I’m not feeling very creative at the moment, and am actually feeling rather “blah.” There’s lots of sickness going around in our area, so I’m hoping I’m not coming down with something. But, more than likely, its just the gray skies that are causing my need for a “shot” of encouragement.
Did you know there are many different definitions for the word “shot?”
As an
adjective, it can mean worn out, tired, or weary. For example, “I worked in the yard all day and I’m
shot!”
As a
verb, it is the past tense of the word shoot: “He
shot the gun.”
As a
noun, it can be a bullet launch from a gun: “The
shot was heard from across the lake.”
It can also be the heavy iron ball used in a shot put sport.
It can be a vaccination or injection.
It can be a sequence of film exposures.
It can be a new opportunity: “Can I have just one more
shot?”
It can be the act of launching a ball in a game: “He took the last
shot.”
It can be a measure of alcohol.
It can be a chance: "It’s a
shot in the dark."
It can be a remark or comment: “That was a dirty
shot.”
There are many meanings for that one little word! So, what does it mean to need a “shot” of encouragement? I think the definition of
a new opportunity probably fits best. A new opportunity is most often used in the context of someone getting a chance for advancement, progress or profit. I know for a fact that I could
profit from having a new outlook on my gloomy day.
That brings me to this month’s
Gabby Moms review of
“The Encouraging Mom.” It is a new membership program through
Eternal Encouragement Magazine that gives a monthly “SUPER SHOT” of encouragement regarding specific needs of moms. Each month, a new topic is covered, giving practical ideas that help moms to "profit" from encouragement by strengthening their marriages, and becoming the kind of mothers that would make Jesus smile. Topics include things like: Kids that Clean, Words You Won’t Have to Eat, Preventing Parenting Pits, and so on.... Each topic is delivered straight to your e-mail inbox, and includes at least 4 different products (e-books, audio downloads, and video clips) that will give you the “shot” of encouragement you are needing.
I was personally given the chance to look over the
“Kids that Clean” Super Shot, and was pleased with what I saw. It included:
1. A 10-page e-book with 9 easy steps that teach your kids how to clean the bathroom. I really appreciated this little booklet because cleaning the bathrooms is something I really hate to do, and it doesn’t help that there are THREE of them to clean in our house! But, I guess I always figured the kids were too young (or not coordinated enough) to learn how to clean it properly. This booklet helped me to see that is not the case.
2. An 8-page e-book with 10 steps for cleaning a messy kitchen. Step one isn’t what you might think, though. The first step is to set the timer for 20 minutes! Interesting.... why would we need to set a timer to clean a kitchen? Because kids (and even some adults) love a challenge. The idea is to see how quickly you can get the kitchen cleaned up (efficiently, of course!) before the time runs out. The booklet also includes some helpful tips for KEEPING the kitchen clean.
3. A short, 5-page e-book with 10 habits for a clean house. I’m sure most moms have seen this phrase before:
“Cleaning the house while children are growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s still snowing.” Well, Lorrie Flem disagrees with this statement. With her having 8 children, I can imagine how much mess there could potentially be in their house; And, Lorrie could have very easily used the above phrase as an excuse NOT to clean. But, she says there is a difference between showing your kids how to clean the house, and showing them how to KEEP it clean. It’s a matter of teaching good habits, having routines, and simplifying your life.
4. A video clip about getting your day going each morning by having each child (and yourself) complete one chore before breakfast. Lorrie has since informed us moms that the video clips we saw in our sample of the Super Shots were only meant to give us an idea of what the program will entail. The actual videos that will go with each Super Shot will be in the form of a
“mini-workshop” and will be exclusive to this membership program.
The
launch date for this program is not certain, but is expected to be up and running sometime prior to April 1st. So, just keep a watch out for it on the
Eternal Encouragement website.
What’s the cost? $7.97 per month will give each member one Super Shot (four products) on a specific topic. However, anyone who subscribes before April 1, 2011 will be a charter member and their monthly price will be only $6.97 a month. Charter members will be grandfathered in so that, as long as they are a member, their monthly fee will remain at just $6.97 per month.
Disclaimer: I reviewed "The Encouraging Mom" membership program as an official member of The Gabby Moms blogging program for Eternal Encouragement magazine. I did not receive compensation for this post and all opinions are solely my own.
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