• Sin & Repentance

    Returned a book …

    I was really excited about a certain book I received for Christmas. (Not excited enough to make a GROOVY “SCORE!” photo like our beloved PalmTreePundit did with her pile o’ books, but excited nonetheless.) Its title implied that it would help with faith’s fight against sin specifically concerning the sins that I am tempted to “coddle” or “tolerate.” Sadly … after a few pages, I knew that it wasn’t a book for me. BUT … I know that MANY people respect and just LOVE this author so I have no CONCERNS or anything. But I just printed off a “return to Amazon for free shipping” label for it anyway. Who…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Humbling humbling humbling …

    I’m working through the DVD’s and study guide (again) and OH MAN! I am totally cracking up at two incredibly humbling things: 1. One of my eagle-eye proofers made the gentle observation that I tend to “overuse” quotation marks to set apart “colloquial” phrases. I thought, “Hmmmmm? I do?” So I did a little “search” in “Word” and “YUP!” There were, oh, say, “A FEW HUNDRED” sets of “completely unnecessary” and quite “distracting” quotation marks around various “words.” Hah. I never would’ve known that about my writing. I never would’ve seen it. Thank God for the Body of Christ! In the counsel of many, there really is great wisdom. 2.…

  • Uncategorized

    Moving to Chicago? (Not scheduled for any time soon.)

    Hope you’re all having a nice weekend! Are you getting back to normal in your homes or are you still in crazy holiday mode? Soph cried (literally CRIED) for hours when Kali and Fred left on Wednesday. And then yesterday she asked if we could, “PLEASE go to the airport and get on a plane and MOVE TO CHICAGO.” Guess someone loves her auntie and uncle, eh? Wonder why … By the way … Soph made the COOLEST motorized marble elevator thingy. Seriously? I thought she’d just enjoy watching it go “round & round” after Fred built it … but nope. She looked at the photo and piece by piece,…

  • Uncategorized

    This probably won’t interest you …

    Unless you are a current event host to whom I haven’t yet sent my promotional materials (and I don’t think that there are any of you out there!), this probably won’t interest you. BUT … Fred worked SO HARD on this and I’m SO grateful to him and SO proud of his work that I just wanted to show it off: Materials for Event Hosts Just one more way to guard my Domestic Diva Tara’s a Stay-at-Home-Momma-ness (who happens to fly 35,000+ miles a year). The more I automate and make things convenient for event hosts, the less back-and-forth time I take away from tackling my fears of cooking, right?…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Trying to catch my “button” BEFORE it’s a button

    One of my “buttons” in life … (You know, the kind of thing that really TICKS ME OFF and brings out some definitely UNATTRACTIVE, totally NOT-GOD-HONORING, absolutely 100% areas in NEED OF FURTHER SANCTIFICATION in me …) … is when I am working, working, working, working, WORKING like a mad woman and then either: 1. I realize that there is NO WAY I’m going to get everything done; and/or 2. Something happens to disrupt my crazy-freaking-out-busy-accomplishing-so-much Tara-To-Do-ness. (You know, like a husband not reading my mind and not doing something “just so.” A daughter needing, oh, I don’t know … food, water, love, attention.) Well … having JUST proofed the…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Friend / Prayer / SHOOTING (?) Group

    Well … I’ve had a first. Sunday after church, our little “friend/prayer” group went SHOOTING. Clay pigeons at the rod & gun club … Lessons by deacon Vowell … Cheered on by our men … We did it! I have to say … I truly thought that the statistical possibility of us hitting ANYTHING (other than AIR) was like, ZERO … But unbelievably, I did hit two of the clay pigeons. In fact, I completely obliterated, annihilated, turned-back-into-dust one of ’em:   (Here I am “explaining” that it REALLY helps if you KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN while shooting …) By the way, how about that cutie-bear Fred shooting too? 😉…

  • Uncategorized

    Worriers are visionaries minus the optimism–Ed Welch

    Ed Welch keeps on knocking them out of the ballpark in my estimation! I’m continuing to work through his latest book, Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest, and today’s reading was particularly appropriate because YESTERDAY–totally by God’s GRACE!–I tackled a fear (entering the FEEDBACK I received from my dear “heresy-checking” friends on my DVD series), engaged in the battle (actually opened up Word and made the changes!), and … as usual … it wasn’t NEARLY as hard or scary as I had been making it up to be all these many weeks/months. Aren’t big ol’ HARD STUFF projects often like that? We think, “That’s going to be…

  • Uncategorized

    Precious Moments Nativity, this ain’t …

    Jaw droppingly amazed (yet again) at the incredible art of Taylor Lynde (my friend Samara’s husband). I WISH I could put a picture in here but my blog hosting service is changing over and they’ve temporarily canceled my ability to upload photos (!!). But please take a moment to click on over to this incredible painting in TJ’s ebay store. You won’t be disappointed! Bethlehem Back Alley Simply amazing. I just can’t believe it’s in his ABSOLUTE STEAL ebay store rather than in a gallery. Bet he just wanted to bless “the rest of us” who don’t have the joy of shopping in galleries, eh?   Thank you, Taylor, for…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Sleep Sleep O Glorious Sleep!!!!!!!

    Finally. One week later. A WHOLE NIGHT’S SLEEP!!!! I went to bed at 7:30PM and didn’t wake up until 7:10AM!!!! A typical “long” night’s sleep for me is six hours. Maybe seven. But almost 12 hours of sleep??? Oh oh oh … I can’t TELL you have different I feel now. Thank God for rest. I am so grateful.   “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:6-8 Blessed Thursday, all!…