Great Links From July 13-19

Posted on 07.19.08 in Blogging and there are 2 comments.

Phil Wickham - His new album SingAlong is going to release (for free!) on August 8. Get all the info and hear a sample song here.

Cross Driven Radio - is doing a series of interviews with participants of The 40 Day Fast. Here is the schedule of interviews:

Thursday July 17, P.D. Ross and Laura (will be available via podcast on the blog.)

Thursday July 24, Brody Harper and Amy,

Thursday July 31, Kristin and Euphrony

One Hundred Pushups - this is a program that says it can help you do 100 consecutive pushups in 6 weeks. Jimmy and I are taking the challenge - stay tuned.

Melissa in Romania - my blog friend Melissa is headed to Romania this fall. Read about her trip here.

RescueTime - RescueTime is a web-based time management and analytics tool for knowledge workers who want to be more productive. (I’m a program junkie - I think this sounds very cool.)

Get Your Blog On

Don’t forget to get your posts ready for this week’s Music Monday and Parent’s University.

Stay Tuned

I have a GREAT giveaway this week....so stay tuned. (Save time and subscribe to the RSS feed here.)

One Of Those Tear Jerker Mother-Daughter Moments

Posted on 07.17.08 in Parenthood and there are 14 comments.

She spoke the words I’ve longed to hear since I began this journey of motherhood....

“Mommy, I want to start a business. Will you help me?”

Through mist-filled eyes and with visions of office supplies dancing in my head, I pulled her close and said, “Of course dear. Shall we make it a DBA or LLC?”

The Small Person is intent on starting a business. Exercising her patience as much as a 6 year old can, she asks about it every 4.5 minutes.

She’s made some great decisions so far, though. It will be a cookie business and she plans to sell chocolate chip and sugar cookies since they have the widest appeal. (She’s so smart.)

Other business principles will have to wait, however.

Today, I tried to explain expenses - paying for supplies and such.

She cried.

I guess I’ll hold off on charging her for flour till she’s raking in the “dough.”

Well, I’d better go design her business cards, create her web site and set up her money market account.

I love this parenting thing…

Your Turn

What businesses did you start (or plan to start) when you were a kid? 

Parent’s University: 12 Tips From A Wise Mother (Not Me…Obviously.)

Posted on 07.16.08 in Parenthood Parents University and there are 6 comments.

Welcome to another installment of Parent’s University. Feel free to join in. Just write a helpful post about parenting and add your link below (at the end of the post).

Wise Words From Heidi

I was going through my email the other day and somehow happened upon an old blog comment I must have overlooked. After reading it, I’m SO glad I found it. It is a goldmine of ideas and advice on parenting.

The woman who wrote this is Heidi (aka CincySAHM4). She doesn’t have a blog, but I think she needs to start one...I love these ideas. I hope you will too.

12 TIps for Parents

1.  Your kids don’t need to know every detail of your life before Motherhood. This is especially important when you have a tweener in the house.

2.  Remember that you are raising someone else’s husband/wife. Set the rules for mannners, chores, accountability, respect, honesty, etc. and stick to them without fail!  Your children will respect you even when it seems they can’t stand you.

3.  Trust your instincts. Don’t let others sway you on what you want for your family or your children.  Weather it’s the preschool you love, the soccer coach you just don’t like or the teacher who seems just a bit off but everyone else just loves.  Trust yourself.

4.  Practice letting go a little at a time.

5.  Remember who you are. Find something that you are passionate about to stay involved in.  You’ll thank me when your youngest child turns 12.

6.  Have a regular Date Night with the hubby. Even if you just sit at Barnes and Noble reading magazines and drinking coffee.

7.  Have a regular “Family Night.” My kids so look forward to family night.  We rent movies, go swimming or play basketball at the YMCA, bowl, play board games, etc.  The two youngest are paired with the two older kids so that everyone learns to play.  Great way to teach teamwork, cooperation, etc.

8.  Eat dinner together every single night...even as they get older.

9.  Pray together every single night. There are great age appropriate devotionals out there for boys and girls, tweens and teens.  It’s a great way to stay connected with your child and to keep the lines of communication flowing.

10.  Shared Journal. Oh, my favorite.  My 11 year old daughter and I have a “shared journal” where we write back and forth to one another about silly stuff, serious stuff and sometimes even draw pictures.  It’s been a great way for her to talk to me about things that she might not feel comfortable talking about face to face.

11.  Love notes...in the lunch boxes. I love to do this.  I buy themed napkins and write a note or short bible verse each day.  Oct is Autumn (we don’t do Halloween), Nov is Thanksgiving, Dec is Christmas, Feb is Valentines, April is Easter, etc.  Sometimes I find themed ziploc baggies for their sandwiches too.  It’s just a little something special they get each day.

12.  Find a mom who has kids about 3 - 5 years older than yours to mentor you. You won’t regret it.  My oldest is in 6th grade and I have intentionally sought out a mother who has high school aged children.  I can talk to her about preparing my daughter for college, what’s important what’s not, social stuff, her take on dating, boys, “mean” girl stuff, when is it appropriate to wear make up, etc. It’s always nice to have someone who’s been there done that to say, “Hey, you’re being a bit unreasonable.” or “If you do that...it could lead to this!” Obviously, you should use your own best judgement and talk with your husband but it’s nice to have a sounding board.

------

A Word From Kat on Mentoring

Isn’t that great stuff? I have to agree especially on the mentoring tip. I recently sought out a mom of 4 older kids and I’ve been meeting with her and asking her advice on a number of current issues and issues that I think I’ll encounter in the near future.

You may not know an older parent, but don’t let that deter you. I didn’t know this woman very well, but I knew she was a great mom so I just sucked up my pride and asked if she’d be willing to meet with me.

It has been priceless.

Your Turn

What parenting ideas or tips do you have to share? Write them in the comments or on your blog and add your link below.

See you next Thursday for another installment of Parent’s University!

Where Were They And Why Didn’t They Do Something?

Posted on 07.15.08 in General and there are 3 comments.

Why?

I’ve often wondered that about the people of Germany. And Alabama. And Mississippi. And Texas.

Where were all the good people?

Where were they while atrocities took place in the concentration camps? And along dark country roads? And outside children’s schools? And on city buses?

Where were the good people and why didn’t they do something?

I always asked that question indignantly and self righteously, knowing the *I* would have responded heroically.

In yesteday’s post for the 40 Day Fast, Natalie Grant talked about human trafficking and said this, “We are all called to be abolitionists.”

It floored me.

Somewhere, someone is asking, “Where are all the good people...and why don’t they *do* something?”

3 Realizations I’ve Had About Parenting Lately

Posted on 07.15.08 in Parenthood and there are 19 comments.

Most of these are probably old-school to you all, but lately I’ve understood them at a deeper level and it’s changing the way I parent.

1. My kids aren’t going to turn out how I want them to turn out. They’ll turn out like me.
I can’t just pray that my children will be passionate followers of God. I have to show them what that looks like.

They will value what I value.

2. If I micro manage my kids, they’ll micromanage others.
Some parents tend to be lax with their kids. I tend to be the opposite. If they start misbehaving I start micromanaging them. I let every little misdeed bother me.

I’ve recently noticed them doing that with each other. I need to let more stuff go and just focus on the important character building issues.

3. I can’t ask my kids to control their emotions until I have mine under control.
I have two girls. They tend to cry. And occasionally whine.

It annoys the tar out of me. I get frustrated. They get more upset. I tell them they need to stop crying. They say they can’t. I get more annoyed. I tell them they need to control their emotions.

Perhaps I need to start controlling mine.

The Revolution
I feel like there’s been a bit of a revolution in the parenting realm in our house. Jimmy and I have gotten some great advice from books and we’ve had some excellent realizations about how we parent.

It’s been a really good couple of weeks. Thanks for all your encouragement after this post.

Turns out all I needed to do was give up.

(This post is a part of WFMW.)

Two Things I’m Terrible At…

Posted on 07.14.08 in Blogging and there are 7 comments.

If there is one thing I am horrible at, besides throwing a frisbee…

(Have I mentioned how bad I am at throwing a frisbee? I love sports and I’m decent at most of them. But when it comes to throwing a frisbee, I am a complete loser. The only person safe from getting beaned in the head is the person I’m *trying* to throw it to...and If I ever tried to play frisbee golf, I’d be lost in the woods for days and they’d have to send out search and rescue teams wearing helmets to protect them from my errant throws.)

Anyway, the *other* thing I’m really bad at is writing thank you notes. I know, that’s bad. Very bad.

I really am thankful and if you live near me or see me at the store, I’ll tell you how completely thankful I am, but when it comes to writing it out...I have some sort of deep seated issues that prevent me from sending timely notes… or just notes. Period.

It is the Kryptonite that keeps me from being the perfect Southern housewife. (Because obviously, that’s my goal in life.)

Um, yeah. So...thank you notes…

I’m overdue for a couple thank you notes here in the blog world:

Shawn W

Shawn took the old, boring 40 Day Fast logos and transformed them into awesome, spiffy, modern ones. Thanks Shawn!

Check out Shawn’s blog. Especially, this post when he showed a video of him drinking gross, dirty river water...for The 40 Day Fast.

Mark Lee

It is one of the highlights of my blogging career to have been featured in his 50 blogs in 50 days series. Seriously. That was cool. Thanks Mark! If you don’t already read Mark’s blog, you should. If you don’t have the latest cd from his band, you need to get it. Now. 

Crystal, Annie and Jeanine

These lovely women helped me edit my ebook.

I know, I know. I hear you say, “Ebook? What ebook?”

And I respond, “The one that’s still sitting in my documents folder. Untouched because the idea of trying to format something to look cool as a PDF was overwhelming to me and caused me to consistently procrastinate.”

My plan now is to use the content, which was so nicely edited by Crystal, Annie and Jeanine, as a series of blog posts.

You

Thank you for visiting this little corner of the blogosphere. Thanks for commenting, interacting, encouraging and challenging me. I really am so thankful for all of you....

...even if I never send a note.

(This post is a part of Positive Post Tuesday.)

Music Monday: The Artist Whose Name Makes My Kids Giggle And George Costanza’s Twin

Posted on 07.13.08 in Music Monday Music and there are 11 comments.

(This post is a part of Music Monday. Join the fun. Write a post about music and add your link below.)

My Ticket Master Trauma

I recently bought tickets to a concert that will feature this artist. So cool.

What wasn’t cool was the fact that the tickets were $11 and TicketMaster charged a $7 “convenience” fee. What?!

I think all stores should charge a convenience fee. After all, they did have to pay for their building so that I can come buy their stuff. I should be thankful they made it so “convenient.”

Actually, I think I’m going to start implementing a “convenience” charge for reading my blog. I mean, it’s about time. Sheesh. Nothing’s free people. It’s time I get mine.

Well, to soften the $7 blow, TicketMaster sent me a couple free songs from iTunes. It was the old “we’re-going-to-overcharge-you-so-we-give-you-free-stuff-and-make-it-look-like-we-didn’t-rip-you-off-ploy.”

Yeah, that one.

It worked.

I was pretty excited about my free $7 songs.

Yo-Yo

So, I went a-searchin’ for music on iTunes. I’ve been wanting more classical music because I’m getting old and that’s what old people listen to. I ended up buying a couple songs by Yo-Yo Ma and I didn’t realize that I get an extra bonus by buying Yo-Yo Ma’s music.

Not only do I get gorgeous, relaxing music to rock to in my rocking chair while watching the Price is Right, I also can entertain my kids for a good five minutes every time they ask who’s playing.

George Costanza’s Long Lost Twin

Seriously, what a cool name. Perhaps we’ll name our next kid something like that (and NO we are NOT expecting….that was a hypothetical statement.)

Here is a video of Yo-Yo Ma playing with Itzhak Perlman.

At about :28 I think it’s pretty clear and Perlman and George Costanza are one in the same…

Your Turn

Do you have a favorite classical music work or artist?

If you’d like to participate in Music Monday, just write a post about music and add your link below.

What Are Your “Landmark Albums?”

Posted on 07.10.08 in General and there are 14 comments.

Well, it’s been about a week since I’ve written about Brooke Fraser and her album Albertine.

Whew. You guys are probably going through withdrawals.

Seriously, though, you know how every 10 or 50 years or so an album just strikes you to the core? For me, this is one of those albums.

The past few days, these lyrics from The C.S. Lewis Song have been speaking volumes to me:

My comfort would prefer me to be numb
and avoid the impending birth
of who I was born to become

....hope is coming for me
....hope is coming for me

I adore the richness of the line, “Hope is coming for me.”

So often we think of hope in a passive way. “I hope such and such happens...” But we have a Hope that is real. A Hope that is actively pursuing us.

Wow. Whatever your situation. Whatever your dreams. Whatever your fears.

Hope. Is. Coming. For. You.

For me in particular, these lyrics remind the that though I’m mired in comfort, there is hope for my selfish heart.

I desperately want to live a life lost in Him and I know He wants me to be so much more than who I am today.

I won’t let comfort get in the way of that...and even when I do...Hope is coming for me.

Here is a great video of this song. If you’re in a hurry, watch 3:01 - 4:01. But if you can, watch the whole thing.

Is that not an amazing song?? (I’ve posted the lyrics in the comments for any other lyric freaks out there...)

What albums have been “landmark" albums in your life?

It. Is. Here.

Posted on 07.10.08 in General and there are 14 comments.

Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy.

What was the last tech thing you bought?

The 40 Day Fast: How To Be A Rockstar

Posted on 07.08.08 in The 40 Day Fast and there are 18 comments.

(It’s my day for The 40 Day Fast. My team blogger today is Mark. Check out his post here.)
Have you ever wanted to be a rockstar?

To walk into a room and have all eyes on you?

To have people eagerly await your arrival?

To have a mere touch of your hand be the highlight of someone’s day?

My kids and I are rockstars every Friday at 10:00am.

That’s when a friend and I take our kids to a local nursing home.

Between us we have 7 children, most of whom are under the age of six. It’s crazy. It’s like herding cats. Except harder.

But the kids love to go. They sing songs and quote their memory verses. They hug and jump and play and pretty much just act like the immensely adorable children that they are.

My friend and I smile at people, hug them and talk to them. It’s simple.

It’s amazing to talk to people who lived during WWII and the depression. They outdate Twitter, the internet and computers. They’ve fallen in love, married, raised children, started businesses, led Bible Studies, worked for 50 years, then they retired.

And now this.

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” - Mother Teresa

They’ve given their lives to lay the foundation on which we build our lives. Visiting them for a few minutes is the least I can do.

Yes, sometimes it’s awkward or uncomfortable. But comfort is the enemy of change.

And I want to change. I want to love people until it hurts and teach my kids to do the same.

Mother Teresa said, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

So every Friday, I’m going to love on some people. People who have lived long and lived well. People who need to know that they are desperately loved by their Heavenly Father.

My Organization

The organization I would like to highlight is the Yellow Pages.

Check it out! It’s really cool! You can open the Yellow Pages and look up the phrase “nursing home” and they give you a huge list of places that you can choose from!

I’ll bet there is one within 10 minutes from where you live, work or worship.

Look it up. I’ll wait.

(Da dee da dum dum dum dum....)

Found it? Great!

Now, pick a day in the next week when you’ll drive by there. Then pick a date when you’ll stop by to ask about visiting a resident. Then pick another date when you’ll spend 30 minutes visiting.

You’re not getting married or joining the army. You don’t have to commit for the rest of your life. Just because I don’t want to be a surrogate grandchild doesn’t mean that I can’t visit once and make today brighter for someone.

If we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus we can’t do that by only giving our money away to those in need. We must give our lives too.

It’s. Not. Here. Yet.

Posted on 07.08.08 in Tech Stuff and there are 9 comments.

It was supposed to arrive Wednesday.

Then the tracking site said it would arrive Monday.

Now it says Wednesday…

...that’s just downright mean.

What is the last package you waited anxiously for?

Music Monday Is Back: My Cindy Morgan Interview

Posted on 07.06.08 in Music Monday Music and there are 5 comments.

It’s Music Monday!

Music Monday is a blog thingy where we blog about music...on Mondays.

(My powers of communication are astounding. Clearly, I should be a technical writer...)

So write about music on your blog and add your link below. Simple, eh?

My Interview With Cindy Morgan

I was a Telecommunication major in college. Audio, Video, TV.

I don’t “telecommunicate” much as a stay at home mom. Except when the dvd player is broken and the kids (ok. fine...I) want to put a video on.

So when I did this phone interview with Cindy Morgan (2008 GMA Songwriter of the Year) I was excited be able to edit and show off my “telecommunication” fu.

(I don’t actually know what “fu” is, but I thought that sounded cool...and that’s what matters.)

I could finally put to use my “almost as much as our mortgage” college education.

But I didn’t. Because my speakers on my ibook went on the fritz. Because it was going to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Because I realized technology has
change a wee bit since my college days.

So, instead of a podcast, I present my first “Eavesdrop” with Cindy Morgan. Here is our conversation in all it’s unedited glory (don’t worry, it’s not long...).

We talk about music, technology, her new album Beautiful Bird and how she balances life as an award winning musician, wife and mother.

(If the player doesn’t work for you, here is a direct link to the mp3.)

This album is one of her best. Read my review of Beautiful Bird by Cindy Morgan here and then buy it from iTunes or from Cindy.

Listen to Beautiful Bird

Here is the video to her latest single. Her adorable girls are in it…

Your Turn

Participate in Music Monday. Just write a post about music on your blog and add your link below.

FYI - Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Cindy Morgan album I gave away here is Erin.

And Sometimes, I Even Annoy Myself: My First Interview

Posted on 07.06.08 in Blogging and there are 9 comments.

I’m both excited and embarrassed to tell you about my very first interview.

Charley Hays of Cross Driven Radio in Fairfax, VA, contacted us awhile back about doing an interview regarding The 40 Day Fast.

I readily agreed, not considering that a radio interview requires that I talk.

Out loud.

The bummer about talking out loud is that you can’t edit it once it’s out. (Someone needs to invent something for that...)

I know some of you caught the radio show that aired last week, but if you’re like me and missed it, check out the Cross Driven Radio blog to listen to the interview.

I realized after listening to it that there are a few phrases that need to be banned from my vocabulary for overuse...but all in all, it actually went really well.

Charley is planning on interviewing several others from The 40 Day Fast so be sure to check back on his blog for those.

Please Pray For The Poor FedEx People I Will Be Stalking This Week

Posted on 07.06.08 in Tech Stuff and there are 5 comments.

Once again, I have another, incredibly exciting package coming my way.

My wonderful, sweet, amazing, incredibly incredible husband, who is incredible, surprised me with a brand new MacBook for my upcoming (August) birthday.

This is a pretty over the top gift. We’re pretty simple gift givers in general.

But when you have a husband that writes post like this, you can never underestimate his awesomeness.

All that to say, please keep the FedEx man - and all drivers of large trucks who are NOT the FedEx man who dare drive on our street - in your thoughts on Monday.

I will be running to the window like one of pavlov’s dogs at the sound of anything that resembles a Fed Ex Truck.

I will be bogging down the FedEx Package tracking website as I hit refresh every 5 seconds to see if my package has arrived or...moved.

I will pity the driver of any OTHER large truck who dares to drive down my street tomorrow. He may find tainted tomatoes and rotten eggs on his rear window.

And if it’s not here by 5:00pm, I may go driving around looking for the FedEx truck…

So if you’re driving in my town tomorrow and see a half filipino, macfreak, mother of three, driving a kickin’ minivan and chasing down the FedEx truck I have five words for you:

GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!

List The First 3 World Changers That Come To Your Mind.

Posted on 07.04.08 in General and there are 20 comments.

Ready? Set. Go!

(I promise this has a purpose. I’ll share it next week.)

Off to the comments you go..

(Thank you.)

Twitter Updates