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

Sleep to Succeed: A Lesson in Productivity

Ever feel that there are not enough hours in the day? Oh! I do! There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day sometimes. With your schedule, something always gets put off until tomorrow. In order to catch up, you might be tempted to work longer but that will have the opposite effect.

When your schedule runs long or you have a pressing project at work, the first thing that enters your mind is that you can come in early or stay late to get it done. The problem with that idea is that the rest of your routine will suffer. There will be less, if any, time for your family. From the point that you steal time from one area to benefit another, you will be playing catch up. Read more

Stop!

Tired? Weary? Confused? Have NO idea which way to go?

STOP!

Stop, beloved. Pull back. Don’t do a thing. Don’t talk. Don’t change things around. Don’t make any decisions-yet. Simply STOP.

There are times that our enemy finds a weapon that takes us by surprise. The time will come. What do you do? You learn from Jesus. You study Him. You learn from Him. You learn to walk out His ways. They ALWAYS work.

It does not make any difference what weapon the enemy uses, the same tactics work against him. You don’t even have to read a big manual to get a huge plan. You just have to read THE MANUAL. Oh, let me help you find the most powerful tactic, the one that all of the others hinge upon. Turn to James 4:7… 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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Go the Distance by Cindy Rushton

Elisabeth and I just began a new Bible study.  Talk about really awesome! This one is going to dig deep! I expect some awesome growth as we dig into it! If you are not plugged into a regular Bible Study, I cannot encourage you enough to get plugged in. We need to be breaking the bread of God’s Word regularly together. We need that accountability and that encouragement from the Body of Christ. Plug in!  You won’t be sorry!

Off my soapbox! hehe!

We were going through our daily study yesterday when something grabbed me away from the study–I have an inclination towards this with ANY study that I pursue! Of course, this one is GOOD! So good that I just wanted to share it with you. I think you will love it! Read more

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