Author: Cindy Rushton DeGrie

Accident Proof your Egg Decorating

Getting ready for Easter? I LOVE this time of the year. I LOVE Easter! Just the word brings back a flood of memories from my childhood AND all of the sweet memories that were made with my children through the years. Even now, with the empty nest, we will have everyone coming home again next week for celebrations. Yes, even EGG DECORATING! Fun, huh?

Egg decorating is a must! For kids, dunking plain white eggs into a bowl and watching them turn a different color is almost magical. Even my grown children LOVE IT! The downside is the MESS. So, here are a few ideas to help minimize the mess this year.

1. Try stickers. If you are not attached to the traditional method of egg decorating, this is a way to minimize the muss and fuss during Easter. Stickers make easy decorations. They leave nothing to clean up afterwards. And, there’s nothing tricky about it. Just purchase ordinary Easter stickers and stick them onto the eggs. Presto!

2. Dye eggs at the stove. Avoid the mess that comes with sitting your children at the table with their own dipping cups. Mix the dye ingredients in a five quart Dutch oven. Wrap an apron around the child. Let the child take the dried boiled eggs and place them in the dye solution. When the eggs are ready, use a slotted spoon to lift the dyed eggs out of the pan. The slots leave less liquid on the spoon which means less liquid on the stove, the floor, you, and the kids. Spoon the eggs back into the carton. Place the cartons in the refrigerator until time to use them.

3. Work on the kitchen floor. The lower you are to the ground, the shorter the distance a boiled egg has to fall. Spread an old vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Give each child an apron and a pair of exam gloves. The gloves can be purchased from any medical supply store. Gloves allow the children to dip the eggs with their hands instead of a spoon. When they have finished, have them take their gloves off and throw them away.

4. Purchase a ready to use Easter egg kit. PAAS® has been making egg decorating materials for years. Each year they seem to come up with something that will make the egg decorating process easier and faster. They feature egg wrapping kits which create virtually no mess at all. The pre-formed pattern is ready for the decorator to transfer to the dried eggs. They also offer egg cups with their own dipper so you don’t need spoons at all. You can purchase PAAS® products wherever decorating items are sold, including most grocery stores and craft stores.

Egg decorating is great for everyone, but no one likes to clean up at the end. Make it easier on yourself this year, Mom and Dad. Try these tips for some good clean fun. Make this week fun and filled with precious memories!

Need MORE Help?

If you need more help, don’t miss any of Cindy Rushton’s LIVE workshops that she will be teaching on these topics. She is scheduled to speak for many conventions, conferences, retreats, and Bible Studies. If you want for her to come to your area, message here today at CindyRushton@Gmail.com

March 29, 2010
Accident Proof your Egg Decorating

Getting ready for Easter? I LOVE this time of the year. I LOVE Easter! Just the word brings back a flood of memories from my childhood AND all of the sweet memories that were made with my children through the years. Even now, with the empty nest, we will have everyone coming home again next week for celebrations. Yes, even EGG DECORATING! Fun, huh?

Egg decorating is a must! For kids, dunking plain white eggs into a bowl and watching them turn a different color is almost magical. Even my grown children LOVE IT! The downside is the MESS. So, here are a few ideas to help minimize the mess this year.

1. Try stickers. If you are not attached to the traditional method of egg decorating, this is a way to minimize the muss and fuss during Easter. Stickers make easy decorations. They leave nothing to clean up afterwards. And, there’s nothing tricky about it. Just purchase ordinary Easter stickers and stick them onto the eggs. Presto!

2. Dye eggs at the stove. Avoid the mess that comes with sitting your children at the table with their own dipping cups. Mix the dye ingredients in a five quart Dutch oven. Wrap an apron around the child. Let the child take the dried boiled eggs and place them in the dye solution. When the eggs are ready, use a slotted spoon to lift the dyed eggs out of the pan. The slots leave less liquid on the spoon which means less liquid on the stove, the floor, you, and the kids. Spoon the eggs back into the carton. Place the cartons in the refrigerator until time to use them.

3. Work on the kitchen floor. The lower you are to the ground, the shorter the distance a boiled egg has to fall. Spread an old vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Give each child an apron and a pair of exam gloves. The gloves can be purchased from any medical supply store. Gloves allow the children to dip the eggs with their hands instead of a spoon. When they have finished, have them take their gloves off and throw them away.

4. Purchase a ready to use Easter egg kit. PAAS® has been making egg decorating materials for years. Each year they seem to come up with something that will make the egg decorating process easier and faster. They feature egg wrapping kits which create virtually no mess at all. The pre-formed pattern is ready for the decorator to transfer to the dried eggs. They also offer egg cups with their own dipper so you don’t need spoons at all. You can purchase PAAS® products wherever decorating items are sold, including most grocery stores and craft stores.

Egg decorating is great for everyone, but no one likes to clean up at the end. Make it easier on yourself this year, Mom and Dad. Try these tips for some good clean fun. Make this week fun and filled with precious memories!

Need MORE Help?

If you need more help, don’t miss any of Cindy Rushton’s LIVE workshops that she will be teaching on these topics. She is scheduled to speak for many conventions, conferences, retreats, and Bible Studies. If you want for her to come to your area, message here today at CindyRushton@Gmail.com

March 29, 2010
A Peek into Our Week–March 29-April 2

Hello dearies!

Ready for a big, big week? I am! I got a great Sunday afternoon nap and snuggled up with my crew for an evening watching movies. Now, I am refreshed and recharged, ready for a SUPER week! And, boy do we have a great week ahead!

Right now, we have some fun things going on at my sites: (more…)

March 29, 2010
Time to Spring Clean! with Cindy Rushton

Have you looked at the calendar? Do you know what Saturday was? Yep! The first day of spring! I am soooo ready for spring this year. It has been so damp, gloomy, cold this year. I am ready for some sunshine, fresh air, and nicer temperatures. Believe it or not, I am even ready to spring clean this year. So ready that I have already been spring cleaning EVERYTHING!

Want to join me? Super!

Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at several different areas of our lives that need to be “cleaned out” so we can have the best year ever. I really want for you to dig in and do the hard work WITH ME so we can spring clean our lives together.

What we will do is look at the need. Then, I will give you some action steps to help you get going. Good deal? Ok…

Let’s look at the first area that just might need a bit of “cleaning” out. Ready? If you want to print this out to read and apply, just download the PDF version here: DOWNLOAD BY PDF.

Ready to get busy spring cleaning? The first area is spring cleaning our day. Let’s dig in…

Spring Clean Your Day

Seem like a strange place to begin? Well, sometimes the real mess in our lives is caused by the one thing that gets into a rut and is so hard to SEE as the problem. I have missed this one over and over and over. Sometimes I have blamed my messies on my homeschool curriculum. Other times I have blamed it all on my husband (sorry, but I have). Other times I have blamed it on my children and their lack of….you name it: obedience, behavior, help, etc. Even since the kids have grown up, I have blamed it on my business. Looking everywhere but the most obvious: MY DAY.

If my DAY is a mess, it is funny how every other area of my life gets messy–my commitments, my home, my relationships, my business, ME. Funny thing, it doesn’t take much to get it together and keep it together. But, how?

1. Dust off that schedule! Nothing can help things to run more smoothly than taking time to get our daily schedule together. It gives us a framework to our day. It keeps things moving smoothly. When things get out of whack, there is usually one of two things that I need to do:

Get the extras back off my schedule.
Adjust to the new things in my life and work them into a spot in my schedule.

It is spring. How is your schedule? Does it need to be cleaned out? Have too many “extras” gotten into the schedule? Is it time to cut them out of your day? Or, are you in a new place? Is it time to readjust your schedule? Is it time to take a little time to get that “new thing” into your lifestyle so that it is not such a struggle each and every day? Why not roll up your sleeves and get to work dusting off that schedule. You will see your day shaping back up very quickly.

2. Make time for what really counts–what really matters to you. There is no reason to live even one more day just going through the motions like a hamster on a wheel. Let’s make this year really count! Let’s make time for what really counts. Let’s make time for what really matters. I know that we are four months into the year. I know that days fly by and it is easy to let time fly by just barely getting things done for each and every day. But, why don’t we clean out anything in our day that is holding us back from doing the things on our heart? Why don’t we make room for those things FIRST in our day? The other things may be clammering, squealing, and pitching fits to get our attention, but let’s commit to make THIS YEAR really count. Let’s be intentional about getting those things done first. Then, watch how our day changes. It will shape up and become a sweet history without regrets.

3. Balance it all. Many times it does not take anything big to get things out of balance. In fact, usually it only takes something small and insignificant to get things out of whack. Take some time to really look at your day. You may want to take a few days to journal each and everything that you are doing and how long it is taking. My journals ALWAYS point to the problems instantly. Look back over all that is getting done AND those things that are not getting done. Evaluate:

–> Are there things that are getting out of boundaries? My life is full of things that have a tendency to get out of their boundaries. We homeschooled our children from the time they were in pre-school until they graduated. Everything about homeschooling had a tendency to take longer than I planned. Actually, the best lesssons-those that I would not trade now for anything-took the longest. I could have homeschooled all day and all night and never got everything done that I really wanted. Same thing with business. I have had a home business for over 20 years. You would think that I could set my hours and stick to it. Yet, I have noticed that my business is as bad or worse than homeschooling about taking way more time than projected. Oh! And, that is not all! Even homemaking has a tendency to get out of boundaries. Any one area can demand so much that everything gets out of balance. I have to watch out! I have to work hard at setting limits and sticking to them. How about you? Is it time to simplify, clean out, organize, and systematize things so that it is easier to keep everything in its boundaries? Roll up your sleeve and dig-in! It will make a huge difference!

–> Are there things that need to go? I don’t know if you are like me, but I have always had a resistance to change. This can be good news if you depend upon me to be consistent and be a person of integrity. (SMILE) Of course, this one quality has gotten me and my life out of balance more times than I can recount. Ready for a true confession? I am so bad to hold onto things until I am simply NOT able to hold on any longer. I can see clearly that things would be easier or that things would be better yet there is something within me that struggles every single time with letting things go. Want the good news? Every single time that I have let go, every single time that I have unclasped my fingers from around those things, it has always been sooo much better! It has always been worth it. Everything has smoothed out. Every season we have to let things go if we are going to have room in our lives for new things. It is sooo worth it! Until we do, things just get messy. Things get bumpy. Things get stressful. Need to let things go? Today is a great day to pile it up and get rid of it.

That brings me to the final idea…

4. Get on track and make this year your best ever–day-by-day! You may have started this year with big intentions. Maybe you wanted to lose weight and get in shape. Maybe you wanted to pay off your debts. Maybe you wanted to get your home organized. Maybe you wanted to make time to remodel that room in your home. Maybe you wanted more time with your spouse or children. Maybe you wanted for this year to be that year that you read through the Bible. Well, what was your goal? What was your resolution? What would make your day a success? What would make this year really count?

When we look at the year, it is made of days and moments in those days. In order for our year to be a year that counts, we have to begin with each moment, getting it on track so that we have a collection of moments and days that really count. Why not go back to those resolutions and give them another look. I know it is not January. THIS is when you look at them. This is when we put them on our daily schedule. This is when we live them out. Let’s get on track and make this year the year when we DO IT! Deal? Get on track today. Make this year your very best year ever–day-by-day!

Ok…we are not done yet. We have much, much more to dig into. Don’t miss next week’s ezine!

Need MORE Help?

If you need more help, don’t miss any of Cindy Rushton’s LIVE workshops that she will be teaching on these topics. She is scheduled to speak for many conventions, conferences, retreats, and Bible Studies. If you want for her to come to your area, message here today at CindyRushton@Gmail.com

March 27, 2010
Our Talk-a-Latte Chat! Back to the Heart of Homeschooling with Cindy Rushton

Our Talk-a-Latte Chat!

1PM CT

Back to the Heart of Homeschooling with Cindy Rushton

Just when you are in DEEP need of a bit of encouragement, Cindy rolls in with yet another great workshop! This one is tops! This workshop takes you on a FAST TRIP through the Word of God to glean principles that are sure to not just make homeschooling EASY and FULL OF LIFE, but also to help get back to God’s perfect design for the godly homeschool! In Cindy’s typical style, she pours forth until we are all overflowing with encouragement, inspiration, and practical ideas perfect for yet another year of Homeschooling!

Don’t miss this one!

Here is how you join us:

Join Us Live Online (On our website!!):
http://talk-a-latte.com/chat/ (room will be open tomorrow about 15 minutes before we go live)

OR here are the call-in details:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 38181#
PIN: 1# (Or your Talkshoe PIN)

Yes! You can share that information with your friends. We would LOVE for them to join us!

February 23, 2010
Introducing: GRANDbaby Rushton!

Oh! I am actually speechless for once–well, watch this video and see why…

Can you believe it? I am TOTALLY SMITTEN! And, yes! I do believe that GRANDbaby Rushton was waving at its GRAMMY…what do you think??? ha!

February 19, 2010
On My Knees by Jane VanOsdol

On My Knees
by Jane VanOsdol from OnlyByPrayer.com

How many times have you as a mother been certain that your child would never move past his current stage, and that you were doomed to live out the rest of your days forever stuck where you were, a? la Ground Hog Days?

Well, I’ve felt like that many times in my kids’ lives. When my son was a toddler, trips to the store became a battleground as he often threw tantrums when he didn’t get what he wanted. Discouragement set in after one particularly bad trip when he and the whole cart tipped over– in front of a group of managers-in-training! I was certain I was the poster child for the “how to handle the hysterical mother” lesson that day.

Another time I felt forever trapped in my daughter’s grow-her-bangs-out-stage. Now, this wasn’t a life-or-death situation, but we combed and bobby-pinned and coaxed them in place for months only to have her cut them again when they finally grew out. We repeated that cycle about four times in succession.

Then there was a good two years when I dreaded going into my child’s school (which was also my workplace), because I was always greeted by a battalion of teachers wanting to talk to me about said child’s missing, late or otherwise nonexistent homework.

Well, I did eventually live through each of these stages and many others–some serious, some just annoying–largely due to one thing: prayer. I learned how to pray through all the stages of my kids’ lives. Prayer kept me sane, gave me perspective, allowed God to work in the situations and changed me for the better. It can for you too.

As parents, we desperately need God’s perspective on the stages in our children’s lives. When we don’t take the time to consult with Him, we are left to muddle through on our own strength and power, without the discernment, strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

I learned the hard way that I needed my regular times of prayer with the Lord to be the best mamma I could be. Each new, precious stage of their lives had me on my knees praying my way through the unchartered waters. Sometimes I was laughing and praising, and sometimes I was crying and interceding for one who had stepped off God’s path or for one who was suffering from a hurt or injustice.

Years ago I started recording my prayer requests in a notebook, and the other day I found an old journal in the closet. What a wonderful look back at how far we have come and a reminder of what is still ahead. I’ll be there on my knees. Won’t you join me?

February 11, 2010
Build Your Marriage, Build Your Home By Cindy Rushton

Build Your Marriage, Build Your Home

By Cindy Rushton

http://www.CindyRushton.com/FlightPlans.html

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Proverbs 14:1

Building your marriage? Is it on the back-burner? Busy with the children and the house and homeschooling and working in your business? Just dropping at the end of the day with nothing left over?

I am not trying to give you another thing to do with your busy day. Rather, we need to get back to God’s design for the godly home. Take a peek at this passage from 1 Corinthians 11: 7-9

“The woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” 1 Corinthians 11: 7-9

Our number one priority after our relationship with God is our marriage. We are created to be a helpmeet. Not a small thing! Not an extra thing. It is absolutely essential.

I have gone through entire years of focusing on different roles that I must fulfill to the detriment of my main calling—to be a wife. My husband is just so easy to please. He doesn’t demand or push me to take care of him. Rather, he is like me. We just stay busy on all we have going on. We mean well. But, if you are not building your marriage–intentionally building your marriage–even a godly marriage begins to fall to pieces over time just due to neglect. The entire home begins to crumble around us.

I remember the first year of homeschooling my children. As the last days of the school-year rolled around I realized that in my enthusiasm of turning my heart back home toward my children and really enjoying motherhood to the fullest, I had not nurtured my marriage as I should have! Days had gone by where both of us were so busy with our other roles that we had very little time, much less energy, to connect. The year just flew by with very little focus on building our marriage. Ever found yourself like this?

There are so many different facets of womanhood. We constantly juggle so many roles. It is so easy to get so wrapped up in one area that we lose sight of all of the others!

Our main calling, first and foremost, as women is to the awesome role as a helpmeet for our husbands. We are to bring glory to our husbands so they may in turn bring glory to God.

Isn’t this beautiful? We are those hidden women who reflect all of the glory back to our husbands…who build up our husbands and promote THEM…who do all that we do to help them subdue and have dominion over the world!

Where there is a beautiful marriage, all else falls into place. Two become one. There is security, stability, and a good model of biblical priorities in the lives of the children. There is a ministry to the world. This is the means that there is glory reflected from the family and the marriage. In turn, this glory magnifies God to our culture. Others see God’s perfect plan for man and woman! There is hope. There is abundant life.

The catch here is that beautiful marriages do not just happen. It takes work. Hard work. It takes commitment. Years of commitment. It takes priority. Intentional priorities.

Want a great marriage? Build your home! Build your marriage. Have no idea where to begin? Let me help. Have a good marriage? A good carpenter always looks for new tools. A good carpenter never thinks he is done. He keeps on building. Marriage is the same way! Let me share a few tools that will make your good marriage even better–or, prayerfully the very best. Ready? Dig in with me…

–> Always build! We don’t have an option. We must intentionally build our marriages or they will fall apart around us. We must be intentional about what we do. Our marriages need to be on our calendar. Our marriages need to be on our daily to-do list. Don’t shove them to the back of everything. The benefits flow to everything and everyone else. So, build your marriage.

–> Don’t hold anything back! Give your all–all your gifts, talents, bents, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom! Be a real helper to your husband! Give him assistance during the tough times. Protect his heart and his name. Step in the gap and pray hedges of protection around him in all that he sets forth to do. Adapt yourself and your whole life to him—to God’s plan for him. Wrap your life around his with the intention to make him great. To bless him. to bring him glory. After all, as you bring him glory, he reflects glory to Jesus, Who reflects glory to our Heavenly Father. It all beings with you. Don’t hold anything back. Pour it all out!

–> Be his best friend! Do the little things to build your friendship. Take time to just enjoy him. Take time to LISTEN. Take time to enjoy the things that he enjoys. Look for ways to pal around. Develop a close, intimate friendship with your very best friend!

–> When in doubt, die to your ways and your ideas and your plans! OUCH! Decide now that you will live your whole life as your husband’s chief support. Only when we die to SELF can we really have an abundant, lavish life. Be the one who gives him that respect that he needs. Be the one who knows all that he is and yet still admires him more than even his little 2-year-old boy! Be the one who loves him unconditionally, enough to give up all life could possibly offer you to build him up! Die to all you had in mind for your life and commit to promote him. Watch what God does when you take that first step!

–> Contribute to his growth, his enlargement, his excellence! Patiently nurture him and encourage him to develop interests (Bible Study, SWAT team, metal detecting, sailing, email–He needs down time too!) that will help him to re-fuel, re-charge, and become strong. Beautiful, forever marriages all have several key elements. One of the most important is embracing change and growth, encouraging each other to expand, keep learning, keep growing, and helping each other press on toward big dreams together. It knits you together in a forever love story!

–> Affirm your man and his manhood—get excited about his leadership, his masculinity, his sexuality, his work! Reassure any insecurities! Enjoy his masculinity. God created him to fill your gaps. ENJOY that rather than despising it. Yes, so often we get frustrated, exasperated, and despise the differences between man and woman. Such a contrast to God’s plan. God wants for us to enjoy our differences. He wants for us to affirm one another. Ask God to help you enjoy your husband and all of the blessings that he brings into your life. Why not begin a list of things that your husband does to provide, protect, and lead you? Keep that list going. When you find yourself struggling with the differences, take time to dwell on your list. It will change your perspective and help you to build your marriage.

–> Be the one person who always believes in him. Be the one person who always has total confidence in him. Inspire him to greatness! Encourage him dream big and go for his dreams. Have vision for all God wants to do in his life. Encourage him. Be his teammate as he works toward that calling. Relieve him where he needs relief—where can you come alongside to help him??

–> See a weakness? Of course, you will. That is part of becoming intimate and real with one another. The question is what do we do when we see a weakness? Do we point it out? Nag them about it? Ask our friends to PRAY for him? Worry? Fret? Fear the future? OR…Do we come alongside of them and offer them strength, back-up, support? Do we take it all to God in intercession with prayer and fasting? Do we jump in and give them inspiration and encourage them. How do we respond when we see their struggles? It makes a world of difference! One choice builds our homes. Another choice destroys our home. Cry out to God on their behalf. Find ways to make it easier for them, any way you can. Help them succeed! Love them in their weaknesses and struggles. Be joyful and positive, always uplifting and encouraging! Let God supply your needs, not your husband, things will relax…you may change your heart! At minimum, you will be building your home instead of tearing it down with your own hands.

Sweet friend, what is your choice today? Will you build? When you build your home, you build your marriage. When you build your marriage, you build your home. Sweet friend, let’s commit to build! Decide now to pour yourself into your husband! Build your marriage! Let the little things go so that you have time to get to know your husband, so you will have time to minister to him in little ways. Take that time for the relationship and you will find that all else will fall into place! Invest your best into your home. You are building a home, a marriage, a godly legacy! Oh, wise woman, BUILD your marriage, BUILD your home!

Like this? Get MORE regularly!

You can join our NEW study TODAY!

Marriage 911 Flight Plans are now ready!

Subscribe here:
http://www.cindyrushton.com/FlightPlans.html

February 4, 2010
Ready for a Year that Counts???

Hello Sweet Friends!

Ready for a big, big week? Oh! We are hopping around here! I suspect that you may want to join us for some fun things that we have going on!

Before I dig in and give you our weekly update, I want to tell you how much I have MISSED YOU! I took off the whole month of January to work behind the scenes on some of my projects. Oh! I am busting at the seams to tell you all about all of the things on the horizon! Actually, everything kicks off this week!

First, our ezines are all back up and going strong. Actually, this week, I am combining all of them and giving one mini-ebook that I think is great for all of you. It is written along my personal theme for this year, A YEAR THAT COUNTS! Want that? Oh, you will LOVE this ebook. Here is the link:

Download A YEAR THAT COUNTS by PDF ((A SPECIAL NOTE: This PDF has expired links and offers–I thought you would want this one so I am leaving it available, but be aware that those links are not working at this time. Thanks so much! And…enjoy!)):

http://www.cindyrushton.com/Ebooks/AYearthatCounts.pdf
((If you like it, feel free to share it with your friends!))

That is not all that is going on!

We are gearing back up with our Talk-a-Latte Chats. Excited? I AM! They are NEW, FRESH, DEEPER THAN EVER, AND even have an IMPROVED chat room! We have a new set-up for our chat room. It is now on our website–no more ads or headaches–hopefully (!!). If you can go to a website, you can join in. EVEN WITH DIAL-UP! EVEN WITH A MAC! For real!

Speaking of Talk-a-Latte…

For some time now, we have had requests from many of you for a special subscription program for Talk-a-Latte. You have not wanted to miss even one of our sets. There are some of you who have joined EVERY single seminar, retreat, event, and class that we have offered since 2006. Yep! I have noticed! You are Talk-a-Latte Mommy Pals through and through! You are going to LOVE what we are doing this year!

This year, we are changing up the organization of Talk-a-Latte. We will give full-focus to our Talk-a-Latte chats and ULTIMATE events and retreats. Those will be our live events. BUT! Wondering how we will make room for our special homeschool workshops and personal retreats with Cindy? That is where Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club comes in! YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS!

Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club is a monthly premium membership for Talk-a-Latte. What does that mean? It means that you can choose to be a part of our Mommy Club for only $12.95 per month and you will receive the following each and every month:

Our Talk-a-Latte Audio-of-the-Month!
This audio is ACTUALLY an audio SET of the month. It includes 2-4 (sometimes more) audios on a topic. These sets will become sets in our Online Store. Once they hit the Online Store, they will cost $14.95-29.95. Members get these sets completely edited, with RSS feed (for easy downloads) each and every month as long as they are members. Want to peek at some upcoming AOM sets? Here are just a few that are being planned:

A Year that Counts! (AVAILABLE THIS MONTH–A WOW SET!!)
Secrets to a Passionate, Forever, Happier and Happier Ever Marriage
Get Connected!
No More People Pleasing!
Legacy Letters
Standing Strong
The Path out of the Pit
LIVE Today!
Just Say, “NO!”
Organize Your Life!
Submission: DO WHAT???
Attitude Check!
Mommy Bootcamp
Spring Clean!
A Strong Woman
Fire Up Your Marriage!
From Desert to Dessert!
Christmas on a Shoestring
Put on the Full Armor of God
Taking Care of Mom
Doing ENOUGH???
Just TOO Busy!
Help! I am SO Tired and Weary!
Hey! I Want Consistency, Order, Peace and Quiet!
The Battle Between Your Ears!
Restoring Balance to Completely Overloaded Lives!
Secrets to Abundant, Lavish Living
Know Thy Enemy!
Secrets to Starting Your Day Right
Let’s Get Fit and Healthy!
Midnight, Malls, and Many Letters
Time for a Quiet Time Getaway!
Blessing Blockerscomp
Talk Like a Warrior!
Fill Your Cup Back Up!
Say Goodbye to Super Mom!
PLUS! MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

Each month you will receive access to your download page that will include access to your audios. Plus, that is not all!

Special Pricing on our ULTIMATE events!
Our TAL Mommy Club members will receive 50-75% OFF of all ULTIMATE events sale price! Yes! You probably know that our ULTIMATE events are offered at awesome prices already, but our TAL Mommy Club members will save even more! SURPRISE: Mommy Club Members this month will receive access to our upcoming Ultimate Women’s Expo (February 11-13) as a gift for subscribing this week! We will have regularly surprise bonuses like this!

Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club Shopping Area!
If you have been on my email list for any time at all, you have probably noticed that every year I offer a CRAZY SALE. During our CRAZY SALE, everything is priced at rock-bottom prices. Well, for our TAL Mommy Club premium members, this will now be EVERYDAY prices! Yep! Our Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club members have access to their own shopping area that gives them crazy prices on all of our products all year long! We want to bless our most loyal customers. Not only will you find everything we have to offer listed in one place, but you will be able to grab our resources at the best prices whenever it is your best time. Everything we offer at this time is posted in our shopping area right now–at CRAZY prices!

PLUS! BONUS! BRAND NEW Homeschooling Workshops!
Every month, we will include a brand new homeschool workshop set too! Talk-a-Latte did offer weekly classes for homeschool moms–every Monday night. We are not going to forget all of you who loved to learn with us. Now, we are going to record brand-new workshops just for you and include them on your monthly download page. We will be including topics that will help you all along your journey like:

Scheduling (THIS IS OUR TOPIC THIS MONTH–A SUPER SET!)
Record-keeping
Notebooking
Approaches
Nature Studies
Practical Skills
Quiet times/Discipleship
Fine Arts
Copywork
History
Unit Studies
Great Literature
Narration
Lapbooking
High School
PLUS! MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Want to join the Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club? It is EASY! Just join at our website and you will become part of our Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club and you will be able to dig into this month’s download page immediately! Join us now:

Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club
$12.95 per month/$99.95 for the whole year!
http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com/MommyClub.html

One more thing!

I am SO excited to be joining my friend, JoJo Tabares for her SAY WHAT YOU MEAN CONVENTION this Wednesday. She asked me to be one of her keynote speakers for her event. You can join me at her website for a super workshop. Hint: I am going to be teaching on how to build a passionate, forever marriage. The part that makes me nervous is that my focus is on communication. OUCH! Do we EVER get that one down???

Make a note to join us live–come and support me dearies! I will not only teach, but I will also be giving out a freebie that will only be accessed there for those who join us AND for those who are subscribers to our Marriage 911 Flight Plans (http://www.CindyRushton.com/FlightPlans.html). You won’t want to miss that one! Here are the details:

Building a Passionate, Forever, Happier and Happier-Ever-After Marriage
with Cindy Rushton
2PM CT/3PM ET
Learn more here: http://www.SayWhatYouMeanConvention.com

Did I say, “BIG WEEK?” Yep! This week is full of wonderful opportunities! Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Oh! And, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let’s make THIS YEAR COUNT!!

Love,
Cindy

February 2, 2010
Don’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”
– your Bible and anything else you’re planning to read. Place and “stuff” are pretty straightforward. You need a place to sit and read and something to read of course. Where we usually get messed up is time. We usually know “what” we want to do, it’s the “when” we have a problem with, as in the “when” just not happening!

Here is a common scenario. We hear that waking up early to have our quiet time is the best way to go so that’s what we shoot for. If you’re an “early riser” this can work great, but for the rest of us… Tell me if this sounds familiar: You wake up later than you planned (again) and you resolve to get on track and have your quiet time later that morning. Then “something” happens and you have to put it off until lunch. Lunchtime ends up being taken up with “something” else and you figure maybe in the afternoon you’ll catch a little time. Guess what… “something” keeps happening until you’re laying in bed wondering what happened to your quiet time.

So if you don’t get up early in the morning is all lost? Not at all! Look at your day and pick the best time that works for you. Don’t worry about your friend, your favorite author’s schedule, or what you’ve heard is “most spiritual.” What time of your day tends to be the least hectic and most likely to be somewhat quiet? The kids’ nap time? While dinner is in the oven? My best time is right before bedtime! It’s quiet, there’s nowhere I have to be, and everyone else is in bed too. Be creative! What’s important isn’t the time of day you pick, it’s that you pick a time that works best for your current schedule and that you guard it from invading “somethings”. The “best” time for your quiet time is the time you can realistically make it happen! You might have to experiment a bit to find the best time. Also, have your place picked out and your “stuff” where it needs to be so looking for your Bible and a pen doesn’t end up being a “something” that comes up!

So how long should your quiet time be? Again, look at what works for you. I’d love to have two hours a day but in this season of my life when I have four kids, one with special needs, two hours isn’t going to happen on a typical day. God knows your circumstances and responsibilities – He created your family! Do what you realistically can. You can probably get 20 – 30 minutes into your day. Some days you’ll have more time, some days you’ll have less. If you can’t find even 20 – 30 minutes, take a look at some other activities you find time for like checking e-mail, web surfing, Facebook, telephone calls, reading… We make time for these things without thinking twice about it. Not trying to be legalistic… just something to think about!

It’s not too late to get your prayer and Bible reading resolutions and goals back on track. Sit down and take a few moments to think about what the best time is for you and make a plan of attack!

Don’t you just LOVE Jennifer? I ADORE HER!

She is one of our speakers at our upcoming (in just a FEW WEEKS) Ultimate Women’s Expo! Don’t miss her! You will be fired, inspired, encouraged, and equipped to make THIS YEAR count!

Are you a “night owl” who needs more help making a consistent quiet times happen? Jennifer Schwilling’s new e-book Night Owl Devotions is all about thinking outside the box to make meaningful devotions a part of a busy mom’s life. You can visit her on-line at: http://www.MomsNoChaosZone.com or http://www.DaisyChainDailyCarnival.com

January 26, 2010