Online Jobs = Scams?

I have spent more and more time over the past few months looking into work at home opportunities. Making a decent amount of money from your living room sounds ideal, right? Nevertheless, it is quite disheartening to find out that many "online jobs" are really just scams!

I started thinking, "I would like to work from home. Are there any legitimate opportunities for such work, or what?!" Today I came across a site called: Money Making Mommy.

The creator of the site, Kelly writes;

Online jobs are becoming more and more popular. With the economy causing more and more of us to be without a job, it’s no surprise people are looking for ways to earn from home, including online jobs, freelance work and more. I understand this all too well after losing my on air radio gig in 2002. The radio station I worked for closed it’s doors and there I was with two kids, a mortgage and no paycheck. Sure, my husband had his job – but we were barely making it with BOTH our paychecks, let alone go down to just ONE!

I wondered, could there be real online jobs out there – could I work at home? Or am I going to get scammed over and over in my search for online jobs? What do I even want to do from home and what exactly are online jobs? Do I have the skills to be able to snag the job I want when and if I find it? There are so many questions that cross your mind when you’re faced with the monumental search of finding a work at home job or way to make money from home. I KNOW this. And online jobs resources on the internet today come and go – A LOT. I’ve been around since 1999 – quietly working away at researching online jobs.

So the creation of Money Making Mommy and the hundreds of pages here on the topic of making money, working at home and online jobs. I’ve invested all my heart and soul into this very website (and still do every day!) that you’re looking over – while searching for online jobs for myself, that search become my job! It has become a labor of love. It has seen many designs, many changes – but one thing always stays the same. The online jobs resources I personally provide are free. I try to provide genuine work at home resources. My goal is to help you in some small way, reach your goal of researching work at home and ultimately finding a career from home that fits you! So get pen a paper out – “My Online Jobs Research” – and start hunting. Start by checking Today’s Online Jobs.

My family and I don’t live a life of extravagance. We don’t have a fleet of fancy cars or a great big house. Money still gets tight at times. The goal of this work at home site was never to get rich. It was to help people. People just like me find online jobs with tools for research, info and suggestions that help them ultimately make money. There are online jobs out there for us all.

I am not endorsing the site just yet because I have not looked into it fully. However, if you are interested, you can find out more about Money Making Mom here! Please come back and leave a comment here if you decide to use the site and have a good experience with it?

Are there other legitimate online jobs out there that you have experience with? Do tell!

A Mother's Influence

I love the way that Pastor Kimberly Ray describes her mother's powerful influence!

Invisible Woman

Do you ever feel like your labor goes unnoticed? Do you ever feel unappreciated? Is it difficult, at times, to keep the importance of the time and investment you are making in your marriage and your children at the forefront of your mind?

Join the club.

If you are like me, and need occasional reminders of the eternal significance of your role as a wife and mother, you'll enjoy this clip. It is another good one from Nicole Johnson and I dedicate it to you "with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

~Invisible Woman by Nicole Johnson

Wives Like Sarah

We know that Sarah didn't do everything right.

Still, she is still mentioned in the bible for her eventual submission to her husband, Abraham. Read below to find out why her example is one we should follow.

Caution: Material below contains truth that does not appeal to the flesh.

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.

They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. [1 Peter 3:1-7, niv]

1. Submission is an inner quality of gentleness that affirms the leadership of the husband.

“Be submissive to your husbands” means that a wife will willingly submit to her husband’s authority and leadership in the marriage. It means making a choice to affirm her husband as leader within the limits of obedience to Christ. It includes a demeanor that honors him as leader even when she dissents. Of course, it is an attitude that goes much deeper than mere obedience, but the idea of willing obedience to a husband’s authority is certainly part of this submission, as is clear from verses 5-6.

There Peter illustrates being “submissive to their own husbands” with the example of Sarah, “who obeyed Abraham,” thus showing that obeying (hypakouo¯) is the means by which Sarah was being submissive (hupotasso¯, the same word used in verse 1). Moreover, this submission is a respectful affirmation, for Peter recalls that Sarah obeyed Abraham “and called him master” (verse 6).

Further understanding of the nature of this submission is gained from Peter’s description of the beauty that accompanies it, the beauty of “a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (verse 4). The adjective gentle (praus) only occurs three other times in the New Testament, twice referring to Christ (Matthew 11:29; 21:5; also 5:5), but its related noun, translated “gentleness” or “meekness,” is more frequent (Galatians 5:23; 6:1; James 3:13; etc.). It means “not insistent on one’s own rights,” or “not pushy, not selfishly assertive,” “not demanding one’s own way.”

Such a gentle and quiet spirit will be beautiful before other human beings, even unbelieving husbands (verses 1-2), but even more important, it “is of great worth in God’s sight.” Why? No doubt because such a spirit is the result of quiet and continual trust in God to supply one’s needs, and God delights in being trusted (cf. 1 Peter 1:5, 7-9, 21; 2:6-7, 23; 5:7).

In describing the things that accompany this submission, Peter focuses on the inward attitudes of the heart. When he says that a wife’s source of beauty should be “the inner self” (verse 4), he is speaking of her inward nature, her true personality.

Finally, the greatest reward will be the combined joy of honoring God and receiving His favor. Dorothy Patterson rightly says of this passage, “Submission primarily honors the Lord who established the relationship.” Yet in honoring the Lord a Christian wife will also know His special favor. Peter says that the gentle and quiet spirit that accompanies such submissive behavior “is of great worth in God’s sight” (verse 4). God will look on this behavior, which springs from a heart of faith, and will delight in this daughter of Sarah and show her His favor.

~Wayne Grudem in Wives Like Sarah and the Husbands Who Honor Them

I know. Heavy, right? I'm just going to let that one marinate.

Ministry at Home

"In every generation, mothers must answer the call to be what no one else can be, to do what no one else can do for their children.

It isn’t that mothers can’t do many other things, but if they refuse to accept their calling as a mother, some child ends up shortchanged, and the empty space that mother leaves echoes for generations.

Mothers are neither the cause of all of society’s ills, nor the saviors of the nation. But the future of society does depend in part on what we do with the children under our care. What calling could be more significant or more glorifying to God?"
~Jean Fleming in A Mother's Heart

How are you cultivating your Ministry at Home?


(Image from es1123

Are You Meek?

Our culture puts a great deal of pressure on women to be physically desirable. While I believe that God is glorified when we take care of ourselves and try to look our best, physical beauty should not be esteemed higher than our inward qualities.

1 Peter 3:1-4 reads, "

Likewise, ye wives... Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

God values "the hidden man of the heart" more than "outward adorning." Our confidence can't be based on how we look. Looks fade. The bible says, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who feels the Lord shall be praised"(Proverbs 31:30). It behooves us to turn our attention inward and cultivate the kind of spirit that God says is so valuable, a meek and quiet spirit.

How do we know where we fall on the "meekness" scale? Nancy Leigh DeMoss offers a beautiful series entitled The Beauty of Meekness. She points out that this quality is often misunderstood and mistaken for weakness; when in fact, “Meekness is an attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward people, springing from a recognition that God is in control.” Meekness is often defined as strength under control. Nancy explains that a meek person...

...holds their peace, is obliging, has a cool spirit, is calm, is unperturbed, is yielding, gives a soft answer, is sweet, peaceable, forgiving, gentle, peaceful, composed, tolerable, quiet, patient, restrained, undisturbed, unruffled, and accommodating, submissive, bridled, swift to hear and slow to speak.

Perhaps for some, these qualities are easy to emulate when things are going your way. If we judge our meekness by those times, we may fair well. However, Nancy challenges us to think about the times that it doesn't. She asks, what happens when...

...someone criticizes you unfairly?

...someone insults your child or your mate?

...when your plans are blown by someone else’s insensitivity? They didn’t plan, and their lack of planning or their changing plans threw your plans into total disarray?

...when your authority is challenged?

...when your boss corrects you for a mistake that someone else made?

...when someone else gets credit for a great idea that you had?

...when somebody cuts you off in traffic?

...when the person in the express grocery lane has 37 items in their buggy?

...when somebody takes advantage of you, rips you off financially?

...when an authority makes what you consider a poor or unwise decision, and it impacts you and your family?

Its during these very times that God wants us to have a meek and quiet spirit. The world does not value meekness; however, Jesus was meek (Matthew 11:28-30). When we are being meek, we are being like Jesus.

Meekness goes against the cultural tide as well as our sinful nature. It is something I have to continually keep before God. Meekness is not for wimps! Actually, "...it requires just the opposite of that weak, spineless, mousy personality to have true biblical meekness...It takes courage. It takes enormous strength and grace and faith to be a meek woman, and a meek woman is one who has great power and influence in our world and in the world around her"(DeMoss, The Beauty of Meekness 6/19/09).

Heavenly Hands

I finished Passionate Housewives yesterday! 

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Often we don't view our daily activities biblically. We wrongly believe that the more mundane the task, the less significant it is to God. As  difficult as it may be to believe, the hands that tenderly bathe your baby at night are no less holy than the hands that serve you communion on Sunday. Every small act of love to your family-every diaper you change, every meal you prepare, every toilet you scrub, every errand you run, every fever you tend to, each tooth you pull, every moment of undefiled intimacy with your husband-each one is a holy act when it's done as unto the Lord"(p.g 36-37).

Impacting The World Through Homemaking

“We are called to be different - not conformed to the pattern of this world but transformed by Christ (Romans 12:2). We are to live in such a way that others may have hope. When we trust in the Lord and submit to His design for marriage, family, home, and church, then our homemaking accomplishes far more than just making homes. It has the power to impact countless lives and generations for the glory of God.” ( Passionate Housewives Desperate For God, p. 163)

I always knew there was something different about them. The more I began to know them, the more shocked I was. "What! You have never had a boyfriend? You have never kissed a boy? You don't drink? You don't curse? You don't talk about people behind their backs?"

Their sweet spirits and dedication to prayer, fasting, bible study, and church attendance also took me by surprise. It wasn't uncommon that I would knock on their door and find them prostrate on the floor praying in the middle of the day or night.

There God was, right in the middle of my sin, my distress and my weariness, allowing my path to cross with two of the most peculiar people I'd ever encountered. They were two sisters who lived on campus in the same dorm as I. They were only 18 years old and modeling right before my eyes a fervent love for God and a life consistent with his word.

Little did I know,  my interaction with these two ladies would be the start of a fresh new life for me, as a young christian woman who practiced biblical womanhood. Not only did I become a born again Christian, but so did two of my close friends, their friends, our parents, and many more students from other campuses as a result of their holy lifestyle. Now, many of us have married and have children who we are bringing up in the ways of the Lord.

With all that goes on in the life of an 18 year old girl on a college campus, I often wondered where did these two sisters get such a love for God and such a powerful conviction to stand for him in college?

As time went on, I found out that their mother was a stay at home mom of 15 children. That she and her husband woke their children up for family devotion everyday. That their mother kept their home life peaceful and consistent. It just so happens that their love for God was largely shaped by her consistent support, training, and example.

It wasn't their mother who witnessed to me on that college campus, but I do attribute much of my being who I am today to her. It was her sacrificial love and work of her hands that God chose to use to radically impact my life as well as the lives of many other people. 

As a homemaker, I realize that my cleaning, dusting, diaper changing, nose wiping, and laundry is not the end all be all. My primary reason for staying home is not to clean, but to raise children who will impact the lives of others for the glory of God. God has placed gifts and talents in them and has a purpose for their lives that is bigger than me and "my agenda." As I work everyday to train, walk upright, and to create a loving home environment, I must remember that my purpose is eternal. If I do my part, there will come a day when someone will experience salvation as a result of the prayers and witness of my children, just like I did through the witness and prayers of my college friends.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.

How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates(Psalm 127:3-5).

Truly, my children are God's gift to me and my gift to the world.

Tend and Befriend

With the many responsibilities of a typical mom, it behooves us to understand what strategies best help women deal with stress. 

In her article, Women's Friendships Vital To Health, health care consultant, Teri Louden explains that women respond to stress differently than men do. A UCLA study suggests that women's response to stress involves a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. 

In fact, one doctor notes that when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress response in a woman, it gives her the urge to tend children and gather with other women. Once she actually engages in this " tending or befriending," studies suggest that more oxytocin is released. As a result, the woman's stress is further calmed. 

What's interesting is doctors claim that the same calming response does not occur in men because testosterone-which men produce in high levels when they're under stress-seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen, however, seems to enhance it.

When I read this, I thought "No wonder God's prescription for our success as wives and mothers is partly centered around women teaching other women!" Titus 2:3-5 says, "The aged women..may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." This is part of God's will for our lives, to engage with other women in such a way that a transfer of knowledge can take place that will strengthen us in our roles as wives and mothers. Ultimately, that kind of interaction can have a huge impact on stress reduction. We really do need each other to survive!

Furthermore, I would also say that this "tend and befriend" notion is partly why so many of us moms follow and/or contribute to blogs. It is a way for us to connect and support each other. Just look around at the post and comments of various blogs. For the most part, you will find women engaging in meaningful and supportive discussion with an intergenerational and multicultural group of other women. Perhaps this is simply a "survival strategy" in this high-tech, information age.

When we look at scripture, and understand the basic biology of women in terms of how we handle stress, it helps us see that there has to be time for relationship with other women. God did not create us to go at life in isolation. Personally, I can attest to the fact that a good chat with a friend in the middle of a stressful day and/or a outing with other moms really does enhance my mood and my outlook on life. It helps to just talk to someone who can relate.

Now, who's up for a girls night out?!

Awesome Post On Modern Motherhood!

Mrs. Parunak has written a great post called Why Modern Motherhood Is So Much Harder Than It Ought To Be: Part I. If you're a new Stay at Home Mom and/or could just use some more encouragement in regards to all this mommy/homemaker business, you're not alone! Take a look at the post and let me know your thoughts.

Our Post Feminist Culture: Gains and Losses

This is the Book Promo for Carolyn McCulley's new book Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World. The book is on My 2009 Book List and I can't wait to read it!

Life With Three Under Three-Series

"Motherhood isn’t meant to be survived but enjoyed. Yet, the skills we need to enjoy it usually are learned after-the-fact. I hate it when that happens."

~Amy Scott

Amy Scott is an a fellow blogger and mother of six children under the age of 11. I recently discovered a blog series she wrote some time back called Life With Three Under Three. In the series she shares her perspective and advice on homemaking for moms who are dealing with a house full of little ones. Here is an excerpt from the series:

It’s maternal instinct to desire and nurture babies. We’re created for it; it’s basic biology. The problem is that our culture suppresses the natural urge and calls it unnatural. This is why I messed with nature, took synthetic hormones, and hung over a toilet for months. If I said, “I’m getting married and hope raise a family soon,” I’d likely be labeled “irresponsible” by my evangelical brethren; for the more fortunate, it’s possible to escape with just being weird.

But there is a resurgence of women (that I’ve never noticed before—maybe I had my eyes closed or maybe the internet made it possible for them to band together) who are now saying, “Yes, I want to raise a family. I’ll agree that babies are good and can glorify God….but how?”

After a few babies, reality sets in and the Christian mom begins to think that maybe everyone had a good point. This is really hard. She is knee-deep in Cheerios. The laundry has an unnatural smell to it. She’s knows the theme song to every show in the PBS morning lineup. Her husband gets to talk to people that are taller than his waist during the day and she feels jealous. The kids are crying, but when it’s quiet she is left with the thought, “How does doing THIS glorify God? And how in the world do I do this?!”

Our 21st-century homes do not have front porches. Quilting circles are only found in books. And the hospital nurse at your last delivery? She was 20. Her coaching consisted of asking every few minutes if you were ready for an epidural.

Has it really come to this? And if so, is it OK?

I don’t think it’s OK. I also think many women agree with me. We weren’t meant to do it alone. We weren’t meant to take our cues from the broader culture. We want to know that it’s OK to cross-the-line and have Baby #3 (on purpose). We want to raise them to love Jesus and not lose our minds at the same time. We want to know that our sacrifice means something, and at the end of the day, our pursuit of God’s glory made a difference.

I think Amy hits the nail on the head when she explains that there are mothers who believe children are a blessing and want to have them, but when the realities of parenting and homemaking set in, if a young mother doesn't know "how" exactly they are a blessing and/or how to train them and manage their homes, she becomes doubtful and distraught. At that point, a tubulagtion starts sounding pretty good. 

Also, I agree with her point that "we weren't meant to do it alone." The bible says  that the older women ought to "teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:4-5)  Now if you know me, you know I am not one who is afraid to ask for help/advice (in fact, this has gotten me in trouble a time or two;). Therefore, I would gladly welcome instruction from some older women who have a biblical worldview and have successfully brought their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord(Eph 6:4). Nevertheless, though I have a few mentors in my life, most of them are not much more than 10 years older than me and are still in the thick of parenting. 

My question is: where are these "older women" at? I might just be overlooking some great resources, but there don't seem to be many older women who have a godly outcome and perspective on family who are willing to mentor and teach. Judging by our society's post-feminist cultural norms, it might be just be safe to assume that they would love to help, but their too busy at work.

With that said, I praise God for godly women like Amy who have been there and are not too busy, too proud, or too scared to share a thing or two with us "young mommies" over the blogosphere! Not only is she a riot, she has great tips, and offers a honest and realistic idea of the challenges that face moms during this season of life. 

What's a A Woman to Do?

About three weeks after my wedding day, I began my first full-time job. From the time I started, I began to feel "the pull." After becoming pregnant with my first child, "the pull" became even greater. This "pull" that I am referring to is the way it seemed like my time, energy, and attention was constantly being pulled in so many different directions. Between marriage, work, ministry, friends, family, and a new baby on the way, I wondered how I would ever balance it all!

I had so many different messages in my mind in regards to what my priorities were supposed to be and what decisions were best. As I have grown in these areas and made certain decisions, I realize that many women struggle with "the pull." I have found that for me, the key to having peace and fulfillment in this area is learning more about God's design for a woman's role in the family and learning how to apply that knowledge to my everyday life. 

Chip Ingram, founder and teaching pastor of Living On the Edge offers a MP3 Series entitled: House or Home?: Eight Essentials for Building a Close-Knit Family. Below is a short description of the series as well as two links for a part of the series that deals with God's design for a woman's role in the family. I have listened to these two podcast and have found them to be very inspiring and informative! Check them out!

We all long to be deeply connected with our families. However, for most of us, this longing goes largely unmet and our hearts ache because of it. In this eight part series, Chip takes you step by step through Ephesians 5:21-6:4 and explains what it takes to become a family that is not only close, but has the strength and stability to weather life's storms.

What's a Woman to Do? Part 1

What's a Woman to Do? Part 2

Because I love all things radical...

...I immediately thought: "I MUST read this!" After reading an excerpt from Carolyn McCulley's new book; "Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World," I was very much inspired about my role as a Christian wife and mother in today's society. I visited her blog and it also seems to be wellspring of inspiring support for a gal like me, always on the prowl for more info on virtuous living! Below is a small portion of the excerpt I read at www.boundless.org.

"...Ever since, Satan has labored to destroy the offspring of those who are made in the image of God. The real mommy wars are not against flesh and blood — other mothers and their parenting methods — but against the one who seeks to destroy the next generation of those who would rise up to praise God. We can debate all kinds of parenting philosophies, methods, and practices, but the real conflict is not with the proponents of opposite ideas. Most assuredly, there is a war and the price is high. Mothers (and fathers) are called to be strong warriors in this battle. But, as we've explored before in this book, Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our true opponents are not flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of evil in this present darkness...

You may be a mother and in the thick of rearing children right now. Perhaps it took you many weeks to read this chapter, thanks to the constant interruptions of young children. Your daily life may consist of dozens of repetitive tasks that feel so mundane and irrelevant. You kiss boo-boos, you make dinner, you do dishes, you answer a homework question, you drive to soccer practice, you read a good night story, you do laundry, you make dinner again. Unglamorous daily tasks and unimportant in the big picture, you may think.

This is absolutely not true! You are engaged in spiritual warfare, battling against beliefs and philosophies that slander God's name and tarnish His gifts to us. You are standing against those who believe heinous lies, like "the most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." By giving life and nurturing life, you are reflecting the life-giving characteristics of our holy God! Made in His image, you are reflecting Him when you care for the lives He has created.

I think it is very easy for mothers to lose sight of the big picture when they are consumed with the daily "ordinariness" of life. I hope that this chapter has helped you to see how relentless the assault against bearing and mothering children can be. I hope it has helped you to take the long view of what you are doing in training the next generation to be worshipers of God. None of us can make that happen — it is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in each of us — but we are called to plant and water the seeds of the gospel and wait with expectant hope that God will give the growth..."