• Ask a Teacher: What would you like for Christmas?
  • Fitness: Accept the Challenge
  • Beauty: SPF that fights wrinkles!
  • Moms on 88.3 The Wind: Sunday Devotions

Sunday Devotion: Pay it forward

By:

By: Kelli Artherton

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

A few years ago my husband, the girls and I were sitting at Applebee’s in Nixa having a nice dinner. We were just enjoying each others company, minding our own business. After we finished dinner, we asked for our check. wow-384876_640

To our surprise, our waitress had told us that someone in the restaurant had paid for our entire dinner! She said they told her that we seemed like such a great family and they wanted to do something nice. Que the tears! This really pulled at my heart strings! Wow! I had never had this happen in a restaurant. I had someone in a drive through occasionally pay for my drink or lunch, but never the entire family! I of course looked around Applebee’s looking for someone that I had thought paid for our meal. I wanted to thank them. I just couldn’t believe it. However, they wanted to remain anonymous.

Even though this was such a small act of kindness in the scheme of things, I will never forget it! I still think about it to this day. I try to do my part in paying it forward. Especially if I am in the drive thru, or even at the grocery store.

Just being nice to people is an act of paying it forward. While at the grocery store one afternoon on my lunch break, there was a lady that had a few items in her hands she came up behind me and huffed and puffed. I could tell she was in a bigger hurry than I was. I had very few items as well, but I asked if she wanted to go in front of me. She gladly accepted and said oh my goodness thank you so much. I have had such a rough day and need to get to an appointment that I am already late to. I could see her mood instantly improve.

UntitledYou never know what someone is going through. A small act of kindness goes far, even when it may seem so small to you. So even when you think you may not be able to pay it forward, you can do so in the simplest form of opening a door for someone, helping the elderly out to their car with their groceries or letting them go in front of you in line.

When we have very little, it can seem hard to let go of what we have. But we are called to reach out to those who are hurting, offering food, comfort or a even a prayer. We don’t need to worry about coming up short, because God always multiplies whatever it is we give. So the next time you are feeling blue, do something nice for someone and then imagine what God can do in your life.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 

Local pics: Halloween 2018

By:

What a fun and exhausting week! Can I get an amen? Amen! But these cute photos of happy kiddos make it all worth it. Thank you for sharing your Halloween pics with us. We think these kiddos are pretty cute and we think you will too!

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for sharing your family with us!

 

 

 

 

 

Candy overload? Have you heard of the Switch Witch?

By:

repost

imagesAhh!! Too.Much.Candy!  I’m sure your family is just like ours, we have Halloween events at school, church then trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. My kids get so much candy that we don’t need! I don’t want my kiddos to eat all this candy and I don’t want to be tempted to eat all of their candy when they aren’t looking!

witch-946730_640What can we do? Well, have you heard of the Switch Witch? She is real, and I think she became my new best friend! The Switch Witch will come over and visit your house once your kiddos are fast asleep from their candy coma and take their candy. Now, I know that sounds mean and cruel, however, you explain this to your kiddos and tell them that she will leave them a gift for trade for their candy!

In order to pull the “switch” off, you need to talk to your kids several days in advance. If you try this on Halloween night your kiddos might turn into a scary witch.

Here are a few tips to pull off a successful “switch”:

  • Start telling the story of how the Switch Witch swoops in to take their candy to feed her fat cat, or to spread to other boys and girls that didn’t get any candy! You can make the story your own!
  • Let your kids pick out some of their favorite candy to keep, however, the more they give to the Switch Witch, the bigger the gift.
  • The gift can be discussed, it doesn’t have to be expensive, but try and make it fun, something they would really enjoy, or have been wanting for awhile.

Happy Switchcrafting!! 

Sunday Devotion: Basket Launch

By:

by Jennifer Duncan

I was several months in to the “empty nest” season of life, when I realized that this was a fairly permanent situation.  My sons were firmly set in college life, happily independent of my supervision, and I faced the stark reality that there were some things in my life that would never happen again.

I had been warned about this.  Someone wrote an article that reminded parents that there would come a time when we would mourn over all the “lasts” that had gone by unnoticed.  And, yes, I realized there WAS a time when I picked up one of my little boys and parked him on my hip, for the last time…a last time for holding hands to cross the street…a last ride in a car seat…a last crayon drawing.  So now here they were…all the things that were over for good…staring me in the face.

Never again would I come home to find that someone had eaten ALL of the snacks that  I had purchased for a get-together with friends.

Never again would I find a pile of dirty sports uniforms in the laundry room floor…uniforms that needed to be clean by TOMORROW.

Never again would I have discussions about which kind of shoes were the “must haves” for the school year.

Nobody would be arguing over the use of my car, or whose turn it was to put gas in said car.

Nobody would be expecting me to have snacks prepared and packed into a cooler before the bus left for a track meet.

Nothing would be left in the middle of the kitchen table, like math books or cleats or dirty socks.

Nothing would be rearranged in the living room, to set up a better place to play video games.

Never would I be expected to be at the youth parent’s meeting at church, or to help sponsor an overnight lock-in.

Never would I have to worry about waiting up until curfew, or what I would do if one of them didn’t come home on time.

Never again would I wonder who left the butter out of the refrigerator, or who left the greasy pan on the stove.

Nobody would be asking to borrow money from me.

Nobody would ask me to bake something TONIGHT for the bake sale tomorrow.

And nothing, like scissors, tape, batteries, or tools, would disappear from its usual storage place.

Everything is right where it’s supposed to be, and my life is uncluttered and my schedule is predictable and uncomplicated.

Someone said that these days of sending grown children off on their own, are like Moses’s mother “putting the basket in the water.”  To spare her son’s life, Jocabed took a great risk, and launched him out in a floating basket to be found by a compassionate princess (Exodus 1).  Jocabed didn’t know how it would all turn out, and even though scripture doesn’t record what she said or did, I’m guessing that she was praying her heart out, asking for God’s protection and provision.  God was faithful to her, just as He was to me when I launched my sons.  I know that even now, He is the one giving them the guidance and care that they need.   I am thankful for that.

But oh, what I wouldn’t give for just one more night of waiting…for curfew.

Jennifer is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  She is mom to two grown (twin) sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law and four granddaughters.  Her late husband, John, pastored two churches in Barry County, Missouri, and one in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Jennifer serves in teaching, music and lay counseling through her church, Arnhart Baptist Church, Purdy, Missouri.  She also enjoys leading retreats and Bible studies for women.

Fitness: Accept the Challenge

By:

by Kelsey Fields

I am officially five days away from the most challenging race of my life. I don’t know if I had too much NyQuil, was in a Taco Bell coma, or if I just officially hit my quarter life crisis when I signed up. My fingers registered me before my brain could tell me to back away from the computer. Races should have a 24 hour think period. You sign up, and then 24 hours later you have a chance to come to your senses because you’ve realized that just because you want to run 25 miles doesn’t mean you should or that you can. Maybe I’ll work on that along with my beach jeans.

This is the overview the website gives of the race:

“The Out & Back Challenge is a Run-Relax-Run Relay format for runners who want to get in some serious miles without running during the night.

Your team will run approximately 125 miles (depending on final course measurement). Each runner will run 4 legs (based on a 6-person team). You will be challenged and actually run more miles than the 200-mile standard teams, but get a good night’s rest.

Think of us as a high-speed walkabout through the best that the Natural State has to offer. From panoramic mountain vistas and rolling valleys, to winding rivers, lush National Forests and 5 scenic State Parks, Outback in the Ozarks will take you to a breathtakingly beautiful “Land Down Under.”

This is what it actually means:

The Out and Back Challenge is a ‘run the hardest 7 miles of your life with 1000 feet of elevation gain-have enough time to rest that your legs cramp up and die-then run 8 more miles just for fun, but don’t worry, you get to stay in a hotel and wake up and do it all over again the next day’ format.

I’m not bitter. Really, I’m not. But I am nervous! And that is the whole reason I signed up for this race. I really didn’t know if it was something I could do, so I am testing my limits. What I do know is that when I finish I will have accomplished something that took a lot of hard work, dedication, and grit.

My best friend Kayla and I have been training for this race together. Our training has consisted of early morning hills, speed training, strength training, and endurance runs. We found out that if you wake up early enough, you can start running before your brain registers it as a bad idea. Besides my butt looking better in my skinny jeans thanks to those terrible, terrible, hills, my easy run pace has gone down by a solid 30 seconds per mile, I have loads more energy, and I am sleeping like a baby.

Does your daily running consist of sprinting to your child once you’ve noticed they have a deathgrip on an uncapped sharpie and are headed towards the walls? That’s okay!  You don’t have to join in on my kind of crazy, but you really should find a way to challenge yourself. Here are some ways to challenge yourself, starting from the bottom up!

  • Beginner: “I run to Target to buy dry shampoo and coffee.”

Run everyday for a month. I do this every summer for the Runner’s World Run Streak and it is one of my favorite running commitments. I run a mile each day, but if you are a beginner smart small. Try running three minutes each day, and build up to twelve over the course of the month.

  • Intermediate: “I run when I can find an opportunity to escape from my children’s sticky grasp AKA a weekend or evening jog here and there.”

Enjoy running every once and a while but too scared to commit to a race? Just do it! Sign up for a 5k. Start training with the Couch to 5k app and take it slow. Build up your mileage a little at a time until you feel confident enough for the big day. I swear to you that once you feel the adrenaline and atmosphere of your first 5k you will be addicted.

  • Advanced: “Mommy runs when she needs to clear her head…otherwise known as 3-4 times a week.”

Run a 5k every month for a year. This is something I have always wanted to to do, but you know, having babies. I may have to make it my New Year’s Resolution for 2019. Sign up for your races far in advance so you can’t back out and so your registration fees are lower (the closer to you get to an event, the higher the registration fees). Pick races that have gorgeous views, awesome swag, or dope medals. (Can I say dope? Am I too old for that?)

Our sponsors at Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series offer an amazing variety of races, from a beautiful trail race through Dogwood Canyon to a half-marathon through the sites of Springfield. I dare you to check out the races on their website, and sign up for one today!

SWMO Moms fitness category, which is full of healthy tips for all women,  is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series. 

Their mission is to celebrate health and wellness, outdoor adventures and wildlife conservation in the beauty of the Ozarks. Programs are designed to include activities for people of all ages, backgrounds, fitness levels and areas of interest. CLICK HERE for more information or give them a call at 417.873.5214.

Kelsey is an elementary teacher (just finished her first year!), a Beachbody certified Insanity instructor, avid runner and yoga enthusiast. 

When she is not working out, you will find her cheering on the Denver Broncos, substitute teaching and spending time with her family. She is wife to Blake and mom to busy 2 year-old son Max and 1 year-old, Mick.