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

EP 42: Traveling with Children

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. 
Show Notes
RELATED SCRIPTURE:
- 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."
RELATED BOOKS & BLOG POSTS:
- 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
OTHER LINKS MENTIONED: 
- 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 😊
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 

EP 41 - How I Met My Husband

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. 
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- 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."
RELATED LINKS:
- Ep 36: The Wrong Way to Propose Marriage
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 
 

EP 40 - Setting Worthwhile Goals

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.
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- 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....”
MISCELANEOUS QUOTES:
- “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
RELATED LINKS: 
- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband 
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 
- Free Goal Planning Sheets
- Progress Tracking Chart
 
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 
 
 

EP 39 - Should a Married Woman Have Close Male Friends?

How should husbands and wives navigate friendships with the opposite sex? That's our podcast topic this week, prompted by an email I got from a reader wanting to know, "Should a married woman have close male friends?" 
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- Genesis 2:24 - "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united..."
- Mark 10:7-9 - “...therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.”
- Malachi 2:14-15 - “…the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth..."
- Proverbs 5:15-21 -"Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well...."
- Matthew 5:27-28 - “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’..."
- Psalm 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable..."
- Matthew 15:19 - “For out of the heart come evil thoughts… adultery, sexual immorality…."
- Ephesians 5:15-18 - "Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise..."
- 1 Corinthians 6:18 - "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is ...."
- Colossians 3:5 - "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature...."
- 1 Peter 5:8 - “...the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
RELATED LINKS: 
- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband - one of my most popular blog posts
- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband - my award-winning book
- 25 Ways to Show Love to Your Wife - a post my husband wrote for married men
- 25 Ways to Show Love to Your Wife - my husband's companion book 
- Love Your Husband/ Love Yourself - embracing God's purpose for passion in marriage
- 30-Day Respect Challenge - free email series to help you nurture your marriage
- Should Married Women Have Close Male Friends - original post this episode is drawn from
- Husbands, Be Careful with Female Friendships - my husband's post I read on this episode
- Fostering Friendship with Your Husband - tips for nurturing a closer relationship to your spouse
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 

EP 38: Making the Most of Your Child's Learning Style

Modern lists of learning styles are much lengthier than the one I learned in school. And after raising 12 children, I can think of a few learning styles I've never seen on any chart. So in this episode of Loving Life at Home, we are discussing how to make the most of your child's learning style -- and what to do if you can't figure it out.
SCRIPTURES CITED:
- Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
- James 1:5 - “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
- Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
- Deuteronomy 11:18-21 - "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates….”
RELATED LINKS:
Laying a Foundation for Learning - my best recommendations for early learning
Keeping Toddlers Occupied - good activities for distracting your little go-getters
Cultivating Creativity in Young Children - fun and easy projects for preschoolers
Age Appropriate Chores for Children - chores are a great way to teach life skills
Tech-Free Fun for Kids - 10 things your older kids can do while they're unplugged
50 Picture Books Every Child Should Read - just a few of our family's favorites
50 Chapter Books to Read Aloud - wonderful stories to share as a family 
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 

EP 37: Favorite Easter Traditions

In honor of holy week, I 'm sharing a few of our family’s favorite Easter traditions today.
Although I love baskets and bunnies and colorful candy as much as anyone, we’ve always tried to place the main emphasis of this season on the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus – and on what Christ’s finished work means to those who put their faith in Him. 
For specific ways to do this, listen in this week's episode in full.
Show Notes
RELATED LINKS:
- Scripture Chain for Lent (free printable)
- The Easter Story by Carol Heyer (children's picture book)
- Passion Week Trivia Quiz (free printable)
- Easter Coloring Pages (and other free resources)
- Empty Tomb Craft (super easy craft for children)
- Resurrection Cookies (recipe)
- Resurrection Rolls (recipe)
- Jelly Bean Gospel (free printable)
- More Gospel Tracts for Easter (free printable single-fold tracts)
- DIY Resurrection Eggs (free printable)
- Scrambled Egg Puzzles (free printable)
- Finger Lights (for glow-in-the dark egg hunts)
- "Let Them Know" (parody of Disney song from Frozen)
- "All About God's Grace" (parody of Meaghan Trainor song)
- "Never Enough" (parody of song from The Greatest Showman)
SCRIPTURES CITED:
- Matthew 27:26 - "... he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified."
- Matthew 26:12 - "When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial."
- Luke 23:36 - "The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar..."
- 1 John 4:9 - “God loved us and sent His son.”
- Matthew 28:6: “He is risen just as he said.” 
- Romans 6:20-23 - "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness...."
- Ephesians 2:1 – "You were dead in your trespasses and sins."
- Ephesians 4:18-19 - "They are darkened in their understanding and alienated...."
- Psalms 14:1-3 - "They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good...."
- Isaiah 59:9-13 – “We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom." 
- Jeremiah 17:9 - “The heart is more deceitful than all else and desperately wicked...."
- Mark 7:21-23 – “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries...”
- Romans 3:10-18 - “There is no one righteous....There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
- Romans 5:8 - “...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Isaiah 53:5-6 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities...."
- Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ...."
- John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...."
- 1 John 1:9-10 – “...If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
- Romans 10:9-10 – “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart ....”
- Ephesians 2:8-10 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves..."
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 

EP 36: The Wrong Way to Propose Marriage

Today's the anniversary of the day my husband proposed to me, so I'm taking a little walk down memory lane.... One thing I've learned through more than three and a half decades of marriage? Endings are far more important than beginnings.
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- Matthew 21:28-32 - "There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said....'
RELATED LINKS:
- Expensive Weddings Linked to Higher Divorce Rates
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 

EP 35: How to Disagree Respectfully

I worked a 14-hour shift at the polls last week for Super Tuesday. And every passing week takes us deeper into an election season that is looking more and more like a repeat of 2020. Which makes me think now would be a great time to review an important concept that seems to have been lost in our current cultural climate:
And that is the ability to discuss differing opinions in a civil manner. We've forgotten how to respectfully disagree.
This skill is of vital importance, not only in discussing politics, but in dealing with anybody who believes differently than you do: friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers.  Chances are, you have SOMEBODY in your life with whom you don’t see eye-to-eye 100% of the time.
So, how should we respond when those differences threaten to divide us? To isolate and alienate us? That's the topic of discussion for this week's episode of Loving Life at Home. So grab your cup of coffee and listen in!
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all..."
- Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other...."
- Galatians 5:15 - “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed ...."
- Romans 14:5 - "One person considers one day more sacred than another...."
- James 1:19 - ": Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
 - Proverbs 19:11 - "A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense."
- Matthew 12:36 - "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment...."
- Proverbs 13:3 - “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives....”
- Colossians 3:12 - "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness....”
- Ephesians 4:26-27 - "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...."
- Proverbs 29:11 - “A fool gives full vent to his rage, but a wise person holds it in check.”
- Proverbs 14:29 - "Whoever is patient has great understanding....”
- Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 
- Romans 3:10 - "As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one...."
- 1 Peter 3:10 - "For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil...."
- Romans 12:3 - "...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think...."
- James 4:6 - “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Philippians 2:3 - "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind....”
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 - "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love...."
- Ephesians 4:15 - “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way....”
- 1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.....” 
- Isaiah 1:18 - “Come, let us reason together.” 
- Proverbs 3:21 - “Do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight....”
- Proverbs 16:4 - “The LORD has made everything for its purpose....”
- Hosea 14:9 - “Let those who are wise understand these things....”
- Matthew 7:12 - “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you....”
- Deuteronomy 12:32 - “So be careful to obey all the commands I give you....”
- James 5:12 - “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth....”
- Proverbs 10:19 - "When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable...."
- 1 Peter 2:1 - "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander."
- 1 Timothy 4:12 - “Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live....”
- Daniel 4:17 - “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict....”
- Proverbs 21:1 - "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD...."
- Romans 8:28 - “God works all things together for good to those who love Him....” 
- Genesis 50:20 - “As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good....”
- 1 Cor. 10:31 - “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
- Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers...."
- 1 Peter 5:8 - “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around....”
- Ephesians 6:13-18 - "Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that...."
RELATED LINKS:
- EP 34: #1 Rule for Building a Happy Marriage - more on living by the Golden Rule
- 9 Ways to Diffuse a Disagreement - tips for calming strong emotions in yourself & others
- How to Stop Arguing with Your Spouse - tried and true advice for cultivating a peaceful home
- Praying for My Enemies - a free printable prayer guide to help in this area
 
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 
 

EP 34: #1 Rule for Building a Happy Marriage

You don’t have to dig very deep to discover the #1 rule for building a happy marriage. Jesus spelled out our standard in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:31)
In marriage, that translates to "Treat your spouse as you wish to be treated."
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- Luke 6:31 
- Mark 12:31
- Philippians 2:3-4
- Matthew 12:36
- Romans 14:12
- Ephesians 4:2
- 1 Peter 2:17
- Ephesians 5:33
- Ephesians 4:32
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- Proverbs 15:1 
- Philippians 2:3-4 
- Song of Solomon 1:16
RELATED LINKS:
- The #1 Rule for Building a Happy Marriage
- Enough with the Excuses
- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect 
- Love Your Husband/ Love Yourself
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)
 
 
 

EP 33: Running with Endurance

The Bible uses a lot of running analogies, and the half-marathon I completed over the weekend really helped drive them home. 
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- Corinthians 9:24-27 - “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one....”
- Matthew 20:16 - “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” 
- Hebrews 12:1-2 - “...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us....”
- 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...."
- 1Timothy 6:12 - “...Fight the good fight of the faith....” 
- Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness...” 
- Galatians 5:25 - “If we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit.” 
- Galatians 5:25 - “...reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal....” 
- Matthew 25:21 - “Well done, my good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of thy master.”
- 2Timothy 4:7-8 - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith....” 
Related Links:
- Cowtown Half Marathon Photos - a few of the shots I shared on Instagram
- "May All Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful" - touching song by Steve Green
- "Do the Next Thing" - poem written by Mrs. George A. Paull and quoted in a book by Eleanor Amerman Sutphen called Ye Nexte Thynge
STAY CONNECTED:
- 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)