Thanks to everyone on my blog and Facebook who helped give advice and sympathy and suggestions on helping me and Little Miss survive the stage she went through of being scared at night. We've come so far in such a short time!

After having a long talk with her, I did the following: added an adorable Princess nightlight to her room (she already had two but one was super tiny and barely could even count), eliminated some TV shows she liked that might be scary (not while watching them, but in the aftermath of being alone, like Scooby Doo and Winx Fairies, etc.) lingered in her room a little longer at tuck-in time instead of scooting out the door to get my own chores done, prayed over her room along with my husband, reminded her of her Bible verses she knew about being afraid, and implemented a rewards system. If she stayed in her bed allll night, she got a surprise the night morning. We did this three nights in a row.

The first night she did great, and earned a Princess T-shirt I found on clearance at Target. The second night she got up once at 3 a.m. but was immediately able to be tucked back into her own bed with zero drama, so I still rewarded her with Princess panties. Then the third night she stayed in bed all night with no issues and earned a Strawberry Shortcake t-shirt.  :)

She's had two nights now of no rewards promised and has done fabulous. Thank the Lord! :)  I'm so proud of her and so glad to have been reassured this was a normal stage and not anything that anyone had done wrong. Thanks, online family :)  You guys are the best!!

Money Matters

Do you ever sit down to balance your checkbook and get an instant headache? Does the thought of paying bills make you sick? Do you ever wonder where your money is going and why you're always fighting with your spouse over it?

We've been there!

So the other week my husband and I sat down (for 3 hours!! not kidding) and made a for-real budget. It's something we've been needing to do for a long time now, and while it was a major headache during the actual process, afterward has so far proven to be fantastic. It really solves a lot of problems! Gone is the wondering and the assuming and fighting and the control issues. And in its place are facts and figures (that in essence makes this non-math-girl shudder but hey I'm loving the results) that give us a plan and help us meet goals.

And also, as a planner and an organizer and a detailed person, I'm in heaven ;)

The positive benfits will be more evident as a month or two passes, but I really feel this was a good step for us! Do you live by a budget, or by the checkbook? Do you and your family have a system, or wing it? Which way works best for you and why?

I'd love feedback/opinions! :)

Sorry I didn't blog today! Was writing this morning in Starbucks with a cranberry orange scone and a white chocolate mocha, then it was off to the day spa to use my gift card from Christmas for a massage, facial, and mani-pedi. Then home to shower and head out to a yummy dinner with my family, my sister and her family and our parents for Mother's Day celebration.

So I guess really I'm NOT that sorry I didn't blog after all ;)

Hope your weekend is equally fabulous!!

~ SOUL SAVER ~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dineen Miller readily admits that one of the greatest lessons she’s learning about life is that there’s purpose in our trials. It’s all about trusting God and putting our hope in Him. Her favorite stories are of the miracles God has wrought in the lives of her family.

Through this lens she also believes her years as a youth counselor, a Stephen Minister, a women’s ministry leader, and a small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others through words of truth.

In addition to writing for Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Dineen has won several prestigious awards for her fiction, and her devotional writing has been featured in Our Journey and Christian Women Online Magazine. She’s also a C.L.A.S.S. Communicator and has been featured on the Moody Radio Network, Family Life and Focus on the Family Radio.

Married for 24 years to a guy who keeps her young, she lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two adult daughters, who surprise her daily with their own creativity.

She is the co-author of Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage and the author of The Soul Saver.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Trusting God Is the Only Way Out

On an average day, God started her missions in her sculpting studio, revealing the face of the person she would meet at the grocery store, bank, or playground. The goal was always the same. Reach the lost, bring someone back to God, restore hope. But then came the tough missions—the ones that sent Lexie Baltimore into real battle. And she had a few battle scars to show for it.

Tormented that she can’t reach the one person she loves the most—staunch atheist and husband Hugh—Lexie finds her own hope waning when the battle comes to her doorstep in the shape of a pastor who represents everything she wants and everything her husband is not—a godly man.

Then false accusations and rumors spin her husband and family into a precarious position, and the only way out is to trust God. But how can she convince her husband when she’s struggling to trust God herself?

This time Lexie is the mission.

ENDORSEMENTS:

“Never before have I felt as if I were seeing someone’s life play out across a page until I read Soul Saver. Dineen Miller's prose had me sighing at the beauty of her word pictures. This is not a book to be missed – Life changing!”

— Robin Caroll, author of the Evil series and Injustice For All

“When you combine stellar writing, intriguing characters, and a fascinating plot the result is a story like Soul Saver. It’s the kind of novel I wish I had written.”

— James L. Rubart, bestselling author of ROOMS, Book of Days, and The Chair

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Soul Saver, go HERE.

Buy your copy here! The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1616265825

I haven't gotten to read this novel yet, but it's in my pile for VERY soon!! Dineen and I go way back in the ACFW and I'm so excited for her about this release. She's not only a talented writer but a sweet woman with a heart for the Lord and her family. Don't miss this novel!!!! :)

Visit me today at http://www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com/

AND check out my newest monthly column ON GOOD GIRLS, for Nicole O'Dell's teen CHOOSE NOW Ministry. My column is the first Saturday of every month. Here's the link! http://nicoleodell.com/betsy-st-amant-on-good-girls/

And one more interview at Proof See the Evidence....fun times! :)  http://proofseetheevidence.org/

Happy Wednesday!