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Intentional Love
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| 4Real Moms Newsletter | | February 2015 |
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WELCOME!
What does it mean to have intentional love? It means that you love others when you don't feel like it...when you're tired...when you're busy...when you'd rather be doing something else. You go out of your way to love people the way that they need to be loved. Intentional love isn't convenient...it isn't always easy...it isn't always our number one goal, but it should be. In short, intentional love is the way Jesus loved. In John 13:34 "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." So how did Jesus love? He loved others in everything he did. He had compassion. He healed. He loved. He wept. He prayed. He loved. He taught. He led. He loved. He fed the hungry. He helped the poor. He loved. For me, it's so easy as a mom to get caught up in my mundane life of making meals and snacks and playing silly games that I could care less about. It's so easy to feel sorry for myself that I'm trapped inside during this cold winter. It's so easy to wish I was somewhere else doing something else...anything else. I'm sure you could insert yourself into some if not all of these same thoughts. But I'm constantly reminded that God has me here...with my family...serving them. And through serving them, I'm serving Him! By serving them, I'm loving them. By loving them, I'm loving Him because God is love. Did you catch all that? His love is good and kind and compassionate and always there...unending...unfailing. I want to love my family like that! God is the picture of intentional love and that is how we should love our families and others in this world. Here's to loving intentionally! Christine |
| BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH | |
Let's pray love over our kids this month!
"Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them." Galatians 5:25; Ephesians5:2
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FAITH
Intentionally Loving God...
How are you intentionally loving God and growing in your faith? I know that for moms like us, so much of our time is caring for other human beings. But God is our Father and He wants to care for us...all of us! He created us. He treasures us. He delights in us. He loves us. How are we intentionally loving and delighting in Him?
*4 Ways to Intentionally Love Our Good God
1. Worship Him: He loves it when we sing praises and worship Him just because He is God. So throw on some praise music, throw your hands up and worship!
2. Praise Him: Take a moment every day to praise Him and thank him for every blessing in your life.
3. Trust Him: God is our Father and He knows our every need and our every thought. Trust Him with your deepest worries. Your deepest hurts. Your deepest struggles. He wants to be there for you!
4. Seek Him: Pray. Seek God's wisdom and guidance and direction in all you do. He loves you and cares about every little detail of your life!
*Thank you to Sandra for contributing again from the UK. I love this simple but lovely post about God's intentional love for us! THANKFULNESS, GOODNESS, LOVE
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FAMILY
Intentionally Loving Our Family...
Loving the people that we share a home with isn't always easy. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. So for the people in our lives that we play with, eat with, talk to, pray with, fight with, be ourselves with, we also must learn to be intentional with...intentionally love them for who they are...intentionally love them the way that they need to be loved.
*I'd like to welcome Wendy from California who shares a beautiful perspective of her family learning to thrive together. And even though they all speak different love languages, they learn to sacrifice their own needs. They learn to give. They learn to love!
When Brothers Have Different Love Languages
*Karrilee from Washington joins us again this month to remind the married moms reading our newsletter to intentionally love our husbands with this precious, heart-warming account of her awe and appreciation for the man that God created her husband to be.
My Husband...My Sweetheart
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FRIENDSHIP
Intentionally Loving Our Friends...
Friendships don't just magically happen. They need to be nurtured. You must be intentional about spending time with your friends...reaching out to them...getting to know their hearts...finding ways to bless them.
*4 Ways to Intentionally Love a Friend:
1. Be Encouraging: How can you be encouraging to your friend today? Send her a card? Give her a quick call? Listen to her?
2. Be Honest: Share your feelings. Speak life and truth into her life.
3. Be Thoughtful: Do kind things for her. When she's sick, offer to help with her kids or bring her a meal. Find ways to bless her.
4. Be There: Be someone she can count on. Be there in joyful times and in challenging times. Be present. Love her unconditionally!
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FUN
Intentionally Loving Life and Having Fun...
Intentionally loving others seems to come much easier for us moms than intentionally loving ourselves. There is always that nagging mommy-guilt that comes along with doing something for ourselves. Local moms just enjoyed a Moms Night Out last week, and our speaker, Dr. Patti Spurlock, reminded us that it's "not a luxury to take care of ourselves, it's a necessity!" I want to encourage you this month to do something fun just for you! Not with the family...not with your kids...not even one kid! Something just...for...you!
*4Things You Must Do Just for You!
1. Girls' Night: Have a Girls' Night Out that lasts after 10pm.
2. Pamper: Do one thing to pamper yourself per month--massage, pedicure, bubble bath, read a book, hair cut, buy a new shirt or accessory, etc.
3. Hobby: Find something that you enjoy doing outside of motherhood--dancing, crafting, cycling, painting, etc.
4. Inspire: Do one thing that inspires you--go to a conference, listen to a podcast, join a moms group, take a class, etc.
*Need a laugh today? Enjoy this hilarious video about embracing and loving the mess of motherhood! If you haven't heard "Let It Go" enough, right? I promise though, it's worth hearing this version!
 | | Let It Go - Mom Parody |
*Enjoy some free printables!
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From Me to You...
Hi Moms! If you're new here, WELCOME! My name is Christine Leeb and I am the founder of 4Real Moms. I'm so glad you're here! Yes, that's me up there in my messy kitchen with my cranky kids. That's me with no shower, sporting my mommy uniform with not an ounce of make up on. That's my life on most days and that's what 4Real Moms is all about! 4Real Moms is about being real. Being a mom isn't easy so our mission is to encourage moms to be open and honest about the challenges of motherhood while encouraging them to be the best moms that God created them to be! Let's bond together in motherhood and love and support each other along the way. Click here to find our more about 4Real Moms and its story. |
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Book of the Month
How to Really Love Your Child
by D. Ross Campbell by David C. Cook
Paperback
List Price: $12.99
Our Price: $5.28
Buy Now
A MOM'S REVIEW
Thank you to Tiffany in Illinois for reading and reviewing this month's book for us!
In this book Dr. Campbell equips parents with tips and techniques to aid them in effectively communicating to their children how much they are loved. Often children feel loved in very different ways than we communicate it to them. He covers three ways our children need love (through eye contact, physical contact and focused attention), what is appropriate and inappropriate love and discipline. This book is rich in insights into children and their needs, and the practical ways we can show them love. I'd love to read it once a year so I could keep its truths fresh in my mind as I raise my three little ones. May we all ask the Holy Spirit to help us give our children the love that God made them to receive from their parents.
ANOTHER MUST READ!
The 5 Love Languages of Children
by Gary D Chapman by Moody Publishers
Paperback ~ Release Date: 2012-02-01
List Price: $14.99
Our Price: $4.96
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Recipe of the Month
ROASTED RED POTATOES
This is the easiest roasted red potatoes recipe I've found! They are always so delicious and will go with any meal! Enjoy! Ingredients:
red potatoes (3lbs. or as many as desired)
1/4 c olive oil
1 t salt
pepper (as desired) Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Cut the red potatoes in half and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and place cut side down on jelly roll pan.
3. Roast for about 20 minutes. Check by inserting fork in largest potato.
4. Keep roasting an additional 5-10 minutes until fork inserts easily and potatoes are golden brown. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OTHER REAL EASY RECIPES WITH JUST 4 INGREDIENTS OR 4 STEPS!
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Money Saving Tip
GREETING CARD WARNING How to save $140 or more!! A wonderful way to be intentional about expressing love to someone is by letting them know that you're thinking about them with a thoughtful card. As you can imagine, the greeting card industry is huge-- bringing in nearly 8 billion dollars per year! Greeting cards are expensive. How can you save? Two ways: 1. Shop at a dollar store (my personal favorite is the Dollar Tree) where greeting cards are only 50 cents a piece! 2. Buy all the cards you will need in a year all at once. I love making a trip to the dollar store with my list of occasions that I need to buy for (I always throw in a few extra birthday cards just in case). I can usually get all I need for the year for around $20! That's 40 cards for only $20! If I wait until the last minute, I end up having to spend $4.00 on a card! Take that times 40 and I would spend $160 on cards without even realizing it throughout a given year. |
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Easy Craft Idea of the Month
HOMEMADE HEART STAMPS Thank you to Natalie from Ohio for contributing again this month. This time she found a fun and very easy craft for us just in time for Valentine's Day! |
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Advertise with Us!
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS HERE!
We love to promote businesses for moms! CLICK HERE to find out how to promote yours right here in this newsletter and more! |
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| Upcoming Events for Local Moms |
FREE MOMMY CLASS- CHANGE OF DATE! "Proactive Parenting: How to Stay Ahead of Your Kids" Wednesday, March 4th from 7pm - 9pm at the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, IL. CLICK HERE to REGISTER
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| Upcoming Group Coaching Classes | |
Intentionally Loving Your Husband: 2 Session Course-starts Thursday, February 26th right from the comfort of your own home! Respect, understanding, passion and love! Learn strategies, overcome obstacles and change the way you love your husband. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Space is limited.
For more information or to register for this class: CLICK HERE! |
| CHANCE TO WIN A FREE BOOK! | |
CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST MONTH'S BOOK OF THE MONTH WINNER: Karrilee from Washington!
Thank you for joining us this month! As a subscriber to 4Real Moms Monthly Newsletter, you will automatically get a chance to win your choice of a copy of the Book of the Month How to Really Love Your Child or my new book In His Light: Facing Fear with Faith.
DRAWING WILL BE HELD: MARCH 1ST!
(Winner will be notified via email and announced in next month's newsletter.)
How to Really Love Your Child
by D. Ross Campbell by David C. Cook
Paperback
List Price: $12.99
Our Price: $5.28
In His Light: Facing Fear With Faith
by Christine Leeb by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Paperback
List Price: $8.99
Our Price: $8.09
Buy Now
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| I Would Love to Hear from You! | |
Thank you for being here this month! I look forward to seeing you next month for our March Issue: "A Fresh Start". May this month be full of intentional love for God, your families, your friends, and yourselves! May your days be full of love for anyone who has the pleasure of being in your space. May you always set an example of intentionally loving others in all you do! And as always, be blessed and be real! Hope to see you soon!
Christine Leeb Founder of 4Real Moms |
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