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My male readers may want to ignore this post … ** SHAVE THE DAY **
……. (Male blog readers, you may want to skip this post. Total chick post. Well, unless you want to bless your wives with a gift certificate or something.) …….. OK. I hope that you don’t ever feel like I’m trying to sell you anything on this blog. I’m regularly asked to join teams and sell jewelry, makeup, skin care products, storage containers (oooh! that’s a hard one to say no to), etc. etc. And I always say no. And I promise I won’t ever make a DIME off of any sales of this product if you happen to click through and buy it … But oh my STARS! I love…
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Using Hypotheticals with Our Children
My dear friend Lori Johnson has a new blog, Helplessly Hopeful … Meandering in the Shadow of the King, and she asked me to write a little “guest post” on the topic of using hypotheticals with our children. I was happy to do so, of course, because I love Lori! 🙂 And also because hypotheticals have been a great help to us in our parenting of Sophia. So what does Sophie mean when she says, “Hey Mom! Let’s do a hypothetical!” The ten-second-Web-search definitions said that a hypothetical is a possible situation or circumstance that deals with the concept of “what if …” In our family, we make up scenarios…
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If only it were that easy …
I had SUCH a funny dream last night … Fred and I were standing there watching my belly do its amazing gymnastics feats (Eleanor Marie has been extremely active lately, praise God), when suddenly, BLOOP! Out she popped. Happy. Sparkly-clean. Dressed in a super cute newborn onesie. Eyes open. Big smile. All ready to be cuddled and loved. I quickly called my doctor to tell him, “Hey! We can cancel the c-section. She decided to come on her own. We’re all doing great here. Have a nice weekend.” If only … If only … 🙂 !! (21 days until we leave for the hospital …)
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Ann Won the Books!
“Ann” (who posted a comment on June 27) won the free books! Please, Ann, email me your shipping address by July 10. If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll pick another name. Thanks, all! Yours, Tara B.
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Hoping for a Sturdy Little Pool
I’m sure it’s not that important, so I’m reticent to pray for a supernaturally strong, cheap plastic pool that can withstand puppy claws and active children. And yet I know that God cares about the little stuff too, right? 🙂 So let’s just say that I pray that God will know how grateful I am for blessings like these … and I hope we have at least a few days (weeks?) of fun with our current effort to keep cool on these blazingly hot days:
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Our Desire to Belong is Corrupted by Our Need to Exclude
Yesterday’s RZIM Slice of Infinity (the only email devotional I read Monday-Friday) was another stellar essay by Jill Carrattini: There is Still Room I encourage you to read the entire devotional (and sign up to receive it regularly too—I’ve never received ANY solicitations or SPAM from them. Ever. And the essays are usually very good). But since I’m running out the door right now to take almost-final-SALE-orders to the post office, bring our poor little car to the shop (could this be the end of our Honda?), get Soph to swim lessons and Lilikoi to the vet (hooray for domestic-diva-Momma-days, eh?!), I only have time to leave you with this…
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Longing to Fit In (And Finding Contentment in Christ Alone)
I was reflecting yesterday about how we all, at times, peer in on certain relationships and wish we would easily “fit in.” It could be a prayer group or a playdate; the “leaders” of your church or organization; a certain small group; or even just a set of friends who always seem to be sharing in inside laugh about some outing, adventure, or time just hanging out around the grill. It feels so good to be wanted! To enfold into a group of people who say, “We like her! She’s great! We love to spend time together.” This is a natural, human tendency. We were created to worship (God) and…
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More Grace in an “AA” Meeting?
We’re almost done with our summer women’s study on Tim Keller’s “The Prodigal God”, and I think I speak for all of the women participating when I say that it’s been a wonderful, convicting, encouraging time of learning more about God, ourselves, and especially the GOSPEL. (I highly commend this book to you!) Throughout the study, we’ve been trying to APPLY what we are learning, especially as it pertains to how many of us have “elder brother tendencies” to: – Do “good” things (and avoid “bad”) things, but for wrong (“damnable”) motivations – Want the good things that God the Father gives us, but not REALLY want HIM – Judge,…
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Long Line of Learned, Passionate, and Articulate African-Americans Within the Reformed Tradition
I was so excited when Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile’s latest book arrived this week: May We Meet in the Heavenly World: The Piety of Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833) I’m ashamed by my ignorance, but until Pastor Anyabwile let us know about this great man, Lemuel Haynes, I simply never knew that “there had in fact been a long line of learned, passionate, and articulate African-Americans within the Reformed tradition” (from the Foreword by Anthony J. Carter)—more or less from the time of the founding of the USA. As soon as I found out, I bought the book because I wanted to learn more! And now I can’t put the book down.…
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Welcome Miracle Channel / The Bridge Viewers!
Just a quick note to say HELLO and WELCOME to any viewers of the television show “The Bridge” that might be stopping by after my interviews about Peacemaking Women. I hope that you enjoy poking around my current posts and old archives too. Please note that we also have a HUGE SALE on my Women’s DVD Study (“Living the Gospel in Relationships”) going on for only nine more days, so please be sure to check that out if you are interested in any discounted resources. So happy you are here with us! Blessings and joy, Tara B. PS My two-day interview on the Miracle Channel is airing June 22-23 at…
