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Great Sites For Moms!

Stuff I've found useful and think you might, too!

Cyndy Salzmann - I met Cyndy at Mt. Hermon, but she's lives in the same town that I do. She is a fabulous writer. She writes novels as well as non-fiction books on organization and other "mommy" topics.

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The Story of Jesus - Have someone you want to share Jesus with? Send them here! You can download the story of Jesus in print and audio. Or listen/read it online!

CWAHM FYI's:

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Verse For The Week

“[The Resurrection of Christ] Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 (NIV)

Visit the Spiritual Growth Section on CWAHM! Also, visit the Spiritual Growth Forums on the CWAHM Message Board to connect with other Christian Moms!

"Blessed to be a Christian Work at Home Mom"

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5 Minutes For Mom

Keep a notebook handy - in your purse, at your desk, etc., to write down great ideas.

~ Jill

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To contact us:
Christian Work at Home, Inc
CWAHM.com
14607 Willow Ck 68138
jill@cwahm.com
(321) 806-1855

CWAHM Message Board | CWAHM Gear | Book Reviews | Free Stuff

CWAHM Monthly Devotional
by Jill Hart

April 2007

Get Rid Of Bitterness

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:31 & 32 (NIV)

Bitterness is something I struggle with off and on. I'm not great at expressing anger when it rears it's ugly head. I tend to push it down and try to go on like nothing at all has happened. These are the times when bitterness seems to sneak up on me and before I realize it, anger has turned into bitterness.

The Bible tells us that it is okay to feel anger - even Christ became angry at times (think about the time He turned over the tables in the temple in John chapter 2). However, when we let this anger turn to bitterness I believe we are sinning. As the verse above states, we are to rid ourselves of bitterness.

So, how do we overcome bitterness?

First, we pray and confess our feelings of anger and bitterness to the Lord. Ask Him to relieve us of these feelings and direct us in how we should handle the situation.

Second, once you've prayed about the matter, attempt to reslove the matter with whomever you are feeling bitterness towards. This may not be possible in every situation, but if you are able to even just tell the person how they've hurt you or why you're angry with them, this can release you from your bitter feelings.

Lord, we know we are sinful people who get angry over many different matters - some silly and some very serious. Please help to handle our bitterness and anger in such a way that we glorify you. Please guide us as we attempt to make things right with others who may have wronged us and help us know when and how to speak to them.

How about you - I hope you're doing well this week. Any prayer requests? We'd love for you to share them with the CWAHM Prayer Team.

Blessings,
Jill

* From Jill:
Publish articles on your area of expertise. My friend and colleague, Diana Ennen, recently had an article published in Reader's Digest. Can you imagine how much traffic that brought her? Now, you'll want to start in smaller publications, but even small publications are a great start!

* 4 steps to start your business!

This Works! There are costs starting any business however we don't want you to break the bank here.

1- Start w/people you know and care about. We may not be able to make a contact list of 200 but WE all know 8-10 people we can share our amazing companies with. Step out of your comfort zone and Just do It!

2- Get a car decal or bumper sticker. I’ve found that the car decal/bumper sticker is a very quick and cost effective way to begin advertising and begin getting contacts coming to your site. Then go to the park, library, gymboree, etc. Park and make some phone calls, while all the moms check our your decal :)

3- Flyers are so cheap $10 for 250 at office max and business cards free just pay shipping at vistaprint.com. I hand my cards to Moms every time I leave the house and I put them in the driver side window in cars w/car seats. It Works!

4- Find a local publication with an inexpensive ad,share it with someone if you need to, I have a $6.00 ad that has brought me two customers and a $100 local kids mag 2 this week and 1 from a lead that I bought for .75 but that was out of a batch of 50!! The best leads are the ones that come to your website!!

What a difference it makes!!!!! I hope this helps someone!!!! Love you guys!

Lynette
www.HomeBizAZ.com

We'll be featuring new Business Builders each week, so
don't miss an issue!

* Want your name and business mentioned in the CWAHM Newsletter? *

We are looking for YOUR Business Builders! Send us your tip! If it's published you'll reach over 4,400 subscribers! We are looking for ideas on how you make your businesses BOOM. Email me with your ideas at jill@cwahm.com and I'll share your ideas (and a link to your business) in the CWAHM newsletter!

When someone asks you about what you do, do you have a ready answer? Or do you stumble and stammer trying to explain your business?

I was recently at a writer’s conference where one of the main focuses was learning to create a successful book pitch. My instructor emphasized what a good pitch can do for a writer. She explained that when an editor asks an author about their writing project, they have one shot at sharing their pitch and getting the editor excited about their project. A great pitch makes a great first impression and can translate into a book contract. On the other hand, a pitch that is not well thought out can cost an author the chance of selling that project.

A good book pitch is a summary of the author’s idea, but more than that it’s a summary with a sizzle. At the conference, I learned that many authors spend hours crafting and memorizing their pitch. Then, when asked about their project, they are able to give a quick, concise synopsis that not only explains their idea, but makes the editor want to learn more.

I believe that the concept of creating a pitch can also apply to the home-based business world. As entrepreneurs, we can put together a summary of our business that will not only explain what we do, but grab the attention of whomever we’re speaking with.

A good business pitch summarizes the business concept in one to two short paragraphs, usually a total of 50 words or less. To begin, write out a list of the five most compelling aspects of your business. Try to think about your business as if you were on the outside looking in. What would interest you? What would make you want to learn more?

Try to answer these questions:

• Who is my target market?
• What are my top selling products/services?
• What about my company makes it stand out? If I were looking at starting a business, what would interest me about this company?
• Why did I choose this company?

Put your answers into sentences and you have the beginning of your business pitch. Try to keep your sentences short and use simple words. You want anyone who asks to be able to understand your answer, not get lost in your words. Take special care to describe what you like about your business. These same things will generally appeal to others as well.

While you want to keep your pitch simple, you also want it to give a picture of your business. Let’s say, for example, that you run health and wellness business. You wouldn’t want to use the statement, “I run a health and wellness business,” as a reply about what it is that you do. You want to add in a short description and catch the listener’s attention. For instance, you might say, “I operate my own business. We offer products such as chemical-free shampoo and natural snack foods to help others lead healthy lives.”

When I began my website, I was often caught off-guard when someone asked me about it. I would fumble for words and struggle to express exactly what it is that I do all day. I usually walked away from conversations like this feeling frustrated, and I’m sure the person I was speaking with was more confused than they were originally.

After learning the art of pitching, I can now give a short and snappy reply. “I run a Christian-based website for work-at-home moms,” I’ll say. “I offer resources to help them in their search and am able to make an income by offering advertising.” This usually leads to more questions about my website, which is exactly what I hope for. It gives me an opportunity to talk further about my business to those who are interested.

The next time someone asks you about your home-based business, remember to share your pitch with them. Take the time to hone your pitch to be as short, yet descriptive as possible. Over time, you’ll find yourself refining your words and your answers will become well-crafted summaries that pique the interest of anyone who asks. Word of mouth is one of the easiest ways to build your business and your pitch is a great way to get others talking.

About The Author:
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a contributing author in The Business Mom Guide Book and I'll Be Home For Christmas and co-author of the upcoming book, Home Based Blessings. Jill has articles published across the web on sites like DrLaura.com and ClubMom.com. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com reside in Nebraska with their two children.

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In this recipe, we have replaced butter with baby-food prunes or applesauce, reduced the amount of sugar, used egg whites instead of whole eggs (also eliminating cholesterol!) and reducing the amount of walnuts.

1 ¾ cup sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
7 egg whites
2 (4 oz.) jars baby-food prunes or 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350?. Lightly spray a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan with non-stick spray. Set the pan aside. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, cocoa, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and baking powder. Set the flour mixture aside. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly stir in the prunes or applesauce, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Fold in the walnuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake about 30 minutes or until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan (do not over bake). Cool completely on a wire rack. Lightly sprinkle with the powdered sugar, and then cut into bars.

Makes 36 brownies.

Food for thought: Oh, do I love chocolate! There is nothing better than a good piece of dark chocolate or a piece of a chewy, gooey brownie! Yes, chocolate is my weakness and yes, I am in the fitness business. So, how do I get my chocolate and eat it too? With recipes like this that replace much of the fat and fat calories with ingredients that DO NOT compromise taste.

Recipe Source:
Submitted by: Patti Gale, Healthy Fitness Solutions (www.healthy-fitness.solutions.com)
Bizymoms Cookbook by Diana Ennen & Kelly Poelker
Virtual Word Publishing, Inc.
http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com
diana@virtualwordpublishing.com

Find additional recipes on the CWAHM Message Board!

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Jump-start the season by making your own colorful blooms with this flower-dyeing project.

MATERIALS:
White flowers
Food coloring
Vase

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Start with white flowers. We found that roses, carnations, and daisies work well. If none are growing in your area, pick some up at your local florist.

2. Prepare a colored solution: we used 20 drops of food coloring for each 1/2 cup of warm water.

3. Cut the stems to fit your vase, removing at least 2 inches, then set them in the tinted water. You'll start to see results in less than 24 hours.

How it works. Freshly cut flowers continuously draw water up through their stems, as through a straw. When the water reaches the petals, it evaporates through tiny pores, leaving the dye behind (dye cannot evaporate). Over time, it builds up, coloring the tips of the petals.

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Found at FamilyFun.com

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Review:
Bittersweet
by Cathy Marie Hake

Hake continues the tale of the McCains and O’Sullivans in Bittersweet. Laney McCain has had her eyes set on Galen O’Sullivan for years. Galen sees her only as a child, the little sister of his best friend. Despite Laney’s prayers it seems that nothing will change Galen’s heart. Then Ishmael and Ivy Grubbs enter their lives and nothing will ever be the same.

This is a strong story that will keep you guessing until the end. Hake’s characters are believable and have a depth that causes the reader to truly feel for them both when they struggle and when they triumph. The story twists and turns when least expected.

Hake blends faith and fiction to shine light on Christ’s love and forgiveness that are available to every person – no matter their station in life. Her characters reflect godly qualities and challenge the reader to do the same. Readers who love historical Christian fiction will love Bittersweet.

Review by:
Jill Hart, CWAHM.com