Mid-May Link Day

Since it's been more than 10 months since I last shared links, I have about thirty gazillion links saved in my bookmarks folder to share with you all... and it's really getting ridiculous. So, even pared down, here's a quite large collection of what I think of, or at one time thought of, as interesting, worthwhile, or challenging reading. Also, I'll punctuate it with pictures of my cute kids, just because I can. Enjoy!

LIFE AT HOME

• Encouraging words on loving our husbands sexually
• Tim Challies' series on leadership in the home
• Perfectionism is POISONOUS in our approach to parenting-- an excellent reminder!
• Tips for time with God with a bunch of little ones in your home
• Hospitality tips (by an "amateur")
• Ever considered switching to a "family closet"? It's an interesting idea.
• Thinking up baby names? This website that visually tracks name popularity is WAY cool.
• Large-family myth busting
• Pregnancy is hard: valuable reflections from a young mom
• A friend of mine writes about marriage to a difficult man
• Feeling the pinch of a double income?
• How do you afford all those children? -- a GREAT series (Part one, Part two, Feeding a family of 8 for $300/month- WOW!)
• Parenting a large family: What It Is and What It's Not
• An interesting series for today's culturally-affected church: Pornifying the Marriage Bed
• Flirting with your husband
• Raising kids who eat well
• When to Stand & When to Hide: a mom of many shares wisdom about setting boundaries about your pregnancies & family life
• "I don't want my children to be happy"
• Life on the Fringe-- encouragement for those making unusual choices
• Mothering as a monastic-type existence: an interesting comparison-- here's a quote: "a mother raising children, perhaps in a more privileged way even than a professional contemplative, is forced, almost against her will, to constantly stretch her heart. For years, while raising children, her time is never her own, her own needs have to be kept in second place, and every time she turns around a hand is reaching out and demanding something."

HOMESCHOOLING

• 1 Corinthians 13 for homeschool moms
• Renee shares her experiences homeschooling older adopted children
• My friend Carletta wrote a free e-book, Seven Secrets of Finding the Right Homeschool Curriculum
• Homeschools qualify for this free giveaway: 12 hour DVD series on American history
  
• A nice collection of free homeschooling materials
• Free online crossword-puzzle-maker
• Free handwriting worksheet maker
  
• Homeschooling is not expensive!

EVERYDAY LIFE & ITS STRUGGLES

• Feeling burned out?
• Struggling with contentment?
• Are you carrying a load meant for you or trying to carry a burden too big for you alone? This was a helpful distinction for me.
• Do you believe IN God, or do you believe God? -- the difference a word can make.

CRAFTING AND COOKING

• Ladies'-skirt-to-toddlers'-dress transformation
• An entire blog of free tutorials!
• A collection of from-scratch recipes and homemade ingredients!
• Make your own table playtent! This is such a neat idea... next time I get a completely free few hours, LOL...
• Creative clothes-patching
• Keep the kitchen clean while you cook-- now if I could just master THIS advice!
• The black apple doll tutorial-- this doll is just precious, and looks pretty easy to make!

SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, OR OTHERWISE INTERESTING ISSUES

• Woman performs abortion while pregnant with same-aged baby - You may have already seen this, but it's worth reading for some quite clear perspective on the abortion issue.
• For Women Considering an Abortion
• "The Two Lists"-- my friend Jennifer shares her thoughts on abortion & the mental separation between sex & fertility
• Mugged by ultrasound-- why abortion clinic workers are increasingly becoming pro-life
• "Gendercide": The War on Baby Girls
• Even former-sex-symbol Raquel Welch sees the problems of an oversexualized, undercommitted culture
• Despite the feminist revolution, "women are getting gloomier"
• Mark Dever shares his observations about the differences between young & old complementarians
• Here's a Thomas Sowell interview on gov't, society, feminism, and more... he's always interesting.
• Sexual assault on women soldiers
• God watches you as you google.
• Man in "vegetative state" for twenty-three years heard every word
• Ever read the story of the eight-cow-wife?
• BEHIND THE VEIL: an intriguing look into the lives of Afghan women -- these videos are fascinating and worth your time.
• This famous atheist knows better than some Christians what it means to BE a Christian

AND, IN TRUE MAKING HOME TRADITION, SOMETHING FUNNY TO FINISH OFF THIS LINKFEST:

• Girls-dress-to-man's-shirt tutorial-- Even if you've never sewed a button, trust me; if you need a laugh, you want to click on this.