Post Servolution Videos

In case you weren't able to be in church last Sunday, here are the post Servolution 2009 videos. If you weren't able to be a part of Servolution this year, be sure to join us next year as we again go out into our community to serve and to love. And.....you don't have to wait until next year to serve as a part of Servolution. Our prayer is that Servolution will become a way of life for us all. You also have the opportunity to serve the second Saturday of each month (sort of a mini-servolution) with people from the church; watch the bulletin for more information.

Some stats from this year:
1300+ volunteers
120+ projects
500 Food Baskets given away
300 people were given community resources
117 people went through our health screening
73 haircuts given
1800 hot dogs eaten
70 people gave blood at the blood drive and.....
Approximately 15,000 man hours of work was donated by those who joined the Servolution!

Now THAT is love in action!

Eric's Sectional Meet Photos

Just thought I'd post some pics of my son at the Sac/Joaquin Division 1 Sectional Meet. Eric has had a great season and did well at the sectional meet, but, alas, he didn't make it through to State Finals.  The sectional meet was a great way to end the season, though, and he has a lot to look forward to next year as a senior.  It should be fun.

Death is not Dying

Today, on the Desiring God blog, I was directed to THIS AUDIO and THIS VIDEO  by Rachel.  I tried watching the video, but it wouldn't run smoothly, so I decided to listen to the audio.  The audio is approximately 55 minutes long, but I'll tell you what, Rachel presents the gospel in the face of death in a way that is both beautiful and powerful.  

After four and a half years of vigilantly fighting breast cancer, Rachel Barkey, a 37 year old wife and mother of two, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  But for Rachel, the essence of life is found in her relationship with God through Jesus. And that's why Rachel is convinced that death is not dying.

You will not be sorry for giving an hour of your time to listen to her speech.  It reminds me in some ways of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch because Rachel hopes that someday her children will watch the video to know what she believed in and lived for.   She gave this talk at a women's event for her church, and I am sure each one left the evening with a changed perspective. 

Please remember to pray for Rachel, as well as the many other people that I am sure, like me, you know who have cancer.

Mish Mash Mondays

Time for another exciting edition of Mish Mash Mondays!  (Humor me here, okay?) Lots of thoughts today:

• I love me some baptisms!  Seriously, I cry every time we have baptisms and yesterday was no different.  Seeing the life change that God has begun in so many people encourages me to continue in my pursuit of Him.  I love hearing the stories of those who come to be baptized; they get me every time!  
• I am hearing more and more about events that took place on Servolution. Yesterday at church, several people stopped me to say, "Did you hear.....?"  and proceeded to fill me in on some great things that God did through Servolution.
• After church, we were able to spend some time with Dave's family, including his aunt and uncle from Clovis, and his cousins who are here from back east.  We had a lovely lunch and a relaxing time visiting.
• It's HOT!  It was so good to be able to jump in the pool last night to cool off.
• Today's To Do's?  Going to the bank, grocery shopping, laundry, writing a few notecards to people, and work for a job I am doing.  It's gonna be a great day!

Birthday Brunch

A couple of weeks ago, it was "Birthday Brunch" time with my mom and sisters.  Twice a year we get together at Mimi's to celebrate two of our birthdays.  In April, it was my two sister's birthdays, in case the presents in front of them didn't give that away!  Aren't they beautiful?  I am so proud of the two of them.  They are great women, fantastic moms, and the best, most fun and loving sisters I could ask for.  

At the restaurant, we almost always sit at the same table and can easily spend a couple of hours catching up with one another and sharing the latest news in each of our families. Between us there are ten children, so there's never a shortage of news to share.  As you can see in the picture of me and my mom, there usually aren't too many people in the room where we sit, and that's probably a good thing because we girls can laugh rather loudly.  (I'm sure you find that hard to believe!) 

The birthday brunch tradition is one that I look forward to because it's just the four of us.  We see each other at other times, of course, but usually it's with our husbands and children in tow, and although it's tons of fun, we don't often get time to visit with one another.  Carving out some time alone with just the four of us is just what we need once in a while!  These times take me back to when it was just the four of us in our home, and I find a great strength in the reconnection that takes place when we are together.  Yes, I am blessed.

A Long Time Coming

This post has needed to be written for a long time now.  I’ve started it a couple of times, only to erase it all because I just couldn’t find the words to finish it.  I’ve gone over and over what to say and how to say it, and I haven’t sensed any divine revelation, so I’m just going to wing it here. 

You see, God has begun a mighty change in me and I find that for every step forward in faith, I take two steps back with fear and insecurity.   I am embarrassed to write this post, to some degree, because I have to share a message that God has been trying to smack into me for quite some time.  Okay, just being honest here, it’s been years that He’s been trying to break through to me in this area. 

A couple of months ago, unbeknownst to me, a friend and fellow staff wife got a little bug up her sleeve to have a surprise for me at our Women’s Retreat.  Many of you wrote wonderful and beautiful cards to me and, embarrassingly, gave of your hard earned money towards a gift for me – me of all people! 

The last day of the retreat, my friend, Tricia, called me up to the front.  I had no idea as to why she was calling me up there, and she proceeded to say some things that I can’t quite remember.  (When I am standing in front of a group of grown ups, I usually have a sort of “out of body” experience because I am so embarrassed and insecure to be there).

The gift of the cards was such a sweet and unexpected surprise, and I was touched that so many women would make the time to write me a card.  I was full to over-flowing with the love that I felt in the gift of those cards. 

But then……Tricia proceeded to say something that my simple mind didn’t have a category for, and I didn’t even understand what she was saying at first.  She told me that the women, along with their cards, had given money, towards a gift for me. 

I simply cannot find the words to say how totally embarrassed I was that anyone would give in these difficult financial times towards a gift for me.  I certainly haven’t “earned” it, I certainly don’t “deserve” it, and I certainly can’t believe it.  I must have looked so silly in that moment because I truly did not understand what Tricia was trying to tell me.

Long story not so short, Tricia told me that there had been enough money to buy the club chairs that we had picked out when we had bought our sofa two years ago!  I KNOW!  What is up with that?

Well, after mumbling something (probably not at all intelligible), I headed back to my seat with the treasured box of cards in my hands.  As I sat down, I was engulfed in the hugs of the two women sitting on either side of me, and in that moment…….something broke.  I felt a love wash over me like a tidal wave and I “heard” the voice of the Lord speaking straight to the depths of my soul.

Now, there have been two times in my life that I clearly sensed God speaking straight to my heart in a way that was all but audible.  In both of those times, I can tell you word-for-word what God spoke to my spirit because it was so vivid, real, and true.  This time was no different; I remember word-for-word (it’s all but etched in my heart) what God said to me. 

I’m a little hesitant to share what I heard because, well, I’m sure God speaks to you all in grand and eloquent ways, and me?   Not so much. 

Anyway, as I sat enveloped in the hugs of those two women and overwhelmed with the love that those cards represented, as clearly as anything, I heard these words, “Gena, it’s time to put your big girl panties on and step over all those danged insecurities you have hidden behind for so long.”

Yep. That’s it.  That’s what I heard.  To be fair, I also heard, “You can do all I’ve called you to do, and you can trust in this love.” 

God gave me no grand discourse on His immutability, or why He sent his son, Jesus Christ, as propitiation for my sin, or His transcendent nature.  Nope.  None of that; just “Put your big girl panties on.” 

I don’t mean to be flippant at all about the reality of the Lord speaking to me.  I really don’t, but I simply can’t rephrase what I heard because that’s what I heard.

And you know how God has to say some things over and over for us to get it?  Well, believe it or not, I recently attended a one-day conference with two speakers, and both, BOTH, women used that exact same phrase at one point during the day in their talks.  I mean, what are the odds of that? 

Well, those words have come back to me over and over again since the retreat and I continue to pray that I can truly accept what He told me.  I desire to stay on the other side of my “danged” insecurities that I all to often willingly and fearfully hide behind.  I want to trust in the love of those God has so graciously and wonderfully placed in my life.  And, I want to feel free to release the deep, honest-to-goodness love that I have for others in our church.

Anyway, as I came home from the retreat to read all of those sweet and heartfelt cards, I was again amazed at the gifts God has given me in the women of our church.  I will always keep that box of cards, and I will reread them every so often (especially on days when I wonder if I can do anything right!).  I don’t deserve the love that was expressed in those cards, but you all gave it anyway.  Do you even know how humbling that is?

And on top of that most precious gift, you all gave me some chairs. CHAIRS!  I couldn’t believe it, and guess what?  They are here!  You all need to come over to see them and rest your little hienies in them!  I like them just as much as I did two years ago; they match our sofa so well! And when I sit in them, I am amazed at the gift of love that they represent to me.

Yes, it took me until the chairs got here to post this because I’ve been embarrassed at your overly gracious and generous gift.  I mean, how do you accept something like that?  And yet, I am afraid that my inability to say thank you earlier might have been seen as being ungrateful. That wasn’t it at all!  In fact, it was just the opposite; I was so grateful for the undeserved gift that I found it hard to accept.  Why you all would bless me that way, I don’t know, but I want to let you know how very much I appreciate the gift and the love in which it was given.  

So there you have it, a long overdue and heartfelt THANK YOU to you all who have dared to love me and bless me.  I can only pray that I will be faithful with those gifts and that I will turn around and pour those gifts out to others.  I love you and thank you with all that I am.

Happy Mother's Day!

My youngest daughter made this for me for Mother's Day, and this morning I was treated to breakfast prepared by my two youngest ones.  Yeah, I'm blessed.

On Mother's Day, my heart is also with those women who are trying so hard to have a baby or who are unable to have a baby.  I know that many of them stay home from church on Mother's Day, and I don't blame them because it can be so painful.  There are also those who have lost their moms or grandmothers, and this day brings grief and heartache.  Although most of us think of Mother's day as a positive thing, please remember and be sensitive to those who have a hard time with this day.  They don't wish to have us not celebrate, but it means so much when their feelings are considered and validated.  

Next posts?  "A Long Time Coming" and "Servolution Snapshots."

Are You Ready for a Servolution?

Yes, I'm ready for Servolution, and can't wait to see you all there on Saturday, May 9!  I am blown away by the hearts of the people at New Life, and I continue to pray that God will be glorified through our efforts and love for those in our communities.  It's gonna be good, ya'll!  :-)

Also, just wanted to make you aware of the FREE E-waste and appliance disposal available on Saturday.  You can simply drive to Auto Plaza Drive (off of Fulkerth, west of highway 99), and drop off your appliance.  

There is so much going on that I couldn't even begin to list it all, but we'll look back and say, "Wow!" I'm sure.

Why don't you join us?

Women's Conference

I went to a conference yesterday with a friend of mine.  It was the "Gifted to Lead" conference and the two speakers, Nancy Beach and Nancy Ortberg, are women I highly respect and love listening to.  When I saw that they were the speakers, I signed up right away!

One great surprise was seeing our retreat speaker, Kathi Lipp, there.  We had a great little visit, and I thought I'd share with you her thoughts about the conference (since it makes this blog easier for me!  :-)

Quoted from her one of Kathi's emails:

The 8 Best Things I Heard at the Women in Leadership Conference

Posted: 22 Apr 2009 11:17 PM PDT

Today I spent a very long, but good day listening to Nancy Beach and Nancy Ortberg discussing the topic of women in leadership in the church. (And I know that many of you were there as well, as we had deep, deep discussions re: Steam Punk.)

I loved the day – not just because the two Nancys are so right on, but I got to spend some quality time with Jane Liddle (the Worship leader for one of Menlo Park Prez’s campus churches, and the leader of Tapestry – the rockin’ chick band) and Debbie McDonald, a cool chick pastor from Westgate church in San Jose.

Oh, women in leadership… I so wish that you all could have been there not only to listen to these two ladies who have been-there-done-that in the church, but to be in a room with maybe 300 women who love God and love to lead.

For those of you who were not able to be there – here is a list of the eight best things I heard at the conference.

1. Help! I am a leader trapped in a woman’s body.
2. Nobody ever calls little boys bossy.
3. We need to learn to wait well.  (Note from Gena: Nancy O. quoted from one of my all time favorite authors, Sue Monk Kidd, and her book, When the Heart Waits.  See, I knew I loved Nancy Ortberg!)
4. John Ortberg Re: Women serving in the church: “It is not an option for 50% of God’s kingdom to be sitting on the sidelines.”
5. Leaders need to be the most self-aware people in the room.
6. We want to keep making mistakes, just different ones.
7. Almost every issue is a team issue.
8. You don’t get the right answers unless you ask the right questions.

24 Years & Mish Mash Monday on Tuesday

Well, 24 years ago today, I found myself in the middle of a beautiful meadow in Yosemite with Dave kneeling before me asking me to marry him!  I'm sure you can figure out that I said, "Yes!"  (I don't regret it, either!)

So, today Dave brought me flowers and a card.  (Aaaawwwww.......)  So sweet.  I also did something for him today in the way of thanking him for taking such a big risk in asking me to be his wife 24 years ago!  The poor man had no idea what he was getting into!   :-)  They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so I baked a berry pie and bought vanilla ice cream to go with it.   Notice I said, "baked," not "made!"  The pie was actually made by the fabulous women of Mitchell Community Church who sell them to raise money for their missionaries.  I buy the pies by the dozen when they sell them; I kid you not!  They've got some great cooks out there at Mitchell, and a friend of mine who attends there always lets me know when the pie sale is coming up so that I can place my order.  Is that cheating?  Don't answer that; I don't want to know.  Our little system is working for me, and I don't want to mess that up!

I didn't get a chance to write Mish Mash Monday's post because I was too busy hanging out at Me N' Ed's Pizza last night for the big Servolution fund raiser they were doing for us.  I can't believe how busy it was!  You New Lifers really like your pizza!  Actually, you New Lifers really love to step in and help, and I had no doubt that we would pack the place out and we did.   In light of all Me N' Ed's is doing to help with Servolution, please make sure to stop by and support them and let them know how much we appreciate their help and generosity.  

We weren't at church on Sunday because we headed over to The Red House.  We were able to relax for a couple of days, but on Sunday, Dave would keep us updated on what was happening at New Life.  At 8:45, he told us, "They're in the middle of worship right now."  At 10:00 AM, he said, "Second service is just starting."  At 12:45, he reminded us that, "They should be wrapping up right about now."  Even when we're away to catch our breath and relax a little bit, his heart is right there with you all.  We always miss being at church, and it will be good to get back next week.

Mish Mash Mondays

Let's see:

• All four Easter services I attended were great!  Love, love, LOVE the song, "Oh, Happy Day," and by attending the four services in the sanctuary, I got to sing it eight times - at the beginning and end of each service!
• Do you know how absolutely amazing our Children's Ministries Director (Miss Kourtney) and our Nursery Coordinator (Miss Janelle) are?  You cannot believe the number of kids they provided loving care for, not to mention the great Bible lesson and sweet take-away crafts. Kourtney and Janelle, you guys (gals!) are the BEST!
• I read an article for pastors today asking if we had "Easter hangover," meaning the crash that comes after such a big Sunday.  I think any pastor would have to say a big, "YES!" to that one.
• Yesterday, at my sister's house, we had to hide 250 eggs!  After a while, there were absolutely no more hiding places, so we just tossed the eggs around on the lawn and placed them on the sidewalks.  Quite a challenge for the kids!  :-)  Each of the ten kids were able to pick up 25 eggs filled with all assortment of candy and coins.  And then, the bartering began!  "I'll trade you one Sour Patch Kids for a Skittles."   "I'll give you a KitKat for a gummy LifeSavor."  I could definitely tell the kids are getting older; this is the first year I witnessed so much trading and bargaining over the candy.
• I was able to have coffee with one group of friends and then brunch with another friend today.  I am blessed.
• Dave and I went to Costco together to purchase the supplies for our Staff Appreciation BBQ tomorrow.  Each year, on the Tuesday after Easter, we plan something to let the staff and their families know how much we appreciate the extra hours and work that they put in for Easter services.   We'll have a great time together!
• Met an old college friend this evening for a walk at the university campus.  We were able to catch up on quite a bit; I don't even want to tell you how many years ago it was that I was in college!  Ouch.

Well, that's it for this Monday evening.  I hope your Easter weekend was as wonderful as mine was. 

Resurrection Day!

I have a hard time comprehending the sacrifice Jesus made for my sin, and there are no words to describe my gratefulness for it.  To think that the power that raised him from the dead is available to me today is amazing.  Happy, glorious Easter to all of us who long to follow after the risen Christ with our whole hearts.  

We will be spending Easter at my sister's house after the three morning services.  Dave will be wiped out, but the kids will have so much fun with all of their cousins.  I thought I had been given the easiest of items to bring to her house for our meal, but the dessert that I was to make really threw me for a loop.  This dessert has an initial layer that needs to be baked for exactly (as the recipe stipulates) 8 minutes at 400 degrees.  Easy, right?  Well, I put the dish in the oven, and then proceeded to set the timer for 20 minutes.  Why?  I guess it's because the one recipe that I make all the time, my grandma's Texas cake, needs to bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, so when I saw that recipe said 400 degrees, I went on auto-pilot and set the timer for 20 minutes, and as a result, the crust was charred!

No biggie, though; I would just make another one.  That would have worked well, but I was being so efficient, that after I put the second batch in the oven (and setting the timer for eight minutes), I looked at the next recipe I needed to start on and realized that I needed something from the store so I thought I'd just run to get the last few items I needed.  I didn't even think about the dessert crust I had just put in the oven!  So, I ran off to the store, picked up my few items, and then came back home to the smell of another burnt crust!  I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!  That's what I get for trying to do a couple of things at the same time and not paying attention!

My kids  got their Easter baskets on Saturday morning.  It's a tradition we started long ago for our family.  "Why on earth would you give your kids their Easter baskets the day before Easter?" you might wonder.  Well, on Easter mornings, Dave is up and out of the house even earlier than usual (Easter being a big day in his line of work and all), so we aren't able to be together when the kids get up.  Long ago, we decided that the Easter bunny (oh, lighten up!) would come to our house on the Saturday before Easter so that we could have a fun morning together as a family.   It works great for us!

I appreciate all the extra work everyone (and I mean everyone!) put in to help make our Easter services flow so well and our campus look so great!  The fact that so many people love Jesus and are willing to do whatever it takes to point others to Him is a HUGE blessing!   I LOVE MY NEW LIFE FAMILY!   You guys are the best!

 

Mish Mash Mondays

The weeks just fly by, don't they? 

I love Monday mornings because I always get together with some friends for coffee after we drop our kids off at school and talk about all sorts of things.  It's a great way to start the week, and it's great to have those few minutes to connect, because, Lord knows, our week will only get crazier from there!  Our youngest children were all off-track last month so we didn't meet, but I was blessed enough to meet with four other gals at my house.  Good times.

Tonight was our staff wives' get-together; always a good time!  We met at Mundo's and enjoyed a lovely dinner out on the patio; the weather was gorgeous! We then came back to my house to continue our visit and shared some great laughs.  I love those women!

Yesterday, Dave spoke about two processions of people ("Walking Towards Life" from Luke, chapter 7) - one group was a funeral procession with a dead body, grief, and hopelessness, and another group heading towards them with eager anticipation of what would happen next because Jesus was leading the way.  Jesus brought the boy back to life!  Dave then said something I had never considered before; Jesus never conducted a funeral (that we have record of in scripture); he just eliminated the need for one.  Good insight for me to consider.  Point being, Jesus is calling us to come to life!    He is walking towards us, ready to bring us to life if we will get close to him, listen to him, and believe in him.  You can listen to Dave's message HERE.

The band played the "Dirty" Servolution theme song; great job! Servolution is just 32 days away!  Have you signed up yet?   Also, if you know of a project to recommend, you can fill out a "Job Request Form" to let us know.  Remember, we want to do projects that actually meet a real need for someone in our community.  Get your neighbors, friends, and family involved.  This event is being organized by New Life, but everyone, everywhere is encouraged to sign up whether they attend here or not.  Many people are just looking for an opportunity to make a difference, and we are providing an easy avenue for them to step out to serve.  There are so many great needs in Turlock and the surrounding communities that all are needed and welcome to participate.

Okay, I think that's it for this Mish Mash Monday.  It's just a little sampling of some of the things rumbling about in this head of mine!  :-)  Have a great week! 

Mish Mash Mondays

Yesterday, I was able to be at all three church services, and it was a great day. I always come home from church with notes written all over my bulletin. Now, you might think all the notes are inspiration I receive from the messages that Dave shares (and many of them are), but so many of the notes are about people that I met, people that I want to write a note to, people and things that I want to pray for, people I see serving so willingly and cheerfully, or questions that people have asked me that I need to find answers to. In fact, I usually come home with such extensive lists that there is no way I could realistically contact and take care of all the things I write down. So, I thought I might start the week with a mish mash of notes and ideas from my Sunday bulletin notes, hence the name, Mish Mash Mondays.

• At all three services yesterday, my friend, Robin, shared about her new non-profit ministry called The Power of Seven. If you missed it, please click on the link to learn more. Their mission is to assist those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless with essential needs: housing (rental) costs, transportation expenses, and daily necessities (food, clothing, and the like) so that these individuals may get on their feet as they move toward independence. What a great idea and organization! Please consider signing up to be a monthly donor. Come on; you have $7.00 dollars a month to help out, don't you?

• I LOVE the new set design and thank God for Pastor Jon's artistic talents that he so willingly shares with us all. Aren't we blessed?

• I just love Frank and Chris who are leading the FPU (Financial Peace University) class from 3:00 - 5:00 in the afternoon. They are absolutely so excited to see what is happening in people's finances as they learn to operate in accordance to God's principles.
  

• I appreciated Dave's strong words to students and parents. Yes, we all need to "wake up!" God is already at work and longing to work in even greater ways through us when we are willing to rouse ourselves from our slumber. You can go HERE to listen to the message.
  

• No, the cut on Dave's head is NOT from me! :-) That happened in a much more mundane manner than being hit by a hockey puck; he had been outside, bending over to pick up bush trimmings, and he came up under the end of a railing and scratched out a big hunk of skin from his head. "That's the reason you should wear a hat," I told him. Am I the sympathetic wife or what? :-)

Okay, that's it for the first ever Mish Mash Mondays, but I'll probably be sharing more on consequent Mondays, so come on back to see my take on Sundays.

Hey, you all need to go to the Servolution website and sign up to work alongside of us on May 9, 2009. Seriously, it's not just hype; you won't be sorry you signed up. God is on the move and you don't want to miss it, do you?




Now, on to the reason for this post. I joined Kimba at A Soft Place to Land and will be "unplugged" tomorrow. That doesn't seem like such a big deal, does it? Believe it or not, however, my anxiety level is starting to rise in anticipation of not being able to be on the computer tomorrow. Isn't that the biggest sign that I need to take a break?

I find myself hurrying tonight to take care of some of my business items, to respond to my emails, and to respond to those who've posted on my Facebook profile. I mean, what if someone emails me and doesn't get an immediate reply? What if someone asks to be my "friend" on facebook and I don't "accept" them? Will they think I don't want to accept them? And what if I there is a problem with a business order and I'm not online to get the message?

I think I need to realize that the world will go on just fine if I am not checking on it through the portal of my computer screen. The order that I wanted to get finished before unplugging will have to wait until Saturday to be completed. The emails will wait until I log on this weekend. Facebook DOES NOT need me! The one bright side is that I post so infrequently on this blog that there will be no problem not getting on here tomorrow.

You know what's funny? There are many days that I just don't get to the computer until late in the day if at all, and yet I don't feel the same anxiety that I find myself feeling this evening. I think just knowing that I CAN'T get on the computer is causing my anxious feelings.

This is ridiculous! I am taking a stand! So, goodbye until next time, whenever that may be.

I Really Need to Do This!

Okay, I'm keeping it real here. I've got a problem; I really do. I am on the computer - A LOT! I don't even consider myself a tech person, but with two side businesses and emails (business and personal), I am on the computer more often than I'd like. And don't even mention the wonderful(?) world of Facebook! Sometimes I start getting anxious as I'm on the computer because I know it's time to get off, but there's always one more person to respond to, one more order to enter, one more client to contact, one more person to reach out to through an email. And I thought technology was supposed to make our lives easier and more relaxing! Well, if that's the case, then I've missed the boat!

So, when I read Kimba's challenge, I decided I should jump on board. It seems that I'm not the only person with this problem, and I think Kimba's idea is a great start for putting all things technology in their proper place. I should control the technology in my life, not having technology take control of me. Right? Right!

So, you can see the challenge for yourself by clicking the button below. Let me know if you would like to join us. Perhaps I need to declare a one day sabbath from technology each week. Lord knows that would give me some rest! :-)

Bloggie Awards

I knew I was in on something.  Really.  I've been reading The Pioneer Woman's blog,  Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, for a couple of years now, and it seems that this particular blog has been a favorite of many others, as well.  In fact, this blog just won the coveted WEBLOG OF THE YEAR award, and she was in a category with of some of the biggest names in the bloggy world!  Good for her!

But, Ree Drummond didn't just win the granddaddy of all the Bloggie awards, she also won the award for best photography with her Pioneer Woman Photography blog.  If you are in to taking pictures, you need to check her blog out because it's so informative and educational.  

And, on top of all that, The Pioneer Woman won the award for best design!  All in all, I'd say she had a very successful night, but she took it all in true pioneer spirit with humor and humility (well, the pioneers probably didn't find their life too amusing for the most part so perhaps the humor thing doesn't quite fit, but I digress). 

One of my favorite parts of the Pioneer Woman's web page is  The Pioneer Woman Cooks!  She shares great recipes and step by step pictures and instructions, so you should check it out during all the free time that you have.  (I know; I know; I don't have much free time either, but Ree's blog is one that I make time for; in fact, it is sent to my inbox everyday so that I am sure never to miss an entry.)

I just wanted to share my happiness in Ree's success. :-)  But if you'd like a list of all blogs nominated, go HERE.  Some of them are really great, so you might want to check them out.  (Amazingly, my blog didn't make it on to any list!  How can that be?)

For an article on all last night's winners, including some information on Ree, go HERE.  

Happy Blog-Hunting!

Sometimes You've Just Got to Laugh!

I have permission from Dave's sister and brother-in-law to share this hilarious video of my nephew, Hugo, observing his mom's great juggling skills. Enjoy!

What Are Your Kids Up To?

I'd like to say that I'm always aware of what my kids are doing, seeing, and hearing, but truth be told, that's an impossibility in this day and age. With the continual advancement in technology, it is getting harder and harder for parents to oversee who their children are talking, texting, emailing, facebooking, myspacing, and instant messaging to. As if parenting weren't already the most difficult job, we parents now have to find time to check our child's My Space, their phones, their ipods, their email, their web history, and so on. I'm sure I'm missing things even in that list, but what is a parent to do?  There simply are not enough hours in the day for us to keep on top of all those avenues. 

I have read Vicki Courtney's Logged on and Tuned Out book, and it was a wonderful resource that I highly recommend, but even if I could keep up with all of these technologies and what my child is doing with them, I cannot patrol each of their friends phones and computers.  What is downloaded onto ipods and shown during break and lunch at junior highs and high schools would appall most people if they knew about it.  What once could only be obtained through sneaky store expeditions and dark alleys is now being poured right into our home and lives.  

Even if I keep an eye on where my children are physically (which I do), they are at risk of being in danger because of the technology today that is present even in my own home.  I can install filters, I can monitor computer use, I can check phone records and texts, and I can log onto their myspace page using their passwords, and I could still miss what's really going on.  Face it, our kids can hide just about anything from us if they want to and they are intelligent enough to just create other profiles, email accounts, etc.... if they want to keep things from us.  I know that, but I still ask and check.  

I find this extremely disturbing, and I am genuinely concerned for my children.  In truth, I wonder how any child today can remain pure in thought and deed.  Most of our children will know more about pornography, sexual acts and fantasies, illicit drug use, and gambling by the time they graduate from school than most of us probably know right now.  

I don't intend to be all doom and gloom, but my heart is aching over what is infiltrating our children's minds, hearts, and lives.   The video below is worth taking the time to watch if you have children, and it is probably something you should have your older children watch with you.  Children and teenagers often don't have the mental reasoning skills to understand how some of the choices they make today may have long lasting impacts on their lives.  The photos they posted on their myspace could keep them from getting a job someday.  That provocative photo sent to a friend as a joke could be sent to every student's phone by lunch break.  

A huge problem right now is cyber-bullying.  This was a heartbreaking issue for some friends of ours, and we saw first hand the damage it can do.  If you thought kids could be ruthless with their words in person, you should read what they are able to come up with and perpetuate via technology.   Absolute lies are spread around (and you can bet they are not little, nice white lies either), and photos that may not even by your child can be photo-shopped to look like your child engaged in various positions and acts.  How very sad is that?  This is a very real problem, and if you don't think so, just start asking some students about it.

Below is a video worth taking the time to watch.  Something that seemed so little, so inconsequential, and so private ended up becoming very public and costing a beautiful young girl her life.  I am heartbroken, and I hope you will continually lift our young people up before the Lord in prayer.  If possible, befriend our youth and take an interest in them.  Recognize their value and speak that to them.  Provide a safe place for them to turn to in time of crisis or fear.  Our young people need us to stand in the gap for them, to protect them, and to fight for their right to be raised without fear and filth.

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Time Out

I don't usually talk much about Dave's sermons because that seems a little self-indulgent and prideful, but I have to recommend that you listen to THIS MESSAGE.  One of the things about having a pastor as a husband is that I often think that my husband takes everything he'd like to say to me and turns it into a sermon, just for me!  See, on Sundays, Dave isn't speaking with you in mind, you just get to benefit from what I need to be learning in life!  ;-)  This isn't true, of course, but God does speak to me through what Dave teaches, and I need that.

Anyway, I was gone last weekend at the women's retreat (which was fabulous - thank you retreat team!), so I missed his sermon, but I knew it was one that I HAD to listen to.  I think it is sad that so many of us women missed this particular message because it's a good one!  Please take a few minutes to listen to THIS (titled "Time Out"), and take Dave's challenge to try this concept out for the next four weeks to see what happens.   

I'd love to hear your thoughts.