http://ninaroesner.com/for-wives/101-ways-to-respect-your-husband/

On Forgiveness

http://first5.org/plans/Romans%20-%201%20and%202%20Corinthians/ff_romcor_34/

http://sallyclarkson.com/blog/

http://sallyclarkson.com/blog/2016/9/8/take-a-breath-before-you-respond

On Santa Claus

In our family we decided not to do the the Easter bunny or Santa Claus with our kids. We just didn't want to confuse them when they found out they weren't real and leave them wondering if it was like that with Jesus as well. We also didn't want to distract them from Christmas being Jesus' birthday and Easter being about Jesus' resurrection. Here's yet another good reason for us! I love what Noel Piper said about Santa Claus! ;-)
"First, I think children are glad to realize that their parents, who live with them all year and know all the worst things about them, still show their love at Christmas. Isn’t that more significant than a funny old make-believe man who drops in just once a year?"

*However, it never stopped us from having their picture taken with Santa and Uncle Ryan!

Menu Plan 9/5-9/10

Monday-
Trisha Yearwood's baked bean/beef casserole
Squash with cheese
Fried peaches
Tuesday-
Trim Healthy Mama Tilapia Veracruz
THM Roasted Nonstarchies-Squash, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli 
Watermelon
Bread
Wednesday-
Trim Healthy Mama Salad in a jar (Bible study night)

Thursday-
Trim Healthy Mama Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup
Bread
Friday- Pizza night
Saturday-
Trim Healthy Mama Blt Frittata
Sunday-
THM Sweet Potato Bar

Trying this for lunch-
Trim Healthy Mama Waldorf Cottage Cheese Salad

Main grocery items:
bacon
eggs (and some boiled)
cheese
baby tomatoes
green onion
spinach
mushrooms
leafy greens
rotisserie chicken
balsamic vinegar
walnuts or pecans
avocado
green olives
kalmata olives
Finely grated parmesan cheese
Greek yogurt
green apple
lemon
celery
cottage cheese
beef
beans
bbq sauce
8 or so sweet potatoes
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast
cucumber
2 lbs tilapia fillets
Seasoning blend (frozen diced onion, celery, and pepper)
2 poblano chilies
5 large ripe tomatoes
2 limes
cilantro
6-8 jalepeno peppers
onion
2 red bell peppers
2 bags frozen cauliflower florets
4 cups chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
another rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts
jar of salsa

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/09/dear-kids-why-wait-till-marriage-what-no-one-tells-you-what-i-wish-someone-had-told-me/

Had I but Known ~Noel Piper on Adoption

http://noelpiper.com/2013/10/04/t4a-had-i-but-known/

A Prodigal Son

https://www.firstboynton.com/2012/04/04/let-them-come-home-john-and-abraham-piper/

Peacemaking for Families: A Biblical Guide to Managing Conflict in Your Home by Ken Sande

I have only cracked open this book and started reading the preface of this book. I haven't even finished the 2nd paragraph and have already found something valuable!

"We can be peace-fakers, denying that we have problems, always giving in, or becoming distant from family members."
~Sadly, I'm pretty good at this one. :( Often I call it being "longsuffering" but then I find I've been letting things build of for a couple of weeks or so and explode with the things I've been "longsuffering" over. Hmm. In times like that, I find I've really been walking in my own strength than giving it to the Lord and truly forgiving.

"We can be peace-breakers, relying on manipulation, a sharp tongue, or overt anger to compel others to give in to our wishes."
~Yep! I have trouble with this one too! I am thankful that I have grown in this area over the years and pray I continue to.

"Our third option is to use the conflicts of family life to become peacemakers, drawing on God's grace and practicing the powerful peacemaking principles He has given to us in His Word. This approach may require a lot of work and change, but it is the surest way to preserve your marriage and see your family mature in love, in character, and in its witness for Christ."
~Now this. This is the one we want to see in our home. :)

The first chapter is called, "Marriage Means Conflict..."

Pursuing Love ♡ September

Colossians 3: 1-17 And so this is what I want to focus on this month. I have already been put to the test and failed! It's been rough making the adjustment of beginning the new schoolyear. It didn't help that we went to Tennessee (though worth it) and got behind on co-op work. The kids have had a heavy load putting almost 2 weeks of co-op work into one week. It has me stressed. We have had some "storms" in the house and I have felt discouraged. :( But it does show me my desperate need for the Lord and I am crying out to Him for help as a mama and a wife. I want to keep focusing on not saying anything negative to or about my spouse because, well, that is just priceless. I want to put off anger and some of the "talk" I've heard coming out of my mouth. I want to put on kindness, patience, a compassionate heart, bear with these others in my home, and forgive continually. I also want to look back at my August commitments for pursuing love and apply them. 

I was interrupted with a couple of moments to apply these things even as I wrote this post- one a fussy toddler+ and a grumpy bigger kid.I'm going to try and see these trying times as "opportunities." These are opportunities to put God's word into practice. I am praying for God to use these to grow me and to grow the ones in my home too. It is here that I believe we should love the best, to be authentic in this home, so that we can then go and show Christ's love to others outside of it. There is nowhere to hide here. These people see all our flaws, our ideosyncracies, our failures... But may this place be a place where kindness, compassion, love, forgiveness, long suffering, understanding grows more and more. May we learn to reflect and imitate Him well...someway, somehow. By His doing.

Put On the New Self

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christwho is your^[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:^[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming.^[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice,slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self^[d] with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[e] free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,compassionate hearts, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience,¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.