Friday's Fave Five #26

This has been one rough week health wise so I'm really looking forward to doing this as it makes me look beyond the moment of not feeling well and makes me notice those little things occuring around that brought me joy or tickled my fancy, those things that lifted me. If you are new to Friday's Fave Five, welcome. We look forward to visiting with you. If you need more info, you can go here first.




1. A listing of the Times 50 of the world's best food blogs. I'm totally enjoying working my way through this list of food blogs. I love looking at good food blogs especially ones where they take great pictures to go with the great food.

2. My new favorite candle scent: Aroma Therapy Scent - True Bliss Tangerine and Vanilla by Yankee Candle. It really is bliss. I looooove this scent. It smells just like a creamsicle. And I've especially been enjoying it as hubby has been doing some trim painting and he likes to use oil paint on that. So I light up this candle to help me forget that crazy oil paint smell.

3. My newly refinished floor. Hubby's been working on redoing the the spare bedroom now that we don't have a child in there. I'll post before and afters sometime next week but for today I'm taking note of the floor. The re-done floor is definitely on my favorites list. It turned out absolutely beautiful. I smile everytime I walk past this room now. Thanks Hubby!

4. New socks. I don't know why but new socks make my feet happy. And when my feet are happy, I'm happy. There is just something about the new, soft fresh feel. What a treat!

5. Microwaveable therapy pads. Couldn't have lived without this this week. Love the convenience of just popping it into the micro and voila a minute and a half later wonderful heat.

What was your favorites from your week? If you've done a post, please sign onto Mr. Linky.

From "Gross me out the door" to "Chicken Bliss" in a matter of days

So this last couple weeks have been health wise a real bummer for me. And my good hubby, in an effort to give me a break, stopped at a chicken joint after church on Sunday. Not mentioning any names but it's the one with the three initials in the name including "K" and "C". We hadn't had that chicken in a while and he gets a craving for a good feed of it every so often. So who was I too argue. Bring it on. I didn't have to cook.

There was leftovers and as I was packing it away, now that the chicken was a bit cooled off, I mentioned that it looked a bit greasy this time around but didn't think too much about it because I knew the leftovers could be crisped up in the oven again in no time.

And the next day that's exactly what I did for lunch. After putting them in the cast iron and into the oven, they came out wonderfully crispy. But then I got sight of what was in the bottom of the frypan. Hold onto your hats, I couldn't believe it. Out of two, count them, two pieces of chicken there was this huge puddle of grease.

Can you see it there in the pan? No? Well, here let me make it clearer by putting it into a measuring cup for ya.

Gross. Me. Out. The. Door. And I don't care how much that saying dates me. Out of two pieces of chicken over a tablespoon of fat. Sufficient to say, I'm totally turned off of getting that stuff for a long, long time.

Now if Barb would have just posted this recipe a few days earlier, I might have avoided this gross out post. But I'm so glad she posted it period. I made it for supper the other night and let me just say she deserves some kind of a prize. This was one of the easiest, one of the yummiest dishes I've tried. And I didn't even use a bag, I just used a big 'ole bowl to mix the whole thing. Really the only thing wrong with this dish is I'll have to double it next time because three of us ate the whole darn thing all by ourselves. Yes, it was that good. All we left was about 1/4 cup because well, we're not gluttons or anything around here. But if I wasn't so full I would have licked the pan. As it turned out, Samson was very glad I left that part for him. LOL.

So thank you Barb. I'd tip my hat to you if I wore one. The next time I'm under the weather, we'll keep on a-driving, with a laugh and a wave, keeping our wallets tucked away as we come upon that chicken joint knowing we can come home and have this totally easy, totally tasty, totally economical chicken dish on the table in less than an hour.

Wordless Wednesday

Okay, not so wordless here but last week when I posted pictures of hoar frost, so many commented that they'd never seen it or even heard of it. So I thought I'd add a few more, just because it makes me smile inside when I see it.

Anyone care to guess what causes this beauty to unfold?

The answer to above question is: freezing fog that rolls in in the wee hours of the morning. Who knew that fog freezing to objects could hold such beauty! God is the most talented and creative artist of all!

For more Wordless Wednesday go here.

Oven Fried Chicken with a twist

With a very short-lived reprieve in the weather this week and with the snow fall warnings in the forecast again, meals have all been about simple, warm and of course, economical. But I've also been bored, feeling like I've been cooking the same old, same old. So when I found this twist on oven fried chicken, and having a curry lover in the house, I knew I had to give it a try.

But did it meet my criteria? Let's see. Quick? Check. Easy? Check. Economical? Check. But the most important thing: did it taste delish? Double check! So it was a definite keeper.

CURRY OVEN FRIED CHICKEN (the way I did it)

(original recipe on Cooks.com listed as Curried Chicken)

-1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

-2 tsp. onion powder

-2 - 3 tsp. curry powder, depending on taste. I started with the 2 but next time would use 3.

-3/4 tsp. salt

-1/2 tsp. dry mustard

-1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and crushed (or you can use 1/8 tsp. garlic powder if you don't have fresh)

-1/4 tsp. paprika

-1 cup milk

-12 chicken drumsticks

Rinse the drumsticks and pat dry. Preheat oven to 375*F. Lightly grease or spray with Pam a 13x9 in baking dish or cover a baking sheet with foil for really easy cleanup.

Pour milk into a bowl. Mix everything else but the chicken pieces in another bowl. Dip the drumsticks first into the milk and then into the breadcrumbs, covering with the crumbs well.

Transfer to baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour or until crisp, turning once during baking.

And can you believe I didn't take a picture of the finished product? Sheesh. You'll just have to use your imagination. I served this with Rice-A-Roni of the famous San Fransisco Treat fame. And I was very popular that night.

Finding God in the Shack - Book Tour

Please note in the following book tour I have italicized points I thought were interesting and worth noting.

Blasphemous Heresy or Startling Theological Truth?
Finding God in The Shack examines the controversy behind a bestseller

“If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, whether with an enthusiast or a critic, you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian (Rauser) into the conversation. Before you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed, and irenic.” ~Eugene H. Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

Publisher's Writeup:
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—A child is brutally murdered. Her father receives an invitation from “Papa” (God) to meet him at the very shack where this horrific event took place. Upon arrival, he is swept up in the embrace of Papa—a large, motherly, African-American woman. This most unlikely of stories, as told in William Young’s The Shack, has become a runaway bestseller, and it is easy to see why. The book brings us on a redemptive journey through the shacks of deepest pain and suffering in our lives, guided by the triune God of Christian faith. But even as lives have been transformed through this book, other readers have sternly denounced it as a hodgepodge of serious theological error, even heresy. With one pastor urging his congregation to read it and another forbidding his congregation to do so, many Christians have simply been left confused.

In his new book, Finding God in The Shack, theologian and author Randal Rauser takes readers on a fascinating journey through the pages of the story that has ignited the church’s interest in the Trinity, a doctrine that has long been locked away in seminary classrooms. “As a theologian, it is wonderful—if a bit humbling—to witness the Trinity now emerging as a topic of lively conversations at the local coffee shop, and all because of a novel,” Rauser says. “But while those conversations have not typically lacked for enthusiasm and conviction, many of them would benefit from some deeper background as to the theological issues at stake.”

As Rauser explores the intricacies of the plot, he addresses many of the book’s complex and controversial issues. In the process, he explains why God the Father is revealed as an African-American woman, defends the book’s theology of the Trinity against charges of heresy, and considers its provocative denial of a Trinitarian hierarchy. At its heart The Shack is a response to evil, and Rauser offers an honest and illuminating discussion of the book’s explanation for why God allows evil, how the atoning work of Christ offers new hope to a suffering world, and ultimately how this hope extends to all of creation.

Whether they have been inspired, challenged, or even threatened by Young’s novel, Finding God in The Shack is an essential tool for readers who want to better understand the Scriptural truths contained in the book’s message and to apply those truths to their own lives. Each chapter concludes with a set of provocative discussion questions, making Finding God in The Shack an ideal vehicle for small group discussion.



QUESTION AND ANSWER WITH RANDAL RAUSER

“It is true that The Shack asks some hard questions and occasionally takes positions with which we might well disagree. But surely the answer is not found in shielding people from the conversation, but rather in leading them through it,” Rauser states. “After all, it is through wrestling with new ideas that one learns to deal with the nuance and complexity that characterize an intellectually mature faith. The Shack will not answer all our questions, nor does it aspire to. But we can be thankful that it has started a great conversation.”



Q: What motivated you to write Finding God in The Shack, a book that examines the theology of The Shack, William Young’s best-selling novel?

A: In the short time since its publication, The Shack has ignited the church’s interest in the Trinity more than the dozens of theology books that have been published by academic theologians over the last forty years. It is wonderful (if a bit humbling) for the theologian to witness a doctrine that has long been locked in the seminary classroom now emerging as a topic of lively conversations at the local coffee shop, and all because of a novel! But while those conversations have not typically lacked for enthusiasm and conviction, many of them would benefit from some deeper background as to the theological issues at stake. I wrote Finding God in The Shack to provide that background and, hopefully, to inspire even more theological discussions among readers.

Q: What aspects of Young’s book have inspired the most conversation and criticism?

A: One of my main purposes in writing Finding God in The Shack was to shed some light on—and bring some reason to—the debate surrounding some of the controversial details of Young’s work. Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of The Shack is the manifestation of God the Father as “Papa,” a large African-American woman, and of the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman named Sarayu. This portrayal has yielded some startling, even fantastic charges (including the frenzied charge that the book promotes Goddess worship!). But even if those charges are overblown, one might still wonder whether the depiction is appropriate and what it implies about our knowledge of God.

On the point of how the three persons of the Trinity constitute the one God, critics have argued The Shack’s depiction of God is seriously flawed, for it fails to distinguish the three persons. Finding God in The Shack addresses this and several other charges of heresy, using both excerpts from the book and Scripture passages to counter those accusations.

The problem of evil is central to the plot of The Shack. Readers must grapple with how a God who is all-loving and all-powerful would allow the horrific murder of young Missy, a child of whom He says He is especially fond. Finding God in The Shack delves further into the issue of theodicy (the problem of evil) and the atoning work of Christ, examining Young’s choice to ignore (or bypass) the language of God’s wrath against sin, instead describing the Father as suffering with the Son.

Q: How do you feel about the controversies and criticisms surrounding The Shack?

A: Most people who have read or heard about The Shack are aware of the controversies that swirl around the book. Although I appreciate the passion of the critics, I have been saddened by a frequent lack of clarity that has been shown to the book’s author and its fans. And I have been especially disheartened by the advice of some influential leaders not to read the book. It is true that The Shack asks some hard questions and occasionally takes positions with which we might well disagree. But surely the answer is not found in shielding people from the conversation, but rather in leading them through it. After all, it is through wrestling with new ideas that one learns to deal with the nuance and complexity that characterize an intellectually mature faith. Certainly, Young’s book will not answer all our questions, nor does it aspire to. But we can be thankful that it has started a great conversation. I would encourage those who have avoided the novel because of these controversies to read Finding God in The Shack and discover the truth about the book’s theology.

Q: What does Finding God in The Shack have to say about Young’s choice to present a two-thirds female and ethnically diverse vision of God?

A: Young’s vision of God brings us into the midst of some important and fascinating questions about the way that the transcendent God of all creation comes into our small world. When Mack arrives at the cabin he receives the jarring reminder that God is much more than any image: “two women and a man and none of them white? Then again, why had he naturally assumed God would be white?” When God shows up in this “unorthodox” form, Mack begins to realize how narrow his understanding of God has been: “all his visuals for God were very white and very male.”

The Shack presents us with a rich picture of God’s accommodation. Successful accommodators recognize that “one size does not fit all.” The unfortunate reality is that many people have not had a loving human father, and Mack (the story’s main character) was one of them. Because of the horrifying abuse he suffered during his childhood at the hands of his own father, an attempt to think of God as Father blasts Mack with feelings of pain, rage, and fear. Aware of Mack’s struggles and pain, “Papa” adopts the form of a loving mother to meet Mack in his dark prison. As she gently informs him: “If I choose to appear to you as a man or a woman, it’s because I love you.” Finding God in The Shack guides readers through several Scriptures that demonstrate Young’s picture of God’s accommodation is not heresy—it comes straight from God’s word.

Finding God in the Shack is available at Amazon here.

Friday's Fave Five #25

Wow, has this week ever flown by. Throw a long weekend in and if you blink the week is gone. But it's Friday, one of my favorite days because it's Friday's Fave Five. If you are new here, welcome. If you need details, then you can pop over here to catch up. Then don't be shy, jump right on in and do up a post about your favorite five things from the week. And don't forget to sign Mr. Linky.

1. Well, you have to know, my first is going to, my visit with my girl! You can read all about if you haven't already right over here. It was so much fun and so nice just to spend time with her. I wish it could have been longer, but I'll take what I can get and savor every second of it.

2. And you gotta know the next thing I'm going to say is the cool movie star bathroom at the restaurant where we celebrated the girl's birthday. It's in this same post. And you must go over and read it because I wouldn't want you to think I'm really out there listing a bathroom in my favorites post. You'll surely understand if you see the pics. LOL.

3. Sunsets. I love a beautiful sunset. And we had a lovely one on the way home visiting the girl. I tell you it was blessed all around that weekend. I took these shots out the dirty van window. It wasn't exactly like in the summer vacation pictures where I rolled down the window and took a bazillion pictures whipping along at 70 60 mph. It was just a tad chilly to do that. But dirty windsheild or not it was gorgeous.

4. Hoar Frost. I love when I wake up in the morning to a beautiful, frosty morning with everything painted in hoar frost. There is something about the crispness of the air, the gorgeous white against grey or blue, how the tree trunks stand out dark against the whitened branches, the amazing shapes made by the frost. Amazing. Just makes me realize what a great artist my God is. And I'm very thankful I have eyes to see it.

5. Pancakes. Love a good feed of pancakes every once in awhile. Such a simple thing and yet it makes me happy. Especially with vanilla yogurt or sour cream and fruit syrup, like boysenberry or pear or raspberry. Yum, yum. And it's such an easy way to make 6 hungry little varmits very happy at lunch time.

So that about wraps up my five. What were your favorites from your week?

On Birthdays and Beginnings

For those who have wondered if I fell of the face of the earth these past few days, I really am still around. We had a very busy and wonderful weekend visiting Kay in the city where she lives. It was our first visit there since we moved her there at the end of August for bible school. It's her birthday this Saturday but we went last weekend because with the holiday on Monday it gave us that extra day. It is just way too long of a trip to make in a normal weekend. Basically it's seven hours of non-stop sitting in a vehicle. Oi, the bottom, it does get numb! Thank goodness we know where the Starbucks are in a couple of cities along the way!

The drive is numbing but the reward of seeing her was well worth it. We attended church with her and celebrated her birthday at the restaurant of her choice which turned out to be Moxies. Her boyfriend's birthday is exactly a week to the minute after hers so we had him along and we invited her sweet roommate along. She deserved a dinner out for letting us all take over the apartment all weekend.

We have a Moxies here but let me tell you this was the fanciest Moxies I have ever been in. One of the fanciest restaurants in fact of any kind. Not that it was hoity-toity or anything but the decor was just so unique and neat. And I really made everybody's eyes roll when I was delayed in the washroom because, well, I was taking pictures of it. Yes, I actually did. Aren't I a good little blogger?! It was fancy dancy, I tell ya. And seeing they wouldn't let me take pics of my food at my birthday dinner and I totally forgot to take pictures of the food here, you get to see the washroom! Lucky you!

Just look at them light fixtures.


These are makeup chairs. Those silver contraptions are mirrors that you can adjust where you want. Almost star trekky don't you think.

A washroom is just not complete without a fireplace and tv in the wall. A tv and fireplace, people. I want one of these walls in my bathroom at home. How cool would that be?!

And no, I'm not from the boonies and yes, I don't get out much if I can get this giddy about a restaurant washroom. Thanks for asking. But anything that makes one feel like a movie star, even if it a movie star using a bathroom, is blog worthy, don't ya think?

I wish I would have taken pics of the front door. They were pretty awesome, but it didn't occur to me at the time. And what would a restaurant visit be without someone inventing something out of the items on the table.

Mmmm, the white chocolate brownie birthday dessert was sure good! And no, brother, I won't share.

And of course, a birthday girl has to have gifts. Now Kay has never, ever been into Barbies, but Lucy she loves. So she was pretty pleased with the I Love Lucy collector dolls she got for her birthday. They now have a prominent spot on her tv stand.

Monday by noon it was time to make the seven hour trek back. Tuesday was back to work but it was a weird day. I was exhausted. It wasn't just the long drive there and back all within a long weekend, or just the fact that I never sleep as well when I'm not in my own bed, or that I stayed up too late just being with her. But I was emotionally exhausted too. I had such mixed feelings and felt quite discombobulated. This trip showed me some things. It was so wonderful to go see the cute things the girls have done with the apartment since we moved her in, it was so good to see how she was doing. It made me swell with motherly love and pride at how good she has adjusted and how well she is doing. How responsible she is, and how so many of the things I tried to teach her and figured weren't getting through actually did and now she's doing them.

But there was also a feeling in the pit of my stomach from the trip and it took me until Tuesday night to figure it out and until today to be able to blog about it. There came a hard realization that, without a doubt, that my little girl had grown up. That she was probably never going to come back to the nest and live at home again. That she had made a life for herself and was succeeding wonderfully without me close by, hovering over her. And while that brought absolute joy to my heart and was what I was hoping and praying for, I also realized it was a defining moment both for me and her. When I dropped her off in September, deep down I think I was convincing myself that she would be back in the next couple of years. And though she might move back to our city one day, somehow I think my young lady has become just that, a young lady, no longer a girl. Out on her own, beginning a new chapter of her life. And doing just fine, thanks Mom.

I know this is the goal of parenting by why is it so dang heart wrenching to think she might not need me anymore?

Wordless Wednesday

What certain brother's who want to annoy certain sisters do with a picture and microsoft paint.

For more Wordless Wednesday go here.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody.

Hope your having a day filled with lots of love and chocolate.

We have three winners for the Valentine's book giveaway and they are:

For "I Do Again"

Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

For "Love As a Way of Life Devotional"

Donnetta from My Quiet Corner

For "Couples Only Boxed Set"

Tammy from Lattes and Lollipops

Congratulations Girls!

Friday's Fave Five #24

Welcome, welcome. It's Friday's Fave Five. I'm looking forward to reading your five favorite things from your week. If you need more details, it's here. If you've done a favorites post don't forget to sign Mr. Linky so we can all come and visit.

So here's my faves for this week:

1. This cracks me right up. It's a few minutes long but it's hilarious.



2. Books for cheap. I found out my library has a small area where they sell books for next to nothing. It's not once or twice a year but each and every day. Books all seem to be under $2.50. I have hard cover, almost new looking books to the set my girl is collecting for a buck or two. And even better? They'll take my books I no longer want as donations towards this sale. The money raised goes to the library association for programs. Win, win I'd say.

3. Pizza. I loooove pizza. I could probably eat it every day. Foodwise it's right up there with coffee for me. And last Friday we were able to get my absolute favorite pizza from my favorite pizza place. Yummy! Green peppers, black olives, feta cheese, and fresh tomatoes put on after the pizza is baked. They stay fresh but warm through on the drive home. Yum. My mouth is even watering now.

4. Kangen water. It's a high alkaline water that we've started to buy at the health food store. Hubby's been reading about the many benefits of high alkaline water. When tested with a simple spit test on ph paper, I tested quite acidic. After drinking this water for a few months now, I've moved into a more nuetral ph. Supposedly from what hubby's been reading that is better for a person. All I know is it's a really nice water to drink. Has a nice flavor, if one can say that about water, and it "sits" really nice, if you know what I mean. I've never been a water drinker but now I actually crave water. Anyway, it makes my list because it has made me want to drink water and it's becoming my drink to go to all day long.

5. Love As a Way of Life Devotional. I've really been enjoying this devotional. Such nuggets of wisdom packed into each short devotional. Just like the book that it is based on, I've been underlining like crazy, and I've been writing down thoughts that I feel the Lord might be saying to mepersonally as I go through it. If you're interested I'm giving one away tomorrow here.

What have been your favorite things from the week? If you've shared sign on to Mr. Linky!

Valentine's Book Giveaway here.

The Daily Habit

Karyn at Over the Backyard Fence did an interesting meme last week: 10 things you do everyday. Interesting because I've never really thought about what I do each and every single day. So other than the really obvious things like hygiene stuff 'cause I'm sure you don't want to hear all about teeth & hair brushing and getting dressed, etc., here's what I thought of, in no particular order:

1. Have my morning coffee. I never, ever miss this most important step! ;v)

2. Get my girl up for school. How I became her personal alarm clock at this age, I'm not sure. This is Monday - Friday. During the school year. Oh, oh, does this count? Okay throw in get her up for church on Sunday. That only leaves Saturday. So I'm counting this one.

3. Greet the dayhome kids and parent at the door. While trying to look awake and chipper and ready to take on the day. Some days this is more of a feat than others. I am so not a morning person. Oh, I guess this is only Monday to Friday. Does this count as one?

4. Take my diuretic for mild high blood pressure, my calcium/magnesium for my bones of course, and my Vit B complex so that I don't turn into the wicked witch of the west.

5. Try to think of what to make for 2 snacks, one lunch meal (for 6 preschoolers) and one dinner (for a family of four one of whom will not eat beef or pork).

6. Make aforementioned snacks and meals.

7. Try to teach and amuse 6 preschoolers for 9 - 10 hours a day.

8. Try to read my bible and devotionals at some point each day. I struggle with setting a certain time for this so I try to make sure I get it in a some point. I know I should probably get to bed earlier so that I can get up earlier to do this but my natural body rhythm is "night owl" not "early bird".

9. Greet my kids and hubby and ask how their day was as soon as they come in the door. I try to make this a priority and be in the kitchen or living room when they come home so that I can greet them and ask about their day. Sometimes it's really hard with the dayhome kids around but I want my kids to be able to talk to me if they want to about things that happened in their day as soon as they come home if that is what they need. Some days I fail and there is constant interruption but I try.

10. Read. I read each and every single day. And that's books. I cannot fathom not having read a portion of a book each day. It's such a part of me that I can't even think what not having a book or six laying around waiting to be read from would be like. It is not lost on me what a blessing access to reading and books is. My heart aches for those in other countries who don't have access to books. I don't know what I would do with myself. Take away my books and I'd be in withdrawl. Scary.

There is lots more I do each and every single day, but those are the first that came to mind. Funny how you don't realize what is so routine to your life until you actually start to think about it and list it. And I didn't even list blogging. So there you go, unlike some people think around here, there is more I do every day other than blog. :v)

So now I'm curious. What do you do each and every single day?

Wordless Wednesday

A picture my daughter drew a couple years ago. She swears it's not me but I don't know about that. It's pretty representative of me when I'm frazzled. I definitely had that look yesterday!

For more Wordless Wednesday go here

Valentine's Blog Tour & Book Giveaway

It's Valentine's and love is in the air. And what better way for a book lover to celebrate Valentine's than to be able to feature and give away 3 books that are all about love. I'm totally excited about all of these books. Read through the descriptions of each one and tell me in the comments which one (or ones) you'd like your name put in for. You can choose one or all three. I'll leave it open until 10 p.m. MST Friday the 13th and will post the winners Valentine's Day morning. Unfortunately, I can only do U.S. or Canadian postal addresses.




1. "I Do Again"


Summary:


With their professional success and adorable twin daughters, Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs looked like the perfect couple. But their polished facade concealed a widening chasm between two people unable to connect on an intimate, soul-deep level.
After years of frustration, Cheryl’s desire for emotional fulfillment led to an affair and, finally, divorce. Yet, incredibly, seven years later, Jeff and Cheryl once again stood at the altar, promising to “love, honor, and cherish” one another. A new and vibrant love had risen out of the ashes of this family’s pain.
I Do Again details the fascinating real-life story of a couple whose relationship seemed shattered beyond all hope until a spiritual awakening led them to reconsider their definitions of “happily ever after.” A riveting account of the power of prayer and redemption, this remarkable book offers renewed hope for even the most troubled marriages—and reveals why the rewards of restoration are well worth the wait.
Author Bio:
Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs are the founders of Hope Matters Marriage Ministries, and for the past several years they have shared their incredible story of a marriage restored with audiences across the nation. Jeff is an account manager with OshKosh B’Gosh, and Cheryl has served as director of the Frisco, Texas, office of the Center for Christian Counseling. They live in Dallas, Texas with their two college-age daughters.

My Take: I could not put this book down. I finished it in two days. Hence my missing in action from Blogland yesterday. The author's story completely grabbed my heart. I was riveted as I kept turning the pages as they described what happened in their marriage and the dissolving of it and how God moved powerfully in their individual lives until 7 years after their divorce, God restored their love for each other and put back together a broken home. Awesome story full of hope.

2. "Love as a Way of Life Devotional"



Summary:

In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.
Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.
The Love As a Way of Life Devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.
Author Bio:
Dr. Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-six books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. Dr. Chapman, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wake-Forest University, and Southwestern Seminary, serves on a church staff in North Carolina.

My Take: Based on this book, which I absolutely loved, this is an easy to read everyday devotional that helps put the principles laid out in the book to practice. Short reads with scripture and thoughts, it takes God's widsom and encourages and inspires one to let love guide the way we respond to others.

3. "For Couples Only" Boxed Set

Summary:

Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.
Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you. [Part of me wanted to make this paragraph past tense—yielded and produced—because of the first paragraph, but that took away some of the immediacy of what the books offer. I’ll leave that up to you.]
So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!
Author Bio:
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn hold graduate degrees from Harvard University and are popular national speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs. They are also active church members and the parents of two young children, and they enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

My Take: I have read every book in the "For Only" Series except the "For Men Only" (which is included in this set). And I will be reading that one too, just for fun. "For Women Only" was an absolute eye opener for me and really made me change that way I approached some things within my marriage. This is a boxed set of these two books.

AMAZON LINKS:

"I Do Again" here

"Love As A Way of Life Devotional" here

"For Couples Only" here

So there you are. All are awesome books about love. Don't forget I have to have some way to get ahold of you, either a link to a blog or an email address. If I can't reach you, you can't recieve one of them.

Friday's Fave Five #23

Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. Come join us as we reflect back on our week and pick our five favorite things from the week. If you're new all the info is here. If you've done a post on your favorite five don't forget to sign Mr. Linky so that we can come and visit.

So my faves for the week:

1. Fresh Paint. It always amazes me how much of a lift a fresh coat of paint on tired old wall and trim makes. Hubby is redoing the spare bedroom and the hallway. Both were begging for someone to grab a brush and go for it. Hubby obliged and it's looking so much better. My only problem is it takes me forever to choose a color.

2. Baby Sounds. I've got a new one year old in the dayhome and he keeps me laughing with all the funny baby noises and "talking" that he does. So cute. And the more you laugh, of course, the more he does it. Nothing like an appreciative audience for him.

3. Bottle time. I just love giving a baby a bottle right before nap time time. Even though the little ones are no longer mine there is something about sitting in the rocker holding that precious bundle while they drink away and they're eyes get sleepier and sleepier. Just stroking their cute little feet or hands. It's definitely a precious moment.

4. Greek Feta Salad Dressing. For some reason we haven't had a fresh salad in awhile. Not sure why, but we had some this week. I used my fave dressing. I love, love, love this stuff. On salads, as a dip, on baked potatoes. Yum, yum.

5. God's Promises. Oh the comfort that comes the word of God. This week, with the things that have gone on here, I've been drawn back to these two scriptures:

*1 Peter 5:6-7 "humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."

and

*Philippians 4, 6-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anythingk, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will gurad your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

It's so nice to look back and find those treasures, both obvious and hidden, glaring and subtle that have blessed us this week. What are your favorites that you found?

Hide the printing press, Ethyl!

You know it's going to be an interesting day when a half hour after you come back from the bank where you went to break down a couple twenties into smaller bills and change, that you get a phone call from them. They want to know where you got the twenties.

Why? Because, well, one of them was counterfeit. Huh? Yeah, like in between running around after 6 dayhome kids, I'm in a dark, dusty corner of the basement turning out twenties. Bwahahahaha.

So you tell them the truth, that you actually got it out of one of their own ATM's just 2 days before and they tell you "Everybody says that".

So now we're wondering how many more of the twenties the ATM spit out at us that day are counterfeit. Just a wee bit nerve wracking.

Yup, it bodes for an interesting day.

Monday Mish Mash

Well, I was a naughty girl on the weekend and skipped church on Sunday. Life has been so busy lately with much running around and no slowing down. Last week when I started to feel sick, again, and it got progressively worse as the week wore on, I knew I needed just a day of rest.

I hate being sick. And for the most part, I never am. Considering all the germs that come with having 6 children coming daily to my home, and all the colds and running noses and coughing throughout the year that comes with that, I really don't catch their bugs. Thank God. But this winter, this is now the second time. It seems I just finished really getting over the one I had in December and now here I was again. And the thing with my job? I cannot take a sick day. Oh, I can call a sub in, but there is still 6 kids running around the house and because my bedroom is on the main floor, there really is no privacy to just lay around. I can hear them no matter where they are in the house, and then I'm stressed because things aren't being done by the sub the way I might do them. I know, I know. I have issues with delegation.

So anyway all that to say, my body finally was screaming to just do nothing. So comply I did. And it was wonderful. I sat around with a coffee and book, and then made a simple lunch of premade frozen teriayaki wings I bought at the grocery last week, a very simple fried rice and steamed cauliflower, then sat around and read some more before watching the Superbowl. A quick milk and nacho ingrediant run to the grocery store with hubby during half time was as hectic as the day got. Watching the last touchdown happen, was the greatest stress of the day.

I definitely think I need more days like that.

Is everyone ready for 6 more weeks of winter? It seems all the weather predicting groundhogs around have seen their shadows and scurried back to their holes. I have mixed feelings. I'm so sick of wind that some more snow almost feels welcome to me. Shhh, don't tell hubby I said that.

Along with Groundhog Day come report cards around here. And parent teacher interviews. I'm going to admit something here and I hope there's not an ugly backlash, but I totally hate parent teacher interviews. Around here, they are set in 10 minute slots including the time it takes to get from one class to the next, the teacher's are always behind, because invariably 10 minutes is never enough especially if a child is experiencing struggles, and whether it was the parent before or actually yourself that caused the late, then it all just snowballs and you're running like a maniac to make it on time only to get to the other side of the school to find that teacher is also late. I feel like a kid myself while in them especially if there is a particular area my child might be struggling in, and sometimes what my kids tells me goes on in class really gets my britches in a knot and I find it hard to know how to deal with that. And it's always the same old, same old. I really wonder what is all this really accomplishing? Am I the only one who feels this way? I have to admit. I rebelled this time around. I totally did not make a single appointment. I know shocking. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle await me. If you're one of my teacher readers, or even a parent who does well at these, please help me out and maybe leave a suggestion in the comments that would make these quickie interviews go better and leave me walking away from them thinking they were worth it! (And remember my kids are in their teens now so that might have an influence on your suggestions.)

So off to start my week, with what else but a groundhog craft. Whoo Hoo!