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Hello, Reader.

Brrrrr! It's cold outside! Call me a wimp, but I'm not used to -- or adequately prepared for -- the 17-degree mornings we've been having in East Texas lately (thankfully, they're rare hereabouts)!

To my children's chagrin, the sub-freezing temps have not produced any snow. No, the photo above is not of our house, as much as my kids would love for that to be the case. In their opinion, "A little snow would make this cold weather worth it!"

Either way, whether cold snaps in your area are even more sporadic than ours or the snowdrifts reach to your rooftop six months out of the year, if you're looking for some winter-time activities and recipes to warm your hearts and your bellies, this week's link list is for you!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Spicy Moroccan Stew Recipe - this hearty stew will warm you from the inside out
• ​8 Great Books to Read in Winter - cold-weather chapter books to read alone or aloud
• ​High Tea Word Find - what goes better with a long book than a cup of hot tea?
• ​Easy Cheesy Enchiladas - pair this quick and easy meal with pico de gallo for extra heat
• ​Snowy Books to Warm Your Heart - winter-themed picture books any child will enjoy
• ​Clothe Yourself with Humility Coloring Page - while layering for warmth, put on these virtues

What I'm reading this week:

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I've been listening to The Four Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson this week. It's been fun and affirming to hear the perspective of another homeschooling mom of many (she has eight children, seven of whom she'd already graduated when she penned this book). Subtitled "How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life," Durenda shares from a wealth of wisdom and experience and encourages readers to trust God to equip them with all the wisdom, patience, grace, and creativity they will need to educate their children at home -- and do an amazing job of it! As an aside, I was recently told Durenda is presently fighting a very aggressive kind of cancer, and I know she would appreciate our prayers! ​ ​

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On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home - Episode 73 ​HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS FROM FIGHTING​ Are sibling squabbles driving you crazy? Do you crave a respite from all your kids' bickering? Then listen in today as I answer another reader's question: "How can I get my kids to stop fighting?" Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I met almost all my goals last week: ✅ outlined my talk for upcoming retreat, ✅ finished decorating 50+ journal covers, ✅ put away all remaining Christmas decor, ✅ recorded a new podcast (linked above), ✅ recorded some more hymns for my new 30-day challenge, and ✅ got PET scan (no distal mets and only one lymph node involved rather than three as previously suspected -- praise the Lord!)

Personal goals for this week:

• clear off closet desk (again!)
• clear out email inbox (again!)
• make more Winkie’s Tonic
• attend mother/daughter retreat with my youngest daughter​
• walk 7 miles (I'm working on establishing a new daily habit)

NOTE: I'm a little ashamed to be putting the same things on my to-do list as I've had on it so many times before -- why do I have such a hard time keeping my inbox empty and my closet desk clear?

But then I remind myself of Proverbs 14:4, "Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox." A similar thing could be said about houses and children, but look how much joy those children bring us!

My desk gets cluttered because that's where everyone in my family (per my instructions) puts things that need to be fixed, mended, graded, signed, returned, filed, or donated. And, as of this writing, that desktop is buried again, which is why clearing it off is back on my list. 😊