Audra Jennings

Hippopotamus Song In the beginning, God made the sea And the forest filled with trees He made the mountains up so high And on the top he placed the sky God’s fingerprints are everywhere Just to show how much He cares But in between He had loads of fun He made a hippo who weighs a ton. Chorus Hip-hip-hip-hippopotamus! Hip-hip-hooray! God made all of us. Hip-hip-hip-hippopotamus! Hip-hip-hooray! God made all of us. Creation sings of His praise, The sparrow and the tiny babe. We can sing and say, “well done.” But some things He just made for fun! Chorus In the end He had lots of fun. He made a kangaroo that jumps and runs. Kanga-kanga-kangaroo. Hip-hip-hurray God made me and you. Kanga-kanga-kangaroo. Hip-hip-hurray God made me and you. In the end He had lots of fun. He made a manatee just for fun. Mana-mana-manatee. Hip-hip-hurray God made you and me. Mana-mana-manatee. Hip-hip-hurray God made you and me.

This week's Saturday craft post highlights my little booth at Mansfield High School this weekend. To borrow a sports term, we were supposed to have a "split squad" today, and this was my event to work. Since the rest of the team faced a windy day and couldn't get the tents set up, the other event (for us anyway) was over before it began. I was worried about rain. A HUGE disappointment. I'm ready for all of our good fall events now. That means I'll be working on Christmas soon. Are any of us ready for that?

  Part 1 of an interview with Jonathan Morrow, Author of Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower’s Guide for the Journey College can be the most exciting, as well as the most frightening, time of a young person’s life. On one hand are all the freedoms a recent high school graduate craves, but on the other are all the freedoms that come with responsibility. It’s a challenging time, especially for Christians coming face-to-face with worldviews different from their own. In Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower’s Guide for the Journey (second edition) (Kregel Publications), Jonathan Morrow helps students tackle this new stage of life and emerge on the other side prepared for what God has planned for them. Q: What are possibly the most frightening questions a graduating high school senior can be asked? What are you going to do with your life? What’s your major going to be? Will you be able to get a job when you graduate?  Students feel a lot of pressure to be, well, pe

Randy Newman encourages Christians to engage non-Christians by asking questions When it comes to evangelism, do you feel pressured to know all the answers? What if you didn’t have to worry about having all the right answers but instead knew the right questions to ask in return? In Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did (Second Edition) (Kregel Publications), author Randy Newman asks readers to look at evangelism in a different way. After all, Jesus asked questions; why don’t we? A Senior Fellow at The C. S. Lewis Institute, Newman has been using a questioning style of evangelism for years. In this provocative book, he provides practical insights to help Christians engage others in meaningful spiritual conversations. Asking questions, Newman suggests, doesn’t tell unbelievers what to think but instead challenges how we think about people, their questions and our message. He asserts that sometimes the best answer is a question. It’s the way Jesus

You know what happens when I stay up late working on projects? I either sell the last thing I made at the next event that goes well, or I made tons of stuff for no reason at all. We've been looking forward to the coming weekend because one of our two events for the weekend was good for us last year. Derrick Days is a local outdoor event. The forecast is for thunderstorms all day Saturday. If it's like that, people aren't going to get out to go to the indoor event either. I really need to catch a break. Let's pray the rain holds off until Sunday.

Did you know there’s a dark side to introspection? If you’re feeling weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis, Jared Mellinger’s new book,  Think Again , is for you.   Think Again  includes practical instructions for self-examination, fighting false guilt, breaking free from hyper-introspection, and more. Ultimately,  Think Again  demonstrates that the solution to thinking too much about ourselves is to look to Christ, and it gives readers the tools to begin to turn from the mirror. Keep up with the blog tour (4/18–5/2) and new reviews being posted daily  here . {MORE ABOUT  THINK AGAIN } Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection  (New Growth Press, April 2017) Evaluating yourself—being mindful of who you are and what you are doing—is necessary and can lead to positive change. But what about the dark side of introspection? Do you ever feel weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis? Perhaps you made a mistake, said a careless word, or ev

Did you know parents let go of their children every day, often in ways they don’t realize? Whether your kids are in kindergarten or college, learn how to prepare your hearts for your kids’ independence with Vicki Caruana’s  The Joy of Letting Go .  The 52 devotional readings within shine a light on all the times readers have loosened their grip on their children and encourages them to continue to let go in life-giving ways. Written by a parenting and education expert,  The Joy of Letting Go  will comfort and inspire parents in all seasons of parenting. {MORE ABOUT  THE JOY OF LETTING GO } The Joy of Letting Go : Releasing Your Teen into Real Life in the Big World  (David C. Cook, April 2017) With readings of encouragement and inspirational quotes, this devotional helps parents prepare their hearts for their children’s independence, whether their kids are just starting kindergarten or graduating from college. Parents let go of their children every day, even in ways they

The next Sunday and Wednesday I teach, I don't care how much whining ensues, I'm getting some new videos so I don't have to go back to the archives. Let's hope that goes well! I’ve Been Redeemed I’ve been redeemed. (girls echo) By the blood of the Lamb. (echo) I’ve been redeemed, (echo) By the blood of the Lamb. I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Filled with the Holy Ghost I am! All my sins are washed away, I’ve been redeemed. Well, I went down,  to the river to pray… Felt so good that I stayed all day… And that’s not all, there’s more beside… I’ve been to the river and I’ve been baptized…             My God and I, we both agree… That I love Him and He loves me… The devil and I, we both agree… That I hate him and he hates me…

When I actually got a chance to go to Starbucks on the way to see Peyton barrel race, one thing is for sure. There was no way I was getting one of those hyped up Unicorn Frappuccinos that have been flooding the internet this week. I love frappuccinos, but not mango laced with sour syrup non-sense. No, I got a caramel lite and apologize to no one. I was the rare creature that said, "NO!" Relay for Life is coming up soon, and I had requests for more plaques to include in fundraisers. These are what I worked on Thursday night. These are my projects for the week.

  Raise your hand if you're ready for Becky Wade's new series!   Celebrate the release of book one,  True to You , with Becky and other readers on Facebook  on May 4th during a fun author chat party at 8:00 PM EDT (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, & 5:00 Pacific)! Becky will be chatting about the book and answering your questions about the new series, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways too! Pre-order your copy of True to You  so you're ready for a fun book discussion. Find out more about the book here . Hope to see you on May 4 for Becky's True to You  Facebook Party ! {MORE ABOUT  TRUE TO YOU } (Bethany House, May 2017) It’s the exciting start of a brand-new series by a contemporary romance fan favorite! After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and

Have negative thought patterns overtaken your life and shaken your faith? Learn how to anchor your heart in God despite what storms roll in in Tracie Miles’ new book, Unsinkable Faith .  Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. Join Tracie and other readers on April 25th for a fun Facebook Live event  and the Anchored in Faith Prize Pack Giveaway (details below)!   One grand prize winner will receive: One copy of  Unsinkable Faith Two pillows Desk decor A journal An anchor necklace A nautical scarf   Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 25.  The winner will be announced at the  Unsinkable Faith Facebook Live event . RSVP for a chance to connect with Tracie 

When your life's work revolves around repairing other people’s marriages, what happens when your own marriage begins to fall apart? Find out what happens to Josiah Chamberlain in Cynthia Ruchti's new book,  A Fragile Hope .  Feeling betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what’s left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall that separates them? Celebrate the release of A Fragile Hope by entering to win Cynthia's Sign of Hope Giveaway!   One grand prize winner will receive: A copy of  A Fragile Hope A metal wall scripture hanging Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 3.  The winner will be announced May 4 on the Litfuse blog . {MORE ABOUT  A FRAGILE HOPE } (Abingdon Pre