Making Your Quiet Times Happen this Year – Even When You Can’t Get Up in the Morning by Jennifer Schwilling

Reading the Bible and praying more is right at the top of Christian womens’ goals and resolutions lists, up there with getting organized and losing weight.  Unfortunately, just like organizing and weight loss aspirations, our best plans and intentions to have daily devotions or quiet times tend to fizzle a few weeks into the year.  What happens?  We’re convinced of the value of spending time getting to know our God through His word.  We’re convinced of the power of prayer in our lives and others’.  How does something this important and desirable keep slipping through the cracks in our days?

One of the ways we unintentionally keep something from happening is making it too difficult or complicated.  Do you admire a friend who is able to read her Bible an hour or two a day?  Or a friend who studies Greek daily?  A favorite author who writes about watching the sun rise as she prays over her day?  All of these things may be good, but do they work for you at this point of your life?  Maybe you have three small children running around and 1 – 2 hours of uninterrupted reading time just isn’t going to happen.  Maybe you are anything but a morning person.  In your mind is anything less than your “ideal” quiet time not worth doing?  In other words, are you making it more difficult than it needs to be?

All you really need to have your quiet time are three things:  A time, a place, and your “stuff” Read more

Me-Time Ain’t a Myth! by Cindy Rushton

Me-Time. Is it an extra or essential? Is it a myth that is only there to disillusion and frustrate the godly woman?Is it a distraction from the call of womanhood?

Sweet friends, “Me-Time” ain’t a myth! It must be a discipline. It can make or break you.

I was just peeking in at Facebook–I know, I know! I am SUPPOSED to be writing! Well, NOW I am! ha!

I ran across a link to an article that is STILL circulating on the web about the “Me-Time Myth” for moms.

Nice rhetoric. But, interestingly written by a YOUNG mom. I have written many, many things as a young mother. I have NO problem with youth. Just a problem with short-sighted youth. I just wonder what she will think about her ideas as she grows older? I wonder if her children will embrace her teaching on this one–or resent her for this commitment? I wonder how many young mothers will be led astray into the pit of depression or despair because they have embraced this teaching?

This week, my son got married. Read more

50+ Ideas for Taking Care of Mom! by Cindy Rushton

Tired? Weary? Need some fresh ideas for taking care of mom? Feeling that push and pull on you as you balance all of the many demands in your life? Are you great about taking care of others, yet not quite so good about taking care of YOU? Has it been a long, long time since you have done the little things to just fill your cup back up? How about a few fresh ideas for filling your cup and ministering to your heart! I promise that these will be easy for you to do! Here goes:
–>  Grab Your iPod and go for a long, long walk! I LOVE my iPod. I have it filled with great Praise and Worship music, teachings and workshops, podcasts, tutorials, etc. My iPod has become my “pocket pal” when I work on my chores, take care of business duties, or even get out for my walk. Talk about my best investment!

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Super Mom Syndrome: Be a MOM!

Remember The Donna Reed Show? If not, turn on the oldies for the afternoon.

The Donna Reed Show epitomized the super-mom.  Yes, she did it all, and was the perfect role model for women of that era.

What most people do not know is that Donna Reed was executive producer of the show, and was heavily involved in the show’s immense popularity.  This was at a time when women were subjugated to one particular role. Subsequently, the emancipation of women brought them within equal status of the “dominant” male. With a nine to five job; children to care for; and either a single parent or not; moms today are expected to do it all. Thus, the “Super-mom Syndrome” was born; but at what price? Read more

Restoring Balance To Completely Overloaded Lives! by Cindy Rushton

Ever had an “unbalanced tire?”  Recently, I had a tire that was driving me crazy! It made the ride horribly rough.  I was wore-out just from trying to drive to town because it kept pulling me off the road—obviously in the wrong direction! Just a simple trip to town was completely stressful. My hands were blistered from trying to hold on to the steering wheel the whole way to town and back! I was certain that my car was about to blow up…that something was permanently wrong!  Imagine my relief to find that my problem was from one tire that was out of balance! Easy to fix.  The smooth ride only took a few moments to restore.

Ever had an “unbalanced life?”  Well, the similarities are unbelievable! Talk about a rough ride! Talk about a pull in the wrong direction! Talk about stress! Sure it is easy to fix—but, oh so hard to do!

We are overloaded! Read more

Depressed??? Try This…

Depressed? Down? A bit SICK-AND-TIRED? Weary? Desperate for a change?

Sweet friend, I have been there. Actually, I was so deeply depressed that the best way to describe it is to think about the Grand Canyon with no apparent way out. That is how I felt. I felt too tired and weary to even begin the ascent back out. I was overwhelmed with the load. I could not go on the way I was going any longer.

I do have good news!

God healed me from depression. He broke the chains that bound me for far too long. He gave me a new beginning. I have never gone back. Now, this does not say that I am living in some fantasy world. Sweet friend, I KNOW depression. But, I hate it. I do not ever want to go there again.

Wondering, how do you stay away? How do you stop its vicious attack right in its tracks? Read more

Destressing the Stressed Out Gal with Cindy Rushton

Stressed? Been stressed a little too long? Too often? Need some help? Well, try the following and see if they don’t help a bit!

–> Go on a Prayer Walk—regularly! Praise and worship the Lord. Pour out your heart. Talk to Jesus the whole way! Listen to His sweet “conversation” with you. Be refreshed!

–> Use a Daily “To-Do” List to operate from. List your TOP FIVE things each day the night before. Go back over each morning during your Quiet Time and pray about your day before you. Take it all to God and lay it before Him. Keep in your own “Brain-in-a-Binder” so you can rest your mind. Go over your list as you throughout the day to keep a tab on how you are doing (also so you will not chase rabbits). Watch how much more peaceful each day will be.

–> Turn on Praise Music—LOUD! Got an iPod? I call mine my “stress-buster.” I LOVE turning it on while I clean or while I work on my daily chores. Not only does it make the work much more fun and easy, but I also find myself taking the Lord into every aspect of my day. Priceless!

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Never Give Up in the Battle by Lucia Claborn

Are you ever tempted to give up in the heat of the battle? Sure, you are! We (including me) have all wanted to quit at some point in time because life’s situations just got too hard, we could see no way out — no help on the horizon – and thought it better to find a cypress tree and have a pity party for ourselves.

However, you need to know that God didn’t draw you to Himself, and then anoint you with the power of the Holy Spirit to be a quitter! He made you to be a winner, an overcomer, in every area of your life.

You may have never been told that before, so I get the wonderful pleasure of telling you now…God created you to triumph! “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ Jesus…2 Corinthians 2:14a.“

No matter what life’s situation is that you are facing and need to conquer, you must make a decision that you are never going to give in or give up! (This is exactly what the devil wants you to do…give up and quit! Don’t give him the satisfaction of beating you!) One key to victory is continuing to do the right thing with the right attitude and refusing to quit! Read more

Today I did what I said I’d NEVER do…

Today I did what I said I’d NEVER do.

Well…I remember thinking in my godly little way that you would never catch ME dead doing that…

…so frivolous
…such a waste
…so SELFISH
…so superficial
…a total waste of time and money.

Well, has my opinion actually changed in 2 hours? I don’t think so. I think it was a slow fade over the past 7 years. Read more

Forgive… by Elisabeth Rushton

Betrayal and hurt. They seem to come in a “bow-wrapped package” that life throws at you.

No matter how young or old you are, you have more than likely known a friend or two to betray you. But how did you handle it? Did you forgive them the second that it happened? Did you go on like nothing ever happened? Or did it take a little more effort?

If you have been really painfully hurt like I’m talking about, Read more