Work From Home Wednesdays: Demand Studios is Hiring

Demand Studios is looking for writers again, so if you have not already signed up with them, I encourage you to do so. I have gotten back into writing articles for them, and they have sooooo many articles to choose from. So, there's plenty of work. The pay is $7.50 or $15, depending on the type of article.

If you need a few extra bucks to spend, then it's a great opportunity. And, you get paid weekly!

Influencing Your Husband towards Christ

I love the courtship story of Mark and Desiree Jackson. He is a former NBA player, and she is a gospel singer. The story of their courtship, and how her commitment to Christ led Mark to Christ is inspirational.

Young ladies, be inspired to be bold in your faith, and not to lower your standards. God will bless your faithfulness!

I am not tech savvy with showing clips, but you can go here. Click on the Feb. 4th show to watch their testimony. Move the green line to an hour into the show, at 1:03:00.

I was really blessed by their testimony, and her strong values as a young woman.

Love and History

This month is Black History month, and in celebration of it, and Valentine's day, I'm going to share inspiring love stories of Black couples throughout the month. I love reading about love, romance, marriage, and family, so why not post about it on the blog?

I'm going to start with one of my favorite love stories, that of Jackie and Rachel Robinson. As many of you know, Jackie Robinson was the first Black to enter the professional baseball league. He was an extraordinary man, and his relationship with his wife, Rachel, was special.



The courtship and marriage of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, and his wife, Rachel Robinson is inspiring and beautiful. Their marriage was based on mutual respect, love, admiration and commitment. It inspired me so much, that I became determined to marry a man with Jackie Robinson's qualities. There was more to the man who broke racial barriers by becoming the first Black baseball player to play in the professional leagues.

Jackie Robinson was a man of strong moral courage and conviction. Raised by a single mother whose husband deserted her with five children to raise, Jackie had a close relationship with his mother. Although he was close to following a rough path in life, a young Pastor took him under his wing, and inspired him to develop a stronger faith in God. Jackie Robinson was known as a man who tried to do the right thing. He had character and class.

He met his wife, Rachel Robinson, at UCLA, where they attended college. He was a senior and she was a freshman. She was a nursing student, who was serious about her studies, and a very classy lady. A mutual friend introduced them, and their romance blossomed. They courted for five years, because Rachel wanted to wait until after she had graduated from her 5 year nursing school program. After they married, Rachel became a homemaker, and focused on tending to their home and supporting her husband.



What makes their marriage so inspiring and beautiful is because Jackie Robinson was an athlete who withstood temptation and chose his wife every time. Teammates joked and teased him about his fidelity to his wife. While most of his teammates chased women, drank alcohol, smoked, etc, he remained steadfast to his commitment and loyalty to his wife, and to living a life that was above reproach. His teammates attested to the fact that he was so straightlaced, and did not have other women.

One of his roommates, Joe Black, said, "When he'd be on that phone talking to Rachel, I mean, you could feel the excitement exuding through his body. You could feel the love going from his voice to her, flowing to her."

In a letter that he wrote to her he talked about trying to be the best husband that he could be, and he tells her, "It seems my habits make you sometimes doubt me but there is no question in my mind that my marriage is the greatest thing that could have happened to me. All the other honors are really secondary and Darling someday I'll prove it. I hope it will be soon. I will do everything to prove it."



He credited her for much of his success, saying that she, "was the one person who really kept me from throwing up my hands in despair many times; she was my strongest support during these trials. . . She always had the wise suggestion, the comforting touch, the encouragement to go on which carried me through. . . I can truly say that my rise to baseball fame is mainly due to my wife."

Jackie and Rachel Robinson are role models. Not only for what they accomplished as breaking barriers in baseball, but for what they stood for as a couple. They exemplified true commitment, loyalty, respect and love. And, it's an example that is needed for many couples today.

Gentle Mothering

I have several goals for 2010, and one of the big ones is to strive to be the best mother that I can be. Of course, that has been one of my goals ever since I became a mother, but I really recognize glaring deficiencies in my mothering. The main thing that I wish I could exhibit more of: PATIENCE!!!

Prior to having children I thought that I was a pretty patient and nice person, but I was deceived. And, I want to change it. What started me down this path of self-reflection was watching, "18 Kids and Counting" the show about the Duggars. I started watching regularly a few months ago, and the show really ministered to me.

I was amazed watching Michelle Duggar deal so sweetly and gently with her children, and they all seem so well-mannered. I have never seen her raise her voice. She does not seem to lose her patience, and she has 18 (now 19) kids!! And, I only have 2!!! And, I cannot deal with my two children with the same patience and gentleness that she displays. And, I sooo want to.

I did read that she said that she stays in God's word daily, and that helps her to have patience and not raise her voice and not react in anger towards her children.

I am commited to saturating myself in God's word like I should so that I can bear the fruits of God's spirit in my life, and with the way that I deal with my children. I get exasperated often, I get frustrated often, I lose my patience often, and I feel like yelling at least twice everyday. I don't always do so, but I feel like it. And, I don't want it to be that way.

Being a mother just reminds me of how important it is to stay connected to God. When you try to do things in your own strength, you fail. Having a close relationship with Christ does produce more peace, joy, love and kindness inside of you, and you are able to pour those things out to others.

This year I am commited to cultivating a deeper relationship with Christ, and also being sure to raise my children with gentleness and love, but also being firm and consistent in my expectations and training.

Homeschooling My Toddlers

I first thought about homeschooling when I was a teacher, because I could really see the inadequacy of effectively teaching every child. There were just too many students in a classroom to be able to give each the attention that they needed. So, back then it was just a thought in the back of my mind.

For the past few months, I have been reading a bit on homeschooling, just to get a better picture of it. Currently I am reading, Morning by Morning: How We Home-Schooled Our African American Sons to the Ivy League. So far it has been very thought-provoking. I am really enjoying reading this book. My husband is not on board with homeschooling as of yet, and I'm not sure that I am completely either, but it's something I am really thinking about.

Last week, I thought about the fact that while I am home with them, I can "homeschool" them now. Even though they are two and one, there are things that I can do with them each day or each week to help them develop intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Of course I have been doing this anyways, but not in a focused, intentional way. A great resource that I have found is Hands On Homeschooling and Tot School, which provides me with a loose schedule of things to do with my kids each day during our homeschool time.

I think a great bulk of homeschooling toddlers can consist mainly of reading aloud and active play outside. There are so many teachable moments that can occur during this time. But, it's also great to have different and creative activities to engage them in on a daily basis. So far, it has been great to add more structure and focus to our days.

Back to School

It's been quite awhile since my last post, and I have been wanting to blog, but just wasn't sure of what to say. I have been busy due to taking a class toward my teacher recertification, and boy is it intensive. Many times I have thought of just quitting, but I'm trying to forge onward.

Once the kids start school, if I have to work, I would like to work in the school system. Then we would have the same hours. I've been observing high school classrooms, and the other day I had to teach a lesson, and get observed by an observer at the college I'm taking classes from. It was nerve wrecking, but I survived. I don't really want to be a teacher again, but it's a good back-up job in case of emergencies. I'm considering obtaining my master's in library science or school counseling to become a school librarian or school counselor. I cannot make up my mind on which one.

But, of course, I really just want to be home with my babies right now. School is a nice diversion sometimes, but it's been kind of stressful at times too. Women don't realize how lucky they are when they have a good, strong, hard-working husband who supports their decision to stay home.

Power of A Praying Wife

I always enjoy reading stories about love, marriage, and children. Especially about Christian couples, and how they were able to endure difficulties and overcome them. A couple of years ago I saw this story on CBN, and I was really touched by it. It was about Michael and Cammy Franzese. Michael Franzeze was a notorious mob leader, and he married Cammy, who was a Christian. She had no idea that he was in the mob while they courted, or even after they married. After a few years of marriage, she started to put two and two together, and realized that he was in the mob.

What was important to Michael was that Cammy didn't tell him to get out of the mob. She didn't tell him to either choose the mob, or their family together. Instead she prayed fervently, along with her mother, for Michael to get out of the mob. What followed is an inspiration, and to read more, go here.

Their story ministers to me, and shows how being a praying wife can bring miraculous results in a marriage.