With remarks of “Not that again!” “That looks gross!” and “I’m not hungry,” I am constantly faced with a daunting challenge when it comes to meal planning. I also struggle when it comes to providing healthy lunches for myself. If I don’t have anything appetizing at home, I tend to hop in the van and head for Chick-fil-a.

Since September, I’ve lost about 13 pounds. I still have about 25 pounds that I want to lose. To keep the weight coming off, I’ve got to get this food thing figured out. My body craves healthy, tasty food, but my family doesn’t necessarily have the same cravings.

So, what’s a girl to do? I’ve figured out that it’s going to take some time and effort. I have been making a list of all the meals my family likes to eat. My goal is to continue to add to this list so that we will always have several options to choose from each week. Before I go shopping each week, I’ve got to plan out each day and make sure I have each meal accounted for.

To eat healthy in an economical way is not easy either. Buying fresh produce and lean cuts of meat does cost more sometimes than buying pre-packaged meals. By monitoring sales and using coupons, it is possible to eat healthy and save money. Unfortunately, I’ve not mastered this part of meal planning either.

I would love to hear how you plan your meals and/or save money when shopping for groceries. Leave a comment and share your story. Please! Get me out of this food funk!!!

What a week! Unseasonably warm temperatures have put me in the mood for Spring. Even though I’d love to see it snow here in Arkansas, I’m ready for warm days every day where I can get out to walk and enjoy nature.

161. We spent part of our afternoon yesterday hanging some artwork that the kids created. I am thankful that God gave my children a love for art and the ability to express their creativity.

162. I’m thankful for Sonic’s happy hour! Some days a girl needs her diet Dr. Pepper.

163. I read a book by an Arkansas author this week. I feel so blessed to have such great inspiration from local authors.

164. I am thankful that we have not been stranded inside by extreme winter weather.

We had some friends over to watch the Super Bowl last night. There are many blessings I could list from our time together.

165.  I am thankful for the time that we got to spend together.

166. Miss Betsy Runsick graced us with her presence last night. She is the most adorable 6 month old I know! Grateful for the chance to play with her and visit with her mom and dad.

167. I am blessed to have Sarah, Davi, and Michelle who bring laughter and joy into my life on a regular basis.

168. The Super Bowl commercials are always fun. I am so thankful that most were not trashy and were genuinely fun.

169. Yes, I’m thankful that the Giants won the Super Bowl!

170. Finally, I was reminded once again how badly I need wisdom by the sermon at church yesterday. Taking the same verses I used in my post on wisdom last week, I realized that I haven’t asked for wisdom like I need to. I am thankful for this reminder.

Join me each Monday as I share One Thousand Gifts that I’ve been given by God. Enter in the conversation and share gifts you’ve been given.

I remember the day we found out that we were expecting a girl just as if it happened yesterday. After we saw the ultrasound of our precious baby girl, my husband found his way back to the waiting room to ponder what having a daughter would mean while I went in for my check up with the doctor. I remember being very relieved that the ultrasound showed that she was developing in a healthy, normal way. I also remember being excited about having a girl while at the same time feeling overwhelmed at the thought of raising a daughter who would grow up with more self-confidence and independence than I did.

Our pink bundle of joy arrived the evening of August 19,2002. Life has never been the same since. In the months before we found out that we were going to have a girl, I had been reading a series of historical fiction books that feature Queen Elizabeth from the 1600s. I fell in love with the name Elizabeth, so that’s what we named our sweet girl.

She has been pure joy in our lives. I love that she is a snuggler and wants to hug all the time. She is very smart and funny. I often wonder what career path she’ll choose when she grows up. She loves art (see her pictured with one of her paintings above) but is also very good at creating “inventions” out of different objects. In the mornings at school, she helps with the pre-K class. She really enjoys being around small children. I know God will shape her into the person He wants her to be using all the gifts and talents He has given her.

I am thankful to be the mom to a daughter. I’m so grateful God gave us this beautiful masterpiece that delights us every day.

Photo Credit:  Jennifer Booth

Raising tweens (many subtopics could go here!)

Decisions in my writing ministry

Relationships

Serving in my local church

Taking care of my family and home

I’ve been doing a Bible study on the book of James in the last few weeks. I love how James presents that God wants to give us wisdom. We need only to ask Him for it. But, as I’ve studied further, I realized there is a catch.

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. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:5-8

Do you see it? In order to receive wisdom, we must believe and not doubt. This means we are to believe that He will give us the wisdom we ask for if we come to Him with the right attitude. If we are demanding and proud, we will probably not receive the wisdom we seek. However, if we approach Him with humility and the belief that He wants to give us this good gift, we will receive the wisdom we so desperately need.

Will you join me today in believing God and asking Him for the wisdom we need to get through this thing we call life?

Lamentations 3:22-23

151. The words of these verses have been going through my mind all day. For some reason I can’t get the faithfulness of God out of my thoughts. I am so grateful that His mercies are new every morning and that He is faithful even when I’m not.

152. I’m so excited that we made plans for our summer vacation–a Disney cruise to Alaska! I’m thankful for the chance to see this aspect of God’s beautiful creation.

153. Steven and I had an unexpected night out this past weekend. I’m grateful that my parents are close and are willing to stay with our kids so we can spend time together.

154. The sermon yesterday at church was on real leadership. I’m thankful for our church staff who exhibit real leadership as they move our church to where God wants it to be.

155. I’ve been doing Bible studies on Hebrews and James. This week in both I have re-discovered how crucial it is that we take care of the poor. I am glad that in one small way our family will do it’s part by donating cans of soup for Souper Sunday this weekend.

156. The laundry is clean and put away. Enough said!

157. I’m proud of how well both of my kids have done this past week in their school work. I’m thankful that they care about doing well and usually try to do their best.

158. I’m thankful for the many new writing opportunities that have come my way in the last few days.

159. For once my whole family enjoyed a new recipe I cooked for dinner tonight. I’m thankful to add another meal to our “lineup.”

160. I had a great time reliving the 80s this morning as I played songs from the band Journey. I’m thankful that music can lift my spirits.

Join me each Monday as I share One Thousand Gifts that I’ve been given by God. Enter in the conversation and share gifts you’ve been given.

The very best day of my life occurred over 14 years ago. That was my wedding day. August 23, 1997 was absolutely the most perfect day in my life. A little over 2 years later the second best day of my life happened. The birth of my son, my first child, was one I’ll never forget. You can read more about the circumstances surrounding his birth here.

When the doctor told us that we were having a boy, I was a little scared and unsure. I grew up as an only child, so I had no experience with boys. I seemed to forget that my husband had been a boy at one time and could probably help out a lot! I envisioned chasing after a wild, hyper little boy who was rough and tumble and liked to play in the dirt. Well, God had a different plan. He obviously knew I could not handle anything like that and blessed me with a quiet, thoughtful boy who was calm in his demeanor.

This boy child of mine is now 12 and will turn 13 later this year. He is growing into a wise and mature young man who loves God and surprises me all the time with his understanding of life. He is an avid tennis player and is enjoying to learn to play the saxophone. He is the exact opposite of what I thought he would be before he was born.

I am thankful for the blessing he is to our family. He provides us with lots of laughter and joy even in these tween and early teen years. I am proud to his mom.

I have tried for months, really years, to get my schedule under control. I’m wired to run on an organized schedule. Being a stay-at-home mom and part time writer usually means I have to just go with the flow. Ideally, I would be able to set a schedule for several months at a time where I could devote the same day each week to the same task.

I’ve come to find out that a set schedule is just not possible for me right now. There are too many variables in my life that I can’t always account for in a set schedule. So, I’ve had to settle for planning my schedule a week at a time. Sure, there are times that I block out to accommodate commitments I’ve made for a certain length of time. And, I am able to guard the time I have set aside for exercise and Bible study. But, everything else just has to happen when I can fit it in. Is it ideal? No, but it’s where I am in my life right now. I know one day my kids won’t need me as much one day, and I’ll have the time I’ve desired to plan my schedule like I want. I think instead of stressing over the fact that I can only plan one week at a time, I’ll just enjoy this season of life. One day I’ll wake up and my kids will be grown and gone. Then I’ll be asking myself, “Where did the time go?”

Wow! I can’t believe it’s Monday already! Where did the weekend go? I hope you had an enjoyable weekend and are ready to tackle another week. I think this week will be much less busy for me, and for that I am grateful!

141. I am thankful for my kids getting a day off from school last week. We enjoyed our time together by eating lunch at Senior Tequila and chowing down on chips and salsa.

142. I’ve been trying my best to catch up on my scrapbooks. I am so glad that the scrapbook from our trip to Disney last year came in the mail this week. We have been enjoying recalling fun memories of that trip.

143. Friday night I received the gift of laughter. Our family went to a show benefiting our school that featured comedian Tim Hawkins. I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

144. I am glad I convinced myself to clean the house on Friday. Made for a nice weekend!

145. Elizabeth and I are reading Wonder Struck together. She has told me how fun it is for us to read together. I’m glad she wants to read with me.

146. Harrison finished the last of a series of physical therapy treatments last week. I’m grateful his back is feeling better and am praying he can get back to playing tennis soon.

147. I have had a lot to do in the last week. I’ve been looking for a certain book at the church library and have not been able to find it. I am grateful for whoever has it checked out because not having it to read has kept me on task. I’m sure if I was able to check the book out, all of my other work would have been pushed to the side.

148. I am thankful that someone cares about my opinion.

149. I am grateful that I sometimes get paid to write.

150. Two new writing related opportunities were given to me last week. I am thankful for assignments that stretch my mind and ability.

Join me each Monday as I share One Thousand Gifts that I’ve been given by God. Enter in the conversation and share gifts you’ve been given.

Since I am taking one picture a day this year, I thought I’d share one each week that represents something or someone special to me. This will be my “Photo Friday” post.

This is my husband Steven. Doesn’t he look so handsome? I chose to focus on him this Friday because he is absolutely the most important person in my life. I don’t normally share my feelings in public, so I hope he’s not too embarrassed by this!

Steven is a wonderful husband, father, provider, and listener. He is the voice of reason in our home. He knows how to indulge my dreams, but he is also great at keeping me grounded in reality. We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but I respect and value his opinion.

He is an audit partner with a local CPA firm. I am proud of his accomplishments over the years. I’ve seen him grow both personally and professionally. He continually amazes me by his desire to continue learning and striving to be the best he can be.

As a father, our kids could not ask for a better one! He is very involved in their lives, always interested in what’s going on with them. He’s changed his share of diapers, given many baths, and spent many hours snuggling with the kids.

I am proud to be Mrs. Steven Booth. I love him dearly and am so thankful that God brought us together.

Because of my involvement with Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), I have been exposed to numerous resources designed specifically to help end labor and sex trafficking. One of the most direct ways you can help someone who is caught in this bondage is through WMU’s WorldCrafts ministry.

WorldCrafts is a ministry that works with artisan groups in many countries to provide a living wage so that these people will not fall victim to human traffickers. Some families sell their daughters into sex trafficking in order to get money. By having a real job where they earn real money, these families do not have to make the tough decision to sell their daughters.

So, how do I get involved, you ask? Visit the WorldCrafts website to purchase products made by these artisan groups. Proceeds from the sale of these products go to pay the artisans. The site also has ideas to help you host your own WorldCrafts parties. Hosting a party is an excellent way to make a huge impact in the lives of these artisans. Not only do you help them, but you also help your friends become better educated on the subject of human exploitation.

Check out WorldCrafts. You’ll be glad you did!