Audra Jennings

I'm going to have to start being more timely about finishing my work for the day now that Peyton's softball season has started. I'll take any reason to do better about that, but this is a really good one. Peyton has moved over to first base since her new team has some older girls on it. She's not loving it at the moment, but I hope it will grow on her. She's good and versatile. She'll do great rather she likes it or not.

Oh, how these kids loved this song! The boy in the back is well taller than me now, and the boy on the front left pointed it out the other day. Just to get back at him, I pointed out that he was not! 😏 Pharaoh, Pharaoh Well a burnin’ bush told me just the other day That I should come over here and stay Got to get God’s people out of Pharaoh’s hand. And lead them out to the promised land. Chorus: Pharaoh, Pharaoh Woa-o Let my people go! Yea, Yea, Yea, Yea, Yea...  (repeat chorus) So me and God’s people going to the Red Sea Pharaoh’s army comin’ after me. I raised my rod, stuck it in the sand And all God’s children walked on the dry land Chorus Well, Old Pharaoh’s army was a comin’ too. So what did you think that I did do? I raised my rod and I cleared my throat And Pharaoh’s army did the dead man’s float. Chorus

What a difference a week makes! Last Saturday was rainy and cold. This Saturday was sunny and hot. In fact, by late afternoon, it was very hot. Thanks goodness! Derrick Days in Corsicana was good to us this year. Last year, the weather was so bad Mom and Dad couldn't set up the tent without it blowing down the street, so we completely lost out. This year, the wind didn't blow until later in the day. Dad didn't even tie the tent downs until 3:00. It's the only outdoor show we have done worth the risk of the weather. The only "dog and turkey leg" event we'll do going forward, possibly the only spring show we do from here on out. One thing I do have to say about my hometown... crowds come out for Derrick Days. Dad cut a few books as a demonstration. That really wasn't a big deal, or at least like we thought it would be. However, for anyone asking how we cut them, we could show them what a scroll saw is. I wanted to try my hand at cutting a book,

My dad is always trying to get me to go to some music performance or something I'm really not into. (Sort of like all the times of trying to talk me into going to Branson.) Most of the time, it's a "No, thank you." There have been quite a few older country legends come through our town lately. Some people you wonder, "Really, you are coming to Corsicana? That's how far you have fallen." There have been people Dad would be interested in, but he hasn't gone. This time, I had someone I wanted to see. Someone who is not nearly as old as some of the other people through town, but someone I still wonder, "Really? Corsicana?" Wynonna Judd. I grew up listening to the Judds, and Wynonna's still really, really good. I wish she had done a few more songs she did with her mom though.  Mom and I were really into it while Dad was checking the Rangers score and NFL draft. He became one of those cell phone people he hats. He said sh

The good news is that so far, doing freelance work is working out for me. I have work coming in and prospects coming up. While I have been working from home for six years, it's still different not having a co-worker working to either call during the day or message via Facebook. That has been an adjustment. I also had these big aspirations that if I was the boss of me, I was going to take Friday afternoons off and give myself some down time. Well, that is laughable. Any time that I have taken some time off, I've ended up making up for it with late nights or just had late days. I'm working more hours rather than less. I have no one to delegate to in order to help with that either.. It is just me, myself and I. This isn't a complaint though. I just need to figure it all out. I must focus better. Wish me luck!

Bethany House Author Rachel Dylan to Host Facebook Launch Party Readers will come together to discuss Lone Witness Rachel Dylan , author of Lone Witness (Bethany House), will be hosting a Facebook launch party on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT . During the live event, Dylan will be sharing the inspiration behind the new release and leading readers in a discussion of the book. Readers will also be able to ask the author questions throughout the night. The party will also include live video featuring the author. Prizes will be given out, including copies of Lone Witness as well as books from other authors. About the Lone Witness, book 2 in the Atlanta Justice series: Prosecutor Sophie Dawson has taken a new role at the Fulton County DA's office, and her first case involves a local bank employee who may be cheating customers. She's determined to bring justice to those who've lost their savings . . . but her life is turned upside d

This is another book we'd be touring as a part of Litfuse. I had it down on my calendar, so I wanted to go ahead and share. It's a beautiful cover, isn't it? This is the only fiction release, other than Christy , that Catherine Marshall released. It is now available in reprint from Gilead's Evergreen Farm imprint. About the book: Will the dam hold? Julie Wallace has always wanted to write. Trying to escape the Great Depression, Julie’s father buys the Alderton Sentinel, a small-town newspaper in flood-prone Alderton, Pennsylvania, and moves his family there. As flash floods ominously increase, Julie’s investigative reporting uncovers secrets that could endanger the entire community. Julie, the newspaper, and her family are thrown into a perilous standoff with the owners of the steel mills as they investigate the conditions of the immigrant laborers. As the Alderton Sentinel and Julie take on a more aggressive role to reform these conditions, seething te

Last weekend on the craft show front was basically a gigantic bust. Mom and Dad were over at April in Edom, a two-day event Dad has been chomping at the bit to do for the past couple of years. I have been hesitant because it is an outdoor event, and the weather is rarely ever kind to us. It's also a dog and turkey leg event, meaning if you can bring your dog, you're tending to your dog, not shopping. If you are carrying around a turkey leg, you also do not have your hands free to shop. The first thirty minutes seemed promising, then the weather went south. Actually, I guess it went east or southeast. Whatever direction the clouds moved, it rained. It rained so much, all the vendors closed up shop and went home early. Dad also said every dog in the county made an appearance on Saturday. There were more for the pet parade on Sunday (a huge joke - technically a rather small one because the parade only lasted about 20 seconds as it passed by the booth). Sunday, when I went over

It's funny how certain kids get really into certain songs. For some reason, this seems like an odd one to me for kids. However, it's a favorite of one in particular. They all seem to sing it more enthusiastically than any other.

When you are used to working with a 10 x 20 foot booth in the fall, 8 x 10 is really small. However, we made it work. We actually put out every piece of merchandise we brought to Mansfield.  Thankfully, the booth layout in the room was a bit peculiar, and there wasn't anyone behind us. Instead there was a wide aisle on both the front and back of our booth. This meant we were able to display on the back side of the booth. I'd normally have the lattice even fuller. See the stand on the left in the picture below? This weekend is the first time for us to use our IV poles that were a find at a local unclaimed freight store. We randomly happened upon them. For a small booth, I think it turned out really cute.

I have a really bad habit of staying up too late every night the week leading up to a craft event. For some reason, I neurotically think I have to get all these items done even though we have a lot of other merchandise to take.  During the fall, yes, there are things I need to make in between events. In the spring, chances are, I'm not going t need them anyway. Yet, this week, I made pineapples. (I also made home plates. I didn't take pictures of them though.) This staying up late and making extra stock that need hangers on them meant Dad needed to come over and put said hangers on Friday morning. I had a few more boxes he needed to pick up to load in the trailers (yes, plural since we are headed in two different directions). This means I was starting work late for the day. Dad, being concerned about where the booth was located in Edom, made plans to go and put up the tent when set-up started at 3 PM instead of doing it in the morning. He talked like he would g

Today I wanted to share a little bit about a family devotional I would have been sharing about if the Great American Job Transition had not occurred. Although I have not delved into Listen Up myself, I do regularly use another book ( The Gospel Story Bible ) by the author, Marty Machowski, with my kids in Bible class.  There is also a curriculum component that goes with the book. To find out more about how that works visit the New Growth Press website ( www.newgrowthpress.com ) for more information. About Listen Up : Everyone loves a good story, and children are no exception. Who better to tell those stories than Jesus?  Listen Up , by bestselling author Marty Machowski, delves into some of Jesus’s best-known stories in a two-part discipleship resource fashioned to help children explore the parables of Jesus and learn the biblical truths they convey. Listen Up  offers two separate discipleship tools. The first product, a twelve-week curriculum and companion music

Barb Roose Arms Readers with the Weapons Needed to Fight the Good Fight of Faith For those who struggle with worry and anxiety, each day can feel as if they are fighting a losing battle. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. Research also reveals that women are twice as likely to be affected by Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and specific phobias. From personal experience, author and Bible teacher Barb Roose understands what it means to battle with worry. She has written her new book Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua (Abingdon Press/April 17, 2018/$16.99,) and a companion Bible study on Joshua, to share the wisdom she’s garnered over the years to help other women gain victory over their anxieties.   Combining inspiration, humor, and personal

Part 2 of an interview with Hettie Brittz, author of Growing Kids with Character Read part one of the interview here. Parents are faced with the enormous task of not only raising their children to be productive members of society but also helping them grow into the individuals God intended them to be. However, God created each child and each parent to be unique, so what parenting techniques work for some children do not work for others. In Growing Kids with Character: Nurturing Your Child’s Potential, Purpose, and Passion (David C Cook), Hettie Brittz offers parents advice tailored to their own personality as well as to the temperament of each of their children. Q: Why do parents need to change and shape themselves to raise their child instead of demanding the child be more pliable? Doesn’t this put the child in charge and teach him or her that everyone should bow to his or her needs? It can easily seem as though Growing Kids with Character promotes child-centered

April is National Autism Awareness Month. As the mother of twin sons with autism, Karla Akins, author of A Pair of Miracles: A Story of Autism, Faith, and Determined Parenting (Kregel Publications), hopes to help create a greater awareness and understanding of what autism is and offer encouragement and reassurance for families living with the effects of autism firsthand. Below is an adapted excerpt from A Pair of Miracles by Karla Akins ©2017 by Kregel Publications. You are your child’s expert I’ve learned a lot over the years in how to be an education advocate for my twin sons with autism. I wasn’t successful at advocating for my children in the early days when they were in kindergarten because I was awkwardly overzealous in sharing information and knew nothing about how to be wise in negotiations. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes. Writing this, it still bothers me that we, as parents, were basically ignored. I know that every professional in that room was there

This is not the first time I've made them keep going until they were at least a little enthusiastic. ;) The Lord’s Army I may never march in the infantry, Ride in the cavalry, Shoot the artillery. I may never fly o’er the enemy, But I’m in the Lord’s Army! Yes, sir! I’m in the Lord’s Army! Yes, sir! I’m in the Lord’s Army! Yes, sir! I may never march in the infantry, Ride in the cavalry, Shoot the artillery. I may never fly o’er the enemy, But I’m in the Lord’s Army! Yes, sir!

Can you believe the end of the school year is rapidly approaching? Since it's about time to buy teacher gifts, I've been working on apples with teacher quotes. Disclaimer: I have a better camera I took pictures with. My phone always takes blurry pictures, but the camera and computer are not in the same room at the moment. I didn't realize how bad these were.