6 Things I Learned from My Momma

It’s Mother’s Day and today I'm sharing a little more about my Momma. She'll more than likely crawl in a hole when she finds a post dedicated to her, she’s that kind of person. She'd rather be the person standing in the back of a room than be center stage and in the spotlight; something she passed on to me. God blessed me with the best Momma in the world and I thank the Lord "she raised me right", as they say in the South.


6 Things I Learned from My Momma


My Momma taught me to be a lady from the time I was a little girl. I was taught to be modest in my dress, my talk, and my walk. I was taught to live in such a ladylike manner, others would know I was a lady, even those strangers I pass daily in my life. I'll not forget being told I took too long a stride when I walked. I was the shortest of all my friends and siblings and I learned to take bigger steps just so I could keep up. But one day, Momma saw a lot more to my leg in a dress because of those steps; I quickly learned to walk short, fast steps to keep up with others.

My Momma taught me to be content. We were not a wealthy family and I was taught to make do with what I had. Momma taught me to be frugal when shopping; we shopped thrift stores and the budget shop of the Rich’s department store for most of our clothes, or they were sewn at home. To this day, I’d rather shop at a thrift store or sew something than visit a mall, thanks to my Momma. I’ll never forget a shopping trip to Sears when I was a teen to help her pick out a new dress for Mother’s Day; it had been a long while since she had anything brand new. When I picked the dress up off the rack, I knew it was the one for her. It was BEAUTIFUL! The fabric was thin rayon, very elegant; the color was a soft, creamy taupe with pleats in the skirt. There were tiny pearl buttons up the front with a little white lacy collar. My sweet Momma looked extra beautiful going to church on Mother’s Day that year.


 My Momma taught me to better myself. She encouraged me to study hard and do my best at everything I did. Unfortunately, I inherited her math skills. We laugh about it now, but back in the day we were both in tears while trying to do long division and multiplication – without a calculator. She encouraged me to attend college and get a degree just in case I ever needed to support myself, I could. Even after I was married, she encouraged me to learn what I can like, knitting and quilting.

My Momma taught me to look for love. There was never a time when the words “look for a rich man” came from her lips. I was taught to look for a man who loved the Lord; one who would be a leader; a man who would love me, be faithful to me, and love and care for our son; a man who was not afraid of hard work. She taught me to look for a husband who cared for his own mother and sisters. The night I showed her my engagement ring after being proposed to, my Momma told me, “He doesn't come from money, but I never taught you to look for that. I know he loves you and I won't have to worry about you with him.”



My Momma taught me how to be a wife and mother. I was taught how to care for my husband and son. She taught me to keep a clean house so when my husband arrived home from work, he would never walk into a disaster zone and have to clean something up. The lectures of keeping a clean bedroom were not always a welcome event, but over time, the lesson finally sunk in.

Of all the things I learned from my Momma, the one and only that truly matters is being taught about the love of God. While my sweet Momma is not the one who led me to Christ, although she did lead me to Him. My Momma taught me when I was little that without Jesus, I would be lost and on my way to hell. I would never spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus, with her, and those great men and women of the Bible. I am so thankful for parents who prayed for my eternal security, raised me in church, and taught me to live for the Lord so I would have no regrets later on in life.



My Momma didn't make her name in the corporate world, nor did she feed and care for starving children in third world countries. My Momma did what she was called to do and that was to be a wife and mother. Momma did her job raising five children, caring for a home and a husband. She is what I would call a Proverbs 31 woman; I am one of those children who can rise up and call her blessed.
Happy Mother’s Day, Momma, I love you!

Another Year Completed and Now Transcripts

In a few hours this school year will come to a close. I can’t believe my sweet son will be finishing up with his 9th grade year. When I began this journey, I did not plan on educating the high school years; my plans were to have him grounded in the subjects he needs for success in high school and then both of us return to school. I honestly believed I would be back teaching while Jamie was learning in a nearby classroom; evidently the Lord has other plans for my life.

Another Year Completed and Now Transcripts l frogslilypad.net


Another Year Completed 



As the 9th grade year drew closer, I realized we would be learning at home. I was fearful of that idea; I wanted to hand over the reins and allow another to take charge of all the hard stuff. Thankfully, I continue seeing, you can do this, other’s have done this before and been successful, it’s really NOT ALL THAT HARD from other high school home educating moms. Speaking from my heart here... those are nice encouragements and all, but I still have doubt tucked inside, and I’m praying my husband will be transferred to an area where I can teach. Until that time comes, if it comes, I’m going to give all I can to my son’s education.

In the early months of 2014, I bought a notebook just for high school. In it, I divided the pages up between 9th-12th grades. I labeled pages REQUIREMENTS, CURRICULUM USED, CURRICULUM TO RESEARCH, and NOTES. Inside the flap of the notebook, I taped one 5x6 note card with our state’s graduation requirements and one with my own requirements, since we are going the four-year math and science route. I have also included our four-year plan, even though some things are being changed. Those who really know me, yes it's covered in sticky notes!

This little notebook is my high school brain. Anytime, I hear of a curriculum, a book, or a method I'm curious about, I write it down in my book until I can do further research. I now understand when those who live by a planner talk about their planner, because school wise, I almost live by this notebook.



Now, I’m facing what is probably the hardest part of ending the first year of high school – TRANSCRIPTS. That word just scares me, because these are more important than a diploma. Transcripts are the story of what my son has learned during his high school years and if I mess them up, he is in a mess. There are plenty of notes from this year just waiting to be used on the transcripts.

Thankfully, today there are experienced high school home educating families who are willing to help others. I can’t even imagine trying this on my own during the early days of homeschooling, like so many have done. Over the past year, I have found several websites to be of tremendous help in getting ready for this up and coming task.
  • Lee Binz of the HomeScholar is amazing! She has a wonderful Youtube channel with videos for everything imaginable for a high school home educator.
  • Cindy Downes with the Oklahoma Homeschool has help I have used over the years. Just recently, I found the Transcript Creator, I fiddled with it and found it rather easy to use. While I’m not ready for it right now, I will be later on.
  • The HLDA has information on record keeping and transcripts.
  • Liberty University even has a sample transcript for a home educating family.
The one thing I have learned about preparing transcripts so far – DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. I’m not one to procrastinate, so this will be a work in progress over the next few years. As soon as I’m finished preparing this year’s transcript, I’ll let you know how I did.

Thankful People - Happy People

When I began writing this week’s post, I kept remembering a quote I’ve seen several times surfing the internet and it made me think and search my own heart a little deeper. I don’t want to be that one person we all have in our life who complains about EVERYTHING. I want to be that one person everyone knows as being thankful – IN EVERYTHING. To be Happy People we have to be Thankful People.



Thankful People - Happy People



I love this quote because it is so truthful. Our happiness shines through when we are thankful. We want to be around thankful and happy people. If you are anything like me, you avoid the complainers and ungrateful people; their grumbling tends to rob us of our happiness and thankfulness.

Many of today’s children are raised to not be thankful and this means they are not going to be happy with things in their lives. They’ll grow up thinking it is okay to be unthankful for possessions and life experiences. We need to train our children to be thankful, to say thank you for gifts or when something is done for them. We want others to WANT to be around them and not avoid them.

In everything give thanks.


7 Things I Miss About Georgia

I'm a Georgia girl and that is all there is to it, I'll always have a  home in the South. While there are things about the south I don’t miss (pollen and the smothering humidity), there are many that I do. Today, I'm sharing with you 7 Things I Miss about Georgia.

7 Things I Miss About Georgia l frogslilypad.net

7 Things I Miss About Georgia


1. FAMILY ~ all of our family lives in Georgia and Florida except for the one Lone Ranger who lives at Lake Tahoe.

2. CHURCH FAMILY~ after two and half years we still don’t have a local church home that we call home. I deeply miss the SOUTHERNNESS of church services and the JOY that radiates from the people who ENJOY being at church. For many, it’s NOT an obligation or a social event, it’s about WANTING to be there worshiping the Lord and it shows. Don't get me wrong, many people here enjoy being at church.

3. RESTAURANTS~ I have eaten in many restaurants across the country and NONE can compare to Mary Mac’s in Atlanta, The Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, The Dillard House in Dillard, and The Lady and Sons in Savannah. Of course, I can’t leave out Chick-fil-A because, well, just because. Talking about restaurants, my husband would get me if I left out BBQ because it is a southern delicacy. REAL BBQ doesn’t come from a chain restaurant according to the old timers. Those from the South will know what I’m talking about – the ones that are off the beaten path,  a family name on the sign or even a pig in a pair of overalls. Our favorite establishment to visit was The Iron Pig, weather permitting, you could eat at the picnic tables or enjoy your order at home. If you are like we are, you eat it in the truck because you just couldn’t wait to get home with the order - it is THAT good!

4. TRAVEL~ I miss the idea of being in the mountains one day and at the beach the next. Georgia is home to much history and for this history loving girl, there are still plenty of historical places, I hope to see when we go back home for a visit.

5. FLIP-FLOPS, GREEN GRASS, FLOWERS,and TREES~ I miss spring-like living. Wearing flip-flops and sandals year round are now a thing of the past. Driving down the road and seeing green grass, flowers blooming along with massive amounts of coniferous (evergreen) trees, I miss seeing all that.

6. SWEET GEORGIA PEACHES~ seriously, when I say “they grow ‘em big in the south”, that is not a lie! Georgia peaches are HUGE! But size is not always what matters with a Georgia peach; it’s the juiciness that counts. When you bite into a peach, it should be so sweet and juicy that the juice literally runs down your chin. My parents brought peaches last August when they came to visit. We ate a few and I froze a good many. There’s one bag left in the freezer, just waiting for the right moment.

7. VIDALIA ONIONS~ an onion so sweet you can eat it like an apple, really. True Vidalia onions won’t leave you crying or your tongue stinging. I will say, the Walla Walla onions from Washington are pretty close to the Vidalia, but they do have a tendency to burn and sting.

While some wonder if I deal with homesickness, I don’t. I have never experienced it even while going to camp when I was a kid. My HEART and HOME is where my husband and son are and that is what keeps me HAPPY.

Peace of Mind {Isaiah 26:3}

Having a peace of mind is something everyone wants, but not everyone has. Our mind is the easiest door for Satan to enter and disrupt our lives; he quickly slips in planting doubt and fear when we least expect it. No matter what is going on around us, we can have a perfect peace; we can have an endless amount of peace like no other. There is only one thing that can produce this Peace of Mind – staying focused on the Lord.
Peace of Mind Isaiah 26:3

Peace of Mind 

When we stay focused on the Lord, we tend to trust Him more. It will be easier for us to open our hands and allow Him to take control of a situation. It’s easier to face tough times when our focus is where it needs to be - the Lord. While there will be times when we feel the pain of a hardship, we can have a true inner peace because it is being given by the Peace Giver; the One who cares for and loves us.

Meditate on God’s Word – carving out time for God is a must for staying focused on Him. Those moments during the day will seem to grow and become longer because you'll want to spend time with Him.

Hide God’s Word – we need to hide God’s Word (Psalm 119:11) in our hearts to stay focused on Him. There will be times when we need reminding of a special verse, if we've memorized it, it will be brought to our remembrance when the time comes.

Trust God –when we put our total trust in the Lord, He is going to do marvelous things in our lives. The Lord’s help is always perfect for every need. His timing is always right on time – don't give up waiting for Him.
 A true and lasting peace is only found in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

A Very Present Help {Thankful Thursdays}

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

For Christians, we can say God is our refuge. He is a shelter that we can run to in a time of need. But it doesn't end there, He is also a VERY PRESENT HELP. He is a help that is not underfoot when we are trying to prepare a meal or while cleaning our home; but a HELP that is always there just “out of sight”, a HELP that is there when we need Him most.

A Very Present Help



There are times when we will have to depend on faith in knowing God is there because His presence is not always going to be immediately known. I can’t imagine what Mary and Martha must have felt when Jesus did not come during Lazarus’ illness, after they sent word. Their Friend who loved them delayed His trip to town, even when He knew Lazarus was ill.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof
roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

The death of a loved one is hard. What was going to happen to Mary and Martha now that Lazarus has died? Who was going to support them? The Bible doesn't go into detail about the lives of this family other than they were friends of Jesus. Mary and Martha both were grieving and told Jesus their concerns when He finally made it into town. During the illness and death of Lazarus, Jesus was physically not there with them, but they still had their REFUGE to run to and their VERY PRESENT HELP to depend on.

I am so THANKFUL for a VERY PRESENT HELP because there are times even when I find myself in the middle of a situation because of my own stupidity. I am THANKFUL I don’t have to endure it alone.

We Can Be Certain During Uncertain Times

What a world we live in! Every morning when we awake we’re faced with the reality of something going wrong during the day. Whether it is a child who seems to just not want to obey, a plumbing problem, or even worse, no matter what we're facing, we can be certain that Jesus is in total control of our lives.

We Can Be Certain During Uncertain Times


Jesus never promised we would have an easy life, in fact in John 16:33, we are told we will have problems while living in this world. But we don't have to worry about the problems that lie ahead of us, because Jesus said He got the victory over them. Knowing I'm on the winning side makes it a lot easier to face each morning.

We can rest assure no matter what comes our way, Jesus has already been there and He is going to give you the peace you need.
What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!


When Calls the Heart Season 2 and {A Giveaway}

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I am so excited about today’s When Calls the Heart season two promotion. When I found out I was chosen for this opportunity, I had to call my sister to get caught up on all the gossip of Coal Valley since we no longer have access to the Hallmark Channel. Just maybe the Hallmark Channel will do something about that for us Roku box users in the near future.

When Calls the Heart Season 1 DVD Giveaway l frogslilypad.net

Last week, I previewed the first two episodes of the second season and all I can say is “oh my goodness”. The new season picks up with the court proceedings about the explosion in the coal mine and Jack experiences Elizabeth’s high society-family life. Since I have a hard time with keeping secrets, I’m not going to tell anything except there is LOVE, DRAMA, and TWISTS AND TURNS that you will not be expecting in the new season.

The two-hour season premier is THIS Saturday, April 25th, so set your clock (8:00 est) and/or DVR; you don't want to miss the When Calls the Heart season 2 premier.

Are you on Facebook? When Calls the Heart has their very own fan page and you can even connect with other WCTH Hearties in the Facebook group.

If you're on Twitter, you'll want to follow When Calls the Heart.

Now, for the awesome part - THE GIVEAWAY! Word Films is graciously providing one of you a complete set of When Calls the Heart Season 1 on DVD; the whole first season for you to watch at your leisure. The giveaway is open to US and Canada only.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and then click on the Rafflecopter app to get your comment counted; that’s it because I hate jumping through hoops for giveaways.



If you missed out on this giveaway, you can purchase your own copy of (aff link) When Calls the Heart DVD set.
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

a Rafflecopter giveaway