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Showing posts from April, 2016

Derrick Days was much better than anticipated

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It's no secret (because I have said so here) that The Crafty Dad and Daughter has had less than stellar events the past couple of months. Events we thought would have tons of people were seemingly ghost towns.  Coupled with threats of thunderstorms, I kept my expectations for Derrick Days in Corsicana low and was pleasantly surprised! There were crowds all day long, and we had a really good day.  I haven't gone down to Derrick Days and years, and the last time I did go, the crowds weren't huge. I think there were arrests for drunken disorderly conduct, and maybe a stabbing last year.  I finally have to give the hometown some props since we had one of our best (if not the best) single day ever. At the end of the day, we had empty spaces we didn't have something to put back up in. It's been a while since we have had an event where you could see empty spaces.  Now, I have two weeks to make lots of stuff back for the Balloon Festival in Canton in two

So I was going to do a week in gifs post

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I told myself I was going to do another "My Week in GIFs" post this week, but I didn't get around to it. It's been a rough month. Here's to hoping May is better. Anyway, you'd get the idea that I've been in a funk.  Instead, I'll share what I've been lettering so that I'll be ready for this weekend. I also worked on a planter and replacement Mason Jar stock. 

The first step to healing is giving abuse a name

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Three men share their stories of sexual abuse as an encouragement for others to share theirs From Penn State to the Catholic Church scandal, stories of sexual abuse are covered in the national media, but news reports do not reveal all the facts of how prevalent abuse is among males. “The standard statistic is that one in six boys is sexually abused before the age of 18 ( 1in6.org ). However, Male Survivor recently reported one in four men has been sexually abused,” Andrew J. Schmutzer , co-author of Naming Our Abuse: God's Pathways to Healing for Male Sexual Abuse Survivors (Kregel Publications/April 27, 2016/ISBN: 978-0825444005/$14.99) , explains. “One thing to understand about these statistics is that they are largely based on self-reporting, so they have been historically hard to come by. As specialists know, men don’t readily talk about their abuse.” Given the staggering statistics, why then does the church seem to be averse to addressing the issue? This was th

A path of healing for survivors of childhood sexual abuse

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Crystal M. Sutherland draws from her journey to offer hope to those on the same road A woman who was sexually abused as a child can wrestle her whole adult life with questions such as, Am I worthless? How can I move past the hurt? Do I matter to God? This internal turbulence can carve a deep hole in an already wounded soul. Crystal M. Sutherland’s own experiences as a child led her to write Journey to Heal: Seven Essential Steps of Recovery for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Kregel Publications/April 27, 2016/ISBN: 978-0825444012/$14.99) . With more than 42 million victims (both male and female) of child sexual abuse in the U.S. alone, the need for healing is enormous. While there is no simple formula for those seeking recovery, Sutherland believes the Bible contains essential guidance for moving toward peace. Journey to Heal is a practical and comprehensive study of seven steps specifically for female survivors who want to progress from simply coping with life to

Ruth Logan Herne talks about Back in the Saddle

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An interview with Ruth Logan Herne, Author of Back in the Saddle                                                     Family relationships are never easy, and loss, grief and greed can compound normal everyday tensions. Ruth Logan Herne offers hope for hurting families with the messages contained in her new book, Back in the Saddle (Multnomah Books/March 15, 2016/ ISBN: 978-1601427762/$9.99) . Q: Your latest release, Back in the Saddle , is a modern twist on the biblical parable of the prodigal son. Can you tell us a little bit about the story? Take one smokin’ hot hero with a chip on his shoulder, turn his hard-won world upside down at the same time his estranged father is diagnosed with deteriorating liver disease and watch the sparks fly! Colt Stafford grew up with resentment burned into his soul. His mother told him to trust God with all his little heart and soul, and when Colt lost her to a tragic car wreck, he realized that if God existed, he sure wasn’t an

Cynthia Ruchti’s ‘Song of Silence’ Music-Themed Giveaway

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As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, will Lucy's faith song go silent, too? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book,  Song of Silence .  The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything. Celebrate the release of Song of Silence  with a blog tour and giveaway. Two winners will be chosen!   One grand prize winner will receive: A copy of  Song of Silence A $150 Visa cash card One second place winner will receive: A copy of  Song of Silence A musical medley prize pack filled with goodies hand-picked by Cynthia Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 9th.  The winners will be announced May 10th on  Cynthia's blog . {MORE ABOUT  SONG OF SILENCE } (Abingdon, April 2016) Music taught Lucy love and beauty. Could silence t

The B-I-B-L-E

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Their first choice was "I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, but then they didn't know all of the words, and I didn't either. In a pinch with the bell ringing, they settled on something quick, but tried their first choice one more time at the end. B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E

A month of long weeks

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So, I have nothing interesting to blog about, no pictures to prove I was at the annual family reunion today, and my craft pictures are pretty boring because they are just more books that I cut out to have an at event next weekend.  I have also had a headache every day this week for every various reason that I might have a headache. It's been a stressful month. I'm ready to be back in a routine at work. I was training our new "chick" this week, so hopefully things will settle down soon. Hopefully, I'll have something interesting and fun to post about soon. Oh, here's a question for you... where should I go on vacation this year, and who can go with me?

Michael Phillips' The Inheritance

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What happens when past and present collide in the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef? Don’t miss master storyteller Michael Phillips’ dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace:  The Inheritance .  Everyone assumed Tulloch’s heir to be his much-loved grandnephew David. But when no will is discovered, David’s calculating cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance. Meanwhile, Loni Ford enjoys a rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, D.C. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is, until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . . Enter to win a copy of  The Inheritance —five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced May 12 on  the Litfuse blog ! {MORE ABOUT  THE INHERITANCE } (Bethany House, April 2016) The death of the clan patriarch has

Join Becky Wade for a Facebook Party May 5

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  A female bodyguard plus her star NFL client plus danger equals a great recipe for romance!  Her One and Only , book four in Becky Wade's Porter Family novels, releases May 3. To celebrate, Becky is hosting an author chat party on her Facebook page on May 5 at 5 PM PDT/8 PM EDT. Join Becky for an evening of book chat with other bookworms and prizes. Plus a portion of all pre-sales and sales the release week of  Her One and Only will be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund . For more details on how to purchase a copy, click here . About the Book After ten years in the NFL, super star Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans. But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?

Help teens understand what the Bible says about homosexuality

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Part 2 of an interview with Tom Gilson, Author of Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents’ Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens Christian parents need to be prepared to answer the myriad challenges teens might hear in today's increasingly pro homosexual culture. Why shouldn't gays get married? Who says gay sex is wrong? Does the Bible actually say there's anything wrong with homosexuality? Don't you care that kids are being bullied just for being themselves? To start the discussion in Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents' Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens (Kregel/February 27, 2016) , Tom Gilson provides a brief history of the issues beginning with the sexual revolution of the 1960s. He explains how and why cultural attitudes have reversed on this subject in such a short timespan, leaving Christians scrambling for answers. This is perhaps the most complicated and contentious issue Christians face in today's cultu