Thou Art Jules

Reminder for readers!

2011-01-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder for those of you reading on a feed reader, we have moved. http://www.thouartjules.com/ and we have a giveaway going on right now! Come join us!

News!

2010-12-27T14:42:00.002-05:00

I've moved my blog permanently to my own host

Click here to update your feed!

I will be running a contest over at the new blog just for you!

FOUL!

2010-12-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

OK, just for the record... it wasn't the chicken! The terrible sickness that brought me to my knees for 48 hours turns out to be a stomach bug. "How does she know this?" you may ask.

Well, there are 5 of us in the household. 2 of us were initially sick. We were the two who ate the "dreaded" chicken wings. It was only logical to conclude that this was the source of our misery. Bright and early this morning however I was awoken with a cry "Mommy......" and soon found David and hubby and now Katelin all unwell!

So, I have gathered all of my "work" items into the dining room, prepared glasses of gingerale overflowing with ice and doled out Pepto like a pro.

Now we wait for the day to see what it will bring. Hopefully it doesn't re-circulate and we'll all be over it soon!

What's wrong with wings?

2010-12-20T03:09:00.000-05:00

It all started so innocently.

The boys and I visited my Mother in Law in the hospital. Because we were going to be close by, Kevin asked me to come have lunch with him at work.

If you've been around long, you know that I battle with anxiety. However, I really don't like to say no EVERY time. So, we went! We ordered an appetizer sampler and had a nice lunch.

Fast forward (it's 3am now...)

The toilet is not my friend! Brandon and I have been awful sick since about 9:00 tonight. For me it just got really bad around 1am. The only thing that we ate (and nobody else did) was the wings in the sampler. Therefore, the wings must be the culprit. The bad thing is... they were good! How was I to know?

Yuck!

Tis the Season to be Busy!

2010-12-18T20:35:00.000-05:00

Very busy indeed!

My Mother in Law is in the hospital tonight. We went for coffee this morning just like usual but a little late and she couldn't breathe. She had been up all night coughing and apparently did not want to wake anyone up :-(

Luckily it doesn't look like pneumonia but they are keeping her tonight and possibly until Monday.

Prayers would be appreciated!

The Clouds Roll Away - Book Review

2010-12-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello was a welcome read this holiday season. I found myself immersed in FBI Agent Raleigh Harmon's life from the very beginning. Because I am a recent convert to the Catholic Church, I loved the way Sibella describes the inner dialog that Raleigh has with herself throughout this riveting tale! I loved the imagery and I fell in love with Raleigh as a person.

I'm not sure what will strike other readers from this story but for me, the relationship that Raleigh has with her mother Nadine was the cornerstone of the book! Nadine is battling her own inner demons but Raleigh sticks by her side whether it is terrible creations in the kitchen or unexpected trips to church. Raleigh treats her Mother with respect, love and grace.

Of course the main storyline is about Raleigh's career with the FBI, this book follows her through investigations into a hate crime commited in her own back yard. Raleigh finds herself in all sorts of dangerous and compromising positions. You will cheer for her and you will fear for her as you turn each page in this action packed novel.

Many Christian Fiction books are very deliberate in their message (moral.) I found so many hidden in this book that I believe I will even have to read it again! Many times the best way to learn something is not always the most obvious. Sibella creats a masterpiece that will also leave you feeling closer than ever to your Savior.

This is a definite MUST READ and will find a place on my bookshelf to be revisited! I will admit that I may be biased as Richmond is just a short drive from my home and I always love to read books that are based locally!

Cover description:
Closing her assignment with the FBI's Seattle office, forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon returns to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, expecting a warm welcome. Instead she finds herself investigating an ugly cross burning at a celebrity's mansion and standing in the crosshairs of her boss at the Bureau. And the deeper Raleigh digs into the case, the murkier the water becomes... until she's left wondering who the real victims might be.
To make matters worse, Raleigh's personal life affers almost zero clarity. Her former confidant is suddenly remote whle her former boyfriend keeps popping up wherever she goes. And then there's her mother. Raleigh's move home was suppose to improve Nadine's fragile sanity, but instead seems to be making things worse.
As the threads of the case begin crossing and double-crossing, Raleigh is forced to rely on her forensic skills, her faith, and the fervent hope that a breakthrough will come, bringing with it that singular moment when teh clouds roll away and everything finall makes sense.

Sibella Giorello grew up in Alaska and majored in geology at Mount Holyoke College. After riding a motorcycle across the country, she worked as a features writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her stories have won state and national awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Washington state with her husband and sons.

Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Clouds Roll Away by giving away a KINDLE prize pack worth over $150.00!

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi
$25 gift certificate to Amazon.com

To enter simply click on one of the icons below! Then tell your friends! Winner will be announced January 3, 2011 on Sibella's blog: http://sibellagiorello.blogspot.com/.

About The Clouds Roll Away - "Beautifully written with exquisite descriptions, Giorello's mystery also features well-developed characters..."
—Booklist, starred review

Find out more here!

*I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes

The Lambs Supper Study Guide - Book Review

2010-12-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

Please visit my new book blog to read more about The Lambs Supper Study Guide http://www.betweenthepage.com/

The clouds that eat at my soul

2010-12-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Paleontour

Sometimes it seems that depression affects most every day of my life. I know in my heart that this might not be the case. I may only feel this way when the weight is heaviest on me. On the sunny days I might tell you that there are more good days than bad.

Depression for me is a heaviness in my heart. It is tears on my eyelashes. It is taking a long nap every single day. It is a life that sometimes revolves around these four walls.

Everything gets to me. I brood. I hurt. I think too much.

This is a glorious week! It is the kids last few days before "Winter break."
It is the season of Advent!
It is our first real snow accumulation.
It is a time of visiting with favorite relatives from out of state.
It is a time of making candies and wrapping presents.

But..

I make the candies
I wrap the presents
I shop online

and I carry this cloud with me
it hangs over my head
it causes me to cry over everything
it makes me hard to live with

I am hard on myself
yet I allow excuses for everything

I mourn

The good is not lost on me. I berate myself actually because I am so fortunate! I am so blessed! My family is happy and healthy! We have every need met that we could imagine. We have love. We have so many little things even that so many millions of people do not have. I am watching cable. I am on the internet. I own a laptop. We are able to worship openly. There are so many blessings. Some days this makes it even more difficult to deal with these emotions because I KNOW they DON'T MAKE SENSE!

The Topkapi Secret - Book Review

2010-12-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

The Topkapi Secret by Terry Kelhawk
GREAT READ!
Read my review over at my new book blog http://www.betweenthepage.com/

*I will continue to post review links here until I have fulfilled all review requests up to the start of betweenthepage.com

The 60 Minute Money Workout - Book Review

2010-12-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

Please visit my new Book Blog to read about this book. http://www.betweenthepage.com/

*I do have several reviews that I'm working on that were originally scheduled to be posted on this blog. I will continue to place a post here to direct the authors/publishers to the new site.

Do you cry?

2010-12-14T07:25:00.000-05:00

Have you cried in church? I know I have felt like crying.

I visited the chapel last night for an hour of adoration and found myself in a much different situation than last week. This week there were 4 adorers at 10pm which surprised me so late at night!

I found myself almost immediately drawn to conversation with the Lord. I found myself just pouring out my thoughts and feelings as though I could not hold them in. I have something personal weighing heavily on my heart. I shared it all with HIM last night.

Have you ever shared your most intimate secrets with your Savior? You would think that since He already knows.. it wouldn't be such a big deal huh? Not so!

I couldn't stop the emotions that followed. Now don't get me wrong. I did not just break down and start sobbing uncontrolably. But, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

It was a cleansing hour and as I tried to follow my "schedule" from last week with prayers, I continually found myself drawn back into a deep confessional conversation. I find myself somewhat drained emotionally today. Perhaps that will keep me from living in my head so much today!

Are we too busy?

2010-12-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

The tree is trimmed (as good as it's gonna get this year!) and now we've moved on to children begging me to wrap presents! lol

I've been baking and making peppermint bark and chocolate covered pretzels. It's been yummy! Of course there is nothing left to share outside of the house because they are eating it as fast as I can make it! I'll have to make some for teachers and the mail lady while the kids are at school this week.

All of this hustle and bustle is costly though...

My husband informed me today that I interrupt him. A LOT...

and guess what...

I DO!

::sigh::

I interrupt him. A LOT!

I don't know why I do it. I mean sometimes it's because well.. he's rather long winded. But, it's rude and I have to stop. So, I've made a conscious effort to pay attention to each person as they talk to me. I tend to space out sometimes and I tend to multi-tast like I do on the computer. It doesn't work. It leaves the other person feeling as though you aren't paying attention.

Guess what...

I'M NOT!

yikes!

Between the Page

2010-12-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder where to place your priorities? I don't mean God, husband and family. I'm talking other things. I've been posting on this blog and going through this wonderful journey for quite a while now.

I'm sure some of you who've been here since the beginning have noticed the changes as I've posted less and reviewed books more. I'm always afraid that the people who want to read the posts might be sick of the book reviews and vice versa.

To combat this nagging feeling... I've opened a new blog specificially for my book reviews! If you are interested in following my book reviews, please visit http://www.betweenthepage.com/ and add me there! I'll be excited now to keep things separated :-)

Blessings!
Jules

Radical - Book Review

2010-12-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever questioned your faith? I mean really questioned it? This book is all about questioning the LEVEL of your faith. David Platt shares biblical stories, real life stories and hypothetical situations in a way that will have you doing some deep thinking before you finish the very first chapter.

There is almost too much to say about this book to put into one book review! I feel like I should really do a book report on it.

From secret churches in Asia to the homeless in America, David challenges each of us to truly live biblically. This book will really get your gears turning as the author gently reminds you of the problems that all of Gods children are facing on this planet. The global crisis of lack of information and lack of basic necessities is a real problem that we are all aware of.

Could you leave your suburban home to minister to the poor in an inner city? How about hopping on a jet plane to teach the gospel at the risk of your own life? I mistakenly thought this would be another book on limited “radical living.” Things like volunteering in your community and providing help for your neighbors but boy was I wrong! Of course we need to be doing these things as well but we have to stop turning a blind eye to the suffering that is taking place everywhere!

I literally found myself carrying this book around in my pocketbook and reading it while waiting to pick up my children, waiting in the doctors office and in various places around the house. It’s a page turner with a conscience! You will not look at the world around you the same again.

My son started our evening meal prayer tonight by praying for the entire world because I had read a few paragraphs of the last chapter to him while sitting in the doctors office today.

*This book was provided by the Blogging for Books program for review purposes

Interview with Kandy Siahaya [author of Making Light of Being Heavy]

2010-12-08T06:00:00.004-05:00

Today I would like to welcome Kandy Siahaya [author of Making Light of Being Heavy] to Thouartjules! In case you missed it, read my review before you continue.

Kandy Siahaya was raised in a small town in Maine where she graduated from high school in 1984. She worked her way up from her first job as CSW to Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ended up in Brunswick, Maine. When she decided to leave the fried chicken business at age 22, she packed up her little Chevy Chevette and moved to Florida, where she worked as a waitress and had a great time as a single girl in her 20’s. Reality hit when she was 25 years old and she went back to Maine and received her Associate’s Degree at Beal College and promptly moved back to Florida and started a career in medical transcription. In 1995 at age 29, she moved to Miami, Florida, and continued with transcription starting her own business. In 2002, Kandy left Florida and moved back to Maine with her 5-year-old son and continued medical transcription but had an unexpected decline in work which left her with a lot of time on her hands. This is when she decided to write the book, something she had been thinking about for a few years but never had the time because she was always so busy with her business. It was meant to be a quick and funny read, something to brighten the outlook of many that really do not see the light through their own tunnel vision. It was also intended to be insightful for those that could never possibly relate to this specific subject. Kandy has succeeded in doing just that with Making Light of Being Heavy.

****************************************************************************

Kandy, thank you for taking the time to share more about yourself!Tell us about your book Making Light of Being Heavy.

1. What inspired you to write this book?
Making Light of Being Heavy was inspired by my daily life as a fat chick. Specifically, one summer day a friend and I were in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, with our kids just walking along the sidewalk when this real cute guy driving a pedicab (a ride that is driven by a person on a bike) pulls along side us waiting for a light. I looked over at him and asked him what the weight limit was on that ride. Now both my friend and I topped out at over 300 pounds each so you can imagine what this 160 pound guy must be thinking! He looked at us as though he was trying to come up with a "safe" figure and said "500 pounds." I jokingly laughed with my friend and said that we wouldn't be getting a ride on that anytime soon! As we were walking away, my friend joked and said how cool it would be to write a book about the funny side of being fat...Making Light of Being Heavy.

2. Is there any significance to your cover art?
My goal with the cover was to show that the book was going to be lighthearted and off the cuff; hence the hippo with the tutu on the light end of the scale and the feather on the heavy end.

3. What advice would you give to the aspiring writers out there?
Stick with it even though you will get many, many rejections. Perseverance is the key.

4. Are you still running your medical transcription business and selling real estate?
I put my real estate license inactive for right now but transcription is my full-time business.

5. Of course I have to ask... How is your weight now? Have you reached your goal?
I have lost over 50 pounds this year and I am going for another 50, doing it 10 pounds at a time :)

6. What is next for you? Do you have another book planned? What are you currently working on? With any extra time I am focusing mostly on promoting this book to really get it out there because I honestly believe it could benefit a lot of people.

7. What one piece of advice would you give a fellow fat person who is thinking of picking up your book?
Don't let all the negativity surrounding your weight get to you - read Making Light of Being Heavy and it may help to redirect your way of thinking by giving you a new perspective...and a good laugh :)

8. What one piece of advice would you give a skinny person who is thinking of picking up your book?
This book is not just for fat chicks, it can also be very insightful for all you skinny chicks and it may just help to clarify a few misconceptions about us fat chicks, plus it is a downright funny read!

9. Where can readers find your book?
http://www.makinglightofbeingheavy.com/

10. Random fact about you that nobody would guess...
I love to enter cooking contests.

11. Final words?
Thank you for the interview and taking the time to review Making Light of Being Heavy. It is good to hear you enjoyed and appreciated my perspective.

Adoration

2010-12-07T09:43:00.000-05:00

I wrapped my scarf over my ears to block the biting wind as I headed out in the dark on my now weekly journey downtown.

The roads were empty as though it were midnight

The parking lot was virtually empty and the usually vibrant and crowded sidewalks of our parish were deserted

I knocked lightly on the door of the chapel unsure what else to do with the locked door

I suppose it makes sense to lock the door so late at night

I was greeted by three smiling faces

One was joining me

Two were leaving

I found a kneeler and began to pray

The Our Father seemed like a good place to start

Over and over I repeated this prayer in my head

All of my planning and note taking slipped away and I was unsure

I followed with a plea

Show me what to do Lord, I'm new, I'm a baby, I am unsure

I knelt with folded hands for a long time

My black book of prayers sat close beside me like a best friend

I flipped through the book pausing when something caught my eye

I wanted to look at the clock but shamed myself for wanting to do so

I practiced self restraint and averted my eyes

To see only a few minutes gone would be so discouraging

I knelt again speaking from my heart

I spilled out every thing that I was doing wrong

Another plea for help! Show me your way Lord, show me what you will have me do. Not just today but all days. Help me hear you, help me see your way clearly.

A knock sounded on the door

It was light but shattered the silence

Again four people exchanged smiles and goodnights

An hour flew by and I am left with a peace and a longing unlike before

Making Light of Being Heavy - Book Review

2010-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Making Light of Being Heavy

By Kandy Siahaya

Making Light of Being Heavy is exactly that. It is a lighthearted look at being “fat!” Kandy grew up in a small town in Maine and according to her recollection has been overweight for most of her life. Through these years she has learned a lot about what that means.

Kandy speaks openly and frankly about her weight and covers topics like insults and the problems overweight people face with basic public situations such as restrooms, seatbelts and even restaurant booths.

You will take a journey from Abs Diet to Weight Watchers as Kandy walks through common diet plans and dissects each of them according to their assets and defects. Of course everyone is different so what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another.

Next comes the fun part! Just who’s fault is it anyway? Is it heredity that causes some people to be overweight? Is it society? Honestly, as someone who has been overweight most of my adult life.. I’ve often wondered the same thing! Who is to blame!? I know I am to blame but something has shifted that has brought our society to a majority of overweight people compared to other countries.

Then Kandy discusses the dreaded “You have such a pretty face!” compliment! Well meaning friends/family/strangers are often at a loss as to what to say. They know that you are more than your weight but for some reason they feel the need to verbalize it. Kandy talks about some common misconceptions towards overweight people in Chapter 4 that are a must read for anyone!

I found this book very refreshing in a society that is so focused on weight loss. Of course I know that many of us do need to lose weight but sometimes it’s nice to just be comfortable in your own skin for a while. Beating yourself up doesn’t help you lose weight! You cannot be kind to yourself if you are constantly beating yourself up for who you currently are. At some point you have to at least partially accept yourself before you can truly muster the strength to commit.

I’m happy to have had the chance to review Kandy’s book and am looking forward to her interview tomorrow!! Check back and see what she has to say!

Visit Kandy's blog

Buy the Book!

*material provided by the author for review purposes

Where to buy an apron!

2010-12-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

I know I've seen numerous blogs review beautiful aprons and now I actually need to buy one as a gift. Can you ladies refresh my memory and tell me where to go! :-)

Virtus and Radical

2010-12-05T23:38:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning I attended Virtus training for our parish. Those of you who aren't familiar, Virtus is a class that the Catholic Church mandates for anyone who might even possibly work with youth. It is a training that teaches you a bit about what child predators are capable of and some of the early signs that you can watch out for.

It was two of the most distrubing videos I've ever watched as we listened to two convicted offenders describe their methods for developing relationships with these children. It was sickening! However, I learned alot of things that I did not know. I thought I had figured out a profile for them and it turns out my theory was flawed!

Now we wait for our background checks to come back and I'll be able to help with youth ministries at the church. I love working with children so I am looking forward to this!

I've also been reading (very little) of the book Radical by David Platt. What an amazing book so far!! It's all about Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. Definitely not light reading!

I'm off to the play again and then looking forward to Monday for a break :-)

I start my first Adoration hour tomorrow night as well!

Think Positive!

2010-12-05T23:32:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share with you a peek at Willy Wonka Jr. My son is Charlie!
I've spent the last three days doing makeup and putting one long haired Oompa Loompa's hair into pin curls so she could wear a wig. I've gotten my time down from 45 mins the first night to 20 mins just in time for the last day! I'm a Pin Curl Master!

I've been running a taxi service since our Jeep is temporarily out of service. I've been driving hubby to work, picking up people for the play and running them home and then picking up hubby.

We had our first snow last night and I didn't even get a picture! Egads!

Is it really Friday!?

2010-12-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

I am actually surprised that it's Friday! This week has flown by. I'm not sure if it's the after Thanksgiving rush or the fact that I painted for 3 out of the 4 days this week... Perhaps most notably however is that ...

Tonight is Opening Night for Willy Wonka at my sons school!!!

Why is this notable? My son has the lead in the play :-) He is Charlie!

It seems that we have been practicing for months (actually I believe we have...) Now, all of the sudden, it's almost over! Three shows and come Monday it will be over. Sad but true.

The whole family is attending Opening Night with camcorder and new digital camera so pictures are sure to follow.

I am so proud of him!

Week in review

2010-12-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

We have a few traditions for the entire holiday season. Each year I realize that we have more traditions than I thought we had! One such tradition is the annual Christmas Parade that is held downtown. We are blessed to have a bizillion churches in our town so our parade always has a Christian theme. This year was a stretch though because the theme was Rock 'n Roll Christmas lol

OK, this is by far one of the worst pictures I think we've ever taken! We are just learning how to use this new camera and some photos turn out fabulous and others leave alot to be desired! This is the gang minus hubby since he was operating the camera. You can see here that David did not want to participate in the parade this year and has obviously been forced to attend :-) He did end up having fun and scored tons of candy!

We finished up his in-home counseling this week. Yesterday evening was our last session and it was bittersweet. I'm so happy that we wont have to schedule life around 3 counseling sessions each week but I will really miss the ladies we were working with! We had pizza and took pictures and got lots of hugs!

I'm off to paint for a fellow today and get some more Christmas cash coming in :-)

The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook - Book Review

2010-12-02T00:17:00.002-05:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Robin Currie

and the book:

Baby Bible Christmas Storybook

David C. Cook; Brdbk edition (October 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Karen Davis, Assistant Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rev. Dr. Robin Currie is the Early Childhood Librarian/Preschool Liaison for the Glen Ellyn Public Library and serves on the staff of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She is also the retired pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn. Before and during seminary she was a children’s librarian for public libraries in Illinois and Iowa. She holds master’s degrees in Library Science from the University of Iowa and in Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, as well as a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from LSTC. Her published books include seven resource collections for librarians and over a dozen children’s Bible story collections.

Visit the author's blog.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Board book: 36 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; Brdbk edition (October 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0781403685
ISBN-13: 978-0781403689

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER (Click on pictures to see them larger):

My Thoughts:

I love childrens books! My "baby" is 13 so I don't get the chance to read/look at them very often anymore but with two of my cousins recently having babies, I've got a great excuse again! Not only will this book make a GREAT gift for Christmas, it's FUN!

The illustrations are darling and easy to see, the words are clear enough that you could easily read this book upside down while showing children the pages.

I can see this book being packed away with Christmas ornaments each year and being passed on through generations. It is sweet, interactive and educational all in one!

*This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes

Emily of Deep Valley - Book Review

2010-11-29T12:38:00.001-05:00

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingEmily of Deep ValleyHarper Perennial Modern Classics; Reprint edition (October 12, 2010)byMitali Perkins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from Mitali: Who In The World Is Mitali Perkins?

That's a good question. I've been trying to figure it out myself, spending most of my life crossing borders.
I was born Mitali Bose in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, and always tried to live up to my name—which means “friendly” in the Bangla language. I had to! Because my family moved so much, it was the only way I could make new friends.
By the time I was 11, I'd lived in Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York and Mexico before settling in California just in time for middle school. Yep, I was the new kid again, in seventh grade, the year everybody barely makes it through.
My biggest lifeline during those early years was story. Books were my rock, my stability, my safe place as I navigated the border between California suburbia and the Bengali culture of my traditional home.
After studying political science at Stanford and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, I taught in middle school, high school and college. When I began to write fiction, my protagonists were often—not surprisingly—strong female characters trying to bridge different cultures.
Mitali Perkins is the author of several books for young people, including SECRET KEEPER (Random House), MONSOON SUMMER (Random House), RICKSHAW GIRL (Charlesbridge), and the FIRST DAUGHTER books (Dutton).
ABOUT THE BOOK

Often cited as Maud Hart Lovelace’s (of Betsy-Tacy fame) best novel, Emily of Deep Valley is now back in print, with a new foreword by acclaimed young adult author Mitali Perkins and new archival material about the characters’ real lives.
Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...
In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years.
If you would like to browse inside Emily of Deep Valley, go HERE.

My Thoughts:

I was so excited about this book when I saw the chance to review it. I've been drawn to classics such as this one recently. Emily is a gal that I relate to completely! However, she handles her situation with much more class and grace than I ever could've! I loved following Emily's adventures and watching her mature throughout this book. I kept coming back for more and will likely read it again.

This book will inspire you to go back to some of the older ways when life was simpler and people were no doubt happier!

Hey Jude!

2010-11-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

This picture is brought to you by our brand new Nikon digital camera that hubby picked up Black Friday shopping! I've wanted a new digital camera for a looong time! I love it but am just learning how to really use it.

We also picked up several presents for the kiddo's, MIL, SIL, BIL and more :-)

Brandon has been sick since Tuesday. I think he had the flu. The flu symptoms are gone now but after a 4 hour wait in the ER last night, he also tested positive for strep throat.

Now my head hurts and I feel flush.... Hopefully I'm just paranoid!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving

A WOMAN and HER Workplace - Book Review

2010-11-23T20:01:00.001-05:00

A WOMAN and HER Workplace

Author: Rosemary Flaaten

Publisher: Beacon Hill Press

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when this book came across my desk. I have often spoke of and wondered about Women and how they relate in a business setting. It seems that when you have women in the workplace, things get complicated. I can say this without ducking flying objects because I am a woman! I’ve seen drama and backstabbing disrupt so many great work environments and it doesn’t seem to differentiate between rank, pay grade or job description.

Rosemary tackles this very difficult to even talk about subject with grace and knowledge. Not only does she take you through the dynamics of the workplace but also your relationship with co-workers, management and even touches on the opposite sex. These are all important topics that greatly affect our workday and our lives!

You will read about building bridges with others and the baggage that everyone carries into any relationship. You will have to take stock in yourself as you read through a chapter on pride and humility. Deception is a tough topic as it is so easy to “talk your way” out of something that ends up affecting more than just your own job security. Rosemary delicately speaks about anger. While anger is a normal and healthy emotion, it is important to learn how to temper your anger and use Gods gift of forgiveness in your daily relationships.

I think my favorite was Chapter 6 where Rosemary talks about envy. Envy is such a tough emotion for women to deal with. It can creep in and ruin the best of relationships but even worse is the damage it does to you. Of course there are other chapters that touch on teamwork, learning to appreciate others strengths and of course topics on integrity, gossip and sharing your faith.

This is a must read for men and women alike! Whether you are in a position of leadership or in an entry level position, this book will give you a glimpse into not only how women think and relate but what you can do to promote a healthy and productive work environment.

*Reading material provided by Kathy Carlton Willis Communications for review purposes

Pretty as a picture

2010-11-22T20:01:00.000-05:00

I look at the fall colors all around. Thanksgiving is mere hours away now and yet Advent is about to begin. It sneaks up on us!

Psalms 34: 1-8

1. Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who forced him to depart.
2. I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
3. My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
4. Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
5. I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
6. Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame.
7. In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
8. The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them, delivers all who fear God.

I am praying to see his mercy

Reception - Annointed - Confirmation

2010-11-21T19:41:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Chelmsfordblue

The seats were packed
it was standing room only
my family arrived dressed in shirts and ties

My sponsor stuck close by my side
the Priest looked stunning
he looked peaceful and graceful

The incense created a scentual fog
I do not know where the anxiety went
I do not know where the nerves went

Everything progressed as usual until
we were called to the front
standing room only

The Priest's hands were soft
and they were cold
and they were not his own

The chrism smelled beautiful
it slid across my forehead
my hands folded at my waist

He spoke words that I do not remember
yet they are burned into my heart
and set as a beacon upon my head

This is our church

It's hard to say anything about today. Everything came and went so quickly. I arrived at the church at 7:45am and it was freezing outside! We filed into the church at 8:28 (a bit late!) My entire family was present and dressed well :-) Even my 16 year old daughter who never comes!

I am blessed!

It's my birthday, my confirmation name is my middle name which was not done on purpose. I briefly considered Mary (which was also my Grandmother's name.)

I am blessed!

My anxiety and nerves melted away. They vanished. I was ready.

I am blessed!

The whole service was surreal. It ran a half hour over and still felt like it ended too soon. I coughed at the incense.

I am blessed!

Holy Communion was amazing. I feel as though I have been at His table all along. I expected something earth shattering but left with the feeling that I had been there all along. I had felt so alone for so many months only to learn that I had been present but was not paying attention!

I am blessed!

Today was also my birthday. My father dropped by with a monetary gift :-) My children fixed me shrimp scampi for dinner and surprised me with a chocolate covered cake with cherries! Luckily there was a votive candle lit on top so I had a moment to consider my wish this year.

I am blessed!

Falling short of the glory of God

2010-11-20T12:58:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Nagaon

As I prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation today (AKA confession) I find myself feeling horrible about myself. I have not been the woman God has put me here to be. I have failed miserably with my faith life, with my family and much more.

As I examine my conscience I find all sorts of faults and times I have come short of the glory of God! We are such miserable humans aren't we!

I am making my list and I am checking it twice. I've prayed for guidance. I want to remember each slight, each thought and all inaction to confess.

I want to leave the confessional today with a clear conscience. I want to leave there feeling cleansed. I want to enter into His church tomorrow with purity and grace.

I know I fail miserably but I also know that He Loves me! He knows my weaknesses. He knows how to bring about joyful change in my mind and heart! He will lead me to redemption and fill me with His love and grace.

Reconciliation is a beautiful thing. It's hard but it is beautiful.

I wait in joyful hope..

photo credit: Daquella Manera

med update

2010-11-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

This post is sincerely more for me than for you so don't worry, I wont be offended if you don't keep reading :-)

I started taking Prestiq to try to come off of Zoloft (for panic and anxiety) and wellbutrin (for depression) which obviously even after one year weren't really doing the trick.

To say I was nervous is an understatement. I have spent the last week or so researching and thinking and well... thinking some more. I'm paranoid about medication and I am an overanalyzer so I set off on this journey not knowing what to expect. I was hopeful and yet very nervous.

I had a very bad experience with an antidepressant years ago and had stayed clear of them until last year when it became abundantly clear that I needed some sort of help with those whatchamajiggers in my brain that were causing so much havoc!

I'm on day 4 of the Prestiq and although one or two days I have had the jitters, upset stomach etc. Today has been better. I'm sleepy but not shaky. Coming off the zoloft could present it's own problems so it's hard to tell but all in all, I think it's going very well.

I have a positive attitude about it but as always am watching for any "weirdness."

I will continue to track my progress because sometimes my memory fades and I can refer back to my written words.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming :-)

Birthday Grace

2010-11-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

photo credit: DING52

I feel as if my life is about to change. This could be presumptious of me. It could be a lofty or flighty dream. I could be putting too much emphasis on it. But.. I don't think so.

Sunday, November 21st I will be received into the Catholic Church.

This has been a long journey for me. It started 6 years ago (give or take) at first with a seemingly passing comment made by my daughters friends mother (don't get lost here!) Then with the passing of Pope John Paul II.

Being the analytical person that I am, I began to pick up various books on the Catholic faith. I bought Idiots Guides and Catholicism for Dummies to start. I visited websites, read blogs and watched EWTN. I was curious and learning what I could decipher.

It probably took a year for me to attend my first Mass. I had to understand the concept of each part of the Mass and what to expect before I could get myself to attend. I guess I didn't want to stand out like a sore thumb!

Fast forward 4 or 5 years to my 3rd time in RCIA classes and I was ready. I was ready to commit. I was ready to accept and understand. I was ready to take the big leap!

I wanted to become a true member of the Catholic Church!

photo credit: The Wandering Angel

Here comes the descent... I was guided to the annulment process because I was married and divorced by the time I was 21. I am happily married now but it was not my first marriage. So, the annulment journey began.

At Easter the process was still dragging along, my ex-husband was not cooperating and Easter was here.

My son and all of the members of my RCIA class were being received into the church. I was crushed. I did not even want to attend! I felt silly and ridiculous. I was so proud of my son but watching my class members take their first Holy Communion was very hard for me.

I descended even further. I began to question God. I couldn't understand why this was happening "to me!" Why should it be held against me that I did something before I came to the church. Why couldn't I just be forgiven and move on? Why could some people who didn't even seem to "get it" be able to join while I watched? Did they even realize how BIG this was?

Yes.. it got ugly.

I lost faith.

I acted like a spoiled child.

I started looking for other churches because I was so afraid that it was never going to happen. Eventually I stopped going to church at all.

I watched myself slip further and further into depression.

I slipped into sin over and over again.

I became apathetic

and then one day a letter arrived in the mail from the Tribunal.

photo credit: PinkMoose

It was a simple envelope and it was stamped with big red letters CONFIDENTIAL

I carried it around with me for part of the day.

I was afraid to open it.

It could be a NO

Then what? I would feel shunned. I would feel unworthy. I would feel like there were things that couldn't be forgiven.

It could be a YES

Then what? I haven't been going to Mass. I haven't been staying in touch with my sponsor. I haven't been making sure my son was at Mass or CCD classes. I haven't had faith. I had been faithless! I had been angry. I had been a spoiled brat throwing a fit!

It was a YES! After some long conversations with my sponsor and dealing with the guilt I felt over my behavior.

I will be going to confession tomorrow and I will be received into the church on Sunday!

I cannot tell you how elated I am. I had knelt in the pews so many times in tears because I wanted to be a part of this community. I wanted to receive Christ and I couldn't.

I realize there are other ways to commune with the Lord and I continue to do so. I am in no way saying that I dealt with this in the right way. I am not saying I had the right thinking. But, this is my story and the next chapter is about to begin!!!

Promise Me - Book Review

2010-11-18T07:42:00.000-05:00

I've reviewed Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans over at Radiant Lit this week. I have to tell you that this book had a profound effect on me. It really made me think about what I would've done in this situation.

I cannot say enough about this book. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the majority of my time within its pages. I love an author who can keep me on my toes and insure that I’m not guessing what is next with any accuracy whatsoever! The journey that Beth embarks on in this book will pull you into to her world. You will find yourself holding your breath with each chapters ending. Don’t even get me started on the ending of this one! I was up until 3am reading Promise Me only to sit it down right before the end because I did not want the story to be over. I didn’t know what was next and I tucked it away to savor the next day. Richard Evans manages to illustrate these characters with such intensity that you will find yourself on the verge of tears before the last page – GUARANTEED!

Read the rest here!

http://www.radiantlit.com/

Anxiety and I just don't get along!

2010-11-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: BlatantNews

Panic at the VA Hospital should be the post title today!

Hubby asked me to ride with him for his hearing test at the VA medical center. He has applied for a disability rating with the VA for his hearing loss in the Navy.

I started a new medication this morning hoping to get my panic/anxiety/depression under control in a way that will allow me to function more in daily life.

By the time we reached the hospital I had worked myself up so badly thinking about this new medication that I was like a caged animal in the waiting room. Now... I didn't act like one but I felt like one!

I immediately felt relief when we started home.

I took a nice nap, dealt with some sweats and now seem to be settling in tonight just fine.

I am aware of my tendency to get paranoid about new medications. I have talked with family members so we can all be aware for the next 2 weeks or so. But, at the same time, I get so angry at myself! I know that I am causing this (or my way of thinking is) and yet I cannot control it or stop it once it starts. It makes me angry that I do not have control over something so basic.

I said a little prayer over and over today in the car. I told the Lord that I would be holding on to his hand and to please let me know if I need to be worried about anything. Unless I hear from him, I'll be tugging along and keeping the faith!

The Silent Order - Book Review

2010-11-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Silent OrderSummerside Press (November 1, 2010)byMelanie Dobson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good.

Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn't writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural America - 1928. After the murder of his partner, Detective Rollin Wells hides away in an Amish home near Sugarcreek, Ohio, to find out who in the police force is

collaborating with Cleveland’s notorious mob. While Rollin searches for answers to his partner’s death, he befriends an elusive young Amish woman named Katie and her young son. As Rollin learns about Katie’s past, he’s shocked at the secret Katie is hiding - a secret that has haunted Rollin for eight years.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Silent Order, go HERE.

My Thoughts:

The Silent Order
by Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Summerside

Two completely different worlds collide in this page turning novel.

Melanie weaves together just enough information to keep you coming back for more and more. She transforms your reality with her words and manages the (almost) impossible by keeping you guessing and delivering delightful surprises at every turn.

This novel surprised me. It was not at all what I expected but ended up surpassing my wildest expectations! Melanie blends a mafia story and an Amish novel seamlessly and miraculously it all makes sense!

Each character in this story will materialize before your eyes. Melanie crafts them to a tee. You will cheer for some of them and find yourself afraid for them. You can picture Katie in her prayer kapp, Henry's sweet face and imagine Celeste's perfume. Best of all, you will close this book with a profound sense of peace as you know in your heart that anyone can be redeemed!

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review purposes

Love

2010-11-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

Just for the record tonight...

I love my husband!!!

Not for any particular reason but yet for every reason :-)

He just returned home from a business trip to Vegas (where he called me often enough that I felt secure!)

I've been unable to get online like I usually do because my laptop finally died on me so he bought me a new one for our anniversary even though it's not here yet!

Because he rubs my back

He puts up with my snarky comments

He runs to the store to get me soda and chocolate (for hormones) at 10:45pm

He compliments my cooking

He watches the same movies over and over again (like A Few Good Men for the second time in the last week)

But, he's all mine and I am so thankful for him!

I would post a picture but I don't have any loaded on this NEW laptop yet! :-D

Nightingale - Book Review and Contest!

2010-11-16T07:39:00.003-05:00

About Nightingale: Esther Lange doesn’t love her fiancé—she’s trapped in an engagement after a mistaken night of passion.

Still, she grieves him when he’s lost in battle, the letters sent to her by the medic at his side giving her a strange comfort, so much that she strikes up a correspondence with Peter Hess, an Iowa farmboy. Or is he? Peter Hess is not who he seems. Indeed, he’s hiding a secret, something that could cost them both their lives, especially when the past comes back to life. A bittersweet love song of the home front war between duty and the heart...a battle where only one will survive.

Don’t miss book 1 in this stand-alone collection, Sons of Thunder.

About Susan May Warren : Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota , where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com./

Click here to buy the book!

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My Thoughts: Esther Lange is trapped. She is trapped by circumstance, trapped by her mistakes, trapped by people who should love her but do not.

Peter Hess is also trapped. He was trapped in his own country, trapped into war and trapped in the most basic sense of the word.

Linus was also trapped by one night of passion, trapped by family expectations and trapped by injuries that heal on their own time table.

All of the three main characters fight their battles valiantly and after finally trusting the Lord, do they find solace even in difficult situations.

Susan artfully weaves a story that is so vivid, you can smell a hospitol ward, smell the soot and see the sun gleaming off of an Iowa field.

Susan crafts a story that buries itself into your heart and heals wounds you might not even know were there. She delivers a true message in a way like no other author I've read lately.

Nightingale is a page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat, will make your heart ache and yet soar in it's pages.

Perserverance, faithfullness, submission and love are at the root of this fascinating tale!

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review purposes***************************************************

Contest info: The Letters From Home Giveaway!

Enter the Contest: Nightingale is about letters, the power of written correspondence to convey thoughts and emotions to those far away. And sometimes near. Letters are forever, they are something we savor and pull out to read again and again. They are often cherished and kept in a special place.

To celebrate the release of Nightingale, Susan would like you to write a letter. One grand prize winner will receive a Flip HD Camcorder. 5 runner's up winners will win a signed copy of Nightingale. There are two ways to enter the contest by writing letters.

1. Write a letter to a soldier. At the end of the contest we’ll print out and mail your letter for you.

2. Write a letter to a friend, loved one, family member, enemy. Tell them something you wished you’d told them before. Tell them you love them, or maybe how they touched your life. Perhaps an apology is in order or a thank you. Or perhaps you'd like to relate a funny tale or just share life. Whatever it is, submit it here along with your email address and we’ll send it for you.

Enter here or at the SHARE page on the Brothers in Arms website. Or simply click on the button to the right.

Blog tour schedule:

First Things First - Book Review

2010-11-15T23:34:00.000-05:00

First Things First
by Kurt and Brenda Warner
Tyndale House Publishers

I am not a football fan but I am a Mother of 4. When I picked up First Things First, I was not sure what to expect. I did not already know Kurt and Brenda's story. I did not know who Kurt was or even who the Cardinals were!

Before I knew it, I was hooked on the Warners story. I couldn't imagine what I could possibly have in common with an NFL players family. These two really surprised me!

First, Kurts complete transparency in his writing touched me. His love for his wife and children warmed my heart. He shares everything with his readers. He shares the good, the bad, the embarassing and the pride that we all experience but may never speak about.

Brenda also openly shares about everything from her time on public assistance to jealousy and her intimate feelings for everyone in her life.

The Warners grab you and place you right up front and center in their family with all of the chaos, noise, arguements and prayers. They offer refreshing advice that the world needs today. Too many families are living their lives as strangers without faith or hope.

I went from feeling unsure while looking at this cover and thinking "football" to grabbing a notebook to record the Warner family "rules" and various quotes that spoke to me.

This is such an inspiring story that leaves you wanting to be more - to do your best and to step out of your comfort zone to be a better spouse, parent, friend and more!

I've never said this before but I don't think I can do this book justice in a blog review. You just really need to get your hands on it and read it for yourself!

*A copy of this book was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers for review purposes

A chicken and a baby?

2010-11-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

photo by Dave-F

Far to often lately I find myself feeling like the picture above. I feel stressed. I feel frazzled. I feel like I'm being pulled in a million directions.

I want to feel like the next picture

photo by: through my eyes

I want to feel calm. Calm and loved and cared for and secure are my dreams. Most days I do feel like this or at least parts of my days.

I crave quiet.

We have had a complicated week. I finished the first part of my painting job (I don't even know if I posted about that!) Hubby had a friend who came into his work that needed some interior painting done. It took me 15 hours to do his two toned dining room, trim and ceiling but in his words... the dining room looked awesome! I'm happy and hopefully this will lead to more side jobs for me.

I love to paint. I can let my perfectionist run free when I paint! I don't have to deal with alot of people or deadlines or difficult situations. Painting is like meditation.

We have had some very intense in-home counseling sessions with our new son. We only have 3 weeks left with the counselors before we will have complied with the court order. I think they are turning up the heat because we are running out of time. It's been difficult. It's been hard. It's been emotional. But, we are learning so much about each other! We have some conferences scheduled with the school soon just to make sure we are on the right track.

But

Today I am simply exhausted. I want to just curl up in my bed and sleep. I don't want to do the dishes. I don't want to cook dinner. I don't want to do laundry. I don't want to help with homework.

But! I will and I will pray for the ability to just Quit Whining!

Lift Up My Soul - Book Review

2010-11-11T07:35:00.000-05:00

Lift Up My Soul

Devotions To Start Your Day With God

by Charles F. Stanley

Wake up to a new day!

Lift Up My Soul is a daily devotional written by Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley is the pastor of Frist Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Stanley presents a daily scripture reading as a way to get you into Gods Word. It is a wonderful way to work through some parts of the Bible that you may not have spent much time in. I would say it would be a wonderful idea to meditate on the scripture of the day and apply it's guidance to the rest of the day. It is often amazing to see how you can apply verse to real life situations.

Next, Dr. Stanley presents a few paragraphs that range from real life stories that relate to the message for that day, a story that is inspirational or even insructional. This particular day he speaks of our needs and how important it is to take our needs to God alone and wait for his action. He is stressing the importance of not pushing OUR will on any given situation. It is a good reminder to take all things (big or small) to the Lord.

Lastly, Dr. Stanley presents a prayer for you. These prayers vary from prayers of thanksgiving to requests for knowledge. This devotional truly covers a multitude of situations, topics and instructional material. It is a must for any bedside table and presents a way to build a daily routine for spending time with our Savior and in His Word that is interactive and interesting. It is easy for many Christians to get lost in the Bible and to feel overwhelmed. This book is a wonderful way to break down parts of the Good Word into bite sized pieces that are easily related to.

*This book was provided by Thomas Nelson for review purposes

My Journey to the Land of MORE - Book Review

2010-11-10T23:21:00.000-05:00

My Journey to the Land of More
Evangelical to Catholic
by Leona Choy

My Journey to the Land of MORE is literally the journey of one woman into the Catholic faith. Entering the Catholic Church from any background is difficult especially in the beginning. There are so many questions, misconceptions and of course there is the personal opinions of friends and loved ones to contend with. Leona gracefully invites us into her personal journey with honest and frank discussions of each step she took.

As a new convert (I will be received into the Catholic Church in just a little over a week!) I found this book to be perfectly timed for me. Leona delves deeply into the common misconceptions held about the Catholic faith. She covers everything from "worshipping saints" to confession. The reader is placed in a unique position because Leona describes her thoughts and feelings as she approaches each subject, then she takes you on the journey with her to understand and finally arrive at a final conclusion.

Leona was not a new Christian. Her circumstances and her leadership role in the Evangelical community presented a unique set of road blocks for her. Not only is this book a wonderful story of growth and faith, it is also a wonderful resource and treasure trove of Catholic information. Best of all, it is so easy to understand!

*A copy of this book was provided to me by The Catholic Company for review purposes.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on My Journey to the Land of More and be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts while you are there.

Yeah, it's not all roses! Marriage that is...

2010-11-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

So, I read alot of posts online about marriage. Most of them are very sunny and uplifting. I've written these posts too so I'm not downing them. But, I thought this morning that perhaps we are really overlooking the tough days. Sure, we want to focus on the positive, we want to remember the good. But, what do we do on those bad days?

We cannot pretend that they don't happen. We cannot brush them aside or hide them in a closet. We have to deal with them. There aren't very many posts out there about the nuts and bolts of the bad days of marriage.

We all know that persistance is key in marriage. Not the only key but a pretty important one!

I'm having a bad day. I'm not forgetting the good days. I am trying to remember all the things I have to be grateful for. I am trying to keep focused on how wonderful my husband is. However, that doesn't make the issues go away. We have to deal with them.

I am very angry at my husband today. I am hurt and maybe a little confused. I'm having one of those days where I feel that he doesn't hear me, I feel insignificant and small.

These are not good feelings. They aren't just going to go away and I cannot just sweep them under the bed.

While I do not want to go into details here in cyberspace.. let me share with you what I think about the bad days.

1. Bad days happen, life simply cannot be filled with good days. There is good in every day but bad days happen.

2. Having a bad day does not mean your marriage is ruined! It will be ok.

3. It is OK to feel the feelings. Cry, kick your feet, do what you need to do to work through your emotions.

4. I get my feelings out before I confront the situation usually. Now today, I got alot of my feelings out right away without thinking about it at all! But, I can think before I react this evening for sure.

5. Don't forget why you are here. Remember what your marriage is all about. Remember the big picture.

6. Finally (hopefully today) we will sit down to discuss the issues and resolve them. I will apologize for any mistakes I have made and I will be graceful and forgiving. I will not however pretend that everything is OK before it really is.

7. I will continue to be the best wife I can be and seek the Lords guidance in all things!

That is all :-)

Trains and Chains - Guest post on depression, anxiety and panic

2010-11-04T18:53:00.000-04:00

I am so honored to be Guest posting over at Big Momma's Blog today. We are talking each week about depression and our stories. This one is very close to my heart! Check it out would ya!?

The Preachers Bride - Book Review

2010-11-01T06:39:00.000-04:00

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Preacher's BrideBethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)byJody Hedlund

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody has written novels for the last 16 years (with a hiatus when her children were young. In May of 2009 she double-finaled in the Genesis contest, a national fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.Shortly after the final, Jody acquired an agent, Rachelle Gardner of Word Serve Literary. Her agent spent the summer of 2009 working on selling her books. In September of that year, Jody signed a three-book deal with Bethany House Publishers. Jody’s debut novel, The Preacher’s Bride, releases in Oct. 2010. Her next book will release in 2011 and a third in 2012.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1650s England, a young Puritan maiden is on a mission to save the baby of her newly widowed preacher--whether her assistance is wanted or not. Always ready to help those in need, Elizabeth ignores John's protests of her aid. She's even willing to risk her lone marriage prospect to help the little family. Yet Elizabeth's new role as nanny takes a dangerous turn when John's boldness from the pulpit makes him a target of political and religious leaders. As the preacher's enemies become desperate to silence him, they draw Elizabeth into a deadly web of deception. Finding herself in more danger than she ever bargained for, she's more determined than ever to save the child--and man--she's come to love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Preacher's Bride, go HERE.

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Question for the Author:

Elizabeth was so easy to relate to. Her struggles were so believable even though some of them were struggles that modern women don't have.
How did you write them with such conviction? How did you make them so believable?

Answer:

Thank you so much for your kind words about my book! I'm glad you liked it!

Wow! And great questions! :-) I think there are a number of reason Elizabeth may have come across as relatable. One, I have a degree in Social Work and really have a heart for the under-privileged. Second, part of my college education for social work was studying the treatment of the poor in past generations. So during the research of this book, I was able to branch off the foundation of what I already knew and dig deeper. And third, I think part of the relatability has do with how an author is able to develop characters, and I do spend quite a bit of time "getting to know my characters" before I begin the writing process.
Hope that answers your questions, Julia. If not I'll try some more! :-)
Blessings,
Jody Hedlund

My Review:

This is my first review of a book in this time period. I was completely captivated by Elizabeth, John, Mary and many other personalities in this one. I think my favorite book often changes as I read new ones which now takes this book to the top of my list.

Elizabeth is a character worthy of imitating! Her unique desire to serve where God has planned for her is unbelievable. Should we all be as open to His calling, the world would be a much better place! Elizabeth follows her calling through danger, emotional rollercoasters and numerous situations that place her at the "short end of the stick" if you will.

John is a hard headed man but a Godly man who also follows the Lords calling ultimately almost to his demise. He has tough choices to make, they aren't always pleasant but they are real. It is easy to read this book and fall in love with the people within. You will find yourself crying for Elizabeth, angry at John at times and always wanting to give Mary a hug or pat Thomas on his back. You will no doubt fall in love with this family!

At the end of this book I learned a bit of history that I wasn't aware of that made the book all the more special to me. This one is a must read and a book that you will not want to finish! I found myself yet again wanting to savor and delay the ending. This to me is the mark of a first class book!

I cannot wait to read Jody's next creation!

When you want to give up...

2010-10-30T00:19:00.002-04:00

"I give up!"

2 Chronicles 15:7 But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded."

How many times are we tempted to give up? For me it doesn't happen often but when it does, it really sneaks up and knocks me for a loop! I believe when we get close to something God has really laid out for us, doubt sneaks in just like a snake slithers.

I am finally beginning to realize that when I am tackled by defeat it means I am most likely right around the corner from something huge and something wonderful! Sometimes there is no fanfare. It may be a subtle breakthrough. It may be a step toward a goal that I wont even realize until later but I can be sure that it is something!

Now, sometimes you do have to know when to fold your hand. However, when it sneaks up on you, beware!

Tell us something that you almost gave up on that ended up turning out to be wonderful!

Photo Credit: Schlusselbein

Thursday 10

2010-10-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

Thursday 10 is hosted by Sheri over at The Shades of Pink - hop on over there and join us!

This week Sheri has talked about 10 things she likes about herself. From what I see, she and I are alot alike!

1. My eyes. I'm not copying but I really do like my eyes. I get compliments often and the look on peoples faces when the sun hits them just right is bizarre. They are hazel and lots of different colors all together. I like to look at all of the designs in my eyes.. I haven't done that in a while.

2. My feet. Yes, I actually like my feet. I often look at them (my ankles too!) Especially since I've put on some weight, my feet and ankles still look pretty :-)

3. My sense of humor. I'm pretty sarcastic and maybe I have a dry sense of humor but I love to make people laugh and sometimes I crack myself up!

4. My eye for details. People often comment that I notice the smallest things that most people wouldn't notice.

5. My cooking! I think I can cook pretty darn good.

6. My resourcefulness. I can pretty much do anything that I set my mind to. Like my bio says, I can truly wire a 3 way switch, find a radiator leak, clean battery terminals, use lots of power tools etc. I'll never forget the look on the Verizon guys face when I told him I ran the new phone jack that morning before he came..

7. My kindness. I am really kind and I really love people.

8. My backbone. I do however stand up for myself when I need to. I don't get kicks from being mean but I will tell you what I think when I need to.

9. My green thumb. I really enjoy working outdoors. I love to plant and mow and all sorts of things outside. I don't like to weed though!

10. My thoughts. Although I do tend to overanalyze, I like my brain. Hopefully as I continue to blog and write, I will find my voice so you guys can really "meet" me!

Join us next week for 10 items I wouldn't get rid of from my home!

More than just a KEY

2010-10-28T10:29:00.003-04:00

She came through the front door yesterday morning and straight into the kitchen where I was washing dishes. The key hung from one finger on her still small hands. Her braided bracelets sat losely on her wrist and her eyes sparkled! I don't remember the last time her smile was that broad. She has worked and crunched numbers and stressed for the last two months as she saved and made phone calls and contacted utility companies.

That key is a huge representation for her. It is her "freedom."

Freedom from being a child
Freedom from home
Freedom to be an adult
Freedom to set her own hours
to chose her own furniture
her own doormat
her own guests
her own TV shows all the time
her own everything!

It is also the beginning of a new life!
making sure the dishes are done
laundry done
trash carried out
bills paid
lights turned off
thermostat turned down
toilet swished
floor swept
door locked
window closed

Those keys represent wings. She is free to fly and with ~~a tear~~ tears ~~in my eyes~~ flowing, I have to say she's more than earned it! She's such a good "girl!" She's smart, beautiful, funny, creative and her heart is so big it encompasses the whole world.

She still calls to tell me where she is
how she is
what she is doing

She still shares her troubles
her sorrows
her triumphs
her dreams
I hope she never stops!

from 10 to 20 in a blink!

Top Photo credit lalawren

If I can finish a "bad" book, I can finish a "good" book!

2010-10-26T17:59:00.000-04:00

5 more days until Nanowrimo begins! I've been excited about this but a little unsure about sharing it :-) Today however I read again the suggestion that you tell everyone you know what you are doing for the month of November.

So ladies and gentlemen of blogland! I am participating in Nanowrimo 2010 where I will write a 50,000 word novel in one month! I will post on here, twitter and facebook about my progress to keep myself on track!

Why Nanowrimo?

Why not! I have written for years and I've started book after book only to never finish. This time I will finish whether it ends up being a good book or not! If I can finish a "bad" book then eventually I can finish a "good" book right!? At least that's how my thought process works.

If you are interested in participating with me just visit nanowrimo.org and sign up today! Heck, we could even be writing buddies!

What I've learned about children this week....

2010-10-26T10:36:00.001-04:00

Well, not really just this week! If you have been following my blog you already know that we have a new son! If not, here is a little background.

Back in June of this year an old friend of my son showed up at our house. We loved this kid! He use to be practically a member of the family for the 3 years he lived a few blocks away. Then his family moved, and moved back and he grew up and started getting in trouble. He stayed away for that first year back and we didn't see him. His family stayed at the mission for over half of that year.

Long story short - we were given custody of him officially on July 26th of this year. It has been an adjustment but really and truly it's been great!

I have learned through this experience how important it is to be authentic with your children! For heavens sake, don't lie to them!

I've noticed that David doesn't believe alot of what I tell him. Sometimes it's little things like what he is suppose to wear to an event and sometimes it's bigger things like when something is missing and he thinks I've taken it. He doesn't trust adults and most importantly he doesn't trust parental figures.

I went to sleep sad last night. He probably went to bed feeling assured. He found what he was looking for and I explained to him that if I tell him a lie it's either 1. I'm joking! Like I will say "no.... I didn't eat that" with a funny look on my face because I'm playing or 2. I'm surprising you! Like if I buy you something and don't want you to know about it yet. I may lie to protect the secret for the time being.

But, never will I lie to you about something serious. If I take something of yours it would be for a reason and I would tell you!

I don't know if he will ever trust me completely and he deserves to trust his parents...

Please be authentic with your children. It may seem like a little white lie here or there doesn't matter but it really can alter their ability to trust in the future.

Guest posts needed!

2010-10-24T14:50:00.002-04:00

Grab the code on the righthand sidebar!

I am starting a new weekly post called Sunday Spiritual Journey. I have been sharing with each of you my journey back to Christ and would love to hear other stories! If you or someone you know has returned to Christ in your lifetime, I would love to hear your story and share it with other readers.

Please see my guest post guidelines here and shoot me an email at julia@thouartjules.com so we can get you set up in an upcoming Sunday blog post. Not only will this help me and my current readers, it will also help others who are out there struggling to find their place in this journey with Christ who may not know where to turn and may think their struggles are strange.

To Be Like Jesus - Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke - Book Review

2010-10-23T22:31:00.001-04:00

To Be Like Jesus - Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke
by Sister Ann Shields S.G.L

To Be Like Jesus is a small book that is designed to be a weekly relection on the Gospel of Luke. This book is a thought provoking yet relaxing reed. Sister Ann Shields takes you on a journey through the Gospel of Luke in 31 chapters filled to the brim with personal stories, Biblical references and sections for further reflection.

Do you love your neighbor?
How rigid is your definition of "neighbor?"
Have you chosen the "good portion?"
Are you reflective in your spiritual life or active?
Are you proud of that?
Are you still searching for a balance?

Sister Ann asks the tough questions...

Am I trying to save myself rather than letting God be my savior?
Do I do good deeds to earn "brownie points" with God?
Do I think that generous acts will make up for my sins?
Do I pray in public places in order to be seen?

Reading the Bible has always been a struggle for me. Imagine trying to make sense of it on top of that! To Be Like Jesus will leave you feeling like you've actually understood something Biblical perhaps even for the first time. This book is great for all of anyone looking for more understanding from your Bible reading.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Materials are provided from The Catholic Company for review purposes. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on To Be Like Jesus. Also be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts.

Exiles: A Novel - Book Review

2010-10-23T16:10:00.002-04:00

About the book

In December 1875 the steamship Deutschland left Bremen, Germany, bound for America. On board were five nuns, exiled by a government ban on religious orders, hoping to begin their lives anew in Missouri. Their journey would end when the Deutschland ran aground at the mouth of the Thames and all five drowned. Ron Hansen tells their harrowing story, but also that of the poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins, and how the shipwreck moved him to write a grand poem, a reveletory work read throughout the world today. Combining a thrilling tragedy at sea with the seeming shipwreck of Hopkins's own life, "Hansen brilliantly, if soberly, weaves two interrelated storylines into a riveting novel" (booklist)

My Review

Exiles: A Novel surprised me! Not only is this book a work of art but can be read and enjoyed by all reading levels. While I did find myself not understanding everything that was referred to, the story itself drew me in and kept me in the raging waters of this tale.

As you learn more and more about each central character you find yourself more invested in their future. Sister Aurea eventually held the biggest place in my heart. Her childlike personality and joyful soul reaches out from the pages. Each of the 5 nuns from the story will capture your attention and create an urgency that will keep you up reading well past bedtime. The fact that you already know the ending will not stop you from wanting to learn each and every piece of information that you can about these Exiles.

Hansen creates a relatable past for each of the central characters that peeks into the details of their lives before and after they chose their vocations. Sister Norberta stands out as a woman we would all do well to learn from. Her strength and loyalty are an excellent example for all.

I enjoyed following Father Hopkins through his journey and related to him as being the only Catholic in his immediate family (though he is much smarter than I!) Hopkins ventures from place to place sharing his unique viewpoint as he goes. I would recommend this book to any follower of Christ as it shows the strength of conviction even when there is no happy ending. The reality of this story goes far beyond the tale of a shipwreck. It follows the realistic struggle that each of us face in everyday life. Struggles with pride and loneliness and a love for the Father that though we can never get "right" will be our savior in the end.

You can purchase this book here.

I wrote this review of Exiles: A Novel for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Oplatki and Advent Calendars. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

The Annulment verdict is in! Now what?

2010-10-21T18:17:00.000-04:00

If you've followed my blog for very long you will already know about my journey to join the Catholic Church. If you haven't I'll give you some background information :-)

For the past oh.. 6 years or so I have been drawn to the Catholic Church. It started as a passing curiosity and grew into a deep love of the Church and her teachings.

I finally decided a little over a year ago to truly take the plunge and officially join the church. I had been attending RCIA classes off and on for those 6 years. I understood what I was getting myself into. I longed for the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and I longed to feel like part of the church I had grown to love.

If you aren't familiar with the ins and outs of the Catholic Church, it can get a little complicated sometimes :-) I was married previously. I married when I was 19 and a single Mom. We were married for 6 months. Someday I may post more about that part of my life. Needless to say, you cannot join the church if you have been married before. The Catholic Church recognizes one marriage. No exceptions. I agree! I believe marriage is sacred and not something to play around with. Unfortunately I didn't believe this when I was 19.

So, I began the journey to Annulment through the Catholic Church tribunal. This was a long process. It involved rehashing my failed marriage. It involved looking at my faults and really discecting everything that happened during that year of my life. It was unpleasant, it was hard, it was depressing! My ex-husband would not cooperate with the process in any way which led to delay after delay.

My RCIA class was accepted into the Church during the Easter season. This is when I began pulling away from the church. I got scared. I was afraid. What if I invest everything that I have into this church only to find out that I can never fully belong? I felt unsure of myself, unworthy and stained. I struggled. I looked at other churches. I attended other services. I continued to read my bible, I continued to pray but eventually I stopped going to church completely.

I've missed it. I planned to go to a special Mass this week and was unable due to a prior engagement. I actually contacted my sponsor and even emailed a lady I had grown to really like who worked in the office at my parish.

Then it came

It was a simple envelope

The return address label stated clearly that it was from the Tribunal of the Richmond Diocese

It was stamped with a red ink stamp "CONFIDENTIAL"

This was it!

My annulment was APPROVED!

The tribunal ruled that my first marriage was invalid. Its a long story and if you guys want details about how the annulment process works, just ask and I'll write up more detailed information for you.

So now I'm left with a sigh. It's approved! I can finally enter into the Catholic Church. I can fully participate in the Mass, I can finally feel like I belong.

Then the questions came... the doubt... and even a little anger.

I had a decision to make. I had put that part of my life on hold and the decision had came. I could truly decide where I wanted to invest myself. What church will I commit my life and my time to? I don't take these things lightly. I want to give of myself. I want to truly function as a part of the church that God leads me to.

I've always been drawn back to St. Francis and as I watched a National Geographic show on the Vatican today I received an email from our RCIA teacher from last year.

"Congratulations!" he said. Basically everything was in order and just as he promised, they wanted to do the Rite of Reception as soon as possible. "What are you doing on November 21st at 8:30am?" he asked.

Well, considering that Nov 21 is my birthday and The Presentation of the Virgin Mary..

Could this be a sign? :-)

It has been almost 10 years ago since the time came that I gave up on my marriage.

2010-10-20T11:24:00.001-04:00

It's my favorite time of the week again! It's Wifey Wednesday over at To Love Honor and Vacuum with Sheila Gregoire! Hop on over there and join us!

Sheila has been talking about simplifying your life lately on her blog. As with every Wednesday however, we are looking to marriage. Sheila asked a question at the end of her post today. "Have you ever had to change your attitude towards your spouse?"

Well, honestly I have to change my attitude right often! I'm horribly sarcastic and arguably a smart a#$ most of the time. I do this involuntarily and battle changing the habit daily!

But seriously..

It has been almost 10 years ago since the time came that I gave up on my marriage.

10 years ago I was lost. I was in my mid 20's, a stay at home mom of 3 little ones. I was struggling with life on all levels. I didn't know what I believed in, I didn't know who to turn to but I did know one thing. I was MISERABLE!

In my little mind at the time, my husband who was out of work with a shoulder injury was the problem. He was on the computer all the time (never mind that I was as well!) He was talking with other women online (I overlooked the fact that I was doing the same thing!)

So, one evening I told him I thought we should consider a separation.

He left.

I didn't really want him to leave.. I wanted to discuss a separation.. but he left.

I did everything except lay down in front of the car to keep him from leaving.

I then felt small and insecure and unwanted.

If he wouldn't even talk about it then he must've wanted it too. Maybe he wanted a separation even more than I did!

So, I hardened myself. I went through each day unsure of where the bill money would come from. I fed the children enough hotdogs and macaroni and cheese to probably completely disrupt their growth patters for life! I put on a pretty face and pretended that everything was OK.

Everything was not OK. I was still miserable.

Thanks to the Grace of God, 6 months later my husband and I reconciled! It was not easy. There was another woman involved and there was so much hurt. We went to marriage counseling for quite a while and slowly began to heal.

I will never forget one of the first evenings that he was back home. I decided to give him a massage. I was massaging his body and tears began to roll down my face. I'm not talking a few tears here but streaming and eventually sobbing tears.

Somehow in the years before the separation I had forgotten who my husband was. We were so disconnected! That night as I rubbed lotion into his skin I felt so ashamed! I vowed to never let this happen again.

Society tells us to treat marriages as disposable relationships. However just like when you toss a styrofoam plate in the trash.. it never goes away! That plate might get crunched up and it may even get burried in a landfill but it never goes away. It is always lurking beneath the surface and sometimes perhaps peeking up from beneath the soil. Marriage is the same way. You cannot throw it away. It doesn't go away. It stays whether you bury it or not - it is always there!

I still need to remind myself of this night of massage and enlightenment sometimes. It has been 10 years. We are unbelievably lucky! It hasn't always been easy but it sure has been worth it!

I think my husband deserves another massage tonight! It's been too long.

Would you join me tonight? Prepare a special pampering session for your husband and make it all about him.

Let me know how it goes!

Can you help too much?

2010-10-20T07:00:00.005-04:00

I got to thinking about this question today (ignore country accent please.) Can you ever help too much? I'm thinking along the lines of helping others who are in need. We are called to help but to what extent?

When you see a beggar on the street, do you give him money/food etc?
When a friend is in need to you step in to offer assistance?

When is it enough or too much?

I have always considered myself a generous person for the most part. I don't need much and what I have isn't much use to me if I can't share it. Know what I mean?

Sometimes though you can enable someone to continue doing things that aren't good for them if you help too much. Is that a reason to stop? For example if you have a relative who is addicted to substances and you continually give them money.. aren't you supporting their habit? But, what if you give them food? Would that be different? Or would you still be supporting their habit because now they can take their "food money" and use it for drugs? Probably they wouldn't have bought food anyway but does that make sense?

I know that alot of children are staying at home long after graduations because of the economy now. But, how many of them are staying home because they don't want to get out there and work? I'm not judging I'm thinking of a conversation I had with someone last night. She has two very grown children who live at home. She's a single disabled mother and cannot afford to take care of everyone anymore. However, the grown children will not help with household finances etc. By letting them stay there isn't she enabling them? Or would it be awful to ask them to find other arrangements?

I recently extended a hand to help someone and it really backfired on me. After really searching my conscious I came to a horrible conclusion about myself in this situation. Yes I wanted to help.. but I wanted to help my way! I wanted to be the one helping. I wanted to do good but I was taking it all on myself instead of letting God handle the situation. I did not pray about it and didn't go to my Father with any of the situation before I opened my big mouth. And it backfired! Luckily I realized what I was doing before any damage was done.

I've learned a lesson this week.

I always think about things carefully before I respond. I don't just go "willy nilly" and say whatever I think. So, I need to take that focus and turn it to the Lord. I need to step back and talk with him and ask for his hand in whatever the situation is.

Lesson Learned!

So, my answer to this question today would be to follow the Lord in all that you do. Trust him to show you when to help and when to stay your hand. Trust that you will know when to act and when to remain still. I have to say, I often get a "feeling" about helping people. I've always believed that this is Gods whisper to me. I just have to remember to tune in so I don't miss it!

The One Eyed Monster

2010-10-19T07:51:00.000-04:00

So, how do you set your priorities? I mean you know what your priorities are in your mind but often times when you put life into action it looks quite different than the list in your head.

You know that God, husband and family are priorities. They are priority over everything else. BUT fastforward through the day and how long did I let the kids play video games so I could blog hop? How many times have I slept too late in the morning and couldn't make cinnamon toast because I stayed up too late trying to think of a new post or catch up on reading so I could get a review done on time? How many times have I neglected the house to check emails and watch the twitter feed go by?

Too many!

We often have such good intentions and somewhere along the way we get sidetracked. We get sidetracked from our duties. We get sidetracked from our callings. It doesn't take much does it? A little computer here or a good book there and before you know it the guilt sets in!

So, how do you balance your computer time?

I am home all day long. I have no excuse for not having a sparkling and inviting home. The saying is true that in my house if it's clean that means something is wrong with the computer! How do you combat it?

Do you set specific times that you allow yourself to be online? Do you only go online when your children are not home or are asleep?

I'm spending some time in prayer over this one because I know that I am here blogging for a reason and learning so much from others online. I also know that the guilt it causes is a sure sign that I am over indulging!

A Plan AKA Making God Laugh!

2010-10-18T07:00:00.003-04:00

Perhaps it is my intention to make God laugh today? They say the easiest way to make HIM laugh is to make a plan right?

So here goes!

My to-do list

1. Wake at 5:30am for time with the Lord
2. Prepare a simple breakfast for the kids each morning
3. Wake the kids on time so they can be prepared for their day
4. Get the kids out the door with a smile on my face and a kind word in their hearts
5. Eat healthier
6. Get some exercise every day
7. Drink 8 glasses of water
8. Don't forget to take meds
9. Create a blogging plan to stay focused
10. Keep the house clean and tidy
11. Find a bible study group
12. Visit some churches and finally commit to becoming part of a church family (for real!)
13. Keep the kids on target with their homework
14. Prepare dinner on time for family dinner at the table
15. Find a chore chart that works and doesn't cause me to want to pull my hair out
16. Make sure everything is straight before the kids get to bed
17. Have kids get things together for tomorrow before bed
18. Have kids in bed at a decent hour
19. Spend some quality time with hubby before bedtime
20. Get myself to bed at a decent hour

Now, some of these things I am already doing and some are things I want to work on. The sad part is... there is more to add to this list!

So, what is on your to-do list? What habit are you working on?

Where Hearts Are Free - Book Review

2010-10-16T22:36:00.001-04:00

I found Where Hearts Are Free to be a breath of fresh air! You'll not find your typical fairytale in these pages. Parsons has the refreshing ability to draw on real to life relationships that are not always easy. The answers are not always clear and sometimes we just don't know the way.

This book reminded me that faith can overcome all things and that Gods grace can and will make clean those things that stain us. I am not an avid reader of this time period but found myself drawn to the characters and their lives especially Philippe's family life in the Schuylkill Valley! I was delighted to see this setting as I briefly lived in the Schuylkill Vally several years ago. It is quite cold and snowy in the winter!

While it did take me a bit to really get into the book, once I was in I was hooked! I couldn't put the book down until the last 50 pages. All of a sudden I wanted to shelf the book because I just didn't want it to end. Reading those final pages would end the story too soon for me.

This one is definitely a page turner, a delightful read and chocked full of encouragement all along the way. You will battle right along side with this cast through varying emotions, mistakes and secrets! Oh the secrets that these characters have hidden away. I don't think there were a handful of them that didn't have a secret! Some will shock you and some you will completely understand.

In the end faith, love and honor could be lost. But will it?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissionâs 16 CFR, Part 255 : âGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.â

Weeks end roundup

2010-10-15T07:24:00.002-04:00

This week has been speckled with weddings, homecoming prep, wedding receptions, 3 days of in-home counseling with David, blood tests and doctors appointments.

I suppose I don't have anything enlightening to say. My blood work is normal and the doc is changing up my medication. This is music to my ears because after gaining 50 pounds, sleeping all the time and don't even ask me about libido.... yeah well, we are trying something new. It will probably be about 2 weeks before the new meds arrive in the mail because I have applied for assistance through Pfizer for it. Then the fun will begin because as you all probably know by now.. I'm kinda afraid of medication at first. I will pick it apart and believe me.. if there is a side effect, I will find it!

Counseling with David (14) turned a bit more serious this week. I think the counselors figure they have been coming around long enough that they can ask the tough questions. Since his Mother moved out of the state two weekends ago without even telling us or saying goodbye, they wanted to talk about that. Needless to say.. David did not.

Katelin (16) is struggling with being a teen. Her natural tendency towards independance right now is something she is having to learn to mold into something that at least resembles respectfulness! Only 2 more weeks of crosscountry and she will start looking for a part time job.

Casey (19) is planning to move. They are getting their first apartment on Nov 1! She's excited and nervous and is now looking for a part time day job. She's showing me more and more of the woman she is becoming each day and never stops amazing me!

Brandon (13) almost lost his lead in the play this week. His perfect personality for drama is imperfect for the classroom. He is learning selfcontrol and is having to learn how to stand up to his "friends" who really get him going in class to the point of getting a write up. He is not allowed to go to play practice for a week but luckily will still be allowed to be in the play. You can't have Willy Wonka without Charley can you?

So, most of the children are learning alot about selfcontrol this week and priorities.

We have instituted a new chore chart. It's rocky going but we are getting there.

The only other thing I can think of besides a rather large blow up with my dear husband yesterday (egads!) Was that for the first time in my life I will now be able to wear dainty necklaces! I've had a mole on my neck since birth. It wasn't one of those yucky things. It was kinda light in color and not very noticable but necklaces would grab it and it really hurt! So.. I had it removed yesterday! I'm super excited even though I let the doc talk me into no lidocaine and her scissors were dull so it REALLY HURT! Now it's gone. Amazing!

perhaps I'll have more later

God
Bless!

Her Highest Calling

2010-10-12T11:13:00.001-04:00

Many of you may have already read my previous post here about my struggle with faith and living a Christian life. After several wonderful comments and a good long talk with my Mother, I have came to a few conclusions!

1. I am not alone! Many of us have these same thoughts and feelings. Perhaps I should really start to worry when I stop worrying about it? :-)

2. I have been looking for an outward sign of an inner relationship?

3. I have been overlooking one of the simplest forms of communion!

Many thanks to Mrs. White over at The Legacy of Home who offers me inspiration and wisdom each day with her blog! It was Mrs. White who recommended a book to me called Stepping Heavenward by E. Prentiss. You can download a free copy of Amazons Kindle for your PC Here and Stepping Heavenward is available for download for just $1.99!

I have learned so much from this book already! Mainly that I am where I am at this moment. I cannot have the same experiences as those who were where I am 20 years ago. I can start today by doing what I know to do. I can rise early, I can spend time in scripture, I can pray and I can use my highest calling to get started. By taking the time to care for my home and family I can glorify HIM daily. I knew this but something more about it clicked for me today.

Thank you to brandyreneebruce for her words of encouragement as well!

And Colleen for pointing out the obvious that I was oblivious to which was that I was not coming from my brain but my heart when I wrote this post! I have so much to do :-)

Thank you all for taking the time to share your wisdom with me!!

I am going to put on some fulfilling music and get to work on my home. I will clean, cook and wash today with a purpose!

The Waiting - Book Review with Giveaways!

2010-10-11T07:31:00.001-04:00

About The Waiting:

Book 2 in The Lancaster Secrets collection and hot on the heals of the best-selling The Choice, The Waiting, a stand alone story, is a compelling page turner. Jorie King has been waiting for Benjamin Zook to return home to Lancaster County so they can marry. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. That friendship ripens into love, and it seems that they are meant to be together. But when the unexpected happens, their worlds are turned upside down once more. Will Jorie trust God to lead her into the arms of a new man?

A multifaceted story about complex people living the simple life. Readers will find themselves transported into the world of the Amish and deeply invested in these wonderful characters.

About Suzanne Woods Fisher:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the CBA bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, Amish Peace, and Amish Proverbs. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of a radio show called Amish Wisdom and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California . Find out more about Suzanne at http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/
Click Here to buy the book

My Personal Opinion:

I was so excited when I received this book to review. So excited in fact that I had to borrow the first book in the series from my Mother In Law! I will openly admit that I drug out the reading of this book. I didn't want it to end and found myself rationing my pages to make the book last as long as possible!

Suzanne has a brilliant mind and through the emotions on her pages, she draws you right into the book along with the characters. I found myself completely understanding exactly where each character was coming from. I sympathized with their troubles and I rooted for them each step along the way! From young Ephriam to Sylvia, the Sister In Law, I knew and understood the emotions they were dealing with. I've never been quite so drawn to a group of characters in my life.

I would love to have Jorie, Marge, Cal and even the Aunties over for lunch! This is such an authentic cast that you will want to savor every moment that you have between the pages and I guarantee that you will not loan this book to anyone who might not return it!

*I received a copy of The Waiting from the publisher for review purposes

Suzanne Woods Fisher is thrilled to announce the release of The Waiting, book two in The Lancaster Secrets Collection. In The Waiting Jorie finds herself caught be two loves and two lives in this compelling page turner about complex people living the simple life.

A must read!

Visit the blog tour and find out what the reviewers are saying!

Learn more about Suzanne and her books at http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/!

The Waiting is the next stand alone story in The Lancaster Secrets Collection and follows in the footsteps of the best-selling, The Choice. The Waiting is in stores now and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Waiting KINDLE Giveaway.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle preloaded with Suzanne Woods Fisher titles and a Amazon.com gift certificate! The Prize Pack (valued at over $185.00) includes:

* A brand new KINDLE, Free 3G, 6", Latest Generation

* The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* A $15 dollar Amazon.com Gift Certificate

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on October 28th at Suzanne's Lancaster Secrets Book Club Party.

Join Suzanne for the Lancaster Secrets Book Club Party on October 28th! She’ll be announcing the winner of the The Waiting KINDLE Giveaway, hosting a book club discussion of The Waiting and The Choice, and giving away copies of both books and HEAPs of readerly prizes! Be sure to join us on Thursday, October 28th at 5:00 PM PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST & 8 EST) at Suzanne’s Author Page.

When Your Brain Gets in the Way

2010-10-10T11:04:00.001-04:00

I feel like I am doing this alot. I am searching just like the lady above. Of course her jean size is much smaller than mine but that doesn't have anything to do with the search I am speaking of!

I have been searching for God for years. I feel like I cannot find him. I feel alone and confused. I read so many posts by fellow bloggers that are so filled with faith and grace. I feel like there is a roadblock that has been placed in the middle of my road. I hope it wasn't placed there by me because it would be pretty idiotic to struggle against a roadblock that I had already set up. If that's the case I should know how to get around it! Right? lol

I want communion with our Father. I want to feel his presence and his love. Why can't I? I go to those bad places where I think there must be something horribly wrong with me that I cannot grasp this one basic yet life altering truth. I believe it to be truth but I feel sometimes like I'm staring at a red wall and all the while calling it a blue wall.

I feel like my analytical brain has taken over completely. I feel like I can't just feel anymore. I don't know if this makes any sense to anyone else or not... I feel uncapable of feeling HIS love. Unable to "get it!" I have always been an analyzer. I analyze everything. This is something I cannot analyze and I know that. But that's what makes it so hard for me. I read, I pray, I learn, I listen but for some reason I just cannot FEEL it!

I try to live by faith alone. My belief doesn't really falter but I walk through life feeling like I have one foot in and one outside. That's if the one foot is even all the way in! Perhaps I just have my toes in the eternal waters?

I am as I've said before, an infant in the faith. I don't know all of the bible, I haven't even read it all just once. I'm working on it. I'm praying every day and throughout my days.

My question to my readers today is. How do I turn my brain off? How do I live life as a Christian and actually believe that I'm doing it "right?" not that I think I can do it completely right - I get that but just to know I'm on the right track... in the ballpark... on the same planet even?

If anyone has any good resources for new christians I would be forever grateful if you would share them with me :-)

Who you are VS who you want to be

2010-10-07T17:49:00.001-04:00

I often use to think that I had been born with the wrong socio-economic background. I felt like I was way too smart to be born into my family (yes, I was that proud!) I felt like I should've been born into a family that had stocks and college savings accounts. Of course in all of that I failed to realize my own part. I didn't apply for scholarships and I didn't apply for financial aid. I somewhere along the way gave up and fell into the trap that I felt society had set for me.

Fast forward 20 or so years and sometimes now I feel like I was born into the wrong century! I long for peaceful and quiet days. I long for communion with others. I commented once on someones blog that I use to daydream that I was born into an Amish or Mennonite family. There was alot that happened in my life in those 20 years. Of course it was again my failure to realize that has me in the situation I am in. While I wish we lived in a big old farmhouse. I wish that we homeschooled. I wish that my children loved and respected the church. I wish that I had the discipline to wake early for time with God. I wish I remembered to say grace over EVERY meal.

Perhaps this is part of the battle. I also love my modern conveniences though. I really enjoy indoor plumbing and electricity. I really love my computer and internet. I feel stuck between the world I am in and the world I want. Now to produce a plan with Gods grace that will land me in a place that is at least close to where I want to be but exactly where HE wants me to be!

Under A Maui Moon - Book Review

2010-10-04T15:44:00.003-04:00

Under A Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn
Reviewed by: Julia Dixon, thouartjules.com
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Dates: July 6, 2010

Carissa’s quiet and scheduled world is turned upside down in a matter of about 24 hours. In these 24 hours she has lost her sense of privacy and safety in her own home, realized that her marriage is and has been coming apart at the seams and is terminated from her 15 year position in a medical office.

Carissa’s husband Richard is a psychologist and an artist at solving other people’s problems. However, his inability to solve problems at home comes to a head when unknowingly he leaves his wife feeling unprotected and unimportant.
In an effort to escape from a situation that Carissa feels she cannot control, she accepts an invitation to travel alone to the beautiful island of Hawaii. With nothing but time on her hands and the waves calling to her, Carissa finds herself at odds with her own conscience as she battles her own past, her relationship with God and her husband. Just as revelations are made, Carissa places them tightly into a box that is bursting at the seams.
With the beautiful sand and surf, a garden paradise outside of her back door and a well tanned athletic neighbor, Carissa’s adventure is just beginning! In the end, Carissa confronts herself as she has never done before, has some straight talk with her Heavenly Father, and realizes that love is ripe for the picking at any age.

Robin manages to take you with her into the tropical paradise of the Hawaiian islands like none other! You can smell the jasmine in the air and feel the sand under your feet in this book. I would love to have read this book in January! This book is an exotic adventure through the islands and with the islanders that you are not soon to forget. Carissa becomes a friend to you through this book as you follow her and her heart through the turmoil of confusion, hurt and abandonment - into strength, knowledge, trust and a little glimmer in her eye that we can all relate to in some way. We all need to remember that God is always there if we open our eyes and our hearts.
The story also tells of a historical female figure in Hawaii’s distant path that calls to the instincts of every woman in one way or another. This is a book that I had a lot of trouble putting down but no trouble coming up with a review for. I would definitely recommend it to any woman whether single, married, happy or unhappy!

*This book was provided by Wynn Wynn Media for review purposes

*PG13 – I give this book a PG13 rating due to some conversations regarding addictions including sexual addiction. These discussions are not descriptive but they are conversations none the less.

Take Two: My Second Marriage Thrives by Grace

2010-10-04T07:40:00.001-04:00

I wonder if the title would be better as "My Second Marriage Survives by Grace?"

It's a miracle my husband and I are together to this day. It's definitely a God thing! We were meant to be, we were meant to make it. By the Grace of God we are not only surviving but thriving just as the title says!

Without going into too much detail (since I haven't ran this post by him yet.) I can tell you that we have had our share of problems.

1. Our marriage has survived and thrived through drug abuse

2. Our marriage has survived and thrived through adultry

3. Our marriage has survived and thrived through pornography

4. Our marriage has survived and thrived through a season that came periously close to divorce

5. Our marriage has survived and thrived through ex wives and ex husbands

6. Our marriage has survived and thrived through new inlaws

7. Our marriage has survived and thrived through a blended family situation

My husband was my Knight in Shining Armor. We've grown together, we've learned together and luckily we are almost all grown up! :-)

I've learned through Gods Grace that people really are just like me. You cannot judge them and it doesn't do much good to begrudge them for who they are.

I've learned to accept and even smile when my husband cannot find something that is right in front of him. I've learned to accept and even smile (though sometimes I yell) when he extends himself to help others. Sometimes he extends himself far beyond what I think he should. However, it's not me. It's his life that God is leading him through and although many times I think I know what is best for him - I could be way off base!

I've found myself in a season of my life where I love everything! I love that I am able to stay home. I love that my husband is our provider. I was having coffee with my Mother In Law the other day. She just moved in next door. I honestly cannot think of much that makes me angry about my husband anymore.

Sure there are little quirks but somewhere along the way I realized that they made him unique. Does that mean that we never fight? oh no.. it certainly doesn't mean that! I pity him sometimes for marrying me :-) I'm awful blunt at times and horribly emotional one day but a complete bear the next!

We should not even still be together. After a 6 month separation years ago that involved another woman, a move across the country and countless nasty, nasty things.. A marriage counselor told us we were a miracle. I keep that with me now when I need it!

There is no other reason. With the things we've been through and the tendency of society to believe that marriages are disposable, I know without a doubt that it is Gods Grace that has been the glue.

http://www.chrysaliscafe.com/

Havah - SPOILER - Book Club discussion

2010-10-02T07:56:00.000-04:00

Joy over at Edgy Inspirational Romance is hosting a fabulous Book Club! Click above to check out her blog.

The current pick for the Book Club is Havah - the story of Eve by Tosca Lee.

You can read my review here

I have looked at each of the discussion questions on Havah's website. and picked the following.

1. Before the Fall, how free was Havah to do as she pleased? After the Fall, how did Havah's freedoms become more limited?

I read the first part of this book what seems like a lifetime ago. I know that Havah was free in the Garden to do most anything except of course eating from the forbidden tree. Honestly, I don't really see how her freedoms were limited after the fall. I mean life was tough, she was depressed and it was a hard life but she still had the same basic freedoms in my opinion. We always have limitations but I do not feel that any specific limitations were placed on Havah in or out of the Garden other than the warning of the fruit in the Garden.

After the Fall, she must actually "try" to survive and I suppose that would be a limitation. Perhaps that is what this question is all about. Her choice to eat which led to exile forced them into a different lifestyle. That lifestyle limited their freedoms because they could not simply "live." They had to prepare a home, gather food, tend to the flock and children where if they had stayed in the Garden, all of their needs were perfectly provided for and they had all the time in the world to run, play and just "be."

Discussion

Joy asked if their was a tipping point in the book. While the book was very unique I can see how it would be uncomfortable for many. I was not bothered by the scenes between Havah and the adam themselves. I was a little uncomfortable with Kayin's feelings. I think this discomfort simply came from it being voiced and not so much because his feelings existed. I think it is a taboo discussion and it's likely better off staying that way so we don't get too comfortable with it ::lol::

Havah - Book Review

2010-10-02T07:30:00.001-04:00

I downloaded Havah to read on the computer which is not my normal book reading/review habit. I always find it difficult to read through a book on my laptop instead of just picking up a book and carrying it whereever I go.

This book however was an exception! I have never read a book quite like this one. I could not "put it down" and found myself sitting in front of this bright screen late into the night and early into the mornings!

Havah is basically the story of Adam and Eve told from Eve's perspective. When I started reading the book I realized that we know very little of the day to day lives of this couple and even less about their lives after exile. While this story is certainly fiction, it does stick to the facts as well.

Havah is born from nothing into a paradise that we cannot even imagine. Her companion is there with her from the start to help teach her the ways of the "world." As Havah and "the adam" go through their daily lives living in communion with the animals and plant kingdom, their creator is always present. They live their lives feeling his presence and knowing that their every desire will come to pass.

The couples world comes crashing down in a second. One bad idea, one greedy thought, one moment of desire for something forbidden and they are chased from the garden.

Havah spends her entire life preparing for their return to the garden. Always in her mind and dreams is their return to Eden. She raises her children, teaches them skills, watches the weather and continues to put one foot in front of the other all with the promised return in mind.

Havah learns to live off of a land that is no longer at her command. The two must toil for food, they must build shelters, they must protect themselves not only from the elements but the very animals they use to commune with.

Havah, the adam and all of their children grow and learn through hundreds of years of trying to get things right and it all comes down to the moment of truth and the promise of a return to Heaven on Earth.

Read my share of the Book Club Discussion here - SPOILER alert

"MOM"s the word

2010-09-30T08:08:00.000-04:00

The rain is here. It's actually been here for several days cleansing the earth and washing away the dust and pollen. It is filling the soil with lifegiving water. Rain doesn't bother me. It's so cleansing and purifying to me. I love rainy days with a little chill in the air. It's the perfect time for chili and chicken and dumplins. It's perfect for hot coco and coffee anytime!

The leaves are turning and falling to the ground with colors that vary individually. I love this time of year. It makes me want to cook and to clean and to read and to gather my loved ones together. It is a season for family like none other.

I've had many things on my mind lately. I don't have the links but will look for them because some bloggers have given me great food for thought lately.

One blogger asks.. Do you want to be successful or do you want to be significant? What a great question! Success often bubbles up feelings that are negative for me. Is this because of my upbringing in a low income family? Perhaps it is because I've seen success ruin lives because some people cannot handle it? I'm not entirely sure and am still thinking on it. Regardless.. I want to be significant! I want to be meaningful! I want people to remember me for who I am and what/who I represent in my life. I really don't care if they remember how I dressed or what kind of shoes I wore :-) I don't think people remember those things anyway. I heard once that people actually mainly remember how you made them feel. That's what I'm shooting for!

We had our second family counseling session yesterday for David. It's been a little challenging to fit in all of the inhome visits but we are committed to providing David with everything he needs to adjust and as a byproduct whatever we need to make sure we are adjusting well too. The wonderful thing about this program is that it doesn't just focus on him. It focuses on the family as a unit. All the parts need to be working properly to function well. It makes sense.

I'm learning so much about him this way because the counselors sometimes ask questions that I've wondered about but never asked.

We talked yesterday about the word MOM. It is such a significant word! I cherish the word Mom and Mother and Momma and any variation of it. It is important to me and holds so much meaning. So, since we are now David's parents should he call me Mom? He has and he does occasionally. The funny thing is I felt kinda weird about it. I'll tell you why.

This isn't the first time that a child that was not biologically mine has called me Mom. Casey had a best friend all through school that called me Mom. Her name was Brandi. We loved her to death!

Brandon has a friend named Aaron who lives next door. He is living with his aunt and uncle. He calls me Mom frequently.

Each time I hear these kids call me MOM I feel good because I know that I am providing them with something they really need somehow. But, at the same time I feel guilty and I feel wrong. Why? Because I know that these kids have a Mother. What would their Mother think? How would she feel if she heard her child calling someone else Mom? I'm not sure but I know that if I heard my children calling someone else MOM it would hurt my feelings. I feel like that is MY word! I'm MOM! lol

I've never told them not to call me Mom. But, I've always been secretly afraid that we'd be out in the yard or something and someone would hear them - most importantly.. their Mom would hear and be hurt. It would hurt me so I logically assume it would hurt them.

With David, it's different somewhat. We have custody of him. We are legally his parents. However, he does still have a Mother. We haven't heard from her or seen her in two months but that doesn't mean she isn't there somewhere. I worry that someday she will come back and hearing him call me Mom would really be unbearable.

In some ways I think I shouldn't worry about that. My ultimate responsibility is to David. To love him, to protect him, to teach him etc. My ultimate responsibility is not to his Mother but I can't help but feel bad for her each time he addresses me with that wonderful, loving, most special title of MOM!

Wifey Wednesday - Did you marry a beast?

2010-09-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Wifey Wednesday is hosted each week by Sheila over at To Love Honor and Vacuum please join us!

This weeks topic is "Did you marry a Beast?"

I think this picture is perfect for where I'm about to go with this post :-)

I've posted many times in the past about our Men and how society is affecting them negatively with "male bashing." In this picture, Beauty is sitting so perfectly and Beast is looking rather silly. He almost looks uncomfortable in his own clothing, he looks sheepish and kinda silly.

What were the things that drew you to your mate in the first place?

For me, my husband was a friend in my late teens. He was a bad boy. He wore a lot of black and spent alot of time trying to appear "tough." He was cute and funny but I was scared of him! I was pregnant out of wedlock when I met my husband. I knew that my life was going drastically differently than I had planned ::lol:: I was convinced that finding a real relationship was going to be so hard and I suppose "baby daddy" was somewhere in the back of my mind.

I couldn't imagine this "boy" ever settling down, holding a steady job or being faithful much less being a father. I enjoyed his friendship and of course I loved the attention but wouldn't consider anything else.

Fast forward several years and a failed marriage and Kevin stepped back into the picture. We have been married for almost 14 years! We've had our problems just like everyone else. But... I judged him so wrongly then! He has supported me and he has supported 2 children that weren't biologically his own just as he would and does his own! We have a cozy home that we have lived in for almost 13 years.

Sometimes I notice that he still seeks attention and comes off as "tough" or irresponsible. Does it aggravate me? YES! But, I knew this when I married him.

One thing I have learned the hard way - Men prosper when they feel like MEN! Love your man, respect your man, let your man make decisions and he will blossom!

Do I roll my eyes sometimes when he is acting "tough" in front of his friends? Sadly, yes! But, is that what defines him? No.

Mission for today - Focus on the good things!
Look at your husband - really LOOK at him
Look for the positive - really LOOK for it
and tell him what you see!

U Got 2 Love - Book Review

2010-09-28T11:06:00.000-04:00

U Got 2 Love is a book written primarily for teenagers and young adults. The purpose of this book is the all time truth that in order to receive love you must love but then again in order to love you must be able to receive love as well. There would be several great uses for this book. It would be perfect for a reading group, a daily study or even just to flip through on any given day.

U Got 2 Love is a big gift in a small package. Fr. Stan has packed this little book full of related biblical passages and gems from the published works and speeches of everyone from Pope John Paul II to Lenin at the end of his life. The book is rather fast paced and I found myself wanting to jump ahead which is not always good because you miss valuable information. I found this to be a great book to read and re-read over and over again.

Fr. Stan tackles all forms of love from our Fathers love to romantic and even painful love. Love is not always patient and it certainly is not always kind but through the wisdom of these pages you can find your way traversing this sometimes confusing path of love.

I cannot say that this was an easy read for me because it certainly wasn't. However, sometimes the greatest lessons in life come from challenging tasks. The accent Fr. Stan chose to write with in this book is fun, charming and helps keep a smile on your face throughout! I still flip through the pages of this book and re-read the gems that are sprinkled throughout this book on almost every page.

You can purchase this book here.
I wrote this review of U Got 2 Love for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, the largest Catholic Store online. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Is one wife enough?

2010-09-27T07:47:00.000-04:00

I caught the season premier of Sister Wives on TLC last night... Well I didn't exactly "catch" it because I chose to watch it, looked forward to it and made sure my schedule was cleared to watch! I'm not sure why but I've always watched intently these types of shows. Polygamy is something I don't understand. Perhaps that is why I watch?

So, is one wife enough? I mean does living a polygamous lifestyle keep your spouse from "straying?" I mean straying that you don't know about? I know that personally I've felt like I wasn't enough before. Not all the time but we probably all have felt like we just couldn't be a good enough wife, mother, daughter, sister etc. So, for that reason I kind of understand the theory. This doesn't mean I agree or think it's right.

I know that from what I've seen, this lifestyle has a basis in faith and religion. I don't understand how and haven't really tried to learn anything about it. I don't think the decision protects you from a cheating husband though. In sister wives, Kody is bringing in a 4th wife after 16 years with his first three wives. The wives made a comment that they were thinking it was time because "it was starting to get boring." Yikes!

I've honestly always thought that the lifestyle allowed men to have their cake and eat it too. I've always wondered about the children as well. I've seen movies that portray the "compound" lifestyle and that seems really sad to me. Of course I'm not trying to judge anyone. I'm just trying to wrap my little mind around the logic.

So, what is the point of this post?

I have no idea!

Why do you stay home when your children aren't little anymore?

2010-09-26T18:56:00.001-04:00

I've never been asked this question but honestly, I ask myself often. Why do I feel the need to defend my position? Perhaps because I battle with it so much.

There is such a pull in society to be a working Mother. Children now have so much stuff! If you don't have the latest clothes, ipod, cellphone, game console etc you are sorely lacking. I found myself questioning myself this week if my children were suffering because of my decision to stay at home. I even put in a few job applications.

Later I wondered..... What the heck am I doing?? I refuse to go back to work to buy cellphones! Perhaps to keep the electricity on but not for things that aren't needed or important. Sure, they might be important to a 16 year old but in the grand scheme of things....

I have a bad habit of doubting myself. Sometimes I even wonder if it's a cop out to think that God wants me home with my children. Like.. am I just being lazy? Am I just coming up with excuses so I don't have to face the "real" world?

I don't think so. I'm certainly not lazy! I do so much that laziness would be a ridiculous statement. I could be making excuses to avoid anxiety but that isn't all.

I stay home because...

Someone needs to know what my children are doing. They are too old for afterschool care. Someone needs to know where they are and who they are with. While I don't want to micromanage them, I do want them safe. How could I do this from work? I couldn't! I've been there and I know.

Someone needs to keep up the house. Sure, the kids need to learn household skills but I believe they still need to see Mom taking care of the home.

Someone needs to prepare dinner. Again the kids need to learn to cook, prepare and serve meals but not every night. They need someone making a healthy dinner for them.

They deserve a family dinner.

They need to hear "good morning!" and they need to hear "sleep tight!"

They deserve to have a parent that is paying attention and participating in their lives.

Now, I'm not knocking working Moms. Please don't think that! I have been there and often fight with myself about returning :-)

So, how do I deal with the financial strain? How do I deal with the utility cut off notices? How do I help support my husband so that he can better provide for us?

I think for today my only answer is to pray, pray, pray!

The Jesus You Can't Ignore - Book Review

2010-09-25T20:11:00.001-04:00

The Jesus You Can’t Ignore written by John MacArthur is a spiritual journey into the often overlooked parts of Christ’s ministry. Modern Christianity has turned a little soft as time goes by. Society teaches tolerance of all things, all peoples and often time all actions. This book delves deep into the realistic approaches of Jesus and his approach to religious sinners. We all know that Jesus helped sinners, treated them with love and respect and did not shame them. He really wanted to help and after all, that’s what it’s all about!

However, when it comes to false preaching and attempts to reach political or financial gain by false teachings, Christ had a much different approach. There is no love or respect there because it was and is unacceptable to him.

This was a very difficult book for me to read. I believe it is a much more deep book than I generally chose for myself for leisurely reading but definitely makes you think. Sometimes we learn much more through difficulties right! Our culture does not accept intolerance but when you look at what is happening to our society, our families and our government, perhaps it is time to express that we will not tolerate certain things.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Casting Stones

2010-09-22T16:46:00.000-04:00

This has been on my mind for personal reasons and I've been grappling with it for days. We all judge others. I know this. None of us are perfect. I try very hard not to judge but I know it's there when I least expect it.

I don't have any biblical information though I would love to hear any that you may have. I've read and read the Good Word and gleaned so much information but most effectively was Romans 14. I'd like to share my thoughts and feelings and I would love to hear from my readers!

I am a pretty easy going person. I know that people make mistakes and I make them too. I've always felt that I had an unusual ability to empathize with others and their situations. Now, I don't always do this but I sure do try! I can understand where you are coming from, how you reached that point and even why you react a certain way.

I have always tried to spend time in contemplation before I react to any given situation. Of course this isn't always possible. Sometimes you have to react instantly. Anyway.... I have a hard time with people who cannot do this. With people who are quick to judge and condemn. So, there is a group I have trouble with and need to work on that! lol

A situation arose recently that truly tested my ability to remain calm, tactful and use God given grace. I've always know that pardon cannot be given unless there is something to pardon. Pardoning someone who refuses to pardon others is my weakness currently.

Does this make any sense!?

I placed the pictures of stones above because stones hurt even if they are disquised as love or joy or hugs. I suppose all things can be used for good or bad depending on the situation but Christians attacking other Christians is such a sad, sad thing.

Why can't we all just get along! :-)

Wow

2010-09-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

Once again I've waited too long to post! We've had so much going on around here! This of course is good because we are staying busy and productive.

Progress reports came home yesterday from school. Katelin is doing great in all subjects! She was having a bit of trouble in honors chemistry but her teacher says she is really on the ball now and things are looking up. David had all A's and B's! Brandon had great grades as well with just a touch of trouble in honors Math. The honors classes always require a bit more study and work than regular classes. Sometimes they struggle a bit at first because they are use to regular classes that they could breeze right through.

Brandon's school is doing the musical play Willy Wonka this year. Brandon tried out and was chosen for the lead role of Charlie!!! I am so proud of him :-) He also found out yesterday he is farsighted and we are waiting on his glasses to come in on Friday.

My Mother In Law has moved in nextdoor! We spent the last week and a half preparing the house for her. We have known the owner for years and he made her a great deal on the house because he wanted to find someone who would get in and stay in for a while. We repainted the whole house and have literally worked our tails off!

She's moved in now and mostly settled. We are enjoying morning coffee after the kids go to school every day! She seems to have more energy than she's had in years! I'm very happy and think this will all work out just fine :-)

Upside Down!

2010-09-04T18:36:00.001-04:00

I've had that song on my mind. The one by Diana Ross. I have felt like the Lord is turning me upside down and inside out! I know it is for His glory and trust in that.

I have so much to be thankful for! I have been blessed with the most awesome family! It never ceases to amaze me the power of family. How members of a family can really pull together for the greater good. The ability to sacrifice and give selfishly!

I have such great children! They are a source of great pride for me! I am proud of them every day! I don't think that type of pride is sinful :-) The good Lord trusted them to me and he knew what he was doing with these little guys. My oldest is in Sunny California for two weeks. I've already talked to her numerous times. Sometimes I wonder if I hold on to her too tightly. I don't think I do... but I do love to hear from her and support her in her endeavors.

This is her beautiful face last summer before she cut all of her hair off :-) She's so much smarter than I was at her age!

Making my home sing!

2010-08-29T20:03:00.000-04:00

I've seen this linky often and failed to participate but always checked it out. The reason for this of course is that I would love to make my home sing! Instead it seems to be groaning! Head on over to Moms The Word for Making Your Home Sing Monday!

I've been taking steps since school started to get my home back to where "I" would like it to be. I have every excuse in the world so I wont even list them!

We had not ate dinner at the dining room table in months because of a renovation project that I started in there. I finally got the sanding done on the walls and the two coats of paint on. I am now finishing up the trim that I removed, stripped, sanded and am now staining. Our dining room should be as good as new any day now! I did clear off the table though so we are eating at it in the unfinished room :-)

I plan to make my home sing this week (along with its inhabitants!) by finally finishing my never ending project!!!

Am I better than you?

2010-08-29T16:24:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I struggle with what to write. I want to be an uplifting and inspiring person. However, when I sit down to write I just want to let everything spill out that is worrying me!

I have felt so blessed this week. Though we have our rough patches, I am so blessed to have the family that God has given me! My children are so creative and thoughtful. We've been blessed with the ability to help others and to teach. The Lord is truly taking care of us. When logically I look at our situation, I don't understand how me even manage the basics of life like electricity, water and house payments. But, the Lord provides! There is always enough. We may make decisions to cut the cable and internet but are blessed with a neighbor who used our wifi for years that is now letting us use her wifi :-) We found netflix for $9 each month that allows us to watch instant movies online and recieve movies in the mail. We can reach out and help others and miraculously the more we help, the more we find ourselves able to help.

Trusting is becoming a habit for me. A habit I have been cultivating and I am seeing the seeds sprout in my daily life.

I still struggle with my daily time with God. I am still struggling with anxiety and weight gain. I struggle with knowing how to best teach my children who I erroneously did not teach to love and fear the Lord.
I have started a pen and paper journal again. A place to write my fears and worries. A place to write my prayers for help. I am hoping that will help me focus on a more positive note with this blog. Sure, I'll still share our struggles but hopefully it will not be my only avenue because I will have already handed everything over to the ONE that matters most.

I had to look up this verse this week as it was on my mind for days. I remembered the vewse being something along the lines of "do not delight in others misfortune."

I've found what I believe is it in Obadiah 1:12 NIV

You should not look down on your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoince over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in their day of trouble.

This verse came to me as I heard of a legal decision that was made regarding someone. Though I believe they rightfully deserved the decision and I believe justice was served, I immediately felt ashamed of my reaction. My reaction was one of celebration. I wanted to celebrate! I'm not sure if it qualifies as misfortune when it was not some horrible thing that happened so an innocent person or not. Never the less, I felt guilty. I have prayed and prayed and began praying for this person for the Lords will in their life. That this season will give way to positive change in their lives that will bring them happiness and peace. I do not want to be full of pride. I do not want to think of myself as someone better. However, this is how I felt!

So, I pray and I write and as always I invite you to comment and share with me and others how this verse may relate to something in your life past or present!

God Bless!

In search of everything

2010-08-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

In my never ending search for everything I am beginning to recognize a few truths.
I simply cannot do it all.
If I don't have time to do something right - I'd better have time to do it over.
My need to know and understand everything can be paralyzing
Older women love babies and like to talk about their feet
I am afraid to hold babies now...
I have so many grand ideas to implement that I really need to be 3 people in one (God really had the right idea there!)
I'm on the right track I just need to stop trying to do everything perfectly

Leaves on the ground!

2010-08-25T07:57:00.001-04:00

I love this time of year! The weather is getting a bit chillier each day, there are leaves scattering across the lawn and with the chill in the air.. my energy returns! Strange isn't it!?

There is so much to post that I don't even know where to start nor do I think anyone would want to read it all in one sitting :-)

The greatest news to come out of this Summer season is a new addition to our family. On July 26th we went to court with David who had been with us since mid June and left there with custody. I was surprised because well... I didn't think it was quite that easy! We didn't even file for custody. They were doing a review of his case and voila we left with a new child! David is 14, a freshman in High School this year and has a heart of gold. He is settling in nicely. We fixed up the room we have upstairs for the two of them to share for now. We moved my oldest daughter down into a regular sized room. When Casey does leave home the boys will be able to have their own rooms. I'm in no hurry for that but I'm sure it's bound to happen :-) Things aren't all sunshine and lollipops but I am very happy with how things are going. Obviously from the picture above you can see that David will never pass as a biological child lol we all have lighter hair and are shorter and chubbier for the most part :-)

I am slowly but surely getting back to church. I've continued to read my bible, do devotionals and talk to God throughout the day but church has been somewhat a stumbling block. I'm not exactly sure why but I have my theories. My annulment is still in the works. We are waiting for one last witness to submit another form that was mailed out. Unfortunately she lost the first one :-) My theory is that the annulment process is making me behave cautiously. I am afraid and unsure what I will do if it is denied. I've found myself guarding my heart from the very person who holds it! How crazy is that!

I am back to work on my living room project. It took a back seat to the boys bedroom this summer. We've lived in a construction zone for too long so that is my new priority around the house.

I've missed you all! I'm looking forward to having the time to post, reply and comment more again! I have never stopped reading everyone's blogs but should have time to interact again.

God Bless You!

Just a quick note!

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-04:00

If there is anyone still out there :-) I made the jump to wordpress and well... I don't like it! So, if you are still there, look for an update hopefully tomorrow when I get everything transferred back over!

We do have a new member of the family. David who is 14 is now here with us permanently!

We are having a yardsale but I'll be back soon for more info!

Welcome to the Philippines!

2010-06-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Ha! Brandon and I went to the 11:30 Mass today. As soon as I topped the steps I knew there was trouble! They were propping the doors open. "uh oh! It must be hot in there!"

Hot was an understatement. We were suppose to hit 101 degrees today and the Church had no air conditioning. Before Fr. Burt even started to speak we all were trying to wrap our hair into buns and find anything available to use for a fan.

Fr. Burt though started the Mass by saying and I quote "Welcome to the Philippines!" This was funny on so many levels. Fr. Burt is from the Philippines and he had a rough time with our amazing Virginia winter this year. I suppose turn about is fair play! lol

I kept glancing towards Jesus hanging there front and center on the cross when I started to feel like complaining. A little sweat is nothing compared to the pain HE suffered! It ended up being a wonderful service and we went straight to the grocery store and bought icecream!

P.S. I'm working on moving my blog platform. I wont do the switch hopefully until I'm all set up on the WordPress platform. I'm excited about these changes and will provide more info on the move soon.

Peace,
Julia

Calgon......

2010-06-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

So, I have a delima. I basically know what to do but am not sure how to do it..

My house has become the hangout for several neighborhood children. I love these kids to death! They all come from iffy backgrounds and I like to think that we are giving them a safe place to play and possibly passing on some good behaviors. They are good children! They have great manners and even though we don't really do anything, they love to be here!

The problem is getting them to go home!

Like I said, I love having them here. They play games and are learning to cook and clean. However, I've noticed that my son is catching a bad attitude when they are here. I can't say that he's getting it from any of them but maybe that he is trying to show off? Two of them are here to spend the night again tonight. Last night one of the mothers called and asked if her child could stay because something is going on between him and her fiance and she would be at work. The other had something going on with her older brother and didn't want to go home.

So, I feel guilty sending them home! But, to save my sanity and keep my own children on track I know that I must do it!

Help! I need a break!

You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be ::Book Review::

2010-06-26T17:34:00.000-04:00

When they say big things come in small packages, they must have been talking about this book!

In typical Max Lucado style, you are taken on a journey through this book. Max picks your mind while providing tons of insight and practicle solutions and stories.

One of my favorite chapters in this gem of a book is all about living out of the bag that God packed for you. are you trying to live out of someone elses bag? There are sure signs that point to yes!

There are "buildings packed with people working to live rather than living to work." Our society has become dull and lifeless. We are looking for bigger and bigger thrills to fill the void.

Lucado asks us to look back at our past because "an early strength forecasts a lifelong trait." We often get off track but with a little investigating and detective work, we CAN find our "sweet spot."

He asks a great question. "What makes your pulse race and your eyebrows arch?" Small deeds do make a big difference. Just like ripples in the ocean.

Find your "sweet spot" today and then pass this great book on to someone you love!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

What's Your Worry Wednesday

2010-06-23T22:41:00.001-04:00

Head on over to Homemaker Honey to join in on What's Your Worry Wednesday!

Where we practice 1 Peter 5:7, in casting light upon our worries and in turn casting them upon the Lord

I have two main worries that have been plaguing me lately.

1. Always my children. I worry about them, their safety, their minds, their thoughts etc.

2. Lately I have this sudden worry about my husband. I'm unsure what brought it on (perhaps too many Lifetime Movie Network movies!) but that he will be tempted by another woman. I'm definitely taking this one to prayer because it's unusual for me to worry about this.

Displaying All 4 Featured Results (0.004 seconds)

1 Peter 5:7 NASB - casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Philippians 4:6 NASB - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Luke 12:22 NASB - And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.

Matthew 6:34 NASB - “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Usually I do pretty good with worry. I fully believe that the Lord works in mysterious ways and tend to have little trouble trusting HIM in most matters :-)

My sinful nature!

2010-06-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

Romans 7:15 - I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

I do this. I'm sure we all do. Do you?

Some sins feel a little bit good at first

but they never stay that way

Why on earth do I go back to them over and over again? I know better. I know what is coming. I know to expect the guilt and the disappointment. Why then do I sometimes keep right on trucking down the wrong road?

What does God think? I know he forgives and forgives perfectly. I don't set out to do the wrong thing. I don't plan it and I fight it but sometimes I do it anyway. Doesn't he get sick and tired of my stupidity?

The Bible tells us that he does not. So long as we are sincere in our desire not to sin.

Saint Augustine even said it. "Oh Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet"

That sums it up sometimes doesn't it?

So I pray, I confess and I ask the Lord for help again.

That didn't last long...

2010-06-19T18:04:00.002-04:00

So, I'm feeling that my purpose here is to share my struggles and what I am learning along the way. That was kind of my purpose when I started this blog to begin with. Not so much for people to read (although I love readers!) I've gotten away from that.

So, here goes!

The majority of my posts here are about my journey into the Catholic Church. You can read back if you'd like to see what that is all about. I've been waiting to hear back from the tribunal about my annulment because I was married previously. It looks like that's going to take a while....

Around Easter when my son was baptised I began feeling horrible about attending Mass. I felt left out, I felt unwanted and I felt unsure of myself. I mulled it over in my mind for a while and came to the conclusion that I was throwing a "temper tantrum" at God if you will.

Later I decided that I might enjoy visiting some other churches. I grew up in alot of Baptist churches so I immediately looked for a relatively large Baptist church in the area that would appeal to the kids too. We've attended several times.

At the time I felt led to go there but sometimes I question if it was my fear that led me there. I mean it's a great church. I love the people I have met and the services are very nice. But, I wonder if my fear and my temper tantrum are what let me away.

Who knows? God must because I sure don't!

Last Sunday I overslept and missed service at the Baptist church so I got dressed and headed down to St. Francis. I enjoyed the service immensly. I still get pouty when Holy Communion comes around because I cannot partake. The churches are so different! I do not subscribe to the idea that everyone who goes to a church that is not Catholic is going to Hell. I love both churches very much but in different ways.

::edit 10:04pm:: Just so nobody gets upset at that comment let me say that I don't believe that you must be Catholic to go to Heaven but because of the reaction that I received from many of the people I know I assumed that most did think that. I am finding that is not the case :-)

So, lots more to pray about. I am incredibly afraid to put everything I have into St. Francis only to find out later that I cannot come into full communion with the church anyway. However, I don't want to go elsewhere for the wrong reasons!

It shouldn't be this difficult! lol

Have a great weekend!
Julia

Praying

2010-06-18T15:53:00.003-04:00

I am spending some time praying about the direction of this blog. My life has changed so much since it's conception that sometimes I don't even know what to write anymore. If you are a follower and feel like sharing with me what you have enjoyed (or even not enjoyed) I would appreciate the input.

In the meantime I'm taking a break until I hear something from above :-)

God Bless you all!

Julia

Wifey Wednesday 6/16

2010-06-16T18:08:00.001-04:00

It's Wifey Wednesday again over at To Love Honor and Vacuum!

This week Sheila has picked another tough topic. Basically she is talking about what to do when you have had intimate relationships with someone/s prior to your marriage. How this can affect your marriage and what you can do about it.

I wrote a nice long post and then thought again. I think with any past sin regardless of the nature of that sin you have to do a few things.

1. Get right with God!

You have to get right with God first and foremost. When we confess our sins and ask forgiveness we can rely on HIS grace and mercy to see us through to the other side. When we ask for help and open ourselves up to hearing HiS voice we can start down a new path.

2. Get right with yourself!

The toughest part is forgiving yourself. Often we can forgive others or accept forgiveness but cannot forgive ourselves. We have to move past our past mistakes, our past sins in order to continue to grow. You have a choice here and you are the only one who can make it. It's time to move on. Love yourself, treat yourself the way you would treat your best friend.

3. Get real with yourself!

Asking for forgiveness and forgiving yourself lead to miraculous changes in your life. But, you have to get real with yourself as well! You have to look at those past mistakes, really dig into them sometimes and figure out what the heck was going on. In order to stop repeating the same mistakes we often have to understand why we made them. Then develop a plan to keep us from slipping down that slope again.

pray, pray and pray some more!

You can have a relationship based on biblical principles regardless of your past if you forgive yourself as your Father forgives you.

Remember ladies

You are forgiven

You are loved

and your past does not define you!

Modesty

2010-06-16T15:16:00.001-04:00

I am always amazed by the way God works through people. I have been working on drafting up a post about modesty. My internet is temporarily out of service so I have been using my neighbors wifi occasionally. Every time I do get on to check things.. I see increasingly more and more posts on modesty. I wonder what brought this up to so many women at the same time? Did we all see something that prompted it, hear something that prompted it or is it the workings of the Holy Spirit?

Regardless of the reason, it’s there for a purpose so I’m going to share my story. I will not be posting on the scriptural reasons for dressing modestly but rather just sharing my thoughts and feelings on the issue.

My husband took the family on a trip to an amusement park a few days ago. This was the beginning of my modest ponderings.. I think.

A little over three years ago I lost a significant amount of weight. I went from being obese to normal sized in about a years time. For the first time in my life I felt healthy and I felt GOOD about myself! I felt like I looked attractive and could take on the world. I was blessed with a dream job and began my transformation from housewife to professional almost overnight. I loved shopping! I loved buying clothes that would accentuate my better assets, that made me feel good and that made me feel “powerful.”

Don’t get me wrong here, I wasn’t dressed like a street hooker but I did push the limits for myself. I bought more and more lower cut blouses, brighter and bolder designs. I gravitated towards shapelier fittings and higher and higher heels. It was my goal to look the part, to look better than my co-workers and to get attention. In the sales world, appearance has a big part in your success. I know people will say otherwise but I believe your appearance and your attitude are all it takes! I was in the top 10 in my district every month after my training period until the day I left! I liked the attention and I admit… I liked knowing that people found me attractive.

About a year ago my world began tilting and shifting until I was at the tipping point. I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder and depression. I ended up having to leave my much loved career and with the medication, found the 50 lbs I had lost.

There is a point to this story I promise!

I am still battling daily my panic/anxiety/depression but realized in a conversation recently with someone I really trusted that perhaps had it not been for this new problem I would have ended up in a much more horrible place. I could have easily found myself in a predicament with another man, I could have easily continued to ignore my husband and I could have easily continued to work so much that I rarely spent any time with my children or at home. I could have lost everything so easily! Now, I don’t think I was at that point but I can see now in hindsight how fast I was driving down that curvy road!

So, sometimes I wonder if this was all a gift from God.

So, as we were leaving for Busch Gardens this week, I checked the weather and they were calling for 99 degrees! I quickly donned my white tank top (with built in support) and a pair of blue cargo shorts. We stopped at Walmart to pick up some sunblock and I caught sight of myself in a mirror. I remember thinking… is this how I want to look? I made my way to the womens clothing section and found a stack of shirts on sale for $5. I picked a nice neutral tan colored shirt and headed for the checkout. This was one of those T-shirts that isn’t really sporty but you could wear it with khaki pants if you wanted and it would look just fine. I did wear the tank top in the car for the 2 ½ hour drive but changed before entering the park.

I did not feel self conscious while riding rides and playing games with the kids and probably blended right in with the crowds. I don’t want to teach my children (boy or girl!) that you need that kind of attention. I have really started to rethink many of my clothing choices in the last few months. I’m not ready to go all dresses or to cover my hair all the time but I certainly am seeing changes in my heart and soul.

What about you ladies? What are your feelings on modest dress? How do you dress? Why? Or have you ever even thought about it?

I'm on Team Marriage!

2010-06-11T12:16:00.001-04:00

Love them or hate them, they are here to stay! Marriage and Men that is!

I for one love them! Maybe not every moment of every day but in general for better or for worse I love them! I've posted many times in the last year or so about both topics. I have been on both sides of the debate and have come out with battle wounds on the other side.

I have been on the "what's in it for me" side. I have to honestly say that my time spent on that team was riddled with anxiety. I was angry alot, I was aggravated alot and it was generally unpleasant! I'm lucky that my marriage survived it.

Today I am on Team Marriage and Team Men! I feel so sad when I see commercials, TV shows, movies, books etc that degrade men. Yes, I know that there was a time that women were degraded. But, didn't we learn in school that two wrongs don't make a right? Degrading our men is hurting us. It is hurting our society, it is hurting our children, it is hurting our marriages and it is hurting our futures!

Marriages are becoming socially disposable and leaving hurt and ruin in their wake. Children are suffering and we are suffering for those choices.

We have a choice to make. Just like I tell my children. You can be the change that you want! You can wait for the other side to make a change but why? I saw a commercial once where someone tossed a piece of trash on the ground and hundreds of people walked right past it. Finally someone stopped and picked it up. Were they the one that tossed it? NO. Why did they pick it up? Because it needed to be picked up! Simple.

It's like in my own house. Someone knocks a book off of the TV table... Who knows who did it. It could've been big sister... it could have been little brother... it could have been the dog. Regardless.. someone needs to pick it up! Go ahead! Pick it up for heavens sake!

I chose to be the change I want to see today. I chose to make sure my husbands clothes are ready for work. I even went an extra step and laid out his pants, shirt and socks for him. Why? He works hard every day to bring in the money that our family needs to survive. He works way too many hours and still gets up and goes back every morning. And... because my laundry room is a disaster and it just didn't seem fair to make him navigate the mess to find them! The great thing is.. if I want a soda from the store at 11pm, he will go get me one! If I want him to scratch my back.. he will scratch it! Has it always been this way? No. Will it always be this way? Who knows. But, I'm all in because it takes "all in" to really get it!

Go Team Marriage!

WWE Wrestling - in my front yard?

2010-06-10T21:02:00.001-04:00

This was similar to the spectacle you would have seen in my front yard this afternoon!

It has been a long school year and a long week of getting settled in to a summer routine. My having been sick for most of the week probably didn't help anything. Add into the mix a bit of teen hormones, preteen hormones and a friend who had stayed one too many nights and you have a recipe for disaster at the Dixon house!

I've felt horrible all week. Today I was feeling much better. Not better enough to really go anywhere but functional. The kids wanted to go swimming. I wanted to take them swimming but the thought of swimming with my still clogged ears, stuffy nose and headache made me wary. I talked them into waiting until this afternoon when we could go swim at my mother in laws apartment pool (free!)

We've had a friend of theirs staying over for several nights. Her parents have just separated and we love her like family. However.... it seems when you keep someone too long it really causes trouble!

We were loading up the Jeep and the next thing I know my son (12) and daughter (15) are pushing each other in the driveway! I have never seen my children do anything like this physically! Then there is sunblock squirting all over the place. I finally get them separated and then BAM they are at it again rolling around in the front yard!

Needless to say... our friend went home and we had some quiet time before discussing what they each could've done differently to avoid such an escalation to this confrontation. We had a long talk about family and cleared the air between the two of them.

I've realized a few things today.

1. Being a sick Momma is tough on the kids sometimes
2. Friends are great in small doses
3. I need to pay more attention to the discussions going on around me
4. We need to plan some activities like the library and more pool trips PRONTO
5. We need to spend some quality family time with no visitors

We are going to get a good nights sleep and start over with a fresh slate now and Lord willing we will do it without a stuffy head!

God Bless!

ifellowship

2010-06-10T00:53:00.002-04:00

I found this nifty spot in cyberspace today. Check it out!

Wifey Wednesday 6/09 - AKA Dirty Socks

2010-06-09T20:09:00.001-04:00

It's my favorite day of the week again! Time for Wifey Wednesdays with Sheila over at To Love Honor and Vacuum!

I always look forward to Wednesdays since I found Sheila's blog! This week over at TLHV Sheila is talking about times when we blow it. Meaning, when we wives mess up big time! Now she's talking heavy duty stuff over there today. I'm going to keep it a little lighter!

I have come a long way baby! A long way from denial, perfection and "divahood.' I owe much of this to the wonderful community of Christian blogging women out there! Of course we can't forget a big shout out to the Big Guy upstairs! I know without a doubt that our Father brought me here, brought me these women and perhaps even brought me to someone as well. All of this working and weaving together into a big beautiful tapestry. I'm so glad HE knows what HE's doing!

I was a twit. I am surprised that my mother in law didn't try to kill me and hide my body somewhere! I really didn't know what I was doing when I married her son. I doubt he knew what he was doing when he married me either! He has stood by me through thick and thin, through career changes, mood changes, bouts of feminism and then some!

There was once a time (long long ago) when I refused to wash my husbands socks if they were inside out! Can you believe that!? I am completely serious. I really don't like feet. I really didn't like sticking my hands inside of his dirty old construction wearing socks. Believe it or not... he's still here!

I really think he's so much better at this than I am. He definitely took our vows much more seriously than I did for a while. But, I'm learning.

I have started to learn a little something about humility

I have started to learn a little something about being a help mate

I am learning to put my priorities in order

In doing this I'm learning to say "I'm sorry."

I've been praying alot! Lord, guide my thoughts, words and deeds this day! I need all the help I can get!

1. Admit you have a problem/made a mistake

2. Pray for help and guidance (it never hurts to pray to understand why you did what you did!)

3. Pray for your husband!

4. Apologize. Genuinely, sincerely and without justification!

Simple, I know! Probably not enough advice for the big "I blew it's" but I'm getting there. Lord willing!

Thanks Ladies!

I have to share this!

2010-06-07T15:43:00.000-04:00

I am suffering with allergies and sinuses so bad right now that I can barely talk. However... I made the rounds in the yard today! Look what I found :-)

This cherry tree was transplanted as a baby from our old cherry tree that has been here for years. This baby is just a few years old and already producing the sweetest dark cherries you've ever tasted!!

And then this surprise that met me yesterday morning!

Kevin bought me these Calla Lillies about 15 years ago for Mothers Day. We were visiting my Grandmother near the beach and he was doing some repairs on her house. He picked them up at Home Depot. They were about 5 inches tall and in a tiny little pot. Now we have dozens of them that line the flower bed across the entire front of the house!

I have treasured these flowers and the memories of my Grandmother and of course the sweetness of my husband for years. Price of the pot of flowers = probably about $5.00 then. Price of the joy they have brought me over the years = PRICELESS!

Completing Him Challenge!

2010-06-07T09:55:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to be linking up with Courtney's Women Living Well blog and the Completing Him Challenge! Please join us!

I've included this video where Courtney explains the reason for this challenge (hopefully I embedded it right.) I am so excited to start this one! I am praising God every day that he has brought me to this place where I am seeking the knowledge to become a better wife, to truly complete my husband! I have not always been in this place where I am focusing on his needs. I pray for forgiveness often for the days/weeks/months/years that I was so selfish in my marriage.

Christian Moms and Burn Out (Part 1)

2010-06-06T16:31:00.002-04:00

Burnout: Verb

To become drained, exhausted, fatigued. To get tired, grow weary, run down. To run out of steam, stress out, tire. To wear down or wear out.

A verb is a part of speech generally used to indicate action. It can be used partially for mood or a state of being.
Burn out is a verb because it is happening! Burnout is a state of being and can definitely be considered a mood.

Truthfully, I cannot say with any certainty that Motherhood is tougher than it used to be. I wasn’t around then (before that is.) I hear all the time how much the “times have changed.” There is more stress on our families, our husbands, our children and our communities. If you use this as a scale to measure then it would be logical to think that Motherhood as well is more stressful.

Faith – Our faith is under attack on a daily basis. Perhaps it’s fair to say on a minute by minute basis. Our society has grown away from the Lord, from morals, from values and let’s not forget how far much of our society has grown from just simple courtesy! It’s a full-time job just to try to vaccinate our children against our own country!

Marriage – Much like faith, our marriages are under attack. Marriage is seen as being disposable in our society. The numbers speak for themselves. Marriage is no longer “until death do us part” nor does it have anything to do with “honor and obey” in our society. We must man the trenches in order to protect our hearts and minds from the poison that eats away at millions of marriages.

Household – Technology is wonderful.. right? I’ve read so many studies showing that even with all of our “time saving” technology, we are still having trouble keeping up with the same amount of work our grandmothers did. Yes we can get a letter to someone in another country in a millisecond but it’s awful hard to get a load of laundry washed, dried, folded and actually put away!

There are so many more branches to this conversation. However I believe the most important thing to remember is faith.

Trust in the Lord always!

Pray continuously and without ceasing!

Find other women of like mind to share your journey.

Lift each other up!

Check your priorities. Put them back in order. God first, Marriage second and your Children third.

If you manage your life according to your priority list you should see less stress in your life and more time to grow as HIS daughter. When you have a choice to make about what to do today, I urge you to use the priority list to determine what you say yes to and what can wait until later!

10 things you should know about me...

2010-06-04T09:19:00.001-04:00

1. This is me to the right but I don't completely look like that anymore as I've gained about 30 lbs since I took it ::cries::

2. I am battling an addiction to my laptop. I think some special surgery might be required like the ones they do with siamese twins... very dangerous!

3. I am an

Wifey Wednesday 6/3

2010-06-03T11:02:00.001-04:00

Wifey Wednesday is hosted by Sheila over at To Love Honor and Vacuum

This week Sheila is talking about "Til death do us part."

I had to think about this one for a little while. I have strong feelings about this topic but sometimes they are hard to get out right. I don't ever want to offend anyone or have someone misunderstand me.

I acted out terribly as a teenager. I was very promiscious for several years. I also have been divorced and am remarried.

So, when I say that I think marriage is forever - I feel like a hypocrite! But, I believe it!

I married my first husband when I was 19 and a single mother. I am blessed that I have learned so much from that experience. We were married for 6 months when I left. I don't regret it. I don't regret any of it. I don't regret getting married because I am who I am today because of it. I don't regret the divorce either because I was too young, I didn't know the meaning of what I was doing.

Marriage is not easy. It's not all roses and candlelight. But, it's like wine. It gets better and better with age (if you are a wine person!) My husband is wonderful. It's often hard to think of him as my 2nd marriage because in my heart it's not that way. We've had rough time. We've actually had some REALLY rough times that resulted in so much pain that a marriage counselor once told us that it was a miracle we managed to get through it. But, it gets better with time!

My advice to many women today is to stick it out. 99% of the time it gets better. It's usually not all their fault and it's worth it!

I would never venture to say that divorce is not an option. It was an option for me and is for everyone. However, had I jumped for divorce during the really trying times with my husband I don't know where I would be now! I definitely believe that it's cause to pray. If you are unhappy (even if unhappy comes nowhere near describing where you are!) please pray. I am so glad that I did not give up. I am so happy that I struggled through the really tough times. I am so blessed to be where we are today!

Rick & Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Grub by Rick Burgess & Bill "Bubba" Bussey

2010-06-01T19:16:00.001-04:00

Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey are two well known and loved radio personalities. They love their grub and are now sharing everything they know with their readers/listeners. “Eating is an art.. An event.. An experience,” says Rick and Bubba. So grab your forks, y’all, and come on. There’s eatin’ to do! Let Rick and Bubba show you how!

This book will surprise you with every chapter! From Rick and Bubba’s “Hey you gotta live” diet, biblical reasons to eat meat and surprising insight for servers everywhere. This book definitely keeps you on your feet and the food is delicious! Your mouth will be watering before you even begin to collect the ingredients to dishes like.. Spam ‘n’ Taters, Goat Drop Cookies, Sherri’s Delicious Salmon and Pasta and my personal favorite Bubba’s World-Famous Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!

My kids could eat that every night!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Again with the children!

2010-05-29T11:23:00.001-04:00

I'm still trying to get my thoughts together on this post. I am worried about my children. I'm sure everyone is worried about their children. However, because of my distance from my faith for their entire lives, I feel like I have deprived them. I have failed to teach them things they need to know. I have taught them to be lazy, disrespectful and irresponsible.

The question is.. how do you change that. When your children are 19, 15 and 12.

Thou Art Jules

Reminder for readers!

News!

FOUL!

What's wrong with wings?

Tis the Season to be Busy!

The Clouds Roll Away - Book Review

The Lambs Supper Study Guide - Book Review

The clouds that eat at my soul

The Topkapi Secret - Book Review

The 60 Minute Money Workout - Book Review

Do you cry?

Are we too busy?

Between the Page

Radical - Book Review

Interview with Kandy Siahaya [author of Making Light of Being Heavy]

Adoration

Making Light of Being Heavy - Book Review

Where to buy an apron!

Virtus and Radical

Think Positive!

Is it really Friday!?

Week in review

The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook - Book Review

Emily of Deep Valley - Book Review

Hey Jude!

A WOMAN and HER Workplace - Book Review

Pretty as a picture

Reception - Annointed - Confirmation

Falling short of the glory of God

med update

Birthday Grace

Promise Me - Book Review

Anxiety and I just don't get along!

The Silent Order - Book Review

Love

Nightingale - Book Review and Contest!

First Things First - Book Review

A chicken and a baby?

Lift Up My Soul - Book Review

My Journey to the Land of MORE - Book Review

Yeah, it's not all roses! Marriage that is...

Trains and Chains - Guest post on depression, anxiety and panic

The Preachers Bride - Book Review

When you want to give up...

Thursday 10

More than just a KEY

If I can finish a "bad" book, I can finish a "good" book!

What I've learned about children this week....

Guest posts needed!

To Be Like Jesus - Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke - Book Review

Exiles: A Novel - Book Review

The Annulment verdict is in! Now what?

It has been almost 10 years ago since the time came that I gave up on my marriage. ﻿

Can you help too much?

The One Eyed Monster

A Plan AKA Making God Laugh!

Where Hearts Are Free - Book Review

Weeks end roundup

Her Highest Calling

The Waiting - Book Review with Giveaways!

When Your Brain Gets in the Way

Who you are VS who you want to be

Under A Maui Moon - Book Review

Take Two: My Second Marriage Thrives by Grace

Havah - SPOILER - Book Club discussion

Havah - Book Review

"MOM"s the word

Wifey Wednesday - Did you marry a beast?

U Got 2 Love - Book Review

Is one wife enough?

Why do you stay home when your children aren't little anymore?

The Jesus You Can't Ignore - Book Review

Casting Stones

Wow

Upside Down!

Making my home sing!

Am I better than you?

In search of everything

Leaves on the ground!

It has been almost 10 years ago since the time came that I gave up on my marriage.