The Master's Design
Thursday, February 28, 2008
BOOK DRAWING for AUTHOR-SIGNED - great for homeschoolers!

Writing Canvas is giving a great book away that is labled for Christian boys, but actually a great read-aloud for the entire family. It also has questions for each chapter, making it a great book to use for home schooling.  This book is called Sentinal - City of Destiny, and is a "Pilgrim's Progress" modern type book.  AND, there is a drawing for an author-signed copy of it.  Be sure to take a peek, and join in on the drawing!


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Monday, February 11, 2008
Valentine's Book Giveway on Marriage for YOUR Marriage! :)

Writing Canvas is having a Valentine’s book drawing with the book, For Better, For Worse, For Keeps:  God’s Gift of Hope for Every Marriage.  It’s a book of hope for any marriage.  Read the review here, and  join the book drawing.


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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Love is Beautiful ~ Love is Terrible

"Love is beautiful,
but it is also terrible--
terrible in its determination to allow nothing blemished
or unworthy to remain in the beloved."


~ Hannah Hurnard ~
author of
Hinds' Feet on High Places

This week's quote comes from a book I just read. The story is of a girl named "Much-Afraid" and her journey through life to reach High Places. She is from the Family of Fearings, brought up by her aunt, Mrs. Dismal Forebodings and has cousins named Gloomy, Spiteful and Craven Fear.  Her Shepherd talks to her, and wants her to go to His High Places, but tells her she needs to changed completely and needs a new name, and plants a seed of True Love into her heart, but it needs to grow, and it is this growing journey you take reading through this book. During this journey she meets . . . continued here.


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Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Our Mosiacs Masterpieces in Heaven

"In our lives the darkest times,
the days that are bleak and black,
add depth to every other experience. Like the dark bits of color in a mosaic, they add the contrast and shadows that give beauty to the whole, but they are just a small part of the big picture."

~ Amy Grant~

Mosaic: Pieces of My Life so Far

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I never thought of my life before like a mosaic, but it got me thinking.  Imagine when we get to heaven, God showing us His many rooms He has prepared for u, and in each room there is a mosiac of another person's life.  Then we walk into a room, and there's our mosiac.
Continued Here

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Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Two ADORABLE PACIFIERS to be given away! Come See!

Pacifiers

Finding JOY in the Morning is having a drawing for two pacifiers -  a blue one labeled "Prince Charming" or a pink one labled "Princess". Read about the drawing and review on these pacifiers here, write about it on your blog or journal & enter to win!  Click to ENTER HERE!


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Friday, October 12, 2007
Yes, Christian Homeschooled Kids Die from the Choking Game too.....

It's not really the way I want my son remembered, yet, I hear over and over about it, from e-mails being forwarded to me, to new readers just first learning that such a "choking game" even exists.  On Tuesday my post had a link to Matthew's memorial page, and I received several very kind and compassionate notes, yet they were from parents who never knew it existed.  continued here


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Friday, October 5, 2007
So Homeschooling Works?!?!?

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ere is an article you might want to print up and give to your family and/or friends that wonder about your homeschooling really working.  And if you are considering homeschooling and think you are not smart enough, you don't have a college degree or maybe not even a highschool degree . . . read this


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Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The Love Story of Our Stillborn Daughter, Angela Hope

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in HIS wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, by the light of His glory and grace."

~ Helen Limmel ~
Are there songs in your life, that take you back to a time and bring you back to a special, sometimes bittersweet time in your life? This is one of those songs for me.  This song was sung without any instruments, just the tearful yet hopeful voices of our family and friends at the funeral of our stillborn daughter at 36 weeks, nearly 10 years ago. To think, the first face she saw was not mine - it was Jesus'.  We could not understand why after spending 10 weeks in ICU with another daughter after her two open heart surgeries, that two weeks later our next child would be born still.  Our love story continues here . . .

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Monday, September 24, 2007
Book Review: His Loving Law ~ Our Lasting Legacy

 

Book_2 This is an excellent book I highly recommend for Christian homes, incorporating into your family devotions or homeschooling.  His Loving Law, Our Lasting Legacy: Living the Ten Commandments and Giving Them to Our Children, by Jani Ortlund, is an easy to read book of 163 pages, with each chapter being about one of the ten commandments.  Within each chapter Mrs. Ortlund beautifully writes a section on

continued here . . .


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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
What is YOUR Thorn?

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IT'S NOT FAIR! How many times have we heard our children say that as they stomp out of the room.  Okay . . . how many times have we mumbled that under our breath or even in prayer?    Life certainly does not seem fair at times.  I know I have mumbled WHY GOD?  We can tend to have our own pity parties, questioning the whys.  Why US, when others are living a wretched life, why do we lose a wanted baby to miscarriage when others are aborting, why did MY husband lose his job, why did I get that speeding ticket when the other guy was driving much faster than I?
I've had a "thorn" lately - it's been a formula measuring scoop.  Two times in the past week the little scoop has totally disappeared.  Continued on here, along with other women's interpretations of the above quote. Come join us!

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Thursday, September 6, 2007
New Contest! What's IS THIS? Win Scrapbooking Journal

I have a picture on my blog with "something" next to my baby. As a homeschool mom, I am using it as a learning tool for the kids.  They have to do research.  But if I tell you too much, it will give it away.  Since it's been so busy here with still organizing school and beginning to get into our schedule and trying to get through all the sniffles and coughs of our bronchitis bout, I decided to have you help me out in keeping readers here and have a very impromptu contest.  And the winner will receive  "Becoming A Woman of Joy Journal".  This is a hard cover, ring bound blank journal, with Scripture verses inside.  Might be nice for a teen girl in your family too! So come on over to my blog, Finding JOY in the Morning, take a look at the picture and see what you think!  I look foward to your guess!  :)


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Friday, August 31, 2007
Revealing Secrets & a Contest! :)

I thought about sharing this little story before, but I just know I'd get the e-mails about how I should not make my children pay for food.    But when I read Darlene's blog today that she pays her kids 5 cents to flush the toilet, I thought, well . . .  I can share this little secret especially since it has a funny ending to it.  CONTINUED HERE ALONG WITH A CONTEST


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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
In Other Words: His Banner

 

"Under the banner of God, victory is always assured; but apart from it, defeat is a certainty.  When the banner of God's rod was not held high, Amelek prevailed.  You can't do battle against the flesh under your own power."

~ Kay Arthur ~
author of

LORD, I Want To Know You

Above quote is in reference to Exodus 17:15: "The LORD is my banner"

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ow many times have you I said, "I can't do it anymore", "I can't take it another day", "I will never make it through this", "I can't bare to go through another crisis", or "I am at the end"?   It's then that I hear that still small voice, "No YOU cannot make it . . . you need ME."

Last summer the ladies Bible study at my church went through Kay Arthur's book, LORD, I Want to Know you.  Over a year later, a lot of it has stuck with me, as the different names of God have become more meaningful with different life experiences.  One of the names is "Jehovah-nissi" meaning, "The LORD is My Banner".  In Exodus 17, there was a war.  Amelek and his people were enemies of God, did not fear God, and were a first and constant enemy of Israel.  The parallel that is made in her book is how our flesh, our sin nature, is like Amelek.  It is a first and constant enemy.  When we have our guard down, when we let satan sneek (or run) into our lives, we are losing the war. 

If we skip down a few more verses from the reference above, we will read,
CONTINUED HERE, along with links to the other gals who have also written on the above quote.  Come join us!

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I Am Giving One of these "Mom's Family Calendars" Away!

Calendar

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his Calendar2fantastic calendar might be just what you need to start out the new school year more organized!  This has been a very poplular calendar - sales in 2006 were up 28% over 2005!  The Mom's Family Calendar 2007 by Sandra Boynton covers sixteen months, starting in September 2007. Each month’s oversized grid is laid out vertically, with five columns across the top (with the first column labeled "Mom") and the days of the month reading down the left side. One glance is all it takes to see exactly who is doing what, and when.   This calendar comes with hundreds of stickers for appointments, birthdays, etc.   Suggested retail for this calendar is $12.95.

I have one of these calendars to give to one of my readers!  I won't make it hard - not even a before school essay to write!  All you have to do is post about this contest on your blog or on your CafeMom journal with a link back to my blog) with a link to your blog.  How ever many enter, I will have one of my children pick a number between one and "# of entries" and that person will receive this.  I will ship this free of charge to those within the continental USA - if you are outside the continental USA, you will need to cover the shipping cost.  After you have done this, leave a comment on my blog (HERE ONLY!!

Contest ENDS THIS FRIDAY, August 24th at 11:59 p.m. EDT.  We will announce the winner on my blog on Monday, August 27th and that person will have 24 hours to e-mail me with their address.  If we don't hear from the winner by the end of the 24 hours, we will announce a second winner!  So watch my blog for the winner!


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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
In Other Words: Praising Him - Always

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"Hey mom, listen to this song" . . . and I listened and watched my son sing this song with such meaning, "having been there".  He knew it would touch me too - and it was definitely a God-given moment as we shared this song together, having been through the wilderness and desert together, and now, though there are still scars, and bittersweet memories, we know and can see how God was there, through it all.  This was the first song my son ever sang and played with his guitar in church on the first mother's day after the death of our son - so it is quite special . . . CONTINUED HERE


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Thursday, August 2, 2007
Teens Dressing Modestly

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y twin girls will be turning 16 next Friday.   I think they have been counting the days to this special birthday since they turned 15!  For the last several months we hear just about every day "___# more days til we turn 16".  It's hard to believe! 

One of the hardest things with having teen girls is finding clothes that are trendy, yet modest.  There are so many clothes out there that should be a fraction of the cost because there is hardly any material to them!  They are so low cut - AND high cut !  It's hard finding modest clothes, but my girls do pretty good about it, One of their favorite places to shop is what we call GW Boutique - GoodWill!

CONTINUED HERE . . .


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Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Our Son Needs Surgery

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ayson saw the orthopedic surgeon today, and it was disappointing news.  The bone broke the rest of the way since the accident - the ball part in the shoulder broke off the bone, and its now healing in the wrong way.  So, on Friday, he has to go in for it to be reset - breaking how it's healing  now, resetting, and then shooting pins into the bone.  The surgery will be about 30 minutes and then an hour and a half recovery and he should be able to come home.  These pins will stay in 6-8 weeks and then will have them surgically removed.  He is rather bummed - we are bummed to for him.  He is such an active kid - always doing something, and it's really slowing him down (but probably not as much as it should).  He works at a horse stable and can't work there right now.  He misses playing his guitar.  So pray for him - that God will just give him a peace about this and that all will go well on Friday.   CONTINUED HERE


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Tuesday, July 24, 2007
In Other Words: Intimacy with Jesus

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s moms how often do we forget the joy of being a mom? We just continue along with the daily tasks of life, from making breakfast, cleaning up spilled milk, to reminders to children to complete schoolwork and chores, to watching the clock for curfew times to be met and hurrying children off to bed after a busy, tasked-filled day.  It can be wearing, overwhelming and the joy of motherhood is zapped.  I can forget to give my kids a hug or the much needed praise, overlook a handdrawn picture, and don't take that time out I was going to, to re-read their favorite book (that I am tired of - but they are not).  I keep going with the daily tasks of keeping my house going - but I can get so involved in all the "chores" that I overlook the deepening of my relationships with my children.  The dishes can stay a few hours longer for a walk through the woods or smores at the firepit.  Snuggles in the rocking chair reading a favorite story will be remembered much longer than clean windows and the laundry being caught up.  A simple trip to the playground with a picnic will help towards deepening relationships  . . . to keep the communication doors open with the children. 

I wonder if Jesus thinks the same thing, when we forget our personal time with Him . . . continued here


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Monday, July 16, 2007
Close to My Heart - And My Daughter's

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LMOST Heart_surgery 11 years ago we were devestated to learn that our newborn daughter - our 7th child - was born with severe heart defects. She was our first and only homebirth and though all went well, our pediatrician friend came to check on her, discovering a heart murmur.  Since many newborns can have a heart murmur anyway, he came back to check on her again the next day, and it was still there.  At just 6 days old we were sent into a whirlwind to discover our daughter had serious heart defects CONTINUED HERE


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Tuesday, July 3, 2007
A Special Birthday Tribute

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essMelissa  than seven months ago, this gal walked into our home with her husband and two adorable children, to fulfill a request from our son to help complete our bedroom remodeling.  We had never seen this family before, and little did we know that not only would they give us a major jump in our home repairs  that was needed after our son's death, but this couple would also be a part of healing in our personal lives, with their friendship.  I was not "looking" for another friend . . . continued here


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