Saturday, December 31, 2011
on the road...
this is my fist post from the road... not going far just a few hours south to visit my dad and his side of the family. so i thought i would try out posting from my phone... i must apoplogize for no caps and bad punctuation and probably spelling too i guess there is a limited amount of things i can do on here. i just want to remind everyone about the 31 days of prayer for your spouse that starts tomorrow. there are facebok accountability groups chats the ebook and so much more. plus what could be better than starting the year off praying for your spouse. there is a link to the right where you can purchase the ebook and learn more about it...but dont wait we start tomorrow.
Friday, December 30, 2011
31 Days to Build a Better Spouse
What is the one thing you could do for your spouse that would make the biggest difference in their life in 2012?
PRAY for them everyday! I have joined up with 31 Days to Pray and their month long campaign to pray for your spouse everyday for the month of January!
I have read most of this book, actually printed it out and have it in my Quiet Time Binder and love it!!!
During the month we will be praying for things such as their salvation, their work, love for others, peace, and even YOUR heart! :)
Click the above link and join me on this wonderful journey to pray for your spouse everyday and see what God has in store for your marriage!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Courageous... what does it mean?
So I was planning on writing about my verse for 2012 this morning, but on the way home from taking Greg to work, I was given the prompt to write about being COURAGEOUS and what it means... So now I am researching a little so I too can learn to be courageous.
I am sure you have all heard the lyrics to Courageous by Casting Crowns...
We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous
We were warriors on the front lines
Standing, unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away
Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted handsMake us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/casting-crowns-lyrics/courageous-lyrics.html }
I know the song is written (and the movie) more toward the husband/father, but if you just switch out a few words, it is for moms/wives too! We are called to have strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger or difficulty (definition of courage from www.wordcenteral.com).
Isn't that something we do everyday with our kids? With our spouses? But do we carry that strength over to speaking out about our faith? Now in our country there really is not that much danger for speaking out about our love for Jesus... Most likely we will not be killed for loving Jesus (at least not right now, but we do know that day is coming...) the worst that happens is a little ridecul from others... Just look at Tim Tebow... There is a man who is speaking out about his love for Jesus every chance he gets, and yes many of us love him, but there are so many others that make fun of him and tell him to stop, but does he? No, he stands up and tells everyone even more how much he loves Jesus!
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
I just love the line:
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Isn't that the way it is... we are to stand strong, but when we are the strongest is when we are on our knees, humbling ourselves to God, surrendering our lives to Him and yet being so free?
Ok, well I think that is all for me today... If you haven't seen the movie Courageous it comes out on DVD on Jan. 17th and I really recommend it! Don't just watch it for your husband, look how you could take the lessons in the movie and apply them to your life! Well I hope I make a little sense this morning... It is early for me, and well, I am still adjusting to 3 kids! Just keep asking yourself daily:
How can I be more COURAGEOUS for God today?
I am sure you have all heard the lyrics to Courageous by Casting Crowns...
We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous
We were warriors on the front lines
Standing, unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away
Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted handsMake us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/casting-crowns-lyrics/courageous-lyrics.html }
I know the song is written (and the movie) more toward the husband/father, but if you just switch out a few words, it is for moms/wives too! We are called to have strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger or difficulty (definition of courage from www.wordcenteral.com).
Isn't that something we do everyday with our kids? With our spouses? But do we carry that strength over to speaking out about our faith? Now in our country there really is not that much danger for speaking out about our love for Jesus... Most likely we will not be killed for loving Jesus (at least not right now, but we do know that day is coming...) the worst that happens is a little ridecul from others... Just look at Tim Tebow... There is a man who is speaking out about his love for Jesus every chance he gets, and yes many of us love him, but there are so many others that make fun of him and tell him to stop, but does he? No, he stands up and tells everyone even more how much he loves Jesus!
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
I just love the line:
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Isn't that the way it is... we are to stand strong, but when we are the strongest is when we are on our knees, humbling ourselves to God, surrendering our lives to Him and yet being so free?
Ok, well I think that is all for me today... If you haven't seen the movie Courageous it comes out on DVD on Jan. 17th and I really recommend it! Don't just watch it for your husband, look how you could take the lessons in the movie and apply them to your life! Well I hope I make a little sense this morning... It is early for me, and well, I am still adjusting to 3 kids! Just keep asking yourself daily:
How can I be more COURAGEOUS for God today?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to the 12
Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway!
Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit,
Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Enjoy the Ride!
Susan May Warren
We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before
us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice
hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”
Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive
surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the
mountain? Let’s do it!
We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that
butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand
acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes
excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a
snowmobile for two.
I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over
drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees
and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind
my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the
snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan
spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love
hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s
going first.
But there are times, when I see where he’s taking me, and I
just have to bury my head in his back. Like straight down a cliff.
However, my heart cheers, despite the terror as we gun it
down the hill, over the river, up the opposite side. And, if we hadn’t let
ourselves go, we would have never discovered the beauty of a winter river, a
hidden jewel buried deep in the forest. Nor the exhilaration of facing the challenge
together.
Further on, we find an enchanted forest of towering white
pine. Catch a view of Lake Superior, discover an old cabin in the woods.
It occurs to me that snowmobiling is much like my spiritual
life. Occasionally, I drive, and it’s me setting our course, weaving through
the trees, getting us hopelessly lost. But when God takes the “wheel” and I
hang on, trusting Him for the speed and destination, I see the scenery. I trust
him to keep me safe. I trust him to bring me home, where there is an eternal
supply of hot chocolate.
As Christmas season becomes more hectic, what if I let God
drive? Maybe everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and maybe I don’t
have to control every tradition, every holiday nuance. What if I just held on
for the ride?
I’ll bet I’ll still get there, and I might even enjoy the
scenery along the way.
How have you let go, and “enjoyed” the
scenery of this hectic, exhilarating Christmas season?
Merry Christmas!
***
Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author
of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press.
A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s
also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW
Carol Award. A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular
writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning
writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel
in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com,
a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities
that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Family Traditions: A Glimpse into Christmas
Future
by Tricia Goyer
Have you ever thought about family traditions? As I helped
my 1-year-old place ornaments on the Christmas tree this year I imagined her
doing the same thing with her children—and maybe even grandchildren—one day.
Traditions are beliefs and customs handed down through generations. By sharing
meaningful moments with your kids you're sending yourself into the future. How
amazing is that?
Sharing family traditions cause us to slow down from the
busy, adult world for a while. We ignore the laundry to set out the nativity
set with our kids. We set aside time in our schedules to drive around and look
at Christmas lights.
Holiday traditions aren't only fun, they also help strength
family bonds. Through traditions kids trust in the security of family unit.
They think, “This is our family and this is what I do.” Of course, the most
important thing to share isn't just what we do ... but why. Why do we put out a
nativity? To remind us the real meaning of the season—Jesus coming to earth.
What do the Christmas lights represent displayed on homes and on trees? They
represent the Light of the World, Jesus.
Using traditions to bond our families and share our
faith isn't new. I love these two Scriptures that talk about that
very thing.
Exodus 12:25 says, “When you enter the land that the LORD
will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.”
Psalm 78:4 says, “We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power,
and the wonders he has done.”
What are you're traditions? Here are a few of ours:
Baking a Birthday cake for Jesus
Buying a new ornament every year for each child
Acting out the Christmas story (with props!)
Praying together before opening presents
What are your traditions? Write a list
and appreciate them in a new way this year. Then ask, “If I could add one new
tradition this holiday season, what would it be?” I'd love to hear what you
choose! It also makes me smile to think of your children's grandchildren doing
the same.
***
Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling
author and the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the
Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen
Edition with Max Lucado and contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also
a noted marriage and parenting writer, she lives with her husband and children
in Arkansas. www.triciagoyer.com
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of
Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl
Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of
the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Let The Baby Grow Up This Christmas
By Shellie Tomlinson
When I was a little girl, Christmas seemed to take forever
to make its way back to our little house on the end of a dirt road called Bull
Run in northeast Louisiana. We kids started counting down the days before the
leaves ever began turning. Sure, the adults said it came once a year but I
wasn't so sure. Once Santa Claus left our humble abode it seemed like light
years before he found his way back to the Delta.
That was a child's perspective. I imagine it hasn't changed
all that much for today's kids. On the other hand, I'm operating under a
completely different time frame these days. It seems like it was just yesterday
when I pulled the boxes down from the attic and began pulling out the nativity
scene, the miniature lights, and the keepsake ornaments. And now, just that
fast-- Christmas Day is right around the corner. Soon the tree will be striped
naked and the piled up presents will all be distributed. After a few more day
it'll be hard to remember who got what from whom, and once again, I'll start
packing all the decorations away for another year.
I was thinking about how bare and cold the house
always looks after the holidays when I realized that, sadly, this
scene would play itself out in many hearts as well. A lot
of people will have had expectations that weren't filled and many of those same
souls will be left with hurts that don't seem to heal. Unless this year is
remarkably different from past seasons, my bet is, the New Year will bring
magazines full of articles on combating depression and the talk shows will have
experts on offering ways to fill the long days ahead and cure the winter
blues.
I'm no expert, dear readers, but I'd like to offer you a
suggestion that will go far beyond the creature comforts of a nice warm bath or
a delicious bowl of hot soup. Your heart doesn't have to be bare and naked
after the holidays. Do you want to know the real secret? It's simple, really.
Don't pack up Christ with Christmas! As beautiful and special as the Christmas
story is, it's only a part of heaven's miracle. The Christ child grew into
a man and the man became a Savior.
This year, may we be determined to let the babe from
Bethlehem live on in our hearts. If we'll allow Him to become the Messiah He
was born to be, the joy of Christmas can be ours all year long.
***
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author,
speaker, and radio host from Louisiana. Her latest release Sue Ellen's Girl
Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy was endorsed by Jeff Foxworthy as
"laugh out loud funny!" You can find Shellie's weekly southern
features, podcasts, video chats and more at http://www.allthingssouthern.com/
Make sure to get by the blog and read about the Super Christmas Giveaway Shellie is hosting
for her readers and secure your chance to win a Mort Kunstler print valued
between $700 and $1400. www.allthingssouthern.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of
Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl
Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl
Girls.
***
The Snowflake Party
By Deborah Raney
The first snow of winter hasn’t fallen yet, but in our
kitchen tonight we’re doing a pretty good imitation. The whole family is
circled around the huge old oak table. The snip, snip, snip of scissors is
background music as tiny scraps of white paper float down, making our floor
look like a giant brownie sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Tonight has turned out to be the night for our annual
Snowflake Party, a tradition that began when our children were toddlers. There
has never been a date blocked out in red on our calendar, but one day we wake
up and the brisk autumn air has turned bitter cold. Naked tree branches trace
their stark calligraphy on a dull grey sky and we need a taste of the joyful
promises of Christmas and snow. It’s the perfect time for a party.
On such a day, one of the kids will fly in the back door,
fresh home from school, and declare “Hey, Mom! Tonight would be a good night
for the Snowflake Party!” First we round up every pair of scissors in the
house. This is one time when sharing is not a virtue. While the kids search for
scissors, I cut white paper into squares and fold them caddy-corner multiple
times. The resulting triangles are artfully arranged in a basket, awaiting the
beginning of the party.
Later, while the supper dishes dry on the counter, I recruit
a volunteer to help me stir up a big pot of hot cocoa. For the next hour it
will warm on the back burner, tantalizing us with its aroma.
genuine variety created by God himself. As each masterpiece
is unfolded, collective oohs and aahs go up.
When the last dregs of our creative juices are drained, Dad
oversees the vacuum patrol while I pour cocoa into generous mugs. We spread our
handiwork on the floor around us and sit, quietly admiring our work while we
dunk marshmallows and sip rich chocolate.
With empty mugs piled up in the sink, it’s time for the
judging to begin. There will be awards for ‘prettiest’, ‘most unusual’, and as
many other categories as we need for everyone to be a winner. Dad is the judge
because he studied art in college. He also usually wins one of the top prizes––because
he studied art in college.
Snowflakes deemed runners-up might be pasted in scrapbooks
or hung on the refrigerator. A few even “melt” into the trash that very night.
But the winners are taped proudly to the picture windows in the living room for
passersby to enjoy while they long for the day when genuine snowflakes will
color the world clean and white.
Our oldest daughter went away to college last September. She
called just after Thanksgiving to tell me that her dorm window was covered with
snowflakes. No, not the real thing, but the ones she remembers from her
childhood––paper ones that she spent an entire evening cutting and snipping
while sipping hot cocoa.
That’s the neat thing about traditions:
They go with us no matter how far from home we
travel.
***
DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish,
inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her
books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National
Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award
finalists. After All, third in her Hanover Falls Novels series will release
next spring from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken
Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. Their four children are grown now and
having snowflake parties with their own children––and they all live much too
far away. Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com.
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to the 12
Pearls of Christmas
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Why I Decorate for Christmas
By Elizabeth Goldsmith Musser
An old cassette tape of Christmas carols—received in a
package twenty years ago when we had first arrived in France as
missionaries—fills our den with delightful piano music as I place one more
ornament on the already over-laden Christmas tree. This one is a
little white wooden rabbit with pink ears that move back and forth.
It actually doesn’t look much like a Christmas ornament, but I bought
it for our baby Andrew when my husband Paul was in seminary, and I was working
for less than minimum wage in the library. This ornament was
literally all I could afford.
As I hang it on the tree today, I get goose bumps and then a
rush of warmth. And that’s why I decorate for Christmas.
Not to impress but to remember. I remember those lean, lean
years, and God’s faithful provision for us.
There are the cross-stitched ornaments I made our first year
in Montpellier—for the boys (for by now we had two sons) and Paul and me.
How I ever had time to do that, I don’t know. I remember
our puny little tree—the kind they sold in France back then—in a pot so that it
could be replanted later. We perched that tiny tree on a small table
out of baby Christopher’s reach. I guess I watered it too much,
because about halfway through December, it started smelling and then stinking,
and it rotted there on Christmas Day!
I smile with these memories.
I look at the other ornaments on the tree. Many
were purchased—one for each boy—when we attended conferences around Europe, and
that makes me smile too. Getting to travel on a missionary’s budget
to exotic places! There are the waxed red bear and red baby carriage
from Wales, the brightly painted clay sun and moon from Portugal, the blue and
white porcelain windmill and wooden shoes from Holland, the hand-blown glass
Snoopys sitting on gondolas from Venice, and the delicately decorated eggs from
Prague.
Other ornaments include the little pinkish shiny ball
ornament with Paul’s name written in glitter—I think he made it when he was
about six , and the little red velvet bows, bought at Michael’s after Christmas
one year for a dollar. They bring a unifying theme to the tree.
I say this, smiling, because our tree is, and has always been
throughout the years, a hodge-podge of our life. And I like it that
way. I don’t think I could ever have a ‘theme’ tree. Mine
is a ‘memory’ tree.
The music plays softly in the background and I smile through
tears, remembering God’s incredible faithfulness to call and keep us here in
France for so many years. Heart-breakingly hard years, overwhelmingly
joyful years—the same years, the same amazing God, our keeper.
Before we left for the mission field, I memorized Psalm 121
in English and in French, and over the years I have held on tight to those last
beautiful words of the psalm: The Lord will guard your going out and
your coming in from this time forth and forever. (NASB)
Of course He will. He is God with us.
We decorate to remember Christmases past, our lives, our
legacy, and mostly, for those of us who have embraced Christ, we decorate to
honor and praise Him for coming to us—Emmanuel! We make our homes
ready to receive the Christ Child, with soft music and candles burning and the
sweet flickering of angel wings on an over-laden evergreen.
***
ELIZABETH GOLDSMITH MUSSER, an Atlanta
native and the bestselling author of The Swan House, is a novelist who writes
what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ For over twenty years,
Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions work with
International Teams. They presently live near Lyon, France. The
Mussers have two sons and a daughter-in-law. The Sweetest Thing (Bethany House,
2011) is Elizabeth’s eighth novel. To learn more about Elizabeth and
her books, and to find discussion questions as well as photos of sites
mentioned in the stories, please visit www.elizabethmusser.com and her Facebook
Fan Page. www.elizabethmusser.com
Friday, December 16, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
<
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of
Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Babbie Suzanne Woods Fisher,
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series
through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God
has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
Grit, Experiencing Grace
or one of
the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Where is Comfort and Joy Found?
By Sandy Ralya
The year 2006 ushered unwelcome emotions into my life. My
husband was unhappy in his job, two of my grown children were making poor
choices, my mother-in-law was showing signs of Alzheimer’s, extended-family
issues were surfacing, and I was writing a book. Things only got worse. Much
worse.
Early in 2007, I was asked to represent the mentoring
ministry for wives I founded, Beautiful Womanhood, and lead a women’s conference
in Uganda, Africa. My husband wasn’t sure if traveling to Africa was a good
idea, so we committed it to prayer. While we were listening for an answer, I
sensed God asking me to fast from spending, except for groceries, for thirty
days. Sometimes you know that you’ve heard God’s voice because you’d never have
come up with those words on your own. This was one of those times. I’d never
heard of a fast from spending. Tom needed no convincing that a fast from
spending came directly from the mouth of God. He still gets excited just
thinking about it!
During the fast, it became clear I had used spending as a
way to gain a comfort fix. When I was spending money, I felt carefree and
lighthearted. Instead of dwelling on the unpleasantness in my life, I was
thinking of my purchases and how they would bring me pleasure. Not until I
stopped spending did I realize how short-lived the fix really was. During the
fast, when I felt the urge to spend—to anesthetize my pain—I pictured myself
running into the arms of Jesus, the Great Comforter. Oh, what comfort I
received!
One night, I told good friends my experience of gaining
comfort through the power of the Holy Spirit rather than money. I exclaimed
that I had never felt so comforted. One friend then told us about a dream he’d
had shortly after hearing about the invitation from Uganda. After the dream, he
had awoken and recorded the following thoughts:
“. . . this is for Sandy. Christ’s redemption of women is
beautiful. Beautiful Womanhood is a result of redemptive wholeness. The visuals
the ministry uses on the books, etc., are like a piece of beautifully veneered
furniture. There is something going on with the ministry to the brokenness of
abused women. In Uganda, there are hurting, abused women, and something is
connecting their need and Beautiful Womanhood. Though there is nothing wrong
with veneer, it is only the topping—the covering, and without good structure it
is shallow and will not hold up. It is time to add a new depth to the
ministry.”
Then these verses came to my friend’s mind:
All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in
all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we
will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure
that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his
comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NL
When my friend was finished sharing, everyone in the room
broke down in tears, praising God for His work in my life. I’d learned to
listen and God had spoken. I’d obeyed, and He’d acted. When He acted, I was
changed.
Needless to say, I packed my bags and experienced some of
the best days of my life in Uganda—offering God’s comfort to His troubled
women.
***
Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since
1980 and live near Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have three adult children and a
growing number of grandchildren. When not writing and speaking, Sandy enjoys
shopping at yard sales for vintage clothing, cooking, travelling, and drinking
really good coffee (black is best) with her husband. For more
information, contact Sandy at sandy@beautifulwomanhood.com.
Subscribe to Sandy’s blog at www.beautifulwomanhood.com/blog.
Find Sandy on Facebook at Beautiful Womanhood. Follow Sandy on Twitter
@MentoringWives.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of
Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl
Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl
Girls.
***
Advent
By Sibella Giorello
Consider the bride's walk down the aisle. We all know where
that woman in the white is going but somehow waiting for her to arrive at the
altar is an essential part of the ceremony. In fact, the waiting is so
essential that even cheapskate Vegas chapels include wedding marches.
Why?
Because the wait adds meaning to the
moment.
At Christmas time, we tend to forget this essential truth
about anticipation. We're lost to shopping malls and checklists, rushing toward
December 25th so quickly that we forget the quiet joy of the month's other 24
days -- and then we wonder why we feel so empty on the 26th, amid ribbons and
wrapping paper and our best intentions.
Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.
And that is why Advent is so important to Christmas.
I'm as guilty as the next harried person. This Advent was
particularly tricky because just six hours before it started, I was still
trying to finish a 110,000-word novel that was written over the course of the
year -- written while homeschooling my kids, keeping my hubby happy, and
generally making sure the house didn't fall down around us.
It's an understatement to say my free time is
limited. But waiting adds meaning, and Advent is crucial to Christmas, so I've
devised several Advent traditions that are simple, powerful and easy to keep
even amid the seasonal rush.
When my kids outgrew the simple Advent calendars around age
7, I stole an idea from my writer friend Shelly Ngo (as T.S. Eliot said,
"Mediocre writers borrow. Great writers steal." Indulge me.)
Here's how it goes: Find 24 great
Christmas books, wrap them individually and place then under the tree. On the
first day of Advent, take turns picking which book to open. When we did this,
we would cuddle under a blanket and read aloud -- oh, the wonder, the magic! We
savored "The Polar Express," howled with "How Murray Saved
Christmas," and fell silent at the end of "The Tale of The Three
Trees" (note: some of the picture books I chose were not explicitly about
Christmas but they always echoed the message that Jesus came to earth to save
us from ourselves and to love us beyond our wildest imagination. In that
category, Angela Hunt's retelling of The Three Trees definitely hits the
Yuletide bull's eye).
This Advent tradition lasted for about five years. It gave
us rich daily discussions about the season's real meaning, without being
religious or legalistic, and it increased family couch time. But like the
lift-the-flap calendars, my kids outgrew the picture books.
Because the wait adds meaning, and Advent is crucial, I
prayed for another way to celebrate anticipation of Christmas. By the grace of
God, last year I found an enormous Advent calendar on clearance at
Pottery Barn. Made of burlap, it has large pockets big enough to hold some
serious bounty.
But my husband and I didn't want the kids focusing only on
the materialist stuff for Advent -- we already fight that on Christmas day. We
decided to fill the daily pockets with simple necessities and small gift cards.
We also printed out the nativity story from Luke 2:1-21 in a
large-sized font and cut each verse out. From Day 1 to Day 21, there is one
verse to read aloud. The kids memorize it, then get to open their present (again,
on alternating days for each person). Then we tape the verse to the wall in
order. By Day 22, all the verses are on the wall, in order, and the kids now
try to recite the entire nativity story from memory. That's not as difficult as
it sounds because they've been memorizing one verse each day. Still, the entire
recitation -- verbatim -- usually requires Day 23 and Day 24. Whoever does
memorize the entire thing -- without mistakes -- earns a bonus gift
of $25.
Does that sounds extravagant?
It is.
Because we want our kids to understand that God came down
and humbled himself and taught us about love right before He suffered and died
on behalf of the undeserving -- which is every one of us.
"That's" extravagant.
And in the waiting, we find even more
meaning.
***
Sibella Giorello writes
the Raleigh Harmon mystery series which won the Christy Award with its first
book "The Stones Cry Out." She lives in Washington state with her
husband and children, and often wishes there were 36 hours in a day.
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to
the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some
of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through
Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has
touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a
giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a
chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest
runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and
Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT
gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
A Christmas of Kindness
By Suzanne Woods Fisher
"You can give without loving, but you can¹t love
without giving." Amish proverb
I do it every year.
I plan for a simpler, less stressful Christmas season and,
every year, by Christmas EveŠ I'm exhausted! After our delicious and
very-time-consuming-to-make traditional Swedish meal to honor my husband¹s
relatives (think: Vikings), it's time to head to church. I'm embarrassed to
admit it, but the last few Christmas Eve's, I have sent my husband and kids
head off without me. The pull to spend an hour of quiet in the house feels as
strong as a magnet.
It's odd. My children are young adults now. Wouldn't you
think that Christmas would be simpler? Instead, it's just the opposite. Jugging
schedules to share the grandbaby with the in-laws, trying to include our
elderly parents at the best time of day for them, dancing carefully around
recently divorced family members whose children are impacted by the shards of
broken relationships.
The thing is: you can simplify your to-do list, but you
can't really simplify people. We are just a complicated bunch.
Here's where I borrow a lesson about simplicity from the
Amish. It's easy to get distracted with the buggies and the bonnets and the
beards, but there's so much more to learn from these gentle people if you're
willing to look a little deeper.
Yes, they live with less "stuff" and that does
make for a simpler, less cluttered life. But it's the reason behind it that is
so compelling to me: they seek to create margin in their life. Not just empty
space‹but
space that is available to nourish family, community, and faith. Their
Christmas is far less elaborate than yours or mine, but what they do fill it
with is Šoh
so right.
Christmas comes quietly on an Amish farmhouse. There is no
outward sign of the holiday as we know it: no bright decorations, no big tree
in the living room corner. A few modest gifts are waiting for children at their
breakfast place settings, covered by a dishtowel. Waiting first for
Dad to read the story of Christ's birth from the book of Luke. Waiting until
after a special breakfast has been enjoyed. Waiting until Mom and Dad give the
signal that the time has come for gifts.
Later, if Christmas doesn't fall on a Sunday, extended
family and friends will gather for another big meal. If time and weather
permits, the late afternoon will be filled with ice skating or sledding. And
more food! Always, always an abundance of good food. Faith, family, and
community. That is the focus of an Amish Christmas.
form of people (big ones and little ones!) are ordained by
God. And blessed by God.
Creating margin probably means that I won't get Christmas
cards out until the end of January, and my house won't be uber-decorated. After
all, something has to give. But it will mean I make time for a leisurely visit
with my dad at his Alzheimer's facility. And time to volunteer in the church
nursery for a holiday-crowded event. And time to invite a new neighbor over for
coffee. Hopefully, it will mean that my energy won't get diverted by a frantic,
self-imposed agenda. Only by God's agenda‹the essence of true
simplicity.
And that includes taking time to worship Christ's coming at
the Christmas Eve service. You can hold me accountable! This year, I will be
there.
***
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of
The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and The Keeper, as well as nonfiction
books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist
cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was
raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County,
Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an internet
radio show called Amish Wisdom and her work has appeared in many
magazines. She lives in California. www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas
Welcome to the 3rd Annual Pearl Girls™
12 Pearls of Christmas blogging
series!
We've gathered several of today's most beloved authors to
share their Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along
beginning tomorrow (Wednesday the 14th) through Christmas day as Tricia Goyer,
Suzanne Woods Fisher, Rachel Hauck, Sandy Ralya, Sibella Giorello, Susan May
Warren and more, share their heartfelt stories of how God has touched their
life during this most wonderful time of the year.
If you'd like to share the 12 Pearls of Christmas
with your blog readers too, just email Christen and she'll send you the
series.
AND of course there is a giveaway! Beginning tomorrow you
and all your friends can enter to win a PEARL NECKLACE and EARRINGS valued at
$450! The winner will be announced on New Year's Day! Pearls - a
tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.
***
Just a quick note before the series begins on the 14th ...
As I write this, I imagine that we are sitting at my kitchen table and chatting over a cup of coffee while familiar Christmas carols celebrate the Season. My twelve year old Chihuahua, Pongo, barks for a pinch of pound cake while my Shih Tzu, Lilly, patiently sits by the chair and waits for a crumb to fall.
My name is not Martha Stewart, and I will never receive a neighborhood beautification award. Just look at my front stoop. Yes, my never-had-time-to-carve-the-pumpkin-that-now-suffers-from-frostbite slouches next to the front door which is decorated with a Christmas wreath. I plan to roll this large orange ornament to the garbage pile tomorrow. For now, however, I will pretend that my front stoop is a contemplative modern art exhibit capturing the essence of contrast.
Actually, I love the concept of juxtaposition – placing things together that don’t seem to belong together, yet somehow ultimately make sense being paired. A personal example for me this season is the phrase: “comfort and joy.” Having just completed my manuscript for New Hope Publishers about the aftermath of grief, I fully understand the contrast of those two words. How can comfort bring joy? How can one find joy in loss?
Perhaps, dear reader, you have experienced loss this year – loss of a loved one, loss of friendship, loss of health, loss of financial security, loss of trust, loss of love, or loss of direction. Even with the best intent, words of encouragement shared by others can somehow seem insufficient to address an inconsolable loss. A spoken word cannot fully restore joy to a broken heart; however the Word can. And that’s the bottom line message of Christmas! God gave us the most amazing gift: His Son - the Word of God, the Holy Comforter.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
You are not alone this Christmas, dear friend. Juxtaposed to the unexpected grit in life is the gift of God’s grace wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This year I purposely placed a pearl in the Nativity scene as a metaphoric reminder. When we place our grit into the hands of the Lord, His grace transforms our pain into a pearl.
“Joy to the world!”
Thank you so very much for sharing the JOY of the Season with us
this year.
God Bless,
Margaret
@mcsweeny
***
Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David
and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. She is the founder and
director of Pearl Girls. For more information please visit www.pearlgirls.info.
Margaret is fast at work on several fiction manuscripts. Her book Pearl Girls:
Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace was written to help fund the Pearl Girl
Charities. She is also the host of weekly radio show, Kitchen Chat. Connect
with Margaret on Facebook or Twitter.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD
We were given the chance to try out Rock 'N Learn Sight Word DVD. This is a pretty cool thing since Jacob is now at the age that he is learning how to sound out words, and well it was perfect timing for him!
I loved the layout of the video, it was definitely something that kept Jacob's attention, however there were some parts that went way too fast and didn't have enough review. I was also not a fan of the teenage cartoon characters that were doing the songs. For a preschoolers DVD I thought the characters were too old and it was just not appropriate for this setting. Think Bratz dolls for preschoolers learning sight words... (that is the only way I can think to explain it!)
I am not sure if we will continue to use this in the future, I do love the teaching aspect of it, so I might have to ignore it, or just use it to make flash cards or something to incorporate it into our schooling.
If you do want to try it out, all my readers are given a 25% off coupon to use at www.rocknlearn.com just enter: JQ7711 at check out.
*I was given a copy of Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD in exchange for my honest opinion, no $ was exchanged. I gave my opinion and that is all!*
I loved the layout of the video, it was definitely something that kept Jacob's attention, however there were some parts that went way too fast and didn't have enough review. I was also not a fan of the teenage cartoon characters that were doing the songs. For a preschoolers DVD I thought the characters were too old and it was just not appropriate for this setting. Think Bratz dolls for preschoolers learning sight words... (that is the only way I can think to explain it!)
I am not sure if we will continue to use this in the future, I do love the teaching aspect of it, so I might have to ignore it, or just use it to make flash cards or something to incorporate it into our schooling.
If you do want to try it out, all my readers are given a 25% off coupon to use at www.rocknlearn.com just enter: JQ7711 at check out.
*I was given a copy of Rock 'N Learn Sight Words DVD in exchange for my honest opinion, no $ was exchanged. I gave my opinion and that is all!*
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Over the Top Women of Faith Conference
So I was blessed with two tickets to the Women of Faith conference back east from BookSneeze. As you all know, our family moved to the west coast, I was a little worried about loosing my tickets, I had never been to a WOF conference, but after calling customer service, they transferred them to the Seattle conference no problem!
I took my neighbor, who had also moved home and it was a great time for us to reconnect! This was an amazing God filled weekend! I got to listen to Patsy Clairmont, Andy Andrews, Selah, Sandi Patty, Mandisa, Brenda Warner and many more!
Our seats we up close and personal! It was great! We sat in front of the hearing impaired section and watching the sign language ladies was beautiful! They were really worshipping God through their gift!
I had never seen Sandi Patty (honestly didn't know who she was) or Selah perform, and let me tell you that is something to do in your lifetime!!! And of course there were the speakers!!!
Patsy Clairmont had to be my favorite, she was hilarious, encouraging, honest, and really spoke with compassion and love! She reminded me of a real life Maxine! (She now has bright red hair so maybe that was part of it!)
Then there was Andy Andrews!!! Talk about a crazy ADD person full of energy! I had read The Final Summit, but had never really heard of Andy Andrews. I am now looking forward to reading all his books! He was this little "puppy" running around the stage and was amazing to listen to!
Brenda Warner... Where do you start? What an amazing story of strength and trust in God! I am looking forward to reading her book, One Call Away.
And the best part of the conference was the emphasis on sponsoring a child through World Vision. There were so many children that got sponsored that weekend, my neighbor adopted 1 there with another in the plans! :) It was great to see everyone not just enjoying their time, but getting the chance to change a life in not only the child they sponsored, but the entire village!
I am hoping that I get the chance to go to another conference in the future.
I had taken pictures, but my phone is not emailing them to me... :( Sorry!!! They were tweeted, so if you want to check them out, I am sure you can go back and follow us on twitter @gandybugs... :)
*I recieved two tickets from BookSneeze for my honest opinion that is all*
I took my neighbor, who had also moved home and it was a great time for us to reconnect! This was an amazing God filled weekend! I got to listen to Patsy Clairmont, Andy Andrews, Selah, Sandi Patty, Mandisa, Brenda Warner and many more!
Our seats we up close and personal! It was great! We sat in front of the hearing impaired section and watching the sign language ladies was beautiful! They were really worshipping God through their gift!
I had never seen Sandi Patty (honestly didn't know who she was) or Selah perform, and let me tell you that is something to do in your lifetime!!! And of course there were the speakers!!!
Patsy Clairmont had to be my favorite, she was hilarious, encouraging, honest, and really spoke with compassion and love! She reminded me of a real life Maxine! (She now has bright red hair so maybe that was part of it!)
Then there was Andy Andrews!!! Talk about a crazy ADD person full of energy! I had read The Final Summit, but had never really heard of Andy Andrews. I am now looking forward to reading all his books! He was this little "puppy" running around the stage and was amazing to listen to!
Brenda Warner... Where do you start? What an amazing story of strength and trust in God! I am looking forward to reading her book, One Call Away.
And the best part of the conference was the emphasis on sponsoring a child through World Vision. There were so many children that got sponsored that weekend, my neighbor adopted 1 there with another in the plans! :) It was great to see everyone not just enjoying their time, but getting the chance to change a life in not only the child they sponsored, but the entire village!
I am hoping that I get the chance to go to another conference in the future.
I had taken pictures, but my phone is not emailing them to me... :( Sorry!!! They were tweeted, so if you want to check them out, I am sure you can go back and follow us on twitter @gandybugs... :)
*I recieved two tickets from BookSneeze for my honest opinion that is all*
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Monday, November 21, 2011
Blessings from Above
Recently I have been thinking about how much God has blessed me! Before last week, I was starting to get down about being back in WA, asking myself if we really did do the right thing by moving here, leaving a church that really pushed us to be more Christ-like, to mature in our walk, and was home for us. Then we move out here and try a couple churches that just don't fit. So I start to doubt, did we make the right choice? Then as always, God comes through! :)
We attend a church two weeks ago that was recommended by a friend. We usually go to the church service one week, and if we like it, we try out the Sunday School program the next. Well, I was pretty tired of waiting for the right church, so I skipped a week and we went to Sunday School the first week... Wouldn't you know, we show up, drop the kids off, and then are told that instead of Sunday School there will be a budget meeting... But it was great to see how the church was run, where their priorities were (by the way it is a very missions minded church!) and how involved everyone was in their church.
Then we went to the service and usually it takes Greg a while to let me know about what he feels about a church... To my complete surprise he had us going to a small group the next Friday and attending the 101 class for new members! (We weren't able to make the class as my mom's car broke on her way home from church, so Greg had to work on that, but we did go to small group!)
The two times that we have really searched for a church home, God has made it so very clear where Home is for us! We are excited about this new church home God has for us, they have an amazing Sunday School for our kids, AWANA, an amazing women's and men's ministry (they go on fishing trips so Greg is psyched!) they are mission minded, and even have the Perspectives class that we were looking to take back east!
This is just one place where I am feeling very blessed! Although things are not easy right now, I know that God has great things planned for us here, and in the future.
During this time of Thanksgiving, just remember to look at the small things that God has done for you. I saw a quote today on Facebook that said "What if you woke up tomorrow with what you thanked God for today?" What would you have? Your family? Your house? Your church? Your life? Your salvation?
We attend a church two weeks ago that was recommended by a friend. We usually go to the church service one week, and if we like it, we try out the Sunday School program the next. Well, I was pretty tired of waiting for the right church, so I skipped a week and we went to Sunday School the first week... Wouldn't you know, we show up, drop the kids off, and then are told that instead of Sunday School there will be a budget meeting... But it was great to see how the church was run, where their priorities were (by the way it is a very missions minded church!) and how involved everyone was in their church.
Then we went to the service and usually it takes Greg a while to let me know about what he feels about a church... To my complete surprise he had us going to a small group the next Friday and attending the 101 class for new members! (We weren't able to make the class as my mom's car broke on her way home from church, so Greg had to work on that, but we did go to small group!)
The two times that we have really searched for a church home, God has made it so very clear where Home is for us! We are excited about this new church home God has for us, they have an amazing Sunday School for our kids, AWANA, an amazing women's and men's ministry (they go on fishing trips so Greg is psyched!) they are mission minded, and even have the Perspectives class that we were looking to take back east!
This is just one place where I am feeling very blessed! Although things are not easy right now, I know that God has great things planned for us here, and in the future.
During this time of Thanksgiving, just remember to look at the small things that God has done for you. I saw a quote today on Facebook that said "What if you woke up tomorrow with what you thanked God for today?" What would you have? Your family? Your house? Your church? Your life? Your salvation?
Friday, November 18, 2011
It's Friday and I asked for a new doctor!
(This is our baby boy due to come early December! First 3D ultrasound for us!!!)
So I am going to be 37 weeks on Monday... I met my doctor for the first time this week, and unlike in the past, I did not like him. For one, while listing off the risks of a c-section (this is #3 for me) he included that my intestines, bladder or BABY may be cut... Now if I was a first time mom, I would have freaked!!!! (OK I know that there are somethings that need to be disclosed, but you do not need to add, very seriously, that you haven't cut a baby in a long time!) Then we went on to the Strep B test, which was very painful (something about a man and never having that done is just not right!) And that was that. I got home, told my husband about the visit, and declared I just didn't like him. Greg didn't like him that much either from me repeating the visit to him.
Something about me~ I do not like confrontation. This can be as simple as picking up the phone to invite someone over, not bad confrontation, but I just don't like it. I am also the type that when I call to dispute a cell phone bill, somehow they have me agreeing that I owe more then originally!!! So for me to call the doctors office today and request a new doctor (oh by the way we are scheduled for our C-section on Dec. 8th so time is a little pressed!!) was, to say the least, very very scary! At first the receptionist was just open with the fact that they are short one Dr (due to maternity leave) and the holidays have them booked solid. Then when I explained that I was just not comfortable with him, and I have never done this before, she was laughing and apologizing saying that I will have to keep the next appointment, but can talk about switching after that...
So we will see what God has planned for us! I know He is in control and He knows what is best and all that is going to happen! And I do feel better knowing that I did stand up and make that phone call regardless of how scary and uncomfortable it was. And for now we will just pray that maybe I go into labor earlier then the 8th and the dr I do not like is well, not available! :)
What about you? Do you have a story to share about doctors? Asking for a new one? Or any other scary confrontational situation? What have you done to overcome it? Any tips are welcome as I am learning to be more strong and stand up for myself... :)
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