Designed for Life 2008 Women's Conference

"Life is full of surprises." That sounds so cliche...until you encounter one of those surprises.

Last week I attended our church's annual women's conference. (Thus the reason for my absence here.) Now, I'm not typically one for church women's gatherings. As a not-so-frilly-girl, I've come away from more than my share of women's gatherings feeling like it just "wasn't for me." But for some reason, I felt like I needed to go this year...and surprise! I'm really glad I did.

The speakers were phenominal. Vera Kasevich of Hillsong Church in Kiev, Ukrane, has an amazing testimony and passion for empowering women. She and her husband pastor in Kiev as well as in Moscow, Russia. We also heard from my friend Casey Gibbons, the wife of our youth pastor, Scotty Gibbons. Casey also has a tremendous story of God's faithfulness in her life and an amazing heart for girls and children.

For me, the highlight of the conference was being challenged (and I do not use that word lightly) by Christine Caine of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Put simply, Christine is a combination of passion, humor, and the power of the Word of God all rolled into a small Greek-Australian woman. She is an tremendous speaker and an amazing woman.

In addition to the powerful speakers, the conference held The World's Largest Baby Shower where nine new and expectant mothers from the local pregnancy care center were showered with gifts of strollers, rocking chairs, bedding and nursery decor, baby clothes, and baby supplies.

Two women were honored through the "Be a Gift" Foundation for their faith and courage in the midst of adversity. They were given makeovers and a shopping spree. One family was given a kitchen makeover (complete with new dishes and a fully-stocked pantry), while the other family received a 5-day getaway and a check to cover expenses for their son's medical treatments.

The conference participants also agreed to sponsor 500 Haitian children through Mission of Mercy to launch their ministry in the country of Haiti!

This was not your mother's women's conference! Gone are the days of blue-haired ladies sitting around knitting and sipping tea. Apparently, the new face of women's ministry is all about empowering women to live up to who God has created us to be. Now that I can get into! (The chocolates and chair massages are nice, too!)

I am definitely looking forward to next year's conference. If you're looking for a reason to visit the Ozarks next fall, this is a great reason to come. I can give you great tips on things to do in the area!

What's been your biggest surprise in recent days?

The Ministry of Motherhood: A Book Review

I recently finished the first book on my Fall Into Reading 2008 list. I had read The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and was anxious to read this "follow-up" book of hers as well. As always, Sally's message both encouraged and challenged me in my role as "mom." I knew I would like this book as I always love reading her blog, I Take Joy.

This particular book, however, seemed to really "hit me where I am." I could especially relate to one paragraph in the introduction:

"I realized with the passing of each day that spiritual and emotional
maturity in the lives of my children would not just happen because I wished it
so. It would not just happen as a result of the passive example of my being
good. Effective emotional, spiritual, and social training in the lives of my
children would have to be both intentional and planned."

With a preschooler and now a toddler, my days are increasingly busy. Most of the time I feel as if I'm barely keeping up, and often I'm just falling behind. At the same time, I realize how fleeting the time with my children is and I want to do all I can to pour into them. I want to give them so much more than just knowledge. I want to give them the foundation they need to realize and experience their own faith in Christ, to meet the world with the truths of God's Word, and to develop social skills to help them feel comfortable with themselves and confident with others.

Sally does an amazing job of outlining the truths that she and her husband strove to impart to their children. She doesn't do it with a "you-have-to-do-it-this-way" attitude. But she does give you the tools to recognize what values are truly important and how to effectively communicate them in your family. Even if your children are older, Sally's book is a treasure of information. Many of the ideas and suggested activities that she lists are for older, elementary- and middle-school aged kids.

This book will not be for everyone. It's not an "easy-road-to-parenting" type resource. Not everyone will agree with her approach, and I realize her ideas won't work for every family. But I think it will challenge anyone who reads it to stop and consider the level of intention that goes into their everyday parenting. I know it's definitely done that for me.

Awards and Link Love

A couple of weekends ago, I was honored with two, yes TWO blog awards! I'm FINALLY getting around to posting about them and passing along the honors:

Lora at My Blessed Life gave me this:

Here are the rules:
(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.
(2) Link the person you received your award from.
(3) Nominate 7 other blogs.
(4) Put links of those on yours.
(5) Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

And Kayren at Everything's Coming Up Daisies passed this along to me:

Rules:

1. Mention the blog that gave it to you.

2. Comment on their blog to let them know you've posted your award.
3. Publish these rules.
4. Share 6 values that are important to you
5. Share 6 things you do not support.
6. Grant the prize to 6 people.

Here are 6 values that are important to me:

1. Honesty

2. Faithfulness/Commitment

3. Integrity

4. Strength of Character

5. Sense of humor

6. Patience

And 6 things I do not support:

1. Obama

2. Abortion

3. The liberal agenda

4. Stupidity

5. Cruelty (in word or action)

6. Arrogance

Since Lora and Kayren both awarded the same blogs I would have, I wasn't sure how to pass them along. That's why it's taken me so long to post this. I've been RACKING MY BRAIN trying to figure out what to do! (My blogging circles are fairly small...but I'm working on it.) So, instead I will simply give you a few blogs that I enjoy visiting (on that rare occasion that I have the luxury to just surf the internet and read!). I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I Take Joy

Under the Bell Tower

The Menu Mom

Simple Mom

Your Homebased Mom

And FYI...I am nearing my 100th post and working on my list!

Yummy Microwave Meatloaf

Several years ago, when I first moved into my own house, one of my best friends gave me a cook book of her favorite recipes. I use many of them, but one in particular has become a family favorite....Microwave Meatloaf. We LOVE meatloaf, but when I was working I rarely thought to make it in enough time to bake for 45 min to an hour! So, imagine my thrill when I discovered that I could make our fave dish in under 30 minutes! And on top of all that, it's really YUMMY, too! So I thought I'd share it with you all...

Microwave Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1.5 lb ground beef
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce or ketchup


Combine first seven ingredients and mix well. Pack mixture
into a 2-quart microwavable dish. Microwave on high for
5 minutes then cover with BBQ sauce or ketchup. Cover and
cook another 15 minutes
or until done. Enjoy!

I know it's Tuesday, but just to prove that I really DID do a menu this week (and so Hubby knows what to expect this week), here's our menu for the upcoming week:

Monday--Microwave Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Tuesday--Some sort of takeout since we are having our furnace replaced and the water has been off all day!
Wednesday--Sloppy joes, sliced baked potatoes, salad
Thursday--Slow Cooker Turkey, sweet potatoes, rolls
Friday--FAMILY NIGHT OUT!!!
Saturday--Spinach Artichoke Pizza with salad
Sunday--Cook's Day Off


If you would like any of the other recipes, just let me know. I'd be happy to post them!

Zoe is Home!

Zoe with big brother, Isaac, in the hospital

Tonight my sister and her husband will tuck their children into their own beds for the first time in almost 8 weeks! Baby Zoe was released from the hospital today and is enjoying his first evening at home with his family. I spoke with Carmen briefly on the phone today and she sounded so excited and relieved to be taking her little man home.

They have not posted yet about going home as I'm sure they're trying to get settled. I know they will continue to have a long journey ahead of them--adjusting their lives, schedules, and home to care for Zoe until his recovery is complete and his strength is 100%. In the meantime, I know they would appreciate your continued prayers and thoughts of encouragement.

Thank you to all who have diligently checked the web site, fervently prayed for Zoe's healing (and strength for our family), and send thoughts and words of encouragement. I'm sure once they're settled, Jim will continue to post Zoe's progress (complete with many pictures!) on the site, so be sure to check back frequently.

We are grateful to God for His faithfulness and His miraculous hand of healing! And we are so excited to watch our little Baby Zoe grow into a strong, vibrant young man! We love you, Zoe!

Know and Tell Friday

TGIF again!!! And it's time once again for Know and Tell Friday, hosted again this week by Kayren...thanks Kayren for all the GREAT questions!

0. If you want to, leave a comment for Heather to let her know how much you missed her last week and wish her well. Hey Heather! Hope you are hanging in there and doing well...I've been praying for you and your sisters' family.

1. Do you have fake plants in your house? Do you like them? No. I used to have real plants, but I killed them all. Then I had fake plants (3 ficuses....er, ficusi?...3 ficus plants), but I HATED dusting them, so we are currently a plant-free house. I figure I'm doing goo to remember to feed my kids and my dog...I don't need to remember to water (or dust) plants as well! (Did I mention I have a bit of a black thumb?)

2. What is the oldest piece of furniture you have that is not an antique? Describe it. Probably the oldest piece of furniture in our house is an old chair from Hubby's grandparents farmhouse. It is a red upholstered chair with beautiful wood etching on the armrests. It was left in the old farmhouse for decades after everyone moved out (the house was occasionally used for overnight hunting expeditions and shelter for bad-weather camping trips). I first spotted the old chair before Hubby and I were dating when a bunch of us when to his family's land for a camping trip. His family couldn't believe I loved it so much, since it had always been "that old red chair" to them. Hubby knew I had always loved it, so about two months before our wedding, he had it brought down and moved into "our" house (which at the time was my house) while I was out of town on a business trip. I still love it!


3. Do you have any antiques? We don't currently have any antiques, although we did when we first got married. We had a 100-year old piano that Hubby bought me when we were dating (our first Christmas together) and an antique dining room set that we bought when we were first married. But 2 children later (and in the same "quaint" house), we've had to sell those to make room for cribs, toyboxes, toys, balls, etc. I would love to get some more in our "next" (bigger) house.

My piano that is no longer mine...sniff, sniff

4. What type of dishes do you use? China, stoneware, Corelle, Tupperware, paper plates?

We use red Fiestaware dishes for everyday. Well, the kids have plastic Dora, Sesame Street, etc. dishes. I do have a set of China that I absolutely love. We got it for our wedding. I think we've used it once. It's currently packed away waiting for the impending move "some day."

My china that WILL get used some day!

5. What is your favorite thing in your house? Probably our leather couches and chair. It's the first furniture Hubby and I picked out together when we were married. And it's the most "lived in" and therefore the most comfortable furniture we have. I love to cuddle up and watch TV, surf the Internet, or blog from our cozy, comfy couch...although the leather gets cold, so we always have blankets close by!

6. Do you like to use lamps or overhead lighting? I definitely prefer lamps. I like the cozy ambiance they create.

7. Are you a pristine white wall person or do you love color? I like color...but I like muted colors on walls. When I first bought my house (which is now our house), the walls were all a light tan color. It was nice, because it was neutral. However, I did have to paint the kitchen a deep red after a few years, because all the tan finally got to me! It works because we have a brick floor in our kitchen...as a matter of fact, that's what sold me on the house!

Be sure to pop over to Kickin' It In Crazyville to see what Heather & Reese have been up to as well!

Happy Friday to all!

Chuck is Back!!

I was so excited last Fall to find a new show that I absolutely LOVE. That hasn't happened since I stumbled across The Office a few years ago. There are shows that I enjoy from time to time, but no other show had that do-not-miss-under-any-circumstances hold on me...until I met "Chuck."

Maybe it's the refreshingly witty writing, maybe it's the quirky characters or the natural chemistry of the cast, or maybe it's the fact that it's one of the few shows that Hubby and I BOTH thoroughly enjoy. I enjoy it because it's fun, it's quirky, and you can't help but hope that Chuck and Sarah eventually end up together. Hubby loves it because it conjures up a huge helping of nostalgia for him. You see, Hubby is a true-to-life Chuck (minus the whole special agent thing).

Hubby worked at a real-life "Buy More" through college and when I first met him. Most of his longtime friends have worked there, too...the real-life "Nerd Herd." I love to watch Chuck with him because he laughs so hard and makes comments like, "Stuff like that really happens," (e.g., the break-room antics of the Buy More staff) or "I worked with a guy just like him!" (e.g., a Buy More employee you're sure the writers created from the darkest recesses of their imaginations).
I was devastated when I found out last spring that, due to the writer's strike, "Chuck" would not return until the Fall. I have counted the days, weeks, and months, and now it's here. I must admit, thanks to I-tunes I previewed the season premiere and I have to say...it is really a must see!

If you're already a "Chuck" fan...YEA, he's back!! If you're not yet a fan, I encourage you to check out tonight's season premiere on NBC...you might just find yourself setting the DVR to record every Monday night like I do!

What shows are you looking forward to this Fall?