Audra Jennings

This is what my house looks like. Piles. Piles of stuff I need to do. I'm ready for a vacation!

The Plague Song To the tune of “This Old Man” Then God sent, plague number one Turned the Nile into blood.  Chorus: All the people in Egypt were feeling pretty low;  Moses told Pharaoh “let them go!” Then God sent, plague number two Jumping frogs all over you. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number three Swarms of gnats from head to knee. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number four Filthy flies, need we say more? ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number five All the livestock up and died. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number six Boils and sores to make you feel sick. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number seven Hail and lightening down from heaven. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number eight Locust came and they sure ate. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number nine Total darkness all the time. ( Chorus) Then God sent, plague number ten Pharaoh’s son died so he gave in. All the people in Egypt were...

Without a craft event this weekend, I got to watch Peyton barrel race at a youth event. She just got started the past few months since her stepmom and step-sister race (I didn't get her on video this time). She placed 10th in her age group and told me I needed to watch her when she actually did well. ;) I'm sure I will get the chance!

I do not have time to blog these days! Not that I have a lot of stories or news to share. It's in middle of the crafty season, and I'm actually prepping for more than one thing at a time. I'll share more in the next week or so about the shop we'll be a part of. I'm trying to get items priced and prepped for that, and then, orders done and stock remade for next weekend. I get exhausted just thinking about it!

  One Christian’s experience leaving the gay community When molested as a child by an older boy he trusted, Bob Fife had no idea how his life trajectory would be altered drastically by the event. Something happened in his heart that night, launching Fife on a quest for acceptance, security and masculinity. Out : One Christian’s Experience of Leaving the Gay Community (Kregel Publications/October 27, 2016/ISBN 978-0-8254-4440-1/$15.99) is the vivid story of Fife’s descent into homosexual practices — and his courageous fight to climb out again. Fife takes readers through the turmoil and confusion of his teen years, to his marriage and fatherhood, then his discovery and immersion into the flamboyant Toronto gay scene. Out exposes the gritty process of abandoning his young family to fulfill his same-sex desires. With no responsibilities tying him down, Fife would spend more than a decade traveling around the globe in pursuit of worldly pleasures. It wasn’t until an ...

After being captured as a child during the French and Indian War, can Christian settle back into Amish farming life? Find out in  Christian’s Hope , book three of Ervin R. Stutzman’s Return to Northkill series.  Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family—who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again? {MORE ABOUT  CHRISTIAN’S HOPE } Christian’s Hope  (Herald Press, October 2016) When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted. Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of f...

Part 1 of an interview with Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart, authors of Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom Creative moms often feel as though they must lay their passions down once the kids arrive, if for no other reason than there is no time. But God has something special in mind for creative women during this intense season of mothering. In Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom (Kregel Publications) authors Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart show that “a mother’s natural bent toward imagination doesn’t just wither and die with the 
 birth of a child. This core component remains part of her intricate design.” Q: Life Creative is a book written to encourage moms, but it is not your average parenting book on raising kids. Tell us about your new book and how its message is different. Kelli Stuart: It’s not a how-to, self-help book about raising children, but rather a love letter to artistic mothers. We begin by calling attention to the ...

  Champ Thornton stimulates kids’ sense of adventure with gospel-centered new book What images does the term “radical faith” conjure? The Latin origin of the word “radical” literally means “roots.” Today the word also means extreme or revolutionary — even excellent or cool. With The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith (New Growth Press/October 24, 2016/ISBN 9781942572718/$24.99) , author Champ Thornton takes children deep into the ancient roots and origins of the Christian faith in both exciting and innovative ways. Brilliantly illustrated and extremely kid-friendly, The Radical Book for Kids is an explorer’s guide to the Bible, church history and life, mixing practical and theological elements with fun activities such as a 3,000-year-old board game and a tutorial on how to make a (kid-safe) David-style slingshot. The hands-on approach will help kids grasp the Bible’s relevance for daily life and leave them with a curiosity driving them...

I think they forgot how to sing this one. I Want to be Like Daniel, I Want to be Like Ruth (Boys) I want to be like Daniel… (Girls) I want to be like Ruth… (Boys) I want to be like Daniel… (Girls) I want to be like Ruth… (Girls) For Ruth was so, so, sweet and kind (Boys) And Daniel was a mighty man (Boys) I want to be like Daniel. (Girls) I want to be like Ruth.

Good events with good locations make up (at least some) for the bad ones. We had an excellent Saturday at Flower Mound Marcus High School. We left early on Friday afternoon in hopes of missing some of the Friday afternoon horrible traffic through Dallas. I don't think there was a time to make driving through Dallas pulling a trailer an easy endeavor. My friends were kind of impressed last weekend. They should have been with me this one. We have next weekend off before another three in a row. We will also soon be set up in a vintage market here locally This weekend we may be working on getting it set up. I'll post more details about that when I have an official date.

Do you ever wish mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe to follow? Take a spiritual and creative breather from motherhood and invest ten minutes daily into the devotions found in Sarah Humphrey’s  40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood .  In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood. In addition to the devotions, the beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did! {MORE ABOUT  40 DAYS TO A JOYFUL MOTHERHOOD } (Abingdon Press, August 2016) Nourishment for a mother’s soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling! Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges ...

Part 1 of an interview with Linda Znachko, Author of He Knows Your Name When the evening news reported an abandoned baby had been found dead in a local dumpster, Linda Znachko’s comfortable life changed. She was suddenly convicted, knowing God wanted her to provide a dignified burial for this tiny lost child. She obeyed, having no idea where that first small yes would lead. He Knows Your Name: How One Abandoned Baby Inspired Me to Say Yes to God (Kregel Publications) chronicles Znachko’s journey and challenges the reader to say yes to the Holy Spirit’s leading, no matter how insignificant or strange it may seem. Q: While anyone who watched the news or read the story of the abandoned would have certainly found it to be a terrible situation, you were struck on a deeper level. What was it about this baby that called you to action? My mother died four months prior to this child’s abandonment. I was responsible for planning her funeral, which meant I ordered her headstone...

Don’t miss books three ( A Sister’s Wish ) and four ( An Amish Family Christmas ) in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Charmed Amish Life series.  In  A Sister’s Wish , when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces Amelia and Simon to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love . . . but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past. In  An Amish Family Christmas , Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire. Enter to win a book pack (a copy of  A Sister’s Wish  and a copy of  An Amish Family Christmas ) from Shelley. Five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced November 7th on  Shelley’s blog ! {MORE ABOUT  A SISTER’S ...