Valentine's Day is Around the Corner...

...have you gotten him anything yet?

Here's a great idea:

It has a nice Bible verse on the inside:

I found the one my heart loves.

Song of Solomon 3:4

and when he's done, this is what he gets to see each time---

what a lovely reminder!

Click here to view the entire

Mr. and Mrs. Love Collection

or

here for more ideas.

How do you like to celebrate Valentine's Day?

*************

Note: A reader just shared that you can get free shipping with a $25 purchase using shipping25 at checkout! Thanks, Jennifer!

Charming Surprise Birthday Tea Party!

My sweet friend, Juliet Rodriguez, recently had a beautiful surprise birthday tea party for her daughter.
You must look at her adorable pictures:

The charming table all set and ready to go...
don't you love the paper tissue flowers in the cups?

What a great idea!

A gorgeous glowing cascading fountain...

Sweet sisters in matching dresses....

Homemade strawberry cake on a pretty platter!

Aww, so lovely---nothing like the fun of dressing up a bit for the occasion!

Happy smiles...

And precious memories made for a lifetime...

 Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful pictures, Juliet!

(If you are reading this please leave a comment
and share with us where you got the beautiful fountain!)

And for my readers--if you are looking for tea party accessories for you daughters
here are some I highly recommend:

 The Beautiful Girlhood Heirloom Tea Set

(with cloth carry case)

Now on sale for 20% off

 The Classic Tea Trolley Set

This elegant wood cart arrives complete with its own silver tea set and dainty floral print china!

Now 21% off and only $99

and we can't forget the dainty gloves!

White Crocheted Gloves---$7.20

and a bit of reading material to go with the occasion:

How to Be a Lady-$12.00

now 20% off

“What you are while you are a girl, you will be when you become a woman.” Somewhere within the recesses of every girl’s heart is the desire to act, and be treated, as a lady. But a true lady is more than just graceful and feminine; she has a Christ-centered character that regulates her inner thoughts and motives, as well as her outward graces. In this book, originally published in 1850, extraordinarily practical wisdom is offered to young girls in the practice of developing womanly character. The girl’s equivalent to Thoughts for Young Men, this book is excellent for mothers and daughters and a must-read for every young lady-in-training!

Have a blessed day!

********************

Vision Forum is having a special New Years Clearance with 20-50% off everything in their store and every order of $95 gets a FREE $25 coupon toward your next offer.

The Homemaker's Heart

Don't you love Mondays? A fresh start to a new week with all new endeavors excitingly brimming for the homemaker! What a blessing it is to have our own schedules and tailor our days according to how they will best suit our families and their needs.

Now whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, I want you to know that we are all called to be a keeper at home and that every post on this blog is meant for each and every single one of you! Just because you are a stay at home mom doesn't always mean your heart is there and likewise there are many moms who are in a position to have to work and yet their hearts are turned towards and anchored in their homes.

I think what is ultimately important is to remember that whatever category you find yourself in, it is of utmost importance to have your heart in your home. 

You can be a stay at home mom and loathe every minute of it and literally be absent in your home by all kinds of means (talking on the phone, always being online, always being gone and driving around town, etc.).  You can grumble and begrudgingly do the housework and feel like it is menial, that you are above it trying to avoid it. You can be with your husband and children and be completely bored wanting to get away and do something else that interests you.

But to have your heart in your home is something completely different. It is being purposefully available as a sacrifice of love.  It is saying 'no' to those things that can pull you away and steal the very best from you. Oftentimes we don't even realize what is best for ourselves until it is too late.  Being a keeper at home is an act of love, and cultivates a heart of servanthood within us which is a valuable, godly trait. It is something to be prayed over,  and is your act or worship to the Lord as you serve with a whole heart and definitely never menial!

It is truly an honor to do these things! So dear friends, take a good look at your heart and critically analyze it to see if you are truly present or absent in your home. If there are things that pull your heart away from home
be sure to do what you can to guard against it.

***************

Don't Be Robbed

Don't be robbed today of the simple joys of life...

Don't be robbed of your home---or angry with those in it, unhappy that things are not going your way or that your husband and children are not how you want them to be. Don't let Satan rob you of your happiness there, making you think that you don't have this or that. Don't compare yourself to others but be grateful for what you have and know they are a gift from the Almighty Himself.

Don't be robbed of your time---don't waste excessive hours with frivolous pursuits such as watching TV, being online, always being away from your home or other idleness that can spring up in a woman's life keeping her from truly caring for the very ones that you love. Guard your time carefully.

Don't be robbed by lies...the world will tell you that  you are wasting your time, that you need to look outside God and your home for true happiness. They will put you on 'their' path and lead you down the wrong paths. Keep yourself immersed in truth at all costs.

Love your children.....

Their smiles, their laughter, their questions, their hugs, their innocence, their smell, their thoughts, their health, their presence, their everything. They are God's gift to you. Care for them and educate them and raise them up in His ways. Enjoy life and share it with them, they are learning about the world through your eyes. What an honor we have been given! You are making memories today---rejoice in your special moments!

Love your husband...

Remember that he is not perfect, he is not  you and thinks differently than you do. He is God's gift to you. Love him in spite of his failings, love him wholeheartedly, extend to him the same measure of love, respect and forgiveness in the strength that has been given to you in Christ Jesus. Do something special for him today. A word of praise or encouragement, a massage, a gift, bake his favorite treat. Most men would die for their women, and we need to love them as our heroes (even when they might feel at their lowest). A noble wife rises up to the occasion to bless her husband with all her heart.

Care for your home...

Only a mother truly knows what is needed in the home. Perhaps the special meal, the socks that need darning, the gesture of love to cheer up a sad heart. Cleaning, decorating, planning, and reading to learn more about homemaking. Busy yourself with these things, and don't think that being home is boring!!!! There is so much to do and your are only limited by your own mind.

We have the blessed opportunity to start the day off as a clean white palette--new, fresh and clean, as we look forward to painting loveliness, creating order and putting our all into the our homes and our families. 

Guard yourselves, dear wives and mamas, 

from being robbed

and live your life serving

the Lord...





"I have come so that they may have life

and have it to the full."


John 10:10

Finding Forgiveness For My Abortion

Have you ever had an abortion and needed forgiveness for it?

Our friends, Terry and Lynn Fortune, were featured at Focus on the Family today and shared their abortion story with the world--

PLEASE listen to them here:


Finding Forgiveness for My Abortion

You won't regret it!

Here is a link to their site, if you would like to learn more about them---www.thefortunes.org

 -Thank you for sharing, Rhonda!

******************

Some Pretties For Your Home

As homemakers we are always looking for ways to beautify our space. We want it to be a place that warmly welcomes family and guests. We also desire to minister to those we love and care for with God's Word. Scripture does not need to be limited to wall art in the home but can also be displayed in beautiful serving ware.

Promoting life and home, introducing the gorgeous and hospitable

Life to the Full Collection

Breath-takingly beautiful breakfast plates!

I have come that they might have Life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

What a wonderful way to celebrate life--with cherished family, friends and food. 

A bowl full of soup to warm our souls and heart-to-heart conversation.

Tea towels for a very special occasion...

Coffee with friends....

and a word filled with hope....

Aprons that share God's heart...

And one for little homemaking hands that are learning too...

Together in unity---a feasting platter of love!

Fill your home with the beautiful things you love as you celebrate life and share His glory!



*******************


Dear friends, I am an affiliate for DaySpring, a wonderful Christian company that has partnered with Hallmark. If you would like to make a purchase, please consider doing it through this site through the links above! We thank you and greatly appreciate it. Right now several of these items listed above are on sale and any order of $50 or more gets FREE ground shipping within the United States!






This post is also linked up at Raising Homemakers and Far Above Rubies.

Prayers for My Son----***UPDATE ADDED***

Dear friends,

I need prayer for my son, Christian (4 1/2 years old), I think he might be coming down with a rare disease (non-infectious) he once had in the past. He is showing all the symptoms and we were warned it could reoccur before he turned five. We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. When it had first occurred, he was only a few months old and it was a horribly scary journey for our entire family as we didn't know what it was and then later finding out that this disease could affect his heart permanently. Friends, I need your prayers for his protection, a return to health and because I need His strength today to be a strong mama (I am feeling pretty weak right now) for him. Please pray the doctors would have wisdom.

(Christian, pictured above, when he was younger)

Thank you all so much from the deepest depths of this mother's heart.

I will keep you all updated. 

***UPDATE: We are back from the doctor and Christian has been diagnosed with strep throat. Praise God it was not more serious! Apparently, strep can have some of the exact same symptoms of his disease. We are keeping a close eye on him to make sure nothing else develops. We thank you ALL so much for all your support, kind words and prayers. They meant so much to us and helped encourage us get through it all. The Lord is so good and merciful. ***

*******************