Early in 2012 I began a count-up to one thousand gifts. As Ann Voskamp encourages, I recorded at least three things every day I was thankful for. Of course when I started this "personal challenge" my life was an absolute mess with my husband still out of work, a book God led me to write but I was freaking out about self-publishing, and a heart filled with overwhelming emotion and feelings of despair.
Still, I knew God expected me to live ...
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Did you know there are only 40 days left until Christmas? Have you finished (or started) your shopping yet?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hold in your hand THE most in-demand Christmas gift of the year? For FREE!
You know, that sleek piece of technology your kids have been begging you for, your husband is drooling over, and you secretly want for yourself?
Here it is...
Are you ready?
To celebrate the spirit of the season, several other bloggers and I have teamed up to host ...
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I'm pleased to share a guest with you today. Lori Fairchild of Everyday Truth is simply...awesome! She writes a great Christian parenting blog I encourage you to check out. In fact, Lori (and her blog) are listed on my Favorite Places page with a description as to why I love her blog so much.
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My younger daughter has been asking tough questions about God, Jesus and faith lately. She’s nine and she’s trying to wrap her head around the big concepts of God and salvation. She ...
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Goodness, the past month has been crazy busy and exhausting. Have you felt the same way? It's only just beginning too, as we enter into busy holiday season. I pray yours will be incredibly blessed!
Since it's the beginning of November, I thought now would be a great time to share a few updates with you.
We live in Western PA so according to the weather channel maps we were in the Take Action red zone. Well, friends - We survived. We had consistent rain (no downpours) and some 40 mph wind. ...
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"Maybe you need to just take a few minutes to sit down and plan showers into your week (notice "showers" is plural, ahem). Envision yourself clean and all delicious-smelling for your husband and your babes, but especially for your husband. (I promise he'll appreciate it!) Also, for yourself! You know as well as I do that showering makes you not only feel better, but it helps you to be more productive, and motivates you to get dressed."
~ Sarah Mae, Frumps to Pumps
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"Blogging, being a writer mom - it's unbelievably time consuming. A full time job, with little pay. Some wonder why I bother with it. The answer is simple. God planted a passion for writing and encouraging others into my heart and He continually spurs me on. How can I possibly ignore His gifts and His calling? No, it's not easy. It's hard work and rarely do I see proof that the words poured through my fingertips have made a difference. But I trust God put me on this path for a reason."
~ ...
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Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
~ Psalm 84:4
I love going to church with my family. The music is heartfelt and worshipful, prompting my soul to sing out passionately. The sermon often feels as though it was spoken just for me and my circumstance. And the fellowship with other believers warms my heart.
While we are commanded not to rely solely on the church to teach our children about Jesus, but to take responsibility and teach them between ...
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When I think about leaving a legacy, my Father in Law immediately comes to mind. A man of unbelievable compassion, he spent his entire adult life as a funeral director comforting and helping families through their deep heartache and loss.
Going out in public with him was typically a lengthy ordeal, as we often had to wait on him to finish up a chatty conversation with a passerby. He would stop to talk to everyone whether he knew them or not. His warm smile instantly made people feel comfortable and his giving heart was obvious.
I ...
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"I promise that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations.
Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us and as our posterity reads of our life's experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted."
Spencer W. Kimball
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"Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world."
~ Susan Lieberman
I couldn't agree with the above quote more.
Being raised in a broken family where I never celebrated a single holiday or birthday with both of my parents present, and where daily/weekly traditions were non-existent because my mom often had to work two jobs just to make ends meet, left me with an unsettled heart most of my childhood.
...
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10 Ways To Cope Through The Emotional Impact Of Unemployment In Your Home.
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