Harms Family News

hey all, If you don't mind, head on over to Goodblogs and tell them my post is good or make a comment! When Mommy Gets Sick . Thanks! Hoping I feel much better very soon.

I was recently given the chance to review a free copy of This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano and illustrated by Mark Elliott. The book, which was endorsed by the National Day of Prayer, was sent to me to review by WaterBrook Press. You can get your own copy here . The book is basically a child's prayer. It begins: I know you're up in heaven, God, and can hear my voice from there. I'm just a little child. Will you answer my short prayer?" I felt the book did a good job of addressing the various things that small children would and should pray for, like fears, making right decisions, feeling alone, being naughty, and being sad. It also takes time to thank God for blessings, seasons, friends, and other things. The book reminds children to ask God to help them do right things, love and help others, and be unselfish. All in all I thought it was a sweet book, but my kids didn't really seem to be attached to it. They haven't asked to read it again, but ...

I am trying out a new blogging platform that could actually be income earning. My first post is called But I Wanted My Baby - Would you please check it out and click on the "it's good" button? Thanks!

This is the first chapter summary/review of Parenting with Wisdom by Debi Pryde. I love this book and would encourage you to consider purchasing a copy! Chapter 1 dissects the difference between good secular parenting and Christian parenting. Have you ever thought about the difference between Christian parents and secular parents? Have you ever considered what defines failure and success as a Christian parent? These are the two questions discussed in this chapter. Perhaps you think the primary difference is that Christians use corporal punishment, and others do not. If you are a Christian parent and think that is the primary or only difference, you are much mistaken. The difference is not in the methods, although those will likely be different. The difference is in the goal. The goal of Christian parenting is different than the goal of secular parenting. Here it is according to Mrs. Pryde: The goal of Christian parenting is the goal of our Lord Jesus Christ – to train our children in s...

My littlest one loves to eat. She loves to eat and isn't too picky either. She is highly motivated by food. She will pick candy over any other treat or prize. When we go to chuck-e-cheese, she could have 300 tickets and she will spend them all on candy, not a single other thing. But, the "experts" all say not to use food as a reward. Now, I am not one to follow what the "experts" say on everything, but I am one who struggles with her weight, so my kids are going to be prone to that too, and I will do what I can to help them not have those struggles. We limit candy in this house (they get one piece per day as their dessert, and occasional treats when given by others like at school or the doctor), mostly because my oldest gets sick if she eats too much. But here is the dilemma. The little one will do just about anything for a candy. Sometimes, when discipline does not work with her, offering her a reward of an M&M for good behavior does. Nothing but candy trea...

Ok, so I have only had one person say they were interested in the book review/study, but to give you a heads up, I am going to try to have my first post ready on Wednesday, and then do a post every Wednesday until I finish the book. Please note, if you are curious about this book, it is biblical, which means it does discuss the form of discipline mentioned in Proverbs 22:15. That said, it is full of grace and mercy as well, something that, to me, has been missing in many parenting books I have read with a biblical stand. If you are not sure what book I am referring to, please see this post . The book is only available through Ironwood Camp, and I am not being compensated in any way for this. I just want the accountability to get it finished and also the discipline of writing down my thoughts, which helps solidify them in my mind.

My dream home. Chances we will ever be able to move into it are probably zilch - it will be gone long before our debts are paid and we can move. But here it is: My Dream Home Sure, it needs new paint and definitely needs to be rid of some nasty walpaper, but look at the character! I LOVE the staircase. New roof too. Fenced in yard. BIG windows. I love it. I love the little town it is in - I have always wanted to live there. It would be midway between church and Tim's work. It says it has a dining room and plumbing for a second bathroom - those are the two things that make this little house difficult for us right now. Even with just two kids, having just one potty often creates a challenge. At this price, we wouldn't even be increasing our mortgage payemnt, at least not by much. The biggest problem: We cannot put our home on the market until we take care of some very big issues it has. Houses just aren't moving quickly right now. Too many foreclosures at basement prices. We ...