Money Saving Mom®

I’m honored to be featured on the Brilliant Business Moms podcast again today talking about the subject of balance. I share how I manage my life, how I prioritize, and how I juggle multiple hats (blogging, mothering, writing, marriage, homeschooling, and having personal margin in my life).

If you’ve ever wondered “how does she do it?”, you’ll want to check out this post and podcast. I think you’ll be encouraged to know that I don’t do it all… and one of my biggest “secrets” to success is only focusing on a few priorities and seeking to do those few things well.

This year, our team is planning to do a select number of special Say Goodbye to Survival Mode events across the country. These will be one-night, high-energy events where I’ll be sharing two messages of encouragement:

Session #1: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode
Life doesn’t have to be one big chaotic mess of laundry, dishes, and to-do lists! This session is packed with empowering, practical encouragement and ideas you can implement to restore peace, purpose and passion into your lives.

Session #2: Unleash Your Best You
Ever wonder if you’re good enough? Wish you could make a difference in the world but feel trapped by doubts? In this session, you’ll discover three transforming truths that will help you move from insecurity to confidence so you can be all that God has called you to be.

Both presentations are engaging, authentic, and straight from my heart. I’ll be sharing personal stories, inspirational ideas, and giving you practical steps to take to:

• Stop living life feeling stuck, exhausted, and overwhelmed
• Determine your most important priorities & find time to invest in what really matters
• Move past loneliness and build authentic friendships with other women
• Break free from the lie that whispers “I’m not good enough”

We want to encourage as many women as possible to say goodbye to living life stuck in survival mode and start living life with passion and purpose, so we’re currently looking for a few more venues/churches to host a one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event in 2015.

If you are apart of a local group or church that would be interested in hosting this event, we’d love to chat with you about bringing this event to your area. Just fill out this form here and we’ll be in touch with more information on dates we have available and how we can serve your church or women’s group.

Our team will work alongside you to help with details, marketing, publicity, and organization of the event. We want to make it as successful for you as possible!

Join Us for Our First Event in Mississippi on February 6, 2015!

Our first special one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event will be held on February 6, 2015, in Purvis, Mississippi! If you live in the MS area and you haven’t done so already, be sure to find out more information about this event and purchase tickets here. We have a special group rate for those who’d like to invite a group of women to come.

Why You Need to Embrace the Awkward In Order to Experience the Awesome

You’re a Lot Wealthier Than You Realize

I Left Part of My Heart in South Africa

How I Feed My Family of 4 an Organic, Gluten-Free Diet for $125 Per Week

Yesterday, I read this beautiful post on Why We Should Stop Living a Safe Life. And I so agree.

But here’s the thing: stepping outside your comfort zone and taking risks isn’t usually glamorous business.

I think we sometimes idealize and fantasize what risk-taking will be like.

We picture wild adventures. Thrilling exploits. Amazing feats. While that is often some of what happens, there’s usually a whole lot of awkward and hard work in between.

Lisa-Jo and I experienced that last week. We had such a great trip, but I can guarantee you that every minute was not filled with incredible mountain-top experiences.

In fact, in between all the wonderful things, there was also a fair share of sweat, dirt, vomit, and tears involved. I’m learning that’s part of the whole stepping-outside-your-comfort-zone gig.

One very wise piece of advice Lisa-Jo gave me before we embarked on the trip was this, “It’s going to feel awkward at times. That’s okay. In fact, that’s more than okay. That’s normal.”

There were a lot of awkward moments on the trip last week…

There were many times (especially at first) when I couldn’t understand someone’s accent. After asking them to repeat themselves three times and you still didn’t understand, it was hard to know what to do or say.

There were multiple times when I replied with the completely wrong thing because I thought they were talking about something entirely different. (South Africans and Americans both speak English, but the words and phrases often mean different things.)

There were times when all the kids and adults were dancing their hearts out singing a song that I didn’t know the words or hand motions to. Not to mention the fact that I’m not really the dancing type of person! 🙂

There were times when I could tell that the person I was talking to didn’t have any idea what I was saying because they couldn’t understand my accent or American phrases.

There were times when I would start speaking in English to someone only to realize they didn’t understand English (most South Africans speak English, but there are a small minority of those who don’t).

There were times when I was given food to eat that was very different than anything I was used to.

There were times when it seemed everyone else knew what was going on and I didn’t have a clue.

There were times when a child would do or say something that broke your heart so much you could barely hold in the tears.

Yes, there was a lot of awkwardness mixed in with the trip. There were many times when I didn’t know what to do, say, or be.

But if I had chosen to avoid those awkward moments, I would have missed out on so many awesome moments. Moments that were goose-bump-inducing and incredibly amazing.

And so I encourage you: stop playing it safe. Step out. Step up. Jump out. Take risks.

It will be awkward, tiring, exhausting, and monotonous at times. But don’t let that hold you back.

Embrace the awkward and you’ll get to experience the awesome.

Good morning!

I have to tell you, that jet lag thing is quite the beast! I’ve slept almost 25 of the last 36 hours! And I finally feel like my usual rested and energetic self again.

Gratefully, I only really experienced jet lag after coming home — not so much when I was actually in South Africa. Thanks to your prayers and the grace of God, I had so much energy and stamina while there, despite the 8-hour time difference, the very full days, and the short nights.

But after a full day in South Africa on Monday, then getting on a plane on Monday evening for an 18-hour flight to DC, then meeting my family in DC and having another 12-hour drive home, I was exhausted and finished (as they say in South Africa) by the time I got home.

In fact, when we pulled up in our driveway, I could barely keep my eyes open enough to make it to my bed. However, I have to tell you, the thought that consumed me as I was trying to keep my eyes open enough to make it upstairs to our bedroom was this, “We have such a nice house. It feels too big, too new, and too clean.”

Here’s the funny thing: ever since we moved to TN, I’ve missed our house in Kansas. It was bigger, roomier, laid out better, and newer. This TN house — while it has wonderful features like an amazing kitchen — has had a lot of issues.

We’ve had a major earwig infestation that’s the result of a big drainage issue in our backward. We’ve had more spiders and bugs than I ever saw in Kansas. We’ve had many problems with leaks and plumbing. We have very, very limited hot water (which means we often take cold or lukewarm showers). We’ve had A/C and heating problems.

We sorely miss our big and roomy basement we had in Kansas. We miss the ample storage our other house had. We miss the beautiful backyard we had. And we miss the two extra bedrooms we had in Kansas.

In the midst of all of these things we’ve dealt with this TN house, I’ve chosen to focus on the blessings and what we do have (which is so, so much!), so I’ve not allowed myself to be discouraged or beaten down about it. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many moments when I’ve missed what we used to have, wished I could enjoy a hot shower, or wistfully longed for an extra bedroom.

But when I walked into our house on Tuesday evening, I saw it with brand-new eyes. I almost felt a sense of embarrassment over how nice it is. I also found myself realizing how much many of us take for granted.

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to go hungry for days on end.

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to not have more than one food option.

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to have to walk everywhere we need to go.

Most of us were raised with at least one parent in our lives.

Most of us have more than one outfit, food in our fridge, a roof over our heads, clean laundry, shoes with soles, running water…

We complain about the internet being slow or down. We fuss over the fact that we can’t afford a bigger house. We grumble that we can’t buy more organic foods in our grocery budget. We wish we didn’t have to shop at thrift stores. We envy others who have an SUV or mini-van while we’re trying to fit three car seats in the back of our very used car.

I’m not saying this to lay a guilt-trip. I get that many of you have hard, hard burdens you’re bearing. I get we have other struggles here in the states that they might not have in other countries.

But I want to encourage you to go throughout your day today with fresh perspective. Instead of seeing what you don’t have or wishing for something you want to have, focus on what you already have.

If you are washing dishes, be grateful for running water, soap, and pots and pans to wash.

If you are driving to work, be grateful for a vehicle to drive, money to buy gas, and the ability to have a job.

If you are cleaning your toilets, be grateful for indoor plumbing.

If you are folding laundry, be grateful for the ability to wash your clothes & for outfits for your family.

If you are cooking dinner, be grateful for access to food and money to buy food to feed your family.

We have so much more than we often realize. We have much to be grateful for. Don’t miss out on the many, many blessings around you because you’re so focused on wanting something you don’t have. Start noticing those blessings and you’ll begin to realize just how rich your life really is.

P.S. You must read Lisa-Jo’s post on how you all helped make a major difference in the Maubane community. It’s pretty much a goose-bump-inducing post!

After 6 days of being on the other side of the world and 18 hours on a plane, being reunited with my family was one of the most beautiful things yesterday morning! We drove straight from the airport in DC to our home in TN and got home last night.

I brought home a sunburn and a weary body, but it was every bit worth it for the amazing and life-impacting lessons learned, memories made, experiences shared, and incredible people we met.

And while my body may no longer be in beautiful South Africa, I left part of my heart there. The people, the scenery, the history, the climate, the food, the warmth… I fell in love with all of it.

There aren’t words to describe just how much this trip impacted me, just how much I saw God show up on my behalf, and just how hard it was for me to leave. There were so many needs. So many children who were desperate for love and words of encouragement. So much poverty and hunger.

We are excited for what we’re planning and dreaming for the future and how we’re going to come alongside some of these neediest communities to bring hope and practical help. There are great needs, but there are also great opportunities to help bring lasting change to these communities. We can’t wait to share more about that in the weeks and months to come!

Getting to spend the week with Lisa-Jo in her home country of South Africa was a gift I’ll never forget. Her heart, her passion, her graciousness, her laughter, her authenticity, her encouragement… it blessed my soul at a deep level.

I’m humbly grateful that God connected us five years ago through this crazy blogging thing we’ve been called to do. My life will never be the same because of knowing Lisa-Jo.

We are so very grateful to each one of you who prayed for us. We saw God answer your prayers in very direct ways — from allowing us to have energy and strength even with little sleep and jet lag, to our families back home doing so well, to the clear direction and leading we felt for how God wants us to be involved in South Africa in the future as we met with the local leaders there… we felt such calmness, such joy, and such peace the whole trip. And we know it was because of your many prayers on our behalf.

I have many more stories and pictures to share in the coming days. Right now, though, I’m going to try to head back to bed to get some more sleep. (I’ve been up since 2:30 a.m. thanks to jet lag!)