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Where was Jesus?

July 2, 2013 by Amy 17 Comments

Trigger Warning: sexual abuse.

While we were in Palm Beach, we visited Barnes and Noble. I love the Christian section of the book store because it feels like my blog “friends’” jump out of my phone and onto the shelves.

I scan the authors and see so many familiar names…Jennie Allen, Justin and Trisha Davis, Steven Furtick, Jonathan Martin, Jen Hatmaker, Beth Moore, Angie Smith. I’m not really friends with any of them personally but after reading hundreds of tweets and blog posts from them, it feels like it at times. It makes my heart happy to see voices that I love online are also sitting on shelves for nonbloggers to pick up too.

As I scanned the shelves last week, I felt pulled towards a book by John Eldredge called Beautiful Outlaw. I’d never read any of his books but I knew many men had enjoyed Wild at Heart. The book’s subtitle is “Experiencing the playful, disruptive, extravagant personality of Jesus.”

I had brought Beth Moore’s 90 Days with Jesus study to Palm Beach and figured it would be a good companion read but it was more than that. I knew I was supposed to read that book.

And I did.

Friday evening there was a big storm in Palm Beach. We were inside but had the glass doors open as it poured. The lightning seemed to strike across the parking lot at times and the thunder reverberated loud over the nearby water. Scott was watching TV and I read my new book, trying not to move too much so my fresh sunburn wouldn’t sting.

I had already spent the morning in awe of God. The great expanse of the ocean always evokes such reverence and reading the first part of Beautiful Outlaw reminds you just how much you can experience God anywhere.

The storm seemed to only enforce thoughts of his mighty hand.

I came to a chapter near the end of Beautiful Outlaw called “Letting Jesus Be Himself – Encounters.” It detailed out some very specific encounters people had that were clearly experiences with God.

One in particular talked about a young man named David who had been experiencing depression. I wish I could just copy and paste the entire few pages but what happens is they pinpoint the root of his depression as shame. There had been an encounter with a teacher where he had agreed in his spirit that he was stupid and since then had never felt like he measured up.

John is describing his conversation with David and says he had David revisit the conversation and then talked about whether Jesus was there. David says Jesus was there, between him and the teacher and was facing David, as if shielding him. David was so relieved to know Jesus was there and cared. John asked him to renounce the agreement he was stupid and asked Jesus to take him out of the memory and to give him freedom.

He did and says John says David left his office that day “more hopeful, lighter, with a sense of drawing closer to Jesus than he had experienced for years.”

As I finished reading this, I bolted for the slippery tiled porch where the storm was just inches away and plopped down on a wet towel stretched across a plastic chair and cried.

I had a memory that I needed to return to and see where Jesus was.

I’m battling not sharing the full details but I sense that I need to.

I don’t have personal memories of what I’m going to describe. My mom told me about this when I was about 10 or 11. She said she had prayed that I wouldn’t remember it and I still cannot to this day recall any images from that time.

When I was just about 4 years old, I was with a male neighbor in our apartment complex and he asked me to pull my pants down for him. I apparently said no and bolted to my mom.

Even though technically “nothing happened”, I’d be lying if I said even just the thought of the question hasn’t affected me.

I learned in adoption training that children that are abused as babies may have no recollection of the abuse, but their bodies remember and the effects come out in different ways later on that lead them back to the abuse.

So I asked Jesus to take me back to that memory, or what I have constructed as that memory, and looked to see where he was.

At first, Jesus, was turned towards me and I was overcome with gratitude that he had protected me and given me wisdom and courage to run out of there. But then, Jesus was very clear that he was turning around and facing the man.

Since I don’t have memories, I don’t really know what happened but Jesus was speaking to my spirit that he was taking care of his consequences for me. I didn’t need to worry about whether the law was called or whether he felt bad or whether he ever thought of that time again or anything. Jesus was, and is, taking care of it. Of him. Of me.

I felt such overwhelming relief and peace. As I listened to the storm rage around me as tears flowed through my fingers, I could sense Jesus telling me the same power that was moving the storm could take care of it. Jesus had been there and was still there taking care of me.

Every time I recall that image now, Jesus is standing facing the man, blocking my view of him. He’s not moving, not wavering, not even glancing at me. He’s got it.

Jesus was there and even if in your situation something technically did happen, he was there and he hates it. He hates what happened to you. He’ll take care of you and can heal your heart if you let him.

Friends, this is why I love Jesus. Not because I’m scared of hell or because it’s the right thing to do. I love Jesus because he continually invades my life in a very personal way and fills in the gaps that not one other person can fill.

I write about this love because I’m desperate for others to know this freedom and peace. We do not have to live in our past with hurt and pain and defeat. Jesus came to give us victory. It’s not just about defeating death for salvation. The victories are for the very personal, the very specific, the very hidden hurts in our lives.

I don’t want to suggest that professional counseling may not be necessary. I’m no counselor or expert. Jesus just wants you to know that he revealed himself to me and can do the same for you.

Summer Vacation 2013: Palm Beach, FL

July 1, 2013 by Amy 6 Comments

Before I launch into a bit of a recap of our Summer Vacation, let me please remind any former Google Reader subscribers that 1 – I am crying with you and 2 – I switched to Feedly and highly recommend you do the same (just make sure to put everything in Titles-only mode).

If you’d like to resubscribe, here is my RSS feed. You can subscribe by email. Or, I also post all the posts to the Facebook page if you prefer that route (and I really want you there anyway). Also, if you’ve chosen Bloglovin’ which I hear is a great alternative too, you can Follow me on BlogLovin. Either way, I’m glad you’re here and I just want to help you stay.

So, on to our Summer Vacation recap. You need some personal history first, though.

When I was 7 my parents got a timeshare and we went to Disney. We stayed at a resort and wore Mickey Mouse cover-ups, got ears and rode the tea cups and It’s a Small World.

Since that year, I traveled with my family every summer using my parent’s timeshare. We’re beach people and even though the timeshare was technically in Myrtle Beach, SC, we often found ourselves on some Florida coast.

Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Vero Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Marco Island—so many fond memories.

For our family’s last summer vacation before I went to college, my parents splurged and took us to St. Thomas. It was my favorite vacation we took and I still dream of floating in crystal clear water hearing a man running down the beach yelling Cocktails. We never drank a cocktail but it was the principle, you know?

So, after I got engaged after my freshman year of college, I began taking my summer vacations with Scott and his family.

Due to several unfortunate factors, we didn’t plan a trip with his family this year so my parents planned a last-minute trip using their timeshare to, you guessed it, Florida. This time we ended up in Palm Beach, Florida (Riviera Beach, if you must be technical).

If I have my calculations round about right, it had been 15 years since I’d been on a Summer vacation with my family.

So, as I was walking into the resort, I had a bit of nostalgia of all the resorts we had visited when I was younger but also had a bit of a full-circle moment as I realized my girls are just a few years older than I was when we first started trekking to Florida.

It felt a little bit like home this past week and I realized just how lucky I was as a child and really, how lucky I was this week.

With all the stress of going into summer working and the water leak and just life, it couldn’t have been better timed. I honestly don’t know what kind of crazy person I would have been if I hadn’t driven 10 hours away last week. A time for everything, yes?

All that to say I guess that there’s a lot of rip-offs out there but I’ll be the first to say over 25 years later that my parent’s timeshare was a well-spent investment that I’m more grateful for than ever, especially this year.

I’m certainly not suggesting that a resort is the only way to relax. We have family-friends that super duper love their beach-side campground and we have loved all of our summers at a beach house rental with Scott’s family. I’m just saying timeshares can turn out to be a wise financial decision that gives back for generations, contrary to what some might think.

Every vacation is different and provides unique memories, timeshare or not, and these are a few of mine from Palm Beach.

We started off with one of my favorite memories—a $17 strawberry daiquiri—a splurge by Scott. That was one big honkin’ drink. The kids thought it was the best thing ever—probably because we’re way too cheap to do anything like that on a normal basis. All 7 of us enjoyed it.

I think it’s especially hilarious with the hat and sunglasses Scott bought the girls at Claire’s. It’s like HI, WE’RE ON VACATION.

We stayed pool side a few days where we did our normal routine of flips, handstands and such until one night we went to swim and a toddler had pooped in the pool for the second time that day. Lexi saw the poop in the bottom of the pool and then it just kind of ruined the whole deal for us.

We spent the rest of the time at the ocean. As you can see, it wasn’t terribly rough in the waters and there was almost no one on the beach so the kids were free to romp around on their own. This development, due to both age and environment, was glorious. Dear parents of little ones, the beach CAN be enjoyable!

I spent a lot of time in my happy place. I finished four books during the week and started into a 5th. My Twitterature post for July will be fat and happy.

I also bought this hat and felt super cool wearing it even if I’m not nearly cool enough to pull it off. But no one in Palm Beach knew.

On a whim, Scott decided to rent a paddle board. This is another anomaly as we’re not the renting type people. (Are you noticing all the splurging is on Scott’s part? I’m just sayin’)

But I admit, it was an awesome move on his part.

Emma was all about the board and went out right away. It took my mom a little convincing to get me out there and Lexi was in full-on temper tantrum mode about leaving the beach when he got it until she got a good talking-to by Grandma and I ordered her out there to GO HAVE SOME FUN WITH HER DADDY!

Clearly, we were torturing her.

Mid-week we decided we should you know, DO SOMETHING, so we decided on this amphibious tour called the Diva Duck. It toured Palm Beach and then took you in the water way and showed you a few of the mansions on Palm Beach.

Let me save you the cash and the sweaty leather seats and share my two favorite parts.

This mansion sits on Palm Beach and is owned by Celine Dion’s mother. Celine supposedly bought it for her mother for Mother’s Day. Hi, mom, here’s a card and OH, HERE’S A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE.

This is George Clooney’s yacht named Encore that is docked in Palm Beach.

I desperately wanted it to pull out while we were on the Diva Duck and be like HI, GEORGE CLOONEY, WE’RE PASSING YOU ON THE WATER. We never saw him nor any other celebrity but apparently Palm Beach is full of them.

Except not in June.

We drove through Palm Beach later ourselves and most of the mansions were boarded up and those that weren’t, had sheets on the furniture.

Worth Avenue, which is the Rodeo Drive of Palm Beach, was like a ghost town even though it sports shops like Tiffany’s. We even found our cricket gear there too! It was good thing that we bought them there because our sports surface specialists were just about done with the pitch.

And let me say, I wouldn’t mind a revisit.

It wasn’t perfect—we had our moments, but the rest was good. Very, very good.

Tell me: where and what is your favorite summer vacation memory?

Working Mom Neurosis

June 25, 2013 by Amy 10 Comments

Two days after I posted The Summer Working Mom, we had a sitter come for the first time this summer to watch the girls. Scott was sleeping off his night at work and I was super busy with meetings.

We’ve done different things over the years during summer. For many years, my job was only 30 hours a week and I had very little meetings. I was able to make up work in the evenings after early bed times. Also, when the kids were younger, they still napped.

Some summers my mom and mother-in-law were both off one afternoon a week and would whisk them away. One summer we hired a middle-schooler to come hang out with them. Some summers we planned a lot of play dates at the house and they would play in their rooms or in the pool together for hours.

My job now is full-time and it’s changed in such a way that I could be in meetings on the phone for 6-8 hours straight. I don’t have the luxury of planning much work in the evenings.

The young lady we hired for this summer is 19. She’s super responsible and attentive and loves to play with them (not just watch them play) and can drive. The girls think it’s the best thing ever.

In fact, years later, they still talk about that middle-schooler coming to play with them and I’m sure they will do the same about this summer.

But let me share my neurosis about the whole situation.

When she came, it was fantastic to see her almost immediately grab a board game and take them to their room to play. They love board games and that’s something I definitely cannot do while I work.

Yay, this was the best idea ever. Look! They’re playing board games and not watching TV!

And then, guilt starts.

Oh my gosh, I’m the worst mother ever. They’re playing board games but it’s not with meeee! All their childhood memories will be with a sitter and not their mother.

Then, she takes them to the library and they pick out books to read.

Yay! They’re reading books–their teachers would be so proud. They’re going to have great memories of the sitter taking them to the library.

And then…

They’re going to go on Oprah one day and talk about how their mother never paid attention to them and they only remember me telling them to be quiet as I sat at my desk. Nevermind Oprah has been over for years. She’ll probably start the show again just to feature all their problems.

Then she swims with them–for hours. As I watch from my desk on my meeting, I can see they’re laughing and she’s doing flips with them and playing games.

What success! We got a great sitter who’s really giving them lots of attention–what more could I want?

Me. They could probably want more of me. All the other moms are at the pool with their kids. See? It’s right here on Twitter. I’m such a failure.

And on and on it goes. I continue to have an internal struggle about my kids, working and having a sitter. If I didn’t have one, they’d likely spend hours in the front of the TV. If I went into work, I’d hate not seeing them at all. So, I’m here where I see them all the time but then feel guilty about it all.

But the truth is, I know for a fact that I would not spend every single day playing board games, swimming and going to the library or the museum or whatever for hours on end. If I weren’t working, I’d be busy cleaning or organizing something or writing a blog post. I’d be doing something. Sure, there’d be more time with them but it’s not as if I’d do everything the sitter is doing.

And the fact is, they LOVE spending time with this sitter. I know they will talk about her for years to come and have great memories. I can only remember having a sitter a few times as a child and I don’t look back and say oh my gosh, my mother was such a failure. I can’t believe she wasn’t spending time with me. My thoughts are my mom had something to do and she got this great sitter for me and we had a ton of fun. Yay!

I’ve come to believe–thanks to my mom–that all this neurosis is just plain old unnecessary guilt. The Bible says Satan is out to steal, kill and destroy. He will do anything–anything–to steal my joy. Even when I have a successful job and kids that are having a blast, he is still trying to make me miserable about it all. And the thing is, no matter what situation I am in–working or not–he would do the same. It is his intent to make us unsatisfied and discontent with our job as mothers.

I believe, when I’m not being so neurotic, that there are none of us getting it “right”. It is not right to stay at home and it is not right to work. We are all called to our own place and only then are we getting it right. My job is to be sure of my call from God and then to be content with the calling and the outcome.

So, mothers, be certain I understood your neurosis. I live it, I breathe it, but I also do not accept it.

When the thoughts rage, I remind myself that I’m right where God has called me and He alone will complete the job He’s started in both me and my children. He knows what He’s doing and my job is to be content and trust Him. I remind myself to be thankful for my job, thankful for my kids, and thankful for a wonderful sitter. Gratefulness always kills the neurosis.

Moms, tell me I’m not alone. You struggle with thoughts like this too, right?

Low Country Boil

June 24, 2013 by Amy 10 Comments

Our small group from church decided to do some special meals together for the summer. One couple offered to do a Low Country Boil. Although I’d heard of it often and seen pictures of my friends on Facebook eating it, I’d never experienced it myself.

After tweeting about it, I realized that not only had many others not experienced one, some had not even heard of a Low Country Boil. So, I picked up a camera for the process and did a little research so we could all learn together.

The gist of a Low Country Boil is you get a huge pot of water, potatoes, sausage and one or more types of shellfish and boil it with some heavy seasoning.

Then, you normally throw it on a picnic table covered in newspaper where it’s all up for grabs. You’ll see we opted for throwing it in some pans instead.

I was curious, though, where exactly the Low Country Boil originated and found this from Coastal Magazine:

Once called Frogmore Stew, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. The dish was later named Frogmore, where Richard was from, by the guards who teased him about home. The postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, which changed this popular dish to Lowcountry boil.

I had suspicions it might be a Louisiana dish but it appears to have its roots right here in South Carolina, somewhere between Charleston and Hilton Head—a very lovely area of South Carolina if I do say so.

There are a ton of variations of a Low Country Boil. Some add crab, some add crawfish but here’s how ours went down.

First, you need a big pot like a turkey fryer. Most people make these for big outdoor get-togethers so that works perfectly.

Fill the pot up about half way with water. Dump 5 lbs of red potatoes and a lot of crab boil seasoning in your water. We used nearly a cup I’d guess.

The seasoning is the key. This crab boil came from Academy Sports for less than $5.

Sidebar – I will warn my gluten-free friends that this brand does have MSG in it. I took some Gluten-Flam and didn’t have any adverse reactions.

You’ll want to cook the potatoes until they’re just about done, about 30 minutes.

While that’s happening, cut your sausage—you’ll need 2-3 lbs. We used two kinds. The first is a beef sausage and the second is Kielbasa which has pork, turkey and beef.

When we went out, you could see the potatoes were at a rolling boil and ready for the sausage and corn.

Let that cook for another 15-20 minutes.

If you have folks in your group that are allergic to shrimp, you can take out a plate for them at this point.

Next, it’s time to dump in the shrimp—you’ll need 3 lbs. It’s shell-split and deveined raw.

After another 8-10 minutes, pour out your excess water in the grass.

And now…hold back your dogs and kids because it’s time to dump!

Tucker was READY for that food and you can see Bella’s nose up in the air smelling all the goodness.

As I said, normally, people throw it on newspaper on a table but it was just too muggy and hot out, so we took the party indoors.

And as Duck Dynasty folks would say, we were HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

I know it might not look like much, but let me tell you, the seasoning is the star of the show. So much flavor and goodness. I do believe we’ll be experiencing another Low Country Boil, y’all.

Low Country Boil

5 lbs red potatoes

2-3 lbs sausage

24 small ears of corn

3 lbs of shrimp

Crab Boil to taste

Add water, seasoning and potatoes to a turkey fryer. Boil potatoes until tender (about 30 minutes). Add corn and sausage and boil 15-20 minutes. Add shrimp and boil 8-10 minutes. Remove excess water and pour food in pans or on newspaper. Enjoy!

Have you ever heard of this? Experienced it? Let me know if you make it yourself!

Twitterature – June 2013

June 20, 2013 by Amy 7 Comments

I’m once again joining with Modern Mrs. Darcy for her monthly link-up for books called Twitterature. The premise of this link-up is to share short, casual reviews of books we’ve been reading.

(affiliate links included below – thanks for supporting this site!)

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

Believe all the hype. Bread and Wine is worth the read. I was challenged, entertained and left in sobbing tears. Don’t let the title scare you off. This is about way more than food.

Bloom has chosen this book as its summer book club selection so check that out.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts of Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

Blue Like Jazz has been on my list for years but I finally took the time to read. Donald Miller has a way of being authentic without being crass and being spiritual without being uptight. I loved reading how he came to believe in Christ as it’s so unlike my story, or many in my circles.

The ScrewTape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I love C.S. Lewis so it’s no surprise that The Screwtape Letters was a fascinating read for me. Really makes you think about life and the voices in your life and in your head and just the battles that are going on in and around you. I’d consider this a must-read books for Christians.

A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd by Phillip Keller

I read the second book of this trilogy A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd and found it absolutely fascinating. It’s a look at John 10 through the eyes of a modern-day shepherd. One of the best books I’ve read on Christianity in quite some time. Another required reading for Christians book.

Everything by Mary DeMuth

There were definitely some gems in Everything, but as a whole, it just didn’t resonate with where I am right now.

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

Another one that’s been on my list for awhile, I read Poke the Box as part of a book club at work. If you’re not familiar with Seth Godin, check it out. Otherwise, you’ve probably heard most of this message. Still, a great manifesto about being an initiator.

Wow, I read some fantastic books this month. I hope you check a few of them out if you haven’t and let me know what you think.

I’m still trying to get through Jon Acuff’s Start and really enjoying it so far. BooMama’s A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet is definitely next on the list!

My to-read list is getting shorter. What books would you add to my list?

Compassion Bloggers Trip

June 18, 2013 by Amy Leave a Comment

If you’ve been a reader here for long, you know Compassion is a ministry close to our hearts. One of my favorite events in the blogging world is when blogging and Compassion collide a few times a year for their Compassion Bloggers trip.

This week a group of bloggers are in Nicaragua. Each day, they’ll all post the stories of what they’re seeing, how they’re impacted and what we can do.

Many of my favorite posts and bloggers have been found through these blogging trips.

Compassion has a feed of all the blogs here, or below is a list of each of the bloggers. Visit their sites and find whatever social media tools you prefer to follow blogs. Or, follow on Twitter with the hashtag #compassionbloggers. Promise it will be worth your time.

Christy Jordan @ Southern Plate Blogger

Edie @ Life In Grace Blogger

Kelly @ Faithful Provisions Blogger

Traci @ Beneath My Heart Blogger

Mike Varel @ Mike Varel Digital Storytelling Photographer/Videographer

Brianne McKoy @ Compassion Blog Leader

Shaun Groves @ ShaunGroves.com Leader

Keely Scott @ KeelyMarieScott.com Photographer

The Summer Working Mom

June 11, 2013 by Amy 31 Comments

Two weeks ago I sat at a restaurant table with my family. I’d been gone from home for 11 hours working and picked them up from the end of the driveway on the way home to meet a couple for dinner. I was tired and stressed and I’d missed them. I always do when I have to work at the office. Especially when traffic is bad and draws out my already long commute.

One of my girls had a bad attitude and I was embarrassed in front of the couple that sat across the table from us. They have grown children now, all of whom had been home-schooled the majority of their school years. On the missionary field no less.

The internal dialogue started. The bad attitude is all my fault. If I were just a stay at home mom I’d have more time with them and she wouldn’t have this bad attitude. I’m a horrible mother for working. I need to quit so I can be home more. In fact, I’ll home-school too.

Later that night I laid in bed with the girls for our nighttime ritual. I cringed when one of the girls said she had her end of year award ceremony at the exact time I had carefully scheduled a meeting at work. I apologized and told her I’d have to miss it and just daddy would have to go.

I hate you! I hate your job!

It’s the first time either of those phrases had been uttered and it was my breaking point. I threw the covers over my head and burst into tears.

She threw herself on top of me and told me of course she didn’t hate me, she just didn’t like my job.

She didn’t realize that of course I knew she didn’t hate me (although the words still stung) but the problem was that at the moment, I hated that I worked too. It made me cry harder thinking that after 10 years of me working her whole life and never complaining that it had built up and come out.

I left their room and went to the back yard and cried some more, mentally running numbers to see if I really did need to work.

That Monday she had her awards ceremony and Scott took video and I was able to watch it and I celebrated when she got home that afternoon.

We’re just a few days into summer now and while I’m thankful to be able to work many of the days from home, I still feel chained to my desk. Scott has plans to take them to the lake and I won’t be able to go to take pictures. The girls are spending lots of their time in the pool and I can’t be there to help them do flips and handstands. Other families are writing bucket lists of things to do this summer and the truth is we can only do a fraction of them on my off hours.

I’m so thankful for my job and really, it’s about as supportive of my family that it can get but there’s still moments, you know? At the end of the day, I still have responsibilities that leave me wishing for more. But my job is paying the bills and as far as we’ve been able to tell to date, financially speaking, I need to work and God hasn’t called me home quite yet.

I don’t have a nice bow to tie on this or to give you three steps to enjoying your summer with your kids while you work. I’m just a mom who wants other working moms to hear you’re not alone. I missed ceremonies too and we aren’t at the pool together every day either. Summer is the hardest time of the year as a working mom and the guilt abounds. I get that. We’ll limp through summer like we always do and just be thankful for the other people in our kids’ lives that fill in the gaps we wish we could.

Disclaimer: I realize there are stay at home moms going crazy because they don’t know how to keep their kids busy this summer and already want to check out. I realize, too, there are some working moms that are happy at work and are settled there. This post is for those of us that work and sometimes wish they didn’t.

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Mother’s Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedies by Natalie Vickery of The Family Herbalist ($12.50)
Questions to Ask Your Dentist by Will and Susan Revak of OraWellness ($29)
Tips and Tricks to Remineralize and Repair Your Teeth by Ramiel Nagel of CureToothDecay.com ($12.95)
The Thinking Parent’s Guide to Vaccines by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
Finding Balance with Attachment Parenting by Andrea Olson, MA of AndreaOlson.com ($17)
Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler of NatashaMetzler.com ($4.99)
The Curative Kitchen (updated version) by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. of SusanSmithJones.com ($19.95)
Rebuild From Depression: A Nutrient Guide, The Digital Abridged Version by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. of Traditional Foods ($12.95)

Teaching Our Children
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWFGLINS & Jami Delgado of Eat Nourishing ($30)
Kids in Training: Life lessons that will help lead to productive, responsible and grateful kids! by Rebecca Dulgarian of Blue Cricket Designs ($7.95)
Life According to Me by Stephanie Dulgarian of Somewhat Simple ($5.95)
The Family Dinner Project by Rebecca Dulgarian & Stephanie Dulgarian ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores: Homeschool Edition by Alina Joy Dubois of The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)
Teaching Kids to Clean by Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean ($5)

Help for Busy Moms
Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden of TrinaHolden.com ($6)
Crock On by Stacy Myers of Stacy Makes Cents ($5)
Creative Ways to Make Family Holiday Memories by Kit Singleton of Raising Small Souls ($25)

Non-Toxic and Natural Living
Natural Beauty Recipes by Katie of WellnessMama ($10)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Accidentally Green by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($2.99)
Clean, Naturally! by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($4.99)

The Bonus Resources

Once you have completed payment for the e-book bundle, you will get access not only to the books, but to FREE products and coupon codes for mothering products that will support you in your natural, non-toxic lifestyle.

These special bonus offers include:

Get a FREE luxuriously soft pantyliner from Lunapads and a $5 coupon for your next visit. Lunapads are smart, sustainable alternatives to disposable menstrual pads and pantyliners. Join the LunaRevolution and discover why thousands worldwide feel better about their periods! ($17 value. Standard shipping applies. US addresses only.)

Get 10% off any order from Granola Babies, THE go-to shop for everything babywearing and natural-living related. Granola Babies supports mothers around the globe in their mothering journey by providing sustainable hand-selected products, natural and holistic resources, and creating a village of community. (Standard shipping applies.)

Get “2 Months for $2” ! Enjoy a two-month Membership to Fit2B Studio for only two dollars, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are “tummy safe” and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs), which affects many women postpartum. ($19.98 value.)

Download a $6 coupon for 7 Sources Oil from Flora Health to use the next time you shop! Flora’s newest product, 7 Sources, is a non-GMO, sustainably-sourced fatty-acid product with EPA and DHA, which are essential during pregnancy and nursing and support cognitive function at any time of life! (Value: $6. Good in-store only. US stores only.)

Get 25% off any cami or nursing tank at Deborah & Co., a women’s fashion shop for women who want fashion without compromise. You can choose from a number of camisoles, layering shells, tees, and nursing tanks, all of which are excellent for nursing moms or any woman who just wants to be both classy and modest. (Worldwide shipping.)

Get $30 off the very popular Online Childbirth Education Program from Birth Boot Camp. You CAN have an amazing birth! The 10-class Birth Boot Camp online video childbirth education program will prepare you for a life-changing birth experience and specializes in educating couples together. You may also choose to receive the FREE Pregnancy Nutrition Report. (Good online or with participating live-class instructors.)

Get THREE bonuses from Professional Parenting Canada and Attachment Parenting Canada:

1. Get the 440-page international bestseller, “Discipline Without Distress: 135 Tools for Raising Caring, Responsible Children without time-out, spanking, punishment, or bribery” (an actual paper book!) by Judy Arnall for only $10! Offered by (Value $24.99. Standard shipping applies.)

2. Get a FREE 1-hour webinar on “The Parenting Information Maze: How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family.” (Value: $25)

3. Get a FREE download of the first 4 chapters of the e-book that should be in every parent’s library: “The Parenting Information Maze: How to Choose the Right Advice for YOUR Family.” (Value: $9.95)

Get the audiobook of Pinky McKay’s “Breastfeeding Simply” read by Pinky McKay for FREE! This way you can read the e-book OR listen to the audiobook – whatever is convenient for you.

The audiobook is in mp3 format. Available for immediate download. (Value: $25)

Get “A Practical Guide to Children’s Health (Abridged Version)” by Kate Tietje at Modern Alternative Mama PLUS a coupon code for 50% off the full version. There are so many confusing messages today about how to keep kids healthy. Parents just want some straight information on natural health! “A Practical Guide to Children’s Health” offers research on many common questions so that parents can make the decisions for themselves. (Value: $7.95)

Receive 10% off any order from OraWellness. OraWellness offers tools and educational products to help you take control of your oral health using organic ingredients and inexpensive natural solutions. (Standard shipping applies.)

Get a FREE Comfrey Salve with any purchase from the Creative Christian Mama Store. ($7 value. Standard shipping applies.)

Get 2 FREE sets of Baby’s First Year Month-by-Month Printables (1 set with butterflies for girls and 1 set with ties for boys) from The Humbled Homemaker. Each set contains 12 printables to mark each month of Baby’s first year. ($16 value.)

A Few FREE eBooks and eCourses – no purchase required!

Because we are SO absolutely passionate about getting excellent natural living resources into the hands of every mother (and want-to-be moms and soon-to-be moms!) we’ve compiled a number of e-books that are FREE just for signing up for updates.

There is no purchase required – just click here to get your freebies!

(And as a gesture of paying-it-forward, please tell your friends about this amazing sale!)

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The Fine Print

This Bundle contains digital downloads in ZIP and PDF formats, so there is no shipping involved. You will receive your unique download link immediately after download. Please note that this Bundle is provided as is: no refunds, no exchanges, and no late sales will be provided.

While you must purchase the Bundle by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 17, you have until June 30, 2013 to download the books and redeem the bonuses. It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase by June 30, 2013. After that date, the books will no longer be available for download.

With proof of purchase, we can renew download links until June 30. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, deadlines to redeem your bonuses, and reading the books on your eReader device.

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase. You may purchase multiple bundles in order to redeem a bonus offer more than once.