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D6 Days: Your Invitation to FREE Family Encouragement!

May 2, 2013 By Erin 1 Comment

If you’ve hung around here for any length of time, you know family is important to me.

St Patty's Day Family

Holy cow, I love these guys.

Family is important to me because it’s important to God. He actually has quite a bit to say about the family throughout the Bible, but Deuteronomy 6:5-9 has always been my Biblical guidance for our family and home…

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

One of my greatest passions is learning how to bring our family closer to God and closer together and to encourage other families to do the same, which is why I was thrilled to learn about a ministry and conference focused the same thing.

I’m talking about the D6 Conference and Family Ministry! Have you heard of D6?

In just two short words the D6 Conference is about Generational Discipleship. When you take a look at Scripture, it’s impossible to separate discipleship from Family Ministry. As commanded in Deuteronomy 6 (D6), it is God’s “plan A” that the family becomes the center of spiritual formation (a.k.a. discipleship). The D6 Conference helps churches develop and sustain an integrated discipleship strategy that combines the relationship and influence of the church and the home.

The awesome thing is that D6 is not just about churches or just about families – their mission is to bring together these two God-given communities in order to raise the next generation to love the Lord! One of their newest resources, Connecting Church and Home by Tim Kimmel, is a fabulous look at this topic!

As far as the actual D6 Conference, it is on my short list of conferences I would LOVE to attend some day. D6 Dallas One Day, September 26, is a jam-packed day of speakers and breakouts, including Tim Kimmel himself! D6 Louisville, October 16-18, is a lengthier Family Ministry Expo, with amazing speakers such as James Dobson and Les & Leslie Parrott! If you’re interested in attending either conference, don’t hesitate to register because early bird pricing ends Monday, May 6th!

If you’re like me and don’t think you can actually make it to one of the conferences, you’ll be happy to know that you can enjoy some D6 goodness from your own home for FREE this weekend, starting today!

D6 Days is your chance to get exclusive video and audio content to encourage you as a parent and family ministry advocate! D6 has made four videos and six mp3s available to you for FREE through Sunday, May 5th! Here are the sessions…

Videos
- David Platt - The American Dream and the Gospel
- Brian Haynes - What is Family Ministry?
- Richard Ross - Reaching the Heart of the Next Generation
- Garnett Reid - Leaving a Legacy that Matters
Mp3s
- Ed Stetzer - Attitudes and Practices That Lead to Robust Spiritual Formation
- Michelle Anthony - The Transforming Power of Christ for a New Generation
- Rob Reinow - Transforming Youth and Children’s Ministry
- Sean McDowell - Equipping Young People With a Biblical Worldview
- Voddie Baucham - Equipping Parents to Do Their Work
- Beth Guckenberger - Equipping Women to Be Agents of Reconciliation

I think so many of these sound incredible, but I’m especially excited to see the David Platt and Garnett Reid videos and listen to Ed Stetzer speak! In fact, you can watch “Leaving a Legacy That Matters” with Garnett Reid RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

If you decide to participate in D6 Days, make sure you connect with others who are doing the same on social media:

Follow @thed6conference on Twitter
Tweet with the hashtags #d62013 and #d6days
Like the D6 Conference on Facebook

And I would LOVE it if you would come back to this post to tell me about any videos you watch or talks you listen to! We can make this our own little D6 Days community discussion!

If you know someone who might be interested in being a part of D6 Days, pass this on to them now so they can view the content all weekend!

Which D6 Days session sounds the most intriguing to you?

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Filed Under: faith, family

What I Wore: Spring & Map Necklaces

May 1, 2013 By Erin 25 Comments

Last week I was wearing long sleeves and boots. We’re supposed to have several days of rain starting now. But when I took these pictures less than 24 hours ago, it was a lovely 75 degrees, a little windy, but just lovely…

WIWW Spring Is Here Full

A bright new tank from Target and a denim skirt were just perfect for the gorgeous weather!

WIWW Redeemed Cuff

My Redeemed cuff from DaySpring is a great bracelet to wear that the boys can’t easily break!

WIWW Orange Flip Flops

And a little color and bling on my feet made me smile…

WIWW Spring is Here Head

See that lovely piece hanging around my neck? It’s another gorgeous KraftyKash necklace!

You’ve seen my Philippians 4:8 necklace and three J’s necklace, and at the Jumping Tandem Retreat, I received a dictionary pendant with the word “passion” on it.

When I thought about picking out a location for my map necklace, I knew exactly the place…

WIWW KraftyKash Map Necklace

The Hubby and I started dating in Dublin 13 years ago this past St. Patrick’s Day and it is extra special for me with my Irish heritage! Just perfect, don’t you think?! I love the idea of wearing a special place around my neck and close to my heart!

A necklace from KraftyKash would make the most wonderful Mother’s Day present! Here a few ideas:

Put all of the kids and grandkids initials on one necklace.
Pick a special place on the map, such as where she grew up or where she had her babies or the location of a wonderful trip!
Get a dictionary pendant with the word “mother” or “caring” or “love” or anything else!

To celebrate all of you lovely mothers and women out there, my friend Kashoan {who I FINALLY met in real life at Jumping Tandem!} is giving away two map pendants – one for you and one for a friend!

Just enter through Friday night using the widget below to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided this lovely necklace for review purposes, but I was not compensated in any other for this post and all opinions are 100% my own!

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Filed Under: fashion, gifts, giveaway, what i wore

Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle Sale!

April 29, 2013 By Erin Leave a Comment

This sale has ended!

I have been DYING to tell you about this amazing sale including some of my favorite writers and ebooks, but I had to keep it hush-hush…

UNTIL TODAY! It’s the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle Sale!

{Seriously, this is incredible. Read on!}

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

UHeB-large-HomemakingBundle_revised

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)

Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)

The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)

Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)

My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)

My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)

Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)

Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)

Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)

The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)

Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)

Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)

31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)

Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)

True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)

Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)

When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)

From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)

That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)

42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($4.99)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)

The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)

How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28′s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

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Filed Under: home, homemaking

The Definition of a Friend {Five Minute Friday}

April 26, 2013 By Erin 6 Comments

It’s Five-Minute Friday with lovely Lisa-Jo!

Set a timer and just write. Don’t worry about making it just right or not.

For me? An exercise in letting go and letting words flow. Five minutes only. {yes, I did set a timer and it quacked like a duck at 5 minutes, which totally made me smile}

Today’s prompt: Friend.

And go…

I used to hold on to a pretty small definition of the word “friend.”

Requirements included years of knowing one another and living life together in the same space and agreeing on most things was always a good thing.

Friend no longer means the person next door. Some of my dearest friends are miles and miles and miles away. We are not living life together on the same block or even in the same town, but “life together” can mean so many different things these days.

Moving and this internet world have broadened my friend definition. Women I haven’t seen in years or haven’t even met in person know my heart as well as those I’ve known for years.

We may not agree on politics or movies or a whole host of other things, but my friends are knit together with me through Jesus and that’s where real friendship has its roots.

I cherish deeply the friends I’ve had for years – since second grade, since our first children were born a week a part.

But I am also quick to call someone a friend, even when we met 24 hours prior. Because God just knows those friends you need. And when He shows them to you, you do not hesitate.

I call them friend and mean it.

Stop.

And now I’m off to link up this post with the fabulous Five Minute Friday community and then spend time with my beautiful friends at Bible study!

A blessed weekend to YOU my FRIENDS!

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Filed Under: five minute friday, friends

The Repentant Mosquito {A Story for World Malaria Day}

April 25, 2013 By Erin 2 Comments

This post was co-written with my eldest son, Big J, who will turn 7 this Saturday, which doesn’t even seem possible. It was a blessing to share this experience with him, brainstorming and storytelling and hoping to make a difference. I think we shall do this “writing blog posts together” thing more often as a part of homeschool language arts

The Repentant Mosquito

My name is Mooski. I lived in Tanzania at the time of my conversion. My buddies, Mesquite, Mason, and I hung around the crowded parts of the village. If we got swatted away by one person, there were lots of other humans to choose from. It was blood-sucking heaven.

After biting and feasting, we would head to the outskirts of town to rest. Life was pretty good. We were doing the only thing we knew how to do to survive.

Then my eyes were opened to a whole different side of life…

It was a normal Thursday evening. We liked to venture out for a “meal” as evening came because we were harder to spot in the darkness. Instead of a crowded marketplace, I made my way into a home. I found four people – a mother and three children – in that home and I went about my business of feeding myself.

But as I flew around, I noticed a very sick little boy and overheard a conversation that changed my life…

“If only we had access to those nets – the ones that keep the mosquitos away. He would have never been sick. He would still be laughing and playing. The malaria has taken that life from him.”

They were talking about me! I was making people sick and I didn’t even know it! I thought I was just getting a meal!

It was such a sad scene. And it was all because of me and my kind. Now every time I flew by a human, I could only think of that sick, dying little boy and suddenly, blood wasn’t so appealing anymore.

I left that human-biting world over 6 years ago now for a life feasting among the flowers. I’ve shared my story with other mosquitos and, together, we’re on a mission to do our part to stop the spread of malaria. Now won’t you join us?

*****

Today is World Malaria Day.

Big J and I first learned about malaria together when we raised money for Nickels for Nets.

Compassion International is doing great things to stop the spread of malaria through their Malaria Intervention Initiative. I could hardly contain my emotion as Big J and I read that a child dies every 30 seconds from this preventable, treatable disease.

There are lots of ways to help, but we love that Compassion attacks malaria in three ways: prevention, education, and treatment. A $20 donation to the Malaria Intervention Initiative will provide two treated mosquito bed nets for at-risk children.

On this World Malaria Day, say a prayer. Give a little. Give a lot. Spread the word.

Just do something and let’s end this disease together.

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Filed Under: big j, compassion, make a difference

Deny Yourself: A New True Beauty Film from Lisa Chan

April 24, 2013 By Erin Leave a Comment

The True Beauty Films from Lisa Chan have truly been a breath of fresh air for me.

Lisa speaks with such calm and confidence. And her love for the Lord comes through in every word.

Deny Yourself is the latest installment and I hate to admit just how much I need this message right now. Like, even as I write this right now.

God has been speaking to me all over the place about less of me and more of Him. In order to move towards that space, I need to start saying a lot more hard “no’s” to myself.

I needed Lisa’s voice to remind me of this once again. And the story Irene tells of her life throughout the DVD pulled me along as well and reminded me that HIS plan is always so much greater then MY plan. The lives impacted by Irene’s decision to follow Him just floored me. {You might need a few Kleenex}

“Love God, love others” has been resonating in my head big time this past week. Doing both requires a lot of denying of oneself. And I want to do both well.

Take a look at this beautiful trailer for Deny Yourself…

True Beauty Deny Yourself TRAILER from Flannel Staff on Vimeo.

The True Beauty films come with discussion materials that would make them perfect for a women’s event or Bible study, but just watching them at home on my own as I fold laundry or cook dinner has been a blessing to me.

I would love to bless one of you with this newest True Beauty DVD, Deny Yourself! Just leave a comment below to be entered! The giveaway will close tomorrow {Thursday} at midnight!

*I received this DVD to review. I was not compensated in any way for this post and all opinions are 100% my own.

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Filed Under: DVD review, giveaway

What I Wore: Vi Bella Jewelry

April 24, 2013 By Erin 6 Comments

Technically, it’s spring, but the weather hasn’t let me put away the long sleeves and boots yet…

ViBella Outfit

I had to bring a little brightness to this gloomy week, so I pulled out some yellow and a couple of lovely new necklaces…

ViBella Necklaces

You probably recognize that top necklace as a KraftyKash design and I’ll be featuring more of her fabulous work really soon, but today I wanted to talk about my other pop of color from Vi Bella!

ViBella Sign

What is Vi Bella? This is their mission:

At the heart of our mission, Vi Bella impacts the lives of at-risk women in Haiti, Mexico, and the United States by providing them jobs which pay good wages in safe, encouraging work environments. These women serve as our artists and inspiration. Our Vi Bella artists “up-cycle” discarded plastic and glass bottles, metal bottle caps and paper, transforming them into unique, handmade jewelry that is truly a work of art. We then invest all of our profit back into the artists’ communities, which brings the transformation full circle.

We had the pleasure of hearing the story of hope straight from Julie, the founder of Vi Bella, at the Jumping Tandem Retreat this weekend! Please take a moment to watch this video to hear the story for yourself!

The jewelry these women are making with their own hands is just as beautiful as their story…

ViBella Beads

Vi Bella has jewelry for all styles and occasions. The bead work is gorgeous and you can find stones and metals of every color! I wandered through the display multiple times over the weekend just trying to decide which piece I loved the most – too many to choose from!

ViBella Necklace

I picked this particular necklace because I love the hand-braided chain. It reminds me of the beautiful hands of women who have now found a trade they love and the love of Jesus.

Vi Bella jewelry would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift for the special women in your life! And it would be a gift to the moms and women who carefully craft each piece! Please take some time to visit their site and do a little life-changing shopping today!
*I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy today!

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Filed Under: fashion, gifts, make a difference, product review, what i wore

Jump: Living the Dream

April 23, 2013 By Erin 23 Comments

I can’t even believe some of the things I actually did this weekend.

I am a raging extrovert, but being an extrovert and being courageous are not the same thing. I wasn’t quite sure how God would show up for me this weekend at the Jumping Tandem Retreat, maybe instilling bits of courage here and there. I thought He may nudge me towards one dream or whisper to me about another.

Instead, I found Him painting boldly on my heart with strokes of passion and clarity and, yes, the courage to jump, both literally and figuratively.

He took His dream for me, the one I had only mentioned in passing, nervous and scared that someone might hold me to it, and He made me SPEAK that dream OUT LOUD to others.

Amazing

He took my biggest dream obstacles – the ones in my head – and He spoke through Jennifer to help me lay them down – no, even better, throw them out and bury them for good.

He surrounded me with other dreamers…

Erin and Lisa-Jo

Lisa-Jo, the greatest (in)courager and cheerleader for moms there ever was…

Jessica, Erin, and Vickie

My new Pacific Northwest heart sisters, Jessica and Vickie, pursuing and encouraging love in community over at Walk Agape…

Sarah and Erin

My fabulous roomie for the weekend, Sarah, who entranced me with her energy and stories of life in musical theatre!

…other dreamers all feeling the nerves and excitement and fear and indigestion that come along with the BIG things He has planned to draw us closer to Him. We dreamed together. We worshipped together {Oh, did we worship}. We believed together. And from my dear friends Holley and Lisa-Jo, we rediscovered the meaning of success in relation to our dreams…

Success is obedience to God.

Unlike any other conference or gathering I had ever attended, I did not walk away overwhelmed with a million things to try or be or do. I walked away from this weekend ready to jump. And to take that jump with joy, knowing that just getting started on His dream for me was success.

In a rare moment of bravery, when I registered for this retreat, I signed up for the additional “Be Brave” activity as well. I later learned that activity would involve net-climbing, tall towers, and a zip line, and my bravery turned to knocking knees and chattering teeth {from the nerves AND the cold, windy weather!}.

Raw Emotion

I climbed up that two-story net, worked my way up another tangled mess to the second platform, and within seconds of scooting myself off that 54-foot high platform and flying across the air, I knew exactly why God had me up there.

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The guide told me the steps I would take leading up to my jump: they involved me sitting on the platform, her unclipping me, and me moving myself forward whenever I was ready. She did the unclipping, I yelled to let the ground crew know I was on my way, and I JUST WENT.

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I knew that if I sat there for even a second longer, I might not jump at all. I didn’t think. I left no time for doubt or worry or fear. I just jumped.

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And God said, “Now do EXACTLY THAT with the dream I’ve given you.”

I’ve spent way too much time sitting on the edge of His dream for me, looking down, afraid and doubting and feeling inadequate. It’s time for obedience. I am living the dream.

Deidra's smile

Thank you, lovely, wonderful Deidra, for being obedient to His dream for YOU which has now inspired each of us who were in attendance. It was all blessing.

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P.S. The zip line was AMAZING, as was experiencing it with this bunch of awesome women. If you ever get the chance, DO. IT.

*THANK YOU to the most lovely Laura for the zip line pictures. You captured each moment so perfectly!

**Later this week, or whenever I have some more time to process the sessions, I will post more of the words of inspiration shared by the fabulous speakers! Good, good stuff.

I’m linking up with Holley and the God-sized dreamers this week about how we PLAY in the middle of our dreams. Zip-lining counts, right?!

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Filed Under: God-sized Dreams, inspiration, joy

Talking Truth With Our Kids + DVD Giveaway!

April 17, 2013 By Erin 17 Comments

Honesty

April is National Honesty Month. Honesty is such an important virtue to teach our children, but it is also important for us to be honest with them. And our honesty about our own struggles can be life-giving to them. You can read more about how I chose to be honest with my children about my battle with lying over at the Tommy Nelson blog today.

And as we try to establish these important character traits early on, I am so thankful for the resources being provided by companies like Tommy Nelson to help us get these messages through in fun and engaging ways!

This month, we had the privilege of viewing two fun DVDs from Tommy Nelson that the boys and I just loved!

I Will Tell the Truth is a collection of two classic Hermie episodes emphasizing the importance of honesty and the words we say. We love the Hermie books and movies here! The episode, “Flo the Lyin’ Fly,” was especially impacting to the kids and I. The story is similar to the Boy Who Cried Wolf, and we had a great discussion about how we build a reputation through our words, whether they are true or lies. Flo had gained a reputation as a liar so no one would believe her when she DID finally tell the truth. What a hard lesson to learn and the boys were really upset that no one would believe Flo – so many great conversations can come out of this DVD!

Cocka Doodle Doo

We also greatly enjoyed Cocka Doodle Doo the Right Thing, a fabulous story about the Golden Rule set on a farm! This DVD features the voice talents of two singers I adore, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, and the cast of characters is such fun! Hercules the Rooster is at the center of the story as a full-of-himself rooster who thinks he is too important to help clean up around the farm. Hercules treats those around him quite rudely as the day goes on, but Hercules is the one who gets an unpleasant surprise at the end of the day because of his bad attitude! In addition to a great lesson, there is also fun music and lots of laughs!

You can win a set of these two great Tommy Nelson DVDs right here, right now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received these DVDs to review as a Tommy Mommy. I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are 100% my own!

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Filed Under: DVD review, giveaway, kiddos

Scripture-Based Prayers for Peace: For Our World, Our Families, & Ourselves

April 16, 2013 By Erin 1 Comment

I’ve been studying about fear quite a bit in my quiet time recently.

While the Scriptures I’m reading have brought lots of God-given courage and comfort, talking about fear in any matter does tend to leave one unsettled.

In the past week, I’ve been rattled by fears of all kinds, from thunderstorms {our house was hit by lightning last fall} to messing up my children on their way to adulthood to stepping out in faith on a big project God laid on my heart.

Peace has evaded me. And that was even before yesterday afternoon. By 9:30 a.m., I had already yelled {more than once} at my oldest, had enough of the littlest’s nonstop fussing {teething}, and wasn’t sure I would ever again get a calm thought in my head with all the noise surrounding me.

And then news of the tragedy broke.

Peace is really hard to find in our world. It’s also hard to find in our souls. I found myself crying out to God for peace as the day wound down. I knew my heart needed to be refocused. Maybe yours does, too.

These Scriptures started me on a journey of praying peace over myself, my family, my friends, our community, Boston, our country, our world…but not just the kind of peace where everyone just “gets along” and doesn’t shoot at each other.

The definition of peace in the Life Application Study Bible is:

a state of tranquility or quiet; a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity; harmony in personal relations, especially with God; a state of security or order within a community; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

Yes. To all of those.

And that peace I need, the peace my family needs, the peace our world needs can only come from one source – Jesus.

When it seems the bickering between brothers won’t stop – Jesus, bring Your peace.

When another tragedy breaks on to my TV – Jesus, bring Your peace.

When my mind is fixated on worry and fear – Jesus, bring Your peace.

How badly I need these Scriptures and short prayers planted deeply in my soul to bring peace through any storm. Please join me in praying them for your loved ones – and for yourself.

Prayers for Peace

Ten Scripture-Based Prayers for Peace

1. Lord, shine Your Light into our dark world so that we may follow the path of peace. {based on Luke 1:78-79}

2. Holy Spirit, fill us with Your power to turn from evil and find peace. Give us the strength to maintain peace wherever we are able. {based on Psalm 34:14, Romans 12:18}

3. Jesus, guard our hearts and minds in your Mighty Name with the peace that transcends all understanding. {based on Philippians 4:6-7}

4. Lord, fit our feet daily with the shoes of peace that come from the Good News, so that we may spread Your peace to the whole world at any time. {based on Ephesians 6:15}

5. Heavenly Father, reign over our lives as the God of Peace and cast out the confusion and disorder that has taken over. {based on 1 Corinthians 14:33}

6. God, bring Your peace to our land. Protect our hearts and minds as we lay down to sleep each night. {based on Leviticus 26:6}

7. Jesus, Your death and resurrection brought victory over evil and sin. Help us to live as overcomers, in peace despite the troubles of this world. {based on John 16:33}

8. Lord of Peace, fill our hearts and minds with Your peace at all times and in every situation. {based on 2 Thessalonians 3:16}

9. God, as we pursue peace in this world, surround us with others who call on You with the same heart. {based on 2 Timothy 2:22}

10. Jesus, my eyes are fixed upon You. Let Your Spirit fill me with life and peace. {based on Romans 8:6}

And in the wake of yesterday’s heartbreaking tragedy at the Boston Marathon, let us lift up all those affected – the victims, the families and friends, the first responders, the witnesses – and remember He is there holding each one…

Psalm 3418

This is where God took me on my God-sized dream journey this week. He and I have talked long and hard about fear and peace and comfort and faith. This week was hard, but important to this path He has me traveling. Read more about how God has spoken to other God-sized dreamers at Holley’s place today and link up your own post.

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Filed Under: prayer, Scripture