Category: Inspiration and Joy

  • There is only a little bit of summer left

    I don’t know about you, but when I’m home, I see so many things that need to get done that I end up focusing on those rather than my kids. This week I spent more time than I would like to admit working on a few things at home and, at the end of the…

  • I’ve had a house full of fun!

    This week I wasn’t sure if it would be just me and two of my children or a house full. (My husband is away at the World Cup for a few more days and my oldest is at his first year of summer camp.) It’s been a house full. And a lot of fun! PS:…

  • What should I serve to my 13 houseguests?

    Next week my husband will be in South Africa, loving every second of being a true football (as the rest of the world calls it) fan. He has been planning this trip for four years, just after we got back from the last trip we took so he could go to the World Cup. I…

  • Unplugging for a week

    I’m taking this week to soak up my family and get summer started sans internet. Not that I don’t love y’all and feel as though I have this amazing cyber-family out there, too. But… I’ll continue my reading through Psalms and hope that you will, too. I just won’t be posting each day. Here is…

  • Shrink that belly and eliminate back pain

    Wanna get rid of back pain?  A few ab exercises might do the trick… and your tummy will look better, too! When I began my cycling training, I noticed that my lower back would hurt after every ride. It was quite similar to the pain I experienced when my babies were little and I carried…

  • Reader question: Does God answer prayer?

    A few days ago I got an email from a reader asking a question I think most of us ponder. Does god answer prayer? I have prayed and prayed for loved ones and they have died and gone to He** without knowing Jesus. How can I keep on believing knowing where they are? As I…

  • What an amazing MS 150!

    I am still on such a high from completing the BP MS 150 bicycle ride from Houston to Austin yesterday afternoon. I had the two best rides of my life to date. It was absolutely amazing. I cannot thank those of you who prayed for me enough. Those prayers certainly came through and I had…

  • Proverbs SOAP: Please help with my cheerful heart

    Scripture: Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up bones. Observation: Having the right frame of mind can make all the difference… A happy outlook brings healing. Application: Today and tomorrow I and 12,999 cyclists are riding in a bicycle ride from Houston to Austin (about 180 miles) to…

  • May I ride for you?

    In just three wake-ups I’ll be rising, braiding my hair, smearing on anti-chaffing cream and sunscreen, slipping on my cycling shorts and getting ready to clip in for the first day of the MS 150, a 180-mile bicycle ride from Houston to Austin to raise funding for those directly impacted by Multiple Sclerosis. I wrote…

  • One very hilly, very windy, confidence-building ride

    Last weekend I asked for you to pray for me as I faced a 68-mile hilly training ride called the Bluebonnet Express. In the past, the Bluebonnet Express has been one of my favorite training rides for the MS 150 and last week, although much more challenging than I expected, it remained a favorite. I…

  • Cyclin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis

    Tomorrow morning I’ll be clipping in for 68 miles of beautiful weather, rolling hills and glorious time just cycling away while pondering, praying and thanking God that I have the ability to ride as I do. (And I think I’m going to wear a Bible in 90 Days cycling jersey that Ted Cooper had printed…

  • Ready for the next step

    I’m making some special cupcakes and have to stop to run an errand. But my kitchen waits… ready for the next step. (I can’t wait to try it out in a bit!!)

  • Seeking Mentor Mom Wisdom and Stories

    Are you a mom who has children in their tewnties or older and have a story to tell? Or do you know a mom who is, whose wisdom you think another younger mom could benefit from reading? I’d love to launch a new feature on MomsToolbox.com where we could all learn from the wisdom of…

  • Seeking stick-with-ya breakfast ideas…Can you help?

    I feel like we have fallen into a breakfast rut over here in the 144 household and was  hoping a few of you could help me out with some new ideas. Do you have any ideas for protein-packed,  low-effort breakfasts I could prepare for my kiddos before heading off to school? I’m looking for ideas…

  • Blissdom Fashion

    Okay, here is where I reveal to you that I have a secret blogging double-life. I also blog at www.MomsTravelTales.com and today I’ve invited all the bloggers attending Blissdom, which I hear will be a super-fun blogging convention in Nashville in a few weeks, to share with the rest of us what they plan to…