stultsmamaof4, Author at Being Confident Of This

The Verdict on Your Value Series

March 20, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 6 Comments

Today I’m sharing wise words from my friend Arabah Joy about our value.

Verdict on Value

Noise. Our lives are surrounded by it.

It bombards from within and without and much of our daily noise serves one purpose: to tell us how we are measuring up. It tells us what we are… or aren’t. It tells us we are worthy, successful, valuable, up to par… or we, simply, are not. It tells us we can take it easy on ourselves… or we need to try harder, do more, drive ourselves further.

It should be no surprise to us that the enemy of our souls is alive and well in the noise, tempting us to such things as:

Comparisons

Pride

Insecurity

Intimidation

Inferiority

Selfish Ambition

Shame

Silence

As tempting and overpowering as these things may seem, we need not give place to them in our hearts. God’s Word tells us that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. We can face the noise of our lives well equipped for triumph, grace, and confidence.

I am pleased to be part of a brand new series entitled “The Verdict on Value.” This series is about standing in confidence in a dog-eat-dog world and is brought to you by a group of blogging friends who have seen firsthand the damage comparison, insecurity, shame, and the like can do. Throughout this series we are going to share our stories and temptations with insecurity… and how Christ has worked in our lives to free us.

We invite you to join us every Thursday for the next 7 weeks for this series. We have some fun surprises planned as well 🙂 Just be sure to tune in to this blog each Thursday! Here’s a sneak peak into the series and the bloggers I have the privilege of working with on this:

Kathy from Free to Fly

Leah from The Point (Ministry Insecurity)

Jen from Confident in Grace

Arabah from Arabah Joy (Confessions from a Shameful Woman ~with a free mini Bible study printable)

Kerry from Plenty Place

Interview with Jennifer Dukes Lee (and a book giveaway of Love Idol: Letting Go of Your Need for Approval – and Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes!)

Wrap up with Jennifer Dukes Lee

The Pastor’s Mulligan

March 9, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 13 Comments

We woke at our usual Sunday-morning times and showered and bathed the little ones. We ate breakfast and dressed in our Sunday-morning clothes and tied shoes and added bows to ponytails. The morning routine was going relatively smoothly until the phone rang.

I heard my husband say, “Aw, man.”

Concerned, I called out from the next room, “What’s wrong?”

“We’re late! I forgot it was the start of daylight savings!”

For most church-going families, this would result in either skipping Sunday School altogether or making a red-face, apologetically late entrance.

But I’m married to the Pastor.

So, forgetting to “spring forward” meant people sitting in the sanctuary, sitting and waiting on us.

At first, the perfectionist in me was sorely tempted to give in to crankiness. Why would the Lord allow us to make such a noticeable and embarrassing mistake?! How could we have missed daylight savings?!

Somehow, I had missed every possible reminder of the upcoming time change and was honestly clueless. Right then and there, I decided blaming God wasn’t going to help and neither was blaming myself. Although forgetting to change our clocks was incredibly humiliating and humbling (and it WAS), it could not have been prevented in any way.

So, when my husband, the pastor, received the call that meant we were shamefully late, I decided to let it go, to trust the Lord, knowing my own conscience was clear. Knowing that while others might have the right to complain, we could handle it with grace.

You see, the Father’s been teaching me lately how little the approval of men matters in the larger scheme of things. He’s been teaching me instead to look towards His Son for the approval that I seek. He’s been stretching my ideas about grace.

By the time we made it to church, wet hair and all, Sunday School was already halfway over, but we made the best of it. I was a little afraid my husband might be chastised, but thankfully our small, country church is full of kind and gracious folks.

And wouldn’t you know the Lord had a word for us today, a word for me.

Because my husband preached on Jonah and the people of Nineveh. He proclaimed that our God is the God of mulligans, second-chances, do-overs, try-agains. And we, the pastor and his family, had been exceedingly, embarrassingly late to church that morning. 🙂

Wait – it gets even better! The very best part of God extending a mulligan to the people of Nineveh (and to those of us who trust in Him today) is that no record of previous wrongs exists. The second chance takes the place of the first, wipes it completely out of existence, as if it never, ever happened.

That argument with your husband – wiped out. Those harsh words spoken to your children – wiped out. The thoughts you had about that hard-to-get-along-with person – wiped out. The extra bites of brownie you took – wiped out. The time you wasted on frivolous things – wiped out. The decision to ignore the Holy Spirit so you could have more “me” time – wiped out. The worry, the coveting, the greed, the jealousy, the impatience, the lack of self-discipline, all of it – wiped out.

Sometimes we don’t realize how guilty we’ve allowed the Enemy to make us until we’re reminded of the second chance, the mulligan. Sometimes we forget that even though life gets hard and our sin nature pulls at us so and we feel helpless, the final battle is already won, just as we sang in our closing hymn this morning:

“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And has shed His own blood for my soul.”

We forget that our sins have already been pardoned, mulligan-ed, wiped away:

“My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more…”

And the victory that is ours to cling to will come. It will come. It will come, sisters.

“And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Because by the blood of the Father’s son, Jesus, we possess unlimited mulligans.

Even pastors.

Even their wives.

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

And in our humility, we see clearly His greatness.

Jen 🙂

*You may also find me at any of these lovely places.

9 Ways to Save on Kids’ Clothes: Part 2

March 3, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 6 Comments

Last week I shared part 1 of how we clothe our four children on our single-income budget. Today, I’m sharing the second part of how we save on kids’ clothes, including how we take advantage of end-of-season clearance to buy new clothes a year ahead for our children.

Gently Used Clothing (continued from Part 1)

6.Consignment Stores for Children

In our area, we have a few choices for second-hand clothing stores specific to children. By far, my favorite is Once Upon a Child. Most of these stores will screen the clothing they take in (as opposed to accepting anything like some second-hand stores to). Prices reflect the value of clothing items, based on condition of the item and name brand. So, when you buy from such stores, you can be fairly certain that you are buying clothes that are free of holes, stains, rips, excessive fading, etc.

What makes stores like Once Upon a Child so attractive to me is the ability to sell your own gently used clothing to the store in exchange for either cash or store credit! I really appreciate this feature for my daughter’s wardrobe since many of her items are still in excellent condition as she is the only girl.

If any of my children have wardrobe needs, I will take store credit so that I can purchase what is lacking. If I have something else in mind to buy from another store, then I will take cash. Sometimes I even take some of both. Who doesn’t enjoy shopping without having to spend any money? 🙂

Tips: many of these retailers also accept toys, books, puzzles, baby items, and more.

Pros: wide variety, quality clothing that has been screened, ability to make money

Cons: may not accept all trade-ins, must watch prices carefully (they tend to be a little higher than second-hand stores)

7. Second-hand Stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.)

Second-hand stores offer a good source of gently used clothing, especially when garage sales are out of season. Local second-hand stores, rather than chain stores like Goodwill, often offer the best value. We have a store in our small town that charges only twenty-five cents per clothing item.

Tips: Look for 1/2 price days or weekends at chain stores (Goodwill’s is once per month), sack sales, or coupons to save even more money.

Pros: save money buy buying second-hand rather than new, wide variety of items, support charity when shopping some stores.

Cons: prices are often much higher than garage sales (and sometimes even store clearance), some clothing isn’t in the best condition.

8. Facebook Groups and Craigslist

If you are tech-savvy and enjoy shopping online, you can find some great second-hand deals on facebook or craigslist! Many towns and counties have developed online garage sale type pages for users to sell clothing (and other items) locally, much like Craigslist only via facebook.

I have both sold and purchased clothing items on such a group, and the transactions really depend on the people you are dealing with. Some sellers/buyers are very honest and easy to work with, while others are just out to make a buck.

Also, safety can be a concern since you will have to meet the party who is selling/buying in order to complete the transaction. Always, always, always meet in a public place and never go alone if you can avoid it.

Pros: local buying and selling, better pricing than many second-hand stores, easy to find seasonal items like Christmas apparel and Halloween Costumes

Cons: little to no regulation of items being sold, no way to leave feedback for negative transactions, need to arrange meetings, less variety than a second-hand store

Buying Brand New

9. Shop Clearance at Retail Stores

Shopping clearance is really a hobby of mine. 🙂 I like to shop, but our budget is tight and I want to be a good financial steward of the finances God provides for us. I also know that material things are only transient, so I don’t want to place a high value on them. Finding a clearance rack allows me to meet needs while also enjoying my hobby. 🙂

Shopping end-of-season clothing in particular allows us to buy new, quality clothing at second-hand (sometimes even garage sale) prices. Such items are particularly helpful for our boys since most items will be handed down twice, and some even survive well enough to be passed on to younger cousins!

However, clearance shopping is one area in which I must exercise caution. The excitement of a good bargain often leads to over-spending or over-buying (how many skirts does one preschool girl really need?!). Additionally, department stores thrive on marking items up and then promoting a sale thereby convincing consumers they are getting a bargain when, in truth, they are not. So, before I share my rules for clearance shopping with you, I must caution you not to blow your clothing budget by making the same mistakes I have.

Tips: Before you attempt to shop end-of-season sales for next year’s wardrobes, know your prices (takes time and research), know your budget, and know your needs (keep a list if you need to). My favorite stores for buying quality clearance clothing are JC Penneys, Kohls, The Children’s Place, Old Navy, and occasionally Walmart.

Rules for Bargain Shopping

Buy When:

the item is needed (either currently or for the next year)
you see evidence of multiple markdowns already
you have extra percent off of already reduced prices (I like to wait until items are 70-90% off original prices. For online buying, check for coupon codes at retailmenot.com)
you will earn rewards to buy other needed items (such as Kohls cash)

Exercise caution when:

you’re tempted by price alone
the item will be difficult to match (example: a girls’ skirt with a weird color of pink or purple in it)
end of season clearance has just begun (I’ve learned that some stores, Kohls in particular, mark some things as “clearance” that are really just their normal sale prices. If you wait for a few weeks, you’re likely to see much better discounts.)

Why buy a year ahead?

Whenever possible, I take advantage of seasonal clearance to buy a year ahead for our children (I mentioned this in Part 1 in the Garage Sale section). Thinking ahead is a technique I learned from couponing, and it makes a lot of sense. When prices are extremely low, buy more than you need for the present so that when you need the item in the future, you will not have to pay regular price. For clothing, that translates to buying a size or so larger for the next year.

For example, when summer clothes go on clearance, I think about what they will need for their wardrobes next summer, including swimsuits and footwear. Thinking ahead is particularly helpful for items that tend to be more costly, such as Easter and Christmas dress clothes. Example: Once I found a toddler boys’ Christmas suit (vest and tie included) for $1.97, so I bought it even though it would not fit our son for 2 more years.

The only two downsides to buying ahead is that your budget might not allow for extra purchases (even frugal ones) and you may not have the storage space necessary to keep clothing for a year, especially if you already have several children. In those cases, check for an area of the budget you can pull a little extra cash from (such as food) and ask friends or family for storage space in a garage or attic.

Once you have built up a little clothing in storage, buying ahead will not be as much of a stretch for your budget because you won’t be purchasing as many items for immediate needs.

Tips: Be sure to pay attention to how their current clothing fits and their general body type. For example, I’ve learned that our children all have my husband’s long torso, so I usually have to buy one size larger in shirts than in pants. Additionally, our only daughter is quite thin, so regular pants often look like clown pants on her. Thus, when buying ahead for her, I only purchase leggings and skinny jeans or slim sizes.
Disclaimer: Buying ahead may not work as well in the teen years when youths are prone to skipping whole sizes at once – we’re still learning about these years as our oldest is about to turn 14! 🙂

That wraps up part 2 of how we save money on kids’ clothes in an effort to live frugally. Saving money on clothing is just one way that we stretch our budget; for more ideas, read 5 Ways to S-t-r-e-t-c-h a Budget. I hope you find this information helpful!

Jen 🙂

You may find me linking up at any of these lovely places.

Choosing the Struggle

March 2, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 39 Comments

Choose.

“Choose you this day whom you will serve…”

It’s the first thought that runs through my head. And the obvious choice. Yes, I choose Jesus. I want to serve the Father.

I want to follow hard after Him.

But some days, the choosing is a struggle, isn’t it?

The choosing is easy enough when the sun shines and the warm breeze blows and the blessings flow and joy abounds.

But what about those days when the fiery darts strike in quick succession? And just as you rise, the wind gets knocked out of you once more? Those days the choosing feels near impossible.

And that’s exactly what our Enemy wants, my work-in-progress friends, for us to feel helpless!

Incapable!

Paralyzed!

Weary!

Defeated!

We just want to cry, “mercy” and throw in the towel, admit defeat. We’re so overwhelmed by the struggle that we have little left to give.

Those lies about our failings will carry us right away if we let them, won’t they? Carry us right away into a sea of despair, a void of apathy, a pit of depression.

What if we choose the struggle instead, friends?

In those times when we can’t find it in ourselves to choose joy, when we can’t count our blessings for the crashing waves before us, when we feel incapable of making a choice at all, maybe it’s enough just to choose the struggle.

Even though we may not be winning, we choose fighting the good fight. We don’t give up, we don’t give in. Even though we fear defeat, even though we falter for a step or two, or even a mile or more, we choose to press on.

What if we throw off the chains of perfection and choose instead the road of imperfect progress?Maybe even some days that road looks less like progress and more like a struggle for simple survival.

Those are the days we count it a victory just to finish out with our faith still intact.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6

So we fight by faith!

By faith, we wait on the Lord.

By faith, we cling to the promise of grace and we seek His face.

By faith, we choose the struggle, day after day after day.

And some days, that’s the best choice we can possibly make.

Let’s choose it together, friends.

It’s the choice that leads to victory!

Jen 🙂

Sharing with #TheLoft and Grace and Truth.

9 Ways to Save on Kids’ Clothes: Part 1

February 22, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 8 Comments

Quite a few months ago, I mentioned in 5 Ways to S-t-r-e-t-c-h a Budget that we save a lot of money on clothing for our children, and I promised to share details later on. Well, I’m finally getting around to it! 🙂

Clothing expenses can easily burden a larger-than-average family, especially a family living on a single income. In our home, when we have a budget issue, our first method of attack is to pray. We try to pray for our needs before we even begin to attempt to meet them (of course, we don’t always remember to pray first). And when we remember, we pray for wisdom to be good stewards of the finances God has blessed us with, as well.

Here are 9 specific ways in which we save money on clothing for our children.

Clothing for Free!

1. Hand-me-downs

Since we have three boys, this money-saving technique worked very well for us until we had our first girl (aside from our oldest’s tendency to wear holes in the knees of his pants in his elementary years). 🙂 Save the clothing that isn’t stained or sporting holes in a well-labeled, clear plastic tote for the next child.

Pros: no expense necessary after the initial purchase!

Cons: some items will wear out after several children.

Tips: Do not get rid of clothing (even if your youngest child is a different gender from older siblings) until you are certain you will not be having more children! Also, buy quality clothing whenever possible (find out how to save on new clothing in part 2 of this post) because the clothes will last longer. Finally, If you have no hand-me-downs to begin with, be willing to accept them from others in your circle – family, church family, friends, neighbors, etc. I can’t tell you how many times even our neighbors became the answer to prayers for our clothing needs, especially when we found out we were having twins!

2. Swap Clothing

Find a friend or group of friends to swap clothing with. For several years, I swapped cloths with a friend who had a son older than our youngest boy and a daughter younger than ours. So, she traded her toddler boy clothes for my toddler girl clothes. We also received clothes for our daughter from church family; these clothes had been through two other families before ours! Search for a large, organized clothing swap in your area, or even organize one of your own.

Pros: No extra spending necessary!

Cons: Storage space needed for totes.

Gently Used Clothing

3. Thred-up

Thred-up (www.thredup.com) is an online site for both buying and selling quality, second-hand children’s clothing (and women’s, as well). Once you sign up for a membership using your e-mail address, you are free to purchase. If you want to earn store credit by selling items you no longer need, you’ll want to request a bag from them. Fill the bag up as much as you can, send it in and they will give you a price quote.

Pros: receiving credit for clothing you send in; clothing is well-screened.

Cons: online only store means no trying things on; paying for shipping costs as well.

4. E-bay

E-bay is another online site for both buying and selling, although it’s not solely for clothing. Again, you can sell your gently-used items to earn money to buy what your family needs. Additionally, you might find brand new clothing listed for lower than retail.

Pros: ability to earn by selling.

Cons: clothing isn’t screened; can’t try on clothes; shipping costs.

Tips: when buying on e-bay, please be careful to choose a seller with a high feedback rating. Also, if you need a large amount of clothing, listings for clothing “lots” will give you the best value for your money.

5. Garage Sales

My favorite way to save money on clothes is to buy them at garage sales. By far, yard sales average the lowest prices for gently used clothing. I’m a bargain shopper, so shopping at yard sales is just a lot of fun for me, especially when I find items we really need. Of course, not all garage sales are equal, so I still watch prices carefully.

Pros: fun to shop; best prices.

Cons: seasonal in our area; quality of clothing varies.

Tips: when buying at garage sales, you can buy more than a year ahead if the price is right and if your budget allows. Buying ahead will save you money in the long run. Be sure to store your items in well-labeled, clear plastic totes or you may forget/overlook some like I did last year!

…………………

Click here for part two of 9 Ways to Save on Kids’ Clothes , including more ways to shop for gently used clothing and how to take advantage of end of season clearance sales to buy brand new clothing at second-hand prices! Until then remember: when you are offered hand-me-downs or when you find great prices at a garage sale or even the clearance section, think long-term. Don’t accept or buy only what you need for the current season (unless it will break the budget to do otherwise), but plan for a size or two ahead!

Of course, as with anything in life, learning to save money is another one of those work-in-progress areas. The best way to be a good financial steward is to cover all of your budgeting and spending decisions in prayer. I know I often forget to go to the Lord first even though He promises to provide. I’m not always the best at trusting in Him to provide, but He is able, sisters!

Jen 🙂

You may find me linking up at any of these wonderful places.

Counting Bedtime Blessings

February 16, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 12 Comments

It’s past midnight now, yet I sit sleepy-eyed in the too quiet house. Our four children are all tucked safely into bed and my husband snores beside me. An extra chill hangs in the air as temperatures outdoor have dipped below zero once again.

I should have gone to bed long ago, but the quiet is so peaceful and I’m feeling so thankful. Not for any one thing in particular, really, but for many small things all at once that pile up to one pretty spectacular life that I just don’t deserve.

And it’s because of Him, our Creator God, that I am gifted with this one life, this one year, this one day never to be repeated again.

So, I’m thankful because in the midst of trial, I’m finally seeing some of the good. I don’t always see it, don’t always “count it joy,” but today I can see the progress.

Today I realized that this time of trial has greatly strengthened our marriage. I’m able to appreciate my husband in ways that I haven’t been able to before. He’s been my comfort in times of need and my encourager in times of weakness. We’ve regained that sense of companionship that so easily gets lost in the daily urgency of parenthood and of ministry. I’m counting that a victory!

Even more, after finishing only part of the laundry and part of the coupon clipping, I felt free to stop and just “be” with them, those fabulous kids who amaze me with their zest for life and their love for others. And again I’m thankful because I don’t always take the time to stop and read books or play legos or look at drawings or dance. I can’t always resist the desire for domestic perfection, but I’m never sorry when I do. Another victory I’m claiming!

And I, I walk away the richer for it. I fall even more in love with these creatures the Lord has entrusted to us.

I notice the way my daughter’s bedtime hugs and kisses always come with compliments like beautifulest or sweetest or nicest or bestest. And when I pay her a compliment in return, her face fairly glows with joy. She’s my enthusiastic encourager.

I notice, too, the way our youngest son really hugs me back, both small arms around my neck and a nice squeeze (but not too hard), maybe even a few pats on the back. He lingers there, not old enough to be embarrassed yet by sitting in Mommy’s lap. He’s my sweet snuggler.

I can’t leave out our middle son, our macho man, who seems unusually happy and eager to please this evening (bedtime is normally met with his frowns). In fact, he asks me to stop reading before his bedtime story is finished so that he will have time to pick up his blankets from the floor (shocking!), the leftovers of a massive tent-fort built on this unexpected snow day. It delighted me because…he’s my energetic entertainer.

The only one left is our oldest son, quick to help, slow to anger. His shoulders seem to grow broader by the day as his voice deepens. He’s developing a hunger and thirst for the Lord that thrills this mama’s heart. He’s my gentle leader of the pack. 🙂

What really struck me this evening, though, was the sense of peace that pervaded the air here. The transformation that love in action has on our children is profound. When they know that in this moment right here, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are incredibly loved, that they are valued for who they are, then they blossom right before my eyes.

No tears at bedtime, no scowling, no stalling…

I can see it on their smiling faces, that in just a few lovely hours, they’ve been filled to the brim so much so that it just overflows in return – love and joy and peace.

Suddenly, I realize that it’s no different for me. How much easier it is for me to obey my Heavenly Father when I’ve taken time to revel in His love for me, His perfect, unfailing, unconditional love for me. Not for everyone else, but for me.

How quick I am to chose right instead of wrong.

How strong I stand in the face of temptation.

How peaceful I feel.

And in me, the joy is unspeakable because it’s true. My Father God loves me. He’s patient with me. He comforts me. He rejoices in me. He blesses me with an abundance of good things.

And even on the tough days, when I act like an ungrateful child, He waits for me. And when I sink to the ground in absolute despair, He sits beside me. And when I’m ready to press on, He helps me stand.

Isn’t it the same for all of us, sisters? If we could just live every day with this soul-deep thankfulness for who He is and for who we are because of Him, then being the women of faith we should be, the ones we really long to be, wouldn’t be half as hard!

Instead, the work-in-progress would come easy to us. The victories frequent rather than few and far between. It would spill right over the edges of our very selves and stream out to everyone around us, this supernatural love.

All of those good things that we cannot manufacture on our own? They begin with Him, through Him, from Him.

Because He is good and His love endures forever.

We can be confident in that Love, sisters, for it tells us who we are.

It brings us victory!

Jen 🙂

You may find me linking up at any of these places.

Fear No Evil, Just Write

February 7, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 23 Comments

Write.

Writing has been necessary for me from a very young age. In the early years I wrote for creativity’s sake. I reveled in developing stories for my pleasure alone, not worrying what anyone else thought. Even as I grew older, school writing assignments brought a smile to my face while the rest of my classmates groaned.

As a teen, my writing became more introverted – the good old diary was my space of choice. I could say whatever I wanted to whomever I wanted without being afraid of rejection or repercussion.

But at some point in time, we had to start sharing our writing with “peers” in class and suddenly, writing became a little more scary.

I wrote less and less until almost not at all unless it was for a school assignment.

And then marriage, and then babies…

Although hidden, the urge to write remained and burst forth in occasional poems, encouraging notes, or impassioned letters to the editor. I might take that desire out for a bit, dust it off, and admire it, yet put it back in the box neatly where it was safe.

Safe.

Because the thing about writing is that it’s sort of a portal to the soul, whether you want it to be or not. A lie detector test. A forced honesty of character and feeling.

And sometimes I don’t want to be that open with the world. I fear my words might not be good enough, my ideas not great enough, that I’M not enough.

I fear my failings as a work-in-progress woman. I fear others might see the real me. Because as our friend, Lisa-Jo Baker said, control is an illusion, and writing out truths here in this small space breaks that illusion apart bit by bit.

There’s fear in the writing, and sometimes pain in the writing, but also joy, and wonder, and beauty, and peace, and understanding.

Isn’t that the way it is with all things in life? 🙂

I wonder if the psalmist David faced such fears, or if he just wrote because he had to, because it was in him?

Imagine if he had never penned his agonies or his alternating ecstasies. Imagine if he thought no one would to ever read the words or sing the melodies, so why create them in the first place? Or worse yet, some might read them and scoff, so why bother?

We must write because our Father God has called us to be truth-tellers and truth-spreaders. We must write because it. is. in us!

We must write.

We must write because the writing forces honesty, and how can we grow, how can we progress, friends, if we languish in the illusion that is not?

So, we put on a brave face and just write.

We write happy words and sad words.

We write in victory and also in defeat.

We write hardships and pain and laughter and delight.

We write comfort.

We write, “Me, too.”

We write real.

And we trust Him to do the rest.

Jen 🙂

I’m joining the Five Minute Friday crew again this week over at Lisa-Jo Baker’s place. We free-write for 5 Minutes on a one-word prompt. It’s scary; it’s fun; it’s crazy. And so often, it’s oh-so-beautiful. Join us if you like! (Note: this post has since been edited slightly, so it’s not a true five-minute Friday, but close!)

Also sharing with: Wholehearted Home

Energy-burning Indoor Fun for Kids

February 1, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 19 Comments

Winter wears long around this time of year for those of us who live in the Midwest. Usually, our family enjoys the snow because it allows for sledding, building snow forts and snowmen, snowball fights, and other gross-motor, active fun.

However, with wind-chills well below zero at times, winter means a lot more time is spent indoors.

Even in the summer, several rainy days in a row can send my active, high-energy kids into a cabin fever frenzy!

What can you do when you’re stuck indoors and the kids are bouncing off the walls?

This big list of active indoor fun for kids might just help burn off some of that excess energy!

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information on Being Confident of This’s affiliate policy, please visit the home page here. Thank you for helping to support this site!

Indoor Fun for Kids:

Snowball Fight – Yes, you can have a snowball fight indoors and burn a lot of energy doing so! I learned this game from a birthday party we attended recently. You will need a stack of white paper (newspaper will suffice if you don’t have white paper). Crumple the paper into balls – the more you have, the more fun it will be. Dump the paper snowballs into the middle of an open area and let the kids go wild!

Tip: It’s even more fun if you create some obstacles to hide behind.

Bounce around – Several years ago when the twins were younger and I frequently babysat children in our home, we invested in a small bouncy house from Blast Zone. It had the best reviews for durability (the material feels just like commercial bouncy houses), and it’s still going strong 3 years later! Our twins are now 7 and they can still both jump at the same time in it. It’s been a lifesaver on several occasions when the weather kept us indoors.

Another less expensive option would be a small, indoor trampoline like this Little Tikes one, or even an exercise ball. If all else fails, you can always resort to letting the kids jump on your bed (I do!). Jumping uses a lot of muscles group, so it burns off excess energy quicker – very helpful indoor fun for kids!

Ball pit – When our youngest son was a baby, he needed some physical therapy. One of the things his therapist did was to create a small ball-pit using a laundry basket filled with balls. At first, he hated it, but eventually he grew to love it.

Let the kids enjoy active indoor fun by jumping into the pit, swimming in the balls, throwing balls, and so on. Frugal ideas for ball pits: laundry baskets, plastic totes, inflatable kiddie pools, or large cardboard boxes.

Indoor Skating – I’ve found two different ways to create indoor skates. One is to tie wax paper around the bottom of your children’s feet and let them skate away. The other is to use kleenex boxes (or other cartons) as skates – just insert feet into the opening. We only had one usable kleenex box, so I improvised with a juice pouch box. 😉

Climb, climb, climb – Recently I was reminded that kids of all ages love to climb. My husband brought a step-ladder indoors to do some repairs. When he finished, our four-year-olds spent a good thirty minutes climbing up and down, up and down (with supervision, of course). Other options – smaller kitchen step-stools,or a stool your kids might use in the bathroom, stairways, boxes, etc.

What an easy, indoor fun for kids that doubles as an energy-burning activity that uses items you most likely already have at home! Our active boys especially liked to climb, but we were equally surprised by our daughter’s skills (earning her the nickname, Monkey).

Activity Dice – Create a large dice from cardboard or cardstock (the bigger the better in the eyes of children). On each side of the dice, list a different activity to be performed. Examples: do ten jumping jacks, flap your arms like a bird, twirl in circles until you’re dizzy, hop up and down, jump like a frog, crab-walk, do a somersault, etc.

If your child is old enough to find this activity boring, try making it into a competition – game changer! Our kids really enjoy this type of active indoor fun for kids!

Dance the wiggles away – We have Just Dance Kids’ version for the Wii that our younger children really love. However, we also frequently dance to music on the radio or our oldest son’s ipod. 🙂 One of my friends suggested playing “freeze” by pausing the music and having everyone freeze in place.

Another “freezing alternative is to turn the lights off and when they come back on, everyone has to freeze in place (while music continues to play, of course).

This song is perfect for freezing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7JoCCR4OsM

Or try this active song that was an immediate hit with our younger two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dXoiCMyyu4

Dancing burns a lot of energy and keeps everyone entertained at the same time.

Geronimo! – We love this classic. Create a huge pile of pillows, blankets, beanbags, stuffed animals, etc., near a couch or the bottom of your stairway. Jump away! Our children have spent endless hours getting out extra energy this way when we’re stuck indoors.

Pillow Fight – Caution: if you have a child who tends to get aggressive, prepare for possible injuries. It’s a good time to work on self-control. 🙂 Even our teen boy likes to pillow fight when the whole family is involved. What better use of family time than to burn off some stored up energy?

Family wrestling – Nothing is more tempting to children than when Mom or Dad lay on the floor. For some reason, our four kiddos love to sit on us, climb on us, bounce on us, and so forth. Family wrestling is also a good opportunity for Mom to sneak attack Dad’s feet (he can’t get away with four kids piled on top-ha!). As with all active fun, it usually ends when someone cries.

Spikeball – We created this game using punch-balloons leftover from a birthday party. To begin, we spread out in the largest room in our home. Then we “spike” the punch-balloons across the room at another person. Each player receives points for hitting another player as long as it is not a face-shot (we had to ban those during a particularly crazy game). 🙂

It’s a mad frenzy trying to snatch up the punch-balloons and spike them at others while also trying not to get hit yourself. You could also use a regular balloon, but punch-balloons are just a little heavier, bigger and bouncier, so they can travel farther.

Tip: it’s more fun and crazy if you have more than one balloon. Second tip: if you have a wide age range like we do, be sure the littles get their fair share of turns or you’ll endure much pouting.

Other balloon fun – Balloons are great for quick and easy active indoor fun because you can play so many different games with them. Play don’t let the balloon touch the ground, or blow the balloon across the floor. You can even play an indoor version of hockey with a balloon and pool noodles (cut them in half for smaller players).

Play volleyball by hanging a string or a blanket between two chairs for a net. Hang balloons from the ceiling or a doorway just out of reach and ask children to jump up and touch them. Put a balloon between the knees and race from one end of the room to the other without dropping the balloon. Tie a balloon to their feet and try to step on each other’s balloons. The options for energetic fun are endless!

Indoor Obstacle Course – This is an often-requested favorite at our house and with our children’s ministry at church, also. First the kids help to create the obstacles using chairs, card tables, tunnels from a Playhut set, brooms for hurdles or limbo sticks, hula hoops to hop through, inflatable swimming rings in place of tires for an agility hop, etc.

Once everything is set up, they race through it over and over again! I can’t wait to try this winter-themed course that involves climbing a “snow mountain.”

Sliding – If you have a slide you can bring indoors, you can entertain toddlers and preschoolers for quite some time. Since our kiddos have outgrown our slide, we turned our stairway into a giant slide (something I pinned a long time ago on pinterest).

The only thing you need is a few large, wide sections of strong cardboard. If you use an appliance box, be on the lookout for staples that will need to be removed first!

Nerf/Koosh Gun War – Two of our boys received Koosh ball guns for Christmas, and not long after I happened to find refill packs of balls on clearance at Walmart – score! 🙂 We also have a couple of Nerf dart guns and a foam disc shooter from years past.

Sometimes we sneak attack our teenager or Dad, but usually we play all together. Gather up the ammo and have fun chasing each other all over the house. Tip: it’s important to establish some ground rules first, such as do not shoot at the face and do not shoot at windows, etc.

Play Basketball – We also have been gifted a Little Tikes basketball hoops, as well as a classic Nerf hoop that hangs over the door. One way to burn lots of energy is to play basketball free-for all. Much like spikeball, there are few rules to this game other than to get a hold of a ball whenever you can and put it through the hoop.

If you like a more organized game, you can take turns shooting or see who can make a shot from the longest distance, etc. No hoops in the house? Improvise with a trash can or bucket and a small ball or even wadded up piece of paper.

Scary Hide-n-go-seek – A variation on the traditional game, this version is played in the dark, indoors and is another one of our most-requested indoor games. We turn off all of the lights except one or two dim ones (for safety). Something about hiding in the dark with the chance of being spooked really gets the adrenaline pumping.

Of course, if you have little ones who are scared of the dark, you’ll probably have to hide with them. And if you have a dog, chances are he or she might give away your hiding spot by sitting and staring near you or barking. 😉 This is a favorite from our indoor fun for kids list.

Wii activity – In addition to our Just Dance Kids game, we also have Wii sports and a few other games that require activity. You can often find gently used games at a greatly reduced price at places like Game Stop or on E-bay or Amazon. Here are a few that will encourage movement:

Go Vacation

Just Dance Kids

Wii Sports Resort

Sword-fight – Our boys (and often our daughter, too) love to sword-fight with their light-sabers, but inevitably someone gets hurt and we have to quit. So, I really, really love this pinterest idea for creating light-sabers from pool noodles cut in half. Sometimes we make it a whole family activity and even the teenager joins in with us! What a fun way to be active indoors!

Kid Olympics or Ironkid Challenge – We did this once for our AWANA kids at church during the last Summer Olympics. We used frisbees for a discus throw, pool noodles for a javelin, relay races, etc. We even ordered plastic medals online, but you could easily create your own indoor version. Why not have an awards ceremony, too?

Wipeout – I love this idea for energy-burning fun that came from a friend of mine. Use couch cushions, etc. to create a course inspired by the tv show Wipeout!

Giant tent fort – While this activity doesn’t burn quite as much energy as some of the others, it still burns some and it takes a good amount of time to do. Our kiddos recently spent the better part of a day creating this giant fort using a card table, a piano bench, kitchen chairs, plastic totes, a step-stool, and anything else they could find.

We left it up for days until they got tired of it. Any activity that holds interest beyond a day is a winner in my opinion! 🙂 And if you don’t want the mess of getting all the blankets out, consider this pop-up princess castle or this fun teepee!

Treasure Hunt – This was another friend’s high-energy suggestion. Create a treasure hunt where the clues involve some sort of physical activity such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and so forth. Of course, you need a fun treasure like this, or a special snack or maybe new coloring books.

Convert the garage -If you have a garage, consider moving your vehicles and opening up space for indoor bike-riding, roller-skating, skate-boarding, scootering, or even an old-fashioned game of foursquare (use chalk to draw the lines). I’ve also seen hanging ladders, ropes, and sets of rings available for purchse to hang from the ceiling or doorway (guess what’s on my wish list?!).

If your children are very young or you have the inside space, you might consider bringing a tricycle or scooter indoors. How fun would this doorway swing be?!

Put on a Show – Our children, like most, enjoy performing for any willing audience. Our shows usually consist of lots of break-dancing, twirling, and kung-fu-type stunts. Set up a stage area and a seating area and settle in for lots of laughs. (Thanks to another one of my friends for reminding me of this!) While you laugh, they’ll be expending lots of extra energy.

BONUS IDEA for Energy-Burning Indoor Fun for Kids:

Work the Maze – Create a laser-beam maze in a hallway or other narrow space using yarn or even crepe paper. See who can get through without touching or breaking any of the lines. Instant indoor energy-burning fun for kids that takes only minutes to create.

Armed with this list, I now feel prepared for the pending snowstorm heading our way (and any rainy days that might come our way this summer).

Once you’ve drained off the extra energy, your children might settle down enough to attempt some of these fun indoor activities from Coffee Cups and Crayons.

Do you have more ideas for energetic, gross-motor indoor fun? We would love to hear from you in the comments!

Jen 🙂

Our Big List of Favorite Games (categorized by age)

Top Free Resources for Pre-K

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Arabah Joy’s “In Christ” E-course

January 29, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 Leave a Comment

A few months ago, I had the privilege of joining an online e-course for bloggers developed and led by Arabah Joy, a blogger friend of mine. The e-course was free for those of us who responded to her offer, but I wasn’t really certain what to expect. After all, I was relatively new to blogging and even newer to things like e-courses. 🙂 However, I was so blessed by the wisdom AJ shared from the Word. She has a gift for taking people deep into Scripture and for asking thought-provoking questions.

At the same time, I found AJ’s lessons to be incredibly encouraging. Truth poured forth accompanied by much gentleness and personal honesty that I found refreshing. AJ isn’t afraid to be authentic.

So, my sisters in Christ, I’m really excited to share with you today an opportunity to learn from my friend, who is also a mom to 4 (one via adoption), a missionary, a wife, a writer, and a committed Christ-follower. Arabah Joy is offering a new e-course (an online bible study) and registration ends tomorrow!!

Make 2014 a year of spiritual growth with the “In Christ” eCourse by missionary and blogger Arabah Joy. Understanding our identity in Christ is foundational to successfully living the Christian life. This spiritual growth course will aid participants in understanding their identity, how to abide in Christ, and will impart tools for letting the word of Christ richly dwell in the heart and mind (Colossians 3:16). The unique blend of story, scripture, community discussion, and practical application is thoughtfully geared for participants to experience ongoing life transformation.

The 4 week course will begin February 4 and run through March 4, 2014. Registration closes January 31, 2014. Course fee is $19.99

For full course details and to register, visit Arabah Joy’s “In Christ” eCourse page Click here to view more details .

If you are interested in participating in this bible study, the discount code Arabah has given to affiliates to share is “InChrist25″ and don’t forget, registration closes tomorrow!

Praying you’re finding strength and rest in Him today,

Jen 🙂

7 Creative Methods for Teaching Scripture to Children

January 28, 2014 by stultsmamaof4 29 Comments

We all know scripture memorization is important. If only it were also easy! If memorizing Bible verses proves difficult for adults, then imagine how much more difficult it can be for our young children to learn scripture.

Over my years of mothering our four kiddos and working with children at church, I’ve learned that teachers of preschoolers in particular need to be really creative. Sometimes that’s a real struggle for me because what works for adults doesn’t always work for kids, and even more, what works for one child may not work for another.

So, for all of the purposeful parents, the homeschooling mamas, the Sunday School teachers, the toddler nursery workers, the Children’s Church volunteers, the daycare providers, the AWANA teachers, for anyone who desires to teach kids bible verses but isn’t sure where to begin, here are my favorite methods for teaching scripture to children:

7 Creative Methods for Teaching Scripture to Children

1. Check it – Be sure the verse is short enough.

For very young students even a single sentence might be too long. If the verse you have chosen is lengthy even in a children’s bible version, condense it further. For example, if “Be kind and compassionate to each other” is too much, shorten it to “Be kind to others” or for very young children: “Be kind.”

Equally important, be sure that that your children or students understand the words in the verse. What good is memorizing a verse that holds no meaning for them? 🙂

When teaching scripture to children, be sure to consider the age of your pupils!

2. Act it – create motions to go along with the verse.

In general, preschoolers tend to learn more when they are being active rather than passive. Even many elementary-age children prefer to learn through movement rather than seatwork. So, especially for those little learners who always seem to have ants in their pants, this technique can work wonders.

For example, in our Cubbies class (preschool class for AWANA at church) we recently learned the verse “Children obey your parents in the Lord.” The word “children” was portrayed by holding a hand out flat, palm down, and stair-stepping down, as in “stair-step children” (that’s the best I could think of – anyone have a better idea for children??). Then for the phrase “obey your parents,” we pointed our finger straight out like a mommy telling a child what to do (picture Uncle Sam’s we-want-you pose – the kids really understood that gesture well, haha). Finally, For “in the Lord” we simply pointed straight up into the air as if we were pointing to God in Heaven.

If you happen to know sign language, the easiest gestures would be actual signs, especially for words or phrases that will be repeated often, like God, Jesus, or Bible. Sometimes my Cubbies are able to help me think of appropriate gestures, too. It’s important to include their input when teaching scripture to children.

Youtube example:

*One important note: do not try to attach a gesture to every single word in the verse. Doing so will frustrate some children and will interrupt the natural flow of the verse. You only need a gesture for each concept or phrase in the verse. A second note: if the children look confused, then your chosen hand gesture or motion is not computing. Let it go and try something else. 🙂

3. Play with it!

We usually repeat our memory verse a few times together before we get a little silly with it. When the boys’ eyes begin to glaze over, I know we’ve repeated one too many times. 🙂

Once we can mostly say it together, I usually ask the children to stand up and push in their chairs so we can be more active. We might crouch down and say the verse very, very quietly (gestures included) and then hop up and say it as loud as we can. Sometimes we march around our table and say it, or we chant it to a rhythm, or we sing it, or clap it out, or use silly voices, and so on. Songs in particular work very well at this age.

Creativity is key when teaching scripture to children!

Sometimes we march around our table and say it, or we chant it to a rhythm, or we sing it, or clap it out, or use silly voices, and so on. Songs in particular work very well at this age (Tip: you can use familiar tunes such as Farmer in the Dell, Old MacDonald, Three Blind Mice, etc. to put the words to if you don’t already know a song for the verse you are trying to teach).

Youtube example:

Once we used the suggested game for that week from our Cubbies book – let’s call it, “Lights on, lights off.” When the lights were off, the kids were free to move around in whatever manner they desired: walking, creeping, running, hopping, crawling, etc. When the lights came on, everyone had to freeze in place. Once they understood the concept of the game, I used the “freeze” time to repeat our verse. The same concept could be used with music rather than lights.

4. Repeat it – give each child to a chance to say it alone.

Once we have played around with the memory verse a little bit, most children will have at least part of the verse, if not the whole, in their minds. At this point, I usually test my Cubbies a little while still trying to keep it fun.

For instance, if we’re chanting our verse to a beat, then in between each repetition, I’ll give a single student a chance to say it on his or her own. Then the whole class says it together, followed by another individual, and so on. Be sure to support those who need it so they don’t become embarrassed.

And we always, always celebrate, even if we are only partially successful at saying the verse!

5. Draw it!

Some students prefer putting crayon to paper over reciting verses aloud. Since my preschool Cubbies cannot read yet, I might ask them to draw a picture of their verse.

Of course, at their age I always have a few who choose to draw something totally unrelated, but for those who process information visually or spatially, drawing can really help to cement the concept of the verse in their minds.

The Bible verse cards below can be colored – how cool is that?!

*This post contains affiliate links.* Jen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

6. Forget about references…for now.

Not that we shouldn’t attempt to teach the reference at all – I still do. However, I just don’t stress about it anymore when teaching scripture to kids.

At this age remembering a reference that doesn’t hold much meaning (for them) and is difficult to even pronounce can be really challenging and frustrating, especially for kids who might not be familiar with the books of the Bible. How many three-year-olds can actually pronounce books like Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, or Thessalonians? Even if they can pronounce them, do they understand what those words followed by numbers mean?

If not, then they are learning words that make no sense to them, hold no meaning.

Thus, in my humble opinion, the priority should be the conceptual learning taking place: truths about God making us, God loving us, loving others, etc. I still teach the references, but I don’t emphasize them as much as the body of the verse itself. As long as a child remembers the main idea of the verse, I count it a win!

However, if you are going to be working on a verse for an extended time, then by all means, include the reference! Additionally, if your children or students are older and can understand the purpose of a reference, then the reference should most definitely be included! 🙂

7. Remember variety, different methods work with different children, so use a variety when possible.

Our preschool daughter loves to say her verses carefully along with hand gestures as if she is performing on stage.

On the other hand, her twin brother resists the hand gestures, but he love, love, LOVES anything repeated in a weird or sing-song voice. (True story – I once entertained him through an entire grocery shopping trip simply by repeating the same phrase over and over again in a robot voice. Whatever works, right?!

You can use a cd like this to play in the car on repeat to get the Word of God stuck in their minds (and yours, too)! 🙂

Of course, sometimes during AWANA, or even at home, the kids are so crazy and energetic that we fail to accomplish much in the way of teaching scripture to children. And we don’t always make time for memory verses either, but when we do, I want to make sure that it’s time well-spent.

Whether you are teaching scripture to children at church or in your own home, I hope you find these tips helpful! I have yet to find any ways to address tactile (touch-based/sensory) learners who cannot read yet, so if any of you have ideas for me, I’d really love to hear them.

Blessings to you brave mamas and teachers of little ones,

Jen 🙂

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