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Showing posts from July, 2011

We must not speak of this

I had planned to clean my house while I was off this week, but I had not intended to be so thorough or for it to take days. I will never catch up with all the laundry. This week, I have not ventured outside the city limits, much less anywhere interesting or entertaining. I've been to Walmart twice which is two times too many. I turned on the computer here at home for the first time since Monday, so I've not gotten pictures ordered or printed up until now, much less catch up on the book reviews I had intended to do. My hair is as clean as it has ever been (and hopefully free of unspeakable bug remains) although the ridiculous that I have put on it has given me an oily face and zits. And my hair smells like mouthwash even after shampooing twice. Other than the wake up text on Monday, at least I have been able to sleep late this week. And I shed some most needed tears on demand because that's always fun. I just ask that anyone I talk too that reads this not ask me ab

The First Day on a Path to Better Living

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Dr. Scott Morris and the book: 40 Days to Better Living--Optimal Health Barbour Books (July 1, 2011) ***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: From the time Scott Morris was just a teenager, he knew he would do two things with his future—serve God and work with people. Growing up in Atlanta, he felt drawn to the Church and at the same time dra

A look into the Mirror Ball

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Matthew Redman and the book: Mirror Ball David C. Cook (July 1, 2011) ***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, The B&B Media Group, for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Matt Redman has been leading worship full-time since the age of 20. His journey has taken him to countries such as South Africa, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, Uganda, Croatia and the Czech Republic. He has worked with many church plants and is

What not to do on vacation

I distinctly remember sitting in Mrs. Goodman's 5th grade class when the school nurse came in to talk to the class. The subject caused everyone in the class to timidly raise their hand to their head and scratch. A topic that has had my head itch everytime it has come up in the 23 years since. You know exactly what I am talking about and I don't even have to say the word. And I would venture to say that your head is itching right now. I get three weeks of vacation a year. In April, I spent a week at home avoiding cleaning my house and not much more. I think I took a few naps. It was very uneventful as best I recall. This weekend, I spent some time trying to get some work done that really could not wait until I got back. I even skipped my Sunday nap in order to get it done and cutoff any work for 7 days once I got that stuff done. Well mid-afternoon, one of my neighbors backed into the AT&T service box and down went my internet and phone service. After church, I had to

A look inside Tombstones and Banana Trees

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Thanks to everyone who took part in today's tour! It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Medad Birungi and the book: Tombstones and Banana Trees David C. Cook (July 1, 2011) ***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, The B&B Media Group, for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Medad Birungi grew up in the war-torn country of Uganda in the 1960’s. He was born to a hateful father. And, after years of abuse, his father abandoned him, along with his moth

Mr. Kind of Creepy

Dear Mr. Whatever Your Name Is (you have a one name on one website and two on another), When I found that you had checked out my profile on one singles website, I was somewhat intrigued by the fact that you were close to my age and only 20 miles away. However, I didn't like the mystery that all your profile said was "recently single" and you had no photo. I was wishing you would add some information. And when I can tell you revisited my profile, I thought, "OK, maybe he is interested." When you joined another site and started winking at my profile, I logged on to see who sent the "wink". I see that it is you by a different name, yet the same age and from the same small down. I thought, "ah hah!" even though you still had not filled out your profile and still had no picture. As I continued to get winks I thought you might have stalker tendencies. You now have two similar names on this website and both are winking at me. Now, I am wonde

Perhaps a hug would do

I would like to go on a major hissy fit, screaming, beat-up something rant right now. Really, really, really bad. Complete with tears and kicking and flailing and wailing. I'm so frustrated and at my wit's end that I don't even want to talk about it. Maybe I just need a hug.

Scenes from Atlanta

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Just some pictures from last week that I didn't upload from my phone. I don't wander too far from home without my camera.

What's a Marriott?

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Paige and Peyton are with their mom this week on a trip to Wyoming. Paige is sending daily updates which are hilarious. A couple of days ago, she said she saw a Marriott up close. Well, I don't know that I was too impressed by seeing a hotel up close. My mom asked her what a Marriott was. Evidently, how ever she spelled marmot got caught by spell check. So, I shall share with you a picture of Marriott the Marmot. This just reminds me that I didn't see a squirrel in Atlanta to take a picture of. And I always take pictures of squirrels when I go on a trip. I took pictures of marmots in South Dakota a few years ago.

My brain is a little fuzzy

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My plans never seem to pan out. I planned on blogging from ICRS, but my wireless connection has been wacky in the hotel and the time it takes to negotiate requires more patience than I have. I got to see a some of a performance by Committed, the winners of the Sing-Off yesterday. They were good, but they would have been even better with a better sound system. Here are a couple of pictures from my phone yesterday, including the Duggar bus.

A glimpse of Atlanta

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Before ICRS gets in full swing, we had a little time to see the sights right around us. I will have to try to tell the funniest story sometime.

40 Days to Better Living

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Feel Better. Look Better. Live Better. A 40-Day Adventure to Achieve a Balanced Life and Better Health Many of us would admit to being a little out of balance these days. We all want to feel happier, healthier, and more vibrantly alive. What if in just 40 days we could reach a new level of wellness and balance that we've never experienced before? In 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health (Barbour Publishing, July 2011), Dr. Scott Morris, founder of Church Health Center, the largest faith-based clinic of its type in the United States, offers a straightforward and successful plan to get there. The first in a series of striking full color health and wellness books by Dr. Morris and the Church Health Center staff, 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health confirms and clarifies what many of us already suspect: living the life we've always wanted must go deeper than a diet and exercise program and an occasional attempt to "do better." Morris is convinced that to ac

God’s Light Shines Through the Smallest Prism

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Matt Redman invites readers to reflect God’s dazzling radiance. “When God shines upon His church, we become a dazzling testimony to His awesome radiance. You may feel ineffective. You might have lost confidence in your ability to shine. You may think you are too small or inconsequential to ever be of any value in the kingdom of God. But no matter at all—for, in the end, it is all a matter of light. His light. The life of worship never begins with you. It starts and ends with Jesus. In his newest book, Mirror Ball: Living a Life that Reflects God’s Radiance , worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman reminds us that even when we feel insufficient to reflect God’s glory, God can show through us as light radiates through a prism. Living in this truth will transform how we view our words, our relationships and our daily lives. Passion is not only that which gets us up in the morning; it helps us see it through to the end of the day. And for anyone who has truly encountered the wonder