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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Road Trip
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Monday, October 26, 2009
Authentic Friendships
Healing Choices: Authentic Friendships
By Rick Warren | Thursday, October 22, 2009 | 2:12 PM EDT
From PurposeDriven.com
“But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
In Biblical fellowship, we should experience authenticity.
Authentic friendships are more than superficial, surface-level chit-chat. They involve genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing.
These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
Unfortunately, this level of authenticity and intimacy is the exact opposite of what we find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, we often become involved in pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. We begin to wear masks, keep our guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in our lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.
It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:7–8 NCV).
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.
Why would anyone take such a risk?
Because it’s the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG).
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Human Contact in a Facebook World

While I love staying in touch with friends and their day-to-day lives, my close friends will continue to be close friends whether or not I am on the Internet. While I furiously surf the web and update my Facebook status, I wonder what I might be missing of greater importance. Like investing further in the lives of the people who share the same house as me--the children who are watching cartoons behind me while I'm trying to find friends from high school on the computer. Or, more importantly, spending time with my husband! My son recently asked me "how come you're always on the computer mom?" Whoa, that's a wake-up call! How often do I tune out the people I love the most and instead choose an empty relationship with online people I don't really know?
Does that mean I will no longer blog or jump onto Facebook? NO! It just means that I'm finding some irony in my choices...and the choices of others. How easy it is for us to think we have deep and meaningful relationships with complete strangers or people whom we've never met in person--all through the internet or email. What a easy place for us to hide--we can be whoever we want to be with people we don't really know, people we don't talk to face-to-face. They don't have to see the yuckiness of our own lives. Yet, on the other hand, I see some some people think it is completely okay to spew their personal relationships and private details all over blogs and Facebook--what are they thinking? What happened to privately seeking help professionally or through true friends verses the public forum of 400 facebook "friends?" I am rambling...but here is the article that is really worth reading...
We still must have human contact
Two girls from Australia were recently trapped in a storm drain. They had a cell phone with them that had a connection. The two girls chose to update their Facebook pages to convey their status as being stuck in a storm drain and in need of help. They never used the cell phone with a connection to actually place a call for help.
Ridiculous, but it raises the question about how social media are changing not only the way we communicate, but what we communicate.
The other day, I was on my Facebook page while at work during my usual post-lunch motivational delay. During that time of day, most posts from at-home parents are about the need for nap times and most posts from those at work are also about the need for nap times. But on this day, one of my Facebook friends, a woman I went to high school with (but was not close to then nor now) put up a string of posts just minutes apart outlining that her husband took their baby and left her. The angst of the posts struck me deeply. Watching her self-worth diminish through her string of comments set off my internal alarms. This woman was not in a good place. She needed help, but her other Facebook friends were responding with superficial responses about getting a drink or a better husband. Only one or two responded they would pray for her. But they were all posts. Given the short timing, I did not get the sense that anyone was calling this person.
I was truly concerned for her well-being and safety. I considered all the options. Did I want to call her? That seemed an intrusion, and, regardless, I did not have a phone number. Did I want to post a serious response on her page? That seemed more of an addition to the problem. Finally, I sent her a private e-mail through Facebook stating I was concerned and giving her a list of area counselors who might be able to meet with her on short notice.
After agonizing about this exchange, her next posts within 30 minutes were the following:
* He’s at his parents
* I’m in carpool line and about to run out of gas. Great.
Someone responded they should get their children together for a playdate. Nothing else was said.
A few days later, a post appeared that she and her husband could get through anything together if they stayed a team. By the end of the whole saga, I was not sure what most horrified me—that Facebook was her chosen medium to announce the breakdown of her marriage, the casual and playful responses of her other Facebook friends, or that the whole incident was treated the same as my post that sneezing while your mascara’s wet makes for a bad start to a day.
Would this woman have really walked into a room of 400 friends and acquaintances and made the same proclamations? Would they have responded like they did online if she had? I don’t think so, I think the safety (and distance) of the computer erases emotions and emotional growth.
It’s easier to text someone you know at a social function than speak to someone you don’t. It’s easier to send back a quick and angry em-mail than to call to resolve a conflict. It’s easier to post a critical comment than to engage in actual conversation. In taking these easy ways out, we are losing the ability to learn how to govern ourselves—both in real public and in public forums like the Internet.
The electronic exchanges fail to establish a set of social norms that translate to in-person contact. Were those same exchanges to take place in real time in front of a group of others, the room reaction would dictate future behavior….
We need to ensure that those coming of age in this instant-messaging era still know how to communicate well and in person. The computer screens and cell phones provide a layer of protection when 'speaking' out and lack of regulating feedback.
Ultimately, I believe in her anguish, my Facebook friend was reaching out for comfort in the only way she knew how. How sad, though, that the first thought for a connection was through the Internet. Electronic hugs have not been invented.
Crying on your computer just makes it wet. Human contact is still a necessity and, perhaps, even more so in this electronic age.
--Abigail Lounsbury Morrow The Birmingham News September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
The Sacred Path

We have all faced such moments--times when we recognize anew that we are called to a journey that will shape us and change us. The journey has the potential to heal us or harden us. It will harden us if we attempt to do an end run around the desert, valley, or craggy peak where God compels us to walk. It will soften, break, mold, and heal us if we choose to take sorrow and suffering by the hand and walk by faith into the damage of our past, the struggles of the present, and our fears of the future.....
God promises us redemption, but his sacred path leads us away from safety, predictability, and comfort. Any attempt to fly over the dangerous terrain or make a detour to safer ground is doomed because it will not take us to God. Instead, it leads to a host of other idols that can't provide us with the confidence of faith, the dynamic of hope, or the passion of love we so deeply crave.
Space & Rocket Center
Camping
Barons Game
Monday, August 24, 2009
Getting My Feet Dirty

I climbed over a chain-link fence this summer--bare footed. My toes frantically tried to grip the wobbly metal like monkey fingers. My brain thinks I am still young and lithe, like a panther. Yet, my body does not jive with my brain's assessment. I am sure the sight of a 36-year old mom quavering on top of a fence was comical to anyone passing by. Thankfully I made it to the other side of the fence safely, yet very ungracefully.
As a child, I ran barefoot all summer long. I remember the gentle tickle of grass on my feet as we ran barefoot playing hide and seek, tag, and red rover with neighborhood children. And I remember the heat of the
I loved my messy, sticky, wild and adventurous childhood. Therefore, it would seem logical that I would want similar experiences for my children—squishing barefoot through mud, climbing treacherously high trees, having sticky fingers and feet all day long. Yet, my agenda includes safer things, neater things—like soccer lessons, ballet, or playing in the driveway (no mud there).
One of the things impressed upon me this summer was how the Lord often places people in our lives to shake us up a little.
I was shocked as my friend’s children happily jumped barefoot into the muddy little creek. My friend did not bat an eye—she was not whipping out hand sanitizer or forbidding them to explore the creek. In fact, she was encouraging it! I stood on the little bank of the creek wondering, WHO is this woman? Her son waded into the depths and caught tadpoles and a crayfish. Her daughter got her shoe stuck in the muddy water. My friend patiently dug through the mud to retrieve the shoe and then rinsed it in the creek water. She then patiently tended to my daughter who was covered in mud and crying. I just stood to the side trying to avoid the mud and diligently watching for snakes in the murky water.
We were all covered in mud by the end of our excursion, but we washed off in the creek as best as we could. We were sweaty and muddy and still had to walk quite a way to get back home—pulling a wagon of children, a bucket of tadpoles, and at least one child who was crying most of the way (my child). Adding to the adventure, we climbed the fence on the way back into her backyard-- the wobbly fence that almost cost me my life and a few toes.
After we got back to her house, we rinsed off again--this time with a water hose and soap. We scrubbed little feet one after the other unable to eliminate the mud stuck in toe crevices and under toenails. My precious friend then served us dinner. I don’t remember everything we ate, but I think there was a delicious salad somewhere in the mix. More importantly, I remember feeling loved and encouraged and alive. As the breeze gently blew through the screened-in porch, I could hear the muffled laughter of our children wafting through the air and a dog barking in the distance.
After dinner, I watched in amazement as my friend grabbed a container of gasoline and proceeded to make a bonfire in the backyard. Again, I was stunned and wondering WHO is this person? Ironically, our daughters were in the same ballet class. I had no idea that Moms scaled fences, waded in mud, or could use a gasoline can to start a fire.
We roasted marshmallows and made s’mores as the sun set. And I was truly thankful for the wonderful love that my Savior has for me--through a friend giving me and my children a night of adventure and surprise. And how He used it to rekindle the flame of adventure in my own heart—a desire to put away the hand sanitizer every now and then and let my children be wild and messy and free. Heck, I may even get a little wild and get my feet muddy too!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Back to school sale - Ecostore USA


You have got to check out this AWESOME BOGO sale at ECOSTORE USA!!! This is a great time to stock up on affordable eco-friendly products!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Winner Winner Winner Winner!

I used the random number generator to select a winner for the Eco-Friendly Giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA and the WINNER is:
Entry #89 - Courtney Stoffel
CONGRATULATIONS COURTNEY!!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Little Chefs
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Eco friendly giveaway! Win $25 Gift Certificate to ECOSTORE USA!

Ecostore USA contacted me to review some of their products. I was happy to take them up on their offer to send me free products! I am also excited to announce that I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA. These products are truly wonderful! As a mom, it is nice to find a company that offers chemical- free products at affordable prices! Ecostore's product line includes household cleaners, body and baby care, and pet products--all plant-based and chemical free! I have loved using Ecostore's coconut soap and baby shampoo. The coconut soap has gentle coconut milk and strands of coconut that helps exfoliate and replenish the skin. I was pleasantly surprised the bar of soap easily worked into a rich moisturizing lather, unlike many other eco-friendly products on the market. Likewise, their baby shampoo is very rich and worked into a nice lather, leaving my child's skin feeling very soft. I am so excited to have found such cost-effective and quality products without compromise the health of my family or the environment! See below to enter the contest to win a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA.
HOW TO ENTER:
1) Visit Ecostore USA's website and view their line of products
2) Leave a comment on my blog, including your email address and 2 products you'd like to have from Ecostore's product line
It's that simple! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. The winner will be chosen by random drawing on July 31, 2009. You must be 18 or older to win and a resident of United States.
You can also follow Ecostore on their blog and on Twitter
Snakes, Water Park, and Ice Cream
Saturday, July 4, 2009
4th of July
The "Battle at Bull Run" monkeyball tournament...I won 3 games--congrats to Kevin for winning the whole thing!Blueberries
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Our week
Paging Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton!
The hospital was one of their favorite places at the museum! They loved it & I could hardly get them to leave!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Gigi Party

We love Sheila Walsh's Gigi series of books and DVDs at our house! MG watches one of her Gigi DVDs every night before bed. I love that the focus is on being God's little princess and how Gigi is loved dearly as His daughter. Gigi is not some fairy-tale princess that is perfect. Like all of us, she is flawed and has things go wrong in her little-girl world. Our local Christian Bookstore had a Gigi Princess Party this weekend and we had to attend! Sweet and Sassy was there painting fingernails and giving the girls' hair a "princess bun." Here are some pics.
Check it out!!!

Check out this awesome opportunity to win the new Oreck Halo vacuum cleaner at the Short Pump Preppy blog. I have been drooling over this vacuum cleaner and would love to have one of my own! Not only does it have a HEPA filter and amazing cleaning abilities, but it also has a really cool UV light that kills germs and bacteria. Go check out the blog to find out more about this neat vacuum and enter for a chance to win!















