Fun Pictures

Gracie now has a mouth full of metal! This expander is taking some getting used to. So far she only likes to eat soup and oatmeal. We have to turn the bar to crank it out wider. She'll wear it 10 months. After that, on to braces. The hardest thing to say is s's and x's - which makes Saxie about the most difficult word for her to say.

I had my wedding dress out for a project - so the girls tried it on. They thought it was a little too 80's froo-froo for their tastes.

Have a great weekend!

A Place to Belong Review

I had the chance to review the book A Place to Belong by Lisa Troyer. This is an ideal book for a mom's group or a women's group to do together. It is especially effective for that type of use because the format is broken down into 5 sections with questions for reflection at the end of each section. In addition, it would really be a good book to set kind of the foundations of an accountablity group - as the sections are based around the 5 basic ideas that a group of that sort should be based on. Troyer also has some excellent information and PDF downloads about women's small groups - or forming your own group on her website HERE. I liked this book. It is geared a believe toward women with difficult pasts, who have come to the Lord with issues and difficulties, or those who may feel insecure in who they are. It has some great Biblical content and it will be a book I will recommend to women who need it.

Here's a little bit from the press release, "Coupling her unique personal story with related accounts in Scripture, Troyer offers sound instructional advice and inspired application. In A Place to Belong, she explores five principles that address the heart-needs of women today:

• Acceptance, embarking on adventure in relationship·



• Authenticity, exchanging the familiar for the extraordinary·



• Affirmation, enriching the lives of those around you·



• Accountability, receiving the comfort of companionship·



• Action, stepping into the journey and walking into the purpose

By learning to apply these concepts, women will not only experience freedom themselves but will also develop a biblical, transformational ministry to lead others within their own sphere of influence to freedom as well. Each section includes song lyrics, some penned by Troyer herself, and also discussion questions related to the song.

Interspersed throughout the book are testimonies from those who have been a part of their own circle of friends group. Resources provided at the back of the book, including a one-year Bible reading schedule, tips and goals for leading a small group, accountability questions and recommended reading, make A Place to Belong a truly beneficial multi-purpose book.

A Place to Belong has the potential of changing the way women think about themselves, about others and about doing God’s work in this world. Troyer challenges readers to connect to one another, comfort each other and affirm each other in using the gifts God has given them. Ultimately, A Place to Belong offers a healing dose of real hope that life can be rich, life can have purpose and no woman need ever be alone."

You can purchase the book for $14.99 from Barbour Publishing HERE On this site there are also some free music downloads and a free preview of the book. It's a neat website with lots of videos and resources.

This book was provided by B & B Media group and Barbour Publishing for the purposes of review only.

overwhelmed

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! And I'm not lost - although I'd kind of like to be lost somewhere! I'm just a little overwhelmed! So much Student Ministry going on right now! Our Fall retreat is this weekend and we are in full swing non-stop craziness! Please be in prayer that it will be a powerful experience for our students!

So much to DO! In addition to the usual frenzy of preparation - we are doing some super creative prayer stations on Sunday morning - kinda like THESE - not nearly as fancy or elaborate as those - but interactive and out of the box! I'll share pictures & details next week.

Other than that my life has been pretty well consumed! Volleyball, Softball, Football, horseback riding -the kids are keepin' me goin' too. I'll post some pictures soon! AND I am going to tell you about an amazing book I am reading on Thursday.

In the meantime, we watched a cool movie on Netflix this week that I would highly recommend! We are enjoying not having a TV much more than I expected! I thought Byron would have caved to the desire for Cowboys football by now. He loves the no-TV and likes to listen to football on the radio or watch sometimes on the computer. Just having Netflix (we watch on the computer) has allowed us to choose our viewing more and it has really given us the opportunity to watch some quality Christian movies. The kids watched this one with us - and aside from one brief verbal description of a girl's abuse (not really graphic) it was a great movie for them to see! It made a strong impression on them & they have mentioned it several times since.

Giant Games!

The life of a youth pastor's wife is rarely dull. This week I created giant games for an upcoming event! Although I didn't get to do what I really wanted, which was create a gigantic chess set with paper mache . Time got away from me, and that was kind of a daunting task anyway. Someday. I have strange ambitions, huh?

I settled for a giant checker set instead. Plates hot glued together worked wonderfully and I laminated it all myself with contact paper. Everythings on top of refigerator boxes to make it tough enough to store and use again.

This is a huge twister mat made out of canvas material my grandmother had. I'll be able to fold it up and keep it pretty nicely. Although my husband wasn't real crazy about the idea of twister with a mixed group - we'll police them pretty carefully. I didn't sew this - I duct taped several pieces together and made a duct tape border to make the edges look nice. This game will be a challenge because those dots are pretty far apart.

Last but not least - a huge (unfinished in this photo) Monopoly game. My favorite part is the Go square which reads, "In these here parts ain't nobody gettin' sumthin for nothin'! If ya'll is wanting $200 you better run yoself around this here gameboard 2X!"

Chance cards read: "Cows out on the road - lose turn." or "You just found out your girlfriend is your second cousin, go back 2 spaces." We are going to play some giant volleyball and eat giant amounts of junk food. Hope you have a blessed weekend!

Classic Randomness

Every morning I tell my kids they are the HEAD and not the TAIL... but if you are going to be the tail, or have a tail...

You might as well make it look FABULOUS! Saxie did not like this little embellishment at all and went to work swishin' it out right away.

D had his first football game this week. He loves it, especially defense. He is usually a running back. I think. I try, but mostly I'm just there to yell, "Go Daniel!"

They royally lost their game, but it was still a lot of fun.

I seem to get easily side-tracked without the kids around to keep me constantly occupied. Without them around to force structure to my day there's just so many options! I tend to just kinda bounce around from one unfinished task to the next. A morning set aside for baking turned into an artistically decorated pantry. Oh well! I'm starting to get into the groove. But I've also realized I do need some kind of a schedule to keep myself on track!

I've actually got some really fun projects (mostly student ministry related) I'll share later on in the week!

Mirror Ball by Matt Redman

If you know much about Christian music, you've probably heard the name Matt Redman. He wrote my very favorite song, "Blessed Be the Name." I absolutely love By the Tree's rendition. He wrote "The Heart of Worship," and so many other amazing worship songs. I like books like Mirror Ball. I like a book that is like a good friend talking about their faith and how God reveals Himself to them. Neat.
I also really loved the whole "mirror ball" analogy from which comes the title. I'm probably going to steal that for a youth message sometime too. Matt tells the story of a small mirror ball at a Passion conference where he realized it was not the effort of the ball that gave the dramatic effect of beautiful reflected light, but the light shined onto the ball. We are like a tiny mirror and our job is reflecting God. In and of ourselves we have no light. But in His bright and shining light we are transformed and begin to radiate the glories of our God to the world around us. You may be feeling totally inadequate for that task. But if so, you have simply forgotten the most important part of the equation. It is not about you and your best efforts. It is the light, power and love of Christ illuminating our fragile lives.

Mirror Ball is a great book, it's a book about worship with your whole heart and life. It is readable and entertaining, but draws you closer to God. Nuff Said. I highly recommend it.

Mirror Ball was published by David C. Cook - you can purchase the book on their site HERE for $12.99, but since they asked for my honest opinion and did not compensate me for this review, I have to tell you it is only $10 on Matt Redman's website. You can visit his website here and preview some of his amazing albums, videos, and even chord charts, oh yes, and buy the book too if you want.

I was given Mirror Ball for by David C. Cook and B&B Media for the purposes of review only.

Things I Love Tuesday

My parents had this great cassette tape when I was a kid. Oh stop it with the "what is a cassette tape?! It was a dramatized recording of the book of Acts, and I loved it! When we were sick we would listen to it all day. I've always loved the book of Acts because of it. These 2 CD's are kind of like that. I have really enjoyed them and so have the kids. Byron doesn't like the lady's voice, he's peculiar that way, but it has really allowed me to read and understand the book of Revelation like never before and I am totally lovin' it. And this is not a product I am reviewing, just something I ran across that I love. The Jonah CD is short - and $9. The Revelation version is pricey, $25, but so worth it, this lady is reading both books word for word NIV and a full symphony orchestra plays behind her - way cool. This LINK will take you to her page and you can actually hear some sample audio clips.

I've got this caramel latte addiction and here's my latest love.

I'll admit I am rather taken with my new morning devotional partner too. :) Before I went to get my camera she was right up next to the porch. She's kind of nosey. Maybe she wants me to read my Bible aloud to her in the mornings?

Saxie's previous owners said she is full of personality. Last night we were running around inside getting everyone ready for bed and I noticed her straining her neck to look into the window at the back fence. I walked outside and she turned quickly, nosed her food bucket, nickered, and looked at me like, "Can you take care of this right away?" She had already eaten in the morning, so I'm not sure if she was truly hungry or just manipulative, but it is hard to say no to that clear of a request!

After being outside for a while this morning, my clothes smell strongly of smoke. Wildfires continue in surrounding counties, but all are out in my county. Must be pretty bad to bring smoke this far. Send rain, Lord! I hope you are having a blessed Tuesday where you are!

I've shared with you before our desperate need for rain. Today it got even more serious. The wind picked up and much of our county raged with out of control wildfires. A nearby community began to be evacuated. We prepared our church to receive displaced families & we started to pray. During our prayer time in church tonight, the rain began to pour and we got a good soaking rain. My kids ran around in it acting like they had never seen rain before. They were praising God for answering their prayers.

It reminded us of one of our VERY FAVORITE family movies; Faith Like Potatoes. If you haven't seen it, you need to - it's such a great movie. Here's a clip from our favorite part:

Saxie

Well, Saxie is smitten. She is in love with my kids. She follows all of them where ever they are going! And well, who can blame her? She loves to be groomed, which is good because she's getting groomed several times a day. She has also gotten several new hair-do's today.

She follows the kids when they open the gate to let the car out and stands beside them as the car passes. She looked like she was waiting by the fence for us to return from church this morning.

The Ultimate in Shopping with Shay

My friend Shay is a master bargain finder! She loves to find bargains and share her findings with others! I told her my dilemma -we wanted a super cheap horse, but we also wanted a very kid-friendly beginner horse. Most horses advertised as "kid friendly" seemed to be either half -dead or WAY too expensive for our budget. So, my friend Shay heard about a horse needing a new home. This horse, named Saxie, turned out to be the perfect fit for our family! She is a beautiful horse, and of course, the kids fell instantly in love with her.
She hadn't been ridden in quite a while, but she did VERY well.

She is such a calm and friendly horse, and she is certainly going to get a lot of attention around here!
Even Daniel got to go for a ride. She reins and listens to commands so well, definitely an excellent beginner horse. Did I mentioned earlier that she was free? It was really important to her family that she go to a good home where she will get lots of love and attention. They didn't want to sell her to just anybody.

I think they made the right choice, and so did we. Is there such thing as too much love and attention? Can you say spoiled? She has already learned about the apple-flavored treats the kids have stuffed in their pockets. Poor horse is going to have to find a spot in the woods for some quiet time and to get away from everyone. I guess you know what we'll be up to on this long weekend!

Droughts and Floods

Weather patterns are such spiritual things. The wind, the storm, one of my all time favorite Bible stories is the story of how God spoke to Elijah not of these amazing weather situations, but with a Still Small Voice. Love that.

Droughts and floods are such strong spiritual parables. I love to really get into a Bible story and think about the physical situations surrounding it! Despite a sprinkle once, we are basically around 70 days without any real rain. I know I've already posted some pictures of the terrible cracks all over my yard, but they just amaze me! We could literally make it a walk through maze out there, and they just keep getting wider and wider despite our best attempts to water. Most of the stock tanks (you might call 'em ponds) around here are dry and many of our friends have lost cattle or horses because they have gotten stuck in the muck trying to get to the remaining water.

It just brings new meaning to 2 Kings 17 - Elijah and the 3 years with no rain! How critical it would be without running water, backhoes to dig man-made ponds, and drills to dig deeper for water. Amazing to think about the implications of a period without rain to Biblical peoples isn't it?

It's so funny to drive down the road and spot in each yard the septic tank, the only green patch left!

Except these little evil boogers - Mesquite trees! Popping up and thriving everywhere! They're covered with thorns and not easy to pull up! Interestingly, they don't go much further north from this point in Texas. My dad was explaining that they originally were only in Mexico, and the cattle drives brought them north - they have little berries that were eaten by cattle, and thus became "planted" along the trip to the central Texas rail-lines. Interesting, huh?

These poor things are starving. They drank the sugar water from this picture in less than 3 days! We have about 6 -10 out there all day.

I was just have these deep, spiritual musings on the drought, when I read my friend's blog post about the same topic. Go HERE to read it. She and her AMAZING family are missionaries in the Middle East so drought is huge to them - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

By the way - rain is predicted for Saturday AND Sunday! I am praying that God rain down his love, grace, and mercy on your family as well! My you experience a FLOOD of His presence!