LOVING LIFE AT HOME - Christian Marriage, Biblical Parenting, Creative Homemaking, Purposeful Living

Since I sometimes hear from women asking for advice on dealing with miscarriages, I wanted to share my thoughts and experience with this topic in hopes of encouraging others who may be suffering from the same kind of grief and loss. Listen in as we discuss recovery, rainbow babies, responding to insensitive remarks, and more.

- Psalm 30:5 - “Weeping may last through the night, but a shout of Joy comes in the morning.” 

- Romans 12:15 - "...Mourn with those who mourn."

- Psalm 139:13-16 - "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my ..."

- Mailbag: Dealing with Miscarriage

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- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

Our family is on the road again this week our way to North Carolina (at least the ones who aren’t taking college classes this summer).

As usual, we prayed in the driveway before we left home, asking God to watch over us while we’re traveling and to get us safely to our destination.

But a couple of other practices help make sure we get where we're going -- and that's what I want to talk about in this week's episode.

- Mark 13:33 - “Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when...” 

- Colossians 4:2 - “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” 

- 1 Peter 5:8 - “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls....” 

- 1 Peter 4:7 - “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober....”

- 1 Thess. 5:6-8 - “...let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober....”

- 1 Peter 1:13 - “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit....” 

- Eph. 6:17-18 - “...stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” 

- Bible Memory Tips & Tricks - to help you hide God's Word in your heart

- Bible Reading Plan - this schedule will help you finish both Old and New Testaments in one year

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

Sooner or later, we will all face change of some sort. Change is an inevitable part of life. The question is, how will we deal with change when it comes. Today, I'm sharing six strategies I use to keep my wits when my world is turning upside down.

- Philippians 3:13-14 - "...forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead..."

- James 1:2-3 - "My brethren, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials...."

- Romans 12:2- "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed...."

- Psalms 103:2 - "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

- Philippians 1:6 - "...He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

- 1 Corinthians 1:8 - "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless....” 

- Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good ...."

- Hebrews 10:23-25 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering..."

- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 - "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor..."

- James 1:5 – “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God....”

- Isaiah 40:31- “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength....”

- Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory..."

- Psalm 121:1-2 - “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help....”

- Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

- Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

-  2 Timothy 1:17 - “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and ....” 

-  2 Corinthians 10:5  - "...and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

- Psalm 23:4 - "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for..."

- Philippians 4:6-7 - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication..."

- Psalm 126:5-6 - "Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting."

- Psalm 30:5 - "...weeping may last through the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning."

- Philippians 4:8 - "“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right..."

- Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..."

- 1 Corinthians 10:31 - "Whether, then, you eat or drink ...do all to the glory of God.”

- Proverbs 30:8-9 - "Give me neither poverty nor riches..."

- 1 Peter 3:8 - “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another..."

- James 5:15-16 - "...the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and..."

- Ephesians 2:10 - "... to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

- Taking Every Thought Captive - free printable verses to help you discipline your mind

- What Men Intend for Evil - a poem a wrote during a particularly grievous trial several years ago

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

- John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

 - 1 John 3:16 - "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

The Boy Enlists by Edgar Albert Guest 

In Flanders Field by John McCrae

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 

Miss Congeniality on the Alamo stage 

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

-  “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) 

- “These things I have spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) and…

- “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

- "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (1 Peter 2:2)

- Is eating bread crust really good for you? - this is the research article I told you about

- Suffering is Never for Nothing - a short but powerful read from Elisabeth Elliot

- I Married a Sinner (& So Did He) - here's that cherished letter Elisabeth Elliot wrote to me

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

One of the first things people usually notice about our children is how well they get along. Sure, they have occasional squabbles, but that is the exception rather than the rule. For the most part, they really love and admire one another and enjoy being in each other's company.

They are friends.

And cultivating friendship between siblings is the topic of this week's episode of Loving Life at Home. I hope you'll listen in!

- “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

- “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”  (Proverbs 17:17, NLT)

- “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  (Ephesians 4:32, NASB)

- “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”  (1 Peter 3:8, NIV)

- “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” (Psalm 133:1) 

- Cultivating Friendship Between Siblings - the original post upon which this episode is based

- Pimsleur Speak & Read Essential Spanish - we invested in multiple levels of multiple language CD sets, although now all these lessons are offered through a subscription service instead

- Stopping Sibling Squabbles - help for parents whose kids are constantly fighting

- Help! My Children Won't Stop Fighting - my response to a frequently asked reader question

- 10 Nice Things I Can Do For My Sibling - a pretty blank printable to use with bickering kids

- 15 Unexpected Benefits of Big Family Living - even more reasons I love having lots of children

- Best Bible Memory Tips & Tricks- smart ways to hide the Word in your children's hearts

- Praying for Your Children from Head-to-Toe - pray over your child's eyes, ears, heart, brain, etc.

- Praying for Your Teens - our teens need prayer, too!

- Praying for Adult Children - they never outgrow their need for a mother's fervent prayers

- Praying for Your Unborn Baby - never too soon to start beseeching God on your child's behalf

- Praying for Your Grandchildren - don't forget to pray for your children's children, as well!

- 31-Day Prayer Challenge for Parents - pray a different verse over your children every day

- Benefits of Homeschooling - even more reasons to give homeschooling a try

- Bananagrams - a great game to strengthen spelling and vocabulary skills

- Battle Sheep - a fun strategy game that can be played by 2-4 players

- So Clover - a game that stretches your ability to make associations

- Q-Bitz - a clever strategy game that can be played alone or in a group

If you’ve ever had a child who is given to whining, you know how grating it can get on the nerves of every member of the household. But thankfully, there is an effective way to help your little one break this bad habit. Listen to this week's episode of Loving Life at Home to learn six surefire strategies to wipe out whining.

- Philippians 2:14-15 - "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."

- Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

Over the years, our family has found ways to make traveling with children more enjoyable, economical, educational, and easy. Listen in for tips you can use on your next family vacation. 

- Psalm 37:23 - "The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey."

- Proverbs 16:9 - "A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

- Pack Up & Leave - This book details all the tips I shared in today's episode and more 

- Vacation Planning - nine noteworthy websites I use when planning road trips

- Kids Eat Free - a list of restaurants across the country where kids eat free

- Dining Out for Less - how to save money on restaurant meals using Restaurant.com

- Making the Most of Frequent Flyer Miles - how our whole family flew to Europe for free

- EP 23: A Hill Country Christmas - a few of our family's favorite free things to do in San Antonio

- How to Plan a Fun Staycation - tips for creating great vacation memories right here at home

- Home School Legal Defense Association - my HSLDA card gets us homeschool discounts 

- Garden & Arboretum Directory - search by state for botanical gardens (many of which are free)

- Reciprocal List for Zoos - check this list for zoos across the country that offer free admission

- National Park Free Days - a list of dates you can visit national parks without paying an entry fee

- Every Kid Outdoors - fourth graders (and their families) get free park admission for a full year

- Junior Ranger Program - kids can earn badges by doing educational activities at each park

- Factory Tours USA - state-by-state list of manufacturers that offer free tours of their facilities

- AAdvantage Dining Program - earn frequent flyer miles by dining out

- Restaurant.com - buy $25 gift certificates for as little as $2 apiece

- Paint by Sticker - a fun and mess-free activity for kids to enjoy in the car

- BlueGreen Vacation Club - if you decide to give BlueGreen a try, please tell them Jennifer Flanders referred you 😊

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

This is birthday week for our family: my daughter's birtday is the 20th, mine's the 21st, my husband's is the 22, and we met on the 23rd. That last point -- the story of how I met my husband -- is the topic of today's podcast. 

- Isaiah 55:18 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD."

- Proverbs 3:15-16 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

- Proverbs 16:9 - "A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

- Ep 36: The Wrong Way to Propose Marriage

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)

Goals are important because they provide a sense of purpose and direction. Proverbs 16:9 assures us “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

So even when you aren’t 100% sure what the LORD would have you do with your time, I recommend prayerfully setting a worthwhile goal and working toward it. As long as you hold your plans lightly, you can trust God to redirect you if that is what needs to happen.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run....”

- James 4:13-15 - “Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city....”

- Proverbs 16:9 - “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

- Psalm 37:23-24 - “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD....”      

- Proverbs 14:23 - “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

- Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

- Isaiah 28:10 - “...precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line….” 

- Philippians 2:3-4 - “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit....”

- James 4:17 - “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.”  

- 1 Corinthians 10:31 - "Whether then you eat or drink... do all to the glory of God."   

- Galatians 6:9 - “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap....”

- Joshua 1:9 - “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged....” 

- Hebrews 11:40 - "Since God had planned something better for us....”

- “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” - Zig Ziglar

- “Watch your nickels and dimes, and the dollars will take care of themselves.” - John Nobles

- “By the inch, life’s a cinch. By the yard, life is hard.” - unknown

- “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do." - Henry Ford

- “A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future.” - Gen. George Patton

- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison

- “Many of life’s failures are people who didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison

- “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband 

- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 

- Free Goal Planning Sheets

- Progress Tracking Chart

- Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -(weekly themed link lists of free resources)

- Instagram: follow @flanders_family for more great content

- Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life (parenting tips, homeschool help, lots of free printables!) 

- Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home  (encouragement in your roles as wife, mother, believer)