Select Page
‘Twas the Night After Christmas

‘Twas the Night After Christmas

by | Dec 27, 2021 | Guest, One Blessed Momma

It’s the end of the year, ok not quite, we have through Friday to wrap up 2021 and prepare for a new year. Are you ready? We are just leaving the Christmas season and it is so easy to quit focusing on Christ because His birthday is over.

My aunt Monica has written the poem below and I think it is a great reminder of how to leave the Christmas season and head into a new year.

Thank you, Monica, for allowing me to share this with all of the Blessed Mommas.

 

~ Melinda

Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house,

All was quiet and peaceful, the kids and my spouse.

I sat by the tree, in the quiet glow of the light,

When a sound broke the silence, giving me such a fright!

I sat there amazed, as from behind the tree,

Stepped Santa, dear Santa, and he pointed to me.

Of the Christmas Spirit, the feeling of love,

As you celebrate and remember the greatest gift from above

Please keep the Christmas spirit in your heart all year through.

Then the Savior of the world will always be near you.

Share the Light with others, the sad and the lone,

The weary and heartbroken, the stranger and your own.

Try to be like Jesus, remember Him each day,

Following in His footsteps in all you do and say.

Faith, hope and charity, for Christmas and life are the key,

To peace, joy and love, gifts for now and eternity.

Trying to remember, that love is of greatest worth,

You will then be ready when He comes again to earth”

I quietly said: “Thank you, for visiting tonight.”,

As Santa slipped away, leaving me to ponder in the glowing light.

Even though Christmas is over, it’s never too late to start,

To keep the Christmas Spirit, forever in your heart.

Download Free Printables

“Twas the Night After Christmas”

.

Meet Monica!

Monica Christensen is a Christ follower. Wife to Carlyle. Mom to 7 children. Grandma to 3 who call her Oma. She lives in southwest Colorado.

Monica enjoys ????? in her free time. How many moms and grandmas can relate to that? She does enjoy studying about Christ, being with family, crafts, working on discovering her family tree, outdoor activities, writing, music and honestly is trying to remember who she is and what is important in this season of her life.

Follow Monica on Instagram

Praying Scripture Over Rooms in Your Home

Praying Scripture Over Rooms in Your Home

by | Dec 20, 2021 | Julia, One Blessed Momma

Many have heard the words, “prayer room” before. Some have even seen the movie, called “War Room”. This movie is about a women who uses her closet to go to God in prayer. She surrounds herself with verses and prayers taped on her walls. Today I am going to share with you what my version of “prayer room” or “war room” looks like in my home.

Pray scripture over rooms

I recently came across an idea I had never thought to do, which is to pray for each room in your house. Sure, I prayed for our family and our home, but I have never been specific and purposeful in those prayers.

Set an alarm

I started setting an alarm on my phone for the 1st of every month to go in to each room and pray with intention and purpose for those that enter and spend time there.

At first, my prayers were not as detailed and I was kind of stumbling over what I exactly wanted to pray for. So, I thought, the best place to go was scripture and below are the scriptures I chose to pray over our rooms.

Write them out

I wrote them down and placed them around my house. Now, whenever I go in to the rooms, to clean, help someone get dressed or to take a bath, I pray right then and there. Sometimes, it is the verse or sometimes it’s something more specific that happened that day or I blast to the future and pray for that.

During the times that I find my words feeling vacant I know with the promise of scripture (Romans 8:26-27) I have the Holy Spirit working through my prayers and delivering exactly what needs to be said to our Lord. Boy, am I grateful for that! Thank you, Jesus!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

New International Version

Dining Room

Romans 12:13- 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

My desire for our dining room is to be where we are thinking of others. Where we invite them in to our home and offer whatever we have as theirs. Or simply prepare food for those in need. Where we invite them over for a meal and they feel the love of Jesus through our hospitality.

Kitchen

1 Corinthians 10:31- 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

This one is for me. I want to remind myself, when I am tired and I do not want to cook dinner or clean the dishes that I am doing it for a higher purpose. There are moments this is a mental struggle for me, especially when I’m being pulled in every direction and it seems the kids are needing my attention every second.  I definitely need the Lord’s intervention on my heart to take a deep breath and be reminded of my why.

Living Room

Joshua 24:15- 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

This one I didn’t have to make a card for because I already have a sign (thank you Hobby Lobby) with the verse on it, hanging above our fireplace. When I truly take the time to read this verse and let it sink in, it hits hard. It puts me right back at the starting line waiting until I say “go”, to refocus and aim upward because it is a very motivating verse for me.

Our goal is that our family grows strong as a unit because God is our base, our number one. I pray we choose activities that will strengthen us as a family in moments of joy and laughter, love and challenges and our girls will always know they can come to us when they need help or have questions.

Bathroom

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Sin is everywhere and I pray that my daughters can grow up with a Godly view of their bodies and not a worldly view. I pray their hearts are pure and continually go to God for their strength.

Play Room

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

I desire to help my children learn how to treat others with kindness and goodness, how to solve problems and how to love one another. Also, to be welcoming to their friends that come over to play with their toys and remembering that everything we own belongs to the one above.

Bedroom

Psalms 23: The Lord is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

I pray my children feel safety, comfort, and peace in their rooms.  While they sleep I pray they have sweet dreams, gain strength, growth and healing of all wounds or sickness.

Master Bedroom

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

My prayer is that we have trust, open communication, clarity, honesty, purity, love and respect.

What will you pray for?

I love that these prayers will change throughout the years and yet still have some parts that will always be.

My prayer for you all is that you are inspired to go in to all of the rooms and pray for your family and home as well. Maybe you have similar scriptures you want to choose or maybe you have completely different needs. We are all at different stages in life. I would love to hear which ones you choose in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by and reading to the end. I pray you have a blessed holiday season.

Below you will find my FREEBIE scripture cards and blank ones as well you can write in your own. Enjoy!

Download your free printable

.

Meet Julia!

Julia is a wife to her high-school sweetheart, a mother to two beautiful girls and a follower of Christ.   She loves crafting, teaching and is forever grateful for a God who is in control of all unknowns and thankful we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Finding Joy in the Small Things

Finding Joy in the Small Things

by | Dec 13, 2021 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

The Holidays are a busy time of year!

They are also a fun and exciting time of year, especially for the kiddos. It easily becomes an EXHAUSTING time of year for us parents!

I don’t know about you, but I find myself falling into the comparing trap. Is my house decorated as beautifully as their’s? Did I get my tree set up on time? Did I order matching pajamas for my kids like they did? How about family pictures? Then there are the gifts. Did I get enough for my kids? The list goes on and on and on.

 

The Trap

Honestly, this can, and does, happen all year round-not just during the holidays! It’s easy to think we HAVE to have the biggest and best and even easier to think we need to BE the biggest and best!

James 3:16 tells us, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

Comparing ourselves to others leads straight to discontentment and envy and it is as close as your next scroll through social media or chat with your neighbor.

Momma’s Wisdom

My mom has a wise saying that is worth remembering. She says, “The Baked Alaska may look fancier and prettier but it’s the chocolate chip cookies that everyone wants.”

My mom is one of those people who really listens when you talk. She is always looking for ways she can be helpful, uplifting and encouraging. She is not the mom who can afford to buy you a new car but she is the mom who will just show up with fuzzy socks and a cup of coffee. Or a gift bag with your favorite flavor of jam (Apricot! Yum!) and a note listing all the positive qualities she sees in you.

Now, some of you may be thinking that this sounds like stuff any “good” mom would do. But what if I told you she does this type of thing for almost everyone she knows?!? She does! And what do you think she calls these small acts of kindness? You guessed it! The chocolate chip cookies of life.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies of Life

They are  baking actual cookies for friends or neighbors, inviting a friend over for a meal or coffee or paying for the car behind you in the drive-thru line. It could be as simple as writing a card or text message to encourage someone and let them know you are praying for them.

It doesn’t have to be big and fancy, you just have to choose to open your eyes to the many beautiful moments that God has blessed you with and share that with others.

 

My Beautiful Moments

Recently, this has really come to light in my life! We have a pretty jam-packed holiday/end of year schedule and right in the middle of it we caught a violent stomach virus. It took us out of commission for the better part of  a week. 

At the same time, my two year old ended up with a double ear infection! 

As we are all laying around feeling miserable, one of life’s chocolate chip cookies revealed itself.

My eight year old (Cole) and my two year old (Elgin) have a special bond. As Cole was laying there sick, Elgin came up and sat with him. She HAD to be touching him at all times, alternating between holding his hand and combing her fingers through his hair.

The visual manifestation of this beautiful bond between siblings was heart-warming to say the least.

God is so merciful and good that even in the midst of what felt like a crisis, he showed himself through their love for each other.

Your Turn!

This holiday season I encourage you to look for and create the chocolate chip cookies of life. 

 

Look below for a FREE printable of my mother-in-law’s scrumptious chocolate chip cookie recipe! 

 

elgin

rebekah

rose

cole

orren

Download Free Printables

Melannie’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

.

Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

Whatever is Pure

Whatever is Pure

by | Dec 6, 2021 | Melinda, One Blessed Momma

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.Philippians 4:8

What is “pure”?

Pure is a word that is thrown around a lot. Purebred animals, pure heart, sexual purity (this came up a lot as I was preparing this post, but I won’t be addressing it directly). Two things are at the forefront of my mind. “Pure as the driven snow” and the pure, blameless, free of blemish lamb required for a sin sacrifice.

pure: free of any contamination; clean; crisp; fresh; sinless; wholesome; morally good

Could there be a better month than December to focus on whatever is pure? As the world focuses on consumerism and/or the birth of Christ, let us focus on the purity of Christ, our messiah, and how He makes us pure. These are not exclusive concepts. You can buy gifts for people without being consumed by consumerism and the I want, I want, give me, give me attitude! Without the birth of Jesus, we wouldn’t have a pure savior who saves us from our sins. Without the purity of Christ and His sacrifice, His birth wouldn’t matter 2000-ish years later. 

consumerism

birth of Jesus

purity of Christ and how he makes us pure

How can I be pure?

Only through Jesus Christ can we be pure. Romans 3:23 reminds us of this:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (ESV)

No matter who you are, you fit in that “all” category.  John 3:16 offers us a solution for our predicament.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

This does not grant us permission to continue falling short without making a solid effort to be better, to do better. Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-4 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We are called to a new life. It is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our death, burial, and resurrection through baptism that we can be made pure. 

Thank you Lord for this avenue you’ve given us to you. As we move closer to the day the world has decided to call Jesus’ birthday, please help us and our children to draw closer to you and have a better understanding of who Jesus is, why He came to earth as a man, and the roles belief, repentance, grace, forgiveness, and our own spiritual rebirth play in our physical lives as well as our eternal spiritual life.

I have made a list of 31 verses that speak to the truth of God, 1 verse per day in December. I hope it will serve to encourage and comfort you and bring you and your children closer to God. Download it below.

Teach the Children

1. Journal & Discuss

2. The effect sin has on our relationship with God

3. Erasing sin

1. Journal and discuss

My kids and I will be journaling and discussing these verses, at least Monday-Friday. I like for them to practice their reading and writing with scriptures. Alternatively, you could pick one verse per week and help your kids memorize that one scripture.

2. How does sin affect our relationship with God?

I love this activity on MinistryMindedMom.com using a balloon to teach children about how the baggage of sins draws us away from God.

Emphasize how only God can take those sins away, making us pure.

3. How can we remove our sin?

This is an activity I remember doing as a teen in youth group. However, I do strongly believe object lessons are a great way to share the truth with all ages of children, even adults 🙂

The site I found the instructions on has some information I don’t believe agrees with the Bible, so just as we should each be comparing anything anyone says to the Bible to make sure it’s the truth, I would encourage you to make sure the questions you ask your children and the direction you lead them agrees with the word of God.

All you need is some bleach, water, food coloring, and a captive audience. LetTheChildrenCome.com has great instructions on how to use these items to show the cleansing power of Christ.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

Click here to view an easy to share Bible-based plan of salvation.

As we read other people’s instructions we must remember people are not perfect, but God always is. One instruction missing from the above activities is the importance of baptism.

In Acts 2:37-38 when the people were confronted with their sin (crucifying Jesus),

[they] said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As you work your way through scripture this month, may you be reminded of how blessed we are to have a pure savior who was willing to come to earth as a man and die a horrible death to cleanse us from our sins.

Have you been washed clean by the blood of the lamb? If you haven’t, I encourage you to read this page and reach out to someone (the three of us here at oneblessedmomma.com count 🙂 ) to find a church home and make sure that you have the true Biblical instruction you need to move forward with your life in Christ. May the God of peace bless you and direct your paths as you seek him.

Come back in January for “whatever is lovely”.

September - True

October - Honorable

November - Just

December - Pure

January - Lovely

February - Commendable

March - Excellence

April - Worthy of Praise

Download your free printable

Whatever is Pure Philippians 4:8-9 scripture list

.

Meet Melinda!

Melinda is a Christian, a wife, and a mom of 6. She has a blended family. She's a recovering perfectionist who is far from perfect, but it makes her that much more grateful for God's grace and mercy in her life.

Learn more about Melinda and her family

Life As They See It

Life As They See It

by | Nov 30, 2021 | Guest, One Blessed Momma

Panic!

I woke up this morning and realized I was supposed to have scheduled a guest blogger for this week. I really dropped the ball! Thankfully, my sweet boys offered to be guest “bloggers” for this month. I couldn’t be more proud of or thankful for them!

Cole is my second born and second son. He has the sweetest heart of any human I know. He is generous, kind and tender-hearted. This boy is very self motivated and an extreme perfectionist when it comes to himself. One of his many talents is the gift of perception. He can tell when others are having a rough day and innately knows whether he should speak some sweet truth or simply sit quietly and hold your hand. I have seen him, on more than one occasion, go up to a complete stranger who looked down and say, “It’s a good day, isn’t it!”

He takes such good care of his 3 little sisters and always has a kind word for everyone he encounters. Cole melts my heart with his sugar coated hugs and syrupy conversation. This eight year old is really something special!

That brings me to my oldest son. My first born child. I had Orren at the age of 20 and I always say we grew up together.

Since he was born he has always been an “old soul”. I joke that he is an old man trapped in a young child’s body. Orren has a great capacity for conversation, in other words-he is a yacker! But in a very enjoyable and interesting way.

He is the most responsible 9 year old I have ever met! For example, recently, our bull put a hole in the fence and all of our cows were walking through it and out to the county road. My 2 youngest were sick and I really needed to be inside with them. Trevor was at work and I was feeling very overwhelmed! My boy could tell I was at the end of my rope and, like a little man, stands up and says, “Mom, don’t worry. I will take care of the cows.” Without blinking an eye he goes outside, catches and saddles a horse and proceeds to round up 60 head of cows and move them across 3 pastures completely alone! Now tell me, how many 9 year olds can do that?

My kids mean the word to me as I am sure is fairly obvious! God has blessed me far more than I deserve with these 5 amazing little people I get to call mine. I can only pray that the good Lord gives me the wisdom to be the momma they deserve.

Without further ado, here are Orren Maverick and Cole Sawyer’s blog posts.

Cole

Hi, my name is Cole. I am 8 years old. I want to tell you a little about my life. Me and my mom are the first ones up in the mornings. When I get up I get my baby sister, Elgin, and take her to Mom and then I snuggle with Mom.
When it is time, we get up and make lunches for everyone. After that, we wake everyone else up and take off for school!

First, we have to drop Rosie and Elgin off at Grandma’s house and then we go to school.

When school is over we go home and unpack and eat a snack. We do chores, eat supper and go to bed. The next day we do homeschool.

One thing I have learned from Mom and Dad is to be kind always.

Orren

I live on a ranch. It’s fun but it’s work, too. Hi, my name is Orren and I am nine years old.

I have four siblings and I am the oldest-that’s also work but is really fun.

I really love to ride horses fast. My horse’s name is, King. He’s really fast!

But with all the fun and work this life is I have also learned a lesson. That lesson is to never give up. It’s really important whether you live on a ranch or not.

In the Bible, Luke 1:37, it says nothing shall be impossible with God. That is true . Nothing is impossible with HIM. The ranch life will teach you that quicker than a lot of things.

My great parents make it a lot easier to live this awesome life. So does my horse. I love my life-work and all!

In the summer we take our cows to graze on a mountain permit. You never know if it’s gonna be real nasty weather but it’s fun even when the weather is bad.

Watching my mom and dad work as hard as they do is inspirational to me. They have both taught me so much!

In conclusion, ranch life is a lot of work but a ton of fun! And remember to never give up!
.

Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

How to Prepare your Child for Strong Writing Skills

How to Prepare your Child for Strong Writing Skills

by | Nov 15, 2021 | Julia, One Blessed Momma

Being a former Kindergarten teacher, I get asked quite often how important handwriting is for children. First thing I tell them, is to not stress where they are right now. It will come. Start where they are and help them to get strengthen their fine motor skills that will then correlate to writing skills.

What is Fine Motor Skills?

“ Fine motor skills are activities in which you use the small muscles in your hands and wrists to make precise movements. They’re different from gross motor skills like running and jumping, which use larger muscles.” WebMd definition

What Does it Mean to Scaffold?

It means to set them up for success and then as they accomplish and become confident try a step harder.

To “Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each.” You can read more about scaffolding in education here.

When you think about it, God does the same for us. He meets us where we are at and never gives us more than we can handle. Thank you, God for being the ultimate teacher.

Scaffold Fine Motor Skills

Below are 10 ways to scaffold and improve fine motor skills that will produce one’s writing technique.

1. Play-doh:

Let them help you make your own, stir the pot, roll it out.  Have them use tools (you can use cookie cutters or plastic spoons/knives—we also like this kit).

As they improve their hand strength just playing with play-doh then encourage them to create items: a pinch pot, bowl with little balls for cereal and a spoon, an animal.

You could also encourage them to roll out in to letters, numbers, shapes, or their name.

2. Legos:

Large blocks such as Duplo’s are a great plays to start.  At first just allow them to explore two at a time and then work toward building towers.  Next build little houses.

As they improve work with smaller items like Lego’s. When children use their fingers to build, stick together and pull a part they strengthen the muscles and gain control.

3. Babies to Barbies:

When changing the babies clothes or diaper they are moving their fingers purposely, practicing control.

As they move past babies and on to barbies or other dolls items tend to get smaller and need more detailed precision like putting tiny shoes on or doing their hair.

4. Band-Aids:

This is one of my children’s favorite activities. They enjoy playing doctor. My one child doesn’t like to put band-aid’s on boo boo’s, nor do they want you to wear one let alone get a boo boo. So, this activities serves two purposes. Helps to expose her to band-aids and see they’re okay but also gives practice in taking the wrapper off and putting the band-aid on paper or you. These create more purposeful finger movement. Band-aids can be easily found at the Dollar Tree or in the dollar section at certain stores.

5. Stickers:

This can have endless possibilities. So many different creatives ideas you can make with this. To make it easier for them, take off the background sticker to make it easier to peel the picture sticker off. You could also just use circle yard sale pricing stickers to save some money.

6. Beading:

When they’re little start with larger beads (Melissa and Doug have a wooden set) and as they get older let the beads get smaller. You could also learn how to do different designs.

7. Crayons:

Again start large. They have ones that start as an egg for a full hand grip. Then triangle shape crayons to help form pincher grasp on utensils, then large round to small round.

8. Chalk:

Start with large chalk and then to smaller chalk. Have you ever dipped chalk in water to get it wet so it shows up darker on paper? If you don’t have a chalkboard you can use construction paper too.

9. Paint brush:

Have them draw a picture with water and paintbrush on chalkboard. Then draw a picture of squiggle lines, shapes, lines that resemble the same shapes of letters. Then do pictures of flowers, sun, animals, trees, clouds. Then write their name. You could also practice with paint. Start with their fingers to large paint brush to smaller.

10. Tweezers:

Pinchers or squeeze droppers make for fun water play or sensory bin additions. Use them to pick up pom poms, beans, letters, numbers.

It takes time

If you can incorporate fine motor skills daily and give multiple opportunities for them to practice, writing can eventually improve.

Remember not all children develop at the same rate. A lot of times, boys develop slower than girls because they don’t have as many small toys to play with to strengthen their fingers. Also, not every child is ready by kindergarten to start writing. They just want to continue play. That’s okay to let them still play while learning. Have them shape play-doh in to letters or their name.
Doing these exercise can integrate in to anything you want to teach them about. They aren’t just for fine motor skills but allow learning through combining ingredients, 5 senses, building, designing, letters, numbers, shapes, counting, cause and effect, patterns, .

Free Printable

Play-doh Mats

After laminating, you can use with play-doh by having them either roll snakes or pinch play-doh off to match the shapes of the letters.   You can also use dry-erase markers to trace the letters.

.

Meet Julia!

Julia is a wife to her high-school sweetheart, a mother to two beautiful girls and a follower of Christ.   She loves crafting, teaching and is forever grateful for a God who is in control of all unknowns and thankful we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding.