Did you see When the Game Stands Tall when it was in theaters? It was out in August of this year and it got fantastic reviews! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. It was inspired by an extraordinary true story. You know that those are always good.
When the Game Stands Tall is a true story about love, loss, friendship, and perseverance.
A high school team sets a 151-game winning streak under the leadership of coach Bob Ladouceur. But when tragedy strikes, they must find it within themselves to get back up and push forward.
It has officially been released! Head over to Family Christian and grab your copy of When the Game Stands Tall.
Get this movie as a gift or grab it for yourself! And while you’re there, check out the Tenth Avenue North Cathedrals CD! Or check out the 50% Off sale going on now through December 24th!
I’m a really big Christian music fan. I sing in the shower. In the car. In the kitchen. While sweeping. While cooking. Pretty much doing anything. I love when a good song comes on the radio. I especially love when these guys come on the radio!
Tenth Avenue North’s latest album Cathedrals is out now! Huge fan of theirs. So many of their songs have spoken to me. This latest album had me wondering why they named it Cathedrals. I mean, I love cathedrals. They are so beautiful!
Takes me back to visiting this incredible cathedral in Poland last year! The detail and architecture in these churches are amazing. So grand and beautiful. But why name an album Cathedrals? Here is a little bit about this album:
This collection of songs explained that once we know that we dont have to save ourselves, we are freed up to be honest about our struggles. We can admit that we feel worn, and we need redemption. We are free to struggle, but hallelujah, were not struggling to be free. The band was struck by John Dunns memorable quote, no man is an island. With these new songs, Tenth Avenue North encourages us to get off our self-made islands of isolation, to break the chains of shame that have kept us there, and find communion with God and each other. Tenth Avenue North encourages us to realize Gods spirit doesn’t dwell in buildings; He dwells in us for WE ARE HIS CATHEDRALS.
I adore this statement.
He dwells in us. We are HIS cathedrals. We are grand. We are beautiful. God has paid close attention to every single detail in each one of us. Just as the builder creates the architecture of a majestic cathedral, our great Builder has created us with His incredible spiritual architecture unlike any other.
This album has their newest song on it that you may have heard “No Man Is An Island”. Such a great song.
Do you get the Family Christian catalog? There may be an even better coupon in there! Be sure to check out the Family Christian website for ALL the latest coupon codes. You may be able to score an even better deal.
This would make a fantastic gift idea! Hubby, if you’re reading this…hint hint. 😉
Everything in my home seems to be breaking. I kinda want to break up with it. It started with the hot water heater. Next came our van. Then it was the heat in the bonus room. Now ladies and gentlemen, it is our garage door. We’ve gone without hot water, used only one car, went without heat upstairs, and now have to walk allllllll the way around the house to get into our car. You gotta love being a homeowner.
My girls are at a stage where they actually play together. They are 4 years apart and you’d never know it some days. They pull each other around in the laundry basket and make sweet cards for each other. But that sisterly love can go from sweet and innocent to completely mean in a matter of moments. I go from watching them frolic in the sibling daisies to surviving the prickly thickets of contention.
Sometimes I just find myself consumed in the things that are wrong with my life. I can just see God looking at me thinking, “Are you kidding me? LOOK at how I have blessed you, my child.” The fact is, I’m spoiled.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In ALL circumstances. That one is easier said than done after all the circumstances that I listed above. How do I change my discontentment to gratitude?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God achat viagra fr. – Philippians 4:6
First, we can see that if we’re discontent, then we’re worrying. Worrying about what others have that we don’t have. Focusing on what we lack. Second, if our heart is filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction it can’t also then be filled with thanksgiving.
How great is our God? He’s bigger than broken heaters and fussy children. He has a much bigger and better plan for us than that.
Thankfulness is mentioned over and over in the Bible. Every good and perfect gift if from God. (James 1:17) Give thanks to the Lord, calling upon his name, making known his deeds among the people. (Psalm 105:1) I could go on and on.
Beyond all of the problems with my home, vehicles, and arguing children, I see the incredible blessing of a home and a family. Let’s do our best to focus on the blessings of God in our lives, rather than the attempts of the enemy to take them away. Each time that we choose to be thankful with what we have, the devil loses a chance for a stronghold.
Where do you see God in your circumstances? When you find Him, you have found thankfulness.
God is thrilled when we open our eyes to find Him revealed. Isn’t that His ultimate goal? It’s what we were created for! To bring Him glory! What good things is God doing in your life? Are your eyes open for Him to be revealed? Make a list of your blessings. Sometimes writing it out can help you to see it all more clearly.
This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for so much. To have a home with things inside (even if those things break occasionally). I’m thankful for my entire family and friends. But most of all, I’m thankful for a God who fiercely loves me enough to continue blessing me every day, even when I don’t always see it.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever. – Psalm 118:1
The Bible is full of amazing stories isn’t it? Stories of love, hate, deceit, and loyalty. Examples of the way we should live our lives and also how we shouldn’t. There are some awesome stories about courageous men that with God’s power overcame otherwise impossible circumstances. I mean. The Bible is kinda tha bomb.
Though we often times relate the courageous stories in the Bible to men, I want to focus for a minute on the women. Yep, let’s give it up for the ladies. They are a huge part of the Bible, too. Some were not the smartest crayons in the box, but the Bible also shares the stories of many brave and amazing women, too.
My personal favorite story of a woman in the Bible is Ruth. I think that the book of Ruth is one of great loyalty. And also of great love. After the death of her husband and her father-in-law, Ruth decided to stick by her mother-in-law even though she was urged to go back home. Through emotional and physical support, she was extremely faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi through the hardest of times. I gotta tell you, that must not have been easy. Think about it. She left her own family (Momma and Daddy) to be with her mother-in-law. Mother. In. Law. She was armed with love and a bazooka loaded with grace. That’s what I’m guessing.
Leaving everything she knew behind, Ruth stayed to care for Naomi. She began gathering leftover grain behind farmers in the fields to provide food. A rich landowner named Boaz began to bless them providing more grain and welcoming Ruth. She listened to the wise advice of Naomi and they began to thrive. Eventually Boaz and Ruth got married, and both she and Naomi were taken care of from then on.
What a friendship those two shared. One based on loyalty, family, and God’s plan. I just love to read about the women in the Bible who made a difference.
I was thrilled when I got a chance to review For Such a Time as This by Angie Smith! I had the privilege of meeting Angie back in 2010 (I believe) and she is such a sweet soul. This book is jam packed full of stories about women in the Bible. A whopping total of 40 examples of women who made a difference. The stories are retold so that girls can understand and read them and the illustrations are just amazing! It’s as though the stories come alive.
At the end of each story, there is a “He, Me, She” section where you can go a little deeper with your daughter about the story. The “He” section is about how God was involved in the story. The “Me” section is about the reader and how the truth of the story can be applied to her life. And the “She” section is for the parents to pray over their daughter. I just LOVED this part of the book.
My girls really enjoyed this book. It is requested each night! Some of the women in the book are women that aren’t spotlighted in the Bible. It’s awesome to see perspective on the women that we don’t normally hear about. I encourage you to check out For Such a Time as This. It would make such a great Christmas gift for a daughter or niece. Buy one for yourself! I think I enjoyed just as much as my girls. 😉
$25 Family Christian Appreciate Certificate Giveaway
To build up some excitement around this book, I’m so happy to be able to offer a $25 Appreciate Certificate to one of YOU from Family Christian. With Christmas coming up, this will surely come in handy!
This giveaway will end on Saturday, November 29th at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 30th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only.
I received a copy of Such a Time as This for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
I gotta say, marriage isn’t exactly what I expected it to be. All those years of playing Barbies and house were just a teensy bit different than the real thing. We were happy with our homes being located in a rocky ditch in our backyard and my “husband” always loved to eat my mud pies. There weren’t too many disagreements, but if there were, we’d just quit playing with each other. We might have even said “I’m not your friend anymore” and walked away with our arms folded. That’s because this was all pretend. Remember those days?
Unfortunately for 8 year-olds, marriage is real-life. And when I say real, I mean REAL.
It’s a love like no other. It’s one of the greatest gifts that God has blessed His people with. Though it may not be as fun or easy as playing house was, it’s way more rewarding.
My husband and I have been together for 13 years and married almost 9 of those years. Starting our marriage when we were still young, it’s had a lot of time to change and grow. The biggest change being God. Though we were both believers in the beginning, God was kinda left out. It wasn’t until year #7 that God truly got invited in. Things have changed a lot since then. And for the better!
I am in by no means the perfect wife. I am far from it. I make a lot of mistakes and don’t treat my husband the way that he deserves most days. If you read Taming Your Negative Monster, then you’ll know that I have issues to work on. Many affect my husband. Taking a look at the Biblical aspects of a wife, there is a lot of direction from the Word on how to function in this role. Here are five characteristics of a Biblical wife.
1) Noble character
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4
As a wife, we should strive to hold to what we know is right (morally) and to demonstrate that in how we live. This means staying strong in our faith and beliefs firmly fixed and making our husbands proud (his crown) of the strength of our character.
2) Proverbs 31 focused.
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship; she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. – Proverbs 31:10-27
Just as the church is married to Christ and worth the blood of Jesus (he died for it!), a godly, faithful, and fruitful wife is of great worth to her husband. This humongous verse describes the Biblical wife in detail. A lot to live up to, huh? One of my favorite parts is when it says “she watches for bargains”. THAT’S ME! See? I’m totally a Proverbs 31 wife. Whatever our strong suits, this is a fantastic list with a broad range. She’s trusting, worships The Lord, economic with finances, works hard for her household, talks well about her husband to others, kind, sets a good example, raises her children well, and fears The Lord.
I can see a lot I need to work on. I pray that I can use these verses as my guide for my role as a wife. I love when the Bible paints such a clear picture of what we are supposed to do.
3) Part of a team
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who madethem at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Matthew 19:4-6
This one is a good reminder that in marriage, we have become one. I know that we hear this a lot, but really wrap your head around it, won’t you? We women like to have our along time. Am I right? I know that I do. We also have a tendency to sometimes do things on our own. This verse is a reminder that no matter how much we enjoy doing this alone that we are now a part of a team. And with that, we need to keep our other half informed, involved, and included. Remember that each of you are not singular and work on a common vision as a couple. This one is a hard one for me since I’m a do-it-yourself kinda gal, but I want to remember our oneness like the Bible tells me, too.
4) Submits to her husband
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. – Colossians 3:18
This is a highly talked about command in the Bible. Some don’t believe this is still necessary in today’s society, but they are mistaken. Submission is a matter of respect. It doesn’t mean that as wives we are inferior. It simply means that we are to make conscious volition allowing our husbands to be the leader of our household.
5) Sets an example
In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good,so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered. – Titus 2:3-5
If you’re a younger married women, then this is the kind of lady that you want to become. And obviously if you are already there then you are setting an example and you may not even know it. However, if you have a daughter then you are already setting an example. You are exhibiting how respect, self-control, purity, work around the house, raising children, kindness, and submission are done. Young ladies and women are like sponges to those around them. Show them Christ through your actions as a wife.
All of this is easier said than done. Am I right? There’s not a perfect wife that ever lived. Even Eve who had everything in the world that she would ever need as a wife made mistakes. *ahem* Let’s all give Eve a round of applause for childbirth, shall we?!
I am encouraged knowing that I can always look to the scriptures for guidance in how to be a more biblical wife.
I’m also thankful that I got to read the book Messy Beautiful Love: Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages by Darlene Schacht just recently. She is a blogger and one heck of a writer. This book is teeming with honesty and bursting at the seams with truth. She takes the reader through various issues that many marriages face and gives biblical advice for how to deal with those. I felt completely challenged during the whole book. Reading about what Darlene has learned throughout her marriage is quite refreshing because she’s just so real. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies and just like the title of her book, it’s messy.
It’s also very beautiful.
Thank you God for the precious gift of marriage and the unique covenant that we are able to make with and our husbands and with You. It’s such a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church.
No matter what stage of marriage you’re in, this book is an encouraging and challenging read. I highly recommend it!
This giveaway will end on Friday, November 21st at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 22nd and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only.
I received a copy of Messy Beautiful Love for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
It lurks in the darkness waiting to rear its ugly head. Close behind thoughts of doubt and pessimism. Hanging on the skirt tails of comparison. And just below the surface of low self-esteem.
It’s the negative monster and it will claw its way into ruling your life.
If you let it.
I could’ve titled this post “Taming Amy’s Negative Monster” if I’m being honest. I’ve lived with one for as long as I can remember. He’s probably about the size of big foot and carries around a big plate of you’re not good enough and this sucks. This little booger likes to manifest into my outlook on life. I’m talking glass half empty, worse case scenario, end of the world kinda stuff. If I don’t watch my attitude’s back, my negative monster will come out and find ways to take a simple situation and turn it gloomy.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
Negative monsters like to prey on things like comparison, discontentment, and other negative people. It’s hard sometimes to see how bad your attitude has gotten until it affects your relationships.
The Bible says:
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22
I don’t know about you, but I would love to be known as a person so cheerful that I’m like good medicine.
God has really been speaking to my heart lately about my attitude. I’ve almost felt scolded in a way. Do you ever feel that way? Like my daddy is telling me that I need an attitude adjustment or I’m grounded. I find myself saying things and almost immediately feel conviction in my spirit about what I’ve just said. I’m thankful for these moments in my walk with Christ. They are perfect examples of God’s work in me. He is forever perfecting you too!
Keep your mind on things that are: true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent, and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8
Basically, we need to focus our thoughts on God’s truth. This means recognizing falsehoods, pursuing the truth, and constantly reminding ourselves of the truth.
The things we say don’t just start by popping out of our mouth. They begin in our thoughts.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Paul is talking to the Corinthians here about the power of the enemy and spiritual warfare. He says to take everything thought captive and make it obey The Lord. We have to renew our minds.
But God looks at our hearts. Why do we have to work so hard on our minds? Because our minds can change our hearts! If the end goal is to have a pure and clean heart, we have to make our mind agree with the truth we know in our hearts. After all, the Holy Spirit himself lives there.
This is a constant battle that we will all be in all of our lives. The enemy doesn’t take a sick day. He wants to take your thoughts, your heart, and anything else he can get it hands on and destroy them. Destroying everything in its path along with it. This is why it’s so important to continually take negative thoughts and feelings and wrangle them like a one ton bull, bringing them fully under control of Christ.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29
Let’s be cognizant of the words we speak to others. Just like Paul says the Ephesians above, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Don’t even let it come out of your mouth. Use your words to build others up.
A good man produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech. – Luke 6:45
Your positivity and your negativity all flow from the same place, the heart.
Everything single one of these things is something that I need to work on right now. This is one of my daily prayers. If you struggle with a negative monster, first all you need to tell that thing to beat it! Your heart is occupied viagra vendre. And then let’s look at some ways you can be more positive right now.
Pray about it. This one may seem obvious, but it took me a long time to actually do this. Telling God about your want to change shows that you heart is ready for a change.
Choose joy. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says Always be joyful. It’s not always easy to do this, but choosing to be joyful rids the devil of his power. Take THAT devil!
Focus on the positive. Easier said than done, huh? If you can focus on finding positive in every situation, you’ll be surprised how much more positive that you actually find.
Say only positive things about yourself to others and about others. Back to the, “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all” rule. This applies to self-talk as much as it does speaking about others. Edification is always the goal.
Surround yourself with other positive people. In the past 2 years, I’ve notice how big of a difference it makes to be around others who are positive. It has changed me. If it means letting go of friends that bring you to a negative place, so be it.
Have an attitude of gratitude. No matter how bad things are, there are tons of things to thank God for. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says- Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Change your grumps to gratefulness.
Have an attitude of worship. There is no greater joy than connecting with The Lord in intimate worship. Praising the One who created us and receiving His amazing love fills our hearts and no doubt gives us a supernatural positive feeling. Let it simmer there in your soul and then let is spill out to those around you.
Fact or Fiction? This is choosing whether your negative thought/words are from God (fact) or the enemy (fiction). Grab that thought, make choice based on if it’s God’s character and then act. Say out loud if you have to, “I rebuke that in the name of Jesus”.
Baby steps. Becoming a positive thinker doesn’t happen overnight. God spends our whole lives refining us. Any change for the better is a good one! Set small goals that are easy to obtain and celebrate your progress. Thank God for making you into a better person. That will help with your #6! 🙂
Do you have issues with negativity? Please tell me I’m not the only one!
The following is a post written by my husband, Max.
Sunday November 2, 2014 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
What is Christian Persecution?
This topic may feel distant to many of us Western Christians. In 2013, I first got an understanding of what Christian persecution was when I read the book Tortured for Christ authored by Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of Voice of the Martyrs Ministry. If you are interested in receiving a complimentary copy of this book, you can get more information here. Richard Wurmbrand showed radical obedience to the Gospel in Romania despite the horrific persecution and torture that he both experienced and witnessed while spending more than ten years in prison. His life is a beautiful testimony of the Gospel and what it means to love.
The definition of Christian persecution from about.com is:
Persecution is the act of harassing, oppressing, or killing people because of their difference from society. Christians are persecuted because their belief in Jesus Christ as Savior does not conform to the godlessness of a sinful world.”
Christians around the world are persecuted every day. According an article on Christianity Today, some 70 million Christians have been martyred for their faith since AD 22. “Is there a global war on Christians?” Michael Austin asks. “That question is asked in this issue and judging from the number of deaths and torture in recent years, my conclusion is, yes – and the casualties are staggering. […] Sadly, the names of Christ’s heroes and their inspired stories go largely unspoken today and their cause goes unreported in the popular press.” Voice of the Martyrs’s Rou Stults adds that there is not enough awareness in the Western Church: “Many Christians in the West either deny or are ignorant of it, but persecution is part of present reality.”
Why are Christians facing persecution?
They are suffering persecution and dying for living lives that honor Jesus and being a witness to the Gospel, as we were commissioned by Jesus:
He (Jesus) told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. 19 Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this—that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” – Matthew 28:18-20
Spiritual warfare is active and real – and it is warring against Jesus’ Great Commission. We must remember this is a spiritual war and continue to love all, including those who persecute Christians.
For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.” – Ephesians 6:12
How should Christians respond?
Don’t put your head in the sand. Stand up with your brothers and sisters in Christ that are being persecuted and losing their lives for the Gospel. We can serve them through words of encouragement, prayer, time, and financial support.
Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” – Hebrews 13:3
This powerful list of 10 ways to pray for our persecuted family in Christ is from the Voice of the Martyrs Ministry:
Pray that the persecuted believers will sense God’s presence (Hebrews 13:5)
Pray that they will feel connected to the greater Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:20, 26)
Pray that they will experience God’s comfort when their family members are killed, injured or imprisoned for their witness (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Pray that they will have more opportunities to share the Gospel (Colossians 4:3)
Pray for their boldness to make Christ known (Philippians 1:14)
Pray that they will forgive and love their persecutors (Matthew 5:44)
Pray that their ministries activities will remain undetected by authorities or others who wish to silence them (Acts 9:25)
Pray that they will rejoice in suffering (Acts 5:41)
Pray that they will be refreshed through God’s Word and grow in their faith (Ephesians 6:17)
Pray that they will be strengthened through the prayers of fellow believers (Jude 20-25)
Join with brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for persecuted Christians, and more urgently, for their mission, the spread of the Gospel.
If you need help getting started, I encourage you to start by earnestly and reverently praying. As the introductory video “What can you do in 5 minutes?” shows, a start could be as simple as praying for the persecuted church for 5 minutes once a week. Let us join together in prayer on Sunday, November 2, 2014 and continue thereafter.
Plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers to help you, for the harvest is so plentiful and the workers so few.” – Luke 10:2
I’m really not that old. However, when I start to think about high school and middle school, I’m reminded of how long ago that really was. I had a lot of fun during those years. I made some of my life-long friends then. That’s even when I met my husband! Some friends would come and some would go, but the true ones always stuck around. I remember our sleepovers, football games, and talking on the phone for hours.
A real phone, by the way.
We weren’t lucky enough to have cell phones then. Our phones had cords or ranges of 200 feet. It was a good way for our moms to keep tabs on us come to think of it! We definitely couldn’t go very far.
I also remember that those years were very hard. There was a lot of pressure to fit in and to be considered “popular” was an achievement. A girl’s identity begins to form around this time. So many changes take place and things seem really intense. Everything is intense. Feelings, thoughts, words. It’s a pivotal time in a girl’s life.
When I was 11, my parents got divorced. It was by far, one of the most devastating experiences of my life. It came at the worst possible time for my self-esteem. I felt lost. My dad wasn’t around anymore like I was used to. The world’s influences spoke so loudly. I didn’t go to church anymore. I began to look for my value in the approval of others.
I had no idea that the One and only approval necessary had already been granted to me.
Young women need so badly to understand their worth. They need to know that beyond the social pressures, expectations, and cliques, that God is doing a marvelous work within their lives. He has a plan and a purpose for every single one. He also sees each one as beautiful.
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. – Matthew 10:31
I got the opportunity to read the book Free To Be Me by Stasi Eldredge recently. Can I just tell you that this book is everything I needed to hear when I was letting the world tell me how it is. Stasi does an incredible job of using her past hurts and mistakes to really speak truth into young women’s lives. Even as a grown woman, I found lots points that I could use reminders of.
This book is for teenagers and would be a perfect gift for a daughter or niece. Any girl that you know really. I will saving this book for both of my daughters to read when it comes time. Such a fantastic resource that I only wish I had when I was that age.
This giveaway will end on Monday, November 4th at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 4th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only.
I received a copy of Free To Be Me for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
The average person consumes 2 bottles of ketchup per year. The average lifespan of a squirrel is 9 years. The average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in their lifetime. And the average number of times that I tell my children “don’t do that” or “stop that” is approximately 63 times per day. Per child.
Children don’t understand that there are times when they simply can’t do things alone. Recently my 7 year-old decided that she was thirsty. So thirsty that she decided to skip the part about asking for help from a parent and do it herself. Can you see where this is going? Our pitcher of juice is on the very top shelf in our refrigerator. It’s a french door on top and freezer on the bottom so it’s very tall.
She manages to get the pitcher (full of juice) off the shelf. Then as she is slowly walking to her cup, the moving waves inside the pitcher cause her to slop juice all over the floor leaving a juice trail behind. As you would imagine, this is the moment when I walk in the room and see what’s going on. The first words out of my mouth are, “You need to ask for help with that. You can’t do that alone.” And like most mother’s, I added, “Do you understand me?” The first words out her mouth were, “I’m sorry”,
There are just some things that we can’t do. Here are some things that I can’t do:
Change a flat tire
Crochet
Eat raw oysters
Tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue
Ice skate
Tell a joke
The list goes on. I’m alright with not being able to do these things. I thought I was really good at ice skating until I busted my bum. That’s all it takes to keep this girl off the ice for a good long while.
Though we’re not helpless children anymore, there are many things that God wants us to see that we cannot do by ourselves.
What about some of the harder things in life? Like overcoming anxiety, depression, or addictions. Forgiveness. Healing. Gaining courage in the midst of fear. Provision through a drought. These may seem completely unattainable and they are. To you. You simply cannot do these things on your own.
But with God you can.
You simply have to trust that He will. Jesus says…
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
The Bible says that we can do anything through Christ.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13
As humans, especially type-A humans *ahem*, we can be a little controlling. It’s natural for some more than others. This makes it hard for us to hand the reins of our problems, illnesses, relationships, and addictions over to God.
Sometimes God finds me just like my 7 year-old daughter, mid-pour with juice all over the floor. And I have to say, “I’m sorry God. I should have asked for your help.”
He is waiting. His hands are wide open waiting for your burdens. Whatever it is, He will walk through it with you. He will bring you to a place of peace no matter how bad that situation is. Make your plans, but turn the over to God before you carry them out.
It’s ok to be thirsty. We are ALL thirsty for the Living Water that comes from the Father. Just make sure that before you scale the refrigerator, grab the pitcher, and slosh juice all over the floor on the way to fill up your cup, you ask for help.
The following post is by Gathering Grain on behalf of Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Oh wheeeeeeeere is my hairbrush? Oh wheeeeeeeeere is my hair brush? Oh where oh where oh where oh where oh WHEEEEEEERE…is my hair brush?
Where are my Bowling Green, Kentucky VeggieTales fans at?! This may be my favorite VeggieTales song. They are all so cute. It might be a close second to the cheeseburger song.
So excited to tell y’all about this awesome event at Family Christian Stores coming up on October 31st in Bowling Green, KY!
Here are the details:
When: Friday, October 31st 2014 Where: Bowling Green, KY Family Christian Store- 2425 Scottsville Rd #100 What to do: Dress like a veggie, take a photo in-store, post it to their Twitter and/or Instagram using the hastag #FCVeggies and tagging @FamilyChristian
The grand prize winner will receive a $250 gift card to Family Christian. FIVE runner ups will receive $50 appreciation certificates.
Your child does NOT have to dress like a VeggieTales veggie, just any veggie to qualify. You must have at least ONE child dressed up to enter the contest. And ALL children that stop by during the Dress Like A Veggie Event will receive small goodies!
There is a COUPON! 40% Off Any Regular Price Item. Print this sucker out and take it with you when you dress like a veggie! Or use it online today! I’m already thinking about Christmas gifts so this would be a great way to save on those. Or just something for yourself. I could spend hours in there. Literally.
Coupon can be used at any Family Christian store or online and expires 11/13/14. This event is happening at ALL Family Christian stores nationwide!
![veggie-tales-event2[1] copy](http://www.regardinggrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veggie-tales-event21-copy.jpg)