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Showing posts from August, 2014

The last Sunday video with this group

Next week is promotion, so Peyton, Nate and Grant will be moving up. I'll still do videos once a month when the next group comes in. I'm still in middle of decorating the class with scenes from Genesis. In an hour and a half this afternoon, Rachel and I accomplished a good bit. (It's amazing how much productive you can be with a couple of proper step stools.) I'm ready to get this side of the room finished to get us through the first month or two, then we'll work on additional stories on the other side of the room.

Daydreams of tile

Today's post is nothing short of boring. With my laptop down (read yesterday's post), I had to catch up on all my other blog posting from the week. It's tough to keep an interesting blog going when life is boring. The most productive thing other than type up posts was daydream about redoing my bathroom. Here is the statement of the day... There should never, ever, ever, ever be carpet in a bathroom. Ever. There's no way for it to never get wet and among the worst smells in the world is wet carpet. (This is not the first time I've ranted about that smell here.) So, I looked up tile samples. I also came to the realization that if you find any vanities to replace the Formica covered one in your bathroom, 48" vanities are rather expensive. But a girl can dream, right?

My hate relationship with technology

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As I have mentioned, the past week or so has been a nightmare when it comes to technology. Last Thursday night, I took my laptop that I primarily use for work to a friend from church to look at. The signs currently point to a bad hard drive. I'm having problems with 100% disk usage that is not particularly unusual for computers with Windows 8, especially laptops that came installed with it when they first came out, like mine. Whatever the case, I shouldn't be having that problem. It's so messed up that the guy looking at it said, "I tried to run this, but I've never even seen that happen before." After talking over the weekend, before he started taking it apart, I decided I would call HP and ask if there's anyway I could get an extended warranty that might cover a hard drive since my one year was out, but I still had it less than two years. On Monday morning, I tried talking to some guy in some other country. I hung up the phone aggravated becaus

Rob Peabody urges readers to exchange mediocre faith for Kingdom-minded living

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Rejecting “status-quo” Christianity Rob Peabody urges readers to exchange mediocre faith for radical, Kingdom-minded living When living what you believe to be a good Christian life still leaves you feeling empty, you might begin to wonder: Do I really know what it means to follow Christ? It’s a question Rob Peabody, author of Citizen: Your Role in the Alternative Kingdom (Monarch Books/July 29, 2014/ISBN: 978-0857215420/$14.99) , asked himself at the age of 26, shortly after landing his dream job as the lead campus pastor of a burgeoning new campus of a Texas mega-church. “The church exploded with excitement. People were being baptized and saved, and true growth was occurring,” Peabody says. “It was all going to plan . . . and then it hit me. I couldn’t go on this way any longer.” Peabody realized his faith had little connection with the world around him. He had inherited a westernized view of Christianity that too often glorifies personal success, comfort and individu

If I had been on a cruise this week

I've already alluded to part of the issues I have had this week. More than once I had the thought, "I could have been on a cruise this week." This week was the week that cruise rates were the best. Other than one big reason I was thankful I wasn't on a cruise, technology alone made me wish I was. Because I am so behind in my blogging, stay tuned for a week outlining my hate relationship with technology at the end of the week.

Don't you know you aren't supposed to drink the water in Mexico?

I sure will be glad to get my laptop back. Making pages of notes, then typing them days later is such a waste of time. I got a cramp in my hand! Tonight's episode picks up in middle of Graham's apparent panic attack. Has he seen the real AshLee? He feels like he is about to pass out and needs a medic. His eyesight is going. AshLee doesn't even check on him, $ does. And $ is very concerned. Graham, the trooper that he is, decides that the show must go on. All the women are disgusted. Finally, he accepts his rose. Then, Lacy decides she needs to throw up. "Something is making everyone sick," $ surmises. Uh. You are all in Mexico. Who drank the water?  It is decided that Lacy really does need to go to the hospital since she's so sick, and Marcus says he will go with her. He fears the worst. This? This is what the ambulance teases all season have been? Every time they build you up to knock you down. It's always a disappointment. I fell for it again!

There's trouble in Paradise... and I've lost interest

This week's Bachelor in Paradise posts (two with back to back nights) will be delayed. My laptop is on life support which has only caused more angst for me over the past week. (I still blame Windows 8.) That means that I cannot live blog since I cannot take my other computer downstairs and I don't have a TV upstairs. My blood pressure is through the roof after talking to tech support about my computer that is less than two years old that needs a new hard drive. I want to talk to an American who might have sympathy for my issue. That is obviously too much to ask. Post to come! Here it is 11:19 PM on Wednesday and I'm finally getting a chance to type up the post. (The reason why will have to be explained when I finally get to make my actual Wednesday post.) I got a cramp in my hands taking notes while watching what has turned into the waste that I thought it was going to be. Curse those first two episodes that got me going! I'm actually hoping my download and in

We may just sing...

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That is what I told the kids when I got to class. Two of them had been at my house last night and had gotten onto the older girls about quietening down after I did at 1:30 AM. It would have been one thing if we weren't all headed to church the next morning. Here are their smiling breakfast faces. (That's a strawberry, not a tongue.) Here is our attempt at singing after a brief lesson.

That great idea bombed

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I had this great idea. Sort of. I had a feeling it would backfire. It did. Some of the junior high girls in Paige's class at church had wanted to have another sleep over at my house. I agreed to this on the condition that I would get some help working on my classroom at church and it would be reward for helping. So I set a work date that worked for having the girls come over. Well, the date was a good date for everyone to come, just not to get work done. I blame myself. I didn't communicate this well. I was at the building about 10:15 AM. Paige and Peyton arrived around noon when their dad brought them up to get their church directory pictures taken. Paige was in contact with the others, but their arrival times kept creeping later and later. We decided we'd get lunch in hopes that once we got back we would have help for what we needed more hands for. Paige and Peyton were terrific sports and really helped me out in getting some of the room done. Not as muc

Quilts of Love | A GRAND DESIGN – Kindle HDX Giveaway & “Fall into Fall” Facebook Party!

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Don’t miss this month’s Quilts of Love book, A Grand Design by Amber Stockton . Who hasn't struggled to let painful memories go and move into God's healing? You’ll be sure to love this heartfelt and encouraging tale set on historic Mackinac Island. Celebrate August’s release by entering to win a Kindle from Quilts of Love and RSVPing for the "Fall into Fall" Facebook author chat party.   One winner will receive: A Kindle HDX A Grand Design  by Amber Stockton Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 16th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog . Plus make sure you RSVP to the October 7th author chat party with Amber Stockton and Robin Caroll for an evening of book chat, quilting tips and tricks, prizes, and more! RSVP today and spread the word—t ell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or  TWITTER and increase your chances of winning . Hop

Elisabeth Gifford’s debut novel highlights the healing that comes from honesty and vulnerability

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Discover healing in the search for truth Elisabeth Gifford’s debut novel highlights the healing that comes from honesty and vulnerability What happens when you bring the truth of who you are into the light? In her impressive debut novel, The Sea House (St. Martin’s Press/April 15, 2014/ISBN: 978-1250043344/$25.99) , author Elisabeth Gifford introduces readers to characters who are forced to dig up the pain and secrets of their past in order to let the fresh air of faith and grace purify and heal the broken places in their heart. Gifford was inspired to write The Sea House after coming across a letter in The Times archives from 1809, in which a Scottish schoolmaster claimed to have spotted a mermaid. Weaving the ancient Gaelic myth of the selkies into her story, she has created a sweeping tale of hope and redemption that is an ode to the healing readers can find when they acknowledge the truth about themselves. Readers of The Sea House are taken back to 1860 and mee

In Perfect Time by @SarahSundin | Enter to win a Kindle HDX and a set of books!

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Don't miss Sarah Sundin 's hot-off-the-press novel,  In Perfect Time . Publishers Weekly gives it an enthusiastic thumbs up: “Sundin excels at well-researched historical detail . . . with such accurate depictions of culture and setting that we are fully immersed in the times as well as in the story. The strength of relationships forged in war and the apprehension of God in times of trouble infuse this well-crafted novel with substance and light.” Sarah is celebrating the release of her book with a fun giveaway! One grand prize winner will receive: A Kindle HDX The Wings of the Nightingale Series ( With Every Letter , On Distant Shores , and  In Perfect Time ) Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 24th.  Winner will be announced August 25th at Sarah's blog . Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Sarah's blog on the 25th to see if you won! (Or better yet, subscribe to h

When life’s storms hit, is a parent’s job ever really done?

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When life’s storms hit, is a parent’s job ever really done? Deborah Raney’s poignant new novel shows how the love of family helps us through difficult times They say blood is thicker than water, and in her latest release, Home to Chicory Lane (Abingdon Press/ August 19, 2014 /ISBN: 978-1426769696 /$14.99) , Deborah Raney writes a story that examines how the love of our family can help us weather life’s storms. The first book in the new Chicory Inn series introduces us to Audrey Whitman, a mother who has launched all of her children into life and now looks forward to fulfilling some of her own dreams during her empty-nest years. However, not all of her children are ready to stay out of the nest quite yet. Raney has beautifully captured the tenderness — and turmoil — of family life in her new release. It was easy for her to do. “We have four grown children and five grandchildren . . . so far!” Raney says. “So, as you can imagine, family is extremely important to us. We’