tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18450494715425041592024-02-21T05:05:32.992-05:00A Nest in the RocksSharing our stories of home, hearth, and health as we build our nest in the rocksAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.comBlogger999125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-19855153256758086952014-08-21T12:59:00.001-04:002014-08-21T12:59:06.146-04:00Ta-Da! A Big AnnouncementIt's been really quiet around here lately. Partly because it's summertime, and we've been living the usual hot weather, crazy life that one does with kids in the summer months.<br />
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But also because things have been changing.<br />
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This is the last post for A Nest in the Rocks at this address - we're moving!<br />
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I've been wanting to make this change for a while now, but My Big Helper has been up to something pretty awesome, and so she sparked this change. You can find out more about her newest endeavor at the new site <a href="http://anestintherocks.com/the-story-behind-the-stolen-necklace/">A Nest in the Rocks.</a><br />
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<a href="http://anestintherocks.com/">The Nest</a> has a new look, and it's organized a bit differently, as well, but you'll find more faith-based, home, hearth, and education posts there. There are several new recipes on the way that I'm excited to share, and I have lots of book club ideas and field trip events to tell you about, too. You'll find some new Midweek Mission ideas to do with your kids, and there are exciting books to be reviewed soon.<br />
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There's also a BIG giveaway in the works and coming soon, so check out our new site, find your way around, and be ready to enter to WIN some really exciting prizes.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-75484512625826393092014-07-17T10:24:00.002-04:002014-07-17T10:24:55.614-04:00New See the Light Special & Giveaway!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Guess what? Our most popular set is on sale for the months of July and August.
Have the life of Moses come alive for your family! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.seethelightshine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Moses_2.jpg"><img alt="We are looking for a winner for the best selling Art DVD, God's Special Surprise!" class="size-full wp-image-2314 aligncenter" src="http://www.seethelightshine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Moses_2.jpg" height="700" width="476" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.seethelightshine.com/store/more-dvds/god-s-special-surprise-deluxe-gift-set.html" target="517b12d243002">GOD’S Special Surprise DELUXE GIFT SET</a> is on special during the month of July and August!
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Families will thrill to the love and faith required of a mother desperate to save her baby boy from certain death. Children and adults will admire the bravery of a sister who dared to speak-up to a powerful princess. It’s the dramatic story of baby Moses, God’s Special Surprise to the Israelites, brought to life through art and sound. This story builds the faith of children and encourages obedience to the Word of God.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Included:</b></span>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">DVD w/ 285 minutes of content</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">black light</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">fluorescent pencils</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">fluorescent chalk</span>uary</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The regular price<b>: </b>$29.99.
During the months of July and August you can purchase <a href="http://www.seethelightshine.com/store/more-dvds/god-s-special-surprise-deluxe-gift-set.html" target="517b12d243002">God's Special Surprise </a><b>$25.00 + FREE SHIPPING</b> in the USA.
Coupon Code to use: <b>STL</b>
See the Light wants (1) family to have their very own God's Special Surprise Deluxe Gift Set. We will be picking a random winner on July 19th at 12a. All entries will be verified. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-85531435581946445532014-07-16T21:43:00.000-04:002014-07-16T21:43:18.301-04:00Family, Community, and a Free Episode of Adventures in Odyssey<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://whitsendblog.org/2014/06/the-ties-that-bind-part-1/" rel="attachment wp-att-12084" target="_blank"><img alt="Screen Shot 2014-07-07 at 4.54.28 PM" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12084" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Screen-Shot-2014-07-07-at-4.54.28-PM.png" height="277" width="485" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> For a limited time, you can <a href="http://whitsendblog.org/2014/06/the-ties-that-bind-part-1/" target="_blank"><b>listen to a new episode</b></a> of Adventures in Odyssey for FREE! Album 58, The Ties that Bind, will be available this fall for digital download and CD purchase, but if you join the <a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank"><b>Odyssey Adventures Club</b></a>, you can listen to the full album now! Guess what? The $5 special held last month was extended through the end of July, too, so you can <a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank"><b>join in the fun for only $5</b></a>!
Here's what part one is about (which you can <a href="http://whitsendblog.org/2014/06/the-ties-that-bind-part-1/" target="_blank"><b>listen to for free HERE</b></a>):
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It’s a time of surprises as Wooton becomes the celebrity guest at Comic-Connellsville and Whit finds himself in conflict over the upcoming “Let’s Get Together Festival” in Odyssey. Plus, hear an interview with writer-director Paul McCusker about the entire 14-part series.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Album 58 was inspired by Focus on the Family’s <a href="http://www.familyproject.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Family Project</b></a>, a 12-session small group experience that explores the theological, philosophical, and cultural underpinnings of the traditional family, and combines that information with inspiring stories and practical tools to help 21st-century families thrive.
One way families can carry out God's design for families is by serving their community—right where God has planted them, being His hands and feet together. Want to serve your community with your family, maybe make a day of out it? Here are some fantastic ideas from some Adventures in Odyssey bloggers and club members:
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Make scarves through the year and deliver them to your local homeless shelter at the start of winter, or regularly donate food to your local food bank. —Shirley </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our family likes to help with Meals on Wheels. We also do reenactments of the Civil War and WWII to help educate people on history. I like to show my kids that we should be servers and givers by taking meals to people who need them (i.e. baby just born, someone died, someone had surgery, etc.). —Erin </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We have been visiting a nursing home with friends once a month. The kids just sing and then we fellowship, but the ladies love it! —Lisa </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We make lap blankets for nursing home residents and take the time to visit with them. We also collect food for the local food pantry. —Donna </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We make blessing bags to give to the homeless when we encounter them. We also donate clothes and food to a local shelter. —Amy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our MOPs (Mothers of Prechoolers) group supports our local Pregnancy Support Services with donations, gifts, and notes. We also supports the Durham Rescue Mission, which helps people break free from addictions and restore families. —Melissa </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We live in a very rural area. Our church serves two of the poorest zip codes in the state, and about a decade ago, they started operating a food pantry out of a closet. It has expanded since then, so we now use the closet for storage, but the pantry is basically a classroom. The kids and I serve over there a lot. My 17-year-old and I go to Care & Share (50 miles away) to get food to bring back to the pantry. All of us help unload and stock shelves. On pantry days, everyone can get involved with helping people go through the line, playing with the kids, carrying boxes out to cars, etc. There are so many hungry folks, especially in the summer when school breakfasts and lunches aren't available, and helping a bit to put food on some tables is such a blessing for us all.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> —Debra</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We pack food bags each month for the homeless and needy through a thrift store that offers an outreach to the community. We also help clean our church and our Sunday school. —Michele </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We work through our AHG troop to do several service activities a year. My girls just recently made bracelets they are selling, which 100% of the profits goes to Hope House in Africa to help young girls. —Sarah </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our church works with a homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta. We cook food ahead of time, and when our schedules allow we ride down with the group to serve the food. My son always reminds me when we haven't been for awhile, so it's something he looks forward to. —Maria </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We do lots of random acts of kindnesses within our community: pay for others' meals, leave change at a vending machine, hand out Gatorade/granola bars to people on the side of the road asking for food. We also love to support Mobile Loaves and Fishes. —Kathryn</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Did that provide some ideas to give your family service activity the kick-start it needs? What other ideas do you have for serving your community? Share in the comments!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" rel="attachment wp-att-11639" target="_blank"><img alt="oac-pinterest" class="aligncenter wp-image-11639" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/oac-pinterest.jpg" height="441" width="441" /></a></span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-81317719296658769442014-07-11T10:37:00.000-04:002014-07-11T10:37:37.468-04:00Staying Cool & Other Crazy News<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've been rather quiet around here lately. Partly because we've been exceptionally busy - more about that later - but partly because they're some big news in the works for the Nest. I hope to be able to tell you all the details soon, but know that it involves a giveaway, an announcement, and some other fun stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Why slow the pace now? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We haven't been home much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Little Man made the All-Star team with Little League here in town. My husband is one of his coaches. They practice for several hours at a shot, three times a week, and in the midst of the heat waves we've had lately, it's been a big deal. My Little Man has learned a lot and improved, though, and they're having a blast. With the first tournament this weekend, the pace isn't slowing soon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiME04ATbeK2vaMQRF2XqtPBuYL88dwz7JUDf25WWJYo-c7ov-wYr79HW-l6z4ytBG5ervJu6uYt7KPYq7zmaqGOC2iCaCFb024RIhYnBbIhsHtRX1l96u0sA0-43dMi40QlSJ1iomCuI/s1600/P6220003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiME04ATbeK2vaMQRF2XqtPBuYL88dwz7JUDf25WWJYo-c7ov-wYr79HW-l6z4ytBG5ervJu6uYt7KPYq7zmaqGOC2iCaCFb024RIhYnBbIhsHtRX1l96u0sA0-43dMi40QlSJ1iomCuI/s1600/P6220003.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Big Helper and I have been doing some artsy things during our baseball exile. She also hosted her annual lemonade stand this past weekend, and we all spent weeks in preparation. We'll tell you more about that soon, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>In the meantime, I do have some exciting news! </b><a href="http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1040293/fun-water-games-that-keep-kids-cool-in-the-summer">One of our games has been featured over at She Knows - and you can go here to check it out for a fun way to stay cool this summer.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>What's your favorite way to beat the heat?</b></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-69177065313583691022014-07-10T08:05:00.002-04:002014-07-10T08:05:43.544-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - July 10, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="spotlight hidden_elem" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1526448_756683324355457_787492008_n.jpg" style="height: 300px; width: 300px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every
Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger,
we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
information about the other co-hosts of this hop <a href="http://anestintherocks.blogspot.com/p/the-hearts-for-home-blog-hop-is-weekly.html">here</a>.
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U2lQB09QxhbRzj3gZ3p5OPIqAbIFeiqFDK0ZZEljiU5TyYNDmuH3cBTB0ApnHHGSTYZOZNmFjf85Jmpowx65fyz4_B8cR0sO9gCwSfzmN8Q2q8ptuut5d7BXypD5jdWLPYVesWqu8Fc/s320/IMG_9210.JPG" height="213" width="320" /> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://learningtable.blogspot.com/2014/07/back-porch-chicken-coop-tour.html">Back Porch Chicken Coop Tour</a><a href="http://embracingdestinyblog.com/2014/06/our-just-for-fun-summer-reading-list.html">.</a><br />
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Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18174531" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Camping Activities for Kids Printables</a></span> </div>
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- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18170161" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grilling on a Stick - 20 Kebab Recipes</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17962249" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18170046" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FREE Community Helpers Learning Pack and Resources</a></span></div>
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<pre style="background: #f4fad7; border: solid 1px #066e28; color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 90%; height: 50px; margin: auto; overflow: auto; padding: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 90%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/hearts-for-home-blog-hop-hosts/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Featured300x300.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div></span></pre>
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<pre style="background: #f4fad7; border: solid 1px #066e28; color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 90%; height: 50px; margin: auto; overflow: auto; padding: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 90%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/hearts-for-home-blog-hop-hosts/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CoHostH4HButton300x300.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div></span></pre>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-70116841379994868452014-07-07T08:42:00.000-04:002014-07-07T08:42:03.031-04:00Summer Activities for Adventures in Odyssey Fans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/?attachment_id=11763" rel="attachment wp-att-11763" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CFMatthew-1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11763" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CFMatthew-1.jpg" height="500" width="369" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Summer is officially here!</b> Don't let your kids' boredom run rampant. Adventures in Odyssey is here to save the day. Below are some must-try ideas for summer fun! Want even more summer fun? For the month of June, you can join the <a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank"><b>Odyssey Adventure Club</b></a> for only $5! <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/blog/join-the-odyssey-adventure-club-for-5" target="_blank"><b>More details can be found here.</b></a></span>
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Summer Activities</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As a parent you are probably a big proponent of reading. Encourage your kids to dig into a book or two this summer with Adventures in Odyssey's <a href="http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/clubhousemagazine/extras/summer-challenge-2014" target="_blank"><b>On Your Marks Summer Reading Challenge</b></a>. Bonus points if YOU create a reading challenge for yourself as you read along with your kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Looking for something hands-on? <a href="http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/en/adventures-in-odyssey/cut-fold-matthew.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Create Matthew in 3-D</b></a>! Invite a few of your kids' friends over for a play date, print off the activity sheet, and let them have at it for the afternoon (with the promise of cookies and lemonade once they've finished constructing Matthew).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Maybe your kids aren't into reading, but they love math. If that's the case, have them <a href="http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/adventures-in-odyssey/sudoku-june-2014.aspx" target="_blank"><b>solve Eugene's Sudoku</b></a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The laundry needs to be done; the dishes need to be put away. But your kids are begging you to take them out to the zoo. Let them take a whack at <a href="http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/adventures-in-odyssey/decoder-2014-6.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Matthew's Decoder</b></a> in the morning, then make an agreement that if they figure out how to use the decoder, you'll take them on an afternoon adventure. That'll give you the morning to finish up your to-do list!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" rel="attachment wp-att-11107" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Odyssey-Adventure-Club-1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11107" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Odyssey-Adventure-Club-1.png" height="185" width="385" /></a></span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-84104611139280896532014-07-03T15:06:00.000-04:002014-07-03T15:06:00.112-04:00A MOTHER’S SECRET | Kindle Fire giveaway from @AmyClipston<b>Don't miss the newest offering in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series from <a href="http://amyclipston.com/" target="_blank">Amy Clipston</a>, <a href="http://amyclipston.com/motherssecret.html" target="_blank"><i>A Mother's Secret</i></a>. </b>An unwed Amish woman yearns for real love and a family. The only thing in her way is the shame she’s been carrying for half of her life. The novel received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times and was chosen as a Top Pick.<br />
<br />
<b>Amy is celebrating with a Kindle Fire giveaway.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://prmo.me/zfvE7z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="motherssecret-400-click" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11828" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/motherssecret-400-click.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>One winner will receive:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>A Kindle Fire</li>
<li>Books 1 and 2 in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series, <i>A Hopeful Heart</i> and <i>A Mother's Secret</i>.</li>
</ul>
<b>Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 6th.</b> Winner will be announced July 7th on <a href="http://amyclipstonbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy's blog</a>.
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://prmo.me/1AvEZo" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/enterbutton.jpg" /></a><a href="http://prmo.me/54WDME" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/facebookbutton.png" /></a></center>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by <a href="http://amyclipstonbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy's blog</a> on July 7th to see if you won.</h3>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-46167284962218918192014-07-03T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-03T06:00:06.418-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - July 3, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="spotlight hidden_elem" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1526448_756683324355457_787492008_n.jpg" style="height: 300px; width: 300px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every
Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger,
we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
information about the other co-hosts of this hop <a href="http://anestintherocks.blogspot.com/p/the-hearts-for-home-blog-hop-is-weekly.html">here</a>.
<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="Socializing the Homeschooled Child | thissweetlifeofmine.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3826" src="http://thissweetlifeofmine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Socializing.jpg" height="367" width="550" /> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://embracingdestinyblog.com/2014/06/our-just-for-fun-summer-reading-list.html">Homeschool Socialization.</a><br />
<br />
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18069495" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Training Kids for Leadership</a></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18066666" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4th of July crafts and activities for kids</a>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17962249" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=18062922" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Ways to Beat the Summer Heat</a></span></div>
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<pre style="background: #f4fad7; border: solid 1px #066e28; color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 90%; height: 50px; margin: auto; overflow: auto; padding: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 90%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/hearts-for-home-blog-hop-hosts/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Featured300x300.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div></span></pre>
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<pre style="background: #f4fad7; border: solid 1px #066e28; color: #777777; display: block; font-size: 90%; height: 50px; margin: auto; overflow: auto; padding: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 90%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/hearts-for-home-blog-hop-hosts/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CoHostH4HButton300x300.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div></span></pre>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-70498457953258062342014-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-02T06:00:00.621-04:00Orkin Bug Wisdom Backyard Explorers Kit *Giveaway*<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="Orkin email" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEju67UmmO4qEol7Q3JMxKotdVwOEpG-JVGnnzK0Eb83hXTjnSg6c6TidrlYacxRvuNlrfMn0etHPNJMdG9gqhwm3h7gDm6q5Dv00TB-OM0V6cljYfUw4NnGj36V6q0Bt6Dn6D1hS9S2nytIVTW1LuedSGKJVhMDeAXZL8UHKIIXa9mJFYyrZQ0jUYlLsCMz=s0-d-e1-ft" width="600px" /> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bugs are not exactly my thing. Definitely not bugs that I can't identify. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">On the other hand, My Big Helper and My Little Man are fascinated with bugs. They build houses for them, watch how they move, and spend lots of time figuring out what they are.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Orkin can help you with that. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>When life hands you dung, just roll with it.</b></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">At Orkin, we
never stop learning. Our new “Bug Wisdom” video series is a reminder
that some of life’s biggest lessons come from small places. Bugs are
smart, curious creatures – we humans can learn a lot from their ways. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Take the quiz to
discover your “Spirit Bug,” and check out all the GIFs to soak in every
nugget of wisdom that these bugs have to offer! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The Orkin Man
always knows what to look for when he shows up at your home. If you want
to get exploration down to a science, be sure and enter to win Orkin’s
Backyard Explorers Kit! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Orkin Backyard Explorers Kit:</b>
<br />- The Orkin 9-Page Activity Bug Book
<br />- Orkin Bugview Bug Catching Tool and Magnifier
<br />- Red/Black Summer Wayfarer Sunglasses </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>@AskTheOrkinMan</b>
<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OrkinPestControl" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>OrkinPestControl</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOGjPywXEjUitvXi22CXJTZNd4VVcP9LQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>playlist?list=<wbr></wbr>PLOGjPywXEjUitvXi22CXJTZNd4VVc<wbr></wbr>P9LQ</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.orkin.com/" target="_blank">http://www.orkin.com/</a></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="620" scrolling="no" src="https://www.blog-luv.com/campaigns/orkin-bug-wisdom/interactive_elements/74" style="overflow: hidden;" width="520"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="pgtContainpgt" id="pgt88046583720pgt">
<a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=88046583720" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">Entry</a><script src="//giveawaytools2.com/wid/embed.php?sk=88046583720" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=88046583720" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">-Form</a><br />
<br />
<b>I received a free Orkin Bug Wisdom Backyard Explorers Kit in exchange for promoting this giveaway and received another to give to a reader.</b> </div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-90299426951861304472014-06-27T15:05:00.000-04:002014-06-27T15:05:00.277-04:00FOREVER AMISH from Kate Lloyd! Enter to win a Kindle and an Amish-made prize pack!<b>The latest book in <a href="http://katelloyd.net/" target="_blank">Kate Lloyd</a>'s Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, <a href="http://katelloyd.net/books.html" target="_blank"><i>Forever Amish</i></a>, introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living</b>. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.<br />
<br />
<b>Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://prmo.me/IALotO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="forever-pinterest" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11702" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/forever-pinterest-504x504.jpg" height="504" width="504" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>One winner will receive:</b>
<br />
<ul>
<li>A brand new Kindle Fire</li>
<li>A Qillow <i>(A pillow with a lovely surprise inside! It opens to a 40” X 60” quilt ideal for traveling, sports events, and home.)</i></li>
<li> A Center Diamond wall hanging<i> (Hand-stitched by Old Order Amish quilter Emma Stoltzfus of E.S. Quilts in Lancaster, PA. It measures 42” x 42” and is a traditional Old Order Amish design.)</i></li>
<li>Darling Amish-made faceless dolls <i>(Hand-crafted in Lancaster County, PA. Each measures 12 inches and is individually named. Meet Martha and Henry!)</i></li>
<li><i>Forever Amish</i> and the rest of the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy<i> </i>by Kate Lloyd</li>
</ul>
<b>Enter today by clicking one of the icons below</b>. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced at <a href="http://katelloyd.net/blog/" target="_blank">Kate's blog</a> on July 1st.
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://prmo.me/KRhxI6" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/emailbutton.png" /></a><a href="http://prmo.me/IALotO" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/facebookbutton.png" /></a></center>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or <b>TWITTER</b> and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by <a href="http://katelloyd.net/blog/" target="_blank">Kate's blog</a> on July 1st to see if you won!</h3>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-61822276447833975092014-06-26T15:07:00.000-04:002014-06-26T15:07:00.131-04:00SEAGRASS PIER | Pre-order @ColleenCoble’s NEW book for just $4.99. Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!<b>Don’t miss <a href="http://colleencoble.com/" target="_blank">Colleen Coble</a>‘s latest release in the Hope Beach series, <a href="http://colleencoble.com/2014/news/coming-soon-seagrass-pier/" target="_blank"><i>Seagrass Pier</i></a>.</b> The book releases July 1st, and Colleen's publisher is offering the ebook at a <b>special pre-order price of just $4.99</b> between now and 6/30 everywhere ebooks are sold.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>PLUS . . . between 6/9 – 6/30 Colleen will be hosting a Kindle giveaway.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://prmo.me/QmTvu0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="seagrass-400-click" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/seagrass-400-click.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>One winner will receive:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>A brand new Kindle Fire HDX</li>
<li><i>Seagrass Pier</i> and the rest of the Hope Beach series<i> </i>by Colleen Coble</li>
</ul>
<b>Enter today by clicking one of the icons below</b>. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 30th. Winner will be announced on <a href="http://colleencoble.com/recent-news/" target="_blank">Colleen's blog</a> on July 1st.
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://prmo.me/ru15IG" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/emailbutton.png" /></a><a href="http://prmo.me/QmTvu0" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/facebookbutton.png" /></a></center>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or <b>TWITTER</b> and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by <a href="http://colleencoble.com/recent-news/" target="_blank">Colleen's blog</a> on July 1st to see if you won!</h3>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-32091932791790998382014-06-26T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-26T06:00:06.468-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 26, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="spotlight hidden_elem" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1526448_756683324355457_787492008_n.jpg" style="height: 300px; width: 300px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every
Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger,
we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
information about the other co-hosts of this hop <a href="http://anestintherocks.blogspot.com/p/the-hearts-for-home-blog-hop-is-weekly.html">here</a>.
</span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="fun summer reading list for girls @destinyblogger" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-9904" src="http://embracingdestinyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/summer-reading-1024x1024.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://embracingdestinyblog.com/2014/06/our-just-for-fun-summer-reading-list.html">Fun Summer Reading for Girls.</a><br />
<br />
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17970134" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Exploring Disney's Animal Kingdom</a></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17964526" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fun Summer Reading List for Girls</a></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17962249" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Benefits of literature-based unit studies</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger'
buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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</span><!-- end InLinkz script -->Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-51318312365154700022014-06-25T23:23:00.000-04:002014-06-25T23:23:12.454-04:00Get Your "Life with Lily" Literature Activities Now!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.anestintherocks.blogspot.com/2014/06/guest-posting-giveaway.html">Enter the current giveaway here.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you've been wanting to host your own kiddie book club or start holding literature circles with your family or in your classroom, I've got a great place for you to start:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Circle-Activities-for-Life-With-Lily-1293512"><img alt="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Circle-Activities-for-Life-With-Lily-1293512" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwnVoCEo4pMeCpkMcceQ5xOPTMLzai1mtpsaAnKoqPydyoXJb8cb6jl46BcVJYXbnC5PefYtCkckrZm0xDETmhTpHYEn1QpW7UEATzhe_k8MlNtKFGrbQLRRMOlrHpLww21BunkSne58/s1600/Life+with+Lily+Title.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Circle-Activities-for-Life-With-Lily-1293512"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">with<i> Life With Lily</i>.</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This book makes the <i>best</i> book club events! Lily is mischievous, adventurous, and fun. Her family provides wise counsel in response to her adventures, and because she's a young Amish girl, the possibilities for fun activities are endless. Lily bakes, sews, has animal adventures, and is involved in lots of science experiments. You won't lack for fun projects with Lily around - and my new Literature Response packet has more than 25 activities, recipes, hyperlinks, and projects to keep the Lily fun - and the Lily learning- coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Circle-Activities-for-Life-With-Lily-1293512">You can find the brand new <i>Life with Lily</i> Literature Response activities here</a> - and don't forget to enter to win a copy of <a href="http://www.anestintherocks.blogspot.com/2014/06/guest-posting-giveaway.html"><i>A Surprise for Lily</i>'s Literature Response activities!</a></span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-90259849962890906282014-06-25T07:44:00.000-04:002014-06-25T07:44:57.287-04:00Mid-Week Missions: Kids in the Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOU778eHNsmJnd5A40U_kRicm1EYVw9ndFvBQ0PLfbp4DIeGbtCOUTNGpWzXs9jKqsG1-yldq4aNP_Y4JDqQjL4aIMRUGps3HtAUizn00_YCPG78IRCadvOHJyJnc-1rAfT_jTV4oqbo/s1600/Mid-Week+Missions-+Kids+in+the+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOU778eHNsmJnd5A40U_kRicm1EYVw9ndFvBQ0PLfbp4DIeGbtCOUTNGpWzXs9jKqsG1-yldq4aNP_Y4JDqQjL4aIMRUGps3HtAUizn00_YCPG78IRCadvOHJyJnc-1rAfT_jTV4oqbo/s1600/Mid-Week+Missions-+Kids+in+the+Church.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Serving is important. Mission work is important. I see blog posts all the time listing varieties of ways for our kids to be mission minded and to think of others first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Those are all good things. Great things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But if we want to keep them in church, then they need to be involved in church.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Church leaders don't just pop up out of nowhere. They must learn to lead. Their talents must be groomed. They must practice and learn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Think about it: We don't throw concert pianists at a baby grand and expect Mozart. We don't throw brain surgeons into the OR and wish them "Good luck!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So we should be teaching our children the ways of faith, too - and that includes how to serve within the church.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(I realize that different denominations handle this issue in different ways. Some churches are very strict about who performs certain tasks within the church. I do not mean to hop into that fray.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our children see us working within the church. I work with kids' ministries and help to plan events, and my husband serves in one of those after-hours, banking-so-the-lights-stay-on kind of roles, and they help us. Sometimes that means that they stamp envelopes for him as he works, or they help me rearrange tables and set up for events.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But one Sunday I realized that they were ready for more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our pastor was explaining that we needed volunteers to do all sorts of things around the church: mow the yard, run the sound board, fold bulletins, assist with Communion, read scripture, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The words <i>read scripture</i> jumped out at me. I've got two <i>excellent</i> readers in my house. They are certainly capable of doing that task.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">At first both resisted. Stand up and read in front of the whole church? No way! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But after some thought, My Big Helper asked to volunteer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWSakYfSfZr0sqpPPCkYjMkEeL6FlZi89bp_65aPuGWTMA5VvH8xaWewk41j7o3u7GLqOEt2KABE_TNHVWpSTL5vP4hp8bVkV-VEdlnJkbQeHDjhDuLFBSswZ-LdEASYSNCfPp1Cosvw/s1600/P6220001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWSakYfSfZr0sqpPPCkYjMkEeL6FlZi89bp_65aPuGWTMA5VvH8xaWewk41j7o3u7GLqOEt2KABE_TNHVWpSTL5vP4hp8bVkV-VEdlnJkbQeHDjhDuLFBSswZ-LdEASYSNCfPp1Cosvw/s1600/P6220001.JPG" height="205" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">She's now in the regular rotation of readers for our church. She opens the service with a call-and-response type reading from the Psalms, and she does a great job.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One day she'll try out something else. She might try those other jobs - assisting with Communion, folding bulletins, singing in the choir. She's learning to put her faith into action publicly. To stand in front of other people and speak. To accept responsibility for a job from someone other than us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>She's learning that we all have talents and gifts to give to Jesus' body. That the Church needs all of us. That our gifts are meant to be shared. That we can all serve best when we work together.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What kinds of jobs might kids be able to do?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Maybe ....</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">bulletin folding</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">scripture reading</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">acolyte</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">assist with Communion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">help an adult to prepare the altar for Communion or to clean up afterwards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">make announcements</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">ring bells</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">sing in the choir</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">provide special music</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">serve as greeter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">serve as an usher</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">pass out special bags or supplies to kids</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">pass out bulletins</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">run remote controls for audio-visual equipment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">give children's sermons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">help in the nursery</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>How do kids serve in your church?</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GngI0bRgIUa7Z1n0yZUtzM4LM_QX7Aqef1ztPgoIWcWS9NbD_8kDwjbILCEwpM_1Zbnaf7QCcezMw4v0QKsmOMPCNN8yGq0diDF9DQyXNDK-6M2c8pQkn1sDnizkQxeiKF3q1BuPZ1I/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GngI0bRgIUa7Z1n0yZUtzM4LM_QX7Aqef1ztPgoIWcWS9NbD_8kDwjbILCEwpM_1Zbnaf7QCcezMw4v0QKsmOMPCNN8yGq0diDF9DQyXNDK-6M2c8pQkn1sDnizkQxeiKF3q1BuPZ1I/s1600/Signature.jpg" height="80" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-34511344794857542652014-06-24T16:03:00.000-04:002014-06-24T16:03:16.247-04:00GratiTuesday - Girly Art Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Little Man has been out and about a lot lately. With basketball camp and baseball practices in full swing, he's been hard at work - which means that My Big Helper and I have had lots of time to ourselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last week she decided that we needed to paint. We pulled out canvases and our art supplies and got to work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous, we took our supplies out to the deck and sat in the shade while designing our paintings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've never painted on a canvas before, though I've often wanted to. It was fun to hang out together, mixing and blending and dabbing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR27SssNFn-EgmKWVSH9CKzw3RuTc_A_Oyq-ZvXFRqG1OW-bCPEwpgk5arMgmvj9QFDPtBlFvWgl83abLOWUEe7Tmd11YCAKUysgELMxJSiL1wbOYQPsxHNC9bNsIg88HiOQLkvb9Drw/s1600/P6220003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR27SssNFn-EgmKWVSH9CKzw3RuTc_A_Oyq-ZvXFRqG1OW-bCPEwpgk5arMgmvj9QFDPtBlFvWgl83abLOWUEe7Tmd11YCAKUysgELMxJSiL1wbOYQPsxHNC9bNsIg88HiOQLkvb9Drw/s1600/P6220003.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Big Helper has painted on several canvases but has only rarely blended colors, and since that's my very favorite part of painting, we talked through different ways to do that while she worked on her latest sunflower project.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It was a fun afternoon. It was fun to pull out the art supplies and fun to relax and be creative and fun to spend that time with My Big Helper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sometimes, those pockets of time created by sports or other random activities are my very favorite things - because then I get focused time with one child or the other.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>For more GratiTuesday, visit <a href="http://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/">Heavenly Homemakers.</a></b></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-59911453597014043012014-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:002014-06-21T09:00:01.639-04:00Odyssey Adventure Club – join today for just $5!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" rel="attachment wp-att-11107" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Odyssey-Adventure-Club-1" class="size-full wp-image-11107 aligncenter" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Odyssey-Adventure-Club-1.png" height="185" width="385" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Are your kids in need of a safe and fun environment where they can explore, create and imagine, all while developing their faith and learning biblical truth? Enter the <a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank"><b>Odyssey Adventure Club</b></a> (AOC)!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://oaclub.org/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="OAC-bloggerbutton" class="alignright size-full wp-image-11637" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/OAC-bloggerbutton.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>For a limited time, you can join <a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a> for only $5 (regular monthly membership costs $15 for up to six users)!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Families will be able to stream the Adventures in Odyssey library, plus listen to exclusive new monthly episodes. Busy families will find 24/7 access to the content through the Odyssey Adventure Club mobile iPhone app.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Children can also read daily devotions, interact with hands-on activities and view video documentaries featuring a behind-the-scenes look into the production of the Adventures in Odyssey stories. Parents can feel confident their children are safe on the Odyssey Adventure Club website — Focus on the Family staff will be monitoring all comments before they’re publicly posted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership will benefit Focus on the Family partner relief organizations, including Christian Veterinary Mission, Operation Christmas Child and Compassion International. This provides parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of giving and serving others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Coming in July, Odyssey Adventure Club members get to listen to the brand new album, "The Ties That Bind," FIRST before it's available ANYWHERE ELSE!
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.oaclub.org/" target="_blank">Click here to join for only $5!</a></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Want more summer activities for your kids inspired by the Odyssey Adventure Club? <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/blog/summer-activities-for-adventures-in-odyssey-fans" target="_blank"><b>Check out this post</b></a>.</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-77432691419903174902014-06-20T09:20:00.005-04:002014-06-24T08:20:11.996-04:00Guest Posting & A Giveaway!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love to read. I think books are such wonderful pathways to adventure and learning that we spend a lot of time reading here - for fun and for school. Usually those two purposes become pretty blurred, because school can be really fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One of the ways that we play around with books is to hold monthly book club events. I say "event" because this is no round-robin discussion. We don't sip tea and nibble on cucumber sandwiches while secretly wishing that it were over already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Instead, we do what the characters in our stories do - and one of our favorite characters of all time is Lily Lapp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Why is she so special? <a href="http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/blog/2014/06/friday-fun-start-a-lily-book-club/">I'm guest-posting today over on Suzanne Woods Fisher's blog about that.</a> She's the author behind <i>The Adventures of Lily Lapp </i>series. Hop on over <a href="http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/blog/2014/06/friday-fun-start-a-lily-book-club/">here</a> and find how to start your own - or kick the adventure up a few notches - in your kids' book club.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo2-pYnG-WvDMvS8HbA0gk_Oyljvvwi0chfb0W4NGLnWEApyUweKluHdc95u56Yhchr8qSgD-mJgvZklR-StrCJ4BZq4XkQeph-Ktj-Knc8z6GVMS6yqDD8esT0eex4UFCp9zXUOKbrY/s1600/Lily+Title+Page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo2-pYnG-WvDMvS8HbA0gk_Oyljvvwi0chfb0W4NGLnWEApyUweKluHdc95u56Yhchr8qSgD-mJgvZklR-StrCJ4BZq4XkQeph-Ktj-Knc8z6GVMS6yqDD8esT0eex4UFCp9zXUOKbrY/s1600/Lily+Title+Page.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm also writing book club guides to accompany our favorite stories. The first is now available in my TpT store. These packets include everything that you need to host a great book club event with your kids. <a href="http://www.anestintherocks.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-surprise-for-lily-response-activities.html">You can find out more here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Want to win one of your own? Use the widget below and enter to win your own "Response Activities for <i>A Surprise for Lily." </i></b></span><br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-90462640782114733002014-06-19T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-19T07:31:07.740-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 19, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
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Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every
Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger,
we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
information about the other co-hosts of this hop <a href="http://anestintherocks.blogspot.com/p/the-hearts-for-home-blog-hop-is-weekly.html">here</a>.
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The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://findingjoyinthejourney.net/finding-joy-in-the-unexpected/">Finding Joy in the Unexpected</a><a href="http://meghancarver.blogspot.com/2014/05/fiction-for-boys-age-7-up-ready-summer.html">.</a></span><br />
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Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17858695" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nautical Door Decoration</a></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17856712" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8 open-ended play ideas your kids will love!</a>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17853664" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Summer Beverages</a></span></div>
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</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-34946460051058436612014-06-18T22:09:00.000-04:002014-06-18T22:09:11.755-04:00"A Surprise for Lily" Response Activities Are Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpV5dg7JOE_5XCh4OiZ0PoEfJymhkJrDIOXr3dYHMoL6bq4GPykdFOPMYAx6ifkUScE5ljDao3dzcRKbbZovv9bjd6fx5JSOV1p0XjjIIHnJe6cqMMXV5BMd99x-qXFkjYrTNYfdCldU/s1600/Lily+Title+Page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpV5dg7JOE_5XCh4OiZ0PoEfJymhkJrDIOXr3dYHMoL6bq4GPykdFOPMYAx6ifkUScE5ljDao3dzcRKbbZovv9bjd6fx5JSOV1p0XjjIIHnJe6cqMMXV5BMd99x-qXFkjYrTNYfdCldU/s1600/Lily+Title+Page.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love sharing fun and educational ideas with you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love great books even more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">That's why Suzanne Woods Fisher's <i>Adventures of Lily Lapp</i> series is so wonderful for kids: it's a high-quality story with wise characters, fun adventures, and brimming over with learning opportunities that are fun for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I realize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for digging into a book and finding all the great things that you can do with it, so I've done it for you! New in <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Responses-to-A-Surprise-for-Lily-1282918">my TpT store</a> tonight are sixteen pages of science, cooking, sewing, history, discussion, art, and mission activities that are all pulled from <i>A Surprise for Lily</i>. Everything that you need to host a kids' book club, literature group, unit study, or family read aloud time is here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By digging into the story literally and trying your hand at Lily's activities, your child will be able to relate to Lily much better. Your child will be able to understand Lily's choices and discuss her trials and triumphs with you. S/he'll be able to compare his/her life with Lily's from a knowledgeable perspective - and you might just discover some new talents at the same time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Responses-to-A-Surprise-for-Lily-1282918">So hop on over to my TpT store and check out <i>Responses to "A Surprise for Lily" </i>for yourself!</a></span><br />
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-28162333278875080042014-06-17T12:37:00.000-04:002014-06-17T12:37:21.954-04:00GratiTuesday - Walking Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Little Man isn't so little anymore, but he's always been with me. He's my buddy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We go to the store and on field trips together. We snuggle and read books and gather rocks and plant the garden together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Because I worked in a preschool, he's even been with me there - in the room next door or in my own classroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Until this week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2XGOWoHN3vPNZoiL079dPP_KAZLdR-NFf2K567YIw2UYrkbLBdYDZLQnagKRv68S4-BI2ntV_Pec5jEdwXY5idSKQoE0hEPMEBwTSfLNjjj9Yl2UlCijAAa9kIqnKVNv3rL8gqyF6g/s1600/P6160039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2XGOWoHN3vPNZoiL079dPP_KAZLdR-NFf2K567YIw2UYrkbLBdYDZLQnagKRv68S4-BI2ntV_Pec5jEdwXY5idSKQoE0hEPMEBwTSfLNjjj9Yl2UlCijAAa9kIqnKVNv3rL8gqyF6g/s1600/P6160039.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This week he chose to go to basketball camp, a half-day camp happening at our local high school. It's a skills-based camp for boys, and since he played his first season of basketball this past winter, he loves the sport.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So for the first time ever, he's getting up early and getting dropped off somewhere. Without us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's rather difficult to watch him carry his new water cooler up the steps and through those big doors, but then his face lights up when he finds a friend, and he takes off across the gym floor to join in a game until camp starts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This is our role as parents. This raising and teaching and discipling and preparing for the leaving. As much as we revel and stress in the everyday, the point of it all is to prepare them to leave. To leave us confidently and strong, ready to follow Jesus into the unknown of their futures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So this basketball camp is an important step. It's nearby and only a few hours and he probably won't encounter anything dangerous (yay!) but he's on his own. Sure, it's a controlled environment, but it won't always be that way. This is his chance to be a man of character when Mommy isn't looking. To learn the consequences of his actions (I pray they're good ones) and to take responsibility for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's just basketball camp, but it's so much more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm glad that he's ready. I'm glad that he wants to take this step. It's hard to see him walk away, but it's necessary. Walking away now will help him be prepared to walk away towards bigger, more important things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So while I'm rather sad to see him leaving, I'm thankful for that bounce in his step that tells me he's ready for this. That he's not scared. That he's ready to go and make new friends and try new things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This hard parenting thing - we're seeing some fruit this week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And it's good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>What are your kids involved in this summer? And how goes it?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For more<b> </b> GratiTuesday, visit <a href="http://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/">Heavenly Homemakers.</a></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-59982866850847996202014-06-12T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-12T06:00:06.775-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 12, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="spotlight hidden_elem" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1526448_756683324355457_787492008_n.jpg" style="height: 300px; width: 300px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every
Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger,
we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
information about the other co-hosts of this hop <a href="http://anestintherocks.blogspot.com/p/the-hearts-for-home-blog-hop-is-weekly.html">here</a>.
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><img alt="facebook" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-73" src="http://cdn.findingjoyinthejourney.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/facebook-500x293.jpg" height="293" width="500" /></span></div>
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The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://findingjoyinthejourney.net/why-i-deleted-over-half-my-facebook-friends/">Why I Deleted Over Half My Facebook Friends</a><a href="http://meghancarver.blogspot.com/2014/05/fiction-for-boys-age-7-up-ready-summer.html">.</a>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17748972" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eating the Americas: Summer recipes</a></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17743481" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit to Ben Franklin Nat'l Memorial & Institute</a></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17744882" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Art Project: Bottle Cap Buggies</a></span></div>
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</span><!-- end InLinkz script -->Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-61147327013383400732014-06-10T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-10T06:00:01.904-04:00GratiTuesday - Stickin' Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Eleven years ago Saturday my husband and I said "I do."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A lot has changed in those eleven years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Some of those things are good, and some ... not so much. We're both a bit rounder, a bit grayer, and hopefully a bit wiser. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We understand more about what it takes to spend your life with someone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There's no turning back or getting out. We're in it for the long haul. We decided to strike that deadly "D" word from our vocabulary before we said our vows. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">That's reassuring. We're committed. Our culture has forgotten the value in that, but we're not giving up on each other. We're determined not to "grow apart," but to "grow together."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I don't say this because things are particularly hard right now - they're not. On the contrary, it feels good to know that we're on the same page. That we have the same purpose. That our changes are okay because we're doing it all together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Eleven years ago I would've wanted some sort of romantic evening. Something with candles and sunsets and sweet, whispered words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Except now I know that those aren't my thing, and they're not my husband's, either. We talked about what to do. Fancy dinner? A movie? Shopping? Nothing seemed quite right. Neither of us were thrilled with any of those ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So we chose a baseball game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Yup. Baseball.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A baseball game was perfect. We had a quick snack at a favorite Mexican restaurant just outside the stadium before hurrying in to see the opening pitch. The weather was perfect - pleasingly cool with a light breeze, under a blue sky and puffy white clouds. We had great seats along the first baseline, my husband's favorite, and he was happy to explain a few rare plays to me. I was happy to sit and listen to his voice. We watched several double plays, a trick play, and our hometown team finally win. We talked throughout the game, about nothing special, really, just enjoyed being together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Afterwards we walked to a restaurant with outdoor seating near a small waterfall and ate a late-night snack under the stars and some white Christmas lights. We walked around hand-in-hand and then headed back home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It wasn't a fancy evening. It wasn't a quiet evening, or even a kid-free one, since the couple sitting in front of us at the game had a few rowdy preschoolers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But it was perfect for us. Together. The New Us. The older-and-wiser us. We were both willing to throw out ideas and talk them over until we found the perfect thing. Until we realized that what we really wanted was to be together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Not stressing about the cost of a fancy dinner.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Not eating in a restaurant that was too loud to converse comfortably.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Not sitting side-by-side in a dark movie theater, each alone in our movie experience.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Together. Being loud and silly, clapping and cheering ourselves hoarse and ... together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's not always easy to find your 'together,' but it's definitely worth the effort to find it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And then, as it evolves and changes and you find it again, to enjoy the ride.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>What's your 'together?' </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For more GratiTuesday, visit <a href="http://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/">Heavenly Homemakers.</a><b> </b></span><br />
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-52631280806466777402014-06-05T11:24:00.001-04:002014-06-05T11:24:26.606-04:00Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 5, 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
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Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is
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Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other
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we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find
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The most clicked-on post from last week was <a href="http://meghancarver.blogspot.com/2014/05/fiction-for-boys-age-7-up-ready-summer.html">Fiction for Boys.</a>
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Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_inlinkzA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=15703522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Go to http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/happy-birthday-easy-piano-music/ "> </a><a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17636424" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fiction for Boys Age 7 Up - Get Ready for Summer!</a></span> </div>
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- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17635293" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Family Movie Night Ideas</a>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">- <a class="_InLinkzLUA" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=17639283" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Summer Reading Log and New ebook</a></span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-41884235234560304222014-06-03T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-03T06:00:11.062-04:00GratiTuesday - Saying Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvwup41-iPzGHUene3tIXk0JA5BE-OneB5Jk24XXE9qfn4CaI0yLg9TwNrQbEu5HDjOFsPgkDv0cxOcB-tYdt5EhvMoLw2hjxJsJa867qr43TRKXDeNK62DU7eAdJZTz_0hMZ92oF8fQ/s1600/GratiTuesday.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">About a year ago I wrote about saying goodbye to our pastor and his family. People with whom we had become friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And now it's time for us to say goodbye again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Several years ago, while attending another church, I was searching for a guitar player for a special event. I wanted someone charismatic and talented; someone who could get our uncertain crowd enthused and praising. When I was about to give up, someone pointed me to Everett.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I didn't know this guy, but his "resume" was impressive - and more importantly, he was willing to lead us in a special worship event! He came and was fantastic, and we talked about maybe connecting our churches for other events in the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But then we left that church and began searching for a new one. For a new home. We heard that Everett had begun a contemporary service at his church, and we eventually ended up there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As did many other people. This service soon proved to be energetic and active, full of people who were willing to step out in new directions on faith. It turned out to be exactly what we were looking for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And yet there hasn't been time to get comfortable. That service has been in transition since we got there. The worship team has swelled and grown and then shrunk again as people have moved on. The pastor left to plant a church a few hours' away, and our interns come and go each season, each with their strengths and gifts, enriching us and then moving on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Now it's Everett's turn. He's a most gifted worship leader, but God has called him into full-time ministry, so in just a few more weeks he'll leave us and head off to seminary. To his own church. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We'll miss him. We'll miss his leadership and communion with the Spirit. We'll miss his laughter and sarcasm and jokes. We'll miss his ability to sing the perfect song at the perfect time, every time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We'll miss his family, too. His energetic kids and his kind and gracious wife (whom my Big Helper has developed a special attachment to). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's hard saying goodbye. Quite frankly, I don't like it, and I don't look forward to it. At all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But I know that, like with our former pastor, this is ultimately a Good Thing. It's a God Thing. He's planned it. He's called this family. We've been blessed by their ministry for years, and now someone else needs them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We won't be left behind. While we can't go with them, God has called someone else to lead us next, and he's good, too. It's going to be okay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's still hard to say goodbye, but it's also a blessing to see so many people following God. Leaving the familiar and comfortable and known to venture out in faith. To follow God wherever He leads them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's a great example. It's a Hebrews 11 thing. It's an Abraham thing. It's a Ruth and Naomi thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's a great lesson for our kids. For us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So, with mixed emotions and teary eyes, I'm glad. I wouldn't want to keep them if it's not where they're supposed to be. I wouldn't want any of us to settle for less than God's best. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So if you see me looking rather weepy, remind me of all of this. Okay?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>For more GratiTuesday, visit <a href="http://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/">Heavenly Homemakers.</a></b></span><br />
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1845049471542504159.post-43813986774413181962014-05-29T14:00:00.000-04:002014-05-29T14:00:03.883-04:00Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio – THE MOVIE!<br />
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<img alt="love_finds_you_sugarcreek" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-10649" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/love_finds_you_sugarcreek-84x128.jpg" height="128" width="84" /> </div>
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<b>Guideposts Books is excited to announce the premiere of a new film based on the book <i>Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio</i> (Summerside Press) by Serena Miller. </b>The movie, produced by Mission Pictures International and filmed last fall in the actual town of Sugarcreek, will premiere on Sunday, June 1, 2014, at 7:00 PM EDT on Up TV (formerly the Gospel Music Channel).<b> </b><a href="http://lovefindsyouin.com/" target="_blank">Visit the movie website for more information<b>.</b></a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/630769306994061/" target="_blank"><img alt="sugarcreekmovie-banner" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11260" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/sugarcreekmovie-banner1-504x80.jpg" height="80" width="504" /></a></b><br />
<b>Serena and Guideposts will be celebrating with a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/630769306994061/" target="_blank">Facebook viewing party</a>! </b><br />
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Join Serena and readers on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/630769306994061/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> while you tune in to watch <i>Love Finds You in Sugarcreek</i> to share your thoughts about the movie, chat with other viewers, and win fun prizes. Just use hashtag <b>#LFYSugarcreek</b> to join the discussion on June 1st.<br />
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Check your local listing for <a href="http://up.viewerlink.tv/" target="_blank">UpTV</a> (<a href="http://up.viewerlink.tv/" target="_blank">http://up.viewerlink.tv</a>) to find out when it airs in your timezone.<br />
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<b>E</b><b>xcited? Help me spread the word!</b> Just share this link and information on your social media along with the hashtag <b>#LFYSugarcreek</b>! Plus, we'll be tracking the hashtag and giving away Amazon & Starbucks cards to people at random who help to promote all throughout the month of May. Winners announced at the <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/630769306994061/" target="_blank">Love Finds You in Sugarcreek</a></i> viewing party on June 1st.<br />
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"This is so exciting for Serena Miller and Guideposts! We are thrilled that Up TV has chosen <i>Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio</i> to make into a movie,” said Lenore Lelah Person, vice president and editorial director of Guideposts Books and Inspirational Media. “With Serena’s wonderful story and a beautiful backdrop in Ohio Amish country, fans of the story and the series will enjoy seeing it on screen. <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LFY-in-Sugarcreek-Movie-PR-revised-3-18.pdf" target="_blank">For more information read the media release</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.uptv.com/lovefindsyouinsugarcreek" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="UPTV LFYSC.300x250.C.R3" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-11259" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/UPTV-LFYSC.300x250.C.R3-252x210.jpg" height="210" width="252" /></a>For those who are not familiar with the <a href="http://summersidepress.com/Products/LoveFindsYou/tabid/61/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Love Finds You™ series</a>, this will be a great opportunity to introduce them to these uplifting and engaging romances." <i>Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio</i> is one of more than 50 releases in the popular Love Finds You™ series uniquely titled after actual American towns with unusual but intriguing names and combines travel, romance and faith in one package. The series includes both historical and contemporary releases, and each fictional story draws on compelling history or the unique character of a real place. Stories center on romances kindled in small towns, old loves lost and found again on the high plains, and new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways. Mission Pictures has purchased the movie rights to the entire series and plans to produce additional films based on the series in the future.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12171325981174463550noreply@blogger.com0