Family Room

My Family Room
at Sadie's Place

I would like to welcome you to my family room. This part of
Sadie's Place is dedicated to my family. I am married to a
wonderful husband and have five beautiful children. Three are
with us and our angel baby & our sweet little Joseph are in Heaven with
our Lord.We also have three dogs and one kitty that we love to pieces.
We enjoy being together and care very deeply for one another. Within this
room, I'm going to try to encourage you to celebrate being a family. We do!
Every day is a blessing to us in our house. God chose each of us to be in
this family and we wouldn't have it any other way. So, grab a seat and
stay a while. We're glad you're here.

To me, a home were the family resides needs to be so welcoming.
Here at our house, that has always been my goal. I want my family, and friends,
to see our house as ships do lighthouses when approaching the shore.
A beacon. A safe haven. A place of warmth, love, and comfort. We can safely
say that families whose members were at sea would hope that the lights
in the windows of their homes would help guide their loved ones back
safely. It goes without saying that a light placed in a prominent position
such as on the roof or on top of a high tower would be much more visible.
The better and more distinguishable the light, the more successful it
would be. Thus, the "lighthouse" is an obvious idea to strive for with your
home. So, I have striven to make that happen. I want to share some
ideas with you that have worked for us and hope you will work
to make your home the "lighthouse" for your family.

The Lighthouse

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk
in darkness, but will have the light of life."
~John 8:12~

A Loving Home

A loving home is a lighthouse
With children safe and warm,
Refuge from the cold outside,
A port in time of storm,

A harbor for the family,
A haven in the night,
A beacon that burns brightly
To shed abroad its light.

When time has passed, the children leave
For shelters of their own.
May each be guided by the light
Of love in every home.

M.M. Marshall

Ways To Make Your House A Home
I think the first thing you need to do in your home is make God the center of
your home. Celebrating the Lord by reading and studying the Bible sets the
foundation you need to create a loving environment for your family. It is very
important to make God the center of your home, to make time each day for Him
and to teach your children about Him and his commandments as well. The Bible
provides so many opportunities for object lessons and practical learning that you
can benefit even better from daily study. Eternal truths are most effectively
learned in the loving environment of a God fearing home.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments
that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you
sit at home and when you walk along the road, when
you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols
on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them
on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
~Deuteronomy 6:5-9~

Here are some Christian family links to visit to get you on your way
to building a firm foundation for your home.

Crosswalk.com
Men of Integrity
(For all men: fathers, sons, brothers, etc.)
Proverbs 31 Ministry
( For all women desiring to build Godly homes.)
Focus on the Family
Family Life
Christian Parenting
( The Family Devotionals are good.)

Blessing the Home

Now, that I covered the most important part of making your house a home,
here are some loving ways to make your home a favorite place to be or to
go when you need it.

Prayer life. Praying, as a family, is real important. You learn to rely
    on our Father together. You know that you can count on each other's
    prayers when you are in need of them and even when you're not.
    Romans 12:12 reminds us to be "faithful in prayer". Teach your family
    to be faithful.

Family dinner. If you are not able to have dinner together every
   night then pick one night a week you can. This time together is
   important in your relationship with one another. A time to share what
   is going on in your lives.A time to laugh together or solve issues at
   hand.....whatever the case may be. If possible, make it the same night
   each week. Make a commitment!

Candles. Candles always add a little "warmth" to your home. Have
   candles in every room if possible, even the children's room. Different
   fragrances for each room is nice but not necessary. When searching for
   candle holders, be selective! Think about the room you are buying for:
   color, theme, feel, etc. You get the picture. Here are the rules for
   burning candles in your home:

   a. DO NOT burn candles if you are not going to be at home to watch
      them. Many fires have started because of unattended candles.
   b. If you have children, please teach them about the dangers of
      candles if they touch them or mess with them. If they are too young
      to understand, simply place the candles out of their reach. If you
      choose to burn candles in their rooms, make sure it is up where it
      cannot be knocked over or where it cannot be touched.
   c. When burning a 3-wick candle, always burn it for atleast 6 hours
      straight to be able to roll down the sides toward the middle as it
      burns.Anything less will not make the wax soft enough to roll down,
      and,eventually, you will be burning a well in the middle of your
      candle. Your candle will look odd and you would have wasted almost
      half your candle.Never clip the wicks either!
   d. On other candles, always clip the wick down to a 1/4 of an inch before
      burning. You do not have to roll down the sides of any other candles
      other then the 3-wick, as mentioned above, and pillar candles.
   e. Try to snuff out your candles instead of blowing them out. Protects
      the wick shape and prevents you from blowing wax everywhere.

Quilts. I believe quilts through out your home is a wonderful touch. You
   can have them hanging on a wall or draped over furniture or displayed
   on a bed. In cooler, temperatures, always have some handy to snuggle
   up under. I like to keep my quilts at eye level in our closet for my
   children so they can just go and get one when they need one. Quilts on
   your table as table runners or as placemats is a nice touch to your
   kitchen or dining room.

Hospitality. Welcoming others into your home with open arms. Offer
   them a seat. Provide refreshments. Make them feel loved and accepted
   in your home. This is important in making your home special. You want
   your family to know that if you can extend this invitation to others
   outside of family, how much more will they be received. Get it?

Family pictures. I have family photos in every room in my house including
   the bathroom! I get a feeling of home and togetherness when I walk
   into a house that is filled with pictures of the family. I am very proud of
   my family and love sharing with others how much they change year after
   year. To show their accomplishments, growth, and major events is showing
   them how much they mean to me in all they do.

Some other ways would be: Having a movie night, a game night, or a
   family night. For families with little ones, have time set aside for
   reading, maybe play dough time, or lego time together. Go for walks or
   ride bikes. Make an effort to get together for birthdays. Doesn't have to
   be anything lavish just a time of celebration. Play family football, baseball,
   tennis, etc. Send unexpected cards to remind your parents, or siblings,
   how much they mean to you. Have a picnic. These are just some more ideas
   to build the bond and commitment you have to one another as a family.
   Don't let a moment pass!!!

Sadie's Family supports our troops and their effort.
God bless our nation and its soldiers.

You can adopt this tree at Bloggin Adoptions for
your webpage. Show your support!

Homeschooling

Homeschooling is a part of our family life. We learn together and even
teach one another through experiences or by sharing what we have learned
with one another. I know this decision was God sent because I never
even thought of homeschooling my children until one Christmas when I
asked my sister-in-law, Cheri, about homeschooling. She had already been
teaching her daughter at home for a couple of years at that time. I don't know
what provoked me to ask her about it but I did. And after our time of her sharing
and my many questions, I knew on the way home that night that I was chosen to
teach my son at home. Isn't God wonderful? I felt so good about what I
was going to be doing in my son's life and future children's lives) and
I still do today. Though deciding to homeschool must be a personal choice,
be sure to ask your questions to other homeschoolers, find a
homeschooling network near you, read up on the laws in your state that
concern homeschooling, and, most of all, PRAY!!

We have been homeschooling since my oldest was in preschool. He is
in the 9th grade now. Ten years so far!! My second child just started 3rd grade.
And our youngest is in 1st grade. It has been some adjustment teaching
three children in three very different grades but we have done wonderfully!
All of my children are great students and I enjoy watching them learn.
I just believe teaching takes place more often then not
every day. I try to seize those opportunities every chance I get.
Their Daddy even participates in the teaching process. He always asks
them what they have learned and that creates a sharing time for them. Then
he shares his knowledge on the subject. He is a smart man.
God has truly blessed this for us! I know this: Homeschooling was the best
decision for us and we are thankful every day!! Anyhow, I wanted to share some
sites with you that I have found to be helpful in our homeschooling. I have put
together a page that is informative and, hopefully, a blessing in your
lives as you take this blessed step to teach your children at home.
Just click on the link below.

Our Little Home School

Sadie's Family

This is the point in the family room where you can get to
know each member of Sadie's Place better. Each person
has their own "space" and are excited to be sharing
their world with you. Each person is working on their
room so I'll open them up when they are ready.
May God bless you as you visit with my family.

Norm's
Sunshine's Loft
Bug's Life
Angel Girl's Delightful Spot
Joseph's Room

A Family Prayer

When the roll is called up yonder
And my life has passed away;
When the Book of Life
is opened,

And the trumpet starts to play;
Let me family stand together,
Everyone down to the last;
Our hearts will sing with joy
As we listen to our past.
Then we'll walk
into the mansion
Prepared by loving hands...
The family of Jesus,
Into the promised land.

I want to invite you to visit my Prayer Page. I hope it will
encourage you and lead you into a prayer life that is
rewarding and fulfilling.

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sins and will heal their land. "

~2 Chronicles 7:14~ (NIV)