The Power of a Positive Attitute - A Gabby Mom's Review

This month I'm reviewing a great new product from Eternal Encouragement.  Lorrie Flem said it just right when she quoted the old saying:

The flip side of that would be if Momma IS happy than most likely everyone else in the family will be happy as well.  Who doesn't want a happy family?

The problem: Sometimes we can get stuck in a rut of negativity, even if it's just over one particular area of our lives. Sometimes being happy is just easier said than done!  I know I get that way sometimes, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed. 

You are in for a treat with this product because it doesn't just tell you that you should have a good attitude.  It doesn't just tell you how a positive attitude is Biblical.  You are going to get practical tips and action steps to help you improve your attitude. 

You can listen to these audios over and over again while you're doing your chores or driving in the car.  You'll also get a study guide to take with to your quiet time and really study in depth the principles being taught and a list of scriptures to ponder and pray over. 

I realized, while listening to these audios, why I like listening to Lorrie Flem so much.
1. She's got a great voice and I feel like I'm having an intimate discussion with a good friend about things that really matter to me.
2. She always gives me solid action steps to help me change and to help me look more like Jesus everyday.
3. She relies on the Word of God for truth.  I can study gratitude in the Bible myself by using the study guide that comes with this product.  This is SO important because Hebrews 4:12 says that God's word is quick and powerful and sharper than any 2 edged sword.  This means it cuts in front; it cuts behind, and pierces to the heart of the matter.  It cuts the lies to find truth.  It cuts through our sorrow to find faith hope, and joy.  Lorrie understand that real changes in life comes from God and His truth.
4. She gives good historical and biblical background that really helps me understand the Bible better, which in turns helps me understand the truths being taught on a much deeper level.
For example, in this audio, Lorrie gives a detailed background of leprosy before teaching the Bible story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers.  I didn't understand the depth of teachings in these verses till having that background information.  Lorrie then teaches the principle of gratitude.

Now let me give you the specifics.  Go here on Nov 1 to get your copy of this product.  It includes a 3 part audio. 
Part 1: Centered and Sane
Part 2: Growing Gratitude
Part 3: How To's of Growing Gratitude
A personal study guide to use with the audios.

I was truly encouraged by this product and I know you will be too.

Managing My Minutes: Do I Really Need to? - A Review

It's time for my monthly Gabby Mom's Review.  This product came my way in the nick of time.  I've been asking God to reveal to me what I do not know pertaining to running my household.  This product gave me some answers to my questions. 

I've used schedules before and they were very successful.  In fact I remember the year of the schedule as the BEST homeschool year we ever had.  However when my life changed drastically and my schedule stopped working, I threw it out the window (not a good idea if you don't have a better plan in mind!)

 Lorrie compared schedules in this little treasure, to being a pilot: without programming your destination in properly at the beginning, you'll never reach your destination.  However once that's done you can fiddle with and adjust your course without changing the end result. Lorrie helped me to realize how my schedule failed.  I didn't sufficiently tweak my course to reach my destination.

Next came the part of Managing My Minutes: Do I Really Need To? that I really loved.  Lorrie listed 7 detailed points that correctly identify the difference between a schedule and a routine.  It made so much sense and I see why my schedule could never give me everything that I needed.  Routines don't follow a specific short time slot, but are used daily to train children how to do things.  Routines teach habits that will help our children grow up to be responsible adults.  Managing My Minutes is more about schedules, but now that I know the difference between schedules and routines I can go here and get Lorrie's bundle on routines (Managine My Minutes: Babies, Preschoolers and Kindergartners) for her introductory price before it's gone.  Whoo Hoo, here I come!

This product has inspired me to go back to doing what works and I'm sure it will help you to.  Go here to get your own copy!  I'm so glad that women, like Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement, are willing to teach us less experienced mom's the ropes. 

(I received a free copy of this product in return for my honest review)

Artists & Authors Review and Giveaway

Once a month I get the privilege of reviewing a product from Mrs. Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement.  This month I was mailed the book Artist & Authors.  Before I review the book, let me just say how special I felt before I even opened the package.  It looked like a normal package till I turned it over and saw this cute sticker thanking me for my purchase and that it was "Wrapped just for you with Love & prayer!"  Wow, I really like that.  Then I open the package and the actual book is wrapped and tied up with a bow.  I'm sold and I haven't even opened the book yet.  I could feel the love that went into this product.

So what is Artists & Authors?  It's a small pocket sized book originally written for homeschooling Mom's as an easy way to incorporate daily character training into our homeschool.  There are different themes throughout the book and you can go in order or flip to whatever character trait/biblical teaching you want to focus on. 

I have 6 children ranging in ages from 17 down to 2 and I found this book to be a great tool during our daily devotional time to actually engage the younger ones.  It only added 5 minutes to our devotional time but made it much more meaningful. 

First we discussed how great God is.  He's created everything in this world which seems so big to us, yet he is so awesome that it is little to him.  Next the children illustrated how the earth is God's footstool by drawing a picture of God using the earth to rest his feet on. 

While the younger ones were drawing we then peacefully and quietly read aloud during the rest of devotional.  I can't wait to really dig into this little treasure.

Now for the giveaway!  Click on the titles to go to the direct link for the giveaways for this book and a similar book for older children who prefer writing.

Giveaway Links

Artists & Authors

Authors & Artists

As a member of the Gabby Mom's program I've been given a free copy of this product for my honest review.

"Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure" - FREE Kindle Book

As a member of the Gabby Mom's Program I've been given a free copy of Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure by Lorrie Flem, in return for my honest review.  Stay tuned and I'll tell you when and how you can get this e-book FREE!

I actually bought this e-book last year from Eternal Encouragement Magazine because I had been working on eliminating this ineffective parenting tool from my repertoire for some time. This short, concise e-book had many of the tips that I felt like God was teaching me these past 4 year as I've constantly prayed asking for help to stop yelling and to speak with kindness even when I don't feel like it.  The only thing I felt this book lacked were examples from the author, Lorrie Flem's, own struggle as she worked to overcome yelling.  But even that can't detract from the sound advice given!

In Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure, Lorrie recommends identifying the triggers.  It got this Mama to sit back and think about what has driven me to yell.    

"Keep a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" Proverbs 141:3

As I reflected on my triggers I came up with the acronym H-A-L-T when I feel a yell coming on because these scenarios are the ones that most often tempt me to yell!

H is for Hurried or Hungry

A is for Angry

L is for Lazy and

T is for Tired

H is for hurried.  Would you believe that of all the days for me to get angry and yell was on Sunday mornings right before church.  I'd get so frustrated because we were running late and I'd start imagining that I must be the only person in the house who cared whether or not we got to church on time.  It was a mad scramble trying to find everyone's clothes and shoes, and get food into hungry stomachs.  If we needed to pull out of the driveway at 9:30 to get to church by 10:00 I'd start yelling for everyone to go to the car at 9:30.  Ten minutes later I'd be yelling at a child who still didn't have their shoes on and maybe 10 minutes after that we'd be in the car.  I'd be so mad on the way to church I would ignore everyone in the car.  I finally realized I couldn't pass the buck and blame this problem on the others.  Am I the Mom or am I not?  I got real and I got honest with myself.  First, I realized that I needed to get up earlier. My whole life I've given myself 1 hour to get ready to go somewhere and insanely kept this into practice when I was trying to get myself and my whole family ready and out the door - talk about mission impossible! Now I get everyone up 2 hours early and I've also learned that it takes my family 15-20 minutes to load into the car. That's very useful information in order to set a plan that will work.  Next I stopped blaming my husband for not setting or waking me with his alarm.  I took full responsibility and set my own alarm (sounds obvious doesn't it?). Finally I learned that my relationship with my children and husband is more important than being on time anywhere - even church!  H is also for hungry. Lorrie writes in Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure  that "mealtimes are a very important aspect of caring for a child.  Mealtimes should be set and regular so as to set up good eating habits"  This advice is equally important for parents.  Menu planning may not sound fun but it can go a long way into keeping everyone fed and chaos at a minimum.  I've been one of those mom's staring into the pantry and 6 p.m. wondering what in the world to fix for dinner.  Start the day out, ahead of the game, by having a plan for feeding your family in place.

A is for Angry.  Do you get angry when the house is a mess, when the kids are fighting, when you don't get your way, when their is too much noise, when kids seem to whine instead of talk rationally?  Lorrie recommends speaking in a whisper.  I don't know why it works but the softer I speak to my children the more they listen and obey.  If I yell at my kids I don't get satisfactory results and I haven't won their hearts.  God is the ultimate authority on this and He says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." (Proverbs 15:1)  I"ve also tackled the whining problem in the kids thanks to another product Lorrie wrote about whining.  I've told my children that a whining voice doesn't get them anything that they want cause I can't hear a voice like that.  Now I daily find myself modeling to the children the voice I want them to use. For example if the 2 yr old comes up begging for milk in a pouty voice.  I teach her how to ask by saying in a calm, pleasant voice, "milk please."  She instantly changes her tone of voice and even uses the sign  for please as she calmly says "milk please."

L is for Lazy.  I've discovered that yelling is the lazy way of parenting.  I remember a few years ago journaling my discouragment about the ongoing fighting between 2 of my little boys.  As I prayed about this situation God helped me see that I was regarding whatever I was doing as much more important than what they were doing, so when a fight would start, instead of getting up and parenting, I'd yell across the house for them to straighten up!  I was too lazy to put in the effort needed to train my children up in obedience and correct behavior.  It's a lot of work being a parent! Just today, I was visiting with my sister and brother-in-law and when a skirmish erupted in the kitchen and I did not feel like getting up to handle it.  I really wanted to yell from the couch and make the problem go away.  God knew this temptation I would face when He said a child left to himself brings his mother to shame (Proverbs 29:15).  I started to yell, but caught my self,  got up and disciplined in a calm quiet voice.   God, help me daily to be up to the task!

T is for Tired.  Have you ever been SO tired and you just knew that a nap is exactly what you needed, especially if you've been up thru the night caring for a little one night after night, or worse, your sick and need some extra sleep?  Now imagine being repeatedly awoken from your perfect slumber!  Oh, how my blood would boil when this has happened to me and I would want nothing more than to give the offending culprits a sound scolding (aka yelling)!  Having identified how this makes me feels, I can completely alter the course of events by discussing with the children what I need for the next hour:  "Mom is going to rest in the bedroom.  No one is to knock on the door unless there is an emergency. Please ask older brother or sister if you need any help or get hungry.  Big kids, please check on the little ones if they start getting real loud, or start knocking on my door"  Trust me when I say you need to review these instructions EVERY time you take a nap.  Don't assume they'll remember.

So the next time your tempted to yell, HALT, then reach for this free e-book I'm about to tell you about, to get the encouragement you need to stop yelling....

Now that I've spilt my own beans about my struggles and triumphs overcoming yelling, let me give you the exciting news!  You can get your own FREE Kindle book of Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure by going here on July 24th!  And that's not all: you're invited to a Facebook party here on July 24th from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT.  Mark your calendar or set your alarm cause it's only good for 1 day!