**Give Away at Mrs. Renee Stam's Blog**

Honey in the Rock giveaway

Have you heard of Honey in the rock, Books and things? Honey in the rock is a Christian family base business dedicated to providing a blend of spiritual and inspirational books along with things especially made for women.

They strive to offer items that are appealing and appropriate for a witness of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mrs. RENEE STAM  is hosting this giveaway!  So please, scroll down my side bar and see the link to her blog and go join in!!!

The Heavenly Cookbook

by Mary Fellure.

This great cookbook will be a great asset to your kitchen or as a gift for a friend. It contains 469 recipes that Mrs. Mary has gathered from many pastors' wives during her travels with her husband all across America. 

180 pages of delicious recipes and helps, spiral-bound.

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A wonderful Challenge

Please visit the link below for the details of this challenge.

It will bless you and your family.

It's for 30 days - You Can DO it!  I AM! 

http://mother-moments.blogspot.com/2011/04/monday-mom-moment30-day-challenge.html

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I can't allow myself to go through the feelings I'm feeling inside.

We all have others who count on us.

They need us.  They matter more than the feelings we have inside.

We have to make a choice.

We have to realize that if we go down the road of feeling so down and upset or stressed, maybe worry, it affects those we love.

They need our care, our love, OUR BEST.

 They deserve it.

As a mother you especially have to be careful because you don't want to neglect your daily duties and your relationships with your children and husband and most of all GOD.

Even if you feel you can't help it.  You can't; God can.

You have to give those feelings to God and try to move forward in His love, His mercies and His grace.

No matter HOW you feel, no matter how hard it is... it's a CHOICE.

Let me be clear - it's NOT a choice that you feel what you feel.  The CHOICE is found in how you handle it.  Whether you wallow in it or give it to God and keep giving your best.  At the time your best may be not as great as your usual best... but regardless, you must give your best and keep trusting God to pull you through.

The people who you love the most (other than God) count on you and they can't help what you are feeling.  They shouldn't have to bare with you what you are going through.  You may have to rest more or you may have to stay in the Word more... and be in constant prayer, NONSTOP... but you have to do your best to get through it.

You're not alone and you can count on those relationships to be reason to pull it all together.  You're not alone.  God is with you and He cares more than we, as humans, even know HOW to care.

Go to God and stay in prayer, find a friend who cares and can understand that you can talk to, and remember that this, too, shall pass.  It won't last forever.  I know I'm going through a rough time right now but it won't be forever.  There's a light shining at the end of the tunnel where all will be okay again.

Be encouraged.  God is with you.  And so many people, whether you accept it or not, love you and need you.

So do your best.  Keep your chin up.  and ... Keep going.

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Sometimes I just want to hide away.

There are struggles mounting at this time and sometimes it just makes me want to run and hide away.

I pray to my Father and ask Him to please give me peace about things.  I try to lay my worries at the cross but so often I find myself running back to pick them right back up again.  I pray yet I worry.  It makes no sense.  I DO TRUST GOD.  I trust Him fully.  I guess I think somehow, this time, things will be worse and He will allow us to go through more than I want to bare.  Hiding does nothing because wherever you hide-  you're still there and you're still thinking about that situation or that problem.  You can't run for it, for again, where you run - you're still there.  You can't get away from yourself.

 

You have to Truly trust the Father and give it up to Him because His yoke is light and I'd much rather give Him my worries and take upon His yoke.  What does my worrying do for me?  It makes me miserable, sometimes a stomach ache, sometimes a headache.  It makes me grouchy, less meek and easier to get fussy.  I've got to learn to leave it at the cross and walk away... knowing I've left it where He has it and can take care of it.  His perfectly capable hands, unlike mine who can do little about it.  

 

When we learn to relinquish those things to Him, we also need to pray for peace.  And peace, yes, it will come..

 

It will come gently and cradle you and it will take away your worries.  You just have to keep your faith and keep trusting.

I'm telling this to myself as well.

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Even a Mother needs her Rest.

Even God rested on the 7th day.

Why do we, as Mommies, sometimes not take the rest we need?

In fact, we ALL need our rest.  Our bodies wear out with all the work we have to do each day even though what we have to do is the work of God and is a blessing.  Children need their rest too.

Don't we get grumpy or feel less than ourselves when we are overtired?  Maybe we'd get more accomplished in the day if we went to bed at a decent hour to get that rest we so need.

So often, we share with each other about the need to get up early - "earlier than our children" so we can have that alone time with the Father.  I think it's great if you can do that.  My children wake up early.  I make myself go to bed at 10:30 every night even when I really want to finish reading some blogs or a book, or watch a movie or am just wide awake and think I might as well sit up.  I make it a priority to go to bed at 10:30.  Usually even on the weekends even tho I can rest a bit later on weekends.  It's a habit I have gotten my body into.  When my rest is interrupted I can surely tell it.

Last night I slept but I didn't feel like I got much sleep.  So, today, along with "female issues" I am feeling over tired, weepy and not able to get done everything I need to.  (mainly because of the female issues causing me much pain)

Do we put our children to bed at a decent hour?  They need their sleep to be happy, easier to please and a joy the next day.  Plus children of a certain age also have school and chores.  I homeschool my girls but they still have it daily, in the mornings.  And yes, they have chores.  So they need that rest.

Sometimes I think we Moms think we can get just a little more done if we stay up, or we can have a little more quiet, alone time after the children are in bed, that we can handle less sleep.

I just want to encourage you to replenish your bodies.

If you need to get up even earlier to have your quiet time with the Lord, you may want to go to bed earlier.  Maybe not.  I need a lot of sleep.  I get my quiet time during the day when I stop and tell the children (even my toddler, Hannah) to be quiet while I have my quiet time in the Bible.  They respect that.  I listen to sermons my friend Melissa sent me from her church or I listen to Revive our Hearts or I read.  Either way I have ear plugs in or I go to my bedroom and shut the door, making sure the older girls are keeping an eye on Hannah.

Here is Hannah Joy laying down to rest for movie time on a pallet.

This was not a school night.

They do not get movies unless they are watched before bedtime except on the weekends sometimes.

Here's Sarah Faith doing the same thing. :)

...and of course Miss Madi Grace!

I know how important rest is and I can't do all I need to with a joyful heart and gentle spirit if I don't get some rest.

Please let this give you something to think about.  Get your rest.  Sure, absolutely get up earlier to do your quiet time if that is what works best for you, but account that into figuring out your bedtime.

I personally enjoy getting up between 6 and 7 a.m.

So, my bedtime, whether I am up for it or not is 10:30.

I pray God blesses you and speaks to you as you go to Him about this matter.  May you be blessed and see great changes as you get a bit more rest.

Smiles, Cass

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