About Me

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I have been married to Russ for 13 years. We have two daughters, Shauna and Maddyson . I teach vocal & general music. In July 2011, we began Miehls Healthy Life Source, a home-based business. Our goal is to share safe, natural products with our friends, family, and others so the world is a safer place.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Angels, God's Guidance, God's Will

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn.  So he bowed low and fell facedown.  The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?  I have come hear to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me." ~ Numbers 22:31-32

...but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?  In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words tught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:  "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"  But we have the mind of Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:10-16

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ~ James 1:5-6

     As I read the key verses from Numbers today, I had to wonder.  Are the obstacles that have recently popped up in front of me God's way of telling me that I am being reckless?  Do I need to ask for God's guidance?  Are there angels who are trying to protect me?
     Lord, I am lacking wisdom.  You know the challenges that I am facing right now.  I am going to trust that your hand has been in the recent events of my life that are frustrating me. 
     Thank you, Lord, for working things out so the musical cast will feel better prepared for our performances because we have two extra weeks of rehearsal.  Help us to continue to work hard at developing our characters so they audiences will enjoy our performances.  Give me the wisdom to direct the actors so that we can present the story in a fun way for entire community to enjoy.
     Lord, please also give the wisdom and the correct way to relate with my students who are struggling academically so they will be able to participate in the show after the hours of rehearsals that we have gone through.
     Grant me your peace so that I may rest in you.  Please take my frustrations and stress and make them your own.  I love that all I need to do is ask and you will take my worries from me.
     Amen.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Creation, God's Watchfulness, Stewardship

But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD.  Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.  Do not reap what grows itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines.  The land is to have a year of rest. ~ Leviticus 25:4-5

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.  They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.  The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.  He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.  He makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for man to cultivate--bringing forth food from the earth:  wine that gladdens the heart of man, oild to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.  The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.  There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.  The high mountains belong to the wild goats;  the crags are a refuge for the coneys.  The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.  You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.  The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.  The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.  Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.  How many are your works, O LORD!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ~ Psalm 104:10-24

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ~ Romans 8:18-21

Dear Lord,
     I thank you for watching over me, my family and my friends.  Thank you for providing for our needs through your wondrous works.  Help me, Lord, to be a wise steward of the resources with which you have trusted me.
     When I am tempted to push my limits, rather than allowing my mind and body to rest, nudge me just a little bit more to take the time to rest and renew myself so I may do the work you have for me.
     Thanks!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Finances, God's Love

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
~ Exodus 34:14

Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. ~ Joel 2:18

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.  I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
~ 2 Corinthians 11:2-4

God's Jealous Love for Us
by Alice Fryling

     When God calls himself jealous, he is saying that he is reaching out to us, that he passionately wants to claim us for himself.  We were created to live in the center of his love.  Every act of disobedience takes us away from that center, takes us into dangerous territory where we forget that he loves us, where we think we can and should control our own lives, where we risk using relationships to serve ourselves instead of our Creator.
     As we begin to move toward that place of alienation from God's love, his Spirit jealously hovers over our spirits, making us uncomfortable, trying to turn our hearts back to our Lord.  God is jealous when anything in our lives deters us from resting in his love.  His Spirit is jealous when I begin to think that I cannot get along without more money, a larger house, a better job or a different body.  His Spirit is jealous when I think that I desrve the honor another person is getting, or when I a ambitious to achieve anything but his will.  His Spirit is jealous when my motivation is anything but love.  My money, my house, my body, my career, my achievements all belong to God.
     God's jealousy actually grows out of his love.  Because he loves us, he is jealous of anything that might tempt us away from what is good for us.

Taken from Women's Devotional Bible 2.

     At our church, we are in the midst of a sermon series on stewardship.  This devotional seems to fit perfectly.  It also fits the state of the economy as well.
     I like to be in control.  I am very uncomfortable when I feel that circumstances are out of my control.  I'm feeling a bit that way right now.  There are some circumstances in my life that I am unable to control. 
     Lord, bring your peace to my life.  Help me to remain calm and focus on doing things that I CAN control.  I know that you will provide for the needs of my family in the coming months and years.  Thank you that you have always provided for our needs.  We will lean on you and follow your will.
     Lord, if I fallen away from the center of your love, draw me back to you.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Creativity

. . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. ~ Exodus 31:3

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancng, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD ~ Psalm 150:3-6

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think ofyourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.  Just as each ofus has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach.  If it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. ~ Romans 12:3-8

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, . . . ~ Ephesians 5:19

     What is your form of creative expression?  I have many. 
     I sing every day.  Somtimes I make up new words to songs.  When my daughters were younger, I used to sing songs, like "You Are My Sunshine" and substitute their names in place of "Sunshine". 
     When I was in late elementary or junior high, my mom taught me how to embroider.  My great-grandmother used to embroider pillow cases and I thought they were pretty.  I have completed many embroidered and cross-stitched projects over the years.
     Another creative expression is in cake and cupcake decoration.  I took some cake decorating classes when I was younger.  I have made and decorated nearly every birthday cake for my daughters.  I think I only bought 1 cake for the 16 birthdays they have had between them.  My oldest daughter has been talking about making the birthday cake for my youngest daughter, whose birthday is in January.  I mentioned to her a couple days ago that Cake Decorating is a project that can be completed for 4-H.  She told me that she knew that and was planning to take a Cake Decorating project next year.
     My most recent form of creativity is crochet.  I would not claim to be an expert at all, but I really enjoy the feel of yarn slipping through my fingers and using a crochet hook to create blankets, hats, hair scrunchies and other projects.  I spend lots of time looking at crochet patterns.
     I use crafts and creativity to unwind at the end of the day. 

     "Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special.  It is an openness to doing old things in new ways and a willingness to adapt other people's good ideas to suit our personal needs.  And creativity is an ability we all possess, although many of us keep it hidden in the deep corners of our lives.
     Every single human being is creative.  The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things.  And nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibilty as stewards of God's good gifts."
     by Emilie Barnes; taken from Women's Devotional Bible 2

     Whatever your method of creativity, I encourage you to use it.  If it's been a while, take your time and just let yourself go.  Have a great day!  Thanks for joining me today.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

God's Plan, God's Purpose, Satan

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ~ Genesis 50:20

Satan Schemes, God Redeems 
by Joni Eareckson Tada

     God always exploits Satan's evil intentions and uses them in his own service--just one more example of God's ability to work "out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Ephesians 1:11)
     Satan plans to hinder the work of an effective missionary by arranging for him to trip in the jungle and break a leg; God allows the accident so that the missionary's godly response to pain and discomfort will bring glory to [God].  Satan brews a hurricane to kill thousands in a small village in Bangladesh; God uses the storm to display his awesome power, to show people the awful consequences that sin has brought to the world, to drive some to search for him, . . . and to remind us that he is free to do as he pleases.  We will never figure him out.
     Satan schemed that a seventeen-year-old girl named Joni would break her neck, hoping to ruin her life; God sent the broken neck in answer to her prayer for a closer walk with him.
     As a friend once said "God sends things, but Satan ofen brings them.  Praise God that when Satan causes calamity, we can answer him the with words that Joseph answered his brothers with when they sold him into slavery, 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.'"

Taken from Women's Devotional Bible 2

Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.  Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.  They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.  They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.  They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them?"  They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!"  Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.  But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.  He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.  All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.  Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him! ~ Psalm 64

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ~ Romans 5:3-5

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit t the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ~ Hebrews 12:7-11

     Two days ago, my uncle was in a very serious automobile accident in Texas.  I have seen pictures of the pickup truck he was driving and the school bus he collided with.  We are very blessed that my uncle is still with us.  God must have some amazing things planned for my uncle.
     I just had a conversation with our pastor on Sunday about discipline.  Our pastor is leading a study on the book "The Myth of a Christian Nation:  How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church" by Gregory A. Boyd.  I really don't have much interest in politics, but as I was reading the chapter for Sunday's discussion on the difference between "Power Over" (worldly kingdom) and "Power Under" (Godly kingdom), I kept trying to apply the principles to my parenting. 
     Parenting is tough.  I want to teach my children to make good choices and to become respected young ladies.  When I discipline my children for making poor choices, they say that I am being mean.  Hopefully, when they get a little older, they will see the discipline they endured as my way of guiding them to make choices they can be proud of and that God will approve.
     Whn you experience struggles in your life, remember that God is working through these difficult times to display his power and his love for you.  May God richly bless you today.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Future, God's Faithfulness

"This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."  ~ Genesis 41:36

How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.  I seek you with with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ~ Psalm 119:9-11

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise... ~ Ephesians 5:15

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8

     Although I cannot predict the future, I do know that history tends to repeat itself.  We have experienced some times of financial difficulty in the past.  No matter how tight the money got, God always provided just enough for us to make it through.
     The school district that I teach in is having some financial concerns right now.  At the end of last year the Superintendent asked for volunteers to not receive supplemental pay for one year.  I volunteered to not receive my choir director supplemental.  Although this means that I am bringing home less money than I did last year, I know that God will provide ways for us to make up that loss in other ways.
     This summer, we began Miehls Healthy Life Source as a secondary income.  I believe that God prompted me to start the business when I did, so we can have a way to make up for the money I'm not receiving at school.  Though we are just starting, we are optimistic about what the future may bring with our business.
     I am also just beginning the rehearsal process for a musical at school.  In the past, the musicals have been performed in the spring.  The spring sports calendar is so full that every weekend from mid-March through the end of school has an event.  We moved the musical to the fall.  I think this is another way that God is providing for my family because I will receive that pay about 5 months earlier than other years.
     Thanks, God, for providing for our needs.  Thanks for loving us enough to prepare the way for us to continue to be successful and grow in you.
     If you are interested in learning about how you can work from home to provide a second, or primary, income for your family, comment on my post.  I'd love to share more information with you.
     May you have a blessed day.  May you be aware of the ways that God is providing your needs both now, and in the future.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

God's Purpose, God's Will

"Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood."  His brothers agreed.  So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. ~ Genesis 37:27-28

Praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD, O my soul.  I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them--the LORD, whoe remains faithful foreve.  He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.  The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.  The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.  The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.  Praise the LORD. ~ Psalm 146

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?"

The Lovely Will of God
by Hannah Whitall Smith

     "We are not wise enough to judge as to things, whether they are really in their essence joys or sorrows, but the Lord knows; and, because he loves us with an unselfish and limitless love, he cannot fail to make the apparently hard, or cruel, or even wicked thing, work together for our best good.  I say "cannot fail" simply because it is an unthinkable thing to suppose that such a God as ours could do otherwise.
     It is not matter who starts our trial, whether human, or devl, or even our own foolish self.  If God permits it to reach us, he has by this permission made the trial his own, and will turn it for us into a chariot of love which will carry our souls to a place of blessing that we could not have reached in any other way.  I say that to the Christian who hides in the fortress of God's will, there can be no "second causes," for nothing can penetrate into that fortress unless the divine keeper of the fortress shall give it permission; and this permission, when given, means that he adopts it as being for our best good.  Joseph was sold into Egypt by the wickedness of his brethren, but God made their wickedness the chariot that carried Joseph to his place of triump over the Egyptians.
     We may be certain therefore, more certain than we are that the sun will rise tomorrow, that God's will is the most lovely thing the universe contains for us; and this, not because it always looks or seems the best, but because it cannot help being the best, since it is the will of infinite unselfishness and of infinite love."
     Taken from the Women's Devotional Bible 2

     When I started writing this post tonight, I was pretty frustrated.  I started a home business in July.  With this company, when I have enrolled 8 customers, I will become a Director.  In the last 2 weeks, I have had 4 appointments scheduled.  2 were not interested in enrolling right now, 1 said no, and 1 did not even answer the phone when I called.  Any of these appointments would have enabled me to become a Director as I only need 1 more enrollment.
     As a read the Scripture passages associated with this devotional, and as I was typing in Hannah Whitall Smith's words, I felt a sense of peace come over me.  Do I want to get to the next level in my business?  Of course, I do.  However, when I think about my schedule in the week ahead, I think maybe this is God's way of helping me step back and refocus on other commitments I have already made.
     Monday through Friday - teaching music to elementary students and JH & HS choir students
     Monday - taking my daughters to the 4-H fair booth work night
     Tuesday - worship planning meeting at church
     Wednesday - music planning meeting at church
     Thursday - musical auditions at school
     Friday - unwinding from the week and preparing for a weekend of "single parenting" as my husband will be gone for the weekend.
     Lord, be with me in the coming week.  Help me to focus completely on the tasks that you have given me in the coming week.  I believe that the "trials" I am about to face have come from you and that you will help me to grow as I work through them.  Guide my thoughts, words and actions so that I may glorify You and live out your will for my life.  Amen.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Creation, Praise

     "And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.  God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."  And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. 
     And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:  livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind."  And it was so.  God made the wild animals accordng to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatrues that move along the ground according to their kinds.  And God saw that it was good.
     Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over te fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  ~ Genesis 1:20-26

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.  For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.  The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earh is full of his unfailing love.  By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.  He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.  Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world rever him.  For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.  The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the people.  But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; the people he chose for his inheritance.  From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth--he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.  No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." ~ Psalm 33

     This summer, as I have been on a break from my daily job as a public school music teacher, I have had time to just sit and enjoy creation.  I have mowed our grass most of the summer.  I enjoy sitting and listening to our small fountain bubbling.  I enjoyed being at a beach in Michigan for an afternoon.  While in Michigan, I also saw a young fawn and just appreciated all the trees and the cool clean air.
     As school begins tomorrow, I pray that God will continue to open my eyes to appreciate the beauty He has created all around me...nature, my students (the good ones, and especially the challenging ones), my children as they grow.
     Lord, thank you for your wonderful creation and thank you for blessing me and my family with your beauty.  Amen.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Residual Income Vs. Overrides

Residual Income Vs. Overrides

Would you like to make a difference in your family's economic status? Read this article and then fill out the form to request free training videos.

Have a great day!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Parenting, Values

The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to the land?  Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"  "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said.  ~ Genesis 24:5-6

So I said:  "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.  In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.  But you remain the same, and your years will never end.  The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." ~ Psalm 102:24-28

My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.  When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.  For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life... ~ Proverbs 6:20-23

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." ~ Acts 2:40

     The older my children get, the more I worry about them.  I see things on TV and hear things on the radio that do not match the values I want them to have.
     Today, as I was driving to my Mom's house to pick up my daughters, I saw three young teenagers walking down the sidewalk.  From a distance, I thought it was 3 boys.  The one in the middle, who appeared to be shirt-less, had their arms around the shoulders of the two on the outside.  As I got closer, I realized that the middle person was a girl in a string bikini top.  My daughters are 10 and 6.  I will not let them out of the house wearing a bathing suit top that looks like a bra to just walk down the sidewalk.
     I know that my daughters think that we are "mean" and "strict" because we haven't gotten them cell phones.  I do not see the need for them to have cell phones as they are always with me, my husband, or another adult that has a phone they could use in an emergency situation.  Many of my oldest daughter's friends have cell phones.  I am not judging their parents, but I do not believe that a cell phone is a necessity for a 10-year old.
     Each year as they approach adolescence, I see my daughters pushing the limits a little bit more.  I pray that God will guide my husband and me as we parent them and try to train them to follow God's ways. 
     May God bless you all.  Thanks for reading! :)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Success Tips from Entrepreneurs

Success Tips from Entrepreneurs

This is from a fellow Internet CEO Mom, Heather Calhoun. I'm just learning the biz myself, so I am sharing business tips from other leaders in our company.

Have a great day.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

momsflexbiz - moms helping moms work from home: The Top 10 reasons for a viable Plan B are.....

momsflexbiz - moms helping moms work from home: The Top 10 reasons for a viable Plan B are.....: "Especially in these economic times, we can all think of many reasons why we need a viable Plan B; By viable, I mean a real business for real..."


I read this on an Internet CEO Moms team member's (Susanna Carbajal) blog. 

Think about it.  As we hear daily about the state of the economy changing rapidly, we need to be prepared for anything.  We went through a period of about 18 months with my husband unemployed about 2 years ago.  It was a very stressful time for us.  He has been employed again for a little over a year and we are just now starting to breathe a little easier.

Have a great day.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Career, God's Watchfulness

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her, "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." ~ Genesis 16:13

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall intothe heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD Almight is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.  "Be still, and know that I am God' I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. ~ Psalm 46

You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for dakness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ~ Psalm 139:5-16

When you pass through the waters, I wll be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will now sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. ~ Isaiah 43:2

     I have been on one of three music team at my church for about 16 or so years.  In that time I have learned and led lots of music.  I have had several discussions with people on my music team and in our Sunday School class about having songs go through my head when I read Scripture.  Today is no different.  I have many songs going through my head.
     When I was in the 2nd grade, my great-grandmother passed away.  I sang at her funeral at her request because I "had music in me."  I thank God for the gift of music that He has given me.  It is through my musical experiences that I have come to have a closer relationship with Him.
     The songs playing in my mind, along with the words of God, remind me that God will always be by my side.  I have no reason to fear because He will protect me.  There is no place that I can go that God will not be with me. 
     The words also remind me that I am one of God's precious creations.  I was wonderfully created by God, my heavenly Father.
     When I have doubts, which I do often, I need to just be quiet and let God be God.  This is a difficult thing for me to do.  I like to feel in control of my life and circumstances, but I know that God's will will be done.
     I trust that God has put me where I am supposed to be for my career.  I am a music teacher getting ready for a new school year.  I have just begun a second part-time career introducing others to safe, natural products.  I am seeking God's direction in this new adventure.  I pray that God will guide my words and actions with this new career.
     May you experience God's will in your life as well.  God bless you!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

You Must Eliminate Worry to Achieve Your Goals!

You Must Eliminate Worry to Achieve Your Goals!

Business Tips

Thank You for My Work

"It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High." ~ Psalm 92:1

"Lord, I praise You and thank You for my work.  You are full of goodness and grace.  My occupation gives me the ability to shape lives and influence people in positive ways every day, whether it's taking time for  teachable moments with my kids or being a listening ear for a coworker.  Thank You for my job and the ability to be a "missionary" wherever my feet tread.  Season my words so that others may taste and see that my Lord is good."

Taken from "Power Prayers for Women" by Jackie M. Johnson

Monday, August 1, 2011

Accountablity, Choices

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"  The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

 
"Adam blamed Eve.  Eve blamed the serpent.  It was the first game of pass the buck in human history.  Some of us may still be playing this game.  We fail to accept responsibility before God for our own feelings, thoughts and behavior.  We say it's our boss's fault that we missed our child's baseball game, when we scheduled the appointments.  We may blame our spouse for failing to allow us to finish school, when we are the ones who gave up too soon.
Each one of us has a choice.  We can choose to accept the things we can't change and learn to act on the things we can change.  We gain self-respect when we decide to stop blaming others for our dilemmas and start taking responsibility for our own choices." ~ Joan C. Webb in Women's Devotional Bible 2
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold. ~ Proverbs 8:10

Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt.  And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." ~ Hosea 5:15

It is written:  "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"  So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ~ Romans 14:11-12
     
     As a mother of a child diagnosed with epilespy, I wonder if I am guilty of passing the buck on her education.  My oldest daughter repeated kindergarten because she wasn't socially ready to move on after the first year.  During her second year of kindergarten, she was diagnosed with epilepsy.  The neurologist estimated that she was having absence seizures (staring spells) approximately 200 times a school day.
     When I brought the diagnosis back from the neurologist, her teacher refused to accept the diagnosis as a reason for her not following directions.  We, on the other hand, believed that she wasn't following the directions, because she wasn't hearing them. 
     Since then, she has struggled in school.  She was on meds for the end of her 2nd year of kindergarten and all of first grade.  At the end of first grade, an EEG showed no seizure activity, so she was weaned off her medicine.  Praise the Lord we have not seen any seizuring since then.  She had an EEG in August before she started 2nd grade and again in August before 3rd grade to confirm that she was not having seizures that we were missing.
     In 2nd grade she seemed to be struggling, so we took her to our local Sylvan Learning Center and their testing revealed she was behind in reading.  So, we began a 9-month reading program with them.  She thrived there and got caught up and even started into 3rd grade level skills before school started. 
     When she started 3rd grade, we chose to wait to have her tested at school for learning problems because we wanted to see what she could do on her own since she was caught up again.  By November, her teacher expressed concern because she seemed to be slipping again.  So we had her tested.
     Her test results showed that her IQ is Low Average.  Her scores on her testing were too close to her IQ (less than 20 points away), so she doesn't qualify to receive help.  I have expressed my concern as a parent not being able to help my child.  I am a teacher myself, so it is VERY frustrating to me that I am powerless to help my child who is struggling.
     We are now just three weeks away from my daughter entering the 4th grade.  Although my child is not currently on meds for epilepsy, her neurologist has told us that it is possible as she enters into adolescence that the seizures will resurface and could even be worse than the were a couple years ago. 
     How do I, as a parent and employee of the school she attends, continue to fight for the best education possible for my child and still keep my job?  How do I explain to her teachers and the administration that I am NOT making excuses for her performance?  She has a medical diagnosis and should be given additional help.
     Am I guilty of "passing the buck"?  Or am I guilty of "loving my child and wanting the best for her"?  I honestly don't know.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Creation

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food."  And it was so.  God saw all that he had made and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day." ~ Genesis 1:27-31

     I love to be out in nature and enjoy the beauty of what God has created.  Although I have allergies year round, I especially enjoy spring when everything is turning green.  I love to see flowers budding and bursting with color.  I am grateful when trees grow their leaves again providing shade. 
     I also really enjoy autumn and the bright colors of the leaves.  The various shades of red, orange, gold, and brown are spectacular against the bright blue sky.
     We had the opportunity to be in Clare, MI over the weekend.  As we sat on the deck of our cabin and looked out over the trees and fields, Russ and I talked about how peaceful it was and how we wished we had the thick woods and rolling hills of Clare closer to our home in Ohio.  We began talking about our family vacation next summer.  We would like to go back to Clare and spend a week there.  We would like to take some of the walking and biking trails with our daughters and experience God's creation in a different way than we can at home.
     Thank you, Lord, for the reminder this weekend that everything we see was created by you.  Indeed, we saw all that You have made and it is very good!

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:  all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! ~ Psalm 8

Praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.  Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.  Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.  Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.  Let them praise the name of the LORD for he commanded and they were created.  He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. ~ Psalm 148:1-6

"To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.  Lift your eyes and look to the heavenss:  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. ~ Isaiah 40:25-26

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." ~ Revelation 4:11

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Daily Devotionals

I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for many years.  I was baptized in 1989. 

I believe that God has been with me throughout the joys and sorrows of my life.  God spoke to me when I was unhappy with my first teaching job out of college and told me that if I left, He would put me where I needed to be.  Three weeks after relocating for a new teaching position, I met my husband-to-be.  Russ & I were married almost 2 years later.

10 months after we got married, we had our first child, Shauna, in April 2001.  We knew that we wanted to have two children.  Our next two pregnancies ended in miscarriage.  I was very angry with God during these experiences because I thought, as God, He knew that the pregnancies would fail.  In my mind, I thought if I was going to have a miscarriage, I would rather not have been pregnant at all.  In January 2005, we welcomed another daughter, Maddyson.  Shortly after Maddy was born, we learned that she and I have a rare skin condition that is fatal to boys.  Although the miscarriages happened too early to determine the sex of the babies, we believe that they were probably boys.

During my struggle with being angry with God, I turned to the Bible for comfort.  I read the Women's Devotional Bible 2. 

More recently, Russ, who was a truck driver at the time, became unemployed for an extended period of time.  I spent a lot of time in prayer and Bible reading again to try to find God's direction for our lives.  I have developed a habit of reading some form of the Bible or a devotional almost every morning.  I am currently reading the Old Testament and Proverbs passages out a One-Year Bible.

I will be using the subject index at the back of that Bible as the basis for my devotional blogs.  I will list the subject(s) as the title and type in the Bible verses that correspond with the subject matter.  I plan to start with the subjects and devotionals that are listed on Mondays in The Women's Devotional Bible 2.  You will find these under the Monday Moments tab.

My prayer is that through reading these Scripture passages, people will either come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the first time or develop their relationship with God.  If you read my blog and are touched by anything that you read, I would love to hear from you.

Have a great day.

Monday, July 18, 2011

My Why

I am blessed with a full-time job as a music teacher.  I teach general music for grades 1-3, 5 and 6 and choir for junior high and high school students.  I just finished my 10th year of teaching at Stryker Local Schools.

On July 1, 2011 I began Miehls Healthy Life Source which is a home-based business.  My purpose for starting this business is to pay off debt.  I have tried other home businesses, such as Pampered Chef and Premier Designs.  While I loved the products, I didn't love that I was away from my family all day as a teacher and away from them again in the evenings with my second job.

With Miehls Healthy Life Source, I do not have to be away from home.  With my phone and computer, I walk potential enrollees through a series of videos on Delivering Wellness with Melaleuca.  There are 5 product lines:  EcoSense (cleaning and laundry), Vitality for Life (vitamins and supplements), Bath & Body, Sei Bella (cosmetics) and Pharmacy.  If the enrollee likes what he or she sees, I set up their account for them and help them place their first order.  I can still be present with my family while helping pay off debt.

My goal is to be debt-free in 5-10 years, but ideally it will be closer to 5.