by kathilipp | Dec 2, 2016 | Christmas, God |
I was a guest at Girlfriends in God and wanted to share it with you today!
For years, I’ve heard the same message in sermons, Bible studies, magazine articles, and on social media: Christmas is not about the gifts, decorating, how the Christmas ham is prepared, parties or even Christmas cookies. We are all supposed to stop doing All. The. Things. and simply reflect in the glow of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree and spend the entire month rereading the story of Christ’s birth from Luke.
And for all those years, I’ve felt guilty about being madly in love with the “stuff” of Christmas. I love having friends and family over to eat, drink (hot chocolate) and be merry. I enjoy filling our grown kids’ stockings with care. I adore planning for our family’s Christmas Eve dinner. I even get a thrill from sending out (and receiving) Christmas cards.
While the world may go overboard when it comes to “celebrating” the season (just watch any video of a Wal-Mart opening on Black Friday to see what I’m talking about . . .), in many ways, I’ve felt guilty for finding happiness in any other way than attending church and singing Christmas carols. I know we are to have joy at Christmastime, but does God also care about our happiness?
Read more at Girlfriends in God!
by kathilipp | Nov 29, 2016 | Overwhelmed, Podcast |
How to expand joy during the season of joy!
We have survived Thanksgiving and are entering the “Season of Joy” preparing for Christmas. For many people “joy” is not the predominant feeling they are experiencing. They feel overwhelmed, overspent, and their “to do” list is twice as long as their “done” list. How do we expand joy during this overwhelming season?
The opposite of overwhelmed is “peace and joy.” How do we get from one to the other? How do you expand the joy in your life?
Kathi and Overwhelm co-author, Cheri Gregory, discuss the overwhelm we all feel and provide ways to ensure you have more “joy” in your life, especially during this season.
They discuss three tips for adding joy to your life:
- Gratitude – Be grateful for what you already have and seek out ways to be grateful every day.
- Avoid squeezing out the joy – Risk enough to let joy come in and don’t push it away.
- Root out the joy – Look for joy in your every day life. Be a joy seeker. Expand joy!
Cheri Gregory is a teacher, speaker, author, and Certified Personality Trainer. Her passion is helping women break free from destructive expectations. She writes and speaks from the conviction that “how to” works best in partnership with “heart, too.”
Cheri is the co-author, with Kathi Lipp, of The Cure for the “Perfect” Life and the upcoming Overwhelmed.
Cheri has been “wife of my youth” to Daniel, her opposite personality, for twenty-eight years and is “Mom” to Annemarie (25) and Jonathon (23), also opposite personalities.
Cheri blogs about perfectionism, people-pleasing, highly sensitive people, and hope at www.cherigregory.com.
by kathilipp | Nov 22, 2016 | Christmas, Clutter Free, Podcast, Travel |
Get Yourself Organized for Christmas
Have you lost your Christmas joy? Does the thought of jam-packed malls, maxed-out credit cards, overcrowded supermarkets, and endless to-do lists give you the feeling that maybe Scrooge was on to something?
Get the book for just $.99!
And follow along on the blog for quick daily projects to get you ready for the holidays so you can relax and enjoy the season rather than stress and miss out on the beautiful moments happening all around you!
Recorded on the road in a recent trip across the country, Kathi and Roger share there favorite travel tips. Traveling is usually stressful enough and the holidays really ramp up that stress level. Packing the right things and having the right tools can save a ton of headaches (and money!) Kathi and Roger Lipp discuss tips for everything from how many pairs of shoes you need to pack to what to stash in your carry-on to your tech travel needs. As a couple traveling several times every month, they have the packing down to a science. Their tips are sure to help you as you pack for your next trip.
Kathi’s Best Tips
• Only pack two pairs of shoes (and wear one on the plane): Walking shoes, flats and heels. Plan all your clothes around those three pairs of shoes. • All your clothes should go together and should be based around a color or two. My last trip everything was brown and turquoise. Everything “went” with everything else. • Carry Woolite packets for quick loads of laundry in your hotel sink. • If you have access to a washing machine, carry a few Tide Pods in a travel soap case. • If you check a bag, throw a pair of underwear in your carry on. You can face anything (even lost luggage,) with a clean pair of underwear. • A Contigo cup will keep your coffee warm, and keep you from spilling hot liquid all over yourself on the plane. • Don’t buy travel sized items (the price per ounce is obscene.) Refill travel size bottles. • Hoard the travel size toothpaste you get from your dentist. (And the ones your kids get.) • If you forget something when you travel, ask the front desk of your hotel. They often have toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, etc. • Carry long USB cords for inconvenient plugs in hotels. • Carry a multi-USB plug for charging on the go. • Buy snacks at your local grocery store instead of at the airport or hotels. The prices are a fraction at home. • Bring lots of Ziploc bags.
Podcast Extras
Roger and Kathi mentioned many items that are must have’s when they travel. For more info on each, simply click. Links take you to Amazon.com and are affiliate links. Pack-it-Flat Toiletry Kit Contigo Cups Waze: Free Community-based Mapping, Traffic & Navigation App 5ft Nylon Braided Tangle Free Micro USB Cable Cord Dual USB Travel Wall Charger The Curly Co. Collapsible Hair Diffuser Woolite Travel Detergent Packets 2-in-1 Mobile Phone Car Mount, Holder
WIN!
If we forgot any important travel tips or you have advice for packing and traveling, please leave your comments below so we can include them in a future podcast. Everyone that leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for Kathi’s book, The Get Yourself Organized Project.
by kathilipp | Nov 15, 2016 | Christmas, Podcast |
Planning for peace during the holidays
Christmas is a time of celebration. Sometimes it is also a time of conflict. And “hope it goes well” is not a plan, my friends. Today on the podcast, we are discussing how planning for peace in the midst of conflict can calm the overwhelming feelings we are are all getting just thinking about it all. You are often forced to celebrate the holidays with people you have a history with. You love them, but some aren’t as enjoyable to be around as others. Maybe you just hope for the best and that you get through the day. Kathi says, “Hope is not a plan!” Kathi and Roger discuss tips for planning Christmas with less stress and more enjoyment by planning for peace.
Make it Easier!
Resources:
Elfster.com
Elfster is a FREE gift exchange website to make gift-giving easier. We make Christmas, holidays and other gift exchanges free, easy, and fun!
Trello.com
Trello lets you work more collaboratively and get more done. Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible and rewarding way.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Downloads which include: • Creating a Christmas Binder
• Your Christmas Budget
• Your Christmas Gift List
• Your Christmas Box Labels
• Your Christmas Calendar Pages
Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Downloads
by kathilipp | Nov 3, 2016 | Blog, God, Guest Blog, Marriage |
Shortly after getting married, in fact it was on our honeymoon, when I slipped into my flirty pajamas, jumped into bed next to my husband and exclaimed, “OK, I’m ready!” and he asked, “For what?”
I replied with the obvious response, “To pray together … you know, a couple that prays together, stays together? That is what my mom always says.” To which he replied, “I will NEVER pray with you, that just isn’t something I do. It’s personal and between me and God.”
To be fair, maybe my timing was a little off. But I absolutely deflated. My spirit was crushed. Not only did I feel deprived of the coveted marriage ideal that couples are supposed to pray together, it was worse than that. I felt totally duped by my new husband. After all, we prayed together during our courtship.
I was devastated. Something so clearly beneficial to our marriage was rejected. My parents prayed together! And I was certain I fell in love with someone who was going to pray with me. It didn’t seem right! I knew God and I knew He loved me. I knew this was the man He meant for me to marry. He moved mountains to bring us together.
I come from a long line of prayer warriors. I like to think my sweet grandma lived to 103 because she had prayers God still wanted her to be praying. Growing up, when situations arose, my parents always told me to “just pray about it.”
The fact my husband and I didn’t pray together other than to bless our meals unsettled me and rocked my faith. I didn’t want anyone to know because I was certain every other Christian couple prayed together. It was like a cardinal rule for a good Christian marriage.
I loved my husband and I wanted to stay together. But I didn’t like the situation. Honestly, the only thing I could do was “just pray about it.” Instead of “Run Forrest, Run!” It became, “Pray Julie, Pray!” Originally, my prayers were that my husband would pray with me because I knew better and you NEVER say never, especially to God.
I truly believed Matthew 21:22.
You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
What I received by praying was far different than what I thought I wanted.
Through the process of praying without ceasing, God changed my heart and He changed my prayers. My heart turned from criticizing my husband, to seeking to understand my husband. My prideful prayers of me telling God how my husband needed to change eventually evolved into prayers of loving my husband for who he has been created to be.
Through the years, my prayers became more powerful. My husband witnessed first-hand how God faithfully answers even my smallest requests.
A few seasons back, I went through some personal challenges. I was really struggling, and I needed help. I asked my husband to pray for me and he did, without hesitation. He also prayed for me without my asking, just because he sensed I needed him to pray.
I cherish those moments when he pulled me close and prayed over me the most beautiful, loving prayers. Those times assured me how much God loves me and how my faithfulness and prayers honored Him and the man He gave me.
In the past, my husband and I have had this running joke that the first thing out of my husband’s mouth is “no.” This may have been what plagued him on our honeymoon, but I always say, “never say never” because he is definitely not the same man I am married to now.
He has since challenged himself to say “yes” more often. In fact, he took his “yes” a step further and ordered “promise cards” printed with the words: “because I said I would.” He hands these out at random times to people. This year for my birthday my husband gave me a promise card. It was the best gift a wife like me could ever receive. The words on the card said “I will pray with my wife. Because I said I would.”
Over twelve years ago my prayers stemmed from my own selfish motivation to change my husband, but God used them to change me. My consistent and persistent prayers changed the trajectory of our marriage for the better. I never know how or when God will answer my prayers.
But as my faith has grown, so has my trust in God and “knowing” no longer matters. I only do what I am called, which is to obediently seek Him. Today I teach other women how to pray for their husbands as this has simply become an act of obedience in response to an ever-loving God.
Julie Landreth has a passion for healthy and thriving relationships–especially in marriage and friendship. She is a speaker and a “wife coach” who loves sharing with women her passion for prayer and ways to actively cultivate a thriving marriage. She leads a growing number of women in San Jose, CA through her curriculum: Consistency and Persistency: The Art of Praying for your Husband. Having been married 12 years, she and her husband have cultivated a marriage filled with intentional love, effective communication, sustainable fun, and a date night every Friday night for the last 9 years. She also finds deliberate ways to spend quality time with her 9-year-old son who shares many of her artistic talents. In addition, she is a freelance photographer and designer.
If you would like to hear more from Julie and receive 5 Days of Prayers to get you started praying for your husband, please visit her and sign up at
http://eepurl.com/cmn9CX.
Now available!
In this six-week Bible Study you will, possibly for the first time, truly understand how God wants you to be free. Free from clutter so you can be free to change your world. We have an online version as well as a traditional workbook with DVD option.
Find out more: http://www.kathilipp.com/clutter-free-bible-study/
by kathilipp | Nov 1, 2016 | God, Me, Overwhelmed, Podcast |
YOU AND I WERE BORN FOR GREATNESS! “I WANT IT ALL” SHOWS YOU HOW.
The Bible tells us that God is able to do above and beyond what we can ask for or imagine. So why do we rarely dream big dreams, think big thoughts, or expect God to do great things through us? Gwen Smith, author of I Want It All, urges her readers to want more. “You and I were born for greatness,” Smith writes. “Not for the world’s greatness, but for eternal greatness: to know God and showcase God.”
I want it all
Saying I want it all sounds so worldly. We usually associate it with the wanting of money, a nice home, a great job, a fantastic husband, and loyal friends … the list goes on. But what if “ALL” actually is the cry of our hearts to have all that God has made available to us — strength, hope, joy, love and peace? In this inspiring interview with I Want it All author, Gwen Smith, Kathi uncovers the passion behind I want it all and the promises found in the Bible for exactly that, ALL! Gwen shares the moment she discovered just where God was taking her with the writing of this book, as well as the pain of watching her father’s battle with cancer. Discover what ALL can actually look like in your own life.
Weigh in
Finally, we’d love to hear your thoughts on wanting it all. What does I want it all mean in your life and what can you pursue with even more purpose after hearing this episode?
Want more?
This podcast episode reminded us a lot of an episode we did about more than a year ago with called I Want God.
by kathilipp | Oct 27, 2016 | Uncategorized |
I would have never in a million years have thought I would be writing a post about becoming a morning person. Because I never would have thought I would actually be a morning person.
Friends, I like to sleep. I just do, I love my warm bed, and I love my husband who sleeps in it with me. As I struggle with chronic pain and fatigue, sleep is important for my health. I never dreamed it possible for ME to become an early riser.
However, by God’s grace for the last month or so, I’ve officially become a “morning person.” I wake up at 5am every morning (except weekends) to have time for prayer, Bible study and reading. And it grants me little extra time for work before the kids get up.
How did I become a morning person?
Honestly, I’m not naturally a morning person. At least I wouldn’t describe myself as one. BUT, I am definitely NOT a night owl.
I’ve tried putting off projects with the excuse that I’ll work on them later, after the kids go to sleep, but the reality is that come 9pm I’m tired and my brain is not functioning productively. All I want to do is lie on the couch and watch a show. While I can do some work in the evenings, I have found my most productive hours are the morning hours.
Even though I might feel tired in the morning, once I get going, those early hours are when I come up with my best ideas and when I’m most focused.
So, when I found myself struggling with more projects than I had time for and frustrated that my “quiet time” for prayer and Bible study always felt rushed. I felt like the Lord wanted me to change some things around.
I desperately wanted to be a good steward of my time and my responsibilities, so I started to pray for “extra time” somewhere. As a wife and mom of four, I desperately needed quiet time before heading into my busy daily schedule.
Then a friend shared with me how she had started waking up early. It was such a blessing for her and asked if I would be interested in trying it?
Um, OK, God, thanks I get it. (Sometimes He’s so direct in answering prayers, right?)
It took me a few days to get on board, but I knew early mornings were the answer to my prayer. I was apprehensive at first as I had tried waking up early before but couldn’t do it consistently. Initially I started with a five-day time commitment. I would wake up at 5am for five days and if I didn’t want to continue I’d go back to my usual wake-up time.
I was sold after day two. My time with the Lord was so sweet.
There was no going back.
5 tips to becoming a morning person
A few tips that helped me develop a consistent early morning routine:
#1 Pray about it: If you’re feeling like your “quiet time” lacks, or you feel rushed during the day and want to rethink your morning routine, bring it to the Lord. There is nothing in my own strength to make me think I was capable of being an early riser. I needed Jesus to make this happen.
Consider the season you’re in. I had tried to be a morning person before, but it wasn’t the right time. In this life season, I don’t have little ones. My youngest kiddo is six. They all sleep through the night and don’t wake until 7am. My days are not as physically exhausting as they were when I had babies and toddlers.
Becoming a morning person may not be feasible during certain seasons of life. Pray about it. If you feel God speak to your heart that early mornings should be a time to spend together then He will be your strength, but if not, feel free to put it off for another season.
#2 Accountability: Find a friend or group of friends to wake up with you (ideally in the same time zone you are in). Accountability is literally what wakes me up in the morning. I’m part of a group of women who checks in by text every morning.
I know I’m accountable to this group, so I want make sure I get up and send my text to encourage my friends. It helps to know I’m not alone in spending early morning time with the Lord. We share our plans and just have a simple check in every morning.
#3 Set yourself up for success: Waking up early can be hard, but there are things you can do to prepare and make your morning routine go a little more smoothly.
- Make sure you set your alarm (use a tune to wake you up rather than lull you back to sleep).
- Set the timer on your coffee pot so the coffee is ready and waiting when you wake up.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Take care of your health. I personally feel more sluggish and struggle waking up when I’m overdoing it with sugar. Consider what your body needs to feel energized.
#4 Focus on what you get not what you’re giving up: Waking up early is hard. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it. But I’ve found it’s more helpful to focus on what I’m saying yes to. Waking up early for me means saying yes to my time with the Lord, and it’s totally worth it.
#5 Save a seat for Jesus: A friend of mine once shared with me how she asked her mom how she maintained such a consistent quiet time. Her mom confessed she saved a seat for Jesus, where she imagined meeting Him every day. She never wanted to keep Jesus waiting.
I love that and totally borrowed it, now Jesus has a seat at my table where I know He’ll meet me every morning at 5am.
If you are considering becoming an early riser trust that the Lord will honor your sacrifice. Like the loaves and fishes I have watched the Lord take my small offering of the first fruits of my time and multiply it. My days feel more meaningful, and I accomplish so much more by offering Him my time before anyone else. I firmly believe God will honor your sacrifice as well.
Are you considering becoming a morning person? Or are you one already? We’d love to hear any tips you have below in the comments.
Zohary Ross is a life coach, speaker and author of the Aligned Parenting Workbook. Zohary is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to have clearly defined “most importants” and live out their values and priorities. Connect with Zohary at http://zoharyross.com/.
by kathilipp | Oct 25, 2016 | Clutter Free, Overwhelmed, Podcast |
3 Tips To Help You Create a Morning Routine
Simple steps to a Successful Morning Routine
- Write it out
- If you don’t write it down, you’ll get up and spin in circles. What are the most beneficial things you can accomplish first thing in the morning to make the rest of your day go as smooth as possible.
- Block out the time
- Set up the time on your calendar to optimize your time (i.e. no checking social media)
- Prep the Night Before. You know, get the coffee pot ready and set the timer!
FREE DOWNLOAD
The first step to a great routine is to write it down! Download this blank schedule to get started!
Morning people. Some of us are and some of us are SO not. However, we see the benefits of being “up and at ’em” early in the day to get the most accomplished. Research actually shows that morning people actually get more done. As a night owl, you might want to move on but listen in and gain some tips on how to become a morning person. This isn’t an overnight process so take heart. It’s possible! Kathi and Erin, one a born night owl and the other an early bird, share their morning routine and the benefits of becoming an early riser. They’ll also share 3 tips you can use right now to get started on creating a morning routine that will get your day started and help you hit the pillow at night feeling like you’ve conquered your to do list!
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
by kathilipp | Oct 20, 2016 | Clutter Free, God, Guest Blog |
When my students and I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, one line—spoken by the murderous creature to Victor Frankenstein—always gives me a cold chill:
“Slave … You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!”
Each year, I tell my class, “This is such an apt personification of addiction. What starts as a small habit, seemingly under our control, quickly morphs into a monster that takes complete control of our lives.”
I speak from very painful, very personal experience.
Decades ago, when my clutter collecting craze was in full swing, I exhibited many classic signs of addiction.
- Inability to Stop. I made up elaborate budgeting spreadsheets. I put cash in envelopes. But every single time I promised myself, “I’m done buying so much stuff!” I’d see something else and make an exception, “Just this once.”
- Withdrawal Symptoms. I cut up and canceled credit cards. Then, as my anxiety level would rise and I couldn’t calm myself by running out for a quick shopping spree, I’d open new accounts.
- Social Sacrifices. The more stuff took over our home, the less space there was for people. We quit inviting friends and family over because there was no room for them to stay. Or, eventually, even sit.
- Solitude. I never shopped with friends. Going on a buying binge had one purpose: to give me my fix, for which I wanted no witnesses.
- Secrecy. I hid my purchases from my husband, and he had no idea how many credit cards “we” had. He was clueless to the extent of my possession obsession.
- Supply Maintenance. I stockpiled food, toiletries, gifts for upcoming holidays. I started numerous businesses and ordered tons of inventory. Buying these things gave me a thrill. So did storing and counting it all.
- Increasingly High Doses. Just as a drug addict needs larger and larger amounts to experience the “high,” I needed to spend more and more, purchasing bigger and better things, to feel the buying buzz.
- Risky Behavior. I “stole from Peter to pay Paul” regularly, paying bills just in the nick of time to avoid being charged late fees, having utilities shut off, defaulting on loans.
- Financial Difficulties. Our checking account balance was typically so low, I had to call the bank each day to find out how much (if anything) was available for groceries. We ultimately ended up in bankruptcy court.
- Relational Difficulties. When my husband discovered how bad things had gotten, he felt completely betrayed. The bankruptcy process was deeply humiliating for him.
If some of these sound scarily familiar, here are four things I want anyone wrestling with possession obsession to know:
1 — It’s not your fault.
Slinging blame and wallowing in guilt serve no constructive purpose. Facing the facts and taking personal responsibility do. And the most responsible thing you can do is ask for help. Starting now.
2 — You’re not alone.
Shame depends on secrecy; addiction thrives in isolation. When you reach out to those who can help and support you, shame’s power breaks and addiction’s grip loosens. You need accountability, both for individual recovery and for financial recovery.
3 — It’s not too late.
The enemy of your soul says, “You’re beyond all hope!” It’s a lie.
In Romans 7:19-25, the apostle Paul chronicles this vivid description of addiction: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
And reminds you of the hope that is always available to you:
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
4 — Yes, you can.
You can address the core issues that trigger your spending sprees and clutter collections. For me, it came down to a combination of “buying to become” and “never enough” syndrome. Over time, I retrained my brain to disconnect my identity from my possessions, and to revel in gratitude for what I already have.
You can find healthy ways to settle the everyday ordinary problems that a possession obsession promises—but utterly fails—to solve. I’d turned pretty much any “negative” emotion into an excuse to spend: sadness, anger, loneliness, and boredom all lifted (albeit temporarily) with a bit of “retail therapy.”
It took time to develop new self-soothing strategies. Over several months, I built a list of my Favorite Free Ways to Feel Better Fast (which you can download at the end of this article!)
You can develop safe systems for making necessary purchases. I always take a list when heading to Safeway or Target. My husband and I pre-plan major purchases. Whenever something catches my eye, I have a pre-decided wait time (yes, even if it’s on sale.)
I write it on my wish list and set a calendar reminder for a week away. Nine times out of ten, when the alert pops up, I think to myself, “I was going to spend how much for that?!?”
If you feel trapped in possession obsession right now, please know that I understand.
And please hear the truth: Your stuff doesn’t have to morph into a monster that enslaves you.
You can do the brave work to break free. You can learn to master your spending and storing habits so that your stuff serves you, not the other way around.
Sign up to receive updates from Cheri, and receive her FREE “15 Favorite Free Ways to Feel Better Fast” PDF.
Cheri Gregory is the co-author, with Kathi Lipp, of The Cure for the Perfect Life and the upcoming Overwhelmed. Her goal is to equip women to relate and create with less drama, more delight. Connect with Cheri on Facebook and at www.CheriGregory.com.
by kathilipp | Oct 18, 2016 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Podcast, Podcast |
Photos of Erin’s Cabinet and Kathi’s Plate Pattern
Photo of Erin’s Buffet
Kathi’s Plate Pattern
Do you have Possession Obsession? Do you collect things? Do you get it into your head you absolutely have to HAVE something? Kathi and Erin get behind our need to buy things or collect items. Sometimes we are prone to feel like our life is lacking. This lacking may lead us to shop, whether it be walking around our favorite store or shopping online. Erin and Kathi wrestle with the reasons behind their impulse to buy and the rules you can put into place to understand and count the cost of your possession obsession. Kathi talks with Erin MacPherson about what is behind the “need” to buy or keep possessions. Listen in as they share their strategies for reserving time, money and space for what really matters and ultimately placing value in relationships over stuff.
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
