Monday, February 4, 2013

I Just Have to Teach ONE Thing! - FREE February Download

As parents, we are going to make mistakes.
 I get overwhelmed when I think about all the things that I need to teach my kids before they head out into the mean world.

I have to remind myself, that I am not in this alone. My Heavenly Father's burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

All Christ asks me to do is seek Him for strength and direction as I teach my kids the Two Greatest Commandments - to Love God and Love Others. (Matthew 22:37-40) "..on these two commandments rest all the Law and the Prophets."

So, really there is only ONE thing that I need to teach my kids - LOVE
One of the best and easiest ways to teach our kids to love others, is to LOVE them.

Dr. James Dobson encourages me with these words, "A relationship that is characterized by genuine LOVE and affection is likely to be a healthy one, even though some parental mistakes and errors are inevitable."

So, this Valentine's Day, go love your family well!
Find more great ideas for teaching love by getting my FREE DOWNLOAD on LOVE at TheCharacterMom.com .

Monday, January 21, 2013

I'm Out of Thyme! - Over-scheduled and Overwhelmed


I was making the best and easiest Chicken Pot Pie recipe for dinner,
but I couldn't find the fanciest of the six simple ingredients (recipe below).   

As I said to myself, "Oh no, I am out of thyme!" I realized that this was true not just literally, but also metaphorically. Lately, I was constantly out of TIME.

I was overscheduled and overwhelmed. Something was going to have to give.

As moms, it is sometimes hard to figure out what has made our lives become unbalanced. You may have to do some serious soul searching, ask your children, or even make a time journal.

However, I had no trouble figuring out what part of my life was causing the problems. 

Was I spending too much time making meals from scratch, instead of convenience foods like the recipe above? (My friends and family are all laughing) No, this pot pie is honestly one of the fanciest dinners I make. 

My family did not even notice when I just left the thyme out of this pot pie, but when I didn't have real TIME for my family, it could not go unnoticed.  My girls were continually clear about where they thought I spent too much time, "Awwwwwww, Mom, are you on the computer again?"

There are many great and good things to spend your time doing. Helping moms teach their kids character is a great and even Biblical. However, this does not mean that God wants me to do it right now - especially if it takes time away from my main priorities. 

So in light of this revelation, this year, I am cutting way back on my blogging and business. Hopefully the free monthly downloads on my site will give you all you need to continue to grow character in your family. To get the very few "Teachable MOMents" that I continue to  write delivered right to your e-mail, subscribe by clicking on the cute frame at the top of my website TheCharacterMom.com.
                   
In the meantime, continue to use simple life object lessons to teach your kids character.  For example, as you make this pot pie with the ingredient THYME, talk about time management. If we use the wrong amount of time on wrong things, our life won't turn out right.  Too much thyme in this pie, or any thyme in a cherry pie would make them both turn out bad. This recipe makes two. One to eat, and perfect for all-in-one meal to take to a needy family or new mom – a great use of your time.

                                                  Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe 
Mix below ingredients and spoon into thawed deep-dish store-bought pie crusts (Makes two pies):
    1 can Great Value Bacon and Potato Soup (or 2 small cream of potato)
    2 cups of cooked diced chicken (I usually use canned chicken)
    1 can (15 oz) of mixed veggies drained (like Veg-All)
    ½ cup of milk
    Pepper to taste
    ½ teaspoon THYME (optional)     
Cook in pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.    

What areas in your life need better time management?  Is there some area that God is leading you to get rid of or scale way back?