Audra Jennings

As you read right here on my blog last week, I did go to to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 . Though I was disappointed in some ways, I am not going in that direction today. I'm trying something different because one quote in particular from both the original and the sequel sums up my week. This may be my best blog post ever. I will tell about my week thus far in memes from My Big Fat Greek Wedding . Monday was actually a good day as far as Mondays are concerned.  Part of that was because a lot of people were evidently out of the office for a long Easter weekend (we took Friday). However, on Tuesday I knew that I had to get to work on a big proposal and that was going to be occupying my time. The day didn't start as well. My email started to explode with questions I needed to answer. (That meme is not actually true, but I wanted to work it in. Besides Voula didn't really mean it.) Then our publicity assistant who is my absolute right hand called me ...

What if every Christian believed they’ve been called to full-time ministry? Authors ask believers to move beyond Sunday morning Christianity to true missional living For far too many Christians, the idea of being part of a church simply means attending a Sunday morning service, maybe a small group or a sprinkling of special events each year. Is that what God had in mind for his bride, the Church, when he sent his son to save her? Pastors and church planters Jeff Vanderstelt, and co-author, Ben Connelly, invite readers to experience something deeper in their new book, Saturate Field Guide: Principles & Practices for Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life (Saturate/February 15, 2016) . Inspired by Habakkuk 2:14, which reads, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea,” Vanderstelt and Connelly wrote the Saturate Field Guide to show believers how the gospel permeates every aspect of their life. ...

A fan’s interest takes a threatening turn, causing actress Lucetta Plum to take refuge at the mysterious Bram Haverstein’s estate. Don’t miss the hilarity, hijinks, and danger that Bram, Lucetta, and their friends are swept into in Jen Turano’s  Playing the Part .  While Lucetta has no interest in her friend’s matchmaking machinations, she can’t ignore the strange things going on in Bram’s house and the secrets he hides. Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day? Enter to win a copy of  Playing the Part —five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced April 7 on  the Litfuse blog ! Click here to enter. {MORE ABOUT  PLAYING THE PART } (Bethany House, March 2016) Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day? Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon he...

Even in the midst of pain, it is possible to overcome the temptation to abandon your faith and discover the God who can heal and redeem. Author Matt Bays tells his unforgettable stories of loss and healing in  Finding God in the Ruins .  The book will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity. {MORE ABOUT  FINDING GOD IN THE RUINS } (David C. Cook, March 2016) If God is love, why do we hurt so much? When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain. Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and...

Bind Us Together By Bob Gillman Used by permission. CCLI # 1132191 Bind us together Lord; Bind us together with cords That cannot be broken. Bind us together Lord; Bind us together Lord; Bind us together with love. There is only one God. There is only one King. There is only one body; That is why we can sing. (repeat first part) 

Today was another windy day for  The Crafty Dad and Daughter , this time in Cedar Hill. Last week, we came home with items to fix that fell after being blown over by the wind. Today the wind wasn't as bad throughout the day, but the damage was worse. Our big back display fell after I took about half of the items off and beat up the ones that remained. We're going to have to fix way more merchandise than we sold. I think we're going to have to go back to all inside events. The weather isn't kind to us, and the sun, wind, and rain just mess everything up. Not to mention the fact that the last two weekends have not drawn crowds. I did better the past month on Facebook and Instagram. Ok. Rant over. At least we got to eat at Babe's afterwards, got some really good deals at Bath & Body Works, a new coloring book at Hobby Lobby and got to use a gift card at Starbucks on the way home!

What movies can you quote multiple chunks from on demand because you have watched them so many times? My list... Steel Magnolias Ocean's 11 Sweet Home Alabama Gone in 60 Seconds (and for the life of me, I have no clue why I get sucked into it every time) My Big Fat Greek Wedding I rarely go to the movies. Rarely. Strangely enough, I've been twice this week. Very rare. Tonight I went to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 because I have been giddy about seeing it ever since I heard there was going to be a sequel. Here's a fact for you, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of three or four movies I ever saw twice in the theater. (The others were Titanic , Four Christmases {huge mistake}, and I think I may have seen The Blindside  though I cannot remember for sure.) Back when MBFGW came out, it was during a period of time where I went to the movies an average of every week with friends who were movie fanatics. I almost went broke during that time in my life. It was ...

If your family is like most, breakfast is rushed to get everyone out the door. Lunch is spent at school or work. So where does that leave dinner? Nourish your family's spiritual health as you eat supper together. Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to give you a free resource to help you begin your new dinner tradition of making the most of your family mealtime, beginning this Easter season. Simply head to this page and fill out the form to receive a free sample of  Whit's End Mealtime Devotions .   Want new resources to continue to build your family's faith, even after Easter is over? Consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year: Access to exclusive conten...

Part 1 of an interview with Tom Gilson, Author of Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents’ Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens Parents of teens today may have a tougher job in front of them than parents of any other generation in recent history. While immorality has always existed in the world, the Western world has never seen such a time of moral confusion, especially regarding sexuality, gender and the definition of marriage. To help parents cut through the lies and political correctness and find a way to impart truth to their teens, Tom Gilson has written Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents' Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens (Kregel/February 27, 2016) . This is one of the most complex issues Christians face today, and it’s rife with landmines. In Critical Conversations, Gilson describes the efforts by some to paint Christian beliefs as hateful, making many believers hesitant to speak truth for fear of being seen as homophobic. ...

Part 2 of an interview with Rob Green, Author of Tying the Knot:  A Premarital Guide to a Strong & Lasting Marriage     Every engaged couple hopes to build a lasting and satisfying marriage, but it doesn’t happen automatically. In his interactive premarital study, Tying the Knot , author and counselor Rob Green explores how key issues such as conflict, communication, finances and intimacy are successfully navigated in a Christ-centered marriage. Green seeks to help a new generation of newlyweds build their marriage on the lasting foundation of God’s grace. Q: Many brides and grooms spend more time planning their wedding day than planning for their marriage. What marriage plans should an engaged couple make before their big day? In many ways, that is what this whole book is about. I tell couples as sweetly as I can I care a little bit about the three hours surrounding their ceremony and reception, but I care a lot about the 50+ years they will have aft...

Sitting around at Christmas, my brother came up with the idea of painting syrup buckets used to feed cows as planters to sell in our booth. At the time, I thought, "yeah, you have no idea how little space we have. Plus, I don't have time to make anything else." This past weekend was our first event since Christmas. The first thing to sell, before we even finished setting up our booth was two out of three of the buckets we had painted up. I'm not admitting this though. Dad can tell him. ;) While the strawberry bucket hasn't sold quite yet, I have an order to make one in the same colors accept with a watermelon on it.

Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up I’m all wrapped up, I’m all tied up, I’m all tangled up in Jesus. I’m all wrapped up, I’m all tied up, I’m all tangled up in God. I’m all wrapped up, All tied up, All tangled up in Jesus. I’m all wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in God. Repeat, faster each time

It was a very windy day for The Crafty Dad and Daughter at the Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration in Palestine today. Very windy. We kept having to take things down tightening up our displays because it was so windy. This was the first of several events we have lined up for the next couple of months. Keep checking the Facebook page for more details on where we will be.