One of my favorite stories that she tells is about the old man in the airport with the long, matted hair. My favorite line out of the whole story is “Jesus is the boss of this thing!” Such a true and meaningful statement that we should never forget!

Beth Moore: The Hair Brush

She writes that “Prayer also trains us to hear what God has to say to us. Listening to God requires more patience and more practice than talking to Him does. But when we listen to God, He provides guidance as we seek His will.”

Prayer is an important part of our relationship with God. Praying opens our hearts and mind to God and reminds us that he is the one we should lean on for strength, love and faith and guidance!

Be sure and visit her website and leave a comment letting her know Christian Women Friends sent you!

Five Bible Verses About the Power of Prayer

Psalm 107:28-30  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.

Matthew 21:22  And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:13-14  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Mark 9:29  And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.

Many find that it is easy to trust and believe when things are going well but the true test comes when things may not be going as we want them to and we don’t understand why. Putting our faith and trust in the LORD relieves our mind of worry and stress. It changes our attitudes and our actions. He provides wisdom, love, goodness, and righteousness and without Him we can do nothing!

Faith and love in our everyday lives is shown in many ways.  We can show kindness to one another so that we do not lose faith in humanity. We can rejoice with one another instead of being envious. We can show gratitude to our family and friends. We can seek forgiveness and offer forgiveness to those that need it.  We can pray for one another, offer hope and unconditional love. We can worship God through faith that is expressed by loving one another.

Faith is trust and a commitment with our heart and soul.  Love is patient and kind and it doesn’t envy or boast. The love of God is our gift that we should share with everyone. We must put our faith and love into action.

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. ~ Ephesians 3:17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” ~ Romans 1:17

This is a great website if you like to save money with coupons. If you have trouble finding coupons that you need for your favorite products then check out her coupon database. It lists many different types of coupons and where they can be found, what date they were put out, the coupons value and the expiration date. If you are new to couponing start with the coupon 101 tab where you can learn coupon basics including the most commonly used abbreviations, coupon policies, and Sunday coupon previews. I fall in the beginner category so this is where I’ll start!

She also lists any great freebie offers she finds. Recent ones included a free candle sample at NorthWood Candle Compay, one free sample of Shout Wipes and Publix free $50 Coupon Booklet (they are all gone now). Publix is my favorite place to buy groceries so I wish I had seen that one before they were all gone! I love getting free samples of anything (I’m not picky) so I can try it out to see if I like it before I purchase it. Nothing worse then spending money on something and then finding out you don’t like it.

I need to squeeze as much as I can out of my grocery budget so I’ll be checking back often so I can save money. Her site is full of good deals, tips and coupons so be sure and check it out. You can also sign up for email updates while you are there so you don’t miss any special offers!

Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures – Lynn is offering a free Quick and Easy Breakfast ebook to all subscribers of her site. There are eighteen quick and easy breakfast recipes for you to try out. Visit her recipe site where she has so many great recipes listed that you’ll have a hard time deciding what to make first!

Raising Homemakers – At Raising Homemakers there is a great post on dispelling the myths about homemaking. This proves the value and importance of homemaking. My favorite quote is: “Ministering to your own little ones every day matters much. Just because they can’t give you recognition, a paycheck or testify up front on Sundays as to your faithfulness does not negate your home as a ministry.”

Knee-Deep in Munchkin Land – Jenn has a funny post titled: “Yes, I have everything under control. Why do you ask?” about a trip to the grocery store with four kids! You can’t help but smile when you read it. We’ve all been there!

Between Loads of Laundry – I just love the post “becoming” where Margi talks about spending time with God in the quietness of the morning while jogging. She says; “God doesn’t say a word, but He’s there and He keeps me company as my feet dance in the fresh summer morning air.” Love that!

Danise Delights – Read “Thankfulness Redefined” for a heartfelt reminder to be thankful for what we have. It is so humbling to me when I hear of people with such struggles in their lives who gain strength in their faith and it does not waiver during hardship!

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” ~ Luke 12:15

Things that can complicate our mind and our life:

Difficult Relationships - Sometimes difficult relationships are allowed to become the focal point of our thoughts and take over or complicate our lives. Whether it be resentments held toward others or difficult family, friends or co-workers that we have to deal with frequently.  Changing our attitude toward those types of relationships is the only way to gain control of our emotions. Perhaps we need to reduce our expectations of these people and focus our attention elsewhere.

Workplace – Work is probably one of the highest causes of stress in most people’s lives. An overbearing work environment can sap all of ones energy. Work should not be anyone’s whole life. Ask yourself if changing your job would help to simplify your life? If it would then take steps to make that happen. Learn new job skills, downsize your standard of living so you can earn less and still get by. Start saving money so you can make the change. Plan ahead and you can make it happen.

Home Life - Get your home life in order by eliminating chaos and clutter. Get everyone involved and make home and family a priority. Teaching everyone to respect each other and their space is important to creating harmony in the home. Decluttering your home will help to simplify your life.

Health Issues - Dealing with health issues is stressful but there are ways to navigate the complexities of medical problems so you can gain control. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, encouragement and prayers to get you and your family through a medical crisis. Accepting help from church members, friends and family is important. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” ~James 5:14.

Money Problems - No matter what income level you fall into gaining control of your money is vital to every aspect of your life. Learning to manage what money you have and how to spend and save it is one of the most important things you can do.

Emotional stress can clutter your mind. Worrying about problems at home, work or ones health and money can easily overwhelm you and cause your mind to be overburdened with stress. But we can simplify our lives by changing how we think, where and how we live, and where we work. That is a goal we can ask God for help in achieving. Pray for guidance is searching for a new job, downsizing to a smaller home or for help in changing unhealthy emotions.

Gain control of your home. Get rid of excess stuff and organize what is left. It won’t happen overnight but the changes made will be an improvement and set you on the path to clutter free living. Decluttering our minds and our lives should be something we strive for everyday for better health and well-being!

Link-Up Connections: Raising Homemakers Homemaking Link-up, {TITUS 2} SDAYS

Little Natural Cottage – Kristy at Little Natural Cottage has a great post titled “Homemaking on Purpose.”  She says her goal is to “cultivate creativity and purpose in my home on a daily basis.” Such a great statement.

Keeping The Kingdom First – Alyssa offers tips on buying organic versus non-organic produce. Be sure and read the dirty dozen list from the Environmental Working Group that has the highest pesticide levels.

The Thrifty Mama – Crystal at The Thrifty Mama offers 8 tips for preparing a gift stockpile. It’s hard to believe that we are already half way through the year and the holidays are right around the corner! This is perfect timing to get prepared for the upcoming holidays so you’re not caught unprepared!

Life As Mom – Jessica has a great post on marriage. She says she realized over time that “simply being together is vital to our marriage, to our friendship, to our sense of intimacy with one another.” So true! It’s important to connect with one another everyday.

Frugal Granola – At Frugal Granola you can learn about growing, preserving, and sharing food with your kids. This is a great post on getting kids familiar with foods outside the grocery store. Contributing Writer, Bethany says “it is wise to reveal to children the full life cycle of foods: from soil to harvest to the dinner plate.”

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
~Mother Teresa