Audra Jennings

I always want to do something cool for New Year's Eve, but with only one exception ever, that never happens. You can't go see Maroon 5 on NYE every year. Angie and I are so boring with our plans that we couldn't even convince ourselves to go shopping after eating lunch. I wanted to go find some sweaters (because what I have are soooooo terribly old), but I didn't. Then a dramatic, tear-filled afternoon happened. I'll spare you the details. Thankfully, Kerri and Julie took pity on me and let me in on their plans for a low key evening over at Julie and Sam's. As in watching Hoarders and bringing the New Year in via a game of Farkle. Kerri had to go across the street and get Toby so that he wouldn't freak out from fireworks. Though low-keyed, it most assuredly beat watching House Hunters International at home by myself all night with a crochet hook in hand like the old woman that I am. I'm very thankful for my friends getting me out of the hou...

For Christmas, Mom and I joined the bandwagon and bought each other coloring books. She thought they were neat, and this kind of thing is right up my alley. Sometimes lettering crafts is actually a form of stress release for me -- when I'm not stressed out trying to get 20+ items in one week in between craft show. It has seemed odd to take two days off work to have a four day weekend last week with Christmas. Other than Thanksgiving (when I actually had a three day craft show) I just haven't had a span of more than one day off since last Christmas. After taking another 4 day weekend this week, I'm going to be so confused not know what day of the week it is. Add to the day job, I have been working on crafty product for months and months. I've actually been able to take a break from that too. It's been so odd to not be working on the latest project. I've needed the break though. Even just on a mental level. I know that coloring is supposed to relax you...

So, last night I posted the briefest of posts about the upcoming season of The Bachelor . The video tease wasn't even accurate because it isn't 25 NEW women. There's a couple of old faces... Becca (Farmer Chris' runner-up) and Amber. Surprisingly, there is NOT an Ashley this season, but there are FOUR women named LAUREN. Two Lauren Bs. Yeah, that's not going to be confusing AT ALL. I shall have to give them all nicknames from the get go. Poor Ben Higgins. Of course, he was Ben H. on his season, and not even my favorite Ben. I'm trying to psych myself up by watching previews, but that may have backfired.

That subject line is as big a tease as Chris Harrison saying that the latest episode of The Bachelor will be the most controversial episode ever. In case you haven't figured it out yet (and if you haven't, what is wrong with you!?!?), The Bachelor starts next week, and I'm committing to blogging on another season. Give me a week to regret it. I need my blog readership to go back up. That's my excuse. Here's the teaser!

Awesome God By Rich Mullins Used by permission. CCLI # 1132191 Our God is an awesome God; He reigns from Heaven above With wisdom, pow’r, and love. Our God is an awesome God! Our God is an awesome God; He reigns from Heaven above With wisdom, pow’r, and love. Our God is an awesome God! Our God is an awesome God! Our God is an awesome God!

I FINALLY got all of my stockings made. Five out of six were close enough to finished to use. Mine was not. I got my stuff in a plastic Target bag. After all the festivities came to an end, I did finish mine, and got the final white trim at the top finished on Christmas Eve. I finished the last rounds of white on the rest on Christmas night so that Mom could pack them away for next year. Not too bad for my first Christmas stockings. They have a little more angle at the heel than it looks like they do in the pictures. I think Paige was truly impressed. In other crafty news, upon opening his cow sign, Brian tells us he has these great syrup barrels (from feeding his cows) that we should get and paint and stencil and sell. So, be on the lookout because we'll have something else to add to our list of items soon. We won't be able to ship these though. Oh, and when you're bored on Christmas, and you aren't making stuff yet for the spring (I think Dad might give m...

It's after 10 PM, but before the day passes me by, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

When exactly we have our family Christmas can vary from year to year. This year, it was Christmas Eve lunch. I hardly took any pictures at all, but this one means a lot this year. A few of you know how much this particular picture means right now, a reason why I've been quiet in some ways here on the blog about certain things. I'll just leave that at that. Often times on Christmas Eve, my parents and I go out to dinner and a movie. There was none of that this year since we aren't Star Wars fans, and I refused another Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. Maybe there still is a little bit of kid in me, but opening up all your presents on Christmas Eve makes for a long and boring Christmas Day. There's dad back around Paige. Brian admiring his cow. Mom must have found something good in her stocking! Those are cream sodas and cherry limeade bottles, by the way.

Wednesday night. Our family Christmas is set for Thursday noon. I still have two stockings to finish. It's not looking good. I've done good to wrap Christmas presents tonight. At least I finished this cow last night.

An interview with Rachel Hauck, Author of The Wedding Chapel In a day when marriage seems disposable, USA Today best-selling author Rachel Hauck weaves a story that reminds us of love ’ s timeless truths. Hauck ’ s The Wedding Chapel (Zondervan/ November 17, 2015/ISBN: 9780310341529/ $15.99), a slip time story set in the late 1940s/early 1950s, captures the romance and hope of a post-war South while the contemporary timeline wrestles with the challenges and complications of commitment in the modern world.      Q: What inspired the plotline of The Wedding Chapel? This book came from the old saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” I needed a new story idea, and while on vacation in Tennessee I drove past a wedding chapel called Chapel in the Glen. I pitched the title to my publisher a few minutes later. She and the team loved it. And I was off to find a story to go with it. Q: Why did you choose to marry a classic love story from the ...

Last Christmas, I promised my family I would make Christmas stockings. We've had a mismatched assortment as the family has grown, and shrunk over the years. Some were the cheapest felt stockings you could buy. Sad looking stockings. So, since I made the promise, I've had all year to work ahead. We're having our family Christmas on Christmas Eve Thursday, and I only have two of six almost finished. They have ended up being huge, and if I hadn't taken out and downsized one already, and taken out half of another one to fix missed stitches, I'd be a lot farther along. In fact, if I hadn't been trying to catch up three days of blogging... I'll post pictures later in the week as I get closer to finished.

I’m Happy Today I’m happy today Oh yes, I’m happy today In Jesus Christ, I’m happy today Because He’s taken all my sins away And that’s why I’m happy today. I’m singing today Oh yes, I’m singing today In Jesus Christ, I’m singing today Because He’s taken all my sins away And that’s why I’m singing today. I’m praying today Oh yes, I’m praying today In Jesus Christ, I’m praying today Because He’s taken all my sins away And that’s why I’m praying today. I’m sharing my faith Oh yes, sharing my faith In Jesus Christ, sharing my faith Because He’s taken all my sins away And that’s why sharing my faith. I’m happy today Oh yes, I’m singing today In Jesus Christ, I’m praying today Because He’s taken all my sins away And that’s why I’m sharing my faith.

No one was available to come to my house for a party and eat it, but I did have my annual dip it in chocolate day. I've been bribing the kids at church with goodie bags, including peanut butter balls. I melted white chocolate bark and did a whole bag of pretzel nuggets by the time it was all said in done (a little with left over milk chocolate), two bags of milk chocolate to cover peanut butter balls, and a bag each of semi-sweet and butterscotch chips to cover peanuts. By the time I was finished, I'm surprised I wasn't covered in chocolate. I guess it's officially Christmas now. I do have a bag of chocolate and mint chips left I can use with cashews.

Dear Christmas, I'm sure if you read my blog, I have a post about you kind of like this every year. I hate to break the news to you, but I'm just not that into you. My tree is all up and decorated and pretty, but I've decided I don't even care. I said after all the time it takes to put together it was going to be a full month, meaning until the day after New Year's this year, but I know it's coming down the day after with serious thoughts of just skipping the whole process next year. Maybe the fact that I've been sick and am still trying to get over a cough has something to do with it. Maybe it's because until this weekend, I've been getting up early and going to events every weekend that I just have other things on my mind. I know the fact that there's been some family drama has played it's part. I don't think it's the fact that I have been making Christmas decorations since May or June and was anxious for Hobby Lob...

  The key to money issues isn’t how much you have, but your mindset about it Many people live their lives thinking, “If I just had a bigger salary, I would be happier.” They live life with ongoing and often unexamined tension related to money, finding themselves unable to escape the credit-card trap or free themselves from the fear of not having enough for the future. CEO of Thrivent Financial Brad Hewitt and psychologist Dr. Jim Moline write in their book, Your New Money Mindset: Create a Healthy Relationship with Money (Tyndale House Publishers/October 20, 2015/ISBN: 9781496407801/$15.99) , the belief that simply having more will solve all money problems is completely false. Through personal anecdotes, scripture and timely research, Hewitt and Moline reveal that financial peace has much more to do with one’s relationship with money rather than money itself. They invite readers to spend more time examining their fundamental attitudes toward the financial resources t...

After a cross-country trip to track down a sold painting that could ruin her family's business forever, Miranda Wimplegate forms an unlikely but charged partnership with livestock auctioneer Wyatt Ballentine in Regina Jennings'  At Love's Bidding .  Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn’t deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don’t know a thing about the business he’s single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more heads of cattle than they can count–but no mysterious painting–Miranda and Wyatt must try and prevent a bad situation from getting worse. Join Regina in celebrating the release of At Love's Bidding  by entering to win her Cozy Winter Night giveaway and RSVPing to her January 5th author chat party !   One grand prize winner will receive everything you need for a cozy winter night: ...

An interview with James L. Rubart,  Author of The Five Times I Met Myself     What if you met your 23-year-old self in a dream? What would you say? No matter how young or how old, there’s a part of us all that wishes we could go back and tell ourselves what we should have done differently. It’s a desire award-winning author James L. Rubart explores in his new novel, The Five Times I Met Myself (Thomas Nelson/November 10, 2015/ISBN: 978-1401686116/$15.99) . Q: The Five Times I Met Myself explores the main character’s desire to go back in time and change certain decisions. Was the idea behind the book driven by any of your own regrets? Actually, no. While my novel Memory’s Door was definitely driven by my own regrets — and having to figure out how to deal with them — The Five Times I Met Myself was more driven by hope for the future. I don’t think it’s ever too late to start living with freedom. I don’t think there’s any brokenness God can’t breathe he...

Tired of the Christmas shopping, the baking and sugar overload, the Christmas festivities that keep you away from your family during the season? Take time special time to spend with your loved ones and invest in your community—with Focus on the Family's help! You can download a fun gift to give to your friends, family, and community! Each Christmas stocking stuffer card directs you to a special place to hear an Adventures in Odyssey Christmas episode. Plus, you’ll be able to read a special excerpt from Imagination Station #12, “Danger on a Silent Night.” Sign up here to download the free cards. Plus stop by this page for a slew of crafts, recipes, and stories to share with your family during this special time of year!   If you're still looking for one last gift to give your kids this year, give the gift of the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family, including an Advent calendar, a broadcast download with ...