Ta-Da! A Big Announcement

It'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.

But also because things have been changing.

This is the last post for A Nest in the Rocks at this address - we're moving!

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 Nest in the Rocks.

The Nest 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.

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.

New See the Light Special & Giveaway!

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! 

  

GOD’S Special Surprise DELUXE GIFT SET is on special during the month of July and August!

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.

Included:

• DVD w/ 285 minutes of content
• black light
• fluorescent pencils
• fluorescent chalkuary

The regular price: $29.99. During the months of July and August you can purchase God's Special Surprise $25.00 + FREE SHIPPING in the USA. Coupon Code to use: STL 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. 

Entry-Form

 

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.

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.

Family, Community, and a Free Episode of Adventures in Odyssey

 

 For a limited time, you can listen to a new episode 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 Odyssey Adventures Club, 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 join in the fun for only $5! Here's what part one is about (which you can listen to for free HERE):

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.

Album 58 was inspired by Focus on the Family’s The Family Project, 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:

• 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 
• 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 
• 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 
• 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 
• We make blessing bags to give to the homeless when we encounter them. We also donate clothes and food to a local shelter. —Amy 
• 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 
• 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. —Debra 
• 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 
• 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 
• 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 
• 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

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!
 

Staying Cool & Other Crazy News

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.

Why slow the pace now?  

We haven't been home much.  

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.

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.

In the meantime, I do have some exciting news!  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.

What's your favorite way to beat the heat?

Hearts for Home Blog Hop - July 10, 2014

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 here.

 The most clicked-on post from last week was Back Porch Chicken Coop Tour.
 
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:

-  Camping Activities for Kids Printables

- Grilling on a Stick - 20 Kebab Recipes

-  FREE Community Helpers Learning Pack and Resources

If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons!  Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.

<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>

 
Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link
back to this one. Happy hopping! 

<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>

Please share your family friendly posts with us!
By linking up you agree that if your blog post is selected to be featured on any of our hosts' blogs that we can use an image from your post with a link back to your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer Activities for Adventures in Odyssey Fans

Summer is officially here! 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 Odyssey Adventure Club for only $5! More details can be found here.

Summer Activities

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 On Your Marks Summer Reading Challenge. Bonus points if YOU create a reading challenge for yourself as you read along with your kids!

Looking for something hands-on? Create Matthew in 3-D! 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).

Maybe your kids aren't into reading, but they love math. If that's the case, have them solve Eugene's Sudoku!

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 Matthew's Decoder 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!

A MOTHER’S SECRET | Kindle Fire giveaway from @AmyClipston

Don't miss the newest offering in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series from Amy Clipston, A Mother's Secret. 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.

Amy is celebrating with a Kindle Fire giveaway.

 One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Books 1 and 2 in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series, A Hopeful Heart and A Mother's Secret.

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 6th. Winner will be announced July 7th on Amy's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Amy's blog on July 7th to see if you won.