Sep. 28, 2008 - The Road to Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam
I am late posting this review, but it took some time for my mind to process all that I read. Although I've heard about the sex trade industry before, to me it was a relatively little known subject.
When I got the invitation for the book review, I almost rejected it - simply because I normally try to stay away from reading or viewing things that have people being tormented or tortured. However, when I prayed about it, God really layed it on my heart that if we as Christians take an attitude of "I don't want to know about that", then who WILL want to know about it?
As hard and ugly as it is, Christians need to inform ourselves of the evil that is going on all around us - and to try to find a way to help when we can. That's what Somaly Mam does in this book. She brings out the ugly, the horrid, the evil - and lays it out in the open. She puts her life story - all of her personal misery - right out front so that others may know what thousands of girls are going through every day and night.
This isn't a book of gruesome details - it's tactfully written. It was written from the heart of a hurting woman, who's come to terms with the pain of her own life in the only way she knows how - by helping those in the same place find a new life - just like someone helped her.
I highly recommend reading it.
Here is the summary from the back of the book:
Born in Cambodia and orphaned at an early age, Somaly Mam, a Buddhist sex trade survivor, grew up never knowing her real name or birthday.
As a teenager, Somaly Mam was sold into prostitution and spent years in the brothels of Cambodia where she witnessed and experienced the full-blown horrors of the human sex trade – rape, torture, and nearly unfathomable abuse. After her eventual escape, she could not forget the young girls (some as young as 5) left behind in the brothels, and so she returned to serve them. Her new book, "The Road of Lost Innocence," is her newest means of advocacy. It tells her personal story, ultimately inviting people of conscious, such as our Christian community, to become involved (or to continue involvement) in this war against an epic evil, a modern battle for "the least of these." Truly, not only is this book worth reading, it's worth sharing.
I am not certain how we can all help directly in Somaly's work, but we can all help those that are suffering around us. I encourage each and every one of you to visit Voice of the Martyrs, start receiving their newsletter, and get your children involved. We do our children such a disservice by not reminding them of the wonderful freedoms they have by living in this great country - the freedom to worship GOD - and not be killed for it. And the freedom to not be sold into sexual slavery by strangers. I thank God for the reminder - even through a buddhist named Somaly Mam.
To purchase the book click here.
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Sep. 20, 2008 - There are simply no words....
...to even begin to express how precious this is to me....
They were watching "deer hunting" with Papa and the next thing I know - they are out. I couldn't resist a picture :)
**Please excuse the half-finished wall behind them - it will be done - one day!**
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Aug. 26, 2008 - Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
I've known for a while now that I had this book to read and review, but have found myself reluctant to do so.
Then came Sunday night - the night before this review was due. I knew that I would need to post the review the next day and that I hadn't read enough of the book (at that time about 5 pages) to even write a sentence about it. So, I picked up the book determined to get some of it done. I flipped through and read a page here and there - probably taking in about 15-20 pages total.
In all of that there was plenty that I didn't agree with on a belief level (women on pastorial staff of his church, etc.), but more than that, it was still just a feeling of no peace.
I didn't like the idea that he was portraying - that we were on some lifelong adventure to "chase after the Holy Spirit"...My Father God pursues ME. Yes, I am to follow after Christ, to be Christ-minded, to model my life after His. But I'm not to be on a chase after the Holy Spirit.
It also seemed he was saying that life was basically one big roller coaster - one adventure after another - that we should be constantly chasing, running, breathless after the next big one.
The God I serve is one of order, reverence, and plan. No, I don't know what is going to happen next - but I know WHO has planned what is going to happen. I don't have to be scared, hanging on by my fingertips...waiting to see. I can simply TRUST.
Anyway, Monday came and went. The review didn't get written. I prayed that God would allow my eyes to be opened to whatever I needed to see. If I was being irrational - then I wanted to know.
So, I did some research online last night, and God confirmed for me that what I believed the Holy Spirit was prompting in me was in fact what he WAS prompting.
So, here it is Tuesday afternoon...and here is the review. Not exactly glowing, I know. And not easy to write. I hate negativity...and I really hate knowing that I've had to share it with you guys - especially about someone that bears the name of pastor.
I pray only God's best for Pastor Mark Batterson and National Community Church. I pray that I am never again put in a situation like this one.
BTW, yes, I do have a book to give away as usual. I will be giving it to my pastor. Maybe between my husband and my pastor they can shed some more light on why this book has caused such a stirring in me.
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Aug. 13, 2008 - It's FAIR time again!
In our town we have the Central Mississippi Fair - and it's an annual tradition that everyone goes! Of course, we are no different!
I didn't get many pictures (well, only 2 actually...haha) because Rhett had 4 friends go with him and this year (being 14 and all, ya know) we let them walk around alooone. Joey took Maddy, her friend Caitlyn, and Bailey to ride some of the bigger kid rides. Mimi and I took Abby and Maicee to ride. SO, the only 2 pictures I got this year were one of Abby on the roller coaster - which looks a little crazy and Maicee coming off the giant slide - but of course, I'll post them anyway! You knew I would!!!!
I'm not sure why the pictures turned out so weird, unless it was all the crazy lights going off and on all around us.
Oh, well...the kids had a blast even though I don't have any pictures to prove it.
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Aug. 13, 2008 - IT'S A GIRLS NIGHT OUT...AND HONEY THERE AIN'T NO DOUBT....
WE HAD FUN!
Each year the girls in my husband's mother's family (say that 10 times fast) take a weekend trip together. This is Granny - the matriarch of the family, all of her daughters and daughter in law, granddaughters, and great granddaughters.
We went this past weekend and had a really good time. I really didn't take many pictures - we were too busy enjoying ourselves!
Here is a photo of all of us out to dinner at Red Lobster. You can't see Granny because she and a couple of others had to sit at a booth because the restaurant didn't have a table big enough for all 17 of us!
This year the girls and I stayed in a room by ourselves - and we agree, one of the best parts of the trip was staying up late that night, watching extreme makeover, and eating left-over crab from dinner!
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Aug. 4, 2008 - HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY!!!
I can't believe my "baby" is 14 today. Unreal. Where does the time go? He is an amazing young man - loves the Lord and loves his mama! :) I couldn't be more proud of the man he is turning into!
Happy Birthday, Rhett! We love you!!!
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Aug. 2, 2008 - VBS
Our church had VBS recently. We had a basketball camp every afternoon and then fed the kids supper and had bible school that night - all at the Boys' and Girls' Club! We are so thankful to the people there for the opportunity to minister to these children - many of whom had never even heard about God. It's hard to imagine, living in the Bible belt that there really are people who know nothing about God, but unfortunately and sadly, it's true.
Of course, you know I have pictures. I don't think I can do a post without them!?
Joey and Ms. Donna taught the 3rd and 4th graders
My sister and her husband, Mike taught the 5th and 6th graders (and yes, she is preggers :) )
Our keyboard player at church and I taught music together. This is her middle child (a boy) dressed as "Cindy Lou" doing the hula! We had a Hawaiin theme for the week - and we did a song that the kids did a hula to. So, Casey decided to dress up and give the kids a good laugh. He did it at the program, too!
I can't post any more of the photos because they all contain pictures of other people's children that I don't have permission to post :(
All in all, we had a great time..and most importantly, we had 3 children saved and one mom! The mom and her son came to church this past week and asked to baptized! Praise the Lord!
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Jul. 27, 2008 - THE WEDDING!
Joey's brother Benji FINALLY got married Saturday July 26. It was pretty - short and sweet! But we got some great pictures :) Joey was the best man and Maicee was the flower girl. Joey looked so handsome and of course, Maicee looked precious!
Here are some pictures:
This is the day before the wedding - doing a "trial run" on Maicee's hair - her face tells you everything you need to know about how SHE felt on the matter!
Here are some random photos of the rehearsal:
And a few of the rehearsal dinner:
And then it was the day of the wedding:
Joey, Rhett, and Benji (Joey's brother and the groom)...and before you ask, YES, they REALLY are brothers. FULL, COMPLETE, 100% brothers. We all realize they look nothing alike ;) Joey looks like his grandfather and Benji looks like his mom.
This is one of my favorites - after the wedding Maicee went down the aisle and picked up all of "her" rose petals. It was so precious!
We had a wonderful time as a family that weekend. We wish Benji and Nina many happy years - and hopefully many children! It is our prayer that their years together are as blessed as ours have been!
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Jul. 23, 2008 - Well, It's Been a LONG While....
Goodness, I can't believe it's been 6 weeks since I last blogged! Things around here have been so hectic! I have so much to catch up on! So much has been happening!!!
First off was Maicee's 4th Birthday Party at Gatti Town:
We had such a great time! The kiddos played limbo:
above: my niece Brittan
above: my nephew Max
above: some dear friend's son, Jaron and below: their other son, Micah
Then, my girls did a dance number to "Fabulous"--->
Yes, Rhett was there as you can see from the group picture...and yes, he did play limbo for his little sister (along with my older nephew and 2 of Rhett's friends - all of whom are teens, lol), but I promised not to take photos! We had a really good time and the kids had a blast playing in the gaming area after the party. A wonderful party experience - one we will probably do again!
When we returned from vacation, poor Abby had pneumonia, so she had to miss her last few games of softball. She was so upset! BUT, at least she got to have a great time at the party - she was well by then!
(so sorry about the indecently dressed child in the background - if I knew how to edit her out I would. Thank goodness it was a GIRLS only party...)
The girls attended VBS at a local church. The night of the commencement, our praise band had a worship service scheduled at another church. I hated to miss it, but my mom went and got some great pictures for me. Maddy went to the VBS, also, but she wanted to go along with the praise band and sing that night - so she skipped the VBS program.
As I've mentioned before, my dh and ds LOVE to go hand grabbin' for catfish. Well, a few weeks ago, Joey took along our dear friend Joseph (father of Jaron and Micah) and his wife, Melissa and I, took the little kiddos to the park. Here are some park photos AND some pictures of the GI-NORMOUS fish they caught that day!
Notice the shirt above...it says, "I get Cooler Everyday!"...how funny!
And then last, but not least are the photos from stickball (the Indian form, not the alley baseball type). Our big kids have been playing this for several years now and they really love it. It's a great way to remind them of our Indian heritage - and besides, it's just a great, fun sport! If you don't know what stickball is or to read more about it, click here. The place (Choctaw, MS) that this lady is writing about in her blog is actually the place my children play. Here are some photos: (um, first one is Rhett with his game face on...lol)
Here they are trying to look "bad". You can see Maddy's handmade skirt (they all have one, you just can't see it) over her shorts and they all have the handmade original head dress.
Below are some pictures of the actual game. The first is them walking onto the field. You can't tell much about it, but it's so cool! They have someone playing a drum (like an original handmade one) as they walk on. I wish I'd made a video! Then the others are of game play. They aren't great pictures, but maybe you can get the idea.
Well, that's all for now folks. If you've stayed around this long...God bless you! And hey, I didn't even mention the 2 (yes, 2) trips to the emergency room we've had in the past 2 weeks! One for Rhett's hand (ripped open required stitches) and one for Maddy's lovely hot glue experiment (large glop on the arm - about the size of small lemon) that wouldn't detach from the skin!
They are both now on the road to recovery. Rhett will get his stitches out Friday and the hot glue did finally come off of Maddy. She has 2nd degree burns and some nasty blisters, but she is feeling better.
Hopefully it won't be so long before I post again.
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Jun. 10, 2008 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAICEE!!!!
Our little Maicee turned 4 today! We had some family over for cake and ice cream (we will have the "real" party next weekend...lol) to celebrate. Here are some pictures:
She had just had her bath and was wearing her Dora "jamas"...hence the reason her hair is falling in her eyes...lol :)
Here she is with the cake SHE decorated!
And here she is blowing out her candles!
I can't believe she is 4 years old...My, how time flies! Happy Birthday Monkey 4...We love you!
Disclaimer: I cannot BELIEVE I posted a picture of my kitchen looking like that on this blog...lol! It's horrible...ick!
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Jun. 9, 2008 - With Endless Sight by Allison Pittman - Book Review and Giveaway
When I returned from vacation, I had yet ANOTHER book to read! And while time has been quite scarce here, this book has been very enjoyable.
With Endless Sight is about a 14 year old girl who leaves her cozy home on an "adventure" with her family to the Oregon Territory. I haven't finished the book, yet, so I'm as anxious as anyone to reach the conclusion! The characters are masterful, the plot is wonderful, and the setting is within a time period I find fascinating.
Here is the book's summary:
Belleville, Illinois and Wyoming Territories, 1861
Born into a life of privilege, fourteen-year-old Belinda never questions her security, even as she leaves Illinois with her family to discover new adventures in the Oregon Territory . But when disaster falls, Belinda is left wounded, weak, and alone. Her faith in God gives her the only strength she knows in a harsh new world.
Belinda’s journey takes her to a snow-covered mining camp and a red-roofed brothel in the Wyoming mountains, but not before she must spend a lonely winter with the man who took away the life she knew. Throughout the grief and hope of a strange land, Belinda must decide if her faith is big enough to allow her to forgive.
With Endless Sight is a great read for anyone this summer and now here is YOUR chance to win a copy! Just post a comment below with your email and we will draw a winner on Saturday.
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Jun. 7, 2008 - And the winner is....
Renee for a copy of the book Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper.
Congratulations, Renee! I know you will love this book!
And don't forget to be on the lookout next week for another book giveaway!
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Jun. 3, 2008 - Vacation Blog 2008
Well, the vacation blog has FINALLY been started. Day 1 is up and I should have day 2 done by tonight (hopefully). Here is a link to the blog:http://familyvacation2008.blogspot.com/
Hope you enjoy!
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Jun. 3, 2008 - Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper
One across... Three down...
The answer is in the puzzle.
The danger is in not solving it before
time's up.
While on vacation, I had the chance to read a couple of really good books - Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper being one of them. I had not previously heard of this author so I was excited to read something "new". I was not dissappointed!
Her style is wonderful and the twist, turns, and coincidences are totally unexpected. I enjoyed the characters and the fact that they were portrayed in a "real world" light versus more of a "cookie cutter" view. I'm not a normally a fan of romance - mystery is more my genre - but the little bit that is thrown in here just makes the book even more enjoyable!
Here is the summary from the back cover:
Libby Burton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella’s old Philadelphia home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it isn’t looking good so far.
First, Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe. Then when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously—in spite of the dead man who delivers it.
Libby finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzle before it’s too late.
Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper is one book I will be recommending that everyone read this summer - and now is your chance! I am giving a copy of the book away this week. Just leave a comment with your email address in the body. We will draw Saturday morning and I will announce the winner immediately after. Happy Commenting!
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Jun. 1, 2008 - We Are HOME!!!
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May. 20, 2008 - The Time has FINALLY Come!
It seems we have been waiting AGES for the day to arrive and it is FINALLY here! We are leaving on vacation! Yippee!!!! We are so excited we can hardly stand ourselves! We will be gone for 9 days - unless something else catches our eye on the way home and we decide to detour and check it out!
We are starting out in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN for 4 days and then going up to Cherokee, NC for a day, then to Chattanooga, TN for 2 days, then to Petersburg, KY (the Creation Museum) for the day, and then on to Louisville, KY for 2 days.
We are going to be doing the following things and would LOVE to hear anyone's thoughts on them. Also, if there is something great that we are missing, let us know! We don't want to miss out on anything!
Here's what we've got planned:
The Lost Sea Adventure
Star Cars Museum
Hollywood Wax Museum
Dollywood
Cade's Cove
Space Needle
Dixie Stampede
Guiness Book of World Records Museum
Wonderworks Museum
Fields of the Woods
Smoky Mountain Gold and Ruby Mine
LookOut Mountain
Rock City
Mountain Incline
Creation Museum
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
That's all we've got planned so far. Of course, if we get there and we see something else that looks good - we'll do that too! If anyone has been to any of these things and has some input I'd love to hear it!
Anyway, I won't be blogging for the next couple of weeks (until we get back). When we do return, I'll have tons of pictures from the trip. I would blog daily about it, but dh has forbidden the laptop to be taken on the trip! LOL :) So, I'll just have to do it all at once when I get home!
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May. 20, 2008 - SKID by Rene Gutteridge
Thanks to a friend from my WONDERFUL online homeschool support group, I recently got turned onto reading books for review. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me, because it has forced me to stretch the circle of what I'd normally read!
I just finished the first book, Skid by Rene Gutteridge, today. When I first received the book and read the back cover synopsis, I was not all that excited - it just didn't hold the appeal that normally draws me to a book....but I had made a commitment to read the book and read it I would.
Imagine my surprise when I loved it! It was a little slow at the start, but once the story got going, it was great! Full of fun and wit, it had me cracking up! I stayed up late and got up early just to sneak in a few uninterrupted pages.
If you think a wise cracking co-pilot, a menopausal flight attendant, a crazed pig, and an e"motionally" challenged woman on an international flight could be amusing - you'd love this book!
Here is a copy of the summary from the back of the book:
Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry-on baggage.
On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of “What Would Oprah Do?” will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests–prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline–test the limits of the crew’s customer service.
But as Lucy and the rest of the crew discover, Hank’s odd behavior is linked to a quiet faith that may play a key role in the fate of everyone on board. Especially when an unexpected traveler sets this already bumpy flight on a course toward the unfriendly skies.
If you are looking for some great summer reading, Skid by Rene Gutteridge is the perfect book! Enjoy!
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May. 12, 2008 - A Very "Musical" Birthday for 2 !!!!
On Saturday, Abby (who turned 10 on Wednesday, May 7) had a birthday party with a dear friend Akasha (who turned 12 that day). They had a High School Musical Party and Cook-Out. We all had a great time and a really good turn out. We had tons of food, family, and good friends!
The girls had a great time! Here are some pictures from the party:
As you can see by the front of the cake, it was a little warm that day and the icing was starting to melt and slide right off the front of the cake lol :)
Here are the Birthday Girls!
There were a lot of people present for the party as you can see from the next few shots:
Here are a few of the girls opening gifts:
Papaw and Granny - My precious parents:
All the girls, having fun:
It was a bit windy that day, so it was tough to keep the candles lit - but once they were, the girls got them blown out quickly again!
All in all it was a wonderful day - and a VERY Happy Birthday for both girls! We are so thankful that God has given us a wonderful family - not just blood relation, but also a God-given family of believers so that our children have Godly, Christian friends to share their special days with. Thank you, Father, for the gift of great friends!
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May. 7, 2008 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday Dear Abby,
Happy Birthday to You!!
OUR ABIGAIL IS 10 YEARS OLD TODAY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ABBY! WE LOVE YOU!!!
**Here is our little monkey early this morning, still in her pj's, unbrushed hair - we thought it was the perfect birthday photo!**
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May. 7, 2008 - God Doesn't Have Any Grandchildren
There is no such thing as a second generation Christian. The battle of faith must be fought alone, again and again, each time as if it were the first. ~Michael Pearl
A while back, Dh and I started reading the book, Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. Something he said in that book literally stopped me in my tracks. He said, "Good parents don't necessarily mean good kids." (Not his exact words, but my broken down translation)
WHAT? You mean my children will grow up and have minds of their own? Being a Christian and trying to live right won't guarantee that my children will too??
Of course, I KNOW that my Christianity doesn't genetically pass down to my children. And I know that they don't absorb right thinking by osmosis. But to see it on paper and to BELIEVE it - well, now that was like a bomb exploding in my head!
So, for the past couple of weeks, I've been rolling this information around in my head, mulling it over, trying to make it make sense. Then, lo and behold, my very favorite magazine comes in the mail with an article pertaining to the EXACT same thing!
The magazine I'm referring to is No Greater Joy. It's a FREE, bi-monthly magazine that is wonderful. You can sign up on their website.
Anyway, When I get the magazine in the mail, I immediately flip it open (usually on the way from the mailbox) and start to read (yes, it's THAT good). Well, this article, caught my eye, but was too lengthy to read on the mailbox walk - even for my long driveway! So, I settled down that night, with the children tucked into bed, and got right to it. I was immediately enthralled.
This was exactly the subject I'd been wrestling with the past few weeks...yet, someone else had written it all down.
Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article:
'Too late, parents are discovering that just because THEY loved the Lord and THEY had faith and raised their children in a Christian home, there is no guarantee that their children will be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Faith and commitment to Christ is a personal choice that is no more automatic than learning Egyptian hieroglyphics. Children of the repentant must alone walk the road of humility and repentance to partake of the faith of their fathers.'
You can read the rest of the article here.
This has given me a lot of food for thought. While I know that Christianity is not part of our DNA and is something that each person has to accept for themselves, it's hard to accept that my children won't necessarily be good, just because we try to be!
This shouldn't be a hard concept for ME to understand. I mean, I grew up in a Christian household, accepted Christ at a young age (or thought I did), and still had a period of rebellion in my youth. At age 19, I did accept Christ, but it's not always been a bed of roses!
My 3 older children have accepted Christ and been baptized, they are all very much in love with Christ and I see this daily in their walk. But I know that I have to be realistic and PURPOSEFUL with them. They won't be "good" simply by growing up in a good home. They must be taught truth. They must see us rejoicing in the Lord. They must see us hate what God hates and love what He loves. Be deliberate in teaching them the Scriptures. And above all PRAY, PRAY, PRAY.
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