My husband works hard. Really hard. He works six, sometimes even seven days each week. He works from 6:30am until 7:30pm on average, though many days bleed late into the night so he can leave on other days to attend our children’s sporting events. He is known for his hard work ethic and unrepentant drive. This quality has led our family to have a prosperous and enjoyable life. I praise the Lord every day for his hard work. As our family size has increased, my husband’s commitment has strengthened and God has blessed us through him. He alone provides for our entire family. His hard work allo ..read more

I paused Pandora just as the new song I picked was starting. Did I just hear what I think I heard? I took a breath…but I waited. I stopped myself. Holding my words in nearly choked me. But I did it. I waited until we got home and my daughter’s friend had gone home. Then I went to my daughter’s room to talk with her. I asked her if what I thought I heard was what actually what was said. It was. My daughter’s friend had told her that her voice sucked. It didn’t just suck. It was repulsive…After the “girl power” songs blasted and the girls had thrown themselves dramatically into full performance ..read more

Look Closely People….do you see my Jones Family wall decor? It’s now been “enhanced” by my beautiful children # 4, 5, & 6…. Yes, they got into trouble. Yes, I disciplined them to help them understand how they should not do things to other people’s stuff without asking first. But first, I sent them to their rooms. Why? Because Momma needed to have a meltdown. As someone pursuing interior design, spaces and the things in those spaces are of special interest to me. The constant perceived destruction of these spaces feels like a personal attack…but it’s not. This Momma needed a moment t ..read more

Believe it or not, my heart is not always fixed on being the mother God created me to be. Nope. Sometimes, my heart grows hard. Whether by difficult situations where I feel out of control, hurtful circumstances that leave my heart wounded, or just a play of events that’s left my heart tempted to be bitter and resentful over the outcome…my heart struggles to allow the Spirit to refresh my soul. It’s in these moments, when I feel like I’m losing the battle, that God brings my children to me. As I’m engrossed the endless cycle of bitter meditation, they come to me wanting help, and they l ..read more

Sometimes it’s hard to tell ourselves “no” to something we want to buy, isn’t it? Maybe it’s something we really think we need or could really use in our homes. Maybe it’s a simple, inexpensive pleasure that just tempts us so. But, expenses and spending can easily overtake us, so I’ve really tried to focus on being budget-conscious and careful with my decisions, especially when it requires spending any amount of money. In my quest for frugality, I have developed some great techniques that help me from regretting a purchase or overspending, but the other day, my husband called. He asked me to s ..read more

A long time ago, 1995 to be exact, my uncle and my nephew (who was four years old) were in an awful car accident. God took their souls that day. I was 12 years old. I was staying the night at a friend’s house when it happened. I will never forget the details of that night in a third person way, like an observer remembering an event she witnessed. This event was one of many faith-shaping events for my heart. It was a catalyst in the formation of my relationship with God. My heart had so many questions – Why would He take my uncle and young nephew? I witnessed my aunt and my other nephew ..read more

I already shared here my little trick for remembering those things that just pop into your head at random moments during the day. As a self-admitted planner addict, I really enjoy making schedules for things. I have schedules for work, for sports, for school, family activities, fitness, etc & etc. You get the idea, right?! I also sport a handy dandy habit tracker. With all these schedules, I created an issue for myself: When I try to look at or print my daily calendar, it’s all clogged with these daily routine type activities and my really time sensitive appointments (like, say ..read more