Before I knew my blog would be ending, I had a guest blog post scheduled over at The Marathon Mom. Brandy was so sweet to let me be one of her guest posters so she could enjoy the sweetness of her 8th baby boy.

Looking for a simple, easy way to keep up with all that the children need to do? Head on over and see how we have organized school and chores for the last several years.

As I prepared to start two new series, it was obvious that I would be spending more time researching and writing. Time I don’t have. Silly, I know. Honestly. This announcement is a bit embarrassing, but I suppose there are worse things than being embarrassed. Like not doing what is best for yourself and your family.

I will spare everyone the details, but to suffice it to say that while I have at times felt I needed to simplify our lives even further and have one less thing on my to-do list, my husband really wanted me to continue blogging. So I did.

I enjoy writing, interacting with you, and sharing my thoughts and ideas. But recently, while I geared up for more writing, my husband and I both were impressed that the blogging and all things related were to be given up. The next morning, as we will tend to do, I began explaining away our decision and justifying. Then I read my devotions and chastised myself because this is what I read, confirming our decision the night before:

“I have not been called to follow my pursuits. Rather, I have been given a specific calling to well doing that says I am to be sober, to love my husband, to love my children, to be discreet, chaste, a keeper at home, good, obedient to my own husband. This is hard work. And it starts the minute I open my eyes in the morning.” *

For me I simply cannot do those things above and write on my beloved blog. While I could spend my “free time” (do we homeschooling moms really have “free time”?!) blogging, I know that I will crave my “me” time, sabotaging any efforts to have the right spirit I desire.

I will only leave the archives up for a short time, so I hope if there are any resources that were a help to you that you would print them off for reference. I could just leave the blog up as archives, but I know me, and I would feel compelled to come back and write. And it isn’t really what I feel the Lord would have me do. A clean break was the message I got.

I won’t belabor the goodbye. I thank you all so much for being faithful readers for the last 4 years. I will miss sharing with you. But I am certain that this is the right thing to do and I hope you understand.

Goodbye and be blessed!

*Just Around the Corner Volume 2 by Steve and Teri Maxwell

P.S. My facebook fan page will go down first, but I will keep my Pinterest account because I use it for personal reasons.

When I wrote about getting rid of plastics in the kitchen, I mentioned storing bulk foods in glass jars. But for a long time, I had a hard time finding gallon jars in thrift stores and no one I knew bought anything that came in such large jars. While I can find gallon glass jars cheap online, the shipping cost is almost as much as the jars themselves. Then it occurred to me to buy them at our local grocery outlet. I could get them full of pickles or relish for anywhere from $2-$4!

I recently bought eight gallon jars of peppered pickle relish for $2 a jar and my son dumped the contents in the woods. I know. I feel badly and terribly wasteful, but you would do the same thing, right? Really though. The pepper relish is for the little critters in the woods. For their hotdogs.

So, what do I need with 8 more gallon jars? Besides our milk and storing dry goods, we needed something to store water in. Spring water! I am so excited that we have found a natural spring nearby!

Honestly, I assumed we were stuck with tap water until we could find room in the budget for a Berkey filter. With one child in braces and another going for evaluation this month it didn’t look like it was going to be anytime soon! While it is a bit more inconvenient than having a filter, it tastes absolutely clean and clear. As with raw milk, it tastes alive! No chemicals, no plastic. Nothing but pure, living water.

How about you? Are you looking to eliminate plastic bottled water? Are you concerned that your tap water is full of chemicals such as fluoride, aluminum, and arsenic? Check out FindASpring.com and see if you have a living source of water near you!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we really did live on the proverbial Cloud 9?

Did you know that we as Christians can live on Cloud 9?

Of course it won’t be a place free from storms, we will be faced with evil, temptations will be around every corner, and there will be problems, sickness, and even death. But if we live and walk in the Spirit continually, we will be as peaceful and grounded as if we were living on Cloud 9.

To read more head over to Abide at Home where I shared my thoughts on the Fruit of the Spirit.

Look for guest posts and interviews, as well a couple of new series. And a huge thank you to Brandy at The Marathon Mom and Rhonda at Abide at Home for allowing me to guest post on their blogs in the next week or two.

Then in March, we will start a series for and about ministry wives, with feedback and involvement from other pastors wives as well as from you. This week, I am sending out a brief questionnaire to ministry wives that I know personally, asking the question, “What do you wish the congregation knew about you and life in the ministry?” The answers to this question will be the basis for many posts, detailing the sometimes hard position the wife and children have when their husbands are called of God into the ministry. I pray this series will encourage and equip ladies from the pew to the parsonage to understand the blessings and challenges of living in the proverbial fishbowl.

Also, one of the main sources of traffic to Better Is Little is Google searches looking for information on how to use the Robinson Curriculum. So, I will begin a series of posts explaining the Robinson Curriculum, exactly what it is, how to use it, and tips, tricks, and links that we have found useful. I am by no means an expert, but there are a lot of questions on what exactly do you do with the disks once you have them, how to just jump in and start. Hopefully I can offer some help!

But first, I would like to start off with a giveaway! I have a copy of Large Family Logistics that I want to give to you!

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below stating how large your family is and one reason you love large families!
To receive extra entries, ¹like Better Is Little on facebook or ²share on your blog or ³share on facebook, leaving me a comment that you did so.

The Giveaway ends Monday, February 27. You have a week…let the fun begin!

As I checked my stats this morning, I felt a little disappointment because the numbers were not as good as they were last week.

I chaffed a bit that I haven’t really had the time this week to dedicate to writing. I woke everyday with a plan. A plan to allow for quiet time to write. Quiet time that never materialized.

My queue is full of drafts that I have started, but can’t finish because of homeschool, appointments, honey-do lists, laundry, meals, bills, piano lessons, babies, toddlers etc. I am sure you all can relate.

Each day that has passed this week, I have become more and more frustrated. Frustrated that life has gotten in the way of my blogging. Again.

Then the song I had been humming all morning brought my negative, frustrated thoughts to a halt.

Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown and you can win it, if you’ll go in Jesus’ name.

While I had plans, I haven’t exactly prayed about it. Oh, I’ve prayed about my blog at times – starting my blog, making it one of my priorities, and writing certain posts, but I have been so focused on the numbers, on networking, on design, on content and God has not been in it all.

Obviously none of those things are wrong, but if God is left out of even these innocent things, we find ourselves laboring in our own name, for our own fame.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Faith is putting the Lord first. Putting Jesus in all our circumstances. Every detail of our life should be an exercise in faith. Faith that the Lord will make His will known. Faith that He can make all things possible. Faith that He will make a way. Faith that no matter what, He will make all things beautiful in His time. Faith that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So, I encourage you, friend, that you exercise your faith and set aside your frustration. Let us not labor for wealth, fame, friends, acceptance, perfection, numbers, applause, recognition. Let us labor for an incorruptible crown. Let us labor to hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!”

I don't live near Atlanta, but I know I have some readers that do. If you know someone that lives near Atlanta, please share!

To receive a Zoo Atlanta Family Pass all you have to do is check out the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass DVD at your local library. When you return the DVD to your library, you will receive a receipt. Please save this receipt; it is required for Zoo admission. The pass is valid for 7 days from the date of the receipt showing the return of the DVD.

See here for more details!

Here are some pictures of number 6 haircut yesterday. I was holding him in the barber chair so there aren’t any pictures during the haircut. Let’s just say thank goodness for a patient stylist…and suckers.

Before

After

Disclaimer: Yes, he is chewing on a Spiderman that belongs to a public play area. That fact didn’t even occur to me until I was uploading this picture. I, in no way, am advocating that you let your children do the same. Please protect your children. Remember that my children may have slobbered on that toy your child just picked up.