It has been a full and eventful weekend with the launching of our updated blog design on Friday night, a quick day trip up to Seattle on Saturday to visit relatives and a celebration of the engagement of Aaron’s brother, Nate, on Sunday, so I am just now sitting down again and sharing with you all.
I am so blessed to see another month pass by and reflect on God’s goodness once again to our family! We spent a weekend at the beach this month enjoying a time of rest and lots of reading (our favorite activity!). Aaron and I have been prayerfully working on developing our family mission statement, which we were able to make significant headway on thanks to the inspiration of Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. Thanks in part to Kat’s inspiration, I have also been working on my own personal mission statement, which has been so refreshing and edifying. What a difference it makes when you define your mission and develop purposeful plans to accomplish that mission. We also did some thorough decluttering around the house this month in preparation for a garage sale this week. I am blessed!
You may have wondered with the new update that I changed the byline of my blog slightly to: Loving simple, natural, and intentional living. Why the change? What is the significance? By “intentional” I wanted to encapsulate more fully my goal to live a purposeful, God-centered, mission-minded lifestyle. My hope is to continue to use this blog to inspire women to be intentional in every action in their homes – to cultivate strong relationships with our family and others, inspire our children to love and serve the Lord, pursue joyful homemaking, being good stewards of the earth, and opening our homes to minister to the lost and needy around us. I like to call it “missional” living or missional homemaking. When I shared what the Lord was opening my eyes to see in What is the Purpose of the Home?, I was aiming to pass on the challenge to maintain a high and holly calling to be purposeful in all things that we are called to. My goal is to encourage us all to ask ourselves in everything we do, from natural living to simple living, to making a home, to making decisions, what has this to do with the goal of glorifying our Lord and furthering His kingdom? That is what I mean by living intentionally. It reminds me afresh of the poem: Only one life, twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last. Let’s labor together to live without reserves or regrets.
April Reading
7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey – fascinating and insightful, this book delves into dissenting the popular 7 Habits in their application for the family. Stephen talks about the value of developing family mission statements, being proactive in relationships, and being quick to listen and understand and slow to offer exhortation or advice in the lives of our children. These are just three of the habits discussed in this book. I was very challenged to be more intentional in developing together with my husband what we want to be our family mission and how we will aim to accomplish it. A big book but an excellent read!
Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ’s Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children by Sally Clarkson – another excellent classic for mothers by Sally Clarkson. I loved her challenge of seeing our children as our disciples and following the way Jesus carefully nurtured, patiently loved, and guided His own disciples before sending them out to accomplish His mission. She shares the value of imparting the gift of grace, inspiration, faith, training, and service and how adopting these five truths can impact our children’s lives. I love how she describes motherhood as not just a job, but a calling. Each chapter is short with discussion question so it is an excellent Bible study companion or for a group study. Another favorite to add to my annual reading list!
God bless you all this month! My little girl, Karis, turns 3 on Tuesday! Wow! Time flies…
My hubby and I did the hard work of putting together a family mission statement several years ago – it has been our mantra ever since. I encourage you, it’s worth the effort and helps to solidify your vision. Keep up the good/hard work.
Also, I won the Graham Gardens gift basket – Oh my … the products are amazing … thank you so much!! I think it’s the fist time I’ve ever won anything – and on Mother’s Day at that!!
Thank you for sharing these books. I came across your blog while searching for SAHM blogs who were also Christians. I hope to keep following and maybe I will eventually use some of your homemade blogs to help me become more organic.
Love the new blog design! Also, Sally Clarkson’s books are so wonderful! I have been truly encouraged by her words. 7 Habits is another good book that I am currently reading. I was excited to see you post these books. Sally Clarkson has a great blog “I Take Joy” that I highly recommend. http://wholeheart.typepad.com/itakejoy/
Thank you for working so hard on your blog to encourage the rest of us mothers! Have a great mothers day this weekend!
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share all of your wonderful recipes and tips. I have tried many of your recipes and my family, kids and all, have LOVED them!!! I recently ordered from Azure some grain in bulk. I was wondering, do you put anything in your grain when you store it to prevent bugs. I read an article on it, but was wondering what you do. You seem to have a system down.
Thanks,
Jeni
I have well sealed food safe 5 gallon buckets in the garage and have never had a problem with bugs.
I do the same as Lindsay (airtight 5-gallon buckets) but I also toss a few bay leaves in with my grains/beans. I’ve heard that they keep bugs away. Who knows for sure, but I haven’t had a problem so far!
I am so looking forward to reading about your mission statement! We just established ours after thinking and praying on it for several years. As a matter of fact I just blogged about it last evening so it’s funny to have come here and read this post!!
We have adopted a quote by Anthony Norris Groves;
“Labor hard
Consume little
Give much
And all to the Lord.”
It is a challenge, but also represents our hearts desire for our family.
I blogged a bit about it here -> http://paulsbride.blogspot.com/2010/05/creating-family-motto.html
I love what you said about intentional missional homemaking. I believe as women of God we have more influence, ability, and opportunity to change the world through joyfully submitting to our roles than we think. And this “missional homemaking”, as you say, is something that we need to stay very focus on and have encourage one another in.
You’re so awesome Lindsay! Thanks for the thoughtful shout out.
I hope Karis had a wonderful birthday!
Thank-you for all your helpful posts. I have learned alot from reading your blog the past three years. Thanls again!
Erin
Hello Lindsay,
I’ve been enjoying your blog for the past two years, thank you so much! I am 5 months pregnant with our first child, and I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. (I looked for a place to post this comment under your “Book List” page, but there was no comment section, so I’m posting it here.) I was wondering if you could suggest your favorite(s) book on child rearing/discipline. I am familiar with most of the books on your list, but I’d like to know where to start instead of trying to blindly read book after book. We want to start the discipline/training process at birth, of course, so I’d like to get some reading in now.
Thanks, and God bless you, sister!
Angie in Texas
Lindsay,
I’m not much of a blog reader. There are a very few that I regularly read. Yours is one of them. I “stumbled” upon it about 10 (?) months ago and it has been a tremendous blessing in my life. It has challenged my thinking in certain areas, and encouraged me to be even more committed to the Lord, my husband, children, and home. Your posts are excellent. It’s wonderful to see someone use their blog in such a god-honoring way. You are a blessing to me, and to many others I am sure. May the Lord bless you and your sweet family as you serve Him.
A passionate homemaker in Senegal,
Lindsay
We have been away from the internet for two years, as we have been among the plain people. It was such a treat to come back to see your site still up and running, and now with great improvements! I thought it was funny to see that we were reading the same thing, 7 Habit of Highly Effective Families! I am only on Habit 2, but I sure have learned a lot already and the Lord has perfect timing for all the blessings He gives us!
~Michelle
Fun website-I was looking for a crock pot yogurt recipe (we make it and love it!) for my sister to see, so I passed your link along. LOVE the intentional part of homemaking, for God’s glory. I love seeing young, sweet families whose lives evidence loving the Lord their God with heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving their neighbors as themselves! God bless you
~evy
Lindsay,
I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now and I am always truly blessed by what I find. Thank you for all the hard work you put into it! I myself have been thinking about being “intentional” in my homemaking. I even started a blog about it – http://www.deliberatelydomestic.com. May the Lord enable us to be intentional and deliberate about how we serve our families in the home!
I love following your blog!! The changes are superb, I’ve been all over the site… very easy to get around and learn all sorts of new things… Thank You!!
… love the family shot!
Tricia
Lindsay,
I love your new blog design, but more than that, I love the tweaking of your tag line and the meaning behind it. That is my goal as well….to live without reserve or regret, and to live missionally, both with my family and with the world outside it (by bringing the world into my home!). Anyhow, I will pray for you as you seek to do that in your community!!
Blessings from Indonesia,
Joy