Don't Wait!

Can you remember when your child was young and how they had a cute way of saying something?

My youngest, Tiffany, says the word SEED instead of SAW when she is talking.  It was really cute when she was younger, but now that she is in pre-school, I decided it was time to correct her speech.

The next time I heard her say, "Daddy, I seed a deer on the way home today!" I lovingly replied, "Tiffany, it's not seed, but we say, saw."

To that she said, "No Mommy, we say SEED!"

Ok, this was going to be more difficult than I had realized.

To read what happened next, hop on over to Titus 2 In Action, where I am posting this on my Parenting Pointers column.

The turkey rap.avi

This one is for all the hunters out there!

Thankful Thursday #54

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! If you'd like to participate, just copy the T.T. button on my sidebar and paste it into your post. Next write down five things you are thankful for this week. Finally, come back here and link up with Mr. Linky. It's that easy!

Here's my list for this week:

1) I am thankful for my husband, Tim. God has given me my soulmate in this man. He is always attentive to my needs (and wants - yes I'm spoiled) and he is a great provider and an attentive Daddy. I look forward to growing old with this man.

2) I am thankful for my six wonderful children! I love each one of them in a unique and special way. They all bring so much love and joy and fun into my life. Thank you, God for giving me these precious gifts. I can't wait to see how many grandchildren we will have!

3) I am thankful for my Christian friends. Lately God has surrounded me with some of the most amazing women of God! What a privilege to have so much support and love (not to mention so many coffee dates!). Being part of the BOdy of Christ is wonderful!

4) I am thankful for my family. Both my family and my husband's family live nearby and that means lots of love and support. They are not only my family, but my friends. That's a lot to be thankful for!

5) I am thankful for my church. Being a part of the church body is so rewarding. It gives you so many opportunities for service and for interaction with other believers. I've made some special friends and my kids are fully engaged in activities and friendships there. I especially like that it's only 15 minutes from my home.

I hope you can find at least five things that you are thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, 2009. Life doesn't have to be easy to be thankful. A thankful heart is a decision. Don't let circumstances decide your level of happiness, lean on God for peace and then look around at His gifts. I love you all!

Being Thankful is a Decision

On Monday, November 23, I will be the guest blogger over at Eternity Cafe. Susan has felt led of the Lord to encourage other Christian's to have "40 Days of Focus" on Jesus, of course! This is to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus' birth, as well as prepare our hearts for His triumphant return.

Three days from now we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday set up by the pilgrims to celebrate the planting of a new colony here in America. With six children, we've read the Thanksgiving story many, many times. One thing is clear, they were thankful - but not because it had been easy for them.

When they came to America, they didn't expect extreme hardships. They were hoping to find fame and fortune and religious freedom. If they knew the hardships that they would have faced that first year, do you think they would have volunteered to come? They experienced famine, sickness, death, hostile Indians - just to name a few! They were cold and unprepared for what they were faced with. But, they had one thing that got them through - FAITH IN GOD!

No matter what was going on, they made sure that they were at church and learning about the Bible and their God. They prayed and believed, and when loved ones started dying, their faith remained. I'm in awe that they chose to celebrate that first year in America. I have to admit that at first glance, it didn't seem so successful, or victorious.

So how did they celebrate and give thanks with pure hearts after suffering such loss and trauma? They knew the Bible! Here's what one verse says:

1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This is only one of many, many scritpures on giving thanks. 

So what is going on in your life this year?  I know that for me, 2009 has been a year of great trials and great pain.  My beloved father stepped into heaven (unexpectedly) in August, just to share one trial my family has been through.  Now I have a choice to make.  I can allow myself to fall in to a pattern of sadness with negative feelings, or I can focus on scriptures and let God teach me how to have a thankful heart. 

I am convinced that the only way to get through the pain of life is to break forth with praises and rejoicing to the God who is always faithful and who never sleeps or forsakes His children.  Stay focused on the scriptures, dig into them daily, and you will find the strength to have a grateful heart this Holiday Season.

James 1:2-3  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.


Hebrews 13:15  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Thankful Thursday #53

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! If you'd like to participate, just copy the T.T. button on my sidebar and paste it into your post. Next write down five things you are thankful for this week. Finally, come back here and link up with Mr. Linky. It's that easy!

Here's my list for this week:

1)  I am thankful that God is the great "I AM."  No matter what I need, I can turn to Him and He will be there for me.  He will never leave me or forsake me. 

Deuteronomy 31:6  "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

2)  I am thankful for Kelly.  She and I have been friends for many years and no matter where life takes us, we walk through it together.

Proverbs 17:17a  "A friend loves at all times."

3)  I am thankful that for a season we were able to be a part of a great country, community, loving church.  The youth group was especially precious, as was the youth pastor.  I am grieved that the church has divided, but thankful for the opportunity to see where it leads us.  God is in control and He will make sure this works out for His glory.

Romans 8:28  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

4)  I am thankful for a beautiful home, a van large enough to fit my family plus a few friends, food to eat, clothing to wear, just to name a few!

Philippians 4:19  "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

5)  I am thankful that I had the opportunity to host a Pampered Chef party on Tuesday.  I had a great turnout and really enjoyed each lady who came.  God has surrounded me with the most amazing people.  It is a privilege to be a part of the body of Christ.

1Corinthians 12:12  "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."

Christian Writer's Guild

My sweet friend, Bonita, has interviewed me on her blog, Encouraging Words for Writer's today.  The topic is the Christian Writer's Guild.  She asks some great questions that could help you decide whether you should enroll in this or a similar writing course.

Hop on over to see if the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer's Guild is the right choice for you.

Feeding their Consciences

When my children were young I remember how simple it was to discipline them.  For example, if they were to take a piece of candy out of the candy dish even though I had told them not to, I would simply discipline them and tell them, "I told you no," as my explanation.

Now my children are older and this tactic no longer suffices.  You see, as they mature, they move from just being action controlled to needing their own moral reason why.  But I am a busy mom and taking the time to give that moral reason why can be challenging. 

To read the rest of the story click HERE.

Thankful Thursday #52

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! If you'd like to participate, just copy the T.T. button on my sidebar and paste it into your post. Next write down five things you are thankful for this week. Finally, come back here and link up with Mr. Linky. It's that easy!

Here's my list for this week:

1) I am thankful that when my dryer broke on Monday night, my wonderful husband took the morning off on Tuesday to go buy a new one with me and then install it! He never complained or griped! He's amazing!

2) I am thankful for technology. I can't imagine having to hand wash our clothes! With six kids and two adults living in my house, not having a washer and dryer for even one day means laundry overload!

3) I am thankful that I had the chance to fill in at church last night. I helped teach the K-5th graders at Cool Kids and it was a pure delight. They are so precious! The things they say and do just amazed me.

4) I am thankful that my family has had the flu, and now we are all healthy! Phew! What a relief that we've been through it and now we are all on the other side and can move on with the winter.

5) I am thankful for friendships. They make my life easier and warmer and more loved. The fact that great people keep moving in and out of my life is so special. And with the internet, I can keep up with them no matter where they live!

Shine Like the Sun

Matthew 13:43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Have you ever thought about the differences between the sunlight and the moonlight?  The sun is a source of light, while the moon only reflects the sun's rays.

In the verse above it says, the righteous will shine like the sun.  I've always thought we were reflectors of Jesus' light, but here I see it differently.  Jesus is supposed to be living so fully in us that he will shine out of us as the source of light.

Each morning, I drive my children to school.  On the way there, we crest a hilltop and drive down into a valley.  We all look with anticipation because most mornings there will be a cloud in the valley and it is breathtaking to see.  Sometimes, the cloud will be so big that the sun's rays are actually cutting through it and you can see 1,000 sun beams shining through the thick cloud.  What an amazing sight.  We usually take a moment to reflect on God's glory.

If we were merely reflecting God's light, we would not be strong enough to cut through the darkness.  But God in His amazing wisdom, knew that if we could be so full of His word that we were the source of light - then we could be effective at cutting through the darkness of sin and death.

Thankful Thursday #51

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! If you'd like to participate, just copy the T.T. button on my sidebar and paste it into your post. Next write down five things you are thankful for this week. Finally, come back here and link up with Mr. Linky. It's that easy!

Here's my list for this week:

1) I am thankful that God is the foundation of my marriage. God knows what we need and when we need it, and that is a tremendous help! God knows our hearts better than we do, and He knows when and where to touch us in a loving way.

2) I am thankful that Titus 2 In Action has officially launched! If you haven't had the chance, pop on over and check it out. May God be blessed by this new blog!

3) I am thankful for the Word of God. It is full of every answer that I need in my life. Le me repeat that, it is full of every answer that I need in my life. It has all of God's promises for my life. Oh how I love to just bask in the promises of God's Word.

4) I am thankful that God protects us. I had a flat tire in my 12 passenger van this week. Well, within one hour, AAA and my mom were on the scene. I spent the day at her house with two of my kids while the van was towed to a place where they repair tires. We were not in harms way even once!

5) I am thankful for the promise of eternity in heaven with God! There will be peace there, and joy unspeakable, and beauty to behold. No sickness, no death, no sin... Wow, I am so longing for His return so I can begin this eternity!

Lead by Example

The other day I took my four year old daughter, Tiffany to the grocery store. As I helped her out of the car I noticed that she had her purse in one hand and her pretend cell phone held up to her ear with the other hand.


How cute, she looks just like me, I thought.  As I began to try talking with her, she responded, "Mom, I'm on the phone." Wait! That wasn't so cute... to read more click here...