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Hey Everyone, I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying the winter weather! I wanted to announce that my blog has moved to blogger.com. You will now find me sporadically blogging at this address: http://rebeccaingrampowell.blogspot.com Come see me there! |
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You know you have done something right when you ask your daughter, "How was it?" after her Sweet 16 b-day party and she replies: "Amazing!" Yay!!! Thanks, Lord! We had soooo much fun last night celebrating a very special girl's very special birthday. There were kids here from church, tutorials, music, and family friends who have been around all of her life. Plus grandparents! It was so much fun. That is such a huge, milestone b-day. I can easily get a little misty-eyed over it. But God is growing her into such a beautiful woman, from the inside out. (I could go on and on, but I'm thinking, who will keep reading?) This was the first of her parties since she was younger that her brothers got to hang around. We usually do the slumber party thing, and it's a gaggle of girls with lots of nail polish, chocolate, and chick flicks--her bros gladly vacate the premises for those! But this was very much a more grown-up kind of party with guys and girls. My boys had been working all week on getting a site for a bonfire together, cleaning up the yard, collecting chairs and benches, etc. That was so sweet of them, and the bonfire was one of the most special parts of Danya's b-day. The kids all went outside with a couple of guitars and sang praise and worship, that beautiful harmony of young voices combined with uncluttered hearts. You gotta love teenagers! I sure do. Happy Birthday to my Sweet 16 daughter! I love you!
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It has been a busy, hectic day at my house as I'm sure it has been at yours. Fridays are the days to get everything wrapped up, and around here, we've got more going on than usual! My dd turned 16 yesterday and plans are underway for a big blowout this weekend! Besides that, I have just completed the manuscript for an as-yet-untitled book on parenting middle schoolers! So that's pretty exciting, but I have really let the house go as I have been finishing it, and I'm trying to dig my through the rubble and restore order! This afternoon, Danya rushed to the front door, camera in hand, to take pictures of the most glorious sunset! So we all went out on the front porch (and it was cold!!), and we just admired the beauty of God's handiwork. The psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands." Oh, that Scripture came to life today! And sitting on my front porch, taking time to breathe and to praise His Holy Name--well, that was a good lesson in prioritizing! Speaking of birthdays (remember? I said it was Danya's!), my column in ParentLife this month is about planning a birthday party with purpose! You know, any time you invite people into your home, it is an opportunity to share Christ! I share some great ideas in the magazine and there's an interview with the wonderful Page Hughes, who wrote the book, Party with a Purpose, so check it out! As always, you'll find me on page 38! And--if you want to travel the road from manuscript to book with me, I will be posting about my journey! I have signed on the dotted line, and things will start moving along next week! STAY TUNED! |
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My friend Sandy and I had breakfast together yesterday and it was such a treat! Sandy is one of my favorite people in the world, and she is such a dear friend to me. We have been homeschooling together for the past 12 years. (I cannot believe it has been 12 years!) Just this year, the two of us began teaching at our umbrella school's tutorial program, one day a week. Sandy is teaching K-1 and I've got high school students for a writing class. We have both really enjoyed this, but it has certainly stretched us out of our comfort zones, primarily in regard to our daily schedules. One thing I have always tried to share with moms, whether you homeschool or not, is this: If you are not home, what is there will not get done. It will be waiting for you when you return. I personally keep hoping there is a good fairy somewhere who will come and do all of the laundry, dishes, cleaning up and clutter corraling for me, but so far, it hasn't happened. LOL! But we were just talking about how far behind we were in that area. (We were so behind we decided to go out for breakfast and talk about it! LOL! ) But anyway, today I'm home all day, and I have been trying to get caught up on LOTS of stuff. I think I need a day like this every so often. A day when I can just get caught up. I've been catching up on my newsletters (if you haven't signed up yet, please go to my website and check them out! I've got two: one for new moms and one for moms in general!), right now I'm trying to catch up on my blog (have you ever noticed that you think of great blogs when you are NOWHERE NEAR THE COMPUTER!?!? That happens to me all the time!!), and I have three articles due by the end of the month. Not to mention being sure that I am prepared for a couple of upcoming conferences! WHEW!!! I'm sure I will need more than one day to catch up. But I love being home, don't you? I read an article once where Jan Karon (author of the Mitford series) loves to write all day with a pot of something really good simmering on the stove. Mmmm. It's the perfect day for that here. It is overcast and very grey outside. There's a fire going in our fireplace, and I've got a house full of boys playing games and enjoying a very January Saturday. I hope you are having a great Saturday at home, too. To return to my website, please click here. |
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Happy New Year, Everybody! The title of this post is actually the state motto of South Carolina. (I sure wish I had known that when I lived there many years ago.) My sons and I were studying SC this past fall, and when we were looking at the state trivia, this little phrase just jumped out at me. I remember when I was a kid, the SBC did a huge promotional drive, and the catchphrase was this: "Here's Hope! Jesus Cares for You!" Here's hope. . . You know, sometimes it is easy to lose hope. And in a hopeless world, WOW! that slogan certainly would pique the curiosity of someone who had lost theirs. Serving Christ in an inner city church presents a lot of hopeless situations, especially when it comes to the children. I work with our kids at church and each one of them have a claim on my heart! When we first began serving there, it was so difficult to just keep my tears in check before I made it out to the van to go home. There were many Wednesday nights when I would go the very short four miles back to my house and it seemed like I was leaving one planet to go to another. And I would cry over those kids and the situations they lived in: negligent parents, drug-abusing parents, abusive step-parents, and on the list goes. And one Sunday, as I was sitting behind some of our church kids, thinking about them, and really just despairing, I heard a gentle reprimand in my heart, as God pointed out that I had lost my hope. I've been praying about that, and when I stumbled upon that state motto, I immediately adopted it as my own. While I breathe, I hope. Last night, at our NYE party, one of the kids had to leave early. His dad was taking him to an adult party where there would be, as you might imagine, lots of adult things going on. I cried going home, praying, begging, pleading for God's mercy to be on this child and guard his eyes and his heart and just everything. And then I remembered that motto. I took a few deep breaths, and asked God to fill me with His Hope, hope for that child, and hope that this will be the year that his dad turns his life over to Jesus Christ. It occurs to me that one of the reasons I have felt hopeless is that there is a lack of prayer for the kids we minister to. Their parents are unsaved, so they are not praying for their kids. With prayer, there is hope, and so I'm stepping up my prayers for them this year. The Lord has filled me with a hope now that is bursting from my heart--and I know that 2008 holds lots of answered prayers. May your New Year be HOPE-FULL. |
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There is a war raging in Iraq. American troops by the thousands defend our freedom in what they refer to as the "sandbox." On the homefront, for the first time in our nation's history, a woman is making a serious attempt to gain her party's presidential nomination. Worldwide, mothers and fathers and doctors and lawyers and missionaries and caregivers are striving to make this world a better place, and what is the news of the day? Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. Sixteen-year-olds get pregnant every day. This young woman makes the news because for some reason, we think that she should be "above" that. She's beautiful, rich, has a popular TV show, and has become something of a role model for tween girls. Here's the problem: Beauty, wealth, and fame are not the credentials for being a role model. When I think about role models, I think of one word: surrendered. The kind of person I want my kids to emulate is one who is fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This person will not be perfect, simply surrendered. And that surrendering occurs on a daily basis--and in my life, at times it must occur moment by moment. The world's idols will fail and fall. Encouraging young girls to admire and imitate a shallow, lost youth is recipe for more shallow, lost youths. Like any teen who practices premarital sex, the odds for pregnancy were great. The fact that Spears said it was "unexpected" reflects the attitude of invincibility prevalent in this culture: Somehow, no matter what I do, I am exempt from the consequences. If your daughter is a fan, now is a great time to discuss what has happened and why it happened. Be sure to point out the fact that the baby has no say in what is going on, yet this child becomes an innocent victim of someone else's poor choices. Pray today for Jamie Lynn and her family to come face to face with Christ through these circumstances. God often uses babies as heavenly agents of deliverance, redemption, and restoration. To return to Rebecca's website, please click here. |
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There are lots of reasons why I love Chick-fil-a. One, of course, is the best chicken sandwiches EVER! Two, their restaurants are always clean. I have not personally ever been in a dirty Chick-fil-a--even the restrooms. And I travel quite a bit, especially during conference season, and bathrooms are pretty important to me. :) Three--Rich won a contest two summers ago and we got to have a FREE Chick-fil-a block party. I may have blogged about that; I can't remember, but it was really fun! And did I say FREE??? We got the cow and everything. But last night, Danya was invited to sing at Chick-fil-a! So that is reason number four! Chick-fil-a knows good music! She and Asa (guitarist extraordinaire) played everything from carols to some of Danya's originals to "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." She did a great job on that one and I loved it! Anyway, we had so much fun and it was a great experience for her. Several of her friends came out to see her and our neighbors came, too, and it was really festive and Christmas-y. I don't know what things are like at your house, but things are getting a little stressful around here, as it seems to the week before Christmas. I've been talking with my teens and tween a lot about attitudes and tone of voice, which always seems to go along with getting off of our regular schedules. Lifeway ran an older Christmas article of mine yesterday, "Unwrap the Best Gifts." You can find it here. I thought it had some good ideas in it that I'm going to go back and use right now (LOL!), including getting some Christmas Scripture posted around the house. The article also brought to mind my little neighbor (in the opening of the article), Isaiah, who lost his dad to cancer not long after that article ran. Remembering those who have lost loved ones in the past year can help us all to be more thankful for the real blessings in our lives: people. To return to my website, click here. |
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Last weekend, Danya and Misty had a concert at Liberty Baptist in Auburn, KY. The girls had been invited back because they were such a big hit at the Girl of Worth Conference, and lots of the kids wanted to see them do a full concert. They were so pleased to go and get to see everyone. Danya has been having quite a bit of trouble with her voice lately, just due to allergy/sinus related things, and her voice was not in top shape--at all! She sounded really hoarse and the night before, she had not been able to sing/speak at all. I was really praying for a Christmas miracle, sort of like that time when Carol Brady was supposed to sing on Christmas, and she couldn't even talk (I think she had her tonsils taken out), and then on Christmas morning, she sings in church and sounded just perfect. So I was praying along those lines, and believe me, I would not have been surprised if it had happened. God does things like that all the time. I have a speaker friend who was as sick as a dog--with no voice--she got on a plane to go do her event anyway, trusting God all the way. She gets there, steps up to the podium, delivers her message with full vocal capacity. She stepped down from the podium and found she had no voice at all. God gave her what she needed when she needed it. And that is so like Him! So anyway, I am praying and expecting God to do this. The concert begins, and. . . Danya still cannot sing. She was really hoarse and her voice was really husky--sort of like Brenda Vaccaro with a cold--and she just told all the kids there that she was going to sing anyway. She let them off the hook to laugh at her if she hit any real clinkers, and she told them that she was just there to worship God and have fun, so she was going to do it anyway. I must say that I have never been more proud of her, and at the same time, pretty ashamed of myself. After all, how many times have I not done something because of my silly perfectionism? Just not done something because I knew that it wouldn't be perfect. And that's today. Danya is 15 and she has figured out that it's okay to not be perfect. Good grief, when I was 15, I wouldn't have even gone out of the house with one hair out of place--which explains why I didn't get out much LOL--but to get up to sing with a croaky voice??? In front of other teenagers? Oh my goodness. No way. It's hard for me to even blog because I think it has to be perfect and that it will take too long for me to do it, so I just don't. And that's the truth. Tonight at our church we're having food, fun, and fellowship! I love it! Tonight we'll be watching a Christmas movie together. They were taking suggestions and I suggested, "A Very Brady Christmas" but no one went for it. So I don't know what we'll be watching. :) To return to my website, click here. |
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In Everything From time to time, my husband and I will surprise our children with an unexpected trip. We pack their bags behind closed doors. One of us instigates a diversion while the other sneaks the luggage into the back of the van. With Academy AwardÔ winning nonchalance, we announce that we need to go somewhere. It’s usually not until we turn onto the Interstate that they begin to ask: “Hey, where are we going?” Rich and I have surprised the kids with a visit to see their cousins who live in a neighboring state. One frosty winter weekend we drove a couple of hours away and stayed overnight in a hotel that had an indoor swimming pool. There are plenty of ways to surprise the kids closer to home, as well. Once the children thought they were going to the grocery store, and instead, we went to get fast food and see a movie. The element of surprise makes everything more fun! On a recent outing, my nine-year-old realized we were navigating roads that he’d never before seen. “Where are we going?” he asked. “You’ll see,” his dad smiled. My son settled back happily into his seat and grinned. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, “for wherever you’re taking us.” My children have come to the place where they realize that wherever Daddy is taking them, it will be a good thing. It doesn’t have to be revealed to them during the journey. They’ll understand the details once we arrive at our destination. Because of our proven track record, they can rest in the assurance that their parents have taken care of everything: pajamas, toothbrushes, even swimsuits. After all, it’s no surprise to us that the hotel has an indoor swimming pool--we’re the ones who planned the trip! Thanksgiving beckons us to spend an extended weekend dwelling in thankfulness, providing the perfect opportunity for reflection. As I ponder my Christian journey this year, I have to question my own spirit of gratitude. Certainly, I’m thankful for the multiple blessings that the Lord has mercifully heaped upon my family and me. But can I continue to offer praises of thanksgiving for everywhere my Father took me? Or do I just thank Him for the places I wanted to go? Do I thank Him for health but withhold praise for a two-week bout with pneumonia? Do I raise my hands high in gratitude for writing opportunities but keep my arms tightly crossed when I consider the number of articles that were rejected? Do I praise Him for spiritual victories yet at the same time fail to mention my appreciation for the inner struggles that nearly devastated me? Do I childishly reserve my standing ovation for the trips by the drive-through window and yawn at the bounty bought with seed, time, and harvest? As I look back over the past year, I see some definite surprises between the on ramp of 2003 and the exit up ahead. Billboards promised cheap eats and rest stops, but there have been many delays due to construction. When my grandmother died earlier this year, I thought it was one trip for which I was prepared. My family had been expecting Mammaw’s death for years, even praying for it, asking God to take her home as she languished in a nursing home. Rather than breezing along in the fast lane, I found myself in the middle of a congested thoroughfare on which grief and guilt collided and traffic came to a standstill. As I give thanks this year, can I go beyond thanking the Lord for a godly grandmother to thanking Him for the things about her death that I cannot understand? Can I thank Him for the profound heartache that I experienced? Can I thank Him for the things about our relationship that can never be changed? In everything, give thanks. Thank God for the bumps in the road. Thank Him when the map is unreadable. Thank Him for car trouble. After all, doesn’t your Heavenly Father have a proven track record? Settle back in your seat, child of God, and thank Him for wherever you have been--and for wherever He’s taking you. |
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It has been so long since I last posted. My life is just crazy. This is such a busy time of year. My good friend Sandy, who has shared this homeschooling journey with me for the past 12 years, always goes crazy in September. All three of her kids have September birthdays! So besides getting school started, they are also doing a lot of celebrating. She usually has her "burnout" moments in September, and I usually have mine toward the end of the year, when baseball season starts and it seems that we don't have time for anything else! Yes, it is sooo good to have a friend to share the tears with! But you know, God is always working. We've been dealing with what I would call two of the most challenging weeks ever around here--and yet, God is doing some amazing things. My daughter said the other day that she feels closer than ever to the Lord right now, and that is such a good thing! It is the valleys that grow us. It is so important to remember that when we pray, even if we cannot see anything happening, it is. God is working, moving, providing, teaching, and planning. I encourage you to pray even if you will never know the outcome of your prayers. We had to go get my son a tetanus shot the other day, and there in the waiting room at the health department, of course, you get a real lesson about life. :) This guys came in who was going for the gangsta look (and accomplishing it) and I just found him really yucky, you know? I didn't like how he looked, (the whole baggy pants falling down and boxers hanging out ), and I didn't like the way he talked, I didn't like the way he treated the girl he was with; I just didn't like him at all. And then the thought occurred to me--Hey, God loves him as much as he loves me. Yeah. He does. And I wondered if that young man knew how much he was loved. Because he sure wouldn't have known it from the way I was looking at him (or trying not to look at him!). So, I did something I'm trying to learn to do more often. I started praying for him. I figured that at no other time, probably, would I be in the same room with this guy, in the same place. And since God orders the steps of a righteous man (and woman), He knew that I would be at the health dept. at the same time as this guy. And maybe, just maybe, I could pray for him to one day know the love of God for himself, personally. I did pray for him. For him, for the girl, for whatever reason he was there. Because I think that's really why I was there--for David's tetanus shot, of course, but also, to pray for someone I will never see again. And to trust that God did something with that prayer. |
 It's finally here! My newest Bible study for girls has just been released, and I am so excited about it! It is an absolutely beautiful book on the outside, and on the inside, too! Sherry Walker, once again, who did the fun retro graphics in Wise Up! and the macho archaeological guys graphics in Dig Deep, did an amazing job in this follow up book for girls. We played with the reality theme by using lots of references to plays and dramas, including a graphic theme of "stars" throughout the book. It looks so GREAT--all my thanks to Sherry Walker, who is a STAR herself! I also want people to know that I worked with a contributing author this time around. My wonderful daughter, Danya, wrote every Friday's lesson throughout this 9-week study. She did an absolutely phenomenal job of sharing from her heart. This "Reality Check with Danya" provides a unique perspective on the life of Ruth, and her words, spoken candidly from her own life experiences, connect with teens honestly--keeping it real and applying God's truth to life today. So, yeah--I'm celebrating! Thanks to everyone who was praying this book to completion! I can't wait to see what the Lord does! |
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Yeah. I'm still in shock. My baby has been given permission by the state to learn to drive. I had a dream about this not too long ago. In my dream, I was talking to Danya about learning to drive and for some reason, she was going to learn by driving a pickup truck (we don't have one, so I don't know where that came from). I was talking to my teenager, but then (in my dream) we went out to this truck, and I was placing my baby Danya (she looked like she was about 1) behind the wheel, and crying my eyes out, just worried to death! So, she drove me around some yesterday in a friend's subdivision, and this was only her second time to drive, and I was really trying not to freak. Really. I just kept repeating to myself, "Don't freak out. Don't freak out. Don't freak out." She did quite well, actually, but to look at the young woman next to me who is my height and is the picture of me at that age and think that it was really just a few minutes ago that the doctor said, "It's a girl!" is totally messing with me. It has all just happened so fast. Part of me certainly rejoices, but part of me is like "WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!!" I don't think these children really understand how hard it is on us. I mean, my mother walked around using the phrase "bittersweet" all through my high school years, and now I totally understand what she meant. It is just that. I love that she is growing up with her feet firmly planted in the truth of God's Word and I love that she is totally convicted to serve Him and I love how He is giving her so many opportunities to pursue a music career and glorify Jesus with the gifts He gave her. But this letting go stuff, well, that's hard. For me it is. I interviewed Robert Lewis a few months back and he said that as parents we go from Coach to Counselor to Consultant. I'm finding that to be a good way to look at things as I move into the "counselor" stage. But easy it is not. |
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Wow, can you believe how the summer is just rolling by? I love summer. Oh, I really do. :) It's my FAVORITE! We have been so busy around here and I love it that way. Right now, Danya and I are so excited about the Girl of Worth Conference that we can hardly stand to wait 19 more days until it's here! There are 300 girls coming and we know that God is going to do something completely awesome! We are so thrilled to be a part of this, and completely overwhelmed by the eternal significance of the day! I was talking with the conference coordinator this morning, and she was reminding me that even if God just touches one girl's life, then everything that we have planned, prepared, and prayed for will be worth it. When God touches a girl's heart, He touches the heart of a future home and family. He touches not one generation, but many. Man, He is SOOO good to plan and purpose the pursuit of our hearts! I am blown away when I ponder the fact that He is tilling the soil of the girls' hearts and preparing them to receive His Word. My confidence is completely in Him, that He will complete the good work He has begun. Speaking of completion, I will finally be getting my new book this week! I have actually determined to take a vow of silence on the many delays that we experienced in the publication process this time, and I just apologize to the people who have been waiting so long. I am trusting that God's timing is perfect. He knew all the delays were ahead of me, and He kept me from losing my mind over the past two months! I even have a new book in the works! I will try to do better with my blog. It is so sporadic and I am just not real good at keeping up with it, but I would love to walk through the process with the new book on this blog, and I just might do that. :) No promises... I'm interviewing the Duggars on Friday. If anyone has any questions to ask them, please let me know asap. When I talked to JimBob, the dad, a few weeks ago, he said that the Christian media had basically shied away from their family. He said that ParentLife would be only the second Christian magazine that had done a story on them. Any thoughts about that? This lovely family of 19 who love the Lord and are raising their children in a Christian home, who are the "real deal"---and the Christian world is not embracing them? Hmmm. I'd love to hear your thoughts. . . |
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We love the Chattanooga Curriculum Fair! Our family always has the best time! The people there are just extra friendly and it makes it such fun! My kids' blogs tell the story in their own words of their exciting weekend, but the highlight for me was definitely seeing my friend Jennie and her family. Jennie was a tremendous influence on my life when I was in college, so much so that in my new book, Get Real!, I encourage girls to pray "Jennie's Prayer." When the book is released I will post more about Jennie and her amazing walk with the Lord. Jennie lives near Chat. and this year I got to see her for an extended amount of time as we shared dinner and then dessert at her lovely home. It's always cool to be around someone who has known you for many years. The friendship itself provides a perspective that newer, more recent friendships will not. Jennie enjoyed sharing with my kids a view of me that they really don't get to see all that much--I pulled a few pranks in college and Jennie was the recipient more than once. :) It's good to get to with old friends and remember where you came from--and look at how far you've come--and rejoice that the Lord has held you in His hand all the way. Jennie, I love you! You made a huge difference in my life, and I am so thankful the Lord planned for our paths to cross. |
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Yesterday I posted what I thought was really cool news--I get to interview the Duggar family for ParentLife magazine! I sent out a call for questions and I haven't heard from any of you! So I'm thinking, OK, I will try this again, because SURELY you have questions. This is a homeschooling family of two parents and SEVENTEEN children! (At least, they are going on 17, as the new baby is due any day now!). Besides all those kids, what is equally incredible is that this is a family that is DEBT FREE!!! Now, seriously, I've got plenty of questions, assigned and otherwise, to ask this amazing family! But I thought that some of you guys would have questions too! If you could spend a day with Michelle, the mom, what would you be most interested in? How she cooks? A cleaning schedule? How she fits in a shower for herself? C'mon...I know you have questions... |
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Okay...deep breath....I am so excited to tell everybody that I have just been asked to write an article on THE DUGGAR FAMILY!!!! These are the folks with all the children (the 17th is on the way!) who have actually been profiled on the Discovery Channel!! You may have seen or heard of them. Sooo....if you could ask this family anything (especially Michelle, a homeschooling mom), what would it be? Check out their website, and then comment me with your questions and I will try to work them in when I do the interview! C'mon, now, you know you've got questions. Why? How do you do it? Do you ever have time for yourself? Do you ever fear one will get lost in the shuffle? Send me your questions...however practical, nosy (LOL!), shallow, or profound! I'm so excited to get to meet this incredible family! |
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Okay--now I'm the mother of two teenagers. My David is 13. Danya posted some great pictures of him in a birthday photo tribute on her blog. Yes, they are adorable. I love being the mother of teenagers. These are days I have really been looking forward to. But that didn't keep me from crying--a lot--yesterday morning. Ever since my kids were babies, I have kept a little journal just for them. I wrote every so often, just telling them stuff that I was afraid that I would forget to tell them when they were teenagers. Also, when I started my daughter's book, I didn't know at the time that I would homeschool, and so I didn't know how close we would be as a family, and so I also wrote thinking that maybe if she wasn't listening to me when she was a teenager, she would still read what I had to say. So, I gave her her book when she was 13, with lots of tears. And I gave David his book last night, so I was writing a last entry in it yesterday morning, and having some tears. I'm really glad that he's 13. I just didn't think it would happen so fast. He and I had a few hours at home last night, just the two of us, so I thought it would be the best time for me to present his little journal to him. He liked it, I could tell. Then we watched our favorite team and screamed as they played last night like they should have been the whole first half. Good game, guys! So, I'm way past the first half when it comes to parenting. I have one more journal to pass on...and two and a half years until I hand it off. Yep, the bases are loaded. Like you, I'm playing to win! |
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Yesterday went just great! We had such a fun time spending the day in Logan and Warren counties. We taped an interview with the Christian radio station there that will air tomorrow, and you can catch it on the Internet! Just go to www.christianfamilyradio.com . They are supposed to air the interview at 8:10. They will also be giving away two free copies of Wise Up! and Danya's new cd, so you would have a chance to call in and win if you wanted to give it a try! I have personally never won anything on the radio, but that's just me.... OK-what I've been waiting for...the All-Star game is on!
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then try to catch the Midday Live show tomorrow on WBKO, channel 13! I will be on with Whitney Ray talking about the Girl of Worth Conference and the special spiritual and emotional needs of girls in grades 6 - 9. I am really excited about this great opportunity, and it will be nice to think that some of the HSB'ers in the area may be saying a prayer for me! The most stressful part for me about live TV is that you only get one chance to say what you want to say. When I write, I can rewrite and adjust and CONTROL it as much as I want! LOL But when you're speaking, once it's out, it's out. I want what comes out to glorify God and to promote the conference and get girls excited about an event that has been planned just for them! I will also be taping an interview with Suz (on WCVK) tomorrow morning that will be broadcast throughout the week on her morning show. She'll also be giving away some Wise Up! books, so be listening for your opportunity to win a free Bible study! If you haven't heard about the Girl of Worth conference that is coming to this area, please check out the website to learn more: Girl of Worth |
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Finally! My new website is up and running, and I can breathe a sigh of relief and yes, satisfaction! This is the first time since starting my site seven years ago that I have actually done it myself. I did start with a template--which makes it much easier--but all the links and the html and stuff I had to learn! It was not so bad, but definitely time-consuming! I have learned how to do my own Paypal stuff too, and that wasn't too hard, either. I owe a great deal to the techie friends that have helped me with my website along the way--Don Major, who did my very first few websites, and then my wonderful friend Sherry Walker, who has designed, updated, and maintained my site for the past several years. Sherry is also the very talented graphics designer whose work is showcased in all my Bible studies. Talk about talented! But I just figured it was time for me to learn how to do it myself. So if you have a second, please go visit my updated, made-over site, and tell me what you think! Any typos you spot or links that don't work, well, please tell me about that, too! LOL ! It is really good for us to occasionally take a minute to sit back, be still, and think about how far we've come, rather than dwelling on where we wish we were. "Consider what great things He has done," and count your blessings! We'll get where He wants us to be, when He wants us to get there! He is sovereign, and He will see to it. |