Easter: Washing Feet, Betrayal, Denial

Easter is nearly upon us.  In addition to continuing our reflection on scripture, I wanted to share some great activities to help make Easter more real to the kids. 

Check out these ideas:

• Resurrection Rolls - an easy way to tell the Easter story
• Resurrection Eggs - why just put candy in plastic eggs? Why not use those eggs to tell the Easter story?
• Resurrection Cookies - make these the night before Easter and seal up the tomb.  See the cookies in the morning.

John 13

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

 ¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.^{[a]  2}The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
 ⁷Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
 ⁸"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
      Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
 ⁹"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
 ¹⁰Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
 ¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ¹³"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

 ¹⁸"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'^{[b]  19}"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. ²⁰I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
 ²¹After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
 ²²His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."
 ²⁵Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
 ²⁶Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. ²⁷As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
   "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, ²⁸but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

 ³¹When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him,^[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.  ³³"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
 ³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
 ³⁶Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
      Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
 ³⁷Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
 ³⁸Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Easter: Jews Unbelief

Continuing the saga:

John 12: 27-50


²⁷"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!"
   Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
 ³⁰Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." ³³He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
 ³⁴The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ^[f] will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
 ³⁵Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. ³⁶Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

The Jews Continue in Their Unbelief

 ³⁷Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
   "Lord, who has believed our message
      and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"^[g] 39For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
 ⁴⁰"He has blinded their eyes
      and deadened their hearts,
   so they can neither see with their eyes,
      nor understand with their hearts,
      nor turn—and I would heal them."^{[h] 41}Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.
 ⁴²Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
 ⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
 ⁴⁷"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. ⁴⁸There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. ⁴⁹For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. ⁵⁰I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

Easter: Jesus Predicts His Death

Yesterday I posted how Jesus made his triumphal entry.  How He came in as the famous one.  How he came in, not in a royal procession, but on a humble donkey.  How He came in KNOWING what what to come - His death.

Chew on this passage for awhile.

John 12:20 - 33 

Jesus Predicts His Death

 ²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.  ²³Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
 ²⁷"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!"
   Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
 ³⁰Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." ³³He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Palm Sunday

What a beautiful Palm Sunday!  Well, not so much weather-wise here since it is raining, but at least it isn't snowing!  What a fantastic day to remember what Christ has done for us.  As you read and ponder, keep in mind a main point of our message at church.  Even though Christ made a triumphal entry, He was walking in to his death with the full knowledge of what would happen.  In only a week's time, He went from being hailed as King and Messiah to being jeered or set aside as an imposter.

John 12:12 - 19

The Triumphal Entry

 ¹²The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
   "Hosanna!^[c]"
   "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"^[d]
   "Blessed is the King of Israel!" ¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
 ¹⁵"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
      see, your king is coming,
      seated on a donkey's colt."^{[e]  16}At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
 ¹⁷Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

Easter is a-comin

Well, this week has kicked my rear.  I am wiped out.  I have all these post ideas running through my head but no energy to create them right now.  And so, here is an article I wrote for our MOPS newsletter for today.  Off to bed nice and early for me!

Easter is just around the corner.  How are you preparing?  Are you ready?  Have you made the Easter baskets?  Filled the plastic eggs?  Gotten supplies to dye eggs as a family?  Put up decorations of bunnies and chicks and eggs?  Prepared the menu?  Prepared to travel?  Prepared for family time?

These are all good things - traditions are good for families, good for kids.  Traditions make the holidays more special and give families something to look forward to each year.  We could debate ad nauseum about Easter Bunny - yes or no, eggs - yes or no, you get the picture.  However, shouldn’t we go deeper?

Without Easter, Christmas would be nothing more than the celebration of the birth of a good man who lived long ago.  Without Easter, we would not have hope.  We would not have the hope of eternity with Christ.  As hard as the true meaning of Easter is, it is the whole reason why Jesus came to earth to live and die as a man.  God sent his ONLY SON to live a sinless life and be crucified on a cross.  Jesus spilled His blood for us.  So we could have eternal life if we put our trust in Christ.

Are you spending time reflecting the true meaning of Easter this season?  Take time.  Refresh your soul with time in the Word and time in prayer.  Share this amazing story with your children.  Make resurrection eggs.  Make empty tomb cookies.  Turn their little eyes to Christ this season.  Show them how much He loves them.

Thomas the Tank Engine: My Beef with Him

I'm not the mom who plops her little ones in front of the tv for hours on end in a day.  I had actually wanted to avoid TV for as long as possible.  Well, enter a nasty cold for Buggy, teething, plus an exhausted very-prego mommy who is up all night with sick toddler.  Yup - OnDemand, here we come (still quite limited, but enough for a weary mommy to get a little break when Hubby is working all the time). 

I had heard a lot of good things about programming through Sprout so we checked it out.  Turns out, Buggy LOVES Bob the Builder.  It is a cute show that has good values.  Characters are not perfect - they mess up.  They are held accountable, but are always loved no matter what.

I was excited to start the Thomas the Tank Engine phase with Buggy and thought he'd love the show (he calls Thomas "truck!" when he sees him).  Well, we won't be watching any more Thomas in this house.  I was amazed to see how negative that show is.  There is a lot of teasing and name calling.  The characters aren't reprimanded for being mean.  Logical consequences do follow (such as trains falling into the sea!) but the show definitely doesn't focus on reconciliation at all.  When a character is mean one day, there will be a comment such as, "and the next day so-and-so was feeling better so he wasn't mean to others."

That's just not the message I want my kids to learn.  We need to be in control of our actions no matter what mood we are in.  We need to be kind to others even when they aren't kind to us.  We need to apologize when we have done something wrong.  We need to be held accountable.  We need to interact with each other without name calling and yelling.

So, am I off my rocker?  What do you think of Thomas?  Any other programs to avoid?  To seek out?

Good Links - Recalls, Compassion Int'l, AAP Carseat Guidelines, and more

Sponsor a Child


Hi all!  I have so much on my mind that I want to share but just don't have time at the moment to get it all typed!  I definitely want to share some links today with you.

• First of all, there has been a massive baby sling recall.  Infantimo slings have been recalled.  Click through to read all the details.  I will say that babies have been in slings and "worn" for hundreds of years.  I am all for keeping products safe.  I am all for recalls when products are not safe.  I am not in favor of the following hysteria that claims every sling will kill babies (yes, I have heard that often lately).  I use a sling.  I will use it when Baby gets here.  The close contact is fantastic for both milk supply and baby's weight gain and transition into the outside world (think of the very popular "kangaroo care" that helps nicu babies grow better).  It is safest to have baby more upright until they have good head/neck control.  Read your instructions, watch proper use videos online, and be safe!

• I have been following the amazing journey of Kristen from We Are THAT Family as she traveled with Compassion International to Africa and blogged  about her experience.  Definitely check out that series of posts here.  Most importantly, check out this post regarding the importance of writing letters to those children you may sponsor through Compassion or other programs.  How eye opening!

• I found a link to the AAP's car seat recommendations.  I was surprised to hear that a 1 year old Graco carseat a friend has had in it's manual, "as soon as baby's feet touch the seat of the car while rear facing, you must turn them forward facing so baby can be comfortable."  It didn't mention the LAW of 20lbs AND 1 year.  It didn't mention the AAP's stance on staying rear facing to the limits of the seat and continuing if the limits are reached before 20lbs AND 1 year.  It didn't mention all the mounting research of how much safer it is to rear face until age two when baby's neck muscles are strong enough to support the head forward facing.

• Lastly, here is a link to some great Campbell's soup coupons!  Check out Penny Pinching Penguin for all sorts of deals - especially great deals on diapers this week!

Giveaway WINNER - Karma Wilson Zonderkidz Psalms Book Pack

 

Congratulations to Deborah for winning the Zonderkidz Psalms Book Pack!  Enjoy!  I will get these books to you ASAP!

Remember, if you still want to get yours, check out these links on Amazon - I've included some of the books mentioned in comments!

•   I Will Rejoice: Celebrating Psalm 118
•    Let's Make a Joyful Noise: Celebrating Psalm 100 
•    Read with Me Bible for Toddlers
•    The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name 
•   Legend of the Christmas Tree, The
•    Precious Princess Bible
•   Stink Bug Saves the Day!: The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Bug Parables…

Breastfeeding Myth: All the Good Milk is Gone After 3-6 months

I was a little amazed to hear a comment recently about breastfeeding.  The commenter was surprised that someone was still nursing exclusively after 3 months.  The comment - "Doesn't she know that all the good milk is gone after 3 months? There's nothing left after that."  I have heard people say that breastfeeding doesn't matter after 6 months because they've gotten all the good stuff.  I have heard the same thing after a year.


So, what's the scoop?


Breast milk doesn't turn into kool-aid at any point.  It doesn't go sour (yes, during pregnancy and menstruation, the flavor changes a bit but it is still good milk).  It remains a very nutritious food throughout the life of the nursing relationship.  


Breastmilk is amazing stuff.  It grows and changes with the needs of the child.  There is some chemical connection between the saliva of the baby and the nipple that cause the milk to adjust to baby's needs.  As baby approaches milestones such as crawling and walking, the milk increases in protein.  


When mom is nursing two of different ages, the milk is suited for the littlest one.  Many toddlers who breastfeed start gaining weight quickly once mom's "baby" milk comes in after delivering a new baby because it is more calorie dense than milk for toddlers. 


I am amazed at how we are created.  It astounds me what our bodies can do and what science is continuing to learn about how our bodies work.  There are even doctors who prescribe breast milk to cancer patients for the immunity benefits.  It's amazing stuff!

Saturday Throwback: Colorado Mountain Top

Last week I shared a photo from my "rock star" days.  This photo is from a similar time period.  As a band, we would go on tour twice a year.  This year, we took 2 weeks in the summer to cross the country.  We stayed in Colorado for several days.  We were with another band as well and it seemed like nobody wanted to do anything but sleep (understandable after the massive amounts of driving we were doing), but the four of us wanted to see some of the sights while we were out and about.  We decided to go for a hike.  I remember being warned about a bear that had been spotted.  I remember one of us making a phone call from the top and how we were surprised at how fantastic the signal was from the top of the mountain.  In case you couldn't tell, I'm the one in the yellow. 

What a great way to get out and enjoy God's beauty!

Oh - if you want to check out a great blog, head over to Caribou Castle!  The author is the one in overalls with a white hat!

If you blog, take a few moments this weekend to share a random old photo and a story.  Put your link in the form below to share with others.  Keep it clean please!

Can We Live up to This?

Wow.  This verse struck me to the core.  Today was a rough day.  A long day.  A good day, but a long day that ended in a LOT of whining - and not always just by my son.  I whined a lot too.  I was cranky and tired.  I was snippy.  I lost my cool on quite a few occasions.

I am so thankful that God gives grace.  I am so thankful that His mercies are new every morning.  I am so thankful that He loves us despite our flaws.

Colossians 3:12-15 (New Living Translation)
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Finer Things Friday - Playtime with Daddy

Wow - I can't believe it's Friday already! We've had a week of illness plus Buggy working on 8 new teeth. Poor guy is still a drooly and uncomfortable mess. We have been enjoying this fantastic spring weather though! Last night, we had the thrill of having the whole family home together for a few hours (very busy season until school is out in May) yesterday evening. I was able to put together a "roller coaster" from a friend so we could take Buggy out to try it. Only ONCE did he need Daddy to hold him on. Now, he just needs help getting on the car.

What a blessing - to be able to play outside with Daddy even for just a little bit! We all had a blast!



Playing as a family is DEFINITELY a Finer Thing! Click over to Amy's Finer Things for more great stories!
Don't forget to enter to win $30 worth of books from Zonderkidz on the Psalms for your children! Giveaway ends on Monday.

Lastly, click over to Penny Pinching Penguin to learn how to save a bunch of money on upcoming sales - especially on diapers and on eye glasses!

Sickie

The past few days have been spent tending to a poor sick toddler.  Thankfully he is perking up.  Poor little guy has not only 8 teeth coming in (I think I spied one that popped through during bath time last night!) but also has a respiratory bug.  He is a drippy, drooly, coughy, sneezy mess.  At least he is not nearly as cranky and he's been sleeping a bit better.  Now to see if he is well enough for a quick trip to run some errands.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hearts at Home Blog Carnival: Growing Grateful Kids

Today I'd like to welcome author and speaker Susie Larson. Susie's new book Growing Grateful Kids has just released and I've invited her to share a little bit about this great resource.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

My husband and I have been married 25 years and have three grown sons (all in their early twenties). Our oldest son Jake works on the business side of the Christian music industry. Our middle son Luke is married to his beautiful wife Kristen; he works full time at a bank and part time as a worship pastor. Our youngest son Jordan is studying to become a surgical nurse. My husband Kevin is a commercial construction manager by day and manages my ministry by night (and weekends). Bless his heart.  I am an author, speaker, and an on-call radio host for Christian talk radio. Together, Kevin and I serve as advocates for justice on behalf of modern day slaves and human trafficking victims.

Tell us about your new book, Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places.

Even when economic times are tight, our children enjoy an abundance of material possessions. Yet, amidst all this wealth, discontentment and competition seem to be on the rise. Instead of teaching children virtues such as gratefulness and patience, many parents are bending over backwards to get their children the latest and greatest item - or feeling guilty when they can't. In spite of the currents of materialism and entitlement that flow so strong, it is possible to raise children who are simply grateful. Though teaching perspective and gratitude to our children is critical, it is not difficult.

Why did you want to write this book?

To be completely honest, I never wanted to write a book on parenting. I wanted to protect my kids’ privacy and give them time and space to become the men God wants them to be. But in the last few years, I have been especially burdened with the level of selfishness, entitlement and disrespect I see among children today. Furthermore, moms seem more stressed than ever. When I asked my sons their thoughts on writing this book, without pausing they all said, “Do it, mom; that book needs to be written!” I think I wrote a book that not only equips young moms to raise humble, grateful world-changers, but also one that nourishes the soul of the reader and encourages her personally.

Throughout the book you remind the reader that we cannot impart what we do not possess. Can you explain?

If we never deal with our own fears, insecurities, and hang ups, but we try to teach our children to believe in their divine value, over time, our words will not ring true to them. First God wants to do His work in us before He does it through us. They say that lessons are more often caught than taught. If we parent from a place of conviction and real freedom, our children will be affected by what we teach them.

One of your chapters is titled, “Take Time to Play.” How does taking time to play teach our kids to be grateful?

To me, taking time to play says a lot about the level of faith we possess.

If our children hear us confess that we love and serve a BIG God and yet they see us striving and straining through life, they will come to believe that more is on our shoulders than on God’s. If we can trust God enough to step away from our busy-important lives, to make a fort in the basement, or play a game with our children – even in the most desperate of economic situations – we will give our children a sense of much needed security and that all is well in their world.

What do you want readers to take away from this book?

To answer this question (I hope you don’t mind), I would like to share an endorsement from one of my sample readers. She expressed my deepest desire for my reader:

“Growing Grateful Kids is such a great source of conviction, encouragement, and inspiration to spur me on to finishing this parenting race well and not sputter out along the way. This book compels me to submit my own character to the refining of the Holy Spirit that I may be equipped to impart those lessons onto my children. Thank you, Susie, for taking the time, for submitting in obedience, and writing this down for a generation in desperate need of this kind of parenting book!” –Gail Miller

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!


Any closing thoughts?

I am very excited about the message in this book. It is my prayer that every one who reads it will be nourished, encouraged, and equipped to parent from a place of fullness, conviction, and confidence. Raising grateful, confident kids will be one of the most heroic, important things you do in your lifetime. God’s blessings to you!

Click on over to Penny Pinching Penguin to learn about another fantastic resource from Hearts at Home:  Living with Less so your Family has More.

Giveaway - Karma Wilson Zonderkidz Psalms Book Pack

What an awesome opportunity!  Once again, Zonderkidz has been fantastic and has sent me two wonderful books to give away.  I will just say that I LOVE Zonderkidz books!  What a great resource for great stories and artwork that is geared to teaching our kids about Christ!

Today, I am offering two books by Karma Wilson (illustrated by Amy June Bates). 

  I Will Rejoice: Celebrating Psalm 118

This hardcover book is simply beautiful.  Through beautiful illustrations and artful writing, children are introduced to Psalm 118.  Wilson masterfully intertwines verse with daily life to help children learn how God's word is everywhere and in everything.  The girl in this book finds God in the cozy moments of everyday life. 

This book retails for $14.99 and can be purchased through amazon.com for $11.69 (prices subject to change).  This book is listed for ages 4-8, however my toddler has enjoyed this story as well.


  Let's Make a Joyful Noise: Celebrating Psalm 100

This hardcover book is another great way for children ages 4-8 to experience scripture in daily life.  Watch them discover many ways to praise God from nature singing His praises to worship services at church.   The illustrations beautifully capture the text.

This book retails at $14.99 and can be purchased through amazon.com for $13.19 (prices subject to change).

Rather than buying the books, why not WIN them?  I am giving away a copy of each book in a special spring book-pack giveaway. 

Giveaway Rules:

1. Giveaway open to United States only (sorry!).
2. Giveaway ends Monday, March 22nd at 8pm eastern time.
3. Enter daily for more chances to win by following the instructions below.  Make sure you include a way for me to contact you.  If I cannot contact you in the event that you win, I will need to select someone else.  You may enter as an "anonymous comment," however, you will need to include contact information.
4. Feel free to contact me by email if you have any questions: penguinelk at yahoo dot com.

Enter multiple times for a better chance to win!  Please use a separate comment for each entry.

1. Basic entry (required) (allowed daily) - visit Zonderkidz and let me know a title that you would love to have (besides these two titles).
2. Tweet this (allowed daily) - tweet about this giveaway and leave the link in the comment.
3. Post this (allowed daily) - post on facebook about this giveaway and leave link in comment.
4. Blog this (allowed daily) - post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a link to post in comment.
5. Follow (allowed once) - become a follower of this blog and leave a comment telling me so.
6. Follow on twitter (allowed once ) - become a follower on twitter and leave a comment with your twitter username.  Mine is penguinelk.
7. Grab my Button (allowed once) - grab my button for your blog and leave a comment with a link to your blog telling me you grabbed the button.

Good luck!  Remember to use separate comments for entries.  Remember to leave a way for me to contact you!  Winner will be announced Tuesday, March 23rd and will be chosen by random.org.

Thanks for entering!

Sunday Sanctuary: We Are Blessed

How often do you count your blessings?  I certainly don't count mine often enough.  I came across a very challenging post this week.  I just needed to share it with you.

Click over to Amy's Finer Things to see why others want what you have.

While you are at it, click over to We Are THAT Family to read all about Kristen's trip to Africa with Compassion International.  Have a box of Kleenex handy - it's powerful stuff.

Take a few moments and count your blessings.  Thank the Lord for all you have (and even for all your trials).

Saturday Throwback: SFR 1999-2000

Welcome to Saturday Throwback!  I *think* we may have a linky working today.  Pick a picture from the past and share it on your blog.  Link up your post (not main page) here.  Keep it clean please!  I'd appreciate a link from your post for others to check out this link-up.  If you don't have a blog, share in the comments! Thanks!

Ahh... the good old days!  Back in college, I was part of a band called Short 4 Robert.  We traveled the country playing gigs - mostly at churches for youth events and lock-ins - with the hopes of "getting signed."  Well, we were never signed but we had a TON of fantastic adventures!  This picture was taken during a recording session for a music video we did sometime late 1999 or early 2000 (Carolyn, which was it? Do you remember?) judging from the wedding rings/lack thereof.

Yes, that's me in the front with a French horn.  Yes, I played French horn in a rock/ska band.  DON'T LIMIT THE HORN!  IT'S NOT JUST FOR ORCHESTRAS AND SCHOOL BANDS!  I will say, the shape of the horn does limit some rocking out!  Haha!  Anyway, I played horn and sang in the band.  I started out as the bass player's girlfriend who was always there, then was the "merchandise manager," then was the "sound girl."

We have been trying to have a reunion concert but we seem to have a very fertile group!  It seems that one of us is either pregnant or due right at the times that the reunions would be!  We are, however, working to be the most highly educated band out there!  Several have masters degrees (at least half) and some are working on/have gotten doctorate degrees or other advanced degrees!


Add your link through the weekend and share a random photo from the past complete with a story!

Finer Things Friday - Spring is HERE!

After a record breaking month of snow, spring has finally arrived!  I admit, though, it is a bit strange to be outside in 60* weather with snow on the ground still!

It was such a blessing to be outside this week.  We were able to spend some time at the local park a few days ago and then we spent the morning out on the back deck yesterday.  Buggy has learned to climb up and go down his playcenter and slide all by himself.  Where does time go?  He should still be crawling, shouldn't he???

Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of spring after the desolation of winter.

Head over to Amy's Finer Things to see more Finer Things on this fine Friday!

Nasty Foot - I'm a Failure!

Well, I haven't updated about the nasty foot in awhile.  It's time for an update.  First of all, a look back.

• Nasty Foot - Wart Series Explanation and Warning
• Nasty Foot - Before Pictures
• Nasty Foot - Taping the Foot

So, I am a failure.  I lasted about two weeks using the tape.  I ran into a bunch of problems:

• Duct tape does not stay in one place on the bottom of a foot.
• Duct tape makes a MESS of socks and the socks are never the same again.
• Duct tape does NOT stay on for 3 days in a row.

I found that I could keep the tape on for a day - most of the time.  Sometimes I'd go to take my socks off (quite an ordeal with all the tape) and find the tape completely on the wrong side of my foot - magical traveling duct tape.  Obviously, if the tape isn't staying in place, it isn't doing its job.  It never stayed in one place for more than a day.

The tape would get stuck on my socks and would either just ruin the socks or completely come off when the socks came off.  The tape didn't fare well after showers.

Now, after the first few days, I did notice a bit of change - the callouses were softening.  Once I realized that I would go nearly a day with the tape migrating all over the place, I gave up.

I may try again.  I may try other methods.  Any suggestions?