Beba Schlottmann
As I was getting ready for work today, I decided to get coffee and a bagel right before work. When I got to the office, I asked a co-worker to walk with me to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for coffee and a bagel. On our way out, another co-worker asked what we were doing. When we told her, she said she had brought bagels and strawberries and had just made a pot of coffee. We were more than welcome to stay and have breakfast with her.

This is my second week at this job and I don't know everyone well. This was a great opportunity to get to know co-workers better. We had a nice little 15-20 minute chat while eating breakfast together--and saved money too. I immediately told my new friends that the next bagel breakfast is on me!

Sometimes we do not realize the impact of our simple actions in someone’s life. What my co-worker did was simple, just an invitation to breakfast and yet it made me feel welcome. Why don’t you try this with your co-workers? Invite them to share coffee and chat even if for five minutes before the clock starts. I can assure you, their day will go a lot differently, and they will see you in a new light.


Beba Schlottmann
Have you ever thought about carpooling as a fun time? It can be. How about trying out these ideas:
· Take turns driving and start a competition to see whose car gets better gas mileage, which driver gets to the destination quicker, or what radio station is best.
· How about listening to an audio book together? It is not as boring as it sounds. I once read a book to a friend while she drove--we had so much fun! I read the Bible to my husband while he drives and stories to my kids while on a trip.
· Try making the same coffee shop stop on your way to work. Every day order a different beverage and compare notes. The goal is to try everything on the menu eventually-not all in one day.
· A fun way to spend carpooling time together is for each rider to bring a breakfast item in a bag (doughnut, fruit, granola bar, etc…). Everyone shares, but not until after each has had a chance to guess what is in the bag.
· Make a quick shopping stop on your way home on certain days.
· Pray together, practice choir songs, talk, plan, read signs--the only thing I don’t recommend is sleep!

Beba Schlottmann
* I have hired my mother-in-law to cook for us! I know it sounds selfish and shameful to have someone else do what I should be doing, but I am a working mom and my schedule is not as flexible as it once was. My husband and I came up with a plan that in the end benefits our household and my mother-in-law. She cooks, organizes my kitchen, and shops for the groceries. We in return pay her, which benefits her financially and allows her to have bonding time with her grandchildren. It’s a double blessing! Working moms, if you are struggling in this area and can afford to, try hiring a family member (especially Grandma) to help out a few days a week. They may even do it for free. All you have to do is ask.

*One of our biggest struggles has always been the laundry so I came up with a family schedule. Each family member has a specific day to do their laundry and put it away. I have specifically left two days as “no laundry” days to conserve energy and to give us a break. Laundry can be stressful, so why not share the load!

WWEV   http://www.wwev.org
KLOVE  http://www.klove.com
Air 1    http://www.air1.com



Looking for ways to save money when eating out these days? Kellie Renfroe shares online sites for great coupons and kids eat free nights. Abundant Living

The Perfect Vacation...
A Biking Sisterhood

Barbranda Lumpkins Walls
Ah, vacation – a time to rest, renew, and recharge. For many women it is a departure from the everyday chaos of career, kids, cooking, cleaning, carpooling and crazy schedules. While I enjoy getting away with my husband to a beautiful beach or the calm of the mountains, I also look forward to another type of vacation. I pull on unforgiving padded shorts and don a bicycle helmet to pedal mindlessly through a canopy of trees or along shimmering shores with three wonderful friends, all busy professional women. It’s a time for just us girls to reconnect – and for me to reconnect with the Creator and admire His handiwork.



I have taken bike trips with Paula, Sue, and Cynthia for more than a decade. We live in different states, but once a year we set aside time – mostly a long weekend, sometimes an entire week – to meet and catch up with what’s going on in our lives. It’s our time to exhale, clear our minds, and smell the proverbial roses. Our quartet has cycled on bucolic country roads in Vermont, past historic homes and Civil War battlefields in Virginia, along tranquil shorelines in Washington State, and through quaint Canadian fishing villages. We’ve huffed and puffed our way up hills and relished long descents on deserted lanes with childlike glee. And we’ve laughed till we’ve cried at inside jokes and silly stunts.

These no-fuss-no-muss getaways are relatively easy to plan because we go through a bicycle tour company, so the only thing we have to decide is where and when to go. We look for flat or “easier” routes, as noted in tour descriptions, because none of us are expert bikers or in tip-top shape. We’re not looking to have a rigorous Tour de France cycling experience. We just want to bike at our own pace, take in some sights, do a little shopping, and eat plenty of great food. The tour company provides the bikes and helmets, makes arrangements for meals and accommodations at lovely inns, and even has a sag wagon to follow us over the designated tour route, offering snacks, water, or a ride when we grow weary. More times than I can say, that van has been my saving grace. See that big hill ahead? Flag down the van to take you up it if you’re so inclined. It’s raining and you're tired of being wet? Jump in the van and dry off as you head back to the inn. Tour leaders are always available to fulfill your needs and grant your wishes. They bring new meaning to “ask and it shall be given.”

Another perk to going with a tour company is the opportunity to meet other biking enthusiasts. We’ve cycled with folks from all walks of life and professions, from doctors and teachers to bug experts and even a former governor. Such diversity lends itself to interesting conversations during mealtimes and stops along the road. We bond while biking.

As I pedal silently down deserted country roads I listen intently for the chirping birds and barking dogs, or the moo of a curious cow looking at me in wide-eyed wonderment as I whiz by. While taking a break on the lawn of a village green happily devouring an ice cream cone or absorbing the beauty of a field of wildflowers, I thank God for the chance to bask in His greatness. I am grateful for these vacations and praise the Lord for the many blessings He bestows on me during these times – the love and laughter of good friends, the strength to move my body, the ability to see the glory of a sunny day. All of it reminds me that our God is indeed an
awesome God.

Many companies offer bicycle vacations throughout the United States and abroad in a variety of price ranges. Among them:
Backroads www.backroads.com
Bicycle Adventures
www.bicycleadventures.com
Bike Riders www.bikeriderstours.com
Bike Vermont www.bikevt.com
Girlfriends Go Tours www.girlfriendsgo.com
POMG Bike Tours of Vermont www.pomgbike.com
VBT Bicycling Vacations www.vbt.com




Notes to a Working Woman
By Luci Swindoll / Thomas Nelson

Some women in the workplace love the Lord, enjoy their work, and are respected by their coworkers. Does this describe you? Or do you, like so many others, struggle with blending faith and work? You want to make a difference where you work but wonder how you can without sacrificing your values in order to get ahead.

An accomplished businesswoman for over 30 years, Luci Swindoll offers practical approaches to help working women learn how to be the best at what they do while finding fulfillment in their occupations. In addition, Swindoll gives in-depth insight through conversations on work and life with extraordinary women such as Ann Lamott and CeCe Winans.

3:16: The Numbers of Hope, Audio CD By Thomas Nelson If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads you through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of scripture. Abridged. 140 minutes. 2 CDs. Read by Wayne Shepherd.

Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos: 10 Stategies for Stepping Up to Success and Satisfaction at Work By Lynette Lewis / W Working women face all kind of challenges including learning how to balance their faith with professional success! Author Lynette Lewis offers practical strategies for excelling in the workplace and finding meaning and satisfaction on a heart-level. Her guide helps you craft a "personal purpose statement," learn four principles for promotion, and improve your communication skills. Hardcover.

The Godly Business Woman-Cooking And Entertainment By Kathleen Jackson & Tracey Davison / Amg Publishers This book furnishes comprehensive information for the working woman, including the basics of entertaining, etiquette, and how to prepare for holidays, festivals, and other special occasions.