2009 Book #45 + GIVEAWAY: Miracles by Karen Kingsbury

Are you looking for a nice book for a Christmas gift? Let me recommend Karen Kingsbury's book Miracles.

This is a book of 52 different stories of miracles compiled from five of Karen Kingsbury's other books. Each miracle also includes a scripture passage and two other verses related to the miracle.

I enjoyed reading these miracles. There were all different types of miracles. Many involved unexplainable visits from angels. There were stories of healing, safety, and answer to prayers. It really did encourage me to read this book and see how God is at work all the time around us.

Would you like to win a copy of this book? Hachette Book Group is giving away five copies of this book! Please leave a comment on this post for an entry. Here are the rules: 5 winners, no PO Boxes, US and Canada only.

This would make a great book for you to read or to give as a gift (The publisher is not guaranteeing shipment to receive by Christmas but possibly.) Five winners will be chosen this Friday, December 5.

Have a day of blessings!

Giving Thanks Challenge 2009

I am thankful for...
beautiful fall days,
my husband,
colors of fall,
being able to volunteer,
living in the USA,
being together on Friday nights,
a special day with my boy,
the beautiful voice of my boy singing beside me in church,
being a stay at home Mom,
doctors,
fun family projects for school,
receiving "good mail,"
having fun finding things to pack a shoe box,
food to eat,
singing,
being published in a magazine,
sleep,
Caleb's Thanksgiving program,
joy in my heart,
getting to go to a Casting Crowns concert,
having our family picture made,
small group at church,
lunch with a sweet friend,
traditions,
safe travel,
time with my husband,
seeing my cousins,
yummy leftovers,
Caleb feeling so much better,
upcoming Christmas season,
warm home.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers: Week #48

The verse for this week is Proverbs 27:4--

"Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?"


Do you have any prayer requests to share? Let's remember this week to pray for...

~ Rachel (Kristi's daughter) in her recovery. Praise God for being with her this past week.

~ Cade. I mentioned he was having surgery this past week. He had to reschedule though because he had a cold.

~ our son Caleb. He was sick over Thanksgiving and had his first Rx antibiotic. He is doing better now, we pray that continues.

~ Denise and her health.

Have a day of blessings!

Laced With Grace article

Today I'm over at Laced With Grace. I hope you have time to go over and read my devotional "Planning a Joyful December."

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday:

"Thanksgiving is good, but thanksliving is better." Matthew Henry

Welcome to Thankful Thursday Thanksgiving edition! We are over at Grace Alone again today. I read the above quote in one of my little devotional books this past week and I thought how true that is. I love that we have a day set aside to give thanks. It really is better though to have a life of thankfulness. That's why I'm so thankful for Iris having this meme. Since I've been participating, it has really helped me look for things I'm thankful for in my daily life and to notice all my many blessings.

Today I'm thankful for...

~ my husband's constant love and support. He is so sweet and I love that he makes me laugh. I saw a flair button on Facebook last week that said something along the lines of "You make me laugh when I don't even want to smile." This made me think of my husband. I'm so thankful for him!

~ my sweet son and his creative imagination. I enjoy seeing the new things he comes up with and listening to him play.

~ going to a Casting Crowns concert with my hubby. We really enjoyed them and Matt Redman. I'll be sharing some of their songs in the future.

~ being a stay-at-home Mom. I am reminded over and over reasons I'm thankful and feel so blessed to be able to stay home now even though Caleb is at school.

~ answers to prayer.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian home keepers (November)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

This is the link to last week's question.

Today's question: Thanksgiving is this Thursday. Share your plans. Do you prepare the meal? Do you have a traditional meal? What is your "must have" dish? Is there a special dish you prepare that everyone requests?

My answer: We go to my Mom's house and she does the cooking. She asks us for our requests. I wanted sweet potatoes with marshmallows (this is something I've just started liking), my husband asked for mashed potatoes and pecan pie, and Caleb asked for veggies and "pie" (pie is really fudge, he called it pie when he was little so we still call it that). One thing I often make at Thanksgiving is broccoli salad. I haven't gotten the ingredients, so I don't guess I'll make it this year! I really like the flavor though.

Thank you for coming by and answering the question today. Remember to say a prayer for Rachel and Cade (see Proverbs & Prayers post for other information). They are both having surgery today.

Have a day of blessings!

2009 Book #44: The Well-Behaved Child by John Rosemond

The Well-Behaved Child from Thomas Nelson is a book that helps parents learn how to effectively discipline children. In this book “America’s most widely read parenting expert” John Rosemond discusses the fundamentals of effective discipline and discipline tools for parents to use. He has a chapter on seven common behavior problems--bedtime battles, food fights (this includes things like children refusing to eat), stealing and lying, sibling warfare, refusing to use the potty, tantrums, and defiance.

Discipline is one of those issues every parent struggles with at one time or another. In my opinion this author has some good tools for parents to use to get their children to behave. The main point is that the parents need to make the issue, whatever it is, a problem for the child and not let it become a problem for the parent. For example, repeatedly making threats to the child or getting all worked up over their misbehavior isn’t giving the child any incentive to stop whatever behavior you want stopped. However, if you give a consequence like sending the child to bed early that night for the behavior with no questions asked, then it gives them a problem. They don’t want to go to bed early so then it becomes a problem for them. The author gives examples of parents who have used his methods with success.


I read this book to count towards my continuing education hours. He made many references to parents and teachers working together to solve behavior issues.

I was turned off by this book in the first few pages because the author referred to children as “demon spawn of satan.” I couldn’t believe this when I read this. I would never refer to my child in this way. I have spent time in the classroom and seen a range of children, and I would never classify any child in this way either. I was turned off because of this in the first few pages. Throughout the book the author discredits psychologists and others in the field that they are making incorrect diagnoses for parents regarding children’s behavior problems. It seemed to me that he believes his way is the only way and all others are incorrect. I just don’t believe this. I’m sure his methods do work; I do not doubt that. It just felt all a bit extreme to me in how he presented it and his attitude that came across to me in his writing.


This book was easy to read and the stories he used from parents were interesting. This book gave me ideas of things to try in our parenting. I wouldn’t tell you to go buy this for yourself though. Read it from the library instead if you are interested.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers: Week #47

The verse for this week is Proverbs 26:20--

"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down."

Isn't this such a wonderful nugget of truth? How many problems would be solved if we would just quit adding wood to the fire and keep our mouths shut? This is a good verse to think about this week.

I have some prayer requests to share also. Please let me know if you have any to add.

~ Kristi's daughter Rachel is having surgery on November 24. I'd like to ask you to go by and leave Kristi a comment to let her know you are praying for her and Rachel. It must be hard on her heart as a Mom. I know from reading her entries that she has full faith in God. I'm sure she'd appreciate the encouragement as well.

~ our personal friend Amy's son Cade is having surgery this week on November 24 as well.

~ Orion's family as they have their first Thanksgiving without him.

~ our troops and their families. Let's never forget to pray for them.

~ safe travel for those traveling on Thanksgiving.

Thank you for visiting today for Spiritual Sundays. I hope you have a wonderful week full of thankfulness!

Have a day of blessings!

2009 Book #43: Chrisitianish by Mark Steele

I've finished another book. This is one I've been working on for a while. At times it was harder for me to read through. I guess I just had to be in the right mood to read this book for it to hold my interest.

The basic message of this book is that as Christians we aren't always truly following Christ. Saying we are Christians and actually following Christ are not the same. We may think we are following Him when in reality we are not. Often we just sort of go along and do all the things we think are "right" without following Christ. Too often we get caught up in programs or rituals instead of a relationship. This is not being a true example of Christ to the world. The author gave many examples and stories from his own life to make his points.

One quote from the book that I liked was this on page 44: "The world is looking for Jesus, but they don't know they are looking for Jesus because they believe they are looking for truth. You and I know that truth is Jesus. But them? They do not know that truth is Jesus because you and I are supposed to be Jesus--and you and I couldn't look less like truth."

This was a good book for the most part; I just had trouble focusing on it. It did not hold my attention too well. I thought the author has a good point though. Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: Life

Today for Thankful Thursday we are over at Grace Alone. Iris is using the theme life for this week.

I am thankful for life. Some people in our world don't put a priority on life anymore, and that is sad to me. Whether the life of the unborn, the elderly, or your own life, life is something we are given by God. It is a true gift. We need to cherish that life. Maybe you don't have the circumstances you wish you did but at the same time you need to be thankful for the life God gave you.

This week I am also thankful for...

~ lunch with my husband. We both look forward to our lunch dates.

~ my well son. He is still coughing some but is better. We're so thankful.

~ being able to go watch school programs.

~ chilly nights and mornings cuddled under warm blankets.

~ emails from friends.

I hope you are having a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting today.


Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian parents (November)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is the link to last week's question.

Today's question: What Thanksgiving memories do you remember from childhood or do you have with your own children?

My answer: As a child I remember making a "thankful picture" every year. Now I do that with Caleb. We have progressed through the years in how we did this. At first I cut things out of magazines that he liked at that time and we put them on paper. I think it is a good thing to take time to talk about thankfulness with our children.

I look forward to your ideas.

Have a day of blessings!

That is what God wanted...

I am beginning to read the book of Colossians, and this verse jumped out at me...

"From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy, our brother." Colossians 1:1, New Century Version

Here it is in NIV...

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother." Colossians 1:1, NIV

The part of this verse that stuck out to me was "because that is what God wanted." God wanted Paul to be His apostle so he was. It was part of God's will for Paul to go from the persecutor of Christians to His apostle. In a book I'm reading called Christianish by Mark Steele (I'm almost done with it and will post a review soon), the author talks about how we just try to fit into positions or jobs because that's what we want and we don't really stop to see if that is where God wants us.

I was thinking about how this applies to my life. How can you fill in the blank?

I am a _________ because that is what God wanted.

For me the blank could be filled by any number of things.....Christian, wife, stay-at-home Mom, friend, writer, reader, volunteer.

What about you? How do you feel about what you put in that blank? The important thing is to ask yourself is this answer how God would fill in the blank right now? Do you accept that this is the position or place that He has for you now? Or are you trying to put something in that blank because it is what YOU want right now and not really what He wants for you?

Obviously, some of these roles stay the change, but I think as we go through seasons in our life these roles may change. God may want us in different roles and positions to give us opportunities to use our gifts for Him. We need to be open to these changes. Something I've been reminded of recently is just because others may think they have the answer to how I need to fill in my blank, that isn't really someone else's choice for me. I don't have to worry about not filling my blank with whatever role they want to put on me if it is not what God wants for me right now.

What are you doing today because that is what God wanted?

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers Week #46

Today's verse for this week is Proverbs 25:28--

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."


Do you have any prayer requests to share this week?

Please pray for the following needs:

~ Kristi's daughter Rachel and her upcoming surgery on the 24th.


~ Cade, a little 1 year old who is having surgery on the 24th also.


~ Luke, collapsed lung.


~ my sweet Caleb. He ran a high fever on Saturday. If you didn't read my Thankful Thursday post this week, I'll tell you what is going on.....When he got home from school Tuesday, he had a high fever. We took him to the doctor and he did test negative for the flu. The fever was mild on Wednesday and Thursday he started acting more like himself. Friday he felt well and went to school. Saturday morning he acted okay. He woke up early and was getting grumpy so I had him lay down by me and we slept a while. When he woke up, we noticed he felt warm and he had a high fever. We monitored it all day, and he spent most of the day on the couch. He was up a lot in the night but had no fever. This morning he acts totally fine. So we're praying for wisdom to know what to do and how to treat him.




Have a day of blessings!

Thinking about fears....

I received this email recently. I'd never read it before I don't think. I thought it had a lot of truth in it and wanted to share it. I do not know the author. I looked it up online and didn't find out either. Does this sum up any of your fears?

MY FEARS

I feared being alone...until I learned to like
myself.

I feared people's opinions...until I learned
that people would have opinions about me anyway.

I feared failure.....until I realized that
they are only the stepping stones to success.

I feared rejection ....until I learned
to have faith in myself.

I feared pain...until I learned
that it is necessary for growth.

I feared the truth....until I saw the ugliness
in lies.

I feared life...until I experienced
that it depends solely on my attitude.

I feared death....until I realized
that it is only a beginning.

I feared hate...until I saw
that it was nothing more than ignorance.

I feared love....until I realized that
I do need the other person to love me back.

I feared ridicule....until I learned
how to laugh at myself.

I feared success ... until I learned
that it is okay to be the best I can.

I feared growing old....until I realized
that I gained the beauty of wisdom every day.

I feared the dark...until I saw
the beauty of the stars and moonlight.

I feared the past....until I realized
that it can only hurt me if I allow it to do so.

I feared the future....until I realized
that it is only this moment that matters.

I feared change.....until I saw
that even the most beautiful butterfly had
to undergo a metamorphosis before it could fly.
(Author unknown)
-------------------------------------------


Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: Military/veterans

I'm glad to be able to participate in Thankful Thursday. Our hostess this month is Iris at Grace Alone and we'd love to have you join us in giving thanks. Today our theme is military/veterans.

I'm thankful we have Veteran's Day to remind us how much we have to be thankful for. I am thankful there are so many men and women who daily put their lives on the line for our freedoms and safety. I can't even begin to imagine their sacrifices or those of their family members.

Today I'd like to include a portion of the memorial service honoring the 13 lives who were lost in the senseless tragedy last week at Ft. Hood. When I heard the roll call, it made my heart sad. Then to hear the playing of Taps made me think of Peepaw and his funeral.




This week I'm also thankful for...

~ my wonderful husband being so helpful this week, especially on his day off. He is such a loving Daddy. I'm so thankful I had his help. He knew I was running out of energy and needed sleep and was so kind to send me back to bed!

~ my sweet boy. The past week he's had allergy problems and then Tuesday he came home from school burning up when I touched his little face. He fell asleep on me immediately after school. We took him to the clinic and got him seen quickly (thankful for no line!). He tested negative for the flu. He didn't have a high temperature Wednesday but wasn't his normal self. I'm thankful for him and his health and how he makes me feel so special when he needs me and wants me in his time of sickness.

~ comfy couch to rest on with my boy.

~ the wonderful school district we have here. I feel blessed to be able to get to know the principal, teachers, and other staff members.

~ laughter.

Have a day of blessings!

Veteran's Day

I'm late in posting today but I did want to say I'm thankful for our soldiers and their families. They do so much for us and make so many sacrifices. I'm thankful for those serving now and those who've served in the past. I'm glad we have this day to remember and pay tribute to these heroes.

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian spouses (November)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is the link to last week's question if you want to check out the verses others shared about thankfulness.

Today's question: Share a reason you are thankful for your spouse.

My answer: I'm thankful my husband supports me in what I do as a stay at home Mom. He is understanding and always willing to help out with something around the house if I'm not feeling well. He is such an encourager and I'm thankful for that too.

I look forward to reading your answers.

Have a day of blessings!

2009 Book list #43: Mothering Heights by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton

Mothering Heights: A Novel Approach for Christian Mothers by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton is a new novel from Judson Press that I'm happy to share with you.

From the website:
This encouraging book uses the charm of timeless literary works and the wisdom of the Bible to reconsider what is seen today as a classic role.


My thoughts:
I found Mothering Heights to be an enjoyable book that was easy to follow. Each chapter is titled after a classic literary work, such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Great Expectations. A few quotes are used from these books throughout the chapters. One thing I appreciated was the comments from mothers relating real experiences to the information discussed in the chapter. Each chapter ends with a short list of questions. One of the chapters I enjoyed was about the expectations we face as mothers...expectations of our spouses, our children, others, ourselves and God. What I learned from this book was to be reminded of my role as a Mom is valuable even in the tasks that seem menial at the time and taking care of my family is a way I can serve God right now. This book was encouraging to me, and I would recommend it to other Mom's. It seems it would be a valuable book especially for new moms to read so they will realize that they are valuable and what they are doing is important. We all need to be encouraged from time to time and reminded of our purpose. This book does that.

Thank you to Kim Shimer at Judson Press for sending me this book for review. You may purchase it at this link.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers Week #45

The verse for this week is Proverbs 25:27--

"It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor."

Do you have a prayer request this week? Here are some I'll be remembering in prayer:

~ all those involved with the tragedy this past week at Ft. Hood.

~ Wills. This is a guy in his early 20s who is battling cancer.

~ Jo, the lady at our church with bone cancer. It was so nice to see her sitting behind us at services this morning.

~ Lana, Marsha's granddaughter.

~ H, a request shared by Marsha, go read about this young girl who needs our prayers right now.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Have a day of blessings!

Pack a shoe box!

Are you going to pack a shoe box this year for Operation Christmas Child? I wrote about this last year and wanted to remind you it is that time again. It always seems to sneak up on me that it is time to get the shoe box ready. Caleb will help pick things out for ours.


If you have never filled a shoe box for a child and you're wondering what I'm talking about, please go to the Samaritan's Purse website to find out more about Operation Christmas Child. The website will tell you what to put in your box and where to drop it off. The collection dates this year are November 16-23.


Have a day of blessings!

Giving Thanks Challenge

You may have noticed a new link in my side bar to the 2009 Giving Thanks Challenge. Earlier this week I started seeing the 30 day thankful challenges on other blogs and remembered I participated in this thankful challenge last year. Each day I will be adding something new to my list.

It's not too late to start if you want to participate. Visit South Breeze Farm for more information and to visit others who are participating in giving thanks this month. Here is my list from November 2008. It was fun for me to see what I felt thankful for last year at this time!

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: Trials

Today for Thankful Thursday we're over at Grace Alone with Iris. The theme is trials. Are you thankful for trials? We all face trials. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are in life. We each have our own sets of trials. I see some of the trials people I know are going through and am amazed at their strength and determination in the midst of such hardship. There is a man at our church who has many physical difficulties and limitations, yet he is at services every chance he gets, and he also volunteers at the food pantry. He makes jokes and makes everyone laugh when he's there. He doesn't focus on his trials, he is a source of encouragement for many.

Thinking about trials tonight I realized that your trials aren't the same as mine. We each face different trials, but for each one, God has a purpose. As Christians we have to realize this. There is a point for the trials you are facing. It's hard to see in the middle of the trial, but they are all part of God's plan. Remember that!

I'm thankful that God uses various trials to bring us closer to Him, to teach us lessons we wouldn't learn otherwise, and to bring glory to Him.

This week I'm thankful for...
~ my cute husband. He did well on his speech he did on Wednesday in Dallas. He had to fill in for his boss at the last minute and did great. (And he looks really cute all dressed up in his suit!!)


~ my sweet boy. He was so excited this week to go back to school Tuesday night for a family fun night they had with pizza for supper and little games and activities for us to do. His excitement made my teacher heart happy!

~ reading all the thankful posts in November. I've seen many different posts of thankful challenges for the month of November. It is encouraging to read these.

~ money for groceries. When I go to the store and come home with the food,I'm thankful to be able to put food in our pantry and freezer.

~ being able to be a stay-at-home Mom. This is something I'm continually thankful for and I am continually reminded of the blessing this is for me and our family.

I hope you'll stop for a minute today to give thanks. Even in the trials...
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance...." James 1:2, 3 NIV

Have a day of blessings!

SCC's new release

Steven Curtis Chapman's new album "Beauty Will Rise" was released on Tuesday, November 3. I'd heard one of the songs ("Heaven Is the Face") previously on the Internet and was looking forward to hearing the rest.

As I expected, this is another wonderful album from SCC. These songs are clearly written from the heart of a Daddy's struggle after losing his little girl. Most of you probably know their daughter, Maria, was killed in a tragic accident May 21, 2008.

I've seen SCC in concert twice since then. I clearly remember one thing he said as he spoke about that day. At the time of the accident he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to sing again. He had to ask himself if he really believes the words to the songs he's been writing and singing all these years. He came to the conclusion that yes, he does believe and they aren't just words to him. In the songs in this album he clearly has questions but you can also see his hope and his faith that he will see Maria again.

I feel like these new songs will bless many who are walking through their own difficulties. The questions and doubts are real but the faith is God is real too. At this time I can't really choose a "favorite" song to share from the album. The lyrics of several of them touched my heart. I will share these in future posts though.

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian women/men (November)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is the link from last week's question.

Today's question: Share a favorite verse on thankfulness.

My answer: There are so many but here is one: 2 Corinthians 9:15--"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Hope you'll share a verse and encourage us today! Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: A love letter to my husband...

Want this button?

My wonderful husband,
I want to take this time to tell you (and the world I guess!) of my love for you! Today we have been married for 8 years and 5 months. I remember in our dating days how it thrilled me to see an email from you in my inbox, and even today I feel the same way. It makes me smile when you send me an email or leave me a note. You are such a wonderful husband. I'm thankful that you love God. It thrills my heart to see you growing and becoming more like Him. I'm thankful that you are my best friend. You know me so well and that gives my heart such comfort. I'm thankful that you make me laugh. It feels good to talk and laugh together late into the night when we should be sleeping! I'm thankful for the ways you help me be a better person. You help me see things from a different perspective and I appreciate that. I'm thankful that you spend time with our son and he has such a wonderful role model to follow in you. You are so important to his life and he loves you so much! I'm thankful for your financial wisdom. You bless me by the way you are wise in our finances. I'm thankful that you know when I'm hurting and you care. You always know what to say and how to make me smile. I'm thankful God gave you to me! You are the best. Love, Bethany

To my readers, Thank you for visiting my blog today. Join us for Marriage Monday by clicking on the button above.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers Week #44

This week's verse is Proverbs 24:11, 12:--

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?"

This is a longer verse and really more of one to make you think. It's made me think anyway. When I was reading through Proverbs to choose the verses for this year, this verse made me think about those babies who lose their lives to abortions. It just really spoke to me that my voice does matter, and I should speak up to protect the lives of the innocent. This is just what it made me think of as I read it. You may think of others you need to help who are "being led away to death."

Do you have any prayer requests this week?

Please remember the following in prayer:

~ Orion's family. They plan to have a private ceremony this week on the one month anniversary of Orion's death where they will plant a tree and bury his ashes.

~ Jo, a lady at our church. She thought she had a kidney stone and at the hospital found out she has bone cancer.

Thank you for praying with me.

Have a day of blessings!