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Shared Jan 5, 2013 comment

It’s Amazing What You Can Do With Spare Change

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Testimony from Jan.

For several years now, we have been saving our change in a jar starting at the beginning of each new year.

Then, during the Holidays, we dump it out on the table, count and roll it, then go through the Gospel for Asia wish list to see what we can buy.

This past Christmas, we were able to buy:

a pair of pigs
a sheep
two chickens
a mosquito net
a blanket
a tambourine
a drum

Everyone in our family got to pick something and tell why they thought it would be a good idea, then we made our list.

This year we purchased all this and had 17 cents left toward next years gifts!

What do you do with your spare change?

Shared Jan 4, 2013 comment

4 Guaranteed Ways to Wake Up More Excited About Your Day

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

4 Guaranteed Ways to Wake Up More Excited About Your Life

Do you leap out of bed every morning thrilled to meet the day and all its adventure? Or, do you find yourself dragging your feet around in the morning, dreading your day and all that it contains?

If the latter describes you, here are four ways to give yourself a boost in life and to help you start living with more zest:

1. Let Go of Complacency.

I’ve been reading 20,000 Days and Counting by Robert D. Smith and am inspired at his question: “100 years from now, what will you have left behind?”

He challenges readers to consider how many days you’ve lived so far. According to the calculator on his site, I’ve lived 11,418 days. That’s a lot of days and I know that I’ve not lived all of them to the fullest.

You’ve only got one shot at life, so don’t waste it. You were made for more than the status quo.

Do something. Start somewhere. Today is the first day of the rest of your life — however long you have to live. Don’t waste it!

2. Stop Living in Fear.

Fear cripples and suffocates the life from you. It keeps you from even trying. It whispers things in your ear like, “You’re not good enough.” “You’re not qualified enough.” “You’re a failure.”

If you want to stay forever stuck, keep listening and believing those lies. They will bring you down and suck the life out of you.

I read the autobiography of Chuck Norris last year and loved how he said (my paraphrase), “Instead of running from my fears, I force myself to face them head-on.”

He talked about how he was deathly scared of public speaking. He made himself accept speaking engagements and opportunities again and again until he finally got over his fear and now it doesn’t bother him at all.

What are you afraid of?

3. Quit Listening to the Naysayers

There will always be people who disagree with you, criticize the choices you’ve made in life, or are just plain negative. That’s a fact of life.

The surest way to live a miserable life is to try and please everyone. It’s impossible… but you can sure run yourself ragged trying.

Now, let me be clear: If you’ve offended a friend, you need to do your best to make things right. If someone has a legitimate concern about the direction you’re headed or something you’re doing, you definitely should listen to them and take their counsel into consideration.

However, if your life is being picked apart by Negative Nelly and there’s no basis for the negativity, you gotta stop letting her bring you down. You can’t control what other people say about you, but you can control how you let it affect you.

Did you get that? It’s their problem, not yours. Remind yourself of this when you can’t seem to do anything right by someone else. Most of the time, it’s not because there’s anything wrong with you; it’s because they are insecure themselves. And they try to make themselves feel better by criticizing someone else.

Tactfully remove yourself from negative people and situations as much as you can. When it’s not possible to avoid the negativity, picture an invisible shield between you and the negative person and tune out their unfounded attacks remembering that they are unfounded.

In addition, do not respond to negativity with negativity. That only fuels the fire more. Either don’t respond at all or respond with genuine love and kindness.

4. Jump Outside Your Comfort Zone

Jon Acuff posted the above quote that asks a fantastic question: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

Does jumping out of the safe zone scare you? Well, then take a tiny baby step. And then another tiny baby step. Whatever you do, though, don’t stay put.

One thing that helps me is to ask myself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” In most cases, there are pretty much only two “worst case scenarios” when trying something new: a) You try something and fail at it — which isn’t bad at all, as I already hopefully convinced you of just a minute ago. b) You try something and decide you don’t like it. In that case, there are a billion other possibilities of things you can try next.

I loved this quote from Michael Hyatt that I heard on his Platform University video that I watched yesterday morning:

“The most interesting things in life happen just outside your comfort zone.”

I’ve found this to be true in my own life. There are so many amazing experiences, relationships, and experiences I would have missed out on if I had stayed in the safe zone.

Sure, it’s scary, but if you’re willing to take the risk, I promise that you’ll end up finding it really rewarding. Plus, I’ve discovered that when you start pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, your comfort zone moves. Things that were once completely daunting to you can become exhilarating and invigorating.

And no matter what happens when you get outside of your comfort zone, I promise that it will be more inspiring than staying stuck in a rut.

What helps you wake up more excited about your day — and your life? I’d love to hear!

Shared Jan 3, 2013 comment

Change Your Life in 2013 With One Word

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last year, I created an ambitious list of 12 habits — one for each month. This, in addition to a rather-overwhelming goals for 2012 list.

It was too much. I felt somewhat burdened by the long list and the big ambitions. And truthfully, I felt behind most of the year.

This year, not only did I create a simpler list of goals, but I also decided against creating a list of habits to try and implement each month. Instead, I decided to choose a word to make as my focus for the year.

The idea of having a one-word focus is not original to me. Ann Voskamp has been blogging about it for the last three years and there’s even a book called My One Word that released just recently.

I spent the last two weeks of December contemplating which word would best encompass the direction God has been leading me in my life recently. I finally landed upon two words. I know, I know, that sort of ruins the “one word” thing, but I’ve never been one to follow the rules, have I?

My words for 2013? Margin and discipline.

Why I Chose the Word “Margin”

As most of you know, I tend to be a little Type A. Okay, maybe more like a lot Type A according to some people.

I like to have a plan. I like to be productive. I like to check things off a list.

I don’t like surprises or spontaneity. Well, unless it’s carefully planned. 😉

Ever since my 30 minutes of quiet this summer and reading Love Does, I’ve been challenged to work on becoming more laid back and focusing on enjoying the moment — instead of always trying to get things done and stay productive.

So I’m being intentional about allowing more room for margin in my life in 2013. More time to just be instead of do. More time to embrace the moment instead of stressing about productivity. More time to soak up the moments. More time for quiet.

Why I Chose the Word “Discipline”

So, this might sound like the exact opposite of Margin, but it’s actually not. In fact, I think that Margin and Discipline can be paired together beautifully. You see, by being disciplined in my everyday life, it enables me to enjoy margin. That might sound all whacked out to those who are Type B or Type Z, but you’ll just have to be gracious and cut this Type A gal some slack, okay? 🙂

The area that I’m specifically focusing on when it comes to discipline in 2013 is getting up at the same time (or around the same time — I’m shooting to be up no later than 6 a.m.) every single morning and then exercising, showering, and dressing by 8 a.m.

I’m really good about getting up early some mornings and really good about exercising, showering, and dressing at the beginning of the day some mornings, but it seems like it’s been more hit and miss recently. I’ll get up at 4 a.m. for a few mornings and then I’ll be so tired that I’ll sleep in until 8 a.m. on the weekends.

Some days I’ll run a few miles before the crack of dawn and be showered and dressed by 7 a.m. Other mornings, I never get in the exercise or shower.

While this might not seem to extreme or anything, this lack of consistency is having a trickle down affect in many areas. In addition, I want to set a good example for my children, just as my parents set for me.

After some long discussions with my husband, we both agreed that making this an every single day thing could be one of the best things I do for my year — and maybe for years to come. So that’s basically my desire with choosing discipline as one of my words for 2013.

Have you chosen one word for 2013? Tell us what it is in the comments.

Shared Jan 2, 2013 comment

How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 2, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As you well know, I’m a fanatic about setting goals. Why? Because I’ve experienced firsthand the fruit and fulfillment that comes from setting a goal and working hard toward it. In addition, without goals, you have nothing that you’re aiming for. And complacency and floundering are often the result.

Goals give you passion, purpose, motivation, and drive. You wake up each day with intention: you have a plan and you have direction.

While you might not end up as far along as you’d hoped to be at the end of the year, if you set goals and whittle away at them each month, week, and day, I promise that you’ll be farther along than if you did nothing.

How to Get Started With Goal-Setting

If you’re brand-new to the idea of setting goals, please do yourself a tremendous favor and start small. The surefire way to experience goal-setting failure is to break off way more than you can chew.

Consider your priorities and where you want to be in a year from now. Think about the time you’ll have to invest. Then, choose 3-15 specific goals for the year. Write them down and put them in a very conspicuous place (i.e. on your fridge, as the screensaver on your iPhone, on your bathroom mirror.)

Free Printable Goal-Setting Worksheets

To help you out, here are two printable and customizable Goal Planning Forms you can download, type into, save, and print. Or, you can just print them and hand write your goals in. These printable forms were made to go along with the steps in this post.

Break Your Goals Down Into Bite-Sized Pieces

Once you have those Yearly Goals in place, take some time to map out a plan for how you’re going to accomplish your goals. Write down the specific steps you will take each month to get where you hope to be in a year from now.

I encourage you to take this two steps further and break your monthly goals down into weekly and daily goals. You don’t have to do this for the whole year right now, but definitely make a plan for January.

Then, at the end of January, review the progress you’ve made and create a plan for February. Continue to do this at the end of each month and I can guarantee you that you’ll have a very productive year.

Don’t Give Up

You’ll probably tweak some of your goals as the year goes on. You might even throw some goals out the window entirely. That’s totally okay.

Whatever happens, though, do not give up. If you get knocked down, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and keep going.

Little bit by little bit, you will change your life… all because you set goals, broke them down into bite-sized pieces, and followed through with them.

4 Related Posts You Should Read

4 Things That Will Keep You From Goal-Setting Success

Why You Should Set Financial Goals

Why Moms Need to Set Goals

Q&A: How Do You Decide Your Yearly Goals?

What’s your best advice for someone who is brand-new to the idea of setting goals?

photo credit

Shared Jan 2, 2013 comment

My 25 Goals for 2013

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 2, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I mentioned in my 2012 Goals Final Tally post, I’m trying to be much more specific and simplistic in my goals this year. I not only want to keep in mind what is realistic, but also make sure that all of my goals are clearly measurable.

If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.

Here’s my list of 25 Goals for 2013:

Personal Goals

Read through the Bible in a year using this plan.
Run in at least one 5K race.
Complete the Couch to 10K program.
Memorize Romans 1 and 2 with Jesse.
Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day. (I’ll explain more about this goal tomorrow when I share about my one word focus for 2013.)
Read 150 books/ebooks (see my list of 48 books I’m for sure planning to read here; the other 102 or so books will be ones that I discover throughout the year and want to read.)

Marriage Goals

Read 3 marriage books (I’m not sure which ones yet. Any recommendations?).
Finish reading through the Psalms together as a couple.
Have overnight stay (sans children) at least every other month.
Go on at least one date per month.

Mothering Goals

Continue Grace and Truth memory book.
Ice-skating lessons for all three children during the first quarter of 2013.
Swimming lessons for all three children during the summer.
Finish at least 37 read-aloud books (see my planned list here, along with details on how we incorporate a lot of read aloud time into our everyday lives).

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Begin weekly accountability meetings with my friend Jerica.
Get together with friends for a playdate or lunch at least once a month.
Continue being involved in our local church, couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.

Financial Goals

Use a portion of the proceeds from my next book project to fund a well project.
Fund our Child Survival Program for 2013.
Buy a new bedroom set.
Invest in another rental property.

Business/Blogging Goals

Release two new ebooks.
Attend one speaking conference.
Finish and submit the manuscript for my next book.

photo credit

Have you set goals for 2013? If so, tell us what they are or leave a link to your blog post below.

At the end of each month in 2013, I’ll be posting an update on my goals and encouraging you to share the progress you’re making on your 2013 goals, too. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

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Shared Jan 1, 2013 comment

48 Books I’m Planning to Read in 2013

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Okay, so I couldn’t help myself… I didn’t stick with 24 books on my list like I did the last two years. Instead, since I ended up reading over 135 books and ebooks in 2012, I decided that I could double the number of books I planned specifically to read in 2013. This would challenge me to start and finish some books that have been sitting on my shelf for too long but would still give me space to add in extra books that I come across during the year and want to read right away.

I chose 12 books each in four different categories: 12 spiritually encouraging books, 12 business/productivity/leadership books, 12 fiction/biography books, and 12 home/family-related books. My plan is to read one from each category every month.

By the way, if you missed my post from a few days ago, be sure to check out my Top 20 Favorite Reads in 2012.

And because I know someone is going to ask, if you wondering about when I have time to read, you can check out these posts: Q&A: How Do You Find Time to Read?, Change Your Life and Challenge Your Mind By Making Time for Reading Good Books, and 7 More Ways to Find Time to Read.

Here’s what I mapped out for 2013:

January

20,000 Days and Counting: The Crash Course for Mastering Your Life Right Now

You Can Raise a Well-Mannered Child

A Woman’s Place: A Novel

The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

February

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

A Charlotte Mason Education

Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life

Idol Lies: Facing the Truth About Our Deepest Desires

March

Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships

Seasons of a Mother’s Heart, 2nd edition

Love Has a Face: Mascara, a Machete and One Woman’s Miraculous Journey with Jesus in Sudan

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

April

The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive

Families Where Grace Is in Place: Building a Home Free of Manipulation, Legalism, and Shame

Lady in Waiting: A Novel

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box

May

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action

Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples

June

The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently

Grace-Based Parenting

Just a Minute: In the Heart of a Child, One Moment … Can Last Forever

The Resolution for Women

July

Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders

The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family

While We’re Far Apart

She’s Got Issues: Seriously Good News for Stressed-Out, Secretly Scared Control Freaks Like Us

August

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

The Heart of Homeschooling: Teaching & Living What Really Matters

She Makes It Look Easy: A Novel

Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God

September

The Elements of Style (4th Edition)

Lessons at Blackberry Inn: Adventures with the Gentle Art of Learning

Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace

If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat

October

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

The Jade Bracelet: A Novel

Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus

November

For Better or For Work: A Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs and Their Families

Children Are Wet Cement

On Every Side

Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith

December

Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business, Online and Off

When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy for Today

Candle in the Darkness (Refiner’s Fire, Book 1)

Undaunted: Daring to do what God calls you to do

What books are you planning to read in 2013? If you’ve blogged about it, be sure to leave your link in the comments.

Shared Jan 1, 2013 comment

37 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids in 2013

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve been planning out what books I want to personally read for the last two years. It’s been such a helpful thing that I decided it was high time I start doing this for our read-alouds, too.

37 read alouds might seem like a lot to some, but reading is a very big part of our lives. I feel like raising my children to love learning and teaching them how to love good books is one of the greatest gifts I can give to them as a mom. Therefore, we do a lot of reading at our house. And we’ve sought to weave it into our everyday lives so that it just naturally happens.

As you’ll notice, we typically combine meals and reading aloud. My mom often read to us at lunch when I was growing up and I loved it, so we’re carrying on the tradition in our home, too. I’ve also been meeting one-on-one with each child each weekday and we usually spend at least 15 to 20 minutes of that time reading a book together.

By just doing these things, I’ve been amazed at how much reading we get through. It also helps that my kids are usually begging for me to read extra chapters since I try to choose books that will be especially engaging to them. 🙂

If you want to start reading aloud to your children but you have no idea where to begin, check out my post with tips on how to start reading aloud to your children. For more book ideas, check out this list of Books We Read Aloud in 2011 and our list of Books We Read Aloud in 2012.

Please note: Most of these books are ones we haven’t read before. Therefore, just because they are on my list does not mean I am endorsing them. 🙂

Devotionals (Breakfast Read Alouds)

Growing Together in Forgiveness: Read-Aloud Stories for Families Book Series

God’s Amazing Creatures & Me! Devotions for Boys and Girls Ages 6 to 10 (Devotions for Boys and Girls Ages 6-10)

God’s Promises

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

God’s Alphabet for Life: Devotions for Young Children

THE TRACT PRIMER: First Lessons in Sound Doctrine for Young Children

Lunch Read-Alouds

Vinegar Boy: Encounter Christ Through the Dramatic Story of Vinegar Boy

Rascal

The Trumpet of the Swan

In Search of the Lost Missionary

Loony Coon

Understood Betsy

Caddie Woodlawn

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

The Queen’s Smuggler: William Tyndale

Annie Henry and the Secret Mission: Adventures in the American Revolution – Book 1

Beyond the River

Viking Adventure

Do you have any books you’re planning to read together as a family this year?

Shared Dec 31, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: The More We Save, The More We Have to Give

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 31, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Recently, someone emailed in and asked if I died tomorrow would I regret the frugal choices I’ve made?

It was an excellent question and one that gave my husband and I pause — and produced a great discussion for us as a couple. Both of our answers were a resounding“No. We would absolutely not regret the frugal choices we’ve made.”

While we’ve made plenty of mistakes individually and as a family, we have zero regrets that we’ve chosen to live beneath our means, make sacrifices, delay purchases until we can pay cash for them, and live on a strict written budget.

To some people, not getting what you want right away or doing without might seem like a miserable existence. But truthfully, we’ve found it to be just the opposite: we live very fulfilled lives and we wake up excited about each day.

However, we both believe that the reason we feel fulfilled and passionate about life — even though we’ve made counter-cultural choices that some would balk at — is because frugality is a means to an end for us. If we were just frugal for being frugal’s sake, we’d likely quickly burn out or give up.

It’s not about saving money so we can continuously upgrade our lifestyle and always be buying bigger and better things. We want to live beneath our means so that we are able to give generously to others.

There’s a world of need around us. The more we steward our money well, the more abundance we will have to meet those needs.

The more we save, the more we have to give.

Your efforts and my efforts might seem like a drop in the bucket when compared with all of the need that’s out there. But collectively, we can make a huge impact.

Let’s live simply so that others can simply live. Because truly, there is nothing more fulfilling than living a life with outstretched arms.

photo credit

Shared Dec 29, 2012 comment

14 Ebooks to Help You Get Organized for 2013

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you have plans and hopes to get some areas of your life in order this coming year, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite 14 ebooks to help you organize your home and life, manage your time better, and be more organized in your grocery-shopping and menu-planning.

Note: Some of these are only available as Kindle ebooks. Others are available as Kindle ebooks, PDF downloads, or even printed books, too.

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by yours truly 🙂

Do you have ideas, hopes, and dreams for what you want to accomplish in your life, but you feel like you’re being held back by a lack of personal discipline? Are you easily overwhelmed by your big ideas or projects, and you just don’t know where to start and how to make real progress? Do you find yourself making “all-or-nothing” plans for transforming your life, and then three days later you crash and burn under the weight of your plan?

What You Can Expect to Learn From This Book:

How to prioritize and name your goals so that you can accomplish them faster than ever.
How to expose the obstacles that will come up, and then make a plan to conquer them.
How to break up a goal that feels insurmountable into bite-sized pieces.
How to stop making excuses and get the job done now — and then enjoy the rest of your day!
How to put accountability in place to help you stay on task and motivated.

Project Organize Your Entire Life: The Quick Start Guide by Stephanie Morgan

This just-released ebook is packed with step-by-step encouragement to simplify and organize almost all areas of your home and family. Stephanie is encouraging, realistic, and down-to-earth. Plus, she gives you ideas that you can tweak and adapt for your own family’s situation. There are also links to printable forms and lots of helpful articles and resources at the end of each chapter.

Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free by Amy Lynn Andrews

This little ebook’s wisdom has done more for my efficiency than any other book or time management product I’ve ever read or listened to. It’s well worth your time — and it works, provided you actually do what the ebook tells you to do.

28 Days to Timeliness: Tips and Confessions From a Semi-Reformed Late Person by Davonne Parks

Do you feel like you’re always behind and late? I know the feeling. As I’ve often alluded to here, I’ve struggled with getting places on time all of my life. Some of you don’t have any issue with this — and I try not to envy you. Others of you can likely commiserate with me in the always-behind-and-barely-making-it-out-the-door issue.

By the grace of God, I’ve made some huge strides over the past year in getting places at least almost on time (we’ve even gotten some places early recently!). I’ve also been working diligently on getting things done early so I’m doing a better job at not waiting until the last minute for projects and deadlines.

I’m so encouraged at the progress I’m seeing and the fruits I’m reaping of various habits I’ve been working on putting in place. But I still have a long way to go! That’s why I so appreciated reading 28 Days to Timeliness.

28 Days to Timeliness was written by a Davonne Parks, a “semi-reformed late person” (as she calls herself) who wants to help others figure out how to streamline their routines so they can get out the door faster and stop being late. Each chapter is broken down into 28 short, easy-to-read segments that will take just a few minutes to go over each day. The beginning of each segment contains an inspirational quote, and included at the end of every chapter is a practical course of action that can be taken to really initiate the discipline of being on time.

Davonne and I might as well be two peas in a pod. She gets me. I laughed at her stories (I even shared her hilarious wearing PJs to church story with my husband — who thought it was so funny that he shared it at a recent family gathering!). I nodded my head in agreement with so many of her points. And I picked up new practical ideas for overcoming lateness.

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam

Since getting up early has made such a difference in my life, I was especially excited to read Laura Vaderkam’s ebook, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. It’s a short read, but packed with lots of inspiration as to how to use your mornings well.

It’s not enough to get up early, though, you also need to make sure that you wisely prioritize your time and energy in the early morning hours so that it effectively benefits your day — and your life. In this ebook, Laura shares a peek into the lives of some very successful people — and how they are structuring their lives to make the most of the morning hours. What works for them might not work for you, but I promise you’ll be inspired to make the most of your mornings — whether or not you are an early riser.

One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh Oxenreider

I love, love, love Tsh and her Simple Mom blog. She’s a huge inspiration to me in so many areas.

This book, as expected, is fabulous. I read it over the course of the past week and a half–in little bits in the morning as I was doing my warm-up and cool down on the treadmill before my morning run. I enjoyed the book so much that I had trouble getting off the treadmill every day because I just wanted to keep reading.

As you probably well know by now, I love the concept of breaking things down into bite-sized manageable pieces. And Tsh’s ebook does just that. It gives you 52 bite-sized steps you can take to become more efficient, streamlined, and organized.

You know those things you always say you want to do someday? Like planting a garden, switching to natural cleaners, composting, setting up a system for paper clutter, organize your photo collection, learning to cook from scratch, setting up menu plans, planning regular date nights, or regularly turning off technology? Tsh gives you the tools, motivation, and encouragement you need to slowly make those positive changes you’ve hoped to make. And she makes it simple and doable.

Now I have to tell you: Tsh suggests that you pick one project per week for a year–thus the 52 projects. However, I’d suggest to maybe slow the pace down a bit and just pick one project every other week or once a month. That way, you can really take your time and let the changes really sink in before moving onto something else.

Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

This book is jam packed with practical ideas for prioritizing your time and life so that you make the most of your days. One of my biggest takeaways from the book was the challenge to start the day out by doing the things you like least first, you’ll get them out of the way so you can enjoy your day more and be more productive and fulfilled. Read more about some of the things I gleaned from this book here.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Simple Living by Tsh Oxenreider

I was excited to read Organized Simplicity by my friend, Tsh, from SimpleMom.net. I’ve long followed and loved her blog. Truthfully, though, I figured the message of this book would probably be something I was well familiar with. And I figured the book would be filled with ideas I was mostly already living out.

Well, I was wrong. In fact, it’s hard for me to describe in words how reading Organized Simplicity impacted me. The beauty of the book drew me in, but the message of the book convicted me more than I ever imagined it would.

As many of you well know, I love simplicity and I strive to only have a things we love and use in our home. But in the last few months, consumerism and busyness has inched its way into my heart and life — without me even realizing it.

Reading Organized Simplicity was a wake up call for me. It forced me to examine my life, stuff and to-do list in a whole new light. I realized that maybe I wasn’t as much of a minimalist as I thought I was — especially if you were to open some of my closets and cupboards!

I usually go through our whole house from top to bottom twice a year and aggressively eliminate things which we no longer love and use. And while this book inspired me to do another total house overhaul, more than just eliminating stuff, it caused me to dig down deeper and examine my heart and what simple living really means for our own family.

Tsh’s thoughts in chapter seven on streamlining your life so you can savor the moments that matter especially hit home for me. Life can become so busy. Organized Simplicity really challenged me to be purposefully intentional and prioritize my life so I don’t miss out on those precious fleeting moments.

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam

We all have exactly the same amount of time: 24 hours in each day, 168 hours in each week. We all get to choose how we’re going to use those hours — whether wisely or frivolously. Laura Vanderkam’s book, 168 Hours, is based upon the premise that, if we were to step back and look at our week as a whole, we have more time than we realize. And we are probably squandering more time than we think.

This book gives real-life, practical examples for becoming a better manager of your time. It profiles a number of different individuals in different situations and shows how they are using their time well or specific ways they could improve their time usage. This book is not about stuffing our lives more full with longer to-do lists and more responsibilities, but about focusing on a life well lived. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to better steward their time or find more fulfillment in how they spend their 168 hours.

Abundant Simplicity: Discovering the Unhurried Rhythms of Grace by Jan Johnson

I loved this book. The cover and layout have an instantly calming effect and the author did a great job of challenging you to consider the rhythms of your life and whether they are in sync with the priorities you want to have.

She encourages you to not just strip your life of all the non-essentials and pare down to the basics, but instead to really examine why you’re doing what you’re doing, why you own what you own, and why you’re leading the lifestyle you are. This book is deep, rich, and soul-stirring.

Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Achieve Tomorrow’s Success by John Maxwell

If you want to make the most of your days, Today Matters will give you practical, step-by-step help and inspiration. The author makes a case for why today is your key to success and outlines 12 decisions and disciplines you should implement into your life and work toward mastering in order to achieve greater fulfillment and success in life.

Organize-in-5 Diary for 2013

Want to get organized in 2013 but feel cramped for time? Get Organized Wizard just released a fantastic resource to help you out.

The Organize-In-5 2013 Diary gives you a 5-minute organization task for each weekday in 2013 and then you’ll get a 5-minute relaxation task for Saturdays. This plan tackles your home, closets, computer, health, finances, work, time management, relationships, family, and more! Even if you have a very full schedule and little extra time, you can still get your home and life in order with the Organize-In-5 Diary.

Plan It, Don’t Panic — This ebook on menu-planing is a fantastic resource for anyone who really wants to menu-plan but is struggling with how to do it. Written by my friend, Stephanie, it provides the tools, step-by-step help, and practical inspiration you need to successfully plan and follow menus.

Even though I’ve been menu planning for years, this ebook breathed new life into my resolve to menu plan and gave me lots of helpful suggestions and fresh advice. I found some new tips and websites to try out that I’d not heard of before and also found it very helpful to step back and examine if my current method of menu-planning is working well for our family or not.

This ebook covers menu-planning on a budget, eating from the pantry, how to create rotating menu plans, how to incorporate freezer cooking into your menu-planning to make life simpler, and how to serve your family healthful meals without spending hours in the kitchen every day.

The wide range of topics it covers includes:

Find the method of meal planning that will suit you and your family best
Tweak and perfect your meal planning style with unique tips and strategies
Make it easier to work around special/restrictive dietary needs
Become a grocery-shopping ninja and never go to the store without a genius plan in place for maximizing your money
Learn how leftovers can become your best friends in the kitchen
As well as how to store your recipes, easily find your favorites, plan for hectic times, and even what to do when you mess up…

You want to know one of my favorite parts of the ebook? She included full four weeks of meal plans at the back of the ebook. Reading through fully-laid-out menu plans that others have put together always gives me new ideas and suggestions to try at our house. I also loved all of the helpful printable forms and worksheets at the back of the ebook.

Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne Simpson

If you are hoping to cut your grocery bill this coming year, but you want to still eat healthfully, I highly recommend this comprehensive ebook. Anne shows you — in detail — how to eat well on a limited budget and how to do so without spending a great deal of time and effort to do so.

This ebook is well-written, in-depth, and worth every penny — especially if you are new to frugal living and feeling discouraged about the high prices of quality groceries.

What organizational books or ebooks would you recommend that aren’t on my list? Have you read any that are on my list? If so, I’d love to hear what you thought of them.

Shared Dec 29, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Why We “Gave Christmas Away”

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Lisa of PanaMOM.

In March of 2011, my family of 6 moved to Panama City, Panama. About 6 weeks later, we received our shipment of household goods. As I was unpacking it, I began to realize how much STUFF we had… and that we had easily lived without it for 6 weeks.

Did we really need it all?

Those thoughts took a backseat while we got adjusted to our new home. But in October of 2011, I began to clean up the house for my friend who was coming for a visit. Again, I realized we had too much stuff, so I began to purge.

Too many bags later, I had gotten rid of almost all of our excess. I realized that we simply had more than we’d ever use, and I did not want more coming in at Christmas.

After talking to my husband, the decision was made that we were truly going to give Christmas away. I posted a note on my blog asking anyone who was planning to give any of us a present to please donate the gift or the money to a charity of their choosing.

We sat the kids down and explained the situation. After MANY conversations, they understood and got behind the plan.

On Christmas morning, they each had one present to open. (What can I say, Grandmas can’t be stopped.) Then, we began talking about all the kids who would be receiving presents in their names. Operation Christmas Child, Salvation Army, local church groups, and more!

By the end of the conversation, we were all overwhelmed with the truth of just how much more blessed it is to give than to receive. So much so, that this year, we will be continuing to “give Christmas away”.

Have you ever “given Christmas away”?

Lisa is a wife and mom of 4 living in Panama City. She blogs at PanaMOM.com.

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Shared Dec 29, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: 4 Ways to Give on a Limited Income

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Giovanna

I am a firm believer that you should always help with a need when you can, but when my husband was in his last year of school, we hardly had enough of anything to “help” ourselves, let alone anyone else. I knew there had to be some way I could still touch someone else, make their life a little easier, show them that they are not forgotten… I just had to get creative about it!

For some reason seeing homeless/needy people on the side of the road has always pulled on my hearts strings, hard. It is difficult for me to imagine falling to that level, to have nothing at all and, it seems, no one at all. My children must have inherited that same compassion, as they are constantly willing to try and give out money to the needy. This seemed like a “good enough idea” until, well, we didn’t have any extra money… and by that, I mean none.

This is where that “creativity” comes in to play…

For the most part of that last year of school we had to survive somehow, and cutting money from our grocery bills seemed like it could make the biggest impact, so I taught myself to coupon. I would request samples from companies just for the coupons that came with them. After a while I had more toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, floss, soap, cleansers, lotions, etc. than I would ever use or care to have lying around. My daughter and I decided to put those samples to good use and make little “care packs” to pass out to the needy people we saw on the sides of the road.

We decided we would make a goal to fill ten care packs, once we had given them all away we would make more. We used brown paper bag lunch sacks, which my daughter colored with bible verses and pictures, and filled them with all the samples we accumulated along with some water bottles, cans of soup and plastic spoons we found on sale. Due to the samples, some of the care packs were geared more toward one gender and in that case we would mark the bottom of the sacks “male” or “female”. Once we met our goal, I told my daughter to put two in the car as we set out to run errands.

I didn’t know until we were way down the road, but my daughter had chosen to bring one female and one male pack instead of the many other gender neutral ones. I said a silent prayer as we drove around that we would be able to find “a male and female” to pass them out to (seemed a little strange praying for homeless couple to appear!). Soon after as we pulled up to a red light, we saw them… two needy people, one male and one female! My daughter was ecstatic, and after we handed over the packs, the smiled on her face was priceless!

This small act may not seem like much to anyone else, but by performing it I was able to look and reach beyond my own financial situation, make the day of a stranger in need, and teach my daughter (and myself) that we can always help others in need… no matter what our circumstances may be.

If you too are wondering how you can help those around you in creative, low cost ways, I have four ideas below.

1. My Coke Rewards:

You can enter online the codes found on the caps and boxes of Coke product to redeem them for prizes. If you already drink Coke products, this costs nothing extra to you. Consider giving prizes like a McDonald’s gift card, a coupon for a free 20 oz. Coke product, or other gifts to those standing out in the elements.

2. Free Hair Cut Referral Cards:

Many stylists will give you a referral card for a free haircut if you simply ask. Think about asking for one of these the next time you are in a salon. You could pass it out to someone who might be unemployed and need a hair cut for an upcoming job interview.

3. Pampers & Huggies Rewards:

Many diaper companies enclose codes in their products that you can enter online in exchange for prizes. Many of the prizes are toys for babies and toddlers. Collect points all year and consider redeeming your points for toys that you can donate to needy kids or Toys for Tots at Christmas time. This takes no more than entering the codes — and shipping is even free!

4. Candy for the Troops:

Many organizations are more than happy to take your extra Christmas candy and send it to troops overseas. It’s a great way to bless someone else — and save yourself some extra calories!

These are just a few of my ideas. What would you add to my list?

photo credit

Shared Dec 28, 2012 comment

2012 Goals: The Final Tally (and some lessons I learned about goal-setting in 2012!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 28, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I set out with gusto in 2012… and I sort of fizzled out as the year went on. Sure, I did accomplish quite a few goals on my list, but there are a number of goals that were only 50-75% finished.

Here’s what I learned about myself and goal-setting in 2012:

1. I Tend to Be Overly Ambitious

I was so excited about basically accomplishing all my goals for 2011 that I went a little hog wild in planning for 2012. And I bit off more than I could chew, as is evidenced by my list below. In 2013, I’m cutting back on the number of goals I’m setting, as well as scaling back those that I do set.

2. I Need to Think Carefully Before Setting a Goal

I had grand ambitions for some of my goals, but I didn’t carefully consider whether they were things I could stick with for 12 months — or things I could reasonably accomplish in 12 months! In 2013, I’m carefully considering each goal and the time it will take before it’s making the list.

3. I Need to Stop Trying to Do Too Much

It seems I forgot to “keep it simple” in planning some of my goals for 2012. Too much of a good thing is just plain too much. In 2013, I’m going to have a much shorter goal list so that I can really hone in on the most important things… and save my other big ideas for another year! 🙂

4. My Goals Need to Be More Measurable and Specific

Some of my goals — like the monthly habits and business goals — were too vague and broad to really nail down. In 2013, I’m only allowing myself to set clearly specific and measurable goals.

Stay tuned for my goals list for 2013 coming early next week. In the mean time, here’s my wrap-up from 2012:

Personal
~~Read through the Bible in a year.~~
~~Read through the 24 books on my 2012 booklist.~~ {I also read quite a few other books!}
Listen to 12 audiobooks. {I only made it through September on this one.}
~~Run in at least one 5K race.~~ {You can see a picture and read more about my experience here.}
Complete the Couch to 10K program. {Started this in October.}
Tackle 12 Do-It-Yourself Projects. {I did a lot of DIY projects, but only did three on my actual list. Bad me!}
Focus on one habit per month. {Totally bombed this one for a few of the months.}
~~Learn to use my new DSLR camera.~~
Take at least one photo a day and put together a page every week for my Project Life album. {I didn’t quite stick with this one, but I did put together an almost-completed album over the course of this past year.}
Memorize Colossians using the plan and free download here. {I didn’t do very well on this one.}

Marriage
~~Go on the Love Like You Mean It Cruise.~~ {Done–read my recap here.}
~~Go on two Marriage Retreats~~.{Went to Cincinnati together in April & Pennsylvania in October.}
~~Have monthly date nights.~~
Read four books together. {We only made it through 2.5 books.}
~~Read at least 3 books on marriage.~~

Children/Homeschooling
~~Continue regular dates/outings with each of the children individually.~~
~~Continue Grace and Truth memory book.~~
~~Ice-skating lessons for all three children.~~
~~Swimming lessons for all three children.~~
~~Finish second grade, begin third grade with Kathrynne.~~
~~Finish kindergarten, begin first grade with Kaitlynn.~~
~~Start preschool with Silas.~~
Go on at least one field trip every month. {Except for one month when we were sick, we accomplished this goal.}
~~Go on at least one family vacation.~~
~~Finish at least 15 read-aloud books~~. {We’ve finished a total of 27 read-alouds this year!}

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family
~~Write at least two handwritten notes every month to encourage someone.~~
~~Continue being involved in our local church, homeschool group, young couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.~~
~~Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.~~

Business/Blogging
~~Continue to take Sundays off from blogging/business work.~~
Continue keeping strict Office Hours for the business/blogging time each day. {Still plugging away on this!}
Switch to a paperless planning system. {This is the one goal I think I’ve officially decided to drop this year as it just wasn’t working for me. Back to the paper.}
Follow my weekly blogging plan. {I made some good progress with this in 2012.}
Plan blog posts out at least a month in advance. {I made some real progress in this area in 2012 — yay!}
Write and schedule blog posts at least a week in advance. {I’m doing somewhat better on this.}

Financial
~~Continue to tithe 10% of our income.~~ {Ongoing}
~~Give generously to needs in our community and around the world, as God prompts us.~~ {Ongoing}
~~Pay cash for a new-to-us vehicle to replace our family’s van.~~
~~Finish saving for and purchase a rental property with cash.~~ {We closed on a house in November, did some work on it over the last few weeks, and are excited that our first renters just signed a one-year lease… we’re excited to continue this rental investment adventure!}

How Did You Do on Your Goals for 2012?

If you’ve posted goals for 2012, I’d love for you to post an update on how things went for you and share your link in the comments. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave your update as a comment. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

Shared Dec 28, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Teaching Children the Spirit of Giving (Day 28)

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 28, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post by Elise from ElisePhotini.com

Even in the most media-careful home, it’s likely that our kids are exposed to the materialistic messages floating around this time of year. In my home our kids don’t watch TV, yet they still know what a Pillow-Pet is!

Not only are we challenged to provide a happy, true Spirit-focused Christmas season for them, we are also challenged with helping them learn how to give to others without falling into the “just buy a great gift” trap.

I believe that there are a few simple steps we can take to transform our children’s outlook on giving at Christmas… and all year long!

1. Help them write their own Giving List.

Our kids can make their own list of family and friends who they’d like to give to. Maybe it’s just Grandparents, parents and siblings. Or, they may want to include a few friends. Helping them see the total number of gifts they’d like to give will instill a ‘big picture’ view for them.

2. Encourage them to make gifts and recycle their treasures.

Re-gifting has gotten a bad name, yet the growing concept of green-gifting is starting to put a different spin on this old no-no. Instead of picking something we don’t like from our own stash, focus on finding ‘hidden’ treasures that our friends/family have spoken about enviously.

3. Help them make out a simple gift-giving budget.

Even a 5-year-old can handle a 3-person, $5 each budget. An older child can understand a more complicated prioritized budget, spending more for Mom and Dad, and spending less on friends. Using the envelope system with a name for each person and the money budgeted inside can be a great teaching tool!

4. Emphasize empathy!

Talk about what each person on your child’s list likes, or doesn’t like. Start by asking your kids to remember their favorite gifts and what they are hoping to receive this year.

“How did you feel when Mommy remembered your favorite color on your birthday?” for instance. Then move into how Grandma will love the photo with a handmade frame from them. Not only will this help our children come up with gift-giving ideas, but it will expand their empathy and deepen their character.

5. Pay attention to how YOU are talking this time of year.

It’s so easy to talk about “running out of money”, or to complain about “not getting what we want this year”. Are we paying attention to our own attitudes and how this is teaching our kids to think/feel about Christmas gift giving?

Instead of saying, “we don’t have money for that” how about practicing a different message such as, “we’re choosing to have a simpler Christmas this year.”

Children won’t get a poverty mindset unless we teach it to them. Neither will they develop a healthy perspective unless we consistently model one!

How do you help your children learn to be givers?

Elise has served clients and audiences across the United States as the NewLife Recovery Coach, offering common-sense inspiration and transforming truths she’s gathered from over 10+ years of personal recovery. Since the Summer of 2010 Elise has personally coach ed dozens of clients through organizing, recovery, and personal challenges.

Shared Dec 27, 2012 comment

My Top 20 Favorite Reads in 2012

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 27, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As most of you know, I love to read. I learn so much through books. Some books challenge my worldview and beliefs. Other books inspire me to be more intentional in how I live my life. Some books I read just because I enjoy a great story. And some books are a mix of all three things!

I was excited to have read over 130 books in 2012. My goal was to read 125 books, so I’m pretty stoked to have passed the goal by a little bit. Of course, it helps that I include ebooks and audiobooks on the list, too, though! 😉

(For those of you wondering about when I have time to read, you can check out these posts: Q&A: How Do You Find Time to Read?, Change Your Life and Challenge Your Mind By Making Time for Reading Good Books, and 7 More Ways to Find Time to Read.)

Since I’m always looking for great books to add to my to-read list, I thought I’d share my top favorite 20 books read in 2012 for those of you who are making a list of books you want to read in 2013 — or who are just always on the lookout for good book recommendations!

In the next few days, I’ll also be sharing my list of 24 books I plan to read in 2013, too. Stay tuned for that!

Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro

I’m not even sure where I heard about this book, but I somehow stumbled upon the title and thought it looked intriguing so I requested it from the library. I’m so glad I did as I found it to be highly encouraging and insightful. Even though Wayne is a pastor and much of what he shared was from the experience of leading a congregation, I felt the principles would be applicable to most anyone in a leadership position.

Wayne shares candidly about his own experiences with burn out and exhaustion — how the downward spiral happened, when he finally realized that he’d hit bottom, and the measures he’s taken to recover and aim to prevent future burn out. One of the most helpful exercises I found in the book was to make a list of what energizes you and what drains you. In doing this, I realized that I was doing too much that was draining me and not enough that was energizing me. As a result, I’ve made some changes in my day-to-day life to provide a better balance and to make sure that I’m refilling my tank on a regular basis.

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

I kept hearing great things about this book. The title alone was enough to have me intrigued, but the rave reviews convinced me to buy a copy. And I’m so glad I did. Jen Hatmaker is an engaging, funny, and convicting author. This book chronicles her seven month seven-things experiment. Each month, she chose a different area to focus on and then pared down the excess in that area.

For instance, the first month, her focus was food. So she limited herself to just eating seven different things during that 30-day period. Yes, only seven foods. The second month she only wore seven items of clothing for the 30-day period. And so on.

Try to step back and just think for a minute what it would be like to only eat seven things or only wear seven clothing items for 30 days. For more of us, that seems almost impossible to even imagine. And yet, think how many millions of people around the world would consider it a luxury to have a choice of seven different foods each meal or seven different clothing items.

Jen didn’t set out on this experiment just to have great book subject matter; she did this seven month experiment because she wanted to challenge her own long-ingrained entitlement mentality. In this book, she writes candidly about her experiences–victories, failures, and hilarious stories along the way!–in order to challenge others to take a step back and really examine our own hearts when it comes to needs versus wants and what truly matters in life.

The book is thought-provoking, for sure, but it’s not guilt-invoking. And it’s well worth the read.

From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation by Tricia Goyer

I met Tricia Goyer at a MomLife event in January of this year. I’d heard of her before, but I’d never read anything she’d written. We talked books a little and I confessed to her that I didn’t like fiction.

She suggested that I just try reading this book anyway. Because I respected her as a person and really enjoyed spending time with her at the event, I went ahead and read this book. To my great surprise, I really, really loved this book. In fact, I couldn’t put it down!

As is evidenced by my list of books read in 2012, I’ve sort of changed my longheld stance on fiction this year. 😉 And I have Tricia Goyer and this book to thank.

Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free by Amy Lynn Andrews

I re-read this ebook again a few months ago and was re-inspired all over again by it. If you’re struggling with your schedule and time management, I’d highly recommend this ebook. It’s a quick and thought-provoking read that packs a punch.

Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul by Jennie Allen

It took me a few tries to really get into this book. In fact, I didn’t think that I was going to like it after reading the first two chapters. But I’m glad I persevered, because I ended up really being blessed and inspired by it.

This book is the story and Jennie and her family’s bold prayer that they would do anything, go anything, and give up anything that God called them to. In many ways, I could relate, because that’s been my prayer over the last two years and it’s meant going and doing many things I felt very inadequate to be going and doing (hello, public speaking and media!). However, there has been so much blessing in following God’s call in my life and in being willing to trust Him for one step at a time.

I appreciated Jennie’s authenticity in sharing about the struggles that resulted. Saying “yes” to God didn’t mean that life was smooth sailing. In fact, they experienced some of the roughest waters in their marriage, home, and family. But, as she shares in the book, it was worth it.

Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola

While not the most compelling fiction story ever, I found this quiet story very inspirational as a mother and homeschooler. Karen Andreola shares how to weave in nature study as part of your everyday life. She leaves you wanting to read classic literature to your children and feeling excited about living a lifestyle filled and brimming full with rich creativity and learning alongside your children.

Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life by Jeff Goins

I discovered Jeff Goins earlier this year and have since read three of his books. He is inspirational, creative, and thought-provoking — and an excellent writer, to boot.

Wrecked resonated with me on a deep level. Probably because much of the story is similar to my own story from the last few years. God has shattered my once-fiercely-held package of legalistic beliefs and has been knitting the pieces back together into something that is much different than I ever imagined — but something much more beautiful and whole than I ever was before.

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff

I’m not even sure where I first saw Love Does mentioned. I think it may have been one that Amazon recommended I’d be interested in, based upon other books I’d purchased from them in the past. Wherever it was, the first time I saw the book, the title and description immediately drew me in. And so, in an uncharacteristic move, I bought the book.

I’m so glad I did. Bob Goff is a unique, one-of-a-kind man. You’ll pick up on that just by reading the introduction. He loves life, he loves people, and he’s not afraid of outlandishness or extravagance when it comes to showing love to others. His big heart is contagious.

I often plow through books at a very rapid pace. But I slowly worked my way through Love Does, often reading just a few pages or less at a time. I was touched, inspired, challenged, convicted, and blessed.

Loving others isn’t just words we say; it’s the life we live. It’s giving of ourselves, it’s bringing joy to others, it’s being available to others, it’s dropping everything to be involved in others’ lives. It’s caring, it’s giving, and it’s sometimes doing crazy stuff, all because we love someone else.

If you have a chance to read Love Does, I’d highly recommend it. You might not agree with all of the finer points of Bob’s theology and you might think he’s a bit over-the-top, but I can almost guarantee you can’t help but be challenged to examine how you love others.

Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn

My mom picked up this book at a thrift store a number of months ago and loaned it to me. I was so motivated to look for and take advantage of opportunities to bless others in simple, practical ways. Just taking a few minutes to drop an email or pick up the phone or say an encouraging word to someone can often mean a great deal–and you’ll likely find that you’re blessed in seeking to be a blessing!

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic

I really enjoyed this book. It’s not a book with lots of practical, hands-on advice, but it’s a book the deals with the heart issues we moms face.

I didn’t agree with the author on all points (I’m not really sure that I ever do, though!) and think we have to be careful when reading parenting books because what works for one family or one child isn’t necessarily what will or should work for another family or child. That said, I was convicted, and inspired by Loving the Little Years.

It made me really step back and re-examine my own heart and how I am responding to and discipling my children on a daily basis. Sometimes, it’s easier (in the moment) to just slap band-aids and quick fixes onto behavior and attitude issues, instead of really taking the time to deal with the heart issues and struggles our children are facing.

Loving the Little Years challenges moms to really delve down to the heart of the matter. As the author says, “The state of your heart is the state of your home.”

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa Terkeurst

I’m pretty sure I’ve been living under a rock for years because Unglued is the first book by Lysa TerKeurst that I’ve read. And now I know why everyone loves her so much and what I’ve been missing out on for so long!

Lysa is real, she’s Southern (bless her heart!), and she calls it like she sees it. After you read her book, you just want to invite her over for a big glass of sweet tea and some girl talk. Because Lysa gets you. She doesn’t pretend to have her act together (I almost laughed aloud while reading about the missing toilet seat!) and her authenticity gives you hope and inspiration.

It just so happens that I read Unglued during a month where there were many extra burdens heaped on my shoulders — things I didn’t have control over and couldn’t just run away from, even though there were times when I really wanted to!

It’s easy to be all calm and smiles when life is going smoothly. But how do you respond when your boat is rocked and life is in upheaval? I got a whiff of just how much I need to work on patience as a result of some of that this month. It was humbling to have to go back and ask forgiveness from my husband and children time and again as I lost my temper or reacted out of frustration.

So Lysa’s words and encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time. I found it so beneficial to think through how I respond in different situations (Do I react? Or do I stuff? Or do I explode? Or somewhere in between?) and to seek the Lord to help me become more and more the woman who doesn’t come unglued in the midst of tumultuous times. I’m far from there, but it’s something that I’m working on — thanks to Lysa’s encouragement.

Energy Explosion: A 7-Day Guide to Jumpstart Your Energy by Arabah Joy

Are you feeling weary, exhausted, and burnt out? Could you use a shot of energy? Energy Explosion is a 7-day guide to help you jumpstart your energy. I purchased it a number of months ago, read it while walking on the treadmill, and loved it! (Do I get extra points for multi-tasking while exercising?! )

It’s a quick read, it has lots of great suggestions, and Arabah is very inspirational in how she walks you through steps to achieve more energy. I love how she addresses exhaustion from the spiritual, emotional, and physical standpoint, and gives you very practical things you can do immediately to boost your energy levels.

You’re Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be by Holly Gerth

A friend and I read through this together and I was so blessed by it. So much of the time, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up when we see other women who are so talented and gifted, fit, beautiful… you fill in the blank. But the truth is, God has uniquely gifted us and created each of us in His image.

This book gives Christian women a much-needed reminder of who we are in Christ and how we need to walk in the confidence we have been given in Christ — instead of feeling insecure and inadequate because it seems like we don’t measure up to someone else.

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam

Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I read Choosing Gratitude when I was dealing with some really difficult and incessant allergy issues. It really helped me see how I was focusing on the things I was struggling with, instead of choosing to be thankful. And not only that, but I felt so convicted at how I was griping over something so petty.

Sure, allergies are no fun (as I’m positive many of you can attest to), but seasonal allergies pale in comparison to some of the life-threatening, debilitating, and/or overwhelmingly incomprehensible issues so many people are facing right now. And I have much to be grateful for — much that I’ve been taking for granted while I was having a pity-party for myself.

Because of Nancy’s encouragement through Choosing Gratitude, I started a Gratitude Journal and I’ve challenged myself to make a daily habit of waking up each morning and starting my day by filling out an entire notebook page with things I’m thankful for.

At first, it seemed rather daunting — especially since I’ve gotten out of the exercise of journaling the past few years. But you know what I found as the days went on? The notebook page started feeling smaller and smaller each morning!

There’s something about starting the day with counting your blessings that just helps change your whole attitude about the day. And the more I’m focusing on my blessings, the less my allergies and health issues seemed to matter. {By the way: I am so, so grateful to report that, after months of struggling, we’ve finally gotten to the bottom of the allergy issues and I’ve been almost pain and symptom free for the past two months! God is good!}

The Bootstrap VA: The Go-Getter’s Guide to Becoming a Virtual Assistant, Getting and Keeping Clients, and More! by Lisa Morosky

I cannot tell you how often I hear from people asking how they can start working online as a virtual assistant. On the flipside, I know there is a ripe market out there of online business owners who are desperate to hire good virtual assistants — I get emails from them all the time!

The problem is, most people who want to be virtual assistants, don’t know how to get started and find jobs. And most business owners who want to hire virtual assistants don’t know where to look to find good help. That’s why I am so excited about Lisa Morosky’s ebook, The Bootstrap VA. It has everything you ever needed to know about getting started working as a virtual assistant.

And when I say “everything”, I mean it. Lisa left no stone unturned in her ebook. She’s honest about the challenges, she shares many tricks and tips to getting good virtual assistant jobs and keeping them, and she also includes numerous extra links if you want to do additional research on any subject.

One of the things that I loved best was that Lisa interviewed a number of people who work as virtual assistants and those who have hired virtual assistants to share both sides and what others have found works best. There are all sorts of nuggets of wisdom in those interviews!

It’s not often that I get really, really excited about an ebook and it’s even less often that I give an ebook five stars. But I’d give Lisa’s ebook six stars out of five. It’s that thorough, well-written, and just plain excellent.

If you’re considering becoming a virtual assistant, if you’d like to hire a virtual assistant, or you or anyone you know has any interest at all in anything to do with becoming a virtual assistant, please do yourself a favor and get a copy of this ebook.

What The Most Successful People Do On the Weekends by Laura Vanderkam

This is another thought-provoking ebook by Laura Vanderkam challenging you to consider how you’re using your weekends. It’s not necessarily about packing your weekends full, but about being intentional to plan ahead and use them well — and not to just let them slip away with nothing to show for them.

This ebook profiles a number of busy executives and shares how they plan down time, family time, and refueling time for the weekends so that they can be productive during the week. Packed with good ideas and food for thought.

Abundant Simplicity: Discovering the Unhurried Rhythms of Grace by Jan Johnson

The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg

I can’t believe it took me so long to “discover” John Ortberg. He’s a fantastic writer — profound, engaging, and funny. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this book wins the award for the “most passages read aloud to Jesse”. It was too good to keep to myself so I had to keep sharing parts of it with Jesse! I’m looking forward to reading more John Ortberg books in 2013.

The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury with Gary Smalley

At the recommendation of many friends, I read the first book in this series… and well, that was the end of that. 🙂 While parts of the series are a bit of a stretch (but that’s part of the fun of fiction, right?), these books are well-written, compelling, heart-rending, and filled with powerful messages of the redemption that can be found in the midst of the brokenness of this world.

What were your favorite reads from 2012? Tell us about them in the comments!

Shared Dec 27, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: 3 Ways to Give Gratitude to Those in the Military (Day 27)

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 27, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Katie

During the holiday season, we are all pulled in so many directions — whether with church, school, or community service groups, sometimes it is hard to determine how to invest our extra time and resources.

There is one group of people that none of us should neglect — especially during the holiday season — our military. Being away from the comforts and joys of home can be difficult for a deployed member of our military especially during the holidays.

As a wife to an active duty Marine who is currently serving in the Middle East, I can personally say how humbling it is to have people all across the United States praying for, and supporting, my husband and those like him deployed all over the world.

There is so much that those of us here at home can do to support the thousands of men and women who sacrifice so much day in, and day out, to protect the freedoms (including the freedom to celebrate our holidays!) we enjoy every moment here in the United States.

Here are three practical (and budget-friendly) ways you and your family can show gratitude to the men and women serving our country:

1. Write letters.

This is the most inexpensive, yet one of the most appreciated and heartfelt, gifts our servicemen and women overseas can receive. Organizations like Operation Gratitude accept letters that they include in their care packages. If you know a family in your community with a son or daughter in the military, be sure to ask for their address. By the way, letters to our military only take one stamp to mail overseas.

Small children who do not know how to write yet can draw pictures. Often, whoever receives the letter or picture will write back to you. This is a great way to start a penpal relationship!

2. Put together care packages.

If you are a savvy couponer, donating items like magazines, food, and toiletries won’t busts your budget, but will be very much appreciated. You can donate these items to organizations like Operation Gratitude or AnySoldier.com. Or, you can pick up a flat rate box from your local post office and pack it full of special treats and letters and send it to a soldier you know or someone listed on the AnySolder website. These boxes cost from $10-16 to ship.

3. Encourage the spouses and families left at home.

Write a note or email, or drop off a small gift to brighten a military spouse’s day while their loved one is deployed. Separation is hard during deployment and a little bit of encouragement goes a long way!

We are so blessed to live in a country where we are free. That freedom has come at a very high cost and the least we can do is show our men and women in uniform that we care and support them, even from thousands of miles away.

Katie is a teacher, and Marine wife living in Southern California. She is passionate about working with kids and loves encouraging young women and other military wives.

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Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

What do you do with your spare change?

1. Let Go of Complacency.

2. Stop Living in Fear.

3. Quit Listening to the Naysayers

4. Jump Outside Your Comfort Zone

What helps you wake up more excited about your day — and your life? I’d love to hear!

Why I Chose the Word “Margin”

Why I Chose the Word “Discipline”

Have you chosen one word for 2013? Tell us what it is in the comments.

How to Get Started With Goal-Setting

Free Printable Goal-Setting Worksheets

Break Your Goals Down Into Bite-Sized Pieces

Don’t Give Up

4 Related Posts You Should Read

What’s your best advice for someone who is brand-new to the idea of setting goals?

Personal Goals

Marriage Goals

Mothering Goals

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Financial Goals

Business/Blogging Goals

Have you set goals for 2013? If so, tell us what they are or leave a link to your blog post below.

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Devotionals (Breakfast Read Alouds)

Lunch Read-Alouds

Dinner Table Read-Alouds

To Read Aloud With Kathrynne (She’ll be 8 this month.)

To Read Aloud With Kaitlynn (She’ll be 6 in June.)

To Read Aloud With Silas (He’ll be 4 in May.)

Do you have any books you’re planning to read together as a family this year?

The more we save, the more we have to give.

Have you ever “given Christmas away”?

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

1. My Coke Rewards:

2. Free Hair Cut Referral Cards:

3. Pampers & Huggies Rewards:

4. Candy for the Troops:

1. I Tend to Be Overly Ambitious

2. I Need to Think Carefully Before Setting a Goal

3. I Need to Stop Trying to Do Too Much

4. My Goals Need to Be More Measurable and Specific

How Did You Do on Your Goals for 2012?

1. Help them write their own Giving List.

2. Encourage them to make gifts and recycle their treasures.

3. Help them make out a simple gift-giving budget.

4. Emphasize empathy!

5. Pay attention to how YOU are talking this time of year.

How do you help your children learn to be givers?

1. Write letters.

2. Put together care packages.

3. Encourage the spouses and families left at home.

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