#125 Wanting God More Than Anything Else

#125 Wanting God More Than Anything Else

Do you want God more than anything else?

After a quick trip down memory lane (does anyone else still use Elizabeth Arden Sunflower perfume like Kathi does?), this week’s guest, Lisa Whittle, author of I Want God, shows us how to find spiritual revival in the midst of our crazy, scary lives. She helps us see that a close, deep, deconstructed relationship with God is not only possible, but is actually simple to get. She tells us how:

• We can get over our fear of revival and get started on a journey to go deeper with God in a real way.
• The disconnect between our desire for God to deconstruct us and the fear that he will can stand in the way of our  spiritual growth.
• To allow yourself to fully feel the God hunger within you and then to do something about it.
• Christians can hop off the roller coaster of passion with God for a truly, deep relationship with our God.

Download Lisa’s free 7-day Wanting God devotional to start your own soul revival. Plus, tell us in what area of your life your heart is crying for God most and you will be entered to win a free copy of Lisa’s book I Want God.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Are you ready to want God more? Ready for spiritual revival? Don’t miss out on the #GiveGod7Days Challenge devotional. This link will take you to Lisa’s site where you can sign up (scroll down to find it).

Meet Our Guest

Lisa Whittle

Lisa Whittle

Author and speaker, Lisa Whittle, is a natural leader and bold thinker. Her refreshing, bottom line approach appeals to audiences across the nation as she points them to a passionate pursuit of God.

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

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I am a mass consumer of vanilla extract.

I have vanilla on my oatmeal every single morning. The problem? I can absolutely tell the difference between vanilla extract and imitation vanilla. And the real stuff? It’s not cheap.  At our grocery store, the good stuff is $3 an ounce. Our family joke was that it would be cheaper for us to take a Baja cruise and get of in Ensanada to buy cheap vanilla than for me to get it at Costco.

So when I saw recipes floating around the web for homemade extract, I gave it a try. It is super easy (the hardest part is waiting the six weeks for the beans to masticate in the vodka.

Want to make this cheaper (and oh so delicious) version?

This is all you need:

1.75 liter bottle of Vodka

25 Vanilla Beans (If you want to just try this recipe out you can buy 25 beans here. If you want to go into mass production, here is where you can buy beans in bulk.)

 

1. Cut the beans lengthwise down the middle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This will open up the beans and let all the good “vanilla dust” soak into the vodka.)

 

 

 

 

2. Put the cut vanilla beans in the vodka bottle. Replace the lid and shake the bottle. Store the vodka bottle in a cool, dark place and shake the bottle once a week for the next six weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If giving as gifts, you can order these adorable brown bottles off of Amazon. fill each bottle with four ounces of your six week old vanilla extract.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add a cute label. (Anything can be elevated with a cute label.) This is an Avery kit with all sorts of pre-designed labels. All you have to do is add your verbiage and you are good to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world’s cutest gift. With a personalized label:

Lipp Private Reserve
Vanilla Extract
Bottled 2014

Delicious and about 10% of the cost of store bought vanilla.

I’ve given vanilla extract to all of my kids and they have all demanded refills!

 

5 Ways to Avoid Conflict During the Holidays

5 Ways to Avoid Conflict During the Holidays

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Is it possible to avoid conflict during the Holidays? I think so!

But the time to start thinking about it is now – not when you start threatening your husband with a spontaneous trip to your moms house because you just can’t stand his mom anymore.

All of these strategies, (bathed in prayer and a whole lot of grace and some extra dark chocolate thrown in for good measure,) will help this be the most peaceful holiday season since the time you and your husband got snowed in and couldn’t travel to be with family.

Here are a few tips:

Have the conflict early. Most of the conflict that families experience is because we are trying to avoid conflict early on. We hope that things will “Just work out.” And that everyone will, “Just be cool.” If there is a hard conversation that needs to be had about how your father-in-law talks to your kids, or how much your adult daughter drinks at the family gathering, the time to have those hard conversations is November 5th – not November 27th.

Take the “Plans” approach. My stepdaughter, Amanda, just got engaged this week. We could not be more thrilled and it’s kind of hard to contain our excitement about planning. So when she called me to talk wedding plans, I said, “Hey, if you don’t want to get together and talk weddings, I totally understand. You’ve got a lot of people you’re trying to please.” Then she told me something that made my burst with pride. She said, “Actually, I’m doing the same thing you and dad do. I’m saying, ‘Here are the plans I’ve made. If you’re able to join us for ________, that’s great. If not, we totally understand.’ She said that it’s taken so much of the pressure off of trying to make everyone happy, and giving people a choice.

I love it. She is behaving in a totally healthy way, not giving her control over to other people, and not feeling like she needs to control others either.

Know the Rule of Three. In engineering, there is an old saying; “You can have it better, cheaper, and faster. Pick two out of three.” And it’s true. How could you have a product delivered with better quality, made cheaper, and ahead of schedule? It might be possible, but you’ll kill the engineer in the process.

Roger and I have adopted a similar motto for family celebrations; “You can celebrate on the right day, you can have the whole family together, or you can have people be happy about it. Pick two out of three.”

With blended families and in-law relationships (heck, even if your son is dating a girl!), holidays not only put stress on you and husband, but on your kids as well. They are charged with keeping loyalties, keeping the peace, and keeping things from blowing up.

We realized early on in our marriage that there were two things that were important: Having everyone together, and everyone being as happy (as possible) about it. The date? That really didn’t matter to either of us. Often, we celebrate on a different date. We are having Thanksgiving on the actual day this year, but we are celebrating Christmas on the 26th when all the kids can be here. On the 25th? Church and then jammies all day.

Budget. If money is one of the biggest stressors, then the weeks leading up to Christmas are the Hot Zone times on the calendar for conflict. Come up with your budget now so that everyone’s expectations will line up.

Ask. Ask your family what traditions are important, and which ones have run their course. All the kids love the Starbucks and Christmas light night, but are over the matching pajamas on Christmas morning? Kill the PJs and keep the lights.

#125 Wanting God More Than Anything Else

#124 A Christmas that is Peaceful, Connected and Meaningful?

Peaceful. Connected. Meaningful.

Those are all words that should describe the Christmas season, but do they? So often we get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the season and lose sight of what really matters. We want to help you change that. This week, Kathi and Erin will:

• Give you simple, meaningful ideas on how to get rid of what doesn’t matter during the holidays so you can focus on what does.
• Share fun shopping tips, easy decorating ideas and even a few photo mishaps to help you realize that the holidays can be so much more than a time of hurried frenzy.
• Give you 21 days of simple projects that will give you the simple tools and organizational strategies you need to make this holiday season peaceful, connected, meaningful and much more.

Listen in, and then click the sign up button below in the resources section to subscribe to Kathi’s 21 Days to Organize Your Christmas Project. Plus, download our freebie list of shopping ideas that will help you find the perfect, budget-friendly gift for everyone on your list (scroll down to the Download section for the list).

FREE DOWNLOAD

We promised you a list of our favorite simple (no major crafting ability required) and inexpensive yet totally thoughtful gift ideas. Check them out here and let us know which ideas you’ll be using this Christmas!

Meet Our Guest

Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson

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.

Are You Ready for the Christmas Challenge?

Are You Ready for the Christmas Challenge?

Okay, so I know it’s just now the first of November, and we’ve still got Thanksgiving to celebrate…which we will! We’re so thankful for everyone of you and thankful for so many blessings in our lives!

BUT, Christmas will be here before you know it. Think about it. Church musicals, Progressive dinners, and family gatherings will start to fill up your December calendar before November is even halfway through. This can be an exhausting time of year, (and if you contract the lovely stomach flu that tends to go around during the Holidays, that adds to the “joy”) but it doesn’t have to be.

That’s why we’ve decided to do a Christmas Challenge this year. We want to help you get ready for the joyous season so you won’t be too overwhelmed to remember the REASON for the season.

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So if you missed my Quick Start post last week, check it out!

And make sure to sign up for the 21 Day Organize Your Christmas Challenge!

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Photo of woman: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Shopping_g379-Christmas_Shopping_p38370.html

 

Ten Things to Do for your Husband When Marriage is Hard

Ten Things to Do for your Husband When Marriage is Hard

10ThingstodoHusbandLast week, I published a list of 10 Things to Say or Text When Marriage Is Hard. The response? Overwhelming. It became one of my most popular posts of all time. And I get it – marriage is hard and we are all looking for ways to connect during the hardest times.

But as much as words mean during these times, actions can be even more important. So here is my list of what to do for your husband when marriage is hard.

  1. Feed Him When life is at its busiest and we just seem to keep missing each other, food can make all the difference. Cook him one of his favorites- your recipe, his mother’s, whatever food makes him feel like everything might be OK for just this one hour. Bonus points if you sit down together and eat.
  2. Brag on Him Let him hear you bragging on him – to your friend, to your kids, to his mom. Pick one thing he did this week (went to work on a hard day, played tickle monster with the kids,) and make sure he knows how much it meant to you.
  3. Unburden Him Is there one of his regular chores that you could take off his list. A few months ago, I took my husband’s car to get washed. We were both having a rough week and I knew that he hated going and having it washed. When I got home I asked my son where my hubby was. My son said, “He said he was going to go get your car washed.”
  4. Seduce Him Sex has an instantly relaxing power over men. It is usually the fastest way to break down tensions and meet his needs.
  5. Date Him Plan a date geared for him. Get a gift card to his favorite dinner spot and two tickets to a movie that involves a ball, something blowing up, or robots.
  6. Treat Him A Jamba Juice can improve my husband’s outlook on the world. Surprise him with a little something to let him know that you were thinking of him.
  7. Encourage Him When life is hard, your man may have trouble seeing his worth. Reassure him that you see it, even when everything around you both is difficult.
  8. Tag Him Give your man a Facebook shout out and let the world know why he is just that awesome.
  9. Pray for Him Set an alarm on your phone and stop and pray for your husband every single day.
  10. Surprise Him I have an alert on Amazon any time my man’s favorite author comes out with a new book. Surprise him with something he loves.

 

 

#125 Wanting God More Than Anything Else

#123 What to Say When Marriage is Hard

Thank you.

I’m sorry.

How can I help you?

Have you ever had a hard time knowing what to say to your husband, especially when you’re at a tough place in your marriage? It’s hard. But often all it takes to rebuild a connection is a few, intentional and encouraging words. In this podcast, Erin and Kathi will:

  • Share simple things you can say (or text) to your husband when marriage is tough.
  • Help you to find the sticky points in your marriage so you know how to avoid those rough places—and to climb out of those dark corners when you are stuck in them.
  • Encourage you to intentionally pursue your husband with respectful and encouraging words.

Listen in, and then click here to read Kathi’s entire list of words you can use to build connections in your marriage.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Marriage is HARD. Sometimes we need a little help in knowing where to start and what to say when a particularly difficult situation arises. Download this cheat sheet of phrases and words to say to your husband in those relationship straining times.

Click here to download.

Meet Our Guest

Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson

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.

Nicaragua with Compassion International

Nicaragua with Compassion International

Compassion2014When my agent asked me if I wanted to speak on behalf of Compassion International two years ago, I was intrigued. I’ve always loved their work, and our church has a project in Nicaragua.

But you know how these things go – we had a couple of conversations, but it never really went anywhere. Yes, we sponsored a child, but I didn’t really have a story that was compelling for audiences about Compassion and the idea of supporting kids.

About six months ago, I hired a new booking agent, Julie. Julie has a huge heart, is super talented, and oh – she used to work for Compassion with their Artist Program (working with speakers and musicians.)

So I told Julie about my desire to work with Compassion – and she set up the call. The call that changed it all…

When we talked with Nate with Compassion, he said yes, we’d love for you to speak on behalf of Compassion. Then he asked, “Do you already have a Compassion child?” When I told him that yes, we sponsored Roger in Nicaragua, Nate suddenly got very quiet. Finally he asked, “What are you doing November third through seventh?”

Ummmm…

That’s when Nate invited me to go to Nicaragua to meet Roger and see the work that Compassion was doing there. Then Nate asked, “Do you want to go?”

And my first thought was “Um – NO!”

I’m not ready.

I need to speak Spanish first.

I need to lose more weight first.

I need to be in better shape.

I need to write more letters to Roger.

I’m not ready.

But good thing I didn’t say that out loud.

What I did say was, “Let me talk to my husband and pray about it.”

In other words, I did the Jesus-y stall tactic.

As much as I feared going. (“What if I held other people back? What if I got sick from bug bites like in Japan and had to be hospitalized again? What if…”) What I realized I feared more was not going.

Not doing what so clearly felt like a divine God-only opportunity.

Not doing what I knew I wanted to do, but feared.

So we said yes.

My Roger (my husband) is also going. We are taking the typhoid meds, we are learning very bad Spanish, and we are shopping for shoes and T-shirts for little Roger, who we get to meet in just over a week.

Fear almost kept me from the God-adventure of a lifetime. But I refuse to let fear have a foothold in my life. Fear is the one thing that will keep me from saying yes to God. I want fear to have no room to get comfortable in my life.

 

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#125 Wanting God More Than Anything Else

#122 Motherhood can be Wonderful

What is one word you would use to describe your motherhood?

Kathi said overwhelming.  Erin said chaotic.  Leslie Ludy, our guest, said neither have to be part of your parenting story.  Leslie put off having kids for a long time as she feared all the horror stories.  She didn’t want to lose the wonderful love story that she had built by adding kids to the mix.  But when her kids came, life may not have been simple (her oldest son had acid reflux) but it was wonderful. In this podcast, she tells women how they can:

  • gather their community,
  • change their attitudes,
  • and realize God is building them,

as they partake in the joyous, exciting and sometimes crazy ride that is motherhood.

When you are feeling overwhelmed as a mom, what is one thing you do to get yourself back on track? Share a tip below for your chance to win a book from Set Apart Motherhood.

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Meet Our Guest

Leslie Ludy

Leslie Ludy

Leslie Ludy is a bestselling author and speaker with a passion for helping women become setapart for Christ. She and her husband, Eric, have published twenty books with well over a million copies in print and translations in over a dozen languages, including When God Writes Your Love Story, Authentic Beauty, and Set Apart Femininity. Leslie is the founder and director of Set Apart Girl®, an international ministry that provides biblical encouragement and training for Christian women. She and Eric have four children at home, with two more on the way soon from Haiti! The Ludy family lives in Colorado.

Quick Start Your Christmas

Quick Start Your Christmas

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It’s almost Christmas. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true and procrastinating about it will not only stress you out, but will cause you to miss the beauty of the season. (Trust me I’m talking to myself here too!) So what are we gals going to do about it? I for one would like to enjoy Christmas this year without a ton of stress. I’d like to focus on Jesus, you know, the reason for the season. This month we are going to focus on 3 areas to Quick Start our Christmas. Then, on November 3, we will begin the 21 Day Organize Your Christmas Challenge.

 

Quick Start Tip #1: Start your gift list now – with amounts to spend.

Gift giving can truly be the most stressful part of Christmas and it really should be one of the most enjoyable! With tight budgets, picky gift receivers, and Pinterest perfect pressure, it’s tempting to put gifting off for the last minute. For all of those reasons, this seems like the most logical place to start. A gift giving plan will give you focus and help you stick to the budget.


Start by brainstorming all the people that you normally buy gifts for:

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Service people
  • Neighbors
  • Coworkers
  • Teachers

 

This is also a great time to talk about expectations with those who are on your list.
Several years ago we let our kids know, early on, that our Christmases were going to start looking different. With four kids and not a lot of money, we needed to focus more on family and faith and less on finding the perfect gift. We now give each kid three gifts: Something to wear, something for fun, and something growth (education, spiritual growth.) We have a budget for each kid and stick to it. We used to spend hours opening gifts and getting unwrapping fatigue. Now, the gift portion of our time is small, but the games and talking part of the holiday are what everyone look forward to.

 

Maybe there are a few people on your list that are on there out of obligation.
What about having a conversation with them about redoing Christmas – instead of buying another body wash gift set for each other, what if you took that money and went to lunch together in January, or went in on a goat for a family through World Vision? Make new traditions with those you love.

 

Quick Start Tip #2: Grab a Calendar and Firm Up Where and Who

 

Plan where you will be spending your time – and with whom.
We have a blended family, so trying to share our kids with multiple other families has gotten complicated over the years. Even without a blended family, extended family and all of their extended family can make for some complicated planning. Talk early and often about plans for the holidays. Last year we had everyone on Christmas. This year, we will be hosting the big Thanksgiving feast, and will celebrate Christmas on a different day. Flexibility and early planning with keep you from tears.


 

Quick Start Tip #3: Sign up for the 21 Days to Organize Your Christmas Challenge

Starting November 3rd, I will be taking you through three weeks of Christmas prep. This is absolutely free – my gift! A few minutes every day, in November, will help you have the most peaceful and Christ-centered Christmas possible. Join me and hundreds of other women for simple ideas to pull off the best Christmas ever.

 

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