Lisa Jacobson's Blog, page 5
February 12, 2017
Help For the Non-Morning Person
What can you do when you want to spend time in God’s Word early, but you’re not a morning person?
I am not, let me repeat, I am not a morning person. As matter of fact, I absolutely do not understand those of you who wake up all chipper, jump out of bed, throw open the curtains, and welcome the day with a smile and a song. It seems unnatural to me. It���s just wrong.
No matter what time I go to bed the night before, getting out of bed the next morning is pure torture. My eyes feel like they have had acid sprayed in them, my ears are assaulted by screaming birds,��the last thing I want to do is talk, and I walk like a zombie to the bathroom.
Begin With The Word
Now try to read your Bible is this state. It just doesn���t work. And yet I know that it is good for my soul to begin the day by focusing on the one Person by whose power I breathe and move and make it through my day (Acts 17:28).
Beginning the day with the word of God is important because the moment we open our eyes we are engaging in war.
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February 8, 2017
Books to Help Your Children Face Tough Times
When our children face tough times, how can we as their parent help them navigate life while assuring them God is still good and still in control?
Four��years ago, I nonchalantly walked into the office of our family doctor only to walk out in a panic. ��One of my worst fears as a mother was happening: my then ten-year-old daughter had Lyme���s disease. ��The leg pain, severe exhaustion,��and abdominal discomfort she had been dealing with were not just from ���growing pains��� as I had hoped, but from a disease with so many unknown details.
What’s Best?
As a parent, you desire to make the best decision possible for your child, but everywhere I turned there was opposing information. ��Who should I believe? ��Which treatment plan should she have? ��What if my child���s health is never the same?
Three years ago, my children helped me pack up our house and then unpack it all in a new state. ��Everyone told us that if we were going to move, now was the time:�����Your children are at great ages to move and they are resilient.��� ��We prayed. ��We fasted. ��We prepared. ��
Continue reading Books to Help Your Children Face Tough Times at Club31Women.com
February 6, 2017
Turning Conflict in Marriage Into a ‘Good-Fit’
Conflict in marriage is normal. We are self-centered, selfish people and we think we are right. Our goal in marriage is not to become conflict-free but to learn how to manage conflict in a healthy way.
���I never knew how different we are. The longer we are married the more our differences seem to surface. And they cause conflict! Is this normal? What���s the matter with us? What can we do about it?���
One of the causes of conflict is our differences. We have gender differences, personality differences, and many other differences.
Frustration
When I fell in love with John, I was attracted to his sense of stability. He was solid, predictable. I could count on him. He made me feel secure. I, on the other hand, am more spontaneous. I like surprises and fun. After being married for a while his stability seemed boring! I longed for him to initiate some spontaneous fun.
Enter frustration–for both of us.
I had to accept the fact that we are different in this area. Instead of expecting him to initiate, I had to be the one who planned fun things.
Continue reading Turning Conflict in Marriage Into a ‘Good-Fit’ at Club31Women.com
February 5, 2017
Do These BIG THREE Chores for Homemaking Success
To keep a successful homemaking routine and have ongoing peace in your home, there are three chores you’ll want to do first, before managing the smaller tasks.
My daughter was getting married soon, so my husband generously paid someone to come in and clean our house for a few hours. I was so grateful. When the cleaning lady arrived on my doorstep, do you know what I asked her to do? I’m embarrassed to say it out loud.
I asked her to scour all of my window tracks. It took her the full two hours, and she wasn’t even able to finish all of them.
And yes, I’m sure all of my guests who came to town were amazed at the clean window tracks.
It was ridiculous, but you need to understand how I always started with the minute, not-so-important tasks and worked my way out to the biggies. That meant the biggies usually didn’t get done, and I lived in a constant state of homemaking failure.
It’s an obsessive personality thing, and I imagine there’s a big chunk of you out there who totally get me.
Continue reading Do These BIG THREE Chores for Homemaking Success at Club31Women.com
February 2, 2017
Chocolate Red Wine Cake
If you are looking for a delightful dessert for any occasion, this chocolate red wine cake is sure to satisfy your craving. Make it to share with the one you love.
Simple Gestures
I still remember our��first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife as if it were yesterday. We were so young, just babies really…pregnant with our first, baby, actually. Josh was working full time and going to school part time while I juggled two jobs…not very well, I might add. Throughout my entire pregnancy, I suffered badly from morning sickness from the moment I woke up until the time I went to bed, and I was just so tired all the time.
On Valentine’s Day, Josh managed to get his schedule down to a half day, while I worked a full eight hour shift. I remember walking into our tiny 600 sq ft apartment and almost squishing��a walkway of colorfully wrapped chocolate candies. There was soft music playing, the table was set with a beautiful bouquet of red roses, and as I turned to my right, I saw Josh in the kitchen preparing dinner. But this was unlike any meal he had cooked for me before, which was usually a basic omelette or spaghetti from a jar.
Continue reading Chocolate Red Wine Cake at Club31Women.com
February 1, 2017
5 Books for Brand-New Brides
New brides enter marriage with all gusto and joy but sometimes don’t realize how unprepared they are to settle into a new life with another person.
I���ve been told I get to claim the title of newlywed for a full year after my wedding last June. But I know that, as much as I���m looking forward to our first wedding anniversary this June, there���s not a magic formula for ���getting��� marriage that comes just because we cross that first milestone.
So instead, during this first newlywed year, I���m choosing to invest in some books about womanhood and marriage so that these 365 days set the stage for a lifetime of God-glorifying marriage. Below you���ll find some of my favorites.
Also included in this list is one Bible study book I recommend because, if your brand-new bride season is anything like mine, you���re also adjusting to a new quiet time schedule and that can be just as big an adjustment as blending finances and fostering communication!
Personalities in Love by Donna Partow
I���ve been a personality-type junkie ever since I first took the MBTI assessment in college.
Continue reading 5 Books for Brand-New Brides at Club31Women.com
January 30, 2017
12 Valentine Gift Ideas for the Guy You Love
Finding new gift ideas for our husbands can be a challenge — and some more challenging than others. Why not give him something he’ll love?
I honestly had no idea.
Had no idea that I wasn’t the only one who struggled to find “the perfect romantic gift” for that man of mine. I just thought that my guy was especially challenging to shop for and nearly impossible to surprise.
But it turns out that there are some other “hard-to-shop-for” guys.
I know because so many of you took the time to write and say thank you for the gift ideas.
So it’s not only me (or should I say only him?).
And with that in mind, here’s a new list of manly gift ideas for your very own sweetheart.
*All of the gifts below are affordable (under $40) and highly-rated for quality and appeal.
1. Vintage Bound Leather Journal
I had no idea that this would be such a hit, but my husband gets asked about his journal all the time by his guy friends. This one is particularly beautiful (or whatever is the equivalent masculine term for that) and includes a stylish pen.
Continue reading 12 Valentine Gift Ideas for the Guy You Love at Club31Women.com
January 29, 2017
Are You Living Out a Distracted Faith?
Living out a distracted faith will leave us spiritually weak and confused. Our hearts will struggle to commit and to grow when we are constantly diverted.
We live in an age where we have an overload in everything. We live in a land of abundance, which is a wonderful blessing; but it can also become an obstacle. Additionally, we live in a technologically advanced age where most of us are toting around a smartphone–the ultimate distraction.
Even as I’m sitting here typing this out, I pause and check my phone. No real reason. It’s just become a habit to allow myself to be distracted by it.
The Problem With Too Much Variety
Having too much variety makes us indecisive. There is more information, knowledge, and stuff out there then we could ever hope to access. As a result, we rush through the things we do come across so we can quickly get to the next thing. Rather than drinking in teachings fully and completely, we merely want to sample and move on.
But sampling doesn’t help to get into the depths of heart change. Sampling merely scratches the surface and offers information, but it doesn’t have time to take root and cause transformation.
Continue reading Are You Living Out a Distracted Faith? at Club31Women.com
January 25, 2017
A Book List to Equip Word-Centered Moms
I���m a mom with three kids five and under. I desperately long to build a Word-centered home for my kids. I want them to be saturated in the Scriptures, bursting with knowledge of who God is and what He does. I want to read, pray, and memorize the Bible with them, little as they may be.
Sometimes my reality seems incompatible with these lofty ideals. Little sleep, lots of messes, and all of the chaos can crowd out my best intentions for being a woman of the Word. I believe that the quest to know the Lord and introduce Him to my kids is worth the fight, however. These are a few books that are equipping and encouraging me to be a Word-Centered Mom.
Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward
This book is mercifully short for busy moms! It details how one mom began reading the Bible, chapter by chapter, to her three small children. It took them seven years, but they made it through the entire Bible together! I���m so inspired by her stories of how consistent Bible reading changed her and her family. Her advice for navigating difficult passages and energetic kids is also extremely helpful.
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January 23, 2017
You Are Chosen {and How That Changes Everything!}
Recently I was randomly chosen to win a free trip! To be specific, a weeklong vacation in a condo in Colorado! I know what you���re thinking��� ���Scam!���
That would have been my first thought, except I knew that it was real because I had actually entered the drawing at a fundraiser event I attended. However, I never, and I mean NEVER, win anything so it was still quite a surprise.
I just couldn���t help but to immediately share the news with my family and everyone else.
I mean who doesn���t enjoy a free���anything��� but especially a free trip that can accommodate my entire family?
A Gift Has No Strings Attached
Here���s the best part, there is no small print or outrageous regulations that I need to be aware of. When we show up, I fully expect the details, including the payment, to already be taken care of!
I know we have only been given a certain amount of time to enjoy our stay, and I intend to make the most of it. Now, I also know that our temporary stay does not grant us ownership and while we are there we are expected to take care of the place that we���ve been given!
Continue reading You Are Chosen {and How That Changes Everything!} at Club31Women.com
