Category Archives: Uncategorized
LinkedIn password change confirmation
LinkedIn Hi Andy, You’ve successfully changed your password. Thank you, The LinkedIn Team This email was intended for Andy Losik. Learn why we included this. © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
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Reset Your LinkedIn Password
LinkedIn Hi Andy, Changing your password is simple. Please use the link below within 24 hours. https://www.linkedin.com/e/rpw/13684353/?hs=true&tok=0FN9nsG8zkPlk1 Thank you, The LinkedIn Team This email was intended for Andy Losik. Learn why we included this. © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin … Continue reading
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On to Bigger and Better things!!
Friends and Faithful Readers!! I write this with a sliver of sadness… but an overwhelming sense of purpose and hope. After two years of calling this place home, I’ve started a NEW BLOG called “Girl Meets Paper” which I hope … Continue reading
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A NEW PLACE TO SHARE!
Friends, it is going to be an exciting week around here! Today I’d like to invite you to visit my new blog, The Unofficial Homeschooler. This is the place where, from now on, I’ll be sharing creative ideas to try at … Continue reading
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O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Not many songs bring me closer to the cross than this ancient hymn penned by a shrouded, unknown figure and set to music sometime in around 1600. Bach himself composed the harmony, but the text is what tears at my heart. … Continue reading
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Family Friday: Supporting Adoptive Families
Ever since my husband and I went to Zambia, Africa in 2004, my heart has remained softened to the hearts and faces of countless orphans awaiting families to call their own. And while the Lord first imprinted my heart on … Continue reading
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A New Kind Of Chore Chart [and a Freebie for you!]
Moms, if you’re anything like me you’re always trying to figure out new ways to motivate your kids to help, hold them accountable, and land on an appropriate reward or compensation. Do we pay an allowance? Do kids work on … Continue reading
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5 Easy Ways To Use Notes With Your Kids
I’ve told you before that I love paper in all forms. In fact, next month I’m looking forward to a blog makeover, and my name will change to Girl Meets Paper to reflect my love of writing–and because I use … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Family, Family Activities, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged communication with kids, gift, greeting cards, Hallmark, Holiday, Mail, notecards, notes, Paper, Staples, United States, United States Postal Service, Valentine's Day
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Great Minds and Lost Souls
Last month our family swam through years of history together, dodging slave traders and rabid dogs courtesy of the pages of a Harriet Tubman biography. We spent evenings imagining how cold and frightening it would have been to slink through southern … Continue reading
Posted in Compassion, Deep Thoughts, Discoveries, Faith, Family Activities, God, Heartbreak, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Social Justice, Uncategorized
Tagged Dancing on the Ceiling, Dorchester County Maryland, Harriet Tubman, Lionel Richie, Lionel Ritchie, Moses, North Star, Slavery, Underground Railroad, United States
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OWL MOON Winner!
My, My! What astute readers have I! Last week Friday I shared a fun family idea and opened a contest to those of you who could correctly identify the name of the audio book our family listened to. All entrants … Continue reading
Posted in Book Lists, Book Review, Contest, Discoveries, Education, Family, Family Activities, Family Friday, FREE BOOK, Giveaway!, Home, Kids, Kids in School, Literature/Books, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Play, Things I Love!, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged audio books, Blog Giveaway, Book Giveaway, Caldecott Award Winner, Contest, family activities, FREE BOOK, Hardware random number generator, Jane Yolen, Owl Moon
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Morning by Morning
This past week while I was stuffing my pie hole with a loaded baked potato at our BSF Fellowship, our leader posed a question: “Looking back over this year’s study of Isaiah, what do you think the Lord’s been teaching … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Matters of the Heart, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized
Tagged Asia, Bible, BSF, BSF Fellowship, Christian, God, Isaiah, Isaiah 50:4, Jesus, Religion and Spirituality, Scripture memory
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Up on the Watershed
My head is cloudy. I’m realizing with sorrow and unwillingness that even the sweetest things in life evolve and change. Of course we’ve been heading toward this fork for some time now, however the prongs of decision continue to force … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Family, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized
Tagged bittersweet, Bunk bed, Bunkbeds, Children, emotions, Indigo Girls, Storms, Watershed
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Family Friday: Crayons and a CONTEST!
In the spirit of loving competition, my husband started “Super Fun Dad Nights” when our kids were little. On evenings I was out he’d plan something spectacular to do together, usually involving candy, balloons, and duct tape. It won the … Continue reading
Posted in Art/Beautiful Things, Book Lists, Contest, crafts, Discoveries, Education, Family Activities, Family Friday, FREE BOOK, Giveaway!, Home, Kids, Kids in School, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged Arts, audio books, books on tape, Crayon, Duct tape, Eggo, Fine motor skill, Michigan, Paper, shopping
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Leaving Breakfast at Tiffany’s
I’ve never been a big “shopper”…if by shopper you’re picturing a classy, well-manicured Breakfast at Tiffany’s 30-something clicking through the mall with a bouquet of bags bursting from the nook in her elbow. I prefer flip-flops and I’m not all that … Continue reading
Posted in Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Prayer, Uncategorized
Tagged Audrey Hepburn, Banana Republic, breakfast at tiffany's, budget, Costco, Easter, Florida, God, Kohl's, Lent, sacrifice, snorkeling
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Michigan Maple Syrup!
The dormant, hibernating teacher in me is creeping to the surface once again. I may not be clawing to get back into the classroom, but I do love to turn our living room, kitchen, and the nearby woods into places where … Continue reading
Posted in Discoveries, Education, Family, Family Activities, God, gratitude, Kids, Kids in School, Living Green, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Nature/Outdoors, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged Business, Food, homeschooing, Maple, Maple syrup, michigan maple syrup association, shopping, Sugar house, Sugar Shack, Sweeteners, VandeBunte Maple
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Family Friday: Math at Dinner
Do you remember memorizing your math facts in elementary school? I clearly recall my second grade teacher walking us up one-by-one to the front of the room to recite addition and subtraction facts. With breath suspended and heart pounding my … Continue reading
ICD Revisted
In August 2009 I posted a humorous take on my own made-up disorder: ICD–”Inter-Connectivity Disorder.” I purported that this disorder subconsciously connects faces into a criss-crossing web that leads me to exclaim, “You know who he LOOKS like?!” at least … Continue reading
Posted in Random Fun, Silly Lists, Social Justice, Uncategorized
Tagged disorders, facial recognition, gadhafi, ICD, ICD disease, interconnectivity disorder, libya, moammar gahafi
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Building Trust in the Small Things
When the lights fall and I’m lying motionless in a smudge of darkness, my prayers become loose and frayed and worry sets in. While many contend that worrying is “normal,” I know that many more would suggest it reveals my … Continue reading
Posted in CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized
Tagged aluminum in deodorant, Christian, computers, God, hyperactivity, Jesus, Luke 16:10, Parent, Playboy, red meat, Television program, Trust, Worry
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Family Friday: Book Nights
Pop some popcorn and get in your jammies for Book Night! My husband and I first considered taking story time beyond Officer Buckle and Gloria when one of his friends from work shared this simple idea: instead of “movie night” … Continue reading
Posted in Book Lists, Book Review, Education, Faith, Family, Family Friday, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Things I Love!, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged Chapter book, Children, Children's literature, CS Lewis, Island of the Blue Dolphins, reading, shopping, The Chronicles of Narnia, Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
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Your Baby Doesn’t Come With Instructions
Do you find it rather unbelievable that we are asked to fill out nearly every detail of our existence to rent a movie from Blockbuster, that we are legally bound to take hunting and boating safety classes if we wish … Continue reading
Posted in Book Lists, Book Review, CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Faith, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged Baby Wise, Bible, Blockbuster, Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls, Child abuse, David Staal, Discipline, James Dobson, Parent, parenting, purposeful parenting, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp, United States, Words Kids Need to Hear
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On Jobs and Polished Nails
I went to college at a time when I thought I had six job choices: nurse, lawyer, doctor, teacher, church-something-or-other, or the mysterious “business” person. It never occurred to me that there might be other fields outside the scope of my … Continue reading
Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Decor/Organizing, Discoveries, Education, Family, Growing Pains, Home, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged Bibhu Mohapatra, Business, careers, Church, decisions, doctor, dreams and fantasies, Fashion Group International, fork in the road, job changes, Kate Middleton, Lavender and Lilies, lawyer, Marc Jacobs, Michael Bastian, Nail polish, nurse, office spaces, offices, Peter Som, stay-at-home mom, teacher, working moms
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Valentine’s Day Part 2: Hunting for Treasure
It’s probably the hibernating teacher within that brings me round to setting up riddles and scavenger hunts for my kids. Yes, after all these years of standing in slippers wiping butts and noses, there are moments when that alter-ego is … Continue reading
Posted in Contest, CRAZY kids, Education, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, Gifts, God, Holidays, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Play, Random Fun, Seasons of Life, Silly Lists, Things I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged alter-ego, Bible, Bible verses, bingo, Classroom, Genesis, gift, Holiday, Home, John 3:16, Kids, look up 3:16, Opinions, Religion and Spirituality, Riddle, scavenger hunt, Spiritual Development, spiritual formation, teacher, the story of St. Valentine, valentine day
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Easy Meal Idea With a Side of Smiles
If you’ve been a long-time reader, you will know that my kitchen prowess is, well, a bit unpolished. That is to say, I should have auditioned for Anne Burrell’s Worst Cook in America. I’m sure I could put on quite … Continue reading
An Our Final Winner Is…
KAREN SILVA! Karen, you will soon be the proud new owner of Keri Wyatt Kent’s book, Simple Compassion. I’ll be contacting you to make arrangements for shipping! Hope it’s a blessing! Thanks for playing
Posted in Book Review, Compassion, Contest, FREE BOOK, Giveaway!, Uncategorized
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Peanuts in the Morning
Do you remember the sound of Charlie Brown‘s teacher on The Peanuts? She had that muffled “whaa-whaa-whaa” of an expertly muted trumpet combined with some sort of nasally resonance never before heard on earth–much less in a classroom. How Linus ever … Continue reading
Posted in CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Family, Home, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Rants, Seasons of Life, Silly Lists, Uncategorized
Tagged Arts, Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown, Christmas, crazy mornings, Kids, miss the bus, Peanuts, Peppermint Patty, school, shopping, Snoopy
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More Exciting Than A Blizzard? A FREE BOOK!
It seems that nothing has the power to transform meteorologists into giddy children like a rollicking storm. Weathermen and women posted outdoors in the bluster seem thrilled to be at the center of such epic developments, their stern admonitions to skedaddle … Continue reading
Posted in Book Review, Contest, Discoveries, Faith, Family, FREE BOOK, Gifts, Giveaway!, God, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Holidays, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Seasons of Life, Things I Love!, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged blizzard of 2011, Blog Giveaway, Book Giveaway, Book review, Contest, facebook, FREE BOOK, Grocery store, Mary DeMuth, Meteorology, Online Communities, school closings, Snow Day, snow storm, storm, Thin Places, Twitter, Zondervan, Zondervan Publishers
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Family Friday: Indoor Skeet Shooting
I have to give major props to my husband for this one–it’s totally his brain and creativity that adds so much color and life to our home. What can I say–he has a PhD. I guess you have to be … Continue reading
Posted in CRAZY kids, Discoveries, Family, Family Friday, Holidays, Kids, Marriage, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Play, Random Fun, Seasons of Life, Things I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged Balloon, chew, Christmas, Claire-Modern Family, cowboy, Family Fun, games, Guns, Kentucky, Luke-Modern Family, Modern Family, Nerf, Nerf Guns, Recreation, skeet shoot, Skeet shooting, Toy
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Family Friday: Spiritual Formation
I’ve been thinking about posting this for awhile now, and thanks to the encouragement of a friend am finally getting around to it. This Friday I thought I’d share an idea I had for bringing Scripture into the kitchen–which we … Continue reading
Posted in Art/Beautiful Things, crafts, CRAZY kids, Decor/Organizing, Discoveries, Faith, Family, Family Friday, Following Jesus, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Prayer, Recipe/Kitchen Success!, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, Candice Olsen, Christian, Divine Design, Family, Genevieve Gorder, God, Holland, Home, Home and Company, Kids, MI, Mothers, Parents, prayer, Scripture, spiritual formation, teaching your kids
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What Women Tell Me: Finding Freedom From The Secrets We Keep, by Anita Lustrea
“As a girl and young woman, I memorized hundreds of Scripture verses in vacation Bible school and in Sunday school. I grew up memorizing the hymn book. I didn’t, however, grow up understanding much about God’s grace and freedom.” [pg. … Continue reading
Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Discoveries, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, Food, Friends, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Holidays, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Literature/Books, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Music, Nature/Outdoors, Neighbors, Play, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Social Justice, Summer, Travel, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged Anita Lustrea, Bible, Christianity, Divine grace, God, Moody Bible Institute, Moody Radio, Religion and Spirituality, secrets, Sunday school, theology, United States
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Tangled Up In Applause!
For those of you look beyond the paltry three-sentence reviews in the newspaper to determine whether the latest Disney or Pixar flick is a good fit for your clan, I’m using this post as an opportunity to share my thoughts … Continue reading
Posted in Family, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Movies/Movie Reviews, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged Alan Menken, Animation, Brother's Grim, Disney, Disney Princess, Donna Murphy, Fairy tale, Film, Flynn Ryder, Gothel, King and Queen, Rapunzel, Tangled, The Walt Disney Company
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The Good, The Bad, and The [very] Ugly
Standard. Bad and [very] ugly wrapped in bread crumbs. And absolutely obliterated. Reaching for the Raisin Bran now… In better news, THE GOOD: What I lack in front of the stove I’m hoping to make up for behind wrapping … Continue reading
Posted in Art/Beautiful Things, crafts, Decor/Organizing, Family, Gifts, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged birthday gifts, canvas art, elliptical machine, exercise, Food Network, Giada DeLaurentiis, kitchen disasters, penance, The Cooking Channel, torture
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Dare I Put It In Print??
Dear friends and marginally-invested visitors, It’s time to own up to the truth. I must remove the mask and costume and be honest: I am a blue-ribbon slacker. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I kick butt and … Continue reading
Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Growing Pains, Kids, Music, Nature/Outdoors, Seasons of Life, Silly Lists, Uncategorized, writing/work
Tagged 10, 10 K Run, Fifth-Third River Bank Run, Gold Digger, Holidays, Home, John Mayer, Kanye West, Los Angeles, Mother's Day, new year, New Year's Eve
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New Year’s Eve Traditions
Contrary to the throngs of Time-Square-pounding, diamond-clad, smoky-eyed, horn-blowing ladies waving their champagne flutes to the thumping beat of the Black Eyed Peas, I was at home this New Year’s Eve wearing hoops and yoga pants, sporting mascara-free lashes and … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Family, Food, Friends, Gifts, gratitude, Holidays, Home, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Neighbors, Recipe/Kitchen Success!, Seasons of Life, Thngs I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged Black Eyed Peas, China Dinnerware, Crystal Glasses, Dick Clark, Family Traditions, Grape juice, Michigan, new year, New Year's Eve, Ryan Seacrest, Time-Square
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Running with Children
So I’ve been trying to be diligent in my exercising lately, walking the dog and going for runs as often as my knees can handle it. I’m trying to loose my three pound gut roll, er, ”be healthy” and model active … Continue reading
Should’a Would’a Could’a
Sure. There are lots of reasons I should have stayed home today: 1. A sink that appears to have vomited up fruit particles, dirty pans, and filmy glasses. You’d think that with a dishwasher directly adjacent to the sink I … Continue reading
Yes, I Still Have a Pulse!
Hi Friends! For the handful of you out there who still remember me–or even care–I’m still alive and well and fully intend to get back to this blog after my life returns to normal. In the meantime I’m hard at … Continue reading
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Hallmark Sends Its Very Best
I’ve already told you bits and pieces of my now-exposed [obsessive] affair with Hallmark Gold Crown Stores. It’s thorny territory for me to write about something so intimate and special, but at last I’m able to admit that sneaking away … Continue reading
Posted in crafts, Discoveries, Family, Gifts, Holidays, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Thngs I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged "What I Love About You", affection, cards, fill-in-book, Gold Crown Store, Hallmark, Kids, love letters, notes, pride, The Biggest Loser
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Yoga With Kids is Soooo [NOT] Relaxing…
Yoga. The word, even to non-practicers, seems to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation. It conjures up images of super-fit Californians poured into black yoga pants, lean muscles taught and glistening on some Pacific cliff overlooking the gorgeous, sparkling … Continue reading
Posted in CRAZY kids, Discoveries, Education, Family, Fitness, Home, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Play, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged Bob Harper, by Poppy, California, calm, focus, football, Plank Position, serenity, The Biggest Loser, Triangle Pose, Weight Loss Yoga DVD, yoga, Yoga is Yummy
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Keeping Christmas Alive
In truth, I can’t completely remember if I read about this craft or adapted it from several other ideas, but this year we actually got out the scissors and did it. We purposely saved our Christmas photo cards so that … Continue reading
Posted in crafts, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, gratitude, Holidays, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas, craft, photo cards
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Remembering My Own Thin Place
When I survey the landscape of my life, it’s shocking that fingernails still cling to these hands at all for all the scraping and clawing college required. It wasn’t the academics that pulled me apart; books and essays and ink … Continue reading
Posted in Contest, Faith, Finances, Following Jesus, Giveaway!, God, gratitude, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Uncategorized
Tagged college, desperation, joy, Kindle, Mary DeMuth, Missions, money, Peru, South America, tuition, Zondervan Publishers
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Pure Pleasure, by Gary Thomas
Check back tomorrow to see how you can win a copy of this book, courtesy of Zondervan Publishers! Little did I know when I tore into the envelope that I was the lucky recipient of something I never knew I … Continue reading
Posted in Discipline Issues, Discoveries, Faith, Fitness, Following Jesus, Friends, Gifts, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Thngs I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged "Pure Pleasure", Gary Thomas, The Blog Tour Spot, theology, Zondervan Publishers
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All Hail Hallmark!
When the “rewards” coupon comes in the mail, I’m the sucker who can’t wait to race out the door to Betty’s–Hallmark, that is. I love walking into the dreamy ambiance full of pretty bags and holiday decorations, and hearing the … Continue reading
Posted in Discoveries, Family, Finances, Friends, Gifts, gratitude, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Random Fun, Thngs I Love!, Uncategorized
Tagged "itty bitty greetings", cards, encouragement, Hallmark, lunch box, school, spiritual formation
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Struggle Bus
One of the many lovely things about Christmas and the New Year is the way families and friends come together around the table for a meal. The dimly lit dining room aglow with reflections of the Christmas tree and Percy … Continue reading
Posted in Discoveries, Faith, Following Jesus, Friends, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Holidays, Home, Illness, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized
Tagged 2 Cor. 12:7-10, challenge, conditional love, Jesus, Mark 14:36, Paul, struggle, thorn in the flesh
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Simple Compassion
Yesterday my oldest child came through the door flushed and rambling about the latest bit of excitement in his 7 year-old life. As he slowed down and afforded me the chance to listen, I surmised that his school was sponsoring … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Family, Following Jesus, Friends, God, Home, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Neighbors, Social Justice, Uncategorized
Tagged "Jump Rope For Heart", "Simple Compassion", comfort zone, community, devotions, disease/illness, Keri Wyatt Kent, Micah 6:8, nei, neighborhood, Shane Claiborne, world, Zondervan Publishers
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Hello, My Name is Jane, and I Have ICD: Part 2
Welcome to my crazy brain, part two. Come on in, have a look around, grab a cookie and put your feet up. Ignore the wild ponies and flashbacks of college. I first revealed to you in August that I have … Continue reading
Posted in Discoveries, Gifts, Random Fun, Uncategorized
Tagged football mom, ICD, Jim Miklaszewski, Jon Voight, Lee Ann Womack, Mission Impossible, NBC, Sean Roach, Sprout, Sunny Side Up Show
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