Everyday Becky

"'Tho We've Gotta Say Good-Bye For the Summer"

2011-05-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

That King Charming and Me...

We're always coming up with crazy ideas and doing weird things.

I think our friends must wait to see what new crusade we'll be on next.

So here's our latest:

We're winding back the clocks to the dark ages.

We're turning off our TV.

We're turning off our Internet.

We're craving a memory-making, nostalgic, and active summer without technology to distract us or steal away our time. So we're taking a vacation from technology until September.

We plan on having a family movie night once a week, and we can get on the Internet any time we are willing to ride our bikes to the library to do it. Other than that it will be an old fashioned summer. I might even write a few snail mail letters. : )

I'm definitely planning on reading a lot of good books and hopefully writing a rough draft of a novel. There will be Otter Pops, BBQ's, slip and slide, sprinklers, etc.

I thought the kids would throw a fit when we announced our plan, but their response was, "You mean you guys can't be on your computers?" (said with shocked faces) They just couldn't believe they get to have a whole summer of our undivided attention. (Talk about convicting)

I'm going to miss you all. You may have noticed how infrequent my blog posts have already been this spring. I think making the decision we made for summer has prompted us to be on the Internet a lot less already.

I'll check my email as often as I can at the library and may even be able to sneak in a few blog posts. Otherwise, I'll see you all in September!

Have a great summer!

Love,

The Persevering Pen

2011-05-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Born a scribe and given the gift to pen,
She dreams of painting stories with her words-
Masterpieces that entertain, elicit laughter,
          Even tears.
Portraits of adventure and beauty
The medium of words pointing to the
          Master Storyteller.

Her dream is pure while she is small
She writes on scraps and in notebooks-
Lists of characters with fancy names, fragments of plotlines and
          Fantasy places.
Mere scratchings of a little girl
The simple, innocent words revealing
          Sweet Dreams.

Growing older, and tasting life,
She clings to her pen but doubts her words-
Voices from within and without, voices of truth,
          Voices of lies.
Messages of ‘not enough’ and ‘too hard’ bombard
The world and her fear invite her to quit before
          She Fails.

Born a scribe and given the gift to pen,
She writes through the fear and the failures words that-
Sometimes fall flat, sometimes soar high, but always come from
          Her Heart.
Running the race marked out for her she remembers
The One who gave her the pen and calls

          Press On.

I wrote this poem today for a contest Rachelle Gardner (literary agent) is hosting on her blog.  I think she was looking for something a lot lighter and with more humor, but this was what came out of me today. I decided to share it on here, too, because I know a lot of you share my dream for writing, and that others of you have your own dreams. I just wanted to encourage us all to not let voices of doubt or fear keep us from running after the dreams God has written on our hearts. I need this message as much as all of us. : )

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Introducing the Van Cluck Sisters

2011-05-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

We have some new fluffy babies around here-

Chickens! : )

We may have been slightly influenced by a certain royal wedding last week when we named our girls.

We each picked out a chick of our own and decided they needed very aristocratic names. Prince Charming had a little help naming his chickie. "Bird" just didn't seem fancy enough. : )

Meet the Van Cluck Sisters:

"Goldie"
Lady Goldia Rosemary Van Cluck

Goldie is a Golden Sex Link chicken and belongs to Youngest Princess

"Angeline"

Lady Angeline Ann Van Cluck

Angeline is an Ameracauna chicken. She will lay pastel Easter colored eggs. She belongs to Oldest Princess.

"Lady Di"

Lady Diana Van Cluck

Diana is a Rhode Island White chicken and belongs to King Charming.

"Ramona"

Lady Ramona Augusta Caroline Van Cluck

Ramona is a Golden Sex Link chicken and she belongs to Prince Charming.

"Bea"

Lady Beatrice Anastasia Adelaide Van Cluck

Beatrice is also a Golden Sex Link chicken and she's mine!! : )

We are so excited to have fresh eggs. They should be laying for us before school starts again in the Fall. Right now they are still in their brooder, but King Charming is hard at work designing and building "Cluckingham Palace" (a.k.a. The Coop).

As soon as they establish their pecking order, and we can see who is the boss, we will know which of the ladies will receive the title of "Her Majesty the Queen". After that we'll decide who will become our princess, duchess, countess, etc.   We're not having fun at all. : )

I originally titled this post "Meet Our Newest Family Members" but King Charming put the kabosh on that. He has told us over and over again they are not family members, to not get too attached, and to remember these chickens are food providers, might die, and might end up in soup. We're prepared for the worst, but still having so much fun. I can't believe how fast they are growing and changing. On Saturday they were puffballs.  Now they are already getting their feathers.

I like being a chicken farmer! : )

Want to vote on which one you think will end up Queen?

Backward Thinking

2011-04-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of studying the Bible lately for teaching Sunday School and for a retreat I'm speaking at in May, and one of the themes that keeps popping up is the idea of how much we can't trust our own hearts and minds to tell us the truth, and how much the things that seem right and true in this world are really backwards or upside down thinking.

My cousin Katy posted this on Facebook today, and I thought it was such a cool picture of how backward we can have it:

Thanks for sharing, Kate! Love ya!

Small

2011-04-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Big-
You are Big
Maker of stars so enormous
Earth appears as a speck of dust
Designer of galaxies beyond our reach
Sculptor of mountains too high for me to summit
Big-
You are Big.

But today it is your smallness
That steals my breath
And fills me with awe
And sends me to my knees.

Small-
You are small.
Your signature stamped on the minutest cell
Aware of each hair upon my head,
Your tiny jar
Collecting every,
individual tear that

f

a

l

l

s

Small enough to know our hearts,
You see
me.

I am not lost on this speck of dust
I am known.
You saw my Micah,
Lost to me before she was big enough to see
But not lost to You who held her in Your hand and ushered her to Your side
The day she flew to be with
You.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

Small-
You are small.

My Latest Good Reads

2011-04-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

I do love to get lost in a good book, and I've gotten lost in some good ones lately.

It's interesting how different the types and genres of books I've been reading are from one another. You'll see from my list that they vary from YA Fantasy to Contemporary Christian Fiction. None of these were perfect, but all of them were entertaining, and I didn't want to put them down.

Young Adult Fantasy/ Fairy Tale:

I stumbled on this one at the library and maybe I enjoyed it so much because I didn't know what to expect. It was such a pleasant surprise. It's the first of a trilogy called "The Chanters of Tremaris" and I really enjoyed this fantasy world. I've already been to the library for Book Two and Book Three in the series so I can keep going.

This one is a fairy tale and a sequel to Goose Girl. I didn't like it as well as Goose Girl, or her other books like Princess Academy and Book of 1,000 Days, but as always, Shannon Hale is a master with words and I liked being back in Bayern. It has a little bit of a slow start, but by the middle I was hooked again

Christian Fiction:

This one caught me from the beginning and had enough adrenaline to keep me reading after the Hunger Games Trilogy ruined me. My only complaint is it is obviously the first of a series (that hasn't been written yet) and left me hanging at the end, waiting for the next book. (Did I mention it hasn't been written yet? Hurry up, Joel!) : )

I have been following Jody Hedlund's writing blog for awhile, so it made this book,her debut novel, extra fun to read. The Preacher's Bride is the one for you if you are in the mood for some good Christian historical romance.

Verse Novel:

And of course you all had to know I'd be reading another verse novel. This one didn't disappoint me. : ) I'm still in love with the genre and really enjoyed this book:

Question For You: Do you stick to one genre of books or do you like a variety? Have you read anything great lately?

Happy Reading!

My Website is Finished!

2011-03-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm celebrating today because my website is finished!

The URL www.BeckyAvella.com has been forwarding to my blog while I waited for the website to be finished, but starting today that address will take you directly to the new website. Please stop by and check it out I'd love your feedback. : )

The next two things on my to do list are a blog makeover- it's long overdo- and getting And Then You Were Gone released on Kindle.

I hope you all are having a blessed Monday!

On Writing: Who Am I?

2011-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

A Season of Preparation:

Writing fiction has been a lifelong dream, but I am not in a season of my life where I can or should devote the time necessary for full time, professional writing. Out of necessity, it has to remain a hobby.

Just for now.

I hope later that will change, and I will have more time to pursue it like I want to do, and find out if I even have enough talent to write publishable stories.

In the meantime I see this as a season of preparation. I'm studying the craft of writing, and I write whenever I can, loving every minute of it.

Who am I?

One of the things I'm trying to do is discover my voice, my audience, and my genre. I've heard you should write what you love to read, but I love such a wide variety of books, and I have three manuscripts started that couldn't be more different. One is Contemporary Christian Fiction, one is a verse novel, and one is a fairy tale. Which one do I commit to finishing?

Who am I as a writer? Shannon Hale, one of my favorite authors, said, "I spent eighteen years writing unpublishable stuff, and I now realize it was all in pursuit of my voice."

That's where I am at. Do I want to write Contemporary Christian Fiction like my favorites Francine Rivers and Joel Rosenberg? Do I want to write verse novels like Karen Hesse? Do I want to write fairy tales like Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale? Do I write for adults or for young adults and middle grade readers? I'm not sure yet. And when I settle in to the genre and audience that fits, what does Becky Avella the storyteller sound like?

I don't know yet, but I'm praying about it, and I believe I can't know unless I just keep writing. That's where I'll find myself. Not in the thinking about it, but in the actual act of writing.  Just thinking about writing or talking about writing won't make me a writer. I need to write. Even if the progress is slow.

My Goals:

I'm so thankful for the writing community. I've been given some wonderful advice like this from my new friend Michelle Massaro at Adventures in Writing:

The next time you decide to pick up your pen, I'd encourage you to put it to one of your half-finished books instead of starting yet another from scratch.

Or this from author, Jody Hedlund:

With 3 uncompleted manuscripts, I'm also inclined to think you might need to push yourself to finish one of them, even if it's just as simple as giving yourself the goal of 300 words a day. (Or giving yourself the goal of finishing one during the summer.)

So those are my goals for now-

1.  I need to know what it feels like to actually cross the finish line instead of starting over.
2. I've settle on one of my manuscripts to finish and have dedicated this summer as the summer of a completed rough draft.
3. I know I'll have to turn off my self-editor and realize the first draft won't be perfect (or even good) and I'll need to turn off the the but "who am I really" questions and just write to "The End". That voice will be discovered as I continue to finish manuscripts and in the revisions.

I'm so excited!

Seeing Green

2011-03-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Corned Beef and Cabbage are all set to go for dinner tonight with Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream for dessert of course.
Yum, Yum, Yum!!

And after the fun we had with our Valentine's Hair-Dos, the girls and I decided we needed shamrocks in their hair today-

Oldest Princess

Littlest Princess

Directions for hairstyles are from this site: http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/

All Ready for a Green Day at School-

No Pinching!

Hey!! Did You Forget Someone, Mom!

See I'm wearing my green, too-

My husband's family on his mom side came from Ireland only two generations ago, and although I can't claim as much, there's some Irish blood in me, too. We have a lot of fun celebrating our Irishness and St. Patrick, a man credited with bringing the good news of Christianity to Ireland and who was described as being "humble" and "thankful" for that honor.

Happy St. Patty's Day Everyone!

Love,

Last Year It Was That Mustache...

2011-03-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last year he grew that THING-

I think they call it a mustache? I've repressed it. : )

And now?? That King Charming of mine just can't seem to leave his good looks alone-

But this time I can forgive him because it was for such a great cause:

Being the hero that he is, he shaved all his hair off to show his support for kids with cancer and to raise money to help find a cure.

Before:

After:

My Hero!

Thank you so much to all of you who put up with our constant begging on Facebook, and to those of you who contributed to the almost $500 he raised. His team took first place with a total of $6,800 and the event here in our city raised over $50,000. Awesome!

My new hero is the lady he works with who shaved all of her long, beautiful blond hair off in memory of her mom who recently passed away from cancer. And one of the men raised another $600 or so when he promised to shave the mustache he had been growing since he was 16 years old. Of course they took care of that on stage. : )

It was a good lesson for our kids. Prince Charming didn't recognize this new bald version of his daddy, but the girls are now growing their hair out for Locks of Love so they can be like their daddy.

Hope you all are having a blessed weekend and surviving the Day Light Savings change.

Love,

The Best Birthday EVER!

2011-03-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

That's how she described it.

Hearing that and seeing the look on her face in this picture did my heart so much good!!

I love seeing my baby girl so happy.

It really was a fun celebration. First it was pizza at our house, then a trip to the theater to see Tangled. (I loved that movie!) and then home for an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen and a sleepover.

(It only took me until 1:00 in the morning to get the giggling to stop)

We topped it all off the next morning with some unplanned sleepingbag sledding and a batch of homemade waffles.

It seemed to be a success. I'm just still in shock that my girl is 9-years-old. I'm going to be in major shock next year when she turns ten.

That's a decade.

Oh my goodness!

I MUST STOP BLINKING!!!

Creation-Deprivation Disorder

2011-03-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Creation-Deprivation Disorder

That's what I've got.

And I've diagnosed my family with the disorder, too.

I don't believe we were created to be so sedentary or confined, and I've craved more interaction with nature, but I haven't known how to make it happen.

I've recently begun reading this book, hoping it will inspire me, so I can inspire us:

The author labels this generation's lack of being outside as "Nature-Deficit Disorder" but I prefer to call it "Creation-Deprivation Disorder". I'm craving being surrounded by creation so I can know the Creator better and to worship Him as I see Him in what He has made. I want that for my kids, too.

Today, I was reading the book and making excuses about it being too cold outside, when I heard the sound of a Disney movie trickling down the stairs. I decided Prince Charming and I needed an adventure, so I bundled us up and got on my bike and left our neighborhood.

Thankfully, it doesn't take long for us to get away from our concrete subdivision. First we said hello to some of our animal friends-

Then we stopped at a dried out creek bed on the edge of our neighborhood and played and explored, romped, and threw lots of rocks:

It was gray and cold. The only color was Prince Charming's jacket. But it was the perfect backdrop for imagination.

We had a lot of fun on our adventure!

Well...at least for awhile.

Then the wimp came back out in us. : )

It's been about three days that I've been very intentional about getting myself outside and encouraging the kids to do it, too, and I can't believe how great I feel from the walks and bike rides. They've left me hungry for more.

When the girls came home from school I showed them this website and sent them outside to build their own Fairy House.

They are mid-construction, so I'll save the update on their progress for another post. They said I could share the end result as long as I reminded you all not to scare off the fairies. : )

Here's to more adventures to come!

Q4U- Do you feel like you or your kids are creation deprived?

Missed It? Made to Crave Re-Runs

2011-02-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

I just received this email and thought I'd pass it on for any of you who were interested in the Made to Crave webcasts but missed them the first time around-

Made to Crave Webcast Re-runs Starting Tuesday, February 22nd

We've heard your cries, your pleas, your requests and your many emails asking us to re-run the Made to Crave webcasts. So, we've made special arrangements to re-run the webcasts on demand for the next 6 Tuesdays!

We're calling them "Tell a Friend Tuesdays!" For 24 hours, starting tomorrow morning, we'll re-air Week One of the Made to Crave webcast on demand. All you have to do is go to http://www.madetocrave.org/ anytime tomorrow starting at 6 am EST, and you'll be able to see Lysa, Tonia, Kathrine Lee, and Dr, Chilton chatting it up.

Invite your mama, your sister, your girlfriends, your neighbor you like, and even the one you don't like. You won't want to miss this unique second-time-around opportunity!

We'll be doing some fun giveaways every Tuesday on Lysa's blog too! (http://www.lysaterkeurst.com/)

See you there!
Blessings,

Holly Good
Executive Assistant to Lysa

You can read my series of blog posts about Lysa's book and the webcasts by clicking here.

Happy Monday!

Love,

The Hunger Games Trilogy Ruined Me

2011-02-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Someday soon...when it's not a Friday night and I'm not too fried to be coherent...I'll write a review on my latest reads, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

But for those of you who have already read these books, you'll understand when I say they ruined me. Now everything I try to read seems too dull to hold my interest.

I'm craving a good read to ween me off the adrenaline rush that was the Hunger Games. Any suggestions out there in cyber land? Lately I've been a YA Fiction junkie, but I'll take any suggestions at this point.

Yawn...

P.S. Please pray for Prince Charming. He's had a bad case of croup this week and I had to take him into the doctor's office this afternoon for his second dose of steroid treatments to ease his breathing. I can't wait to see him back to himself again and to stop worrying about my sweet little guy. Thanks!

Princesses Show Off Their Heart Hairdos and Final Made to Crave

2011-02-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

We were all so proud of the girls' Valentine's Hairdos this morning, I wanted to show them off:

The girls woke up and asked for hearts in their hair this morning. I didn't know if that was possible, but figured Google is good for everything. : ) We stumbled on this amazing hairdo site here and decided to give it a shot. It's a miracle we made it to school before the tardy bell, but it was very easy and so much fun.

I hope you all have plans for snuggling your family today and remembering the greatest Valentine of all:

Don't forget tonight is the final Made to Crave webcast. You can watch it here. I'm so thankful for all I've learned from Lysa these past six weeks and for the honor of being a part of her blog tour.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Love you!

Prince Charming Hijacked my Blog Today

2011-02-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

I hijacked Mommy's blog today, because I wanted to say hi to my cousins.

Even if you are not one of my cousins, you can still watch my videos and see how hard I have been working on my speech.

Mommy says I've come so far from when she was just hoping to hear me say, "Mama".

She is proud of me.

Happy Friday!

Love,

Shift Change

2011-02-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Part of the life I signed on for,
Expected,
His new hours aren’t bad-

            Weekends off
           At least it’s not nights!

Just rearrange the schedule
Like we always do and

Adjust.

            But something hardens
            The words “shift change” hit this time unexpectedly
            Like tipped arrows,
            Nicking my heart with the poison of

Self Pity.

            No!
            I don’t want to s-h-i-f-t and
            I don’t want to change!
            I like the way it is.

A soul level tantrum where I cannot pray, “Search me…”
Because He will not find poetry inside,
Only the off rhythm heartbeat of,

“Me, me, me, me.”

The shift comes and the change happens
I fold my arms and pout, until
The dark parts are held up to the Light and
The still small Voice whispers,

“It’s time”

I surrender to the shift
I embrace the change
I adjust and
I grow.

And Shift Change becomes

Good.

**************************************************
I'm writing this today as an expression of gratitude for my patient husband, who loves me through the "soul tantrums" and times when my heartbeat is off rhythm.

I'm linking up for the first time with "A Holy Experience" for Walk with Him Wednesday"

And also for a second time with sweet Emily for Imperfect Prose.   I'm so thankful for the permission to admit and to be imperfect.

Love,

But Why?

2011-02-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

When it comes to my weight struggle and food issues, I've asked, "why?" a lot.

I've often thought of the whole thing as a big, unfair curse.

I can't count the multitude of prayers I've lifted concerning these issues. Prayers to be beautiful, prayers to be a certain number on the scale, prayers for help on this diet or that diet, and even prayers that God would spare my daughters from inheriting my issues with food and weight so they will avoid the same heartache.

One of the lessons I've been learning lately is that this whole thing is anything BUT a curse.

Looking back over the course of my lifetime, I cannot think of a single issue that has sent me more consistently to God than this one.

In the past God has used this struggle to:

Draw me closer to Him
Humble me
Get me on my knees
Reveal my need for Him
Teach me of His (and others) love for me just as I am
Inspire me to more maturity
Show me how unsatisfying anything will be that I crave more than Him

And now God is continuing to use this struggle to :

Deepen my dependence on Him
Refine and mature me
Lead me to repentance
Prompt me to use the resources that are mine in Him
Teach me I am stronger than I think I am because He is great in my weakness
Alllow me to know Him more (something I long for)
Demonstrate that He is enough and all I need
Show me where my true worth lies
Confirm His great and undeserved love for me
And to lead me to victory instead of defeat

I'm embracing the journey because this journey and all these things He's doing through it are

GOOD!

I'm embracing this journey and realizing it does not have a beginning nor an end. It is something I will keep working on my whole life, but the results will be worth it.

But, what if this battle with food isn't the curse we've always thought it to be? What if it's actually the very thing, if brought under control, that can lead us to a better understanding of God? What if we could actually get to the place where we thanked God for letting us face this battle because of the rich treasure we discovered on the battlefield?

- Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave, Chapter 10

*****************************
Only two more webcasts left! Tonight I'm looking forward to seeing Mandisa talking with Lysa. Here's the link to the webcast which will air at 8 PM (EST). Don't forget to adjust for your timezone. If you miss it, it will air again tomorrow at several times throughout the day on the Made to Crave website.

See you there!

Love,

2011-02-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

My oldest princess has been so independent from the beginning.

She crawled at 5 months, walked at 9 months, and had a new baby sister that needed our attention one month after her first birthday. She didn't seem to have much time or need for snuggling- she was on the go and she was the big kid, not the baby.

Recently, she has been doing more growing up. You know that kind of growing up that happens when you are almost nine, when you start changing, and everything seems so overwhelming? Along with that changing and growing up has come a lot of emotion- tears and frustration and bickering.

I felt this ache in my heart as I realized how quickly she is growing up and how disconnected she and I have been this winter. I"ve been frustrated with her and she's been frustrated with me and more than a few nights I've cried and prayed about how sad I was to be losing my little girl to the tween years.  As I prayed, God gave me some direction that was different from what I expected.  You know what He told me to do?

Hug her more.

I was so surprised. Every once in awhile she's asked for a hug or snuggle time, but it always seemed to come when I couldn't (or didn't want to) give her that kind of attention.  It appeared to come when she wanted out of something like going to bed at night or when I was right in the middle of something like cooking dinner or finishing a project and my answer had to be, "I can't right now. I'm busy."

I hadn't noticed how little physical affection I had been giving her lately, and I hadn't noticed how hungry she was for it. Until I started giving it to her.

Instead of opening the door in the morning and saying, "Rise and shine. Get up for school!" I've been going in to her room a few minutes early and snuggling with her until she wakes up. At school, I won't let her leave my car in the morning without a kiss and hug goodbye, and throughout the day, I've tried to grab her as often as I can and hug that little girl that she still is and will always be to me.

I didn't know hugs were her love language, or how empty her little love tank had become, but she's blooming lately and seems like a new, more peaceful girl. She needed Mommy hugs, and I'm so thankful God showed me she did, because what I didn't know or expect was how much I needed those hugs, too.

I love my girl!

What if I Stumble?

2011-01-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

Not a Fun Trip to the Scale:

Last week, I blogged about my recent success and how hopeful I felt about my ability to find lasting victory over my weight and food issues.  Almost immediately after pushing "Publish Post", however, I began to slide into a week of very little victory and much struggle.

The January winter blues hit their climax, my husband started a new work shift that I was unhappy about, I went out of town for a women's retreat with lots of yummy treats, and that joyful event of every woman's month (an event I've seen Lysa label the "Princess Must Scream" syndrome) hit all at once.  I was tested to put into practice what I've been learning.

I didn't pass the test.

I gained weight this week.

This is the point in the past when my perfectionism and "all or nothing" approach to everything would take over and start the whispers of "why try?"

This is the point where traditionally I may not say it out loud or even put it into words for myself, but I would begin to quit. I don't want to do that this time. Because I'm learning I was made for more.

But What if I Stumble?

I started to worry. People are watching. I've made my weight loss journey public again, and I've put a spiritual label on this effort. Will I fail you, Lord?

Lines from an old D.C. Talk song from the '90's ran through my head:

What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?

And then I started thinking about other areas of my life- ministry, writing, speaking- where more fear creeps in and whispers, Will I fail you, Lord?

More lines from the song run through my head:

I hear You whispering my name [You say] My love for You will never change" [never change]

Then Jesus whispers more to my heart:

What if you stumble? What if you fail at this (or anything else)? Then you'll grab my hand, I'll pick you up, and with my help you'll keep pressing on to win the prize that I'm calling you toward (Philippians 3:14). You won't fail me because I am in the process of shaping you into my image, not the world's image, and I have promised you that I will finish the work I've started in you (Philippians 1:6).

So this week:

I'm learning to press on without fear.
I'm remembering from the first webcast, "A setback is a setup for a comeback."
I'm believing I am not defined by the numbers.

This time is different, because this time I have a different end goal.

Not skinniness

Not admiration

Not a number on the scale

But PEACE

"I was no longer defined by a number on the scale, because my weight loss goal was peace." - Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave Chapter 7.

________________________________________
Tonight's webcast will be at 8 PM (EST). You can watch it from the Made to Crave website or http://www.ksbj.org/ It will re-air several times on Tuesday if you miss it tonight. Don't forget to adjust for your time zone.

Love,

Down in the January Dumps

2011-01-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

After I wrote my last post and hit the publish button, I realized it sounded so chipper and as if I've got this weight battle and everything else licked. I am very grateful for what I'm learning from Lysa's book and for the success I've had lately, but I'm also all about transparency. After I hit publish, the rest of my week has truthfully felt far less than victorious.

Because December went so well, I thought I had somehow sidestepped the winter blues. Ha Ha. They're laughing at me now. No sidestepping allowed, I guess. January kicks my hiney every year, and here I am again.

When it comes to the blues, I know I can't be passive about getting better, and I know the things I need to do that I haven't been doing lately. But I thought I'd throw it out to all of you, too. Do you struggle with winter blues? What helps?

January is hard but thankfully January is temporary. Spring always come!

Love,

Made to Crave Monday: A Pot of Stew and my Tower of Bricks

2011-01-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

I lost 3.1 pounds this week.

I've lost 10 pounds since Christmas.

And I'm excited about this, I really am, but not in the same way I have been with past diets. This time around I'm happy about the pounds coming off, but I'm even more excited about how I'm changing in a way you can't see or measure.

Last night I went out to dinner with some girlfriends to celebrate our friend's birthday. While we were chatting, I shared a little about my weight loss and the success I'm having. They congratulated me like good friends do, but I told them, "Losing weight is something I've done before. The true success will be if I am able to keep it off."

And the most amazing thing happened after I said that. As the words came out of my mouth I realized that for the first time in my life I truly believed I could keep it off this time. I felt something connected with my weight loss journey that I've never felt before:

HOPE

I'm working my way through the Made to Crave book, I'm reading Lysa's e-book devotional Craving God (which by the way Amazon is still offering for free here), and I'm watching the free webcasts each week on the Made to Crave website.

I've enlisted two people I love to hold me accountable, and I'm following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus plan which is the perfect fit for my body.

And I'm learning how to replace my craving for food with a craving for God.

And I'm learning how to have victory over this cycle that has owned me for way too long.

Thank you, Lord. : )

Not a Wise Trade

Lysa's guest post last week really spoke to me and the image of Esau trading his birthright away for a pot of stew hit hard. How many times have I traded the good things God wants for me, the abundant life Jesus offers me, for a pot of stew? For something of far lesser value? I have many, many times.

So my mantra lately when I'm faced with the temptation of something off my plan is, "I do not want to trade my birthright for a pot of stew."

I'm learning I'm "made for more" than a cycle of defeat and I'm not making that foolish trade anymore.

My Tower of Bricks

But I'm weak and I still stumble when I am faced with temptation, so the other lesson I'm learning from Lysa is to run to prayer when I'm faced with the temptation.

This is not easy. Most of the time I don't want to pray because I don't really want the help. I want the cupcake. : )

But in the book she offers a mental picture that I grabbed on to. It's the picture of a tall tower of bricks- my issues with food. Every time I'm faced with temptation and pray for help instead of giving in, I see myself pulling off one of those bricks and laying it down where I'm paving my path to victory. I love that picture, and have been leaning on that concept a lot lately.

I'll share more next Monday.

Book Winner:

I was so sad that I could not locate the winner of my book drawing. Without an email to contact her, I tried searching for her on Twitter and elsewhere without success.

So somebody else gets to be a lucky winner today.

Random.org said the lucky number was 3, and here's the winning comment:

Evan and Nathan said...
             I would love to read this book. Sounds like a book I'll read even if I don't win the giveaway.
- January 10, 2011 6:41 AM

Congrats! I'll email you to get your mailing address!     : )

Don't forget the webcast tonight at 8 Eastern. (If you are like me, you'll need to adjust for your time zone) You can view it here or here and it will be replayed several times throughout the day on Tuesday if you miss it.

See you there!

New

2011-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

Stepping out my door
Escaping January blahs and
Walls closing in
      I need fresh air and
            Sanity

I expect nothing more
Than suburban asphalt
And cookie cutter houses
     Yet unknowingly I enter a
           Sanctuary

Icy Wind greets me
Pushing away apathy
Waking me from winter slumber
     While sunshine kisses, reflecting
           Grace

I see slender Birch
Bending, swaying
As Wind whispers through her
    Raised hands a hymn of
           Praise

I see purple mountains
Robed in snowy prayer shawls
Majestic in their own right they
    Kneel humbly before their
           King

I hear wind chimes beckoning and
Geese inviting as dry
Leaves skip past pointing
     My heart to childlike
           Joy

Home again,
I open the door and step in

         New

Sometimes a Princess Just Needs a Day at the Spa

2011-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've felt a little disconnected from my girls.

I don't know if it is busyness or grumpiness or hormones (theirs and mine, LOL), but I felt like we needed some good old fashioned girl fun.

So I declared a spa day. Because sometimes princesses just need a day at the spa, and so does their mama. : )

We piled in the car and shopped the Wal-Mart cosmetic isle then came home and put Princess Charming down for a nap because boys weren't invited.

First, I greeted them and told them to put on one of our comfy red robes and to relax and let the stresses of princess life fade away. They decided to stretch out on the kitchen floor where the sun was streaming through the windows for a little Vitamin D Therapy.

Next, the princesses were served cocoa with whip cream.

Next they were treated to an apricot exfoliating scrub, an avocado mud mask, and a hot oil treatment for their hair.

Here the princesses enjoy some leisure reading while waiting for their mud masks to set.

And of course no spa day is complete without a manicure. It was definitely a bonding afternoon and a memory to remember. For a few dollars at Wal-Mart we ended up having a very special time.

And now they want to know if we can make "Spa Day" a Saturday tradition. I'm afraid I may have created two spa monsters, but our pampering did our spirits good. : )

Guest Blogger: Lysa TerKeurst

2011-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited and honored to have Lysa TerKeurst, author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, here today as a guest blogger. Don't forget that tonight is the next installment of her free 10-week webcast series based on the Made to Crave book. I'll have more info at the bottom of the post about the webcast.

Desperation Breeds Defeat
Based on Chapter 16 of Made to Crave

Thought for the Day:
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I was walking through the airport when an incredible aroma suddenly grabbed my attention and taunted, “Do you know how happy I can make you?” A candy shop had just made a fresh batch of nutty, caramel popcorn.

I felt my knees get weak, because I love caramel popcorn. I started to rationalize buying this special, thinking, “I can’t get this flavor at home, and I’ll take half home to my kids.” In that moment, a new truth God taught me during my healthy eating journey popped into my mind and saved the day: desperation breeds defeat.

In the book of Genesis, the Bible tells an interesting story about twin brothers who illustrate this point. The elder son, Esau, was favored by his father, Isaac, because of his prowess as a hunter. In contrast, the younger son, Jacob, was a quiet homebody. One day, Esau returned home from an unsuccessful hunting trip totally famished, and demanded some stew from his brother. “I’ll give you food,” agreed Jacob, “but first, trade me your birthright.” Esau replied, “Okay, I’m so hungry, I’m about to die.” So Esau traded the honors due to him as the firstborn son for a simple meal of stew.

Upon first glance, it’s easy to ridicule Esau’s decision. I cannot imagine selling your whole birthright for a pot of soup. But I had to look at my own life and ask, “What great thing have I traded for so little in return? How often do I trade healthy food for junk food? What temporary pleasure have I craved so much that I gave up lasting victory?”

Desperation does indeed breed defeat. But God promises answers for desperate situations in 1 Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

The “way out” that God provides is the ability to decide in advance what I will and will not eat each day. I plan my meals right after breakfast when I’m feeling full and satisfied. The absolute worst time for me to decide what I’m going to eat is when I’ve waited until I’m depleted and feeling hungry. So I prepare a healthy snack to have on hand or keep in my purse.

When I’m unprepared or I’ve rushed through a proper meal, my stomach screams for something quick. And quick options usually come in a variety of unhealthy temptations, just as I experienced at the airport. However, that day I had decided ahead of time that I would keep an apple in my purse for a snack, rather than trade my healthy progress for something like caramel popcorn.

Let me be clear. I’m not saying that we should flee food. However, we must prevent the control that food can take over our lives. If we purposely begin to think before we eat, we’ll be better able to see the way out that God promises when we are tempted.

For more information about Lysa TerKeurst and her book Made to Crave, please visit:

www.MadetoCrave.org

Thank you so much Lysa! If you'd like to participate in the free Made to Crave webcast series Lysa is offering, you can watch it tonight on the Made to Crave website or at http://www.ksbj.org/ at 8:00 EST (adjust for your timezone).

They'll also replay it again on Tuesday at 12 noon EST, 3pm EST, 8pm EST, and 10pm EST for anyone who misses the live show.

And I'll be back next Monday to share more about the book, the webcasts, and how they are impacting me personally.

Also, JenD. you were the winner of the Made to Crave book giveaway, but unfortunately I don't have a way to contact you. Please let me know how to get you your prize. If I don't hear from Jen before next Monday, I'll announce a new winner.

Thanks again, Lysa! Happy Monday everyone!

Made To Crave: Winner Announced and A Free Kindle Book

2011-01-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

It was exciting for me to see the great response to this giveaway, and the great response to Lysa's new book in general. The webcast last week seem to be a huge success, and I'm excited about the impact her message is going to have on all of us.

Personally, I'm hopeful about what I'm learning as I'm reading this book, and I look forward to more growth in this area of my life. I'm honored that Lysa allowed me to be a part of her blog tour. Thank you, Lysa!

I hope you'll continue to join me each Monday for my blog series "Made to Crave Mondays." I'll be sharing what I'm learning from the book and the webcasts and other extras relating to Made to Crave.

Next Monday, Lysa will be here as a guest blogger sharing a devotion on temptation, something I'm discovering I need help with in a big way. : )

The Winner

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...The Winner!

I used Random.org to help me select the winning comment and here was the result:

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 10

Comment #10 was:

JenD. said...
I would LOVE a copy of this book...just saw the webcast and it was great! January 10, 2011 6:06 PM

Congratulations! Unfortunately, Jen, I couldn't find a way to contact you from your comment. Please email me at everydaybecky (at) gmail (dot) come and let me know your mailing address. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I am enjoying it.

Free Kindle Book:

And for those of you who did not win, I have another gift for you. I just discovered last night a free Kindle book by Lysa on Amazon.com called, Craving God: A 21 Day Devotional Challenge to Accompany Made to Crave. Click here to get your own from Amazon.com while it is still free. You can get Kindle for PC to read it on your computer if you don't own a Kindle.

Happy Friday! See you on Monday!

Love,

When a Princess has a Crisis of Faith

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Make sure you don't miss your chance to win Lysa TerKeurst's newest book, Made to Crave by clicking here. The winner will be announced on Friday.

I've always said I didn't want to shelter my kids or give them an unintentional message that I was afraid for their faith to be challenged.

I wanted to raise them to not be afraid of the tough questions because what we believe is True, therefore it can stand up to skepticism and challenge and still be True.

Both King Charming and I have also raised them to be critical thinkers, to not just take something as true because someone (or the Internet) says it is true, but to test what they are told.

We want them to use their minds and although it is an act of faith, they do not need to check their intellect at the door in order to place that faith in Jesus. Faith in Him is reasonable.

All of that sounded great in theory, but recently I had to put that confidence into practice and I must admit my gut reaction was to panic.

Sometime in mid-November, I began to notice changes in one of my princesses. In order to protect her privacy, I won't go into great detail, but I was so worried about how resistant she suddenly became to any activity that had to do with church, the Bible, praise, or prayer. For two months I fretted and worried and tried to get it out of her what was wrong, but she wasn't letting me in.

And then I finally got smart enough to pray about the issue. Why, Oh why don't I remember that is where I'm supposed to go first?

The answer was to pray more. Somewhere along the way this past year I got off course with my prayer life and I realized I had stopped consistently covering my family in prayer. And when I started praying for her, the guard came down one night at bedtime, and in tears she started sharing a list of questions she had and let me see how doubt had crept in and how she was afraid and not so sure that what we believed was true anymore.

I wish I could say I was able to calmly and rationally reassure her, but emotion crept in and turned my mind to mush. I didn't have all the right answers. I just tucked her in to bed and ran to King Charming for help. : )

The next morning, I sat back in awe and listened as he led her through a set of questions that helped her come to logical conclusions on her own about the real evidence her faith was built upon. He also praised her for being a critical thinker and let her know he was proud of her for thinking through this stuff. Later that night she prayed, "Thank you, Lord for showing me you are the true God."

And then I breathed a gigantic sigh of relief. : ) I was so thankful for the answers to my prayers for her. And I'm so thankful for the continued peace I see in her lately.

She is such a smart little girl and so young to already be going through these times of doubt. But it was so cool to see how God carried her through and encouraged her. I believe her faith will be stronger now then ever because she is learning that He is worthy of her trust, and I'm glad that her faith is becoming her own, not just something she believes because her parents do.

I learned a lot going through this first little crisis of faith with one of my children. Here are some highlights:

• Don't stop praying for them. I pulled out this list again to help focus my prayers.

• Don't panic, just pray even more. The more I panicked, the worse pressure I put on her.

• Remember God will cover where I fail. He answered her questions even when my stumbling and stammering couldn't.

• I'm thankful my husband is so smart. : )

Thank you, Lord, that you are worthy of our trust. Thank you that you are real and what we believe is True with a capital T. Thank you for loving my family even more than I do, and for answering my prayers. Thank you for helping my sweet princesses grow up to be beautiful women of God.

Made to Crave Giveaway

2011-01-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced later today- 1/14/11.

I remember as early as the second grade being aware of my weight and sucking in my tummy so I would look prettier to the little boy I had a crush on.

By the time I was twelve, I went on my first real diet, beginning a cycle of gaining and losing, gaining and losing, that spanned the decades from that 12-year-old version of myself walking into my first Weight Watchers meeting ,to the "34-year-old, 30 pounds over my ideal weight" self I am today. Believe me when I say, I have tried them all.

The last thing I need is another diet book.

Although I am a huge fan of Lysa TerKeurst and Proverbs 31 Ministries, when I heard Lysa's latest book was to be on weight loss, I have to admit I rolled my eyes.

(Please forgive me, Lysa)

The idea of reading one more book on this subject felt painful, and I doubted Lysa, a pretty Southern girl, could really understand those of us who have battled this issue our whole lives. But I'm happy to say I was wrong!

For one thing, as I'm reading Made to Crave, I'm learning Lysa does "get" it. And for another thing, this isn't another diet book. It's a Bible study designed to help find satisfaction in God instead of food. It's a Bible study designed to point the way to victory and to discover keys to lasting change.

And that is definitely something I need.
(long for, desire greatly)

Lysa explains the purpose of Made to Crave here:

So, I'm reading Made to Crave and I hope you'll join me.

Three Exciting Announcements:

1. Lysa is offering a FREE 10-week Made to Crave webcast series for anyone with access to a computer. All you have to do is go to www.MadetoCrave.org at 8:00pm EST every Monday, and you’ll be able to participate from there. (Please note these times are Eastern Standard Times. You will need to adjust for whichever time zone you are in.)

2. Each Monday between now and February 14th, I will be hosting a blog series called, Made to Crave Mondays where I'll be sharing my personal journey reading the book and participating in the webcasts, as well as guest blog posts and video segments from Lysa about Made to Crave.

3. Lysa gave me an extra book to giveaway to one of you! Just leave a comment below letting me know that you would like to read Made to Crave and you will be entered into the drawing.

The drawing is open to U.S. residents only and will end Thursday, January 13th. I'll announce the winner on Friday, January 14th.

Additional Entry Options:

All you have to do is leave a comment below to be entered, but if you want extra chances to win, leave a separate comment for each of the things you do below. Each comment is an entry.

1. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs (see sidebar) or let me know you already do.

2. Follow me on Twitter @BeckyAvella and Tweet about this giveaway.

3. Follow @LysaTerKeurst on Twitter

4. Like Lysa TerKeurst on Facebook by clicking here

5. Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link to the post

I'm excited and hopeful about this journey for you and for me.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? - Genesis 18:14

Love,

This One's For You, Grandpa!

2011-01-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for the winner of the Read and Share Bible giveaway, my two princesses announced the winner via video in an earlier post this morning. Click here to see if you are a winner. : )

Wow! Two blog posts in one day! This morning's post and this post are evidence that I am enjoying the new Flip video camera I bought King Charming for Christmas. I'm having so much fun in fact, I have to remind myself that I got it for HIM, not for me. : )

This post is dedicated to Grandpa. Grandma gets a lot of air time here on this blog, and Prince Charming and I decided that Grandpa needed some blog love.

Here you go Grandpa, some love from your grandson and a little showin' off of his hoop skills.

(And the video's also for everyone else who wants to see the cutest 2-year-old on the planet. No, I'm not at all biased, hee hee)

Make sure you stop by on Monday for a new series and a giveaway. Happy Friday Everyone!

Love,

And the Winner is...

2011-01-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have another great giveaway coming up on Monday morning and will be kicking off a series featuring Lysa TerKeurst's newest book, Made to Crave. Make sure you stop by again on Monday so you don't miss it.

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the Tommy Nelson Read and Share Bible.

I thought a video announcing the winner would be fun, but decided to spare you all seeing my "Washinton State Cougar sweatshirt from 1994 wearing, puffy eyed, haven't had my coffee yet" self, and let my future Vanna Whites who were all dressed and ready for school reveal the winner.

So without further ado. Drum roll...

Congrats! Amy! Your comment cracked me up. I'm sorry you had such a rough night, but now you can thank Olivia for waking you up so you could enter in the middle of the night so you could win. See, she just had your best interests at heart all along. : ) Hope this little prize cheers you up after a sleepless night. Email me your mailing address and I'll get the Bible to your right away.

The Read and Share Bible Giveaway

2011-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is now closed. I'll be back later today to announce the winner. : )

Happy New Year!! It's 2011 and I can't think of a better way to kick off the New Year here on Everyday Becky than with a giveaway, can you?. : )

Tommy Nelson's Read and Share Bible

Recently, I was looking at my girls and thanking the Lord that they are growing up to be His, with a good understanding of the Bible and faith that is their own. Then I looked at Prince Charming and remembered that we need to be intentional about building that same foundation in him.

About that same time, Tommy Nelson Publishers contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing their children's Bible, The Read and Share Bible. I jumped at the chance to add another resource to our library for introducing Prince Charming to the Bible.

He loves his new Bible and calls it "Mine". : ) We just spent some time this morning snuggling on the couch and reading one of the stories.

These are the features I enjoy the most:

The Simplicity of the Stories- Each two page spread is its own story which is a length consistent with my two-year-old's attention span. He won't sit still for longer stories in other children's Bible's yet.
The Discussion Starters- At the end of each story is a discussion starter or question to involve the child in the story. I love this because I'm trying to learn myself to "not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22) and want to teach my kids to not just read but apply what they see in the Bible.
The Illustrations- The illustrations are Prince Charming's favorite feature. He is still so young for understanding all that we are reading if he will even sit still that long, but he loves the pictures. He will turn the pages and point out different details he likes. I enjoy seeing him engaging with the Bible stories in a positive way even when he is so little.

See For Yourself:

The Christmas Story as found in the Read and Share Bible

Here's How to Win One!

Tommy Nelson has generously donated a copy for me to give away to one of you and I do love to give things away. Thank you, Tommy Nelson! : )

Just leave me a comment below telling me of a child in your life that you'd like to share this with or if you plan on donating it to your church's children's ministry, tell me that, too. Each comment will be an entry.

Contest is open to U.S. residents only and will end Friday, January 7, 2011 @ 6:00 AM (Mountain Standard Time). I'll post the winner on Friday.

Additional Entry Options-

If you want extra chances to win, leave a separate comment for each of the things you do below. Each comment is an entry. Lot's of extra chances to win! : )

1. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs (see sidebar) or let me know you already do.

2. Follow me on Twitter @BeckyAvella and Tweet about this giveaway.

3. Follow @TommyNelson on Twitter

4. Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link to the post

5. Visit http://www.tommynelson.com/ and tell me what you like. (Hint: There are some Free Goodies on there)

6. Like Tommy Nelson on Facebook.

I'll be back on Friday to announce the winner!

Disclaimer: ** I received a copy of this book for the purpose of review. All of the opinions expressed are my own or those of my children.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

the cross in christmas from tammi dryden on Vimeo.

Make sure to enlarge the video to full screen to fully enjoy it. When you hover your cursor over the video, you'll see a four cornered symbol by the word Vimeo that will enlarge it for you.

Love,

So My Mom Tells Me...

2010-12-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

...You aren't supposed to take a picture of a turkey from this angle, and I should be ashamed of myself.

LOL

Oops! : )

Verse Novel Challenge

2010-12-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

Soooo....I may have mentioned a few times about my new love affair with verse novels. OK...I admit my friends and family are sick to death of hearing me gush about them.

Well, now I'll tell you who you can blame. : )

You can blame Amy, at The Green Bathtub. Amy is a writer and loves good books AND she now lives in the town I grew up in. Finding her online was a cyber match made in heaven that I'll have to blog about another time. I love her blog, and when she mentioned she was a part of a challenge to read five verse novels this year, I thought, "What's a verse novel?" I was mildly interested, but wondered if I would actually like reading a whole novel written in poetry.

Uh...I liked it a lot. Just ask my sink full of dirty dishes.

I know many of you are thinking, "Yuck!" Trust me, it isn't like reading Shakespeare or a whole book of poetry that you have to interpret in order to understand. I read Heartbeat by Sharon Creech outloud to my daughters, and they were begging me for a sequel. If second and third grade girls can "get" it, so can you. : )

I've loved many of the ones I've read, liked most of them, and disliked only two, but even the ones I disliked, I had to respect for the writing and creativity.

I found out recently that it isn't too late to join the Verse Novel Challenge hosted by Caroline Starr Rose for a chance to win an advanced copy of her new book, May B.

Here's a list of the verse novels I've read so far in the order I read them. I put an asterisk by my absolute favorites and a little note or disclaimer by the ones that need it. I hope you'll add a verse novel to your reading list and let me know what you think:

1. Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

2. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse *

3. Heartbeat by Sharon Creech *

4. Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant

5. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

These next two were the ones I didn't like. The first one was funny, but I didn't relate to the main character very much and it has a different world view than me. The second one was creative and I respected the concept, but it was not an easy or entertaining read. It was more like a collection of poems and was VERY depressing.

6. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

7. Split Image by Mel Glenn

These next two are HILARIOUS and fun to read, but definitely not G-rated. They aren't R-rated either. I guess I'd say PG-13. They are meant for teens, are pretty steamy, and remind me of watching Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles back in my day-

8. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
9. What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

One of the appealing things about verse novels are how quickly you can read one. If you end up getting addicted and read five before the end of the year, you should enter Caroline's challenge on her blog, Caroline By Line.

Have fun reading!

This Thankful Heart- Multitudes on Mondays

2010-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Oh my words could not tell, not even in part
Of the debt of love that is owed

By this thankful heart"
- Matt Redman

Counting My Blessings One by One to 1,000...

#77 A Thanksgiving meal that was a true feast. Smiles like this one were my reward:

#78 A perfect bird

#79 A Thanksgiving that was far more than a meal, but a weekend of love, laughing, cards, shopping, and cousins. Memories-

#80 Seeing the big kids learn Pinochle with Grandma and Grandpa:

(And wondering when they become the BIG kids?)

Beyond the Holiday:

#81 King Charming telling me I'm beautiful and laughing at me when I say my face is aging. : )

#82 God's gentleness when He is disciplining me and shaping me. We've been working on something lately, and I keep failing. So thankful He doesn't fail me and doesn't quit on me.

Clinging to this verse:

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. - Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

#83 Family friends who surprised us and visited our church Sunday morning. The joy their surprise brought my kids. (and me)

#84 Whispered conversation at the coffee pot in the back of the church with sweet friends (When we should have been sitting down and listening). Trying to squeeze in everything I wanted to tell them into a few quick whispers before we became a distraction.

#85 Reading, reading, reading- every chance I could steal this weekend. Books that made me cry at the end, but smile at their beauty.

#86 Tuesday morning. Can't wait to do it again someday.

#87 Remembering this:

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

Remembering all the times He has in the past

Confident He will continue in the future.

#88 Singing this song at church today:

This thankful heart overflows.

I'm participating in Multitudes on Mondays on A Holy Experience.

Love,

A Lazy Walk Down Memory Lane- Don't Bother Me, I'm Sleeping! : )

2010-12-01T05:52:00.000-08:00

Today Stacey from I'm a Lazy Mom is hosting a blog hop called, A Lazy Walk Down Memory Lane. Each Wednesday in December, she's inviting moms to go the lazy route during the holiday season and repost a favorite blog post from the past instead of writing a new one.

I can do lazy!

In fact the post I decided to repost is a perfect example of being a lazy mom! Hee Hee.

I hope rereading it makes you feel really good about yourself and that you'll have mercy on me and not judge me too harshly. : )

Don't Bother Me, I'm Sleeping!
(Originally posted 6-17-10)

Ahh, is there anything more glorious for a mom than to realize the stars have aligned and you have been given the gift of an afternoon nap?

My body sunk deeper into the mattress. I pulled the pillow over my eyes and felt a magnet pulling me deeper into the sweet bliss of unconsciousness.

Then the inevitable. The door creaked open and tiny footsteps tiptoed toward my bed.

"Mommy?"

Silence. I willed myself to stay asleep. If I ignore her, maybe she'll go away.

"Mommy!"

Ugh! She's not giving up easily.

"Are you bleeding? Dying?" I asked without moving the pillow off my head.

"No, Mommy, but I was playing outside and I think I see a TORNADO coming."

Oh brother, does she think we live in Kansas? She is such a DRAMA QUEEN!

"We don't have tornadoes here. Go back outside and LET ME SLEEP!!!"

"But Mommy, I'm scared. What if it really is a TORNADO?"

I will not wake up. I will not wake up. I will not wake up.

"Go away. All I ask is for 20 minutes to sleep. Is that too much to ask?"

"OK, Mommy."

She shut the door and left. And went outside to wait for her imaginary tornado to carry her over the rainbow like Dorothy. I laughed at her vivid imagination and drama queen antics. A tornado, ha! I gave into the sweet, well-deserved sleep of a hard working super mom.

When I woke up, I turned on the news and guess what I saw:

(Photo from KTVB website)

Here are a few of the local headlines:

Violent Wind Storm Produces Funnel Cloud.

Funnel Cloud Rips Through Neighborhood, Uprooting Trees,
Knocking Down Fences

You get the idea. Sure glad I sent my CHILD out to play in THAT. I can add this one to my Super Mom resume.

Tornado about to touch down? Don't bother me. I'm sleeping! : )

The Loveliest, Most Perfect, "Straight From my Dreams" Morning

2010-11-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

I had the loveliest, most perfect, straight from my dreams, mornings, and I'm still smiling.

When I tell you what I did, some of you will get a blank, "I don't get it" look on your faces, while others of you will instantly get a faraway, dreamy smile and will have to fight back your jealousy.

#1- I had two whole hours TO MYSELF.

#2- I spent those two hours in a cozy corner of the library writing while it snowed outside. (And I was all by myself)

#3- I had a travel mug full of hot coffee.

#4- I made a lot of progress on a writing project I've been yearning to work on.

Heavenly.

This morning will definitely be included on my list for next Monday's Multitudes post.

Did I mention I'm still smiling?

I hope there are moments that make you smile today.

Love,

Multitudes on Mondays- One Thousand Gifts

2010-11-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

More Counting of My Amazing Blessings and
My Thanks to You, Lord-

#65 A phone message saying something had happened to Nana. I was so afraid to hear the news and crying before I could dial. The relief and gratitude I felt when Dad said, "She's doing OK and going home from the hospital." Thank you, Lord. Praying for continued healing from her stroke yesterday. I love you, Nana.

#66 Witnessing my sweet girls take a stand for Jesus. Hearing, "I want to tell the world that I love Jesus."

#67 It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Super Prince Charming!

Memories of my own little brother in his superman costume with cape, now seen in my own son.

#68 Beautiful snow falling this week covering the dirty earth with white making my heart feel the holiday expectation.

#69 Joy overflowing in church yesterday as many stood up and shared their thanksgiving.

#70 Seeing this necklace and pondering its message in my heart. Closing my eyes and seeing it in my mind and knowing that Grace Won in my family.

#71 Friends who know me, all of me, and love me anyway, covering me with grace.

#72 A butterfly raised by Littlest Princess from a caterpillar not willing to fly away. The joy its beauty brought and also the reminder that I'm no longer the caterpillar and to remember that I can fly if I'll only do it.

#73 Rediscovering my love for poetry as I newly discover novels written in verse. So thankful for the way they move me and inspire me and make me dream of creating beauty with words.

#74 My children are warm and have new coats, gloves, boots, scarves, and hats when Wednesday's forecast says a high of 15 degrees.

#75 Two beautiful princesses dreaming together by our fire while I read aloud one of my favorites.

#76 The building excitement of family coming to help us celebrate Thanksgiving. Only two more sleeps and then "over the river and through the woods" to Aunt Becky's house they will all go.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
- Psalm 34:8

I'm participating in Multitude Monday on A Holy Experience.

Love,

Giveaways, Giveaways Make Me Happy : )

2010-11-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know I love The Nester.

Other people love The Nester, too. Nester has really cool friends who make and sell really cool stuff, and I have been spending the last two days drooling over some of that really cool stuff that her really cool friends are giving away.

Entering all of the giveaways, I've been wishing I could win them all, and then it dawned on me. I need to let my blogging friends know about all of this before it's too late for them to enter, too. If I don't win, I would love to see one of you win!

So go over here and enter!

The Nester isn't the only one giving things away. Today, I entered to win $2,000 from Dave Ramsey.  Winning that would be really, really cool! (And he's giving stuff away everyday for awhile).

And my current favorite giveaway of all of them is being hosted by Krista from Hope in the Waiting. She is giving away a copy of one of my books. Krista said, "I am praying that the Lord knows just the right person who needs to read this book." I'm praying the same thing. If reading the book would be a blessing to you personally or you know someone you'd like to give it to, make sure you hop over and enter the giveaway. She's drawing the winner tomorrow morning.

Good luck to me and you!

My Girls' Big Day: Mommy's Heart Overflows

2010-11-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" - Luke 2:19

Our family at church this morning, excited to celebrate the girls' special day.

When our pastor announced that we would be having a special baptism service on November 14th, my girls asked if they could be baptized. I was so touched by the answers they gave when we asked them why. Later, they met with our pastor and explained that they fully understood what baptism was all about- an outward expression of their inward faith.

They told him that they understood what sin was, they shared their stories of when they asked Jesus into their hearts, and explained why they wanted to be baptized. Our pastor said he would love to baptize them and they've been looking forward to it for a long time. Today was the day.

After today, I thought of the Bible verse above. I think I know a little how Mary must have felt. Today has been marked in my heart as a day to remember and to celebrate.

The most important thing for me as a mother is to know that my kids have a personal, saving relationship with Jesus, and this afternoon, my sweet little girls got up in front of the church and told everyone that they love Jesus and want to live for him.

I cried of course. : )

Grandma and Grandpa couldn't be there and ~~demanded~~ requested videos and pictures. I was so excited about getting to church this morning, I drove off without my camera. My friend Jen rescued me and loaned me her camera for the day. Thank you, Jen!!

Unfortunately, between using a camera I wasn't familiar with, juggling Prince Charming, and wiping lots of tears of joy away, I didn't make it home with high quality videos or pictures. Sorry, Mom and Dad.

But I did get these! They don't do a great job of reflecting just how sweet it really was for all of us seeing it in person, but you'll get the idea. And the videos are also very quiet so you'll have to crank the volume)

Littlest Princess

"I'm being baptized because I want to tell the world that I love Jesus."

Oldest Princess:

"I want to be baptized because Jesus died for me, and I want to tell the world that I love Him."

My pictures of them all didn't turn out, but I also wanted to say how much it meant to me that several of our friends came to church with us today to support the girls. (A 40 minute drive for many of them).

We are so blessed by the friends God has given us. Thank you Erin, Madeline, Marisa, Alisa, Daiquiri, Luke, Ben, Clara, Sammy, Thomas, Jen, Joel, Noelle, and Zach and to the rest of our sweet church family for making this a memorable day full of love for our girls and for us! We are truly, truly grateful!

Lord, I pray our girls will walk with you all the days of their lives!

Love,

W.O.W. Postponed : (

2010-11-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to kicking off our Within One Week challenge this morning, but boo hoo I'm too sick to get it going today. I'm going to have to postpone it until I'm feeling better. I'm sorry.

Last week, my daughters had strep throat, and I'm afraid it's Mommy's turn. I hope you'll all still join me to play along at a later date.

Love,

Why Just a Day? How About All Month Long?

2010-11-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is on its way!

In a few short weeks, my home will fill up with my family who are coming to help me celebrate, and I am so excited for that special day.

Amidst my busy preparations, house cleaning, and menu planning, I don't want to make it to December missing what the holiday is all about- Thanking God.

Last Sunday night, our pastor talked to us about Thanksgiving coming and challenged us to consider dedicating this entire month to giving thanks instead of relying on the one day.

His challenge resonated with me. I'm excited about how much better prepared I will be on the day, if I spend the whole month actively identifying my blessings and purposefully saying, "Thank You!"

It's been special already. Each morning during our drive to school this week, the girls have been listing the things they are feeling thankful for that morning. It's interesting to hear the creative things they appreciate, and it has given me fresh perspective. For example, one of the girls said, "I'm thankful for the colors. I'm glad the world isn't black and white." Now I've been looking around and seeing color in a new way.

"Yes, little girl, I'm glad this world isn't black and white, too!"

I want to use my blog as a place to highlight my gratitude and I know just where I want to begin.

This afternoon, I thought it would be interesting to see what pops up when I Google my name, and I stumbled across this article about me on my church's website. It made me incredibly grateful to re-read it today.

So, Father, I want to publicly thank you once again for your faithful presence in my life and the knowledge that you hold my future as well!

Love,

Miscellaneous Musing

2010-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

A Little Worried- My girls are both home sick from school today which means I was able to sleep in with no alarm clock and will not have to be the chauffeur to and from school today and won't be sitting at gymnastics for two hours tonight. Uh oh! That sounds a tad like a day off. Yikes! I don't want another one of THOSE! Trust me! I have absolutely no expectations for today. Did you hear that, Murphy? No expectations! So you just keep your law to yourself today, OK?

On the Novel Front- I've been plagued with writer's block. I was telling my Writer Buddy yesterday that I've written a whole four paragraphs in the last two weeks. Not exactly stellar progress, but I'm encouraged because writing those four paragraphs was fun and not frustrating like it has been. Maybe I'm breaking through the block? I hope so.

Time to Climb That Mountain Again: Oh joy. It's time to lose weight again. Here's me sticking out my tongue- : p

W.O.W. : We are going to have a very full house for Thanksgiving this year. I'm so excited about it. My aunt and uncle and cousin are coming to visit for the first time since we've been married. My mom and dad and grandma, my brother and sister-in-law and their four kids, and great friends who really are family will all be joining us. I've got a long "to-do" list but its a labor of love because I want it to be special for everyone. The front porch project went well, but once I walk IN the house I'm bombarded with all I see that I'd like to make better before everyone arrives. It is definitely time for another Within One Week challenge. I'll post more details soon, but I wanted to make sure you got it on your calendar so you'll join me. It will be Nov. 8 - 15.

I suppose that's enough rambling for now. : )

Have a very happy Thursday everyone!

Love,

My Latest Project- Before and After Photos

2010-10-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year, and I've been looking around our home lately and seeing all of the poor neglected spaces I'd love to spruce up before our company arrives.

One of the first places calling to me was our poor, sad, neglected, cobwebby, front porch.

And the entryway was just as uninviting.

Making Bets on Who will fall through first -

I love to sit out with my friends and drink coffee while we watch the kids play, but lately I've begun to wonder which one of us will be the first to fall through the chairs. Classy, huh? : )

So armed with coupons, I ventured into the sacred grounds of Hobby Lobby.

Here are my after photos:

So I might need an intervention.

I'm a little addicted to creating chalkboards.

Here's my latest:

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. - John 1:16

I hope the new look will say to friends and family -

Come on in!

Sitting area all ready for relaxing and coffee sipping:

Shannon from Bless Our Nest inspired this project:

There was so much more I wanted to do, but alas, I ran out of money. I was able to do all of this on a small budget, though, and I'll tell you more about how I made the changes in my next post.

Hint: I had a willing and talented labor force:

Thank you, Mom!!!

Happy Fall Everyone!

Love,

A Day to Remember

2010-10-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

One in four pregnancies end in loss.

That statistic has always taken my breath away. It is a staggering number isn't it? It reminds us of how BIG pregnancy loss is, and how common it is, but the numbers also miss the smaller picture. The smaller picture of each individual woman, each family, each baby, each broken heart.

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, and I'm thankful for a day to remember and a day to celebrate the individual lives of my four babies. It may seem strange to use the word celebrate for something so sad, but over the years of healing, I'm able to see the beautiful ways God has used their sweet, short lives to bless and impact other people, and to shape and change their Mama for good.

Thank you, Lord, for David, Micah, James, and Sarah. Thank you for who they are! Thank you for the beautiful mark they have left on my heart and the ways you are using our story to point other people to this truth:

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. - Psalm 147:3

Today is a perfect opportunity for you to find one of those individual women and let them now you are remembering with them. One of the secret fears inside their hurting heart is that they are the only one who remembers.

Also, one of my very favorite bloggers- Shannon from Bless Our Nest is hosting a giveaway of my book on her blog today in memory of her niece, Reece. You will love her blog! If you are here from Shannon's blog today, welcome! I was so hoping my new website would be finished so I could have a better welcome for you all, but it is still in the design stages so I hope you'll still make your selves at home here on my blog. You can also find me on Twitter here and the book on Facebook here.

Thank you to everyone for helping me remember today. I have great treasure waiting for me in Heaven, and I'm so grateful to be the mother of all of my babies.

Love,

Adventures of Super Mom: A Day Off or Just An Off Day?

2010-10-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, I snuggled up to my husband in bed and said, "I'm excited because tomorrow I get a day off. There's no school so I don't have to set the alarm, and I don't have to be Mama Taxi Driver. It's going to be a great day!"

As I fell asleep, I fantasized about a day of reconnecting with my kids. The girls had been so busy lately, maybe we would go for a bike ride. Maybe we'd play board games or snuggle on the couch for a long cozy chat.

Then I had the bright idea of starting potty training. Prince Charming has shown interest, and has had some successful bathroom visits over the past few months, with a four day weekend ahead and no where to go, wouldn't this be the perfect time to give potty training a shot?

I sighed contentedly and fell asleep with great expectations for the next day.

Ha! Isn't it funny how a day can unfold so differently from what we expected it to be?

Here's what really happened:

1.  Because of a late school event the night before, we woke up to all of the dinner dishes waiting for us: stuck on, greasy meatloaf crusted plates and pans = grumpy start.

2. Potty Training- I'll spare you all the gory details, but after several tantrums, an extra large bottle of bubbles dumped on the bathroom floor, and an absolute REFUSAL to point his "thing" down so he wouldn't pee on Mommy's face, Prince Charming made it VERY CLEAR that he was NOT ready for this new skill. I tendered my potty training resignation after only two hours of trying. : )

3. By this time in the morning, a large crowd of neighborhood kids ~~invaded the house~~ stopped by to visit. Gone were my dreams of quiet, cozy fireside chats in the living room with my kids.

4. Then Littlest Princess found me to tell me the upstairs toilet was clogged. While she came looking for me, Oldest Princess went in and flushed some more trying to "fix" the problem.   By the time I made it up the stairs, a crowd of children had gathered to see the fascinating toilet fountain that had flooded the bathroom floor and was seeping in to the hallway carpet.

I sweetly asked them all to exit my home while I figured out how to stop the fountain and clean up the flood. (Confession- maybe not so sweetly at all. Maybe I'm a little afraid of the stories they told their parents that night of my teeny tirade)

5. I'm still trying to block out the memory of the screaming match with my children outside in the front yard for all the neighbors to see and hear while I convinced my oldest two that it was their duty to watch their little brother while I rescued our home.

And then it happened.

I walked back in the house, into the laundry room, and reached up to the top shelf and accidentally knocked this container of Oxy Clean down on my head. : )

It was at the moment, standing in the laundry room, covered in white powder, watching water leak from upstairs, that I finally just laughed.

I couldn't help but see the "I Love Lucy" comedic aspect to what was happening and there really wasn't anything else left to do but laugh at myself.

And It Was Only Noon!

Being Super Mom is just harder work than you think. For some reason, though, I don't think I'm ready to ask for another day off any time soon.

Here's to us all having a weekend with low expectations! LOL!

Happy Friday!

Love,

Remembered and Loved by Their Big Sister

2010-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Each month, Littlest Princess's class hosts an Author Share where they practice public speaking in front of their invited family members. They use a microphone and share the writing projects they worked on for that month.

Friday was the first one, and I was proud of my little author. I agree with another mom who said it will be fun to see how the kids develop as speakers and writers this year. But the most touching moment for me was after the program when Littlest Princess walked me out to the hallway to see the Family Crest she made.

She pointed out that she chose to highlight the countries of Norway and the UK as two places our ancestors immigrated from. She showed me the gold coin that represented her riches of love and friends, and her pictures of the relatives that came from Norway.

Then I asked her about this picture and said, "Who are these people?"

She answered, "That's our family!" She pointed out each of us and finished with, "And these babies are David, Micah, James, and Sarah in Heaven."

My heart tightened, and I was overcome with a strange bittersweet feeling, a mixture of sadness and joy. She never forgets. When she prays at night she always thanks Jesus for her WHOLE family.

She'll tell perfect strangers that she has two brothers and two sisters in Heaven. One time at Fantastic Sam's, the girl cutting her bangs told her her name was Sarah, and LP said, "I have a baby sister named Sarah who lives in Heaven."

I've tried to talk to her about how inappropriate it is to tell people this and how uncomfortable and sad it makes them feel, but she doesn't understand. In her mind, this is her family. She has a firm grasp on Eternity and looks forward to knowing her sisters and brothers someday. She thanks God for them. So, I 've given up trying to stop her. In fact, I'm thankful I haven't been able to stop her.

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and October 15th is set aside for a special Remembrance Day. I'm thankful that I am not alone in remembering my precious babies. So many remember them and love them, especially their big sister.

Mercy!

2010-10-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

It was already 4:00, and I just knew I was going to be late picking up my girls from choir practice at school.

I hastily buckled in Prince Charming, jumped in the driver's seat, and threw the car into reverse.

And then...

CRUNCH!

Instantly, I knew I had done something really, really stupid. Something you can't just say, "oops" and then forget about.

You know, it's always wise to wait for the garage door to finish opening before you try to exit the garage.

As I inspected the damage, the door was off the track, looked slightly mangled and required a lot of effort just to get it up enough so I could back the car out. There was nothing more I could do, and had to drive away, leaving the door wide open because it would no longer close.

Driving to the school, all I could think about was how stupid I had been, of how much money I had probably just cost us, and I cringed, knowing I needed to call my husband and confess before he beat me home and saw the mangled door.

So of course, I did what any sane, grown-up woman would do- I called my mama. : )

Unfortunately, she wasn't home, and my Dad answered instead. And he was NO HELP AT ALL! He chuckled unsympathetically, and quite cynically, and said,

"Oh man, he is going to be so mad at you! He isn't going to be happy at all!"

Thanks, Dad. Just the encouragement I needed.

Unable to postpone the inevitable any loner, I parked in the school parking lot, and dialed my cell phone. And you know what?

Instead of condemning me or expressing the anger I was sure was due to me, King Charming said, "It's OK. I'll check it out when I get home."

At home, he whistled while he worked on the garage door, getting it back on track. Then he walked in the kitchen, gave me a kiss and hug and said, "Well, it works again." Then he winked and said, "And the big bulge in the door gives it character."

I couldn't believe the difference between the reaction I anticipated receiving and the mercy and grace he showed me instead.

I was given MERCY.

The definition of mercy is NOT getting what you do deserve.

I was shown GRACE.

The definition of grace is getting what you DON'T deserve.

I thought of how this little melodrama that unfolded here Wednesday afternoon was a picture of how Jesus treats me- forgiving me, taking my punishment upon Himself to show me mercy, and loving me with a grace that I do not deserve.

This whole thing made me thankful, and humble. LOL.

Don't they say that people want houses with character? Mine has some now. : )

Happy Friday All!

Love,

Aa-chew! Sniffle, Sniffle...Where did that week go?

2010-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sitting down to update my blog today, I realized a whole week passed since my last post. But how is this possible? I distinctly recall composing all of those eloquent, entertaining, and inspiring posts in my head? How could it be that they were never published?

Well, I suppose, if anything, you can call me the Queen of Good Intentions.

And if I'm looking to cast blame, I guess it can fall on my new relationship. : )

You see, Mr. Kleenex Box and I have been constant companions this week. We've spent little time a part.

And strangely enough, I've noticed King Charming hasn't resented my new relationship or expressed any jealousy at all. It appears he enjoyed his own fling this week with a box of Kleenex.

You know, those who sneeze together (and cough, and share NyQuil, and watch endless hours of worthless TV together) stay together.

I'm thankful we could sympathize with one another, but our poor house shows major signs of neglect. Almost as bad as my poor neglected blog.

Never fear, though, I'm on the road to recovery, and hoping to recall, if not all of the entertaining, enlightened, and inspiring blog posts from my memory, at least a few salvageable pieces to share with all of you. : )

And today is Wednesday, so I hope you'll hop over to Mommies With Hope's blog for the second installment of the online study for And Then You Were Gone .

XOXOXO (germ free of course)

You're Invited

2010-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you've heard me talk a lot about Mommies With Hope.

Mommies With Hope is a group based in Iowa that supports women who are going through pregnancy, infant, or child loss. I love their heart for hurting women, and their focus on looking to the Bible for real answers.

I'm so honored that they've chosen to study And Then You Were Gone in their hope meetings in Iowa and also on their blog each Wednesday this Fall. The first post is up today, and the blog study is open to everyone, so here is your official invitation to join in the discussion here. I plan on being a part of it myself and hope you'll join me. : )

I had the privilege of meeting Teske Drake, the founder of Mommies With Hope, in 2009 at the She Speaks conference in North Carolina, and I know you are going to love her!

Many of you reading my blog are not struggling with pregnancy loss, but do know people who are or have in the past, and want to know how to help. Reading the book will help you understand better how to help, and this online study would be a great place for you to send your friends for support.

I'm excited to see what God has planned for this study this Fall and so humbled and grateful to see Him using our story.

Love,

Thank You, Mr. Hemingway

2010-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Several times this past week, I've seriously regretted letting anyone know I was attempting to write a novel.

What was I thinking?

Why did I go public with this dream of mine?

To be perfectly honest, the scenes I've been writing lately have stunk, and I don't like that feeling.

But as I continue studying and learning from other writers, I've discovered an important truth:

They are supposed to stink!

I know this because Hemingway told me so. : )

He had some sage advice for fledgling writers like me. He said:

"All first drafts are poop."

Well, he didn't say it quite that delicately, but you get the point.

I needed that wisdom because the perfectionist in me wants to quit when the writing isn't perfect. It is quite possible that these scenes I'm writing now will be chopped during editing, but I have to keep telling myself there will never be a polished final draft if I don't pull the story out of me first.

It takes courage to keep moving forward even when you wonder if you really have what it takes. I may find in the end that I don't, but I will never know if I don't take the risk of following after the dream and trusting that once the story is out there, I'll be able to fix what's wrong.

I better get off the computer and get some housework done, so when Prince Charming's nap time rolls around I'll be able to get back to work on Chapter Four. I've got to get my two main characters to meet so they can get to the business of falling in love already. : )

Have a great weekend!

My New Find: Chalk Markers

2010-09-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

I just arrived home from my first ever trip to the wonderful world of Hobby Lobby. Oh my goodness, I'm afraid I could easily spend a million dollars in that place! I think my eyes are still a little glassed over.

For the past few years, I've followed blogs of southern women who sang the praises of Hobby Lobby, and assumed it was a southern store that wasn't available here out west. But one day a few weeks ago we were happily driving down the road when I suddenly screamed, "We have a Hobby Lobby!!!" Good thing my husband is a professional driver and didn't swerve off the road. For some reason though, he wasn't willing to stop and go inside that day. : )

So today, I finally made my way back with a 40% off coupon in hand and was not disappointed.

My Favorite Find of the Day:

Both Nester from The Nesting Place and Shannon at Bless Our Nest recommended these chalk markers on their blogs, and I'm so excited about my little purchase.

Remember last year when I transformed this silver tray from the thrift shop into a chalkboard?

I've loved having it on display in my living room, but the chalk has been a frustration for me. I couldn't hold the chalk right to have nice handwriting, and it kept smudging and looking messy. The chalk marker writes like a marker and can be washed off with a wet rag.

Take a look at the before and after pictures:

Before:

After:

Anyone else been bit by the Fall craftiness/home decorating bug yet? : )

"Life Piled on Life"

2010-09-07T17:20:00.001-07:00

Our town recently hosted a hot air balloon rally, and each morning on our way to school that week, the kids and I would see the balloons.

We pretended our minivan had magically transformed into a hot air balloon and the other balloons were escorting us to school.

The girls' backpacks served as parachutes as they leaped from the van onto the sidewalk below.

I've always thought hot air balloons were magical and loved our early morning show.

Then on Saturday, we got to see the balloons up close at the park for a night glow. It was beautiful!

When we arrived, all of the balloons were deflated and waiting to be filled.

Watching them inflate, I was reminded of a line from Tennyson I read recently:

"Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world, whose margins fades

Forever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life,
Life piled on life..."

I felt their pain and heard them sigh,

"How dull it is to pause, to make an end. To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!"

But then they were filled!

And they glowed!

And they were no longer dull.

It reminded me of how important it is for me to be filled, too. When my life feels deflated, and I don't feel special enough, I need to remember it isn't more doing that I need, just more filling.

Thank you, Lord, for making the ordinary extraordinary when it is filled with you.

Love,

Sledding in September?

2010-09-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this is going to win me the "Mother of the Year" award, but they sure are having fun. : )

Progress Report and A Few Teasers About My Novel

2010-09-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've had an ongoing love affair with books my whole life. It's probably quite natural that I've also always dreamed of writing novels.

I come from a long line of story lovers, and I inherited the gene that makes me excited just to walk in a library and smell it. Only book lovers know what libraries smell like.

I'm that girl who will open old books and stick my nose in them just to inhale the scent and the anticipation of escaping into a new world.

I blame this nerdiness on genes I inherited, but for a long time I was convinced that I did not, however, inherit the talent to create my own story. So I shelved the dream.

I remember all of the long list of character names I used to write as a little girl, or the countless cheesy first chapters that got filed in a drawer, an old spiral notebook, or the garbage can. The dream got shoved away, too, but was always there.

But recently, I've picked up that old dream and dusted it off. I'm still not sure if I've got what it takes, but I'm so in love with my characters and so excited about what I'm learning.

A whole new world has been opened for me as I realize that yes, writing is an art form, but it is also a craft that can be studied and learned. I feel like I'm back in college taking the best course ever! I'm eating up books and blogs and anything else I can get my hands on about writing.

And amazingly enough, I've broken the first chapter barrier. : )

Here's my progress report:

Three Chapters and 12.364 words completed in my first draft.

What's Your Book About?

I'm not telling yet. : )

But, since my lovely cousin Katy asked for it, I'll give you a little teaser:

What do you do when the hounds of heaven are loosed
and you are the prey?

Here's a little more:

It also includes two other loves of mine: Football and Eastern Washington

That's all for now...I have a few more minutes to write before bed time. : )

Ramona Quimby- Sharing My Childhood Friend With My Girls

2010-08-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Would Hollywood
Ruin a Classic?

This weekend, I took my girls on a Mommy/Daughters date. We went to see "Ramona and Beezus" at our local dollar theater.

It's funny- sometimes I forget that Ramona isn't a real person. She was such a prominent part of my childhood, she feels like a real-life friend.

If you are a fan, too, you should check out Beverly Cleary's website here. I just know she and I are kindred spirits.

When I first heard of the movie, I was excited but hesitant, too. I was afraid of Hollywood ruining the books.

I was thinking, "Selena Gomez as Beezus, really?"

Pleasantly Surprised:

As the first few scenes of the movie unfolded, I realized different moments of all of the books had been combined into one story. It took me a few minutes to switch off the "That's not how it happens in the book!" filter in my brain. After that I was able to really enjoy the movie, especially the laugh out loud parts, and more than one scene made all three of us cry.

I fell in love with Joey King, the little girl who played Ramona, and John Corbett made a great Mr. Quimby.

Although the movie was different from the books, I'm not worried that it ruined the books for my girls. Instead, I think it sparked a desire to read them again for all of us. I'd actually like to buy the movie and watch it again.

The Need to Be Creative:

I think maybe one of the reasons I enjoyed the movie so much was my ability to relate to Ramona's father and his need to be creative. In order to be truly content and happy, I need some type of creative release in my life. Whether it is blogging, scrapbooking, painting, decorating, or writing, I'm the happiest when that part of my heart is exercised everyday, even if for only tiny bit of my day. I think that desire in a lot of us is a reflection of our Creator, and our creativity can be an expression of worship to Him.

And judging from the fact that after we came home Littlest Princess was more interested in making her elaborate tiara out of sparkly pipe cleaners than she was in eating lunch, I think she may have inherited some of the same need from her mama.

I smiled in understanding when I asked her about lunch and she said, "I'm busy being creative!"

Like mother, like daughter

(Well maybe not the skipping lunch part) : )

Speaking of being creative...

I'm quietly working away on my first novel. I'm still not sure if I have enough talent to do it, but it sure makes my heart happy to try.

Like a Glass of Cool Water to a Thirsty Heart

2010-08-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night, and I'm closing this week with a sense of satisfaction I haven't felt in so long.

I've been sitting here contemplating what changed this week to make me feel so "right." I suppose its a new beginning, a return to a predictable schedule, and a sense of order after a busy, chaotic summer.

More than anything, though, I think it has to do with me finally listening to that Still Small Voice. I never decided to drift, but somehow I got wrapped up in swimming lessons and vacations and summer busyness. I ended up neglecting the most important element of my life, and made it to August dry and thirsty and with a bad case of the blues.

One of the sweetest parts of this week has been my early morning "Dates With Jesus." Each morning this week before anyone else woke up, I read my Bible, drank my coffee, and prayed over the new day.

My dry heart soaked up words like these I read this morning:

“That we might not rely on ourselves, but on God”

“For no matter how many promises God has made they are ‘Yes’ in Christ”

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

(All from 2 Corinthians)

I think the rightness I feel tonight is just my thirsty heart saying, "ahhhh" like you do when you've been really parched, but then get to drink a big glass of cool water.

It's one of those things I have to ask myself, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" And, it's one of those things I know will be a challenge to continue.

Why do we fight the things that are best for us?

I'm not writing this to pat myself on the back because I got up early every day and did something spiritual. It's more of a confession of how unspiritual I have been and a reminder to myself of how much I need that time with Him everyday.

Tonight sitting here feeling filled up and content, I'm so thankful for this truth:

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

- 2 Timothy 2:13 NLT

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Weren't You Homeschooling?

2010-08-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

When I finished this post, I asked my husband to edit it for me.

After he read the ten paragraphs it took me over an hour to write, he told me it sounded stupid and I just needed to say, "We tried it. It wasn't for us."

Men! Leave it to a man to get straight to the point. : )

Everyday Becky

"'Tho We've Gotta Say Good-Bye For the Summer"

The Persevering Pen

Introducing the Van Cluck Sisters

Backward Thinking

Small

My Latest Good Reads

My Website is Finished!

On Writing: Who Am I?

Seeing Green

Last Year It Was That Mustache...

The Best Birthday EVER!

Creation-Deprivation Disorder

Missed It? Made to Crave Re-Runs

The Hunger Games Trilogy Ruined Me

Princesses Show Off Their Heart Hairdos and Final Made to Crave

Prince Charming Hijacked my Blog Today

Shift Change

But Why?

{{Hugs}}

What if I Stumble?

Down in the January Dumps

Made to Crave Monday: A Pot of Stew and my Tower of Bricks

New

Sometimes a Princess Just Needs a Day at the Spa

Guest Blogger: Lysa TerKeurst

Made To Crave: Winner Announced and A Free Kindle Book

When a Princess has a Crisis of Faith

Made to Crave Giveaway

This One's For You, Grandpa!

And the Winner is...

The Read and Share Bible Giveaway

Merry Christmas

So My Mom Tells Me...

Verse Novel Challenge

This Thankful Heart- Multitudes on Mondays

A Lazy Walk Down Memory Lane- Don't Bother Me, I'm Sleeping! : )

The Loveliest, Most Perfect, "Straight From my Dreams" Morning

Multitudes on Mondays- One Thousand Gifts

Giveaways, Giveaways Make Me Happy : )

My Girls' Big Day: Mommy's Heart Overflows

W.O.W. Postponed : (

Why Just a Day? How About All Month Long?

Miscellaneous Musing

My Latest Project- Before and After Photos

A Day to Remember

Adventures of Super Mom: A Day Off or Just An Off Day?

Remembered and Loved by Their Big Sister

Mercy!

Aa-chew! Sniffle, Sniffle...Where did that week go?

You're Invited

Thank You, Mr. Hemingway

My New Find: Chalk Markers

"Life Piled on Life"

Sledding in September?

Progress Report and A Few Teasers About My Novel

Ramona Quimby- Sharing My Childhood Friend With My Girls

Like a Glass of Cool Water to a Thirsty Heart

Weren't You Homeschooling?