you WILL want to follow along...

BooMama and several other bloggers have made their way to Uganda as part of this Compassion International trip. If you click "Read" on the toolbar above, you find the list of bloggers involved. Just scroll down and click on a name to read the various posts. BooMama's post today will make you cry.

Suppose there are poor people among you. And suppose they live in one of the towns in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Then don't be mean to them. They are poor. So don't hold back money from them. Instead, open your hands and lend them what they need. Do it freely. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (NIrV)

Baby, It's Cold Outside

February really is the worst month for living in Minnesota. I believe yesterday's high was -2 degrees. Yes, that's below zero... as the high temperature. Our low was -11 degrees which really felt like -36 degrees with the whole wind chill thing factored in.

Like I said, it's cold.

Despite the bitter weather, the boys and I made it to church. It was well worth the trip because our new worship leader was AWESOME!! Not only does he sing, but he does it whilst playing the guitar, harmonica, AND piano. As I said in an earlier post, he's a very talented young man. To top things off, my friend Sue spotted Ren and I up in the nosebleed section and joined us in our merrymaking. (Sue is the gal who won the last prize drawing; we hadn't yet connected so seeing her felt very much like a God Moment.)

The Lord must have performed a work in me because I came home from church with the desire to bake. Not only did I make some delicious Banana Biscotti, I also whipped a loaf of French Bread. (Granted it was with a bread machine, but I did have to measure and pour all of the ingredients into a pan.)

My hubby even punched up the temperature in our house a degree to celebrate. It may be cold outside but we are living it up at SIXTY-NINE degrees. Woo hoo, gotta love Minnesota!

February Faithbooking Lesson

Do you ever find yourself struggling to keep up with the frantic pace of life? Do you look forward to a time when you will have time to do the things you love? Do the relationships in your life take a backseat to activities in your life?

Time is a precious commodity. We all receive the same amount and when it's gone, it's gone. So what do most of us do with this daily gift? Work it, squander it, rush it, dread it - that is until tragedy strikes and forces us to face the reality that our days are numbered.

Take for example the song I posted as a hint for the lesson this month. "Cat's in the Cradle" was originally performed by Harry Chapin. It was written by his wife Sandy after their son Josh was born and became a self-fulfilling prophecy. When Josh was seven, Harry was performing 200+ concerts a year. Sandy asked when he was going make time for their son; Harry promised at the end of summer. He never kept that promise. A truck hit his Volkswagen Rabbit that July and Harry was killed.

Time is precious.

How many of us put off our relationship with God, thinking we'll tend to it "someday"? How many of us put off forgiving someone, thinking we'll tend to it "someday"? How many of us put off relationships with family and friends, thinking we'll tend to them "someday"? The truth is someday may never come! The time to begin living is right now.

The goal for this lesson was to reflect on your life - this moment. I used the following questions to create a "worksheet" to add to a scrapbook layout (with or without photos):

• Today is a gift because...
• What really matters to me is...
• I see beauty in...
• I spend most of my time...
• I have my heart set on...
• I am thankful for...
• I am struggling with...
• My family means...

Live a life of intention, making the most of every opportunity. God wants us living not just BUSYING!

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)

look what's coming in May!

We loved The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe and can't wait to see Prince Caspian! This is a great trailer, be sure to check it out when you have a moment...

coffee w/sharon

Where she finds these places, I have no idea! We met at Anodyne - a trendy little spot on the south end of Minneapolis. Loads of character, yummy food, and great coffee. Our visit was an important reminder of many things, especially God's hand in bringing us together.

We swapped stories of life's ups and downs. We laughed and cried. And in the end, we prayed... because there are times when a girl needs a little more than just a good cup of coffee.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:13-18 (MSG)

and the winner is...

Sue Rima!

I'll send both the book and journal to you (unless of course, you'd like to make it a coffee date :-). Thanks for all of the WONDERFUL ideas!

questions are a GOOD thing...

When God says we can pray about anything, does He really mean anything?

Who wrote the Bible?

Why do they call it "Good Friday" if that's the day Jesus died?

Will I still have feelings in heaven?

If God knows everything then why do we need to pray?

Why are there ashes on your head?

As a young girl, I had A LOT of questions about God and church. Though I attended parochial school for eight years, questions of faith were not encouraged. Granted it might have been the product of my child mind, but I had the distinct impression that Big Questions would have landed me in a heap o' trouble.

Funny thing is, I forgot all about those questions until I had a child of my own. My firstborn was in preschool when he began asking the Big Questions. I remember telling him, "I don't know, but I'll find out."

To this day that process of discovery has not stopped. I found answers to Meeley's questions and to many of my own along the way. The following tools were extremely helpful in the process:

1. Parents' Guide to the Spiritual Growth of Children
2. 801 Questions Kids Ask About God
3. The Alpha Course
4. Joyce Meyer Ministries
5. Family Nights Tool Chest Books

Of course now with the Internet, vast amounts of information are just a click away!

Ask the Big Questions and encourage your children to do the same! We have a mighty big God - He can handle it.