KHATS 3

Learn to love to read!  Not just read; but research and study.  Unfortunately you can't believe everything you are told; but you can research just about everything you are told.  My general rule of thumb is that whatever someone tells me (doctor, dentist, child psychologist or therapist, teacher, etc.) I want it confirmed by at least two or three sources.  One important topic I would encourage you to research is your family's health.  I have recently began learning about home remedies and growing herbs and the benefit of eating healthy. I must tell you that I am enjoying myself!  A few of the things I am reading now are:




I highly recommend this book!!!  I am now on chapter nine and I have learned SO much.





subscribe to this magazine here.




Subscribe to this magazine here.

As always is the case, I cannot say that I support every single thing any of these books/magazines support; but they have been a great blessing and encouragement to our family.

  Until next time,

Sunflowers galore!

We really enjoy gardening!  I don't believe a day passes that we don't go out and just sit and admire what the Lord has allow us to grow.  This year we have already been enjoying some lettuce, radishes, zucchini, sweet corn, and a few herbs (chives and parsley) from our garden.  One thing - actually two - that we have been looking forward to is our sunflowers and zinnias blooming.  Here are a few pics.



This plant is about 7' tall.



This on is about 6' tall.






Zinnia in full boom.  I plant these to attract bees and butterflies.



Potted Gerbera Daisy



Me pulling weeds

This flower was cut off its plant by a cutworm, so I put it in a tea cup with some water and placed it on our dining room table.

My gardening tip would be to know your friends from your foes!  One of our foes this year is vine borers.  We have already lost one zucchini plant to these creatures.  Another is the cut worm.  I was prepared for them with our tomato and pepper plants; but not with our sunflowers.  We are still on the look out for the little culprit who has been cutting some of our sunflowers off our sunflower plants.  Helpful websites are here, here, and here.

Until next time,

KHATS(2)

My second tip to you single mothers out there is to KEEP SWEET!  Every conversation I have on the phone with my mother-in-law ends with her challenging me to keep sweet.   {Instead of saying, "Bye." she says "Keep Sweet!".}  I have often wondered why she has felt the need to tell me to keep sweet.  I mean, my husband tells me that I am so sweet I would melt in the rain!  {Ha-ha-ha!  I don't believe everything he says. LOL} On days when your husband (or boss, or whomever) gives you a to do list a mile long, but one child - who you just fed an hour ago- is crying and saying, "EAT, EAT!"; and the other child has said, "Mama, Mama." about fifty times in the last five minutes...it can be a challenge.  I will offer you two tips to help you in your effort to keep sweet.

1. Whisper when you feel the need to yell.  When Aaliyah notices that I am whispering the situation immediately becomes serious to her.  She sits up straighter and listens harder.  This has REALLY helped me in my effort to have my children remember me as a happy mother instead of an angry one.
2. Outlaw certain words from your home.  Two illegal words in our home are shut-up and stupid.  Anytime Aaliyah hears anyone say either of these words she says, "Ooooh, don't say that.  That is not nice!"

I hope these tips help you on your journey of motherhood!

Proverbs 31:26
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Until next time,

KEEP SWEET!

KHATS

KAHTS

Titus 2:4,5
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.


So what exactly is KAHTS?  Keeper at Home Tips for Singles.   I have a burden for single mothers. My mother was a single mother. My grandmother was an orphan and became a single mother. My sister is a single mother. Both my aunts are single mothers. They each have daughters who are now single moms. Many of the people I grew up with were raised by single mothers. (You probably get the picture by now.) I am not a single mom; but there are certain things that I have observed and learned that may help single moms.

Some of you reading this may not be a single mom. If you think this information could be a help to someone you know, please SHARE. Many of the things I plan to share will also apply to married as well as single moms.

Some of you reading this may be single mothers; perhaps by choice, perhaps not. My mother’s childhood was stolen from her by my father. I praise God often that she did not CHOOSE to abort me as so many women who were put in her situation have chosen. Maybe your husband experienced an untimely death and you now find yourself rearing your children alone. Maybe you made some poor choices earlier in life and now you have one or more beautiful children that you are bringing up by yourself as a result. Please know that in the Bible children are always spoken of as a blessing! Do your best with what you have and leave the rest up to God. I hope these little tips and lessons will be a blessing to you and enable you to be the best mom you can be.


Luke 18:15-17

And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Psalm 127:3
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:4
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Proverbs 31:28a
Her children arise up, and call her blessed;...

KHATS (1)

Get yourself a good umbrella!

My first piece of advice would be for you to get yourself a good umbrella. No I don’t mean that thing you keep in your car in case it rains! I mean a COVERING. A man in your life who will become a father figure for your children.  In choosing your COVERING I would advise you to choose wisely. This covering will provide you and your children with some authority, stability, and wisdom for your journey as a single parent.

Purpose for your Umbrella:
1. Someone you go to for advice when you have a big decision to make (ie buying a car or home, changing jobs, moving.)
2. Someone to serve as a role model for your sons.
3. Someone with whom you can exercise submission.
4. Someone you can go to for help when you feel your emotions are clouding your mind especially in the case of a Mister right (or Wrong) entering the picture.

It is often hard for women who have been raised by women to easily submit to their husbands, or any man for that matter. This will not only be practice for you; but an example for your sons and daughters. I would like to take this opportunity to say it is very important that you chose someone whom you will obey even if you disagree with him about something. Often as married women we don’t agree or see eye to eye with our husbands on every subject matter or decision; but if we desire the best for our families we will submit to our husbands as the Bible commands. I find in my married life that 9 times out of 10 my husband is right about whatever we disagreed about. There is always that one time; but I believe that the Lord will take care of that and work it out for good if I do right. I chose to call this an umbrella because of what my former pastor's wife taught me.  She said that when we obey our husbands, even when we disagree, it is like we are stepping under an umbrella in a rain storm.  The Lord will bless and protect us from the storm.  I know one young lady who is single who has chosen as her umbrella a  man who is a deacon from another church near her home.  He is a godly, older man with a wife who has become like a mother to her.

Until next time,

And the Winner is...

And the Winner is ...Mrs. Pat!

Hello Kitty bow

Polka Dot bow

Lollipop bows

Congratulations Mrs. Pat.!  If you will email me your address and choice of bow(s) I will get that in the mail to you! 

Who is this man!?!

My Beloved preaching at Lighthouse Baptist Church

Last night my husband preached an amazing message about prayer!  As I sat in the back with my two little hooligans princesses I was amazed at the preacher and man of God he has become. Anyone who lives in or around Newport and missed that message truly missed something special. When I left the service I felt like I was ready to change in my super soaker for a fire engine and charge the fires of Hell -through prayer- for our Lord.  Of coarse all you blessed ladies who have a husband who is also your pastor probably know exactly what I mean.



My Beloved at home in California



 I married a man of integrity and I am so thankful for that; but I also married a man who truly loves God.  I am not afraid to trust him with my future and with the future of my children because I know that he strives to depend on the Lord to direct his every step.  Because my husband does not like for me to blog about him I will close now by saying I am SO blessed and God is SO good!!!