The S Word

Just now, Number 2, my self-sufficient 11 year old, getting a glass out of the cabinet for a drink, drops it on the tile kitchen floor and it breaks into a hundred pieces.


"Oh my goodness," he quietly exclaims and looks around sheepishly.


"It's no big deal, sweetie. I would have said, 'Damn it."


"I would have said The S-word," he said.


Touche.


Another day, another story,
Em

"That Works For Me" e-Book Review and Giveaway

That Works For Me is a fantastic new e-book that just so happens to feature a recipe of mine (SHOCKING I know) that Numbers 1-4 and I came up with to break up the normal pizza, chicken nuggets, PB&J rotation around here. It's not health food, but it's FUN food (Tip Number 688).

That Works For Me is a categorized compilation of more than 800 practical tips from hundreds of different blogs. Everything you can imagine is covered in 24 chapters:

Baby, Beauty, Blogging, Cleaning, Craft, Décor, Frugal, Garden, Gift, Green, Holiday, Homeschool, Hospitality, Kitchen, Laundry, Marriage, Odds and Ends, Organization, Parenting, Pets, Recipes, Time Management, Tech/Computers, Travel

See for yourself on YouTube.

"That Works for Me" is $8.00 and a portion of the sales will benefit Mercy House. For $1 off use the code SAVE1, when you place your order here.  

Also:

**Enter to win a gift card for house cleaning ($150 value), by submitting your own tip at That Works for Me.

**Follow @works4mebook on Twitter

**Find That Works for Me on Facebook

**Keep track of tips via Pinterest


Another day, another story,
Em

Click here to visit wearethatfamily.

Disclosure: We did receive a review copy of this book. Also, if you purchase the book through the 16 Balls in the Air site, we receive a percentage.

Practice: the Troublesome prayer

In January I wrote about our family word for the year, Practice.  We've been practicing one small, graceful, soul building habit each month.  This month we are practicing the troublesome prayer.

Our first month of practice, the baintrain took turns reading aloud the Armor of God then talked about what piece of armor we employed during our day at the dinner table.  Not every single day, but more than not.  

I thought the Fruits of the Spirit would be a good follow up but our reading ways waned and attention vanished.  Above all I want the Practice to engage them, not be preachy or something to endure.

Then a friend sent me the super sweet gift of Jesus Calling.  After reading for only a few days, I thought the devotionals and the simple ways to remember His presence would be a perfect fit for our Practicing routine.  For the last month, before early morning milking, I've read the passage for the day and we talk about it a bit.  Takes about ten minutes, tops.  Again, not everyday, but more than not.

We hadn't talked about what our new practice for April would be  until yesterday.  We all sat around the kitchen counter, some content to be awake, others not so much and read this:

When you trust me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes...Thank Me for troublesome situations...

That began a flurry in interesting and enlightening conversation about what constitutes a troublesome situation.   

It's having to get up and go milk when you're tired.  It's school when you'd rather play outside.  It's an aggravating conversation with a brother who won't see you're right.  It's having to eat soup again for supper or forgetting your ball glove on the way to practice or being told not.right.now... the fact is, our small lives are filled to the brim with {seemingly} troublesome situations. 

IF. 

If we forget.  If we overlook or generally eliminate the transforming power of gratitude in the moment.

So this month our soul-building, grace-seeking practice will be thanking Him for troublesome situations, while we are in the situation.  

Even practicing this a little will be heart perfecting Peace!

Join us?

Lib

linked to Ann and this lovely grace party