Category: Inspiration

January Holidays

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I will try to update this list with some fun activities as well. Feel free to click the links to find out more about the origins and meanings behind these special days. I plan to incorporate a few of these into our normal homeschool routine to add a little fun and excitement to our days. Have fun and maybe make up your own personal family holiday or tradition for the month!

This month is also known as:

  • National Bath Safety Month
  • National Blood Donor Month
  • National Braille Literacy Month
  • National Hobby Month
  • Hot Tea Month
  • National Oatmeal Month
  • National Soup Month

The weeks can be celebrated as:

  • 2nd Week Letter Writing Week

I found this list and more here:

New Year’s Day (1st)

** See New Year’s Day for crafts and activities.

National Spaghetti Day (4th)

Trivia Day (4th)

Friday the 13th (not every January but in 2017 we have one)

**See Friday The 13th for crafts and activities.

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday (3rd Monday in January)

**See Martin Luther King Jr. Day for crafts and activities.

Winnie the Pooh Day (18th)  Winnie The Pooh Day

**See Winnie The Pooh Day for crafts and activities.

National Popcorn Day  (19th)

Inauguration Day (20th or 21st)

**See Inauguration Day for crafts and activities.

National Blonde Brownie Day (22nd)

National Pie Day (23rd)

National Peanut Butter Day (24th)

Compliment Day (24th)

Chinese New Years – date varies

**See Chinese New Years for crafts and activities.

National Puzzle Day (29th)

Backward Day (31st)

**See Backwards Day for crafts and activities.

Homeschool: January on Pinterest for crafts/activities related to the month of January.

Reflections of 2016

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

Can you believe that this year is almost gone? I can’t but I am ready to start 2017 with a fresh, positive, and energized outlook. I know in my heart that this new year will be better than last year. I also know that God has some truly amazing things in store for me and my family. I can’t wait to see what He has planned for us in the upcoming months!

We have been through alot this past year. The year started off really rocky. There had been some nasty rumors and gossip that caused us to leave our church and lose contact with some people. It was also filled with some nasty messages, hateful comments, and posts from people who chose to believe the rumors.

I’ve learned to forgive even if you don’t feel that they deserve forgiveness. Forgiveness lets you move on and heal from the pain.

My oldest daughter finished up boot camp and then DD17 and DS21 took a road trip to Missouri to bring her back home. Then we had a lot planning to do for DD19’s wedding. It was really hard to stay strong for my kids and my family but I refused to let the chaos and nastiness get me down.

I filed for divorce after being separated for nearly 2 years. It was a painful and difficult decision that I prayed a lot over. It was not the outcome I wanted but it was what needed to be done at the time to protect my family and myself from his behaviors and actions. We have come a long way since then and are working to be the best parents we can be to our children.

I am learning to be content in whatever situation I am in and wherever I may be. I will change the things I can change, focus my attention on God, and let Him handle the things I have no control over.

Our family got larger with the additions of a niece and a nephew, both of which I absolutely adore. There was a camping trip where I got to go salt water fishing for the first time and I loved every minute of it. This was a welcome relief prior to the stresses of the wedding where we had last minute changes that threatened to ruin the whole thing. I am pleased to say that it was a success and it is now a beautiful memory for us to cherish.

During those stressful times I found out who my true friends were and became closer to my best friend. She really came through for me when I needed her. I had another friend who also came through and was a lifesaver, quite literally, and he was the calm in my storm on a few occasions.

There was a brief romance where my already tender heart was shredded and ripped apart. This was harder on me than my divorce as it came at me unexpectedly and then it was over without any warning or explanation. I lost someone who I considered to be one of my best friends with the end of that relationship. I know that my questions will continue to go unanswered and I know that there would never be anyway to get back what it was that we had. It still brings tears to my eyes but I do treasure the moments we had.

I am learning that it is much easier not to question God when something happens but rather to embrace it and trust that He knows best. 

Then I attempted online dating which I quickly learned wasn’t for me. I did meet a couple of really nice people and I went on a couple of dates but we didn’t really click. I quickly found that dating by text is not for me either. I need to be able to see the person and hear their voice. I want to know that they are not a figment of my imagination. I did make a friend through the dating site and we still text on a semi-regular basis.

We had another camping trip where I took the five kids and myself. It was an adventure that we all enjoyed and thankfully survived. There was moment that I wasn’t sure if I would make it as I had fallen in the river. Luckily I had a life vest on and I was able to stay calm until someone was able to reach me. The crazy thing was that he was able to walk out to me but I was just a little bit too short to reach the bottom.I think I swallowed my yearly quota of river water that day.

I’ve had many more episodes of the gossip mill. There were days and weeks that I felt I should just write a soap opera about my life. I finally realized that the problem wasn’t really with me but with the ones who were starting and spreading the rumors. This was a big turning point for me and the way I handled the stress and drama from those situations. I also had some painful revelations about family and friends.

Then there was the flu bug that hit us around Thanksgiving. I was upset that we were not able to visit with family but fortunately God did give me the strength and supplies to make our own impromptu dinner. I wasn’t able to eat but I made up for that at Christmas dinner with my daughter and son-in-law. That was definitely a dinner to remember as the police showed up twice!

I have learned to be ready to receive a blessing at any moment and any time.

These are just some of the ups and downs of my past year. There have been a lot of firsts like the salt water fishing, a low country boil (I actually had twice this year), and online dating. I can say that I have lived, loved, been loved, and have been truly blessed. Life has taught me a lot about myself, relationships, and God’s will for my life. There have been many surprises, good and bad, but all in all it was a wonderful year.

I hope you can also look back on the past year and see what has happened. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve experienced and then think about what you want to experience in the 2017. I pray that each and every one of you will be blessed abundantly in the upcoming year. I pray that God will touch your lives and supply your needs, whatever they may be.

 

 

 

Keeper of The Home

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.-  Proverbs 24: 3-4

I know there have been many arguments about what a woman’s role should be in regards to home, work, and other areas of life. I feel that God’s plan for my life is to be a keeper of the home, to be the best mother and homemaker I can be, and to trust in His plan for my life. I know some of you may be rolling your eyes at this but I firmly believe that a lot of life’s problems would cease to exist if more people felt as strongly as I do. I pray that my blog and the tips I share can help each and every person to be a better person and help you to establish routines that allow you to also be a better keeper of the home.

What does this really mean? It means that we are responsible for our homes and that our homes and families should be a priority for us. It means that we are each responsible for setting the tone of our homes. We are to guard our homes and we are ultimately responsible for what comes in and what goes out. We are responsible for making sure that everyone in our home feels cared for and loved. We are responsible for making sure that our homes can be a refuge of safety for our loved ones and friends, a place where they can find rest and comfort, whenever needed.

Now I know that not everyone can stay at home and that sometimes it is necessary, especially for single mothers, to have a job. I know this because I’ve been there. I’ve been a young single mom of four young children, working 3-4 part time jobs just to make ends meet. Even then I knew my first priority was making sure that my home, wherever it was at the time, was a peaceful, nurturing, and loving environment for my children. I know how overwhelming this can be but it doesn’t have to be. I wish I had someone to show me how to manage my time and resources when I was younger.

There are so many aspects of being a keeper of the home that I will try to cover them in various posts throughout the year. One area is cooking, as our families need to be fed and nourished so they can thrive and grow. You can check the Recipes tab for ideas that I will continue to update and add onto through the year. I also have a Meal Planning section under the Home Organization tab.

Another area is cleaning and I know how hard this can be to keep up with at times. This can be an all consuming task if you let it. There are various tips and posts on this as well in the Home Organization section. You can also find schedules to help with time management and other areas of your life.

Another important role as a keeper of the home is to be a good steward of everything that God has blessed you with. This is an area that I am truly working on now and I will pass along any tips or resources that I find. One big thing is to set a budget. I don’t have any examples of mine up but there are many resources available online to help you with this.

Now is the time of year that many of us make New Year’s resolutions. So why not make a couple that will help you to regain your focus and motivation to be a better keeper of your home? We all need to take our roles as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, aunts, and friends so very seriously. God has entrusted us to help others along their journey in life. By helping them we will also be helping ourselves. When we turn our hearts and minds to what God has planned for us we will be able to strengthen our families which will set the tone for generations to come. This is an awesome responsibility to undertake.

I don’t know what your home is like but you do so just start wherever you are. Jot down a few ideas or changes that you would like to see happen in your home, with your family. Maybe you can set a goal to learn some new recipes this year? Maybe one of your goals can be to establish a cleaning routine or schedule? Maybe you just want to find ways to make your home environment more peaceful? Maybe you need to learn to manage your time more wisely?

There are various resources available to help you with ideas for just about anything. You can always ask Google. Then Pinterest always has loads of wonderful ideas and you can start your own boards to pin ideas to. I am always needing inspiration and ideas. You can check out some of my boards here. You can also join groups on Facebook for ideas and encouragement. The most important thing is to be intentional with what you want your home to look like, to feel like, and what experiences you want your family, friends, and guests to have.

Before making any drastic changes be sure to go to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him for His guidance and wisdom as you embark on this task. He will direct you along the path that He has chosen. You just need to have faith in wherever or whatever He leads you to do. You must first make the decision that you desire to be a keeper of the home, this is not just something that happens, it is somethings that we must do intentionally.

I pray that you will join me as I set my goals to be a better keeper of the home in 2017. I want to be the best role model and example, not only to my children, but to everyone who comes into our home. I want to pass along my experiences to my children so they can pass them down their children. By doing this we will be helping to build stronger families and stronger communities for generations to come.

Please note: During one of my marriages there were many issues that arose between my spouse and I as to what being submissive actually meant. I know the Bible teaches us women to be submissive to our husbands and there are many debates over what this actually means. I feel that our husbands are to be the leaders of the home but that does not mean women should be treated like doormats. I just want you to know that I do not condone domestic violence or abuse. I encourage anyone in a situation such as that to get help immediately.

You can also read the following that I found by doing a quick Google search:

LEAD HER

The Titus 2 Woman: The Keeper of her Home

YOUR ROLE AS “KEEPER OF THE HOME”

“KEEPERS AT HOME”

Keeper of the Home 101

 

 

My War Room

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog5 Comments

I don’t know how many of you have read or watched ‘The War Room’. This is one book and one movie that I can read and watch time and time again because the message is so powerful.  Even before watching the movie and reading the book I had a desire to have my own little quiet space just for me. After watching the movie and reading the book that desire grew.

So with the recent changes of rooms in our house I had intended on turning a corner of my closet into my private little area. My ‘War Room’ if you will. Things just didn’t work out as planned when we first changed rooms. My closet had turned into the catchall for everything that didn’t have a home.

Some other events happened and it made me realize there was some things that I needed to get rid of. While clearing out those things I was able to make room in another area of the house to move our pantry cabinets that had previously been in my closet.

I also had a desk on the porch outside that my brother had brought to me before with the intention that I could use it in my private little space. It has been touched by the weather and isn’t quite as pretty as it once was but I enlisted some strong muscles to help me bring it in.

I also gathered a few little items from our shed and from around the house. Just a few little things that meant something to me, things the kids had given me or things the kids had made for me. Some of them were items that others close to me had given to me.

I moved a collection of Bible verses to hang on the wall. These had been hanging on the bulletin board in the kitchen but kept getting covered over with other things. Now they can give me inspiration and motivation to start my day with.

I also brought in a small bulletin board that wasn’t really being used. I may use this to post little verses or maybe even pictures that kids make for me. I reclaimed a small CD player and gathered up some inspirational and relaxing CDs to play. In another closet I found a basket to put all of my current books in there to set on the desk.

I put up a couple of small shelves, one of which my oldest son had made, to use for knickknacks that people have given me. My oldest son had given me a tiny turtle, a little peacock came from my sister, and a couple of beautiful mugs that other people have given me.

I had a peacock clock, which if you don’t know already I enjoy collecting peacocks, that is now sitting on my desk ticking away.I also placed one of my favorite coasters on the desk to hold a drink or a cup of coffee.One of the drawers is now home to my prayer journal and my daily devotionals.

There’s even a space for my laptop. I was able to run an extension cord from an outlet close by so I have a little bit of power in my little room also. (This is only temporary until I figure out a better solution.) DD 17 gave me a little lamp from my desk and I was able to finally unpacked some Christmas gifts from a couple years back.

Among those gifts was a water globe to hold pictures, I intend to put pictures of my kids in it, a small little battery powered fountain which makes a very soothing sound, and a beautiful candle holder that may hold a scented candle in the near future.

My space is not big but it’s cozy and it’s filled with things that remind me of the people that I love the most. So while I’m sitting in my little space I can look around and see things that remind me of my friends and family and it helps me just to get in touch with those feelings and those people that I’m praying for in a deeper way.

I have some other ideas about things about a few things I may add. I will probably add an aromatherapy device of some sort as I know that Santa has brought me some oils. I may hide a stash of chocolate in one of the drawers for emergencies. I’m sure there will be a few other things as well that I think of but I plan to try to keep it as decluttered as possible.

This morning was my first day to enjoy my little space and let me tell you it was so relaxing and peaceful.  I was able to come in and put a CD on very softly, go through my devotionals, go through my prayer journal, and  give thanks to our most awesome God.

It is a very humbling experience to actually be able to spend time in the presence of God. To just sit, relax, and be still. I thank Him every day for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon me, my family, and my friends. I thanked Him today for bringing the images of what I needed to do to rearrange my house in my life in order to have this little space. I thanked Him for the awesome sense of peace I had this morning while in my ‘war room’. Note: I need to put some tissues in a drawer.

This morning I went through my normal activities and had so much peace from them. I prayed about a few things like the fact that our furnace has not been working properly. I asked God to touch it and to guide me as to what I needed to do. I got my answer and I will be replacing the thermostat soon.

Another prayer is something I have been praying about everyday for the past several months. It concerns a person, I don’t know who this person is yet for sure, but I am praying for God’s wisdom and guidance for him and for myself. Today I heard the words ‘Prepare him room’. (I know this is a phrase from a song we hear at Christmas but I wasn’t playing a Christmas CD.)

I will be taking that phrase quite literally as I’ve seen what needs to be done. I have faith that God is working for my good and that He has marvelous things in store for me. I’m telling you that this morning’s experience in my war room was one of the most humbling, gratifying, and blessed time that I have spent with my Father.

I desire to have more of these moments and experiences in the near future. I know that now I have a place where I can truly ‘be still’ and listen for His voice. It is His voice of wisdom that I have been so desperately seeking and that my heart yearns for. I long to hear Him whisper the promises of His love and His plans for me. Now I have a private place to meet with Him. I left my closet with a happy heart!

My desire now is that everyone can have a place like this to go to.I know a lot of you may not have a spot in your home or a closet big enough but just try to make some little space for yourself to spend time with God. This has been over a year in the works. Before this ‘war room’ my space was a little ottoman beside my bed. My nightstand held a stack of books and a small lamp. The top drawer of my nightstand held my prayer journal and devotionals. It was a very comfortable little space and I enjoy it so very much. However it was not my own little private space as my kids would often come in. I enjoy having them around me but sometimes Momma just needs a place to get away for a minute or two.

I challenge you each to find your own little corner, your own little closet, or just somewhere that you can go into and quietly spend some time alone doing something that makes your heart happy.

Have a blessed day! While I was finishing up this post my furnace started working! God is so good!

  

See also:

Pray In Secret

So Much More Than A Basketball

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog5 Comments

Wow! Well, I had written this article last December after we had the surprise pleasure of meeting with the ‘Basketball Cop’. I came to revisit this post only to find out that is GONE! I’m not entirely sure how this happens but I have had some comments from others that this has happened with some other posts on my blog as well. I do apologize and will try to find out what is causing this.

This picture was taken December 25, 2016 in Gainesville, FL. We had went to my oldest daughter’s place for Christmas dinner. There were a lot of people, mostly kids, crammed into a small apartment so it was a bit noisy. We were in the middle of exchanging gifts when we heard a loud rap on the door.

Immediately we all stopped what we were doing and my son-in-law went to open the door and found a police officer standing at the door. Our first thought was that someone had called in a noise complaint but that wasn’t the case at all. She explained to us that she had some gifts she would like to pass out.

We brought all of the kids outside and she began passing out gifts only to realize that she didn’t have enough girl gifts. Well, the kids were not that concerned as she let them choose a boy gift. She promised to return with some girl gifts later on.

Later on she did return with more gifts and more people. It was then that I found out who was responsible for the gifts and this prompted me to investigate further. I had seen the ‘Basketball Cop’ on the news, after his YouTube video went viral, and I had told people about how wonderful he was but I never imagined how much he and the Basketball Cop Foundation did for the community.

If you have never heard of him or his foundation I encourage you to take a moment and check out the link I posted above. He is also on Facebook and Twitter too!

I really hate the fact that my original post was deleted and I am looking for an original that may have been posted elsewhere. I can’t go back and recreate that post or recapture the excitement I felt when I was writing it. I do pray that you will feel a bit of excitement yourself if you happen to check out the links and see what an amazing thing has started.