"Parenting is a Marathon and not a Sprint." Wise words from Israel Wayne. I had the blessing of meeting Israel Wayne last summer at a family homeschool camp retreat. A very down to earth person, he has a lot of wisdom and he is not afraid to speak the truth about things. Having been homeschooled himself and now a father of 8, he brings a lot of good advice to the table.
Full-Time Parenting, A Guide to Family-Based Discipleship, takes the thoughts you were already thinking about parenting but maybe, could not fully express and puts it into words with biblical scriptures to back up the concepts he addresses.
As I read this book, I found myself saying, "yes!" "yes!" and "yes!"
Full-time Parenting is a book for parents who not only want to nourish their children physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. How do you deal with "Perfect Family Syndrome" or how can you keep your marriage strong? How do you teach purity or deal with our children being bombarded with technology? Do you have your children work with their hands and eat properly? Do they have structure in their life? Reading time together? Family worship time?
Negative Peer Pressure? No problem! How about no peers to worry about?!
This is not another psychology self-help book but will help you think from a Biblical point of view. Yes, some of his views are not the norms of society, but after studying various families' lifestyles and their outcomes, I believe this book may make you think outside the box. He also gives some ideas on why he thinks some children jump ship and what you can do it about it.
A great resource to keep on your shelf and read time and time again.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this e-book from Family Renewal in exchange for an honest review. To obtain your own copy, order here: https://www.familyrenewal.org/shop/full-time-parenting-e-book/
Friday, January 2, 2015
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Our testimony booklet is here!
http://www.jews-for-jesus.org/store/catalogsearch/result/?q=matched+by+messiah
They wrote up my husband and my story of how we met and got married after knowing each other three weeks as well as how we met our Messiah. A lot of the miracles were taken out due to space. I still would like to raise the money to publish a full version of my testimony which I have already written out. I was thinking of self-publishing it but need about 3000 to get it done right. In the mean time, feel free to order and read this wonderful book. Note, none of the proceeds go to Cyril or I but do go to the ministry of Jews for Jesus who were the ones who published the booklet and put a lot of time into editing it. Very thankful for the hard work they did in getting it together. Esp Ruth Rosen.
They wrote up my husband and my story of how we met and got married after knowing each other three weeks as well as how we met our Messiah. A lot of the miracles were taken out due to space. I still would like to raise the money to publish a full version of my testimony which I have already written out. I was thinking of self-publishing it but need about 3000 to get it done right. In the mean time, feel free to order and read this wonderful book. Note, none of the proceeds go to Cyril or I but do go to the ministry of Jews for Jesus who were the ones who published the booklet and put a lot of time into editing it. Very thankful for the hard work they did in getting it together. Esp Ruth Rosen.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Happy and Healthy Kids in a Crazy World?
April 17, 2007
All my life, I grew up thinking that someday, I would "be somebody." We, women are taught from the time we are in elementary school that we can be anything a man can be and more. Then, we spend thousands of dollars, time and energy in universities studying for a profession. We may even get to work in that profession for a while. But once we have children, everything changes……..
Yes, we can continue to work and many women do for various reasons BUT something suffers. Usually BOTH work and homelife are compromised. In addition, women are stressed, tired and their health is at risk. Now the choice that I was blessed to choose (because I know some have no choice) was stay home and be there as much as I can for my children.
A woman is so excited when she has a baby. As soon as she is pregnant, she looks forward to having that child in her arms. What she doesn’t realize is how much her life changes after that baby. From waking up in the middle of the night to feed that child repeatedly, to changing stinky diapers, to running in and out of the shower quickly because the baby is crying for you, to not being able to even go to the bathroom alone–it is an adjustment to say the least. One, most of us are not prepared for. In addition, most of us don’t live near our families anymore. Personally, living on the westcoast is across the continent from my parents in NYC. However, even those that do live near our family have a hard time getting along with them around the children. Why? Because our parents learned things differently then we did and do things differently.
My mother didn’t breastfeed at all. She was told formula was superior. She can’t understand why I would breastfeed. She thinks I am "crazy." My grandmother-in-law was taught to let babies cry because it’s good for their lungs, even when they are newborn and hungry! One family member says to make the child finish everything on their plate and the other doesn’t. One grandparent wants to give the child candy to make them their friend and the other is complaining how "chubby" the child’s getting.So how can we produce happy and healthy kids in a world that doesn’t even know what that looks like? Stay tuned as I share more ideas…….
All my life, I grew up thinking that someday, I would "be somebody." We, women are taught from the time we are in elementary school that we can be anything a man can be and more. Then, we spend thousands of dollars, time and energy in universities studying for a profession. We may even get to work in that profession for a while. But once we have children, everything changes……..
Yes, we can continue to work and many women do for various reasons BUT something suffers. Usually BOTH work and homelife are compromised. In addition, women are stressed, tired and their health is at risk. Now the choice that I was blessed to choose (because I know some have no choice) was stay home and be there as much as I can for my children.
A woman is so excited when she has a baby. As soon as she is pregnant, she looks forward to having that child in her arms. What she doesn’t realize is how much her life changes after that baby. From waking up in the middle of the night to feed that child repeatedly, to changing stinky diapers, to running in and out of the shower quickly because the baby is crying for you, to not being able to even go to the bathroom alone–it is an adjustment to say the least. One, most of us are not prepared for. In addition, most of us don’t live near our families anymore. Personally, living on the westcoast is across the continent from my parents in NYC. However, even those that do live near our family have a hard time getting along with them around the children. Why? Because our parents learned things differently then we did and do things differently.
My mother didn’t breastfeed at all. She was told formula was superior. She can’t understand why I would breastfeed. She thinks I am "crazy." My grandmother-in-law was taught to let babies cry because it’s good for their lungs, even when they are newborn and hungry! One family member says to make the child finish everything on their plate and the other doesn’t. One grandparent wants to give the child candy to make them their friend and the other is complaining how "chubby" the child’s getting.So how can we produce happy and healthy kids in a world that doesn’t even know what that looks like? Stay tuned as I share more ideas…….
Home All Day--Now what?
April 18, 2007
I remember when I quit my job to stay home with my children. I would call my husband a thousand times through out the day just to hear an adult voice. Then, we joined the YMCA mommy and me classes. That was fun with the first child. We would sing songs, do parachute time, do swimming. But when you have more then one kid, it can get pricey to go to gymboree, music and gymnastic classes. Also, the older child doesn’t seem to enjoy sitting around 1 yr olds singing itsy bitsy spider. And mommy and me swimming? Well, that’s out of the question at this point.So does a mom do with her children who are too young to be schooled? Here are some helpful ideas! Feel free to post your own!
We start our day by playing music. We change the music often. Sometimes its worship songs. Other times, it’s aerobic cds from when I used to teach aerobics. Sometimes, it’s the freeze dance. I try to time how long we listen. At least a half hour. We dance around, do aerobics, jump on the bed! Yes! If I could afford it, I’d buy a trampoline, one for each of my children! Sometimes, I let my 4 yr old be the aerobic teacher. She tells me what to do and we do it. This is one way to praise the Lord and get your exercise in!
Next, we lie in bed and read a children’s bible. Now sometimes it’s not in this order. Sometimes we read our bible first and dance second, depending on our mood.
Third, we eat breakfast. Oatmeal with soy milk, cereal with soy milk, fresh fruit, egg beaters with veggies and once in a while pancakes. I try to have my daughter help with the prep process.
By now it’s almost 9:30AM. Time to dress and shower.Then, what? Here are some ideas:
Coloring, art projects, playdough, blocks, puzzles, games, books, hide and seek, freeze dance again, cars for the little one, dolls for the older one, gears, gears, gears, lincoln logs, ball, volleyball, soccer, ride a bike, do an exercie video, play a computer game (the learning kind) or go on an outing….Parks, museums, the zoo, the beach, walk around the neighborhood with a paper bag and find things, indoor play structures, music classes, mommy and me at the parks and recs, the library, playdates with friends.
1 PM–time for the little ones nap and quiet time for the older child. This is my favorite time to read a bible, a book, a devotion and just rest!
3PM–have a snack and time to clean the house. I usually will pick one room and try to get it tidy as can be. The kids love to help, esp when it comes to laundry. Teach them young!
Now, it’s time to prepare dinner. Again, the older one can help. The younger one may have to play pretend kitchen.After dinner, you got bathtime, book time prayer time and bedtime! It goes quickly!
Tips: Sometimes my kids get wound up in the bath at night and I give them one during the day.I find my daughter cleans her room better in the morning then at night.
Rod and Staff makes great preschool workbooks!
Hallellujah Acres makes cleaning products that are hazard free.
Lovetolearn.com has really fun toys! I just found out about them. We just bought a game on manners good for ages 5 and up. They have moon shoes that have trampolines on them–on my wishlist!
Kids are happier when they get sunshine and exercise. When they pray and read the bible too!Programs with child programs for the young: MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers.org and CBS, Community Bible Study). I LOVE CBS! It’s a bible study for people of all denominations and has a great children’s program! http://www.juiceplus.com/+rg67124
We start our day by playing music. We change the music often. Sometimes its worship songs. Other times, it’s aerobic cds from when I used to teach aerobics. Sometimes, it’s the freeze dance. I try to time how long we listen. At least a half hour. We dance around, do aerobics, jump on the bed! Yes! If I could afford it, I’d buy a trampoline, one for each of my children! Sometimes, I let my 4 yr old be the aerobic teacher. She tells me what to do and we do it. This is one way to praise the Lord and get your exercise in!
Next, we lie in bed and read a children’s bible. Now sometimes it’s not in this order. Sometimes we read our bible first and dance second, depending on our mood.
Third, we eat breakfast. Oatmeal with soy milk, cereal with soy milk, fresh fruit, egg beaters with veggies and once in a while pancakes. I try to have my daughter help with the prep process.
By now it’s almost 9:30AM. Time to dress and shower.Then, what? Here are some ideas:
Coloring, art projects, playdough, blocks, puzzles, games, books, hide and seek, freeze dance again, cars for the little one, dolls for the older one, gears, gears, gears, lincoln logs, ball, volleyball, soccer, ride a bike, do an exercie video, play a computer game (the learning kind) or go on an outing….Parks, museums, the zoo, the beach, walk around the neighborhood with a paper bag and find things, indoor play structures, music classes, mommy and me at the parks and recs, the library, playdates with friends.
1 PM–time for the little ones nap and quiet time for the older child. This is my favorite time to read a bible, a book, a devotion and just rest!
3PM–have a snack and time to clean the house. I usually will pick one room and try to get it tidy as can be. The kids love to help, esp when it comes to laundry. Teach them young!
Now, it’s time to prepare dinner. Again, the older one can help. The younger one may have to play pretend kitchen.After dinner, you got bathtime, book time prayer time and bedtime! It goes quickly!
Tips: Sometimes my kids get wound up in the bath at night and I give them one during the day.I find my daughter cleans her room better in the morning then at night.
Rod and Staff makes great preschool workbooks!
Hallellujah Acres makes cleaning products that are hazard free.
Lovetolearn.com has really fun toys! I just found out about them. We just bought a game on manners good for ages 5 and up. They have moon shoes that have trampolines on them–on my wishlist!
Kids are happier when they get sunshine and exercise. When they pray and read the bible too!Programs with child programs for the young: MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers.org and CBS, Community Bible Study). I LOVE CBS! It’s a bible study for people of all denominations and has a great children’s program! http://www.juiceplus.com/+rg67124
Some more health tips to lose weight and keep it off
I read the book "Healthy at 100" and it helped tremendously!
There has never been a culture that is vegan. The four cultures who live over 100 eat either fish or drink raw goat’s milk. I put wild salmon into my diet, some organic yogurt, and eggs(free range). I ended up going on the rawfoodbootcamp diet and have lost almost 20 pounds. However, with the holidays, I haven’t been motivated to get on the scale.
Things that have helped me to keep the weight off:
1. When hungry, eat raw!
2. Up the cardio–walk an hour a day or do 60 min cardio video like a walk video by Leslie Sansone
3. I just watched a dvd made by a dad how to stay fit at home. I think it’s called Weightless Fitness. So I incorporating quats, lunges, abs, push-ups, seated wall squats, tricep dips and calf raises to my work out every other day and have noticed a difference
4. He recommends doing at least 4 cardio blasts during the hour work out where you can hardly breathe such as jump rope or jumping jacks
5. When I eat just fruit for breakfast and a salad for lunch-I do the best!
Finding Contentment
I wrote this article and started sending it to publishers.
This article was eventually published in Above Rubies magazine. A free magazine that inspires mothers to be who they are meant to be!
Before I was married, there was always this longing to find a man to fulfill the need I had to take away my loneliness. I didn’t have a good relationship with my family so that need for a man to love me was even greater than most.
After meeting and marrying my soul mate in Hawaii, we settled down to a happy life in California. “Happily ever after” right? Well, on most days. But now there was a new concern—what happened to all of my single friends?Suddenly all my friends who were single were not spending the time with me that I would have liked. Soon, God brought more married couples for us to fellowship with. Somehow though, I still wasn’t complete. According to these new friends, we hadn’t arrived yet because we had to have the dream home and the children to go with it. My husband wasn’t ready to settle down with a home yet and we were seen as odd or out of place.
After being married for a while, God blessed us with children despite being told I was infertile. First a beautiful daughter, Gabriella and then three years later, a son, Daniel. At first, the work of taking care of a baby was overwhelming. Again, it seemed my old friends who didn’t have children stopped coming by. If I couldn’t talk to them at 10 PM at night about their relationship problems, I guess I wasn’t good enough to be friends with them by their standards. But again, God brought me some new beautiful friends to spend time with. These friends had children like me. I thought I had finally arrived until…..
These friends started getting to their third, fourth and fifth children and I still could not get pregnant after two. Is something wrong with me? Why the sadness of heart? I have two beautiful children and a wonderful husband yet I thought I needed more. My friend on the other hand was content with one child but not content with her living situation. She thought she needed a much bigger house for her smaller family.Then, there’s the friend with the two children, dog and the picket fence, but now they can’t make their budget and she has to find a job. Another friend is married with two children but wished her husband acted differently.
Suddenly, I found God bringing single friends into my life again and they were able to minister to me more than any other. One friend said it best. “Yes, I want to get married, but I don’t want to make it an idol. My focus needs to be on God.” This got me thinking! I had the husband and two children yet still wanted more. I was not content. Was I making having children an idol just like my friend made having a house an idol or a single person could make getting married an idol? I had never felt so convicted.
Also, the grass is always greener on the other side. Recently, a friend said to me to that she was so sick of people looking down on her because she was single. I almost laughed when she said that because in my circle, stay-at-home moms are always complaining that they are sick of people looking down on them because they stay home and don’t work.
Then there was an article I read recently about a working mom who was envious of her stay at home, homeschooling mom neighbor to find out that her life wasn’t all it appeared to be from the outside. Then, there’s the homeschool mom who envies the woman who gets to dress up in fine clothes and actually have money to get their hair and nails done.
My Pastor tells a story of a man who wanted new shoes but was thankful for the shoes he had when he saw a man across the street with no feet! It seems our human nature is to be discontent. Maybe it’s all the commercials, billboards, and movies telling us that we are not complete unless we have a body like Barbie, brains like Hillary Clinton, new cars, the “dream” home, all those new computer toys and the list goes on.
It is funny to read my daughter’s storybooks that were written a long time ago and see how excited a child got to receive a doll as a present. In one book, the child uses corn on the cob in place of a real doll and she could only look at her sister’s doll with jealousy.
Where has our society gone? Is this spiritual dilemma unique to our society and time or has it always been so?The Bible has a lot to say about contentment which tells me it is something God knew we would struggle with:
1 Tim 6:8 “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
1 Tim 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Phil 4:11-13“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”
Ps 23:1“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Psalm 17:15,"As for me, I will behold Thy face in Righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness"
"Be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14).
There are many more scriptures than this. The bottom line is that in this time of recession, the American “dream” may just be that—a dream for many. Or was it ever a reality to begin with? We have been much more blessed than others in third world countries. What have you thanked God for lately?
I can thank God for many things but the most important thing I am thankful for is having a personal and living relationship with Him daily—knowing that He is there in times of uncertainty and even when things don’t go the way I would like it to go. He is a God of peace.
Being a Jewish believer in Jesus, many Jewish people ask me, “If Jesus is the Messiah, why didn’t He bring peace?” The answer is easy. He did bring peace for those who want it. It’s peace that lies in the heart, knowing that no matter where you are, God is in charge. Peace and contentment go hand in hand. When we start looking at others and what they have, we will lose our peace quickly. Maybe that’s why one of God’s Ten Commandments is “thou shall not covet thy neighbor?”
May 2009 bring the peace and contentment you need for your given circumstances and may “God supply all your needs according to His riches.”
Note: After writing this article, I did get pregnant with our third blessing! God is good!
After meeting and marrying my soul mate in Hawaii, we settled down to a happy life in California. “Happily ever after” right? Well, on most days. But now there was a new concern—what happened to all of my single friends?Suddenly all my friends who were single were not spending the time with me that I would have liked. Soon, God brought more married couples for us to fellowship with. Somehow though, I still wasn’t complete. According to these new friends, we hadn’t arrived yet because we had to have the dream home and the children to go with it. My husband wasn’t ready to settle down with a home yet and we were seen as odd or out of place.
After being married for a while, God blessed us with children despite being told I was infertile. First a beautiful daughter, Gabriella and then three years later, a son, Daniel. At first, the work of taking care of a baby was overwhelming. Again, it seemed my old friends who didn’t have children stopped coming by. If I couldn’t talk to them at 10 PM at night about their relationship problems, I guess I wasn’t good enough to be friends with them by their standards. But again, God brought me some new beautiful friends to spend time with. These friends had children like me. I thought I had finally arrived until…..
These friends started getting to their third, fourth and fifth children and I still could not get pregnant after two. Is something wrong with me? Why the sadness of heart? I have two beautiful children and a wonderful husband yet I thought I needed more. My friend on the other hand was content with one child but not content with her living situation. She thought she needed a much bigger house for her smaller family.Then, there’s the friend with the two children, dog and the picket fence, but now they can’t make their budget and she has to find a job. Another friend is married with two children but wished her husband acted differently.
Suddenly, I found God bringing single friends into my life again and they were able to minister to me more than any other. One friend said it best. “Yes, I want to get married, but I don’t want to make it an idol. My focus needs to be on God.” This got me thinking! I had the husband and two children yet still wanted more. I was not content. Was I making having children an idol just like my friend made having a house an idol or a single person could make getting married an idol? I had never felt so convicted.
Also, the grass is always greener on the other side. Recently, a friend said to me to that she was so sick of people looking down on her because she was single. I almost laughed when she said that because in my circle, stay-at-home moms are always complaining that they are sick of people looking down on them because they stay home and don’t work.
Then there was an article I read recently about a working mom who was envious of her stay at home, homeschooling mom neighbor to find out that her life wasn’t all it appeared to be from the outside. Then, there’s the homeschool mom who envies the woman who gets to dress up in fine clothes and actually have money to get their hair and nails done.
My Pastor tells a story of a man who wanted new shoes but was thankful for the shoes he had when he saw a man across the street with no feet! It seems our human nature is to be discontent. Maybe it’s all the commercials, billboards, and movies telling us that we are not complete unless we have a body like Barbie, brains like Hillary Clinton, new cars, the “dream” home, all those new computer toys and the list goes on.
It is funny to read my daughter’s storybooks that were written a long time ago and see how excited a child got to receive a doll as a present. In one book, the child uses corn on the cob in place of a real doll and she could only look at her sister’s doll with jealousy.
Where has our society gone? Is this spiritual dilemma unique to our society and time or has it always been so?The Bible has a lot to say about contentment which tells me it is something God knew we would struggle with:
1 Tim 6:8 “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
1 Tim 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Phil 4:11-13“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”
Ps 23:1“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Psalm 17:15,"As for me, I will behold Thy face in Righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness"
"Be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14).
There are many more scriptures than this. The bottom line is that in this time of recession, the American “dream” may just be that—a dream for many. Or was it ever a reality to begin with? We have been much more blessed than others in third world countries. What have you thanked God for lately?
I can thank God for many things but the most important thing I am thankful for is having a personal and living relationship with Him daily—knowing that He is there in times of uncertainty and even when things don’t go the way I would like it to go. He is a God of peace.
Being a Jewish believer in Jesus, many Jewish people ask me, “If Jesus is the Messiah, why didn’t He bring peace?” The answer is easy. He did bring peace for those who want it. It’s peace that lies in the heart, knowing that no matter where you are, God is in charge. Peace and contentment go hand in hand. When we start looking at others and what they have, we will lose our peace quickly. Maybe that’s why one of God’s Ten Commandments is “thou shall not covet thy neighbor?”
May 2009 bring the peace and contentment you need for your given circumstances and may “God supply all your needs according to His riches.”
Note: After writing this article, I did get pregnant with our third blessing! God is good!
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