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Melinda and Carrie

Choosing to live fully in the moment…choosing to always be fully there throughout the day…choosing to practically show my children that they are important requires conscious little daily decisions. It’s choosing to not put off a game of catch until tomorrow. It’s choosing to use a fun little game as a lesson in diligence. It is choosing to put the to-do list aside to sit down and read a book to my boys.

Learning to enjoy all of the little blessings and opportunities throughout a day requires a purposeful decision to slow down, to be observant and to be willing to set aside the plans I had made to invest in the lives that God has put in my life. While it’s easy to say that people are more important than plans, it is equally easy to fall into the trap of showing by our actions that a to-do list and keeping the house clean is more important than anything else that comes up.

And so today I want to look for the little blessings God has given me. I want to enjoy today to the fullest, because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

When Crystal was married, I was excited for her. I missed her active presence in the online world as she stepped down from being a moderator. But I enjoyed her blog posts about her daily life as a newlywed. I enjoyed once again sitting under her teaching as she learned what it meant to be a godly wife.

When she started her new blog (Money Saving Mom), I was excited. Once Tim and I were married, her blog was what inspired me to learn how to be frugal and spend our money wisely. I’ve learned so much from Crystal over the years and I continue to be encouraged as I read her blog.

I was excited when I saw that Crystal was writing a book. I jumped at the opportunity to review it and was (once again!) inspired by Crystal and her wisdom.

Every chapter is filled with practical information and tips on how to implement the steps she outlines in a way that isn’t overwhelming. The book begins with helping you to figure out what financial success means to you and continues with helping you to come up with goals that are realistic and reachable.

The thing I loved the most about this book are the down to earth practical tips in the later chapters…from her personal testimony on how they survived and thrived during very tight financial times, to testimonies from the readers of Money Saving Mom, to recommendations of websites and blogs that help encourage a frugal lifestyle, to tips on how to save money on food and clothing. Crystal’s book begins with help on how to formulate a financial plan and then ends with tons of ideas on how to save and make money to help you achieve your financial goals.

After reading this book, I find myself realizing that little purchases do add up to a lot of money. I’m reinspired to use things for as long as possible and to make good use of the leftovers instead of letting them grow mold in my refrigerator. Each of the little steps I take moves us one tiny step closer to reaching the financial goals we have for our family.

I highly recommend The Money Saving Mom’s Budget.

This is one of the best book I have read about what love and commitment is really about in a relationship. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

I read this book last December before I even met Jason. I decided I wanted to make sure I had a biblical view of marriage, so I determined to read some good books on marriage in 2011. I was so excited about reading this book though that I began it a month early.

It is an excellent book . . . I cannot recommend it highly enough.

1. Cherish the time you have just the two of you. Assuming that God will one day bless you with children, take advantage of this time to build a strong foundation for your marriage so that you will get through the long days (and years!) of parenting newborns, toddlers and little children.

2. Use your free time to learn as many new skills as possible. This will probably be when you will have the most free time in your marriage. So what can you learn that will make you a better wife, homemaker and, if God so chooses, mother? Learn what you can now, because once the children start coming along it’s hard to find any amount of uninterrupted time.

3. Plan to make fun memories with your husband. Typically newlyweds don’t have a lot of money. Don’t let that stop you from planning new experiences and fun times together! It can be as simple as games after dinner, long conversations late at night, or cuddling and watching a movie together. Get in the habit of making a date night (whether at home or on the town) a priority. As life gets busier, you’ll have fun memories to look back on and a habit that will, hopefully, stay a part of your married life.

4. Use any disagreements as a catalyst to learn more about each other. What makes your husband tick? What makes him feel honored and respected even in the midst of a disagreement? As the responsibilities you face grow over the years and stressful situations accost your marriage, you will be able to draw on these valuable skills to weather the problem.

5. Don’t let your mind wander to the “what ifs”.  Focus on the present. By choosing to marry your husband, you probably gave up some dreams you once had. Perhaps one day God will open the doors to pursue them. Right now focus on the life God has given you. Be open to new dreams and pour your energy into the family God has given you.

There have been times where I have wished for such a golden ball. There was the time when I was single. I wished I could pull a string and bring a handsome, wonderful, God-honoring man into my life. Then I met Jason. Then I wanted a golden ball to move ahead to know whether Jason and I would get married. I wanted to skip the weeks and months of frustration with not knowing where our relationship was going. Then we got engaged. Then I wanted the golden ball to get to marriage. Basically, no matter what is going on in my life, there is always something I would like to skip over and just to something better.

Yet, just like the little boy, if I had such a golden ball, I would use it. Then life would speed by. God didn’t give us such golden balls. He has given us the gift of time. We have experiences in life, good and bad. We are meant to live through them, savoring the moments, both the good and the bad. God gives us everything for a reason and a purpose. His plan will shine through. Embrace the journey. Don’t rush it.

This particular blog article takes the time to list ten benefits to reading classics. All of the reasons this blogger discusses are valuable. This blogger highlights the reasons why classic literature has become just that . . . classic. The classic literature has enjoyed the test of time and is (for the most part) worth reading.

1. Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey
2. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
3. The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
4. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies
5. The Lost Virtue of Happines by J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler
6. Unplanned by Abby Johnson

Of course, I dress them and feed them…all of their needs are taken care of. But, more often than I would like to admit, I get caught up with the to-do list or activities I want to do. I forget to show them my love in a way they understand.

So one day I sought to show my boys I love them in tangible ways. (The inspiration for this idea is found here and here.)

 We had pancakes for breakfast, because Drew asked for them. It was the third time in four days that we had pancakes for breakfast.

We sat on the couch and read books together.  They both enjoy looking at the pictures of the animals.

They love to play with stickers, so I gave them each a page of stickers which they arranged randomly on sheet of paper.

It’s rather hard to take pictures while I’m busy playing with the boys. So some of our activities were undocumented.

We had fun tickling each other. Thankfully I escaped without any tickling. One of the cutest sights in the world is Carter trying to tickle Drew.

I watched Drew play with his cars…we hugged…and laughed.

Slowing down to purposely show my boys some love makes for some wonderful memories.

I have heard and seen many different blog posts or books written from the perspective of marriage being a sanctifying tool in the hands of God. More needs to be said about God’s use of singleness. Just like marriage (and any other season of life), God uses singleness to mold and shape his children the way he wants them to be.

During my years of singleness, God molded and shaped me in big ways. First, he continually brought me to a point of acceptance of his will. It’s hard to look at life and be willing to accept what God is doing .  .  . when he’s not doing what you want. Yet, this is what happened while I was single. God was keeping me single and bringing me to a point of saying, “Wherever you take me, I believe it will be best.” That is a HARD place to come to.

I also received practical experience with Romans 12:15. It felt like everyone I knew was announcing new relationships, engagements, marriages, and then pregnancies. All I wanted to do was engage in a pity party, and I did do that all too frequently. Yet, this verse came to mind, “Rejoice with those who rejoice.” I am called to rejoice with my friends as God works in their lives.

Acknowledging that God is at work even when it feels like he’s not. Again, this is hard. Emotionally, I frequently felt like God had forgotten me and was not working in my life. In contrast, he seemed to be working in the lives of my friends who were getting married. Yet, God is always at work in the lives of his people. It’s a matter of bringing my thoughts into line with the truth instead of allowing my emotions convince me of a falsehood. And it’s hard.

Yet all of these things worked in my life to bring me closer to God. Accepting his will, practicing Romans 12:15, and acknowledging God’s hand taught me lessons that will continue to benefit me throughout life.