Knowing It's Okay to Take Time Off

Have you ever forgotten to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer? That smell is not a particularly pleasant one! What about forgetting about something cooking on the stove or in the crockpot? Eww! Too many things going on are sure to bring mishaps with one or more of them!

Most moms I know try to do a lot in their normal, everyday lives. They homeschool, are involved in church activities, possibly involved in their children's outside activities, participate in Bible studies, prepare weekly menus, clean the house, and some work outside the home on top of all the things they do for their family!

I fall into many of these things, too. But sometimes we need to take a step back and say, "I need to take care of me instead of  continuing to (insert that thing you can or probably SHOULD step back from for a bit!)" and we need to know it's okay to take some time off. That can be difficult to do, but it is oftentimes necessary.

That's where I am at with Super Mom the Illusion. I know it has ministered to many of you over the past three years. But I have neglected some areas of my life that I know God has called me to do. I love to write these blog posts because they not only speak to the situations of many women, moms and homeschoolers but they also allow me to work through some of those things in my own life in which God needs me to listen to Him more.

What does all this mean for Super Mom the Illusion?
Well, I have decided that I need to take a break. So while there may be a weekly post here and there or some SHARING of things via Facebook, I will not be posting regular posts. I will start up again in January 2015 with a new logo and more and more things to encourage, empower, engage and entertain you as women, moms and homeschoolers!
What can you do in the next few months? 
Pray for me, send me emails if you need me to pray for you, and listen to the Lord for anything else He would have you do during this hiatus. If you find yourself in need of some encouragement, read back on the past blog posts. I've gathered three years of my own experiences as a mom and homeschooler and those things are just waiting to be shared with you and others!

So while it is not what I would like to do, I know taking some time off from writing is necessary. Don't be discouraged! I'll finish posting this month and start my break in October!
What things are you continuing to do in your life that maybe need to be temporarily put on the back burner?

Blessings!!

It's Okay to Step Away from Some Things...

Knowing Your Priorities and Making Them First

I love to play around on Facebook. I enjoy checking in with friends and family, getting those wonderfully encouraging Scripture pictures, and laughing at cute animal videos. But sometimes I just have to make myself step back and ignore those posts I look forward to seeing.
You may have heard that it is important for moms to take care of themselves in order to best take care of their families. I definitely agree with that! All too often we put the kids ahead of ourselves, our husbands come first, and the friend groups we are a part of take precedence over what we need.

• We need time to go to the bathroom alone.
• We need time to pamper ourselves.
• We need time to get alone with God, uninterrupted.
• We need time to refresh and renew our minds.
• We need time to build our faith.
• We need time to feel pretty.
• We need time to feel that we are of high value to our families and to God.
• We need time for us!

As the weekend approaches, don't feel like you have to say "Yes!" to everything, to LIKE and comment on every friend or family member's Facebook/Instagram/Twitter update, or to always be available for others. Remember to take time for yourself  to feel pampered, loved, and valued as a daughter of the Most High God. Make YOU a priority in your life!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Do you ever feel like you are living in a state of chaos? School books are still on the table, dinner is late being made, the baby needs a diaper change, your devotional time with God was cut short when your middle child woke up with an upset stomach just in time to throw up down the hallway on his way to the bathroom, and didn't you just clean and vacuum a few hours ago?
Well, I found a wonderful planner to help get busy moms. It won't help with the diapers and sick little ones, but it will help you schedule your time with the Lord as well as the rest of your day.
It's the Abigail Weekly Planner and Journal by Diadem Planners.

There's 5 pages of Scriptures in the front  that include declaring who the Lord is, what He says about you as His child, prayer requests, menu planner, appointment calendar, a journal for challenges you've had throughout the week and even a place for a weekly budget!
It's a 6-month planner and the only thing I would like to see the publishers change is to make the book spiral bound so that it can be laid out when journaling or writing out menu plans, etc.
If you're a busy mom or a busy woman, this planner is great for organizing the chaos in your life!

You can order this planner through Diadem Planners' Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DiademPlanners.

Tip Tuesday: Pumpkin Face Mask

It's that time of year when Pumpkin Spice lattes come back, pumpkin bread is in high demand and we want more of all things PUMPKIN!
Our friends Patti and Tawsha at Organized Chaos Online are sharing their recipe for a Pumpkin Face Mask today.

Ingredients

-1/2 cup fresh pumpkin pulp

-2 eggs

-2 teaspoon almond milk (for dry or combo skin)

-1 teaspoon honey (for dry skin)

-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice (for oily skin)

Instructions

Purée the fresh pumpkin pulp.then add the egg.

If your skin is dry, stir in a splash of omega-rich almond milk and the honey.

For oily skin, instead stir in apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice.

Mix well.

Apply the mask on your face, leaving it on for 15-20 minutes.

Rinse with cool water and moisturize.

Enjoy!!

Expecting the Favor of the Lord

Over the weekend, my youngest son was playing football with his friends. Long story short, he landed wrong on his wrist and felt that something might be wrong. I was out picking my older daughter up from dance rehearsal and when I got home, my 17-year-old son told me what happened. I knew the only way to tell for sure if it was broken was to go to the Emergency Department and have it x-rayed.

Now let me just say, we don't often get sick, hurt or injured to the extreme of needing to be seen by a doctor, let alone needing to go to the ER. Although I used to be an EMT, I am not a big fan of this department in the hospital, and unfortunately, that weekend night was no different. The triage nurse informed us they were "backed up with tons of people," obviously an exaggeration, but I began to pray that we would be called back to a room sooner than anticipated. Thankfully, we were called back ahead of a few people who had come in before us! That was the favor of the Lord, and I knew it!

How often do we find a parking place toward the front of the grocery store when we want one? And when we find that great spot, how often do we stop and acknowledge it as God's favor? What about when we're waiting in line and our line goes a little faster than we expected? Or a job is offered when we were in need that fit perfectly with what we've been wanting? Or what about when someone says, "Well, I don't normally do this, but for you, I will"? That's the favor of the Lord working in your life! The favor that we should be expecting because we hare His children.

This week, I want to focus on this aspect of the Favor of the Lord:

The favor of the Lord brings me prominence and preferential treatment. (Esther 2:7-10).


When that great parking place is open, that's preferential treatment!
When a job is offered to you that aligns perfectly with what you've wanted, that's prominence!
When you're waiting in the Emergency Department to be seen among several sick and injured, but your name (or the name of the person you brought in!) is called sooner than expected, that's preferential treatment!

In this series, we'll explore some of the aspects of the Favor of the Lord so that we can begin walking in that expectation of God's unexpected favor in our lives!

And my young son, the new 13-year-old young man, broke his wrist...This week I will call the orthopedic doctor to set up an appointment to get his hard cast put on. And I'm expecting God's favor on us as we call to get in sooner than we expected!

Blessings!

Friday 'Fess Up

Today I intended on getting this post out early. I was obviously late in doing so, but I didn't allow myself to just brush that off and give up on writing today. I made a commitment to myself, to God and to you, my readers to be intentional about writing blog posts. So today's 'fess up is that I didn't quit or give up! That's what Satan wants us to do though. He wants to distract us and keep us from fulfilling the purpose God has for us. But you know what? We are overcomers! So don't quit and don't give in!!

What did you do today to keeping moving and not allow yourself to quit?

Blessings!

Satisfied...but Restless

Okay, okay. The title is a bit off. You see, it's not that I'm restless because I'm not satisfied with where I'm at in life. It's more that I know there is something more coming and more that I should be doing! Today, I realized why I'm restless about some things in my life and calling: I haven't really done anything to move to where I want to be!

Since this is the anniversary of the planes that were taken over by terrorists and thousands of innocent people were killed, I've been thinking about those men and women who were restless to get back control of the aircraft they were in. And how they didn't hesitate to rush the terrorists, run into a collapsing building, help people who were trapped and put their lives on the line for the sake of others.
I think of the families that were left behind and how they didn't hesitate to begin creating foundations and organizations to help those who were affected during the attacks. They sought out means to provide for those who were in need. That's what I want to be able to do, too!

Image by Jodi Cotten

I don't know all the answers to the questions I have: Where do I start? How can I get moving toward my goal? Is this part of God's plan for my life? What if no one is interested in what I'm trying to do? And the BIG question: What if I fail??

But you know what I've come to realize? The reason I am restless is because God put something in me to fulfill that goal, that dream, that vision. And until I am heading more confidently and specifically in that direction, I will remain restless. So I will take my own advice from last week and I will make a list of things that I can do to start moving in the direction of my vision!

The last thing I want is to become stagnant in my striving for my goal!

Have you decided it's time to take action and move toward your vision and goal? What can you do today, this week, this month that will propel you toward that goal? Now GO and DO!!

Blessings!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Today, I will present you with THE perfect formula for your homeschool environment.

Stay inside.
Go outside.
Use workbooks.
Use textbooks.
Use online curriculum.
Use no curriculum.
Have desks for your students.
Have a place at the dining room table for your students.
Let your children sit on the couch to do school.
Let your children lie on the floor to do school.
Let your children sit on their beds to do school.
Have graded tests.
Have evaluations.
Have no formal assessments.
Follow a grade level scope and sequence.
Follow no scope and sequence.
Use only pencils.
Use only pens.
Use sidewalk chalk.
Use crayons.
Don't use technology.
Use technology.
Teach your children to write in manuscript.
Teach your children to write in cursive.
Use the Classical Approach to schooling.
Use the Traditional Approach to schooling.
Use the Charlotte Mason Approach to schooling.
Use unschooling.
Focus on Literature.
Focus on mathematics.
Focus on science.
Focus on history.
At a theme park.
On vacation.
Exploring your city,
Journeying to a nearby state.

Seeing a pattern? It doesn't matter what your schooling environment looks like as long as it works for you and your children as you school them. There is no right way and no wrong way! Teaching your children to learn to learn and to want to continue learning is what it's all about.
Don't worry about what other homeschooling families are doing. Do what works best for YOUR family!

Blessings!

TIP TUESDAY: Homemade deodorant

I am a big fan of homemade products! Laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, deodorant, weed killer, and so many other things. Today, I'm sharing MY recipe for deodorant with you. It's so inexpensive and you KNOW what you are putting on your skin when you're done.

Here is the basic recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder/flour
5-7 tablespoons coconut oil
3-4 drops of favorite essential oil (I use lavender!)

Blend all ingredients and place in empty solid deodorant container or jar with lid. If the coconut oil begins to go from solid to more soft or even liquid, just put it in the refrigerator for a few hours.!

Blessings!

Stop Wishing and Start Moving Toward Your Dream

Have you ever wondered why some people are living their dreams while others only wish they could do that? I used be like that. I used to see women starting their own businesses and writing books and speaking to MOPS groups and creating new curricula, and I thought, "I wish I could do that!"
As I've shared before, I have always enjoyed writing. It's one of my passions along with working with youth and women. What are your passions? You know God put those things in your heart to be used in some way to touch the lives of others. He gave you a purpose that only you could fulfill and a story to tell that only you could tell that would reach a specific person or group of people. Consider this: someone is waiting to hear what you've got to say that will touch them in a profound way.
Many years ago I met two of my dearest friends at separate women's retreats. The retreats were in Orlando, Florida and here I was a mom from Colorado attending these events. God orchestrated our meeting so that I could hear their messages (each very different, yet very similar!), and He put us together for a particular reason.

Beyond a vision, what is your passion and what can you do today to continue moving toward that passion becoming just a "wish I could do that" to "I'm living the dream God gave me"? Write out a list of things you can do and choose one a day, a week or a month to accomplish. Maybe you can call that one person that God has put on your heart to disciple. Maybe you will draw and sketch, write, journal, start a blog. Maybe you create a "5 years From Now" plan to keep the goals and dreams you have on the front burner of your life. Do whatever you can to move forward!

Blessings!

Friday 'Fess Up

For this Friday 'Fess Up, I must confess that while helping my sister move this week, my house has taken on the look of a family who is moving...but we aren't! How is it that our homes can become so clutter-prone when we aren't even there to make messes on our own?!
This weekend will be a time of cleaning, purging, organizing and removing clutter! Remember, we have to set goals or we won't accomplish anything!

What are your weekend goals?

Blessings!

Serving and Helping Others

Stop Making Excuses for Why You Can't

The past few weeks I've been helping my sister pack her house for a local move. I wasn't sure there was much I could do since I had been recovering from foot surgery since June, but I went over and started to pack a few boxes. The next time I went over, I was able to pack more than the time before and soon, many of the areas she really needed help with were done. Then came the day to move everything to the new house!
Again, I wasn't sure what I could do since there was a lot of up and down stairs involved. But I was able to do so much more than I could have imagined! God gave me strength to help beyond what I thought I was capable of and I know that my willingness played a part in that. You see, I could have just said, "No, I can't help because I don't know what I can do (what my limitations would be, if I would experience any pain, if I might hinder further recovery, etc.). But I believe that since I didn't use any sort of excuses about my physical abilities, the Lord gave me the endurance I needed to help my sister and brother-in-law and together with a few other friends, we were able to get the job done!
The Scripture says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NKJV).

Don't be afraid to step out and give of yourself a little more. You many be surprised how the Lord will use you to bless others!

Blessings!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Great homeschooling days begin with daily devotions and regular Bible study time. Even if you accomplish nothing else for the day in the textbooks, workbooks or other curriculum, you can always start your school day with the Word. It is good medicine for the soul and brings knowledge and understanding of things beyond this world.

So, Mom, if you have younger kids and are looking for a great book for Bible studies check out Kelly Pulley's book "Treasury of Bible Stories: Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times." In his book, Pulley brings to life the most told stories from Scripture to entertaining poems for children. Kelly Pulley is the author of The Beginner's Bible, Noah, Good News of Great Joy, and a number of I Can Read books!
This is just one example of a great book for the basis of your homeschool Bible program! You can read more about the book at Amazon.com!!

Blessings!!

TIP TUESDAY: Fall Decorating

Patti and Tawsha passed along this guest blog post from Lauren! In today's tip, she gives us 4 ways to bring nature indoors for fall decorating!

Photo credit by grongar on flickr

1. Make a table centerpiece

2. Make a wreath

3. Create fall artwork

4. Create a fall bunting 

          --Get a long piece of string and carefully attach leaves to the string at intervals, by either threading the leaves through or stapling them to the string. If you’re using bunting bought from a store, then attach leaves to the triangular shapes on either side, by using glue or staples. Hang up, and enjoy!

Read more at Organized Chaos Online!!


Blessings!