Oh, How Thankful!

Over the past six months, we've had a lot to worry about. So much has happened that we have hurt over, that we have lost, that has been taken from us.

But even in all of that, there have been things to be thankful for. I started my list last week, and have much to add to it. Even on nights my mind won't stop long enough for me to sleep, I am still thankful for things. Sometimes it takes me sitting down and actually working my brain to think of them, but when I do, my mood is instantly changed.

So...to continue...

11. Getting to eat lunch with my best friend and her kiddos.

12. Haircuts for both my guys...they were getting a bit shaggy...okay, a lot shaggy. : )

13. Warm enough days to open the windows and fill the house with the smells of spring...if only for a couple of days.

14. A church that has a vision to reach our entire county for Christ.

15. Frozen fruit.

16. Doggy kisses.

17. Food in the pantry...organized and everything. : )

18. Ceiling fans.

19. A husband who knows that one way to bless his wife is to take over kitchen duty every once in a while.

And

20. Through many hours of sweat and grease and friends who volunteer their time and expertise, a truck that is fixed after being off the road for a month (and therefore leaving me without wheels on a regular basis).

Yes, for these I am thankful. : )

Praying Scripture Over Our Boys - and a Giveaway!

Yesterday I introduced you to Brooke McGlothlin, author of Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most. Today I'm concluding my interview with Brooke. Stay tuned to the end, because I will tell you how to win a copy of Warrior Prayers!

What do you see as the major deficiencies in parenting today?

I'm certainly not a perfect parent, and I believe there is SOOOOO much grace for moms, but it really saddens me to see Christian moms falling for all of the latest fad parenting and neglecting to allow God's Word to teach them about parenting. So many women have bought the lie that they can have it all and are so busy "living" that they don't even have time to see what the Bible says about parenting, much less apply it. It's easier just to "trust the experts." Unfortunately, much of the modern parenting techniques only change a child's behavior...not his heart. If we don't reach for the hearts all we're doing is producing little Pharisees, who look good on the outside, but are rotten on the inside (ref. Tedd Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart)

How do you think God has equipped us to be mothers of boys?

I question that nearly every day ;) For me, it's just a simple trust that God will provide me with what I need to mother these boys WHEN I need it. I don't know that God has really equipped me, in the sense that I already posses all I need to be a good mom...if He had I wouldn't need Him. But I do believe that He will never leave me nor forsake me and that when I call on Him, He will come. Some of the worst parenting days of my life have seen me locked in the bathroom, head in hands, begging God to meet me, help me, save me. And He has NEVER failed me. When I stop and ask, He comes. That doesn't mean He always gives me exactly what I want, but He does give me what I need...more of Him.

How have you seen Scripture prayers answered already with your boys?

I've seen God soften their hearts in specific areas over time, but honestly, I think praying the Word over my boys has done as much for me as it has for them. It reconnects my heart in faith that God is able to be true to His Word. It reminds me of what He's truly capable of and that ultimately, He is the one most responsible for the hearts of my sons...the part I play is really so small.

I so love Brooke's heart. Out of her passion for her boys she has written a resource that I see as invaluable. There are so many Scriptures to pray over our sons...multiple verses for each topic she covers.

If you are a mom of a boy (or boys!), you need this little e-book. Unlike reviews in the past, I didn't receive anything for this review. I just fully believe in it.

Brooke is selling her e-book for just $5.97. You can purchase a copy by clicking here. However, you may want to wait until you find out if you win the copy I'm giving away!

For a chance to win a copy of Warrior Prayers, just leave me a comment letting me know why you'd like to win. Are you a mom with a boy? Are you an expectant mom with a boy-under-construction? Are you mom of a girl who will one day marry a boy? You need this book.

There are a few other chances to win. Leave me a separate comment for each. Be sure and leave your email address if you don't have one attached to your profile.

• Follow (or subscribe) to Butterfly Genes
  
• Follow Brooke's blog, A Life in Need of Change
• Like Brooke's Facebook page
  

Thank you, Brooke, for not only sharing your story with me, but for writing this precious book that I know will change the way I pray for my son.

Warrior Prayers

I am so excited! I recently purchased the new e-book by Brooke McGlothlin, Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most. Brooke not only writes for her own blog, A Life in Need of Change, but also writes for one of my favorite blogs, The M.O.B. Society, of which she is co-founder. Today I have the privilege of interviewing Brooke...my first blog interview that involves someone over the age of 11! This is big.

Before I get to the interview, let me say that this book has the potential to change generations. Not the book itself, but implementing what she outlines in it...praying Scripture over our sons in the areas they need it most. As I read the introduction to the book, I was already crying. When I realized she wrote each Scripture out, leaving blanks to add our sons' names, I was toast. She has Scriptures for over a dozen areas of our sons' lives, from obedience and submission to authority, to purity and integrity, to the fruit of the Spirit. I can't read over them for too long right now because I'm going to lunch with a friend and don't want to cry my makeup off. I can't wait to start praying these over my Kiddo.

Beginning April 1, 2011, through April 29, 2011, Brooke will be hosting 21 Days of Prayer for Sons. It is based on Warrior Prayers, and will be an intensive time of prayer for our boys. Like she says on her blog, "It's our hope." Oh, how it is our hope!

Now that you know a little of the e-book, I want you to hear from the author's heart. This is the first part of our interview. Tomorrow I will post the conclusion as well as have something special for you!

First, introduce yourself! Tell us about your family.

In short, I'm your average homeschooling mom, married to the guy I've had a crush on since the 3rd grade. We've been married for almost nine years now and we have two little boys born just 23 months apart.

What prompted you to write this book?

I've asked God for a lot of things in my life. But I never asked Him to give me a prayer ministry. I inherited that when He gave me two strong-willed, demanding, rambunctious, selfish, delightful little boys. I found out very quickly after #2 was born that I couldn't do this thing called motherhood by myself. I distinctly remember one of my first nights alone with them after my husband went back to work (he works shift work). My oldest was crying for my attention. My youngest was crying to be fed, but I couldn't get him to nurse because of the chaos my firstborn was creating. To top it all off, our 80 lb English Bulldog needed to go out. So both boys were crying, the dog was crying and I was crying. I put my youngest in the swing, my oldest in the playpen, leashed up the dog, grabbed my phone and plopped myself down on the front porch, miserable. I called my husband in tears and said "I NEED BEER AND CIGARETTES NOW!" (It's even funnier when you know that I don't really drink and I don't smoke). He brought me a Coke and dark chocolate. It helped. That may have been the first of many times to come that I would find myself walking around my house screaming "HELP ME JESUS!" at the top of my lungs. And so was birthed my desperate prayer life.

Why "warriors" why not just "good guys"?

The term "warrior" may be a tad overused, but I love what it communicates. I'm a passionate person. I believe strongly in things. And more than anything I desire to raise men who will be passionate about Christ, what they believe in, willing to stand up for it, die for it if need be.

I love the thought that we are raising "warriors" for Christ, even though it is NOT easy. I am so thankful Brooke's passion for her own children spilled over to help the rest of us! Tomorrow I will have the rest of the interview and the chance to win a copy of Brooke's e-book!

The Beginning of My List

I have read the first two chapters of Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. If you haven't bought it, go now. Drop whatever you are doing and go get it. And that's just after the first two chapters. Just as a side note, you can purchase One Thousand Gifts by clicking the Dayspring button on my right sidebar. See my disclosure at the bottom of this post.

One thing I have learned is to be thankful. No matter my circumstances. So, even though we are going through a very rough time financially, Kiddo has had strep AND the flu at the same time, and we are down to one car, I will be thankful.

I've wanted to start my own 1000 list for a while. And today is a good day. Just because it's another day I'm alive. So, here goes. I am thankful for...

1. A husband who loves me much more than I deserve.

2. My Kiddo, who loves his momma.

3. An extended family, without whom I wouldn't have been able to survive the days right before and right after Mom's death.

4. The pups.. cute old one and sweet young one. They both make me smile. Even if they do need baths.

5. My church...where I learn to worship every time I step through the doors...where I learn to grow in ministry and stretch beyond what I ever thought I could do.

6. Home...a sanctuary for my family and me when life is too much.

7. Friends, good and best, who love me even when I'm unlovable. And that's a lot.

8. Having the freedom to homeschool my son. Some days it's easier to be thankful for that than others. Heh.

9. This blog, where I can write whatever crazy things come to my mind. And they come fairly often.

10. And I probably should have listed Him first, but I guess it's just a given...how can I express my thankfulness for my beautiful Jesus? Without Him, none of the above would be in existence.

So many times I write what I think YOU want to read. But today, I'm writing for me...a visual reminder of why, even in the hard times, I must be thankful.

You can click the Dayspring link on my right sidebar to purchase One Thousand Gifts. I do get paid a little bit for each sale of the book, but any opinions expressed here have nothing to do with that. I would recommend the book even if I had to pay YOU to buy it.

Tassel Giveaway!

My new blog friend Karen is hosting a tassel giveaway at her blog, Faith, Family, & Fibromyalgia!

Karen and I kept passing each other at Relevant and never got to meet. Hopefully that will change this October and we both get to attend Relevant 11.

Head over to her blog to enter to win one of my favorite tassels ever!

More Than a Sparrow

Today was a snow day. I mean a SNOW day. As in, (you gotta hear this in a movie big voice) SNOWMAGGEDON III: Fear the Frost! Frost Frost Frost...

I crack myself up.

Now, we got nothing like the Midwest did earlier, but for us, this snow storm crippled our area. This is the first time I've been scared for my husband to drive home. I begged him to leave work at 1:45 when I started hearing reports of 5 car pileups and road closings. I wasn't worried about HIS driving...it was all the crazies out there (you know, the ones who have to drop everything and BRING THE BACON!) that I was worried about. A friend of mine said her husband counted no less than 20 cars that had run off the road on his way home from work. A trip that normally takes thirty minutes or less took my husband an hour...which was REALLY good time, considering so many people had hours of driving instead of their normal minutes.

At one point in the afternoon, I had gotten so worked up about him coming home I was almost in panic mode. I had to do something to get my mind off of it, so I trudged outside and fed the birds. I made sure to put some seed on the porch so they would come up to the window where I had been sitting.

Sure enough, minutes after I sat back down at the computer, I could hear the peeping of juncos and white throated sparrows. I looked outside and there were at least three juncos and a sparrow...and I was reminded of the verse that Kiddo was reviewing for Awana this week. I asked him to say it to me, and without hesitation, he quoted,

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7

My heart was immediately filled with peace.

Sound Man returned home without a scratch, and I learned my lesson. As children of the Most High God, we are so much more than sparrows...we are not forgotten...we do not have to be afraid! Thank you, Lord!

Photo of white throated sparrow taken by my friend Lisa L...thanks, Lisa!

In Honor of Sarah Mae's Birthday

Sarah Mae's birthday is today, and she fearlessly posted a Glamor Shots pic of her 16 year old self on Facebook, then invited us all to post our own big hair, boa wearin', glamor shot selves. Mine is not Glamor Shots, but part of my senior pictures...oh, yeah, baby! I am rockin' the red boa!

Happy Birthday, Sarah Mae! Thank you for making me eat my words! Ha!

In need of advice...

I've been wanting to spruce up the place (meaning my blog) for a few months, and I've just now had the energy (or some semblance thereof) to get to it. But, it's far from finished.

I asked my husband to make a new banner for me, and I love it. We're still tweaking it, so it's not completely finished. Hence the disclaimer right underneath it. I'm also trying to figure out how to widen my columns. I might even be inclined to go back to two columns if I can find the right template. There's so much stuff I need to get rid of at the moment. I want to go back to a simple look, and I've already taken off my Facebook thingie. I might put it back on later, but for now, it's out. I'm seriously considering taking the Twitter thing off, too, but I haven't quite made my mind up about that.

I'm just bit tired of the visual mess on my blog. Don't get me wrong, I love the blogs (and more importantly, the people behind them) that I have buttons for, but they might just be more clutter I need to get rid of.

Now, here's where I need your advice. Do you think taking buttons off will improve the look of the blog? What else could I take off that will clean it up? I would love your advice!

I will be posting more in the future, once I get settled in my new digs (or spruced up digs, anyway). I have one post that has been mulling in my head for quite a while. I hope to get to that next week. In the meantime, I'm having a blast reading the Bible in 90 days. More posts to come on that soon. A lot of posts, if my notes have anything to say about it.

Oh, and I got this book this week. Chapter one already has tear-stains on it. Sigh...she always makes me cry; in a good way...most of the time. : )

And because I can't stand to have a post without a picture on it, here's something I've been working on...

That's something else I've been doing. 'Cause my poor Etsy has seen better days. More tassels (and pics!) to come.

Bible in 90 Days - Day 22

This is an updated post - the first one went wonky on me.

Three weeks. I've read the Bible every day, except one, for three weeks. I have never been this consistent. Even reading for quiet times I would skip the weekends because my routine was always different. And you know what? I'm loving it even more now than I was when I started.

There are days when the reading gets long (HELLO? Leviticus and Numbers, anyone?), but I keep at it. Let me share a quote from Amy at Mom's Toolbox...

"Every sermon you hear will be different. Every study you take after this will be more meaningful and yes, I believe that reading at this pace IS more valuable than just completing it all.

When you read at this pace you can see how it all fits together.

When you read this fast you DO remember more than you think

And, when you read this fast, you are encouraged to keep it up and not stop, not give in but keep going, surrounding yourself with His Word."

When I read something or hear something in a sermon now (like Wednesday night one of our pastors preached about Jacob and Joseph - "Hope Deferred") I understand so much more now about why things were the way they were. I am starting to see now how Israel and Judah are becoming two separate countries...I never understood that before. Oh, I heard the "why's" a long time ago (and let them go in one ear and out the other), but now I can SEE it happening.

It's just like Amy said, "When you read at this pace you can see how it all fits together." It excites me so much I want to cry. As someone who grew up in church, I can now see the hand of God moving in the lives of His people more clearly than I ever have before. I also see His heart breaking at their disobedience. Lessons for my life today.

And so, you're probably saying, "Well, good for you! I'm so glad you're doing this!" But I want to encourage you to do it, too. I promise only one thing...that if you stick with it, it will not only change the way you see God's Word...

...it will change how you see God Himself.

Silhouette Giveaway!

In my last post I talked about Traci at Beneath My Heart. Well, not only does she inspire us to get our homes organized, this week she is hosting a Silhouette Electronic Cutting Tool giveaway!

Photo from Beneath My Heart

I have wanted one of these for a long time, but it just wasn't in the budget. Hopefully I'll win! Unless, of course, one of Y'ALL win! Then I'll just have to borrow! ; )

Closet Clean-up

When Traci from Beneath My Heart and her sister, Cyndi, from CyndiSpivey.com/Walking in His Grace decided to collaborate on a January project, I knew I was all in. I met these beautiful ladies at Relevant, and I'm so thankful I got to know them a little bit. I wish it had been more.

They decided they wanted to do a series on organizing...Traci would take the home organization part; Cyndi would take the heart organization. I loved the idea.

This week's Heart post by Cyndi is "Three Tips to Organize Your Quiet Time with God." It's a great post, whether you have never had a quiet time or if you've been having one for years.

"Having a consistent Quiet Time can make a difference in how we handle this journey we’re on."

How true.

For my post, I'm linking up to Traci's half. Her challenge for organizing our homes this week was a closet. Any closet. Linen, bedroom, coat, whatever. I wanted to do my bedroom closet, but that would take so much more energy than I have I decided to do the next one that came to mind: the linen closet. I must give a disclosure here. My linen closet (and my linens, for that matter) is nothing fancy. By far. But it's what I have, and it needs to be neat, so I got to work on it.

Here's the before:

Full closet view
ShelvesFloor

One word. Yuck. We had been shoving stuff in there for who knows how long, never taking the time to really find the correct spot for it. The floor was so full when we'd put a new thing of TP in there we'd just set it down and squeeze the door shut, hoping it would latch. Pitiful.

After doing like Traci did and designating three piles (throw away, sell/give away, keep), it now looks like this:

Top two shelves...I actually was able to completely clean out the left half of the top shelf and put our extra pillows up there (the blue one is a body pillow folded over. And yes, those are hardhats. See, Sound Man has worked in the safety industry for 15 years, and, well, he had access to them, and when a tornado threatens...well, I'd just rather be safe - albeit silly looking- than sorry. I have a GREAT story about Sound Man and the hard hat in a hail storm...for another time). The second shelf is just better organized, plus cleaned out of expired stuff. I used a basket I found on the bottom for corralling sunscreen and extra shampoos and other stuff that tends to get knocked down.

Bottom two shelves. Okay, this looks really pitiful and it looks like we don't have any real towels to our name. But we really do. If you come visit, I promise you will have a towel to dry off with. Currently, our three big, huge towels are in use, hanging on the back of the bathroom door. We have a couple more preventing drafts from sneaking in under drafty doors. Anyway, the point is, this used to be a hodgepodge of towels, hand towels, and bed linens, none of which I knew went with what bed. Now, the towels and other bath linens are on one shelf, and the sheets are on the bottom shelf. I put them in bags I got from Dollar Tree to keep the dust off of them. Even if they are clean, if they're not put up like this, I think they smell like dust and I won't use them. I'm weird.

And the floor. Oh, I can SEE the floor! How nice! Or...well, aside from the '80's carpet, it's nice. And yes, that is a Boppy pillow. Which I will keep forever since not only does it have precious memories attached to it, but it's very useful for my tailbone when I'm in the floor brushing one of the pooches. I fell 15 years ago and bruised my tailbone and it STILL gives me fits. Anyway, I'm so happy to see this. You would not BELIEVE the junk I threw away from down here. It filled a huge bag up!

Ahhhhh...it's so nice to be able to look in there and actually SEE what's there. Especially the floor. And even though it still needs to be painted and the contact paper needs to be changed and the carpet is from the '80's...at least it's clean. So, that makes me happy.

Please click over to see other closet makeovers, some of which will make your jaw drop! Traci's own closet makeover is one of them!

For My Facebook Friends...

You may have noticed I have a Facebook thingie on my sidebar. Well, if you click on it (and hopefully "Like" me) you will see an AMAZING offer. G'head. I dare you.

If there has been a tassel you've wanted, NOW would be the time to visit my Facebook page. Like, NOW. Just sayin'.

I'm "making room" (even though there's really enough "room" for a bazillion tassels) for the new tassels coming down the pike (or is it pipe?), so have at these while you can!

Happy Shopping!

B90Days...A Week Later

Yep, I'm still at it. I'm loving it. I haven't read today yet, but we start the Book of Leviticus today.

After finishing Exodus, my brain was so tired from all the exact specifications about the Tabernacle and the priests' garments...oh my gosh...when I just now wrote those words I remembered a dream I had last night! It was about what the priests wore! I saw one of the priests, but it was in modern day, and I wondered if that same garment had been worn by Aaron (God said his clothes were to be passed down through generations...but I may have read and/or interpreted that wrong). How great is that? That God's Word would so infiltrate my mind that I dream about it? Now I'm really stoked about this!

I have to admit, though, it was hard not to run through it all and "skip" those verses. But as I read, I kept thinking that God had a plan and a reason for all those details...how beautifully He designed His temporary dwelling place - AND made it a picture of His Son! I haven't done Beth Moore's study (A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place) on the Tabernacle, but after reading about it in such detail I want to now.

All that minutia also made me realize that our God is a God of order, of detail. He knows down to the most minute detail of our lives what we are going through...and He has a plan for it. Even though it may not have made for the most exciting reading, it did make me love Him that much more.

If you are reading the Bible in 90 days with me, how are you doing? Is it getting harder to get up early (not that it is for me, or anything...no...not at aaaaalllllll....) to read for 45 minutes to an hour? Don't quit. At the end of this I will be so happy to say that I did it. Not for the sake of saying, "I did it," but so that I will have accomplished something I didn't think I ever could. And so that I will have come to know the Lord better. After all...isn't that the greatest goal?

There are so many other people doing this with me! Visit Mom's Toolbox to read about this journey from others' perspective!

Bring the BACON!

Around Memphis, when there is even the slightest mention of snow, it's like people absolutely lose their minds. Well, it just so happens that our "Winter Storm Watch" has now become "Winter Storm Warning." Here's hoping we get more than the usual dusting.

Can I tell you how ecstatically happy I am that I went to the grocery store Friday? Sound Man is wise beyond his years and suggested that, because they were using the "s" word in the forecast, it would be advisable to go before the crazies get out.

This video, done by Olan Rogers, who lives around here and knows, hilariously explains what happens. You have to watch to the end, though, to understand the title to this post. Enjoy.

I'm Doing WHAT?

Last night I read Erin's blog, Closing Time and as I read, I started to get excited. See, Erin is Reading the Bible in 90 days. I immediately wanted to do it, too. Amy at Mom's Toolbox is heading it up, and I have to say, I'm overwhelmed. There are over 750 people already signed up to do this. What an accountability group!

So, how about you? Have YOU ever read through the ENTIRE Bible? I haven't, and I've been in church my entire life. Even since coming to know Christ, I haven't read it all the way through. If you think (like I did when I heard about it at Relevant) that reading it in 90 days is impossible, it's not. It's about 12 pages a day. What? I can do that!

The more I talk about it the more excited I get. I mean, there will be things that, as a 40 year old Southern Baptist girl, I have never laid eyes on. How cool is that!

I can't wait to see what God has in store for me through this! It's not too late to get started! Today was the first day's reading. You can do it!

Recovery

That's what I want for 2011. Recovery. 2010 has been the hardest year for us, ever.

Yet as much heartache as we've had, we've also seen God move. Mightily. He's never left us.

My precious friend, Jennifer, wrote this song, "Recovery." She sings it on our newest CD, Love.

I would love for you to watch and listen, and maybe find your own Recovery...

"Your freedom spilled out, it was thick and it was loud when the cross was painted with glory..."

Have a very, very Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas!

My favorite video yet...

I LOVE THIS VIDEO! It makes my heart happy for a number of reasons. First, because it is probably the sweetest video of the Christmas story I've seen. And second, because these kids are in New Zealand, and sound very much like my beloved Australia. Thanks to fellow Relevant gal, Mitzi Eaker for swiping it from Ann Voskamp so I could swipe it from her. : )

Hope you're gearing up for a very Merry Christmas!

Out of this World Candy

Last year I posted this recipe on Facebook and thought I posted it here. Evidently I did not, or else Blogger ate it. Get it? Recipe? Ate it? Nevermind.

My step-mom, Margie, usually fixes this candy, appropriately named Out of This World Candy, at Christmas and gives me a tin to share (or not) with the fam. It is my fave-o-rite candy ever. I thought I'd try it this year. As if my rear end isn't big enough.

It's a simple recipe, but boy howdy you better be prepared to stir. When I was mixing the butter and powdered sugar I thought I was going to pull a muscle. I should have used a bigger mixing bowl and it would have been easier. Make sure your bowl is bigger than 8 cups. You could use a mixer, but I'm not sure how a hand mixer would handle the load.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

2 boxes sifted powdered sugar (or 2 lb. bag from Aldi)
2 sticks melted butter
1 small can sweetened condensed milk (I never said this was low-calorie)
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 cups chopped nuts (optional, but not really)
16 oz chocolate or vanilla almond bark for coating (chocolate is best...vanilla makes them almost too rich to finish one! And I'd probably make that 24 oz or so of almond bark...just to make sure you have enough).

Mix first 5 ingredients together and place in refrigerator until firm. Roll into 1 to 2 inch balls (I used my cookie scoop). Melt almond bark in microwave, stirring after 30 second increments. Dip balls using toothpick into coating and place on wax paper until coating is hardened (I just dipped them into the coating with tongs...we were out of toothpicks...go figure).

I promise, you WILL hear the Hallelujah Chorus when you eat one of these.Or maybe that's just the sugar buzz.

No. Way.

I'm gettin' my happy dance ready!

Here's hoping!