy pieces and you exchange a certain number of candy pieces for a toy in the dollar section of Target, or at the dollar store. For example, 50 pieces = 1 toy. The kids still get to have the fun of trying to get as much candy as possible, but for the purpose of trading instead of eating! Then proceed with the first suggestion.

Make Candy Ornaments

Oh yes! You can actually turn all of the bad-for-you candy into something useful! Well, maybe not USEFUL, but at least something that won’t hurt you. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees, put parchment paper, or aluminum foil down onto a cookie sheet and place your favorite cookie cutter in the middle. SPRAY the sheet and the cookie cutter WELL with non-stick cooking spray. Then put your hard candy (like lollipops, life savers, etc… hmm, I wonder if those nasty wax lips would work too?) into the middle and put the cookie sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes or so. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for a minute or two and then use a straw or another circular object to put a hole where you want the string to go. Let it continue to cool and then when it’s “touchable”, pull the candy away from the cookie cutter. Put the string through the hole and voila! You have your own homemade candy ornament!

So what are your favorite ways to save money (and your sanity) during this time of year? Anything you would add?

Photo credit, top: Gadget_Guru on Flickr
Photo credit, second: A Taste of Kentucky

Rachel Holland is a homeschool mom of 4 awesome kids, and wife to one incredible husband. While she’s not cleaning up messes, changing diapers, or teaching Latin (ha!), she, along with her husband Ryan, run the money-saving website, Surviving The Stores.

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The following is a guest post from my real-life friend and blogger, Rachel of Quirky Momma.

We’re a family of bread snobs.  We love whole grain bread.  As a mom of four, I also love convenience and hate paying $2.50 or more for a loaf of quality bread.  So, here’s the secret: I can eat whole wheat bread fresh out of the oven with 30 min notice for 25 cents a loaf. Yummy and frugal!

I discovered no-knead, slow-rise bread that you can prep in advance to save you time and of course, money.  Even preschoolers can learn to help! You’ll need a big food-safe container with a lid.  I use a 5-gallon Rubbermaid tub.  You want the lid to contain the growing dough, but not explode.  To help the dough “breathe” I poke a tiny hole into the lid.

What do you need to create the easiest bread dough?

Ingredients

9 cups of flour – If you use whole wheat use at least 1 cup of white or add gluten.  I have used oat, rye, flax seed, whole wheat, Bulgar and even dried potato as my “flour”.
1 Tablespoon of sugar – I use brown sugar or sugar in the raw as they have the best flavor
1 1/2 teaspoon of yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt – I use coarse sea salt as it dissolves slower, allowing the yeast to do its stuff.
4 1/2 cups of room temperature water
5 Quart Tub

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then add the water.  Mix until all the ingredients are wet.

2. Put the lid on it and let it sit on a counter for several hours.

*Note: If your house is warm (like our house in the summer) you may only want it to sit for an hour or two.  As it is winter our dough tub sits above our fridge for most of the morning.  Stick the tub in the fridge after it starts to bubble.  The dough needs to sit for roughly 18-24 hours before you can start using it.  It should have doubled in size and it keeps in the fridge for more than a week.

3. To cook with the dough, just scoop out what you need and form it into loaves, rolls, etc.  We’ve even used the dough as our base to create bagels and soft pretzels.

4. Let the bread sit for a few min before sticking it into the oven.  The yeast needs to be reactivated.  Then bake as normal.

Typical baking instructions/times are as follows:

Dinner or Sandwich Rolls :: Fold dough over itself a few times, so the bread expands up rather than out.  Dust with flour so the lump isn’t sticky.  Bake 20-25 min. at 350 degrees.
French Bread :: Loosely fold dough into a log shape.  Sprinkle with water.  Stick in oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 min.
Pizza Crust :: Sprinkle dough with corn meal.  Roll flat.  Bake for 5-15 min, depending on how crunchy you like your crusts, at 400 degrees.  Add toppings and re-bake.
Bagels :: Form into “O”s.  Drop dough into boiling water for a min or so.  Drop on baking sheet and bake for 20 min at 350 degrees.

If you have a little bit of dough left in the container, feel free to use it as your “starter” and add the new ingredients to the container.  The longer you keep it “alive” the more flavor your bread will have.

As you can see, fresh baked bread does not have to be complicated. Just a little prep time in advance will have you on your way!

About Rachel Miller
Rachel is mommy to three rambunctious preschoolers and a bubbly infant. Their lives are anything but boring!  Her website, Quirky Momma, is the brain-child or diary of all their crazy and silly activities, learning adventures, and helpful tips for parenting and/or maintaining your sanity and survival. You can connect with her on Facebook.

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“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” – James 1:27

Fact: Over 12 million children in sub-Saharan Africa are orphaned due to AIDS.
Fact: Over 50 million Americans set up Christmas trees in their homes each year.

Let’s just face it – Christmas has gotten turned upside down. A beautiful holiday that is supposed to be centered around worship, giving, love, joy, and peace…has turned into a holiday about shopping, checking gifts off a list, stress, commercialism, over-spending, going into debt, you get the picture.

What are we truly celebrating at Christmas? The birth of Jesus. The arrival of the ultimate love, peace, and joy. The One who gave it all, the One we adore, the One who deserves all of our affections and attention, the One we worship.

When it is somebody’s birthday, we usually celebrate by giving a gift to that person. So how will we celebrate the birthday of Jesus this year? What will we give to Him? How do we give to God? When I dive into the scriptures, I see a loving God who cares about people, demands social justice, identifies with the poor, and loves the children and orphans.

I see a God who whispers…

“loose the chains of injustice”
“sell everything you have and give to the poor”
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”
“I needed clothes and you clothed me”
“I was sick and you looked after me”

It’s safe to say that if we want to give a heartfelt gift to God this season in celebration of His Son’s birthday, we should start with the poor, lonely, orphaned, and sick…

That’s what Ornaments 4 Orphans is all about. You know those 2 big numbers in the facts presented at the beginning of this post? Ornaments 4 Orphans exists to help those numbers meet. That’s right – 50 million Christmas trees can somehow help the 12 million children in Africa orphaned by AIDS. And it starts with YOU. ME. US. EVERYBODY.

When you buy an ornament from Ornaments 4 Orphans, your money goes directly towards enriching the lives of beautiful Ugandan children. Each ornament is fair trade and hand-crafted in East Africa. There are many different varieties to choose from: stars, crosses, baskets, bells, etc. They even have unique nativity sets. All of the ornaments are $10 each. A small price for a beautiful ornament that can make a BIG difference. Buy one for your tree. Buy one as a gift for somebody else’s tree. Just know that when you buy an ornament, you’re giving a gift of true and lasting meaning this season.

If you’re interested in making an even bigger impact, you can sponsor an O4O tree in your church, school, home, or office. For more information, e-mail ornaments(at)pearlministries(dot)org.

My dear friend Jamie, U.S. director of Ornaments 4 Orphans, has offered to give away FIVE O4O ornaments!

Five lucky winners will receive a “lidded basket” ornament, woven out of natural grasses. The little lids even open to hide special things in your tree. How fun!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post. Share your heart, comment on this great organization, or go check out some of the ornaments and tell us which is your favorite.

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, November 30th, at 9pm CST. The winners will be selected at random and notified via email.

Meagan is the author of the blog Frugal Fun & Fortune, where she writes about saving money, giving to others, delicious Vegetarian recipes, simple living, and her life adventures. Her greatest passions include chasing after God wholeheartedly, social justice, being a good wife to her sweet hub, books, and music. Visit her blog to have FUN while saving money!

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This morning I prayed for a new friend in Ethiopia. She had just decided to recommit her life to Christ and asked for prayers over her marriage and her church.

Each week I pray for and connect with at least three individuals from all over the world… some a state a way, but most in countries that would be too difficult for me to travel to regularly as a missionary right now.

And still, I can reach in, touch their hearts for the Lord, answer their questions, pray for them and guide them in their walk with Jesus as an Online Missionary for Global Media Outreach, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Global Media Outreach hosts nearly 100 websites which share the gospel in a variety of ways and languages. These sites offer visitors the opportunity to learn about Christ, pray to receive Him, and ask for follow-up from an Online Missionary like me who prays for that individual and points him or her toward excellent resources for growing in faith. I also answer any questions that he or she might ask… and it is all over a secure, private, email connection.

Visitors to Global Media Outreach sites are asking to be prayed for and asking to learn about our Savior.

Ministering to each of them could not be any easier. They are asking to be prayed for, asking to learn about the Lord and all I have to do is sit at my computer and respond in love.

Want to see how many people are visiting Global Media Outreach’s sites and indicating decisions to follow Christ? Check out www.GreatCommission2020.com for real time results. You will be amazed.

Then, consider giving the gift of the Lord to people all over the world who are asking for it. Consider joining me and apply to serve as an Online Missionary with Global Media Outreach. Then you’ll be giving the gift of eternal life to those seeking it worldwide. And what could be better than that?

Amy is mom to three younger children, ages four to nine years, and host mom to her second teenage foreign exchange student. She has volunteered as an Online Missionary with Global Media Outreach since October 2009. She blogs and encourages others to read the entire Bible in 90 Days at MomsToolbox.com. Amy also hosts MomsTravelTales, where she loves to share the adventures of family travel.

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When I went into labor less than 24 weeks into my pregnancy, I was lucky- my OB sent me to a large university hospital with an adjacent level III NICU. As a result, when my precious little girl was born almost four months early, she was right where she needed to be. I, on the other hand, was two hours from home. So was my husband. And, oh yes, so was our then ten-month old son.

We couldn’t very well make that commute every day… not only was the driving time prohibitive, my husband had to work and I was forbidden from driving following my surgery. We could have stayed in a hotel… for awhile. But the cost of that would have been exorbitant.

The Ronald McDonald House gave us a home away from home. We lived there for exactly 100 days. Families are asked to contribute- if they are able- $10 per night of their stay. Because our stay was so long, the manager insisted on halving that for our family. We had a place to live- and many meals provided- for three and a half months.

Our cost? Five hundred dollars. Amazing.

But they need help to make that happen! Fortunately, there are several very simple ways we can lend a hand. The Ronald McDonald House is always on my heart this time of year because my daughter arrived on Christmas Eve… preparing for the holidays inspires giving.

Here are five quick and easy ways to reach out to families with children in the hospital:

1. Buy a Happy Meal. Yes, I know kids’ meals at fast food restaurants have come under fire and I’m not one to advocate making a steady diet of them. However, the simple fact is that many of us rely on these meals occasionally, whether as a treat or out of “necessity” when we’re on the go. By choosing to buy a Happy Meal, you’re also ensuring that a portion of the cost will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities. You can feel good about that part, if not what you’re feeding your kids.
2. Toss your spare change in the jar. Almost all McDonald’s restaurants have a change jar inside and often one attached to the drive thru– this money is collected to support the Ronald McDonald houses.
3. Save your “pop tabs”. Many schools run collection drives for these but, if yours does not, they can be dropped off at any Ronald McDonald House or children’s hospital. Some McDonald’s restaurants also collect them. Your cans can still be returned for a refund if you live in a state with a deposit. (I do). Think these don’t add up? Check out some these stats.
4. Donate gently used toys. So many charities request that all donated toys be new, but many Ronald McDonald houses will gladly accept used toys as well. These are put in a playroom for the siblings of the hospitalized children… what a blessing for these little ones who are away from their homes! Too often, the “healthy” children can be forgotten. This is a way to touch their lives.
5. Make a meal. Or clean a kitchen. Or organize a library. If you live within a convenient driving distance to a Ronald McDonald House, I encourage you to visit. They are amazing places and they will welcome you. While you’re there, lend a helping hand. During our stay, there were regularly volunteers helping to deep-clean the kitchens or tidy up the playroom. Groups from churches or businesses would often bless the residents with a hot, fresh dinner or breakfast. It is these special touches that make the House into a Home.

JessieLeigh is the mother of a former 24-week micropreemie and two full-term blessings as well. She is a determined advocate for the tiniest of babies, including the unborn, and a firm believer in faith and miracles.  She shares about raising such a precious, tiny baby over at Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles.

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In November 2005, I read an article in the newspaper that grabbed at my heart. The Salvation Army was seeking sponsors to participate in their Adopt-A-Family program for the upcoming holiday season. These local families were in need of assistance from the community to help make their Christmas bright.

As a sponsor, you made a commitment to provide the adopted family with all of the ingredients needed for the family to prepare a holiday meal, including the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, fruit cup, noodles, gravy, rolls, pie filling and crust.

The sponsor also provided each child in the adopted family a hat, pair of gloves, an outfit, and a toy. We would be given information about the children to make the necessary purchases.

The food and gifts needed to be delivered to the adoptive family by the second week of December.

In November 2005, our first daughter had just been born and honestly I was in a fog, but something about that article spoke to me. I talked to my husband and he agreed that we should become sponsors. After that first year, we felt so strongly about the program that the next year we decided to participate in the Adopt-A-Senior program as well. With the senior program, the sponsor is only asked to provide the meal components.

Every year, I buy all of the food right before Thanksgiving to take advantage of the sales on holiday food and turkeys. I buy the clothes and toys for the children during the After-Thanksgiving sales and we make the deliveries by early December.

After the first year, I started to also include ingredients for the seniors and the family to make a holiday breakfast, but this in not required. My fondest holiday memories from my childhood include the amazing breakfast that my mother would make. Since having children, my husband and I have decided that we wanted to make breakfast a part of our own holiday tradition, so we have included ingredients for breakfast for our adoptive families as well.

Over the years, I have met some beautiful people through this program. The families are very appreciative and excited about the food and gifts. Part of me wishes that I could see the children open their presents on Christmas morning, but I know that is not my place. We participate because God has blessed us beyond our dreams and expectations and we feel it is a small way to give back to the community.

One year after the holiday I received a thank-you card from the sweet senior couple that we sponsored. When I walked into their home, I knew immediately why God had sent me there with a big box of food. In the thank-you card the wife told me how she and her husband had enjoyed the meal with their family. After the turkey was gone she used the bones to make a large pot of turkey noodle soup…a woman after my own heart.

Contact your local Salvation Army, if you are interested in participating in the Adopt-A-Family program.

Kristia is a wife, mother and the family office manager. She owns FamilyBalanceSheet.org where she writes and shares about family finances, food and home-management.

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Clink, Clink, Clink…

This is the sound of hope, the sound of a chance to help a person in greater need
than myself.

Clink, Clink, Clink…

As I drop my loose coins into my humble jar, I ponder and pray. Who will need my saved up coins this Christmas season? Who will cross my path that I can bless?

Hard to believe my spare change could really change a life. Maybe it won’t change a person’s life in big ways, but hopefully in small ways. Maybe something obvious… A new pair of shoes, a bag of groceries, paying an overdue bill. But maybe, just maybe, an unseen change. A heart filled with hope and renewed trust through the power of giving.

Clink, Clink, Clink…

I have been dropping my leftover change in my jar all year now. Our family Christmas jar sits in its appointed place on my kitchen window sill… slowly filling up over the year. As I wash dishes I look at the jar and pray. Pray for the recipient who will not need to know from where the gift came, but hoping they feel the love and prayers that come along with this gift.

Most of all that this unknown person will find a deeper meaning behind my simple canning jar full of coins. I pray there is a heart renewed this Christmas season.

Our family was introduced to the Christmas Jars last year. We only heard about this giving opportunity in November on the Glenn Beck show. Glenn was interviewing the author Jason F Wright, of a book called Christmas Jars. As my husband and I heard this interview, and Jason said it was about One Jar, One Birth, One Savior, we knew we had to start the Christmas Jar tradition in our family!

We only had about 6 weeks to collect change. We scrambled around and began to find change all over our house. Every day we would come home from Christmas shopping, placing our spare change in the jar. It was exciting to see what we could collect as a family. We didn’t know who we would give the jar to, but we knew God would show us who needed it the most. There was an anticipation that was priceless, and truly taught us that it is better to give than receive. And… the true meaning of Christmas.

As Christmas Day drew near, it became evident which family we would secretly bless with our spare change. Sneaking up to the front porch of the house and leaving our Christmas Jar was a thrill like no other. I knew we as a family, would never be quite the same, and I prayed it had that impact on those who we were blessing.

Maybe you would like to start a new tradition of a Christmas Jar in your home? Some families have each of their children fill up their own jars. I have heard of co-workers, school children, and Sunday school classes all working together to fill up Christmas Jars. The ideas are endless! This month I have been sacrificing my Starbucks money in hopes of collecting more change.

I highly recommend reading Christmas Jars this month. It is a quick read and very touching. It is recommended that you give the book with the jar. As the person receives the jar, they then read the book, and in most cases turn around and begin to do the same thing for others as a result. It is viral and catches on!

Clink, Clink, Clink…It’s a beautiful sound.

Denise is just a simple gal with simple ways, who happens to love cottage style and all things about decorating. Her goal at Denise in Bloom is to inspire you to find beauty in the everyday.

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Falling Prey to Debt

When my soldier husband returned home from Iraq the last time, it was right about the time our economy came to a screeching halt. As is normal for a soldier returning to civilian life after time at war, he received additional pay from the military for a short time while he looked for employment locally. However, the Army paychecks ran out, there was still no job, and my part-time income certainly was not enough to keep us afloat financially.

As a family of five, we had a brand new car and home – with absolutely no significant income, despite our best efforts. Although we knew the financial principles taught by Dave Ramsey and others, at this particular point for us it seemed there was no other option but to rely on credit cards to survive. We used our credit cards to pay the utility bills, to buy our necessities, to keep insurance on our property, vehicles, and even our children. Out of sheer desperation, we eventually turned to food stamps to purchase our groceries each week.

Meant to be a short-term solution, we planned to pay the cards off as soon as Hubby found work again. That’s what we told ourselves at three months… again at six months… and again at a year into these circumstances. When Hubby did find work, the salary, even with unbelievable hours of overtime, would only pay our house payment and van payment each month, which meant we were still using credit cards for our basic expenses.

After being virtually debt-free, we were now swimming, DROWNING, in it! Between the credit cards and personal loans, we were buried in $20,000 of debt – nearly overnight. We were so close to living the life God intended – “owing no man” – and are far from that now.

During that time of unemployment and incredible struggles, I was introduced to the world of blogging, and many money-saving and couponing sites. Quickly I learned how to work the coupon match-ups and store rebates, stockpile for months in advance, and have with very little out-of-pocket cost. This cut our monthly expenses by over 40%.

Freezer cooking has been an amazing discovery as well! Keeping meals stockpiled in our freezer has cut out the temptation to just run out and “grab something quick.” Menu planning now limits my need to run to the store multiple times a week. In fact, I don’t even grocery shop more than 2-3 times a month now, except to buy necessities such as milk, bread, and eggs.

By drastically reducing our expenses this way, it allowed us to focus more of our budget on our debt. Since hubby took an active duty position last September, we have thankfully been able to pay off six credit cards and one personal loan, totaling approximately $10,000. $10,000!! Aside from our house and our cars, we are now at the halfway mark for climbing up out of this pit!

There are others out there just like us. Other families have fallen prey to debt even after the greatest laid plans. As discouraging as it can be, know there are ways out of that pit! Make a new plan. Reach out for help from others who have been there. Work toward new goals. And don’t give up hope!

Mandy is married to her hero and best friend after a miraculous reconciliation, and is learning to embrace the life of an Army wife and mother of three.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Counseling and has worked in a variety of fields – all of which contribute greatly to her writing at Pennies and Blessings and Brokenness into Beauty.

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When my kids started their spring activities this year, not only did we shell out the big bucks for team registration and classes, but then came the additional money for equipment: baseball spikes, jerseys, helmets, and dance leotards, tap and ballet shoes. Which of course is typical, but last year, my son grew out of one pair of spikes before the season was even over!

Thankfully there is an effective, frugal form of exercise that women and moms can enjoy where all the equipment (other than a good pair of shoes) is self-contained and readily available…Running!

I have been a runner for many years now, but I really started running regularly again just this past year. In doing so, I realized that of all the activities a mom can do to get some exercise, running is one of the very best because you simply need to lace up your shoes and head out your front door to enjoy all the physical and mental benefits that running has to offer.

Let’s discuss those benefits…

Physical benefits: Sustained cardiovascular activity which is good for your heart, lungs, muscles, digestive system, and extremely effective for burning calories!

Mental benefits: Adrenaline and endorphins are exerted and produced when you run, helping you to feel a rush of energy followed by a calm, relaxed state. That release of adrenaline and production of endorphins is why when you talk to a runner, they will tell you that running just makes them feel happy. Personally it also helps me to be more calm and patient with my family throughout the day.

Those are merely just a few of the benefits that running has to offer, but what will it cost you? The fact that you can run almost anywhere keeps the cost down so low that if you already own a pair of comfortable, supportive shoes, your only initial investment is your time.

If you simply invest 30-45 minutes, you should be able to run 3-4 miles AND reap all of the benefits above. Even if you start out walking, you will soon notice an increase in your endurance and can then add a few minutes of running. Moms can even invest this time wisely by pushing your little one in a jogging stroller – you can burn up to 10% more calories, soak up the sunshine and Vitamin D for you and your child!

If you are new to running, there are numerous resources available to help you get started and to educate and train you along the way. Here are a few of my favorite FREE running resources:

::Runner’s World Magazine – When I first started running I checked out back issues at my local library. Runner’s World online offers a wide array of resources from Nutrition: Meal Plans, Recipes, Calorie Counter to a Shoe Finder and Training Logs.

::Run Injury Free with Jeff Galloway – Jeff Galloway is a former US Olympian, founder of the Galloway Marathon Training Program, Coach and Author – Jeff’s site is filled with valuable information on how to Run Injury Free until you are 100!

::Famous Footwear – okay, so the shoes are not free, and YES, they bear the budget-breaking price of $100 or more in specialty running stores, BUT here is my frugal shoe shopping tool: Famous Footwear Gold Rewards – the rewards club is free to sign up for and there are several top brands and styles of running shoes to choose from.

The best part is that Famous Footwear often runs a Buy 1 Get 1 Half off sale and you can use Gold Member reward certificates ($5 or $10 off) in addition to store issued $ or % off coupons. If you cannot find your size in the store, they will even ship it to your home for FREE!

Hopefully these resources as well as the physical and mental health benefits I have shared will encourage you to take your first steps as a frugal and FIT mom and will motivate you to Go Running Mom!

Molly Ruby is a running mom of three and wife to an incredible husband who encourages her to go the extra mile in life! Go Running Mom is a forum to share her passion for running with moms and women who want to take charge of their own health and their family’s fitness. She hopes to inspire, motivate and challenge moms to Get Up, Get Moving, and Go Running! Be sure to “like” Go Running Mom on Facebook if you enjoyed this post.

For more frugal ways, visit Life As Mom. Running is definitely a Finer Thing!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• The Confident Mom | Summer Survival Calendar & Planner
• Young Living | Experience Better Health and Save Money with Quality Essential Oils
• Easy. Homemade. | Homemade Pantry Staples for the Busy Modern Family